The LuLac Edition #2530, October 3rd, 2013

DO THEY LOOK STUPID????

Council candidates Mike Giamber, Renee Ciaruffoli Taffera and Richard "Kick" Heffron. (Photo: Gort 42). 

THEY'RE LISTENING!!!! 

Today the Times Leader reported that the Director of 911, John Robshaw is reporting that there is word of potential retaliation of newly appointed county department heads as well as County manager Bob Lawton regarding this election for Luzerne County Council. The whole thing is based on a conversation Robshaw had with a former Courthouse employee who was replaced in his position and was laid off. In the conversation the former employee claimed that Councilman Edward Brominski and council candidates Mike Giamber and Richard “Kick” Heffron said that if they win the election and get control of Council, Lawton, the horse he rode in on and any manager who supports him will be promptly dispatched. Brominski is not up for reelection but is a Democrat is supporting Giamber and Hefron as well as other Democrats. Robshaw said the employee plans to help the aforementioned candidates in the Pittston Area to fire Lawton and protect his friends currently working at the Courthouse.  And presumably to get back a job for himself under the dome.
Bromo, Kick and Giamber said the former employee was not happy with Lawton but denied they were gunning for him if elected.
In her story, Jennifer Learnes Andes reported that Brominski said the charter clearly forbids council from interfering with personnel decisions, such as supervision over managers.
Heffron said that he called the employee to offer compassion and Giamber claimed his call came out of the blue from the furloughed ex employee.
When contacted by the reporter about speaking with the three men, he said, “I’m not getting involved with this nonsense, I’m trying to move on with my life and worry about taking care of my family.”
Okay, so then where did the story come from? And why? Giamber and Heffron, running with Renee Ciaruffoli Taffera, Eileen Sorokas and Linda McCloskey Hauk, all Democrats are not dumb. I can’t imagine anyone of them in the middle of a campaign shooting themselves in the foot and causing people who like what Lawton’s doing to lose votes. You can’t go into a campaign and go gunning for people before you win.
There is a concerted effort by some Democrats who never put anyone else up in the primary to split and divide the 5 Democrats running. It shows the lack of party discipline and the pettiness that keep good people out of politics.
And as for the ex employee who was venting after losing his job, (and we’ve all done that when faced with that circumstance) the message is clear. Everything you say will be passed along by an overzealous Deputy Dog who feels the need to share.
An old timer said this to me today, “Can you imagine if Marty Murray, Crossin, Wideman and Joe Tirpak had e mail?" And in Luzerne County politics, a phone call isn’t even safe anymore.
But I repeat, these guys, aren’t stupid.

Wilkes Barre Area School Board candidate Kathy Grinaway. (Photo: LuLac archives)

THE FIFTH VOTE

Not many races in LuLac land this fall but one to watch is between Democrat Kathy Grinaway and Ned Evans. Grinaway won out on the GOP side and is vying for a sorely needed spot on the school board in Wilkes Barre.
My friend and co host on Topic A L.A. Tarone tells me all the time that a majority on the school board can do whatever they want as long as they have those 5 votes. If Grinaway is elected, that will stop the School system cronies from controlling the education of our children. In the old days that would be admirable but today, school personal are just looking for another stop to reward their friends and family. Joe Caffrey and Denise Thomas, both school employees won in the primary. Isn’t that enough representation by an interest group? Can you imagine more of the same in the next few years? I sure don’t. Grinaway is that fifth vote to stop this nonsense, better known as the Barney Farms Employment Program.

Congressman Matt Cartwright. (Photo: LuLac archives)

TWO VIEWS

Congressman Matt Cartwright and Lou Barletta have two different views on the government shut down. Here’s Cartwrighht’s statement on the piecemeal approach:
Cartwright Statement on Piecemeal Approach
Congressman Matt Cartwright today issued the following statement regarding the House majority’s behavior in failing to lead and re-opening the government:
“The piecemeal approach that was presented tonight to selectively fund the government by picking and choosing what not to shutdown is disheartening.
“Congress needs to do its job and put back to work the 800,000 furloughed federal workers and restore government services for ALL Americans.
“What about the children in Head Start? What about the 253,021 women, infants and children who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) across Pennsylvania? And what about those seniors trying to apply for Social Security?
“I urge the Speaker to end this dangerous game and re-open the government for business by bringing a clean CR to the House floor for a vote.”

Congressman Lou Barletta. (LuLac archives).

AND BARLETTA BACKS

This proposal that was cobbled together with a little Democratic help.
Congressman Lou Barletta, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging the consideration of a continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the federal government, while also repealing the medical device tax in Obamacare – known as the “pacemaker tax.” Barletta appeared at a Capitol press conference three days into a government shutdown and two weeks before a debate on raising the nation’s debt ceiling.
“Someone needs to stand up and be a voice of reason and try to bring both sides to the table,” Rep. Barletta said. “We in the House have voted three times to fund the government. I believe repealing the pacemaker tax would find support in the Senate and represent a major victory over Obamacare’s grip on the American people.”
The legislation proposed includes a funding of the government at the post-sequestration level of $986 billion and a repeal of the medical device tax, a significant component of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The tax repeal could be paid for by extending the pension stabilization provision included in MAP-21, the transportation authorization bill passed by the Senate in June of 2012.
Barletta has voted on continuing resolutions three times in the past few days to fund the government, each time including a provision to delay, defund or otherwise dismantle all or parts of Obamacare. On each vote, the bar for agreement has been lowered, yet the U.S. Senate has rejected each attempt. The Senate went so far as to reject a call to submit Congress and the president to Obamacare just like all Americans. All told, Barletta has voted against Obamacare more than 40 times.
“When more than 10,000 federal employees now out of work in the nine countries I represent, and people are not receiving the services they’re used to, it’s time to do something,” Barletta said. “Repealing the pacemaker tax is common ground and is good policy.”
Nineteen members of Congress attended the press event, both Republicans and Democrats.

Representative Kevin Haggerty. (Photo: LuLac archives).

HAGGERTY PUTS HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS

Last Friday, State Representative Kevin Haggerty introduced legislation that allows private donations to be sent into the Office of School Safety. Working together,  the House of Representatives was able to increase the budget for school safety 300% this session. However, this is simply window dressing and now any foundation wanting to donate to the protection of our schools can do so. At the present any money to provide school resource officers and other security measures is on a competitive grant basis. Haggerty would  like to see every school qualify for some type of grant. Starting Dec.1, he will be donating a portion of my salary directly into the Office of School Safety. To this very day on his outside office sign it reads "in our thoughts and prayers Newtown Connecticut."

PHOTO OF THE WEEK!!!!

Here's County Council Chair Tim McGinley with County Council candidate Rich “Kick” Heffron. The Chairman seems to be doing the Piano Man lyric thing, "he's quick with a joke and he'll light up your smoke but there's some place that he'd rather be" look.

MEDIA MATTERS

Your blog editor with L.A. Tarone. (Photo: LuLac archives). 

TOPIC A FINALE

Friday at 5 marks the final edition of Topic A Live at 5 on WYLN TV. L.A. Tarone will continue working the WYLN TV 35’s late edition but is taking on other responsibilities. It’s been a great ride and since we have a few shows in the can, in a few weeks we’ll be featuring some of them on this site. Topic A airs at 5pm with  replay at 7pm on Service Electric Channel 7 in Hazleton and Wilkes Barre.

ECTV

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with Alyssia Maria from Home Instead Senior Care in Luzerne to discuss upcoming Alzheimer's workshops for caregivers.
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Scott Hall from the Grove Church in North Scranton about how you can help them feed the hungry.
And Brian speaks with travel guru Chris McGuiness about the best travel deals for the Fall.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93, and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.

SUE HENRY’S SPECIAL EDITION

Tune in Saturday afternoon at 2pm and Sunday night at 7 when Sue Henry interviews top news makers from the recent week. The show can be heard on WILK AM and FM.

WBRE TV's Laurie Monteforte. (Photo: TV contract.com).

CUTTING THE RIBBON

WBRE TV opened up a news bureau in the Poconos. The office is located on Main Street in Strousdburg and fittingly, long time reporter Laurie Monteforte cut the ribbon. Monteforte has been working extremely hard through the years to cover news events in that region. One of her greatest reporting moments came during a tragedy a few years ago when State Trooper Joshua Miller was shot to death on a June Sunday evening.

Our 1976 logo.

1976

In San Francisco, during his second televised debate with Jimmy Carter, U.S. President Gerald Ford stumbles when he declares that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" (there is at the time). That debate was widely seen as the turning point in the ‘’76 election. President Ford was on the rebound and closing in on Jimmy Carter but that remark pretty much gave Carter a leg up ion what turned out to be a close election….

The Cultural Revolution in China concludes upon the capture of the Gang of Four.In Pennsylvania, Senate candidate John Heinz leads in the polls against Bill Green of Philadelphia…in LuLac land, Jimmy Carter’s song Chip makes various visits to Senior Citizen and Youth Center in the area on behalf of his father and thirty seven years ago the number one song in America and LuLac land was “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago.