"WE'RE NOW ABOUT THREE WEEKS AWAY FROM THE BIGGEST TAX INCREASE IN AMERICAN HISTORY," SAYS SENATOR PAT TOOMEY. HE SAYS THAT CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. TOOMEY SAYS HE DOESN'T PARTICULARLY LIKE THE IDEA OF COMPROMISING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE ON AVOIDING THE SO-CALLED FISCAL CLIFF, BUT SAYS THERE MAY NOT BE ANY ALTERNATIVE. "WE CAN SIMPLY SAY KNOW, THAT WE REFUSE TO CONCEDE ANYTHING TO THE PRESIDENT AND THEN WE'LL GO OVER THE CLIFF. THEN, EVERYBODY HAS A MASSIVE TAX INCREASE AND THE DEFENSE BUDGET WILL BE HIT DISPROPORTIONALLY," SAYS TOOMEY. HE SAYS THE MASSIVE TAX HIKE CAN BE AVOIDED IF A HANDFUL OF ITEMS ARE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR AND SOME OTHERS GET DONE NEXT YEAR. HE SAYS THAT'S NOT THE IDEAL SOLUTION BUT IT MAY END UP BEING THE ONLY SOLUTION.
GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT IS CALLING A NEW ALL-ELECTRONIC INTERCHANGE ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE A STEP IN THE STATE'S "JOURNEY TO PROSPERITY." "THIS WILL BE A GREAT ECONOMIC STIMULATOR FOR SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN STIMULATE THE ECONOMY ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA," THE GOVERNOR SAYS. CORBETT ATTENDED THE RIBBON-CUTTING FOR THE EXIT AND ENTRANCE RAMPS THAT CONNECT THE TURNPIKE WITH ROUTE 29 IN MALVERN. IT'S EAST OF THE DOWNINGTOWN INTERCHANGE AND WEST OF VALLEY FORGE. OFFICIALS SAY THE IMPROVEMENT SHOULD CUT CONGESTION, AND CORBETT IS TOUTING ITS ABILITY TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO THE REGION.
MORE THAN 2000 VETERANS BURIED AT A LOCAL CEMETERY WILL BE REMEMBERED THIS CHRISTMAS. "WE ARE GOING TO LAY THE WREATHS AT CEDAR HILL MEMORIAL PARK, WHICH IS ON AIRPORT ROAD, ON SATURDAY. WE WILL HAVE A SHORT REMEMBERANCE PROGRAM FOLLOWED BY THE LAYING OF 2200 WREATHS," SAYS CAROL RESH, WHO IS SPEARHEADING THE LOCAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA CAMPAIGN. IT HAS SPECIAL MEANING TO HER. HER SON, MARK, IS BURIED AT CEDAR HILL AFTER BEING KILLED IN IRAQ IN 2007 AND MARK'S GRANDFATHER, ALSO AN ARMY VETERAN, IS ALSO BURIED THERE.
FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK THE EAGLES ARE PLAYING A TEAM FIGHTING FOR THEIR PLAYOFF LIVES. THIS WEEK IT'S ON A SHORT WEEK FOR THE EAGLES AND THEIR ROOKIE QUARTERBACK, NICK FOLES. COACH ANDY REID IS INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW FOLES FAIRS TONIGHT AGAINST CINCINNATI. "HE'S DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THAT PART OF IT AND HE'S CONTINUING TO GET BETTER. THIS IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR HIM, ESPECIALLY DOING IT ON A SHORT WEEK. IT'S ONE MORE STEP. WE'LL SEE HOW HE DOES WITH IT," REID SAYS. THE EAGLES ARE 4-AND-9 AND LONG OUT OF THE PLAYOFF CHASE. THE BENGALS ARE 7-AND-6 AND FIGHTING TO GET INTO THE AFC PLAYOFFS.
