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Top Stories...Monday February 08, 2010
Obama
Plans Bipartisan Summit on Health Care
The meeting would mark
the first time in the long health care debate that leaders from
both sides would be allowed to air their ideas publicly.
Litz
Volunteers Call Organizational Event
Lebanon County
Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz is mounting a senatorial campaign for
the 48th PA Senate District. The 48th includes parts of Donegal
and all of Elizabethtown.
PA
Dems Endorse Single Payer -SB 400 and HB1660
The Pennsylvania
Democratic State Committee
on Saturday unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for passage
of single payer healthcare,
Thank
a Democrat Products Now Available
As seen at the State
Committee meeting this past weekend, "Thank a Democrat" products
are now available for sale on-line and at the LCDC Store...click
here
Nancy Pelosi
Rallies Democrats from all corners of the state at PA DEMS state
endorsement convention
"In 1948, President
Harry Truman said the Democratic Party is the people's party. The
Republican Party is the party of special interest. It always has
been, and always will be." Read more for the Intell...
State
Committee endorses Arlen Specter for U.S. Senate
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter
easily won the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's endorsement this
afternoon easily defeating Joe Sestak by a vote of 173 - 26.
State
Committee fails to Endorse a Candidate for Governor
In the four-way race for
governor, the committee failed to reach a two-thirds majority for
endorsement. State Auditor General Jack Wagner attracted the most
support but fell short of the total needed for party backing.
Local Headlines...
2010
LCDC Endorsement Convention...
The 2010 LCDC Endorsement
Convention will be held on Feb. 20th at the Lancaster Host
Resort to endorse candidates for the spring Primary election -
Bruce Beardsley
Kick-off
to Mike Sturla's Re-election Campaign...
Please join us and help kick-off
Mike Sturla’s re-election to the State House ad to celebrate Mike’s
54th Birthday on
Tuesday, February 16th at Gusto
Restaurant.
City
Democrats Launch New Website...
John Graupera
has announce the the city Dems have launched a new interactive
website. Tim Roschel and Todd Smith have posted blogs. For the city
news go to
www.lancastercitydems.com
Cocalico
Dems Create the John C. Pittenger Scholarship...
Circulating
Petition News...
Interested
in being a Lancaster City Committee Person?
Craig Lehman: U.S. State
Department Haiti Relief Information...
Guy Bard Club Afghan Project...
LCDC Executive Committee Endorses Single Payer Health Plan...
State
Headlines...
Politics may avert budget
standoff in Pennsylvania...
Leaders in Pennsylvania Senate
weigh new campaigning rules...
Arlen Specter thanks
Pennsylvania Dems for nomination...
Pennsylvania's Democratic State Committee endorses Specter
Sturla's Majority Policy Committee considers property tax payment
options for the city of Scranton...
State Party website
-
PADems.com
Pitts Watch...
National
Headlines...
Jobs Bill Eyed by Congress...
A Federal Effort to Push Junk
Food Out of Schools...
Obama Challenges Terrorism
Critics...
With Federal Stimulus Money
Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps...
Obama's Balancing Act on Trade...
Wall Street turning against
Obama, Dems...
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Local
Events
and
Reminders...
Penn
Manor Democratic Committee meeting...Feb 8
Hempfield Area Democrats meeting...Feb 8
Young
Democrats meeting...Feb 9
Ruth Mackley
Democratic Club of Manheim meeting...Feb 11
Manheim Central Democratic Committee meeting...Feb 11
Deadline to appoint committee persons for participation in Endorsement
Convention...Feb 12
Deadline for
registration to LCDC Endorsement Convention...Feb13
Valentine's Day...Feb 14
First Day of
Petition Circulation...Feb 16
2010 LCDC
Endorsement Convention...Feb 20
(click here to register)
See Monthly Calendar...
See Events
Calendar...

Getting
it Right...
by Bruce
Beardsley
The
"change" the American people wanted and expected by electing Barack
Obama was the fixing of a broken political system...More
Public Works Working
for You
by
City Councilman Tim Roschel
In
recent news articles and editorials regarding the city budget,
much attention has been given to potential police and fire
department layoffs...More
Fiscal
Prudence
by
City Councilman Todd Smith
In my first City
Council meeting as Chair of the Finance committee I had the
opportunity to finalize a piece of legislation that was first
introduced in November 2009. Refinancing the city's bond
obligations, Council was able to save $250,000...More
District and Democratic Club News...
Greater Elizabethtown Democratic Committee
Elizabethtown
Democrats Elect New District Leader...
Elizabethtown Democrats
Launch Blog...
Guy K. Bard
Democratic Club of Northern Lancaster County
Guy K.
Bard Democratic Club St. Patrick's Day Dance...
Manheim Township Democratic Committee
Mardi Grad
Celebration with Doreen and MT...
Manheim
Township Dems Need Your
Stuff...
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Jo Ellen Litz Volunteers Call
Organizational Event
Lebanon County
Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz is mounting a senatorial campaign for the
48th PA Senate District. She is running against Mike Folmer. The 48th
includes parts of Donegal and all of Elizabethtown.
Team Litz to hold first meeting to
organize for the upcoming Senatorial race.
On Friday, February
12, at 12:00 Noon Team Litz will meet for the first time to begin
planning events for Mrs. Litz’s bid for the 48th District Senate seat.
The event will take place at Litz Headquarters at 2501 Cumberland
Street in Lebanon.
Anyone interested in
helping to circulate petitions, make phone calls, distribute signs, or
help with fundraisers, is invited to attend. Bring your ideas and
suggestions, or just sign up to be part of the team. Feel free to
bring a brown bag lunch.
If you would like to
help but are unable to attend the meeting, please send your name,
phone number and email address to: Pam at
ptricamo@comcast.net or call 717-269-2994 with any questions.
Pennsylvania
Democrats Unanimously Endorse Single Payer -
Senate Bill 400 and House Bill 1660
The Pennsylvania Democratic
State Committee today unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for
passage of single payer healthcare, Senate Bill 400 and House Bill
1660, also known as the "Family and Business Healthcare Security Act."
Given the healthcare reform
deadlock in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania’s nation-leading status in
the battle for state-based “Medicare for All,” is all the more
significant.
“Not only does Pennsylvania
now have the Democratic Party on board with the Single Payer
healthcare for all,” said Healthcare for All PA executive director
Chuck Pennacchio, “we also have the promised signature of our governor
and the active support of Republican and Democratic leaders in both
the State Senate and State House.”
Added Pennacchio,
“Pennsylvania is clearly ‘ground zero’ for cost-saving,
life-enhancing, job-creating, quality, comprehensive, publicly-funded,
privately-delivered, healthcare for all. Once PA adopts the proven
single payer solution, our neighboring states will move rapidly to
adopt the same answer, and congress will quickly follow suit.”
Presenting the resolution
before the voting body of 301 Democratic State Committee members was
Tom Herman, Chair of Berks County. Seconding the motion were Jon Fox
of Lancaster County and James Burn of Allegheny County. The vote in
support of House Bill 1660 and Senate Bill 400 was by unanimous
consent.
Specter Wins Endorsement
U.S.
Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched parties 10 months ago easily won the
Pennsylvania Democratic Party's endorsement at the State Committee
meeting held in Lancaster this weekend at the Host Resort.
Specter, 79 years old, took
the stage amid cheers of "Arlen! Arlen!" at the Lancaster Host Resort
& Convention Center, appeared humbled by the endorsement given
speculation about his ability to gain enough Democratic support to
defeat Joe Sestak, a second term Congressman from Delaware County.
The five-term incumbent won
76 percent of the vote in the first and only round of balloting, well
over the two-third supermajority needed for endorsement from the
committee.
Lancaster County's seven
member delegation to the state Democratic committee favored Sestak
5-2. Lois Herr, a state committeewoman from the Elizabethtown area and
Congressional candidate for the PA's 16th District, supported Specter.
"Arlen Specter had voted with Democrats over the years and has
supported the important issues that we care about in Lancaster County"
said Lois. Herr is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts this
year.
State Committee fails to Endorse a Candidate for
Governor
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Jack Wagner
Auditor General |
Dan Onorato
Allegheny County
Executive |
State Senator Anthony
Williams |
Joe Heffel
Montgomery County
Commissioner |
In the four-way race for
governor, the state committee failed to reach a two-thirds majority
for endorsement of a candidate for Governor. State Auditor General
Jack Wagner attracted the most support by fell short of the
two-thirds majority needed to score the endorsement.
Allegheny County Executive
Dan Onorato finished second. Newcomer State Sen. Anthony Williams,
from Philadelphia, finished third. Montgomery County
Commissioner
Joe Hoeffel was dropped from the balloting because he received the
fewest number of votes in the first round.
The state committee also
endorsed former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel for
nomination as lieutenant governor, concluding the committee's two-day
convention at the Host Inn and Resort on Lincoln Highway East.
Sturla's Majority Policy
Committee considers property tax payment options for the city of
Scranton
The House Majority
Policy Committee held a public hearing in Scranton today to examine
property tax payment options for the city, according to committee
Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster.
The hearing was
requested and co-chaired by state Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Lackawanna, who
has introduced legislation to help property owners in Scranton pay
back taxes.
"Property tax
collection needs to be both fair and efficient for cities and
homeowners," Sturla said. "I was glad the Policy Committee was able to
explore this issue and look at Representative Murphy's legislation
that would provide homeowners with options in paying delinquent
taxes."
Murphy added,
"Scranton residents who fall behind on their taxes, sometimes through
no fault of their own such as a layoff, must pay expensive fees and
delinquent taxes in a lump sum," he said. "I firmly believe that a
payment plan my bill would mandate would allow many people to keep
their home – the place in which they invested so much time, money and
effort – until they get through a tough time."
Those testifying
included Janet Evans, president, Scranton City Council; Andrew
Sbaraglia, Lackawanna County Taxpayers Association; Ron Koldjeski,
deputy director for Tax Claims, Lackawanna County Tax Office; Greg
Sunday, business administrator, Scranton School District; Bill
Courtright, Scranton City tax collector; Kevin Gallagher, account
administrator; John Opsasnick, director of Business Privilege
Department; Maria Costanzo, lead auditor; and Dawn Lloyd, lead
auditor.
For more information
about the Policy Committee and hearing materials, visit
www.pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee.
Kick-off
to Mike Sturla's Re-election Campaign
Please join us and
help kick-off Mike Sturla’s re-election to the State House and to celebrate Mike’s
54th Birthday on
Tuesday, February 16th. This event will
by held a
Gusto Restaurant
335 N. Queen Street in Lancaster City from
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
Please RSVP to John at the
WS Group
by calling 717.939.5976
or emailing
jjones@thewsgroup.com.
View flyer...
Elizabethtown Democrats Elect New District
Leader
Elizabethtown
Area Democrats gathered before President Barack Obama's state of the
union to contact club business and also to elect the local Democratic
Party's district leader. Ben Donahower was unanimously elected
district leader for the Great Elizabethtown Democratic Committee.
Ben Donahower said,
"I'm excited about this opportunity to lead the local Democratic
Party. There is a lot of opportunity to elect Democrats in Western
Lancaster County." Elizabethtown Democrats are anticipating
significant party building in Western Lancaster Count this year. With
a contested primary for Congress, Governor and U.S. Senator, area
Democrats are interested in the coming primary election. Area
Democrats are particularly excited to support their hometown
Congressional candidate Lois Herr in her run for Congress against
Congressman Joe Pitts. Local Democrats expect not only interest in
the national elections but in the state Senator contest in the 48th
district that encompasses part of Western Lancaster County. Lebanon
County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz will take on Mike Folmer as he seek
his second term in office.
The Democratic Party
is growing in the Elizabethtown area and anyone interested in
volunteering is encouraged to contact Ben Donahower at 717-884-9789 or
bendonahower@gmail.com for
information on getting involved.
Elizabethtown Democrats Launch Blog
by Ben
Donahower, Elizabethtown District Leader
The Greater
Elizabethtown Democratic Committee has launched a blog at
www.etowndems.info. The blog
offers news centering on the Elizabethtown area as well as state and
local politics. Party activists and concerned citizens alike will
find the links and resources on the site valuable including applying
for an absentee ballot, registering to vote, and election calendar.
Democratic
committeeman Ben Donahower said, "We're really excited to launch this
blog. We can spread the Democratic message locally engaging people
that local Democrats have otherwise been unable to connect with."
Anyone interested in
volunteer for the Elizabethtown Democrats Launch blog
www.etowndems.info and click
on the "volunteer" tab.
Cocalico Dems Create the John C. Pittenger
Scholarship
by
Sue Stoltzfus, Cocalico District Leader
John C. Pittenger,
former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education and former state
representative, "'Pitt,' as he was affectionately known, was a true
patriot, serving his nation, his state and his community as a military
veteran, as an educator, a farmer, a lawyer, a state legislator and a
state Cabinet secretary.
I am proud to announce
the Cocalico Democrats voted to rename the Cocalico scholarship to
"The John C. Pittenger Scholarship Award to be presented annually by
the Cocalico Democrats".
A note from Pauline
Pittenger “I think naming the scholarship
for Pitt is a wonderful idea. And the theme for the essays is
certainly one Pitt would endorse.”
"The John C. Pittenger
Scholarship Award" will be presented annually by the Cocalico
Democrats" to one Cocalico High School graduating Senior in the amount
of $500.00.
An applicant must
present a 250 word essay to be presented to the Guidance Office by May
1, 2010.
The theme of the essay
this year is: “How Will I Improve Myself & My Community in 10 Years”
All Applicants must be
graduating and have been approved at an institution for higher
learning. All entries will be judged by the Scholarship Committee of
the Cocalico Democrats and the winner will be announced at the
Cocalico High School’s Award Night.
The Cocalico
Democratic District includes Adamstown Borough, Denver Borough, and
East and West Cocalico Townships.
www.cocalicodemocrats.org
Facebook group - Cocalico Democrats
City Democrats Launch New Website
John Graupera, Chair of the Lancaster City Democratic Committee
announced last night, Jan. 28th at the LCDC Executive Committee
meeting that the Lancaster City Democratic Committee has launched a
new website that features news from the city's Democratic Committee
and blog commentaries from city council members. Bruce Evans is
heading up the new website and hopes to involve city and county
residents in a dialogue about good government.
 Tim
Roschel (left), Councilman and Chair of the city's Public Works
Committee, comments on the recent layoffs in the fire and police departments.
Todd Smith (right), newly elected council member and chair of the
City's Finance Committee, comments on fiscal prudence and refinancing
of bond issues.
Comments to the blog
entries are welcome and may be posted on each council person's blog
page.
View the city's new
website...
www.lancastercitydems.com

Mardi Gras
Celebration
with Doreen
Save March 6th, 2010 as
t he date for a Mardi Gras party at The Underground with Doreen Kreiner
from 7 - 10PM. The
cost will be $15 a person or $25 a couple. There will be food, drinks
and music (Corty and Scott from The Green Onions). All proceeds will
benefit the Kreiner For Commissioner 2011 fund.
Doreen
is the District Leader of Manheim Township Democratic Committee and is
running for MT Commissioner in 2011.
RSVP to Doreen at
717-393-7915 or
doreen@kreinerforcommissioner.com.
Order tickets on-line...
Guy
K. Bard Democratic Club St. Patrick's Day Dance
Join us for an evening
of music, dancing and great food on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 8:00
p.m. to midnight at the Eicher Arts Center (next to
Playhouse in the Park) in Ephrata, PA.
The Eicher Center is located
at
409 Cocalico Street, Ephrata, PA.
$15.00 per person, 2
for $25.00. DJ, Door Prizes, beverages and light fare included. E-mail
your RSVP to:
ephratademocrats@yahoo.com
View flyer for mail in form...
Order tickets on-line...
2010 LCDC Endorsement Convention
Chairman Bruce Beardsley has announced that the 2010 LCDC Endorsement
Convention will be held on Feb. 20th at the Lancaster Host
Resort. Each year county Democrats gather to endorse candidates for
the spring Primary election.
Registration will begin at
8:00 AM. Candidates will be sponsor breakfast receptions.
Four workshops will be
featured in the morning - “Winning Your Precinct, Computer Sampler, How Not
To Do It All Yourself and It’s More than Just A Petition".
There is no charge for
attending this convention. Lunch will be served at a cost of $17.00
per person. Lunch reservations must be submitted to the office by
Saturday, Feb. 13th.
The general session to
endorse state legislative candidates, State Committee candidates, and
candidates for Governor, the U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress will begin
at noon.
View tentative
agenda.
Register for the
convention,
click here. If you
register on-line and are registering for a group, list the names of
people that will be attending in the comment field.
Download
printable mail-in registration form...
Circulating
Petition News
by Greg
Paulson, LCDC Campaign Chair
February 16th is the
first day nomination petitions can be circulated and signatures
collected. March 9th is the final day to file petitions in
Harrisburg.
Nomination Petitions
are now available for candidates for state and federal office.
Campaigns will distribute petitions to you prior to the Endorsement
convention upon request. Petitions will be available at the
Endorsement Convention on Feb. 20.
Petitions for
precinct level committee persons will not be available until Feb 1.
Committee person petitions may be picked up at LCDC Headquarters or a
the County Elections Board offices at 150 N. Queen St. on or after Feb
1.
There is
no filing fee for Committee person petitions. Ten signatures are
required, collect 20.
We encourage you to
return petitions to LCDC headquarters by March 2nd if you mail them.
Petitions returned by mail must to notarized. Or bring petitions to
our Notary Party on March 7th located in the Underground at LCDC
Headquarters,
53 N. Duke Street, Lancaster, PA. 17602. Notaries will be present
from 6:00 to 9:00 pm to notarize you petitions at no charge.
Please advise us if
you wish to have a “Street List” for your voting district.
Street lists are a valuable tool for Circulators.
This is important!
Read all of Greg's
instructions for circulating nomination petitions.
A workshop on “It’s More than Just A Petition” from 11:00-11:50 am
will be offered at the Endorsement Convention on Feb 20th. Sign up for
the Endorsement Convention now...click
here.
Download
printable mail-in registration form...
Interested in being a Lancaster City Committee
Person?
by Kendra
Saunders, Vice-Chair, Lancaster City Democrats
Committee
persons are the backbone of the Democratic Party. Two committee
persons are elected from each precinct to serve four-year terms. They
are responsible for registering voters in their precinct, circulating
nominating petitions, distributing campaign materials, and getting out
the Democratic vote on Election Day. They also help to recruit and
nominate Democrats for local office.
To run as a
committee person for the primary of 2010, candidates must circulate
a nominating petition beginning February 16th, get at least ten
signatures from registered Democrats in your precinct, and file the
nomination petition by March 9th at the Lancaster County Board of
Elections (150 N Queen St). For more information, please contact
Vice-Chair of the City Democrats Kendra Saunders at
kendrajeansaunders@yahoo.com or 717-201-1161.
Craig Lehman: U.S. State Department Haiti Relief Information
Craig
Lehman, Lancaster County Commissioner, has provided the following
information from the U.S. Department of State for individuals wishing
to contribute to the Haitian relief effort or who are attempting to
contact family members in Haiti.
The State Department
Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans
seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 (due
to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording). The U.S.
Embassy is still in the early stages of contacting American Citizens.
Communications are very difficult within Haiti at this time.
Private Offers of
Assistance for Haiti Relief Efforts
Anyone wishing
to donate or provide assistance in Haiti following the devastating
earthquake that struck near Port au Prince on Jan 12, 2010, is asked
to contact the Center for International Disaster Information. The
Center, operated under a grant from the United States Agency for
International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and
initial support from IBM, has become a valuable resource to the
public. CIDI has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti
support at:
http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/
You can also use
your cell phone to make a donation to the Haitian relief effort. Text
"HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given
automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to
your cell phone bill. Or you can go online to organizations like the
Red Cross and
Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts.
The
U.S. Department of State website contains contact information for
those looking for family members, as well as donation information.
http://www.state.gov/
Official U.S.
Department of State blogsite called, “A Disaster in Haiti and How You
Can Help”. Contains information on ways to provide assistance.
http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/
Guy
Bard Club Afghan Project...
Members of the
Ephrata-area Guy K Bard Democratic Club have undertaken a project that
is reaching halfway around the world. In November, Club member
Dorothy Love came to Club president Ginny DiIlio with a request from
her brother-in-law, Lt. Col. Kenneth Marx, of the Roughriders of the
108th Cavalry. His division wanted to reach out to the people of
Afghanistan by providing warm clothing for the cold mountain weather.
The Club came
through for the soldiers, collecting ten boxes of donations during its
December 27th meeting. Follow-up donations, including items and
snacks for the Roughriders themselves, brought the total to 14 boxes.
Club members gathered at the home of George and Ginny DiIlio on
January 7th to finish packing the boxes, which were donated by the
Ephrata post office.
Click here to view a larger
version of the picture above...
Club Photo ID:
Front row: Kathy Lindman, Ginny DiILIO, Bard Klahr, Dorothy Love, Ira
Grushow, and Lisa Wickenheiser. Back row: Jeff Lang, George DiILIO,
Tim Barr, Martha Reitz, Bill Sheaffer, Van Reitz, and Dan Sweigart.
Manheim
Township Dems Need Your Stuff
You may be doing
your holiday shopping and thinking of what you'll "retire" to make
room for new items that are purchased. If you can hang on to those
items for a little while longer, the Manheim Township Democratic Club
will put them to good use at our annual yard sale coming up
on Saturday May 16,
2010.
We will start
accepting donations in April so stay tuned for more details in the
spring. In the meantime, have a safe & joyous holiday season! If you
have questions please feel free to contact Beth Truman at
t.truman@verizon.net or
569-4933.
LCDC Executive Committee
Endorsed HB1660 - SB 400.
Following
the lead of several district committees, the LCDC Executive Committee
endorsed the Family and Business Health Care Security Act,
SB400 and
HB1660. Earlier this month, the Warwick Democratic Committee, the Ruth
Mackley Democratic Club and the Guy K. Bard Democratic Club of Northern
Lancaster County endorse the legislation.
Currently, there are over
1.5 million people
in Pennsylvania who have no health insurance, another 2.0 million are
underinsured and, due to the economic crisis, those numbers are increasing.
The
Family and Business Health Care Security Act, SB400 and HB1660, currently
before the General Assembly, provides affordable, comprehensive health care
for every Pennsylvanian including extensive services.
SB400 and HB1660 would
replace profit-driven insurers, with a publicly funded, privately run
system, paid for by using existing state and federal funds, a 3% earnings
tax and a 10% payroll tax.
The bills, when passed, would
save the County's
municipalities, the County government, and the school boards of Lancaster
County more than 62 million dollars savings annually.
Read the LCDC endorsement
statement...
Read the 2006
LCDC Resolution on Health Care Reform...
Read more about SB 400
and HB 1660...
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