The LuLac Edition #874, July 11th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: ALL FEMALE FLIGHT CREW, SENATOR ROBERT MELLOW AND ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL COLUMNIST AND CAPITOL IDEAS BLOGGER JOHN MICEK.

MELLOW’S PICNIC

State Senator Robert Mellow had his annual summertime outing at Montage Mountain this past Wednesday. According to my sources, the crowd was pretty big. However there was a lack of legislative star power because of sessions going on in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. There were staff members from both Senator Casey’s and Specter’s office but the great men were otherwise occupied. However Auditor General Jack Wagner made an appearance as well as all of the candidates running for the statewide Judiciary. Local Judicial candidates for the Lac, Margie Moyle and Frankie Castellano were on hand as well as Evie Refalko McNulty. Senator Mellow did make an appearance later in the evening making the trek up from Harrisburg. You can bet that next year when the Governor’s race and a U.S. Senate re-election campaign is being run, you’ll see the stars at the event. Mellow is closing in on 40 years in the Senate having first won election in 1970 beating GOP incumbent Arthur Piasecki.

GRIFFITH VINDICATED

The opinion of the solicitor of the Home Rule Study Commission indicated Walter Griffith was right to ask for the commission to advertise according to the Sunshine Act. He made the recommendation and the commission voted to approve it. The solicitor's opinion was that he felt the commission was not an agency and wasn't required to follow the Sunshine Act. He felt that for the sake of open and transparent government it is better to follow the Sunshine Act and be safe. No one down the line can challenge the proceedings of the commission that would cost the people a significant amount of money in legal costs. Walter Griffith was saying exactly that! Some people on the commission said he was being "negative". In retrospect, he fought the good for the people of Luzerne County. No sabotage from this guy, only good intentions backed up by facts.

MICEK’S BLOG

Given the budget stalemate in Harrisburg, more information is better than less. To that end, I’m including a link to The Allentown Morning Call’s Harrisburg reporter John Micek's blog, "CAPITOL IDEAS". Micek came to my attention in the earlier part of this decade when I began watching PCN’s “Journalist’s Roundtable”. He is a frequent guest and his blog is essentially a blow by blow account of the inner workings of Harrisburg. With the budget crisis going on, "Capitol Ideas" is a must read. Here’s his link:
http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/.

BONUS AGAIN?

Congressman Paul Kanjorski, Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, expressed his disappointment about recent reports that American International Group (AIG) is seeking to pay $2.4 million in retention bonuses to top executives from the company. “The federal government has now provided AIG with about $180 billion in taxpayer support,” said Kanjorski. “Recent reports that AIG continues to seek to pay out retention bonuses to its employees are extremely disappointing, especially considering that too many families are struggling financially, as a result of the economic crisis to which AIG’s collapse contributed. I have convened hearings on AIG within the Financial Services Committee to examine the company and federal oversight of AIG. Effectively monitoring AIG remains one of my top priorities in the Committee and I anticipate that we will further address this issue at a future hearing. Additionally, at the beginning of the year, Congressman Spencer Bachus, a Republican and I requested that the Government Accountability Office continuously monitor the government’s rescue of AIG and its impact on the U.S. insurance market, as well as other issues like compensation.”

FROM THE NET

A friend sent this from the internet the other day and while I don’t usually pass these on, I thought this was pretty good. (See photo index).
While the C-5 was turning over its engines, a female crewman gave the G.I.s on board the usual information regarding seat belts, emergency exits, etc . Finally, she said, 'Now sit back and enjoy your trip while your captain, Judith Campbell, and crew take you safely to Afghanistan”. An old Master/Sgt. sitting in the eighth row thought to himself, 'Did I hear her right? Is the captain a woman? 'When the attendant came by he said 'Did I understand you right? Is the Captain a woman?' 'Yes,' said the attendant, 'In fact, this entire crew is female.' 'My God,' he said, 'I wish I had two double scotch and sodas. I don't know what to think with only women up there in the cockpit.' 'That's another thing, Sergeant,' said the crew member, 'We No Longer Call It The Cockpit.'