News & Brews October 15, 2024
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In Pa., thousands rally for Harris—and thousands for Trump
Both VP Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump drew large crowds at their respective rallies yesterday in Pa. In Erie, Harris “emphasized her plans to improve the economy and build the middle class while also going on the attack against former President Donald Trump,” the Post-Gazette reports. Across the state in blue Montgomery County, Trump held a standing-room-only event, where one attendee from a neighbored without many Trump signs said, “There’s a lot of closet Trumpers out there.” Read more on the rallies.
Philly Dem facing mounting questions
Democrat state Sen. Jimmy Dillon is facing an aggressive re-election challenge from Republican Joe Picozzi. Unfortunately for Dillon, he’s also facing a growing list of scandals and questionable behavior. First, there was the outstanding arrest warrant in New Jersey. Then there were the racial slurs on a social media account tied to Dillon (he denies posting them). Now, Broad + Liberty reports that Dillon “has dozens of questionable expenses in his official state spending reports as well as his campaign account….” For example, “Dillon is one of the few state senators who avails himself of a state-leased vehicle for his travel.” And “documents unearthed by the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee (PASRCC) show Dillon fueling up his vehicle several times in the last three summers on a taxpayer-backed account near the Jersey shore. The fuel-ups totaled over $400.”
Proposed Allegheny tax hike ‘dead on arrival’
The Post-Gazette reports that Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s proposal to hike county property taxes by approximately 47% is “dead on arrival,” per the Allegheny County Council president. Innamorato has claimed the budget is “fiscally responsible” (spoken like a tried and true progressive), but Republicans and some Democrats on the council oppose the tax increase. Per the county charter, 10 of the council’s 15 members would need to back the tax hike in order for it to pass. The P-G notes, “The council has three scheduled public hearings on the budget: Oct. 17, Oct. 28 and Oct. 30 in the Gold Room of the Allegheny County Courthouse, all at 5 p.m. Residents can also submit written comments to council members through Nov. 8.”
It’s debate day in Pa.
Pennsylvanians will enjoy a dual debate night tonight, as candidates for U.S. Senate and state attorney general are scheduled to face off in two separate debates. ABC News in Philadelphia will host the U.S. Senate debate between incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey and GOP challenger Dave McCormick, while the Harrisburg ABC affiliate will host the attorney general debate between Republican Dave Sunday (whom we are supporting) and Democrat Eugene DePasquale. Both debates begin at 7:00 p.m. Click here for info on how to watch.
SEPTA bailout appears ‘unlikely’ this year
As Pa.’s mass transit (primarily SEPTA in southeastern Pa.) continues to beg for more tax dollars to stay afloat—despite receiving about $2 billion in sales tax money in 2023—Spotlight PA reports that an additional bailout this year appears unlikely. While Democrats want the additional spending, “Republican leaders say they’re willing to boost transit funding only if there’s a stable revenue source”(imagine that). Yet, a proposed tax on “skill games” as a possible source hasn’t really gone anywhere.