Business Matters Blog

If you are a Democrat, the past four years have been pretty good for you, politically speaking.  Since 2006, the Democratic party has made massive gains at all levels of government, including regaining control of the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Presidency.  However, since 2009, things have gone down-hill, culminating in the recent election of Scott Brown to the Senate from the bluest of blue states, Massachusetts.  Polls show the Republican party climbing back, and most analysis predict that 2010 will be a difficult year for Democrats. 

So, the Republican party appears to be on the rebound.  But what, exactly, does this rebound mean for public policy in America, Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley?  Joining us to answer that question are:

• Bob Smith, Allentown School Director
• Jude-Laure Denis, Obama for America
• Scott Ott, Lehigh County Republican Committee
• Jeff Warren, Easton City Council

Is the Republican party really on the way back, or is this just a temporary blip in the polls?  What effects will this have in Pennsylvania and in the Lehigh Valley?  How will the recent Republican surge affect the 15th Congressional District race?

Tune in on Monday, February 8, 8:00pm on WFMZ to watch the debate!

2/1/10:  Bonusgate: Fair Prosecution?

    * Eric Epstein, Rock the Capitol
    * Wanda Mercado-Arroyo, Lehigh County GOP
    * Jeff Coleman, Churchill Strategies
    * Chris Freind, Columnist

2/8/10: Is the Republican Party back?  And is that a good thing?

    * Bob Smith, Allentown School Board
    * Jude-Laure Denis, Obama for America
    * Scott Ott,Lehigh County Republican Committee
    * Jeff Warren, Easton City Council

2/15/10: Meet Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor & US Secretary of Homeland Security.

2/22/10: Your News...where do you get it?...radio, tv, print, computer or ALL of the above?
·        Dave Erdman, The Morning Call
·        Pam Varkony, Journalist & Commentator
·        Barry Fisher, WFMZ-Ch69
·        Ken Matthews, KenMatthews.com   

3/1/10: Congressman Charlie Dent Helps Us Understand: "What the heck is going on in DC!"

3/8/10: What Price Are You Willing to Pay to go green?

    * Stephanie Wissman ---PA Chamber of Commerce
    * Michael Adams--Environmentalist
    * Tom Gillespie --- The Elm Group
    * Jan Jarrett ---  PennFuture

3/15/10: Why should you want to save our cities?

    * Stephen Reed --- Former Mayor, Harrisburg
    * Marta Gabriel --- The Chamber
    * Mike Schlossberg --- Allentown City Council

If you pay attention at all to Pennsylvania politics, then you are likely painfully familiar with the Bonusgate Scandal.  The summary is this: public officials and their staffs were accused of using taxpayer money and resources to fund political campaigns, among numerous other corruption scandals.  The investigation, spearheaded by Attorney General Tom Corbett, has resulted in the indictments of six elected officials and dozens of individuals related to the Pennsylvania House or Senate.  But, some have argued that the Attorney General is biased in his investigations and pursuing Bonusgate largely for political reasons, as he is currently the Republican front-runner for Governor.

So, what's the deal?  Joining us to discuss the issue are:

• Eric Epstein, Rock the Capitol
• Wanda Arroyo-Mercado, Lehigh County GOP
• Jeff Coleman, Churchill Strategies
• Chris Freind, Columnist

Is Bonusgate fair or unfair?  What is the Attorney General supposed to be doing differently?  And what about a proposed "resign to run" law that would force elected officials running for office to resign their current office?

Tune in on Monday, February 1, 8:00pm on WFMZ-TV to watch the show!  This one was lively!!

Well, health care has been the most controversial in the country for the past six months, and the controversy has only accelerated after Scott Brown's stunning upset in Massachusetts.  With health-care reform now in doubt, and the shape of any reform more in question now than ever, we thought it was a perfect time to do a new health care show.  Joining us for the program are:

• Jake Oberholtzer (Progressive Activist)
• Jack Iannantuano, Indicon, Inc.
• Rick Bloomingdale, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
• Vince Phillips, Phillips Associates

Hope you enjoy the show, we know we sure did!

This show, which originally aired back in October, seems more timely now than ever, given that both the U.S. House and Senate have passed their own versions of Health Care reform.  Health care remains one of the most important (and certainly most divisive) topics in America today, and the arguments mentioned by our panelists remain fresh and telling. 

Joining us for the program were:

• Wanda Mercado-Arroyo (Lehigh County Republican Committee)
• Marc Stier (Health Care for America Now)
• Tom Huntzinger (Emerson, Reid & Company)
• Wendell Young, IV (UFCW Local 1776)

What would Obama's Health Care plan really cover, and what would it mean in terms of the deficit, taxes and the size of government?  Is this really the best way to go?  What about a public option?  And what about the hot-button issues - would this bill really cover illegal immigration or abortion?

We hope you join us for the show on Monday, January 11, 8pm on WFMZ-TV.  See you then!

In our 4th interview with Democrats running for Governor, we are pleased to bring you a one-on-one interview with Chris Doherty.  Doherty is the Mayor of Scranton and has served in that position since 2001.  Prior to that, Doherty was a successful businessman. 

Doherty comes into the race with some distinct advantages - he is one of only two candidates to have Executive experience, something Governor Rendell views as a positive for this race.  He is also the only candidate out of the vote heavy north-eastern section of the state, something that could ultimately be a huge positive in a race as fragmented as this one will be.

But, how will Doherty be able to raise enough money to compete in this race, particularly against four other candidates who have higher name recognition?  And will his fights with labor in his own backyard, as well as his city's continuing status as an Act 47 Financially Distressed community, hurt him in the long run?

Tune in on Monday, January 4, 8pm on WFMZ to hear the interview!        

Health Care has been in the news quite a bit lately.  It is also the number one job provider in the entire Lehigh Valley.  We are very fortunate in this area to have access to numerous world-class health facilities - and many of them are operated by the Lehigh Valley Health Network.  LVHN is one of the top job providers in the Valley, with numerous different campuses and facilities in the area.

Their President & CEO, Dr. Elliot Sussman, came on the show to discuss health care, LVHN and the ongoing reform of the industry with us.  What are his thoughts on the state of health care in America, and in the Lehigh Valley?  If President Obama's health care reform package passes, what will that do to the industry and to jobs in the Valley?  And what is on tap for Lehigh Valley Health Networking in the upcoming months and years?

Join us on Monday, December 21, 8:00pm on WFMZ-TV.

We discuss it all the time - locally, state-wide and across the national, we are in a financial and budget crisis.  There is no doubt that times are rough, and as a result, many governments are cutting their spending across all areas.  This belt-tightening brings a renewed focus on areas of government that are more non-traditional - and one of those areas is the funding of the arts.  In Pennsylvania and in the U.S., our tax dollars go towards the funding of a variety of art-related projects.  Is this an appropriate role of government?

Joining us on the program to debate the issue are:

• Sharon Lee Glassman (Civic Theatre, Allentown)
• Joe Hillard (The Lehigh Valley 9/12 Group)
• Jeff Parts (ArtsQuest)
• Julian Stolz (PA Right to Work)

Why, exactly, do we fund the arts?  What's the benefit and the return on investment?  Is a tough economic climate really the best year to be funding the arts?  And what would the effect be on our community and on our culture if we were to cut art funding?

Join us this Monday, December 14, 8:00 pm on WFMZ-TV to check out the show and hear what our panelists have to say!

He's the Auditor General of Pennsylvania.  He's bumped heads with Governor Rendell.  He's a Democrat, and he's running for Governor.  Meet Jack Wagner, one of five Democrats seeking the nomination for Governor and the third Democrat we have interviewed on the show.

Auditor General Wagner is currently serving his 2nd term as the state Auditor General and is responsible for serving as the state's fiscal watchdog.  Most recently, he conducted a report on the disastrous bond swap deals in the Bethlehem Area School District and urged the legislature to ban swap's all together.  As part of his responsibilities in this position, he has conducted over 5,000 financial audits throughout the state, and he argues that this leadership makes him ready to serve as Governor. 

The Auditor General sat down with Tony and answered some of our questions.  What are his positions, and do some of his more conservative leanings hurt him in the Democratic primary?  Will hit split the west against Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato?  How can he raise the money to compete in this race?

Tune in this Monday, December 7 on WFMZ-TV to see these questions and more answered!

As we said in our weekly E-mail blast - take two controversial topics (race and the Obama Presidency), add four very outspoken guests, and you have one very very very interesting show. 

Obviously, any President is going to engender their own fair share of controversy as a result of their policies and personalities.  The Obama Presidency has seen an enhanced degree of criticisms, from both sides of the aisle - criticisms that are related, in no small part, to Obama's status as the first African-American President. 

The allegations of racism are from both supporters and detractors of the President.  On one hand, you have those who argue that a disproportionate amount of Obama's critics are racist.  On the other end, you have people, like Glenn Beck, who believe that Obama himself is a racist.

Which side is right, which is wrong, or where in the middle does the truth lie?

Joining us to discuss these issues are:

• Jude-Laure Denis, Obama for America
• Bernie O'Hare, Lehigh Valley Ramblings
• Michael Donovan, Cedar Crest College
• Ron Angle, Northampton County Council

Tune in tonight (Monday, November 30), 8:00pm on WFMZ-TV to see the show!  We welcome your comments, as always