Will the City of Harrisburg go green with vehicle purchases?

Mayor Reed has said that the city will go ahead with $8 million in vehicle and equipment purchases with almost all city departments getting a new vehicle. I want to know if the city will purchase fuel efficient vehicles, including hybrid models.

We'll all seen what gas hogs the current city fleet is. They look like they're all V-8's. Purchasing green, hybrid, fuel efficient vehicles could save the city tens of thousands of dollars annually.

The Chevy Aveo would be great for a lot of city officials to drive around in. It gets 22 city/33 highway.

The parking cops could drive around in the new Smart Fortwo, a small car from Mercedes, and very economical in purchase price and fuel usage. This little car gets 36 city/45 highway and is perfectly suited for driving around the city giving parking tickets to illegally parked vehicles. It would sure beat the huge V-8 Chevy boats that they currently drive around in.

The Honda Fit is another excellent vehicle for city officials. 26 city/34 highway. Toyota's Yaris is a zippy little car that gets 28 city/35 highway.

What about the city police? They need something with a lot of horse-power for chases and emergency responses and such. I've seen some of the local township police forces with the Dodge Charger. The Charger can do 0 - 60 mph in 5.0 - 7.6 seconds. Fuel economy is 12-18 city/18-25 highway. Not too bad, although I'm sure that is better gas mileage than they are getting now. Chevrolet has a nice Impala that does 0-60 in 5.7 - 7.5 seconds. Gas mileage is slightly better, but not by much.

Let's talk to the Mayor and ask him to seriously consider more fuel efficient vehicles for the city. You can email him at: mayor@cityofhbg.com.

Card and gift shop closing........

in downtown Harrisburg. Perks 'N Bribes, located at 225 N. Second St. has announced that they will be closing their doors forever January 31, 2008. Owner David Ferris blamed the closing on "poor sales and the disappearance of other retail shops on Second Street."

Now, this brings us to the proposed new federal courthouse for Harrisburg. The GSA has given Harrisburg the details of requirements of what is needed to build the courthouse at the 6th and Reilly Sts. location endorsed by Mayor-for-life Stephen Reed and local leaders. Some of the requirements are shopping, restaurants and offices. The Mayor has said before that would be no problem, etc., etc. Barbara Shelton, the GSA's regional director and a Harrisburg native has major doubts as to whether Reed can deliver on all his promises. I don't blame her on that one, a lot of people have their doubts as to whether Reed can deliver.

This all brings me to a really big question........if Reed can't attract and keep retail shops downtown, how in the hell is he going to do it at 6th and Reilly?

DeWeese is an ass......

Pennsylvania State House Dem leaders (aka DeWeese) are fighting to block unemployment benefits for 2 of several of their workers that took the fall for DeWeese last November. Remember the firings? I believe 7 of them were fired, and only 1, DeWeese's right hand man, landed a plum job working for Triad Strategies.

It seems that these workers were asked to sign resignation letters at the caucus leaders' request, and when they refused, they were promptly fired. These people were wrongly fired to begin with. Scapegoats for DeWeese's inability to tell the truth to investigators. DeWeese doesn't want to lose his plum job with all the bennies and the power that goes with it. He's guilty and he knows it. It's a real shame that these people got fired for something they were ordered to do by DeWeese. This whole bonus debacle came from the top of the state Dem Caucus. And who is at the top? DeWeese. DeWeese's right hand man carried out the orders of his boss using caucus staff. It all came from DeWeese, EVERBODY knows that.

So now the state house Dem Caucus (DeWeese) is fighting to deny these workers unemployment benefits. They should be ALLOWED to collect. They were WRONGLY fired to begin with. DeWeese should be ashamed of himself. These workers have families to support. Wrongful terminations each and every one, except DeWeese's right hand man. They got him a new job really fast, too fast if you ask me. DeWeese more than likely made a phone call to the head of Triad and asked him to find a spot at Triad for his (DeWeese's) right hand man. He had to find a job for him because if he didn't, his former right hand man knows EVERYTHING and might spill the beans.

In another development relating to DeWeese's "Bonusgate"..........
The House Democrats have filed a suit to keep Attorney General Tom Corbett from caucus office files marked "incumbent protection plan" and "opposition research". The House Dems want to invalidate the search of caucus offices which netted 20 boxes of paperwork including the files that I just mentioned. I'll bet that those files are just loaded with all kinds of stuff that DeWeese doesn't want Corbett to see. DeWeese could be in BIG, BIG trouble. Serves him right.
Wait until the Grand Jury finds out about the elections of 2004, more bonusgate and staff members working for several months in Dem districts helping candidates while getting paid their House salaries. I can't wait till ALL THE SHIT hits the fan.

Send Mr. DeWeese an email telling him what a scum bag he is, I'm going to. It's time to get rid of the bad Dems, they give all Dems a bad name.

Abortion protester gets clobbered........

A couple were about to enter the Hillcrest Women's Medical Center on N. Front St. in Harrisburg, when Mr. Ed Snell, a local anti-abortion protester, began to verbally assault them from on top of his car parked in a parking lot next door to the clinic. The man did not care much for the verbal abuse emanating from Mr. Snell, so the Perry County man climbed the fence between the two properties and pushed Mr. Snell from his perch. Mr. Snell was taken to Hershey Medical Center and treated for head trauma and released a few days later.

Mr. Snell was parked in a private parking lot next door to the clinic, and separated by an 8 foot tall fence between the two properties. Mr. Snell was obviously trespassing, and verbally assaulting this couple. This couple had made a private decision, one that is not made easily to terminate a pregnancy for reasons known only to them. What right does Mr. Snell have to trespass and verbally assault these people? Mr. Snell had even gone so far as to construct a platform on top of his car so he can peer over that tall fence. Can you believe that?

Mr. Snell is also the same man that posts very graphic images of dead fetuses in front of his house for all to see. Neighbors have tried to get him to cease and desist from posting these horrible pictures, but to no avail. Mr. Snell apparently is within his first amendment rights to free speech on his property.

I do not condone what Mr. Richardson did to Mr. Snell, but one has to wonder what Mr. Snell was saying to this couple that provoked him in such a way as to climb that fence to attack Mr. Snell. I am willing to bet that it wasn't very nice.

I will be contacting the owner of the neighboring property to ask them if they intend to prosecute Mr. Snell for trespassing on their private property. The owner does have signs posted saying that it is private property. I am sure the owner was unaware of what was happening on his property in regards to these anti-abortionists.

I will be sending Mr. Richardson a check to put towards his legal defense in this matter. As for Mr. Snell, he should be cited for trespassing. His kind are hate mongers that cite the Bible for the "right" to do what they do. They are dangerous people, and cannot be reasoned with. Don't even try.