Pennsylvania House Speaker frontrunners unpopular

If the frontrunners for PA Speaker of the House are so unpopular due to their leadership in state legislative party caucuses, then the rank-and-file should vote for somebody else... right... just like we are supposed to do out here in the hustings. But reality sets in. Third-parties rarely win in elections. People want to back somebody who can actually win. Republican John Perzel vs H. William DeWeese...

It looks as if that vote of newly elected 51st District state representive Timothy Mahoney (D)will make a difference in the final selection of a House Speaker.

Prior to the 2006 Primary election and General election in Pennsylvania, Democrat Mahoney said he would not support DeWeese for a leadership position.

Once elected, Mahoney initially, voted against DeWeese as Democrat Caucus leader, so it was reported. This was before the decision in Monroe County which placed Democrats in the lead for control of the House.

51st District candidates call for positive House leadership
By Chris Foreman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, November 4, 2006

This fall, Mahoney has continued to say he won't back DeWeese for a leadership position in Harrisburg.

"I'll support (DeWeese) as a Democrat, but I'll not support his leadership because I think they made mistakes, and they need to pay for their mistakes if elected," Mahoney said.

DeWeese was one of the architects of the controversial legislative pay raise that lawmakers scrapped after public outcries. He went on to vote for its repeal...


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/fayette/s_478194.html

However, Mahoney reversed his stance when reports were showing Democrats may have won the majority in the House. When Democrats held in-House votes for the speakership, reportedly, Tim Mahoney voted yea.

Reportedly, Mahoney based his newfound support for DeWeese as Speaker of the PA House of Representatives on an open-records reform proposal he crafted which he wanted DeWeese to sponsor.

Bucks County Courier Times, Dec. 1, 2006
Newly elected lawmaker plans open records bill
By Alison Hawkes
Of the Bucks County Courier Times

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...

Bucks County Courier Times, Dec. 1 Newly elected lawmaker plans open records bill by Alison Hawkes Of the Bucks County Courier Times

...

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

.

http://www.headlinesanddeadlines.org/2006/Dec_07_06/open_records_bill.htm


The (Uniontown) Herald-Standard, Dec. 19 Mahoney drafts open records reform bill By Alison Hawkes Of the Herald-Standard
http://www.headlinesanddeadlines.org/2006/Dec_21_06/open_records.htm

The (Uniontown) Herald-Standard, Dec. 19 Mahoney drafts open records reform bill By Alison Hawkes
Of the Herald-Standard

Fayette County's representative-elect Tim Mahoney has drafted a bill requiring state government, including the long-exempt Legislature, to open its records to public inspection within 10 business days of a request.

The language, which he intends to introduce as a bill in the first week of the new session in January, has several elements that would radically change the way Harrisburg handles public records requests.

According to a draft of Mahoney's bill, the public would have a presumed right to internal government documents and the government agency would have to prove why a record should remain secret.

That turns the tables on existing law, in which the presumption is on citizens to prove a record should be made public

...

Mahoney drafts open records reform bill By Alison Hawkes, For the Herald-Standard December 19, 2006

Still no word whether DeWeese has penned his signature to the co-sponsorship request.

Interestingly, Tim Mahoney spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his campaign for the state PA House of Representatives seat.

Mahoney's campaign topped $200,000 By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard 12/08/2006

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

Reportedly, campaign contributions included those from:

Mahoney outspending Mikita 10-1 By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
11/05/2006

...Mahoney received $10,600 from political committees, in the category of contributions over $250. From those contributions, Mahoney received $1,000 from the (state Sen. J. Barry) Stout Election Committee of Eighty Four and $2,000 from the (state Sen. Vincent) Fumo for Senate committee of Philadelphia. The (state Rep. David) Levdansky for Legislature Committee ...

Sunday, November 05, 2006
Follow the M-ah-oney candidates receive from incumbent pay-grabbers

Which state legislators contributing to the campaigns took the pay raise and unvouchered expenses?

Contributing to Democratic candidate Timothy S. Mahoney
state Sen. Vincent Fumo
state Sen. J. Barry Stout

Which ones voted "no" on the pay raise and did not accept unvouchered expenses?

Contributing to Democratic candidate Timothy S. Mahoney

state Rep. David Levdansky

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2006/11/follow-m-ah-oney-candidates-receive.html

Nobody made much of a big deal of Mahoney's acceptance of the campaign monies from two PA Senate payjackers, or the turnaround on voting for DeWeese for any leadership position, and locals wonder why.

Now, in light of other defectors Mahoney's vote will be one that is watched locally by those who want to believe a person's word is as good as well, gold.

Will Mahoney reverse himself again, finding comfort with other DeWeese no-sirrees?

As to which of the unpopular frontrunners for the top leadership post will gather enough votes from the opposite party to put one of them over the top, that is to be seen come January 2, 2007.

Meanwhile, ponder the interconnections particularly regarding the issue of slots casinos.

Analysis: Slots casino license race comes down to final spin
Sunday, December 17, 2006 By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

...

For another, Mr. Barden's Majestic Star casino, with its striking steel and glass frame, would greatly improve a section of Ohio River waterfront in desperate need of attention. He also is promising to finish off a North Shore riverfront trail system with a connection from the casino to the West End Bridge.

And while much has been made of Forest City's political ties to Gov. Ed Rendell and others, Mr. Barden has an important political benefactor on his side as well -- H. William DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, the incoming state House speaker.

Mr. DeWeese watched the Steelers win Super Bowl XL from Mr. Barden's private box and has described the casino owner as a "close confidant." Mr. Barden also attended the unveiling of a portrait of Mr. DeWeese several years ago and has supported the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

If the casino award is to be decided by politics, why wouldn't Mr. DeWeese want to call the shots when it comes to handing out the license for the biggest slots parlor in the western part of the state? Mr. DeWeese has one appointment to the board, former state Rep. Jeffrey Coy.

Mr. Barden has one other big advantage -- he is the only African American with a majority ownership stake among those competing for stand-alone slots parlors in the state, and legislators clearly made racial diversity a goal in crafting the language that legalized slot machine casinos...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06351/746784-336.stm

It will be interesting to discover who supports Perzel or DeWeese, and why...

Democrat plans to support Perzel, spoiling party speakership MARK SCOLFORO

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A veteran Democratic lawmaker told colleagues Saturday he supports Republican John Perzel for speaker of the state House of Representatives, a dramatic move that could foil his own party's hopes of assuming the leadership reins.

Rep. Thomas R. Caltagirone of Berks County wrote in a letter to the Democratic caucus that he will cross party lines to help keep the speaker's gavel in Perzel's hands.

"I have always found Rep. Perzel to be a man of his word, and serious about issues of public policy," Caltagirone wrote. "I believe the people of Pennsylvania will be best served if he is elected as speaker on January 2, and he will have my support."

The speaker sets the House's voting agenda and moves bills into committees, making it the most powerful job in the chamber. Perzel has been speaker since 2003.

To get Caltagirone's support, Perzel agreed to push for rule changes to divide legislative committees equally between the parties, to split the chairmanships evenly and to adjourn at 10 p.m. unless there is a specific vote to extend session hours, Perzel spokesman Al Bowman said

...

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2006/12/31/ap-state-pa/d8mbdoeo0.txt

Harrisburg, PA (AP) Democrat plans to support Perzel for speaker of the House Democrat to back Perzel as House Speaker by Mario F. Cattabiani INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

HARRISBURG - For more than a month, Rep. John M. Perzel, quietly, persistently, desperately, has tried to find a way to keep his coveted House Speaker's gavel.

He may have found it in a disgruntled Democratic representative from Reading.

Rep. Thomas Caltagirone has sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues notifying them he plans to vote for Perzel (R., Phila.) as speaker next week.

Caltagirone's move, speculated for weeks, likely will mean that Perzel will have enough votes to continue as speaker, a position he has held since April 2003, despite Democrats holding a slim 102-101 majority in the House...

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16352325.htm

Fly Under The Dome: Perzel Not Out Of The Woods Yet. 6 House GOPers Won’t Vote For Him…

http://www.grassrootspa.com/blog/archives/12304

Capitolwire: Other House Members May Not Vote For DeWeese, Perzel

http://www.grassrootspa.com/blog/archives/12306#comment-23637

See the following sites for more links gathered on this issue and sidebar wealth of links. also, a Poll

YOU DECIDE!
Will John Perzel Be Speaker Of The PA House After January 2nd?
Yes
No

http://www.grassrootspa.com/blog/

Poll includes choice of Surprises

http://voicepa.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html

Now those are choices remember unlike what surprises occur on the DRE PAPERLESS TOUCH-SCREEN VOTING MACHINES...

See previous posts

http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/search?q=timothy+mahoney

More:

VoicePA editor:

http://voicepa.blogspot.com/2007/01/representative-caltagirone-and-speaker.html

More

Tim Mahoney watching

2. LEGISLATIVE REFORM:

Pennsylvania has one of the largest State Governments in the nation. We don't need that many politicians. Tim would be willing to give up his seat in the interest of consolidating the legislative body. Tim is also committed to open government and disclosure. Pennsylvania residents should always have easy access not only to their state representation, but also to where and how their hard earned tax dollars are being spent.

http://www.votetimmahoney.com/platform.html

Endorsements

http://www.votetimmahoney.com/endorsements.html

Related issues

Group asks newcomers to sign pledge to refuse COLA

NEW LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS ARE ASKED TO TAKE A PLEDGE NOT TO ACCEPT COLA PAY RAISE
NOVEMBER 20, 2006

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dshswp8_18hkmdfz