This is from Tim Potts's blog. He's the founder and head of the citizen advocacy group, Democracy Rising Pennslvania, which advocates government reform in the Commonwealth. It's the kind of gutty investigative reporting you'll never find in the Erie news media.
Last week the Harrisburg Patriot reported that Gov. Ed Rendell's administration has signed a seven-year, $201.1 million contract with a Minnesota testing company. Data Recognition Corp. (DRC), which provides tests for the state's current standardized testing program, got the contract to create a new, statewide graduation exam even though the General Assembly has not authorized the testing program.
Where might pay-to-play come in? According to state records, DRC executives made these contributions to Rendell's gubernatorial campaign:
February 24, 2006 - $5,000 from Russell Hagen (chair of DRC's board)
September 21, 2006 - $1,000 from Hagen
September 23, 2006 - $1,000 from Susan Engeleiter (DRC's CEO & President)
January 18, 2007 - $10,000 from Hagen
Two weeks later on February 1, 2007, Rendell expressed support for "a single standard for high school graduation" based on recommendations from the Commission on College and Career Success, which Rendell convened in August 2005.
Questions:
Why would a Minnesota corporation pay so much attention to an election that was a foregone conclusion in PA? (Rendell won 60%-40%.)
If the object of a campaign contribution is to influence the outcome of an election, why did Hagen's largest contribution occur after the election when Rendell still had $1.7 million in campaign funds and no debt to retire?
Why is Rendell accepting contributions for a gubernatorial campaign when he can't run for governor again?
Implications for the budget. This is not a new trick for Rendell. In 2007 he held up the budget, demanding increased funding for motion picture production. Unknown to lawmakers was that Rendell had secretly signed a letter committing $3.5 million to Lionsgate, a film production company in California. Lionsgate was represented by former Rep. Mike Veon, D-Beaver, who had lost re-election in 2006 following his vote not to repeal the Pay raise of 2005 and who is now awaiting trial for his alleged role in the Bonus Scandal.
Question: Will Rendell delay this year's budget until he has retroactive authority for the DRC contract?
That other notorious coincidence. The DRC contract is reminiscent of another coincidence between contributions to Rendell's political fortunes and a contract for the contributor. See theApril 9 edition of DR News presenting the Wall Street Journal's report on Rendell and a Houston, TX law firm.
Rendell's not alone. Although he got the lion's share of campaign contributions from DRC executives, Rendell was not the only PA political figure to benefit. Here are other contributions:
October 5, 2007 - $500 from Hagen to Friends of Jess Stairs (Stairs, R-Westmoreland, was then chair of the House Education Committee)
May 14, 2007 - $1,000 from Hagen to Dominic Pileggi for Senate Committee (Pileggi, R-Delaware, was and is majority leader)
May 9, 2007 - $500 from Hagen to Friends of Jim Rhoades Committee (Rhoades was then chair of the Senate Education Committee)
November 17, 2006 - $1,000 from Hagen to Friends of Jim Rhoades Committee
November 13, 2006 - $600 from Hagen to Friends of Jess Stairs
November 6, 2006 - $500 from Hagen to Raphael Musto for Senate Committee (Musto was then minority chair of the Senate Education Committee)
November 3, 2006 - $500 from Hagen to Friends of James Roebuck Committee (Roebuck was then minority chair of the House Education Committee)
November 2, 2006 - $1,000 from Hagen to Friends of John Perzel (Perzel, R-Phila., was then Speaker of the House)
September 20, 2006 - $400 from Hagen to Friends of Jess Stairs
May 11, 2006 - $1,500 from Sandra Wiese (DRC's VP of Governmental Affairs) to Friends of Senator Jubelirer Committee (Jubelirer was then president pro tempore of the Senate)
May 9, 2006 - $1,000 from Hagen to Friends of Sen. Dave Brightbill Committee (Brightbill was then majority leader)
January 18, 2006 - $1,000 from Wiese to the Committee to Elect Mike Veon (Veon was then minority whip)
Question:
Why have there been no contributions since October 2007?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Did Phil English game Kevin Cuneo?
Back in February, Kevin Cuneo wrote in his gossip column the following:
"Former U.S. Rep. Phil English will keep busy with his work on the National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. English was recently appointed to a three-year term on the commission. He'll serve on the task force on cultural issues."
In response, I wrote here, addressing Cuneo:
"Kevin, where's the rest of the story? By whom was he appointed? Is this yet another example of Congress feathering its own nest and looking after its own defeated members? Is this a salaried position, with travel, per diem and expenses perks? Does it extend and enhance the former congressman's lavish retirement, per diem, health and pension benefits"?
Needless to say, Cuneo, who publicly boasts of dialoguing with readers but in reality engages mostly in drawn-out soliloquies, never answered those key questions.
Then, on April 15, this article appeared in PM in the Legal Business, a beltway publication;
Former Rep. Phil English Joins Arent Fox
Arent Fox has added former Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) to its Washington office as a senior government relations adviser, the firm announced today. English’s first day at the firm is today.
English lost his bid for an eighth term in November to Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.) after representing Western Pennsylvania’s 3rd District from 1995 to 2009. In the 110th Congress, he served as the ranking member on the House Subcommittee of Select Revenue Measures.
At Arent Fox, English will be advising clients and generating business in areas similar to those he focused on in Congress, including health, energy, tax and trade legislation. He will not be lobbying during his first year at the firm in keeping with federal guidelines, a firm spokesman says.
English currently serves on the U.S. National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, which advises the State Department on educational, scientific, cultural and communications issues pending before the international organization.
English could not be reached immediately for comment.
Posted by Jeff Jeffrey on April 15, 2009
How is it that English will, as Kevin put it, "keep busy with his work" on the National Commission, when he's working fulltime for Arent Fox? And why would Cuneo, who purports to be a newsman, write about English's appointment to the National Commission, but ignore his hiring by Arent Fox?
My guess is English, or a surrogate, wanted to publicize his appointment to the Commission, and fed Cuneo a blurb on it, but for his own reasons wanted to keep his job with Arent Fox quiet (which raises all kinds of conflict of interest issues), so he kept his own counsel.
It's a classic example of how crafty politicians game unwitting newsmen. And it makes a mockery of so-called "revolving door" laws which are designed to keep former lawakers like Engish, who have been privy to mountains of classified secret information, from using information they gained as "public servants" to compromise the public's interests while working for lobbying firms representing special interests.
"Former U.S. Rep. Phil English will keep busy with his work on the National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. English was recently appointed to a three-year term on the commission. He'll serve on the task force on cultural issues."
In response, I wrote here, addressing Cuneo:
"Kevin, where's the rest of the story? By whom was he appointed? Is this yet another example of Congress feathering its own nest and looking after its own defeated members? Is this a salaried position, with travel, per diem and expenses perks? Does it extend and enhance the former congressman's lavish retirement, per diem, health and pension benefits"?
Needless to say, Cuneo, who publicly boasts of dialoguing with readers but in reality engages mostly in drawn-out soliloquies, never answered those key questions.
Then, on April 15, this article appeared in PM in the Legal Business, a beltway publication;
Former Rep. Phil English Joins Arent Fox
Arent Fox has added former Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) to its Washington office as a senior government relations adviser, the firm announced today. English’s first day at the firm is today.
English lost his bid for an eighth term in November to Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.) after representing Western Pennsylvania’s 3rd District from 1995 to 2009. In the 110th Congress, he served as the ranking member on the House Subcommittee of Select Revenue Measures.
At Arent Fox, English will be advising clients and generating business in areas similar to those he focused on in Congress, including health, energy, tax and trade legislation. He will not be lobbying during his first year at the firm in keeping with federal guidelines, a firm spokesman says.
English currently serves on the U.S. National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, which advises the State Department on educational, scientific, cultural and communications issues pending before the international organization.
English could not be reached immediately for comment.
Posted by Jeff Jeffrey on April 15, 2009
How is it that English will, as Kevin put it, "keep busy with his work" on the National Commission, when he's working fulltime for Arent Fox? And why would Cuneo, who purports to be a newsman, write about English's appointment to the National Commission, but ignore his hiring by Arent Fox?
My guess is English, or a surrogate, wanted to publicize his appointment to the Commission, and fed Cuneo a blurb on it, but for his own reasons wanted to keep his job with Arent Fox quiet (which raises all kinds of conflict of interest issues), so he kept his own counsel.
It's a classic example of how crafty politicians game unwitting newsmen. And it makes a mockery of so-called "revolving door" laws which are designed to keep former lawakers like Engish, who have been privy to mountains of classified secret information, from using information they gained as "public servants" to compromise the public's interests while working for lobbying firms representing special interests.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Social engineering at the Erie Times News
Sunday, May 10, 2008
In his weekly column today, Pat Howard, managing editor of the Erie Times-News, writes glowingly of the public forum held last week engineered by him and his colleagues at the paper.It was called "Times-News...,"uh sorry, "Erie Agenda '09." It was like reading a review written by the playwright of his own play. All raves, naturally.
According to Howard, about 150 people attended the forum, the discussion of which was "guided" by himself and three other of his newsroom colleagues, Liz Allen, Kevin Cuneo and Kevin Flowers whose qualifications are suspect, to put it kindly. And, by the way, aren't newsfolk supposed to report the news, rather than make it?
In the interests of full disclosure, I neither attended the forum nor watched the streaming video of the hyper-hyped event on my computer, so I can't evaluate the performance. But Howard's words speak volumes. Headlined "Erie's agenda comes into focus amid spirit of realism, optimism," his column extols and sums up the forum's ambiance. "It was very cool," he writes, with sophomoric eclat.
Those who happen to disagree with Howard's and the Times-News editorial board's myopic vision of what they see as Erie's future are portrayed as "loudmouths at the end of the bar" evincing "a strain of sour defeatism...that generates a hollow whine." Wow. And this is the guy who says "We're all in this together."
Howard's pet topic, on which he preaches incessantly but cluelessly, is "regionalism," once known as "metro government," which seeks at the furthest extreme advocated by Howard to lump most or all of the county's municipalities and functions under a single government umbrella.
Can you imagine an Erie city or county council, with their petty politics and relentless penchant for self-agrandizement infecting every other municipality within the county, big or small, writ large? It boggles the mind.
Apparently some regionalism advocates at the forum weren't prepared to go as far as Howard and the Times-News would lead them, and "came at the question from a different angle," with more limited visions of Big Brotherism.
While Howard prefers that big government be foisted on home rule venues wholesale by the corrupt gang in Harrisburg, he grudgingly concedes "that's not going to happen, so the incremental regionalism" described by others "is probably the best path available."
Most alarming of all was Howard's punch line: "...the dialogue on Wednesday night should be only the beginning. Here at the Erie Times-News and GoErie.com, it's our job to see to that." Shallow cliches aside, with the Times-News, it's never a dialogue. Think, rather, a monologue.
In his weekly column today, Pat Howard, managing editor of the Erie Times-News, writes glowingly of the public forum held last week engineered by him and his colleagues at the paper.It was called "Times-News...,"uh sorry, "Erie Agenda '09." It was like reading a review written by the playwright of his own play. All raves, naturally.
According to Howard, about 150 people attended the forum, the discussion of which was "guided" by himself and three other of his newsroom colleagues, Liz Allen, Kevin Cuneo and Kevin Flowers whose qualifications are suspect, to put it kindly. And, by the way, aren't newsfolk supposed to report the news, rather than make it?
In the interests of full disclosure, I neither attended the forum nor watched the streaming video of the hyper-hyped event on my computer, so I can't evaluate the performance. But Howard's words speak volumes. Headlined "Erie's agenda comes into focus amid spirit of realism, optimism," his column extols and sums up the forum's ambiance. "It was very cool," he writes, with sophomoric eclat.
Those who happen to disagree with Howard's and the Times-News editorial board's myopic vision of what they see as Erie's future are portrayed as "loudmouths at the end of the bar" evincing "a strain of sour defeatism...that generates a hollow whine." Wow. And this is the guy who says "We're all in this together."
Howard's pet topic, on which he preaches incessantly but cluelessly, is "regionalism," once known as "metro government," which seeks at the furthest extreme advocated by Howard to lump most or all of the county's municipalities and functions under a single government umbrella.
Can you imagine an Erie city or county council, with their petty politics and relentless penchant for self-agrandizement infecting every other municipality within the county, big or small, writ large? It boggles the mind.
Apparently some regionalism advocates at the forum weren't prepared to go as far as Howard and the Times-News would lead them, and "came at the question from a different angle," with more limited visions of Big Brotherism.
While Howard prefers that big government be foisted on home rule venues wholesale by the corrupt gang in Harrisburg, he grudgingly concedes "that's not going to happen, so the incremental regionalism" described by others "is probably the best path available."
Most alarming of all was Howard's punch line: "...the dialogue on Wednesday night should be only the beginning. Here at the Erie Times-News and GoErie.com, it's our job to see to that." Shallow cliches aside, with the Times-News, it's never a dialogue. Think, rather, a monologue.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Half-baked concoctions guide Times-News '09 agenda
Why would any thinking and intelligent folks care what the Erie Times-News and its hand-picked assemblage of bureaucrats, ivy-towered academicians and pompous third rate editorialists have to say about shaping the future of the Erie area?
The failing newspaper, which has had to unload a bunch of staff persons and cut the salaries of the rest while shrinking its news coverage to an irreducible minimum, should focus its dwindling energies on its own broken publishing infrastructure.
If the Times-News would do the job its supposed to of adequately informing its readership of the state of public affairs rather than trying to manipulate them in its own selfish interests, the community would be better served.
The community doesn't need the half-baked concoctions of an arrogant and power-hungry editorial board to tell it what it should or shouldn't do, especially a publishing monopoly which can't competently manage its own business and professional affairs, awash in a tsunami of demoralized staff.
In a feeble attempt to bolster its waning relevance within the community, the Times-News cobbled together what it fatuosly labelled "Erie Agenda 09," a time warp reference it would seem from the worn-out rhetoric surrounding it, to 1909 A.D., pitching it as a catalyst for change, but inadvertently invoking the ageless truism that the more things change, the more they are the same.
Scarcely reassuring was the assertion in the Times-News and Goerie.com Wednesday that the discussion during last night's "forum" would be "guided" by such ineffectual luminaries and psuedo-journalists as Managing Editor Pat Howard, Public Editor (so-called) Liz Allen, Assistant Managing Editor Kevin Cuneo, and Reporter Kevin Flowers, all of whom many of us see as part of the problem rather than part of a solution.
The failing newspaper, which has had to unload a bunch of staff persons and cut the salaries of the rest while shrinking its news coverage to an irreducible minimum, should focus its dwindling energies on its own broken publishing infrastructure.
If the Times-News would do the job its supposed to of adequately informing its readership of the state of public affairs rather than trying to manipulate them in its own selfish interests, the community would be better served.
The community doesn't need the half-baked concoctions of an arrogant and power-hungry editorial board to tell it what it should or shouldn't do, especially a publishing monopoly which can't competently manage its own business and professional affairs, awash in a tsunami of demoralized staff.
In a feeble attempt to bolster its waning relevance within the community, the Times-News cobbled together what it fatuosly labelled "Erie Agenda 09," a time warp reference it would seem from the worn-out rhetoric surrounding it, to 1909 A.D., pitching it as a catalyst for change, but inadvertently invoking the ageless truism that the more things change, the more they are the same.
Scarcely reassuring was the assertion in the Times-News and Goerie.com Wednesday that the discussion during last night's "forum" would be "guided" by such ineffectual luminaries and psuedo-journalists as Managing Editor Pat Howard, Public Editor (so-called) Liz Allen, Assistant Managing Editor Kevin Cuneo, and Reporter Kevin Flowers, all of whom many of us see as part of the problem rather than part of a solution.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
FAVORITISM AT GOERIE.COM
It seems the headline on my last post on the Erie Yacht Club's "gift" membership to State Rep. John Hornaman should have read "Favoritism at Goerie.com," The Times-News's online edition. Kara Rhodes at the Times-News tells me the story ran in the print edition of the Times-News on Tuesday.
However, there was no sign of it in the Tuesday online edition, or thereafter, which is the only version of the Times-News I read. And in the "Stories Most Read" section of Goerie, there was no mention of the Hornaman story, even though it would certainly have been that day's most read story had it appeared in the online edition.
Nevertheless, the taint of favoritism at the Times-News still applies because the print version treated Rep. Hornman's conflict of interest, and the elitest Erie Yacht Club's obvious attempt to influence public policy in its favor with kid gloves, by minimizing their ill-conceived actions. Don't expect an outraged editorial condemning them.
I tried to retrieve the print version of the story from the newspaper's online Archives, but could only get the first few lines of the story without shelling out $2.95 to the Archives service. Many newspapers which archive their print editions online enable readers to retrieve the current week's or month's published material free of charge, only assessing a fee for earlier published articles. As usual, the Erie Times-News has taken the low road, requiring a retrieval fee after the first day of publication.
However, there was no sign of it in the Tuesday online edition, or thereafter, which is the only version of the Times-News I read. And in the "Stories Most Read" section of Goerie, there was no mention of the Hornaman story, even though it would certainly have been that day's most read story had it appeared in the online edition.
Nevertheless, the taint of favoritism at the Times-News still applies because the print version treated Rep. Hornman's conflict of interest, and the elitest Erie Yacht Club's obvious attempt to influence public policy in its favor with kid gloves, by minimizing their ill-conceived actions. Don't expect an outraged editorial condemning them.
I tried to retrieve the print version of the story from the newspaper's online Archives, but could only get the first few lines of the story without shelling out $2.95 to the Archives service. Many newspapers which archive their print editions online enable readers to retrieve the current week's or month's published material free of charge, only assessing a fee for earlier published articles. As usual, the Erie Times-News has taken the low road, requiring a retrieval fee after the first day of publication.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sue Weber and the courthouse flood
Erie County Controller and gadfly Sue Weber has commented on my earlier post pertaining to the malfunctioning water filter at the Erie County Courthouse which so far has cost an estimated $600,000 in repairs, although some estimates rise to $1 million or more.Her comments are shown below, with her consent:
On April 29, Weber commented:
Good blog. I have been keeping my eye on this. In fact, I called Kevin Flowers a few days ago with the new total of damages, which I am keeping my eye on, and then he wrote the article. I have inspected the filter in question, called the manufacturer, etc. I was my dad's tomboy and love fixing things. Anything mechanical or construction related is interesting. You will recall after the original article came out I commented that this fiasco was going to cost the County hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then in the media, the Divecchio Administration basically said I did not know what I was talking about, blah blah blah. THERE IS A CAUSE TO THIS and the taxpayers shouldn't just take it lying down. We have the huge deductible and now the loss has gone beyond the limits of our CCAP insurance coverage. Our future premiums will go up because of this claim.
If this were your home or mine, we'd be climbing all over the individual who installed this unit and/or the manufacturer. THE UNIT WAS BRAND NEW AND WAS JUST INSTALLED. I think you should come to the courthouse and I will show you the unit, explaining how it works. You will then find it bizarre that they "can't find the cause" of this disastrous flood.
Sue Weber, County Controller-451-6367
A couple days later, Weber added:
Erie County is in the insurance pool with the County Commissioners Assn. of PA. It gives the County better rates. As I understand it that limit is $500,000 and then Luigi Pasquale says another carrier's coverage begins. I need to discuss this with him further but I would guess that is similar to stop loss insurance for health care. Hope you can pay a visit so I can show you this device. Incidentally, they did not need this filter. It was put in for the fifth floor grand renovation. The rest of us just drink the unfiltered stuff and it's fine. I have a copy of one of the change orders for the fifth floor renovation. It's $76,000 for solid cherry paneling. Just for fun, I measured the baseboard in Mark D's office and have a stick sitting on my desk with that measurement of his wonderful cherry molding.
The amount of new furniture coming into the courthouse daily as they keep moving offices around is astounding. The total value of all the furniture in my office is probably less than $1,000. I bought my small conference table myself. Our desk chairs are so old it's hilarious. Our carpet is a zillion years old and is ripped and beyond cleaning. We are there to do a job, not look chic.
I could write a book on why the County is broke.
Sue
On April 29, Weber commented:
Good blog. I have been keeping my eye on this. In fact, I called Kevin Flowers a few days ago with the new total of damages, which I am keeping my eye on, and then he wrote the article. I have inspected the filter in question, called the manufacturer, etc. I was my dad's tomboy and love fixing things. Anything mechanical or construction related is interesting. You will recall after the original article came out I commented that this fiasco was going to cost the County hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then in the media, the Divecchio Administration basically said I did not know what I was talking about, blah blah blah. THERE IS A CAUSE TO THIS and the taxpayers shouldn't just take it lying down. We have the huge deductible and now the loss has gone beyond the limits of our CCAP insurance coverage. Our future premiums will go up because of this claim.
If this were your home or mine, we'd be climbing all over the individual who installed this unit and/or the manufacturer. THE UNIT WAS BRAND NEW AND WAS JUST INSTALLED. I think you should come to the courthouse and I will show you the unit, explaining how it works. You will then find it bizarre that they "can't find the cause" of this disastrous flood.
Sue Weber, County Controller-451-6367
A couple days later, Weber added:
Erie County is in the insurance pool with the County Commissioners Assn. of PA. It gives the County better rates. As I understand it that limit is $500,000 and then Luigi Pasquale says another carrier's coverage begins. I need to discuss this with him further but I would guess that is similar to stop loss insurance for health care. Hope you can pay a visit so I can show you this device. Incidentally, they did not need this filter. It was put in for the fifth floor grand renovation. The rest of us just drink the unfiltered stuff and it's fine. I have a copy of one of the change orders for the fifth floor renovation. It's $76,000 for solid cherry paneling. Just for fun, I measured the baseboard in Mark D's office and have a stick sitting on my desk with that measurement of his wonderful cherry molding.
The amount of new furniture coming into the courthouse daily as they keep moving offices around is astounding. The total value of all the furniture in my office is probably less than $1,000. I bought my small conference table myself. Our desk chairs are so old it's hilarious. Our carpet is a zillion years old and is ripped and beyond cleaning. We are there to do a job, not look chic.
I could write a book on why the County is broke.
Sue
Monday, May 4, 2009
Rep. Hornaman took $700 Erie Yacht Club membership
State Rep. John Hornaman of Erie County was one of about 60 Pennsylvania lawmakers who accepted a total of $60,000 in travel, meals and other freebies last year, according to mandatory statements of financial interest newly filed with the State Ethics Commission, the Associate Press has reported.
According to the AP story filed today, Rep. Hornaman,a Democrat, collected a membership in the Erie Yacht club worth more than $700. He has attended tourism and fishing events at the club, and had dinner with his wife at its restaurant.
"When they offered it to me, quite frankly" Hornaman told the AP,the cost factor didn't enter into my mind" It didn't even come to me, I thought it was a nice gesture."
According to the AP, About three dozen of the 253 state representatives and senators disclosed gifts or free "transportation, lodging, hospitality" in the reports that were due in Harrisburg on Friday.
They let others pay for their football and baseball tickets; golf fees; travel to Japan, Australia, Turkey and Switzerland; and legislative or political conferences at various locations within the United States. They also accepted donations for senior expos and similar events worth an additional $15,000.
According to the AP story filed today, Rep. Hornaman,a Democrat, collected a membership in the Erie Yacht club worth more than $700. He has attended tourism and fishing events at the club, and had dinner with his wife at its restaurant.
"When they offered it to me, quite frankly" Hornaman told the AP,the cost factor didn't enter into my mind" It didn't even come to me, I thought it was a nice gesture."
According to the AP, About three dozen of the 253 state representatives and senators disclosed gifts or free "transportation, lodging, hospitality" in the reports that were due in Harrisburg on Friday.
They let others pay for their football and baseball tickets; golf fees; travel to Japan, Australia, Turkey and Switzerland; and legislative or political conferences at various locations within the United States. They also accepted donations for senior expos and similar events worth an additional $15,000.
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