Saturday, May 18, 2013
Privatization debates in the Pennsylvania General Assembly could mean changes to where Pennsylvanians can buy six-packs.
By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent HARRISBURG — A simple six-pack of beer is becoming a focal point of the most substantive legislative debate on Pennsylvania alcohol laws since Prohibition. A Tuesday afternoon Senate Law and Justice Committee on liquor privatization, headed by Chairman Chuck McIlhinney, R-Bucks, featured numerous testifiers discussing the already-private industry of beer sales. Chief among the concerns from the beer distributor industry and taverns is package reform, or allowing establishments who sell beer to sell different amounts. Under current law, beer distributors cannot sell less than a case, and bars or grocery stores with the ability to sell bottles cannot sell more than a 12-pack. The Senate, under McIlhinney’s…
Medicaid expansion continues to hang over Gov. Tom Corbett and budget-making lawmakers.
By Eric Boehm | PA Independent HARRISBURG – Democratic leaders in the General Assembly say Gov. Tom Corbett has delayed long enough on a decision about expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania. And if the governor won’t make a decision, they are ready to force his hand. “If Gov. Corbett is unwilling to do the right thing, my colleagues in the Senate must send a clear message that this is unacceptable. It’s time for a vote on Medicaid expansion,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, on Tuesday. Hughes has filed a resolution to force the state Senate to vote on Medicaid expansion. If a majority of senators support the resolution, a proposal to force the state to accept the expansion would be busted out of committee and brought …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Attorney and district judge hopeful Tim Prendergast faces bench warrant for $273 in unpaid Allentown tickets.
Whoever becomes Easton's next district judge will likely spend a lot of time dealing with unpaid parking tickets. But one of the five candidates for the job has found himself on the other side of the bench, after racking up $273 in unpaid tickets in Lehigh County. Those tickets were issued to attorney Tim Prendergast on May 30, 2012 in Allentown, but went unpaid long enough for a bench warrant to be issued. Prendergast acknowledged Thursday that he should have paid the tickets, and said he would head to District Judge Karen Devine's office "first thing" Friday to take care of them. "It's not as though I'm trying to cheat the system," he said. "It'll be paid. I'm not a scofflaw." He said it was an oversight. He gets ticketed frequently when…
Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan and County Councilman Lamont McClure face off against former executive Glenn Reibman.
Although it's been two years since Northampton County voters chose to keep Gracedale from being sold, the county-owned nursing home remains a hot issue. So much so that the three Democrats running to become the next county executive list Gracedale as one of their top priorities. Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, county Councilman Lamont McClure, and former executive Glenn Reibman are all seeking the Democratic nomination for executive in Tuesday's primary. We asked all three candidates to fill out questionnaires about themselves and the issues. Click on their names below to see how they responded. The three candidates also spoke about their positions—while attacking those of their opponents—in a debate last week. The winner of the primary …
Newcomers Michelle Price and Robert Obey join veteran board member Pat Vulcano in Easton race.
A special education teacher, a corrections officer and a longtime board member are all seeking two open seats in the Easton Area School Board's Region II. Veteran board member Pat Vulcano Jr. is seeking another term on the board. Joining him in on the ballot are Robert Obey, a guard at Sing-Sing Prison in New York, and Michelle Price, a special education teacher. Region II is currently represented by Vulcano and Tim Reilly, who is not seeking re-election. Prior to the election, we sent questionnaires to all the candidates asking them to tell readers (and voters) about themselves and why they're running. You can read those responses by clicking on their names below. We received responses from Obey and Vulcano, but not from Price. In the …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Two lawyers, a constable, a code inspector and the city controller all running for vacant court seat.
Five different candidates—all from different parts of Easton, all with deep roots in the community—want to be the city's next district judge. In the weeks leading up to the May 21 primary election, we asked all of them to fill out a questionnaire about themselves and their candidacy. Click on their names to see how they responded: Of the five candidates, three—Koorie, Grifo and Bassil—are cross-filed so that they'll appear on the Democratic and Republican ballots. The seat—which covers downtown Easton, College Hill and part of the West Ward—was left open last year upon the sudden death of Judge Gay Elwell. There's a chance the state could approve a county redistricting plan for its courts, which would move the section of the West Ward …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Incumbent Bob Moskaitis joined in the race by newcomers Matt Monahon and Dominick Buscemi in Region III race.
Region III of the Easton Area School District is made up of parts of Easton, Forks Township and Martins Creek, and next week's primary involves candidates from each of those communities. There are three candidates two open seats in the region this year. Incumbent Robert Moskaitis is joined in the race by newcomers Dominick Buscemi and Matt Monahon. The region is currently represented by Moskaitis and school board member Janet Matthews, who is not seeking reelection. We sent questions to the candidates and asked them to tell readers (and voters) about themselves and why they're running. Click on the candidate's names below to see what they had to say. Later in the week, we'll have a preview for Region II, which features three South Side …
Former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that he's exploring another run for the Senate; Sestak narrowly lost to Pat Toomey in 2010.
A rematch between former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is in the works as Sestak announced Tuesday that he's exploring a run for the Senate in 2016. Democrat Sestak, a former Navy vice admiral, lost narrowly to Republican Toomey in 2010. Sestak, of Delaware County, has formed an exploratory committee—the equivalent of launching a campaign in terms of Federal Elections Commission paperwork, according to a Washington Post report. Can Sestak beat Toomey? Who would you vote for if the Senate election was held today? Tell us in the comments section below. Tuesday's announcement ends speculation that Sestak, 61, is raising money to challenge Gov. Tom Corbett. Sestak raised $460,000 in the first quarter of this year. A Sestak-…
Monday, May 13, 2013
Five Easton candidates for district judge—two of them lawyers—debate that question.
When you're running for district judge, it's not like trying to get onto a school board or city council. There aren't really any issues you can come out for or against. So when the five people who want to take over Easton's downtown district court seat sat down Monday night at an NAACP candidate's forum at the Easton Teen Center, they mainly talked about their qualifications, experience, and whether you need to be a lawyer to do the job. Not surprisingly, the answer to that last question was a "No" from the three non-lawyers in the race, and a "No, but it helps" from the two attorneys seeking the office. Tony Bassil, the city's constroller, attorney Antonia Grifo, code inspector Sharbel Koorie, attorney Tim Prendergast and constable Lance …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Pennsylvania lawmakers are discussing whether or not to increase driver fees and, possibly, gas prices to get more funding for roads.
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Sunday, May 12
By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent HARRISBURG — In 1997, a postage stamp cost 32 cents, a dozen eggs about $1.17, and a gallon of gas about $1.32. It was also the most recent time Pennsylvania lawmakers touched the state gas tax to raise more money for roads and bridges, said Senate Transportation Minority Chair John Wozniak, D-Cambria. As consumer costs have risen, so have the costs for roads. “I challenge anybody to say they’ve stopped at a convenience store and a cup of coffee is the same today as it was 15 years ago,” Wozniak said. “Government isn’t immune to market forces.” As a result, drivers may have to pay more, too. Wozniak was among the lawmakers who voted in favor of a $2.5 billion transportation funding package, which passed …
Christine Lynn
8:03 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
Maybe Easton Patch folks can spend their time writing articles about something a bit more relevant to the qualifications of these candidates rather than digging up nonsense about unpaid parking tickets? I'm embarrassed for you for even publishing a story like this. more ›