The LuLac Edition #2885, April 25th, 2015

SHOULD THE MAYOR PAY?
HELL NO!!!!

Wilkes Barre City Council’s Thursday night meeting was a real humdinger and Bob Kadluboski had nothing to do with it. Past and present candidates sparred, there was cheers and jeers, a debate about sign stealing between candidates Tony George and Darlene Duggins Magdalinski and GOP candidate Frank Sorick asking for a motion for Mayor Tom Leighton to pay back $30,000 in unaccounted for funds.George proposed, no one secomnded. What, he was waiting for George Brown for a second?
Let’s take them one by one. There was life at a public meeting in LuLac land. People attended. That’s a good thing.
Sign stealing has become more common in politics than in baseball. I went through 5 Tom Wolf signs last year myself. George’s line that he found some of his signs in the river told me that even with some very good support in sections of the city, the former Police Chief has some dedicated opponents. But it was nice theatre.
As far as Mayor Leighton paying back the money, here are my questions. How and why? That gas fueled public vehicles like fire trucks and police cars. Since there was no way to track it, how does he do that?
As to the why, how do you pay back something you can’t itemize?
What, does Leighton look like a bank?
The people who are demanding Leighton pay for this had their chance in 2011 when their party and a Third party candidate couldn’t even muster 50% of the vote against him. That was the time to make him pay if that’s what they wanted, but now asking for money from him is pretty ridiculous. But as Kadluboski will tell you, nothing ridiculous ever goes on at Wilkes Barre City Council meetings.

NEW STUDY FINDS RAISING MINIMUM WAGE TO $10.10/HOUR

WILL BENEFIT 1.2 MILLION WORKERS AND CREATE 6,000 JOBS STATEWIDE

RAISE IN WAGES WILL INCREASE CONSUMER SPENDING

Increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would give 1.2 million Pennsylvanians a raise, boost spending in the commonwealth by $1.8 billion, and create 6,000 jobs, a new study by the Keystone Research Center found. Giving the Local Economy a Boost: The Local Impacts of Raising the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage to $10.10 Per Hour includes fact sheets and detailed tables for all 67 of the state’s counties -- as well as its metropolitan, rural and urban areas -- showing the number and demographics of the workers who would be affected. The study demonstrates that the majority of workers who would benefit from a minimum wage increase are adults working full-time and earning a substantial share of their family’s income.
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has not been raised since 2007. Today, a Pennsylvanian working full-time earning the minimum wage has an annual income of only $15,080, which is below the poverty line for a family of two. Compared to other states, minimum wage workers in the commonwealth are falling behind. Already 29 states have increased their minimum wage above the federal government wage floor of $7.25, including all of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states.
“Inflation has grown faster than the purchasing power of the minimum wage. As the wage floor has fallen like quicksand, it has pulled down the wages of the lowest earning-fifth of Pennsylvania workers. This has left many working families without enough income to afford the basics and deprived our local economies of the spending they need to thrive,” Mark Price, labor economist at the Keystone Research Center and author of the report, said. “A minimum wage increase to $10.10 is broadly popular with Pennsylvania voters, would boost the economy, benefit the state’s rural communities and, frankly, is long overdue.”
The report is being released today in conjunction with a statewide day of action organized by a diverse coalition of faith, labor and community groups that is urging Pennsylvania lawmakers to raise the minimum wage to at least $10.10 per hour. Ten events are being held around Pennsylvania, including a press conference in the state capitol in Harrisburg. See www.raisethewagepa.org for more information.
“By passing legislation to raise the minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour, not only will over one million working families get a much needed raise in their wages, it will help boost the local economies of communities across Pennsylvania,” Rick Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, said. “Raising the minimum wage will not only fight poverty, it will help increase profits for local businesses because every dollar goes right back into the local economy.”
In Dauphin County, 30,766 workers, or about 25 percent of the county’s workforce, would get a raise if the minimum wage is increased to $10.10 an hour. Eighty-nine percent of these workers are adults, and 58 percent of them work full-time. "Keystone Research Center did a great job in explaining the impact of a minimum wage increase for workers. An increase to $10.10 would add $43.3 million to wages in Dauphin County, money that would most likely go right back to our local economy,” said state Rep. Patty Kim, who represents the 103rd District in the county.
Wages would increase, in total, in Philadelphia by $202 million, in Allegheny County by $176 million, and in rural Pennsylvania counties by $588 million. "The Keystone Research Center's work on minimum wage has proved to be an important voice in our efforts to win $10.10 an hour for workers across Pennsylvania," state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, who represents the 2nd Senatorial District in Philadelphia, said. "Like a century of history tells us, KRC's efforts underline the fact that increasing the minimum wage is an overwhelmingly positive policy decision." Keystone Research Center.
In Luzerne County there are 34,100 workers who would benefit by that wage increase. The figure for Lackawanna County is 24,356.
This is a proposed wage, I don't see that getting to ten bucks an hour in this state given the GOP controlled legislature but you might see it go to the upper 8 dollar an hour range.

WARDLE VIDEO UP 

District Judge candidate in the 11-034-08 district Tom Wardle. (Photo: Wardle Facebook).

Magisterial Judge candidate Sergeant Tom Wardle has videos up and running on You Tube. His message seems to be cutting through the two warring factions in that district between Frankie Pizzella and Spagnolo Senior as the old guard members gear up like old prize fighters hoping for one more KO as they try to advance their candidates cause. There are Wardle supporters who hope that Plains Laflin voters listen more to the words one is saying than their signs and billboards. To be sure Wardle has signs but he’s doing more than that.
Besides if there are trouble with signs in Plains/Laflin’s 11-03-08, Darlene Duggins Magalenski and Tony George will take a trip up to that area and give them what for.

By the way Wardle will have a Meet and Greet Monday April 27th from 6 to 9pm at Dominick's in Plains.

WYLN TV 35 TO AIR ONE HOUR SPECIAL HONORING VIETNAM VETERANS

Lt COL Robert Yale, Vietnam Veteran (one of the area veterans featured in the special)and SSG Olson (host of the special). (Photo: WYLN TV 35).

April 30, 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. On this date, and several dates to follow, WYLN35 based in Hazleton will honor our Vietnam Veterans by presenting a one hour commercial-free special, “Vietnam: Remembrance and Healing.”
The special will be hosted by SSG Erik Olson, Retired, a three-tour Iraq/Afghanistan combat veteran and wounded warrior. It is co-executive produced by him and his wife, Tiffany Cloud Olson, both area veteran advocates. SSG Olson will take the audience through a history of the war; notable battles; the unique dynamics on the home front during the war; and the geopolitical effects of it to this day. The special will also address what the community can do to better acknowledge the service and sacrifice of our Vietnam Veterans and continue to help them heal the invisible wounds of war. Aspects of the war and its after-effects will also be shared by several area combat veterans who fought in Vietnam, including: Robert Yale, a retired Lieutenant Colonel US Army; Robert Steltz, US Army; and Ronald Montz, US Marines, who fought in the Tet Offensive.
“Vietnam Veterans hold a special place in my heart. In so many cases, they did not receive the welcome home they deserved. Because of them, veterans such as myself from more recent conflicts got properly welcomed home. I think it’s important we remember their sacrifices; educate the community about this war, one which is often misunderstood; and that we publicly say the words these veterans all deserve to hear: ‘Thank you. Welcome Home.’”-SSG Erik Olson
Residents of Greater Hazleton, The DeAngelo Family and The Kress Family, as well as the area business Harry’s You Pull-It, provided the funding to present this special to our community on WYLN35. WYLN35 is a station owned/operated by Pat Gans and her husband, Joe Gans, a Vietnam Veteran fighter pilot.
Air times for the special "Vietnam: Remembrance & Healing" hosted by SSG Erik Olson (Retired) are:
Thurs April 30th 8-9PM
Friday May 1st 8-9PM
Sunday May 3rd 9-10PM
Tuesday May 5th 8-9PM
The special can also be live streamed these times WYLNTV.com for those outside the WYLN35 viewing area.
WYLN35 Broadcast Coverage includes: Service Electric Cablevision Hazleton Ch 7 and Wilkes-Barre Service Electric Ch 7.