The LuLac Edition #1341, Oct. 21st, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: OUR 1966 LOGO, BOB POWELL'S PLANE (PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMES LEADER) AND SHAFER/BRODERICK CAMPAIGN BUTTON.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

As I sat moderating the Home Rule Information session the other night, I was struck by the dynamics of this election. It seems the Democrats aren’t telling enough people what they’ve done for people the last two years. But even though they are trying to tell people about their accomplishments and what they mean to people like me and you (I doubt if I have any readers that make over $750,000 a year but if you reveal yourself, I’ll whip out the adoption papers) no one seems to be listening. And the reason no one is listening is because we are being drowned out by ignorance. I have no quarrel with the Tea Party or those involved in it. But I don’t see a Tea Party agenda of specifics. Why do you want to get rid of seemingly good public servants that might win you an election? I mean give me a reason besides “We want our country back”, “Obama is a Muslin”, “WE are heading toward a socialist society” and “ “My freedoms are being taken away”. Those aren’t specifics, those are Mussolini like comments that were made in the early 1930s to rile people up. If you want to govern, you have to give us specifics. Nationally I have never, ever voted straight party in my life. But the screeching of Sarah Palin, the dumbing down of our Republic as well as the emergence of people like Sharon Angle and Kathleen O’Donnell is driving me to it. And in Pennsylvania, do you really want Pat Toomey as your Senator? I’m not in love with Joe Sesatak but c’mon. Look at Toomey’s record on Wall Street and his complete allegiance to the right wing segment of the GOP. Tom Ridge, Richard Schweiker, Dick Thornburgh, William Scranton III and John Heinz were all Republicans I gladly voted for. Why? Because they were reasonable men. Because they had ideas. Because they never said that my freedoms were being taken away. Because they never demonized the other side. Because they had alternative ideas that consisted more of substance and less of jingoistic slogans.

PA SENATE

While the Governor’s office has been operating on an 8 year cycle of parties ruling the day every 8 years since 1954, the U.S. Senate seats in the Commonwealth have been uneven. For a period of time, from 1968 through 1993, Pennsylvania had two GOP Senators. (Richard Schweiker and Hugh Scott from ’68 through ’76, Schweiker and John Heinz through ’76 to ’80, then Heinz and Arlen Specter through ’80 through ’93.) After Heinz’ death, Harris Wolford became a U.S. Senator until he was defeated in 1994 by Rick Santorum. Santorum served with Specter until his defeat in ’06. So the GOP has been dominant in controlling the Senate seats since the late 1960s.

ONORATO AND REFORM

Dan Onorato has been saying he wants to reform the government in Harrisburg. With the entrenched enmities there, I say “good luck pal”, But if you take a look at a statement from his website, he just might have a shot at it.
Dan Onorato will restore the public’s trust and confidence in state government. Especially during these tough economic times, citizens need to know that their government is operating with one goal in mind: to advance the public interest, not the power of special interests. Dan is the only candidate for Governor with a proven track record of making reform a reality. As Allegheny County Executive, he enacted bold reforms that took on more than 200 years of inefficiency in county government. Dan eliminated six elected offices to make government work better and save taxpayers money. He also streamlined government – reducing the county government workforce, emphasizing efficiency, and consolidating five 9-1-1 call centers into a single center that serves the entire county. Dan’s reforms have saved taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Dan Onorato will bring real reform to Harrisburg – just as he did in Allegheny County. As Governor, Dan will clean up the Legislature – including enacting term limits and reducing the size of the Senate and House; curb the power of special interests; and improve accountability and transparency in state government.

TOURING THE DIKE

On Friday, October 22, Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) and U.S. Army Under Secretary Dr. Joseph Westphal, the second in command at the U.S. Army, will tour the Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project and Tobyhanna Army Depot. Congressman Kanjorski will announce a decision marking a step forward for employees at the Depot while visiting the levees in Wilkes-Barre. Congressman Kanjorski worked closely with Dr. Westphal to ensure the creation of the levees in Wilkes-Barre and the development of the River Common. This project was something people were talking about for years until Congressman Kanjorski took the bull by the horns. This successful project in my estimation is taken for granted. Before this every time we got substantial rain there were big worries. Not so much anymore.

TODD’S RIDE

Man sometimes when you throw a mud pie, you might get another bigger one back in the old kisser. Todd Eachus has been running commercials against Tara Touhill this week citing her association with disgraced Judge Mark Ciavarella. Ads blasted the young lawyer for taking a job from the former Judge. In a debate it was revealed that Eachus took a ride on the infamous Bob Powell jet. The Times Leader reports that House Majority Leader Todd Eachus now says he didn't have to get back to Harrisburg to vote the day he too a round-trip ride on convicted felon Robert Powell s jet. Asked on Wednesday whether he ever spent time at the condominiums of disgraced former Luzerne County judges or rode on Powell's jet, Eachus said he never visited the Florida condo, but he did ride the jet.
The reason he accepted a free ride from Harrisburg to Hazleton and back on Jan. 31, 2007, Eachus had said, was because he had to get back to the state Capitol to cast votes. But a check of the Legislative Journal showed that no votes were cast on the House floor that day. The House convened at 11 a.m. and adjourned at 11:02 a.m.
Now to his credit, Eachus and his staff have been pretty open about admitting their mistake. But guys, it looks bad and can give the challenger a boost. Let’s not forget, it was Todd Eachus who was the beneficiary of a misstep by then Representative Tom Stish. Stish changed parties days after an ill Governor Bob Casey went stumping for his re-election in a rain storm in Hazleton.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT


1966

Grace Slick performs live for the first time with Jefferson Airplane…..The AFL-NFL merger is approved by the U.S. Congress…..in Pennsylvania Democratic candidate for Governor Milton Shapp says that the driving age for teenagers should be raised to 18…….Meanwhile Lt. Governor candidate Raymond Broderick labeled Shapp’s plan as crazy and discriminatory against young people…..in Wilkes Barre Mayor Slattery holds a series of small fundraisers preparing for the 1967 Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judgeship race and 44 years ago today the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was "Walk Away Renee" by the Left Banke.