There is some controversy over the safety of Marcellus Shale drilling in southwest Pennsylvania, pristine and poor. Many of these questions have been addressed head on by the Marcellus Drilling industry, particularly, water contamination by hydraulic fracturing, a 60 year old technology, used successfully in Texas.

DEMOCRATS WANT HIGHER TAXES: – not breaking news Democrats have one solution for all of Pennsylvania Government’s Budget Problems: MORE TAXES Democrats are not calling for a moratorium on drilling because they think it unsafe; they are looking at Marcellus Shale as the Golden Goose to get them out of the Fiscal Garbage with which  they have contaminated Pennsylvania’s Fisc.                                                                             

There is a choice we, the people of Pennsylvania, need to make Prosperity in a Pipeline, 10s of 1000s of new jobs, not only energy independence but energy exportation, and billions in tax revenue OR “pristine and poor”, our choice.

The Leftists scream scare tactics. Bradford County, and other counties, prosper.  More Jobs; Less Government.

Republican Commissioner of Bradford County Doug McLinko, who lives with Marcellus Shale reports on the positive impact in his county where he and his family and his friends live, and the negative impact of yet another tax, the Severance Tax:

“The national economy is in a slump, unemployment remains stubbornly high, and economic growth is being hampered by misguided policies. Meanwhile, Bradford County, Pennsylvania led the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in net job growth from March of 2009 through March of 2010 with 2500 new jobs or a 7.2% employment increase. The robust increase in jobs is a direct result of Marcellus Shale drilling and its ancillary economic benefits.

Bradford County Commissioner McLinko  Marcellus Shale-No New Taxes

Immeasurable are the economic benefits from the countless subcontractors and their employees. Main Street store fronts are occupied throughout Bradford County while hotels are being planned and constructed, restaurants are booming, and many mom and pop businesses are not only being saved they are seeing opportunity and prosperity as never witnessed before.

 Marcellus drilling activity has allowed out of work men and women to earn a paycheck and feed their families. While others in the country are idled by unemployment, workers in Bradford County are learning and developing job skills. Trained workers ensure the area is attractive to prospective employers, which will lead to increased job creation and a diversified workforce.

The family farm is the soul of Bradford County. Over the years, farms have been sold due to low milk prices, high energy costs, and misguided agriculture policy. Government has implemented costly farm preservation programs with limited success. Marcellus Shale development has preserved more farmland than any government program at zero taxpayer expense. Bradford County farmers continue to feed America while meeting its energy demands.

The prosperity in Bradford County, however, is now threatened by spendthrift legislators and Governor Rendell. Due to years of budgetary mismanagement and fiscal recklessness, Pennsylvania’s bloated government is seeking more of your money. Rather than cutting expenses, Harrisburg is eying the growth in not just Bradford County but all of the Marcellus counties and determined to grab our wealth under the guise of a severance tax.

Proposals for a severance tax on our natural resources will inflict another onerous tax burden on property owners and private enterprise. This capital and job destroying tax will also mandate revenue generated from gas wells in Pennsylvania be directed to the state general fund.  These funds would be diverted to bus and train systems in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, welfare programs, and failing school systems. Every dollar a severance tax stripped from Bradford County would be directed to Harrisburg’s general fund and there is no guarantee it would be allocated locally.

The gas industry isn’t asking for grants or tax breaks from a state government notorious for its tax and regulatory pitfalls. Rather, the amount of taxes generated from this industry is astounding. Billions of dollars in lease and royalty payments are subject to the state’s personal income tax. Marcellus Shale development is generating millions of dollars from sales, liquid fuels, hotel, and property taxes.

Absent the severance tax, companies developing the Marcellus Shale have invested tens of millions of dollars in local infrastructure, donated generously to local charities, and most importantly, have provided thousands of Bradford County families with substantial paychecks. Local governments are working assiduously with industry to mitigate infrastructure and environmental concerns. Any concerns raised about Marcellus Shale development are being resolved locally. A severance tax would only impede the economic growth while stymieing cooperation between industry and government. Frankly, local officials and community leaders will address Bradford County’s needs without Harrisburg grabbing its resources and wealth”

The Incestuous, Self-Serving Incumbency in MontCo

 Joe Hoeffel Jim Matthews Barry Miller CBIZ PepperHamilton Cozen O’Conner Bond Counsel

Three good reasons to vote for common sense fiscal conservative Lower Merion Township Commissioner Jenny Brown in 2011, a knowledgeable, experienced advocate for The Forgotten Taxpayer to replace Matthews as County Commissioner:  CBIZ, PepperHamilton & Cozen O’Connor.

Keith Phucas of the Norristown Times Herald journals the circumstances around the renewal of CBIZ insurance contract. MontCo ordinance 98-1 requires competitive bidding and Requests for Proposals (RFP) on professional services. Hoeffel-Matthews were severely criticized—with County Solicitor Barry Miller and Jim Matthews campaign treasurer—for awarding, without competitive bidding, bond counsel legal fees of about $120,000, to PepperHamilton and Cozen O’Connor ¹.  Therefore, this time, they cooked up the idea of having an independent crony of Jim Matthews to “kosher” the contract to CBIZ…slipping the DiBona consulting contract, itself,  past dissenting commissioner Bruce Castor.  

Normally, I don’t reprint an entire news article but only draw the reader’s attention to a few salient points to motivate him or her to read the entire article. Keith Phucas has, however, written an exceptionally detail article, referencing, as few news articles do, recent, related actions that give a context to a specific action described in a contemporaneous news article.

MontCo’s population is about 750,000, more than Alaska’s and geographically bigger than Delaware, with an annual budget of half-billion dollars. A county commissioner needs to have a strong and independent character, a combination of experienced sophistication and fiscal common sense.

And Where is Democrat County Controller’s intervention in all of this?

Keith Phucas of the Times Herald writes, July 22, 2010: (emphasis in bold is mine)

 “A health insurance consultant that has had a virtual monopoly on professional services it provides Montgomery County for more than a decade got the nod Wednesday from two commissioners for a two-year contract beginning next year.

Chairman James R. Matthews and Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel against Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr., who opposed the contract and questioned the evaluation process that he believes gave CBIZ an unfair advantage.

CBIZ performs a variety of health-related insurance consulting and administrative services for the county. The firm became the subject of controversy this year when Castor revealed the county had been violating a 1998 ordinance mandating solicitations be sent out for professional services, which included work CBIZ had been doing since the late 1990s.

As well, the commissioner was suspicious of CBIZ officials’ contributions to Matthews’ and Hoeffel’s campaigns.

Recently, an RFP went out for a health insurance consultant, and five companies, including CBIZ, responded.

Explaining the evaluation process at Wednesday’s commissioners meeting, by G. Fred DiBona III, of DiBona Associates, admitted when questioned by Castor that he knew the firms by name that he helped county officials rank. As well, DiBona said Matthews recently hired him to assist human resources and commissioner staffers in the evaluations.

He is a former employee of one of the vendors that submitted a proposal.

Castor echoed his past criticism about being kept out of the loop about professional services contractor selections.

“One of the things I thought we agreed on (in the new ordinance) was the three commissioners would get to vote on these contracts,” he said, referring to DiBona’s consultant work. “I didn’t know we were bringing you on.”

Matthews explained DiBona Associates met an exception in Ordinance 10-3 because he would not be paid more than $7,500 for his services.

DiBona also conceded the process that picked CBIZ was a “subjective determination,” and that evaluating consultant companies was not something he ordinarily does.

“It’s not a regular part of my business,” he said.

The selection process was tipped in favor of CBIZ given that “The guy who is paying (DiBona) is CBIZ’s guy,” Castor said, referring to Matthews.

Hoeffel suggested possible bias was reflected in CBIZ’s high score for “Confidence of County HR/Finance Team with Vendor Capabilities,” perhaps because the company is the only health insurance consultant most of the staff had ever dealt with.

“The county staff likes CBIZ, and I think it helped (the firm),” Hoeffel said later.

And CBIZ will save the county money over the two-year $576,000 contract, by cutting the per-employee monthly rate by $2. Castor deemed it ironic that only now the consultant was revealing dollar figures for its services, something it has refused to do since December. He concluded current pricing makes the county contract worth more than $700,000 to the consultant for the same time period.

“Now you know why CBIZ didn’t want to tell us (how much it was paid),” Castor said following the meeting. “Because it looks like they’re getting a commission of $360,000 each year after contributing to the campaigns of Matthews and Hoeffel.”

The Times Herald previously reported that since 2006, CBIZ officials have contributed a total of $24,463 to Matthew’s political campaign coffers, according to campaign finance reports.

During the 2007 commissioners race, company executives gave the Damsker-Hoeffel campaign $12,500.

On Feb. 12, 2008, CBIZ senior executive F. Bruce Walter gave Matthews, by then the commissioners chairman, a $1,000 campaign donation. Three months later, Walter gave $200 to Hoeffel’s campaign, according to 2008 campaign records.

Currently, about 3,000 employees are covered under the county’s self-insured plan. DiBona explained that under next year’s contract, a $75 monthly per-person fee would be paid to Independence Blue Cross (IBC), the plan’s administrator, and IBC in turn pays CBIZ a $10 commission.

Although Hoeffel and Castor mentioned separately that a competing contractor complained about not being able to submit a price quote, Thomas Snyder, who heads Purchasing, denied that was the case.

This year, Castor and The Times Herald filed open records requests seeking CBIZ’s 2009 RFP seeking health care providers for the county, but neither the firm nor the county has provided the information. As well, previous documents authorizing the company to act on the county’s behalf as broker have never surfaced.

 ¹ Bond vote raises legal questions (Times Herald February 5, 2010)

At the Feb. 4 commissioners meeting, officials approved the bond issue with two law firms handling the work: Cozen O’Connor and Pepper Hamilton. Matthews and Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel voted in favor of the bonds; Castor voted against.  TimesHerald March 9, 2010 According to a county official, Pepper Hamilton would be paid between $75,000 and $85,000 for its services as bond counsel; Cozen O’Connor $49,000 as underwriter counsel.

Montgomery County faces a $22.5 million revenue shortfall for 2011 budget. Last year, the County Commissioners “robbed” the Capital Budget to fund the Operating Budget. The idea of a Pension Obligation Bond to fund Pensions is a bad idea. It kicks the can down the road and adds huge financing costs to the already burdened Tax Producers in the private productive sector.

Of course, the Democrats have one solution to all revenue shortfalls. Tax More or sometimes Borrow More and THEN Tax More. We expect better from Republicans. Disappointingly, we don’t always get it. The Republican Party has damaged its reputation by its expediency.

 Government grabbing productive citizens’ money by force is not what Americans hope for.

County Commissioner elections, along with an election for County Controller and Treasurer, come up in November of 2011 and the next Commissioners will have to have experience in dealing with revenue shortfalls and in resisting pressures to spend more, borrow more and tax more.

What else is to be done when revenues decline but to reduce expenditures? Borrowing kicks the can down the road and adds borrowing costs to The Forgotten Taxpayer and the productive, tax producing, job creating Small Business person.

When Expenditures exceed Revenues, there are consequences. Most of us in the productive private sector of workers, savers and investors have seen a decline income and have, accordingly, reduced expenditures. It is time for the government to share the burden. Government employees, particularly, government monopoly union employees and unionized school teachers, have demonstrated an intransigent unwillingness to reduce their compensation packages, including the bankrupting defined benefit pensions.

Lehigh Valley Republican Committee Chair Wayne Woodman is leading by example.

Former LVRC Party Chairman Dean Browning (Current Board of Commissioners Chairman) is the only Republican considering voting for the pay raise. We know the Democrats have one answer for all Fiscal Problems. Tax More or, sometimes, kick the can down the road, and Borrow More. We expect more creativity and innovation from real Republicans as Chairman Woodman’s proposal exemplifies.

LVRC Chair Wayne Woodman offers a fiscally sensible, politically feasible, very specific and realistic alternative to increasing expenses resulting from increased salaries “Pay Go” that is reduce other expenditures to compensate for salary increases. Row officer salary proposal gives Lehigh commissioners a chance to show leadership.

The Productive Voter who works, saves and invests may want his/her elected Commissioners to go further than what LVRC Chair Wayne Woodman proposes. Many Tax Producers feel like they are being squeezed by a clueless and uncaring government.

The Forgotten Taxpayer/Small Businessperson may think that  giving government elected officials and government employees a salary raise  while productive private sector tax producing people are out of work seems ill advised. A “pay go” set off keeping spending neutral is politically feasible but is it real leadership? When Elected get an increase in compensation, is it not to be expected that other government employees will expect the same? The Forgotten Taxpayer and Small Business Person might ask “What have these people done to earn an increase. What new value have they added? What additional benefit have they provided the Voter?”

Elections are won with winning ideas and policies and it is very useful for County  Chairs party to articulate positions on key issues confronting the County that attract and resonate with the rank and file party member. A Party Chair also sends a message to the elected representative that his or her base will be reluctant to support him/her if the elected does not represent the values and interests of rank and file party member and voter.

Commissioner Dean Browning’s  vote would  certainly undermines the Republican Party’s reputation  as the party of fiscal common sense and friend of The Forgotten Taxpayer who has to pay for these raises while struggling with less and less himself/herself.  Small Business people and those working for small businesses would like a raise, too, but have to convince their customers that they deserve more money. Government coerces The Forgotten Taxpayer to pay.

 

SENATE 50: Roberta Biros vs. Entrenched Establishment Insider Career Hack Bob Robbins (what are HIS pension and medical benefits worth? As good as yours? )

ROBERTA BIROS     Most Definitely NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL and, truly, an independent.

Roberta Biros  50^th Senatorial District Mercer County challenging RepublicanDemocrat Sen. Bob Robbins, the entrenched Mercer County Establishment career politician.

I have met Roberta Biros on several occasions and have had one lengthy interview. In my opinion, Roberta Biros is “no squish” leader and will do what she says she will do and keep her promises. Roberta Biros is independent of leadership of both parties and committed to the Constitution, Individual Freedom, Transparent and Accountable Government. Replacing career hack with a principled grassroots Constitutional Conservative can, like Archimedes Lever, will be real change.

She will join Sen. Mike Folmer and Sen. John Eichelberger.

Independent Roberta Biros’ ideas and opinions can be found at Mercer County Conservatives. This is a fascinating race. Roberta Biros is from Mercer County as is SpecterRepublican Bob Robbins, where Republicans effectively control the Democratic Party.  Roberta Biros is well known for her independence arising from her commitment to Constitutional Conservative principles over party. Big Government Sen. Bob Robbins voted “yes” for Governor Rendell’s latest unbalanced, unconstitutional, faux budget.

Because this area comprises three media markets, this will be a grassroots contest and Roberta Biros is well positioned to be the first Independent elected to State Senate in a most unusual election cycle. As Mike Folmer and John Eichelberger demonstrated, “impossible” is a word.