Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Republicans are defending the legislative district lines that are being challenged in court by a handful of Democrats.
According to The Times Herald, local Republicans are defending the state Legislative Reapportionment Commission's (LRC) lastest attempt at redistricting maps, saying that Democrats who oppose it are engaged in "tomfoolery." A group of seven Democrats, led by Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, recently filed a petition with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court asking the court to review the "2012 Final Plan" by the LRC and send it back for revision on the basis of what the Democrats claim is the "obvious partisan gerrymandering" behind the plan. Republicans counter that the petition itself is a politically-motivated maneuver. "It never crossed my mind to complain about the maps," Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. told the Herald of his …
Monday, July 9, 2012
Shapiro: 'Overt gerrymandering' should again be struck down by the high court.
Montgomery County Commissioners Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards, along with six other public officials and Montgomery County residents, filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court today contesting the latest reapportionment plan from the state legislature. The appeal is the second filed against the 2011 Reapportionment Plan, after the Supreme Court sent back an initial plan in January 2012. At that time, the court ruled that the redistricting plan did not adhere to the state constitution's requirements for compact districts. Many Democratic leaders hailed that decision, stating that the proposal gerrymandered districts in favor of Republican political interests. A second plan was then presented by the bipartisan Reapportionment …
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Whitemarsh resident brings 17 years of planning experience to the board of our regional planning body.
Last month, Leslie Richards was a Whitemarsh Township Supervisor. After winning election last November, she became a Montgomery County Commissioner on January 3. By the end of the month, she'll be shaping transportation policy in nine counties and two states. Richards, who has been a planning consultant for 17 years, was selected by her fellow commissioners on Thursday to be Montgomery County's representative on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), which plans, directs and allocates funds for transportation projects that serve more than 5.6 million people across the greater Philadelphia area. She will join representatives from 17 other state, county, and municipal bodies as voting members of the DVRPC board. Board …
Thursday, December 1, 2011
On the chopping block: the parks department and library services.
Montgomery County residents may yet avoid a tax increase for 2012, but only at the cost of massive reductions or eliminations of iconic county services and amenities. A $384.8 million preliminary operating budget for 2012 would eliminate the county’s parks department and planning commission, while slashing or ending appropriations to the county library system, the Elmwood Park Zoo, Montgomery County Community College, and other institutions. The budget, which was approved for advertisement Wednesday by the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, “would change county government as we know it,” according to James Maza, the county’s deputy chief operating officer. Proposed tax increase: $130 per homeowner If taxes are not increased, the …
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Democratic candidates for county commissioner say they would 'begin at zero' and make each organization in county government 'make its case.'
Democratic candidates Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards said last week that they would not increase county taxes if elected to County Commissioner seats in November. The tax promise was made as part of the candidates' fiscal platform, which they announced to gathered members of the media at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown Thursday morning. The announcement came two days after the Republican candidates for County Commissioner, Jenny Brown and Bruce Castor, announced their own fiscal platform. The two candidates said they have spent the past few months campaigning throughout Montgomery County by attending 67 community events, 37 house parties, visiting eight senior centers, and making 12,000 phone calls to prospective voters. …
Bob Guzzardi
8:17 am on Friday, December 2, 2011
Over the past ten years in Lower Merion, spending, borrowing and taxes have increased. Have we seen any increase in the quality or quantity of services? Have we seen any increase in the standard of living in Lower Merion? Despite massive spending on "education", have we seen any measurable improvement in student learning? more ›