Keystone Politics - Erie and the Northwest

Testimony ends in treasurer's trial

RobHop — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:26:46 -0500

Every cent Eula K. Blair took from Bloomfield Township (Crawford County) by writing township checks to herself was money owed to her, the 25-year-old former secretary/treasurer of the township said Thursday.

But Blair did not explain what most of the money was for when she took the witness stand in her defense during the third day of her trial on theft charges. read more »

In Erie, Mortgage Fraud is on the Rise

Greg Palmer — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:09:34 -0500

Dave Pesch and the FBI have a mutual concern.

Pesch, the housing counseling manager at St. Martin Center Inc., fears that the nation’s ongoing subprime mortgage crisis will continue to fuel mortgage-fraud cases in Erie. A federal mortgage-fraud investigation and spiking mortgage foreclosures have hit the city hard.

FBI officials worry about the same thing happening nationwide, based on statistics that show the agency’s mortgage-fraud cases have nearly tripled since 2003. read more »

State keeps Erie pension funds

CindySnyder — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:09:48 -0500

The city of Erie faces a new financial challenge.

The state Auditor General’s Office is withholding about $3.2 million in state aid for the city’s pension funds for 2007 because of a dispute over the city’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan, or D.R.O.P.

The city uses the state aid to help make its required annual minimum contributions to its pension funds.

The city must make a payment of $5.6 million to its police, firefighter and blue- and white-collar pension funds by Dec. 31. The $3.2 million in state aid would be used along with city revenue to make the payment.

Mayor Joe Sinnott said the city has a plan to make the contribution if the state aid does not arrive by Dec. 31. read more »

Reservist to run for PA House

CindySnyder — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:52:20 -0500

Joe Pfadt serves as a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, as a social studies teacher and as a volunteer member of the Presque Isle Advisory Committee.

Now, the Millcreek Township resident wants to serve as a member of the state House of Representatives.

Pfadt, 46, will announce today his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 3rd District House seat at the Zem Zem Shrine Club, 2525 W. 38th St.

The House seat is now occupied by freshman state lawmaker John Hornaman, 60, also of Millcreek, who defeated incumbent House member Matthew Good in 2006.

Hornaman is running for re-election in 2008 but has not set a date for his announcement. read more »

Council won't 'kill the arts'; no tax hike

CindySnyder — Thu, 6 Dec 2007 11:09:06 -0500

The city of Erie’s amusement tax apparently will live on — but still at the 3 percent level.

Erie City Council on Wednesday gave unanimous initial approval to the elimination of a sunset provision for the tax, making it permanent. The tax, enacted in the spring of 2006, currently is set to expire in January.

But council also rejected a proposal by councilman Jim Thompson to increase it from 3 percent to 5 percent.

In supporting the increase, Thompson said the tax has not affected the arts community, despite predictions of gloom and doom.

“I haven’t seen a single show that didn’t come to Erie because of the tax,” he said.
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Anonymous Donor Divies Out $100 Million to Erie Charities

genuinejake — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:46:18 -0500

It’s times like these that make me appreciative of sharing good news. Hopefully this can make a difference in our Commonwealth’s 4th largest city.

Mike Batchelor invited the heads of 46 charities into his downtown office for one-on-one meetings to personally deliver the news.

Nearby, on a small table, sat a box of tissues. And then he proceeded: A donor had given a staggering $100 million to the Erie Community Foundation, and the charities would get to share the windfall.

That’s when the tears came — and the mystery began — in this old industrial city of 102,000 on Lake Erie. The donor would be identified only as ‘‘Anonymous Friend.’‘ read more »

Erie Ponders Spending Gaming Cash on Airport Expansion

genuinejake — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 11:58:20 -0500

Gaming money often seems like it falls out of the sky, doesn’t it?

Erie County seems poised to provide $25.7 million for a local share toward construction of an $80 million runway extension at Erie International Airport. That’s great. Important details are being worked out with the city of Erie about control and makeup of the Erie Municipal Airport Authority.

The county also must decide the best way to come up with millions needed for a proposed community college, which would require at least $600,000 in start-up money. read more »

Grand jury probes judge's missing money

CindySnyder — Tue, 9 Oct 2007 09:49:02 -0400

A statewide a grand jury is investigating the disappearance of $7,478 from the office of an Erie district judge nearly a year ago.

At least one employee of Erie 4th Ward District Judge Tom Robie’s office has testified before the grand jury — a signal that the state Attorney’s General Office is still investigating the case. Robie would not comment on whether he has gone before the grand jury, based in Pittsburgh. read more »

Erie budget has a tax hike

CindySnyder — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 12:19:48 -0400

There is money for libraries, a public-safety dispatch center and salary increases. A property-tax hike, retiree benefits and a new prison pre-release center are also factored in.

But a big pot of money many groups are eyeing is conspicuously absent from Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio’s proposed $79.56 million county budget for 2008 — the $11 million in annual revenue from Presque Isle Downs & Casino. DiVecchio said that’s by design. read more »

Joyce May Face Suspension Following Indictment

blackrobe — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:32:45 -0400

It looks like Bob Daniels might be on the Superior Court bench for longer than expected.
Weeeeee … the courts haven’t been this fun since the days of Rolf Larsen and Bob Nix.
Merit selection anybody?

Superior Court Judge Michael T. Joyce could be suspended until federal mail fraud and money laundering charges filed against him Wednesday are resolved, state government and judicial experts say.

But the effect on Joyce’s retention bid of allegations he filed fraudulent claims with two insurance carriers after a 2001 car crash is harder to predict, they added. read more »