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FakeNoose
FakeNoose's Journal
FakeNoose's Journal
May 1, 2023
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They've been giving tax credits like they're candy for the last 10 years or so. Now they don't want to help the teachers, the nurses, or even the POLICE?
The Pa. legislature seems to have met a tax break it dislikes: one for teachers, nurses, and cops
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/05/tax-credit-Shapiro-teachers-nurses-cops-Harrisburg/
HARRISBURG — Harrisburg policymakers appear unlikely to embrace a signature selling point in Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first budget: a tax credit for new police, teachers, and nurses.
Tax credits allow an individual or corporation to pay less to the government, and have become a fixture in the General Assembly’s economic policy toolkit in recent years.
But in recent public remarks, state Senate Republicans threw cold water on Shapiro’s plan, arguing for lowering Pennsylvania’s corporate and flat personal income taxes to benefit all industries while still expressing interest in expanding corporate tax credits to attract big businesses to the state.
“Figuring out economic incentives” to attract new projects, from microchips to new natural gas-fired power plants, “is where we have to go,” state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) told reporters in April.
Tax credits allow an individual or corporation to pay less to the government, and have become a fixture in the General Assembly’s economic policy toolkit in recent years.
But in recent public remarks, state Senate Republicans threw cold water on Shapiro’s plan, arguing for lowering Pennsylvania’s corporate and flat personal income taxes to benefit all industries while still expressing interest in expanding corporate tax credits to attract big businesses to the state.
“Figuring out economic incentives” to attract new projects, from microchips to new natural gas-fired power plants, “is where we have to go,” state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) told reporters in April.
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They've been giving tax credits like they're candy for the last 10 years or so. Now they don't want to help the teachers, the nurses, or even the POLICE?
April 30, 2023
Caption: This image provided by Dr. Mohamed Eisa shows Dr. Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a Sudan-born American citizen, left, posing for a photo with Dr. Eisa. Suleiman was the second American killed in Sudan after battles between two rival Sudanese commanders erupted in Khartoum and turned the capital city into a war zone. (Mohamed Eisa vie AP)
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2023/04/30/sudan-conflict-bushra-sulieman-american-doctor-killed/stories/202304300128
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It sounds like things are getting very dangerous in the Sudan, especially for Americans.
A powerhouse U.S. doctor slain in Sudan, 'killed for nothing'
Caption: This image provided by Dr. Mohamed Eisa shows Dr. Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a Sudan-born American citizen, left, posing for a photo with Dr. Eisa. Suleiman was the second American killed in Sudan after battles between two rival Sudanese commanders erupted in Khartoum and turned the capital city into a war zone. (Mohamed Eisa vie AP)
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2023/04/30/sudan-conflict-bushra-sulieman-american-doctor-killed/stories/202304300128
WASHINGTON — Bound to Sudan by ailing parents and his devotion to treating the poor there, American doctor Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman kept working as long as he could after fighting engulfed Sudan’s capital. For days after battles between two rival Sudanese commanders erupted in Khartoum on April 15, the 49-year-old Sulieman treated the city’s wounded. He and other doctors ventured out as explosions shook the walls of homes where Khartoum’s people cowered inside. Gunfire between the two factions battling for control resounded in the streets.
“Say, ‘Nothing will happen to us except what God has decreed for us,’ ” Sulieman, a U.S.-born gastroenterologist who divided his time and work between Iowa City, Iowa, and Khartoum, said in one of his last messages to worried friends on Facebook last week, as fighting persisted. ”And in God let the believers put their trust.”
The morning that Sulieman decided he had to risk the dangerous escape from Sudan’s capital with his parents, American wife and his two American children was the morning that the war found Sulieman, friends say.
In the wholesale looting that has accompanied fighting in the capital, Khartoum, a city of 5 million, a roving band of strangers surrounded him in his yard Tuesday, stabbing him to death in front of his family. Friends suspect robbery was the motive. He became one of two Americans confirmed killed in Sudan in the fighting, both dual nationals.
“Say, ‘Nothing will happen to us except what God has decreed for us,’ ” Sulieman, a U.S.-born gastroenterologist who divided his time and work between Iowa City, Iowa, and Khartoum, said in one of his last messages to worried friends on Facebook last week, as fighting persisted. ”And in God let the believers put their trust.”
The morning that Sulieman decided he had to risk the dangerous escape from Sudan’s capital with his parents, American wife and his two American children was the morning that the war found Sulieman, friends say.
In the wholesale looting that has accompanied fighting in the capital, Khartoum, a city of 5 million, a roving band of strangers surrounded him in his yard Tuesday, stabbing him to death in front of his family. Friends suspect robbery was the motive. He became one of two Americans confirmed killed in Sudan in the fighting, both dual nationals.
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It sounds like things are getting very dangerous in the Sudan, especially for Americans.
April 27, 2023
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He's totally corrupt and a lying weasel to boot.
Trump made up to $160 million from foreign countries as president
Donald Trump made up to $160 million from international business dealings while he was serving as president of the United States, according to an analysis of his tax returns by CREW [Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington].
Throughout his time in office, President Trump, his family and his Republican allies repeatedly assured the public that his refusal to divest from his businesses wouldn’t lead to any conflicts of interest. Americans were promised that Trump would donate his salary, which he did, until maybe he didn’t—all while siphoning millions from taxpayers that more than offset his presidential pay. When it came to foreign conflicts of interest, Trump and his company pledged to pause foreign business. They did not.
Trump pulled in the most money from the United Kingdom, where his Aberdeen and Turnberry golf courses in Scotland helped him gross $58 million. Trump’s now-defunct hotel and tower in Vancouver helped him pull in $36.5 million from Canada. Trump brought in more than $24.4 million from Ireland, home to his often-visited Doonbeg golf course, as well as $9.6 million from India, and nearly $9.7 million from Indonesia.
Trump’s presidency was marred by unprecedented conflicts of interest arising from his decision not to divest from the Trump Organization, with his most egregious conflicts involving businesses in foreign countries with interests in US foreign policy.
Throughout his time in office, President Trump, his family and his Republican allies repeatedly assured the public that his refusal to divest from his businesses wouldn’t lead to any conflicts of interest. Americans were promised that Trump would donate his salary, which he did, until maybe he didn’t—all while siphoning millions from taxpayers that more than offset his presidential pay. When it came to foreign conflicts of interest, Trump and his company pledged to pause foreign business. They did not.
Trump pulled in the most money from the United Kingdom, where his Aberdeen and Turnberry golf courses in Scotland helped him gross $58 million. Trump’s now-defunct hotel and tower in Vancouver helped him pull in $36.5 million from Canada. Trump brought in more than $24.4 million from Ireland, home to his often-visited Doonbeg golf course, as well as $9.6 million from India, and nearly $9.7 million from Indonesia.
Trump’s presidency was marred by unprecedented conflicts of interest arising from his decision not to divest from the Trump Organization, with his most egregious conflicts involving businesses in foreign countries with interests in US foreign policy.
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He's totally corrupt and a lying weasel to boot.
April 27, 2023
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/04/pa-public-defense-gov-shapiro/
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It's a start, but we still have a long way to catch up to the other states on public defense.
Pa. doesn't fund public defense, Shapiro's budget would change that
(link) https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/04/pa-public-defense-gov-shapiro/
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania could shed its reputation as the only state in the country that does not fund public defense, if the legislature approves a proposal in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget.
In his first budget as governor, Shapiro, a Democrat, has proposed $10 million of state money to support no-cost legal representation to “indigent” Pennsylvanians, those who have been accused of a crime but cannot afford an attorney.
The $10 million proposal would be the most funding the state has ever dedicated to supporting the constitutional right to counsel, an obligation individual counties currently pay for entirely on their own. Legislators and legal experts have criticized this model for decades because it creates an unequal system where the quality of defense a person receives depends on the county where they live.
But even if the legislature approves Shapiro’s proposal as part of this year’s budget, the infusion would still leave Pennsylvania “isolated” in a country where most states take on at least 85% of all public defense costs, said David Carroll, executive director of the Sixth Amendment Center, which advocates for expanding access to indigent defense.
In his first budget as governor, Shapiro, a Democrat, has proposed $10 million of state money to support no-cost legal representation to “indigent” Pennsylvanians, those who have been accused of a crime but cannot afford an attorney.
The $10 million proposal would be the most funding the state has ever dedicated to supporting the constitutional right to counsel, an obligation individual counties currently pay for entirely on their own. Legislators and legal experts have criticized this model for decades because it creates an unequal system where the quality of defense a person receives depends on the county where they live.
But even if the legislature approves Shapiro’s proposal as part of this year’s budget, the infusion would still leave Pennsylvania “isolated” in a country where most states take on at least 85% of all public defense costs, said David Carroll, executive director of the Sixth Amendment Center, which advocates for expanding access to indigent defense.
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It's a start, but we still have a long way to catch up to the other states on public defense.
April 27, 2023
(link) https://statescoop.com/pennsylvania-code-pa-digital-services/
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Pennsylvania governor unveils CODE PA, a digital services transformation effort
(link) https://statescoop.com/pennsylvania-code-pa-digital-services/
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at tackling digital services transformation. It established the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience, or CODE PA — an in-house team to modernize state services.
During a press conference Tuesday morning, Shapiro said CODE PA will contain a full-time, internal team of digital services experts who will be paid with existing budget dollars and work across state agencies to create digital programs, streamline online services and write code for applications and digital products.
“We are going to build a comprehensive, user-friendly online experience for all Pennsylvanians, and we are going to save taxpayers money that would otherwise go to expensive contracts with external consultants and third-party vendors,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro appointed Bryanna Pardoe, who most recently led a digital team at Main Line Health outside of Philadelphia, as CODE PA’s first executive director. He said she’ll lead a team of user experience designers, software engineers, product managers and data scientists.
During a press conference Tuesday morning, Shapiro said CODE PA will contain a full-time, internal team of digital services experts who will be paid with existing budget dollars and work across state agencies to create digital programs, streamline online services and write code for applications and digital products.
“We are going to build a comprehensive, user-friendly online experience for all Pennsylvanians, and we are going to save taxpayers money that would otherwise go to expensive contracts with external consultants and third-party vendors,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro appointed Bryanna Pardoe, who most recently led a digital team at Main Line Health outside of Philadelphia, as CODE PA’s first executive director. He said she’ll lead a team of user experience designers, software engineers, product managers and data scientists.
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April 26, 2023
Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Montgomery, spoke on Wednesday in the state Capitol about their new bill that would end Pennsylvania's system of closed primary elections. (Ford Turner/Post-Gazette)
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/26/pennsylvania-primary-elections-open-closed-bill/stories/202304260089
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I'm all for this. We have a lot of independent voters in PA.
I believe this bill would ultimately help the Democratic Party.
There's a new push to make Pennsylvania's primary elections open to independents
Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Montgomery, spoke on Wednesday in the state Capitol about their new bill that would end Pennsylvania's system of closed primary elections. (Ford Turner/Post-Gazette)
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/26/pennsylvania-primary-elections-open-closed-bill/stories/202304260089
HARRISBURG — More than 1.2 million registered voters can’t take part in Pennsylvania’s “closed” party primary elections. A bipartisan pair of state senators say changing that is crucial to restoring healthy political discussion.
Sens. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, and Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, on Wednesday introduced a bill to allow voters not affiliated with the two major parties to cast ballots in party primaries. Doing so, they said, would force Democratic and Republican primary candidates to reach out to a broader swath of voters, instead of courting only the extreme right or extreme left of the electorate.
“In Pennsylvania politics, thanks to these closed primaries, spring is not a time when hope flowers, but when apathy, cynicism and polarization take root,” Mr. Laughlin said at a Capitol news conference. “Let’s be honest, our primary process no longer works.”
Ms. Boscola said she has unsuccessfully pushed bills for 20 years that seek to end “closed” primary elections limited to Republicans and Democrats. This latest attempt, she said, may have a better chance at success because the number of people who consider themselves politically independent is growing.
Sens. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, and Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, on Wednesday introduced a bill to allow voters not affiliated with the two major parties to cast ballots in party primaries. Doing so, they said, would force Democratic and Republican primary candidates to reach out to a broader swath of voters, instead of courting only the extreme right or extreme left of the electorate.
“In Pennsylvania politics, thanks to these closed primaries, spring is not a time when hope flowers, but when apathy, cynicism and polarization take root,” Mr. Laughlin said at a Capitol news conference. “Let’s be honest, our primary process no longer works.”
Ms. Boscola said she has unsuccessfully pushed bills for 20 years that seek to end “closed” primary elections limited to Republicans and Democrats. This latest attempt, she said, may have a better chance at success because the number of people who consider themselves politically independent is growing.
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I'm all for this. We have a lot of independent voters in PA.
I believe this bill would ultimately help the Democratic Party.
April 22, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/04/22/settlement-pennsylvania-chesapeake-bay-pollution-lawsuit/stories/202304220076
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Map of Chesapeake watershed area:
Pennsylvania farmers need to step up. It's the runoff of sewage, fertilizers and other chemicals that are slowly destroying the Chesapeake Bay. Also runoff pollution from abandoned coal mines are a problem, but that's being addressed by the EPA.
There's more info in this earlier article that was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last year:
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/business/pittsburgh-company-news/2022/04/18/epa-pennsylvania-chesapeake-bay-pollution-plan-enforcement-farms-sewage-stormwater/stories/202204180081
Settlement reached with Pennsylvania over Chesapeake Bay pollution
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/04/22/settlement-pennsylvania-chesapeake-bay-pollution-lawsuit/stories/202304220076
WASHINGTON — A settlement has been reached in lawsuits accusing Pennsylvania of not doing enough to curb pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. The proposed agreement will lead to greater oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pressure the state to curb the runoff from farms and cities into the bay.
“This proposed settlement is a win for local waterways, healthy communities and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Hilary Harp Falk, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an environmental group that brought one of the lawsuits. “EPA focusing on concerted remedial action to address some of the most severe problems in Pennsylvania provides accountability and reasonable assurance that Bay restoration will succeed.”
Besides the environmental groups, the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia filed their own suit. Both were filed in 2020 and both will be addressed by the proposed settlement. Pennsylvania was accused of not doing its share to prevent runoff that eventually flows into the bay. The agreement could require more Pennsylvania farms to get federal discharge permits in order to limit their runoff.
“This proposed settlement is a win for local waterways, healthy communities and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Hilary Harp Falk, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an environmental group that brought one of the lawsuits. “EPA focusing on concerted remedial action to address some of the most severe problems in Pennsylvania provides accountability and reasonable assurance that Bay restoration will succeed.”
Besides the environmental groups, the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia filed their own suit. Both were filed in 2020 and both will be addressed by the proposed settlement. Pennsylvania was accused of not doing its share to prevent runoff that eventually flows into the bay. The agreement could require more Pennsylvania farms to get federal discharge permits in order to limit their runoff.
- more at link -
Map of Chesapeake watershed area:
Pennsylvania farmers need to step up. It's the runoff of sewage, fertilizers and other chemicals that are slowly destroying the Chesapeake Bay. Also runoff pollution from abandoned coal mines are a problem, but that's being addressed by the EPA.
There's more info in this earlier article that was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last year:
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/business/pittsburgh-company-news/2022/04/18/epa-pennsylvania-chesapeake-bay-pollution-plan-enforcement-farms-sewage-stormwater/stories/202204180081
April 21, 2023
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/21/john-fetterman-washington-senate-capitol-return/stories/202304210081
His return was a welcome boost for a party with only a narrow two-seat majority in the Senate.
John Fetterman hit the ground running in his first week back in Washington
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/04/21/john-fetterman-washington-senate-capitol-return/stories/202304210081
His return was a welcome boost for a party with only a narrow two-seat majority in the Senate.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman didn’t need an acceleration lane to get up to speed after returning to Capitol Hill this week following a two-month absence. He hit the gas as soon as he came to town.
The freshman Pennsylvania Democrat’s arrival at the Capitol for the first time since he left the hospital happened in full view of waiting TV cameras. He spoke at a news conference pushing legislation to ban lawmakers and their families from owning or trading stocks or other equities. He joined his fellow Senate Democrats at their weekly closed-door luncheon. He questioned witnesses before the Senate Banking Committee and wielded the gavel at a Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing on food stamps.
And he made repeated treks between his office and the Senate floor to vote, wearing his signature hoodie and shorts when he wasn’t in a jacket and tie.
“Mr. Fetterman would like to show he’s back on his game, that he’d like to resume his full duties,” said Glenn Totten, a longtime Democratic consultant. “But I don’t think he would be doing this if he didn’t think he could handle it. It’s his own assessment of his condition. One has to defer to his assessment.
The freshman Pennsylvania Democrat’s arrival at the Capitol for the first time since he left the hospital happened in full view of waiting TV cameras. He spoke at a news conference pushing legislation to ban lawmakers and their families from owning or trading stocks or other equities. He joined his fellow Senate Democrats at their weekly closed-door luncheon. He questioned witnesses before the Senate Banking Committee and wielded the gavel at a Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing on food stamps.
And he made repeated treks between his office and the Senate floor to vote, wearing his signature hoodie and shorts when he wasn’t in a jacket and tie.
“Mr. Fetterman would like to show he’s back on his game, that he’d like to resume his full duties,” said Glenn Totten, a longtime Democratic consultant. “But I don’t think he would be doing this if he didn’t think he could handle it. It’s his own assessment of his condition. One has to defer to his assessment.
April 19, 2023
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/fulton-county-dominion-voting-machines-sanctions-pa-supreme0court-20230419.html
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Now you've done it Fulton County! The Supremes are pissed. Oddly though, Fulton County could have outright cheated on the 2020 election and it wouldn't have changed the outcome of the election. The County will be assessed the cost of new voting machines because these brand-new machines can never be used again.
Pa. Supreme Court angrily sanctions county for violating order on Dominion voting machines
(link) https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/fulton-county-dominion-voting-machines-sanctions-pa-supreme0court-20230419.html
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday said Fulton County had blatantly defied the court when it allowed a third-party company to access its 2020 voting machines.
The county had first given a firm access to its Dominion voting machines in the weeks after the 2020 election, prompting the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, to decertify the machines and ask the court to block the county from giving any further access. The court agreed, ordering the machines be kept secure.
Fulton County gave another company access to its voting machines anyway, leading the justices to impose sanctions on the county and its attorneys in the form of repaid legal fees for both the state and Dominion. “No remedy can undo the harm that the county’s contempt caused,” Justice David Wecht said in his majority opinion, but “simply are the next best thing.”
[snip]
The sanctions — and the at times clearly angry opinion — were also a message about the authority of the courts. ... In a concurring opinion, Justice Kevin Dougherty said “it is difficult to recall a more brazen abuse of the judicial process during my more than two decades on the bench” and used his opinion to explicitly lay out an additional message about elections in particular. The court was unanimous in agreeing on the sanctions. Wecht, a Democrat, was joined in his opinion by the other three Democrats, including Dougherty. The two Republicans on the court agreed with the outcome without joining the opinion.
The county had first given a firm access to its Dominion voting machines in the weeks after the 2020 election, prompting the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, to decertify the machines and ask the court to block the county from giving any further access. The court agreed, ordering the machines be kept secure.
Fulton County gave another company access to its voting machines anyway, leading the justices to impose sanctions on the county and its attorneys in the form of repaid legal fees for both the state and Dominion. “No remedy can undo the harm that the county’s contempt caused,” Justice David Wecht said in his majority opinion, but “simply are the next best thing.”
[snip]
The sanctions — and the at times clearly angry opinion — were also a message about the authority of the courts. ... In a concurring opinion, Justice Kevin Dougherty said “it is difficult to recall a more brazen abuse of the judicial process during my more than two decades on the bench” and used his opinion to explicitly lay out an additional message about elections in particular. The court was unanimous in agreeing on the sanctions. Wecht, a Democrat, was joined in his opinion by the other three Democrats, including Dougherty. The two Republicans on the court agreed with the outcome without joining the opinion.
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Now you've done it Fulton County! The Supremes are pissed. Oddly though, Fulton County could have outright cheated on the 2020 election and it wouldn't have changed the outcome of the election. The County will be assessed the cost of new voting machines because these brand-new machines can never be used again.
April 19, 2023
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This news is devastating for the future of our schools. I believe that state scholarships should be awarded to any Pennsylvania high school graduate who decides to earn a degree in education.
Pennsylvania's teacher shortage worsens as state reaches 'lowest level' in new certifications
Pennsylvania’s decade-long teacher shortage is worsening. For the first time in the state’s history, the amount of emergency teaching permits outpaced newly certified teachers, causing Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage to reach its “lowest level” since 2010, according to a new report.
During the 2021-22 school year, 6,366 people received emergency permits — or when people with a bachelor’s degree can become certified to temporarily fill open teaching positions — compared to 4,220 students who received teaching certificates. The data was analyzed in a report by Ed Fuller, an associate professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Penn State’s College of Education.
“It’s affecting student achievement, which everyone in Pennsylvania should be concerned about,” Mr. Fuller said.
The report attributed the shortage to three possible causes: increasing costs of higher education, stagnant and declining wages and benefits, and worsening working conditions.
During the 2021-22 school year, 6,366 people received emergency permits — or when people with a bachelor’s degree can become certified to temporarily fill open teaching positions — compared to 4,220 students who received teaching certificates. The data was analyzed in a report by Ed Fuller, an associate professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Penn State’s College of Education.
“It’s affecting student achievement, which everyone in Pennsylvania should be concerned about,” Mr. Fuller said.
The report attributed the shortage to three possible causes: increasing costs of higher education, stagnant and declining wages and benefits, and worsening working conditions.
- more at link -
This news is devastating for the future of our schools. I believe that state scholarships should be awarded to any Pennsylvania high school graduate who decides to earn a degree in education.
Profile Information
Name: Kathy HinsmanGender: Female
Hometown: Pittsburgh PA
Home country: USA
Current location: Pittsburgh
Member since: Sat Feb 18, 2017, 02:16 PM
Number of posts: 32,617
