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Monday, December 27, 2010
Hunting the hunters
Please take a moment to read the editorial and then leave a comment. Thanks.
No one knows what happened in the woods in Bucks County a few weeks ago except for the people involved.
Tragically, Barry Groh probably didn’t know what happened that fateful day either.
Groh, 52, was dragging a deer he had shot when he was shot and killed by another hunter. David Manilla has been charged with manslaughter in the case.
While we don’t know exactly what happened that day, we do know David Manilla should never have been in the woods with a high-powered rifle in the first place.
Manilla, a convicted felon, is not permitted to own a weapon. Manilla’s felony conviction came after he beat a man with a curl bar outside a gym in Norristown in the mid-’80s.
While again, we don’t know what happened that day, we do know that Manilla’s uncle, former Montgomery County District Attorney and former County Commissioner Mike Marino, should never have been in the woods with Manilla, knowing he was a convicted felon.
Manilla is an attorney with a reputation for handling DUI cases.
Marino is an attorney with a reputation for being a hard-nosed prosecutor and an even more hard-nosed executive as a county commissioner.
Both men absolutely should have known that Manilla should not have been in those woods.
And Manilla also was using a high-powered rifle, which is illegal for hunting in Pennsylvania.
Marino, a self-proclaimed outdoorsman, should have known the high-powered rifle was illegal for hunting.
We’re confident the Bucks County District Attorney will handle this case with expediency and a firm hand.
While we don’t know exactly what happened on that fateful day, we do know that the circumstances surrounding the death of a 52-year-old father of two should be examined from every angle, and every responsible party should be held to the highest letter of the law.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Breakfast Club
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Post election postmortem
You could go with Sestak's defeat for Specter's Senate seat, or Toomey's victory over Lentz for Sestak's old seat, or the overall thrashing Republicans served up, but if you ask me, I would say it is the fact that Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman Jim Matthews was in Pittsburgh on Election Day standing beside now Gov. elect Tom Corbett, http://bit.ly/9iUATm. Word has it Matthews was there asking for a position in Corbett's new administration. Now, I'm not sure why Corbett would give Matthews a job, but as I've stated on many occasions; I'm not invited into the back room. And if this is the kind of dealing that goes on in there, I don't want to be. So, if Matthews is headed to Harrisburg, who gets appointed to the vacant seat? Regardless of who it turns out to be, Republicans will be back in charge, and Bruce Castor will get the chairman's seat.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Election Night in Montco
Monday, November 1, 2010
Election predictions
Matt Bradford is going to have a hard time fending off Jay Moyer in the 70th. Moyer really wants his old seat back and Bradford isn't playing so nice.
Rick Taylor is playing the same way so he's going to face a really tough challenge in Todd Stephens in the 151st.
The Patrick Murphy/Mike Fitzpatrick race for the 8th should be close as well.
Not so close; Tim Briggs should coast to victory in the 149th over Pete Kohut as will Kate Harper over Mary Lou Readinger in the 61st. Mike Vereb should win handily in the 150th over Andrea Baptiste.
As for lanslides; I don't see John Rafferty being even remotely challenged by newcomer Matt Stehman in the 44th district senate race.
Those are just a few, folks, but it's enough to get the conversation started.
Post your predictions below.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Don't let voting scare you
Monday, September 20, 2010
Montco commissioner's chair gets a taste of his own medicine
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Paging Common Sense. Has anyone seen common sense?
If you were hiking in the woods and saw a bear a hundred yards in front of you would you a.) turn around or b.) keep walking because nothing is going to spoil your walk?
If you drop a knife while working in the kitchen do you a.) jump out of the way as if your life depended on it, or b.) try to catch it?
If you answered ‘a’ to all of the above,you may read the rest of my column at http://bit.ly/9Iy6UD
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Lower Providence Supervisors won't be criminally charged
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thomas Jefferson, the last true Republican
http://bit.ly/aNzaC0
Monday, August 2, 2010
No need for Wikileaks in Norristown
http://bit.ly/b571Nq
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Consulting for dollars
Friday, July 9, 2010
Round up time
Why is the Norristown Area School District taking 30 days to respond to a Right To Know request for the needed repairs for Roosevelt Field?
Why are we not hearing anything out of the county about the multiple accusations leveled at commissioner's Chairman Jim Matthews?
Why is Norristown taking forever to respond to the disaster that is 770 Sandy St.?
Why is West Norriton fighting putting a stadium in at the high school?
Take your pick, or ask your own question. I'm just trying to keep the conversation lively!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Today, we declare our independence
Friday, June 4, 2010
My own version of the Tea Party movement
Increase the sales tax to 8 percent and include clothing.
All of you ‘regressive tax’ naysayers need to keep reading before you start e-mailing me.
I can’t believe I walk into the King of Prussia Mall, that is after I walk past all the Mercedes Benz,’ Hummers and Porches, and watch what must be literally hundreds of thousands of dollars a year walk out the door without a single tax dollar being collected.
Are you kidding me?
Where is the common sense, here, folks? And yes I meant to drop the reference to Thomas Paine’s eloquently written masterpiece.
Look folks, adding two cents on the dollar is not going to keep even the poorest of people from eating, so you can drop the ‘regressive tax’ argument right into the harbor.
I ordered an external hard drive for one of my sons a couple of weeks ago from Best Buy. It cost $79.99. When the bill came it was $79.99. Really? An eight percent tax would have brought the total to $86.39. How many millions of dollars would the state collect each year based on an 8 percent tax on electronics alone?
We the people have been sitting around the harbor for far too long, taking what’s been dished out as if we didn’t have any other option.
We do.
This is still our country, and we need to act like it.
Call it a tea party, call it a property party, call it whatever you like, (That’s where I need the help I was asking for earlier, you have to have a catchy name for your movement.) but we need to get our collective acts together and throw all the taxing bodies into the local harbor and not let them back onto dry land until they figure out that we’re actually in charge.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Teaching lessons
I wanted to put all of that on the table so someone doesn't read into this post that I don't like teachers. This post is really for teachers. This is a brief explanation of why you're feeling unappreciated. Every time you go to the well for pay increases all of our property taxes go up, and yes, I know that includes yours as well. Here's the real reason you're not feeling the love right now; you're asking for too much. No one wants to hear that you want to pay less for your health care. No one wants to hear that you want 4, 5 and 6 percent raises. Just be reasonable. That's all.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
PA getting out of the liquor business?
Rep. Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) unveiled legislation this week to privatize the wholesale and retail operations of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). The bill would auction off 100 wholesale distribution licenses and 750 retail store licenses to the highest responsible bidders. The auction of the licenses is expected to bring in a minimum of $2 billion in revenue. Tax changes under the bill are predicted to generate $500 million annually; the current system brings in approximately $375 million in tax revenue. Presently, the PLCB owns and operates 621 state stores throughout the Commonwealth and is responsible for the purchase and distribution of all wine and spirits within the state. The sale and distribution of beer would not be affected by the legislation.
I'm all for this; the state shouldn't be in the liquor business anyway. Open it up to competition and we all win.
What's your take?
Friday, April 16, 2010
How about a spot of tea?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sen. Specter's Visit
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Blurry Lines
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Trash Talk
How about some open debate for a change?
What are the merits of having one trash hauler as opposed to having your choice of several?
Here's what I'm thinking.
I live in West Norriton. We have our pick of about a half dozen trash haulers. For us, that means we can drop anyone we don't like at anytime in an effort to get better service and a better price. You know what else that means? I don't think there's a day that goes by without a trash truck rumbling down my street before the crack of dawn.
Now, Lower Providence just renewed its contract with one trash hauler. If the township supervisors were doing their due diligence, which I have no reason to believe they weren't, and a quick Right To Know request would clear it up in a minute, then residents of Lower Providence are getting the best price, and possibly the best service for their buck. And if they're not happy with either they can re-bid the contract.
East Norriton, you're debating whether to go with a single trash hauler. So for residents I guess the question is whether you trust your elected officials to make the right decision.
Philadelphia is struggling so the mayor wants to start charging $300 a year for trash collection. My only response is that I'm pretty sure they're already being taxed to pay for collection so why is the city trying to double dip into residents pockets?
The lines are now open. Where do you stand?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Angus found on Schuylkill Expressway
Monday, March 1, 2010
Citizen Journalism Redux
Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not for a moment hesitate to prefer the latter." We will keep fighting the good fight, no matter the platform.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Remembering a friend
Monday, February 15, 2010
Snow job
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Citizen journalism
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Obama turning a corner?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Play nice, please
Speaking of playing nice, I'm not really sure who gave CBIZ the go ahead to play with the county's money. It looks like nobody right now, and it looks like there weren't any requests for proposals sent out to insurance companies.
If I'm wrong, I'd sure like to know. Perhaps someone from CBIZ could give me a call?