tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92923252011-10-02T10:51:08.097-05:00A blog for progressive people in Pennsylvania. Greens, Democrats and others who want to comment on current news items in the Keystone State.Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.comBlogger561100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1114816535918206732005-04-29T18:13:00.000-05:002005-04-30T06:54:03.630-05:00

PA Publisher Sees Drug Link in Missing DA Case.Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar disappeared in what can only be called a bizarre case. Police have no leads at this time, but the strangeness of the case has led to wild speculation, and has brought the conspiracy theorists out of the closet.The facts surrounding the case are indeed strange. Gricar had just busted a drug ring, leading to

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1114816417306622002005-04-29T18:12:00.000-05:002005-04-29T18:13:37.306-05:00

Who Said It? Santorum or Casey? The Democratic establishment is trying to convince us that Bob Casey is really more progressive than Rick Santorum. So who said the following in an interview with the Gar Joseph of the Philadelphia Daily News?Iraq. "Once it was under way, like a lot of Americans, I was supportive of what our troops were trying to do there, based on what we were told by our

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1114816344995118352005-04-29T18:11:00.000-05:002005-04-29T18:12:24.996-05:00

Armstrong Still Stonewalling. Rep. Gib Armstrong (R, 100, Lancaster County) still refuses to identify where his alleged instances of liberal proselytizing and the stifling conservative speech on the campuses of state-supported universities. As we reported earlier this month, Armstrong alleged that students have been forced to chant "abortion, abortion" against their will and view Michael Moore's

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1114816260837140692005-04-29T18:09:00.000-05:002005-04-29T18:11:00.840-05:00

If a Tree Falls in the Forest Dept. Now it’s a three-way race for the Democratic nomination to replace Santorum. Alan Sands, who calls himself “one the nation’s leading attorneys and advocates for working people in the field of pensions and medical benefits,” has thrown his hat in the ring. We don’t know anything about him, but in an effort at fairness, we provide you with contact information:

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1114816138975951702005-04-29T18:08:00.000-05:002005-04-29T18:08:58.976-05:00

Observations. ClearChannel’s Anti-Tax Lobby Day was a dismal failure. The (Harrisburg) Patriot reported that there were only about 200 people in attendance. Estimates of ClearChannel’s expenditures, counting donated ads, were in the $200,000 range. That’s about $1,000 per attendee for this “mass” rally… Rick Santorum may be looking past next year’s US Senate race in anticipation of the 2008

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1114816090456360252005-04-29T18:07:00.000-05:002005-04-29T18:08:10.456-05:00

TAKE ACTION!Purple Ocean has started a Wal-Mart Fact Check email network to counter Wal-Mart's multi- million dollar whitewashing campaign. If you sign up, Purple Ocean will send you updates on Wal-Mart to share with your friends and colleagues. As an added incentive to join, if you get 200 people to sign up for the email notices, Purple Ocean will give you $1,000 toward your health coverage,

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1113252192910873672005-04-10T22:42:00.000-05:002005-04-11T15:43:12.913-05:00

Gib Armstrong Grandstanding Without Facts? Rep. Gib Armstrong (R, 100, Lancaster County) has been getting a lot of mileage in conservative circles charging that Pennsylvania’s institutes of higher education are crawling with liberals. He has made this claim in numerous press releases and speeches in the last month. He has also harangued university leaders in public hearings before the House

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1113252100923392662005-04-10T22:41:00.000-05:002005-04-11T15:41:40.923-05:00

Clear Channel Lobby Day. Will they report their expenses? Clear Channel’s WHP Radio (580-AM) is holding a lobby day on the Capitol steps this Wednesday. They have been heavily promoting this event on the air for months, especially on the Bob Durgin Show (M-F, 3:00-6:00 PM). The value of the promotions alone probably runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Clear Channel will also

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1113252008106961202005-04-10T22:39:00.000-05:002005-04-11T15:40:08.106-05:00

Coulter-geist to Haunt Harrisburg. Right wing media darling Ann Coulter is the keynote speaker at this year’s Pennsylvania Leadership Conference . Coulter is the author of such books as "Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the War on Terrorism," and "Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right." Coulter is known for outrageous, dare we say, neo-fascist remarks such as:"We should

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1113251955553273872005-04-10T22:37:00.000-05:002005-04-11T15:39:15.556-05:00

Drinking Liberally. The Observer is proud of its reporting of new movements and new progressive organizations. We have never been more pleased to announce a new organization as we are of this new discovery—Drinking Liberally. Drinking Liberally describes itself as “promoting democracy one pint at a time.” The concept is simple, “Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1113251799129211392005-04-10T22:35:00.000-05:002005-04-11T15:36:39.130-05:00

TAKE ACTION! Purple Ocean has started a Wal-Mart Fact Check email network to counter Wal-Mart's multi-million dollar whitewashing campaign. If you sign up, Purple Ocean will send you updates on Wal-Mart to share with your friends and colleagues. As an added incentive to join, if you get 200 people to sign up for the email notices, Purple Ocean will give you $1,000 toward your health coverage,

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1111408123914663192005-03-20T23:28:00.001-05:002005-03-21T07:30:19.313-05:00

Polls. Survey USA released some startling poll numbers last week. The poll had Ed Rendell and celebrity Republican candidate of the year Lynn Swann in a statistical dead heat. Rendell had 50%, Swann 44% and 6% were undecided. With a margin of error of 4.4%, that means there is no clear leader. If these numbers are real, then Rendell is in serious trouble. However, there is reason to believe that

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1111408190910623812005-03-20T23:28:00.000-05:002005-03-21T07:29:50.913-05:00

Is Casey Already in Trouble with Pro-choice Progressives? The Observer’s very unscientific poll might foreshadow a rocky road ahead for Bob Casey’s campaign against Rick Santorum in next year’s senatorial race. It would an understatement to say that the Observer’s readership is firmly in the Almost Anyone But Santorum camp. But it appears from our preliminary poll results that a majority of our

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1111408077629161492005-03-20T23:26:00.000-05:002005-03-21T07:27:57.630-05:00

Grassroots movement to stop the US PATRIOT Act. A movement is quietly taking hold across this country to protect the civil liberties of Americans by officially opposing the US PATRIOT Act. The Bill of Rights Defense Committee is helping state and local governments pass resolutions that declare official opposition to the US PATRIOT Act, including "To the extent legally possible, no local

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1111407998097134442005-03-20T23:24:00.000-05:002005-03-21T07:26:38.100-05:00

Wal-Mart’s new slogan—“Always screw workers. Always!” Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is not satisfied to merely screw its workers under existing anti-worker US laws. Now they are trying to change the laws to force workers to work longer hours, under more dangerous conditions, for less money. According to the Washington Post, Wal-Mart is lobbying for legislation that would extend the workday for truckers

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1111407862412491392005-03-20T23:22:00.000-05:002005-03-21T07:24:22.420-05:00

Observations…Rustbelt Radio (http://radio.indypgh.org), the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's (http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org) review of news from the grassroot s, is expanding to a weekly broadcast on a new day. Every Monday from 6-7pm the show will air live on WRCT 88.3FM (www.wrtc.org) in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. News you won't hear on the corporate media…Last month, six

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1110243256543521432005-03-07T19:51:00.000-05:002005-03-07T19:54:16.543-05:00

Now that PA Democrats have pushed Barbara Hafer out of the US Senate Race, what should pro-choice progressives do?-Hold our noses and vote for Casey. Santorum has to be stopped.-Organize a "Draft Hafer" effort.-Join the Greens. They're the only pro-choice party in PA.-Work for Chuck Pennacchio, the only pro-choice Dem left in the race.Vote at:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PAObserver/surveys?id=

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1110222824950810932005-03-06T14:12:00.000-05:002005-03-07T14:14:51.906-05:00

Casey In, Hafer Out. Barbra Hafer made it official last week. She’s running for US Senate, seeking the Democratic nomination no matter who else is planning to run. Hafer cited a February 24 meeting with US Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid in Washington as part of her decision. "Ed [Rendell] has told him that I was his (Mr. Rendell's) candidate," said Hafer, according to The Scranton Times. "He

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1110222728264558972005-03-06T14:10:00.000-05:002005-03-07T14:12:08.266-05:00

We couldn’t improve on this one, so we’re giving it to you verbatim from NARAL-PA’s website:Ask President Bush to Send Your Chastity BeltTimes have changed, but our Federal Government has not. In his most recent budget, President Bush attempted to address the challenge of unintended pregnancy. Did he provide more funding for comprehensive sex education, insurance coverage for birth control, or

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1110222566267643242005-03-06T14:08:00.000-05:002005-03-07T14:09:26.270-05:00

Free the UglyRipe Tomato©. With debates swirling about the wars, the future of Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and so much more, it’s refreshing to know that our two US Senators have their priorities in order. Sens. Specter and Santorum introduced legislation last week to eliminate restrictions on the UglyRipe Tomato©. According to a news release from the Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1110222410103844122005-03-06T14:05:00.000-05:002005-03-07T14:06:50.110-05:00

Observations. .. Last week’s Observer pointed out that MoveOn.org had posted a video of Republicans chanting “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Social Security has got to go.” We were not aware at the time that US Senate Candidate Chuck Pennacchio’s campaign was responsible for the video…Pennacchio has been the subject of rumors in Green Party circles. The Greens see a real opportunity with two anti-choice

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1109975707797275662005-03-04T17:34:00.000-05:002005-03-04T17:35:07.800-05:00

So That’s What the Duct Tape Was All About… Home Depot reported that former P A Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge has been named to its board of directors. "Tom Ridge served his country with great distinction, and we are honored to have him join our board, where we expect that his unique global experience and perspective will make a profound contribution to our company and

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1109975805643684852005-03-03T17:36:00.000-05:002005-03-04T17:36:45.646-05:00

Polls. A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Bob Casey with a decent lead over Rick Santorum in next year's U.S. Senate race. The poll showed Casey would win 46-41 with 12% undecided. This poll has led much of PA's corporate media to join the Democratic Leadership Council in anointing Casey as the clear choice for the Dems. But the Quinnipiac poll showed that Casey wasn't the only viable

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1109975758223810262005-03-03T17:35:00.000-05:002005-03-04T17:35:58.226-05:00

Vermont Town Meetings Vote to Bring Troops Home. Vermonters voted in large numbers this week to bring home U.S. troops from Iraq in that ultimate expression of democracy, the New England Town Meeting. In the town meeting, residents of the municipality gather together to decide on issues such as budget matters, equipment purchases, taxes and policy. There are no elected officials making the

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1109975662638171782005-03-03T17:33:00.000-05:002005-03-04T17:34:22.640-05:00

Action Alert: Stop Medicaid Cuts. Put Families First is asking people to call Senators Specter and Santorum, demanding that they oppose Medicaid cuts that will "take health care away from children, force hospitals to cut services, lead to further overcrowding in our emergency rooms, and cut nursing home staffing leaving residents without the help they need with feeding, dressing, and bathing."

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1109975589646879512005-03-03T17:30:00.000-05:002005-03-04T17:33:09.656-05:00

Observations…Not satisfied to blame the poor for the fiscal crunch in Berks County government, Republican Commissioner Mark C. Scott has decided to run for county judge, where he can put "those people" where they belong--in jail. Scott is best known for defying Federal Court orders to make bilingual ballots available. He is developing a reputation for being Pennsylvania's version of David Duke,

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104941965652976952005-01-05T06:17:00.000-05:002005-01-05T11:19:25.653-05:00

Biggest Missed Story of 2004: Pennsylvania #1 in Cancer Hazards from Manufacturing. It’s easy to complain about the corporate media. They have missed many of the biggest corporate crimes, and are in the midst of missing the possible theft of the presidency. So it’s no surprise that no one in Pennsylvania wrote about the Commonwealth’s top ranking in cancer risks from manufacturers. The

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104941798866886952005-01-05T06:15:00.000-05:002005-01-05T11:16:38.866-05:00

And the Winner Is… I s it a surprise to anyone? Little Ricky Santorum is the hands-down winner of the First Pennsylvania Observer Grinch of the Year Award. There are lots of people and groups who could win this award in any other state, but there are only a handful of locations that have someone as nasty and hypocritically self-righteous as Santorum. Our readers, proving their intelligence and

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104941698570766142005-01-05T06:12:00.000-05:002005-01-05T11:14:58.570-05:00

Top Political Books of 2004. In our humble opinion, there were five great political books that everyone should have read last year. But it’s not too late. Unlike many of the pop political books, these are just as relevant as we begin the new year. Cornel West’s Democracy Matters (Penguin Books) is the most profound book on democracy in the post 9/11 period. West takes on the American empire

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104503968816000272004-12-28T09:39:00.000-05:002004-12-31T09:39:28.816-05:00

Million Man March Redux. It doesn't seem possible, but the 10th anniversary of the Million man March is c oming up next October. Largely ignored by white Americans, it was probably the most important political event for African-Americans in the 1990's. Some of the organizations involved in the first MMM are hoping to replicate its impact by holding an even larger event next October 16.

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104503900586722222004-12-28T09:37:00.000-05:002004-12-31T09:39:50.980-05:00

Working Families Party to Organize in Pennsylvania. Organizers of the Working Families Party in New York state are planning a foray into Pennsylvania politics. The party recently led a successful campaign to raise New York’s minimum wage by employing electoral and community-based pressure. The WFP believes that they can mobilize labor unions, community organizations and progressive individuals to

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104503858376430722004-12-28T09:36:00.000-05:002004-12-31T09:37:38.376-05:00

Grinch of the Year Nominees. We got a lot of interesting nominations, but only 7 got more than one mention. We decided to list only those on the ballot. The Observer knows the Greens will feel we’re discriminating against minority views by limiting the choices. We also know many Democrats will feel that having any more than two choices is too confusing and too democratic. And we know that we

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104503734622338012004-12-28T09:35:00.000-05:002004-12-31T09:35:34.623-05:00

Eddie on the Web. A new listserv popped up on the web to "encourage and support the candidacy of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell for President of the United States in 2008." It may have a way to go, though. So far there is only one subscriber to the list. If you'd like to double the size of the Rendell for President campaing, send an email to: Ed_Rendell_For_President_2008-subscribe@

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1104503683623517402004-12-28T09:32:00.000-05:002004-12-31T09:34:43.623-05:00

Democrats vs. Greens, Part 3 (and final exchange). The heat generated by this exchange between the Greens and progressive Democrats is importnant, but the Observer is not a discussion list. This is the final piece we’ll publish on this, with one Democrat and one Green opinion: I don't want to appear to be continuing this fight, but I would like to clear the record. Most of waht happened

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1103555910272911302004-12-20T06:18:00.000-05:002004-12-20T10:18:30.273-05:00

Who was the biggest Grinch of 2004 in Pennsylvania? There are so any to choose from. Of course there are the perennial favorites, such as Little Ricky Santorum, or any Member of the GOP Congressional Caucus. But there are some dark horses as well. How about Berks County Commissioner Mark Scott, who claims that the poor are the reason for the county’s budget problems? His solution—tear down

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1103555860813290642004-12-20T06:16:00.000-05:002004-12-20T10:20:08.620-05:00

Democrats vs. Greens, Part 2. Last week’s article on the Green Party claim to have cost Lois Murphy the election in the Sixth Congressional District race was by far the Observer’s most controversial in our brief history. We received nearly 50 letters; some angry at the Greens, some at the Democrats, and a few expressing anger at us for reporting the story. Three people quit our mailing list, but

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1103555794290781072004-12-20T06:15:00.000-05:002004-12-20T10:16:34.290-05:00

Inaugural Action. Turn Your Back on Bush. The right to protest has been seriously restricted in recent years, especially under the Bush Administration. Bush rarely had to face a dissenting voice during the presidential campaign since his events were screened. Only supporters were allowed to attend. This poses a real problem for people wanting to attend Bush’s inauguration to express their

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1103555719324647922004-12-20T06:14:00.000-05:002004-12-20T10:15:19.323-05:00

Storm Clouds Gathering—2005-06 PA Budget Will Mean More Cuts for the Poor. Governor Rendell’s Budget Address is scheduled for February 8, but there are clear signs that next year’s state budget is going to mean dire straits for the poor. The Rendell Administration seems to be going out of its way to make sure the public is not surprised by cuts in services for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1102964953009588112004-12-13T14:08:00.000-05:002004-12-13T14:12:10.810-05:00

Greens Claim Credit for Lois Murphy Defeat. After the 2000 presidential election, Greens in Pennsylvania took great pains to avoid the "spoiler" label. In the days after the 2004 election they are embracing it. Jennaro Pullano, the chair of the PA Green Party is absolutely crowing about the Green Party's hand in turning back Democrat Lois Murphy's challenge of Jim Gerlach in the Sixth

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1102964899508166602004-12-13T14:07:00.000-05:002004-12-13T14:08:19.506-05:00

English Reneging on Term-Limit Pledge. In 1994, Phil English (R-3rd CD) joined the Gingrich Revolution and signed a pledge to abide by the Contract With America's six-term limit for Members of Congress. The Observer's math tells us that last month's election was English's sixth, meaning there will be an open seat in 2006. But English, like many other Republicans, is having second thoughts

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1102964835065733652004-12-13T14:06:00.000-05:002004-12-13T14:07:15.066-05:00

Rendell's Tax Panel: Lower Business Taxes. Democratic Governor Edward Rendell created a panel to discuss ways to lower taxes on businesses in the Commonwealth. They didn't disappoint him. The Pennsylvania Business Tax Reform Commission reported to Rendell last week and recommended a reduction in the corporate net income tax from 9.99% to 6.99%. Any changes proposed by the panel were supposed

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1102964757737035632004-12-13T14:05:00.000-05:002004-12-13T14:05:57.736-05:00

End Sine Die. The lame duck session of the General Assembly, known as Sine Die, is notorious for being a time when PA's solons wreak the most mischief. This year is no exception. Bills to ban gay adoption and civil unions, corporate welfare for Comcast, monopoly communication rights for Verizon and others, pay raises for the legislators were just some of the schemes considered this year. One

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1102964698243565622004-12-13T14:04:00.000-05:002004-12-13T14:04:58.243-05:00

New York State Raises Minimum Wage. Progressive activists won a major victory this week by convincing the Republican dominated state legislature to overturn New York Governor George Pataki's veto of a significant increase in the minimum wage. The activists, led by the Working Families Party and ACORN, were able to get the minimum wage raised to $7.15 an hour. For full-time workers, it's an

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1102964622851802102004-12-13T14:02:00.000-05:002004-12-13T14:03:42.850-05:00

No comment department. One day’s business headlines on one page in the December 8 Reading Eagle: TriQuint cutting jobs in Lehigh (110 jobs) Colgate-Palmolive to slash jobs, close factories (4,400 positions) IBM sell PC division to Chinese company

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101863359935557612004-11-30T20:08:00.000-05:002004-11-30T20:09:19.940-05:00

Shop Union. It’s hard enough to buy holiday gifts if you don’t care about how the products are made. For those of us who want the workers who make the goods to be treated properly, it’s nearly impossible. One place to try is the AFL-CIO’s Union Shop. The Union Shop has clothing, books, games, music and more. You won’t find thousands of options, but you can be assured that every product is

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101863293973914422004-11-30T20:07:00.000-05:002004-11-30T20:08:13.973-05:00

We’re Number Two! (In Voting Irregularities). A coalition of non-partisan public interest groups created a national hotline and website to report and track election irregularities, called the Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS). EIRS had 36,896 incident reports nationwide (see tables below). Pennsylvania had 4,328 incidents or 11.7% of the nationwide total. That makes us second only to

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101863196506993572004-11-30T20:05:00.000-05:002004-11-30T20:06:36.510-05:00

From the Cheney School of Civil Discourse. If you do contact Rendell, you might want to be gentle. Fast Eddie has had a rough week. Legislators from both sides of the aisle are angry at the Rendell Administration's sloppy and schizophrenic management of the just-concluded legislative session. Republicans consider Rendell duplicitous, while many Democrats think his team is incompetent. "How

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101863120560794912004-11-30T20:04:00.000-05:002004-11-30T20:05:20.573-05:00

Rendell Prepares for his First Execution. On Thursday, for the first time since the death penalty was reinstated, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is scheduled to execute a man against his will. Governor Rendell, a strong supporter of state-sponsored executions, is unlikely to lift a finger to stop this killing. George Banks was convicted of killing 13 people in Wilkes-Barre in 1982. He has been

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101862999367665192004-11-30T20:01:00.000-05:002004-11-30T20:03:19.370-05:00

Teamsters Strike the ‘Pike. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Locals 77 and 250, went on strike last week on Thanksgiving Eve against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC). IBT Turnpike workers have been without a contract since October 1, 2003. The issues are typical for workers today; job security, healthcare and a decent, livable wage. The PTC management has refused to

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101226788527342982004-11-23T11:19:00.000-05:002004-11-23T11:19:48.526-05:00

Fayette County Race Exposes Vote Count Problems. One needn't go to Florida or Ohio to find vote count problems. There are serious problems right here in the Keystone State. The numbers reported on election night in Fayette County's 51st House District race bear little resemblance to the numbers that the County's Election Bureau reported this week. Incumbent Rep. Lawrence Roberts (D, photo, left

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101226575265329872004-11-23T11:14:00.000-05:002004-11-23T11:16:15.266-05:00

DeLayed Justice. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R, TX) is facing possible federal indictments over some fundraising scandals in Texas. So what did the party of morality do in light of this? They overturned the rule that required an indicted House leader to resign his or her post. The rule was put in place by Republicans in 1993 to embarrass Democrats who were having legal problems with

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101226426209387762004-11-23T11:13:00.000-05:002004-11-23T11:13:46.210-05:00

Santorum Forced to Pay for Kids’ Education. The Observer reported last week that Sen. Rick Santorum was suspected of cheating by having the Penn Hills School District pay for the education of his children at the Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (Santorum Scamming Taxpayers?). It seems Little Ricky got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. School district officials ruled that

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101226311307466112004-11-23T11:10:00.000-05:002004-11-23T11:11:51.306-05:00

Senate Special Elections Update. The race to replace Senators Schwartz, Wagner and Dent has begun in earnest. The special elections will be scheduled by the presiding officer of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll. The elections could be scheduled from mid-March on, but will most likely be held on May 17, the day of the off-year primary. Political parties choose their nominees for

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101226198683570032004-11-23T11:09:00.000-05:002004-11-23T11:09:58.683-05:00

Sine Dies a Quiet Death. The General Assembly has gone home, according to reports, without accomplishing most of their major goals for the lame duck, Sine Die session. The Philly-area and Greater Pittsburgh transit authorities didn't get the money they said they needed to stay afloat. Both will immediately enact drastic service cuts and layoffs. The Welfare for Comcast bill was killed. That

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101225994345193372004-11-23T06:55:00.000-05:002004-11-23T11:06:34.346-05:00

PA Local Economies Continue to Founder. The Milken Institute's "Best Performing Cities Study" was released yesterday to deafening silence in the Commonwealth's media. The survey looks at economic data for the nation's 200 largest metropolitan areas. Once again, the 10 Pennsylvania cities included fared poorly. Only one of the ten cities (Philadelphia) was in the top 100 in wage and salary

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292325.post-1101224822637116362004-11-23T06:42:00.000-05:002004-11-23T10:47:02.636-05:00

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Observer blog. Each week we'll post the articles from the Observer and give you the opportunity to comment on them. Make sure you subscribe to the Observer so you'll get the best progressive news source in PA every Sunday night. To subscribe, send an email to: paobserver-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Pennsylvania Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13806681110485166335noreply@blogger.com3