Outside Erie

Former U.S. Rep. Phil English today put out a release outlining federal appropriations that will be coming to Erie as part of the 2009 federal omnibus. The bill is being voted on today.
English put out the release because these items were introduced while he was still holding the 3rd District seat in late 2008.
Here are […]

When Kathy Dahlkemper embarked on her campaign for Pennsylvania’s 3rd House District more than a year ago, the country wasn’t facing the economic meltdown.
Detroit’s Big Three automakers were not on the verge of bankruptcy.
Credit was easier to access. Unemployment was low.
Now, as she prepares to take office after her victory over incumbent Phil English, […]

I had the opportunity to interview incoming U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper this morning about her agenda and what she’s been learning as she prepares for her new job.
I’ll be posting a longer q-and-a from her and from my recent interview with outgoing U.S. Rep. Phil English soon.
But I do want to pass along a theme […]

I had the chance to chat with outgoing Rep. Phil English yesterday — and he had some rather pointed words about the quality of Erie’s political and economic leadership.
I’ll be running a full transcript of the interview soon.
I’m also working to finalize the details of a similar discussion with his successor, Kathy Dahlkemper.
In the meantime, […]

I’ll be interviewing Rep. Phil English on Wednesday and am attempting to reschedule an interview with incoming Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper for later this week (apparently, her schedule is more full than she originally thought).
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’d love to include reader questions in the interviews. I’ve gotten some suggestions for the […]

I’ve scheduled an interview this week with Erie’s newly minted Congresswoman, Kathy Dahlkemper, who will be here in D.C. to begin preparing for her new role in January.
It should be a great opportunity to learn more about how she plans to approach being a freshman member of Congress during one of the most challenging times […]

Erie voters are faced with some significant decisions when they head to the polls on Tuesday.
And one of the most significant decisions is whether they will vote for incumbent U.S. Rep. Phil English or his challenger, businesswoman Kathy Dahlkemper.
I’m not going to offer an endorsement or tell you how I think you should vote.
The decision […]

It seems as though the only two people in America these days are Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama.
Oh, wait, there’s Joe the Plumber, too. And Sarah Palin.
Ok, four people.
They dominate the news. They dominate commercials. They’re everywhere.
And it won’t stop until Nov. 4.
But with all of the hype over the Presidential election, it […]

The House of Representatives today approved the revised Wall Street bailout package.
U.S. Rep. Phil English, who voted no on the first package last week, again cast a “no” vote today.
Here’s his statement on his vote:
“The challenges facing our financial markets are real and Congress should have engaged in a deliberative process to craft a measured […]

Here is U.S. Rep. Phil English’s statement on today’s bailout bill vote:

“From the outset, it has been my strong belief that any rescue proposal necessarily include real consequences for bad actors, strong taxpayer protections and accountability and transparency of any tax dollars used. I believe that the bill considered today failed to meet these […]