Pennsylvania Government's Failure With Eachus's Turnabout

On election day House Majority Leader Todd Eachus lost his bid for reelection to newcomer Attorney Tarah Toohil. At his concession speech he had these words to say.

“Next week, I’m going to be going to the House floor, and I’m going to be Leader, and I’m going to focus on protecting the pension system and the obligation to our public citizens.”

Although Eachus was nowhere to be found he surfaced Friday in Harrisburg in time to help cancel the rest of the post election House sessions. According to this Associated Press report filed with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review outgoing House Speaker Keith McCall issued a memo announcing that the House would not have the lame-duck voting sessions later this month that were previously scheduled.

House Majority Whip Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, said he argued against the decision to cancel the remaining session days when he discussed it with McCall and Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne.

"I thought it was the wrong approach, that we should go back and that we ought to address a couple issues, the pension issue, among others," said Dermody, who is running for Democratic floor leader in the coming session.

Dermody said the overriding factor in McCall's decision was opposition to establishment of a legislative fiscal office, which is a provision of the Senate-passed pension bill pending in the House. He called it an unfunded mandate, but said he would vote for the pension bill even if it contains the new office.

A main opponent of the fiscal office has been Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia.

His spokeswoman Johnna Pro said Friday that the pension bill does not pass constitutional muster because it contains the fiscal office, citing an Oct. 14 ruling by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau that the legislation violates the state's constitutional requirement that laws may not address multiple, unrelated topics.

"We're talking about creating a $4 million legislative agency with three dozen employees," Pro said. "We just don't agree with that." Dwight Evans doesn't agree with someone looking over his shoulder. Mr. Evans...what was it about that $29 million that went to that charity in Philadelphia.

Karen Heller of the The Philadelphia Inquirer does a nice job of exposing another Harrisburg boondoggle involving the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars.

While the state is bankrupt and deserving programs have been slashed, career politicians like Rep. Dwight Evans continue to siphon money for their pet projects.

According to the Darwyyn Deyo of the Pennsylvania Independent House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne) said Friday the pension bill was unconstitutional and would not be brought to the floor for a vote.

Since they cancelled the sessions before the election McCall and Eachus have given legislators who earn $78,314 per year minimum a two month vacation on our tax dollars.

A spokesman for House Majority Leader Todd Eachus says the Democratic caucus is still trying to decide what to do about a Senate bill that packages pension reforms with the creation of an independent fiscal office.

The message being sent to the citizens of Pennsylvania. Don't dare ask us for an independent review. And Eachus wonders why he was a target?

It is rumored...well more than that..he said after the results of the election.."I was cheated". No Mr. Eachus...the taxpayers are cheated if for two months our legislature is prevented from coming to work.

Shame on the media in Northeastern PA for not getting to the bottom of this.

Legislators Need More Time To Campaign

Here is a memo posted on Grassrootspa.com.

Good afternoon,
Reps. McCall, Eachus & Dermody asked me to forward this memo to you concerning an update to the session schedule. If you need additional information please contact me.
TO: House Democratic Members
FROM: Keith R. McCall, Speaker
Todd A. Eachus, Majority Leader
Frank Dermody, Majority Whip

DATE: October 16, 2010
RE: SESSION SCHEDULE UPDATE
Monday, October 18 is now a non-voting session day.

No floor votes will be taken, and Members will not need to return to Harrisburg.

Our next scheduled voting session day remains November 8.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

How about apologizing to the citizens who you are taking advantage of by not giving them their money's worth?

That's what $78,314.00 per year gets the voters. Plus fully paid healthcare, plus pension, plus perdiem, plus car, plus $10,000 expenses, plus taxes up the wazooo. What is going on here is the fight of their lives in individual campaigns and the ability to fork the voters to ask for their vote to return them to Harrisburg. You know what happens to Pinnochio in the story right? Since Mr. McCall retired it appears Tarah Toohil has Todd Eachus really worried about his chances.

We Can Do Better

House Democratic Caucus Has Legal Appetite

Treasury Secretary Jack McCord has a link on his website for the public to search contracts made by Commonwealth Agencies. SOP performed a search of contracts made by the House Democratic Caucus. Since 2008 there are 12 legal firms who have been hired in a total of 27 contracts and amendments. The total cost to the taxpayers was $1,183,180.00.

There are several interesting contracts that SOP found in its research.

Christopher Casey was hired by Todd Eachus to serve as outside counsel to him according to this report by Robert Swift of the Times-Tribune in December, 2008. Chris Casey, the brother of U.S. Senator Robert Casey, is a partner at Dilworth Paxson LLP.

Christopher Casey is a partner in the Litigation, Corporate Investigations/White Collar, and Media Law Practice Groups. He represents companies, governmental entities and individuals in a broad range of counseling and litigation matters, involving such areas as antitrust, securities, contracts, property disputes, fraud, and political corruption.

These contracts were let out by the House Democratic Caucus with Dilworth Paxson, LLP. Contract Number HDC01021009 had a term of December 01, 2008 to January 16, 2009 not to exceed $100,000.00. Another contract, Number HDC02021009 was approved for Dilworth Paxson, LLP with a term from January 15, 2009 to March 02, 2009 not to exceed $50,000.00. Contract Number 4HDC05031009 termed from March 03, 2009 to June 30,2009 not to exceed $150,000.00 for Dilworth Paxson, LLP. There were two amendments to that contract. The first amendment, HDC02072209 went from July 01.2009 to December 31, 2009 not to exceed $150,000.00. The second amendment, HDC01121009, was for another $50,000 limit extending from December 03, 2009 to December 31, 2010.

Patrick Casey of Scranton is a partner is the legal firm Myeres, Brier, and Kelly. Attorney Casey represents Louis Pagnotti III. Questions on whether his client cooperated in the federal probe looking into corruption at the Luzerne County Courthouse were met with a "No Comment" according to this Legal Intelligencer article appearing on Law.com from June, 2009.

Pat Casey has served as lead counsel in federal jury trials involving charges of bank fraud; ERISA fraud; wire fraud; mail fraud; check fraud; credit card fraud; tax evasion; counterfeit; obstruction of justice; and other monetary crimes.

Myers, Brier, and Kelly were the recipients of contracts let out by the House Democratic Caucus of Pennsylvania as well. Contract number HDC02031909 had a term of December 01, 2008 to June 30, 2009 in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00. An amendment to the original contract extended the term from December 01, 2009 to December 31, 2010 in the same amount of $50,000.00.

It peaks the curiosity that the House Democratic Caucus in Harrisburg would hire a firm in Scranton. As previously reported the HDC also hired the firm of Sprague and Sprague from Philadelphia who represented Robert Powell in the Luzerne County Courthouse corruption probe. The total amount not to exceed in that contract was $100,000.00. It commenced on November 03, 2008 with no end date. The HDC was to inform the firm when it no longer needed its services.

Since all contracts are confidential as to the nature of the scope of work we can only surmise from the areas of practice of the lawyers hired as to the nature of the need for engagement.

On February 10, 2009 Eachus announced the appointment of Attorney Laura Kuller as his chief of staff at salary of $161,000 and Attorney Nora Winkelman as his chief counsel at a salary of $149,900 according to John Micek's March, 2009 column over at Capital Ideas . He must have this need to be surrounded by high priced attorneys.

Mr. Eachus should explain to the public as to the nature of these contracts. Of course he has yet to answer questions about Bonusgate so I wouldn't hold my breath he would be forthcoming anytime soon.

Corbett's Bonusgate Investigation Didn't Help

The Pennsylvania Treasury site contains a link to e-Contracts where taxpayers/the public can search to see what contracts were let out by state agencies.

SOP performed a search of the House Democratic Caucus to determine what types of contracts it makes on behalf of the Democratic legislators belonging to this LEGISLATIVE body. Please don't confuse the House Democratic Caucus with the House Democratic Campaign Committee. The later is the political body used for election purposes.

The first interesting contract was made with StrongMail. From their website one can ascertain its type of business.

StrongMail enables businesses to reach, engage and influence their target audience. We can help you improve your email marketing campaign performance, boost deliverability and lower costs, while extending your reach to new audiences using social media.

Contract Number HDC02060809 is for an "Email Marketing Server" plus software and support. It goes from Friday, May 22, 2009 to Friday, May 21, 2010.

The next contract is with Listrak, Ltd to furnish email services to the House Democratic Caucus. What makes this contract interesting is that it was signed by Christine Zarek who's name appears multiple times during Grand Jury testimony in the Bonusgate investigation.

Contract Number HDC01052510 states "Whereas the Client desires to communicate on legislative issues with the residents of the Commonwealth". The amount of the contract is for $20,000.00. It's term is from Saturday, May 1, 2010 to Friday, December 31, 2010. Now anyone with half a brain knows that the term coincides with the election season. There is no good reason to terminate legislative issue notification to Commonwealth residents on December 31st except that election season is over.

Lables and Lists obtained a VOTER FILE AGREEMENT in 2008 for the purpose of providing an enhanced voter regsitration file to the PADITO. The contract amount was $9,600.00. NOTE: PADITO= Pennsylvania Democratic Informtaion Technologies Office.
This agreement is very clear it is for voter names, not constituent names.

Lables and Lists, Inc. goes on to receive a contract to provide statewide constituent data files to the House Democratic Caucus from Thurday, January 08, 2009 to Thursday, December 31 2009 in the amount of $49,500.00.

This contract seems to contradict the Code of Conduct posted by the House Democratic Caucus on its website about the prohibition of political activity by its members and staff. Keep in mind that many constituents are not registered voters.

According to the contract terms with Labels and ListsItem 4. Provision of Constituent Files it states a. Creation of Constituent Files Labels and Lists hereby agrees to create and supply to the PADITO two specially formatted and electronically processed copies of the Pennsylvania constituent file. The base data for these files will be obtained from publicly available lists of all Pennsylvania voters in each county of the state. These data will then be processed to create statewide data files of uniform format and will be enhanced to matches of national telephone databases and the U.S. Post Office's National Change of Address(NCOA) and Locatable Address Corrections System(LACS). The copies of the file will then be processed into a format specified by the PADITO. The final enhanced files shall be referred to as the "PADTIO Constituent Files".

It gets better. b. Delivery Dates Labels and Lists shall provide the PADITO with two PADITO Constituent Files during the year 2009. The date of delivery of the files will be the sole determination of the PADITO but no earlier than 30 days following notification of Labels and Lists of the requested dates. Item c covers Use and Ownership of PADITO Constituent File Data. Two elections per year, furnishing two files per year, really not that hard to figure out.

But then it gets to item d. Transfer of Raw County Data Files. Labels and Lists agrees to provide to the PADITO, at the latter's request and at no additional charge, copies of all the raw county or state voter files acquired and used by Labels and Lists as the basis for the creation of the PADITO Constituent Files.

Let's roll back to a previous post by SOP from December 30, 2009. It refers to emails at a different time about the "incumbent protection program" put together by Eachus et al found on CasablancaPA.com.

THE VEON PAPERS
EXHIBIT F
Attachment 11
Document and mails shoping John Paul Jones performing House Democratic Campaign Committee campaign work on state time using state resources in 2007 under Todd Eachus' supervision.

From: Jones, John Paul
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 11:28 AM

To: Manzo, Michael; Cott, Brett
Cc: Manzo, Rachel

Subject: Incumbent Protection Meetings.

GOALS;
1. TO FOCUS, COORDINATE, AND DIRECT CAUCUS RESOURCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCUMBENT PROTECTION.

2. TO AVOID DUPLICATION OF INCUMBENT PROTECTION FUNCTIONS BETWEEN CAUCUS STAFF/offices.

3. To notify key caucus staff and leadership of progress (or lack thereof) by individual incumbents with regards to incumbent protection.

4. To share information across offices in order to constantly improve incumbent protection activities.

Meeting Composition:
Chairs- Rep. Eachus,
Mike Manzo,
Brett Cott

Leader's office- Paul Parsells
LCO- Chris Zarek
LRO- Jen Brubaker
OMS- Eric Webb

Approp.- Miriam Fox

ODA- Scott Casper

Policy Com-Rachel Manzo

Secretary-Mike Risch

Comm.-Barb Grill & Bill Patton

HDCC- Dan W. & Jess W.

F/R- Erin Madison

Misc. Staff- Jon Price, Bob Caton

Seems like things haven't really changed in the House Democratic Caucus political activity using taxpayer funds. If they were truly interested in Constituent Data files all they had to do was purchase public mailing addresses. This contract includes the identification of cell phone numbers, county and state voter files.

It should be noted that Lables and Lists received a new contract, Number 100129002, for $48,750.00 which ends January, 2011 by the entire House of Representatives, Democrats and Republicans, for email addresses in file format.

Disclaimer: This post implies no misconduct on the part of Strongmail, Listrak, Ltd. nor Labels and Lists, Inc.

Unemployment In NEPA UP TO 10.3%

The Times-Tribune published the latest unemployment figures for NEPA today.
With all the stimulus money that has been spent unemployment increased by three tenths of one percent to an 18 year high of 10.3%. Yet Congressman Paul Kanjorski states this is the "best economy of all mankind". He won his first term to Congress by convincing voters Frank Harrison was out of touch with his district. One would have believed Kanjo learned an important political lesson that year.

Over at my buddy Gort's blogspot he critques Chris Carney's press release about investigating the BP Gulf Spill mess.

I'm sure his subcommittee has jurisdiction on this but I think there are about a dozen Congressional Committees already investigating the spill.

There is an environmental disaster in the making in Pennsylvania that Carney hasn't said much about that has already seen his neighbors in Dimock living with water buffaloes because there wells have been poisoned.

Carney's release is a classic political tactic of wagging the dog to divert voter attention away from the real problems he and his cohorts have failed to address with billions upon billions of dollars, namely permanent job creation.

Senator Dominic Pileggi was right on point about the economic impact that loss of the stimulus money will have on Pennsylvania. He predicts a $4 billion to $5 billion dollar deficit in the state budget. Brad Bumsted called the stimulus money "crack cocaine" for the state governments.

Look at this comment by Ed Rendell. "Ladies and gentleman, the stimulus program is working and working big-time in Pennsylvania," Rendell said at a news conference last week. It seems the Democratic Party as witnessed by Rendell and Kanjorski's comments has an agenda to keep telling us how rosy the picture is despite the bad economic data. But he didn't fool Bumsted.

And Rendell says the poor public has been misled. A recent poll showing 64 percent of Americans oppose the stimulus bill is just a shame, Rendell adds, and it's not the voters' fault. For once you are right, Ed. It's Nancy Pelosi, Chris Carney, Paul Kanjorski, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama who head the all star cast of the "Great Stimulus Robbery" of the American public. Only the misleading roles also include you.

Chris, forget the well in the Gulf. How about getting NEPA out of the well of economic despair and create more jobs. Kanjo, isn't it time you quit taking the limousine rides paid for by campaign money and walk the streets with your constituents. Ed Rendell, please ride off into the Comcast sunset and leave the important decisions to the next governor.

The budget was $22 billion when Rendell took the reins and it has climbed to $28 billion. Eachus doesn't get that the state needs to go on a diet so maybe its time to trim the fat by rejecting those for re-election. That's a diet we all could stay on.

Tax And Spend Democratic Leaders In Pennsylvania

In today's Times Leader article about the budget debate in Harrisburg Mark Scolforo of the Associated Press indicates that Pennsylvania's leaders are hopeful a budget will pass before July 1st.

However, when you read further in the article the insensitivity of Pennsylvania's Democratic leaders to the economy and the loss of jobs in the state lights up the night sky like fireworks on the fourth of July.

Democratic leaders in the House, where tax bills originate, have considered raising taxes on Marcellus shale natural gas extraction and tobacco products — and raising new money from other sources — but so far they have not been able to muster the votes for passage.

Their leaders said the latest budget proposal included a menu of possible revenue sources, but did not specify what was on the list.

Rendell and his cronies want to put education out in the forefront as the reason taxes need to be raised. In truth they don't want to deal with a government bloated with excess payroll to reduce spending which would help keep the line on taxation.

Well Alice it's bam, zip to the moon with taxation. One would think in an election year they would want taxpayers to say "How sweet it is" by keeping the line or lowering taxes. The "teflon dons" of Harrisburg believe they are immune from taxpayer retaliation.

Is The Caucus System Responsible For Our State Deficits?

The Grand Jury hearing the Bonusgate allegations as well as the misuse of taxpayer monies issued a scathing report of the party caucus system in Harrisburg as highlighted in this report from Robert Swift. In Karl Rove's book, Courage and Consequence, he writes "We saw that politics is not about power or status, but about ideas and ideals. To view it as about power was to treat it as a game, cynical and ultimately meaningless and cruel. But to understand that it was about great principles was to understand that politics could be hopeful and important exercise at the center of our democratic experience."

In the Grand Jury report anaymous members leveled their harshest criticism in a 34-page report against the legislative caucuses, which they said exist "in the shadows of the law, as the years go by eating up more and more taxpayer resources with little or no tangible benefit to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania."

While many, including lawmakers themselves, have proposed reforms during the five years since the controversial legislative pay raise, the caucus system hasn't come under much scrutiny until now.

The grand jury report cites examples of duplication of activities in the House Democratic and Republican caucus printing shops and information technology departments and overstaffing as problems, but has relatively little to say about the respective Senate caucuses. This omission occurs despite repeated statements by state Attorney General Tom that his Bonusgate investigation is looking at the illegal use of taxpayer dollars for political activities in both chambers.

Mr. Rove's words resonate loud and clear with what is wrong with the caucus system in Harrisburg. Both parties clearly view it as about power, not principles. Swift writes "From the day a new lawmaker is elected to office, the caucus system is a fixture. Members attend caucus orientation sessions before they take office, are assigned seats on the floor with other caucus members and meet every session day in closed-door caucuses to hash out policy issues."

As a result of that failed and flawed system we are faced with a $1.2 billion deficit in Pennsylvania this year and its not over.

The bad fiscal news comes with a month remaining before the June 30 deadline for enacting the fiscal 2010-11 state budget. The House and Senate return to session Monday to start a prolonged period in session leading up to the deadline.

A month ago, key lawmakers said Pennsylvania was headed to a revenue gap above $1 billion.

Lawmakers like House Majority Leader Todd Eachus wanted to make us believe he would be able to deliver a budget on time for next year.

"We are projecting a $500,000 shortfall in the 2010-11 budget," Eachus said to a Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Breakfast audience at Capriotti's in Tresckow. "There is an $800,000 medical assistance payment due from the federal government. If that is paid, we will be within range of our two-year budget planning process." Mr. Eachus you are not within your projections and the caucus system is partly to blame.

As the Grand Jury stated The jury members find the roots of the illegal campaign activity that happened at least through 2006 in the patronage hiring done by the caucuses. Many of the legislative staffers were hired regardless of qualification due to the intercession of a lawmaker, they suggested. Their positions are secure even if they cannot do their jobs adequately, so additional staffers have to be hired.

"That process, over time, has contributed to the existence of hundreds of legislative employees who, although paid by the taxpayers to do legislative work, do campaign work on state time or with state resources, or other non-legislative work," the jurors wrote.

The real problem are the career legislators in Harrisburg. They view their position as their primary job. One does not go to college to become a legislator. There is no degree awarded to be a legislator. Their viewpoint is causing them to work the system for themselves. Their per diems, their pay raises, their retirement, every benefit they bestow upon themselves violates every principle of public trust.

Will the caucuses do the right thing? If they forget about the power and winning elections they will truly understand politics. Until then the pubic will view them as cynical and ultimately meaningless and cruel.

Pennsylvania Grand Jury Recommends Sweeping Government Overhauls

In this report out of Pennlive.com the Associated Press announces sweeping findings from the Grand Jury empaneled to investigate the misuse of taxpayer money commonly known as Bonusgate.

Despite dissemination of this report Todd Eachus's state site contains no mention of it.

A grand jury that investigated the state legislative corruption scandal known as Bonusgate wants the General Assembly to make sweeping changes, from how it hires and supervises employees to how it provides constituent services and even the way it debates passage of the annual budget.

A 34-page report obtained Monday by The Associated Press describes the Legislature as bloated with unnecessary staff and living in a time warp that reflects practices other states outlawed decades ago.

“This grand jury concludes, without any hesitation, that the current operational structure and ingrained procedures of the Pennsylvania House Democratic and Republican caucuses are irretrievably broken and in desperate need of systemic change,” the jury wrote.


“In the eyes of this grand jury, it is beyond dispute that numerous legislative employees have for years spent an enormous amount of time working on political campaigns when they were supposed to be performing their legislative duties,” the grand jury wrote. “All campaign work on legislative time must be eliminated and this will result in a surplus of legislative work unless rapid, meaningful change occurs.”

The 2,800 legislative employees amount to nine for each representative and 17 for each senator, the jury said.

“Despite the best efforts of numerous witnesses before the grand jury, nobody was able to justify such a large number of employees for this body,” the jurors wrote.

Among other reforms, the grand jury said the Legislature should:
— Eliminate, or at least make more transparent, the special leadership accounts that give House leaders millions of dollars in discretionary spending to control.
— Stop per diem payments to lawmakers, or at least tie them to actual expenses.
— Convert the General Assembly to a part-time body, impose term limits and give House members four-year terms.
— Combine the House Democratic and Republican print shops, information technology departments and personnel offices. Hire based on “standardized, published job descriptions.”
— Cease constituent service work related to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, described as a giveaway to businesses and a wasteful means of currying favor with voters at taxpayers’ expense.
— Impose tougher ethics practices, halt all payments and benefits to staffers on leave to campaign and ban compensatory time. Keep legislative employees from entering campaign offices during work hours.
— Prohibit using the same vendor for legislative and campaign purposes.
— Revamp the state budget process, making line items more descriptive and halting per diems if the budget is not passed by June 30.
— Eliminate taxpayer-funded political caucuses.

The report also called for a limited constitutional convention, saying it was concerned that the General Assembly “will remain in its ’time warp’ and meddle with, obfuscate, ignore or kill every recommendation.

Let's see if Eachus knows what the term leadership really means. Let's see if he rises to the occasion or serves us more slight of hand. Let's see if Brett Marcy can spin his words more.

Just today the AFL-CIO was demanding that there be no more cuts to Pennsylvania to preserve their member jobs which include doing campaign work on legislative time according to the Grand Jury.

This post is the facts..get ready for the fiction.

Do The Facts Support Brett Marcy's Statement?

The more one pays attention to Todd Eachus the more the bogus claims become evident. This press release is located on ToddEachus.com.

Legislative leaders trim salaries of top staffers

It is based on this original article written by Tracie Mauriello of the Post-Gazette.

The bogus claim-
"We have worked hard to trim costs and find ways to improve efficiencies," said Brett Marcy, press secretary to House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne.

The fact- Back in February Eachus announced the selection of Laura Kuller as the Democratic Caucus chief of staff. On March 9, 2009 Capital Ideas John Micek wrote this blog "Working For Mr. Eachus".

In February, Eachus announced that he’d hired Harrisburg lobbyist, and onetime Democratic employee, Laura Kuller as his new chief-of-staff.

Kuller will earn $161,000, or nearly $24,000 more than the salary paid in the last legislative session to Sandra F. Williams, who served as chief to then Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene.

Eachus’ new counsel, former Rendell administration senior lawyer Nora Winkelman, is being paid $149,900, or $16,781 more than the $133,119 salary paid to DeWeese's top lawyer William Martin Sloane last year.

He raised Kuller's position pay by almost 18%. But it doesn't stop there.

Eachus’ new counsel, former Rendell administration senior lawyer Nora Winkelman, is being paid $149,900, or $16,781 more than the $133,119 salary paid to DeWeese's top lawyer William Martin Sloane last year.

As further evidence of the facts not supporting the claims to the public look at this PDF file compiled by Mauriello.

Susan Schwab was hired as "legal council to the floor leader". Her salary is $132,522, an expense that wasn't there in 2009 according to the document. Patti Glasser was hired as Director of Administration with a salary of $125,684, another expense not listed in 2009. Arthur McNulty was hired as Democratic Committee Exective Director at a salary of $110,006, nada in 2009. That's $368,212 in extra expenses for 2010 alone. Is that what Brett Marcy meant by trimming expenses?

Some Number Crunching In The PA 116th And The US 11th

Using this Pennsylvania government website one can ascertain what municipalities comprise a legislative district. Todd Eachus represents the 116th district- Hazleton, Hazle Township, Butler Township, Freeland Boro, Black Creek Township, Conyngham Boro, Foster Township, Jeddo Boro, Sugarlaof Township, West Hazleton Boro, and White Haven Borough.

Gary Visgaitis, graphics artist award winner for the Times Leader put this graph together for his reading audience that lists the voter registrations by municipalities.

The PA 116th voter registration comprises 18,618 Democrats and 11,932 Republicans. According to the Luzerne County vote tally link on the right 30.81 percent of the Democrats registered voted in Luzerne County and 29.81 percent of the Republicans registered voted in this primary.

There is no reason to believe that those percentages varied widely among municipalities. If one multiplies the number of registered voters by the respective percentages that turned out at the polls it tells an interesting tale. Eachus received 3,655 out of the approximately 5,736(18,618 times 30.81 percent or .3081) that cast ballots on the Democratic side or around 63.72 percent. That means that 36 percent of the voters on the Democratic side skipped him on the ballot.

Likewise Tara Toohil, Eachus's opponent in November, received 2,764 out of the approximately 3,512 (11,932 times 29.81 percent or .2981) that cast ballots on the Republican side or around 78.7 percent. For a newcomer only 21 percent skipped her on the ballot.

Those stats spell trouble for the House Majority Leader who should be able to garner a heck of alot more votes due to his leadership position. Of course it is no secret that Eachus lost touch with his constituents and lost their trust with the per diems, owning a second home in Harrisburg, and his association with Robert Powell. His bold move against John Yudichak and extreme loss by Tom Leighton whom he openly supported only spells further erosion of any juice he might have.

It clearly demonstrates he is in trouble in Harrisburg. Bill DeWeese won his renomination bid. Last time we checked DeWeese and Eachus were at each other's throat over lawyer confidentiality in Bonusgate. We're pretty sure Yudichak will be returning to Harrisburg with a few unpleasant memories that he will want to address.

If you really want to see a disturbing number for candidates click on the Lackawanna County link to the right. Out of 40,217 registered Democrats who actually cast ballots in this primary on a total of 24, 122 voted for either Kelly, O'Brien, or Paul Kanjorski. That is an undervote of almost 40 percent.

If you click on the Monroe County link and go down to the "Representative in Congress 11th Congressional District" then click on "View by Precinct" Kanjorski and Barletta's vote count are side by side. Look at the numbers. Paul, things aren't looking too good for you in November.

Leighton Campaigns With Todd Eachus In Hazleton

In the Terrace section of Hazleton Tom Leighton walked with Todd Eachus trying to persuade people to vote for them on Tuesday. It is an interesting combination given the attacks and statements made by Leighton during his campaign for Senator of the 14th district.

Here is an excerpt from Leighton's campaign announcement speech.

As many Pennsylvanians were, I was angered and frustrated by the 101 day state budget impasse last year. In these tough economic times, cities require every bit of funding available to us which often is supplied by the state government. As mayor, I personally saw how the failure to reach a compromise agreement hurt cities like Wilkes-Barre.

In this article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Brad Bumsted quotes Grant Oliphant.

"It is unconscionable that both sides cannot seem to find middle ground in order to pass a new budget," Grant Oliphant, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation, said yesterday. "Increasing numbers of families and individuals depend on social- and human-services support for their very survival, and I am deeply worried that it is going to take a tragedy to bring our state leaders to a compromise."

State Rep. Rosemarie Swanger had this to say about Todd Eachus's sincerity on finding a solution.

“As a member of the General Assembly and elected official, I want to apologize to the people of my district and of Pennsylvania for the embarrassing events that took place yesterday at the state Capitol.

“The House was called into session this morning just after eleven o’clock. Slightly more than an hour later, Speaker of the House Keith McCall (D-Carbon) gaveled out session after a motion to adjourn offered by House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne).

“What took place today was a complete waste of taxpayers’ time and money, considering there being no budget in place to start the fiscal year and no budget placed on the voting by House Democrats for our chamber to consider..

Evidently not only has Leighton lossed his hair but his memory must be running on low. Todd Eachus was squarely in the middle of those stalled negotiations he is talking about.

If Mr. Leighton wants to know why the impasse occured he only needs to look at his own party and the man he walked beside today.

Pennsylvania House Democrats voice budget complaints to leaders
By The Associated Press
September 29, 2009, 10:57P

A deal to end Pennsylvania’s state budget impasse ran into resistance from Democrats in the state House tonight, raising fresh doubts about whether it can attract enough votes to pass.

Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, said after a 4-hour closed-door caucus meeting in the state Capitol that he would bring up a bill to tax the extraction of natural gas, an unusual move given that such a tax was not a part of the deal he announced more than a week ago with Gov. Ed Rendell and the state Senate.

Rank-and-file House Democrats told leaders they opposed critical pieces of that 11-day-old deal, including subjecting certain arts events to the state sales tax, expanding gas drilling on state land and taxing small games of chance.

This article in the Times Tribune highlights the per diems paid to House Members including Todd Eachus as a result of the budget impasse.

Among the Northeast delegation, House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-116, Hazleton, and House Speaker Keith McCall, D-122 Summit Hill, led the pack, taking $10,611 and $7,988 in per diems respectively. How can Tom Leighton attack John Yudichak on per diems but walk side by side with Todd Eachus? How can he bring up John Yudichak's partial ownership of a home in Harrisburg(that has since been divested) yet ignore Eachus's wholly owned second home in Harrisburg? If that isn't a demonstration of lack of principles nothing is.

Corruption Case Begs Questions For Eachus

In the midst of the Bonusgate trial and its conclusion questions remain about Representative Todd Eachus's role concerning the use of taxpayer funds for campaign purposes. Eachus has denied involvement, maintained that he cooperated in the investigation, refused to speak before the grand jury when given the opportunity, and his spokesperson stated he never was interviewed. All of those statements should not coexist in the same sentence.

Mark Scoloforo of the Associated Press wrote an interesting article at Pittsburghlive.com.

..the facts that have emerged so far strongly suggest that the line between campaign work and legitimate legislative business has been kept blurry in Harrisburg, and that many of the people who have benefited may never pay much of a price for it.

That is where the speeches, parades and pancake breakfasts come in. Along with the usual topics — highway projects, the state budget, property taxes and national political issues — voters might want to ask their local state representatives and senators a few questions about the scandal that has become known as "bonusgate."

Here are a few suggestions from someone who has followed the investigation since its inception and spent the past two months in the Veon trial courtroom:

• The investigation: Did your name turn up in any of the four grand jury reports, or during the trial of Veon or Rep. Sean Ramaley, a Beaver County Democrat acquitted in December?

• Campaign policies: Do you allow your underlings to work on your campaigns? What rules are in place to make sure they properly account for any campaign time? What efforts do you make to ensure they don't feel pressured to "volunteer" to electioneer for you? Do you maintain a separate campaign office? Does anyone on the state government payroll serve as your campaign manager or treasurer? Have you changed your campaign policies in response to the bonusgate scandal?

• Legislative staff: How many state employees work for you, even those whose supervisors are technically the caucus leader? What are the duties of each? How much compensatory time off did they accrue over the past several years? Did any receive bonuses the Attorney General's Office considers to have been rewards for campaign work, and if so, should they have to return the money? Do you make your Harrisburg staff remain on duty, no matter what, on nights when your chamber is in session?

• Mailings: How often have you sent out mass mailings to people in your district on the taxpayer's dime? Have you tended to send them out as near to the election as the rules allow?

• Per diems: Do you accept them? Have you ever collected a per diem the same day you've consumed a taxpayer-paid breakfast, lunch or dinner? Do you support changing the rules to ban that type of double-dipping?

• Legal fees: Do you support your caucus' use of taxpayer money to provide legal representation to members and employees in the public corruption investigation? Have you obtained legal advice regarding the investigation, and did taxpayers pay for it?

• Nepotism: Should there be restrictions on hiring relatives to work for the Legislature?

Harrisburg's political culture brings to mind the cliche about everyone complaining about the weather, but not doing anything about it. Voters who want to see changes in their General Assembly this year might start by asking a few questions.

Eachus has repeatedly refused to answer media questions surrounding the proposed Hazleton cargo airport and his relationship with Robert Powell. Is there a link between the campaign contributions and the effort to secure airport funding? How many trips were provided on the Powell jet? Are there any other perks that taxpayers would be interested in knowing about? Since Powell is no longer associated with the project why did you drop the effort to bring those jobs to our area?

When voters from the 116th see him on the street pick a question from this list or the one above. Jot down his response or lack thereof.

Eachus boasts about the effort he orchestrated to bring about the Democratic victory in the 2006 elections. He should explain to the voters how he separated himself from convicted felon Michael Veon concerning the workings of legislative staff in campaign efforts and taxpayer money used to pay for their time spent on same.

Finally if Robert Powell wore a wire did he only tape judges or were there others? That's not a question for Mr. Eachus. That one is for law enforcement to answer.

Legislators Are Asked- "What Else Is Being Hidden?"

In an editorial by Tribune-Review's state Capitol reporter Brad Bumsted he asks the question "What Else Is Being Hidden?".

Testimony in the trial of ex-Representative Michael Veon et al by Scott Brubaker highlighted how the Rules of the House allowed illegal bonuses paid for campaign work to remain hidden from the public.

Brubaker, former director of staffing and administration for the House Democratic Caucus, talked about how a lack of specificity in the House rules on disclosing bonuses to the public was seized on as justification to keep the program "hidden."

The fact they paid out $1.4 million in bonuses -- off the books from 2004 through 2006 -- is scandalous.

Salaries, of course, are public record. If someone in the media asked for Brubaker's salary, you'd be told that he was paid $120,564 in 2006, period, not that he received a $15,250 bonus. His actual compensation was $135,814.

Brubaker's wife, Jennifer, who has also entered guilty pleas in the case, was paid $94,770 as director of the House Democrats' Legislative Research Office. But she was paid an off-the-books bonus of $17,750, making her actual unreported compensation total $112,520.

The secrecy was "exactly why we did it. You could get a bonus, and you didn't have to disclose it," said Brubaker. House Rule 14 didn't require that bonuses be publicly disclosed, he said.

"We would not report something we didn't have to report," Brubaker testified.

Right. Of course, you never tell the taxpayers how their money actually is being spent.

That statement by Brubaker accurately summarizes why Pennsylvania state government is regressive, insular and, to a certain extent, corrupt.

Here's the really disturbing issue: What other legislative expenses, not covered by Rule 14 or the Right to Know Law, are being hidden from the public now?

Amen and Amen. House Rule 14 begs for overhaul. It is the same House Rule that allows legislators to collect per diems on a per day basis not actual expenses.

Pennsylvania Workers Here's An Example of Failed Leadership

This summer state employees were pawns in a budget impasse. Here is the advice they received from one of their unions.

PSECU has developed a special 0% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) PA Budget Impasse Loan*.


Loan Details•0% APR line of credit during the 2009/2010 PA budget impasse and for 60 days after the budget is signed by the Governor. Any remaining balance after that time will begin to accrue interest at a low rate of 3.9% APR.•A $1,000 line of credit will be available on each pay date affected by the impasse. The line of credit will be increased in $1,000 increments every two weeks during the impasse.•No penalty for early repayment.
In Order To Be Eligible, You Must

After you have a PA Budget Impasse Loan set up, it will be available for use on your first affected pay. If your first affected pay is on or before July 17, the loan will follow a bi-weekly cycle starting on the 17th. If your first affected pay is on July 24, the loan will follow a bi-weekly cycle starting on the 24th.


Important: The money is available as a line of credit. You have the option to use - or not use - the money. If you choose to use it, you will need to "advance" your loan into your checking or savings shares.


After you advance your loan into a share, you can use the money to pay loans or access your money with your PSECU Check (debit) Card. You can use the card to withdraw at an ATM and/or make purchases. When using debit with the PSECU Check Card, you must have funds available in your checking shares or your transaction will be declined.

SOP can go on and on but

Eachus Aide Responds To Lentz's Call For Eachus Removal

As an update to its earlier story PA2010.com posted a Eachus aide, Brett Marcy's response to State Rep. Bryan Lentz' call for Eachus's removal from the leader of the House Democratic Caucus.

A day after state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) called for the removal of Todd Eachus, the House Majority Leader’s spokesman wasn’t swiping back at Lentz.

“Representative Eachus did receive Representative Lentz’s letter, and he will respond to him in the near future,” Eachus spokesman Brett Marcy said Tuesday. “Representative Eachus and the entire leadership team try to be inclusive and responsive to all members in the diverse Democratic Caucus. That means we’re going to continue to focus on the important legislation that we’ll be moving forward this year.”

Hmmm...as the plot thickens. Eachus has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

The hardest thing a man has to live with about war isn't the things he does that he was ordered to do. It's the things he does that he wasn't ordered to.- Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino

The place should not honor the man, but the man the place.- Agesilus

Maybe in Eachus's case it is the thing he isn't doing that he should do.

The Body Politic

The body politic by John Cole

The on-going budget stalemate in Harrisburg highlights the power wielded by the four party caucuses that run the show in the state legislature. Operating on their own terms, accountable to almost no one but their own leaderships and broaching no dissent from junior members, they consume millions in tax dollars and produce little in return.

PA Budget Cluster Cluck- Brad Bumsted

Brad Bumsted is a veteran columnist and the state Capitol reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. His coverage of Harrisburg highlights issues facing the Commonwealth on a daily basis. His latest column deals with the inept process that still has the state waiting for a signed budget. Oh yes folks, just like Paul Kanjorski's statement to CNBC that a bailout package was reached when it was not the press announcement by House Leadership and the Governor are about as premature as a teenage boy experiencing a sign of manhood.

In the days of the late Jim Manderino and Matt Ryan, a budget agreement among leaders and the governor would be rammed through both chambers of the General Assembly within 24 hours.

Bleary-eyed lawmakers would be kept up all night to vote on a document they had been given just hours before.

Manderino, a Westmoreland Democrat, and Ryan, a Delaware County Republican, both served as speakers and floor leaders in the state House. They never would have allowed a proposed state budget agreement to hang in the air for a week while special interests and editorial writers picked it apart.

That's what's going on in this new age of supposed reform and transparency. With each day, rank-and-file lawmakers get more nervous about voting for the proposal.

There are no all-night sessions now. Surely that is an improvement.

But a budget agreement between Gov. Ed Rendell and the four caucuses in the House and Senate was announced more than a week ago. The delay is not a result of reforms enacted after the 2005 middle-of-the-night pay raise.

In fact, the announcement of the agreement in the dark looked a lot like the pay-jacking era. Not a single document was handed out to the media on details of the plan. Through last weekend and last week, legislators could obtain no details.

Transparency? It looked more like a plan issued by the Kremlin.

What was going on was they had reached only a very broad agreement and they were still negotiating on line items. Everyone was in a hurry to declare a deal because Pennsylvania was 80 days late on a budget as of Sept. 18. The state remains the only one in the nation without a budget. Today is the 89th day since the July 1 deadline for a budget.

At the news conference, they talked in broad terms about the plan. Some elements had been announced Sept. 11 by leaders of both parties.

The governor and leaders have no one to thank but themselves.

In another article Bumsted talks about the employee topheaviness of the legislature.

Pennsylvania is the sixth-largest state, has 4 percent of the nation's population, but features the largest legislative staff in the nation with 2,919 employees working for the House and Senate.

Why? The state Legislature is one of the most partisan legislatures in the country and because lawmakers -- at your expense -- have created a perpetual re-election machine with their Harrisburg and district office staff.

One of the problems with getting the budget on time this year was Todd Eachus and Keith McCall. While their party gave them the leadership positions the party could not confer the juice necessary to keep their caucus in line. As Brad Bumsted points out previous leaders knew how to round up the pose and get things done. Senator Mellow proved that point when he interjected himself into the negotiations.

Mr. Mellow was credited by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-9, Chester, as the catalyst for the round of leadership talks the past two weeks that led to the agreement. The talks started at the lieutenant governor's residence at Fort Indiantown Gap.

The young bucks need to reconsider staying in their posts if they really care about the citizens of this Commonwealth.

WAM BAM No Thank You PA Legislature

In reflecting on the Pennsylvania Legislature yesterday I went from totally amazed to unbelievable to disheartening. Except for the HOUSE GOP everyone else compromised to tax the arts, theatre, non-profits and the like for what reason???

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a apropos editorial today about the WAM money that was saved in the Pennsylvania budget deal reached by the three caucuses.

The budget deal in Harrisburg will cut funding for libraries, social services, and education, but legislators plan to keep plenty of taxpayers' money for their own special "needs." Budget negotiators have set aside at least $100 million for what's known as "walking-around money." WAMs are discretionary grants that individual lawmakers hand out to favored groups in their home districts with little justification and no accountability.

WAMs are also a great way for incumbents to help ensure their reelection. It's no coincidence that legislative leaders have made this honeypot available now - all 203 House seats and half of the 50 Senate seats are up for election next fall.

This legislature does not excel at much, but it is superb at looking out for itself. Legislators know there will be plenty of anti-incumbent sentiment at the polls next year.

There's anger over the budget impasse, criminal trials will begin this winter over alleged illegal bonuses to legislative staffers, and electric rates will soar when rate caps expire next year. It's just the kind of environment in which millions in WAMs could buy an endangered incumbent some goodwill back home.

It is time for a second revolution.

Pennsylvania House Democrats Keep Funding Acorn!!!!

The Scranton Guardian posted a comment on my blog that is worth up front space. After the Census Bureau terminated its arrangement with ACORN and the Senate voted 83-7 to cut off funding for ACORN our PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE VOTED TO KEEP FUNDING ACORN, ANOTHER BLUNDER BY THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS. Even the Minnesota Governor cut off ACORN funding.

Representative Steve Barrar introduced an amendment in the Pennsylvania House to cut off ACORN funding in light of the fraudlent activities exposed by novice journalists.



As reported on Twitter by liberty4pa the House defeated the amendment. The House Democratic Caucus must support minority persons aiding and abetting the prositution of minority underage children.

Is ACORN Intentionally Structured as a Criminal Enterprise?