The LuLac Edition #2651, May 8th, 2014

WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

If you think up until recently the Pennsylvania Governor’s race was a yawner, you should take a gander at the race for the second spot .Pennsylvania has a separate election for Lt. Governor and that could be problematic. Sometimes a candidate will get set up with a running mate they might not feel immediately comfortable with. With the elections being separate that did happen in 2002 when then Auditor General Bb Casey ran with State Senator Jack Wagner. Wagner was beat by former State Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll and Ed Rendell who beat Casey for the top spot had to figure out a way to use a former State wide official and vote getter. The Rendell camp gave Knoll the go ahead to visit as many Senior Centers and bingo halls they could schedule. When they bot were elected, Knoll actually presided over the State enate as mandated by the Constitution until her death in 2006.
In 1966, Robert Casey Senior ran with a State Senator and then later Allegheny County Commissioner named Leonard Staisey. The Democrats who endorsed the team loved the rhyming of it, “Casey and Staisey”. Media industrialist Milton Shapp beat Casey and ran with Staisey. Both lost in the ’66 General. 

The late Leonard Staisey. (Photo: LuLac archives). 

In 1986  the GOP side had a huge field of candidates for Lt. Governor and the name recognition helped Bill Scranton III to a victory enabling him to run with winner Richard Thornburgh.
This year no candidate running for Governor is teaming up with anyone. The final four have all they could do to contend with other and Tom Corbett’s unprecedented attacks on most of them in both radio and TV. But the candidates who are running are these guys:
Mark Critz, former U.S. Representative, a former Washington, D.C. insider who served for a long time with the late John Murtha. Critz can count on the Murtha machine as well his own name recognition. Critz might be a good candidate to shore up the West for any candidate for Governor.
Brad Koplinski, Harrisburg City Councilman, f e mails and press releases won elections, Koplinski would be in the driver’s seat. I had the opportunity to see him at a Blogfest and he can bring to the ticket a working knowledge of cities.
Brandon Neuman, State Representative…….serving his 2nd term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Washington County. He is a respected member of the Democratic Caucus who has successfully had bills, amendments and resolutions passed with bipartisan support. Brandon was the lead legislator to call for an investigation of Governor Corbett’s failure to properly investigate the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse allegations.
Mark Smith, Bradford County Commissioner is a neighbor of ours in LuLacland and in n 2008, at age 29, Mark Smith became the youngest Chairman of the Bradford County Board of Commissioners in history – and only the second Democrat to ever hold that position. With the development of the gas drilling industry in Bradford County, Smith has gained a reputation knowing that issue inside out.
Michael J. Stack III, State Senator, is up on TV touting his candidacy. His grandfather was a Congressman and he mentions that in the ad. Stack has been in the State House and is right on all the Democratic issues. In effect he is the anti Jim Cawley (the GOP nominee and current Lt. Governor). Stack’s media buy might put him ahead of the pack. He enlisted in the military in 2007 and is quite the candidate. Representing Philadephia’s 5th, Stack is touted as the most liberal candidate. If he wins, it will be interesting to see how the top of the ticket will regard his candidacy.
After this election, one will emerge and if he wins will go down in Pennsylvania history. The others will be mere footnotes.

WHO SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT???

Murder victim Stephanie Neiman. (Photo: AOL).

This young girl was shot, roiled around in pain and buried alive by the newest cause celeb Clayton Lockett, a convicted murderer who was put to death last week in what some say is a botched execution. I care how she died….I really don’t give a rat’s ass how he did!

CARTWRIGHT CO WRITES PRISON BILL

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright. (Photo: LuLac archives).

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced that companion legislation has been introduced in the House to make permanent the ability of Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Correctional Officers and any correctional worker who could respond to conflicts – including all Correctional Officers, unit staff, and cafeteria or administrative workers in housing units – to carry pepper spray.
During his visit to USP Canaan in April 2014, Cartwright was approached by officers from the Council of Prison Locals, a part of the American Federal Government Employees Union that represents federal prison employees, about legislation to make permanent the current pepper spray pilot program.
“Since the tragic death of Office Eric Williams, I have been committed to finding ways to provide a safer work place environment for these men and women,”said Cartwright. “Correctional Officers and prison employees put their lives on the line every day to meet inmates’ needs and keep our communities safe. This legislation is a great first step, but more needs to be done to address severe underfunding and a lack of adequate staffing to safeguard prison workers.”
In February 2013, Cartwright wrote to the BOP to immediately expedite the pepper spray pilot program to include all USPs after USP Canaan Correctional Officer, Eric Williams, was murdered in the line of duty by an inmate.

BARLETTA ON IRS CONTEMPT MOTION

11th District Congressman Lou Barletta. (Photo: LuLac archives).

Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issueda statement regarding House of Representatives passage of a resolution holding former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress. Barletta voted in favor of the resolution.
Barletta’s statement is as follows:
“The Internal Revenue Service is no doubt among the most feared federal agencies. Even receiving a piece of mail from them is often cause for alarm. To find out that the agency was systematically targeting certain groups for political reasons is chilling, and evidence that people in power were using their authority to advance their own partisan agendas.
“As Congress was fulfilling its duty to find the truth in the matter, Lois Lerner at first defended herself, thereby waiving her 5th Amendment rights. Her subsequent refusal to testify amounts to obstruction of the investigation and must be addressed. I have no confidence that either the U.S. Attorney or the Attorney General will lift a finger to seek charges against her, but I am hopeful that this exercise will encourage her to testify, or at least result in more information coming forward.”

ABSENTEE BALLOT DEADLINE LOOMING

The deadline for obtaining absentee ballots is looming. You need to get your application mailed to the Voters Bureau in Luzerne and Lackawanna County before May 13th which is the last day before the 2014 General Primary which official applications for civilian absentee ballots may be received by the County Board of Elections.
NOTE: A voter may appear in person at the Bureau of Elections any time prior to the deadline to make application for a civilian absentee ballot. Voters may also hand deliver applications on behalf of other voters in the same way they may deliver an application to register to vote. However, the ballot itself may only be delivered to the voter himself or herself. In other words, if you are the applicant, you will receive only your ballot and not that of anyone else.
MAY 16, 2014

All voted absentee ballots; except those received from military and overseas electors, and emergency absentee electors, as defined by law, must be received by the county board of elections by 5:00 PM on this day to be counted.

Absentee Ballot Application Instructions

Complete all required information on the Application.

You must supply your PA Driver’s License number or PennDOT issued Pennsylvania photo identification card

(PennDOT photo ID) number in the blocks provided. If you do not have a driver’s license number or PennDOT photo

ID number you must supply the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.

If you do not have either of these types of identification please check the box entitled, I DO NOT have a PA Driver’s

License, PennDOT ID # or SS#. You must enclose a photocopy of an acceptable ID. Please see www.VotesPA.com,

call 1-877-VotesPA (1-877-868-3772) or contact your county board of elections regarding acceptable ID’s.

Return the Application to your local County Board of Elections. (The address and telephone number for your local

County Board of Elections may be found using the County Information Link at www.VotesPA.com.)

Absentee Voting Deadlines Are As Follows:

Applications: The last day to apply for a civilian absentee ballot is 5:00PM on the Tuesday before the election –

please note that POSTMARKS DO NOT APPLY and original applications must be received (no facsimiles or

emails).

Voted Ballots: All civilian voted ballots must be returned to the County Board of Elections Office by 5:00PM

on the Friday before the election – please note that POSTMARKS DO NOT APPLY. If hand delivering, only

the actual voter may return their ballot.

MEDIA MATTERS

ECTV

ECTV Live hosts David DeCosmo and Rusty Fender will welcome a return guest to the program during the week of May 12th. Erica Rogler from the Wyoming Cultural Center at the Dietrich Theater will unveil plans for some of the Spring and Summer events planned in the Tunkhannock area. ECTV Live is aired throughout the week on Comcast Ch19.

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week on Community Forum we'll discuss Pennsylvania's public pension crisis. Financial consultant Rick Dreyfus joins Mike Remish Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on The Game Sports Radio 1340/1400 am and 100.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with WBRE & WYOU news anchor Candice Kelly about her participation in the upcoming March of Dimes "March for Babies" next week in Wilkes Barre Township.
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Kris Kelly and Joanne Austin about the Osterhout Library's North Branch fundraiser.
Brian speaks with Michelle Petrasko from Leadership Lackawanna to discuss their upcoming block party to benefit the Greenhouse at Nay Aug Park in Scranton.
And an encore of Brian's March interview with David Chen, CEO of Strikingly.com about how workers can avoid harming their careers online.
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.

GOVERNOR’S DEBATE MONDAY NIGHT

WVIA TV and FM Will broadcast a debate featuring the four Democratic candidates running for Governor on Monday May 11th at 7PM. Tom Wolf, Rob McCord, Katie McGinty and Allyson Schwartz will discuss the issues. Tune in Monday night.

SUE HENRY’S SPECIAL EDITION

Tune in to Sue Henry's "Special Edition" this week as Sue recaps the week's news. Special Edition is heard Saturdays and Sunday on these Entercom stations, WILK FM Saturday at 2pm Sunday at 6 am on Froggy 101 Sunday at 7 am on The Sports Hub 102.3 Sunday at 7 am on K R Z 98.5 Sunday at noon on WILK FM 103.1.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

KAREL ON THE STREET

Tune in Wednesdays on WILK Radio for Karel on the Street. Hear some of the funniest and heartwarming comments on the issues of the day on Webster and Nancy with Karel Zubris.

Our 1974 logo.

1974 

Dublin and Monaghan bombings: The Protestant terrorist group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), explode four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The attacks kill 33 civilians and wound almost 300, the highest number of casualties in any single day during "The Troubles"….in the Watergate saga, There is public shock at the general tone of the conversations and the foul language used by Nixon and others. The expression “expletive deleted” enters the vocabulary…….in the House Impeachment proceedings begin against President Nixon………in Pennsylvania as Watergate heats up, Richard Schweiker running for re-election tells anyone who will listen that he was on Nixon’s “Enemies list”…….in Wilkes Barre rebuilding work from the Flood continues with more urban renewal funds that will remake the city…….and forty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Dancing Machine” by the Jackson 5.