Pro-Choice Piccola? An F+ on Tax-and-Spend? Yikes

Courtesy of the nonpartisan group Project Vote Smart:

Pro-Life? Well...

2000 Based on voting records, a candidate questionnaire, and other information available in 2000, Senator Piccola was endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Pennsylvania.

2002 Senator Piccola was rated pro-choice on Abortion by Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates in 2002.

2003-2004 Senator Piccola was rated PRO on Choice by Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates in 2003-2004.

Taxing and Spending

2005 Senator Piccola supported the interests of the Commonwealth Foundation 54 percent in 2005.

2003-2004 In 2003-2004 Commonwealth Foundation gave Senator Piccola a rating of F+.

This of course fits with his vote for the 2003 Rendell tax increase bill.

Second Amendment

1993-2002 Senator Piccola supported the interests of the Firearms Owners Against Crime 50 percent in 1993-2002.

1993-1998 Senator Piccola supported the interests of the Firearms Owners Against Crime 33 percent in 1993-1998.

Pro-Union?

2001-2002 On the votes that the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO considered to be the most important in 2001-2002, Senator Piccola voted their preferred position 77 percent of the time.

Tips?

Unlike Senator Piccola, this blog doesn't have a huge taxpayer-funded staff. So if you have tips, or better yet, documentation, of bad votes he's cast in his 30 (yes, 30) years in the legislature, etc., please send it to us.

We're especially interested in info on his conversion from pro-choice to pro-life.

Thanks to those who have already e-mailed -- one of your items should be showing up here soon!

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Intro to Piccola's Record

So State Senator Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin and York counties), having been rejected for governor and for senate president, is being mentioned for one of the open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2007. This blog was created to shed some light on whether that's such a great idea.

Something tells me that Piccola is going to have problems if he runs for Pennsylvania Supreme Court.. For example, his record isn't as conservative or as consistent as his talk.. the Dems will have a ball picking him apart in the fall.

For example (yeah, it's a Democratic source, but the press likes this type of info, regardless of the source)...

Piccola Backed Rendell Initiatives:

May 18 (2006) -- Senate Democrats today delivered to Jeff Piccola's office the commemorative signing pens for seven landmark Rendell initiatives for which Piccola voted.

Since it's a Democratic release, they conveniently forgot to mention the 2003 Rendell tax hike bill, which Piccola voted for... ka-ching, ka-ching:

Act 46 of 2003, formerly House Bill 200, included:
-- nearly 10 percent increase in the state personal income tax
-- 5 percent gross receipts tax on your cell phone bill
-- slowdown in the phase-out of the job-killing capital stock & franchise tax

Thanks, Jeff!

No doubt Piccola will say he "had" to vote for these things since he was in leadership, but is that the kind of "leader" and "principles" we want?

Now, back to some other Rendell initiatives Piccola voted for:

-- Act 72 (Anyone get that property tax cut yet?)

"He was proud enough at the time to issue a press release in which he called Act 72 'the first significant change in the state's property tax system in more than three decades,' and said 'This will provide taxpayers what they want – less reliance on property taxes and more local control.'"

It gets worse...

Piccola also co-sponsored and supported Senate Bill 10 of '03-'04, which established the Economic Enhancement Fund and the Economic Enhancement Financing Authority. He also supported – but now apparently regrets – Senate Bill 80 of '03'-'04, which hiked basic education subsidies by more than $150 million, provided a first-ever state supplement for Head Start of $15 million and created a $47 million tutoring program.

Ka-ching, ka-ching...Borrow, borrow, like there's no tomorrow...

Piccola (also) supported and now regrets:

Senate Bill 1026 of '03-'04, the keystone of Gov. Rendell's "Plan for a New Pennsylvania, creating the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The CFA oversees the administration of $1.135 billion in economic development investments.

Again, the full press release is here.

I guess one question is, if Piccola runs for (yet) another office, which Piccola will we get?

More installments ahead... and feel free to pass along tips and info.