The LuLac Edition #2235, October 20th, 2012

The Luzerne county Courthouse. 

LAWTON’S ALL NIGHTER 

Luzerne County Bidget Director Robert Lawton submitted his budget this morning at 7AM. The County Manager worked through the night and came up with a plan that reduced spending by $383,490. The budget totals $122,249,099. In terms of staffing, more than 70 positions will be eliminated through layoffs (33) and attrition (41). The net job loss is about 60 because more than ten new jobs were added. That figure includes the department heads. The budget is going to be lean because it must pay for labor and health care cost and the debt that was built up by previous administrations. The reaction of the County Council will be interesting to say the least. 

PA. GOP: "SCREW THE FLOOD VICTIMS"

Harrisburg legislators, under the control of that compassionate party the Republicans have opted to not put a flood recovery bill on the accomplishment list of completed items. Times Shamrock Harrisburg Bureau Chief R.B. Swift reports that Lawmakers left town Wednesday night without approving either a $150 million recovery bond issue as the Republican-controlled Senate sought or a no-borrow plan authorizing the smaller transfer of funds from a state economic development authority to pay for projects as the GOP-controlled House sought. A no-borrow flood aid bill that could have served as a compromise vehicle remains in the House Rules Committee. Lawmakers from Northeastern Pennsylvania have compiled a list of damaged roads, bridges and water and sewer systems in need of repairs as well as needed flood control projects to mitigate the impact of future flooding. What does this mean? Three things. 
1. More than a year after the September floods of 2011, there is no money available for disaster relief for people to continue to fix their properties. 
2. There are no more days left in the Legislative calendar. These jokers are going home and aren’t coming back for a lengthy session time until next year. 
3. The GOP wants the money to go through the annual state budget process. If that happens the money will could come as late as June 30th, 2013 when the new state budget is passed. 
The disgusting thing about this is that the money is used to compliment the federal aid that has already arrived. The state though is not living up to its end of the bargain. And as State Senator John Yudichak has pointed out without this aid, flood victims do not have the money to recover that was made available to anyone flooded in the last half century. For those of you who scream about government being too big, or government being a nanny, what do you say about this? Too bad, so sad, you got flooded in the wrong century? Dan Flood might have ended his career with a plea bargain, but he would never have let people whose very lives were destroyed left to fend for themselves. But yet, that’s what the GOP preaches. Individual freedom. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. American individualism! This non action, this blocking of vitally needed money for flood victims is just one reason why the Republican legislature in Harrisburg is a criminal disgrace. But hey, no worries. The GOP in Harrisburg might not help you fix your house but they’ll gladly use an ultrasound to peek up your wife’s vagina to see if she really needs that health care service all in the name of protecting life. What about the lives of those flooded in a disaster? Priorities man, priorities.