PA state house goes Democrat (yet to be seen if Republicans challenges to absentees and provisionals pans out their way)

http://www.redstatenetwork.com/blogs/young_conservative/2006/dec/01/pennsylvania_state_house_goes_democrat

PA state representative elect the $200,000 man (he'll watch our tax dollars)

Mahoney's campaign topped $200,000
By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
12/08/2006
In the final month leading up to the general election, Democrat Timothy S. Mahoney spent nearly $24,000 in his quest to become the next state representative for the 51st Legislative District, while he spent more than $200,000 throughout the entire campaign.


According to the 30-day post-election campaign finance report filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Mahoney spent $23,754.84 from late October to late November. While the report filed by Mahoney's campaign committee, "The Friends of Tim Mahoney," brought forward a balance of $17,807, Mahoney as an individual brought forward a negative balance of $34,017 and the report showed the same ending balance.

Mahoney easily defeated Republican candidate John "Sonny" Mikita in the Nov. 7 general election, receiving 9,476 votes compared to 5,858 votes for Mikita. Mahoney will replace longtime legislator Larry Roberts (D-South Union), who did not seek re-election to an eighth term.

Mikita's 30-day post-election campaign finance report was not available on Thursday, and he will be subject to a fine. Throughout the campaign, Mikita spent comparatively less, spending only $3,500 in the 30-day pre-election cycle, for example, when Mahoney spent about $35,700.

To win the seat that had been held by Roberts for 14 years, Mahoney had to first prevail in the Democratic primary, when he ran against Fayette County Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites and Uniontown businessman Gary Gearing. In the primary, Mahoney received 3,629 votes, Vicites received 2,585 votes and Gearing received 1,549 votes, according to official election results from the Fayette County Election Bureau.

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17565287&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6

House Democrats nominate DeWeese as speaker
By Alison Hawkes, For the Herald-Standard
12/06/2006

HARRISBURG - House Democrats nominated their party leader, H. William DeWeese of Waynesburg, to become Speaker of the House next year.

DeWeese, a 30-year lawmaker whose district includes Greene County and parts of Fayette and Washington counties, still must be approved to the post by the 203-member chamber on swearing-in day Jan. 2.

His approval also is conditioned on Democrats' control of the House, a situation still unresolved as Republicans move forward with a recount of votes in a Chester County race.

Republicans believe they still have a shot at the majority and have re-nominated Speaker John Perzel for the position, creating at this time an unusual situation of two potential candidates for Speaker.

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17552496&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468520&rfi=6

Newly elected Pennsylvania representative issues request in exchange for vote for DeWeese kingship (does that sound jaded? disgusted? scornful?)

state Representative Timothy Mahoney issued a challenge to House Leader, H. William DeWeese to co-sponsor legislation for an open records bill, reportedly modeled on Kentucky and Canadian laws...

but notice pre-election, Mahoney vowed he would not vote for DeWeese for a leadership position. (Mahoney didn't specify what leadership position might be ahm, exempted.) Now, Mahoney's announcing after the election, he'll vote for DeWeese for Speaker of the House if Democrats hold the majority after the vote counting and checking is completed.

Is he going back on his own man-of-integrity word by voting for DeWeese for Speaker of the House?

Not according to Alison Hawkes' Herald-Standard report. Mahoney didn't vote for DeWeese in an early vote for leadership. So that lets him off the hook to vote for DeWeese for Speaker come the swearing-in ceremonies in January.

For his supportive pro-rah-rah DeWeese vote, Mahoney is requesting something of DeWeese in return.

Unfortunately, the public will never know how little or how much Mahoney's vote for DeWeese will effect reform of the open records law as it applies to the state legislators. Mahoney has yet to reveal the full scope of the draft of his legislation - he has reportedly said it will be modeled off Kentucky and Canadian law, which he said "goes just far enough" to make the public satisfied.

Aren't those interesting words: goes just far enough to make the public satisfied.

so basically, any little bone that goes just far enough to make the public satisfied is good enough for Mahoney to retract his promise to not vote for Bill DeWeese in a leadership position.

Isn't this business as usual?

Mahoney also said he's going to hold DeWeese to his word. What word? That DeWeese will take a look at reform measures, including the records law? That doesn't mean that DeWeese will sign on to a complete reversal of the exemption of the state lawmakers from an open records law that's been in place for decades.

Mahoney indicating he will vote for DeWeese for Speaker of the House of Representatives of PA is not puzzling, not realy - because Mahoney knows DeWeese has the votes without Mahoney to become Speaker.

You gotta join the club to belong in the club. Mahoney's voting for DeWeese is belonging to the club. It's belonging to the club, because, again, DeWeese has enough votes without Mahoney to become Speaker.

However, it will be interesting to watch how Mahoney will play the hand he created for himself - and how the local media especially will play the supportive role.

There is always hope, after enough of DeWeese's nauseating power, Mahoney may come to realize an apology to the public is in order. Then, if he really wants to weild a swing vote, he'll switch to Independent.

Newly elected lawmaker plans open records bill

By ALISON HAWKES
Bucks County Courier Times

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Legislature’s spending habits would become public under a bill that newly elected Fayette County Rep. Tim Mahoney said he is introducing within the first week of the new term.

Mahoney, a businessman who was elected on a government reform platform, said he has lawyers preparing a draft that will be modeled after Kentucky and Canadian law, which he said “goes just far enough” to make the public satisfied.

He said he’s asking House Democratic Leader H. William DeWeese to be the bill’s cosponsor.

“The second day of session, I’m going to introduce an open records bill,” said Mahoney, also a Democrat.

“I’m going to reform this [Legislature] come hell or high water. It’s as simple as that.”


http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-12012006-749809.html

http://voicepa.blogspot.com/2006/12/newly-elected-lawmaker-plans-open.html

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dshswp8_36dbk2ms

http://truthinourhouse.blogspot.com/index.html

Mahoney prepares reform measure
By Alison Hawkes, For the Herald-Standard
12/01/2006
HARRISBURG - The state Legislature's spending habits would become public under a bill that newly elected Fayette County Rep. Tim Mahoney said he is introducing within the first week of the new term.


Mahoney, a Uniontown businessman who was elected on a government reform platform, said he has lawyers preparing a draft that will be modeled off Kentucky and Canadian law, which he said "goes just far enough" to make the public satisfied.

He said he's asking House Democratic Leader H. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) to be the bill's co-sponsor.

"The second day of session I'm going to introduce an open records bill," said Mahoney.

"I'm going to reform this (Legislature) come hell or high water. It's as simple as that."

The measure would be crucial to giving the public and the press legal rights to see how the Legislature spends taxpayer money and conducts internal business. Pennsylvania requires schools, municipalities, and executive-branch departments in state government to make records public. But the Legislature, in passing that act in 1957, exempted itself. Subsequent revisions of the law never changed that aspect.

Mahoney also said he wants records to be presumed open, unless exempted for certain circumstances. Existing law puts the burden on the public to prove that records are open.

Changing the burden of proof on open records to the public's favor has been a call of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, whose Brighter Pennsylvania campaign for open records, launched before the election, has 137 lawmakers and candidates signed on.

Mahoney also said he would be asking DeWeese to be a co-sponsor in support of the bill. To get re-elected as leader last month, DeWeese said he would be open to a variety of reforms, including making records more available to public scrutiny.

"He's made a lot of commitments and I think he'll live up to them. If he doesn't, he has to answer to a lot of people," Mahoney said.

But DeWeese's spokesman Tom Andrews gave no early indication on where he stands on Mahoney's proposal or the issue at large.

"I'm sure he'll (DeWeese) be happy to take a look at it when it's proposed," Andrews said.

Mahoney said he plans on voting for DeWeese as Speaker should the Democrats retain their one-vote majority in the House. Mahoney's vote could be crucial. He voted against DeWeese in leadership elections in early November in keeping with a campaign promise he would not support DeWeese in leadership...


More...

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17534303&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6