Thursday, July 29, 2010

Good News For State's 45th Senatorial Distirct

The announcement that Pennsylvania Sen. Sean Logan is resigning to take a huge cash-in community relations job at UPMC generates two immediate thoughts: Mildly good news for 45th District and Pennsylvania constituents, bad news for any community that needs relations with UPMC.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Infy-

The problem with Logan leaving, dude, is that his district includes a nice swath of Westmoreland County, one of the most drill-pad-laden Counties in in the Commonwealth. Now what exactly do you think the likes of Range Resources, Chesapeake Oil & Gas et. al. are going to do? Not only was this seat not on the ballot this cycle, Republicans didn't even bother trying to run against him, and now, with a gubernatorial race and billions at stake in the Shale, the gas extractors are certain to put this seat on the list, as if we needed any MORE Republicans in the state Senate.

Democrats, low and middle income families, roads and bridges, transit users, children, the unemployed, school districts all need the Republicans to lose control of the state Senate, and so whether you liked Logan or not, his resignation couldn't have come at a worse time for the above-mentioned constituencies in our Commonwealth.

We simply have to get past personalities and deal with policy issues.

Anonymous said...

Not to mention our waterways and the environment!

Infinonymous said...

Infinexperientially, Sen. Logan was generally an impediment to sound policy.

The gasbags may try to field a candidate. The unions are already looking, too. So are the restaurant operators/drink tax opponents.

The argument that Logan might have repaid the Democratic Party (for letting him build a nice life on a meager foundation) by waiting until a more opportune electoral moment might have some merit.

But Logan was a lightweight. If the Democrats can't find someone equal or better, they deserve to lose, but that doesn't seem likely.

Infinonymous said...

To any fresh faces in that race --and fresh could be a winner in the current climate -- you can add as many as a half-dozen professional pols who may consider a run. Any fear the Democrats can't find a candidate as solid as Logan seems unjustified.

Is there a strong Republican ready to run?

Anonymous said...

How soon before UPMC announcing the closing of McKeesport Hospital? Right around Christmas would be nice timing; get it on the books and take a write off before the end of the calendar year, let Logan earn his salary taking heat from former constituents.