The LuLac Edition #2562, December 13th, 2013

Our “13 Questions” logo.

13 QUESTIONS

1. Have you noticed that since the kids for cash judges, Mike "The Con" Conahan and Mark "The Shiv" Ciavarella have been gone, there is a noticeable increase in violent crime, and violent juvenile crime? And do you think that perhaps, the tough sentencing by "The Shiv" may have been an actual deterrent?

Great question! I agree with your premise. When Mark Ciavrella ran for Judge in 1995 he made no bones about the fact that if you were a juvenile offender, you had fair warning that he was not going to go easy on you. It is true that he was unfair to some young offenders. Tragically so. But many of others skated because of the scandal and got a second chance. Some deserved it, some didn’t. The crime among youth in this area is more violent and daring. There is no fear. No sense of consequences. The biggest and saddest legacy of the Judicial scandal might not be “Kash For Kids” but “Wild In the Streets”. Best observation of the year.

2. So what do you think of your buddy L.A. Tarone’s move to full time talk on WILK?

I think it is going to be a smashing success. Every talk show host has their core group of listeners and I think he’ll do well. But this is a first for area radio and even a first on a nationwide scale. No major station has four local talk hosts. I think it is a brilliant move by WILK Programming head Nancy Kman. I think she recognized what my old boss the late Tim Durkin used to say about this radio market. “NEPA is not like any other place in the world for media”. We are a news hungry people. We support two local newspapers in Wilkes Barre and support two TV stations that run news blocks of more than two hours at the dinner hour. Hazleton has a TV station and a half. The last night time talk show host was the late Jones Evans who had the nighttime Speak Up Show on WBAX in the 1960s from 10pm till 1AM. Tarone by the way starts on January 6th at 7pm.

3. Your books, have you given a few to people as gifts free?

Yes and it was the worst mistake I ever made. Aspiring authors who said, “I want to write a book, let me see how”, people who said they’d read it, and never did. It’s all about value and it’s not worth giving something for free when the people you give it to don’t have the courtesy to read it.

4. Real or fake tree?

Real.

5. How do you rate President Obama’s first year of his second term?

I think I wrote this once but it bears repeating, not since Richard Nixon’s first year of his second term in 1973 have we seen something as non productive as this one.

6. Worst Christmas ever?

Happy to say I never had a bad Christmas.

7. Do you think fast food workers should have a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour?

No. It is hard work though. When I worked at United Way, I was part of a charity drive where I worked a few hours and my “pay” was donated to the United Way. It was hard work. I was on the French Fry machine and it was not easy. I think fifteen bucks is too high.
But I do believe that salaries should be raised based on corporate profits. I think if a corporation like McDonald’s is making huge profits, people working for them should get a sliding raise on merit. The middle class is now the working poor. I’ve seen it in every job I’ve had in the last twenty years.
Plus what some companies are now doing is decreasing wage growth. A few companies are “readjusting” their workers pay scales because they are making too much money. Long time employees are being forced to take reductions of up to 4 bucks an hour to keep their jobs because they have capped out. Seems like the rush to hire newer people at lower wages has bit businesses in the ass. There are some companies where long term employees are making more than their mid level bosses. So the solution? Don’t give the mid level people raises but reduce the pay of the long term faithful. And in Pennsylvania, business can easily do that. They are taking advantage of the fact that jobs are scarce, wages are low and there is no legal recourse.
If government can step in to pass a minimum wage, maybe they should refine that to living wage. I’m sure people will scream about government regulations but once more corporate America has proven they need to be regulated and watched. This all goes back to why  government regulation is needed, like former Congressman Kanjorski said, “Regulations are for the 10% who need to be watched”. Sadly, that’s almost everyone in corporate management in America this new century. And in LuLac land, the only difference between the working poor of 2013 and 1913 is this: in 2013 workers don’t have coal dust on them.

8. Any advice to the Republicans in Luzerne County regarding how they can recapture Phyllis Mundy’s seat in the 120th?

They won’t listen to me because the GOP loves to have primaries. But I’d get behind Aaron Kaufer or one candidate and have that person run right from the get go. The Democrats have no strong arm organization and the Democratic primary will be a replay of the Pittston Area District Justice race. Unite. One person. It will get it done.

9. How will you, David Yonki know when you are rich?

When I won’t have to look for 2 for $5 specials on cereal in the Super Market.

10. Who is F.W. deKlirk?

deKlirk was the last white President of South Africa. There were six before him. His term ended in 1994. He brokered an agreement that would bring the end of apartheid. That was the policy of racial segregation. deKlirk realized that South Africa needed to form a multi racial Democracy and worked with Nelson Mandela in hammering out that agreement. It should be noted in history that every freedom fighter had to have a partner. Like Ronald Reagan and George Bush had Mikhail Gorbachev in ending the Cold War and tearing down the Berlin Wall, Mandela had deKlirk who realized in order for South Africa to come into modern society, there had to be an agreement. He was the last White President of South Africa and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993.

11. Saw you on TV on PA Live on WBRE. What’s the difference between WBRE and WYLN?

Obviously WBRE has more viewers but the main difference is time. I need to say a lot in less time and I need to edit myself. That’s the main difference. On a lighter note, Dave Kuharchik dresses more conservatively than L.A. and Brittany Sweeney is way better looking.

12. Are these questions made up?

I wish. Editing and gathering can be tedious but the questions are pretty good most months.

13. When was the last time you flew?

2005 for me. Mrs. LuLac does on business sometimes.