If you’re in Pennsylvania – and you need help from the police – you’re screwed. That’s because Republican Governor Tom Corbett – who already slashed $900 million out of his state’s education budget – is now targeting the police budget. According to Patriot-News, Corbett wants to cut the police department budget by 5% - essentially laying-off 500 cops. That could result in Pennsylvanians who need 9-1-1 emergency help having to wait DAYS before police can respond.

The Pennsylvania State Trooper Association President Bruce Edwards acknowledged the disastrous consequences of Corbett’s latest proposed budget cuts saying, “I don’t want to sugarcoat it. That’s what’s going to happen.” Of course – all of this could be avoided – if only Governor Corbett made gas fracking corporations pay their fair share in taxes. Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that doesn’t tax frackers. One reason why: Corbett got $835,000 in campaign contributions from oil and natural gas companies.

Choosing big polluters over public safety makes Governor Tom Corbett officially the best governor money can buy.

-Thom

(What do you think will happen? Tell us here.)

"Pitch a Tent in Your yard OccupyOurHome.org"

The Daily Stack

Article: "In U.S., Fear of Big Government at Near-Record Level" by Elizabeth Mendes.

Video: "Big Government, Big Fear" - Fox Business: Radio host Thom Hartmann discusses the latest Gallup poll showing the growing fear of big government.

Site: Move to Amend

Article: "Fox News Calls OWS Domestic Terrorists " by Ray Medieros.

Article: "Starnes: Time Honors Domestic Terrorists" by Todd Starnes.

Article: "In Wisconsin, Money Really is Speech" by Ashley Portero.

Article: "Feinstein fights terror suspect-detention bill" by Carolyn Lochhead.

Article: "House advances defense spending bill" by Pete Kasperowicz.

Site: callcongress.org.

Article: "Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich is an 'extraordinarily unreliable' conservative" by Jed Lewison.

Article: "Reid Says Senate Will Block House Republican Payroll Tax Cut" by Steven Sloan and Richard Rubin.

Article: "SPECIAL REPORT: Forensic Analysis Finds Venango County, PA, E-Voting System 'Remotely Accessed' on 'Multiple Occasions' by Unknown Computer" by Brad Friedman.

Hour Two: "Inequality in Perspective"...
Thom challenges economist, Dr. Ron Ross

Book: "The Unbeatable Market: Taking the Indexing Path to Financial Peace of Mind" by Ron Ross.

Article: "Inequality in Perspective" by Ron Ross.

Site: "The Equality Trust".

Book: "The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger" by Richard Wilkinson, Kate Pickett.

Article: "Celebrity couple splits: Toronto Zoo separates penguins Buddy and Pedro" by AP.

Article: "Jon Corzine deflects blame for MF Global collapse" by Daniel Wagner, Marcy Gordon.

Movie: "It's a Wonderful Life".

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Book: "Self Empowerment: Nine Things the 19th Century Can Teach us About Living in the 21st " by B. Anne Gehman and Ellen Ratner.

Article: "Payroll Tax Battle Heads To Senate" by Benny Martinez.

Article: "Senate Rejects Rival Balanced Budget Amendments" by RTTNews.

Article: "Senate could vote Wednesday on Defense authorization conference report" by Josiah Ryan.

Article: "Transcript of remarks by Obamas on end of Iraq War" by News-Gazette.

Article: "Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Fort Bragg, NC" by December 14, 2011.

Article: "Boehner Says Gingrich Not ‘As Conservative’ as Some Others Think" by Bloomberg.

Article: "NRC commissioners: Chairman Jaczko is a 'bully'" by Matthew Daly.

Article: "Syria Army Defectors Kill 8 Soldiers in Retaliation, Group Says" by Bloomberg.

Article: "Panetta in Afghanistan, Calls 2011 a 'Turning Point'" by Luis Ramirez.

Article: "Singh Retail Retreat ‘Nail in the Coffin’ for India Opening" by Andrew MacAskill and Kartik Goyal.

Article: "China set to tax US-made car imports" by John Reed and Alan Beattie.

Excerpt: "Rebooting the American Dream - 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country: Back to the Future" by Thom Hartmann.

Book: "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country" by Thom Hartmann.

Book: "Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism" by Ha-Joon Chang.

Excerpt: "Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter One: Bring My Job Home!" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "Report On Manufactures" by Alexander Hamilton.

The good: "TIME Person of the year: The Protester" by TIME.

The bad: "Christine O’Donnell On Mitt Romney: ‘He’s Been Consistent Since He Changed His Mind’" by Tanya Somanader.

The very, very ugly: "Chuck E. Cheese's fined for child-labor violations" by Henry K. Lee.

Article: "WTO panel rules against U.S. country-of-origin labels" by AP.

Article: "Trade rulings undermine consumer protection" by Lori Wallach and Todd Tucker.

Video: "Giant Sucking Sound - Ross Perot 1992 Presidential Debate".

Cheesy news alert: "Fox News Names Pepper Spray Person of the Year" by Andy Borowitz.

Article: "Facing budget cuts, Pennsylvania State Police forecast possibility of laying off 500 troopers" by Jan Murphy.

Article: "ACLU sues Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker over new voter ID law" by Eric W. Dolan.

Article: "Cyber war on US drones? Another spy craft crash, now in Seychelles" by RT.

Article: "Arsenic in water near coal-fired US plants: monitor" by AFP.

Article: "Donald Trump pulls out of own debate, floats presidential bid (again), plugs 'The Apprentice'" by Adam B. Vary.

Hour Two: Geeky Science Rocks!
- How your brain works just like busy honey bees!

Plus, the latest on inequality in our economy, the payroll tax cut, the Keystone XL Pipeline and the GOP candidates' slug fest for a chance at the White House.

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program... your media support group for we the people.

Read an excerpt here, and buy the book!