Friday, February 27, 2009

Voter Purge to Reveal Deceased and More

One unmentioned feature of a purge, names of voters who have been found to be deceased, or moved out of the county or state, are removed.

Watchdogs must also watch out for any other ineligibles, as it appears any voters who skipped the last federal elections - 5 years - have another 5 years to remain before names are removed. That doesn't sound right, but would be par for how elections are conducted in this country.

Every effort it appears is made to maintain as inaccurate a voter database as is possible.

Net the Truth Online

Fayette County on Thursday initiated a long-awaited purge of its voter-registration rolls.

Laurie Lint, election bureau director, said her department began mailing out notices to some 9,000 inactive voters yesterday. The figure represents nearly 10 percent of the county's 91,382 registered voters.

County commissioners last summer discussed conducting the purge, but it was delayed until after the November election because of time constraints. Vince Zapotosky, chairman of the board of commissioners, attributed more recent delays to technical problems with the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE.

Operated by the state, SURE notifies the state's 67 election bureaus when voters die, move or register in another county. Zapotosky said the county worked with the State Department to resolve problems with the system, allowing Fayette to move forward with purging its voter-registration rolls.

Lint said the 9,000 voters who will receive letters have had no election-related activity in five years. Such activity includes voting or making changes to addresses or party registration.

Individuals who receive the letters will be asked to contact the election bureau. If they do not, and then fail to vote in the next two federal elections, their registrations will be purged.

That means affected voters who fail to respond to the notices in time for this year's spring primary will still be permitted to vote, Lint said.

In the past, Fayette purged its voter rolls every two years. Lint said that stopped in 1995, when new rules were introduced with the passage of the Motor Voter Law.

Zapotosky said purging the voter rolls will give voters and candidates an accurate understanding of issues such as party dominance.

Of the county's current 91,382 registered voters, Lint said 62,880 are Democrats and 21,929 are Republicans. The balance, or 6,573, are independents.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/fayette/s_613640.html


Fayette commissioners disagree on need for election board meeting
By Amy Revak, Herald-Standard
02/27/2009
Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink is asking for a meeting of the Fayette County Election Board to address some issues before the May primary, but her fellow commissioners don't believe such a meeting is needed.

Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said Thursday that he doesn't believe an election board meeting is the proper venue to discuss the majority of the topics Zimmerlink is raising, and they instead should be discussed at a commissioners meeting.

Zapotosky said he believes after consulting with assistant county solicitor Sheryl Heid that only two out of nine potential agenda items - poll consolidation and training of poll workers - could fall under the purview of the election board. However, he said Laurie Lint, director of the Fayette County Election Bureau, has already been directed to perform both.

"There's no reason to have an election board meeting. There's no issue that's pending," Zapotosky said.

The election board is comprised of the three commissioners.

All nine issues that Zimmerlink listed include: the status of poll consolidation; the status of the voter purge; to review issues of the SURE (Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors) system; the concern of Brownsville residents regarding Election Day workers having family members on the ballot; the status of a request of Michael Merkosky to change a boundary line in North Union Township; the review of polling place regulations on Election Day; the review of compensation of Election Day workers and the number at each poll; the review of any issues which arose last election which need addressed; and setting up training for judges of elections specific to their Election Day duties.

"We need a public meeting, I don't care what you call it. We need to make sure we are on the same page and moving appropriately," Zimmerlink said. "I think we need to do this within the next week and have an evening meeting to allow public to attend."

Zimmerlink said she doesn't want to wait until the commissioners' March 26 meeting to discuss the issues. She said any action, such as changing of a polling place, could be placed on the March commissioners meeting agenda.

Zapotosky said, specifically, the Brownsville issue has been addressed by Heid, who said the election board couldn't interfere with elected poll workers.

As far as the status of the voter purge, Zapotosky said it is under way.

A voter purge is done to remove the names of registered voters who have died, moved away or not voted for a specific number of elections as a way to more accurately reflect the number of registered voters that are in a county. A total of 25,000 letters are being sent out in anticipation of inputting all the information into the system by the April 20 deadline.

"They are folding and stuffing envelopes as we speak," Zapotosky said. "We are finalizing to be in compliance with federal law to clean up voter rolls. We're doing the job."

Zapotosky said regarding potential poll consolidation, he would be "more than delighted to set up an informational meeting" to discuss the issue.

"I would be more than willing have a public meeting on poll consolidation but the other stuff falls at the feet of the county commissioners," Zapotosky said.


http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20270559&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468520&rfi=6

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Debt Chart by Glenn Beck

Contrary to Beck's Road to socialism/communism watch, we're already far past those realities and into enslavement justified as government 'help' whether it be a financial crisis and social welfare system or any variation of. The enslavement didn't start with Barack Obama, but will continue under his and every other presidency until the taxpayers of the USA revolt. It's doubtful that will happen in our lifetimes.

What turned me off Beck was his support of Sarah Palin after her appearance on a few occasions wherein she simply did not know the Constitutional duty of the Vice President. Had this been a Democrat, Beck would've been all over them for their ineptness and lack of knowledge.

He supported the insupportable, and that can only be met with skepticism.

His debt chart is usable, but when he goes off and does not substantiate his other comments about fascism, etc. he puts that in doubt as well.

Net the Truth Online

Glenn Beck's Debt Chart video

http://www.lonelyconservative.com/2009/01/29/glenn-becks-debt-chart/

Beck comments during Fox interview tagged coocoo... we'd have to agree.

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/beck-ingraham-duet-fox-sounds-babbli

Global New Deal Planned?

GORDON BROWN hopes to forge a partnership with President Barack Obama in Washington this week, to call for a “global new deal” to lift the world out of recession.

As he prepares for his first White House visit since the president’s inauguration, the prime minister has hinted that he is ready to make further tax cuts to boost the UK economy.

Brown will meet Obama on Tuesday and address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Aides say he has both to demonstrate to a sceptical British public that he commands the respect of the president, and to persuade the American political establishment that global action is needed to rescue the US economy.

Brown is under pressure to persuade American political leaders to sign up to bold aims for the G20 summit of industrial and leading developing nations, which is to be held in London next month.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5822265.ece

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Brown: World needs 'global New Deal'

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/22/germany.financial.summit/index.html


Glenn Beck interviews Ron Paul 2-24-09

you tube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9QAob7cJqs

Can you tell me, you know, what is the G-20 doing? What is happening around the world with Gordon Brown — who will be in Congress next week — that says, hey, I think we should have a new New Deal but a Global New Deal?

PAUL: Yes, they're frantic, and they're panicking. And you have the central banks from the G7, and I'm sure, are meeting constantly to plan the next monetary structure. We had a major structure reform in Bretton Woods in '44, it collapsed in '71.

We've had the dollar reserve standard from '71 up until last year. That's collapsed. It's gone. It's done. And they have to have a new monetary standard. And they're planning behind the scenes. We're not entitled to know anything about it. Under the law, they don't have to tell us a thing.

But believe me, they're planning. They're panicky, because they don't have an easy answer but there are major changes going on. I have argued this case for years...

BECK: OK. But...

PAUL: ... that we were working on destroying our whole system the way we were operating.

BECK: OK. So, Congressman, I mean, no offense, because I think you are the one guy who has had this right from the very beginning, but the problem is, if you say stuff like this, it sounds like a conspiracy theory, and I can't get — I mean, there's nobody in the media that is reporting this, there's nobody that's talking about this stuff but it only makes common sense. If people know that the is end is coming of the system that we have, and I'm not saying that, you know, I'm not saying that we're all going to, you know, cats and dogs are going to be sleeping with each other, et cetera, what I saying is, there is going to be a change coming.

Rupert Murdoch said that nations will be redefined in this period. You know that people at the global level are looking at it and saying, OK, what's it going to look like? Where can we find out? Where do we start to look?

PAUL: Well, you should look to the Congress but they pay much attention either.

BECK: No, they're not.

PAUL: And there will be a realignment and there is a struggle going on with us who believe that we should have national sovereignty, we should be out of the U.N., out of the World Bank, out of the IMF, in no world government. But that is the movement that we're going in, that's the direction we're going in.

But others are planning to go one step further. They weren't satisfied with the Bretton Woods; they weren't satisfied with the dollar standard. Now, they want to probably modify the special drawing rights of the IMF which they tried and then failed, but they want to control capital and they want to control the natural resources of the world.

So — and they're not — they're not nationalistic at all. They believe in world government...

BECK: Well...

PAUL: ... and they're more out in the open now than they were 25 years ago.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500065,00.html

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Press Continues for PA Constitutional Convention Misguided

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with our PA Constitution. And all of the so-called reforms desired by this or that reformer can be done through the regular, though more deliberative and lengthy, amendment process already provided to state legislators and their supporters.

We've warned (see sidebar documentation) that a convention that is enabled via any means, with limitations expressed by the state legislature and referendum, has the potential to become unlimited once the delegates meet in session.

We have yet to see any valid argument that such a convention will not have the potential to go out of the scope of limitations. And that such a document, sold to the people as necessary to reclaim government, will not then be ratified by voters.

So our Declaration of Rights could be altered dramatically from its intent.

Net the Truth Online
New session renews hope for PA legislative reform
BY ROBERT SWIFT HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF
Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
HARRISBURG — With a new legislative session under way, specific reform proposals like term limits for lawmakers and calls for systematic change through a constitutional convention have a new lease on life.

Rebirth is implicit with the reintroduction of bills.

Leaders on both sides of the aisle talk of the need for reform despite the meager results in the previous session.

House Speaker Keith McCall, D-122, of Carbon County, and House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-116, of Luzerne County, have as much say as anyone over the extent of reforms. Mr. Eachus launched a formal review of House operations with the goal of bringing efficiency and savings. The results are expected next month.

Senate Republican leaders have revived a package of reform bills, including a ban on salary bonuses for state employees and posting salaries online. The Senate approved several of these bills last session, but they died in the House.

Despite the storm clouds over Harrisburg with the state budget deficit and Bonusgate corruption investigation into the use of public tax dollars for campaigns, seasoned activists are skeptical that fundamental change will occur.

“I think most of the oxygen is going to be consumed by the budget,” Matthew Brouillette, president of the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation, said. “Reform legislation will probably be an afterthought like it was in the 2007-08 session.”

Gene Stilp, a Wilkes-Barre native who formed the group Taxpayers and Ratepayers United, believes even new Bonusgate expos�s wouldn’t spur major reforms.

“Bonusgate will expose the true nature of the Legislature,” he said. ‘‘But even with that they (lawmakers) will be hard pressed to make lasting changes in the Legislature.”

Mr. Brouillette hopes the new governor elected in 2010 will get the reform ball rolling.

“That’s what it’s going to take — a governor who truly wants to change Harrisburg,” he added.

One immediate issue is what to do about a $200 million legislative surplus spread among both chambers and legislative research agencies. Gov. Ed Rendell asked leaders to release the lion’s share of the surplus and cut 4.25 percent from operating expenses to help balance the state budget. Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati, R-25, of Jefferson, plans to introduce a bill to turn over $100 million of that surplus.

Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow, D-22, of Peckville, announced Monday a caucus-wide hiring and wage freeze until state budget issues are resolved. House Republicans said they cut their budget 10 percent during each of the past three years.

Activists want a probing public audit to determine if legislative spending is for the stated purpose. The latest audit by Ernst & Young contains vague categories such as $2.9 million spent on “incidental expenses” in the Senate.

Auditing emerged as an issue since a state grand jury alleged some of the Bonusgate defendants charged campaign expenses to legislative accounts.

Several lawmakers have introduced bills to give the state auditor general power to audit the Legislature. Activist Eric Epstein of Rock thecapital.org suggests the public auditor provide more details on how taxpayers’ funds are handled and spent and whether any money was spent inappropriately.

The legislative audits need teeth to bring accountability, Rep. John Yudichak, D-119, of Luzerne County, said.

Mr. Brouillette suggests making three substantive changes in tandem to improve lawmaking.

He calls for reducing the size of the Legislature, limiting the days lawmakers spend in session and setting term limits for lawmakers.

“Limiting the number of session days, coupled with limited terms, would return Pennsylvania to a citizen-led Legislature,” he said.

Tim Potts, founder of the Carlisle-based group Democracy Rising, believes a constitutional convention, which would propose amendments for voter approval, is the only effective way to bring fundamental change.

“We have given up on the idea that the Legislature can reform itself,” he added.


Pushing for progress: Making bills into laws a difficult process in PA
Pennsylvania Legislature's growing girth
Corruption entwined with PA Capitol's history
Full-time PA state Legislature little-changed in 40 years
New session renews hope for PA legislative reform

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2009/02/10/news/sc_times_trib.20090210.a.pg6.tt10reform_s1.2253683_top3.txt

Schumer: Tiny little porky amendments, Americans don't care

New York Senator Charles Schumer tags stimulus pork 'tiny, little' porky amendments - negligible. And the American people, he further states, don't care.

Right Senator. Actually, Schumer is right. The American people don't care who has to pay back the borrowed money that's added more than two or three trillion to the already bloated deficit spending! As long as it isn't them. That's why it's deficit spending. Future taxpayers will be paying back on interest on the debt and the debt itself. Our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.

It's sad, but true. If government only spent only on what it was constitutionally obligated to do there would be no deficit spending as originally intended by our Founding Fathers. But Schumer and our entire Congress are complicit in an unconstitutional spending run around the Constitution's expressed limitations on the federal government.

People are mesmerized when announcements are made their area is about to receive several hundred thousand of money - if we don't get it, somebody else will.

Trouble is, the federal government has no money. It takes in only so much in revenue but over-spends and must print and'or borrow from foreign entities.

It's sick, but the American public aren't up to taking the cure.

Harry Browne explained best in his book: Why Government Doesn't Work.

Sen. Schumer: Americans Don't Care About 'Porky' Amendments



http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/02/sen_schumer_americans_dont_car.html

Harry Browne's Why Government Doesn't Work

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6524131/Harry-Browne-Why-Government-Doesnt-Work

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Fumo Trial: follow the crumbs vs cookie jar defense

Very enjoyable reading about it all...

Especially now Rendell, Gov of PA has been subpoenaed, for the Fumo defense. And the pair were never, never, close political allies... nay, nuh, nope. unhuh... ghost vote No!

Net the Truth Online

Rendell subpoenaed in Fumo trial
by CHARLES THOMPSON, Of The Patriot-News, and The Associated Press
Monday February 02, 2009, 5:05 PM

Gov. Ed Rendell will appear in federal court Monday as a defense witness in the corruption trial of former Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Philadelphia. Chuck Ardo, Rendell's press secretary, said that Rendell had been served with a subpoena today at his Philadelphia office.
"The governor isn't sure what relevant information he may have, but he will honor the subpoena and answer any questions that are asked," Ardo said.

Fumo is charged with misusing more than $1 million in state resources and another $1 million from the Citizens' Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, a south Philadelphia charity he allegedly controlled, for his personal and political benefit.

Rendell had been on Fumo's list of potential witnesses for some time.

Fumo's lawyer, Dennis J. Cogan, said Monday only that Rendell would be asked about matters related to the case. He declined further comment.

Fumo and Rendell are both Philadelphia Democrats, but are not considered close political allies. Since Rendell took office in 2003, they have worked together on state budgets and a 2004 law that legalized slots gambling.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/02/gov_rendell_subpoenaed_in_fumo.html


Evans, Fumo give casinos an ultimatum on sites
Source: Amy Worden and Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff
Date: 7/4/2008

Move it or lose it. That was the message from two powerful Philadelphia lawmakers to the Foxwoods and SugarHouse casinos last night. House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans and State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo said at a news conference that they would draft legislation to remove the casinos' tax breaks if they did not abandon their proposed sites on the Delaware River waterfront.

The locations, which were decided upon 21/2 years ago, are "untenable and contrary to the public interest," the Democrats said in a statement. "We are sending a message to citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that we are trying to fix the problem," said Evans, joined by nine Philadelphia-area lawmakers in addition to Fumo. "We didn't think it would be the problem it is today, but it has created tension for people in the community as well as politically."

Fumo said they also were sending a message that if casino companies continued the legal battle, they would be stripped of their 10-year tax abatements. And he suggested the lawmakers might go further. Back then, "we started making spit balls. This time, they'll be atom bombs," he said.

Gov. Rendell, in an interview last night, said he would meet with all parties within the next two to three weeks, but he cautioned that any casino relocation has to be voluntary. "Under the law, the location can't be changed."


http://www.societyhillcivic.com/news/index.asp?NewsCategoryID=3



Some discussion forums...

Grassrootspa

http://grassrootspa.com/?p=20545#comments

Fumo Trial Post 10: What Does The Defense Have To Prove?
Litigation and Trial - Max Kennerly

Legally, almost nothing. The burden lies with the plaintiff (or prosecutors) to prove the elements of their claims, and the defense can sit back and do nothing more than poke holes in those claims. (There’s an exception for “affirmative” defenses like Fumo’s proposed “advice of counsel” defense, discussed previously.)

...Over the next few days we’ll continue to see more of that context: the defense’s goal will be to create enough context to rebut the prosecution’s central assertions underlying the fraud charges, which is that Fumo had staffers and contractors on the senate payroll who did no work for the government and that Citizens Alliance and the Independent Seaport Museum were treated like shams to benefit Fumo. They don’t have to rebut everything, just paint enough context to slant everything else.

Fumo doesn’t have to do much for the fraud charges: once he shows largely legitimate explanations for what happened, and once he challenges the worst allegations – like those made by Marrone – he’ll likely earn back reasonable doubt. The jury knows the FBI dug deep for months, and they’ll expect a case that’s, if not airtight, is at least watertight. If Fumo can show that everyone saw him dipping his hand into the cookie jar, and that the FBI has mislabeled a significant number of cookies, he’ll likely create enough reasonable doubt to avoid most of the charges.

The obstruction of justice charges are harder to fight: as the context for them is an FBI investigation. As such, Fumo’s lawyers will need to show that Fumo’s mindset – his paranoia and rampant destruction of emails – long preceded the investigation, and that he had reason to believe he could continue such destruction even after he got wind of the investigation...

http://www.litigationandtrial.com/articles/series/senator-fumo-trial/

GOP Tags Stimulus Waste

My what a long list:

Obama Stimulus Package to Include Tax Break for Movies

http://www.thewrap.com/article/1228

Send the Money Now Hawaii needs repair swimming pools

Hawaii has its wish-list which if it doesn't knock your socks off the county wants millions to refurbish, upgrade its county swimming pools (all around the island, no less) nothing will!

County owned and taxpayers' funded swimming pools, now that's not a new idea, but in beautiful Hawaii, with all those natural swimming holes everywhere you turn?

Net the Truth Online

County Targets Funds From Economic Stimulus Package

The County of Hawaii has submitted a list of road, sewer, transit and other projects to the federal government for funding under President-elect Barack Obama’s proposed economic stimulus package.

The projects, worth an estimated $487.1 million, would create nearly 3,000 construction jobs in Hawaii County if all are funded.

The list of projects (Below) is a result of close collaboration with Senator Daniel Inouye, Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Congresswomen Mazie Hirono, said Hawaii County Mayor William P. “Billy” Kenoi...

The County’s list of proposed projects to be funded with federal funds includes new fire stations in Makalei ($9 million) and Captain Cook ($18 million), and a police station in Puna ($4.6 million).

Alii Parkway would get $15 million to construct a 4.5 mile long, two-lane highway extending Queen Kaahumanu Highway, just south of Kona Hillcrest subdivision, to Alii Drive near the Keauhou Shopping Center. And $17 million is being requested for the Laaloa Avenue extension in Kona.

Ten million dollars is being requested to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion by widening Mamalahoa Highway at the Kamamalu intersection.

Also on the list is $9 million to replace the Lindsey Road Bridge in Waimea
Also being requested is $15 million for a new Puna gymnasium and ball fields, $2 million for planning an alternate access road in Puna, and $10 million for a new 20-acre park in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision.

Also requested is $6 million for Hawaiian Ocean View Estates to get a new community center and hurricane shelter.

Another request is for $7.5 million to repair, renovate and upgrade existing County swimming pools around the island.

http://damontucker.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/county-targets-funds-from-economic-stimulus-package/

Monday, February 02, 2009

Little Pink House

New London Connecticut Kelo Eminent Domain and Supreme Court Decision

Evicted, But Not Without a Fight 1/27/2009Deputy Editorial Page Editor Melanie Kirkpatrick reviews "Little Pink House," a new book about the infamous Kelo Supreme Court decision. (Jan. 27)


http://online.wsj.com/video/evicted-but-not-without-a-fight/760C1D53-C610-48AB-89D1-F132DA11634E.html

Stimulus with Borrowed or Printed Money totally Bogus

Who doesn't get it by now. The Federal Government has no extra money and in fact is in a deficit downspiral. is there a special clubhouse we're all unaware of? One where these people promoting another stimulus for the economy, let alone the first one, learn the same song? Gimme gimme gimme gimme more...

Meanwhile, stepping up to the freebies? Two Democrat Fayette County commissioners. We kid you not. They've hired a consultant to go get it, at a cost of some $9,500 per month. Money the General Fund did not have for the hire, until leftovers from a believed depleted bond issue was 'discovered.'

PS Don't miss the refinancing of this same bond issue over the past 8-years and counting. Every few years, the county commissioners seemingly find another great deal refinancing the bond, or some portion thereof.

So folks, where is the money put in escrow from the bond to pay for the interest on the bond? Is there any monies which have been put in an account somewhere with some bank in or out of the area which commissioners are aware of but have not revealed?

Exactly how was it possible for monies from the bond issue, thought to be depleted, when the Budget for 2009 were discussed for months, then adopted, to be found?

Where on earth was some $155,000 of county bond money and for how long?

county refinancing bond issue over the years

Thursday August 23, 2007

Moved by Commissioner Zimmerlink and seconded by Commissioner Hardy naming Eckert Seaman Cherin & Mellott of Pittsburgh PA to perform bond counsel services as per their August 2, 2007 proposal at a fee of $9,500.00 with respect to the Fayette County’s refinancing of bonds issued in the year 2000 through the
Washington County Authority Bond Pool/Loan Project

Commissioner Zimmerlink: aye
Commissioner Hardy: aye
Commissioner Vicites: abstain

http://www.co.fayette.pa.us/fayette/lib/fayette/commmtgs_2007/august_23_2007.pdf


Thursday June 28, 2007

Moved by Commissioner Zimmerlink and seconded by Commissioner Hardy to award RFQ 07-
04 an Investment Advisor to provide professional services for advise and reissuance/refinancing
of the current bond issues known as the Washington County Authority Bond having an
approximate balance of $4.6M and the County General Bond having an approximate balance of
$11.38M held by the County of Fayette to Janney Montgomery Scott of Pittsburgh PA
Commissioner Zimmerlink: aye
Commissioner Hardy : aye
Commissioner Vicites: aye
Motion passed unanimously


http://www.co.fayette.pa.us/fayette/lib/fayette/commmtgs_2007/june_28_2007.pdf



Proposal refinance county bond issue

http://www.lebcounty.org/fayette/cwp/view.asp?a=2098&q=507111


Fayette to refinance bond issue Paul Sunyak 1.03.2002

http://www.racfpa.org/News/2002/January%203,%202002%20Refinance%20Bond%20Issue.pdf




Net the Truth - Online

Grant consultant hired for Fayette
By Liz Zemba
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, January 30, 2009

Fayette County commissioners will spend thousands of dollars each month on a consultant to seek state and federal grants.

Commissioners Vincent Zapotosky and Vincent Vicites on Thursday voted in favor of hiring Delta Group of Mechanicsburg to prepare grant paperwork on behalf of the county and push it through the appropriate state and federal agencies.

Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink opposed the hire. She wanted to delay the vote until additional information was gathered, including questions over how the agency will be paid.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/fayette/s_609486.html


Fayetee to refinance bond issue
By Paul Sunyak, Herald-Standard
01/03/2002

The Fayette County commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday to refinance the county's $11.7 million bond issue using the same investment banker that floated the original bond two years, provided the minimum savings is at least $235,000.

Commissioners Sean M. Cavanagh and Ronald M. Nehls voted to have RRZ Public Markets Inc. do the job for an approximate cost of $123,000, with both commending the firm for the outstanding preplanning job it has done in an ongoing effort to help the county save money.

"I'm not kicking RRZ to the curb ... because of the hard work that (it's) done," said Cavanagh. "I don't think that it's a big issue. The bottom line is we won't refinance the bond unless we save the taxpayers money."

However, Commission Chairman Vincent A. Vicites opposed what he views as a rushed-through selection process that didn't take into account the opinions of the county solicitor or the county's bond counsel. With interest rates pretty much stabilized at a low level, Vicites also said the county should take the time to obtain proposals from other interested firms that might offer a better deal.

"You've got to give other people a chance. This is government; it isn't private industry," said Vicites, who noted that the Uniontown office of Parker/Hunter Inc. sent him a letter of interest Wednesday. Cavanagh said the letter "amazingly"
arrived the day after Tuesday's agenda meeting when the refinancing proposal was publicized...

http://www.racfpa.org/News/2002/January%203,%202002%20Refinance%20Bond%20Issue.pdf



A 40 Year Wish List Wall Street Journal

Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before."

So said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in November, and Democrats in Congress are certainly taking his advice to heart. The 647-page, $825 billion House legislation is being sold as an economic "stimulus," but now that Democrats have finally released the details we understand Rahm's point much better. This is a political wonder that manages to spend money on just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html


County hires firm to seek grant money
By Amy Revak, Herald-Standard
01/30/2009
Updated 01/31/2009 12:06:08 AM EST
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
The Fayette County commissioners voted Thursday to spend money in hopes of getting much more money in return.


Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said the motivation behind retaining a firm to apply for funds is the potential for the county to obtain millions of dollars in grant money. He said there is going to be reauthorization of a highway bill and an $800 billion stimulus package that must be appropriated.

We need to position ourselves to have the expertise to receive funds," Zapotosky said.

Following a lengthy discussion on the matter, Zapotosky and Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites voted to enter into a one-year contract with Delta Group for funding assistance to seek state and federal grant money. Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, who voted against the motion, wanted to postpone the action.

Although Delta Group submitted a proposal that includes a $9,500 monthly fee, the commissioners agreed to speak to the firm in an attempt to lower the county costs. The county also received a proposal from Ron Klink that included a monthly fee of $5,000.

Zapotosky, who initially brought up seeking proposals, said now is the time to act.

"It's our tax dollars and I'd rather get more than less," Zapotosky said.

Citing Greene County, Zapotosky said the neighboring county has obtained $30 million in grants over the last few years, including $18 million in money that wasn't already earmarked for the county. Last year Greene County opened a multimillion-dollar water park, while Fayette County doesn't even have a county-owned swimming pool.

Zapotosky said if the county were successful in obtaining just one large grant, it would be worth the price.

"There's a lot of money out there. We need folks that know the system and are able to represent our needs," Zapotosky said.

Vicites said having the contract is an investment for the county because now there are opportunities he never has seen in his 13-plus years in office.

Vicites said money could be used for not only infrastructure, but to improve the quality of life.

"I support doing this. I think it's worthwhile," Vicites said.

Zimmerlink pointed out that the fee must be paid whether or not any money is received.

Regarding the cost, Vicites said he recently learned that $155,000 of an amount that was obtained in 2000 through a bond issue and earmarked to conduct a countywide reassessment is still available.

At a rate of $9,500 per month, the contract would cost $114,000 for a year.

Vicites said because the county is in the third year of a reassessment the bond money could be transferred to the tax assessment office and the equal amount of money that had been placed in the tax assessment for the reassessment costs could be used to pay the contract fees.

Zimmerlink questioned why the bond money wasn't set aside for reassessment costs during budget planning, to which Vicites said he wasn't aware of the money at the time.

Vicites said he thought all of the money had been spent.

While Zimmerlink suggested tabling the motion, Zapotosky said they are on a time-sensitive track and must issue papers to the House and Senate explaining why projects are needed must be done soon.

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20252054&brd=2280&pag=461&dept_id=468520


For posterity

Reader Comments

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20252054&brd=2280&pag=461&dept_id=468520


Added: Friday January 30, 2009 at 02:23 PM EST
Excellent!
It is just fantastic to see so many others understand this.
The "stimulous" is anything but. It is merely political payola to a degree that FDR could never imagine. The same is true of the bogus plan put forth last year by Bush, that didn't work and this won't either.
The Vinces are simply poking their heads into the trough with the other pigs.
As for the "Bond" that was floated years ago, anyone who wants to know how every dime was / is spent simply needs to go to the County Controllers office and tell them " I want to see the list of expenditures for the bond fund money from the day the bond was passed by the Commissioners" and it must be given.
We did this years ago and found that while the Commissioners said the bond was for the reassessment, the wording in the paperwork included a "catchall" phrase allowing them to spend it on whatever they wanted.
Some of the things purchased with the bond money included carpeting for the Commissioners offices, coffee machines, cars for the Sheriff's Department, and many more things not related to the reassessment. Just go look it up, it's all there.
No government has money, It's the people that have money. The government cannot give anyone anything that it does not take from someone else.
In this case, the government isn't necessarily taking the stimulous money from us as we don't have it, they are borrowing it in our names just as the Commissioners borrowed the bond money in our names.
"Outraged" is right to be outraged. Isn't Murtha the big kahuna in Congress? He sure tells everyone he is when he's up for election. Why do we have to lobby the government to get our own money? Perhaps we should just be keeping more of it to begin with.
Groups like Fay-Penn and officials like the Commissioners have no real interest in truly improving conditions in Fayette other than for window dressing. If things actually improve, the grants and programs go away and that means that the friends and family of the politically connected that administer the programs would be out of work and would have to get jobs in the private sector where they would be accountable and required to produce results. And we just can't have that!
There is a very, very good living in the poverty business. That's why despite the millions and millions of dollars that have been and continue to be dumped into Fayette Co. things just don't get better. There not supposed to, but we must be convinced that Fay-Penn et al are doing everything humanly possible to make it better.
I encourage everyone to go to Fay-Penn's offices and get their annual reports, they are required to give them out, look at who is on their Board of Directors, then obtain Fay-Penn's tax returns they are available to the general public because Fay-Penn is a "non-profit" and look at the salaries paid out and the value of their property holdings.
In addition, after learning the names of their employees look at the value of the homes those people they live in, especially Mike Krajovic, it's all public information.
I hope everyone realizes what a tremendously valuable service the Herald/Standard is providing with this comment board and I thank them.
Brian K. Lutes, North Union Twp., Fayette Co., PA

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20252054&brd=2280&pag=461&dept_id=468520


Added: Friday January 30, 2009 at 12:13 PM EST
Outrageous 2
That should have been $66 billion with a b. Still it's all funds the federal government does not have, nor will it get the money from the current crop of federal taxpayers as there simply is not enough from that source to pay whatever other bills the fed government racks up. We are trillions in debt with a T. The entirety of the stimulouse money will be a burden the children of our children of our children will have to repay, eventually. It wasn't quite clear how the $9,500 monthly was going to be paid for Delta's services. Commissioner Zimmerlink was right to ask the motion be tabled to at least have a definite plan of where the fees were going to come from. But even if the money is going to come from so-called freed up money from the General Fund (newfound $155,000 from bond to be used for reassessment purposes), it is still wasteful spending when what is happening is county general fund money is going to be used to pay somebody else to lobby for government money from federal and state. And the only place that money comes from is state and federal taxpayers. What is not obscene about using taxpayers' money from one source, that is county, to pay for obtaining taxpayers' money from another source. In the case of the state, what do we have a county grant writer/s for in the Planning Dept.? Why are we in league with Fay-Penn Economic Development Council who has any number of grantwriters? Why do we have commissioners who travel to the state to talk to our local representatives there? By the way don't forget, the federal government has no money for the stimulouse package. That is a fact. Borrow and print, print and borrow. No wonder the cost of living goes up and up. The U.S. dollar is worth less and less. It buys less here in the states. Overseas, it buys more. Get it? There is still time for the pair to pull out of this outrageous slight on the taxpayers of Fayette. Maybe there will be a penalty of some sort, but it will be far less than the amount the pair will drain from the General Fund which could go to authentic county obligations and duties. It's scary Commissioner Vicites boasts the money could be used for 'infrastructure' or for quality of life projects. Yeah we see that gleam in the eye for promoting building a new county prison facility. Or even better, right, a county 'water-park.' Yep first drowning not covered by insurance and we're broke. As scary, Zapotosky saying there's 'lots of money out there.' Sure there is sure there is keep saying it over and over and maybe everybody will be hypnotized. Ah, commissioner - there is no lots of money out there from the federal government and last time we checked the state government was seeking stimulouse money too cause its coffers are not so much. (Plus it's free money!) If people don't get by now the reason Fayette remains distressed, they've got more than wool in their eyes. Outraged

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20252054&brd=2280&pag=461&dept_id=468520


Added: Friday January 30, 2009 at 10:58 AM EST
Outrageous
How outrageous is this. The county has an additional $155,000 left over in the 'bond' issue so let's turn it over to 'lobbyists' high paid grant finders to seek federal monies from the 'stimulous' package. But we can't do that outright, we have to transfer the bond money to the tax assessment office and take out money from there to pay the 'contract fees.' Have these two commissioners been spending a bit too much time in government perhaps? This is by far the worst idea ever presented in a county which politically remains in a distressed classification to receive just such grant monies. $5,000 each month to a former U.S. Congressman/lobbyist or $9,500 to Delta group which had a part in the county's strategic planning years back - yeah that's not inside the family dealing. There is something wrong with flipping the bond money around like it's a personal bank account to the county. Taxpayers have to pay back every dime of the bond with interest over the years and it should be used only for those projects specified. Transferring money from it in the way described seems unethical if not again, wrong. At the least, it's an affront to the taxpayers who believed the bond money would be used for certain types of formerly outlined projects. Somehow I don't think a description of uses for bond include high priced lobbyists to vie for taxpayers' monies from different taxpayers' pool! There's something really obscene about that, too. By the way, the federal government is in a deficit! It has no stimulouse money. It has to print and borrow, borrow and print. Any 'funding' we get from that source is on our children's children (children) to repay down the road. thanks for playing that game, Commissioners Zapotosky and Vicites. Were you aware that only approz. $66 million is going to be used for so-called 'infrastructure' anyways? ($66 million the feds have to borrow) You'll be paying how much of local taxpayers' money (bond switcharoo) a year for what. somebody else to go meet with our U.S. Congress-critter/s? And here we thought you already had the attention of area U.S. Congressmen John Murtha. Send him an email, it's free! Outraged

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20252054&brd=2280&pag=461&dept_id=468520


Added: Friday January 30, 2009 at 05:20 AM EST
Say What?
I thought Zappy was really good friends with Rep Mahoney and Mahoney acts like he is up Murtha's rear.
That's all anyone else needs to get grant money.

This is a giant waste of money, plus they are going with the highest bidder.

The Vinnies think they are King Zappy and Queen Vinny running Fayette. Actually, they are both acting like queens going to the bathroom together.

I hope the braindead voters remember all of this BS when election time comes around, because these 2 morons are going to put Fayette even further in debt.

The 2 Vinnies are so dumb, that I bet they would trade me the County cash cow for these 5 magic grant beans that I have.
CJ, Dawson, PA

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Phelps: It was him: Winner a loser?

for knowingling engaging in illegal activity? Likely not according to the 'history' of Olympics boos.

Should his 8 gold medals be tarnished? Why not? Were his wins all that? The question of the decade, right? Will not happen again? Has it happened before?

Sad.

Michael Phelps Bong Picture: Olympic Champion Caught Smoking Marijuana: UPDATED
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us mixx.com ShareThisHuffington Post/News Of The World | Nicholas Graham | January 31, 2009 04:26 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/31/michael-phelps-bong-pictu_n_162842.html

Missed the SB ads?


http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9167700/Super-Bowl-commercials:-10-best?MSNHPHCP>1=39002