CASEY RONCAGLIONE

Goodbye For Now

2008-01-18T07:53:00.000-05:00

Letter to the Editor:
Farewell to 164th District

To the Times:

It was a fantastic experience running for the state Legislature in the 164th District, Upper Darby Township.

Since then, I’m off on a new adventure.

I’d like to thank all those who helped and supported me during the election, and even those who didn’t.

I’ll never forget you.

My new assignment is serving our country in the U.S. Navy.

To quote, “I’ll shall return.”

I’ve been asked not to divulge the details of my assignment by my superiors.

Nevertheless, I’ve never been prouder than to serve my country, and can’t think of anything more important I’ll ever do in my life.

CASEY RONCAGLIONE
USN
Drexel Hill

Casey Roncaglione

2008-01-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

My Delco Friends,

It was a fantastic and rewarding experience running for the PA Legislature in 2006.
Now I'm off on a new adventure.
I'd like to thank all those who helped and supported me at the ballot box during the campaign, I'll never forget you.
My new adventure is serving our Country in the U.S. Military, Navy. I've been asked not to divulge the details of my assignmnet by my superiors. Nevertheless, I've never been prouder, and can't think of anything more important to do with my life.

Casey Roncaglione

Airplanes Over Delco

2007-09-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

It seems that no power on earth can stop the FAA from implementing the new flight plan over Delaware County, Our Congressman, Senators, and State Legislators have run into the immovable Federal bureaucracy. Your advice to buy earplugs, though facetious, is what we have been left with as an alternative.Beyond the noise the added flights will cause, who will we call if a tragedy happens. I'd love to have that number. Are we who live in Delaware County so unimportant that saving time for travelers will endanger our good and hard working people. My question is who profits from this action? Who is behind this push to serve the few while hurting millions. I don't have the answer, but I know someone does.The implications of this decision will have long lasting and negative effects for everyone who lives in Delco. I called the FAA to find the person behind this misguided action, needless to say I was "disconnected". I applaud Andy Reilly and Joe Sestak for fighting the good fight, and I find ridiculous suggestions to cause delays at the airport.What I do know is that I don't want to live in a flight path and if someday I'm in a position to join those working to fight this catastrophe I will work for our community. Meanwhile, Editorials, hard working officials and citizens who will make their voices heard is the best chance we have to stop the FAA.

Your share: $23

2007-06-15T08:20:00.000-04:00

State Rep. Glen Grell, R-Mechanicsburg
Shocked to learn that the General Assembly cost $23 per resident in 2005 compared to $10.72 in California, $8.20 in New York and a bargain $3.69 in Ohio, state Rep. Glen Grell of Mechanicsburg wants to slice the legislature's budget by 8 percent.
Grell, a member of the Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform, plans to propose cutting the General Assembly's budget to $290 million from $316 million, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
Continue reading the entry...

Drama In Delaware County

2007-06-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

Casey Roncaglione, President of the Delaware County Young Democrats, writes this morning to tell us that his group is calling on state Rep. Mario Civera, R-Delaware, to reimburse the taxpayers for the $114,801 the House spent on public service announcements on his behalf.
The group also demands that "all other Legislators (sic), Republican and Democrat, do the same.""Mr. Civera stood on the House floor calling for restraint of new taxes in the Governor's budget," Roncaglione wrote. "A good start to that restraint would be to reimburse the Tax Payer for his own lack of restraint, anything less would be hypocritical and make his budget statements just political posturing.
"Hmmm ... makes sense to us.
Howzabout it?

New Taxpayer Group - PAY IT BACK

2007-06-11T07:49:00.000-04:00

A new taxpayer group, PAY IT BACK, is calling on all legislators who spent tax payer money to air Public Service Announcements to repay the treasury out of their own campaign funds.

The wasteful spending on Public Service announcements is more of the same for our Legislature, talking publicly about restraining taxes while spending millions for their own personal use while keeping the public in the dark. Our organization is spearheading the drive and it has all the earmarks of the 2005 late night pay raise.

As Representative Greg Vitali said, "Public service announcements are primarily a device for legislators to promote their own name recognition. You see them being used primarily by legislators in contested seats."

Contact your legislator and let them know how you feel. You can join our group be e-mailing me at caseyroncaglione@excite.com and I'll keep you informed of our progress.

Casey Roncaglione
President Delaware County Young Democrats

Refund PSA Money

2007-06-07T05:08:00.000-04:00

Dear Pennsylvanians,
To start the campaign to voice your displeasure over the spending of your taxes for Public Service Announcements to promote legislators re-elections we must force them to refund the money. The total expenditures are in the Millions. PSA's are little more than campaign commercials, paid for by taxpayers, and happen to run around election periods. The same information is available in many other places.
Contact Mario Civera who spent $114,801 at e-mail mcivera@pahousegop.com , his office is (610) 853-4115.

This campaign is bipartisan and aimed at both Democrats and Republicans. Here are their web sites.
http://www.pasenategop.com
http://www.pahousegop.com
http://www.pasenate.com
http://www.pahouse.com

Here is is the backround http://caseyroncaglione.blogspot.com/2007/05/mario-civera-pay-us-back-again.html

Senator Pillegi's Good Work

2007-06-05T06:55:00.000-04:00

News Flash: "Darth Vader turns from the Dark Side.
"OK, you won't see that headline in today's newspapers, but a key political figure in Pennsylvania has joined the battle to reform one of the worst open-records law in the country.Pennsylvania politicians like to operate in the shadows, away from public scutiny. That's one of the reasons our state government is so screwed up.Following hearings in Harrisburg Monday, state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi finally saw the light.The Delaware County Republican publicly announced his support for a major overhaul of Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. Gov. Ed Rendell made a similar pledge earlier this year.Reform activists and proponents of open government have been working hard to get the state's political elite to back the presumption that government records are open unless there is an overiding need for privacy.The way the state's laws are written now, most government records are presumed secret and it's up to residents to force government to make them public.
Read the rest here.

Mario Civera - Pay Us Back - Again

2007-05-31T09:27:00.000-04:00

As President of the Delaware County Young Democrats and a taxpayer, I Casey Roncaglione, am calling on Representative Mario Civera to repay Taxpayers for the money spent airing Public Service Announcements on his behalf. The total is $114,801. We also demand all other Legislators, Republican and Democrat, to do the same.

Mr. Civera (R-164 Upper Darby) stood on the House floor calling for restraint of new taxes in the Governor's budget. A good start to that restraint would be to reimburse the Taxpayer for Representative Civera's own lack of restraint, anything less would be hypocritical and make his budget statements just political posturing.

When Representative Civera took the late night pay raise in 2005, he reluctantly returned the money after public pressure forced him to face reality. We hope he will see the light with his PSA spending as he did with the pay raise, and return the money to the State.

Public Service announcements have been called nothing more than taxpayer funded election commercials. The information included in PSA's is available in many other places, including libraries, district offices, newspapers, and from the service providers themselves. This material is also provided free to citizens.

When the House voted to eliminate the PSA spending, Mr. Civera voted not to eliminate them, while his colleague Representative Greg Vitali voted yes to stop the waste.
Once again Mr. Civera has failed to hear that taxpayers are fed up with waste in Government. The State needs no new taxes, rather it needs cuts in spending, particularly those programs which are without doubt unnecessary.

If Mr. Civera is serious about reducing taxes then he should start at home and repay the $114,801 he spent on his Public Service Announcements.

Casey Roncaglione

Mario Civera Budget Blunder

2007-05-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

I had to laugh as Mario Civera appealed to the House for "physical" restraint for taxes. His own restraint of personal spending with your taxpayer money puts him in the top %5 of all legislative spenders.

Here is the latest report from the state on how much of your money Mario Civera spends on "Public Service Announcements".
These announcements are little more than state paid commercials.
I hereby ask that Mario stop this waste of taxpayer money, and demand that he explain why he abuses this program.
When the vote came up on the "Civera Amendment" it was defeated, but when the legislature tried to end waste of taxpayer funded PSA's, Civera voted no.

PSA money spent by Mario J Civera

Months of 2005 Cable Spots and Radio Spots
May $13,090.00 Website
June $11,866.00 PHEAA
July $11,628.00 District Office
August $11,866.00 CHIP
September $11,866.00 Tutoring Pgm
November $11,628.00 Liheap

Total 2005 PSA Money Spent $71,944.00

Months of 2006 of Cable Spots and Radio Spots
January $11,866.00 PACE
February $10,251.00 Senior Pgms
July $10,370.00 Prop Tax-Rent Rebate
August $10,370.00 Veterans Event

Total 2006 PSA Money Spent $42,857.00

Total PSA Money Spent for Mario J Civera $114,801.00

Indicates Multiple Cable Systems/Radio Stations

Mario Civera in Harrisburg

2007-05-28T18:20:00.000-04:00

Comments from observers of Representative Civera's first big moment as minority Appropriatons Chairman on the State budget.

From KEYSTONE Politics

DELCO Republicans just don't get it
On May 22nd, 2007 Anonymous says:
Evans may have had a good idea and tried to give Civera some props, and Civera and his brethren took it as an opportunity to bash the governor. So much for a bipartisan spirit. Civera's attitude is typical of DELCO republicans and went a long way to killing any chance of bipartisanship.

Civera made an error
On May 22nd, 2007 Anonymous says:
If he would have just graciously accepted the proposal that Evans put out, he might have gotten his way. But, no, he is a jerk and his proposal gets defeated (102-96 according to Micek).
I don't think the GOP understands that bipartisan means that you have to play nicely for 10 minutes.
LV Dem

G.O.P. - Golden Opportunities Plummeted?
On May 22nd, 2007 thegentlemanfro... says:
As a conservative Republican myself, the Republican Party in this fine Commonwealth never ceases to amaze me. Day by day I become more and more convinced that my political brethren are infected by a self-destruction bug which appears to be incurable. Here we have Dwight Evans, a Democrat who, for whatever reason, was prepared to hand the GOP it's dream budget, and Civera takes that diamond and proceeds to flush it down the toilet with talking points and brazen ego. I heard an expression once that stuck with me: "You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in the proportion and you'll do just fine." Civera should've known to shut up and vote. Get the budget to Rendell on time and force his hand. Instead, he bought himself a few more lines in the paper. The Pennsylvania GOP is truly doomed.

Memorial Day

2007-05-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

Have a good Memorial Day weekend.

"Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al;
it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?"

Support our disabled veterans

Initiative and Referendum

2007-05-24T06:24:00.000-04:00

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG -- For more than 20 years, state Sen. James Rhoades has been trying to give Pennsylvanians the power of "initiative and referendum,'' allowing citizens to enact new laws directly without going through the state Legislature, as well as the power to overturn measures passed by the Legislature.
Such a major change "will give individual citizens a greater voice in the legislative process, and will help government be more responsive to those we serve,'' said Mr. Rhoades. "Increasing the public's say in the laws we pass in Harrisburg will stimulate public involvement.''
"Initiative'' gives a citizens group the power to collect a certain amount of signatures of registered voters, based on the number of votes cast in the last election for governor. If the signatures are verified, a proposed law or constitutional change is put to a statewide referendum without waiting for the Legislature to act.
For example, citizens could put on the ballot a measure to change the state tax structure, such as rolling the income tax back to 2.8 percent, where it was until the Legislature increased it to 3.07 percent in 2004.
"Empower the people of Pennsylvania with the ability to initiate and repeal legislative and constitutional changes,'' said Matthew Brouillette, Commonwealth Foundation president. It's part of the overall effort to "increase openness, transparency and accountability in state government," he said, a movement that has sprung up in the wake of the Legislature's now-repealed pay raise.

Civera Bugets for Himself

2007-05-23T07:43:00.000-04:00

I'm reposting this based on Mario's new persona as "fiscal watchdog".

Mario Civera and his spending of your money
Here is the latest report from the state on how much of your money Mario Civera spends on "Public Service Announcements".
What a waste. Think of the good that money could have been used for.These announcements are little more than state paid commercials.
I hereby ask that Mario stop this waste of taxpayer money, and demand that he explain to all of us why he abuses this program. When the vote came up on the issue in Harrisburg Mario voted no, I wonder why.
PSA money spent by Mario J Civera $114,801.00
Please see the details below.

Civera Budget Ploy Fails

2007-05-23T05:20:00.001-04:00

From post-gazette.com

"In a surprise move, House lawmakers from both parties agreed yesterday to withdraw 245 of the 246 amendments that they had submitted last week. Instead, they offered only the most sweeping amendment, the one by Mr. Civera, R-Delaware, which would have cut most of the governor's proposals for new programs, restored funding to lawmakers' pet projects and limited spending to the rate of inflation.
"I do think there's some value to members airing out their projects," said House GOP Leader Sam Smith, R-Punxsutawney, "but our members felt we could make the most striking [case] by putting the Civera amendment straight up against the governor's budget."
They lost."

My take is that after years of being the Governor's Republican lapdog, Civera is trying to position himself as the loyal opposition. He used the Governor to help in his re-election, voted for every tax increase that came down the pike and now fears the voters have finally seen the wolf in sheeps clothing.

Civera Budget Fails

2007-05-23T05:20:00.000-04:00

Our new fiscal conservative, please spare me.

Civera went on to sum up his budget proposal for the (ugh) "new physical year,"

Mario Civera and his spending of your money

2007-05-18T08:34:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest report from the state on how much of your money Mario Civera spends on "Public Service Announcements". What a waste. Think of the good that money could have been used for.
These announcements are little more than state paid commercials. I hereby ask that Mario stop this waste of taxpayer money, and demand that he explain to all of us why he abuses this program. When the vote came up on the issue in Harrisburg Mario voted no, I wonder why.

PSA money spent by Mario J Civera

Months of 2005 Cable Spots and Radio Spots
May $13,090.00 Website
June $11,866.00 PHEAA
July $11,628.00 District Office
August $11,866.00 CHIP
September $11,866.00 Tutoring Pgm
November $11,628.00 Liheap
Total 2005 PSA Money Spent $71,944.00

Months of 2006 of Cable Spots and,Radio Spots
January $11,866.00 PACE
February $10,251.00 Senior Pgms
July $10,370.00 Prop Tax-Rent Rebate
August $10,370.00 Veterans Event
Totals 1,600 $42,857.00
Total 2006 PSA Money Spent $42,857.00

Total PSA Money Spent for Mario J Civera $114,801.00

Indicates Multiple Cable Systems/Radio Stations

New Online Fundraising

2007-05-17T12:38:00.001-04:00

I've posted an easy way for you to contribute to the ultimate defeat of Mario Civera. It's very easy to do, just enter the amount, click on the Act Blue icon and follow the easy instructions.

Last election Mario outspent me by more than $500,000. House Speaker John Perzel of Philadelphia gave Mario $150,000.
This time with your help the outcome will be different.

I owe you, who does Mario owe?
Thanks in advance.
Casey

Act 1 Civera's Last Act

2007-05-16T05:26:00.002-04:00

For 27 years, Mario Civera has promised property tax cuts. Check your tax bill and you'll see his complete failure. He stood with the Governor and rattled on how he would get it done. Well the voters said you failed Mario.

“They saw this for what is was: smoke and mirrors and just another way for the legislature to pretend they are doing their jobs.” Sure Mario will get you a handicapped parking spot, but when it comes to saving your home , that spot isn't worth much.

Worse yet The Upper Darby School District has proposed a 4.6 property tax hike.

To quote from the Delco Times, “When the next election rolls around, I don’t care if it’s a Democrat or Republican,” she said. “If you recognize their name, don’t vote for them. If they don’t get this issue, get them out of there.”

STUDENT STANDS UP TO GOP MONEY MACHINE

2007-05-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

The following observations of Politics in Upper Darby is long overdue. Those in power would prefer to keep quiet and not make waves that would endanger their cushy jobs.
It's kind of long, so I've linked it here, here's the link. http://nickpipitone.blogspot.com/2007/04/student-stands-up-to-gop-money-machine.html

Mario Civera Charges You 23 Dollars

2007-05-11T16:16:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG - Lawmakers say they are alarmed by how much the General Assembly spends on itself compared to legislatures of other large states.

In 2005, the cost of running the Pennsylvania Legislature was $23 for every resident, compared to $5.83 in Illinois and $3.69 in Ohio, according to figures given yesterday by a researcher from the National Conference of State Legislatures to the Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform. California came in at $8.20 per person and New York at $10.72, lawmakers were told.
State Rep. Peter J. Daley, D-California, said he has been pushing Legislature reform since 1985 to deaf ears.

"The numbers are stark realities we can't ignore as a body," said Rep. Curt Schroder, R-Chester County, a commission member.
California, the largest state, ranked 31st, and New York, the third-largest, ranked 18th. Michigan ranked 22nd; Illinois, 37th; and Ohio, 49th.
The figures show Pennsylvania ranks first when comparing legislative costs as a percentage of all state spending.
Pennsylvania ranked second in total legislative spending of $286 million in 2005, according to the NCSL figures. That's a conservative figure that doesn't include an estimated $25 million spent on boards and commissions under the Legislature, according to Pennsylvania budget documents.
"No matter how you present the numbers, we are right at the top of the list," said Rep. David Steil, R-Bucks County, co-chairman of the reform panel.
Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware County, said he is concerned about the Legislature's "bloated" budget.

One driver of the cost is the size of Pennsylvania's legislative staff, which was second-largest in the nation in 2003, according to the NCSL. Pennsylvania's legislative staff more than doubled from 1,430 in 1979 to 2,947 in 2003.
Based on several studies, there's no clear indication that reducing the size of a legislature would reduce costs, Erickson said.
Opponents of cutting the Legislature argue that lawmakers will add more district offices and staff if they have larger districts.
To combat that argument, Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Moon, sponsor of a bill to reduce the Legislature to 201 members, said his legislation would mandate a 20 percent cut in legislative spending. A similar bill by Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon, was approved by the Senate State Government Committee on Tuesday.
But Steil and Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery County, the other co-chair of the speaker's commission, question whether there is enough support on the 24-member House panel to approve a recommendation to reduce the Legislature's size.
"It did not seem to me there is a general consensus to support reducing the size, but there certainly is to support reducing the costs," Steil said.

Dwight Evans for Mayor

2007-05-06T08:19:00.001-04:00

Being that Philadelphia is in close proximity to our community, I feel the new Mayor of Philadelphia can be a positive force in uplifting our area. It is with this in mind that I support Dwight Evans for Mayor of Philadelphia.
His record speaks for itself, and to list his qualifications would take too much space here.
On a personal note, while I was running for State Rep in Upper Darby, he took his time to call me during the election and offer encouragement and advice. He is a fine man and has the best intentions for making our neighbor, Philadelphia, a better place. A mayor of Philadelphia who realizes that his neighboring communities can be a regional partner is a refreshing change.
Dwight Evans is a man whose vision can uplift an entire city and region.
The Delco Young Dems therefore encourage the support of Mr. Dwight Evans for Mayor of Philadelphia.

Casey Roncaglione

President

610-804-7373

Delaware County Young Democrats

AP: State legislators got $50,000 in freebies last year

2007-05-05T10:28:00.000-04:00

From the York Dispatch

"HARRISBURG -- State lawmakers raked in thousands of dollars worth of freebies last year, ranging from ski passes and football tickets to air travel and hotel accommodations.
They collected more than $50,000 in gifts and travel, according to an Associated Press analysis of the annual Statement of Financial Interests forms that public officials in Pennsylvania were required to file by Tuesday.
Legislators were provided free seats at Penn State and University of Pittsburgh college football games, Pocono Raceway events, professional baseball and basketball games and a stage performance of Disney's "The Lion King" musical."

I ask Mario Civera to tell us, his constituents, what freebies he gets.

Frank Daly

2007-04-30T09:34:00.000-04:00

A Message from Frank Daly for Judge
Dear Fellow Democrats,
As many of you know, May 15th is an important Primary Election. Not only is the Act 1 tax referendum going to affect all of Delaware County’s residents, but also for the first time in 218 years a Democrat can win a county Judge seat.
For years the Republican Party has choked Delaware County with a stranglehold stemming from control of the courts, solicitor offices, and more, and without your help they will continue to do so!
For far too long the party bosses have picked the Judges of Delaware County with little regard for qualifications. This practice must be stopped! It’s time to elect qualified people into office who care about Judicial Integrity and Judicial Independence!
In this particular election, cross-filing is permissible, so several Republicans are on the Democratic ticket.
Frank Daly and Michael Farrell are the two Democrats on the May 15th Ballot. They can be found at A-14 and A-15 on the Democratic line.
Media is one of the few municipalities run by Democrats. Frank Daly was Mayor of Media from 1982 to 1992 and then solicitor and current President of the Media Borough Council. With the help of many hardworking people, Media has become a better place to live. Frank Daly would like to continue that service to the community as a Court Judge. With your help, it can be possible.
So, I write to you, fellow Democrats, to support Frank Daly and Michael Farrell this May 15th. Every vote is important and every vote counts!
Please, look at our website, http://www.frankdalyforjudge.com to find out more about Frank Daly and ways to help the campaign.
Sincerely,
Joseph Patrick O’Brien, Esq.Chairman

On a smaller Legislature

2007-04-19T16:53:00.000-04:00

From The Evening Bulletin.

"Mention hasn't even been made of how a smaller legislature will naturally mean even more money in our political process. After all, a larger district will necessarily require more money in order to promote a candidate, thus leading to more expensive and extravagant campaigns. Brightbill spent roughly a million dollars in his bid to retain his state Senate seat last year; how much more would have been spent had the 48th district been just 20 percent larger? And what of all of those nefarious lobbyists floating around Harrisburg? Would not a small legislature automatically mean more money to buy fewer votes? If anything, a smaller Pennsylvania legislature would be a lobbyist's fantasy come true!"