Parking Authority Shockingly Politicized

As Obama talks about race and Eliot Spitzer bangs call girls, you think the local papers would attempt to up the ante on scandals. Nope! Today’s Daily News details all the money going to Republicans from red light cameras in Northeast Philly.

Some lobbyist for the firm that runs the red light cameras gave most of his money to people who now have approved red light cameras. And now he’s donating to Democrats as well, because the red light camera program needs to be expanded.

Yes, this is how politics work, especially in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Why single out the Parking Authority as an inept patronage bureaucracy (or whatever) when you can say that about everything?

Red lights mean green for GOP [Daily News]

A Republican To Be Phila. Mayor Any Day Now

Just one day after candidate Al Taubenberger got a smidge over 17 percent of the vote against Democratic candidate Michael Nutter, the Philadelphia Grand Old Party appears ready to take back Room 215 in City Hall.

Oh? Just look at this KYW 1060 headline, “GOP Philadelphias Vow to Regain Control of City Hall.” In the report, noted GOP Philadelphia Mike Meehan (chief counsel to the Republican City Committee) issues a bold prediction: “There’s going to come a time that a Republican’s gonna be mayor.”

Apparently, other cities voted for Republican mayors, and so Philadelphia could have a Republican mayor just like New York. (New York’s Republican mayor is, though, a pot-smoking one. On if he smoked weed, he said: “You bet I did. And I enjoyed it.” Rare honesty from a politician.)

So will Philadelphia copy off New York and elect a Republican? Uhh, no, not anytime soon, unless there’s a rich person who would like to run. (Meehan also said the candidate would have to start raising money now due to the city’s fund-raising laws. So… cheating?) Maybe Brian Tierney can run as the Charles Foster Kane of this city?

‘We’re Here! We’re Queer! We Don’t Want Any More Bears!’ Works Well As A Republican Party Slogan, Too

This makes sense. If that Simpsons episode is any accurate predictor of the future — which it is — first you hate bears, then you hate illegal immigrants.

Much Apu About Nothing [SNPP.com]
Bears should fear Republicans, N.J. poll finds [AP/Philly.com]

Democrats Wasting Money Faster Than Republicans

Hey! Do you know much aides in state government make? If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance they make more than you! (Note to potential advertisers: This is a joke. The average income of a Philadelphia Will Do reader is approximately $200,000, all of it in disposable income.)

Figures released yesterday show the Democrats, surprise surprise, pay their employees more than the Republicans do. The Republicans, on the other hand, make their employees work Christmas Eve and don’t give them health insurance, leading to the death of 17 children named Tiny Tim. Also all of the Democratic employees are illegal immigrants.

House Democratic employees are costing taxpayers $34.5 million a year for their 835 employees, with an average salary of $41,261.

House Republicans, on the other hand, are spending $30.9 million on payroll annually for their 839 employees, with an average salary of $36,912.

House Democrats handed out $1,854,505 in bonuses last year to employees, nearly seven times higher than House Republicans’ $269,661.

The difference was reversed in 2005, when House Republicans handed out $649,661 in employee bonuses, compared with House Democrats’ lesser $468,271.

You know, the Republicans have done a nice job of winning the spending (or, if you wish, wasting) money war on the national level. But it’s good to see that, at least in this state, the Democrats are still on top of their game. My philosophy is: The more the government spends money, the funnier it gets. So, really, these totals can only mean good things for this blog.

House Democrats paying staff more than Republicans [Bucks County Courier Times]

The Best Political Headgear Since The Stovepipe Hat

Yesterday, I took a look at how some Delaware residents didn’t even know there was a primary going on yesterday. And, thanks to your 8 percent turnout, Republicans, here’s who you have running for Senate:

That’s Jan Ting, a Temple law professor who eeked out a victory Tuesday, dressed in what I hope he’ll be wearing every day on the Senate floor if he pulls out the upset win in the general election.

Ting ekes out win in Senate primary [The News-Journal]
Protruding Proboscises [Billiken's Bluff]
Yesterday: Del. Primary Is Democracy In Action!

‘Bulletin’ Says Screw It, Let’s Just Run Articles About How We Love Republicans

In a front-page story — with a faux-banner headline, kinda — in The Evening Bulletin, the newspaper that complains about media bias talks about the great white hope:

Political talk fills the papers and airwaves in the City of Brotherly Love these days.

Most of the yowling and yammering at the moment has to do with the growing confidence the Democrats are feeling in the statewide elections coming in November.

While the bright hope lies with Republican Senator Rick Santorum rapidly closing the once double-digit lead of his Democratic challenger, Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey, down to low single digits, most of the other Republican incumbents in this area are finding themselves in the fight of their political lives.

Indeed! There is this nice little chestnut here, though:

David C. Thomsen is the Republican Chairman in the 15th Ward. This past year he assisted in an effort to get Temple graduate David Corbett on the ballot to run against Frank Oliver in the 195th legislative district. The campaign came close to getting 300 signatures, but wasn’t near enough.

“Third parties get three or four months to gather signatures. We only get three weeks.” Thomsen complained.

Yeah, those third parties have it so easy. Well, okay, maybe when the Republicans support them it’s a little easier.

GOP Looking For A Few Good Mayoral Candidates [Bulletin]
Aug. 14: Dubya And The Greens, What A Combo

Get Riled Up About Small Government

The Inquirer interviewed Pat Toomey today — Remember him? Ran against Arlen Specter in the ‘04 primary? No? Well, trust me, that’s who he is. — and asked him about his giant forehead current position as president of the Club for Growth, a conservative political action group.

Toomey, it seems, is upset with the current Republican leadership in the executive and legislative branches of Congress:

“We are already seeing it in polling data across the country,” Toomey said in a recent interview. “There’s a lack of partisan intensity on the part of Republicans compared with Democrats.

“And I believe it’s because Republicans have abandoned the principles of limited government and fiscal discipline that historically have united Republicans and energized the Republican base.”

Yes! Small government always riles up the base! Like in 2004, when voters in 11 states passed Fiscal Discipline Amendments to their state constitutions. That really turned out the vote!

Toomey: Party betrayed its ideals [Inky]

Modification Error of the Day

A headline from our friends over at NBC 10:

Phew. It’s good to know that the New Jersey Democratic Party hasn’t stooped low enough to kidnap Republicans. It’s nice to see some politicians still have some class.

N.J. Democrats Have Money, Not Republicans [AP via NBC 10]