The LuLac Edition #298, Sept. 5th, 2007

PHOTO INDEX: SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER AND SCRANTON AREA ATTORNEY, AND A GUY I'VE BEEN TOUTING TO RUN FOR CONGRESS IN THE 10TH, JOE PETERS.

MANY THANKS!!!

To all of you who responded to our edition #297, I say thank you very much. It took a while to research it but in the long run, your response was worth it. We will begin to delve into the rich political "Courthouse" history of Lackawanna County too. Just give us time. And as far as a proposed book on LuLac history, again, give us time. We are in the process of trying to get the novel "Dial Up" out for publication in early 2008. And "A Radio Story" is still being developed for larger venues, but we hear you and God willing, health wise, you'll see some interesting things in the near future.

PETERS MIGHT GO

Attorney Joe Peters might be running for the Congressional seat in the 10th district. The son of ex Scranton Mayor Eugene Peters has commissioned a poll that says nearly 69% of the GOP voters are undecided. Peters has kept a high profile as WYOU TV's Security Analyst as well as appearing at GOP functions throughout the year. An ex police officer, Peters ran for state wide office and has name recognition that will certainly help him in his run in the 10th district. Furthermore, a Peters primary win will neutralize Democratic support in the city of Scranton given the strength and legacy of the Peters political name.

DEMS FIGHT CHILD CUTS

New rules require many children to be uninsured for a full year before they can be covered by government. Area state legislators are among officials across the country that disagree with new federal guidelines that require many children to be uninsured for a full year before they have access to government subsidized coverage. Under the proposed new directive from the federal Department of Health and Human Services, states could not provide coverage to children from lower middle class families unless they enroll at least 95 percent of eligible children under 200 percent of the poverty level. Before they are able to enroll, the children would have to go one year without health insurance. Pennsylvania currently has a six-month uninsured period. State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Kingston, said the directive is totally counterproductive in regard to children's health."That's ridiculous, but I'm not surprised," Mundy said. "It's unfortunate, it's been a battle from the beginning to get kids coverage... this doesn't make sense; you want kids to stay healthy." Some believe that waiting periods prevent families from dropping private insurance to get cheaper or better coverage for their children through the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. But the vast majority of states require a much shorter wait, typically one month to six months. In Pennsylvania, the state expanded its successful CHIP program this year to "Cover All Kids." Under the program, children from low-incomeworking families can receive free insurance coverage. Working families with higher income levels pay small premiums ranging from $38 to $60 perchild. State Sen. Bob Mellow, D-Peckville, harshly accused the Bush administration of creating a statistical compliance hurdle that few, if any, states will be able to scale."I am dismayed and disgusted that President Bush would have his bureaucracy cook rules that may cut health insurance for children from working families," Mellow said in a press release. "I urgePennsylvania's federal lawmakers to stand up and fight this injustice before any child in Pennsylvania is affected. "Many of the state Medicaid directors who participated in a conference call Wednesday to discuss the guidelines were upset. "Not having any coverage for a year flies in the face of the health care reform efforts the states have been undertaking," said Martha Roherty, director of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors. The one-year minimum applies to states that extend program coverage to more moderate-income families - specifically, to families whose income exceeds 250 percent of the federal poverty level, or $43,925 for a family of three. It is estimated that 18 states and the District of Columbia are in that category or have plans to expand coverage to at least that level. Dennis Smith, who oversees the Medicaid program at the Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services, spelled out in a letter last week several new requirements the administration planned for those particular states. Smith said states that use the children's insurance program to cover families above 250 percent of the poverty level must make some assurances to prevent the substituting of public insurance for private plans. The program subsidizes the cost of health insurance for families whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance. Both the Senate and the House passed bills this summer that would increase substantially the spending on the program. Bush has promised a veto if they reach his desk in their current form.

ARLEN THE DARLIN'

You gotta love our Senator Arlen Specter. He comes out of left field more than Phillies 1964 team member Wes Covington did for defense. Specter, who should have no great love for arch conservatives like Idaho Senator Larry Craig's anti gay stands came to the guy's defense on Fox News Sunday by saying that as a former prosecutor, he'd have a hard time making the case against Craig. The comment seems to have buoyed Craig who the day before decided to resign. But now the embattled Senator is inclined to try and beat the rap. Specter is the truest thing we have in the political process today to a true independent and free thinker. Secretly there are many rank and file GOPers who'd like to push him off the nearest cliff but for independent Dems like, me, well, ya gotta love him. And from our friend David Saxon, courtesy of YOU TUBE, Larry Craig's admonitions against President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky (my favorite ex federal government employee by the way) affair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Vs5570pKw

WHOOPS WHOOPIE

So Whoppie Goldberg replaces Rosie O'Donnell on the hen fest they call"The View". And she starts out by defending Michael Vick saying it'sc ulturally acceptable in different parts of the country to have dogfighting competitions. Whoopie can defend anyone she wants, but not this. Dogfighting is not cool or sanctioned in any region of the country. If anything, this comment made us miss Rosie O'Donnell!

UNIQUE FUNDRAISER

A Montgomery Cty. Candidate for Coroner has set a fundraiser featuring the doctor who last saw Anna Nicole Smith naked. Ticket sales are said to be brisk for the mid Sept. fundraiser.

Dr. Joshua Perper, the medical examiner for Broward County, Fla., performed the autopsy of the Playboy model and actress after her Feb. 8 death. Perper's an old friend of Merion's Dr. Walter I. Hofman, the forensic pathologist who is running as a Democrat for Montgomery County coroner in November. Dr. Perper will take questions after his speech at the Merion ScoutHouse (625 Hazelhurt) fundraiser, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 16.