The LuLac Edition #818, May 15th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: OUR 1964 LOGO, THE LATE BISHOP JEROME HANNAN AND A PREGNANT WOMAN.

BRAIN DRAIN VIDEO

The ramifications of WNEP TV’s Scott Shaffer’s question to the Scranton Mayoral candidates about proposed “brain drain” continues days after the event. A video popped up on You Tube and we have to share it with you.

JUDICIAL PROFILES

Our series on Judicial profiles has ended. We hope it was informative. We highlighted only those candidates who attended our LuLac Judicial Forum.

90 DAYS

News reports tell us Judge Ann Lokuta has 90 days to re-present her case before the Judicial Conduct Board. Lokuta says she has uncovered a witness who will link former judge Michael Conahan to dealings with the mob. The witness, not identified, will provide information that is crucial to proving Lokuta’s allegations that widespread corruption within the courthouse tainted the outcome of her misconduct trial. The 7 member board was convinced enough to grant Lokuta 90 days to gather additional evidence. The court will then review the information to determine whether it warrants the reopening of her case. Lokuta is seeking to alter or overturn the disciplinary court’s Dec. 9 order that removed her from office based on the testimony of dozens of people who painted her as a judicial bully.

PARITY IF NOT EQUALITY

Starting July 1, Pennsylvania government will begin offering full health care coverage and other fringe benefits to state workers' unmarried partners. The new policy, approved by the board of the Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund in an little-noted action last September, will include the extension of full benefits to gay and lesbian couples, as well as unmarried heterosexual partners. Essentially, domestic partners and their dependent children will be treated the same as spouses of the covered employees and retirees. The benefits include medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and hearing coverage. Partners must be at least 18 and have lived together for six months, while providing proof -- such as a joint bank account or an assignment of power of attorney -- that their lives are intertwined.

OH BABY !!!!!

The percecntage of births to unmarried women in the United States has been rising sharply.
1. Childbearing by unmarried women has resumed a steep climb since 2002.
2. Births to unmarried women totaled 1,714,643 in 2007, 26% more than in 2002. Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. births were to unmarried women in 2007.
3. Birth rates have risen considerably for unmarried women in their twenties and over, while declining or changing little for unmarried teenagers.

In the United States, unmarried mothers are more likely to be on their own and , traditionally, they are more likely to be poor and uneducated, experts said. Women who have children outside of marriage are less likely than other single women to marry, and when they do marry, their husbands tend to be less well-matched, according to a new study. The results show that the odds that unwed mothers marry rather than cohabit are about 30 percent lower than those of childless single women. When they do marry, mothers are more likely to have husbands who are significantly older and less educated than those of childless women. “It's more difficult for unwed mothers to get married, and if they do, they tend to not marry well,” said Zhenchao Qian, co-author of the study and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University. The study showed that single mothers were less likely than childless women to marry a man with at least some college education. That suggests unwed mothers are unlikely to improve their economic prospects through marriage, she said, because potential husbands are less likely to have opportunities for good-paying jobs. So what do we make of all of this? Well again it is a breakdown of morals in terms of self respect and human sexuality. There is no outrage anymore, just an acceptance of bad behavior. When the media reports on the first new born of the year, the bouncing bundle of joy has parents with two different names. Children today are accustomed to siblings with different dads. Moms have multiple daddies for their kids and society has said “that’s just fine and dandy”. What is even more disturbing is women who should know better, those between the ages of 25 and 40 are having kids out of wedlock. Many times the “father” stays but sometimes he does not. More than 60% leave by the 6th month of pregnancy. People will tell commentators like me that it is the children who count and that no judgments should be made about how they got here. I’ll buy that argument partially. A beautiful baby should not be stigmatized as in the past. But while we’re talking about judgment, let’s put some responsibility on those women who already have children that decided to have unprotected sex because they were needy, lonely, reckless, stupid or just plain horny. A guy is going to be a guy, like it or not. The reason why the birth rate for unwed mothers is soaring is because of our society in search of instant gratification. And we as friends, co-workers, relatives or neighbors don’t have the stones to say three things to these women: 1. Use our judgment when picking out a boyfriend, 2. Think of the consequences to your current life situation whether they include kids or not, and failing numbers 1 and 2, 3. Keep your legs closed.

1964

The United States State Department says that more than 40 hidden microphones have been found embedded in the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow……Statewide, Governor Scranton’s door has been visited by key national Republican leaders urging him to get into the 1964 GOP Presidential race. Michigan Governor George Romney got cold feet and decided not to jump into the race against Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller….The Philadelphia Phillies continue their assault on first place in the National League pennant race. Left hander Dennis Bennet closes out the month of May with a 5 and 1 record with the Phils fighting the San Francisco Giants for first place…..King’s College holds its graduation ceremonies and surprise of all surprises, the Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton did not criticize the keynote speaker but actually attended. Bishop Jerome Hannan greeted New York Congressman (and future New York Governor) Hugh Carey as the commencement speaker….and 45 years ago, the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was Peter and Gordon’s “A World Without Love”. This was the third British group to hit the number 1 song (The Beatles and Dave Clark 5) since the start of the year. This song was also written by the then budding team of songwriters, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.