Bird’s-Eye View

Newsroom brew’s gettin’ me through the Monday.
 
Working on a story tonight about where in Lancaster County the federal stimulus money is going to flow, specifically about highways, roadways and bridges.
As a heads up, how about PennDOT-monitored cameras along Route 30 or Route 283 to watch traffic conditions?
The construction part of this story is where the Obama […]

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Hot cup of newsroom brew with a splash of hazelnut Splenda. Delish! What’s in your mug? 
 
The bartender’s signalling last call. Today is the deadline for Willow Valley Associates to gather 2,205 signatures and place on the primary ballot a referendum to overturn West Lampeter Township’s alcohol sales prohibition. Willow Valley needs this to establish a 184-room Doubletree […]

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Stopped by Cross Keys in downtown Lancaster to say hello to the proprietor, Jerry. And let me alert you caffeine-heads to something here I like to call a little slice of heaven. A 16 oz. medium roast coffee made from Indonesian beans and a succulent cinnamon-apple muffin cost less than $3, and you’ll be hard […]

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The kinda evening for a mug of coffee, no? New snow’s on the ground, feels like Canada’s Northwest Territories out there, kids off from school. Fire up the brewmaster!
Hold onto your WiFi, there are some veddy veddy entertaining interesting debates going on in Harrisburg to start the week off:

If you think state lawmakers earn too much […]

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How goes it? Did you try The Mean Cup’s Costa Rican Fair Trade brew in Central Market today? Delicious. And as a public service announcement, remember the recommended way to brew coffee is one scoop (2 tablespoons) per 6 oz. of water.
What do you do when you have an 82-year-old retiree and a mustachioed county […]

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Cup of newsroom brew at my side. Could use some Spenda Flavor packets. Ever had the cinnamon? Delish! 
Have the city elections on my mind.
 
We’re going to learn tonight of at least one Republican who’s taking a shot at Lancaster City Council, which if true at least makes for a race. Whether it’s a competitive race is […]

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The Democratic House Majority proved successful last night in its attempts to role back some of the reforms took root during the previous legislative session. 
The most serious changes in how the House will operate during the next two years has to do with:

The ability of the all-powerful House Rules Committee to amend bills that come […]

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… what I’m watching in the state House of Representatives, right now. The Democratic Majority leadership is trying to undo some of the reform rules that were passed in 2006, post pay raise.
The proposed rules they’re debating as I type would make it more difficult to end the day’s debate at 11 p.m., which […]

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I interviewed every lawmaker from Lancaster County or one of their aides about the 2009 legislative pay raise, worth about 2.8 percent of their previous salary, and let’s say a few were a little miffed about the attention being paid to their pay.
“Have you talked to the judges about their COLAs (cost of living adjustments)?” […]

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Setting the stage for tomorrow’s article: 
Without much fanfare or outrage, Dec. 1 brought state lawmakers a pay raise. The bump was modest - only 2.8 percent compared to the minimum 16 percent they voted themselves in 2005 - and there were a few jabs by editorial writers and government reformers about it. Their outrage certainly didn’t […]

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