Letter: DEP Leader's Resignation Validates Concerns About Department

'The legacy of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under his leadership will be one of controversy, political games and personal attacks, which have absolutely no place in such a critically important state agency,' one local legislator

Editor's Note: Gov. Tom Corbett on Friday announced that Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Sec. Michael Krancer will step down from his position. Canon-McMillan Patch received this letter to the editor from state Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil. To read the press release the DEP issued about Krancer's departure from the department, click here. Dear Editor, As a Civil War re-enactor, Michael Krancer should know a true general puts the people first, and his failure to do so has forced him to retreat from the battlefield in disgrace. The legacy of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under his leadership will be one of controversy, political games and personal attacks, which have absolutely no place in such a critically …

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Amanda Gillooly

10:09 pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013

Mr. Carlson, The only comment I deleted from this thread was one by Mr. Shepstone. If I may be of further assistance, please feel free to call me. My cell phone number is 724-510-5659.   more ›

On Point with Sen. Tim Solobay

Important Appropriations Hearings Begin

These appropriations hearings are an important way to talk face to face with top officials and pass on concerns from constituents.

My recent appointment to the Senate Appropriations Committee will have me in Harrisburg for the next three weeks reviewing the details of the governor’s budget proposal and what it means to various parts of Pennsylvania government. The secretaries of the various departments will appear before the committee to explain their needs and respond to questions about performance, priorities and, of course, spending. These appropriations hearings are an important way to talk face to face with top officials and pass on concerns from constituents. We recently heard from the governor’s office staff, his budget director and other executives as well as the Public Utility Commission, and the Independent Fiscal Office. On Wednesday, the state Treasurer, …

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Silence is Golden When You Can’t Think of a Good Answer

'Just because Krancer and Gov. Tom Corbett don’t like the questions I’m asking on behalf of my constituents, is it justification to ignore an elected representative and more importantly, the people whose lives are being impacted?'

This week, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Policy Committee hosted a hearing in Washington County to examine the Department of Environmental Protection’s accountability standards regarding environmental testing following natural gas drilling. Noticeably absent from the hearing was anyone from the DEP itself, which is unfortunate on multiple levels. I sent a letter to DEP Secretary Michael Krancer asking for someone from his agency to come and testify to help the public better understand how DEP conducts air and water testing near drilling areas. A DEP spokeswoman issued a statement saying the agency would not engage in ‘political theater,’ even though Krancer had testified before the same committee multiple times in …

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Donald Roessler

8:27 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Since Energy In Depth keeps getting a bad rap from Mr. White on this issue, I'd like to share this article that was released today that I wrote about how the vo-tech school can offer entry level job training in the gas industry here. This is to show that they are not as bad as he wants you to think. http://eidmarcellus.org/marcellus-shale/natural-gas-job-training-is-happening-all-over-pa/18388/   more ›

Attorney General Rejects Corbett's Lottery Privatization Plan

State Sen. Tim Solobay and others lauded the decision Thursday.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has rejected the Corbett Administration’s plan to privatize the management of the Pennsylvania Lottery to a U.K.-based company Camelot Global Services—and Senate Democrats lauded the plan. "All along we have been opposed to all of this privatization. That's no surprise, Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, said. He noted that lottery has always turned a profit, and wondered why—instead of allowing another country to manage it "I always thought, 'Why can't we turn around and get a consultant? Why can't our own people do it?" And that wasn't all that concerned him about the plan. "I was concerned about folks' jobs. Here's a guy (Gov. Tom Corbett) who's trying to create jobs yet is trying to privatize …

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James Barth

9:34 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013

Perhaps Governor Corbett considers himself to be outside, or, above, the law. He has shown a genial facade of contempt towards citizens rights, and health, in relation to shale gas extraction regulation, and, enforcement, the Sandusky molestation case, and perhaps the Commonwealth run lottery. He is a fish out of water, when it comes to logic, and, common sense. Is he related to Santorum?   more ›

Representin'

Five Reasons Why We Heard Crickets During Gov. Corbett’s Budget Speech

'The lack of enthusiasm was bipartisan in that both Democrats and Republicans were clearly reluctant to embrace Corbett’s agenda, and when you break down the numbers of his plan, it isn’t difficult to see why,' state Rep. Jesse White writes.

Last week, Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled his proposed 2013-14 state budget in a speech to a joint session of the state House and Senate in Harrisburg. This was my seventh budget speech, and the response was by far the most unenthusiastic I’ve ever seen—there were times you could hear a pin drop in the House chamber as the governor delivered his speech. The lack of enthusiasm was bipartisan in that both Democrats and Republicans were clearly reluctant to embrace Corbett’s agenda, and when you break down the numbers of his plan, it isn’t difficult to see why. Here are five of the many reasons the budget proposal is a bad plan for Pennsylvania. Lottery Privatization Is a Disaster There is just nothing to like about Governor Corbett’s plan to …

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On Point with Sen. Tim Solobay

New Bill Will Fix Small Games Law

'We can’t put any more burden on already over-extended volunteers and we have to recognize the importance of local volunteer organizations to both the fabric and the economy of our communities," Sen. Tim Solobay says in his most recent edition of On Point

The small games of chance law that went into effect last year made it impossible for some small organizations to comply with its cumbersome reporting requirements, a complication that threatened the existence of some important community assets. We can’t put any more burden on already over-extended volunteers and we have to recognize the importance of local volunteer organizations to both the fabric and the economy of our communities. Last week, I introduced a bill that will make needed changes to the law. Earlier this year, the Corbett administration agreed—after some colleagues and I wrote a letter—to suspend the reporting requirements of Act 2 of 2012.  We had heard from community leaders across Pennsylvania who warned that the bill’s …

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How Much Money Would Canon-McMillan School District Get Under Gov. Corbett's Budget?

The Pennsylvania Department of Education lists proposed funds by school district on its website and Patch checked out info for Canon-Mac.

Gov. Tom Corbett's budget is out and, of course, everyone wants to know how much their cut of the budget pie will be—especially school districts. Patch found that Canon-McMillan School District is slated to receive a 3.4 percent  increase from $16.6 million for the 2012-13 school year to $17.1 million for 2013-14 if the governor's proposed budget passes, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's website. Funding is broken down into six categories on the website. The Pennsylvania Department of Education numbers are in the screenshot above. Here's a little more analysis: Increases Basic Education Funding—from $10,567,201 to $10,779,124, up 2 percent School Employees' Social Security—$1,038,468 to $1.067,096, up 2.7 percent …

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Ten Pre-Budget Random PA Policy Points

Here are 10 things state Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil, wants you to know.

Often times when debating or discussing politics and policy, facts are tossed aside in favor of more emotional arguments. Even worse, when one side of a legitimate but spirited debate falters, it has somehow become acceptable to either refuse to accept the facts as accurate or point out some comparable flaw in an effort to make two wrongs make a right. I am writing this column from the floor of the House of Representatives as Governor Corbett presents his proposed 2013-14 state budget. While it will take a few days to break down the phone book-sized document to figure out the impact of his proposals, I thought it would be a good time to look at a few policy points about important areas we may be discussing as part of this year’s budget …

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Amanda Gillooly

3:58 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013

I put up a note to explain. I have to be out and about, and because of the polarizing nature of the issue, I want to be able to appropriately moderate the conversation. That said, I will gladly reopen comments tomorrow morning when I am back in front of the laptop for an extended period of time. In the meantime, if anyone wants to write a letter to the editor I can be reached at amanda.gillooly@…   more ›