The LuLac Edition #1653, June 23rd, 2011
PHOTO INDEX: SCENES FROM THE FLOOD OF '72 IN DOWNTOWN WILKES BARRE, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OUR 1972 LOGO. Last night the President went on the air and announced he was going to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. This is a welcome relief to certain families that have troops serving there. The war in Afghanistan has lasted twice as long as WWII. That is a significant fact. Only 1 percent of the country is involved in the war effort, the warriors and the families left behind. On either side of the political spectrum there seems to be no passion on a yeah or a nay. The one positive aspect of the prolonged stay in the country is that we have not gotten bogged down in a war like the Soviets did. There is an intelligent exit strategy. Hopefully there will be a covert re-entry component if need be. That need of course being another terrorist attack coming out of that country. The President made the comment that there needs to be nation building, our own. More troop reductions are planned for the future but there will still be a presence kept in case there are conflicts in Pakistan.
TINKER TINKER
Governor Tom Corbett and both his GOP controlled branches of the Legislature are doing a little or a lot of tinkering with the state budget. With the tax revenues increases there is a little extra money to play with. Right now the entities are just debating over semantics. You can be sure that the state party wants a budget on time. This is what Corbett and all the GOP campaigned on and this is a promise they want to keep. It will of course be in stark contrast to the Rendell budgets where the Eddster went 0 for 8 in getting a budget in on time. To put it in an analogy Ed would readily get, that would be like our mutual (me and Ed’s) Richie Ashburn going 0-4 in a twi night double header.
MUNCHAK SUCCESSOR
Who will be A.J. Munchak’s successor? The convicted minority Lackawanna County Commissioner resigned effective midnight Thursday June 23rd. The Lackawanna County Court En Banc will choose from 1 of three names to fill out the unexpired term. There are those that are saying the two GOP candidates for Commissioners Pat O’Malley or Bill Jones should get the nod. But that would give either an electoral jump and in effect put them on the same plane of long time former State Legislator Jim Wanscak and incumbent Corey O’Brien. If I were the GOP I’d submit the names of former Scranton Mayor Gene Peters or David Wenszel. Both men served with integrity and honor and might get a tad more respect than your average minority commissioner. Anyway, interviews are set for this Saturday morning.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
INSURANCE SCAM
On the same day Bob Cordaro and A.J. Munchak were convicted former insurance mogul Brian Murray pleased no contest in an insurance fraud case. This “respected businessman” took people’s insurance premiums and never bought the insurance. I worked in Scranton in the 90s at Rock 107 and you wouldn’t believe the number of people who were willing to suck up to this guy. He smiled at ‘em while he was knifing them in the back. Not to condone it but with politicians at least you expect it.
ED’S ADVICE TO ANDY
Ed Rendell has urged New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to lift the moratorium on gas drilling in New York state. The moratorium has been a boon for Pennsylvania but Ed’s doing his part to make sure those drillers don’t move back to Texas. The Marcellus Drilling Newsletter reports, At the Manhattan Institute forum where we released our study, former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell stressed that it was important to "get it right" with regard to rules and regulations—but, at the end of the day, "If Gov. Cuomo asked me my advice about lifting the moratorium, I would tell him the moratorium should be lifted. There’s too much of an upside for New York state and too much of an upside for America." Gov. Cuomo, please give Ed Rendell a call.*
MUSTO NEXT?
The next big trial in the LuLac area is going to be that of former State Senator Ray Musto. Musto’s trial was delayed a bit but you have to wonder what is going through his mind when he sees the Prosecution scorecard of two trial victories and no losses.
MEDIA MATTERS
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Shadoe Steele’s guest this week on “Saturday Night Live At the Oldies” this Saturday will be Scotty Crane, the son of Hogan’s Hero Star Bob Crane. Saturday Night Live at the Oldies can be heard every Saturday from 7pm to midnight with ABC News on top of the hour.
STORM POLITICS
Tiffany’s Cloud’s guest this week on “Storm Politics” is Luzerne County Controller Walter Griffith. Storm Politics can be seen on WYLN TV 35 on MON @ 9:00 PM • TUES @ 4:30 PM • WED @ 8:00 PM • THURS @ 9:30 PM • SAT @ 5 PM • SUN @ 11 PM.
ECTV
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine June 26th Brian Hughes speaks with Andy Mehalshick from WBRE-TV’s “I Team” about the fallout from the Cordaro-Munchak corruption trial verdict, and what’s next in the ongoing federal corruption investigation.
Brian speaks with Charlie Hulsizer, the organizer of the 3rd annual PoconoDragLodge, coming up Saturday August 6th in Bear Creek. Magic 93’s Frankie in the Morning speaks with attorney Michelle Quinn from HKQ Kids, about their annual bicycle helmet giveaway for kids on the Fourth of July at Kirby Park in Wilkes Barre.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5:30am on JR 93.7 & 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:30am on Magic 93, and 9:30am on WARM 590 AM.
1972
While Hurricane Agnes causes havoc up and down the east coast, in the White House President Richard M. Nixon and White House chief of staff H. R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the C.I.A. to obstruct the F.B.I.'s investigation into the Watergate break-ins….in Pennsylvania Emergency Management sirens g off as flooding inundates Harrisburg as well as the Wyoming Valley…..in Wilkes Barre the raging Susquehanna goes over irts banks and floods the surrounding Willkes Baree Area. Communications are shut down and an emergency broadcast network is pieced together by then WMJW’s David DeCosmo. WILK AM, WBAX AM two city stations are knocked off the air. The network is used to pass on vital flood information to people affected y the disaster. Utilizing the transmitter of radio station WYZZ then located in the rolling Mill Hill section of the city. WBRE TV is also knocked off the air as their studios are flooded. The anchor teams are forced to broadcast from the transmitter site. And thirty nine years ago this week in LuLac land amidst all of the chaos, disaster, dirt, pain and suffering, ironically and fittingly the number 1 song was Bill Withers and “Lean On Me”.
posted by David Yonki @ 12:04 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Wenzel is a great suggestion and would bring tremendous integrity and respect to a position where others would be looked upon as, and treated by the majority like a fifth wheel. I wonder if he would have any intertest in the position even for the six months remaining? While not believing OBrien or Washo have done a bang up job, I do firmly believe in the honesty of both individuals. Sadly the Lackawanna County GOP "leadership" cant be expected to make such a wise decision.
On a southerly front I am very sorry to see the Hotel Sterling renovation plan become such a disaster. I hope the investigation continues. Its a well placed landmark and should be restored to the extent of the DL&W Station in Scranton. The potential was great and I wonder if it has been completely lost at this point from a money point of view.
Lastly as you said on to the next trial and ongoing investigations of local public officials...
Waverly Bob
The song "Lean on me," is very applicable to today and our society and the near depression many find themselves buried in. It was a grand song in its day and still is!
Dave, with the hub bub of the Lack. commish. trial over what is your take on the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on Walmart and the women employees?
I would think your LuLac folks would be interested in your thoughts on this.
Students, sometimes even your professor can be surprised with a politician.
I applaud former Gov. Rendell for his advice to Gov. Cuomo to lift the moratorium on drilling in NY state.
As I have stated in previous lectures, the gas drilling industry is a Godsend to NEPA. Yet, class, a good deal of what I refer to as the "tree hugger lobby" are trying to muzzle this gift horse in the mouth, to put it lightly.
To those doubting Thomas's may I say that all progress comes with a price.
Electricity killed the gas lighting industry, the telephone killed the telegraph industry, and on and on.
Students, in the working out of true progress sacrifice must be made. Our responsibility, yours (and I doubt you'll accept it) and mine is to be certain that this progress is not muted for the sake of avoiding the wrath of a mythical giant who will never strike.
As king coal forwarded our area a century ago; natural gas will once again lift us up from the doldrums of economic depression to the sunshine of prosperity---despite the best efforts of the wayward and uninformed young--some of you listening to this very lecture.
Do I make my point, youngsters????
Class Dismissed!!!!!!
The Lackawanna County party is at least on a bit of a rebound. I think Lance Stange has put some new life into it. I'm torn between having a care taker like Dave Wenzel or some visible county GOPer. Don't forget, Munchak and Cordaro were never true Republicans. They both were DEms who switched for political advantage.
11:21
Although you are correct regarding Cordaro I think Munchak was always a Republican and never a Democrat.
I could be wrong and hope maybe Mr Yonki knows and will clear this up for us.
I do not read the so called professor's lectures because they are just that and I join a growing number of hard core Lulacers who find him an annoyance and a drag.
NO gas drilling in Pennsylvania! The costs to the environment and to the health of the community is far too great.
Professor,
Thank you for bringing some sanity to the discussion. While nothing is perfect, we must be vigilant of those WE elect to protect our communities from the "strip mine" mentality.
I want oil. I want energy - gas or nuclear or anthracite. I want to start a company when I have the idea, NOT to rip off my fellow citizen's but to share my wealth with them as it comes. If I risk my capital I want a return on it without being made to feel guilty or have it taxed away.
NEPA grabbed a gold ring on this merry-go-round. Let's not be convinced to have it bronzed!
Hi Dave, Just a quick correction with regard to our Flood Emergency Network. I was still News Director of WILK when it was formed. I joined WMJW as Assistant Manager and News Director in 1973.
David DeCosmo
Professor, although the natural gas industry will help with some economic recovery, but it will not generate enough for everyone. A vast number of these companies do not operate their corporate affairs in NEPA, nor anywhere in PA. Not to mention, the drilling industry is overly hesitant on even telling the public what chemicals are in their fracking solutions.
The natural gas industry is going to be good while it is booming, but it will suck every bit of resource that this area has much like anthracite industry did. After there is nothing left for them to take or there has been one too many disasters/tragedies, then those industries will take their ball home and leave NEPA.
All in all, history repeats itself, whether we like it or not.
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