Should we vote for endorsed candidates

As a libertarian / constitutionalists at heart, and the utter disdain for the socialist progressive values that the Democratic Party has endorsed, I have been forced to side with the Republican Party for over 30 years because this Commonwealth does not recognize the independent voter. Unfortunately I feel that the GOP has slammed its doors in the faces of its membership, who is calling for a change in the same old political game. This primary season hundreds of GOP members, Taxpayers groups and the like have written letters to the Chairman of the PA GOP, Mr. Gleason and have asked him to consider not going the days of old and endorsing a specific set of candidates for the primary. We asked that the GOP to give it back to the people of the party through the election process, and allow us to decide whom our candidate(s) would be in the November general election. The GOP has denied our request and has endorsed candidates that are nothing more than oil in the big political machine. So what are we to do?

The state of affairs that we are in, I believe is because We The People have allowed our elected officials to call the shots and run the game way too long. Through complacency and apathy we have reneged on our rights as Americans and have sold our sole to the devil by allowing political parties and the bosses that head them, to control our destiny. A time for change has come to the political establishment of PA. We the people should demand open primaries where no specific candidate is endorsed. We the people should demand that primaries are open to all Pennsylvanians of voting age and not just those affiliated with a political party. I call on all Pennsylvanians to take a stand and let our elected officials know we are not going to stand for the political chess playing any longer.

This upcoming primary election cycle in May will be very crucial for the constituents of Pennsylvania. The Republican Party has endorsed Tom Corbett for governor, a man with little or no knowledge of how legislative government works because he has never held a position in either the State House of Representatives or the Senate. Was this a good choice for the PA GOP to endorse this candidate? How will Tom handle one issue that I hold dear to my heart, school property tax reform, this one tax has devastating effects on senior citizens and those less fortunate, who are being evicted from their homes because of their inability to pay. Will Tom Corbett recognize that Property School Tax must be eliminated? Will Tom Corbett recognize that we have a right as Americans to own our homes once the mortgage is paid off? Tom is a former teacher and has close ties to PSEA but will he realize that this tax on our homes must be put to an end? Will Mr. Corbett look the other way because of special interest and ties to the GOP party bosses? Who knows, but for us Republicans, our fate has been sealed.

There is a bill sitting on the house floor waiting for sponsorship yet only 36 Representatives have signed up to co-sponsor it. The bill is named H.B. 1275 or SPTEA (school property tax elimination act). This one piece of legislation will remove the burden of school tax from our homes and shift it completely to the sales tax, where those that spend will pay the burden. Sales tax will be kept at the 6% level but will be expanded across ALL services and items of non-necessity. Even our current Governor (fast Eddy) Ed Rendell is now warming up to the idea of expanding the sales tax at a lesser rate, rather than the current 6%, but that will only hold us being short again and looking for other revenue streams to cover the insurmountable debt. Lets face it people this Commonwealth is INSOLVENT.

SPTEA written by Sam Rohrer (candidate for Governor) has championed this issue for years and it has fallen on deaf ears because of other politician's ties to the PSEA. Gambling revenues and $200.00 rebates will not take care of the doubling of our tax burden over the next 10 years because of the PSERS refunding and mounting educational costs that we the taxpayers are responsible for. When people loose their jobs and their homes, who will be gambling and where will the rebates be coming from? How much more in taxes will we pay just to keep the schools operational? PSERS is in addition to the cost to run the district, is exempt from a referendum on the ballot. The government of PA has protected those of special interest and has nailed the coffin shut on the taxpayer. Do you see the writing on the wall or are you blinded by the threat that our children will suffer the consequences if WE THE TAXPAYER do not keep pensions solvent? Wake up people! We have to stop wanting and understand that we cant afford to keep spending on programs that are not of basic necessity for our children to compete and succeed in the ever changing world in which we live.

The GOP better understand that it will lose many of us who have chosen to be associated with the new constitutional movement (not necessarily tea partiers) that is sweeping across America. The GOP better understand that We The People demand that we should be the ones running the show and the political parties should abide by our decisions.

This primary season could have been one that showed America that the status quo is not the way to go and instead PA GOP has decided to keep playing games with our reality. The GOP’s arrogance is nauseating and we must allow ourselves be heard loud and clear when it comes doing the party’s dirty work and voting for endorsed candidates come this May. Endorsing candidates closes the door on every American’s right to be heard. Political clout shrouds the enlightenment of the people and forces our hands to be played by those we empower. The time has come to speak up with our votes and be heard.

The GOP’s decision of turning its back on it’s membership and the threat of increasing extremely high school taxes, www.PATaxTalk.com is asking all GOP members to consider State Rep. Sam Rohrer for Governor, Russ Diamond for Lt. Governor, and Peg Luksik for U.S. Senator, because of their constitutional mindset and commitment to our state and federal constitutions. All candidates understand the threat that is posed to our constitutions because of governmental fiscal irresponsibility and the need of government to grow itself into something that is all too consuming, neither of which government was designed to do.

As an American, demand that your voice be heard and tell the party bosses that you are dissatisfied with their disregard to our request for an open primary. Vote for the candidate(s) that you believe in and support, because you did your homework and realize the consequences of your actions. Pulling a lever because of party affiliation or because a candidate has been endorsed is irresponsible and it would be better that you stay home come Election Day.

Tom Corbett, A Contradiction In Terms

GOP gubernatorial front-runner Tom Corbett seems to be getting a little too comfortable as things begin to heat up on the campaign trail this election year. Corbett's gubernatorial campaign has brilliantly masked Corbett's Harrisburg insider status by depicting him as a good government crusader/reformer. Despite the fact that Corbett has been a major political force in Pennsylvania politics since the start of the Ridge administration.

In 1994 Corbet was asked to provide criminal law and policy expertise to the gubernatorial campaign of then-Congressman Tom Ridge. Once Ridge was elected Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett was asked to fill several key roles in service to the Commonwealth which eventually led to his appointment as Attorney General.

Despite his campaign finance connections to state GOP power players like Governor Ridge, former President Pro Temp Bob Jubelirer and former House Speaker John Perzel, Corbett himself has managed to distance himself from all the political corruption scandals that have plagued many state lawmakers by indicting 12 democratic members of the state legislature and two of their aids who received illegally $4 million in bonuses for campaign work. Despite the pending indictments Corbett still accepted campaign contributions from the very same people he he was indicting. Former Speaker of the House John Perzel even held a campaign fundraiser that Corbett attended weeks before Perzel was indicted.

Perhaps the most laughable pillar of Corbett's my hands are squeaky clean gubernatorial campaign is how he has manage to distance himself from the illegal 2005 pay raise scandal. Corbett has even gotten away with criticizing his primary opponent state Representative Sam Rohrer for voting for both the 2005 pay raise and the 2001 pension legislation. At a recent gubernatorial forum in Philadelphia he blasted his republican primary opponent Sam Rohrer for his support for the pension increase.

From the Philadelphia Daily News: "The only political shot of the night came from Corbett, when asked about the state's burgeoning public-pension crisis. He noted that some of the participants in the forum had voted to raise state pension benefits - a veiled reference to Rohrer."

His criticism of Rohrer's legislative voting record on the pension issue and the pay raise issue is laughable because Corbett himself benefited from both of Rohrer's votes. Corbett gladly accepted the pay raise that Governor Rendell negotiated for executive offices in 2005 knowing full well the pay raise was illegal and that it violated the state's constitution.

At the time the pay raise was passed I didn't hear of any outrage radiating from the Attorney General's office. I don't remember Tom Corbet, the state's chief law enforcement officer, holding press conferences saying hey wait a minute we need to investigate the legality of these unvouchered expenses. We never seen any grand jury indictments from the Attorney General's Office resulting from the overwhelming evidence of collusion between the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government.

Corbett is a candidate that seems to love having his cake and eating it too. At a recent state budget hearing Corbett warned state lawmakers of potential layoffs if the Attorney General's office budget wasn't increased despite his gubernatorial campaign calling for dramatic cuts in state spending.

But these contradictions are only the tip of the iceberg for Tricky Tom Corbett. I just cannot allow myself to support a candidate where the more you learn about him the more confused you become.

Some Say Tom Corbett's Plan To Reform State Government Does Not Go Far Enough

Blogger Ben Waxman of Philly.Com's It's Our Money Blog has some great thoughts on Tom Corbett's sudden interest in reforming state government. Although Waxman thinks Corbett's proposals are a step in the right direction, he thinks there is room for improvement.

There are some parts that would shake things up. Corbett promises to increase transparency by putting more state data online, eliminate discretionary grants controlled by legislators, and require lawmakers to pay for their own health care plan, which is currently footed by the taxpayers.. He also proposes prohibiting campaign contributions during the procurement process.

However, we couldn't help but notice that the 1,300 word document didn't include the terms “campaign finance reform”, “redistricting,” or “lobbyists.” And these are the three biggest factors in the special interest stranglehold over state government.

Click Here To Read More

Waxman also correctly points out that Corbett is not pushing hard enough to limit campaign contributions to state lawmakers. The way it stands now any individual can give an unlimited amount to a candidate. This is the main reason why Pennsylvania has one of the most corrupt state legislatures in the country.

Tom Corbett Outlines Plans To Reform State Government

In a press release today, Tom Corbett finally has released what he intends to do if elected Governor. Here is a list of executive orders that Tom feels will rebuild the public trust and "will put the “people” back in the “people’s government".

Reducing the Size & Cost of Government – The size and cost of state government has grown out of control, and it is time to bring fiscal responsibility and accountability back to Pennsylvania. We must continue the forward momentum on streamlining state government by reducing the cost of how state government does business. Through technology upgrades, centralizing communications between agencies and lowering the overall administrative costs associated with running state government, we can return millions of dollars to Pennsylvanians. Tom Corbett has called for a 10 percent reduction in government administrative operations in all branches of government.

Transparency in State Government – Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Passage of the Open Records Law was a historic event in Pennsylvania, and Tom Corbett believes we must go further. As Governor, he will implement 100 percent transparency throughout state government. Tom Corbett will enhance the current online contracts database to include all aspects of the state budget as well as all revenues and expenditures. This will allow taxpayers to easily search for financial information across all of state government.

In addition, Tom Corbett believes that Pennsylvanians have a right to know the potential fiscal impact of legislation. Building on the General Assembly’s work to create a resource that provides objective information free from partisan influence, Tom Corbett will work with the General Assembly to ensure that a fiscal note is attached to each piece of legislation coming to the floor of either chamber for a vote so that members and Pennsylvania taxpayers can properly assess the value of the legislative change.

Elimination of WAMS & Discretionary Funds – Pennsylvania taxpayers currently and unwillingly foot the bill for hundreds of millions of dollars for pet projects and political favors for Pennsylvania politicians. With little to no accountability and oversight, this spending has spiraled out of control and often remains hidden within state agency budgets. To help restore the public’s trust in state government, Tom Corbett will eliminate the use of WAMS and discretionary funds and ensure that taxpayers’ money is protected.

Elimination of State Government Paid Per Diems – Tom Corbett supports eliminating per diems, which is money given to many members of the legislative, executive and judicial branches and across all of state government to cover expenses. Specifically for legislators, per diems are given to many members for each day they show up for work, with no receipts or documented expenses. Tom Corbett believes that this is in violation of the Pennsylvania State Constitution that clearly states, “The members of the General Assembly shall receive such salary and mileage for regular and special sessions as shall be fixed by law, and no other compensation whatever whether for service upon committee or otherwise.” Tom Corbett believes that the system should be changed to actual, audited and managed expenses that are capped and should be extended to all branches of government.

Reducing the State Automotive Fleet – Tom Corbett believes that Pennsylvania should not be in the business of owning in excess of 16,000 state vehicles, which cost taxpayers $72 million per year. Tom Corbett has proposed saving Pennsylvania taxpayers up to $140 million over the next 10 years by reducing the state vehicle fleet by up to 20 percent.

Biennial Budgeting – Twenty-one states currently use a two-year budget cycle, which provides more focused, long term analysis of the effectiveness of government programs and the use of tax dollars. It also provides agencies and programs that receive these funds the opportunity to better control costs and to develop more predictable budgets of their own.

Zero-Based / Performance-Based Budgeting – Tom Corbett believes that state government should be held accountable and meet performance goals for Pennsylvania taxpayers. As Governor, Tom Corbett will require state departments and agencies to meet performance goals to determine their funding levels. Government programs must be held accountable and prove their effectiveness. If a program has failed to meet its stated goals over a multi-year period, then the funding will be eliminated.

Cap the General Assembly “Leadership Funds” – While all three branches of government deserve certain safeguards to protect their independence and authority, Tom Corbett believes that the General Assembly should not be able to accrue a surplus that, as of late, is over $200 million. Tom Corbett would work with the General Assembly to cap the legislative surplus at a percentage of the House and Senate annual operating budgets. Tom Corbett believes that a limited surplus should keep the integrity and independence of the Legislature while dramatically limiting the amount of taxpayer money the General Assembly can hold in reserves.

Sunset & Audit of State Boards & Commissions – Through Executive Order, Tom Corbett will conduct an immediate audit of all boards and commissions, not responsible for professional licensure, to ensure value, productivity and efficiency. Those boards and commissions found to be serving no purpose for the taxpayers will be sunset. For new boards and commissions, he will call for a finite life span – up to no more than five years – when created and will institute automatic sunset audits prior to the termination of a board and commission to determine its effectiveness.

Consolidation of Services – Where and whenever possible, Tom Corbett will work with legislative leaders to consolidate any existing duplication of services and utilize a single point of service where possible and economically feasible. By consolidating services, state government will be more efficient and accountable to the taxpayers it serves.

Healthcare for Legislators – While millions of Pennsylvanians, including public employees, make contributions in every paycheck to their healthcare, some of Pennsylvania’s legislators do not. The members of the Pennsylvania Senate currently contribute to their healthcare plan, but the members of the House of Representatives do not. Tom Corbett believes that all elected officials, including legislative, executive and judicial should financially participate in their healthcare plans and reduce that burden on Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Ban Political Contributions and Gifts During Procurement Process – Pennsylvania taxpayers must trust that their elected and appointed officials are making decisions about awarding government contracts based on price, quality and experience. That is why Tom Corbett will ban gifts and political contributions from individuals and PACs to members and employees of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government during the open bidding process when those individuals and PACs have an interest in a particular contract. The ban would also extend to a period of time after the awarding of contracts.

Tom Corbett also believes that all of state government – including all agencies and legislative bodies– should follow the same competitive procurement rules for contractor spending. Pennsylvania must level the playing field and ensure transparency during the procurement process.

Now is the time, Sam is the man, and we are the people!

An 18-year veteran of the PA House of Representatives from Berks County, Honorable Sam Rohrer is above all else, a Christian whose pro-family agenda is capturing great attention, and loads of support among grassroots activists, and many many constitutional conservatives across the state.

A constitutional conservative himself, Sam has spent the last six years attempting to eliminate property taxes altogether, and has garnered the support and endorsement of Pennsylvania Tax Payer's Coalition. Sam's view is that we should not have to pay rent to the Government for property we've purchased in good faith. We are essentially buying our home three and four times over. Sam has fought tirelessly against this, and as Governor, he will make it right.

When it comes to education, Sam believes the ultimate responsibility for our children's education lies with the parent--not Government. One has only to take a look at how our students stack up against other nations, and other states, and it becomes clear Government has not done such a great job.

Sam will seek to bring about educational choice for parents. I had a teacher friend of mine, now a principal, scoff at Sam's educational policy. Despite that my friend is a democrat, he is extremely interested in Sam and the majority of his principles. We talked about Sam's proposal, and he realized that Sam is talking about choice for parents (providing a set of tools), but that what this creates is competition. Competition is good for everything and everyone who truly wants the best. It raises the bar on standards, and no teacher or administrator that takes his or her position to heart need worry in time of higher standards and competition. On the other hand, those that are merely putting in time until pension day kicks in may experience slight anxiety with Sam as Governor.

Sam is unequivocally pro-life, and is truly a man of honor and integrity--well-worth our support. He will bring about the fiscal responsibility our state, which is currently dreadfully insolvent, has lacked for so long. Sam knows we cannot afford more taxes. Sam will cut Government spending instead, by carefully inspecting every state program including welfare and ask simple questions like "what was your original mission and have you strayed from it?" "Do we need this program and this many employees?" "Are we wasting money on this program?" "Where are necessary employees wasting money?" Where our current Governor punts these issues away, Sam will face them head on.

Sam is first and foremost a sound, decent man, who really "gets it." He gets that government has grown large, and arrogant toward us. He knows that with the relationship so severely fractured and abused, politicians must move forward with great care as there is no room for even the slightest breach of trust. Sam will not spend his four years seeking re-election. That's not what he's about. He's passionate, and when elected, Sam will use every second of the time available to him focused on righting what is so wrong in our good state. He is integrity through and through.

Never before has the movement on the ground been so active. Sam has created quite a stir. The GOP, however, has sought to silence the Sam Rohrer movement, and forge ahead with their machine politics.

They would have us believe that Corbett's name recognition is the only chance we have of defeating the democrats in the general election. But the fact is when the underdog, a much lesser known defeats the Attorney General (a self-titled moderate republican) because of a silly little grassroots movement, he'll have plenty of name recognition, publicity and momentum to take with him to the election.

If Scott Brown were running against Corbett, after the attention he gained recently, my money says Scott Brown would have the name recognition and the momentum to defeat Corbett. It was the people of Mass. that elected Scott Brown. Not the machine.

Likewise, we the people believe we have the power to rise above the political machine when we assemble on the ground for what is right and good. Tom Corbett belongs to the machine that supports and endorses him. Sam Rohrer belongs to the people. He owes nothing to the machine. Now is the time, Sam is the man, and we are the people!

New Rasmussen Poll: Republican Tom Corbett Is Way Out Front In Race For Governor's Mansion

GOP front runner, Tom Corbett, is way ahead of three potential opponents according to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows Corbett leading former Congressman Joe Hoeffel 51% to 29%. Against Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, he leads 52% to 26%. When State Auditor Jack Wagner is his Democratic opponent, Corbett is ahead 49% to 28%. However, in all three match-ups, at least 15% of voters remain undecided at this point.

Senator Arlen Specter is ahead of primary challenger Rep. Joe Sestak by 15 points, but could be hurt by the general mood of PA voters in the poll. 71 % of Pennsylvania voters surveyed are angry at Washington policies, including 46% who are very angry. Most alarming for incumbents like Specter is the 66% believe our country would be better off if incumbents up for reelection this year were voted out of office. Ouch!!! I'm glad I'm not an incumbent.

Click Here to read the entire Rasmussen poll

WE THE PEOPLE SHALL STAND UNITED

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. " John F. Kennedy

I chose this quote because it says it all. There are people everywhere trying to get Obama and or all the democrats out of office. This, I can deal with however; take the republicans with them.

My congressman, Bill Shuster, asked me to support him in opposing Obama's health care plan. I am all for stopping this health care plan but, I will not support Mr. Shuster in his effort or lack thereof. I asked his staff, what is he proposing to American's on this issue and all I got was directed to a statement he made on the internet, that didn't offer any answer to my question.

I can't accept a person just because he disagrees on the same topics as I. I want someone in office who has a solution, not an excuse to blame someone else. I have no interest in helping anyone stay in office because they have a family to feed and need a paycheck. If you have no solutions to offer then you need to step down and get out of office, so someone else can bring fresh ideas to the table and be productive at the position.

Now this is not a personal attack on Mr. Shuster. This should be the respect held for the particular seat/office by all our politicians. I hear way too many people complaining about the problems instead of actively searching for a solution. If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

We've all heard this sad story before but, do oneself a favor and think about it for a second. I personally do not wish to be a part of the problem anymore. Yes, at some point we have all been or are part of the problem.

Everyone says Obama is the whole problem. Well I can assure you that no one man is the whole problem. History has proven that there is always more than one. Most of you are fully aware of this, so I will not go any further on this.

We spend all this time idolizing politicians and those in office. Why? Has one of them never let you down? Has one never disagreed with you on a single subject? or is it just because he was a democrat or republican like you? I ask that stop your idolizing. Idols fade away. Idols will only let you down.

They are but mere men or women. Please don't idolize because these people portray themselves in a way to mess with our minds. I become irritated from time to time, because I try to talk to people and help Americans realize that we need to unite. The irritation comes from the fact that almost everyone agrees with some of which I deem best for America. Yet, the "almost" is normally the same thing. They are quick to defend the political party of choice.

This is a major issue in our nation. I think it is a pretty simplistic statement and strong one too. " UNITED WE STAND & DIVIDED WE FALL" Political parties are nothing more then dividers amongst the American people. So, why is it that very few in comparison actually see this point?

America, we must stop allowing the corruption of our nation to blind us and even worse turn on each other. Once again I say it,"UNITED WE STAND & DIVIDED WE FALL". Please, I plead with you, rid the tyrants of this tool of leverage. We need a president that won't be lead by the corruption of the banks and corporate America.

We need a Congressman who isn't in his seat because all his buddies from high school didn't do their homework or do not care about issues and just want to help a friend out. The buddy system must come to an end, NOW! The buddy system is part of what allowed the corruption in our government in the first place.

WE THE PEOPLE, must stop voting for the lesser of the evils, and stop voting the evil in PERIOD! That's like me saying "heroine is worse, so I'll just smoke crack instead". That is the dumbest justification or excuse ever.

Time has come my fellow Americans. The time to take our nation back and rise up from the grasp of these nay sayers and false idols. It bares repeating: "WE THE PEOPLE", "UNITED WE STAND", "DIVIDED WE FALL" America, we the the people shall stand united.

Rohrer's message to state committee members. Let's have a debate

At today's Pennsylvania Press Club's luncheon, Republican gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer urged party leaders to hold off on endorsing a candidate until the candidates have a debate in front of the full committee.

Rohrer said he is counting on support from conservative Pennsylvanians who are disenchanted with the political system. Without an open exchange of ideas, he said the Republican Party risks becoming more of “a social club” than a vehicle to advance different points of view. Click Here To Read More

The state committee is schedule to endorse candidates at their meeting February 13th. I for one think a debate would be a great idea. Anything to make this more of an open process.

Sam Rohrer's Message Resonating With Republican Voters

Last night I attended the Sam Rohrer for Governor campaign event held at the Greenwood Fire Hall here in Altoona. I figured that I would cover the campaign event on my blog since the event was being held right in my backyard.

For a Saturday night, I was surprised by the amount of people that attended the event. I was running late and couldn't find a parking space. Then I helped Mr. & Mrs. Rohrer find a parking space as they got to the even about the same time I did.

While walking in the fire hall with Sam and his family, I was struck by the excitement in the room. I have to give Sam's campaign team a lot of credit for establishing this much energy this early in the race. Jeff Coleman and State Senator John Eichelberger highlighted Sam's conservative record in the State House Of Representatives prior to introducing Sam to the crowd.

Then Sam fired up the crowd and talked about his calling to be the next Governor of Pennsylvania. Sam feels that his campaign is about once again establishing trust with the people of Pennsylvania and restoring their faith in state government. He talked about what it means to take the oath of office and how our elected leaders in Harrisburg are responsible for following the state constitution. Something that many of his supports feel isn't happening in Harrisburg right now. Sam himself describes himself as a constitutional conservative.

Sam laid out his positions on a various of topics. He discussed his plan to eliminate smothering regulations and reduce business taxes that he feels limits Pennsylvania's ability to create jobs and grow industry. He discussed his plan to eliminate school property taxes and how it will make Pennsylvania more appealing for economic development. He discussed how he wants to cut state government waste by holding each department or program to their original mission or purpose.

Conservative supporters of Sam's grassroots campaign are very engaged and energized. One supporter even baked homemade chocolate chip cookies and brought them to the campaign event. Now you know that you are supporting the right candidate and that you are at the right campaign event when there is a bowl full of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

I don't think Tom Corbett's campaign events will have
homemade chocolate chip cookies!!!!!!

After attending the campaign event and meeting Sam and his wife in person, I have to say that there is no doubt that Sam's candidacy for Governor has created a lot of buzz and excitement in this area. Now from the outside looking in, political pundits and party establishment folks could say that this is just Sam energizing his base and that last night he was just speaking to the conservative choir. I say to the state political establishment that you can say or believe what you want but Sam's campaign message is energizing conservative voters like I have never seen before.

I personally feel that Sam Rohrer is the right man at the right time to lead Pennsylvania through the difficult times ahead. Only he can restore the people's faith and establish trust in our state government once again.

Sam's Our Man!!!! Sam's Our Man!!!

Pennsylvanians want true GOP gubernatorial primary

Guest Column By David Baldinger

The grassroots have awakened.

Scott Brown carries the day in Massachusetts by a solid margin. Chris Christie prevails in New Jersey’s governor race. Bob McDonnell wins in Virginia’s governor race. Florida Republican Chairman Jim Greer is ousted by activists infuriated by his endorsement of an insider candidate for the state’s Senate seat.

These were not necessarily victories for any political party as pundits are eager to claim but, rather, for ordinary citizens who are frustrated and angry with machine politics and the political elite who anoint candidates for their party loyalty rather than for their principles.

The caring, decent people of our country have only just begun to demonstrate their displeasure with the pompous party bosses who control the electoral process.

Now the activists have established a new beachhead in Pennsylvania in their fight for electoral freedom, with the Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman as the target of their resentment.

In a newspaper account of Congressman Jim Gerlach’s withdrawal from the Governor’s race, an obviously gratified Republican Chairman Rob Gleason said that now candidate Tom Corbett “doesn't need a primary" to establish himself and that he is pleased that Corbett would be able to "husband his resources."

With this pronouncement Gleason effectively dismissed the candidacy of State Representative Sam Rohrer and crowned Corbett as the party’s gubernatorial candidate. Six weeks before party delegates meet to vote, Gleason had already written off Representative Rohrer without giving him adequate opportunity to make his views known or gauging the support of the electorate.

The protesters regard Rohrer as an honest, common-sense candidate whose message and principles resonate with a grassroots movement hungry for a rejection of the status quo. Gleason’s unbridled arrogance and his blatant attempt to marginalize Rohrer by ignoring him has provoked the ire of activists and Rohrer proponents from across the state who are now demanding an open primary election that is free of bias and unfettered by political favoritism.

And well they should. Republican Party endorsements have included Lynn Swann, Mike Fisher, Rick Santorum, and others who were chosen for their purported name recognition and “electability” but were decisively rejected at the polls. The party and the people would undoubtedly be better served by allowing the voters to select their candidate rather than forcing upon them someone chosen by power-hungry party bosses who crown their royalty in furtive backroom deals.

Those chosen by the party elite prior to the primary election have a decided advantage over rival candidates by allowing them the use of party resources such as databases, research, and funding. This practice immediately tilts the playing field in favor of the endorsed candidate and will go far toward assuring their success. This must end if we are to restore the open electoral process that has been taken from us by those who have no desire to risk placing candidate selection in the hands of the people.

The coronation of candidates taints the integrity of those contenders by making them beholden to the powers that choose them and the special interests that finance their campaigns. It is sordid politics like this that ultimately leads to the pervasive corruption that is so prevalent in Pennsylvania government today.

Gleason and the Pennsylvania Republican leaders have completely lost touch with their base and are misreading the mood of the Pennsylvania electorate and, indeed, that of the nation. At the party meeting in February they will again order their delegates to march in lockstep with the party powers to endorse their hand-picked candidate. But this time that edict will become a liability for those who are chosen.

Patriot organizations, taxpayer advocates, tea party, 9/12, and similar grassroots groups have come together and will speak with one voice to repudiate the power of the political elite who would strip us of our liberty. We have had enough of the party powers dictating candidates and policy to us and we will regain control of the process that is guaranteed to us by the Constitution. The Governor’s seat belongs to the people, not the party; it is time for all citizens to demand of the Republican bosses an open, transparent primary election so that we, the people of Pennsylvania, may choose who will lead us.

David Baldinger is a taxpayer advocate and a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations, an organization of thirty-six taxpayer groups that is working for school property tax elimination and education finance reform.

Democratic Candidate, Tom Knox, Ends Campaign For Governor

WHYY news is reporting that Philadelphia business man, Tom Knox, has decided to end his candidacy for Governor. Knox was one of five candidates seeking the Democratic Party nomination.

Knox: I was going to spend ten million dollars, Dan was probably going to spend ten million dollars. We were going to beat each other up. And that's not appropriate to do in a Democratic primary, and then after all that, allow a Republican to become the next governor.

Allegheny County Executive, Dan Onorato, has raised over eight million dollars thus far for his campaign and is now sitting in the driver's seat. With both party's elites clearly pushing out the competition, a showdown between Corbett and Onorato two of Pennsylvania's biggest heavyweights seems to be inevitable. Unless the Bonusgate scandal blows up in Corbett's face then it will be a victory for Onorato.

Also: Knox quits Democratic race governor, supports Onorato (AP Peter Jackson)
Good Read: Tom Knox bailing on race for governor? (Philadelphia Daily News)

Pennsylvania Republicans Rush to Miss the Moment

by John D McGinnis

Across America, freedom is breaking out, yet the Pennsylvania Republican party is committed to more of the same old socialism and same old party-above-freedom mentality. The latest example of this is the endorsement of Tom Corbett for governor of the central Pennsylvania republican caucus. Here's what Tom Corbett's website reports:

"The Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania's Central Caucus met today and voted to support Attorney General Tom Corbett for Governor. The vote occurred after Corbett addressed the Central Caucus members and reiterated his commitment to reduce state spending and cut government waste, improve the economic climate to create jobs and bring openness and accountability to state government."

So let me get this straight. The caucus supports Corbett because he is for reducing government spending, cutting (not eliminating) waste, improving the economic climate to create jobs, and bringing openness and accountability to state government. Corbett is laughably and demonstrably incompetent on all of those items. And I guess the sanctity of human life is not worth a mention.

Reducing spending and cutting waste: What part of his budget as state attorney general has been reduced and what waste has he cut there?

Creating jobs: What does a lifelong lawyer who has spent a majority of his career in the public sector know about creating jobs? The single most powerful action our commonwealth's government could take to improve Pennsylvania's economy is to make this a right-to-work state. No mention at all of that on Corbett's website.

Accountability to state government: Bonus gate is entering its 3rd year with the one case that went to court resulting in a not guilty verdict and the meat of the scandal (Senate Republican misbehavior) is still on the bone.

So he's silent on life, mum on economic freedom, and dragging his feet on bringing government officials to justice. Should it surprise that the Republican party, which is rushing to endorse this guy, is the minority party in the Commonwealth whose motto is "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence"?

Incidentally, Tom Corbett's website has nearly everything you would think would be there including opportunities to endorse him, solicitations for donations to his campaign, press releases, and even a blog. However, there is no statement of his principles nor a program for governing Pennsylvania. Guess that's just a little oversight.

Democratic Party Candidates For Pennsylvania Governor Are Sounding Like Republicans

John Micek of the Allentown Morning Call has a great article on how the state's economy will play a major role in this year's race for Governor. One thing that I couldn't help but notice after reading the article is just how much the Democratic Party candidates are starting to sound like Republicans. This is what Micek writes in the article:

Though they differ on the exact route, there's a common topography to the candidates' plans.

All agree that Pennsylvania has to shed its reputation as a tax-heavy state that's unwelcoming to business. They also agree that the state has to do more to keep businesses from leaving.

Whatever happened to health care for all, more government accountability and more government control? Well at least they are smart enough to realize that the national Democratic Party message isn't working.

Furthermore, can we really trust that they want to cut taxes and make our state more business friendly. I remember when Fast Eddy also promised the people of Pennsylvania the same thing in his 2002 campaign. Then we got a 15% income tax increase.

The Democratic Party's message is a joke. Now candidates like Allegheny County Executive, Dan Onorato, think they are going to jump on the economy issue after a year of Democratic Party big government spending and bailouts. I hope Pennsylvania voters don't fall for it again.

Oh by the way here is another proposal by Onorato to jump start our state economy according to Micek's article.

If he's elected to the state's top spot, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato wants to spend $25 million to turn Pennsylvania's colleges and universities into incubators for research and development for private industry.

Just what the average joe worker needs here in Pennsylvania. More tax money going to academic elites and institutions so they can train and educate students who are going to leave our state. It's a joke folks and this is the year to call out candidates like Onorato.

Full Article: Economy, jobs keys in race for governor. Five Democrats vying to succeed Rendell agree the state must be more business-friendly

Conservatives Supporting State Representive Sam Rohrer Over Frontrunner Attorney General Tom Corbett In Primary Race

It seems like the Republican State Committee has already decided which candidate they want to run for Governor. Last week US Rep. Jim Gerlach announced that he was no longer running do to a lack of support from committee members.

Also last week various news sources reported that both the State Committee's Central and the Southeast Caucus's straw poll results overwhelmingly favored Corbett over Rohrer.

Now we all know just how much members of the state committee hate heated primary battles. That is why they spend so much time holding fraternity like, internal mini elections to determine which candidate will get the party's endorsement.

As a conservative, I am glad that State Representative Sam Rohrer is sticking it to the party establishment. Rohrer is fired up and is in this primary race for the long hall. He is an outstanding candidate and has a great campaign team. Rohrer has demonstrated throughout his years of service in the state House that he is a principled conservative. Add to this Rohrer's crusade to eliminate school property taxes and you have a candidate that many conservatives are taking a good look at around the state.

Just recently at a Blair County Republican Women Meeting State Senator, John Eichelberger discussed how important this upcoming Governor's race is to the future of Pennsylvania. During the meeting Eichelberger said a lot of favorable things about Rohrer. Eichelberger also raised a lot of questions about Corbett's record. Eichelberger did not endorse Rohrer yet. But today Rohrer's campaign announced that Eichelberger will be hosting a town hall meeting with Rohrer on Janruary 23rd in Altoona. Click here for more information on the event.

I've said before that I am going to support Rohrer. I just like him as a person. He is a great family man. He loves this state. He is passionate about the things he believes in. He seems grounded by his conservative principles.

I truly believe that Sam knows what it will take to turn things around in Harrisburg. People are tired of all the scandals and budget debacles. Rohrer will provide this state with sound, principled leadership. Something that the Rendell administration has never given us.

The last thing our state needs is another Harrisburg/GOP party establishment insider like Tom Corbett as Governor. Come to think about it what do we really know about Corbett's vision for Pennsylvania? When I think of Corbett I have more questions than answers. Pennsylvanians know Sam Rohrer and they know he will fight for our values.

Gerlach's Decision More About The GOP Party Establishment Than Money

I wasn't too surprised when I read the news that US Rep, Jim Gerlach, R 6th District announced that he was no longer running for Governor in 2010. Come to think of it, was Gerlach ever really running for Governor in the first place? For someone who announced their candidacy relatively early, we never seen much of Gerlach out campaigning or even trying to make an effort to increase those low name recognition numbers.

I don't think that Gerlach ever really had the support of the GOP party establishment. These are the same party insiders who have been drooling all over State Attorney General, Tom Corbett, for two years now. Plus the State Committee doesn't like open debate in a primary election. So they choose to decide the nomination behind closed doors in meetings like the one that occurred over the weekend.

Republican State Committee members from Central Pennsylvania met behind closed doors at a Harrisburg hotel Saturday and took a straw vote that was overwhelmingly in Corbett's favor. Party spokesman Mike Barley said Corbett won 88 votes and his only competitor, state Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County, won 16.

I think Gerlach waited it out until right before Central Pennsylvania members of the State Committee met this passed weekend. The party establishment probably told Gerlach that he wasn't even close and it was Corbett's nomination.

Party big wigs probably took Gerlach aside and told him to "focus on the fights he can win." Once Gerlach got his marching orders he decided to stop his candidacy for Governor and then announce his re-election bid for the 6th Congressional District.

Like I said, Gerlach's decision was more about party politics than it was the money issue which he cited as the reason he dropped out.

For me personally, I am not sold on Tom Corbett. But member of the State Committee have a lot of faith in him. Sounds like what happened two years ago when they supported Lynn Swann. What a colossal failure that was.

I for one am going to take a hard look at State Representative, Sam Rohrer's candidacy. He is a great guy. If you ever seen him on TV you know right away that he is very passionate about Pennsylvania. I like his values and his solutions regarding property taxes and getting the economy of this state out of the backroom deal era of Rendell.

Also: Gerlach's decisions renew GOP hopes for Pa. (Philadelphia Inquirer)