SEPTA is welfare says Butler County Republican (Philadelphia, Harrisburg: rail, wealthiest)

[Debbie1125]

PennDot Sec: Rural Roads Subsidized More Than Mass Transit « CBS Philly

Rural Pennsylvania roads are welfare!

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

The original quip was made by James Carville during Robert P. Casey's '88 gubernatorial campaign. He then said, "between Paoli and Penn Hills, Pennsylvania is like Alabama without the black folk." Nowadays, I think that can be broadened to Morgantown and Murrysville, but even then, Harrisburg-York-Lancaster, Reading, the Lehigh Valley, and Scranton-Wilkes Barre are cosmopolitan-ish.

Butler County, where Mr. "Septa Welfare" is from, is an odd mix of affluent exurbs; depressed industrial towns; and rural villages; interspersed with farmland. There's even some Amish in the Northwest corner.

Like many other people, I saw & heard Tim Russert say it to Tom Brokaw during election coverage, when Tom asked Tim how he thought that the returns would go for PA.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Like many other people, I saw & heard Tim Russert say it to Tom Brokaw during election coverage, when Tom asked Tim how he thought that the returns would go for PA.

And I wasn't criticizing you. I just thought you (and others) might be interested in learning the origin of the quote.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

And I wasn't criticizing you. I just thought you (and others) might be interested in learning the origin of the quote.

I was just telling you, & by default, the other poster, that people think of Tim Russert in connection with that quote because Tim said it on the air during election coverage,

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

I was just telling you, & by default, the other poster, that people think of Tim Russert in connection with that quote because Tim said it on the air during election coverage,

Every pundit says it. It did go viral back in the late '80s.

[BPP1999]

I liked the politician who said "If you help me keep tax revenues generated in the Southeast in the Southeast, we'd never ask for money from the Commonwealth again".

The combined income (and, therefore, the personal income taxes generated and sent to Harrisburg) of SEPTA's Regional Rail users is higher than that of more than a few rural PA counties.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I liked the politician who said "If you help me keep tax revenues generated in the Southeast in the Southeast, we'd never ask for money from the Commonwealth again".

The combined income (and, therefore, the personal income taxes generated and sent to Harrisburg) of SEPTA's Regional Rail users is higher than that of more than a few rural PA counties.

Yes. I don't think legislators from rural Pennsylvania want to go down the road (no pun intended) of allotting revenue to counties purely based on the taxes they put into the system. The picture would not be pretty outside of the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lehigh Valley and South-central regions.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I liked the politician who said "If you help me keep tax revenues generated in the Southeast in the Southeast, we'd never ask for money from the Commonwealth again".

The combined income (and, therefore, the personal income taxes generated and sent to Harrisburg) of SEPTA's Regional Rail users is higher than that of more than a few rural PA counties.

Fast Eddie has said things like that for years.

[BPP1999]

This thread should be moved to general PA as it deals with an issue of statewide interest.

I'd also be curious to hear how normal rural Pennsylvanians think of this issue, not just over-zealous right-wing politicians trying to get more press.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

It's like Tim Russert said, "You have Philadelphia on one end & Pittsburgh on the other, & Alabama in between.".

Not fair and not true. I travel the entire state of Pa all the time for work and the middle of the state holds some incredible place and incredible people.