The LuLac Edition #2791, December 11th, 2014

A WRONG MOVE

The decision to release an intelligence report on any role the American government might have had in torture of enemy combatants was wrong headed, against our national interests and counterproductive. Why a Democratic controlled Senate would allow this to be made public in this time of war is mystifying to me. The report details the messy business of spying, getting our enemies to spill the beans and some really bad things inflicted on other human beings.
The report is released in what some people think is the comfortable rear view mirror of 911. In this Instagram Society, we think that September 11th snapshot was just the one big thing that ever was planned against us. I can’t help but think other attacks have been prevented because of some of the measures taken.
Plus I don’t get this mantra that we are supposed to be better than our enemies in terms of rules of engagement.
The fact of the matter is in matters of war, we are better than our enemies and friends. We have gone to war (save for the American Revolution and The Civil War) when we have been attacked and provoked. There have been bad excursions like Korea and Vietnam but they were precipitated by the Cold War. Our mistake has been to try and inflict our philosophy on countries and civilizations that will never get our ideal.
Anyway that this country can get information that will prevent an attack, frustrate our enemies and pull them off course, I’m 100% for. The American people have been anesthetized by American Idol and Sports. Only 2% of our nation has been engaged on the war against terror. Life blissfully goes on while plots abound against our way of life and our people.
Were we at our best when we tortured enemy combatants? No. Is there ugly stuff in there that makes us question what and who we are? Certainly.
Some may use John McCain’s experience as a POW as their barometer for what is right. And I completely understand that. But this report released by a Senate committee gains us nothing in terms of our Foreign policy and any future endeavors we might engage in to combat terror.
Were we evil? Yes. But we were evil to our enemies who are still trying to kill us. I think it is laughable for us to get on our high horses and beat our breasts about the horrible things we did when;
1. We slaughtered native Americans and pushed them westward after we took their land.
2. We confined Japanese American citizens in labor camps during WWII because they were a “threat”.
3. We lynched people of color in the Deep South and denied them basic human rights.
4. We still shoot unarmed black men at an alarming rate.
So let’s not get too excited about crushing some nuts to keep us safe.
I’ve always respected and liked Dianne Feinstein but if I ever met her I’d ask the same question Jay Leno asked Hugh Grant when he was caught with a crack whore in the early 90s. “What were you thinking?”

THE CARTWRIGHTS VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE

Congressman Matt Cartwright and his wife Marion had the opportunity to visit the White House for the Annual Congressional Christmas party. A few photos were taken, the top photo shows the Cartwrights in front of the Christmas tree that came from Lehighton, Pennsylvania. 

 The second shows Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright with the scrappy kid from Scranton, the best Vice President ever, Mr. Joe Biden.

CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM FAULTY AUTOMOBILES AND EQUIPMENT

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced theEarly Warning Reporting System Improvement Act of 2014. U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.
The legislation would requireautomobile and equipment manufacturers to automatically submit the accident report or other documents that first alerted them to a fatality involving their vehicle or equipment to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Early Warning Reporting database.
“While the NHTSA is responsible for overseeing the safety of our roadways, they do not always have the information they need to protect the public, and have at times failed to actively investigate car defects,” said Rep. Cartwright. “The recent GM Cobalt and Saturn Ion recalls related to an ignition switch defect the company knew about for at least ten years highlights the need for companies to provide more information about accidents involving fatalities to the NHTSA.”
The issue hits home for northeastern Pennsylvania; in January 2010, Kelly Ruddy of Scranton was only 21 years old when she lost her life in a deadly crash on Interstate 81. Kelly was driving north near the Bear Creek exit when she lost control of her 2005 Chevy Cobalt.
Ruddy’s parents, fought the vehicle manufacturer, General Motors, for four years and finally GM settled with them for their daughter`s death. General Motors is now admitting that a faulty ignition switch is responsible for numerous crashes and deaths across the nation, and the company recalled 2.6 million vehicles, including 2005 Cobalts, earlier this year.
The CDC estimates that in 2011, more than 2.6 million drivers and passengers were treated in emergency rooms as a result of being injured in motor vehicle crashed. In 2010, motor vehicle related injuries cost the states and our nation an estimated $99 billion in lifetime medical care and lost productivity. Tragically, close to 34,000 people died in motor vehicle traffic incidents in 2012.
To address this critical issue, the Early Warning Reporting System Improvement Act of 2014 would:
•Require automobile and equipment manufacturers to automatically submit the accident report or other documents that first alerted them to a fatality involving their vehicle or equipment to NHTSA’s Early Warning Reporting database. NHTSA is then required to automatically make those documents public unless they are exempted from public disclosure under FOIA.
•Require NHTSA to consider Early Warning Reporting information when it is investigating potential safety defects and when it is evaluating citizen petitions for automobile safety standards or enforcement actions.
•Require NHTSA to upgrade its online database to improve searchability, integrate its different databases so they can all be searched at once, and ensure that all documents obtained or created by NHTSA related to a safety incident are both made publicly available and keyword searchable in its databases.
•Require NHTSA to provide public, searchable notices of all inspection and investigation activities it undertakes.

BE A VALLEY SANTA

To donate:
Donations may be dropped off at any Citizens Bank branch or mailed to :
Valley Santa Inc.
P.O. Box 5276
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18710
To donate using PayPal: http://valleysanta.org/Donate.htm
To volunteer:
Help Line is coordinating volunteers, who are needed to shop for gifts on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays beginning at 7 a.m. at Boscov’s, to wrap gifts Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Boscov’s and to read letters from families in need Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Greenhouse in Wilkes-Barre. For information about volunteering, call Help Line at 829-1341.
Valley Santa is sponsored by The Citizens’ Voice, the City of Wilkes-Barre, Boscov’s and Citizens Bank.

MEDIA MATTERS

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

Former State Representative Kevin Haggerty. (Photo: LuLac archives).

This Week on Sunday Magazine

Brian Hughes speaks with David Adler from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation about all you need to know about Pennsylvania's health insurance open enrollment currently underway.
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Sheri & Michael from the Scranton Cultural Center about the "Happy Elf" concert coming to the Cultural Center next weekend.
And Brian speaks with former State Representative Kevin Haggerty about his campaign for Lackawanna County Commissioner, and his response to his critics about his past military service.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X and 6:25 on Magic 93.

ECTV

Holiday photos of Newfoundland. (Photo: Joe Spenelli).

During the Holiday Season, ECTV Live will alternate two special shows that will alternate with each other. . Programs will feature Joe Spenelli of Newfoundland who has turned an old department store Christms lighting collection into an area attraction right in his own backyard! Also, host David DeCosmo welcomes Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright and city Recreation Specialist Tom Lynch to talk about the holiday display set up in Nay Aug Park. A new show, which begins running the week of the 15th, will feature a representative from the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Drug and Alcohol Agency who will be talking about the agency's Holiday Safety Campaign. ECTV Live can be seen several times daily on Comcast Ch19 (61 in some areas).

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

Our guest on Community Forum will be Lou Jasikoff, publisher of the Independent Gazette and host of Sanity Check. Mike Remish talks with Lou Sunday at 6 am on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA's Sports Radio-The Game 1340/1400/1440 am and 100.7 and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River

THE IRREUGULARS BREAKFAST

Event: The Irregulars Think Tank Breakfast
Presenter: Wyoming County Chief Detective David Ide*
Topic: Controlled Substance and Weapons Investigations In NEPA
Date: Saturday, December 13
Time: 9:00 A.M. (Doors open at 8:30)
Place: The Metro at Twin Stacks Center - Hwy 415 – Dallas
Cost: $12.00 per person / Pay At The Door

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.

CORBETT’S SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME

Every Wednesday at 5PM, Steve Corbett shines the light on a Public official with his “Somebody’s Watching Me” segment. Corbett picks an alleged public servant to eye ball and observe. Batten down the lawn furniture in the driveway and that e mail machine. There is nowhere to hide when “somebody’s Watching”. Wednesdays at 5 on WILK’s Corbett program.

Our 1974 logo

1974

Soyuz 16 returns to Earth….Helios 1 launched by US, Germany; later makes closest flyby of Sun.....Space probe Helios 1 launched..

 Jim "Catfish" Hunter wins free agent claim against A's owner Finley......Malta becomes a republic…..in Pennsylvania Senator Hugh Scott is mum on whether he will serve another term in the Senate. His seat is up in 1976. Scott reviewed the tumultuous year of Watergate in various visits throughout the holiday season to state functions including the Pa. Society Dinner in New York…..in Wilkes Barre City Frank Trinisewski advises he will run for Wilkes Barre City Council in 1975 under the new form of government and forty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas.