The LuLac Edition #831, May 28th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: SIGNAGE FOR ONE OF OUR LOCAL STATE PARKS AND A SAME SEX COUPLE ON THEIR

WEDDING DAY.

STATE PARKS CLOSINGS?

It’s state budget wrangling time and you know what that means in the Keystone State. State parks and their customers are threatened with possible closure or reduction in staffs. Seven state parks in Northeast Pennsylvania could face a shutdown depending how the state budget battle turns out. Archbald Pothole in Archbald, Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro and Big Pocono in Monroe County, Prompton in Wayne County, Salt Spring in Susquehanna County and Mt. Pisgah in Bradford County are on a hit list of 50 state parks. Those parks would be considered for closing to offset anticipated spending cuts according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, an agency that operates 117 parks. This list is ammunition in a budget battle already heating up to an inferno. The Rendell administration has spent the past several weeks criticizing the impact of a $27.3 billion budget bill approved by the Senate Republican leadership.

NOT SO FAST!!!!

A federal judge issued a restraining order that prohibits former Luzerne County Judge Mark

Ciavarella from withdrawing his pension. The U. S. Attorney's Office sought the order to protect its attempt to seek restitution from Ciavarella. This is just the latest saga in the Luzerne County Judicial scandal case.

NEW NAME

The GOP, in its attempt to rebrand itself as the party of fools and a chance to demonize the Democrats has reached a new low. To their credit, party chieftains are trying to avoid a public fight. Some elements of the national GOP want the Democratic party to be named the "Socialist Democrat" party. Party Chairman Michael Steele and others say the party should also drop the renaming resolution and focus on more serious problems. .Some party leaders described the initial resolution as "stupid" and "absurd." Ya think????

A NEW DEBATE

A Montgomery County lawmaker will introduce a bill to establish full and equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Pennsylvania. Current state law defines marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. Sen. Daylin Leach's bill would not require churches or clergy to perform or recognize any marriage that does violence to their doctrine. However it would guarantee any homosexual couple the right to a marriage license and would grant full legal recognition to any such union. Leach said he did not want to violate any religious principles and declared this was a civil right of marriage. Same-sex marriages performed in other states also would also be legally recognized here. From a political reality, the bill would seem to face a major battle in the current General Assembly, and in the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 30-20 majority. Gov. Ed Rendell, a pro gay rights champion whose administration will start providing health benefits to qualifying, unmarried partners of state workers on July 1 has said he does not support same-sex marriage. However, Leach, motivated by recent passage of same-sex marriage bills in New Hampshire and Maine, said he believes it is time to start the debate here. And so it (the discourse) begins.