Last week, SpotlightPA revealed that businesses tied to Governor Tom Wolf and a top Pa. State Senator quickly closed their doors after reporters began asking questions. One of these businesses, Wolf Home Products, was placed in a "blind trust" by Wolf after he was elected, but it appears his cousin and a business associate manage it. The other business is a candy shop owned by by powerful State Senator Joe Scarnati, a Republican. It appears to me that waives depend mostly on connections. I say this because the Wolf administration has thus far refused to be transparent about what businesses have been granted waivers. We know 4,000 have been granted, but his secretive Department of Community and Economic Development has refused to identify them. In fact, these hacks from the land of midnight payraises don't even bother to provide any guidelines. This has prompted Leb Town to request that Wolf "instruct the Department of Community and Economic Development to immediately release the internal rubric or other guidance being used to evaluate waiver requests and the full list of companies that have been granted waivers."
If you have a business and would like a waiver, you can complete this form with the DCED and wait for Hell to freeze over. It would be smarter to complete the form AND ask your local State Rep. AND State Senator to grease the skids for you.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, March 30, 2020
25 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
A listing of all Applicants who are on the Top Secret list should be made available. People might want to know so they could do something in support of those business owners who were denied. Even public outrage on behalf of a poor decision to deny would help.
ReplyDeletePutting the politics and bad optics aside for the moment, somewhat curious why a candy shop would have had to close anyway? I doubt it has “eat in” facilities. If owner/operator enforced social distancing suggestions, e.g., limiting number of people in store at one time, couldn’t it be within the guidelines as a take-out food merchant?
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with candy shops remaining open so long as it is all candy shops as opposed to those owned by a state senator.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I bring up this, admittedly minor, flaw. Consider it a silly concern if you like. But, I think it reflects the nature of this process.
ReplyDeleteWhy should a local small business be prevented from delivering a product that would help someone get by, who in turn could then help others? The recipient of such an item can easily remain in another room of the home, only needing to keep the door unlocked for a short period. Not even saying a word to the delivery/installation people. Or, maybe just shout “THANKS’” from 40 feet away.
Adding to my 8:15 AM, I’m waiting for one of our frequent trolls to say, “We’ll, ya shoulda bought it at Walmart or Lowe’s.” Really?
ReplyDeleteWolf like you BERNIE are left wing and you people are so bad on all topics--Pelosi Schumer Schiff Nadle and the 4 idiots should all be thrown out of our country.
ReplyDeleteYa shoulda bought it at Walmart or Lowe's.
ReplyDelete9:09, you seem like such a sweet person!
ReplyDeleteTold Ya!
ReplyDeleteYet another Blog turned into a Troll Farm. Well, join me by refusing to eat the poison. Bye.
With no enforcement the closure announcement doesn't mean shit.
ReplyDelete9:35, trolls are in the eye of the beholder. I think you've become what your kind likes to call, kindly, a "snowflake." But Briebart always will be there for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat evidence is there that applications for waivers are being ignored? Or is tat just fake blogging?
ReplyDeleteHahn & Samuelson would be great to help. Has anyone seen Boscolla in years?!?!?
ReplyDeleteThere's an epidemic, people! You might at least mention it now and then as part of the picture.
ReplyDeleteWe must watch those DECD people as they are snakes amongst all economists.
ReplyDeleteThey disagree with you, huh? How dare they!
ReplyDeletePA is up to 4,087 cases and 49 deaths. Trump has announced that he has a quota of 100,000 deaths before it can be said that ee didn't do a good job.
ReplyDeleteWill he give PA the help it deserves, especially if Wolf won't blow him?
How's the governor looking now, Bernie?
ReplyDeleteScience tells the story. Stay the hell home.
To those of us who believe in silly little things like the Bill of Rights, Wolf looks terrible. He has no right to extend closures indefinitely. That is authoritarian. There should ALWAYS be specific dates.
ReplyDeleteTo those of us to believe in public health, he looks to have correctly given the benefit of the doubt to protecting us. Why can't you give him at least SOME credit?
ReplyDeleteCertainly he COULD set dates, but even Aug. 30 seems optimistic. I just saw that Vir. issued an order through June 30. Does that really make you feel better?
April 30, I meant, not Aug. 30.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was June 10, not June 30.
ReplyDeleteSorry.
So what date do you predict it to be safe , Great Carnac
ReplyDeleteIt’s a moving target right now
Don't know to whom you refer, but just heard an expert from the U. of Washington suggest at least another eight weeks before the risk will abate much. I believe he's the guy who wrote the models that the White House is using.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I note that those GM ventilators won't start showing up for some time. They said 50,000 in 100 days, but that doesn't indicate when, say, the first 10,000 will be available. Of course, that speaks to mitigation rather than prevention.
"I believe the governor should immediately release a list of the employers granted a waiver as well as those whose requests were rejected to ensure that every employer across the state is treated fairly, and no employer or employee loses their income due to a unilateral decision," Argall said.
ReplyDeleteIn his frequent news conferences since the crisis began, Wolf has rejected calls for his administration to release such a list.
https://www.wfmz.com/health/coronavirus/argall-seeks-transparency-in-closing-of-pa-businesses/article_82a36476-739f-11ea-9b09-ff46d7bc8ec2.html