The LuLac Edition #1138, Apr. 1st, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: CARL ROMANELLI AND AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER.

GANG GREEN

The Green Party of Luzerne County has announced that its regular monthly meeting for April will be scheduled for April 10, at 11:00 AM, at Barnes and Noble, South Main St., Wilkes-Barre; due to the Easter holiday weekend. The meetings of the party are normally held the first Saturday of each month. The April meeting will also be a regional meeting for Northeastern PA Green chapters, in order to plan activities for the upcoming Earth Day celebration. Greens from Luzerne, Wyoming, Wayne, Susquehanna, and Lackawanna counties are expected to participate. Details of events for Earth Day will be publicized after the meeting, though this year’s focus is on Marcellus Shale issues in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Green Party Nomination Papers will be available for signing and circulating. The Pennsylvania Green Party has nominated Pittsburgh area resident and physician assistant, Mel Packer for US Senate in 2010. Jay Sweeney of Wyoming County will be on hand at the meeting. Sweeney is seeking the office of State Representative in the 111th District. The Green Party is an independent political party dedicated to principles of ecology, justice, peace, and diversity. The Luzerne County party has been in existence since 2000 and has met monthly ever since. Meetings are free of charge and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Contact Carl Romanelli at 570-574-0829 cjromanelli@gmail.com. or Jay Sweeney at 570-587-3603 jnln@epix.net.

JACK ON THE ATTACK

Auditor General Jack Wagner, Democratic candidate for Governor, held a press conference this week to discuss why systemic government transformation is needed and unveil his proposal to reform state government. As he has traveled to all 67 Pennsylvania counties listening to citizens, voters have expressed serious concerns about state government heading in the wrong direction. "The train is off the tracks. Voters know that government is politically paralyzed and not serving people well or efficiently," Wagner said following the press conference. "Structural reform is urgently needed. It is essential to growing jobs and the state economy, while keeping taxes low. Voters want competition, transparency, and accountability to improve government performance."
Wagner's proposal to reform state government contains the following items:
Hold a constitutional convention to empower citizens to bring fundamental reforms to state government.
Reduce the size of the General Assembly by 1/3 .
Eliminate bonuses in state government.
Get state government spending under control.
Pass state budgets on time.

Bring competition to every single contract in the state procurement process
Ban local governments from attaching risky derivatives/"swaps" to their debt
Ensure that taxpayers receive property tax relief promised by gaming
Enact campaign finance reform and end pay to play.
Allow independent voters to participate in Primary Elections.
Take the politics out of the redistricting process and promote nonpartisan, compact, and contiguous redistricting.