The LuLac Edition #2991, July 13th, 2015

13 QUESTIONS

Our 13 Questions logo.

1. What do you think about Scott Cannon being invited and then disinvited by Secretary John Quigley to be on a pipeline task force to look at the impact of gas drilling in the state?

Well he was named to a work committee and got a letter of acceptance. Then a few days later Quigley disinvited him. Cannon has been in the forefront of documenting some of the negative things drilling has done to homeowners. I think someone got to Quigley to disinvite him. Cannon is only one cog in a group of 12 or so work committee. Dumb move. Here’s the link from the Citizen’s Voice story on the others chosen. http://citizensvoice.com/news/locals-chosen-for-wolf-s-pipeline-task-force-1.1909238

2. The All Star game is upon us in Cincinnati and Pete Rose will be there. After the recent reports that he bet on games he was managing, does he have a chance for the Hall?

(Photo: lipstig.com)

About as much chance as Heidi Klum showing up at my workplace and bringing me lunch.

3. How long do you think the stalemate over the Pennsylvania budget will last?

The two sides seem to be inching toward at least figuring out what they can and can’t live with. The Governor’s team has ramped up advertising to get support but the GOP has the votes. Wolf can try and pull a Bill Clinton and take credit for some of the things in the budget that work for both sides but the sticking points are going to be privatization of liquor stores, pensions and education funding. Wolf, even before the unions came around after he won the primary based his campaign on education so he may not be likely to back down on that issue. I’m thinking maybe mid August for a resolution.

4. Jeb Bush and the statement he made that Americans need to work longer hours. Makes sense or is he not in the real world?

If you hear the entire statement he said that there needs to be more opportunities for people to work longer than a 30 part time job. Of course he blamed that on The Affordable Care Act which is bull. Businesses have been doing this since the mid 90s. They’d rather have a bunch of people working 30 hours a week and not even offering benefits let alone paying for any of them than employing full time people. This is why a single payer health care system that takes employers out of the equation is needed. This country needs jobs that enable a person to prosper. Not just exist.
Back to Bush, like his father and brother, sometimes Bush’s comments can be not as artful as he wants. This was a dandy if you just saw part of it.

5. I watched the 70s Documentary on CNN the other night and in it the show went over all the violent crime in the 70s. You were around then, was it that bad?

I was but back then it was just part of my life. Working in broadcasting during that decade, it was something I read on the radio. So during the moment, I wasn’t pondering it at all. But looking at that piece, it seemed to be a relentless progression of crime that Americans had never seen before. Plus the media played a huge role documenting it, promoting shows to study it and even turning criminals into celebrities. The image of the criminal turned out not to be a TV show stereotype but rather a regular person you’d see in your neighborhood. David Berkowitz is a perfect example. That was part of the shock value. I did see the show and I was surprised they did not include the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk in that laundry list of crimes of the 70s. It happened the same time as the Jim Jones Guyana massacre and Jones was from the Bay Area. But space limitations weighed in I guess.

6. Will there ever be a chance that Wilkes Barre City Council will see a Republican on that body?

(Photo: WB Truthblogspot.com)

Yes. Tony Brooks in District B has a great chance. He is running a good effort and I can’t imagine why anyone would vote for Lou Elmy and reward him for feeding at the public trough for so long with jobs for his family. What can he possibly bring to Council? Brooks has ideas at least.

7. Did you see the movie “The Trouble With Cali”?

No. I always thought two things about this. It was a way for Bob Cordaro’s grandiosity complex to be satisfied and was a tax right off for Sorvino. It was a family project in an industry that doesn’t have many mom and pop concerns. All the reports I heard was that it was ridiculous. It gets pretty bad when the news reporters from WBRE and WNEP TV put on a better presentation than a feature film.

8. Have you tried the new Chipotle and did you see Hillary Clinton there?

Yes and no. I thought the burrito I had was fabulous. Did not see the former Secretary but if I did I can assure you she would not come near my burrito because it was difficult to handle. They do not skimp on the fillers.

9. As a church going Christian how can you ever support gay marriage?

Church going. Yes. Christian, I’m a Roman Catholic and even though they don’t support it, I do. If there are any differences to be split on that point, they’ll be settled in the afterlife.

10. Have you ever considered putting a feature in your site with religious inspirations?

Ironic you should ask that. We’re working on something now.

11. Any summer plans?

Work and maybe an interesting challenge or two.

12. In today’s 1965 post you featured an old photo of former Governors. I saw Governor James in it and I know Governors Fine and Casey were from our region. Who do you see as possible Governors in the state from this area in the future?

Great question. Glad someone looks at that historical vignette we provide. On the Republican side you can’t rule out Senator Lisa Baker mainly because of her wealth of experience prior to being a State Senator. On the Democratic side you certainly have to put Senator John Yudichak in the equation as well as current U.S. Senator Bob Casey who I am not entirely convinced has not lost his ardor for the job his father had. Local Attorney Bill Vinsko would be an incredible choice too but as always with politics one has to wonder if giving up a law practice is worth the slog of getting there. Congressman Lou Barletta ha in the past declined a run for Lt. Governor so I think he is happy where he is at.
Then there is what I call the younger bench. People like Democrats Marty Flynn, Tom Shubilla and Beth Gilbert and Republicans Aaron Kaufer and Marcel Lisi are just starting the climb. Anything is possible and if these young people make the right moves, well you just never know.

13. Any summer reality shows you might be interest in? I know you hate them.

I do but I think I might tune in to “My Giant World” Tuesday night.