The LuLac Edition #2050, May 10th, 2012

Voter ID. 

VOTER ID AND YOU 

It seems to me that the Republican party has taken over the argument of Voter ID. In Pennsylvania, THE GOP CONTROLLED House and Senate passed the bill and Governor Tom Corbett signed it into law. So despite the protestations, it is a done deal. The GOP has inflicted the oldest political truism on the Democrats: thems with the votes, gets the say. And the thems aren’t the Dems. So what has the statewide party and even the local parties done about this? Despite whining and complaining: NOTHING. Look, the GOP has passed this voter ID bill and in the fall, it will be in effect. People not informed and coming to the polls will be turned away. Especially in Republican strongholds. The Democrats in the state and local levels are going to have to organize. Now the Luzerne County Democratic Chair and her old school gang, Kathy Kane can’t even organize a one car funeral. So it is up to the younger Democrats and interested social groups in the county that actually believe in democracy to get van drivers and volunteer people in the high rises and in the neighborhoods and get them to the polls. With ID. By doing so, they will strengthen the local party, increase the margins for the national, state and local ticket and blunt the plan of the GOP to try and disenfranchise voters who have been going to the poll for years. Personally, I have more IDs on me than I care to admit given my various educational associations (which have expiration dates on them) and other forms of who I am. And I will not be flummoxed by having to produce said ID/ OI did it in the primary. But the Democrats here in LuLac land and all across the state would do well to organize a get out the vote effort with ID to make certain people can voter. I learned long time ago that the best way to kill a bad idea is to go along with it and let it falter under the weight of its own stupidity.

Same sex marriage. Not a wedding party you'd see a t Kirby Park.

LETTER FROM OBAMA

Yesterday, via e mail, LuLac received this letter from the President: Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer: I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. I hope you'll take a moment to watch the conversation, consider it, and weigh in yourself on behalf of marriage equality: I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought civil union laws that conferred legal rights upon gay and lesbian couples were a solution. But over the course of several years I've talked to friends and family about this. I've thought about members of my staff in long-term, committed, same-sex relationships who are raising kids together. Through our efforts to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I've gotten to know some of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving our country with honor and distinction. What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens. Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends' parents should be treated differently. So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Well Mr. President, it’s about time. This “evolving” statement that came from your press secretary was just plain dumb. Your tap dance around this issue painted you as someone not being true to their own beliefs. The people who are against this aren’t going to vote for you anyway. So why anger the people who will go to the wall for you. From a political standpoint, it would be easier to dodge this until your second term. But what if there is no second term? Mr. President, thanks for making a decision. As the old country song said, “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”. 

MELLOW PLEADS 

Wednesday Sen. Robert Mellow pleaded guilty this morning to charges related to the use of senate staff to perform campaign work. Mellow entered a plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Joel Slomsky in the federal courthouse in Scranton. Slomsky said that he might accept the plea agreement or might not. Mellow will be sentenced at a later date. The former Senator did not look perturbed or disturbed on his way into court. As a matter of fact, despite the protestations of legal flunky Sal Cognetti, Mellow doesn’t seem that sick! You should have seen him beating a hasty retreat from the Federal Courthouse Wednesday afternoon. He looked like a combination of the Road Runner and Jim Fixx he was moving so fast. Not bad for a sick guy approaching 70! Mellow seemed to have a learned a lesson about the feds, “you have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them”. 

NAMEY LEAVING 

Wilkes Barre Area Superintendent Jeff Namey is leaving his post in August. Named made the announcement this week. It will be interesting to see who the school board will tap as his successor. Will it be another area superintendent, someone from pout of the area or a flunky within the WB area hierarchy that already has the job in hand while the board announcers “an extensive search for the best qualified” candidate. 

LUGER GOES 

Senator Richard Luger was 80 years old and was going for his 7th term in the Senate. He had served 36 years. Plus, he gave up a true residence in Indiana. All of that would have given his candidacy an uphill fight. But with the addition of a Tea Party candidate and the fact that Luger, with a 77% Conservative rating was not enough of a conservative, his effort was doomed. The moderates in the GOP are going the way of the Whig Party. As a matter of fact, the new GOP Tea party coalition is transforming the Grand Old Party into the Old Party with old ideas. We have been a 50-50 nation since 2000 when the Supreme Court stole the election from Al Gore. The subsequent anger and disunion has not helped heal the nation or for that matter made the GOP a big success. The party has momentary successes, engendered by fits of pique by the voters. It will be interesting to see if the Tea Partier that vanquished Luger will become this fall’s Christine O’Donnell and loose in the general election. A few GOP stalwarts said that won’t happen because Hoosiers will not let a Democrat have that seat again. When the fall campaign gets under way, Indiana voters are gong to fins out that a Senate race is not a movie about basketballIt’s about real life and America. It’s about the middle. And the middle doesn’t swing wildly to the right or left. Dick Luger enjoyed that attribute…until Tuesday night. The pendulum will swing back..fast. After the Hoosiers get a load out of Mr. Tea Party.

Two sweet young thangs shopping at Walmart on a hot, hot Saturday night with a full moon rising. Source: Sue Henry Show Facebook page.  

WALMART GIRLS 

There was a big stir on Facebook this week when a photo was posted with two women walking through the Wilkes Barere Walmart in blue bikinis. Maybe they were coming or going from the beach. Or on their way to Perfect 10. Either way, I’m sorry I missed it. And the fuss made about this tells us that social media does have its advantages. There are some who will say it was a plot by Walmart to attract attention. On a Saturday night? If it was, I’d fire those marketing guys. 

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

 Our 1967 logo

 1967 

Four hundred students seize the administration building at Cheyney State College, now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the oldest institute for higher education for African Americans.....Hong Kong 1967 riots: Clashes between striking workers and police kill 51 and injure 800....The Philippine province of Davao is split into three: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Dava Oriental.....The Greek military government accuses Andreas Papandreou of treason.The United Kingdom and Ireland apply officially for European Economic Community membership…….in Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shafer appoints a panel to review conditions inside various state prisons…….and in Luzerne County, the ramp up to the primary election is in full swing with newspapers filled with ads wishing women a happy mother’s day and touting their candidacies. The biggest race is the nominating fights for County Commissioner. On the Democratic side incumbent minority commissioner is teamed with displaced State Representative Frank Crossin. The two men are opposed by Anthony Altavilla, Chester Ostrowski and Sam Daley. On the GOP side, incumbent Jim Post is joined by Wilkes Barre Citty Councilwoman Ethel Price. They are opposed by Clyde Bower, Gene Wagner, Matthew Lieb and Walter Kozik. Another Wilkes Barre Council member, Con Salwolski is facing off for the Democratic nomination for Sheriff against Joe Tiirpak….and 45 years ago this week the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was the Easy Beats “Friday On My Mind” which became the unofficial theme song of WYLN TV 35’s Topic A when I co hosted with L.A. Tarone.

MEDIA MATTERS 

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 

This week Shadoe Steele presents Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull on "Saturday Night Live at the oldies". Tune in from 7pm to midnight on WILK AM and FM with ABC News on the top of the hour. 

 

ECTV 

A well known area veteran, Joseph Sylvester. is scheduled to join ECTV Live hosts Tom Munley and David DeCosmo during the week of May 14th to discuss plans for the annual Armed Forces Parade in Scranton. Sylvester has been an advocate for veterans for many years and helps with the planning for the parade which was moved from Veteran's Day, several years ago, to May in the hope that better weather might attract bigger crowds to honor our Armed Forces. The program runs each day at Noon and Midnight on Comcast Ch19 as well as at 6 pm several days during the week. Electric City Television is planning to record this year's Armed Forces Day Parade for playback on a rotating basis. 

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Weekend On Sunday Magazine. Brian Hughes speaks with Army veteran Joe Sylvester about the Armed Forces Parade set for next Saturday in downtown Scranton. Brian interviews Wayne Ward from Sprint about how wireless technology will impact the future of transportation in the U.S. And an encore of Brian’s interview with Deb Pollick from the March of Dimes discussing the Northeast 2012 March for babies coming up next Saturday at the King’s College Beltzer fields in Wilkes Barre Township Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on Great Country 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X and 6:30am on Magic 93  & WARM 590 AM.