The Commonwealth Court has decided that a vote doesn’t count if the official in charge makes a mistake, not the voter, the official. Our founding fathers turned over in their graves last week. It seems ironic that a town that was first inhabited by French and Indian War era settlers and later owned by Revolutionary War soldiers would be responsible for denying a vote to a soldier.
On its face this decision is wrong but the courts aren’t always right. Sometimes it takes them a few cases to figure things out. However, in the past the courts, including the Commonwealth Court, have addressed absentee ballots with a basic understanding, “The election laws are to be construed liberally so as not to deprive a voter of the right to elect the candidate of his choice.” That seems simple but the courts have gone further and said “The court held that it would not void an absentee ballot that was timely cast based solely on a procedural mistake on the part of the bureau.” Does the Judge of Elections count? It doesn’t seem so; “We will not disenfranchise a voter for an act that may be contrary to procedure for canvassing the vote”, and “the invalidation of a vote is a drastic measure, and will be done only for compelling reasons.”
With all the interpretation from previous courts I have no idea why this court didn’t follow suit. A previous court said; “There was no showing of fraud in the casting of the vote or in the canvassing of it. The absentee ballot was properly completed by an eligible voter. To void this ballot would be to deprive the voter of one of his most fundamental privileges given to him by the U.S. Constitution.”
So, since they have ruled in the past with such lofty and poetic verse why isn’t Walter Daughenbaugh’s vote being counted? I have a solution, when a vote is being taken to use any of Mr. Daughenbaugh’s tax money Ms. Braunlich’s vote shouldn’t count. When any ordinance that is up for consideration that would impact Mr. Daughenbaugh in any manner, Ms. Braunlich’s vote doesn’t count. And that would include the zoning ordinance that Ms. Braunlich negotiated that zoned property for adult businesses near Mr. Daughenbaugh’s home.
It’s bad enough that a citizen’s vote wasn’t counted because of a government employee’s mistake but to deny a soldier’s vote is unconscionable. The Commonwealth Court should hang their heads in shame. Mr. Daughenbaugh, you continue to fight for our country, continue to risk your life for those of us on the home front, continue to defend the Constitution that has been denied to you. It may not have worked this time but I’m guessing that we are on our way to demanding our elected officials recognize how far they have wandered away.
Showing posts with label Council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Council. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Municipal Budgets
We are lucky, Mayor Doscher presented a balanced budget for 2010, without a tax increase. With the current council we might just get the budget passed before the end of the year. Other municipalities aren’t so lucky. We have been in an economic down turn for over a year now and some elected officials just don’t get it.
Right next door Mayor Luke wants to tax post secondary school students, for the privilege of attending school in the city. When the Intergovernmental Cooperative Group said no to the tax the mayor immediately said he would have to stop the next class of police officer trainees, eliminate a firehouse and all school crossing guards. He even hired a $650 dollar an hour Philadelphia lawyer to get his way. Sounds like a joke doesn’t it?
I wonder why the first thing to go wouldn’t have been the 125 Citiparks Summer Food Service Program sites that “provides healthy and delicious breakfasts, lunches and snacks to all children up to 18 years old” seems like a luxury to me. I wonder how many other line items are less important than police, firemen and school crossing guards but they aren’t on the chopping block?
I’m guessing his threat was to scare the people of Pittsburgh into supporting a tax on all those outsiders who attend Pitt, CMU, Duquesne, Chatham, Carlow, Robert Morris and CCAC. Why should Pittsburgh stop at the post secondary schools? Why don’t they tax the grade school kids also? I mean, after all isn’t all education a privilege? Most of the people around the world would agree that all education is a privilege.
Now the city is calling for a study to see how many city services can be laid on the schools by calculating their property values. Following that logic does that mean that a million dollar home in Fox Chapel uses more services than a $50,000 walk-up in East Liberty? Remember, these people want to tax patients in hospitals like they do hotel guests to pay for government services.
We can’t rely on the property taxes paid by the residential and commercial property owners to pay for needed services. We can’t rely on wage taxes paid for by the residents who work. We can’t rely on the Emergency Services Tax paid for by workers in the community. We can’t rely on license fees, parking fees, enforcement fines or a sales tax to pay for our regional assests. We have to tax student tuition?. Why not go after EPA consent decrees that cause our storm water runoff to cost so much and government taxes on landfills that cause garbage collection costs to skyrocket?
Why is it that politicians go after the police and fire departments when they want to add a tax? Why is it that eliminating police officers and firefighters is what they go after to reduce budgets? Locally our police department takes less than 20% of the budget but I’ll bet somebody thinks that is a lot. But it’s not really how much emergency services cost, rather it’s that the topic scares people into supporting a new tax. While they look for recurring revenue they have failed to see their population has been cut in half over the past 30 years because of the taxes they believe give them recurring revenue.
Pay attention to what is going on next-door, because that type of politics is like a virus, it spreads. Watch and see if it spreads this way and if you see that bug step on it, and the politician who is carrying it.
OUTRAGEOUS NEWS
When questioned about discrepancies in the unemployment rate and the failure of the American Recovery Act, President Obama's Recovery Czar, Ed Pound, responded "Who knows man, who really knows?" 11/19/2009
Right next door Mayor Luke wants to tax post secondary school students, for the privilege of attending school in the city. When the Intergovernmental Cooperative Group said no to the tax the mayor immediately said he would have to stop the next class of police officer trainees, eliminate a firehouse and all school crossing guards. He even hired a $650 dollar an hour Philadelphia lawyer to get his way. Sounds like a joke doesn’t it?
I wonder why the first thing to go wouldn’t have been the 125 Citiparks Summer Food Service Program sites that “provides healthy and delicious breakfasts, lunches and snacks to all children up to 18 years old” seems like a luxury to me. I wonder how many other line items are less important than police, firemen and school crossing guards but they aren’t on the chopping block?
I’m guessing his threat was to scare the people of Pittsburgh into supporting a tax on all those outsiders who attend Pitt, CMU, Duquesne, Chatham, Carlow, Robert Morris and CCAC. Why should Pittsburgh stop at the post secondary schools? Why don’t they tax the grade school kids also? I mean, after all isn’t all education a privilege? Most of the people around the world would agree that all education is a privilege.
Now the city is calling for a study to see how many city services can be laid on the schools by calculating their property values. Following that logic does that mean that a million dollar home in Fox Chapel uses more services than a $50,000 walk-up in East Liberty? Remember, these people want to tax patients in hospitals like they do hotel guests to pay for government services.
We can’t rely on the property taxes paid by the residential and commercial property owners to pay for needed services. We can’t rely on wage taxes paid for by the residents who work. We can’t rely on the Emergency Services Tax paid for by workers in the community. We can’t rely on license fees, parking fees, enforcement fines or a sales tax to pay for our regional assests. We have to tax student tuition?. Why not go after EPA consent decrees that cause our storm water runoff to cost so much and government taxes on landfills that cause garbage collection costs to skyrocket?
Why is it that politicians go after the police and fire departments when they want to add a tax? Why is it that eliminating police officers and firefighters is what they go after to reduce budgets? Locally our police department takes less than 20% of the budget but I’ll bet somebody thinks that is a lot. But it’s not really how much emergency services cost, rather it’s that the topic scares people into supporting a new tax. While they look for recurring revenue they have failed to see their population has been cut in half over the past 30 years because of the taxes they believe give them recurring revenue.
Pay attention to what is going on next-door, because that type of politics is like a virus, it spreads. Watch and see if it spreads this way and if you see that bug step on it, and the politician who is carrying it.
OUTRAGEOUS NEWS
When questioned about discrepancies in the unemployment rate and the failure of the American Recovery Act, President Obama's Recovery Czar, Ed Pound, responded "Who knows man, who really knows?" 11/19/2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Vote
As you go to the polls on Tuesday, and I hope you do, remember to vote for those who share your beliefs and when you vote take responsibility for your vote. That means that what your elected officials do while they are in office is a direct result of your support.
With that in mind, vote for people who support the police department so our streets are safe. Support those who work with the business community and business owners. Support those who are looking at what our future will be. Support those who work with each other. Support those who consistently excel in providing a government that works for the people.
It doesn’t make a difference what political party the candidate belongs to, it matters what they stand for and history will tell you what they stand for, not necessarily their words. Regardless of what a candidate says look at their results, there are weasels everywhere.
I believe those who have shown they stand for the community include incumbants Mayor George Doscher and Council President Kathy Coder. Mayor Doscher has served us well as mayor and shows his extensive experience in government service.
Kathy Coder has shown her stuff in the short period she has been in office. Her leadership abilities were recognized by just about everyone immediately. The dysfunctional leadership in the previous council was ended by the majority when they asked this talented newcomer to accept a leadership role. Since then Coder has brought us the Bellevue Initiative for Growth (BIG) and made it a beacon for the future. Look at the business district and you can see the number of business owners who support her.
In addition to BIG, Coder has put Bellevue on track with Allegheny Together, a program that targets the revitalization of business districts in the county. Cooperating with Allegheny County in development makes sense. In the past our council has shunned such relationships. Why our previous leaders refused to work with others is beyond belief but it is a fact. Our future sits well with people like Kathy Coder. We should stand with her and tell those who argue with reason, malign the work of others, and spin the wheels of government in the mud of discontent good-bye, we are changing our course and we want people who care. Vote on Tuesday, it is your responsibility.
With that in mind, vote for people who support the police department so our streets are safe. Support those who work with the business community and business owners. Support those who are looking at what our future will be. Support those who work with each other. Support those who consistently excel in providing a government that works for the people.
It doesn’t make a difference what political party the candidate belongs to, it matters what they stand for and history will tell you what they stand for, not necessarily their words. Regardless of what a candidate says look at their results, there are weasels everywhere.
I believe those who have shown they stand for the community include incumbants Mayor George Doscher and Council President Kathy Coder. Mayor Doscher has served us well as mayor and shows his extensive experience in government service.
Kathy Coder has shown her stuff in the short period she has been in office. Her leadership abilities were recognized by just about everyone immediately. The dysfunctional leadership in the previous council was ended by the majority when they asked this talented newcomer to accept a leadership role. Since then Coder has brought us the Bellevue Initiative for Growth (BIG) and made it a beacon for the future. Look at the business district and you can see the number of business owners who support her.
In addition to BIG, Coder has put Bellevue on track with Allegheny Together, a program that targets the revitalization of business districts in the county. Cooperating with Allegheny County in development makes sense. In the past our council has shunned such relationships. Why our previous leaders refused to work with others is beyond belief but it is a fact. Our future sits well with people like Kathy Coder. We should stand with her and tell those who argue with reason, malign the work of others, and spin the wheels of government in the mud of discontent good-bye, we are changing our course and we want people who care. Vote on Tuesday, it is your responsibility.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Garbage
If municipal garbage is collected from residential units and multiple family units up to triplexes or whatever it is today, why are we concerned with a building inspector entering the property to verify? Could it be that the only thing in the balance isn’t just garbage? What could be so important that a property owner does not want the code enforcement officer or a building inspector to verify the number of units on a property?
Maybe it could be as easy as four unit buildings are assessed for more taxes than three units. Certainly 5 or 6 units are worth more than a duplex. The garbage fee and property taxes are without a doubt an issue but consider what else could hang in the balance and it’s not a yearly fee from the borough. Don’t forget the cost of contracting a garbage company to come and give you a dumpster and pick it up weekly, or twice a week if there is a lot of garbage and you don’t want to purchase a bigger dumpster. What would a property owner do if the building inspector found a four unit building with a 3 unit occupancy permit? How many square feet are needed for an approved unit?
Slum lords try to pack a lot of people into a small space so they play loose with the definition of a “unit”. Units without bathrooms or kitchens are common in these types of places, they even have a name for them, they are called rooming houses. Unless of course the landlord is selling them as a personal care home. A lot of people who try to fly under the radar look for housing that really doesn’t meet the definition of “unit”.
People who have outstanding warrants look for apartments that aren’t really easy to find. Apartments that don’t have Unit 1, or Unit 10 on the door are harder to find, like 123 Main Street 3rd floor right rear. Police have a harder time finding it, informants have a hard time describing it and landlords find it easy to deny it exists. Unless an informed person sees locks on some doors but open bath room doors.
These types of places are very profitable because the rent is usually cash and the price per square foot of space for a 12 X 12 foot room is more than the average legal size apartment. Building inspectors know that 6 living spaces in a previously registered 3 unit building is not only a violation of garbage collection laws but a significant safety violation.
I’ll bet you wouldn’t believe that some property owners allow the use and even sell their addresses for people to use for everything from stolen credit card sales deliveries to registering out of town children to go to school. I’ll bet you didn’t know that some apartments are rented to large families of transient people who don’t send their kids to school because they don’t want to be found.
With all of the bad things that can occur with housing by slum landlords why should we care that a landlord who wants to prove how many units they have in a building are afraid of a building inspector finding a violation. Shouldn’t we want violations to be identified? Isn’t it in our best interest as property owners to have a small issue identified rather than allow a slum landlord to exist?
If you are trying to figure out if we should worry about our building inspectors, code enforcement officers or police officers coming into our houses don’t they are all good people. What you are being fed is garbage, don’t eat it.
Maybe it could be as easy as four unit buildings are assessed for more taxes than three units. Certainly 5 or 6 units are worth more than a duplex. The garbage fee and property taxes are without a doubt an issue but consider what else could hang in the balance and it’s not a yearly fee from the borough. Don’t forget the cost of contracting a garbage company to come and give you a dumpster and pick it up weekly, or twice a week if there is a lot of garbage and you don’t want to purchase a bigger dumpster. What would a property owner do if the building inspector found a four unit building with a 3 unit occupancy permit? How many square feet are needed for an approved unit?
Slum lords try to pack a lot of people into a small space so they play loose with the definition of a “unit”. Units without bathrooms or kitchens are common in these types of places, they even have a name for them, they are called rooming houses. Unless of course the landlord is selling them as a personal care home. A lot of people who try to fly under the radar look for housing that really doesn’t meet the definition of “unit”.
People who have outstanding warrants look for apartments that aren’t really easy to find. Apartments that don’t have Unit 1, or Unit 10 on the door are harder to find, like 123 Main Street 3rd floor right rear. Police have a harder time finding it, informants have a hard time describing it and landlords find it easy to deny it exists. Unless an informed person sees locks on some doors but open bath room doors.
These types of places are very profitable because the rent is usually cash and the price per square foot of space for a 12 X 12 foot room is more than the average legal size apartment. Building inspectors know that 6 living spaces in a previously registered 3 unit building is not only a violation of garbage collection laws but a significant safety violation.
I’ll bet you wouldn’t believe that some property owners allow the use and even sell their addresses for people to use for everything from stolen credit card sales deliveries to registering out of town children to go to school. I’ll bet you didn’t know that some apartments are rented to large families of transient people who don’t send their kids to school because they don’t want to be found.
With all of the bad things that can occur with housing by slum landlords why should we care that a landlord who wants to prove how many units they have in a building are afraid of a building inspector finding a violation. Shouldn’t we want violations to be identified? Isn’t it in our best interest as property owners to have a small issue identified rather than allow a slum landlord to exist?
If you are trying to figure out if we should worry about our building inspectors, code enforcement officers or police officers coming into our houses don’t they are all good people. What you are being fed is garbage, don’t eat it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)