A Day Without A Computer Makes for a Slow Response

Written by Roberta Biros

I’ve been really busy lately. My last post was on Friday, March 27 because I simply haven’t had time to write anything new. I was away for a few days over the weekend, and I had a business trip yesterday. I’ve been bogged down with private, political, and business matters, and I just haven’t had time to devote to this Blog. I apologize.

Yesterday, I was away from my office and my Blackberry from 11:30am until about 8:30pm. During that time I was “unplugged” from technology . . . something that RARELY happens in “my world”. It was difficult for me. On a typical day, I’m at a computer for at least 8 hours, and for about 10 of the other 16 hours I’m attached to my Blackberry. I respond to queries and email messages ALL DAY LONG . . . EVERY DAY . . . EXCEPT Yesterday!

Unfortunately, it seems that my disconnect from technology and the World Wide Web was even more difficult and painful for some readers (or should I say one reader) of this blog. Allow me to explain . . .

Monday, March 30, 2009, 1:50PM

Yesterday afternoon at 1:50pm, a comment was submitted by an “Anonymous” reader of my blog. The details submitted with the post show me that “Anonymous” was logging into my blog from Greenville, Pennsylvania. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to this “Anonymous” as “Anonymous In Greenville” – or “AIG” for short (AIG is easy for everyone to remember right now considering all of the things going on with the “Bailout” and all). When a comment is submitted to this Blog, an email message is generated to my personal email account that notifies me of the submission. I moderate all comments to this blog to make certain that no mistruths or profanities are published. The comments remain unpublished until I review them.

AIG’s comment was in response to my blog post titled “Walking in the Candidate's Shoes: A Series “ and was submitted as follows:

I visited this site on the recommendation of a conservative friend who says he feels the need for a change in local government. I read through all of the articles including the ones pertaining to Mrs. Biros and her candidacy. Unfortunately, all the information did was leave me with more questions than answers about Mrs. Biros' qualifications for such an important office. While it is very nice to know her brothers and sisters whereabouts and her dogs' names and her favorite pastimes, all the information provided gives the reader no idea of her professional background. Did she go to school, and where? Vague references were provided as to Mrs. Biros running a business, but nowhere are we told the name of that business. A background in information technology, as she says she has, without details could simply mean she likes to play on a laptop. I'm sorry, but in order for me to see any credibility in her as a viable candidate, I'm going to have to know more and see more of the transparency she has pledged to utilize if elected. Knowing her favorite apple-pie recipe is nice, but it's not going to get her my vote.

I did not receive a notification about this comment because I was away from my computer and my Blackberry. I was disconnected from the internet for roughly 9 hours. I did not, therefore, post the comment or respond.

Monday, March 30, 2009, 3:48PM

At 3:48pm, I received another comment. This time, the comment was submitted by “Anonymous”, but it was signed by “Amy in Mercer”.

Amy’s comment was in response to my blog post titled “How Long Have You Had a Weak Back?” and it read as follows:

So, it's been a week ahead. How's your back doing? Seriously, I hope you are doing better by now.Amy in Mercer

Again, because I was “unplugged”, I did not receive the notification regarding this comment. I did not, therefore, make it live or comment to it.

Monday, March 30, 2009, 7:47PM

At 7:47pm, I received another comment from my new friend “AIG”. I know it was “AIG”, because the information transmitted with the comments was the same . . . and the comment itself makes it clear that it is the same person. This time, the comment was in response to my blog post titled “Public Availability of Personal Income Tax Records for Elected Officials and Candidates in Mercer County “, and it read as follows:

I was directed to this site by someone who told me he too was dissatisfied with our county's government. Unfortunately, having me visit here did not strengthen his arguments as far as I am concerned.

I read many of the topics earlier today and posted a comment attached to a fluff piece about candidate's lives. It was not published; I can only think that it was because it was unfavorable. (I've noticed that the overwhelming majority of published comments are favorable to conservatives in general and Mrs. Biros in particular.) Let's try again.

I will attempt to post my comment attached to this article since it seems the most popular at the moment. I was concerned when reading about Mrs. Biros' candidacy that I was told the whereabouts of her siblings, her dogs' names and her favorite hobbies, but nowhere was I informed of her specific professional resume. Nothing was mentioned about her education, if any. We are told that she has operated a business, but we are never told the name of said business. Also, she claims to have experience in information technology, but never states what that experience is. Having such experience can mean as little as surfing on a laptop (or constantly responding to comments on this site -- does Mrs. Biros do anything else but monitor these web pages?)

I want to know more about Mrs. Biros and why she is a viable candidate for this job beyond the fact that she thinks the office is not being run properly at present. What has she done for her community? In one blog she noted that she and her husband engaged in a rudimentary system of budgeting that involved envelopes in a kitchen drawer. Nowhere did she mention an envelope for church offerings or charitable contributions. And, may I add, keeping a household budget in such an elementary way does not make me confident in a candidate who is seeking to manage the county's money!!

Mrs. Biros, you mention you try to keep your writings fair and unbiased as any other news reporter. Mrs. Biros, you are not a news reporter, and please don't fashion yourself as such.

To summarize, I am going to need to know more than Mrs. Biros' favorite apple pie recipe if I am to consider her a serious candidate for public office.

Once more, due to my temporary disconnect from the web, I did not receive the notification regarding this comment, and I was unable to publish it or respond.

Monday, March 30, 2009, 8:30PM

Once I returned home from my trip and powered up my Blackberry, I received three notifications regarding the blog post comments above. Unfortunately, I also received about 87 (give or take1 or 2) other email messages . . . including (but not limited to) order notifications from my on-line business, questions from customers, email notifications of banking activity, email alerts from the State Legislature regarding activity from lawmakers, and emails from friends and family.

At the point that I read the notifications regarding the three comments noted above, it was late. At that moment I “could” have gone to my office to publish and respond to the comments, but I realized that these comments deserved “special attention” in a full blog post today.

THAT BRINGS US ALL TO THE HERE AND NOW!

For starters, I’d like to respond to the comment from “Amy in Mercer”. Amy has been a reader of my blog for many months, and has joined in the on-going on-line conversations that I offer on a regular basis. Amy’s question was:

“So, it's been a week ahead. How's your back doing? Seriously, I hope you are doing better by now.”

In response to Amy, I’d like to say:

Thanks for checking in, Amy. I’m glad to hear from you again. Thank you for asking about my “weak back”. I spent some quality time with a heating pad, and my back is much better. A little rest . . . a little heat . . . and some ice cream (delivered by a caring husband) made my recovery a successful one. I’m as good as new!

Roberta

Now my response to “AIG” is a bit more complicated. As an analyst, I have parsed the questions from both comments in order to systematically respond to all queries. Here it goes:

AIG Comment/Question #1:

“I visited this site on the recommendation of a conservative friend who says he feels the need for a change in local government.”

AND

“I was directed to this site by someone who told me he too was dissatisfied with our county's government. Unfortunately, having me visit here did not strengthen his arguments as far as I am concerned.”

Roberta’s Response #1:

Thank you for visiting my blog site. The site is maintained in my spare time, and it allows me to share political commentary with concerned citizens from Mercer County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

AIG Comment/Question #2:

I read many of the topics earlier today and posted a comment attached to a fluff piece about candidate's lives. It was not published; I can only think that it was because it was unfavorable. (I've noticed that the overwhelming majority of published comments are favorable to conservatives in general and Mrs. Biros in particular.)

Roberta’s Response #2:

The “fluff piece” that you refer to was a light-hearted post that I published in an effort to share my campaign experiences with my loyal readers. It was not a piece about “candidates’ lives” . . . it was a piece about “my life”.

Your comment was received, but it was not published because I did not have access to a computer or technology for a period of 9 hours. I’ve never refused to publish a comment on this blog site, and if you read my posts you would know that. As long as comments do not state mistruths or profanity, I will post them and respond. Unfortunately, your impatience made it impossible for me to respond “quickly enough” to fulfill your “burning desire”. I apologize.

AIG Comment/Question #3:

I was concerned when reading about Mrs. Biros' candidacy that I was told the whereabouts of her siblings, her dogs' names and her favorite hobbies, but nowhere was I informed of her specific professional resume.

AND

While it is very nice to know her brothers and sisters whereabouts and her dogs' names and her favorite pastimes, all the information provided gives the reader no idea of her professional background.

Roberta’s Response #3:

First, I’d like to point out that this Blog is NOT my platform for public office . . . and I’ve repeated that statement many times in many blog posts. The commentary published in the blog is commentary published with the purpose of sharing ideas and generating conversation.

Second, the information that you refer to WAS NOT found in this blog. Instead, it was published on my campaign website which is published at http://www.electbiros.com/ (if anyone would care to read it). The information was provided in an effort to describe me as a person and a professional. The content does include my family background in an effort to describe “where I came from” and to open myself up personally to the people of Mercer County. I ALSO included an overview of my professional background and qualifications.

It is interesting that the posting of this information “concerns” you. Does my opponent have a website that outlines any such information to the public? Is she connected to the internet 24 hours a day / 7 days a week in order to respond to public inquiries in this fashion? Just curious?

AIG Comment/Question #4:

I read through all of the articles including the ones pertaining to Mrs. Biros and her candidacy. Unfortunately, all the information did was leave me with more questions than answers about Mrs. Biros' qualifications for such an important office.

Roberta’s Response #4:

Allow me to repeat myself. This Blog is CLEARLY not intended to serve as a resume. The commentary published in the blog is commentary published with the purpose of sharing ideas and generating conversation. If you want more information about my “resume and qualifications”, I would suggest that you visit my campaign website at http://www.electbiros.com/. If you feel that the information published in that location is insufficient, perhaps you should have sent an email from that website requesting additional information . . . or would you have lost your anonymity at that point?

I will be glad to expand upon the information provided at the http://www.electbiros.com/ website in the coming days and weeks, but I’d like to know when my opponent plans on creating a public site outlining her background and past-history? Just curious?

AIG Comment/Question #5:

Did she go to school, and where?

AND

Nothing was mentioned about her education, if any.

Roberta’s Response #5:

Two questions about my “Education”?

Not to be repetitious, but this Blog site is NOT the forum for outlining my resume. As stated in Response #4, I will make a special effort to expand upon the information published on my campaign website . . . as time permits.

AIG Comment/Question #6:

Vague references were provided as to Mrs. Biros running a business, but nowhere are we told the name of that business.

AND

We are told that she has operated a business, but we are never told the name of said business.

Roberta’s Response #6:

Two questions about my “Business Name”?

Not to be repetitious, but this Blog site is NOT the forum for outlining my resume. As stated in Response #4 and #5, I will make a special effort to expand upon the information published on my campaign website . . . as time permits.

Specifically regarding my business, my campaign and my blog site are not intended to be an on-line marketing opportunity for my business. As an on-line business owner, and someone who is very aware of how on-line information is propagated and published, we are careful not to mix and cross-link published personal data with published business data.

AIG Comment/Question #7:

A background in information technology, as she says she has, without details could simply mean she likes to play on a laptop.

AND

Also, she claims to have experience in information technology, but never states what that experience is. Having such experience can mean as little as surfing on a laptop (or constantly responding to comments on this site -- does Mrs. Biros do anything else but monitor these web pages?)

Roberta’s Response #7:

Two questions about my “information technology” background?

Wow. The tone of your question is interesting. It is at this point that your attempt to portray yourself as a “interested voter” has turned sour. Rather than simply asking about my background in information technology, you’ve turned your questions into a accusation that I’ve lied or invented my qualifications.

First, to be REALLY repetitious, this Blog site is NOT the forum for outlining my resume. As stated in Response #4 and #5 and #6, I will make a special effort to expand upon the information published on my campaign website . . . as time permits.

However, to provide you with some basic information now, I’d like to explain that nothing that I’ve quoted about myself is untrue or exaggerated. If anything, my statements about myself are probably modest as I am generally uncomfortable with giving myself credit for things that I’ve done . . . I’m far too detail oriented for exaggeration.

As a brief overview, I will say that I have been working in Information Technology for over 20 years. I worked for computer consulting firms and software design companies during the late 80’s and early 90’s providing software training and technical support to clients while also performing software testing duties and writing software documentation. From the early 90’s through 1999, I worked in Software Training, Technical Support, and Software Testing and Documentation for various companies ranging from Real Estate and Law to Engineering and Health Care. In 1999, my concentration turned to internet technologies. It was at this time that I started my own business and worked for a professional engineering society as a Web and Data Manager. I’ve been operating my business exclusively since 2004.

To insinuate that my only IT experience is “surfing on a laptop” is a sign of your bias and hidden agenda.

I wonder if you are so willing to question the background of my opponent. For many years, my opponent has used her “Steese” name to imply that she had a background as a business owner. Unfortunately for her, however, her sister-in-law published a notation in the Sharon Herald Forum [READ HERE] that clearly stated that my opponent was not a business owner and did not have the level of involvement that she has implied for years.

AIG Comment/Question #8:

I want to know more about Mrs. Biros and why she is a viable candidate for this job beyond the fact that she thinks the office is not being run properly at present. What has she done for her community?

Roberta’s Response #8:

I realize that to most I am sounding like a broken record, but please refer to my Responses #4 - #7.

AIG Comment/Question #9:

In one blog she noted that she and her husband engaged in a rudimentary system of budgeting that involved envelopes in a kitchen drawer. Nowhere did she mention an envelope for church offerings or charitable contributions. And, may I add, keeping a household budget in such an elementary way does not make me confident in a candidate who is seeking to manage the county's money!!

Roberta’s Response #9:

Oh, “AIG”, you are showing your true colors again! The comment has a special tone of “axe-grinding” to it, don’t you think?

If you’ve read my MANY blog posts, you will understand that I use simple analogies in order to bring a personal touch to my posts. The post that you are specifically referring to (“Penny Pinching is Fashionable—Will This Lead to Governmental Belt-Tightening? “) was an attempt to explain my views on fiscal conservatism as they relate to national issues. Attempting to use the personal reference as a criticism of my financial management capabilities is a pathetic attempt to “grasp at straws” and suggest that I am somehow “unqualified” to manage the County’s money because as a 23-year old I organized household cash in envelopes. Come on . . . Try harder!

AIG Comment/Question #10:

I'm sorry, but in order for me to see any credibility in her as a viable candidate, I'm going to have to know more and see more of the transparency she has pledged to utilize if elected.

Roberta’s Response #10:

It is interesting that you should mention “transparency”. I’ve published MANY of my political views and commentary on the internet to be reviewed and criticized on a daily basis. I answer all questions and queries in a timely fashion and am willing to discuss any of the issues that I’ve published at length. On my campaign website I have provided information about my personal life . . . and my professional life for EVERYONE and ANYONE to read at their leisure. I don’t see that transparency from any other candidate that is running for office right now, and I certainly don’t see it from my opponent.

AIG Comment/Question #11:

Mrs. Biros, you mention you try to keep your writings fair and unbiased as any other news reporter. Mrs. Biros, you are not a news reporter, and please don't fashion yourself as such.

Roberta’s Response #11:

The reference that you make here is in response to my blog post titled “Unfriendly Mail: Mercer County Conservatives Accused of “Dirty Politics”. That blog post was regarding an odd email message received by someone very much like you. In that blog post I made the following statement:

“Like any news reporter, I've attempted to be fair and non-partisan in my approach to interesting issues. I've been equally supportive (and equally critical) of both Republicans and Democrats, and I'm more interested in pointing out important topics as they relate to Mercer County and Pennsylvania tax payers.”

In the statement above, I do not call my self a “news reporter”. I clearly state that “like” any news reporter, I attempt to be fair and non-partisan while approaching local issues. That statement is ABSOLUTELY true. If you have a specific complaint, please feel free to share it in this forum or email me at Roberta.in.mercer@gmail.com.

AIG Comment/Question #12:

Knowing her favorite apple-pie recipe is nice, but it's not going to get her my vote.

AND

To summarize, I am going to need to know more than Mrs. Biros' favorite apple pie recipe if I am to consider her a serious candidate for public office.

Roberta’s Response #12:

Two questions about my “favorite apple pie recipe”?

AIG, this is where your cynicism shines through loud and clear. If you find me . . . or my blog posts . . . or my personality to be too “folksy” for you, why don’t you just say it. Instead, you need to make a foolish “apple-pie” reference in an effort to say that I’m not a “serious” candidate.

The truth is . . . I’m a very serious candidate and that is what prompted your Comments through this blog. You seem to want to paint me as illegitimate in some way, but you’ve got quite a challenge on your hands. However, if it is a “recipe contest” that you are interested in, I’ll need some time to respond to you. I’ve been told that I’m a good cook, but I’m admittedly not much of a baker. I’ll need to do some research and get back to you on the recipe thing. It just isn’t much of a priority for me right now, though. Sorry. I’m busy running my business and running for the office of Mercer County Treasurer.

Thanks so much for the fine conversation "AIG", and please check back often!

BLOG ADDENDUM :

For the record, I have updated my campaign website to provide additional information regarding my small business, my background in information technology, my education, and my family as requested by AIG. The updates can be accessed through my campaign site via the ABOUT ROBERTA link.

So Much Legislation, So Little Time

Written by Roberta Biros

I read with great interest the “Daily Session Updates” that I receive from the Pennsylvania State Legislature. If you are unfamiliar with a “Daily Session Update”, it is a report that I receive daily by email (yes, I do this by choice) that includes all actions by the House and Senate by Bill and Resolution number [if you are interested, you can SUBSCRIBE HERE].. A list of all new bills and resolutions that were introduced is also provided.

The content of the reports is interesting as I use it to keep an eye on what is happening in Harrisburg. Unfortunately, I notice that there are many, many Bills and Resolutions that are introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate, but very few that actually get passed. So I wonder . . . what happens to rest?

There is a certain amount of the process that I understand, but there is another part that is a grey area for me. I attempted to research the matter using all of the on-line resources that are at my disposal, but I ran into one brick wall after another. I seemed to be spinning my wheels. I decided to send a quick note to our State Legislators in search of an answer . . . who would know the process better, right?

I sent an email message to the offices of State Representative Mark Longietti and State Representative Michele Brooks. Within about 30 minutes I received a call from Representative Longietti personally. After nearly falling over from the remarkably quick response, I pulled my thoughts together and had a very informative conversation with Mr. Longietti. During our brief conversation, he managed to save me hours of on-line research time. He is a wonderful resource that I will keep in my arsenal.

Based on my prior knowledge and the extra information that I received from Representative Longietti, here is what I found . . .

A legislative session lasts two years. Our last full session (2007-2008) ended last December. During a session, as Bills and Resolutions are introduced they are assigned a Bill or Resolution Number. In the House, Bills and Resolutions are assigned an HB or HR number; and in the Senate, Bills and Resolutions are assigned a SB or SR number. At the beginning of each session, the Bills and Resolutions start with the number ONE and are assigned consecutive numbers as they are introduced.

During the 2007-2008 two-year session, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives introduced 2843 Bills, and the Senate introduced 1616 Bills. During the same two-year session, the House introduced 971 Resolutions, and the Senate introduced 419.

Once a Bill makes it through the long review and approval process (and receives a successful vote, of course) it is signed into law and it is assigned an Act number. Act numbers are assigned beginning with the number ONE and assigned consecutive numbers by calendar year (not by session). Resolutions are not assigned new numbers when they are passed, so they are a bit more difficult to track. For our purposes here, I will focus directly on Bills only.

During the 2007 calendar year, the House and Senate passed a total of 116 Acts (77 General Acts and 39 Appropriations Acts). During the 2008 calendar year, the House and Senate passed a total of 174 Acts (136 General Acts and 38 Appropriations Acts).

With that statistics gathered, let’s do the math:

Bills Introduced:

2843 HBs + 1616 SBs = 4459 Total Bills Introduced during the 2007-2008 session

Bills Passed:

116 Acts (2007) + 174 Acts (2008) = 290 Total Acts Passed during the 2007-2008 session

At the end of a session, all Bills that are not signed into law expire or “die”. At the end of the 2007-2008 session, there were 4169 Bills that “died”.

When a new session begins, the process starts all over again “from scratch”. There is no carry-over of any of the expired Bills. Instead, if there is interest, Bills are re-introduced during the new session and assigned a new Bill Number starting with ONE and assigning new numbers consecutively throughout the session.

So what does this mean for all of us? Unfortunately, as we as taxpayers and concerned citizens push to get Legislation drafted and introduced, the chance of such legislation actually becoming law is slim. Using the 2007-2008 session as an example, only 5% of the Bills were eventually enacted . . . leaving a whopping 95% Bills to “die”.

During my conversation with Representative Mark Longietti, he made a point to explain that the process was designed to be slow and methodical. Bills generally aren’t “rushed” through . . . instead the process provides lawmakers sufficient time to analyze and discuss legislation. In the end, only legislation that has sufficient positive support and interest become law. Legislation that doesn’t have backing will simply “die” . . . eventually.

I understand the process, and I understand “why” it was designed the way that it was, but I still have problems with it.

There is plenty of “good legislation” on the table of the Pennsylvania House and Senate. I am certain that there is plenty of crap out there too. The problem is that “good legislation” is probably getting lost in the piles of excrement that are cluttering the legislative calendar. The only chance that “good legislation” has of getting passed is if Legislators want it passed . . . or if concerned citizens who are willing to “keep the heat on” want it passed. “Good Legislation” will rarely make it into law unless someone is championing it. Why? . . . because there is simply too much of it. Legislators are so busy writing legislation and getting it introduced (and answering silly email questions from people like me) that little is “coming out the other end”.

What is the lesson in all of this?

If you have an issue or cause that you are concerned about, make it a point to tell your Senator and Representatives. Call their offices . . . email them . . . get your friends to call their offices . . . have your friends email them . . . write letters to the editor . . . write a blog . . . gather support throughout the State . . . work your butt off and push as hard as you can push. If you are lucky, in the end the Bill “might” eventually be signed into law. If it doesn’t, start the process over again in the next session.

It isn’t particularly promising or optimistic . . . but it is the truth (and, just my opinion).

Special Note:

I’d like to thank Representative Mark Longietti for his time and quick response. His extra effort and professionalism was appreciated and duly noted.

As always, just my opinion.

~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

Blue Dog Democrats to the Rescue?

Written by Roberta Biros

For those of you that are not familiar with the term “Blue Dog Democrats”, I’d like to take a minute to introduce it to you.

Blue Dog Democrats are moderate and conservative members of the Democratic Party who share a key belief in fiscal conservatism and accountability. They have differing views on social issues, but they tend to set their differences and politics aside to concentrate on fiscal concerns. They generally tend to be non-partisan in an effort to negotiate differences between center-right and left-wing positions. I consider myself a Blue Dog Democrat.

The official group that has been formed in the U.S. Congress is the “Blue Dog Coalition”, which was formed in 1994 during the 104th Congress. They outline themselves on their website [READ HERE], and a list of current members [READ HERE] is also available.

“Blue Dogs” (as I will refer to them here) will be getting a great deal of attention in the coming months. While discussions continue over the Obama Budget, “Blue Dogs” will play a key role in negotiating a happy medium for a successful and responsible budget. The wrangling has already begun, but I don’t like what I see.

This morning I watched an interview on Fox News with John Boehner (R-OH). First, Congressman Boehner gave a number of excuses for the increase in the national deficit that was experienced during the Bush years. Instead of admitting that Bush was NOT a fiscal conservative, he went on to try to blame everyone else for the spending that occurred during those eight years. Most interesting, though, was his response when he was asked if he is willing to work with conservative Democrats (“Blue Dogs”) on the current budget. His response was as follows:

“We would love to have conservative Democrats join us, but every time they get a chance to do that they always end up voting with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed and the left. If they don’t want to be Lap Dogs and they want to be Blue Dogs, join us!”

The statement above explains with absolute clarity one of the key reasons that I left the Republican Party. Congressman Boehner needs to realize that he is in the MINORITY. As a member of the MINORITY, it is for him to be conciliatory . . . not demanding. To insult the “Blue Dogs” (the key group that might be willing to work towards fiscal responsibilitiy) and DARE THEM to stand with their Party is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. “Blue Dogs” have a responsibility to their Party, but they make every effort to do the right thing by working with both sides in a non-partisan manner. Based on Congressman Boehner’s statement, the Republicans don’t want to “work with” the Democrats or the “Blue Dogs” . . . they just want them to go to "their side”. To dare or challenge the “Blue Dogs” will simply push them away, and that won’t help to move us forward toward a more responsible budget.

Republicans always just want it their way . . . or no way at all. That mind set won’t get us out of this mess, but the Republicans don’t seem to WANT to get us out of this mess at this point. Instead, they would prefer to see a “train wreck” occur in hopes that the Obama Administration will look bad in the process . . . and the Republicans will have an opportunity to take over again. That is all they are thinking about. They don’t seem to care about what is best for the American people.

I have confidence that the “Blue Dogs” will do what they do best. They will work together to bring both sides together in order to achieve the goal of a responsible and achievable budget. They will do this because it is the right thing to do . . . regardless of Party. That is what the “Blue Dogs” do. I'm proud to call my self a "Blue Dog".



As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

A 90% Tax on AIG Bonuses: Pressing the Panic Button

Written by Roberta Biros

The AIG Bailout is a mess. It has been a mess. It started during the Bush Administration and it was wrong then ($85 Billion in September of 2008). I’m a firm believer that if a company is failing, it should go into “Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection”. Bankruptcy Protection is, after all, a legal way for financially ailing businesses to step back and try to fix their problems. Instead, the Bush Administration threw money at AIG with no strings attached. It was like flushing the money down the toilet.

The Obama Administration came in and perpetuated the problem by making the same mistake again. They gave more money to AIG without strings.

No one in the Obama Administration was complaining about the additional AIG bailout until AIG had the nerve to give bonuses to their executives. AFTER the bonuses were handed out, the outrage started. “How Dare They!” was the general testament. As a knee jerk reaction it was suggested that a “special tax” be applied to get the AIG bonus money back . . . a 90% tax on the bonuses, which was passed in the House last week.

I have problems with the suggestion of a 90% tax on ANYTHING, and the bonuses are no exception. Focusing a tax law on a small group of people in an effort to “punish” is wrong and shouldn’t even be discussed. The people receiving the bonuses are not at fault . . . the government is at fault for having given the money to AIG without strings in the first place. Second, how are we sure that such a law would ONLY target the individuals at AIG and not grow into a 90% tax on other people who didn’t receive government bailout money? The answer is that we CAN’T. The concept is flawed on so many levels that I can’t even begin to site the arguments.

After the tax was announced last week, the White House began to back-pedal. I’ve heard lots of rumors, but I was interested to hear an “official” statement from the President. President Obama was on 60 Minutes last night (3/22/2009). He addressed this issue directly as follows:

“As a general proposition you don’t want to be passing laws that are just targeting a handful of individuals. You want to pass laws that have some broad applicability. And, as a general proposition, I think, you certainly don’t want to use the tax code to punish people”

I’m sorry, President Obama, but your statement is seriously defective. To say “As a general proposition you don’t want to be passing laws that are just targeting a handful of individuals” is like saying “as a general rule you would rather not pass such a law”. That sort of statement leaves some area of speculation and flexibility. The correct response should be “you cannot pass laws that are just targeting a handful of individuals because it is unconstitutional and wrong . . . period.”

This is not a grey area. This is not an issue for discussion and flexibility and negotiation. The entire concept is wrong and it scares a huge percentage of our population by just discussing it. President Obama needs to calm people’s doubts and concerns with a strong and confident confirmation that the administration would NOT support an illegal tactic like this. President Obama needs to evoke confidence by answering questions like this with undoubted clarity. All discussion of this 90% tax needs to stop before the concept itself strikes panic. The Federal Government has made one outrageous mistake after another, and now they want to "press the panic button" to try to get out of it . . . a 90% tax just isn't the answer.

Employees at AIG are already getting death threats, and the concept of a 90% tax is causing lots of concern and conversation. I fear that we are stepping into a VERY dangerous territory!

This is not an issue of bad decisions by Republicans or bad decisions by Democrats . . . this is an issue of Bad Government by both sides.

As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

My References for your “Reading Enjoyment”:

CLICK HERE – to read about the AIG bailout during the Bush Administration (9/2008)
CLICK HERE – to read about the AIG bailout during the Obama Administration (3/2009)
CLICK HERE – to read about the “outrage” over AIG bonuses
CLICK HERE and HERE – to read about the 90% tax on bonuses that was passed by the House last week
CLICK HERE – to read about Obama’s possible change of heart over the 90% tax
CLICK HERE – to read about the unconstitutionality of the tax law and references to Chapter 11
CLICK HERE – to read about the death threats to AIG employees
CLICK HERE – to read an on-going on-line conversation about the issue

How Long Have You Had a Weak Back?

Written by Roberta Biros

You all know the old joke, right? A person asks “How long have you had a weak back?”, and the answer is “Oh, About a Week Back!”. Funny stuff. Well, not really funny, but this is the type of humor I’ve enjoyed with my family for years. The actual “weak back” stuff really isn’t funny either . . . if it happens to you.

I threw my back out this week. How you ask? . . . “Doing Something Stupid”. . . which is pretty much my answer every time I hurt myself (which is often). I'll admit that I’m accident prone. If there is an icy patch . . . I’ll find it. If there is an uneven spot in the pavement . . . I’ll find it. If there is a tree to fall out of . . . yep . . . I'll find it.

This week I was re-arranging my closet. I was pulling all of my spring and summer clothes forward while trying to push the some of the winter clothes back. One quick twist and push of the hangers and I heard the “pop” in my back. I haven’t been the same since.

But . . . this is all a sign of something more important. No, the point is not that I’m falling apart . . . which would be an obvious assumption. The point is . . . SPRING IS HERE (remember, the cleaning out of the closet).

Today, March 21, is the first FULL day of Spring. March 20th is the first day of Spring, but March 21st is the first FULL day. Today didn’t “seem” different to me, but I’ll never turn down a reason to celebrate. My husband and I decided to make the most of the semi-pleasant weather while attempting our first batch of yard work. Unfortunately, as with most “first” Spring projects, it took forever because we had to take time to pull everything out of storage . . . dust it off . . . get machines to work . . . and make the inevitable trip or two for supplies. We didn’t really seem to accomplish much, but it was the idea of getting out for some much needed fresh air . . . sore back and all.

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to set aside some “me time” this week. The weather is looking nice, and it is healthy to get outside and enjoy sunshine and a fresh breeze.

I suppose you all think it's odd that I’ve got no political issues to chatter about today. Are you disappointed? I would bet that some of you are relieved to not see your name mentioned here today. I have no criticisms, compliments, or suggestions for local or state lawmakers today. I’m just taking a break to enjoy Spring! I suggest you all do the same. All of the politics will still be there next week . . . believe me it isn't going anywhere.

How long have you had a weak back? ---- Oh, about a week back. (I still think it’s funny)

Walking in the Candidate's Shoes: A Series

I've been sharing my experiences regarding my current run for the office of Mercer County Treasurer, but I've decided to gather my blog posts into a new series that I'll call "Walking in the Candidate's Shoes". I'll add some of my past posts to the topic for completeness, but this will be the first "official" entry in my personal journal. I hope you enjoy it.


Campaign Update: Petitions have been Filed and Accepted

This week marks an “over-the-hump” milestone for my campaign for the office of Mercer County Treasurer. The deadline to file petitions was Tuesday, March 10, but this week marked the deadline for challenges regarding the filed petitions. The official date for challenges to be filed was Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day).

I mentioned last week that some verbal challenges were made regarding my petitions, and I was anxious to see if formal challenges would be filed. Was it all “bark” with no “bite”? I visited the elections office on Tuesday to make sure that things were in order, and at that time there were no official challenges filed against my petitions. On Wednesday, March 18th, it was official . . . my petitions were accepted as submitted.

This is one of many technicalities that I find interesting about politics. There are so many little hurtles and hoops to jump through . . . so much legal wrangling . . . it is all very fascinating.

Since it seems that the “opposition” has closely examined (and requested copies) of my petitions, I thought it only fair that I do the same. I’m not one to waste money needlessly ($0.25 per copy for goodness sakes) on copies of my opponent’s petitions. Instead, I spent my morning on Tuesday reading over her petitions one line at a time at the counter of the Elections Bureau. I’ve got a bit of a photographic memory (a trait that I inherited from my father), so the idea of making photocopies seemed a bit redundant.

Reading the names on the petitions was actually quite entertaining. There were so many names that were very familiar to me. The petitions read like a “who’s who” in Mercer County Republican politics. I was not surprised by the “high profile” names that were listed. More importantly, and I was not surprised by the names that were noticeably absent either. I don’t miss much, so the exercise was quite interesting, informational, and educational. I enjoyed it.

There are several little hurdles like the ones that passed this week between now and November. As a newbie to politics I find the process interesting at every turn. I’ll continue to share our little victories with all of you in an effort to “share the experience” and to help all of you to understand the process just a little more.

I’ll keep you posted with future “updates” in this on-going series "Walking in the Candidate's Shoes".

Elected Officials Spending Taxpayer Dollars for Self Promotion or Public Service?

Written by Roberta Biros

Like many of you in Mercer County, I received mail from Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper this week. If you received it you would remember it well . . . an "at your service" bell with the congressional logo . . . matte finish . . . full-color foldout . . . a first-class mailer. It was a very slick informational brochure outlining the Congresswoman’s responsibilities and contact information. It was a very professionally prepared and attractive marketing piece . . . without a doubt. As a first impression, it looked “very expensive”. The most interesting part of the piece was the simple line of text that read “This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.”

Well, with that “new information”, I had to take a second look. Since I paid for it, I’d like to see exactly what my much needed tax dollars were used for (this is where the analyst in me takes over . . . I apologize in advance). A close examination of the data contained in the brochure showed that about 45% of the content was very attractive graphics with absolutely no useful content whatsoever. 18% of the content was a reply post card that could be used to contact the Congresswoman. 18% of the content was used for the address area of the mailer and contact information for the Congresswoman. The balance of the space (roughly 19%) was dedicated to the many useful tasks that the Congresswoman can assist me with . . . Social Security benefits, Veterans’ benefits, Tax issues (I wonder if Congresswoman Dahlkemper could talk to the Mercer County DA for me about a question he had about my taxes?), Congressional Internship opportunities, Purchasing a U.S. flag that has flown over the Capitol, Arranging for tours of the Capitol &White House, and Presidential birthday greetings for seniors over 80. There was no mention, however, about “legislation”, but I suppose that would have been an afterthought. Based on my analysis, the very sleek (and very expensive) little brochure only devoted 37% of the space to semi-useful information and contact details. The brochure used 63% of its space to useless fluff and self promotion and 0% was reserved to discuss LEGISLATION.

I realize that some of you will say . . . “Don’t pick on Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper . . . it isn’t fair”. Well, I agree. The Congresswoman is not the first elected official to spend tax payer dollars for self-promotion and fluff, most politicians do it . . . some more than others. The Congresswoman is still "new" and testing the waters. I'm not picking . . . I'm just using her as an example of a bigger problem.

Promotional tools are part of every elected officials budget. Some elected officials use advertising space for self-promotion, and some of them use the space to “inform”. As the watchdogs of our elected officials, we need to keep a close eye on the decisions that they make. I’m all about “good government” and careful fiscal decisions. In my opinion, spending taxpayer dollars as though they are “campaign contributions” is NOT good government. Mailers like the one discussed above are only one example. There are others . . .

As many of you already know, I’ve spent some time at local trade shows and business expositions lately. I understand why people that are running for office set up a booth at these shows to “meet people”. The booths are paid for as a campaign expense using personal funds or campaign donations. I have no problem with this. I do, however, have a problem with current elected officials purchasing a both at these shows under the guise of “public service”. Allow me to site an example or two (or three).

State Senator and State Representative “Information Booth”

When I visited the Greenville Business Expo, I found a booth shared by Senator Bob Robbins and Representative Michele Brooks. From what I could tell, the booth was an “information booth” paid for by the offices of Senator Robbins and Representative Brooks (i.e., “taxpayer dollars”), although I admit that this is unverified. The idea of a booth that gives you an opportunity to speak with a State Legislator actually seemed like a good idea to me. Unfortunately, there were no Legislators in the booth. Huh????

I like the idea of having a booth that allows normal Joe or Jane taxpayer to meet or talk to their elected State Legislator, but isn’t the purpose diminished if there is no Legislator in the booth to meet? A quick perusal of the booth showed what seemed to be tourist information (which can be picked up at a visitor center like the one on Rt. 322 or along Rt. 80) and various freebies, but no Senator or State Representative. I was at the show for about two and a half hours, and the booth was never visited by Senator Robbins or Representative Brooks as far as I could tell. I did catch a glimpse of Representative Brooks making her rounds to other booths at the show (so she was at least there and available for some period of time), but I never did see any sign of our fine Senator.

My question is, did we as tax payers pay for the booth at the show so that office staff could give out free maps and so Senator Robbins and Representative Brooks could self promote? Was this cost effective and good use of taxpayer dollars?

Mercer County Treasurer “Information Booth”

The Greenville Business Expo was interesting. The current Mercer County Treasurer purchased a booth to promote the office of “County Treasurer”. From what I could tell, the booth was an “information booth” paid for by the office of the County Treasurer (i.e., “taxpayer dollars”), although . . . once more . . . I admit that this is unverified.

Again I say “Huh??? “ What was the purpose of the booth you ask? I only stopped for a very brief visit (I did not hang around for long for obvious reasons), but the focus of the booth seemed to be “dog licenses”. Now understand that this is not the only booth that the Treasurer’s offices has purchased using tax payer dollars (as she had a booth at the recent Home Show in Hickory too). I’d love to see a cost analysis of such an endeavor. Is this type of promotion of a public office really necessary? Do the County Commissioners, Prothonotary, Record of Deeds, and Controller purchase booths to promote their offices? To be fair, I will say that the booth was at least manned by the County Treasurer herself (rather than office staff), but was this a good use of tax dollars?

State Senator and State Representative “Campaign Booths”

As one last example I’d like to discuss booths that were set up at the Grove City Trade Show at the end of February. Senator Bob Robbins and State Representative Dick Stevenson had what appeared to be “Campaign Booths”. These booths were for the obvious promotion of the Senator and State Representative. I assume, also, that these booths were paid for by campaign donations (again, I have no proof). I explained earlier that I have no problem with this type of booth as it “is what it is” . . . obvious self-promotion at the expense of the campaign supporters. I only bring up the example here because unlike the “Information Booth” at the Greenville Business Expo, these booths were manned by Senator Bob Robbins (and his wife) and State Representative Dick Stevenson (and his wife). I find it interesting that when the booth is used for self-promotion, the parties involved devote their day to it (along with their spouses), but when the booth is used for “information and public service”, there are no elected officials to be found.

My point? Pay attention to the small print. The small line on Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper’s brochure read “This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.” When you see these words, think about how your taxpayer dollars were used. Did you receive an informational newsletter packed with valuable information about issues that pertain to the people of Mercer County? OR, is it just a glossy marketing piece designed to promote a politician at the taxpayer’s expense. When you see a booth at a trade show or a fair, ask . . . “who paid for this booth”? If it was paid for by taxpayer funds, think about whether YOU would spend your money that way.

Remember . . . “taxpayer dollars” are OUR dollars, and we should have some say in how they are spent, and we should have the right to complain when our money is spent poorly.

As always, just my opinion.

~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

Woodland Place: Checking Out the Latest News

Written by Roberta Biros

It has been some time since I last posted content regarding Mercer County’s own “pebble in its shoe”, Woodland Place. I’ve noticed that much has been mentioned in the Sharon Herald recently, but unfortunately it isn’t really anything “new”.

I’ve written extensively on the topic of Woodland Place in the past, and you can read some of my previous blog posts HERE (I apologize, but many of my older articles have been archived for the sake of drive space and bandwidth). I also read a great summary of the financial crisis at Woodland Place at another Blog/On-Line Newspaper HERE. The article titled “County Commissioners Find New Ways To Lose Another $3 To $7 Million On Already Sold Nursing Home” puts the financial figures regarding the nursing home into prospective in a very simple way, and it is worth a quick read.

My research regarding Woodland Place originally began by scanning the archives of local news papers. I then started gathering information from individuals who had some level of involvement in the issue. In December, I had a long meeting with Commissioner John Lechner, and I’ve had extensive email conversations with former Commissioners regarding other historical details. I’ve tried to be fair in my coverage of Woodland Place, but I’ve also been clear that I think it is a problem that needs to be resolved . . . quickly!

At one point I wrote so much about the topic that I was contacted by a party in eastern PA that was interested in the possible purchase of Woodland Place. They felt that I was a key contact, and asked for my assistance in contacting the nursing home and the County Commissioners. I’m not sure how I became the “authority” on the failed nursing home, but I was happy to field the request. I provided the individual with contact information for the Mercer County Commissioners Offices so that he could talk with them personally. That contact and response was on January 21, 2009.

Several weeks later, I was contacted again by the same eastern PA party. This time his email message read as follows:

“Just wanted to follow-up and let you know that we have been trying repeatedly to get both Councilmen on the phone, we heard today that they were not interested in talking to us about selling the home. "

It seems that the County Commissioners refused to speak to the out of town firm. At that point, I sent an email message to all three County Commissioners as follows (some details have been “X”ed out for the sake of privacty of the parties involved):

Subject: Woodland Place Inquiry -- Please Respond

TO: Mercer County Commissioner Brian Beader
Mercer County Commissioner John Lechner
Mercer County Commissioner Kenneth Ammann

Dear Sirs,

I am writing as a concerned citizen of Mercer County.

At the end of December I had a meeting with Commissioner John Lechner regarding the status of Woodland Place as it pertains to the citizens and taxpayers of Mercer County. During that meeting I was told that the best case scenario for Woodland Place (as far as the County is concerned) is to sell the home to a “good buyer”. At that time, I understand there were on-going negotiations with the individual who is currently managing the home, and the Commissioners’ Office was hopeful that a “deal” might be signed by the end of January.

Question #1:
I’d like to know the status of that “deal”. I’d like to know if negotiations have moved forward and if we are closer to closing a deal on the Home.

Question #2:
If there is no pending agreement, I’d like to know the new time-line that has been established based on your latest data.

Question #3:
If there is not yet a deal, I’d like to know why repeated attempts by an outside firm to discuss the possible purchase of Woodland Place have been ignored. Mr. “X” of “X
Company” in “X”, PA contacted me several weeks ago to request contact information for the Commissioners’ Office, and I obliged. Mr. “X” has contacted me again today and has asked if I had any insight into why there is currently “no interest” from the Commissioners’ Office in discussing the potential sale of Woodland Place.

As a concerned citizen and a taxpayer in our fine County, I’d appreciate a candid response.

You may respond by email to Roberta.in.mercer@gmail.com, or you may call me at my home office at X. If it is necessary for me to come to your office to discuss the matter, please let me know and I will make an appointment to do so.

Thank you in advance for your prompt reply.

That email message was sent to the Commissioners Office on February 9, 2009. Unfortunately, a response was never received by mail, email, or phone.

Just last week, there were several articles published in the Sharon Herald regarding Woodland Place. Those articles are listed below for reference:

3/12/2009 -- County near deal to sell Woodland Place nursing home

3/13/2009 -- Woodland Place owes big sewer bill

3/16/2009 -- UPDATE: Woodland Place suitor owns New Castle nursing home

The first article (3/12/2009) simply stated that a plan to sell the home was “imminent”, but once again the County Commissioners were ducking questions and holding details very tight to their vests.

The second article (3/13/2009) reports an interesting problem with the nursing home. It seems that after announcing the potential sale of the home, creditors started to get a little scared. The announcement prompted Coolspring Township to file a lien against the nursing home in the amount of $29,936 in unpaid sewer fees. This is a smart move on the part of Coolspring Township to get in line to get paid should a sale take place. In response, County Commissioner Brian Beader told the Herald “that all sewer bills accrued under the new board at Woodland Place are paid up”. He went on to say that “the nearly $30,000 deliquency accrued under a prior board between Jan 22 2007 and Nov 18, 2008, according to the lien.” This is all interesting and a funny stand for the Commissioner to take. I’ll be curious to see if the $30,000 delinquency will be forgiven because a new “board” was in place. Last I checked, this isn’t a reason for debt forgiveness, but perhaps Commissioner Beader has some sort of inside information. This story is worth a follow-up.

Lastly, the third article (3/16/2009) announced “who” is attempting to purchase the nursing home. This information has been available since my December conversation with Commissioner John Lechner, so it was not a surprise to me. Although, I must admit that I’d like to know if my contact from Eastern PA was ever given an opportunity to enter into the negotiations. We all know that competition and multiple interests would be good for the County.

Three articles written within a week’s time, but nothing really new to report . . . other than the fact that the nursing home continues to rack up more debt that it appears to have no intention of paying. It seems that the Commissioners office has found it necessary to gather some “free” press for themselves, but they haven’t actually provided the tax payers with any new “free” information. The lack of transparency here is concerning. I realize that a business deal can require a certain amount of privacy, but this particular business deal is costing each and every tax payer in this county money every single day, and we deserve more. The Commissioners’ Office did not hesitate to burden the tax payers with a 2 mil increase this year to cover the failed nursing home, so they should not hesitate to burden us with details either. The closed door policies of the County Commissioners Office just doesn’t “smell right”, and I think some outrage might be in order.

Woodland Place is a very expensive “pebble in the shoe” of Mercer County Pennsylvania taxpayers. It is the responsibility of the County Commissioners Office to address this issue on behalf of the taxpayers. It concerns me that two of the Commissioners, who are also members of the Board at Woodland Place, seem a bit confused on exactly who it is that they work for. Regardless of their Board positions, it is important for the County Commissioners Office to realize that they work FOR the taxpapers of Mercer County, and they, therefore, owe the taxpayers a certain amount of respect . . . not to mention accountability and transparency . . . characteristics that seem to be lacking in some offices of the Mercer County Courthouse lately.

As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

Public Availability of Personal Income Tax Records for Elected Officials and Candidates in Mercer County

Written by Roberta Biros

Over the weekend an interesting suggestion was made, and I wanted to take this opportunity to explore the topic in detail. At a weekend political event, it was suggested by the Mercer County District Attorney, Robert Kochems, that because I am running for office I should be required to post my income tax returns on the internet for everyone to see, examine, and scrutinize.

Now realize that the suggestion was not made that any other candidates or political figures in Mercer County should be required to fulfill this task . . . just me. Apparently I am so interesting that people simply want to know everything about me. I’m honored, Mr. Kochems . . . really!

The suggestion was an interesting one. When the topic was brought up, it was obviously intended as some sort of pointed attack at me personally. Perhaps it was a shot at my creditability . . . perhaps it was an attempt to scare me off . . . perhaps it was a veiled threat suggesting that some group associated with the DAs Office wants to investigate me in some way . . . or, perhaps it was a sign of some curiosity regarding my financial status as an individual and business owner that interests the District Attorney personally. I find it odd that the District Attorney’s Office has such interest in one candidate in one race, and I wonder if other candidates are being “investigated” in a similar way? Regardless, the suggestion was telling in many ways, and it is worthy of further discussion.

I’ve thought about the suggestion, and I’ve decided that I support the idea whole-heartedly. I support the idea of making the tax records of ALL elected officials and candidates publicly accessible to the fine people of Mercer County through the Mercer County website. I will, absolutely, share my tax records as long as every other candidate and elected official that works in or represents Mercer County is included too . . . after all, I wouldn’t want anyone to feel left out or less popular.

As a natural born “analyst”, I’ve taken some time to analyze how such a project should be handled. It would be a time-consuming task, but I am prepared to outline some of the steps now. If the Mercer County Courthouse staff is unable to fulfill the request due to a shortage of manpower or a lack of technical skills, I’ll be glad to volunteer for the task.

Step One: Personal Income Tax Records of State Legislators

The project should start with the personal tax returns for our State Legislators. We should immediately post the tax records of Senator Bob Robbins, Representative Dick Stevenson, Representative Mark Longietti, and Representative Michele Brooks. Considering that these are some of the most important representatives of Mercer County, their personal finances should be examined first. Perhaps Mr. Kochems should contact our State Legislators first. The link below provides contact information for his reference:

General Assembly Legislators Representing Mercer County, PA: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/county_list.cfm?CNTYLIST=Mercer

Step Two: Personal Income Tax Records of District Judges

The next list of office holders should be the District Judges. Again, the link below should provide Mr. Kochems with the contact information required to gather the necessary tax information:

Mercer County District Judges:
http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/fwDJS.rtf

Step Three: Personal Income Tax Records of ALL County Officials

Obviously, the next step would be to collect the personal tax information from all of our Countywide Officials . . . including but not limited to District Attorney (yes, Mr. Kochems, you would be included also), Controller, Commissioners, and the current County Treasurer. Again, to assist you in the gathering process, the following link will provide you with the ability to contact each and every individual:

Mercer County Officials:
http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/fwCNTYOFFCLS.rtf

I would be remiss if I did not mention that the County Officials list also includes the Chairmen of the Republican and Democratic Committees (although out of date). Mr. Kochems should be sure to contact Bob Lark (Chairman of the Democratic Committee) and Dave King (current Chairman of the Republican Committee). I’d be glad to provide you with Dave King’s contact information if you do not have it available to you.

Step Four: Personal Income Tax Records of ALL School District and Municipal Officials

I see no reason to stop at the Countywide positions, the task of collecting and publicizing tax information should be carried to all levels of government in Mercer County. Therefore, the extra effort should be made to publicize the records for School District Officials and Municipal Officials too. Again, their contact information is provided below for reference:

Mercer County School District Officials:
http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/fwSBS.rtf

Mercer County Municipal Officials:
http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/fwMUNOFFCLS.rtf

Step Five: Personal Income Tax Records of ALL Democrat and Republican Committee Members

If we are including “elected positions”, it would be unfair to leave out the members of the Democrat and Republican Committees. Their names and contact information are provided in the links below:

Mercer County Democratic Committee Members: http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/fwCMTDEMS.rtf

Mercer County Republican Committee Members: http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/fwCMTREPS.rtf

Step Six: Personal Income Tax Records of ALL Democrat and Republican Candidates

Once all of the tax information for all currently elected officials has been made public, we could then move to the candidates for the upcoming primary . . . if time permits. For reference, below is a link providing the names of those individuals, but Mr. Kochems could contact the Elections Bureau to retrieve full contact information:

Mercer County 2009 Democratic Primary Candidates: http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/Primary/2009/Democratic_Primary_Candidates.htm

Mercer County 2009 Republican Primary Canidates: http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/Primary/2009/Republican_Primary_Candidates.htm

In Summary . . .

Am I willing to provide my personal tax information? Absolutely. I only ask that everyone be included as a matter of fairness. Elected officials can lead by example, and I will gladly follow. Who wants to be first? I suppose Mr. Kochems will be the first volunteer since it was his suggestion.

I’d also like to point out that Mr. Kochems has also shown personal interest in the petitions that I filed in order to run for the office of Mercer County Treasurer. I know this because Mr. Kochems also chose to challenge the signatures on my petitions publicly at the political event. It seems that Mr. Kochems has examined my petitions and has gathered background information on the circulators of my petitions. I am absolutely certain that Mr. Kochems has taken equal interest in ALL of the candidates that are running for office, and I’m glad to know that the District Attorney’s Office takes such interest in the election process in Mercer County. I would like to point out to the distinguished DA, however, that there is a legal forum set up through the Elections Office that handles challenges of petitions through an established procedure. If he’d care to contact the Elections Bureau regarding the matter, I’m sure that Mr. Greenburg will be glad to provide instructions for filing such legal challenges. Although, as the current DA, I would have thought that he was already aware of these legal processes. I suppose one can never “assume” (ASS U ME).

In Closing . . .

To my loyal readers, please stay tuned to this on-going saga. I’m sure that every day will bring new excitement from every angle. This is, undoubtedly, only the beginning.

NOTE: All of the links above are available through the Mercer County Election Bureau website (http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/) under the heading of “Listing of Officials” at http://www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us/election/listings_of_officials.htm

The Ides of March Has Come

Written by Roberta Biros

Caesar was told to “Beware the Ides of March”. On the Ides of March (March 15, 44BC), Caesar proclaimed “The Ides of March has Come”, but he was warned “Aye Caesar, but not gone”. Later that day Caesar was stabbed to death by a group of Senators that called themselves “Liberators”. Beware the Ides of March . . . indeed.

Today is the “Ides of March” . . . today is also my Birthday. As a Birthday gift, my husband took me out for the day. We drove into New York for a relaxing “day off”, and we stopped for a scrumptious steak dinner on the way home. Nothing too fancy . . . just a quiet uneventful day. Part of my gift was that my husband did the driving. It was great as it left me about 4 hours of time to devote to preparing material for my blog. So I suppose it is my way of spending my birthday with all of you . . . my loyal readers.

First, you should all know that the readership of my blog is growing exponentially. My web stats show it, and a public event that I attended this weekend proved it.

I attended a Democratic event on Saturday morning. It was an opportunity to meet up with some “new friends” in the Party, and a chance to introduce myself to others. To my surprise, copies of this blog had been printed and distributed on the tables of the event. I found this to be very interesting.

I was provided a 10 minute opportunity to speak to the attendees, and I had hoped that I would have a much needed chance to discuss my qualifications for the office of Mercer County Treasurer. Some of the attendees, however, had a different idea. My 10 minute presentation turned into a 30 to 40 minute question and answer session regarding topics like my blog, my tax returns, my blog, my petitions, my blog, my recent change of parties, and, most importantly, my blog.

While I think that the time was well spent and my message was successfully delivered, at times the event was a bit like the Ides of March reference above, but minus the knives, stabbing, and brutal death of a political figure. It was an interesting exchange, and I did learn some very important lessons.

Lesson Number One . . . my musical references in this blog leave a lasting memory. One individual even quoted my “clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you” reference. Unfortunately, the person that made the reference stopped reading that particular blog post at the end of the musical reference because he didn’t seem to understand the basic reasoning behind the post itself. That’s OK, I still liked the “shout out” (although unintentional).

Lesson Number Two . . . I’ve finally determined the “hot button” issues that seem to bother people of both political parties, and I’ve compiled a simple reference list based on my recent and past experiences.

Republicans get upset (and complain to me) when I blog about . . .

Farm Subsidies, Coconut Gate, Campaign Finances, COLAs, or anything positive regarding Representative Michele Brooks

Democrats get upset (and complain to me) when I blog about . . .

Unions, Obama, Representative Mark Longietti, COLAs, or anything positive regarding Representative Michele Brooks

The third and most important lesson that I learned is regarding universal problem in politics . . . politicians seem to all be tied together regardless of Party. You would think that the Democratic Party would be glad to have someone willing to step up and run for office . . . to fill a much needed void that has gone unaddressed in the race for County Treasurer for 16 years. That is what you would “think”. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the leadership in the Democratic Party are perfectly content with things just the way they are, and they don't appreciate anyone shaking things up.

At first I found this to be confusing, but I think I finally understand the odd foundation on which the behavior is based. It seems that many of our elected officials at the County level all travel within the same tight little circles. The members of the “circles” have a need to protect each other in order to protect themselves. Democratic insiders, Republican insiders, and insiders that have switched between parties are all looking out for each other. Very clear alliances exist, and people from outside of the “circles” are actively beaten back with a stick. The standard tactics are to attempt to belittle and intimidate in order to make outsiders feel that their quest is both ridiculous and impossible. The last thing that any of them want is for a concerned citizen to enter into “their arena” with the sole purpose of making things better and serving the public needs. Why? Because it would make them all look bad.

I was told this weekend that I basically need to repackage myself in order for political groups to agree to support me. I need to say what they want to hear. I’m sorry, but I respectfully decline any support that requires that I lie or change "who I am" in order to fit into a predesigned mold. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again . . . “I’d rather lose this race and maintain my honesty and integrity than to win the race and have lied in the process”.

In summary, I'd like to say that my experiences regarding my change in party affiliation have still been positive for the most part. I've met some wonderful people with which I have much in common . . . they are involved in politics because they enjoy it and they believe in the promotion of good government. It is those people that are making this all worthwhile. I have great admiration for the people that can see past the "politics" to the bigger picture, and it is those people that I will look to for the next 8 months for guidance and moral support.

Regarding this blog and my blog topics:

To concerned Democrats, please read my blog posts . . . not just the 4 or 5 that reference Unions or Obama.

To concerned Republicans, please read my blog posts . . . not just the 4 or 5 that reference farm subsidies and “Coconut Gate”.

To Republicans and Democrats alike, keep in mind that ALL of my posts are simply statements of my personal opinions (a freedom that is still available to me last I checked). Also realize that NONE of these personal opinions have anything to do with my qualifications to hold the office of Mercer County Treasurer. If you'd like to know more about those qualifications, please visit my election website at ElectBiros.com, or email me personally.

I will continue to promote good government and punish bad behavior in this blog. If I make statements regarding a topic and it infuriates you, please don’t shoot the messenger. My opinions are not intended to infuriate . . . the subject matter that I write about is intended to promote conversation.

Comments, criticisms, conversation . . . all welcome!

The Ides of March has Come . . . but not yet gone.

Left, Right, or Down the Middle?

Written by Roberta Biros

Many of you know how much I like musical references. I have one that keeps running through my head lately. It is a song by Stealers Wheel. If you are a fan of the movie "Reservoir Dogs", you'll never forget it. It is titled "Stuck in the Middle with You". The line from the song that keeps running through my mind is "Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, Here I am, stuck in the middle with you." That sort of describes where I am right now.

My recent decision to run for public office has brought about some questions about this blog and its content from friend and foe alike. I'd like to respond officially and for the record.

In the past, I’ve been known to openly name names on this Blog . . . for both good and for bad. My goal has been to applaud good leadership and good government, and to point out issues of concern to the citizens of Mercer County. I’ve received criticism (and even some praise) from both sides of the isle for my honesty. I will not, however, change who I am or what I believe to pacify any individual or group. The opinions stated in this blog are my own and they are honest. I will remain honest because that is who and what I am.

I share my opinions in this forum in an effort to promote good government and good behavior. I will continue my mission without the control of outside influences. I will continue to name names and point fingers when I feel it is necessary or helpful to do so. I hope that my honesty and fairness are embraced regardless of whether you agree or disagree with my opinions. All I ask is that you support my right speak up . . . my right to be concerned . . . my right to try to make a difference . . . and my right to have an opinion!

The fact that I a running for office DOES NOT change my opinions . . . THAT would be dishonest. I will not, therefore, buckle to pressure from either side. I've talked to hundreds of "new friends" from Mercer County over the past several weeks. During my conversations, I make it clear that I'm always the "same person" regardless of who I'm talking to. My old friends understand that about me, and I hope that my "new friends" will agree. I don't change who I am or how I am for any given situation. The same is true on this blog.

The content of this blog is published in an attempt to educate, to share information, and to highlight interesting and important topics for the people of Mercer County. Even if you disagree with my opinions, feel free to use this forum as an area for debate and discussion. I receive comments, emails, and phone calls regarding my opinions that are published here, and I welcome the discussion and sharing of ideas.

New readers to this Blog may think that my opinions are "partisan". Unfortunately, both sides seem to think so (which lends credence to the fact that I am actually "non-partisan" . . . but I'll get to that in a minute).

• Republicans have complained that I've picked on them too much and that I've been overly critical.
• Democrats have complained that I've picked on them too much and that I've been overly critical.
• Democrats that feel that I'm doing too much "back patting" of Republicans.
• Republicans that feel that I'm doing too much "butt kicking" of Republicans.

Do you see the trend here?

I don't view issues as Republican or Democrat. I categorize policies as "good" or "bad" regardless of Party.

Some issue has been made over my recent change of political parties. Everyone seems to want to politicize it, but the truth is that the decision was a personal one. Loyal readers of this blog know that it is a decision that I've been contemplating for quite some time, and the final move was not taken lightly. I understand that people that are just getting to know me don't know the background, so they may be prone to assume some things. That is why I need to set the record straight . . . right from the "horses mouth" (so to speak).

There are rumors being floated around that my reason for changing parties (and my reason for running for office) is to satisfy some personal vendetta. These rumors could not be further from the truth. As I've already explained, my decision to switch parties was a personal one made with much thought and discussion. To further clarify, I am running for the office of Mercer County Treasurer because I feel that I am the most qualified person for the job! I have no personal vendetta against the current Treasurer. I've only spoken to her a few times, and our encounters were friendly. This race is about my goal to update and improve the office of Mercer County Treasurer. It is NOT personal. I want to improve the Treasurer's Office for the good of the people of this fine County . . . ALL of the people . . . regardless of political affiliations!

It is for that reason that I will be making a bold move in my campaign. It is my intention to run a non-partisan campaign. The office of Mercer County Treasurer should be an apolitical position. It should NOT be controlled by partisan politics from either side of the aisle. The responsibility of the office is to be the caretaker of the County's funds and to serve the tax payers . . . regardless of politics. It should NOT be controlled or directed by ANY political party or outside loyalties.

My campaign for the office of Mercer County Treasurer will be focused on the facts. I am a qualified small business owner that intends on using my business experience and my knowledge of information technology to improve and steamline the tasks and responsibilities of the Mercer County Treasurer's Office. I intend to make all decisions for the office based on facts, figures, and data. I will not be persuaded by politically partisan issues. My only loyalty will be to the tax payers of Mercer County, and my efforts and energy will go to promoting responsibility, efficiency, and accountability in the Treasurer's Office and in the Mercer County Courthouse.

Comments, criticizms, and general discussion are always welcomed!

Legislator Pay Raise Update

Written by Roberta Biros

It has been a little while since I last wrote about the status of the Repeal of COLAs. I was able to find and print out all of the proposed House and Senate Bills regarding this issue today, and I’m now prepared to provide my commentary on each.

As of today, March, 9, 2009, there are five proposed Bills on record in the Pennsylvania State General Assembly amending the act of September 30, 1983 (P.L.160, No.39). I’ve printed and reviewed all five Bills. I am providing my own brief summary of each below. I'm also including a list of all Legislators involved in the introduction of each bill along with their District Number and party affiliation. No party bias here!

House Bill No. 62
[READ HERE]
Date: JANUARY 26, 2009

Introduced by PERRY (R-92), BARRAR (R-160), BOYD (R-43), CREIGHTON (R-37), CUTLER (R-100), EVERETT (R-84), GEIST (R-79), GOODMAN (D-123), HARRIS (R-82), HELM (R-104), KAUFFMAN (R-89), KORTZ (D-38), MARSICO (R-105), MELIO (D-144), ROAE (R-6), ROCK (R-90), SAYLOR (R-94), SCAVELLO (R-176), STEVENSON (R-8) AND VULAKOVICH (R-30)

Roberta’s Summary:

This bill establishes a commission to study the salaries of members of the General Assembly, as well as all officials of the executive and judicial branches of State government. The commission members would be selected from registered eligible voters from each legislative district . . . would hold a four-year term with a limit of two terms . . . would be required to attend meetings . . . and would not be permitted to engage in any “ex parte communication” with any public officials.

Roberta’s Comments:

Wow. What a piece of garbage this bill is. First, the idea of creating a “commission” becomes ridiculous and blown out of proportion. Additionally, we are going to “assign” people to the commission? They aren’t going to run for the office or even want the office . . . we are just going to pick them from the list of eligible voters? We are then going to assign these people (who weren’t interested) to a four-year term and limit them to two terms (even though our legislators aren’t limited to two terms)? We then set requirements and attendance rules to a responsibility that is completely voluntary and in which the selected parties were not even interested? Finally, we state that they aren’t allowed to engage in “ex parte communication” with any public officials? No, that is not too much to ask! You must be kidding me!

I label this one as FUBAR.

House Bill No. 113
[READ HERE]
Date: JANUARY 30, 2009

Introduced by PERRY (R-92), CUTLER (R-100), GROVE (R-196), KAUFFMAN (R-89), MILLER (R-93), MOUL (R-91), MUSTIO (R-44), SCAVELLO (R-176), SWANGER (R-102), VULAKOVICH (R-30) AND WATSON (R-144)

Roberta’s Summary:

This bill simply states that no cost of living adjustment will occur if “revenues collected by the Commonwealth as of October 1 of each year meet or exceed projections for the first quarter of the fiscal year according to the final revenue estimates signed by the Governor”.

Roberta’s Comments:

Here is another one that I don’t like. I understand that the purpose of the Bill is to make certain that raises are not applied if the “money isn’t there”, but is that the best they could do? If the money is there “take it” . . . if it isn’t, “wait until next year”?

This bill was poorly thought out and poorly presented. I don’t like it.

Senate Bill No. 244
[READ HERE]
Date: MARCH 5, 2009

Introduced by PILEGGI (R-9)

Roberta’s Summary:

This bill simply suspends the annual cost of living adjustment immediately. The act expires, however, on November 30, 2009.

Roberta’s Comments:

Simple and to the point. It suspends the automatic cost of living adjustments immediately. Unfortunately, having the suspension expire on November 30, 2009 sort of eliminates the whole idea, doesn’t it? So we’d need to go through this again next year? Yuck.

House Bill No. 228
[READ HERE]
Date: FEBRUARY 3, 2009

Introduced by McILVAINE SMITH (D-156), CARROLL (D-118), CONKLIN (D-77), CREIGHTON (R-37), FLECK (R-81), KORTZ (D-38), MURT (R-152), MUSTIO (R-44), QUINN (R-143), ROAE (R-6), REESE (R-59), SHAPIRO (D-153), K. SMITH (D-112), SWANGER (R-102) AND YUDICHAK (D-119)

Roberta’s Summary:

This bill basically ends the cost of living adjustments as of November 30, 2009.

Roberta’s Comments:

Again, Simple and to the point. It does what I had originally wanted done . . . it eliminates the automatic cost of living adjustments. I like it . . . but why wait until November of 2009? If this is our only choice . . . I’d take it and I wouldn't complain.

House Bill No. 633
[READ HERE]
Date: February 26, 2009

Introduced by ROAE (R-6), BROOKS (R-17), CALTAGIRONE (D-127), MURT (R-152), ROCK (R-90) AND THOMAS (D-181)

Roberta’s Summary:

First, this bill lowers the “additional compensation” received by lawmakers and officers of the House and Senate. The additional compensation received by officers like Majority Leader, Minority Leader, Majority Caucus Chairman, Minority Caucus Chairman, etc. are nearly cut in half.

Additionally, the Bill states that salaries “may” increase, but “only by act of General Assembly enacted prior to the date on which nomination petitions are permitted by law to be circulated for election to the office of member of the General Assembly and provided that such act is not effective until December of the next legislative session”. This basically means that salaries are set at the time an individual runs for office.

As a final safeguard, a “Salary frozen during term” stipulation was added that states that “no member of the General Assembly shall receive an increase in salary during the term for which the member is elected”.

Roberta’s Comments:

I like it. It is more than I imagined, and I appreciate the thought that was put into it. The idea of cutting the “additional compensation” in half is wonderful “icing on this cake”. The concept of assigning a salary at the time someone runs for office (with no raises during their term) is something that should be adopted for all elected positions nationwide. It takes the issue of “raises” out of the game, and allows legislators to worry about legislating and serving their constituents (rather than serving themselves).

At the point raises are discussed, they salary adjustments would be for the next term . . . if they get elected! Brilliant.

A Review of the Mercer County Prospective:

I’ve received complaints that I only focus on Mercer County legislators (three of which are Republicans, with only one Democrat). I suppose some people think that I unfairly discuss Republicans 3/4 of the time because they hold 3/4 of the positions. Well, this is MY blog, and it was originally designed to have a Mercer County prospective . . . so . . . too bad! Please realize, however, that I generally pick on the Republicans 3/4 of the time too. Fair?

To review the Mercer County angle . . .

Sen. Bob Robbins' (R) name is not mentioned . . . no shock. As per the letter received from Mr. Robbins in January, he had no intention of putting time or effort into such a Bill.

Rep. Mark Longietti is not mentioned . . . again, no shock. Mr. Longietti clearly stated in an email conversation with this author that he did not support a repeal of the COLAs. Mr. Longietti kept his promise. Mr. Longietti and I agree to disagree.

Rep. Dick Stevenson is mentioned in House Bill No. 62 above. Unfortunately, Mr. Stevenson chose to back the crappiest bill of the five that were introduced.

Rep. Michele Brooks is mentioned in House Bill No. 633. Ms. Brooks stated in early January that she would support the “right” COLA Repeal legislation, and she kept her promise.

In Closing . . .

I now have a steady readership of both Democrat and Republican friends. I challenge you all to review the Bills above and compare them. If you agree with my opinions, let me know. If you disagree, feel free to contact me with specifics of where you think I’ve “gone wrong”.

As always, just my opinion.

~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives