e CommonSense: September 2005

Saturday, September 24, 2005

President Judge Reneges on Deal to Step Down

Distressed with the tyrranical reign of despotic President Judge Kenneth A. Clouse, and unsettled by the ongoing investigation by the Judicial Conduct Board, last week the Board of Judges thought that at last a compromise had been reached: Clouse would step down as President Judge in favor of his trusted friend the Honorable Edward Zetusky. But after a few days Clouse reneged, and now the Board of Judges is wondering: why? and what happens when the dam breaks and the JCB finishes its investigation?

Undoubtedly, Delco's own Livia Soprano, the redoutable Lynn Cohen-Clouse, plays a role in Clouse's about-face. What fun is it being the girlfriend/wife/consort of the former President Judge? Better to have a few more months in the power seat and get what you can, then endure the disgrace of impeachment, than to go quietly into that good night, stripped of all power and influence. This woman is no Pat Nixon.

No one knows when the JCB will finish its investigation. Is there anyone left in Delco who hasn't been interviewed? Any rock that hasn't been turned over yet? When charges are brought how will Clouse spin it? It will be hard to call the charges politically-motivated after a thorough investigation, and who would believe that anyway? The Democratic Party doesn't have any control over the JCB.

The press coverage will come from far and wide, from people that don't know about or care about Delco politics: they will talk about the judge who sold fundraiser tickets from his chambers, who hired his best buddy for a no-show job, who hired his new girlfriend for another no-show job, who openly plays politics.

With George Bush slipping in the polls, public confidence in the GOP will be even more diminished, and Rick Santorum will not do well in Delco. Charlie Sexton, wake up! You promised Santorum a better showing in 2006, but if the Clouse scandal breaks before the election, you won't be able to deliver.

Note: Readers report that some persons are trying to uncover our identity. Warning: we are using a decoy ISP address and have taken other precautions.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 4:20 AM   1 comments

Thursday, September 22, 2005

R.I.P. Mrs. Koudelis, a very classy lady

Parthenope "Bobbie" Koudelis

KOUDELIS PARTHENOPE "BOBBIE", Sept. 17, 2005. Beloved wife of The Honorable George Koudelis; devoted mother of Basil C. (Stacey) and Alexandra M. (Sotirios) Seherlis; grandmother of Theodora P. Seherlis and Laine N. Koudelis; also beloved of a large extended family. Her Funeral Service will be 11 A.M., Fri,, Greek Orthodox Church of St. Luke, 35 N. Malin Rd., Broomall. Viewing 9:30 to 10:45 A.M. Int. Edgewood Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Church. VRAIM

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 12:39 PM   2 comments

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Surfing the web

Yesterday I reported that the Attorney General is investigating the no-show job held by a certain judge's closest friend. The Attorney General should also look into how the router on this judge's computer is split, so that he can get past the filters and into his favorite porno sites and not leave any tracks.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 9:15 PM   1 comments

Retaliation

I read today that the lawyer mentioned in my September 14th post, Karl Rove, meet Ken Clouse and Lynn Cohen; Ken and Lynn, meet Karl - you guys have a lot in common!, was fired for "violating the media policy" when she commented on Karl Rove's residency questions.

I sympathize with her. I know I'd be fired if they knew I was writing this blog. Sad but true, many government officials have very little respect for the First Amendment.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 9:09 PM   0 comments

What is the Attorney General investigating in Delco?

Rumor has it that the Attorney General has sent an investigator to Media to look into the no-show, or little-show, job held by the close personal friend of a certain judge.

There's also a very nice, polite, soft-spoken man from the Judicial Conduct Board who has been interviewing a lot of people in the Courthouse and some lawyers in Media.

There is fear that someone is stirring up the muck in notoriously-corrupt Haverford Township, and that some people here will get splashed with it.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 2:07 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

The Continuing Exploitation of Chester by Delco Politicians part II

I've been out of town for a while so I have some catching up to do. While I was away the Inquirer ran another article on the Chester Community Charter School and how it is making Vahan Gureghian a very wealthy man. What I didn't know is that Michael Gillen is paid $50,000 per year to be the head of that Chester school oversight board. The greed of these people never ceases to amaze me. Here is a guy with a flourishing law practice so he make a lot of money there, and who makes a substantial salary as Register of Wills, maybe $70,000 per year, and now he gets another $50,000 for overseeing the Chester schools, when he knows as much about running a school district as Lassie. Have they no shame?

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 2:30 PM   1 comments

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Karl Rove, meet Ken Clouse and Lynn Cohen; Ken and Lynn, meet Karl - you guys have a lot in common!

Seems to me I have heard this song before:

Rove assessed $3,400 in back taxes; voter fraud issues

By Lori Montgomery
The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- Presidential adviser Karl Rove may live in Washington. But in his heart -- and for voting purposes -- he remains a Texan. Which means he is not legally entitled to the homestead-deduction and property-tax cap he's been getting on his Washington home for the past 3 ½ years.

Last week, the District of Columbia tax collector was alerted to the situation, and Rove agreed to reimburse the District for an estimated $3,400 in back taxes, city officials said.

But some Texas officials also are wondering about the place Rove calls home. . . . .

Healy said Rove will forgo the exemption and tax cap on his Washington house -- valued at more than $1.1 million -- rather than give up his status as a Texas voter. But that raises a new set of questions. . . .

Rove is now registered to vote in Kerr County, about 80 miles west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country. He and his wife, Darby, have owned property there, on the Guadalupe River, since at least 1997, according to county property records.

But as far as the locals know, the Roves have never lived in either of two tiny rental cottages Rove claims as his residence on Texas voter registration rolls. . . .

In Texas, when you register to vote where you don't actually live, the county prosecutor can come after you for voter fraud, said Elizabeth Reyes, an attorney with the elections division of the Texas Secretary of State's Office. Rove's rental cottage "doesn't sound like a residence to me because it's not a fixed place of habitation," she said.

Still, under state law, the definition of a Texan is pretty loose, Reyes said, even for voting purposes. So someone would have to file a complaint.

In the end, she said, "Questions of residency are ultimately for the court to decide."

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 10:14 PM   0 comments

Weldon delivers aid to New Orleans REALLY personally

William Bender has a really compelling story in today's Delaware County Daily Times about his trip to New Orleans with Curt Weldon.

He does a masterful job of describing what it's like "on the ground" there.

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15152738&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=6

But I still don't get it. Why did Weldon insist on delivering the stuff personally? He said something about cutting through the red tape, but then he insists on seeing the Mayor personally, and I suspect the Mayor of New Orleans had other things to do.

Weldon strikes me as a guy who really cares, and has some good ideas, but there is something vaguely weird about him.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 11:10 AM   0 comments

Train your brain with Sudoku

I have a brand new way to waste time, at work and at home: sudoku.

Sudoku is a logic puzzle in which the player must fill in a grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. It's totally addictive, and you also feel like you are giving your brain a workout.

There are lots of books available, all pretty cheap, or you can check it out at www.sudoku.com.

I know I said this blog was going to be about Delaware County government, but a person needs to relax once in a while!

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 12:39 AM   0 comments

I don't know if I can take TWO confirmation hearings

I just heard that Justice Rehnquist died. Rest in peace, Justice Rehnquist.

But I couldn't help but think: I don't know if I can take TWO confirmation hearings. Judge Roberts seems like an OK choice to me, and NARAL and other groups are going berserk anyway. What will they do with TWO nominees to beat up on?

I really dread this.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 12:07 AM   0 comments

Saturday, September 03, 2005

In the waiting room at Fitzgerald Mercy

The New York Times has a column for people to describe little incidents that tell you about life in New York. Here's a little incident from Life in Delaware County:

I had to go to Fitzgerald Mercy the other day for X-rays. They had "One Life to Live" on the television in the waiting room. A male character was in a heated argument a female character, and he was screaming at her: "I hate you and I hate that thing that is growing inside you!!! It's not a baby it's a monster!!! I will always hate it as much as I hate you!!! I wish you were dead, and it with you!!!"

The old man sitting next to me looked up from his newspaper and muttered, "seems like someone's got cold feet."

I love understatement.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 3:18 PM   0 comments

Weldon personally delivers hurricane relief

Today's Daily Times has a story about Curt Weldon flying down to Baton Rouge this morning to deliver money and rescue equipment to state and local officials down there.

That's nice and all, but did he really have to deliver it in person? Why not wire transfer the money to the American Red Cross or some local organization, and send the "unmanned aerial vehicles" (with an instruction manual)?

You also have to wonder if those state and local officials wouldn't rather be getting some work done, rather than posing for photo ops with Weldon.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 12:51 AM   0 comments

Friday, September 02, 2005

Curt Weldon announces Delaware Valley Hurricane Relief Fund

Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), House Armed Service Committee vice chairman, and Robert Brady (D-Pa.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, announced the creation of the Delaware Valley Hurricane Relief Fund, through Commerce Bank.

"These funds will go directly toward aiding local first responders in the region whose equipment and ability to effectively serve their community was crippled by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina earlier this week," said Weldon.

Weldon will be flying to Baton Rouge, La., early Friday to deliver wireless communications and rescue equipment already donated from local Delaware Valley businesses to the governors of Louisiana and Mississippi.

posted by Peter Porcupine @ 2:22 AM   0 comments