The Lying Has To Stop. Now.

I am so ready for this election to be over.  It’s really disturbing how candidates are lying, twisting things around and making false claims.  There needs to be election reform…if you lie, you should get penalized…called out, publically embarassed, fined, whatever. 

Take this article for example – Obama is basically just making stuff up. How can this be permitted?  The scarier thing to me is that people seem to believe anything they hear or a candidate says.  We should be smarter than that.  But, the system and the candidates should be held accountable.

I’d like to see a referee at the debates.  Complete in a NFL-style white and black outfit.  When a candidate makes a flase statement, he (or she) would blow a whistle and clarify.

When a campaign runs an ad that contains a lie – whether it’s about a policy, a candidate’s view point or a fictional story created for rhetorical purposes (case in point, Obam credited Selma, AL for his existence when in fact his parents hadn’t even met at the time) - there needs to be a major clarification and action taken.

And the bigger question is, if the candidates are lying to us to get elected, what’s going to happen when they take office?

I trust John McCain more.  I believe he has a more proven track record and better experience.  I think he has run a more credible campaign.  His policy plans make more sense.  That’s why I’m voting McCain-Palin.

Wohoo – Regola quits Senate race

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08225/903590-178.stm

Thank goodness. However, it’s not surprising that Regola is blaming the media’s “unfair coverage” for his withdrawal. The guy can’t ever take responsibility for ANYTHING. Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County and Hempfield Township are so much better off without this shady, disgusting character in office.

Regola seeks to expunge charges

According to the AP, PA Senator Bob Regola wants to “erase all records of [his] arrest, including his mug shot and fingerprints.”

This is ludacris. He was charged with felonies and now wants to act like nothing ever happened? Not guilty does not mean innocent. Remember O.J. Simpson?

I’m sure the Farrell family would like to expunge this whole tragedy from existence, too. But, they can’t…they lost a son.

The Allegheny County Drink Tax

It’s been a long day and a fun evening…I’m quite tired. 

There’s a lot about Pittsburgh politics/government that don’t make sense to me.  The drink tax is one thing.  I don’t think it’s fair that every person who wants to enjoy a glass of wine or beer or whatever inside the Allegheny county lines should have to fund the Port Authority.  It’s not fair that small business owners are forced to charge higher prices.  Public Transportation is important, but it is not a given, and when a public agency has been mismanaged for so long, why is it my responsibility, as an occasional drinker, to pay for it?  Or why is a restaurant owner – a person taking a financial risk yet trying to contribute to the county’s economy – responsible?

But, that’s not even my biggest problem with the whole issue.  Lately, groups have been pushing to get the drink tax on a ballot this November.  Wow–what a modern notion…let the VOTERS decide if they want their drinks to be taxed in order to fund anything – let alone a corrupt Port Authority. 

Leave it to Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to screw that up.  Shady Dan Onorato and his cronies have somehow fixed it so the referendum that was up for vote tonight goes something like this:  voters can vote to have the drink tax…OR have their property taxes increased.

WHAT?

For those of you unfamiliar with Allegheny County politics, property taxes are a hot issue around here.  I guess because they were being raised and raised a few years back because the morons running this area have no idea what they’re doing.

Anyway, I need to read up more on the issue and all of the proceedings (which I will do, don’t you worry!).  But I would like to ask these crazy politicians one thing – particularly Dan Onorato (who thinks he’s PA’s Governor-in-training):  why does repealing the drink tax automatically mean that property taxes have to be raised?  I don’t see or understand the correlation to a tax on drinks (that are already taxed once through the state’s liquor system - don’t get me started on that) and property taxes.  I understand that decades of fraud and bad behavior at the Port Authority have caused the agency to be totally strapped for cash.  I don’t agree with funding it through taxation, but I’ll save that argument for later.  I don’t see how there are just NO OTHER OPTIONS other than two – drink or property taxes – to fund the county’s transportation. 

Dan, can you please explain that to me?  Because from where I’m sitting, it just looks like you and your County Council buddies are dropping the property tax card just to make sure the drink tax isn’t repealed. 

Did John Peck f-up the Louis Farrell case?

As if that question could be any more rhetorical. But, watch the below video starting at about 6:45…very interesting insights into how this whole situation was inappropriately handled from the very beginning.

http://www.wpxi.com/video/16946068/index.html

It’s so sad that elected officials – who we, as citizens, are supposed to put our trust in, cannot handle their jobs and act shady. This case is about the tragic death of a 14 year old boy. Getting to the bottom of what happened was their job, and they didn’t do that. Anyone who votes to re-elect either Regola or Peck (when/if he runs) is an absolute moron, in my mind.

The Louis Farrell Tragedy

I love when people write letters or emails or otherwise speak their minds when they’re upset about something.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s about bad customer service or a life changing issue – I admire people who take the time to eloquently put their thoughts together to let their voice be heard.  I’ve emailed NBC sports when I havent agreed with their extra sports coverage, reporters who aren’t getting the facts straight, newspapers who focus on one side of the issue and businesses who have given me less than satisfactory service. 

I just came across this wonderfully written letter in today’s Pittsburgh Tribune Review.  Here’s the excerpt:

I found Rhonda Miller’s comments about the outcome of the trial of Sen. Robert Regola beyond distasteful (“Acquitting Sen. Regola,” Letters, July 15 and PghTrib.com).Miller wrote that “Members of the media seemed to foam at the mouth, fueled by Democrat fervor, waiting to devour the freshman senator and his family.”

This case was not about Democrat vs. Republican. It was about perjury, negligence and reckless endangerment, all issues that could apply to anyone, regardless of his political affiliation.

Furthermore, if any family is in danger of being “devoured” through this tragedy it is the Farrell family.

 

First, they tragically lost a beloved son. Then, his death was ruled a suicide, seemingly because of lack of evidence to the contrary.

Finally, Miller wrote that Regola was acquitted because of “the bravery of the 12 men and women on the jury.”

If only Regola and his son possessed the bravery to tell the Farrell family what happened on that tragic night almost two years ago.

Then, maybe they would find some peace and not have to be revictimized by the judicial system and people like Miller who refer to their beloved, sensitive, life-loving son Louis as a “troubled young man.”

Bob Regola Verdict: O.J. Simpson was Not Guilty, too

As my faith in the American Judicial System declines even further….

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08193/896421-100.stm

Did we get through to the media?!

In today’s Post-Gazette article about the Regola trial, Milan Simonich stated “All the charges are connected to the shooting death in July 2006 of Louis Farrell, a 14-year-old neighbor of the senator’s who killed himself with Mr. Regola’s handgun, according to a coroner’s ruling.” 

He corrected the main problem I had with his coverage the past two days.

Milan, thank you for your more accurate reporting.

Update: To the media – call it what it is

Apparently Milan Simonich didn’t get my email yesterday. In today’s Post-Gazette article, he states “Not in dispute is that a 14-year-old neighbor named Louis Farrell took the senator’s 9 mm pistol from his bedroom, then used it to kill himself with a bullet to the head in July 2006.”

I do not agree with this. Where is the evidence that the gun was actually in Regola’s bedroom and not his son Bobby’s? Where is the evidence that Louis was in either of those bedrooms? Where is the evidence that he was suicidal and 100%, without a doubt, killed himself?

Yes an inquest declared it a suicide. So call it what it is, Milan. It’s a RULED SUICIDE. It most definitely was in question. And still is for many people who don’t believe Regola and his son’s actions make any sense.

Here’s a link to another blog that talks about Regola’s disturbing behavior.

And here’s an email that Gabby sent to Milan Simonich this morning:

Milan,

Thank you for covering the Regola trial.  As a former Westmoreland County resident, I appreciate the coverage it is getting in the Post-Gazette.  However, I take issue with the following statements:  ”Not in dispute is that a 14-year-old neighbor named Louis Farrell took the senator’s 9 mm pistol from his bedroom, then used it to kill himself with a bullet to the head in July 2006″ and “Instead, Louie evidently found Mr. Regola’s handgun after sifting through the house.”  It is, in fact, in dispute that that is what actually happened.  In fact, the Farrell family has reserved the right to challenge the ruling of suicide.  It would be much more accurate to report that Louie’s death was “ruled a suicide.”  By the evidence presented at the inquest, it seems that Louie’s death was ruled a suicide, because of a lack of evidence to the contrary, not because of strong evidence that that was what happened.  I also don’t find it “evident” that Louie found Regola’s handgun after sifting through the house…That came from a story told by a state senator currently being tried for perjury and his son who invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.  To promote that story is a disservice to your readers.

To the media – call it what it is

I’m tired of the media telling stories and leaving out important, factual information.

If you’re not familiar with the tragic circumstances that led Pennsylvania State Senator Bob Regola to face felony charges, you can read about it here.

Anyway, after months of speculation and no answers, the coroner’s inquest declared that Louis Farrell, 14, killed himself. Yet, no one familiar with the case, the family or Louis himself has ever believed that was the case.

Now Senator Regola finds himself facing perjury charges stemming from him and his son’s lying and strange behavior the night in question and throughout the investigation. Regola’s son, Bobby, has already been tried and convicted in juvenile court.

I hope Senator Regola is found guilty and serves jail time. But, that’s for another blog, another day.

My issue with today’s Milan Simonich article is that it totally ignores all of the questions and shady behavior that surrounded Louis’ death. It simply states that Louis used Regola’s gun to “commit suicide.” To be fair, I heard Keith Jones on KDKA TV2 state the same thing this morning, so it’s not just an issue with the Simonich story. But I did take the time to email Simonich:

Clarification to your story – Regola perjury trial opens

I just read your article and think you need to clarify that Louis Farrell’s death was ruled a suicide – months after the horrible incident. Using the language “where a gun was stored that a teenage neighbor used to commit suicide” misleads the reader and misrepresents the situation. This was not a clear cut suicide – and many of Bob Regola’s actions (including his statements that lead to the perjury charges) added to this confusion as to what really happened that night in the woods.

It’s a disservice to the public not to mention every time you write an article about this trial that Louis’ death was ruled a suicide…and all of the mitigating and shady circumstances surrounding it.

I doubt my email will change anything, but it should. Reporting should be fair and accurate all of the time. It’s the media’s responsibility to its publics. I just don’t feel that it takes it – or us – seriously.