Jersey Mike

It’s my belief that should one consider voting for Steve Ketterer for City Treasurer or George Hartwick for County Commissioner this coming Tuesday the 17th, they are simply dreaming of the past and voting for Steve Reed.

Regardless of the success or failure of our current mayor, the changing of the guard *needed* to happen.

Financially, socially and structurally, Harrisburg is in a delicate, precarious and injured state. This state would be nearly exactly what it is right now if Rudy Giuliani or Ed Koch or Richard Daley were elected mayor of Harrisburg instead of Linda Thompson.

The biggest problem with Linda, in my opinion, is her lack of communication skills, management skills and general intelligence.

There are many moving parts even in our local government that, regardless of who’s at the helm, would take YEARS to line up in order to take care of the financial quagmire we’ve been sinking in for nearly two decades.

My point is: Yes, Linda and Co. suck. But let’s not revert back to the safety of a proverbial ex-lover by voting for Reed’s top capo Steve Ketterer or “consigliere” Hartwick just because those are the names we’ve known for years. (By the way – Ketterer’s picture in the paper of him in the river is cute and all, but what does that have to do with accounting and collections in a bankrupt city?)

It’s just like sucking it up on a lonely night after breaking up with an abusive partner when you’re longing for the safety and comfort of better times. Yeah, you know her hair smells pretty and she’s probably good for a quick romp, but you’re going to feel pretty s*&tty in the morning when you take that walk of shame back out to your car.

I’m voting for Eric Papenfuse and John Campbell on Tuesday.

Because it’s time for a fresh start and a clean slate.

I’ve said this before- and I’ll say it again: if the budget with the arts ticket tax is passed, concert tickets in the city of Harrisburg will be taxed an astronomical SIXTEEN PERCENT. (Ten percent local amusement tax, six percent sales tax)

I’m borrowing this text from LiveNation.com and seriously urging all of you who read this blog to simply copy and paste the following email addresses and message text into an email and reach out to your lawmakers.

Protect the industry which provides you with the most fun and enjoyment. It’s one of the few things we have left…

Send an email to the politicians listed below:
jscarnati@pasen.gov; dpileggi@pasen.gov; jcorman@pasen.gov; kmccall@pahouse.net; teachus@pahouse.net; devans@hacd.net; mellow@pasenate.com; costa@pasenate.com; mkeller@pahousegop.com; lfarnese@pasenate.com; kitchen@pasenate.com; jwilliam@pahouse.net; dwhite@pasen.gov; dreed@pahousegop.com; pbrowne@pasen.gov; ferlo@pasenate.com; dlevdans@pahouse.net; jearll@pasen.gov; Fontana@pasenate.com; tkirklan@pahouse.net; parep160@aol.com; jwheatley@pahouse.net; fontana2@pasenate.com

Subject:
Kill the Arts Tax

Copy and paste the following text into the new email:
I buy tickets to live performances in Pennsylvania, and I strongly oppose the Arts Tax because it will cause top performing acts to eliminate Pennsylvania tour sites. I urge you to oppose the Arts Tax, which would add state sales tax to all ticket prices for live performance concerts and shows statewide. Keep It Live in Pennsylvania! Kill the Arts Tax instead!

Want proof that reforming an Amusement Tax is a great thing?

Look no further than Kennywood Amusement Park in West Millflin, PA.

The 111 year old amusement park had fought local officials for YEARS about the fairness (or lack thereof) of their local Amusement Tax before winning the reform.

Last April, West Mifflin officials and Kennywood brass came to an amicable agreement which made both parties happy…and saved the century-old park nearly two million dollars per year in payouts.

And TODAY- Kennywood announced they’ll be building a brand new roller coaster…to the tune of five million dollars.

Think that the reform of the Amusement Tax had anything to do with that?

You betcha.

Wake up, Harrisburg. It’s 2009. Get with the times or you won’t HAVE any great businesses to tax out of town.

Here it is!

The inaugural episode of Off The Record- the brand spankin’ new podcast collaboration from Sara Bozich and I.

Sara and I have known each other for about five years now and, only recently, have become more chummy.

Usually, our friendship consists of meeting at an undisclosed bar where we can smoke, drink and gossip about all things Harrisburg.

After a few weeks of these meetings, we had the thought that our banter and chit-chat was just SO witty and catchy that the world as we know it would not be the same unless we recorded our conversations and shared them with the internet.

Caught up with our mutual friend Jay Bowser who kindly whipped up the logo, met up on April Fools Day at a bar, pressed “record” and WANGO BANGO! Here it is.

Episode I clocks in at just over an hour. The first portion is sort of an introduction…and then we jump right into it.

We’ve got an email address- offtherecordhbg[at]gmail[dot]com. If you dig what you hear, please- tell your friends. If you don’t like it, then please tell your friends as well. (Hey, we’re both big proponents of “any press is good press”)!

Without any further ado- we proudly present you with-

Off The Record- with Sara Bozich and Jersey Mike

(Tags: Harrisburg, Floor-9, Dave Sheranko, Ken Mueller, Fred Clark, Table 15, Nonna’s Deli, Breads and Spreads, Sara Bozich, Jersey Mike, Mayor Reed, Steve Ketterer, Chuck Schulz)