If your neighbor is building a time machine out of a DeLorean, you may want to call the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and West Virginia state officials.

Your neighbor could be building the mobile "Back to the Future" time machine using a missing portable gauge containing radioactive material.

On Tuesday, DEP started asking the public’s help in locating the gauge, used in highway construction projects to take measurements, that was lost in West Virginia on May 3. The gauge is about the size of a shoe box, with electronic controls and a metal rod extending from the top surface apparently fell out of the back of a privately owned truck.

The gauge, a Troxler Model 3430 with serial number 32506, was lost on I-81 between the Pennsylvania and West Virginia border between mile markers 17 and 24, according to DEP.

The company that lost it is Valley Quarries Inc. of Chambersburg, Franklin County. It is licensed by DEP to possess and use the gauge, which company staff were doing in West Virginia.

The long-running success of the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently is not enough to keep people in parts of western Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County lost 4.3 percent of its population between the 2000 Census and 2010 Census. As a result, it will lose one state House district seat from Pittsburgh and a state Senate seat that covered Pittsburgh’s neighboring communities in Allegheny and Butler counties, according to legislative map the state Supreme Court approved on Wednesday.

Those two seats are moving east to the Lehigh Valley and Poconos and will be in play for the 2014 election.

House district 22 moves to Allentown, which has seen its Hispanic population nearly double to 48,875 or 41 percent of the city’s total population of 118,032.

Senate Seat 40 moves to central and northern Northampton County and eastern Monroe county to cover an influx of residents who moved to those communities from New Jersey and New York.

The Pittsburgh House Seat is now held by Democrat Erin Molchany. In 2014, her old district will be absorbed into a bunch of different seats held by other incumbents. That means she would have to face one in the 2014 election if she wants to hold onto her job.

If she decides not to, that may not create a big shift in the House where there are 111 Republicans, 90 Democrats and two vacancies. That’s because the Allentown version of District 22 is expected to go to a Democrat.

The 40^th seat swap could make for more interesting politics, however, for the Senate, which has 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats.

The 40^th Senate seat is now held by Sen. Randy Vulakovich, R-Allegheny, who won a special election to fill the unexpired term of Republican Sen. Jane Orie. she was sentenced to 21/2 to 10 years in state prison in connection with her March 26 conviction on 14 counts of public corruption.

The shift of the 40th will move Vulakovich into Allegheny County’s 38th District, held by Democrat Sen. Jim Ferlo. Vulakovich said he will run for the seat against Ferlo.

The new eastern 40^th seat is wide open, however, and Democrats make up 45 percent and Republicans 37 percent of the 174,045 voters in those communities.

So there could be some balance of power shift in the Senate when the 2014 election is over.

Gov. Tom Corbett’s personal mosquito has decided to stop biting.

But for how long?

For months Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor has threatened to run against Corbett  in the May 2014 primary.

Castor has tweeted, blogged, emailed, Facebooked criticisms of Corbett. He's mocked Corbett’s budget proposal. He’s lashed out at Corbett for meeting with federal officials to iron out Medicaid expansion questions. He’s mocked Corbett’s low poll numbers. He’s twisted facts about Corbett’s education policy. He’s urged Corbett to meet with a senator over liquor privatization. He’s tweaked Corbett for a comment about companies not being able to find qualified workers because they fail drug tests.

But now, Castor apparently has decided he’s taken enough blood from his GOP brethren.

He announced via Twitter that he will not challenge Corbett in the May 2014 primary, saying:

After a great deal of consideration, I have decided not to run for Governor in 2014. I want to thank all those who encouraged and advised me over the last six months. Simply put, my duties as Montgomery County Commissioner, a lawyer with Elliott Greenleaf, and the responsibilities to my family, make a massive undertaking such as running governor impossible for me this election cycle. I appreciate all of you who followed me here and on Twitter. Thank you. Bruce

Castor’s attacks against are reminiscent of how he attacked Corbett and Asher in 2003 after Castor lost the GOP nod to Corbett for attorney general. Castor ended up running against Corbett in the 2004 primary election where he lost by 5 percentage points.

No word if Castor will end his criticism, however. If he keeps it up his covert war with Corbett and Asher, Corbett might have to fight a war on two fronts: one against a member of his own party and one against Democrats lining up to face him.

Gov. Tom Corbett may have had the worst week of his rocky tenure as governor. First he equated drug use with companies' inability to find qualified skilled workers in this bad economy. Then the state Revenue Department issued April tax collection results that are $67 million above estimate but still far below projected estimates for the year.

Now, on Friday, comes this Esquire piece.

There's always the South America trip memories, governor.

Is this baseball weather or what. To celebrate and make me laugh my %&$ off, my coworker Matt Assad, a Pittsburgh native, sent me this brilliant homage to the greater no-hitter in Pirates history.

I'm sharing it with you. If you saw it already, watch it again. If not, laugh your way to to 4 o'clock.

Enjoy!

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/22183121/the-bobblehead-project-dock-ellis-throws-a-no-hitter-on-lsd

Gov. Tom Corbett is catching a ton of flak across the state and nation for saying employers are having trouble finding qualified workers because so many fail drug tests.

But is Corbett wrong?

Democrats think he is – but may be taking his comments out of context – as they seek to pile on a governor with some of the worst approval ratings in the country.

"Governor Corbett's response to his own failed leadership on the economy shifts between making excuses and blaming and insulting the people of Pennsylvania,” Reesa Kossoff, communications director for Allyson Schwartz, a Democrat running for governor. “Either way, Pennsylvanians know it's obviously time for a new governor."

David Taylor, executive director of the Pennsylvania Manufactures Association, says Corbett spoke gospel truth.  

“This is the stupidest god-damn thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Taylor said. “And the governor is 100 percent correct.”

Here’s what he said while doing a question and answer session on a radio and Internet show on Pamatters.com.

The discussion was centered around jobs. Corbett was speaking about the need to get welders trained for natural gas fields popping up in parts of the state. He then said community colleges and Mansfield university are starting to step up to offer certifications to help with this void.

Then he waxed poetic – or cryptic.

“There are many employers that say we are looking for people but we can’t find anybody that has passed the drug test and that is a concern for me and we have a serious problem with that,” Corbett said.

Soon afterward, Corbett’s critics and Democrats running against him lit up like Cheech and Chong.

Aside from Kossoff, Democratic State Treasurer Rob McCord, an unannounced but possible candidate for governor, chimed in:  

"This is the typical blame game from someone who doesn't understand the economy and doesn't understand how to create jobs. Drug use is not the cause of the state's lagging employment rate."

But Corbett did not claim drug use was a cause of unemployment, according to the online clip.

His spokeswoman, Christine Conkright, said he was speaking anecdotally about an drug-test issue he has heard repeatedly about this issue form business leaders and industry representatives.

The rate of drug-test failures in the manufacturing sector is a real problem that deserves more public attention, Taylor said.

Executives and plant managers at manufacturing facilities have trouble finding skilled workers to run heavy or complicated equipment for a variety of reasons. One of them is drug use, he said because he is repeatedly told job applicants when they are told they must pass a drug test to be hired for safety and insurance reasons.

One of the reasons Corbett is getting slammed, Taylor said, is because he did not offer any statistics to back up his claim. But Taylor said, he is not sure there are any statistics because human resource officers do not run after applicants who get up and leave when they are told they have to pass a drug test.

“Our guys have to have a workforce that is drug free,” he said.

So does Walmart, which asks applicants when was the last time they took drugs or failed a drug test.

So was Corbett wrong or right?

Either way, this drug-jobs sound bite is out there -- and expect his opponents to rehash it over and over again.

When got to Harrisburg in February, lawmakers acted really hot about reforming the 1997 state charter school law to beef up financial and academic accountability.

Several bills were introduced and hearings were held.

Then nothing.

All talk ended when the House debated and then approved liquor privatization and other stuff, and the Senate tackled transportation and other stuff.

But as this Morning Call story shows problems with the charter school law persist.

Her'es Cliff's notes version:

The story details a scathing state Ethics Commission investigative report of Pocono Mountain Charter School and its former leader, Rev. Dennis Bloom. The report, which Commonwealth Court made public Wednesday, shows Bloom funneled $1.5 million in taxpayer funds to himself, his family, his church and his side businesses.

For anyone who has written about or followed this story, these problems have been documented since 2007 by the Pocono Mountain School Board, then the state auditor general’s office, then the IRS and U.S. Department of Education and finally by the state Ethics Commission.

Every government entity – but one -- that has investigated this charter school has found financial and managerial problems and direct ties to Bloom’s church, Shawnee Tabernacle, which caused the agencies to allege the relationship violated laws governing separation of church and state. That one entity that found nothing wrong at Bloom’s charter school was the state Charter Appeal Board, which includes Education Secretary Ron Tomalis and six political appointees.

In taking the lead in the appeal board’s 5-2 decision to overturn the school board’s revocation, Tomalis said: "Finally, the evidence does not clearly establish that the charter school funds were improperly used and certainly not that fiscal controls were ignored."

Huh? That’s what Pocono Mountain School District officials have been saying since that ruling.

To Tomalis’ credit, however, he and the appointed, hand-picked members of the Charter Appeal Board did rescind that September 2011 vote five months later when the state auditor general’s office issued a report that substantiated the school district’s findings. But in rescinding that vote, the board appointed a hearing officer – at taxpayer expense -- to take more testimony from the district and charter school.

The hearing officer, hired in February 2012, has no time frame to come up with a decision under the state law. The hearing officer has yet to rule.

In the meantime, the other state and federal agencies that investigated the charter school did release reports or charges – all of which substantiated the school district’s initial findings the charter appeal board dismissed.

In the meantime, taxpayers have been subsidizing Shawnee Tabernacle through a mix of lease agreements Bloom set up between the church and charter school.

In trying to get the Ethics Commission report quashed, Bloom’s lawyer argued to Commonwealth Court: “Any attempt by the [State Ethics Commission] to negate and invalidate the leases between the Shawnee Tabernacle Church and the Pocono Mountain Charter School will cause irreparable and economic harm to Shawnee Tabernacle as it is the obligator of the financing and debt service payments.”

So much for separation of church and state in Pennsylvania.

Yo!

It’s no secret Attorney General Kathleen Kane has turned heads in Harrisburg since taking office in January.

She closed a gun purchase loophole that allowed state residents, barred from getting handguns here, to apply for a permit in less-strict Sunshine state. Then she tossed Gov. Tom Corbett’s plan to privatize Lottery’s management. She got pledges of more funding from lawmakers during budget appropriations hearings.

Well, it turns out Kane is making waves on the national scene too. But not for her political and law enforcement work.

It’s for her looks.

Kane is in the running for the hottest attorney general in the nation, according to a poll being conducted by Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com, a website where conservatives and teabaggers go to learn how to think.

Kane’s up against, Pam Bondi of Florida, Lori Swanson of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California.

Viguerie made the poll after President Barrack Obama called Harris “the best-looking attorney general in the country” during a fund raiser on April 4 in California, according to a news release.

The poll started April 9 and only included the eight female attorney generals holding office in the country. Kane apparently made the Final Four and remains in the running for  the crown of “America’s most attractive female attorney general.”

There were no men in this contest. But if you want to see ripped male politicians, google “shirtless congressmen” and see what amounts to political discourse in this country.

When the Pennsylvania legislature is in session, numerous “NONCONTROVERSIAL” resolutions usually sail through the House.

These are commemorative items all lawmakers, regardless of party, can agree on. They deal with naming bridges after dignitaries, declaring a day of the week after a flower, or honoring the memory of a fallen soldier or public safety officer.

All say, aye, nearly every time.

But on Wednesday,  a noncontroversial resolution on the "Iron Lady" was anything but.

It started when state Rep. Mark Gillen, R-Berks, issued a resolution, memorializing the memory of Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister who conservatives cherished and liberals loathed even in life and death. She died April 8 at age 87.

As is custom in the House, Gillen read with passion and conviction from the republican podium his resolution: “…WHEREAS, Mrs. Thatcher is widely credited with reshaping Britain's policies and transforming the country's economy; WHEREAS, Mrs. Thatcher's profound rejection of Communism cemented a close relationship with President Ronald Reagan, … therefore be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize Margaret Thatcher as a great American friend and British patriot and honor her enduring legacy.”

Not so fast, said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia.

In equal passion and conviction from the Democratic side of the aisle, Boyle said he could not back the resolution. He cited Thatcher’s description of Nelson Mandela as terrorist and her refusal to join the worldwide ban on the South Africa’s apartheid government. Boyle then said Thatcher’s “destructive and callous policies toward Northern Ireland contributed to the blood shed there through the 1980s.

Both men then took turns debating the legacy of the “Iron Lady” as others worldwide have done since her death. Then the House voted and Gillen’s resolution passed 146-48.

The Republican thorn in the Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s side has stuck again.

The latest political barbs from Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor center on the national Common Core education standards.

But nearly every paragraph in Castor’s emailed missive fails the true/false test.

A growing anti-Common Core movement, akin to a fear of government, started in western states and has now moved into Pennsylvania. Castor appears to be trying to tap into that fear by perpetuating false claims about Common Core – and linking Corbett to them -- as he mulls a potential primary run against Corbett.

Within less than an hour of Castor’s email bomb, the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children sent out its own email seeking to expel myths about the Common Core.

Let’s dissect Castor’s claims.

In a news release Monday, Castor “rebuked [Corbett] for supporting the Obama Administration’s Common Core Standards for education and called upon the General Assembly to immediately take action to halt their implementation in Pennsylvania.”

It goes on to say: Common Core "can be traced to the 2009 Stimulus bill which gave $4.35 billion to the federal Department of Education which then created the 'Race to the Top' competition between states.”

Common Core does have support of the Obama Administration and Race to the Top did offer money to schools to implement the standards -- because it costs money to revamp curricula.

But Common Core did not start under the Obama administration and it is not federally mandated as Castor alleges. It started at the local and state levels.

After decades of debate among education wonks, the concept got a jump start in 2008. That’s when the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers started working with educational experts, principals and teachers to pick the best curriculum standards from among the states. Those standards were finalized in June 2010 after more than a year of development, including 10,000 public comments.

So far, 45 states have signed onto the initiative. Pennsylvania tied the Core's standards to the new Algebra I, biology and literature exit exams -- known as the Keystone Exams -- that students began taking in December. The state Board of Education voted to finalize the Common Core concepts this year.

The second paragraph in Castor’s email claims Common Core “effectively shuts out the parents and local school boards’ ability to influence content standards and modify the curriculum to suit local needs.”

This Big Brother fear of Common Core began in states like Wisconsin. In Indiana, voters in November ousted the state’s top education chief, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, a Republican, over his support of Common Core, which his Democratic opponent opposed.

As I stated above, Common Core is not federally mandated. The truth is local school boards have had less and less control over content and curriculum for decades.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education began to influence curricula with its standards push, which relies on bubble tests to track students’ subject knowledge, under Republican Gov. Tom Ridge. Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell tightened the standards more when he proposed the Keystones.

The federal government began to influence policy under Democratic President Bill Clinton who got some federal -- voluntary and toothless -- standards through Congress. Clinton’s standards got some teeth, however, when his Republican successor, President George W. Bush, won bipartisan support for the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, which slapped schools with the loved/loathed pass-fail label known as Adequate Yearly Progress [AYP].

Common Core is just the latest step in the standards movement.

You can debate the educational merits of it Common Core as it relates to children’s ability to handle a sped up subject matter. But playing politics with it does not help students or teachers.

April 15 is the deadline to file your taxes. It can be stressful time for those who procrastinate -- especially if the state computer network crashes as it did today.

The major computer malfunction hit Pennsylvania’s computer network, knocking out websites for several hours. But have no fears, procrastinators, you will not be punished.

As a result, state Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser announced the department will not impose penalties or interest on personal income tax returns filed that were unable to be filed by the April 15 deadline.

“Since Pennsylvanians were unexpectedly unable to access ‘padirectfile,’ tax forms and our Online Customer Service Center on our website for a few hours today, in the interest of customer service, we won’t penalize anyone who files a return by midnight, Tuesday, April 16.”

The computer problems began around 1 p.m. and affected everything from the Revenue Department to the governor’s office. Problems were fixed by 5 p.m.

Gov. Tom Corbett left on a three-day trade mission to South America on Saturday.

It’s the perfect place to go this time of year because it’s probably the only place in the western hemisphere where he won’t bump into a Democrat who wants his job.

Now there’s officially another one.

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz backed up her verbal assurances that she is running for governor by filing her official paperwork on Monday as a candidate to take on the first-term incumbent and his abysmal approval ratings.

That makes three official candidates and bunch of rumored maybes, perhaps, thinking about it.

The other declared Democrats are John Hanger of Dauphin County, former secretary of the Environmental Protection Department, and Tom Wolf of York County, a wealthy businessman and former Revenue Department secretary.

Yo!

Pennsylvania has a new secretary at the Health Department.

Gov. Tom Corbett promoted Michael Wolf to the top post on Friday.

Wolf (that's him to the left) had been serving as “acting secretary” after the October resignation of his embattled boss Eli Avila who never quite lived down his public argument over an egg sandwich or his zeal to act like a tough cop.

“Michael has proven his ability to manage this important department and is well-respected among his colleagues,’’ Corbett said in a statement. “I have confidence in his knowledge of the public health system, as well as his leadership ability and dedication to the commonwealth.”

Wolf, 46, of Enola, worked in the pharmaceutical industry as Pfizer's director of worldwide public affairs and policy. He joined the state Health Department in May 2011 as executive deputy secretary and worked his way up after the short, rocky tenure of Avila, a physician and a lawyer.

Soon after taking over in early 2011, Avila reportedly got into an argument with a Harrisburg cafe owner over the freshness of an egg sandwich and shouted: “Do you know who I am? I am the secretary of health!”

He also spent taxpayers' money to outfit himself and his top aides in blue FBI-like jackets emblazoned with the health department name. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Avila also spent his own cash to make himself a badge with the state seal and his job title until Corbett's office made him ditch the badge.

Wolf appears eager to lead the department in a different way.

“I am grateful to Gov. Corbett for giving me this great opportunity to serve our commonwealth and honored to work alongside the employees of the Department of Health to ensure every resident has access to affordable, high-quality health care, regardless of where they reside in the commonwealth,” Wolf said in a statement.

A Pennsylvania native, Wolf is a graduate of Slippery Rock University and earned his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix.

The field of Democratic gubernatorial challengers eager to run against Republican incumbent Tom Corbett is growing.

After months of speculation, Tom Wolf, a York businessman and former secretary of the Department of Revenue, has officially entered the race.

He's the third candidate behind John Hanger of Dauphin County, former Environmental Protection secretary, and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz of Montgomery County.

Schwartz’s decision to run for governor also has led to a bit of musical chairs.

State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, announced Tuesday he’ll run for for Schwart’z congressional seat, which covers parts of Montgomery county and Northeast Philadelphia.

This economy bites, doesn’t it?

Stagnant pay, rising bills. Reduced hours, rising bills. Lost jobs, rising bills.

This is the refrain for millions of Pennsylvania residents who work in the private sector and local government.

But if you want to escape this cycle of woe, you should consider running for elective state office (House of Representatives, Senate, row offices, state judge governor, LT governor) or put in your resume to run a state agency. The men and women who hold these positions are immune from the economy courtesy of annual cost-of-living increases since 1983.

Now two of these elected officials want to end this annual freebie.

State Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, (upper right picture) is sponsoring legislation with Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, (lower left picture) that would eliminate the automatic COLAs and repeal the 1983 law that created this cash cow.

"The median household income of a Pennsylvania family is $51,000," Kim said in a news release. "That's the figure I'm working on increasing, not the annual salaries of public officials. As an elected official, the people of Pennsylvania are my first priority."

Read House Bill 1035 here because I predict this is as far as it’s going to get.

If it doesn’t pass, get your campaign going to take advantage of this recession-proof gig.

The 105-to-90 vote marked the first time in the state’s history that a bill to privatize liquor sales has made it out of a legislative chamber.

Here's a breakdown of votes on this link.

Can you hear the collective sigh of relief?

Lawmakers and reporters won't be stuck in the Capitol for that long today.

In a surprise move Wednesday, Democrats withdrew all but one of the 106 amendments they had introduced as part of a Republican-led bill that would dismantle the state liquor store system and transfer the sale of wine and liquor to privately owned outlets.

The withdrawal of amendments unexpectedly sped up the House session by several hours and paved the way the full House to debate and vote — for the first time since 1933 — on a bill that would privatize the liquor business in Pennsylvania.

That vote will be some time Thursday.

“It’s a historic day and tomorrow will be even more historic,” said Steve Miskin, spokesman for the House Republicans.

Rep. Paul Costa, D-Allegheny, said Republicans also withdrew many of their amendments. He said his members of his party decided to remove their amendments because they knew House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, would not approve them anyway.

But come Thursday, Costa, said Democrats will be united in opposition to the bill, which is backed by Turzai and Gov. Tom Corbett.

The latest liquor amendment count is in as of 1 p.m.

Lawmakers have added 124 amendments to the already amended House Bill 790, the liquor privatization bill, backed by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny.

The descriptions of each bill stretch 25 typed pages.

Here are some highlights:

Democrats issued 106 of the amendments or about 85 1/2 of them; Republicans 18 or 141/4 percent.

State Rep. 33 William Kortz, D- Allegheny, has issued the most amendments: 41.

The most shocking amendment appears to come from one of main authors of the amended version House Bill 790, Rep. John Taylor, R-Philadelphia, chairman of the Liquor control board, which on Monday approved the bill in a strict party line vote of 14-10.

Taylor (picutred to the left) would cut down the number of possible privately owned liquor outlets by 600, which if approved would drop the number of stores down to 2,000.

Last but not least is the funniest/most sarcastic amendment. It comes from Rep. Michael Sturla, D-Lancaster (pictured to the right).

Sturla would rename the state’s main 18 percent liquor tax, known as the Johnstown Flood Tax, the “Tom Corbett Liquor Privatization Tax.”

Lawmakers will reconvene at 2 p.m. to consider these amendments.

The session is expected to last until 11 p.m.

Pack a bag & bottle of booze if you're coming to the Capitol on Wednesday to witness the House debate the liquor privatization bill.

Lawmakers have put 119 amendments — and counting — on it.

That is expected to delay the second reading of House Bill 790, which already has been amended and calls for eventually closing the state’s 600 liquor stores in favor of up to 2,600 privately owned liquor outlets. 

Steve Miskin, House Republican spokesman, said he has been told Wednesday's session could go until 11 p.m.

If the House gets through those amendments, the third and final vote on HB790 would be Thursday. it would then move to the Senate, where it is expected to be amended again.

Who needs a stiff drink?

You all will be the time Thursday ends.

Politics and posturing started heating up Tuesday, a day after a legislative committee approved  a bill that ending Pennsylvania’s 80-year-old monopoly on the sale of wine and spirits.

Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration sent out a newsletter, “You Can make a Difference,” urging residents to email their local legislators to tell them to support closing the state’s 600 state liquor stores and replacing them with up to 2,600 privately owned outlets.

“This significant first step puts Pennsylvania on the path to enjoying the same consumer choice and convenience that 48 other states currently offer,” the administration’s newsletter states. “By breaking down the barriers of the state run liquor monopoly, we also have the opportunity to make significant investments in our schools.

The power behind the governor’s call to action, however, was countered by the weight of a law enforcement group that urged legislators to reject privatization if it doesn’t include more money for local police.

The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association sent a letter to Rep. Paula Costa, D-Allegheny, minority chairman of the House Liquor Control Committee. It said the bill is flawed because it creates too many licenses for beer, liquor and wine but provides no additional funds to law enforcement to handle potential increases in public safety problems the licenses may bring to local communities.

“Quite frankly and respectfully, this cannot be another unfunded mandate that gets pushed down onto local government by state government, particularly in these difficult economic times and when the commonwealth is projecting significant revenue enhancement from the privatization of wine and spirits,” states the letter by association president, Chief John Mackey of Bethel Park Borough.

His plan may get side tracked because committee chairman John Taylor, R-Philadelphia, plans to introduce his own bill that would reduce the scope and size of privatization to protect beer distributors.

The hearing begins at 11 a.m.

The line to get inside began forming much earlier than that.

Should be an interesting day.

Fawkes, 83, of Bristol Township died tuesday.

He led the GOP for four decades.

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding the passing of Harry Fawkes who led the Bucks County Republican Party for four decades:

“We mourn his loss and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the thousands of lives he touched as a long-time civic leader in Bucks County.  His friendship and counsel will be missed by many,” said state GOP Chairman Gleason said in a statement.

The statement continues:

“Harry served as the Chairman of the Bucks County Republican Party for more than forty years.  Praised from both sides of the aisle, Harry was a friend and mentor in the lives and careers of many of our state’s great leaders, giving guidance to former Governor Mark Schweiker, Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick in their early days in county government.  His passion for the office was recognized by many, earning him distinctions as a member of the PA GOP leadership for many years, one of Pennsylvania’s most respected Republicans and one of Bucks County’s most influential citizens.”

 Morning Call file photo

Gov. Tom Corbett's approval ratings are so low, he'd lose to four of eight possible Democratic challengers and just barely survive a race agianst the other potential candidates, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

One of those would-be winners would be Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who is pictured to the left looking rather happy. 

While the possible election results are hypothetical at best, the poll shows Corbett could be in real trouble, especially among female voters. Of the women surveyed, 53 percent disapprove of Corbett's first-term performance while 33 percent approve. Approval rating among men is closer with 47 percent have a favorable approval of him while 44 percent do not.

The survey of 1,116 registered voters was conducted March 6 to 11. It had a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

In order of magnitude, the poll shows Corbett would not win a second term because voters would prefer former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, 47 percent to 38 percent; Pawlowski, 44 percent to 38 percent; U.S. Rep Allyson Schwartz, 42 percent to 39 percent; state Sen. Mike Stack, 40 percent to 39 percent.

Corbett would tie businessman Tom Wolf at 39 percent, the poll shows.

Corbett would squeak by former Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger by 1 percentage point. He beat businessman Tom Knox's 39 percent by 2 percentage points and he'd beat state Treasurer Rob McCord by 4 percentage points.

Gov. Tom Corbett's approval ratings are so low, he'd lose to four of eight possible Democratic challengers and just barely survive a race agianst the other potential candidates, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

One of those would-be winners would be Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who is pictured to the left looking rather happy. 

While the possible election results are hypothetical at best, the poll shows Corbett could be in real trouble, especially among female voters. Of the women surveyed, 53 percent disapprove of Corbett's first-term performance while 33 percent approve. Approval rating among men is closer with 47 percent have a favorable approval of him while 44 percent do not.

The survey of 1,116 registered voters was conducted March 6 to 11. It had a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

In order of magnitude, the poll shows Corbett would not win a second term because voters would prefer former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, 47 percent to 38 percent; Pawlowski, 44 percent to 38 percent; U.S. Rep Allyson Schwartz, 42 percent to 39 percent; state Sen. Mike Stack, 40 percent to 39 percent.

Corbett would tie businessman Tom Wolf at 39 percent, the poll shows.

Corbett would squeak by former Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger by 1 percentage point. He beat businessman Tom Knox's 39 percent by 2 percentage points and he'd beat state Treasurer Rob McCord by 4 percentage points.