The LuLac Edition #963, Oct. 3rd, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: 1964 PHILLIES CAPS, 11TH CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE COREY O'BRIEN ON THE STEPS OF HIS MULTI FUNCTIONAL, MULTI MEDIA CAMPAIGN BUS, O'BRIEN TALKING TO THE MEDIA AND O'BRIEN WORKING THE CROWD AT THE "RAISING THE ROOF" PARTY/FUNDRAISER SATURDAY NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN WILKES BARRE.

OFF AND RUNNING

From the steps of his childhood home, Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey D. O’Brien officially announced Saturday morning that he will be a candidate for the United States Congress (PA-11) in 2010. Immediately following the announcement, Commissioner O’Brien, joined by family members and friends, launched a 2-day, 30-hour, non-stop, no sleep bus tour through PA-11. The bus tour began in Dunmore, PA and traveled to a number of neighborhoods, restaurants, companies and other venues in Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne and Monroe counties. Commissioner O'Brien plans to focus on his record as a champion of common sense government, fiscal responsibility and ethics reform in the campaign. Prior to his election as Lackawanna County Commissioner in 2007, Corey O'Brien practiced law and hosted an award winning public affairs television show. He currently resides in Moosic, PA with his wife, Atty. Michelle O'Brien and their two young children. O'Brien was a big hit at the "Raising The Roof" event on Saturday night in Wilkes Barre. Here is a transcript of his remarks from this morning's announcement: Thank you all for coming and joining me here today. My name is Corey O'Brien, and I stand here today on the steps of my childhood home, a son of hard working parents, a father, a husband, an uncle and a brother. I return here with my wife, Missy, my children, Kate and Casey, along with the rest of my family.
Friends, I stand before you - humbled by the national and international challenges that face our state and our nation. We have all witnessed first-hand - the unchecked greed of Corporate America that threatens Middle America; we have watched unemployment continue to rise, while at the same time seeing our faith in our public servants fall further and further.
We want to be able to provide healthcare and a good education for our children, but we struggle to even be able to take our kids to the movies or out for pizza after the game. While many of us are working as hard as we can to make ends meet, the news is filled with stories of our elected officials putting their own interests – and their own wallets – first. Not surprisingly, many of us have lost faith in our government. Government service is a privilege not to be squandered for personal gain but to be cherished and protected. The old-style politics of greed and personal profit have no place in our government, and we must fight to replace them with new style leadership. We must stop allowing our leaders to get away with what is "legal", and make them answer to the higher standard of what is right. I believe that we need to level the playing field. I believe that we must replace our pessimism with a renewed sense of optimism and possibility in our region. We must be able to look to these new leaders with confidence and trust, and begin a new era, where local officials are truly servants of the public – elected to put each and every one of your interests before his or her own. It is for these reasons that I am here to announce that I am running for the United States Congress. As we embark on this campaign, I'd like to share my simple philosophy on government. Above all, I believe it is the job of our elected officials to provide a level playing field for all – rich or poor, young or old, man or woman. Your opportunities should be equal, and your future possibilities boundless. But to make that level playing field a reality, all of us should be entitled to a familysustaining job. We must ensure that everyone in our region has access to affordable, quality healthcare and that health insurance companies are kept honest. Early childhood education should be well funded, so that we can lay the foundation for our children for a lifetime of learning. Our educational system from kindergarten through college should prepare students to compete in a global economy, not pass a standardized test. And energy independence should not just be a goal, but a national security priority. We must insist that government is smarter, leaner and more effective and that is why I support “pay as you go,” which requires that new spending measures and tax changes not add to the federal deficit. New proposals must either be "budget neutral" or offset with savings derived from existing funds. This is not free money. The federal deficit is a serious problem that will lead to long-term economic hardship if not addressed. We all have to live within our means and the federal government should do the same. In our region, we deserve to receive our fair share of federal tax dollars. And we deserve a Congressman who will put that money in your pockets, not his own pockets. We must begin to think creatively as a region on how we can best pool our resources to better serve taxpayers – providing better services at less cost. And we must redouble our efforts to build and strengthen our communities and their crumbling information and transportation infrastructures.
We are a nation of great innovation, strength, optimism and an unwavering spirit. And it’s about time we get back to it. I come before you today ready to roll up my sleeves and work hard. To demonstrate the work ethic of this campaign, I am happy to announce that immediately following this announcement – we will roll-up our sleeves and embark on a 30-hour, non-stop, no sleep campaign swing throughout the Congressional District to meet voters and listen. I won't stand here today and pretend to have all of the answers. What I will promise is that I will listen and work for you – because together we can conquer any hurdle,
overcome any challenge and blaze a new path.
To those who say government is broken, I say let’s fix it.
To those who think all politicians are corrupt, I say let’s change that.
To those who feel left behind, I say join us.
To those who say we can’t, I say watch us.
I ask you to join me now in our fight to reclaim our government and level the playing field. I ask you to join me in ushering in a new era of possibility in our region – one that will restore our pride not only in ourselves but in our region’s future. I ask you to join me to secure the future that we all want for ourselves and our families. And lastly and most importantly, I ask for your vote for the United States Congress.
Thank you.

KANJORSKI COMMENTS

Statement by Ed Mitchell on behalf of the Kanjorski campaign (PA-11) on O’Brien announcement: “Congressman Kanjorski looks forward to a full and thorough debate of his record and the issues in the primary election. “He believes that in today’s tough economic times we need a Congressman who has a record of fighting for veterans’ benefits, protecting Social Security and Medicare for seniors and pushing for job creation and affordable health care for all working families. “Congressman Kanjorski is the best person to do that.”

BESIDES COREY.....

Various politicos attended the "Raising the Roof" event. Mayor Tom Leighton was there looking svelte and ready for another challenge in rebuilding the city. The Mayor commented to me, "Could you ever imagine having a party on the roof of a parking garage a few years back?!" In his short speech the Mayor cited the revitalization of the city. City Councilwoman Kathy Kane and Councilman Bill Barrett attended along with Magistrate Martin Kane. Suzanne Youngblood, Head Librarian at the Plymouth facility answered numerous queries about her mother, retired Wilkes Barre Area School Board member Barbara Youngblood. Judicial candidate Bill Amesbury made the roiunds as well as County Commissioner Steve Urban and his wife Linda Stetts. Also in attendance were staff members from Rock 107 and Times Shamrock who were the main sponsots of the event that benefited the Osterhout Library. WBRE staffers Eric Deabill and weatherman Dave Skutnik.

45 YEARS AGO: THE COLLAPSE

Oct. 3rd, '64 Phillies.

On the day before the '64 season ends the Phillies find themselves still in the hunt. With the St. Louis Cards playing the last place Mets, the Phils are idle awaiting their last game of the season with the Reds. If the Mets beat the Cardinals and Philadelphia beats the Reds, there will be a three game playoff for the National League title.