Category: Pennsylvania

Bruce’s post about Flutiecare in Massachusetts is a big reason why I’m not sanguine about the prospect of Ed Rendell boldly moving Pennsylvania into attempting to outdo all the other states to show how much we care about our citizen’s health care. We need to see how this works out in other states before we try to one up anyone.

I also notice that Rendell’s health plan includes a state-wide public smoking ban. Ed, you can totally kiss my ass. Remember kids, when the government pays for your health care, suddenly your bad health habits become everyone else’s business. No thanks! Call me a wacky libertarian, but government provided health care has always seemed to be to be the short line to the government controlling way too many aspects of life than any reasonable human being should be comfortable with.

I need a refresher course in exactly how it is I need to vote for Democrats because the Republicans are too busy stomping on civil liberties. Maybe it’s just the wacky libertarian talking again, but as far as I’m concerned, both parties seem to be equally good at trying to run my life, and as far as I’m concerned they can both go to hell.

This Philadelphia Inquirer article is practically slobbering all over Rendell’s new “plan” and is short on details. Like, how much is this going to cost me? Pennsylvania is already a horrid state to do business in, and this looks like something that’s just going to make it worse.

Pennsylvania has a real problem keeping educated young people in the state. The common story is to go to college, get educated, and get the hell out. I’m one of the rare types that actually stayed, rather than going to greener pastures in the South and West. Rendell would be wise to realize why Phoenix, AZ is currently paced to strip Philadelphia of its title of 5th largest city, and stuff like this has a lot to do with it. Big government is not conducive to economic growth.

But I will say this, I do believe this stuff ought to be done at the state level if it’s going to be done. I would just prefer Pennsylvania wait and see what the results of Massachusetts and California’s efforts are, before we try to one up them. Let’s also not forget the mess that is TennCare.

I agree with critics that our health care system is in need of some reform, but so far no one is coming up with a solution that looks good.

UPDATE: Commenter and occasional blogger Brad points to this good Pat Toomey editorial in the Inquirer.

According to this Inquirer article, we could end up seeing a race between Bruce Castor and Joe Hoeffel for Montgomery County Commissioner. I don’t live in Montgomery County, but I do work in it, so I’m familiar with both Hoeffel and Castor, and even at this early juncture, I’ll throw my hat in the ring with Castor, if it comes down to those two. For the gun folks reading, Hoeffel was best known, as Congressman, for trying to make all federal gun laws apply to antique firearms, so you would have had to fill out form 4473 if you wanted to buy a black powder, muzzle loading 1863 Springfield. I’m sure you’re all aware of the epidemic of gun crime we’ve experienced with antique black powder firearms. No? Apparently that didn’t matter to Hoeffel.

I think Bruce Castor has been a good District Attorney for the county, and having him make sure that Joe Hoeffel’s political career remains in the dungeon I think is a worthy effort. This is an important race, because the Republicans have traditionally ruled the roost in the Philadelphia suburbs. The Democrats have been desperate to change that, and getting control of one of the suburban counties is a big start.

The 2006 elections were a bloodbath for Republicans in the Philadelphia suburbs, and the Democrats are smelling the blood in the water. Hoeffel is a big name, and Montgomery County elected him to Congress three times. I’m not sure I would agree with Davis’ (GOP County Chairman) assessment that his incumbents could defeat him. Most people don’t know the names of their county commissioners, but they will know Joe Hoeffel, and they know Bruce Castor. If the Democrats have a reasonable chance of gaining control of Montgomery County, Castor might be just what the GOP needs to block it.

Ed Rendell was sworn in today for four more years in the governor’s mansion.  Rendell, as Mayor of Philadelphia, was one of the original group of mayors that came up with the novel idea of suing gun manufacturers under the theory that their product was a public nuisance.  As governor, he’s given some lip service to the one-gun-per-month bills that the city politicians keep wanting to pass, but has largely kept quiet on his opinions on gun control.  Aside from his position on that issue, he’s outlined some things I can get behind:

He broke new ground with his promise to overhaul the state’s open-records law, which many right-to-know advocates regard as archaic because it limits public access to specific categories of records rather than opening all records to public scrutiny except for specific exceptions.

I’m generally in favor of public records being as public as possible, with some notable exceptions.  We will need to make sure that if this happens certain types of records (you know the ones) don’t get made public.  I’m also enthusiastic about this:

His proposal to choose state appellate judges through a merit-selection process — a cause that critics of the current elective system have promoted for more than a decade — also came without warning.

I’ve never thought it a good idea to elect appelate judges.  Judges should be separated from politics as much as possible.  I’ll support this one.  Even though I doubt this “merit-selection” process will be apolitical.  There’s also a propsal in his inaugural address to put redistrcting to referendum.  I have no idea how you’d make something like that work.  I think there are better ways to deal with that issue, and don’t believe democracy is really going to work there.  Hey Ed, some tax relief would be nice too!