Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
The LuLac Political Letter was also named Best Political Blog of the Year for 2014 by NEPA BLOGCON and most recently David Yonki was named Best Blogger of the year 2015 by the publication Diamond City.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
The LuLac Edition #3221, May 31st, 2016
TRUMP’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Today you had a preview of what a Donald Trump Presidency would be like. When confronted he did not answer the hard questions, plus he was rude and self aggrandizing. He stayed true to form. But the comforting thing for America is that he has declared he will not change. That’s good because the people who love Trump will love this style. After all it got him to the nomination. For those wary of the Trump temperament, this is a glance into the way he will act. Can you imagine a news conference with Foreign leaders? Just saying. Then there’s the question of Trump’s fundraising for veterans. He will pony up the money (he wrote the checks on the same day the newspapers were asking about it) but he might have issues with some veterans. Many on the Mall in Washington on Sunday for “Rolling Thunder” say they are still angry at his attack on former POW John McCain. Hillary Clinton or even Gary Johnson can capitalize on that one. Then when Trump complained about the crowd not being as big as the Civil Rights March of 1963, well for many that was not just a stub of the toe but a major faux pas. But hey, Donald isn’t going to change. He is kind of like this fellow from the last century. The issue with that is one was a cartoon character and the other is………wait, they are both cartoon characters. Sail on Donald!
ATTENTION SCRANTON
I know you are having issues with your garbage fees. Some are not paying, even public officials who are getting paid by their neighbors who presumably are paying their garbage fees. I have a solution for your garbage woes. BAGS. Anyone who has garbage puts it in a bag. They buy the bags at a Convenience store or Gerritty’s That pays for the garbage. The deadbeat cops, lawyers and connected have to pay because they buy bags. You can still keep your precious unions because the staffers would have to pick it up on the curbside. You can get rid of the people trying to collect the garbage fees because there will no need to chase down the losers not interested in doing their fair share. The people who don’t pay will either have their crap left on the curbs or they’ll be on Hoarders some day. This is real easy. It worked for Wilkes Barre and numerous other cities. In the photos below are our garbage from our house and then from the King’s students who recently moved. We paid for what we used. That makes sense everywhere but Scranton, Pa.
This iconic photo of Kennedy was taken a few months before he died. The Philadelphia Inquirer included it as an insert in late 1963 and many families in LuLac land still have the photo. Most notably this photo is in the Majestic Restaurant in downtown Pittston.
Today marks what would be the 99th birthday of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. He is mostly remembered for his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, reluctantly accelerating the Civil Rights movement, being the first Roman Catholic and of course being assassinated in Dallas in 1963. But what people don’t realize is that JFK was a movie producer, kind of sort of. Remember that movie PT 109? The film chronicled the exploits of Kennedy’s crew during the second World War. President Kennedy wanted Cliff Robertson to play a young Lieutenant Kennedy in the war movie, but the first lady wanted Warren Beatty, Shirley McLaine’s brother an actor on early 60s TV shows. . The president’s choice wound up appearing in the 1963 movie. Kennedy was also the only President to win the Purple Heart . During the 1960 campaign his health became an issue because two time he nearly died.. A priest gave Kennedy last rites in a hospital a few times. In 1948, when Kennedy was in Great Britain, his health looked dire after he was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, according to author Robert Dallek. And in 1954, Kennedy nearly died from an infection after back surgery. In 1920 Kennedy’s father was nearly killed in a terror bombing. Joseph Kennedy escaped the infamous 1920 Wall Street bombing. An unknown group of anarchists planted a bomb in a wagon full of lead weights on the street. The explosion killed 38 bystanders on Wall Street. The elder Kennedy was thrown to the ground by the blast, but was unharmed. And finally Kennedy won the election by a razor thin margin. But had he lost two states, Illinois and Texas, Richard Nixon would have won the 1960 race by two electoral votes. (Sources: LuLac, Constitution Daily).
I have no love for Donald Trump or any of his policies or lack thereof. However the very fact that his rallies are being disrupted, the fact that people are throwing rock and bottles and taking police away from their duties of protecting is horrible. If anything these thugs, punks and empty headed “activists” are going to make Trump more powerful and popular. Freedom of speech is one thing. Protest if you want. But when you become part of the story, when you become unreasonable, when you deny Mr. Trump, or Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Sanders and his supporters the right to say what they want, when they want and wherever they want, you lose your argument. You cease to be taken seriously. You become what you say you oppose, fascists. Or worse yet, clowns who mug for the cameras and give obscene gestures to an international and national TV audience. You become intellectual thugs and further reinforce and fortifies the Trump anger. This weekend we remember those who fought for our right to speak free of retribution. That includes preventing each other from saying what we want. Denying Trump or anyone else the right to speak is not only rude and ignorant, but unpatriotic. It tarnishes the memory of the people we remember this weekend. They died so you could be ignorant ass wipes. Every time a rock is thrown, you cheapen their sacrifice.
PA TREASURER CANDIDATE OTTO VOIT ENDORSES DONALD TRUMP
DESERT STORM VETERAN IS FIRST STATEWIDE CANDIDATE TO ENDORSE TRUMP
Otto Voit. (Photo: Reading Eagle)
Former Army officer and Pennsylvania businessman Otto Voit has endorsed Donald Trump for President of the United States. Voit, who is the Republican nominee for PA State Treasurer, is the first statewide Republican candidate from the Keystone State to endorse Trump. "Today, I join with millions of Pennsylvanians and voters across this nation in endorsing Donald Trump for President. He has proven time and again that he has the resolve and courage to do the things others do not have the stomach to undertake or even say. "We need to shake things up in Washington, DC and in Harrisburg. We cannot get our nation and this state back on track if we keep fostering the culture of cronyism and selfishness in our political system. "Like me, Donald Trump has real world business experience and he is not afraid to make the tough call on important issues regardless of political correctness or ruffled feathers. This is something that is crucial for any successful leader and a lesson I learned during my military career." Voit said. About Otto Voit Otto Voit has over 30 years of experience in the fields of finance, accounting and operations. His experience includes serving as CFO for an Inc. 500 company, CFO/partner in a software company, CFO/General Manager for Keystone Industries, General Manager for a retail home goods chain and as President of a privately held investment company. Otto is also a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and previously served with the the 101st Airborne Division. He is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants. Mr. Voit resides in Berks County, Pa with his wife of 27 years, Sheryl. In November of 2015, Otto unveiled his PACheckbook.com initiative. It is a user-friendly web portal that will give Pennsylvanians the ability to search for the details of spending subsidies and tax expenditures for all state government entities. It will chronicle state expenditures by year and include the categorical breakdown of each year's spending on different sectors.
Barletta Statement Regarding Memorial Day 2016
Congressman Lou Barletta today issued the following statement regarding Memorial Day 2016, which falls on Monday, May 30, 2016: “We should be remembering the men and women of our armed forces every single day of the year as Americans, but we set aside this day specially to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. To paraphrase General George S. Patton, it is one thing to mourn their deaths, but it is much better to thank God that such heroes lived in the first place. On this Memorial Day, let us all give thanks to those who laid down their lives so that the rest of us may live in freedom in the greatest nation the world has ever known.”
MEDIA MATTERS
BOBBY V DOO WOP SHOW
Sunday night on Bobby V’s Doo Wop Show a special tribute to our veterans.
How about Elizabeth Warren going after Donald Trump the other day? Warren went after the façade that is Donald Trump the businessman and the man. The Clinton campaign should give Warren whatever the hell she wants. I think she’d make a great Veep.
IF BERNIE DEBATES TRUMP
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders (Photo: The Hill)
There has been talk that there might be a proposed debate between GOP nominee Donald Trump and Democratic wanna bee Bernie Sanders. Sanders inexplicably threw down the gauntlet and Trump readily accepted but with terms. However today Donald Trump thought better of it and declined. But what if it had happened. A review of what was thankfully, not to be. Trump wants to make it an event and donate the money to charity, presumably the same charity that benefited all those veterans a few months ago when Trump skipped one of the GOP debates. A few things here. Bernie Sanders has lost me. He has become a grandstanding pathetic figure asking for attention. He should be invited to leave the party. By Sanders debating Trump, he will not be a leader but a sycophant to Trump. Both he and the Donald will commiserate about how the system is rigged. What will be bad is that they will reinforce the negatives about “the system” they both agreed to before running. Their supporters won’t care or be influenced. But who will be influenced are the people who are casual observers. They will vote with the reinforcement that indeed the system is rigged because both parties said so. Voters who should vote in their own self interest will buy into the negative because it is reinforced by St. Bernie of Sanders. This is akin to ganging up on a front runner. Surely Hillary Clinton will be hurt. But Bernie Sanders will be hurt even more. Trump will clean his clock, knife him with compliments and then discard him after he uses him. If people thought Bernie Sanders couldn’t deal with a debate with Hillary, how will he stack up against Trump? When this campaign started, Bernie Sanders was going to get his 15 minutes of fame. He has extended that to more time than he deserves and is entitled to. Bernie Sanders has extended his stay and nothing good will come from a Trump debate.
WILKES BARRE CITY COUNCIL ON THE SCHOOL BOARD
The Citizen’s Voice reports that WB City council has joined the opposition to the Wilkes-Barre Area School District’s plan to cut programs and positions. Council passed a resolution that states it “disagrees wholeheartedly with the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board’s decision to eliminate library services and courses in technology, family/consumer science and art.” The resolution, which was sponsored by Councilwoman Beth Gilbert, states that council is “very concerned about a potential negative impact to the economic and social health of ... Wilkes-Barre.” Okay, nice. But care to give an solutions to the School Board? It’s okay to say “we’re sorry” but unless you have solutions to revive the body, this was nothing but window dressing.
REP. CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS NATION’S ORGAN TRANSPLANT SHORTAGE
Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo : Washington Post. Com)
U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced the Organ Donor Clarification Act, legislation that’s aim is to address our nation’s organ transplant shortage. The legislation was featured on Sunday’s broadcast of ABC World News Tonight. “Twenty-two people die every day because they could not survive the wait for a viable organ,” Rep. Cartwright said. “Kidney waiting lists in major cities can last from five to ten years, which is often longer than a patient can survive on dialysis.” In 2014, out of the 100,000 patients with renal failure on the waiting list, fewer than one-in-five received a kidney transplant. The legislation start to address the shortage by removing barriers donors face under current law and allowing for pilot program to test the effectiveness of non-cash incentives to increase the supply of organs for transplantation. Currently, organ transplantation is governed by the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) of 1984. This law prohibits buying or selling organs for “valuable consideration.” “Confusion about what constitutes valuable consideration has hampered donation by scaring people away from reimbursing living organ donors for things like medical expenses and lost wages,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Both are legal under NOTA, but the law’s lack of clarity and its criminal penalties have created uncertainty and prevented reimbursements in many cases.” The expansive kidney waiting list is also a burden on our nation’s finances, as the costs are becoming hugely expensive for Medicare and drains several other social service programs. Increased transplants would save Medicare and the government billions of dollars. Experts project that eliminating the waiting list would save taxpayers well in excess of $5.5 billion per year in medical costs and billions of dollars more in savings to other social programs. The Organ Donor Clarification Act would: • Clarify that certain reimbursements are not valuable consideration but are reimbursements for expenses a donor incurs • Allow government-run pilot programs to test the effect of providing non cash incentives to promote organ donation. These pilot programs would have to pass ethical board scrutiny, be approved by HHS, distribute organs through the current merit based system, and last no longer than five years. The legislation has been endorsed by the following organizations: Americans for Tax Reform, American Foundation for Donation and Transplantation, American Medical Association, Fair Allocations in Research Foundation, Transplant Recipients International Organization, WaitList Zero.
BARLETTA NAMED AFTER-SCHOOL HERO FOR WORK ON SHINE
AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE HONORS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO SUPPORT LEARNING PROGRAMS
REP. BARLETTA IS PRESENTED WITH AN AFTER-SCHOOL HERO CAPE BY MIA ZAMUDIO, A SHINE STUDENT FROM JIM THORPE, PA.(Photo: Barletta Office)
Congressman Lou Barletta has been named an “After-school Hero” by the After-school Alliance for his strong support and work on learning programs, most notably SHINE in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne Counties. The After-school Alliance, an organization which works to promote access to affordable, quality after-school programs for all children, made the presentation during its Capitol Hill showcase of innovative learning programs. Barletta has been a long-time supporter of SHINE (Schools and Homes in Education) and successfully prevented its federal funding from being eliminated. “When you awaken the minds of young children with hope and possibility of what their future can be, there’s no stopping them,” Barletta said. “That’s what SHINE does. These after-school programs change the lives and direction of children. It was an honor to meet Mia Zamudio and her friends and see the satisfaction they are getting from learning.” “The showcase offered a shining example of the kinds of innovative, hands-on learning activities that quality after-school programs offer students,” said After-school Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “These programs help young people discover their passions and have fun while they learn. At after-school programs around the country, children and youth are growing, harvesting and selling fruits and vegetables. They are learning computer coding and creating their own virtual worlds. They are engaging with college students and business leaders to expand their horizons. Young girls are running their first races to build self-esteem. We need to increase public and private funding so all students can take advantage of the opportunities after-school and summer learning programs provide. Rep. Barletta and the other heroes we honored not only support these programs, but also the students, parents and communities that benefit from them.” SHINE has already been a success in Schuylkill and Carbon Counties and expanded to Luzerne County last fall in the Wilkes-Barre Area, Greater Nanticoke Area and Wyoming Valley West school districts. It expanded to Hazleton earlier this year. The program, geared to grades K-8, focuses on a project-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum. SHINE links schools to homes to help children build a stronger academic and social foundation. Barletta and Pennsylvania State Senator John Yudichak (D-Luzerne/Carbon) have championed SHINE together, working closely with Luzerne County host institution Wilkes University and its president, Patrick Leahy. Barletta was also instrumental in saving an important SHINE funding source, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program. Beginning in February 2015, Barletta began painstakingly working to restore the 21st CCLC funding, which had been slated for elimination. Barletta, however, negotiated 14 changes to the base text of the bill in support of after-school programs, and specifically the SHINE model, in the House Education and the Workforce Committee. He also engaged in a colloquy with committee Chairman John Kline (MN-2) to establish a record of support for such programs. On the floor of the House, Barletta spoke in support of his own successful amendment that requires school districts to report to state agencies on the use of Title I money for after-school activities to further demonstrate the importance of such programs. Finally, when the legislation reached the conference committee, Barletta sent a letter to lead House and Senate negotiators imploring them to preserve the 21st CCLC program. As a result, the conference report passed authorized $1 billion in funding for the 21st CCLC program. Currently, SHINE of Luzerne County serves nearly 300 students from five area school districts: Wilkes-Barre Area, Wyoming Valley West, Nanticoke Area, Hanover Area, and Hazleton Area. The existing programs in Schuylkill and Carbon Counties bring the total number of students to more than 1,000.
MEDIA MATTERS
ECTV
ECTV Live Host David DeCosmo and Director Mark Migilore welcome John Gleason of the Keystone Rescue Mission Alliance to the program during the week of May 30th.
The Alliance, which operates centers to help the homeless in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, has seasonal needs which Gleason will review along with expansion plans for the facility in Scranton. ECTV Live is seen on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) and is broadcast at approximately Noon, 6pm, and Midnight throughout the week.
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine Brian Hughes speaks with attorney Timothy Duggan about property owners rights with regards to the proposed PennEast Pipeline, which would run from Luzerne County to New Jersey. An encore of Brian's interview with Matt & Bridget Purcell, who discuss the 4th Annual Pat Purcell Run/Walk, coming up next Saturday at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. And an encore of Brian's interview with Luciana Musto from the Nativity Miguel School in Scranton, about their Food Truck Festival coming up next Saturday at PNC Field in Moosic. Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X and Sports Radio 590, WARM, and 6:25am on Magic 93.
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week's guests are Pamela Zotynia from the Arc of Luzerne County and Dr. Murugu Manickam from Geisinger. Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA's Sports Radio-The Game 1400/1440 am and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.
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.
BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!
The Doo-Wop Sock Hop can be heard every Sunday night from 6P to 9P on “105 The River (104.9 FM) Host is the incomparable Bobby V. www.105theriver.net www.doowopsockhop.net
1971
Our 1971 logo.
Austria and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations. …….Qantas agrees to pay $500,000 to bomb hoaxer-extortionist Mr. Brown (Peter Macari), who is later arrested…Laurence Wild, 81, American former basketball player, soldier, and Governor of American Samoa passes away…..The 1971 Indianapolis 500 is won by Al Unser the second year in a row. The race is marred by a spectacular crash in which a pace car skids into a temporary grandstand packed with photographers. 22 people are injured, some seriously…….in Pennsylvania former Governor Ray Shafer says he will not run for any future office….in Lackawanna County incumbents Pat Mellody and Edward Zipay win reelection for Commissioners while on the GOP side Robert Pettinato and Charles Luger win to face off in November. In Luzerne County Democrats Ed Wideman and Frank Crossin prevail while on the GOP side Ethel Price and Bob Warren become the nominees and 45 years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Want Ads” by The Honey Cone.
So last night the best dang school board in America made the decision to not only raises taxes again but make cuts in education of more than 4 million dollars. That will affect 37 educators. But wait as they say in the infomercials, there’s more. The District decided to raise property taxes by 3.5 percent. Once more property owners in Wilkes Barre can’t get a break. The Vote was 8 to 1 with Ned Evans voting no because he was “moved” by the testimonials by residents, especially students. But Evans was not moved enough to come up with any new ideas. The cuts are going to be in things like Art, Life Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Technology which includes science, engineering and math. Subjects that the school board seems to think are a luxury. With many lower income students in the District, to me this is puzzling. If we are to build a better more informed citizen, we should start with aspirational courses that can carry students through life. Here’s what WASN’T cut: Athletics, football especially. Administration. Last year the administrators got a raise of $10,000 bucks each! THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS DISTRICT NOT MAKING 10,000 DOLLARS A YEAR. Did this board who gave those raises last year not have a plan? After all, they are the best dang school board in America. How many administrators do you think will lose their jobs? NONE. A caller to WILK today made a very good point about some of the other district employees. Janitors and Secretaries making more than teachers because they had a connection and might have been too stupid to survive in private industry BUT smart enough to get a gig and keep a low profile. No chaperoning middle school dances for those folks. If you look at the names, you’ll see the connections to school boards of yore. Something drastically needs to be done. The Governor who I supported wants to baby tenured teachers and not support merit retention. The Legislature with a few exceptions is full of shit and scared, or as they say in Larksville, “ah scared” of the teachers union. There has been very little property tax relief because a bunch of power hungry GOP leaders won’t work with anyone. So pretty much there’s not a lot of hope. But here’s a few suggestions. 1. Hire a new superintendent that has no ties to this area. Let’s not have the same debacle that happened in Scranton where they hired a double dipper feeding off the public teat in the Lac. 2. Fire three quarters of the administrators. They have pensions, more than you and I make combined. They’ll be fine. 3. Put a freeze on all salaries. Rethink the unions. 4. Hire and fire on merit. 5. Set up a contingency fund for the lawsuits bound to come. 6. If you insist on having football games, hire people other than school teachers, janitors and secretaries employed by the district to even skim more public money. 7. Put a user tax on school services for all parents and guardians of students who don’t own property. It could be $25.00 bucks a quarter, 100 a year. Everyone would have skin in the game. And don’t give me the garbage that “the poor” can’t afford a hundred bucks a year. If the parents valued education……………like parents of previous generations, they’ll find a way. The District should outsource a company to categorize and collect the money. Nobody’s cousin or brother in law in charge either, thank you. Property owners need relief. The people carrying the load are dying, moving or just giving up. Innovative ideas and daring, gutsy changes are needed. But unfortunately we’re stuck with the best dang School Board in America. Hke!
WHAT HILLARY SHOULD SAY TO DONALD IN THE DEBATE
Trump and Clinton. (Photo: US Magazine).
Today Donald Trump brought up the late Vince Foster. He is out of control now. The other day he put a video up again talking about Bill Clinton’s infidelities. If Trump is stupid enough to bring it up in the debate, (and if I were Clinton, I’d ignore him) but if she does debate him, when he talks about Bill, Hillary should just say: “Donald, my husband is not running for President. I am. If you want to fight him in a back alley and argue about how big your hands are, go for it. But I want to talk about the future of America and not about sex from 20 years ago. You might have the fascination of a sixth grade boy with all this sex stuff. Go home to Marla, or whoever your trophy wife is now…..but please let Americans pick a President. Just shut up.
I didn’t get a chance to write about this because it’s been a busy week but I can’t let the opportunity pass without making a comment. It appears that there is a group in Scranton who are trying to come up with ways to promote The Electric City. There are focus groups and sessions that suggest Scranton should be a more welcoming place to outsiders. Also the branding experts want Scrantonions to have pride in where they come from. Obviously this is a new group of eager beavers who think this is a brilliant idea. But these groups and idea factories have been going on for years in LuLac land. There is nothing new here that a few things like good jobs wouldn’t cure. It is an insult to residents who work here, residents who helped build these communities that we should feel good about why we’re here. For the most part residents here do their best. But with Chambers of Commerce who do very little to make wages grow and residents who are constantly beaten down by the political class, what can you expect? I used to have a very vulgar girlfriend who was fond of saying “You can’t shine shit”. I don’t think this is a crappy area and believe that most people are caring, compassionate and want the best for their future. But it is a struggle. There are slobs who don’t care where they dump their garbage, college imports who destroy properties and drink themselves senseless in our neighborhoods and out of town baby daddies who flop with women with pretty low expectations cause problems. These people aren’t going to get, heed or listen to any Marketing Feel Good message. We need to start cleaning up the messes that would never be tolerated anywhere else. The Scranton group will do their thing and most likely make a cottage industry out of it where someone will get a job out of it. But let me just point out one thing. Economically strong areas like Allentown and the entire Lehigh Valley don’t have to tell people how great they are, or how great the residents think their home area is. By having to say it to someone else over and over again that this is a great place and we are proud, by saying the same thing for decades and generations, you are admitting it is not, nor was it ever true.
LAUREEN’S EDUCATION
Despite our political differences that are vast, I really like Laureen Cummings. As a matter of fact Cummings was a LuLac Woman We Love in 2014. I championed her bid to become the Minority Lackawanna County Commissioner. All that said it is distressing that she took to Social Media to go after transgender people who want to use a bathroom labeled with the sex they identify with. This issue is just another Southern Right wing diversion that is set on dividing this country further. A few facts. Transgender folks aren’t pedophiles. Transgender people can’t be changed with an injection. The medical community (and increasingly, employers, schools and courts) now recognize that it is essential to the health and well-being of transgender people for them to be able to live in accordance with their internal gender identity in all aspects of life—restroom usage is a necessary part of that experience. Right to restrooms that match one’s gender identity have also been recognized in the workplace and are actively being asserted in public accommodations. In Iowa, for example, discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity has been prohibited by law since 2007 through the Iowa Civil Rights Act.. The details about whether or not someone has had genital reconstructive surgery, also called sex reassignment surgery (SRS), don’t tell you anything about gender identity or someone’s right to use a certain bathroom—and asking about it is a major invasion of privacy, as it involves personal medical information. It could also be illegal. For instance, if employers were to impose such a “genital standard” for bathroom use, they would need to inquire about the genitals of everyone in that workplace. Imagine the privacy concerns that would raise! Finally there’s this about possible harassment by a transgender person. There is no evidence that gender-segregated bathrooms are “safer” for cisgender women than unisex bathrooms. And besides, there are laws protecting people from criminal conduct in public restrooms. If anything, a concern for safety weighs in favor of bathroom accessibility. Transgender people face a uniquely high degree of harassment—53% of 6,450 transgender people reported being harassed or disrespected in a place of public accommodation in a recent survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.(Source: Lamboda Legal) I know Laureen and her staff reads our blog. I hope this helps. Meanwhile bathrooms are used to for thing and one thing only. There should be no debate about who looks like what and why. Get in, clean up, get out and move on with your life.
Wow, I wasted an hour of my life the other night to watch that program. There was no new news except for the fact that Kelly had to go to Trump. He was somewhat muted and a little chivalry in him. Well not much. There was no hard hitting news and quite frankly the segment with Robert Shapiro was far more interesting.
ED RENDELL’S COMMENTS
Yeah check out these two lady killers! (Photo: Citizen's Voice)
Well my boy Ed stepped in it the other day by telling a reporter that Donald Trump’s comments would not help him with women. Ed ventured on to the reservation in a clumsy way. Rendell said that women who essentially were not perfect tens would defeat Trump. Essentially he said ugly women would defeat the presumptive GOP nominee. He apologized today and that seemed to be enough for some people. But he added the old “if I offended anyone” line. Hey he offended people. He just should have said, “I’m sorry” and move on. Look every woman I have ever known, (even the most gorgeous and most soft after ones I had the pleasure to be around) had issues about their looks. I know you most likely can’t understand how a Jennifer Aniston or Julia Roberts might think they are below par. But in some dark recesses they do think that. In terms of looks, we are all fragile creatures. Some may have great runs for decades and then get slammed with the reality that things have begun to shift. Some just keep plodding along and are mildly surprised that they become cute old men and women. We are all beautiful and we are all in most of our minds not that great too. But along the way we settle in to who we are, use what we have and hopefully live a life well led. When you reach that point, you don’t give a damn about what a shallow insecure egotist like Donald Trump thinks or what a well meaning guy like Ed Rendell meant. That’s a beauty of its own kind and there’s nothing ugly about it. Finally my man Ed, ya should’ve called me on this one! I’m in the book!
BERNIE’S VANITY CANDIDACY
Bernie Sanders. (Photo AP)
I respect everything Bernie Sanders has done politically this year. Bernie has tapped into a different type of anger just like the GOP’s Donald Trump. Like Trump, Bernie has offered no specifics. Just rhetoric and anger. Plus passion. But Bernie is hurting the Democratic party. Not a surprise because he is not a Democrat. He’s using the party. Bernie needs to realize he will not win the nomination. The numbers aren’t there. Even if Hillary Clinton got run over by a train, he’d not be the Democratic nominee. He is not a Democrat. Bernie has to make a decision. Either support Clinton and end this when she clinches like she did in 2008 for Mr. Obama. Or; a. Shit or get off the pot and run on the third party line as a Libertarian or get on the ballots. He has the money to do both. b. Become a footnote to history like George Wallace, John Anderson or Ralph Nader. His decision is this: would he be remembered as an agent of change that got some of what he believes in accomplished or a be a spoiler? History hates spoilers.
MEDIA MATTERS
ECTV
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with James May from PENNDOT about wrong way drivers, and staying safe on the roads during Prom Season.
Frankie also speaks with Cordie Braun about a fundraiser for the Blue Chip Farms Animal Refuge, and with Kevin Sickle about a Whiffleball Tournament to raise funds for a good cause.
And Brian Hughes speaks with world renowned investor and author Robert Kiyosaki of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"
fame about what young people should know about money, and adds insight to the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X & Sports Radio 590, WARM and 6:25am on Magic 93.
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week's guest is Lackawanna County District Attorney Shane Scanlon. Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA's Sports Radio-The Game 1400/1440 am and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River
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.
BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!
The Doo-Wop Sock Hop can be heard every Sunday night from 6P to 9P on “105 The River (104.9 FM) Host is the incomparable Bobby V. www.105theriver.net www.doowopsockhop.net
1971
Our 1971 logo.
The U.S. Congress formally votes to end funding for the American Supersonic Transport program..The Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup in Chicago with a game 7 victory. It was only the second time in Stanley Cup history that the away team won game 7…….in Pennsylvania Senator Hugh Scott says he believes President Nixon is doing all he can to stop the War in Vietnam but the North will not negotiate…..in Wilkes Barre the Fine Arts Fiesta kicks off and 45 years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Love Her Madly” by The Doors.
A poster sent this to LuLac on Sunday. Here is the opinion:
Dave, In an unrelated subject . In the CV n Sat. May 14 there was an article about the County Council "LOOKING INTO" putting a registration fee on ALL county vehicles. WOW what a cash cow that they could milk forever and ever. Also the initial fee of $5.00 would be paid but who says that would be locked in at that rate. So very sad or elected officials. They cannot budget the monies they have now and they want more to mismanage. This cannot happen. Well okay I’m going to be in the minority on this one my friend but I think it’s a good idea. But it has to be implemented the right way. Here’s why I think it’s a good idea. 1. The cost is small and will affect everyone who has a vehicle. That includes people with multiple vehicles and people not paying property taxes. There has to be skin in the game for everyone. Or if you prefer, pain for everyone. 2. The monies collected should never go in the general fund. They should go into a specific account that pays down the debt. 3. If a business has multiple vehicles they can pay a combined fee. But it has to be fair. The vehicle of the business should not be the vehicle of the owner. The County has done a good job in reducing the debt so far. But more needs to be done. And if you could afford more than two cars, you can afford to pay per vehicle. Plus it will help rid the county of front yard junkyards that aren’t good for anyone.
TRUMP AND WOMEN
Trump and The Hooters girls. Hey what guy hasn't done that or wanted to do that. (Photo: Huffington Post)
Here is the New York Times story you all heard about Donald Trump and women. Bottom line he is a boorish character when it comes to women because he could. If he were a Junior Veep, he’d be canned. There are Trump people who say that Bill Clinton was a predator. And that Hillary Clinton enabled Bill. How did she enable them? Pick out Monica’s blue dress? Trump like Clinton made their own decisions. Wrong ones. Here's that story: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html?emc=edit_na_20160514&nlid=51991696&ref=cta&_r=0
QUESTIONS FOR TRUMP ON IMMIGRATION
Now Donald Trump keeps saying he wants to build a wall across the Mexican border to stop the flow of illegal immigration. Never mind that the current President has thrown out nearly a million illegally. Now I realize I’m just a guy who grew up in the Junction section of Pittston who might not understand how this wall thing works. But I must ask the following about the wall. Who will build the wall? Will they be union members? How long will it take to build this wall? Specifically will it take as long as the remodeling of the Panama Canal did? (Over 13 years). What will be the cost? Where do we get the money? Will Congress appropriate that money? If private industry builds it, do you mean to say that there will be no government funding? If private industry fails like the banks, will your administration bail them out? Or will this be a self funded wall? How much of a share of my paycheck and Mrs. FB’s check will pay for the wall? Oh wait, Mexico is paying for the wall. Another set of questions. How will we make them pay? By making them pay, how will this affect the building of engines for Ford 150s in Mexico? (All those truckers need engines, right? No way to get to a rally without a pick up!) Do we invoice them? Will they pay with their currency or ours? Money order? Will they pay in installments? Do they take AMEX? If they refuse to pay how do we enforce collection? Do we hire the same joker from Scranton who was supposed to take care of the garbage fees? Will there be uniform building and construction codes or will each state the wall is constructed in enforce their own set of regulations? Bulyah, States rights, henna? If we go to war because Mexico won’t pay, will we self fund the war? Or will Mexico pay for the war? Finally you do know that illegal immigrants come in through Canada, and International Airports. Do we build a wall around them? NOTE: See previous set of questions. Just asking.
Here’s my theory on why Donald Trump will not release his tax returns. I might be wrong but here goes. Trump won’t release them because they will reveal that his wealth is cash poor. If that happens, his vast business empire will suffer. This has to be the reason. Trump has thumped his chest on his ability to make deals, attract women, raise his children, even reference his manhood which is something we really didn’t need to hear about. Trump the boastful bully would love to tell people how rich he really is. But he won’t.And can't. If he does, it will reveal a dent in the armor that he most cares about, his wealth. Or the perception of it.
BAD TEACHER
(Photo: Bad Teacher logo).
The other day in a “13 Questions” e mail a reader asked me when I might stop LuLac. I replied there is a time for everything but what I didn’t say is that LuLac and other blogs could go on forever given the stuff that is in the news on all levels. We here in LuLac land never disappoint with stories of corruption, laziness and stupidity. One was on the front page of The Citizen’s Voice this morning by reporter Michael Buffer. To recap, a mother in the Wyoming Area School District who has a child with learning disabilities approached the district about help for her daughter. That was in 2014. My mantra about education is that no matter how much money we throw at education (and my Conservative/Libertarian buddy L.A. Tarone says the same thing) education in this state as it stands now will never be fixed until parents get involved. In this case Holly Miller did exactly that. Got involved in the Education of her child. And the response was horrible and shameful. A so called Educator, Amy Kosco responded to an e mail from the Principal of the school, her boss, when he asked Kosco and other teachers for help “ regarding testing strategies for the girl.” Kosco’s response? The Voice reported Kosco compared making accommodations for a special-needs student to appeasing Adolf Hitler and suggested it “would be nice if we spent this much extra time” on students who are “going to amount to something.” Wow! Not a little judgmental here are we? Plus bringing old ‘Dolph, who has been dead now for 70 years is stunning to me. But it gives you an insight into the level of historical reference Amy Kosco (did you get that name?) brings to the educational table. Hitler was invading countries and Neville Chamberlain thought by appeasing him he could bring peace. I’m the king of bad analogies but I have to hand this one to Amy Kosco. This was breathtaking in its incredible insensitivity. Ms. Miller’s daughter is not sending people to death camps. She just wants her due as a citizen of the Wyoming Area School District. An EDUCATION. So the comment was ugly and stupid. No one is immune from making them but let’s dig deeper into this. Let examine “would be nice if we spent this much extra time” on students who are “going to amount to something.” A teacher teaches EVERYBODY in a PUBLIC SCHOOL. IT IS THEIR JOB which they are paid handsomely to do. Does Amy Kosco want to pick and choose? Just give me the brightest, best looking, stylish, smartest, strongest, competent people to teach so I won’t be hassled and need to make that extra effort. So that I can have the strongest class. Mmmmmm. Someone else in history said and did something similar, right? Discarding the weakest, dispatching the vile to death camps and picking the best looking and strongest? Maybe that analogy to old ‘Dolph” was not so far off the mark. Kosco then sent an e mail to her boss implying that he shared the same views. "The situation is a nightmare for you as well, and I’m preaching to the choir, but I needed to vent. I’m just so FRUSTRATED.”. “Preaching to the choir?” What did she mean by that? It is the role of the administration to direct, not comment. Were there supporting comments before that enabled Kosco to fire away those comments with no fear of retribution? You know what? If Kosco is FRUSTRATED by this I can only imagine how she could deal with trying to feed and take care of special needs kids full time as parents do every day of their lives. The same parents who by the way ask teachers for help because they think the Educational system is there to help THEIR kid too. Now I'm sure there are parents who might try to game the system but I can't imagine that many. District Superintendent Janet Serino told Buffer The district does not condone the views expressed in the emails from Kosco and has addressed that matter, Serino said, adding the process involved the district solicitor and president of the teachers union. We had done something about it when it was brought to my attention last October”. Yep I bet they did and I bet the Union protected Amy Kosco because that’s what they do. Also included in this story was a quote from Maura McInerney, a senior attorney for the Education Law Center, said "teachers sometimes don’t understand legal mandates regarding students with disabilities and don’t know how to deal with students with special needs. “Teachers and administrators may not have a full understanding of a disability and how it manifests itself”. Bullshit. If they don’t know how to deal with Special Needs kids, if they don’t have an understanding about how a disability manifests itself, and if they get FRUSTRATED by doing their job, then maybe they should just do this. QUIT. Not that he didn't deserved anything but what he got, but old ‘Dolph didn’t get any pension. I'm sure this teacher will.
Former Governor Ed Rendell. (Photo: LuLac archives)
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman and our friend, ex-Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, told the media last week that Bernie Sanders and his group of vibrant supporters need to behave at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia Rendell was a Hillary Clinton backer in 2008 as well as this year too. Rendell made the comment on a Philadelphia area radio show called “The Cat’s Roundtable”. Rendell told host John Catsimatidis “Bernie’s going to have his name placed in nomination. We’re going to have a roll call. There’s going to be a demonstration in support of Bernie. He’s going to lose the roll call. His supporters have to behave and not cause trouble” . Rendell has seen insurgent candidate’s supporters not unify in enough time to have the election go to another party that doesn’t reflect the closeness of both the Sanders and Clinton philosophy. Whether the Sanders supporters are smart enough to heed the warning is still open to conjecture.
REP. CARTWRIGHT REINTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE COLLEGE SAVINGS
Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)
This week Congressmen Matt Cartwright reintroduced the bipartisanChildren’s Savings Accounts Offer Parents Plenty of Reasons to Understand and Invest in Tuition Yearly (CSA OPPORTUNITY) Act, H.R. 5214, with the support of eight House colleagues. One well known type of Children’s Savings Account (CSA) is the 529 plan. Created in 1996, 529 Plans allow parents to save money for college while offering both federal and state tax benefits. Unfortunately, money set aside in a 529 Plan counts against the asset limitations set forth in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Low Income High Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This in turn forces families to choose between putting aside money for college and keeping essential benefits. “College savings accounts alter the aspirations of children by sending a message that they should expect more from their own futures. Yet, when we force parents to choose between saving for college and keeping the lights on, we essentially punish financial responsibly,” said Rep. Cartwright. “We should end this difficult decision for families and provide the opportunity for all families to save for their children’s education.” Andrea Levere, President of the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), endorsed the legislation. “Parents shouldn’t have to choose between affording basic necessities and saving for their children’s education. Rep. Cartwright has demonstrated exemplary leadership in coming together to introduce a bipartisan bill that will expand opportunity for families throughout the country.” The CSA OPPORTUNITY Act would exempt 529 Plans from TANF, SSI, and LIHEAP asset limitations. The bill would also exempt non-529 CSAs from TANF, SSI, LIHEAP, and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) asset limitations. Over 1.3 million American children born each year – and more than half of minority children – are born into families with negligible savings to invest in their futures. Yet research and practice have shown that even a small amount of savings increases the likelihood that a child will attend college. One study showed that children from low or moderate income families who saved between $1 and $500 were three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate than those without savings.
And Cartwright Hosted Mayors’ Conference
U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright hosted a Mayors’ Conference for mayors and municipal leaders from across northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. The event, held earlier today provided an opportunity for mayors and municipal leaders to come together and discuss important issues and economic development. As we all know well, Rep. Cartwright is committed to increasing municipal leaders’ awareness of funding opportunities for economic development and providing opportunities to learn more about best practices from their peers. Other topics covered were What makes a Strong Town? State and Regional Resources to Address Blight and Federal Resources to Address Blight and Federal Funding Highlights.
1. You had mentioned that you thought a Clinton/Warren ticket could fly. Do you think Hillary would tolerate another woman in her world? Yes. I think she feels that to win she needs to be bold. Plus I think Warren would eviscerate Trump as an attack dog. It is curious to me that Warren has been silent in not supporting either Hillary or Bernie and that was a consideration in my prediction. 2. What do you think of Sarah Palin coming after House Speaker Paul Ryan in defense of Donald Trump? With friends like these who needs enemies. Amazing to me that she thinks that she is still relevant but Trump gave her legitimacy in the primaries. To interfere with Ryan's political life is petty and counterproductive. Typical Palin. 3. What are your thoughts on protestors shutting down rallies and meetings of people thru won't support and agree with? Rude, self serving, nasty and ignorant. The fact that a vocal minority can disrupt free speech by a candidate is abhorrent. Just because you are loud doesn't mean you are right. 4. Most annoying. Nancy Pilosi or Carly Fiorina? Neither. How 'bout Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rachel Maddow? 5. I saw your TV segment on WBRE TV on Political memorabilia. How much of it is valuable? Value is determined in the eye of the beholder. Most items barely hit fifty bucks. What is valuable in my estimation are photos of people that predate the Internet, obscure politicos. Also signed books by dead Presidents bring a big return. 6. Where did you get your Beatles ties?
I got three at Pomeroy’s at the Midway Shopping Center in Wyoming. “Nowhere Man”, “Come Together” and “Ticket To Ride”. That was in the 90s. The other four, “Yellow Submarine”, “Paperback Writer”, “Birthday” and “All You Need Is Love” I bought on Ebay. 7. Have you thought of doing a “Best Of” edition for LuLac? I’ve thought about it but I don’t have the resources to do it right. I think the Weekender and Diamond and Electric City do decent jobs in putting together a comprehensive list for the area.
8. It seems you have a great antipathy for The South. Why?
First off I’m afraid the Southern lifestyle is not my culture. I don’t move or think at a snail’s pace. Second, I believe that in many, not all, the Southern lifestyle is still preserved. I think racism there is hidden behind a type of “aw shucks country boy charm”. They still call The Civil War the War of Northern Aggression. Most of the intelligence is imported, not home grown. There are great people in the South, well meaning. But from my albeit limited experience and interaction with some folks, I just think they still have a long way to go. When some clung to the notion that flying the Confederate flag was a good thing, well that was telling. The fact that some people in LuLac land were flying that flag and imitating that example was breathtaking to me. All I ever needed to know about the Southern "heritage" came in this great jazz song by Billie Holiday called ”Strange Fruit”. Just saying.
9. Can Donald Trump win the Northeast states in the General? Anything is possible. Trump can go after the rust belt. His support is loud and crazed. So yeah I think he can try and wrest those electoral votes from the Democrat. I have no faith in the intelligence of some of the voters. 10. Do you ever foresee a day when you might stop writing LuLac? I have. I think you end something at the right moment. I don’t see that moment yet and I’m grateful for the chance to do this every day. But everything has its end. 11. Any thoughts on those grades the Citizen’s Voice did on the Luzerne County Judges? Yes. I thought the report was great and should get an award. The grades were based only on 46 responses. But I think they were indicative of what I always felt were the personas and the work habits of the Judges. You observe a lot in a campaign. As an example, just to pick a few I thought Tina Polachek Gartley was going to be tough, Jennifer Rogers was going to be smart, Bill Amesbury was going to be inclined to give a little leeway in hopes of the criminal being smart enough know they are getting a second chance, Dick Hughes was going to be a star and Mike Vough was going to be damn near perfect. So nothing in the ratings surprised me based on the way they campaigned. 12. White Birch Beer or Red? Both. Ice cold. Preferably with a Prime Rib from Sitko's in White Haven. 13. Any pre summertime reading yet? Still trying to get through the summer of 14 books. If I don’t get to them, Mrs. LuLac will donate them to the Friends of the Osterhout Library book sale.
Trump in Washington meeting his new “friends”. (Photo: CNN)
The vaunted meeting between Donald Trump and House speaker Paul Ryan was today. Most politicos waited with baited breath and thought they'd see fireworks. Instead we witnessed a burning ember. Trump was polite and gave Ryan the full personality treatment. Ryan told people he was impressed with that. Ryan for his part had to walk a fine line because he has his own ambitions for the future. But for the present he can't alienate the Trump base to protect his House Majority. With trump having an effect on the down ballot in the negative, Ryan can't afford to run off those supporters. Even Lindsay Graham said nice things about Trump. Ryan has not given The Donald a great big kiss yet but today started with a meeting of the minds and a pledge to get along. Look for Ryan to make the move. By June. But one thing is evident, the GOP insiders have seen Trump doesn't have horns.
CRUZ IN 2018
So Texas Senator Ted Cruz has filed papers for reelection in 2018. Cruz and his presidential hopes were dashed by Donald Trump but many were surprised he was one of the last people standing. There are reasons why Cruz as well Marco Rubio came up short but I think a big reason is the fact that they are one term Junior Senators. Even though Barack Obama has done good things as President, legislatively he had a learning curve. Personally even without Trump, I think voters would be reluctant to take a flyer on another one term Junior senator.
McGINLEY'S VOTE
Luzerne County Council member Tim McGinley (Photo: LuLac archives)
A list is being made about the vote Luzerne County Council member Tim McGinley to make Dave Pedri the new County Manager. Pedri's wife donated to McGInley's last council run. There are people saying McGinley should have abstained from voting. If he did there would not be the necessary votes to pick a manager. Look even though this is a new form of government, it is still fueled by politics. McGinley has proven himself as a Council member. Who wouldn't want to give him money? There was no quid pro quo because when the contribution was made Bob Lawton was still in charge. And if anyone thinks McGinley is going to be swayed by two hundred bucks just doesn't know the guy. Perhaps the County Council should strengthen the Ethics Committee to prevent this from happening again but for now it's water under a bridge that was already built.
CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES NEW FAA GRANT FOR THE WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Representative Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)
Earlier this month, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright brought some good news to the airport in Avoca. “I am pleased that the FAA has shown a commitment to improving the safety of our aviation infrastructure,” Rep. Cartwright said. “Not only will these funds improve the safety and service for aviation passengers in northeastern Pennsylvania, but they will also promote much-needed job growth in our local economy. I applaud the grant recipients for their vision and commitment to improving the safety of AVP.” This project will fund rehabilitation of 8,885 feet of the existing Taxiways B and D needed to maintain structural integrity of the pavements.
BARLETTA BILL PROTECTING OPIATE-ADDICTED BABIES UNANIMOUSLY PASSES HOUSE
BIPARTISAN BILL ADDRESSES EPIDEMIC: BABY BORN ADDICTED EVERY 25 MINUTES IN U.S.
Your blog editor, Congressman Lou Barletta and broadcast legend L.A. Tarone. (Photo: LuLac archives).
In a rare unanimous vote, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation fromCongressman Lou Barletta (PA-11) protecting opioid-addicted newborns and their caregivers. The Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act (H.R. 4843), which Barletta authored with Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), requires that states which receive federal funds for child protective services comply with federal law and enact certain guidelines for the welfare of children exposed to opioids. The category of opioids includes a variety of pain medications or other drugs, such as heroin. The legislation does not seek to persecute the mothers of the children, so as not to dissuade parents from allowing their newborns to access appropriate care. The bill passed the House by a bipartisan, unanimous vote of 421-to-0. “Every 25 minutes in America, a baby is born suffering from opioid withdrawal. It’s an eye-opening statistic, and the more you consider what it really means, the more tragic it becomes,” Barletta said. “Every 25 minutes, a child enters the world having already been exposed to drugs. Every 25 minutes, a newborn has to pay the price for something he or she was defenseless against. Every 25 minutes, another infant becomes a victim of the national opioid crisis. These are the victims this bill will help protect.” “Through a number of commonsense measures, this bill strengthens protections for infants born with illegal substance exposure, improves accountability related to the care of infants and their families, and ensures states will have best practices for developing plans to keep infants and their caregivers healthy and safe,” Barletta said. “These are commonsense reforms we should all embrace. By working together and advancing this legislation, we help ensure these children, mothers, and their families have the help they need and the care they deserve.” This legislation would: •Require the department of Health and Human Services to review and confirm states have put in place policies required under the 1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). •Strengthen protections for infants born with illegal substance exposure by clarifying the intent of safe care plans. •Improve accountability related to the care of infants and their families by requiring additional information on the incidents of infants born with illegal substance exposure and their care. •Provide states with best practices for developing plans to keep infants and their caregivers healthy and safe.
MEDIA MATTERS
ECTV
With co-hosts David DeCosmo and Rusty Fender absent for a week, ECTV Live Director Mark Migilore has promised to select a "Best Of" program to run during the week ofMay 16th. ECTV Live is seem three times daily on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) and is devoted to public events and services in northeastern Pennsylvania.
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine Brian Hughes speaks with Matt & Bridget Purcell about the 4th annual Pat Purcell Run/Walk in memory of their father, coming up on Saturday June 4th at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with representatives from the Scranton Cultural Center about their upcoming Summer Camp for kids. And an encore of Brian's interview with Terry Martin from Mederi Cosmetics on how taking care of your skin can make you feel better in the inside, as well as the outside. Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X & Sports Radio 590, WARM and 6:25am on Magic 93.
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week's guest will be James May from PennDOT. Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on The Game Sports Radio Network 1400/1440 am and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.
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.
BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!
The Doo-Wop Sock Hop can be heard every Sunday night from 6P to 9P on “105 The River (104.9 FM) Host is the incomparable Bobby V. www.105theriver.net www.doowopsockhop.net
1971
Our 1971 logo
Mariner 8 fails to launch….– An earthquake in Turkey destroys most of the city of Burdur…….Efraim Elrom, Israeli ambassador to Turkey, is kidnapped; he is found killed in Istanbul May 15 –May 25…….A coup attempt is exposed and foiled in Egypt…….in Pennsylvania Governor Shapp tells senior citizens that his programs will redefine how the elderly live…..in LuLac land final campaigning is underway for the 1971 primary elections. At stake are County Commissioner posts and row offices and 45 years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones.
Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".
