Sarah Rocks!

Did you hear the Governor on Rush Limbaugh today? Or maybe a few words from her book tour beginning in Grand Rapids.

Sarah Palin's book subtitle is no accident, also the autobiography name of a recent great President, Ronald Reagan: An American Life.

It's interesting comparing POTUS 44 with a potential and welcomed POTUS 45. Both lived in Hawaii, yet Sarah does a climate-change gotcha and also claims Alaska.

When 1939 Hollywood produced its greatest ever crop of films, including Mr(s?!?). Smith Goes to Washington, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Gunga Din, Stagecoach, and The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind has captured more hearts than any of these. A conclusion? Women held the South together.

From Abigail Adams to women of The South during our Civil War, to Susan B. Anthony's democratic birth pangs and Governor Palin's leadership, America knows her near future. Hey Todd, you now rival Lou Gehrig as the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

Ron Shegda, Hellertown, PA, USA
http://ronshegda.com/wgpa/

Should PA Tax the Arts?

State Senator Bob Mellow (D-22) has held this position since 1970. He's Harrisburg's version of Arlen Specter, including a list of notable accomplishments such as S-CHIP. That program has been replicated nationwide. Although it has achieved the excesses of overly-liberal eligibility.

Firmly entrenched with an opinion that the State knows best and should lead the way for economic vitality through taxing and spending, Senator Mellow wants to tax the arts. And he wants to tax non-profit theatres and museums. By his very words, he says "they're not non-profit because they spend their revenues on salaries." Say what? Is Michael Moore advising him?!?

Moreover, Senator Mellow looks concert and theatre goers in the eye (sports fans are exempt) and says, "This is not a tax. It's a user fee. We're not taxing the arts. We're charging a user fee on the person who buys a ticket."

Accomplishments are what we look for in our public servants. When their policy thinking from too many years in office yields this kind of mumbo-jumbo, it's time Voters in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Monroe Counties consider another Candidate. Voters may reasonably expect that Senator Mellow will not change his Party.

Ron Shegda

Play that Budget Again, Sam

Hopefully the House Republicans will stand united
and oppose the "compromise" budget from the Floor.

Todd Eachus, Democratic Majority Leader, is wrong-headed.
Instead, the House R's wisely chose not to participate in something
wrong-headed. This does not mean they have nothing valuable
to say to Pennsylvanians.

A new point amongst many: a budget should follow policy,
not set policy. A delayed budget because of the Governor's
political gamesmanship should not open our Commonwealth
to expanded gambling. Didn't we learn from midnight slight
of hand in 2004 that nefarious policy shifts need the light of day
and citizen participation?

Pennsylvania still has many unsettled issues from the first
round of gambling legislation. Consider: Licenses and construction
for the original 14 casinos have not yet concluded. We have not
carefully considered the human, worker and economic value
of "jobs created" at gambling halls. Gambling revenues are down
in the States that legalized it. Casinos here have shortchanged
the PA Lottery. Meanwhile, China's economy is booming.

As far as I know, the Attorney General and State Police are still
not properly involved in completing background checks for casino
operators. And property owners have given up on Ed Rendell's
promise in 2003 of "a 30% reduction in school taxes within 6 months"
of his election. That was standing on his head!

Add to--or subtract from!-- this: draining our state reserves,
further taxing small businesses and the poor, counting on unreliable
revenues, and spending more than we'll have on top of a deficit year.
Common sense tells us this compromise is neither wise nor prudent.