Some laughs from the state capitol

Could somebody spring for some anger management sessions for the Corbett administration? For the second time, a high-level member of the Pennsylvania governor’s team has had a wig-out over a parking spot at the state capitol.

The recipient of this tongue-lashing from Welfare Dept. official Philip Abromats was Rev. Norma Kenley-Barber, who’d taken Abromats’ parking spot to run in for a bathroom emergency. According to this story by Jan Murphy in the Harrisburg Patriot, Abromats blocked her car in and then gave her a profane lecture, while trying to hide his identity. It didn’t work, in any respect.

And as lawmakers in Harrisburg debate a proposal to privatize liquor sales, a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says an evaluation committee within the state Liquor Control Board warned against giving a contract to a firm called Simple Brands to operate wine kiosks in supermarkets.

The LCB ignored the recommendation and gave the contract to the company, then had to shut the kiosks down when predicted problems arose.The story notes that two investors in Simple Brands were significant campaign contributors to then-Gov. Ed Rendell.

If the LCB has an explanation, they didn’t give it to the Post-Gazette.

Finally, if you’re not yet in the habit of checking out the Captiol Ideas blog of John Micek of the Allentown Morning Call, you’re missing good stuff. Here’s how John opened Thursday morning’s post:

We’re back in action after spending a fascinating and edifying day in scenic Greensburg, Pa., where we received a crash course in all things natural gas.

Thanks to the experts at the Penn State Extension, we now know, for instance, that Utica shale is not only buried deeper, it also has slightly more dark meat than Marcellus shale; that if you shake natural gas really, really hard it turns into butter and basically, that it’s Range Resources’ world and we’re just living in it.

Also, no matter how old you are, you will giggle uncontrollably every time you hear a grown man talking about “gas evacuation.”