Category: Politics

The Republicans and Democrats in our state are currently engaged in an epic battle over the budget.   The Republicans want to cut spending to prevent tax increases.   The Democrats want to get Rendell’s tax and spend plan through.  Needless to say, the Democrats can kiss my ass.

Shutting down the casinos is one highly publicized result of the ongoing, increasingly hostile budget standoff between Democrat Rendell and Republican senators. If a budget deal can’t be reached by Sunday night, it also would cause the shutdown on Monday of state parks, including Presque Isle State Park, a popular Erie destination in Ms. Earll’s district, as well as all other state parks, forests, museums, historical sites and other facilities.

This is pure political crap.  Here’s one thing I’m wondering.  Is Ed Rendell considering PICS essential?  It better be.  Start making that a pawn in budget battles, it might be worth a constitutional challenge against the whole system.  I’m guessing PICS, which is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police, which are considered essential, will remain up, however.  Nonetheless, this is another reason Ed Rendell can go to hell.

I have this to say about the looming shutdown: bring it on.   Apparently 24,000 state workers could be temporarily laid off if a compromise is unable to be reached on the budget.   I’m fairly certain that those workers have very little impact on my daily life.  I’m also fairly certain that things in the Commonwealth will largely hum on as usual in their absence.  Police will still be working, same with fire.  I’m assuming Penndot is largely essential, at least the parts that matter.

I can bear through the loss of state parks and what have you.  I want the Republicans in Pennsylvania to understand this completely: Hold out.  Do not give into the Governor.  I do not want my taxes raised.  It’s time to put a stop to his agenda here.  If that means the state has to shut down, so be it.

I’m glad to see the trucking industry coming out against the tolls.  It’s a stupid idea, and to add to the stupidity, they are studying the possibility of doing the same thing to I-95.

Currently, to see Bitter, in Virginia, I pay the 3-dollar tolls in Delaware, both ways (actually, I’ve been bypassing them now, it’s easy, actually), a 5 dollar toll one way in Maryland, and a 2 dollar toll both ways for the Fort McHenry Tunnel.  Grand total is 15 dollars in tolls.  That’s, of course, in addition to the $600 a year I fork over to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission just on my daily commute.

Pennsylvania ought to be ripping up toll booths, not looking for excuses to build new ones.  I’d be a very bad anarcho-capitalist, but I’ve always believed that tax money is well spent on public roads.  Everyone benefits, even people who don’t drive.  It ought to be a collectively borne cost.  There are some narrow instances where I think tolls make sense, but otherwise it’s too easy for state governments who are bad at managing cash to raise money through tolls as a back door method for taxation.

It’s not just Pennsylvania.   Delaware is talking about raising it’s 21 mile section of I95 to 4 dollars both ways, up from 3 dollars.  I’ve also heard they are considering putting a toll plaza on the 896 offramp to discourage people from shirking the toll on the back roads like I’ve been doing.  That’s 8 dollars to go through Delaware and back!  At some point I think the federal government needs to step in and tell the states enough.   The feds are eager to use their power to regulate interstate commerce for stupid crap that’s neither interstate nor commerce, they can damn well use it for what it was meant for!

It’s bad enough Virginia it trying to bilk its residents out of 3 grand per speeding ticket by making anything over 15 MPH over the limit as an automatic “Reckless Driving” rap, but now Pennsylvania State Troopers are being told to help the state make up some of the shortfall in the budget.

I, for one, welcome our new Democrat overlords!

Because I’m generally just pissed off at Pennsylvania state government right now, I’m angry at this too, even though I understand the rationale:

Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Nothhampton, said current law is a good first step but it doesn’t go far enough. She is calling for the passage of a bill that would allow police to ticket drivers for failure to clear snow or ice before they take to the roads. Violators would face fines ranging from $25 to $75.

The bill also would increase the maximum fine for commercial and non-commercial drivers in violation of existing law to $1,500.

A similar rule is being pursued in New Jersey.

Just the fact that New Jersey is considering this too means we should look double close.  We have one documented instance!  I’ve had tractor trailer ice hit me before, and it’s only resulted in a little foul language.  I’m tired of the government regulating every damned aspect of our lives, and lately, I just want to tell them to go to hell, even if what they are asking for might have a hint of reason.   Previously, I’ve only had a few things elevate to the level of writing my state reps, but lately, I just want to tell them “Stop!  I mean everything.  Just stop trying to do anything.  We’ll all be better off.”