Who wants to be mayor of PA’s broken capital city, and what difference does it make?

By   /  May 20, 2013  /  Featured, Issues, Local Government, Local News, News, Pennsylvania, Politics & Elections, State Government  /  No Comments

BROKE AND BROKEN: Voters in Harrisburg will chose a new mayor this year, with the first key election set for Tuesday.

HARRISBURG – It is hard to believe anyone would want to run the city of Harrisburg.

To say the Pennsylvania capital, hugging the banks of the Susquehanna River, has seen better days is more than an understatement. The city is saddled with more than $300 million in debt and resides under a state receivership that limits the city government’s ability to hurt itself even more.

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Aurora taxpayers may foot bill for turning golf course into wasteland

By   /  February 7, 2013  /  Environment, Local News, Ohio, Ohio Government, Politics, Private property rights, Regulatory Reform, Wasteful spending  /  4 Comments

The city of Aurora will use the golf course's maintenance barn as the new center of operations for its Parks and Recreation Department. Courtesy of George Heisler

By Jon Cassidy | Watchdog.org
AURORA, Ohio — The city of Aurora is moving ahead with plans to buy and close Aurora Golf Course, despite an appeal that could put the city’s taxpayers on the hook for an inflated purchase price.
According to Portage County real estate transaction records, 194 acres of the golf course were deeded to [...]

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Dolphins set to score $200 million in taxpayer money for stadium renovations

By   /  January 23, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Finances, Florida, Free Market, Issues, Local Government, Local News, News, State Budgets, State Government  /  No Comments

DINERO: Los Miami Dolphins quieren los contribuyentes de Miami frente a la mitad de precio por $ 400 millones en renovaciones del estadio.

By Marianela Toledo | Florida Watchdog
MIAMI — The Miami-Dade County commission will commit upward of $200 million in taxpayer money to the Miami Dolphins and is asking the Florida Legislature to approve a countywide tax hike to fund stadium renovations.
The team is looking to renovate Sun-Life Stadium at a cost of $400 million or more, half of [...]

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Top PA senator: Abolish corruption-riddled Philadelphia Traffic Court

By   /  January 11, 2013  /  Accountability, City Government, Ethics, Featured, Issues, Local News, Media, News, Pennsylvania, Power Abuse, State Politics, State Senate, Transparency, Transparency  /  1 Comment

TICKET FIXING: The Philadelphia Traffic Court has been riddled with corruption for years, according to a new report commissioned by the state Supreme Court. Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester, says the court should be abolished entirely.

By Eric Boehm | PA Independent
HARRISBURG – A top lawmaker in the state Senate wants to do away with the corruption-plagued Philadelphia Traffic Court.
Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester, announced Friday his intention to introduce legislation that would close the traffic court and transfer its responsibilities to the Philadelphia Municipal Court.
The Philadelphia Traffic Court was [...]

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TX: Dimmit Co. sheriff waffles on deal to resign over outside work

By   /  December 10, 2012  /  Local Government, Local News, News, Public Safety, Texas  /  No Comments

OFF-DUTY: Dimmit County Sheriff Joel Gonzalez says he's not resigning over a misdemeanor chart of running a security firm without a license.

By Lee Ann O’Neal | Texas Watchdog
HOUSTON — You know it’s rough when the sheriff has a probation officer.
That’s how things stand in Dimmit County, where Sheriff Joel Gonzalez is under pressure to resign over complaints he neglected his duties while running a security firm without a license, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
The charge against [...]

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