I-80 Tolling: Continuing to Beat the Dead Horse

Written by Roberta Biros

Please pinch me. Grab a little chunk of flesh on my forearm and pinch it REALLY HARD. Do what ever you can to wake me from this horrible nightmare? Tell me that it is all a dream and that “no one actually shot JR”.

What am I referring to? Well, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, some brilliant bureaucrat in Pittsburgh (Joseph Kirk, executive director of the Mon Valley Progress Council) wants to submit the I-80 tolling plan to the Federal Highway Administration ONE MORE TIME . . . for good measure . . . read the full story HERE.

Stupid politicians in Harrisburg are still struggling with the hole that was left in the budget when the I-80 tolling project was turned down last month [READ HERE], and they are considering EVERYTHING that could possibly raise money. According to the article, “Legislators are suggesting other solutions: tolling Interstate 79 or Interstate 95, legalizing video gambling machines, enabling private companies to lease highways and charge tolls, contracting out highway maintenance, or raising the wholesale gas tax.”

I’m sorry, but has anyone considered the possibility of CUTTING SPENDING as a way to make ends meet? NOOOOOOOOOOO. Instead, let’s just keep putting through a proposal to toll I-80 and THEN continue to write the money into the budget (as though it is already approved). All this so that we can move along in an effort to quickly pass a useless, garbage budget before things ramp up for the November election.

In the words of Mike Kelly (candidate for Congress), “I’m sorry if I come off as ANGRY, but I am ANGRY”. State legislators need to sit their rear ends down in Harrisburg and start cutting meat out of this budget and it better start soon. I’m not talking any whimpy thin sliced pork chops kind of meat . . . I’m talkin’ big old thick porterhouse steaks kinds of meat . . . if you know what I mean.

Give it up already. I-80 is NOT an option. Find some other dead horse to beat for a while.

As always, just my opinion.

~Mercer County Conservatives

NOT AS SHEEP by Dr. Steven Porter

Summary provided by Roberta Biros

Please read these comments from Dr. Steven Porter. Dr. Porter and I have discussed the topic of independent candidates personally, and I valued his input and comments. He is “spot on” with his post on the topic [READ HERE]!

Dr. Porter is very closely tied to our area. He ran for Congress in 2004 and 2006. Most recently he ran for Congress in the 3rd District as an unaffiliated independent in 2008 against Republican Phil English and Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper. After gathering FAR MORE signatures that were necessary on his nomination papers, Dr. Porter’s petitions were challenged by political insiders in an effort to keep him OUT of the election. The political insiders won their legal challenge. They may have prevented Dr. Porter’s name from being included on the ballot, but they did not “defeat him”.

Dr. Porter remains a political activist and he is confident that good government directed by “the People” is still within our reach. Read his comments HERE, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

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PA-3: Is Kelly Using Blog Stalkers From Washington DC?

This is an interesting post by fellow Mercer County blogger, Rich Talbert. It is an interesting read as it illustrates activity that political bloggers are experiencing right now . . . Blog Stalkers (as Rich calls them). Read the story HERE.