The LuLac Edition #3202, May 2nd, 2016

WHY KATIE McGINTY 

Democratic Senate nominee Katie McGinty. (Photo: McGinty website).

It is no secret that during the Spring primary for the U.S. Senate race, I was really pulling for Admiral Joe Sestak. I felt that he had run a good race in 2010 and deserved another chance. But since his defeat by Ms. McGinty and Mayor Jon Fetterman who had pulled a good vote, our attention must be focused on the General Election. To that end it is our belief that Pat Toomey must be defeated and Katie McGinty should get our consideration. This is not an endorsement but an opinion.
Toomey has been a major disappointment on even the most modest efforts to curb illegal hand guns. The sad part is that his neo conservative base will never forgive him for even speaking with West Virginia Joe Manchin on gun issues. So by not taking a stand, Toomey has showed his true colors. With McGinty this is what the voters of Pennsylvania will get:
Expanding Energy Opportunities and Protecting the Environment
As the former Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, I understand the importance of protecting our environment and investing in a clean energy economy.
Climate change presents a serious global threat to our health, economic well-being and national security. In the Senate, I will lead the way to a healthier and safer environment by working to pass commonsense climate protections with investments in energy efficiency and clean energy.
It is time to start moving towards a clean energy economy. We need to harness our renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, to create good jobs and cut electricity bills for taxpayers. In the Senate, I will support innovations in clean energy technologies and tax incentives that will level the playing field to move our country towards a clean energy future.
Ensuring Affordable and Accessible Healthcare
All Pennsylvanians should have access to affordable and quality healthcare. While serving as chief of staff to Governor Tom Wolf, I was proud to help expand Medicaid coverage to half a million Pennsylvanians. It was the right thing to do, and it cut costs for both hardworking families and the state. However, Pat Toomey and Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a move that would cut off millions of Americans from the healthcare they need.
As Senator, I will promote access to affordable medical coverage while reining in skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs. I will fight to lower copays and deductibles and reduce the cost of prescription drugs for our hardworking families and seniors.
I believe that mental and behavioral healthcare is critically important to the well-being of our nation. I support full parity for these services with coverage for physical ailments. In the Senate, I will fight for families dealing with the devastating effects of addiction, including especially opioid addiction.
Strengthening National Security
These are challenging times, and nothing is more important to me than keeping our families safe and secure. Fighting terrorism both at home and abroad is a growing challenge but we can defeat terrorist threats while upholding America’s values and principles.
Our men and women in our military deserve the very best and as Senator, I will work to guarantee that our military remains the best-equipped and best-trained military in the world to meet the changing threats of the 21st century.
In order to fight terrorism at home and abroad, we need the strength and support of our allies. Israel is a critical partner for our national security and as a Senator, I will do all that I can to ensure Israel’s security, as any threat to Israel poses a threat to our nation’s interests as well.
Standing up for Women’s Rights
As a working mom of three teenage girls, I know how important it is to give women the tools they need to get ahead. It is past time to close the pay gap. In Pennsylvania, women still make 79 cents for every dollar made by a man in a similar job, and struggle to climb the ladder if they take time off to raise a family. As Senator, I will work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and fight for paid family leave because no one should have to choose between taking care of a family member or child and keeping their job.
Republicans have repeatedly tried to defund Planned Parenthood, which would restrict a woman’s access to critical health services, such as cancer screenings and contraception. They’ve even gone so far as to threaten to shut the government down, taking away healthcare from 108,000 Pennsylvanians who depend on Planned Parenthood. We need to make sure that women have access to these health services at all times because their most personal decisions about healthcare and family planning should be just that — personal and private. (Source: McGinty website).

RAFFERTY’S OVERREACH

GOP Nominee for Attorney General, Senator John Rafferty. (Photo:State Senate)

During the Luzerne County Lincoln Day Breakfast I met Senator John Rafferty, a GOP candidate for Attorney General and he seemed pleasant and competent. I liked the fact that he told the audience he would not run for Governor and serve two terms to straighten out the Attorney General’s office. As a matter of fact I said on WBRE TV Eyewitness News the day after the election that the GOP would most likely retake the AG’s office since Democratic voters picked the weakest possible candidate, Josh Shapiro in terms of experience. But then there was this story from Brad Bumstead from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette attacking Joe Peters who was Rafferty’s opponent. Here’s the link to the Post Gazette story.
http://triblive.com/opinion/bradbumsted/10384616-74/peters-kane-general
The sad part about this story is that
1. It was a lie. Peters stepped in to help the AG straighten out the office. He certainly didn’t gain anything and was not part of Kathleen Kane’s serious misjudgment of situations both legal and political.
2. Like President Nixon’s 1972 re-election bid, Rafferty had this thing in the bag. To attack a fellow Republican like Joe Peters was classless, stupid and gives us an insight into what type of AG Rafferty will be.
He’ll just be a version of Kathleen Kane’s politicization of this office. Except he won’t be wearing a skirt.
Too bad, I was most likely going to vote for the guy.

STORY EXPOSES 911 FLAWS IN LUZERNE COUNTY

Reporter Eric Mark in Sunday’s Citizen’s Voice gave a very comprehensive story on the ability or lack thereof of Luzerne County’s 911 system to work in the Back Mountain. Read this and I guarantee you it will scare the daylights out of you. Here’s the link:
http://www.firehouse.com/news/12201616/grieving-franklin-township-pa-mother-questions-21-minute-911-response