City Controller Alan Butkovitz has released an independent review of the City’s 2014 full-value reassessment that indicates the Actual Value Initiative did not improve accuracy, uniformity and fairness. The Office of Property Assessment’s 2014 taxable property values are highly variable in quality, which is well beyond the standards set by the International Association of Assessing [...]
BY JOE SHAHEELI/ Republican City Committee chairman Vito Canuso, Esq., brought an end to the civil war that has stymied the growth of the Republican City Committee in a city its young Turks believe is ready for wholesale conversion by disenchanted Democratic voters. He did so Tuesday night at the annual pre-primary gala at Cannstatter [...]
BY MICHAEL A. CIBIK, ESQ., American Bankruptcy Board Certified/ Question: Do you ever want to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous? Celebrities file bankruptcy too! Answer: In the mid ’80s to early ’90s, a television show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, was broadcast in America with its host, Robin Leach, showing the [...]
The years-long battle is over! The State Supreme Court has just okayed the General Assembly’s redistricting plan, which will take effect in the 2014 election. Breathing sighs of relief in Philadelphia are STATE REPS. MARK COHEN (Democrat) and JOHN TAYLOR (Republican), who will run in the districts they wanted. The featured bout will be between [...]
Tuesday night, Republican City Committee held its spring fundraiser at Cannstatter in the Far Northeast. CHAIRMAN VITO CANUSO announced at the fundraiser that for the “good of the party” that he would be resigning shortly. Canuso said he would support STATE REP. JOHN TAYLOR for chairman. Taylor is believed to have agreed to serving on [...]
I read an editorial that calls for the abolition of Traffic Court – meaning the 40 candidates now running for office would be running for nothing. I would call that item reprehensible. The 40-some are spending their money to run. State Rep. Curtis Thomas, before the House Judiciary Committee, asked to give the candidates an [...]
BY JOE SHAHEELI/ Under the name of every candidate seeking a statewide elected post is the name of the county from which he or she comes. Almost from the beginning of political time in Pennsylvania, “Philadelphia County” has been a jinx label. Some of our Supreme and Superior Court candidates beat the jinx, but these [...]
State Sen. LeAnna M. Washington (D-Northwest) has received communication from Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser containing followup from the Feb. 26, 2013 Appropriations hearing. Meuser said in the letter the Commonwealth may owe millions in consultancy and legal fees. To which, Washington answered, “Throughout the Lottery private-management process, I have repeatedly asked about the projected consultancy [...]
Gov. Tom Corbett continues to step on his own toes. He may not be building a voter base for himself with his comments about Pennsylvania employers being unable to find employees who can pass a drug test. There will be people who see his statement as being truly reflective of our culture and the growing [...]
