Monday, August 07, 2006

Real Federal Deficit and PCN shows PA government (PA Constitution) reform bias

C-Span interview with USA TODAY reporter Dennis Cauchon about his report: What's the Real Federal Deficit?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-08-02-deficit-usat_x.htm

C-Span continues to provide unparalled service to the people to make informed opinions with programming such as this interview with Cauchon.

It is too bad, in my opinion, the Pennsylvania Cable Network, has not totally approached its mission as C-Span has. I have come to believe PCN has a bit of an agenda by only having interviews with so-called (PA Constitution) reform movement spokesmen.

To date, I have not seen one segment of PCN wherein someone opposed to calling and convening a Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention (for whatever purpose/purposes has been a guest.

When PCN invited its first guest blogger (and a columnist, actually so is that really a blogger), I relayed info about my blog, Net the Truth Online, and my website, Vote Fix http://dirtline.tripod.com/votefix/ to PCN, noting I had compiled a wide range of information about the dangers of a PA Con-Con. At the very least, PCN could interview some well-known opponent to a PA Con-Con (seems like there may not be any willing to step forward because reform is the hot-hot topic.)

While this article is from a while back, http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/capitalcash/s_419693.html

I found it odd and really let me say almost unconscionable, to quote only Jubelirer about potential reforms via a PA Con-Con.

The Senate's highest elected Republican on Wednesday opened fire on
reformers who opposed the pay raise and want to defeat incumbents, rewrite the
Pennsylvania Constitution
, and cut lawmakers' perks.

Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Altoona, is the first
legislative leader to defend the institution of the General Assembly by
responding directly to prominent reformers across the state.

"The system is not broken, elected officials are not as bad, and
Pennsylvania's situation is not as hopeless, as daily depicted," Jubelirer
said...


What did they expect the PA Senator to say, we are not good people, the system we crafted is bad, bad, bad; we don't follow the PA Constitution but it, the PA Constitution is bad anyway?

OK sit down and hold onto your seat as I respond to this quote from the same article

Jubelirer also criticized a suggested constitutional convention, saying that proponent Tim Potts, founder of Democracy Rising PA, wants to "put the constitution up for grabs" after witnessing interest groups commandeering the ballot process in other states.

I agree with Jubelirer! Potts and others like Russ Diamond are putting the PA Constitution up for grabs after witnessing groups commandeering the ballot process in other states!

And it isn't ballot access that is the issue, it is "citizen initiatives and referendums."

Can't wait to determine how many political campaign contributions to Russ Diamond's run for Governor of PA came from just such organizations outside of PA.

Unfortunately, what is being missed is that it is the PA Constitution that is being held accountable for the actions - unconstitutional actions - of the people in the state legislature who are supposed to uphold the PA Constitution.

The PA Constitution is not at fault for the infractions of the elected public servants.

I'd also like to know where was the Tribune-Review when the state legislators passed the unconstitutional Keystone Opportunity Zones?

Guess where, right on the bandwagon of economic development boost via "tax-free" zones to attract "new" companies to "relocate" to Pennsylvania, that's where.

INFO OF USE

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/VC/visitor_info/creating/constitution.htm

Clarke Thomas: Constitutional Convention wisdom
Keep momentum growing to attack the core problems in Harrisburg
Wednesday, July 05, 2006Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Talk is in the air of mounting a Constitutional Convention to update the Pennsylvania Constitution. For one thing, the furor over the Legislature's secretive after-midnight vote last July to increase its pay has boiled over into talk of trimming its size...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06186/703344-108.stm

No comments: