At the risk of sounding like someone on public radio, I’d like to remind you that the year is almost over, and so is your chance to make a contribution that can be deducted from your 2024 income tax. So there is no confusion, there is only one way to make your contribution tax deductible–donatingContinue reading “Your End of the Year Contribution”
Tag Archives: PA
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
On Monday, Senior Judge Edward Reibman ruled that the county executive violated the Home Rule Charter by issuing vetoes for the 2023 and 2024 budgets to increase spending Don’t forget, he did the same thing with the 2025 budget as well. More information is available here: Judge rules that Brenton Davis budget vetoes violated ErieContinue reading “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus”
Happy Festivus!
You may or may not remember the Festivus episode of Seinfield, depending on your age. After all, we aren’t just four old ladies! If you’re not familiar with it, you can read more about it here: Festivus. There are lots of Christmas stories, but let’s indulge in a Festivus story, and this one is aboutContinue reading “Happy Festivus!”
Happy Birthday, Blasco!
How it started: How it’s going: “Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey. They are home.” ~Anna Quindlen
Santa’s List
The county executive’s latest move has been to demand the return of unused ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds from ECGRA and Diverse Erie for the recent blizzard. Instead, on December 19th, ECGRA approved a $500,000 grant to the county to cover the snow clean-up–more than the amount of unspent ARPA money, acting in theContinue reading “Santa’s List”
Preaching to the Choir
Recently, there was an article in the Erie Times-News regarding the tax revenue lost to tax-exempt properties: How much do Erie’s tax-exempt properties cost city government in lost revenues? If you’re familiar with our journey so far, you’ll recall that we called this out some time ago: Taxpayer Facts. To summarize, Gannon is the largestContinue reading “Preaching to the Choir”
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Have you purchased your KOLPon? “‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store.’ “‘Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!’” ~Theodor Seuss Geisel
#FlashbackFridaythe13th
Last year at this time–right before Christmas–while there were 8 positions at the Blasco Erie County Library facing elimination because he had vetoed them from the 2024 budget, the county executive updated his profile picture on his reelection Facebook page with himself pictured as “How the Grinch Stole the Library.” This was after the libraryContinue reading “#FlashbackFridaythe13th”
Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth
Highlighting another part of this mess of a budget…Apparently the county executive never heard the old saying, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds are a gift from the federal government that will need to be returned if they aren’t allocated by the end of the year. TheContinue reading “Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth”
“Bad Blood”
(Brenton’s Version) The original budget the county executive handed to county council: JES Presents – Making Sense of Erie County Residents’ Dollars and Cents Brenton’s Version (aka Brenton’s Spin): County Executive Davis Announces 2025 Budget Vetoes A few takeaways– He says that his economic development department is not a duplication of effort, despite the factContinue reading ““Bad Blood””
Keep Our Library Public! 