The LuLac Edition #2131, July 19th, 2012

County Council member Edd Brominski. 

RIDING THE BUS 

At a recent Luzerne County Council meeting, Council member Edd Brominski says the numbers being run by the Luzerne County Transit Authority might be false. Informed sources tell the ex Commissioner that prior to camera being installed in buses, drivers allegedly added ghost passengers to the rolls to increase public funding. The last time I rode the bus was thirty years ago when I used to take the morning bus from Pittston Junction to downtown Wilkes Barre. Gas was high and scarce at the time and it was very convenient and cheap. Then when Mrs. LuLac and I were first married, we lived on Grove Street in Wilkes Barre and the bus dropped me right off at our apartment above Leggieri’s Market. Again it was cheap and convenient. The LCTA is a good resource in this end of the County. Many people who don’t have auto transportation depend on it for work in the low paying jobs that are prevalent in the private sector. Brominski brought it to the attention of Council saying it was reported to the FBI. He also wanted to stop some funding until the matter is cleared up. The Authority head, Stanley Strelish said he was unaware of any problems and noted that the people who knew of any tinkering with numbers should have come to the authority first. While I think Edd Brominski doesn’t bring up matters like this on a whim, I don’t think the funding should be stopped from the Council because the County will lose match monies from the state and federal government. That said though, if I had to pick comments from Edd Brominski or Stanley Strelish who is a political operative from the Pittston Area and got that job through the last Commission form of government, I have to go with Edd Brominski. As with all things governmental in Luzerne County….more to come. 

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

 

Pictured are Lori Pazzaglia Munley, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Attorney Matt Cartwright and Louie Munley. 

CARTWRIGHT FRONT AND CENTER 

17th Congressional District candidate Matt Cartwright introduced the Chairperson of the Democratic party the other night in Luzerne County. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz came to town to rally the Democratic troops and the 17th District candidate did the honors with a really great introduction. Cartwright is being very visible in these dog days of political summer.  

CASEY’S EDGE 

U.S. Senate candidate Bob Casey Junior is amassing some serious numbers in fundraising against his GOP opponent Tom Smith. And to think Smith fended off a few challengers to run against Mr. Casey. Casey who was a brother in arms with candidate Obama in 2008 and a basketball partner has been scarce in his appearances with the embattled President. Casey is in a first term and has done nothing egregious to not get another term. His pro life credentials have been ridiculously challenged by his hometown Diocese and the right to lifers in his own backyard which can only be a plus for him with moderate voters. Casey is well on the road to re-election and the money in his war chest will not hurt. Especially if the Tom Smith and GOP bandwagon starts to steamroll Pennsylvania Democrats come the fall. 

ROMNEY’S TAXES 

Mitt Romney refuses to release more than two years tax returns. The Democrats are pounding him to do so. Romney refuses. People in his own party who support him are calling for him to release more returns. The questions are coming up and make perfect political sense. Did the McCain people see something in Romney’s returns (that he released in ’08) that made them pick Sarah Palin? Is there any foreign entanglement that might pose a conflict of interest for a potential leader of the free world? The Romney campaign seems to think that they can gain more by not releasing what is in the return than actually bringing them before the public. What this does in this campaign summer is reinforce the fact that Romney is an elitist that has more money than the average bear. My personal feeling is that there are a lot of Mormon religious/business connections there that might prejudice voters not only against Romney’s investments but his religion. In the meantime, the Obama people are beating up on the GOP candidate and dare I say making some progress in knocking him around. 

THE OLYMPIC UNIFORMS 

Ralph Lauren and his company have always made money on the Olympics. Every two years, Lauren offers colorful, overpriced, garish jackets, polo shirts and wind breakers that are adorned with the Olympic label and huge polo ponies. I don’t believe they sell well because why would anyone buy an Olympic jacket if there were not an Olympian or had an interest in the games. The recent flap over the uniforms is just another example of how we Americans are hypocritical in terms of business. We don’t mind buying sneakers that are made in Asian sweatshops but go crazy when our Olympians wear uniforms outsourced by an iconic American company. To Lauren’s credit, he said the 2014 uniforms will be American made. That’s good and maybe if someone in his company had their eye on the ball, this would never have happened. I tend to give the company a pass because most days I wear nothing but Polo by Ralph Lauren. I like the fit, the brand and because I don’t drink, smoke, gamble, spend my money on big cars and boats and other toys, it is my little luxury in life. Not to blow my own horn here but maybe if Ralph consulted a guy like me instead of the pencil thin and pencil neck geeks he has working for him on Madison Avenue, he might not have gotten his company in this mess. 

MEDIA MATTERS 

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 

This week Shadoe Steele plays the very best in oldies on “Saturday Night Live At the Oldies”:. Tune in this Saturday from 7pm to midnight on WILK AM and FM with ABC News on the top of the hour.  B.J. Thomas is this week's guest.

ECTV 

Lackawanna County Judge Tom Munley and his co host David DeCosmo will welcome Jennifer Jenkins to their ECTV Live program during the week of July 23rd. Jennifer is Executive Director of the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock which is the Cultural Center in Wyoming County. Ms Jenkins will be talking about all the events and attractions that have been planned for "River Day" in Tunkhannock this year. The Borough and many properties sustained major damage when the Susquehanna flooded in September of last year, River Day this year will celebrate the community's comeback from that disaster. ECTV Live is broadcast on Comcast Ch19 and is seen each weekday at Noon and Midnight with the addition of 6pm showings several days during the week. Both Judge Munley and DeCosmo will be away the following week. But Paula Deignan of WILK will be hosting the show during the week of August 6th when the program will be devoted to Christy Mathewson Days in Factoryville 

SUNDAY MAGAZINE 

This Week on Sunday Magazine Brian Hughes speaks with outgoing Scranton Police Chief Dan Duffy, who discusses his new position as head of Lackawanna College's police academy, and looks back at his 22 month tenure as Scranton's Police Chief. And Brian speaks with Rebecca Blue from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture about hungry pest insects, and their effect on agriculture and recreation in Pennsylvania. Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on Great Country 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:30am on Magic 93, and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.

PCN 

PCN TO AIR SPECIAL “PA BOOKS” PROGRAM ABOUT THE SANDUSKY SCANDAL AND PENN STATE 

Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist, Bill Moushey, and forty-four year veteran newspaper journalist, Bob Dvorchak, will sit down with the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) to discuss their book “Game Over,” which investigates claims of a possible cover-up by Penn State officials in order to protect the university’s football program and its legacy. This special edition of “PA Books” is slated to air statewide on Thursday, July 19 beginning at 6:00 p.m. An encore presentation has been scheduled to air on Sunday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m. “PA Books” airs regularly on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. with weekday airings at 8:00 a.m.

Our 1967 logo. 

1967 

A race riot breaks out in the North Side of Minneapolis on Plymouth Street during the Minneapolis Aquatennial Parade and business are vandalized and fires break out in the area, although the disturbance is quelled within hours. However, the next day a shooting sets off another incident in the same area that leads to 18 fires, 36 arrests, 3 shootings, 2 dozen people injured, and damages totaling 4.2 million. There will be two more such incidents in the following two weeks.........12th Street Riot/Detroit Race Riots: In Detroit, Michigan, one of the worst riots in United States history begins on 12th Street in the predominantly African American inner city: 43 are killed, 342 injured and 1,400 buildings burned. • During an official state visit to Canada, French President Charles de Gaulle declares to a crowd of over 100,000 in Montreal: Vive le Québec libre! (Long live free Quebec!). The statement, interpreted as support for Quebec independence, delights many Quebecers but angers the Canadian government and many English Canadians………in Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator Joe Clark says he is conflicted by President Johnson’s meeting with Soviet leadership in Glassboro New Jersey in June. Clarks said he lauded LBJ for getting the Russians to meet but felt he should have done more to bring peace, not war to the continuing Vietnam conflict…….and in Luzerne County, the long hot summer starts to heat up the political coals of autumn as Commissioner candidates on the GOP side Jim Post and Ethel Price keep running into their Democratic opponents Ed Wideman and Frank Crossin at church picnics and festivals and 45 years ago the number one song in America and LuLac land was that one hit wonder, “A Little Bit of Soul” by the Music Explosion.