The LuLac Edition #1984, March 15th, 2012

Members of the Wilkes-Barre City Taxpayers Association, from left, Dorene Schutz, Thomas Hirko, Ellen Evers, Karen Ceppa Hirko, Linda Urban, Frank Sorick and Anna May Hirko, (Photo from Times Leader)

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

On the surface, this is a group of citizens in Wilkes Barre who are fed up with a corrupt school board, transient slobs littering their neighborhood, out of town criminals living in absentee landlord properties, a city Council that berates and belittles them when they speak for public comments and a government that seems to be hellbent on taking care of itself instead of the taxpayer. Underneath though, this who they are not:
1. A majority of them are not employees of the Wilkes Barre Area School District or the City government. Corrected 10:19AM.
2. They have never eaten a morsel of food provided by Robert Mericle or Michael Pasonick.
3. They don’t live in Barney Farms.
4. They haven’t been invited to the Westmoreland Club to sit down with the business genius from the Wilkes Barre Chamber.
5. They haven’t golfed at any of the area country clubs.
6. To them, sitting down with a lawyer means someone died in their family.
7. Their kids never got a city hall job.
8. No matter how unfair they think it is, they pay their taxes.
9. They’ve never received KOZ money or gotten a break on their property assessments.
10. They don’t have cronies on the Zoning Board who will stop a day care center from operating just because it might be inconvenient for said cronies.
See, that’s what they’re not. As I wrote this, it occurred to me that there are more of “us” than they are of our government elite. It’s time to stop the nonsense in Wilkes Barre. Join the Wilkes Barre Taxpayers Association. The organization meets the second Tuesday of each month at St. Andrew’s Church basement, Parrish Street. More information can be found at wilkesbarretaxpayers.com. The power elite will tell these people are trouble makers and only cause a nuisance. They’ll tell you that if they were in charge, things would be really screwed up because, we the power elite know better. But when you ask one of the power elite for help with a problem, you’re way down on their priority list. And God forbid if you ever ask any of them for help finding a job in this economy, then you just get put further down the list. No, when the power elite tries to tell you these are the “negative” people in the community, don’t believe their statements. Go to a meeting and try to get a handle on what is happening to your city and school district. There is power in numbers. Join them.

RFIKI, SHREEK, SAHBE

The people Attorney Tony Lupas allegedly swindled thought he was their friend. He used his friendship to get them in on the ground floor of a great money making opportunity. According to the Times Leader today Lupas even approached widows burying their husband while the body was still in the casket. Look at the amount of money people lost. One lady lost $320,000, another about $120,000. It should not noted that those numbers indicate two very diverse aspects of this case. 1. It is the alleged victim’s total life savings. Life savings means accumulated in a lifetime by self sacrifice, hard work, thrift and determination. 2. The amounts listed above are less than Lupas made as the Wilkes Barre Area School Board solicitor in 10 months! With that salary, did Lupas collect Social Security? He’s Exhibit A for means testing it). There are people in this world that will screw you over just for the sake of doing it. Usually they tell you how much they love God when they are doing it. But if what these victims say is true, that Tony Lupas preyed on life long friendships, screwing people of his own generation out of their life savings, then maybe someone should start a manhunt to bring him back to the community to get answers. I never knew or met Anthony Lupas. I was told by political people that he was a smart lawyer, a political mover and shaker but was one of the good guys. It turns out that he’s Luzerne County’s Bernie Madoff. With friends like that, who needs enemies.

INEPT NUMBSKULLS

I grew up respecting people on School Boards. Really I did. In my area (Greater Pittston) new school boards making up various communities forged ahead and put into practice state mandated school jointures. They did so with a lot of debate, jousting and arguments. But what resulted was a transition of government from the many to a few in terms of operations. New schools were built to adopt a new regional pride. It was all done with a lot of eyes watching everything that needed to be done. I’d go to a school board meeting to see my late Uncle do his thing on the Wyoming Area School Board. In Pittston, I’d go to see the late Terry Burke do the same. That’s why I am so utterly amazed at the stupidity and lack of awareness on the part of the Wilkes Barre Area School Board. The President of the School Board, Mary Ann Toole is shocked when she is told that Anthony Lupas is accused of scamming money from his friends in a Ponzi scheme. According to the Times Leader Toole said that a fiscal audit of Lupas’ activity might be a good idea. Ya think??????????? Talk about coming to the party late. Anthony Lupas has been collecting a salary of $326,000 a year from the School District for legal work. For what? Where’s the paperwork? Where are the files? Toole then made the incredible comment that the School Board member in charge of the finances wouldn’t really know what to look for. One School Board member, Christine Katsock did. According to the Times Leader, Katsock publicly questioned legal spending at Wilkes-Barre Area School Board at the February meeting, citing a legal settlement over work done by architectural firm Highland Associates. (You remember Highland Associates, this is the same company that testified about bribery in the Cordaro/Munchak trial last June). Katsock contended the fees were $400 higher than the $47,500 settlement. Katsock also noted at the time that the district budgeted $425,000 for legal services this year, “approximately two times the budgeted amount of the largest district in this county, Hazleton Area, and greater than that of Hanover Area and Wyoming Valley West combined.” Katsock then moved to advertise for a new solicitor and a paralegal who would replace the assistant solicitor slot. The motion died 8-1. That motion died because all of the cronies on the School Board did the bobble head doll thing and just kept on nodding yes. Maybe they all let the motion die because they, as a collective body, didn’t know where to look. You’ll see them all in the next few weeks furrowing their brow and expressing shock and surprise. It’s their sorry excuse for their laziness and incompetence.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT


AG CANDIDATES JUMP ON GUV

Yesterday, Gov. Tom Corbett was asked about House Bill 1077, the so-called “Women’s Right-to-Know Act,” which would force women to undergo a mandatory and invasive ultrasound at least 24 hours before receiving abortion care. He said the following: “I don’t know how you can make anybody watch, because you just have to close your eyes,” said Corbett. “But as long as it’s on the exterior, not interior.” Today, Iraq war veteran and former prosecutor Patrick Murphy issued the following statement in response to Governor Tom Corbett’s comments: “It’s bad enough that Governor Corbett wants to force women to get an unnecessary and invasive procedure as a means of getting a government permission slip to undergo legal medical care. It’s worse yet that he wants to shame them by shoving an ultrasound screen in their face. But it’s unthinkable that he would so casually dismiss this by advising women to just close their eyes. Governor Corbett’s comments are disturbingly offensive, insensitive, and out of touch. He should apologize immediately.” Murphy said. “As I have said before, this legislation is an outrageous assault on women’s rights in Pennsylvania and an unprecedented intrusion into decisions that should be made exclusively between a woman and her doctor. The proposal is demeaning, mean spirited and wrong. There is no legal justification for forcing a woman to undergo an invasive ultrasound, and after careful analysis, I believe that no reasonable arguments can be made to support the Constitutionality of this bill. As Attorney General, I could not defend it against a Constitutional challenge.”

KANE WEIGHS IN TOO

Here’s a statement from Democratic candidate Kathleen Kane who is also running for State Attorney General. "Gov. Tom Corbett's semi-capitulation on the over-reaching scope of PA House Bill 1077 - the cynically named 'Women's Right To Know Act' - reveals his very real reservations about this unwarranted legislation. I remain steadfastly opposed to this and any legislation that seeks to relegate women to second-class citizen status. Let's call this bill what it is - a Republican, partisan social agenda. This bill, which still includes a provision for trans-vaginal ultrasounds, is yet another assault on women's rights. The law is the law. It is not anyone's place to attach their social agenda on the backs of women's rights. This is the United States of America and it was founded on the freedom of speech, religion and justice for all - including women who have their own careers, raise families, take care of aging parents, contribute to communities, and shape our country, sometimes all in the same day. I urge our state lawmakers to reject it out-of-hand. It's time to stop playing politics with women's rights."

MEDIA MATTERS

PCN

PCN CALL-IN PROGRAMS TO FEATURE CANDIDATES VYING FOR STATE AUDITOR GENERAL

As part of its Election 2012 coverage, the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will feature the candidates vying for the opportunity to be placed on the ballot this fall for Pennsylvania Auditor General. The three candidates will appear individually on the network’s LIVE PCN Call-In program. The appearances will give viewers across the state a chance to learn more about the candidates and their platform before the state primary at the end of April. Viewers will be able to share their comments and questions during each LIVE hour-long PCN Call-In program just by dialing toll-free at 1-877-PA6-5001. All three of these interactive programs will begin at 7:00 p.m. The schedule for these PCN Call-In appearances is as follows: Monday, March 19: Eugene DePasquale, Democrat for PA Auditor General Monday, March 26: John Maher, Republican for PA Auditor General Wednesday, March 28: Frank Pinto, Republican for PA Auditor General PCN will provide LIVE coverage of the state primary on Tuesday, April 24 beginning at 8:00 p.m. For more information about upcoming programming, visit www.pcntv.com

ECTV

ECTV Live hosts Judge Tom Munley and David DeCosmo were honored with proclamations from the City of Scranton and Lackawanna County tis week as they presented their 100th program! Additionally, representatives from numerous community organizations and agencies were on hand to praise the weekly public affairs program for promoting "quality of life" events and activities in northeastern Pennsylvania. The program will welcome Bernard McGurl of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association for the week of March 19th. Judge Munley will be joined by WILK Radio news personality Paula Deignan who will be co-hosting the program while DeCosmo is on vacation. ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast Ch 19 throughout the week.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

This week Shadoe Steele welcomes The Irish Rovers in a special St. Patrick’s Day program. Saturday Night Live can be heard on WILK AM & FM Saturday night from 7pm to midnight with ABC News on the top of the hour.

STORM POLITICS

This week on WYLN TV 35’s Storm Politics will be the start of Tiffany Cloud’s 4 part comprehensive televised series on illegal immigration on Storm Politics, WYLN TV (WYLNTV.com liverstream online). Tiffany interviews national authority Michael W. Cutler, who testified before the 9/11 Commission and has done so over 20 times before Congress. Week 1-Post 9/11; Week 2-Link to Unemployment; Week 3-Link to Terrorism; Week 4-What Can Greater Hazleton/NEPA Do Now? Storm Politics can be seen on WYLN TV 35 @ Th 930p, Sat 5p, Sun 11a, Mon 830p, T 930p.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with Army Sgt. & triple amputee Bryan Anderson, who will speak Tuesday night at 7:45pm at a fundraiser for the First Ltn. Michael Cleary Foundation at Misericordia University in Dallas. Cleary was a Dallas High School graduate killed in the line of duty in Iraq in December 2005. Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Phoretta Hoover from the Wyoming Valley Chapter of the Red Cross about the "Run For The Red" Sat March 31st at the Red Cross Blood Services Center, located at the Hanover Industrial Park. And Brian speaks with Astrologer Ray Sette about predictions for the remainder of 2012, and his upcoming appearance next weekend in Jim Thorpe.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, and 6:30am on Magic 93 and WARM 590 AM.



1967

The supertanker Torrey Canyon runs aground in between Land's End and the Scilly Isles......A referendum in French Somaliland favors the connection to France….. A military coup takes place in Sierra Leone……the city of Pittsburgh decides to name various public buildings after the late avid Lawrence who served as Pittsburgh’s Mayor and then later as the Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963…….in the city of Pittston, Robert Loftus announces he will seek another term as Mayor of the city…..and 45 years ago the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was “There’s A Kind of Hush” by Herman’s Hermits.


COMO PHOBIA (BE NOT AFRAID)