Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas

Right Wing Limericks

by Al Bienstock

AL GORE GREEN

On things "green," Al Gore opts to expound.
Funny ... what goes around comes around.
Students will soon be seen
With faces turning green -
The Al Gore School's built on toxic ground.

FOXNews, 9/7/10: "A Los Angeles school district has named a new academy after Al Gore - the only problem is the school was built on toxic soil."

NINE-ONE-ONE REMEMBERED

The attack that took place nine-one-one
Signaled that a new war had begun.
Now we cannot forget
That it's not over yet
And it won't be until we have won.

biCZAR WORLD

Barrack has lots of czars, like for TARP,
And some of them are not very sharp.
Now he's added one more
To engage in a war.
Against terrorists? No, Asian carp.

Chicago Tribune, 9/8/10: "The White House has tapped a former leader of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Wildlife Federation as the Asian carp czar to oversee the federal response to keeping the invasive species out of the Great Lakes."

WHAT DROPPED - JOBLESS CLAIMS OR STANDARDS?

Jobless claims dropped. Dems were elated.
But the results were overstated -
Were real numbers used? No.
Just an Obama show -
For nine states they were estimated.

Bloomberg, 9/9/10: "Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits declined more than forecast last week, easing concern that employers will accelerate firings as the world's largest economy cools." "For the latest reporting week, nine states didn't file claims data to the Labor Department in Washington because of the Labor Day holiday earlier this week, a department official told reporters. California and Virginia estimated their figures and the U.S. government estimated the other seven."

Pennsylvania Independent

Week in Review

by News Release

PA AFL-CIO, PSEA Join Forces
Will coordinate strategy, political giving

MARCH 9, 2010 | by JIM PANYARD

The state AFL-CIO and Pennsylvania's largest public teacher union, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) formalized a labor solidarity agreement at the PSEA headquarters Tuesday.

Already seen as two of the dominant lobbying forces in the General Assembly, the 191,000 member PSEA is now linked with 900,000 AFL-CIO members claimed by 51 international unions in 1,422 locals in all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. Click here to read more.

Rendell Proposes Pension Plan, No Game Plan
Funding would only patch over deeper pension hole

MARCH 8, 2010 | by DARWYYN DEYO

With Pennsylvania's state pension crisis only two years away, Governor Rendell has said the current benefits package should be reduced even though no legislation is before the House or Senate to do so, and while his budget proposal only accounts for existing pension debt.

In an interview with The Morning Call on March 7, Mr. Rendell said "We should reduce the benefit level. We should reduce when those benefits accrue. We can't afford it. It's going to break school districts and the state. It was a giveaway." Click here to read more.

Daily News

Democrat Legislators Lead Opposition to Drilling | March 11, 2010
Taxpayers Could Get $6.5 Million Tab | March 11, 2010
"Soda Tax" Faces Many Opponents | March 11, 2010
Business Merger Nets 57 New PA jobs | March 11, 2010
Union Coalition Wants More Revenue | March 11, 2010
Metcalfe Announces Candidacy for Lieutenant Governor | March 10, 2010
Revenue Linked to Production, Not Tax Policy | March 10, 2010
Bill George Stepping Down as AFL-CIO Chief | March 10, 2010
Former Turnpike Head Charged | March 10, 2010
CORRECTION | March 10, 2010
Nine Senators, 66 Reps Have No Re-Election Opposition | March 9, 2010
Now, That's Talking "Tax-Free" | March 9, 2010
New Stimulus Funds in April for Energy Apparatuses | March 9, 2010
Federal Money Props Up Community Services | March 9, 2010
Turnpike Commission: Little Talk, Lots of Spending | March 9, 2010
PA AFL-CIO, PSEA Join Forces | March 9, 2010
Wagner Calls for Constitutional Convention | March 8, 2010
GOP Guv Hopeful Turns Independent | March 8, 2010
Rendell Proposes Pension Plan, No Game Plan | March 8, 2010
Ridge Band Back Together | March 5, 2010
Department Commits to PLAs Prior to Studies | March 5, 2010
When Less Is More | March 5, 2010

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