Let's Do the Time Warp Again

How many Pennsylvania State Representatives might we assume play the "per diem" game?  According to the grand jury investigating Pennsylvania's State House, quite a few.  But beyond that, the grand jury calls the practice a "time-warped way of abusing taxpayer monies" and one of the major indicators of needed reform in Harrisburg.

Per Diem is the "legal practice" which affords politicians the luxury of having meals paid for at taxpayer expense when traveling outside their district.  The Fox 29 report details a dinner meeting between Rick Taylor (D-151), Patrick Norton - Director of Government Relations University of Penn Medicine, and Anthony DeLuca (D-32), Chairman of the PA House Insurance Committee.  The meeting happened the day before a hearing on the Health Information Technology Act although, according to the report, Penn officially hadn't taken a position on the Act.






Tim Potts of Democracy Rising PA calls it extortion but Taylor doesn't think so.

Except Taylor paid his own way that evening.  Why?  Did he do so because he knew it would be politically dangerous in this re-election season against Todd Stevens (R)?  If it's wrong Mr. Taylor, why did you ask Penn to pick up the tab in the first place?

Tea Party Patriots to Pat Murphy, "Prove it"

Rob Boyson from Levittown, and Philadelphia Tea Party Patriot - Lower Bucks coordinator, has a question or two for Patrick Murphy, the incumbent Democrat Congressman from Pennsylvania's 8th district.

Boyson wants to know where exactly are the 3,000 jobs Murphy touted creating in two recent mailings to constituents of the district.  He also wants to know why some voters in the district were kept from receiving the save-the-date announcement of a "Community Job Fair" Murphy will host.

In a release from the Lower Bucks group and Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots, Boyson claims the targeted mailing aims to take advantage of Murphy's incumbent status by using tax-payer funded mailers to promote campaign events:

“ Think about it … can these two brochures be taken as campaign items use to promote an incumbent candidate’s 2010 re-election bid?”

If the mailings went to only Democrat voters, it sure seems like Patrick wants his 'jobs fair' to be anything but fair.

As for the 3,000 created...
According to the Department of Labor Statistics unemployment in Bucks County rose 16% (from 7.3% to 8.5%) between March of 2009 and March of 2010.

If you are creating jobs Mr. Murphy, you're doing a horrific job at it.

We Hail Cardinal Dougherty High!!

With faith that’s strong,

With courage bold,

We wave our colors high,

Unfurl our banner to the world,

Our cross against the sky;

For in this sign we conquer all,

For God and school and land,

With the Trinity and Mary’s love,

To guide our youthful hands.

Chorus:
Alma Mater’s garnet and royal gold,
Sons and daughters salute you with pride;
Pledging hearts to you in loyalty
We’ll bear your glory far and wide!
With wisdom and truth you nourish us,
With love our souls you fortify;
So dear Alma Mater,
Your sons and daughters hail!
We hail Cardinal Dougherty High!

Wasting $3 Billion for "Science"

From today's New York Times,

(June 26, 2000) Mr. Clinton said it would “revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases.”

Gee, what a surprise, it yielded nothing.

The old-fashioned method of taking a family history was a better guide, Dr. Paynter reported this February in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

So much for the progressive approach to research.

But I'll bet those 'fat-cat' researchers probably had a few good meals on the public dime.