The LuLac Edition #689, Jan. 9th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: FORMER LUZERNE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY THOMAS MACK, BLOG EDITOR BUSY AT WORK WITH THE LULAC STIMULUS PACKAGE, OUR 36TH PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON, LARRY FLYNT FAN FAVORITE ANGELA STONE, THE BIRTHDAY BOY HIMSELF, RICHARD M. NIXON, THE BLOG EDITOR WITH THE LATE DAN FLOOD CIRCA 1982, AND OUR 1964 LOGO.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN

It occurred to me recently that the government has spent billions of dollars trying to get the economy moving. They’ve given money to the banks that screwed us over with greed, faulty acquisitions and high credit card rates. Next came the car companies that so badly mismanaged themselves but overpaid their top execs bonuses for failing. We found that some New England newspapers wanted a bailout from the government which borders on insanity. I mean do we want the government involved in the integrity, fiscal or otherwise of the media? The other day Larry Flynt of all people wanted a 5 billion dollar bailout for the porn industry because revenue was down. We are rewarding people for bad behavior and horrible management. I have an alternative idea which makes way too much sense for this government. But here it is anyway:
1. Every American who is a taxpayer and does not have a problem or lien with the IRS gets a lump sum of $200,000. A one time gift. The person receiving this one time grant must pay a 10% tax on it. In effect, as soon as they get the dough, they should write out a check to Uncle Sam for $20,000. They could use the remainder of the money on what they want.
2. Each American citizen with a valid driver’s license and a paid up insurance policy gets a $20,000 stipend to buy a car. The car must be American made, a model year from 2005 to 2009 and paid for in full. No financing.
3. If a working American is found guilty of a crime within the time period of the stimulus plan, the money is forfeited.
4. Each American getting the $200,000 check will be required to set up a $20,000 health saving account for themselves, a $5,000 account for each child.
5. Any college student attending a state school or private university will get a 50% break on their education per semester if they commit to a 2 year program of public service after graduation or before the age of 35. Failure to do so will result in a bill for educational services rendered by the college institution. Service employees will be required to offer proof of completion from the volunteer or government organization they serve. A conviction of any type will deem the service program useless for the individual.
6. Before any national health care plan is even attempted, there must be a standardization of care for every state in the union. This will keep welfare mothers from New York coming to Pennsylvania for pre natal care and then returning to New York to have their baby.
7. A job retraining grant of $5,000 to every American for a technical skill dealing with the internet, computers, software and new technologies. A passing grade of 85% is required. Non completion of the course will result in a chargeback.
8. A limit on the number of children people on public assistance can have. If they go over the quota, they have to introduce themselves to the age old concept taught to children for years: sharing.
Now all of these plans aren’t going to fly because they make sense.

RICHARD NIXON

Today Richard Nixon would have been 96 years old. The debut of the Frost/Nixon movie tells us that as a historical figure, Richard Nixon remains a constant in pop culture, the movies and the history books.

PALIN’S PAIN

Sarah Palin is really started to whine big time about the treatment she received in the media. Palin told a conservative reporter that Tina Fey and Saturday Night Live used her and her family and that the Katie Couric interview was stacked against her. Let’s see, Palin participated in all of the skits on SNL, bouncing like a teeny bopper to a rap song that was insulting to her and John McCain. She was the one who couldn’t name a newspaper she read in a softball interview question. And now she’s complaining about the treatment of her and her family by the press? Please, enough already. This one is making Dan Quayle look like a Rhodes scholar.

DAN IN THE REARVIEW

WVIA TV’S Bill Kelly has done it again with a great program on the late Dan Flood. One of the guests was Michael Clark of Pittston who was one of Flood’s top aides. Kelly cajoled, charmed and asked great questions about Dan Flood. The show was The State of Pennsylvania. Check out the WVIA website for repeats of this wonderful show. http://www.wvia.org/tv/ According to the website, the show will air again Sunday, Jan. 11th at 1PM.

CASEY AND THE CLEARYS

Jack Cleary and his wife, Marianne, will be among 20 special guests of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey when Obama is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol Jan. 20.
Each senator is allocated 393 tickets to distribute to constituents.
They’re typically handed out on a first-come-first-served basis and more than 20,000 requests were made to Casey’s office for the event. But the senator wanted to save 20 tickets for personally hand-picked recipients “that represent the challenges Pennsylvanians are facing.” The Clearys were the only Luzerne County residents among them. This was a wonderful gesture by Senator Casey but maybe he should have invited the widow of the first NEPA resident killed in Iraq, Sherwood Baker and his family. Just a thought.

EACHUS BEGINS

New House Majority Leader Todd Eachus has guns blazing to achieve legislative victories on issues ranging from expanded prescription drug benefits to health care access and job creation. Eachus is already bringing stylistic changes to the job of majority leader, the post that makes him one of a half-dozen elected officials in Harrisburg with power to shape the public agenda. Eachus demonstrated this by giving a speech heavy on policy on an opening session day usually reserved for pomp and circumstance. He cited the personal stories of three Luzerne County women to drive home him his message on the need for action on pocketbook issues. Eachus went into specifics that residents of his district and NEPA have been wondering about. Eachus is the first area legislator to hold a position of rank in the House in more than 3 decades. The last one was Ken Lee of Tunkhannock who was House Minority leader in the 1970s.

1964

A British firm, the Leyland Motor Corp., announces the sale of 450 buses to the Cuban government, challenging the United States blockade of Cuba.......In his first State of the Union Address, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson declares a "War on Poverty", one of his campaign promises of 1964.

Armed clashes between United States troops and Panamanian civilians in the Panama Canal Zone precipitate a major international crisis, resulting in the deaths of 21 Panamanians and 4 U.S. soldiers. "Introducing...the Beatles" is released by Chicago's Vee-Jay Records to get the jump on Capitol Records' release of "Meet the Beatles", scheduled for January 20. The 2 record companies fight over Vee-Jay's release of this album in court.....Statewide, the GOP committee begins to gear up for the 1964 election. Favorites on the left appear to be Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York and on the right Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater......in Luzerne County District Attorney Tom Mack takes over the reins of the DA's office. Mack defeated incumbent Stephen Teller in the 1963 general election.....in Lackawanna County, first term 10th Congressional District Congressman Joseph McDade prepares to defend his seat...........and the number one song in America and LuLac land was by a group from England dubbed the Beatles. Veejay Records, a small company jumped in front of a major record label to premiere the music from across the sea. This forced Capitol Records to release the Beatles product. “Meet The Beatles” was released this week and in no time the number one song was a two sided hit, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” From You Tube, here they are: