Transparency Press Conference
Mar 12th, 2008 by Dave
Here is the press conference from today with Sen. Copeland, Rep. Lavelle, Jim Bowers and Erik Arneson, Communications and Policy Director for PA Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi.
Copeland, Lavelle and Bowers discuss the Taxpayer Coalition’s Transparency Package being reintroduced in the House today, and Mr. Arneson discusses the recent landmark open records law in Pennsylvania that recently passed.
Dave,
If Copeland is such a big hero when it comes to open government why doesn;t he come clean aboutt he secret meetings he had with McDowell and Speck prior to the Wind Power hearings?
It would shock the world!
(and give him a lot more cred.)
I love the Bowers is running for election and he is in Leg. Hall and part of a press conference. Surprise, the Republicans no how to abuse… Same as the former Dover Mayor coming into Leg. Hall, having a press conf. saying he is running for State Senate.
Shameless.
Q: Why does Copeland want open government?
A: Because it creeps him out when McDowell keeps touching his thigh in those secret Blue Water strategy meetings.
It’s the people’s house, Tommy. Are you saying that only elected officials should be able to go into Leg Hall? Bowers was as responsible for those bills as anyone. He deserved to be involved.
Just because he, as an unelected official, is doing more to improve the state than the guy who beat him, that doesn’t mean he should have to stay out of Leg Hall.
Jason — Please.
And by the way, you can fault DeLuca for approving $35,000 for Speck, but Copeland having breakfast with Speck and McDowell is hardly a violation of any open government principles. First of all, they were in a public restaurant. Secondly, the “government” went on in the hearing, and was public.
Trying to loop Copeland into what DeLuca and McDowell are doing is weak. Copeland’s opposed to his constituents having to pay for the wind farm when the business customers, municipalities and Co-op customers don’t, and he voted against House Bill 6 in the first place. You may not agree with it, but his position is clear and open. Any perceived offenses are being committed by DeLuca and McDowell, not Copeland. He’s powerless as a member of the minority to do anything.
I am glad some people are working for the best interests of the state. Let’s address the merits of the bills. I don’t support the payroll bill. I think the overall package is a plus. Let’s move on them. Let’s start discussing them.
This works in Mo. It works in Indiana. It works elsewhere. Why should we be afraid to do it here? Let’s have the courage to trust the people.
I agree with your comments Dave.
The only reason Copeland has to go to such great lengths with this, is because these bills are being stonewalled.
Trying to loop Copeland into what DeLuca and McDowell are doing is weak.
McDowell is doing the looping. If Copeland is such an open government hero why doesn’t he start opening up about his dealings with McDowell and Delmarva Power?
You know what, I know the answer. He is grandstanding gutless joke. That’s why.
Case closed.
Same as the former Dover Mayor coming into Leg. Hall, having a press conf. saying he is running for State Senate.
*
If you mean Speed, he ended up with a DSU job.
Mascitti caught Copeland when he asked why the GOP didn’t bring the bills to the Senate. Copeland hesitated and came up with a very lame “weeeeeeeeell, we wanted to give the Senate a chance…….give the Senate GOP a chance to grandstand, I’s guess he meant.
God let’s hope that there is more than grandstanding going on in leg hall to get us to where we need to be by June 30th.
oop. that should have read… when Mascitti asked why Copeland didn’t bring the bills to the House before now.
I heard that Nancy. You meant “house” but you are right, Copeland is such a transparent fraud. And you know what gets me?
Dave was once a wind power booster but around October 25th his buddy Charlie VonFraudenhiemer shut his ass up once and for all.
Sad really.
The bills were introduced in the Senate because they were sponsored by a Senator and written by a Senate attorney and filed in the Senate.
Is the suggestion that we ought not to even bother to introduce legislation in the Senate at all?
“If Copeland is such an open government hero why doesn’t he start opening up about his dealings with McDowell and Delmarva Power?”
Probably because those “dealings” only exist in the collective imaginations of the blogosphere.
Right. That’s not how Harris McDowell sees it. You guys should get your stories straight.
Dave -
Let’s imagine that what you say is true and Copeland really is this open government hero and not the transparent fraud he appears to be.
Why would he let McDowell use him as cover?
What kind of limp dick are we talkking about here?
Nancy: The kudos go to Brian Selander, not me.
Dave says, “Copeland having breakfast with Speck and McDowell is hardly a violation of any open government principles.”
I respectfully disagree. The meeting constituted a quorum of the three-person Senate Energy Committee; the third member, Karen Peterson, was neither informed nor invited. If it had been two D’s holding the meeting with an R shut out, you might see this point more clearly.
Al — The Senate Energy and Transit Committee has six members, so your assessment is incorrect.
“Why would he let McDowell use him as cover?”
He’s not. The only people who bring Copeland into this are Democratic bloggers trying to rub some DeLuca-McDowell stink on a Republican. Copeland didn’t hire Speck, and Copeland didn’t call for the hearings. He doesn’t have the authority to do either.
Sorry, you’re right. It’s just underhanded, not illegal. But Copeland’s lack of authority on this doesn’t get him off the hook. As a Republican, he lacks authority to do anything without help from D’s. Yet, while he has stood up on FOIA issues, he has done no such thing on Bluewater. Do you really expect nobody to notice the difference?
He’s opposed to forcing Delmarva customers to pay for BWW all by themselves, and he’s opposed to the state forcing one for-profit, private company to do business with another for-profit, private company. He voted against HB 6 in the first place.
What’s there to stand up on? Do people really expect him to “stand up” against every closed government action in Dover? Is Karen Peterson a hypocrite for going to caucus? No. They’re working by the rules they’re given while trying very hard to change those rules.
Don’t fall into Jason’s trap on this. Disagree with his position on BWW, but don’t doubt his commitment to these bills and to Amick’s resolution.
I don’t doubt his sincerity on open government. I do disagree with him on Bluewater. My point is that if he’s in cahoots with Harris McDowell, as he appears to be, he has to expect to get something nasty on his shoe. If he wants to avoid that, stop consorting with McDowell.
Don’t worry, I realize that Copeland would be a fool NOT to go to that meeting with Speck. I just wish he were representing my position rather than the one he does.
Is Karen Peterson a hypocrite for going to caucus? No. They’re working by the rules they’re given while trying very hard to change those rules.
Please. There is a big difference between going into caucus and having off the record strategy meetings with McDowell, Speck and who knows who else from Delmarva in order to try and trip up the PSC and derail the wind project. Is that part of Charlies “rules”?
C’mon Dave - you really have no leg to stand on here. You are just making matters worse for your boy Charlie.
You guys should come clean now and shock the world.
“Please. There is a big difference between going into caucus and having off the record strategy meetings with McDowell, Speck and who knows who else from Delmarva in order to try and trip up the PSC and derail the wind project.”
The problem with you is that you BELIEVE that. Much worse things go on in the lobbyist-paid-for caucus lunches that what you’re talking about. Much, much worse.
Plus, YOU KNOW about Speck. So how’s that not open? Disagree with DeLuca’s appropriation of the money, but what do you think happened at that breakfast? You think Copeland and McDowell were advising Speck on what he should do? Of course not. So you have nothing to stand on here.
Much worse things go on in the lobbyist-paid-for caucus lunches that what you’re talking about. Much, much worse.
…and that makes whatever Copeland does okay.
Some open government hero he turned out to be.
You live in your own little world, don’t you? You just can’t stand that YOUR party is killing the state that you cling to whatever crumb you can that Copeland is somehow kinda sorta involved in it. You lose, J. It’s YOUR crew that’s doing it.
And when you say “whatever Copeland’s doing,” you’re admitting he’s really not doing anything wrong.
And imagine my surprise that you haven’t criticized your endorsed candidate, Bruce Ennis, for flat-out lying on the issue of open government just to get elected.
Face it, when it comes to Copeland, you’re in “maybe if I keep saying it, it’ll somehow be true” mode. It ain’t workin’.
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