The 114th annual Pennsylvania Society get together is being held this weekend in midtown Manhattan. There are many black tie invitation only high priced events for the politically connected who get to rub elbows with a gaggle of possible candidates for Governor in 2014.
If you can't make it to New York there is another event in Harrisburg that sounds like fun.
8th ANNUAL
PEOPLE'S SOCIETY DINNER TO PROVIDE PICTURE PLACE
SETTINGS FOR THOSE
LEGISLATORS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN PRISON
(Harrisburg,
PA) The 8th Annual People's Society Dinner will take place
in the East Wing Rotunda on Friday, December 7th.
Starting at 3 p.m. a table will be set for the eight former
legislators who are currently serving time for their abuses of the
Pennsylvania taxpayer. The individual pictures will be prominently
featured.
Picture
place settings will be set for Senator Jane Orie, Representative
Brett Feese, Senator Robert Mellow, Representative Bill Deweese,
Representative Stephen Stettler, Representative Mike Veon,
Representative John Perzel, and Senator Vince Fumo,
“Instead
of being served at a dinner, each is serving time for their crimes
against the Pennsylvania taxpayer,” said Eric Epstein of Rock the Capital.
The
People's Society Dinner has taken place every year since 2005. It was
started in response to the Pennsylvania Society Dinner which is
taking place this weekend in New York City.
Mr.
Epstein said, “All the Pennsylvania politicians that want to get
contributions from the largest corporations and lobby firms that
control Pennsylvania will be in New York City with their hands out
begging for financial contributions to their campaigns.”
The annual get together of the political class of PA and the money class of the USA happened over the weekend. The highlight was a black tie dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria sponsored by Mellon Bank. They attended this one after going to other events sponsored by Waste Management, Triad Strategies, PNC Financial Services, the Pa Manufacturer's Association (who's past President Jim Panyard wasn't invited), Greenlee Partners and Sunoco. You get the idea. This is bi-partisan gathering of pigs at the trough and there were plenty of fundraisers to go to. See PoliticsPA for the entire schedule. The only objection I have read is that it is not in PA as reported by the Inquirer:
In Philadelphia, City Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday to bring the affair within the state's borders. The vote took place during the same week that Leonard N. Ross, a friend of Mayor Street's, became the 18th person charged in the ongoing City Hall corruption investigation. "Look, I'm not trying to mess up anyone's vacation here," said Councilman Frank DiCicco, who sponsored the resolution and has never gone to the affair. "It's just business."
Maybe I watch too many Godfather movies but I love it when someone says "It's just Business." The whole things stinks to rest of us.
With all the recent talk about ethical lapses in the Capitol corridors and Philadelphia City Hall, the drive for cleaner government has not reached New York. During this three-day-weekend affair, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum will be feted twice; the state auditor general, the state House majority leader, and the Allegheny County executive will throw their own soirees; and legions of other public officials will be courted by special-interest groups.
There was an alternative for the rest of us:
Harrisburg activist Gene Stilp - who helped lead the successful grassroots movement to repeal the pay raise lawmakers gave themselves in July - planned to counter the high-end partying in New York with a bare-bones bash yesterday in the Capitol.
"Please bring a potluck item," Stilp wrote on the invitation. In an interview, he said, "Working-class Pennsylvanians can't even relate to the Pennsylvania Society dinner. We want to start a new tradition for the average person: the Pennsylvania People's Dinner." Stilp, meanwhile, said he'd planned to bring his inflatable ''pay raise pig'' to Manhattan, but thought better of it. "If we want to make changes," he said, "'the place to be is the Capitol.'"
Then these guys wonder why they think they are out of touch:
Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer (R., Blair) defended the weekend: "This is not class warfare - just an opportunity to let your hair down a bit."
One weekend attendee, Ken Davis, chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party, was shopping around his candidate for lieutenant governor, Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews. 'I don't know anyone who's been bought at Pennsylvania Society,' David Said. 'Rented maybe -- but not bought."
"I don't know anyone who's been bought at Pennsylvania Society, Rented maybe -- but not bought." - Montgomery County Republican Ken Davis
Again I haven't been invited to any of the swanky parties this weekend. It must have been an oversight because I was ready to cash in my aluminum cans at Bilecki's Junk Yard to finance the trip.
The big news is that Tweety won't be attending according to Politico: Chris Matthews no longer plans to attend a ritzy Saturday night dinner hosted by the Pennsylvania Society, as Politico reported earlier. Matthews informed the event organizer that he and his wife could no longer attend, according to the organizer's assistant.
There will be plenty of other office seekers making the rounds. The list of potential Governor's includes Tom Corbett, Pat Meehan, Don Cunningham, Tom Wolf, Tom Knox, Dan Onorato, Jack Wagner and Jim Gerlach who will all be pressing the flesh at various soirees. And Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey plan to attend. I've asked some of our local office holders if they plan to take part and will update when they get back to me.
The last few years Gene Stilp has sponsored a pot luck dinner at the capitol in Harrisburg at the same time but I'm not sure if he is doing it this year. There has been grumbling about the fact that this event has been held out of state forever and many people think it should be held in the Commonwealth but as Governor Rendell said "People say if you had it in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh no one would come." That would break my heart.
Reading the tea leaves of PoliticsPA reporting of the Pennsylvania Society meetup in New York this past weekend it looks like about 37 people are floating the the idea of running for Governor of Pennsylvania. Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor said he was thinking of primary challenge to Tom Corbett. He is the only Republican name thrown out there so far other than the usual cranks.
Democrat John Hanger has already declared that he is the race .Bob Casey and Allyson Schwartz are not. Former Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper and PA State Senator Mike Stack said they are looking at the race. PA Treasurer Rob McCord will will be a candidate and possibly Joe Sestak and Patrick Murphy. More to come.
I wasn't invited and that makes me sad. I'm the biggest non supporter of Lou in these parts who actually likes the guy. I'll buy him dinner at Dominick's Cafe.
The rumor is that the Mean Old Man andProfessor Milburn Cleaver, OPA made it to this gathering.
5th Annual Bolshevik Dinner 7:00pm The Russian Vodka Room By invitation only
The best roundup of the PA Society weekend came from my 2nd favorite state legislator (Phyllis is still in the lead) Daylin Leach.
= I’m running for Governor, but not of Pennsylvania. = I’m running for Congress. = I’m running for the Bundestag. = Pat Toomey has asked me to be his Vice-Senator. = Governor Corbett calls me his ‘little minx’”. = I once shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. = My CIA nick-name is “Danger Hunk”.
Not invited again. I know I'm not on any A list but this hurts. I understand why I never get a call from the White House on Veterans Day even after sitting by the phone all day but these people have some explaining to do.
Brunch, lunch, cocktail parties and dinner all sponsored by some special interest. There sure is a lot of food involved, sort of reminds me of pigs at the trough. There are those who question why it's in NYC and not PA. It goes back to the robber baron era when most of our industrialist did business there and wanted to have pow wow to discuss things. Last year the Philadelphia, City Council unanimously passed a resolution to bring the affair within the state's borders. But I'm a traditionalist and say leave it where it is. Another interested blogger will follow the procedings in traditional blogger attire.
If you can't make it to New York the guy with the big pig is having a potluck dinner in Harrisburg. I have a feeling this event will get bigger every year.
This spot brings up the bong/kissing video that has been taken down from YouTube then makes a policy point about cutting education funding. I had the video a few days before the TL decided to publish it and the pictures were sent to me months ago. The video was shopped around by the same person that left comments on a post I did in May
accusing Toohil of having an inappropriate relationship with another
House member that I deleted because I didn't think what she did in her
personal life was anybody's business.
Most people will give her a break over those pictures as we all did things when we were young and irresponsible that we are not proud of. Her response has been somewhat erratic filming a response paid for by taxpayer money that tells kids not to do drugs.
Forget the sexy bong video there are plenty of other questions about Toohil.
Up until 2010 she was a Democrat who wanted to run against Todd Eachus. She got nowhere with that idea and turned to the Republicans and now spouts claptrap about conservative values. 2010 was good Republican year and Eachus was sunk when it came out that he was flying around on Juvie Brother's figure Robert Powell's jet who backed the Hazleton fantasy airport. I was glad to see the back of him.
A look at her campaign finance reports raise some questions.
The usual expenses are listed for office supplies, postage, internet and
phone service, etc. .There are some things that are different.. 20
charges to the campaign totaling over $700 for gasoline, small checks
for lunch and a few meals in DC at The MATCH BOX and BELGA CAFE. What PA
interest is she pushing in Washington?
Update: Those numbers were from the 2012 report. The 2011 filing
lists more lunch tabs, $440 for gas, $57 for dry cleaning and $721 for
formal wear from Wedding Bells on 11/21/11. I guess she wanted to look
good for Pennsylvania Society get together in New York that her campaign
picked up the tab for her hotel room. She looks fabulous in the last
picture on the slideshow of this article.
Then there is the trip to Israel. I've been to Israel and would like to return. The trick is to get some outfit to pay for it.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia ponied up most of the money and Toohil has said the rest came from her own pocket or campaign funds. Betty says The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia personally hand-picked
Toohil to go on the Israeli trip, according to The Times Leader. The
organizaton’s director of government affairs, Robin Schatz, told the
newspaper that she wanted to get to know Toohil better. That’s probably
because Toohil is just the person to lead the charge in Butler Twp. to
stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.
Back to the video
Informed comment on my FB page: Her
disgruntled ex-boyfriend promised to blackmail her as part of his
continued mistreatment of her and women in general. Those pictures mean
absolutely nothing in this election. The person attacking her is a House
member. And women should rise up against the way he wants to treat
women.
Tarah Toohil has broken the heart of someone and he has been
blasting her on various websites including this one. I deleted the
comments. Pa Politics should do the same.
In 2010 Tarah Toohil scored one of the biggest upsets of the year by defeating state house Democratic Majority Leader Todd Eachus. Although I'm a Democrat I was glad to see the back of Eachus.
He lost me when I got a piece of official mail touting the proposed Hazleton Cargo Airport and I didn't even live in his district. He teamed up with convicted criminals Greg Skrepnak and Robert Powell and others wanting to divert the slots money to a fantasy airport. He later backed off his support for the project.Then it came out that he was flying around on Powell's private jet and that was the end of him.
Tarah Toohil was a Democrat that wanted to run against Eachus in the primary but hit a brick wall so she filed as a Republican and won. Another example that challengers don't win races but incumbents lose them.
Her opponent is Ransom Young, a farmer who has been a member of the Butler Township Board of Supervisors for 28 years.
Reading their latest campaign finance reports we learn that Ransom hasn't raised any money so far but that will change. Toohil has about $6400 cash on hand. There are few things on Toohil's report that I found curious. Most of the contributors don't live in the district and she got some help from her friends.
The usual expenses are listed for office supplies, postage, internet and phone service, etc. .There are some things that are different.. 20 charges to the campaign totaling over $700 for gasoline, small checks for lunch and a few meals in DC at The MATCH BOX and BELGA CAFE. What PA interest is she pushing in Washington?
Update: Those numbers were from the 2012 report. The 2011 filing lists more lunch tabs, $440 for gas, $57 for dry cleaning and $721 for formal wear from Wedding Bells on 11/21/11. I guess she wanted to look good for Pennsylvania Society get together in New York that her campaign picked up the tab for her hotel room. She looks fabulous in the last picture on the slideshow of this article.
The chief architect of the "single bullet theory" was the Warren Commission's ambitious junior counsel, Arlen Specter, now U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania......While Specter managed to sell his "single bullet theory" to the Warren Commission, he had trouble selling it to the American public. A recent New York Times/CBS poll found that 77 percent of Americans rejected the Warren Report's conclusions. For a list of Arlen Specter's other deceptions regarding the JFK assassination click here: Fetzer (compiled by researcher, James Fetzer).
Specter cited Scottish law, saying there could be "three possible verdicts: guilty, not guilty, not proved." "Given the option in this trial, I suspect many senators would choose "not proved" instead of "not guilty," Specter said.
And let's not forget that he was convicted murderer Ira Eichhorn's attorney. Remember him, he killed his girlfriend and stuffed her into a box and left the country. The law caught up with him many years later and he was returned to the US and is now in jail. Not to mention the recent building naming incident.
On Monday he was in Pittston and attracted an enormous crowd of about 30 people and addressed the Ailto nomination and his hair cut. He managed to say a few thing that drive some in his own party nuts.
Specter said "there is no easy answer" for ending the U.S. military presence in Iraq, and he said Hurricane Katrina was "a disaster in every way." " It showed how unprepared we are if we have a terrorist attack," the senator said.
When U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, called for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq. That prompted U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, to refer to Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran, as a "coward."
Specter said Schmidt's remark was "out of line." He was expressing his heartfelt views," Specter said of Murtha, "and I think they have to be respected and considered. I don't agree with his call for immediate withdrawal, but ... the reaction I thought was unwarranted." You don't have to agree with people in our society, but you have to give them an opportunity to express themselves and to consider what they have in mind," Specter said.
So after he talks some sense he gets into the TO and Eagles situation. From the Inky:
The senator says the NFL and the Eagles may have violated antitrust laws in punishing the wide receiver. Sen. Arlen Specter, ardent Eagles fan and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, yesterday accused the NFL and its Philadelphia franchise of potentially violating antitrust laws in their treatment of Terrell Owens. Speaking at a news conference in Harrisburg, Specter (R., Pa.) said he was investigating the matter and might refer it to the Senate panel's antitrust subcommittee. Then he came to his senses:
Sen. Arlen Specter backed off a threat to have a Senate subcommittee investigate whether the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles violated antitrust laws in their handling of Terrell Owens. Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday that he talked to lawyers in the Justice Department about the issue. "I think it's more a matter for them than us because we've got ... a lot of matters which take precedence over this for our own time," said Specter, R-Pa.
This guy has been a senator since 1980 and how he even got elected in the first place, let alone continually re-elected, I wonder.
Rick Santorum will always take grief for saying“In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality,”Santorum said. “That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be.”
Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour drive from Boston to Ontario, which the family apparently completed, despite Seamus's rather visceral protest.
The good news for us political junkies is that the primary race will last until Pennsylvania on April 24th. Right now Rick looks to win his home state. The Q pollPennsylvania Republicans overwhelmingly favor presidential hopeful Rick Santorum over Mitt Romney in the state’s April 24 primary, with the former Keystone State senator garnering 36 percent to the former Massachusetts governor’s 22 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware and New York also vote that day.
Maybe we will see a few of the Presidential candidates at Blogfest on March 30 at Rooney's in Pittston.
Posts
