The LuLac Edition #3463, April 6th, 2017

35% APPROVAL RATE

President Trump. (Photo: CNN)

President Donald Trump now has an approval rating of 35%. That poll is the Quinnipiac Poll. Here are the details:
The percentage of total voters who did not approve was 57%.
According to the poll, Republicans were the only group that the President wasn't struggling with; they gave him an approval rating of 79% and a disapproval rating of 14%.
But among other groups, Trump didn't do as well:
•Independents disapproved of the president's performance 57%, compared to 32% who approved.
•Democrats disapproved 91%, compared to 6%.
•Men disapproved 51%, compared to 39%.
•Women disapproved 63%, compared to 31%.
•White voters disapproved 48%, compared to 43%.
•Non-white voters disapproved 77%, compared to 16%.
George W. Bush had 28% in the last year of his term dealing with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as an impending financial collapse.
Then there was Richard Nixon who was in the high 20s on the day he resigned from office due to Watergate.
Again, the numbers don’t lie.

THE POLL ENDS THE GOP JOBS LIE

Remember during the campaign when every REPUBLICAN official and TALK SHOW HOST talked about how weak and tepid the economy was? Well it turned out that they were telling the REPUBLICAN LIES.
Quinnipiac also reports that people think the job growth is not the President’s but comes from the previous President. A total of 52 percent of voters say the American economy is "excellent" or "good," while 45 percent say it is "not so good" or "poor." Former President Barack Obama is more responsible than President Trump for the current state of the economy, voters say 66 - 18 percent, including 64 - 26 percent among Republicans. 

THE PEPSI AD

Pepsi put an ad up the other day that was widely touted as a feel good people ad. But it pleased no one. The ad featured Kendell Jenner and was a type of global outreach message. People in charge of the ad had tame protesters marching and in the final scene Jenner is handing a Pepsi to a policeman.
The Black Lives Matter group and others who have taken to the streets were not pleased because the message conveyed just the reverse of what the movement has been promoting.
Pepsi pulled the ad and apologized.
Here’s the ad, you be the judge.

THE GRIM REAPER IN CHARGE OF HEALTH CARE

Steve Bannon (Photo: Breitbart)

Steve Bannon was bumped off the National Security Council this week because of his boss’s pique at a two month old Saturday Night Live skit. There is also news Bannon will be put in charge of Health Care. Now keep in mind The New York Times reports that Bannon kept on pushing President Donald Trump to pressure the health care vote to move forward so that an “enemies list” could be compiled of all those who voted against the measure.
Yep that’s going to help.
There are reports that Bannon has been infighting with Trump son in law Jared Kushner. Most should tread quietly around Kushner, remember what happened to Chris Christie!

CASEY’S TOWN MEETING

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: Johnson City Press)

A few words about Senator Bob Casey’s Town Meeting in Scranton last week. It was well attended and he answered questions head on. Some people were yucking it up at Casey’s expense because he is not the most exciting knife in the political drawer. But at least he did the following:
1. Showed up.
2. Answered the questions.
3. Presented ideas that would further the goals in the lives of middle class Pennsylvanians.
Casey is a good Senator and has taken his fair share of criticism from both the left and right. He will have opposition in 2018. As a matter of fact my political analyst colleague at WBRE Atty. Chris Cullen outlined shortly after the 2016 election that Congressman Pat Meehan had a huge war chest and would challenge Casey. That will be quite the battle but one thing people must remember about Bob Casey. He will always have the guts to face his constituents.
Plus there will be no fee like Pat Toomey charged for his crony town meeting with corporate heads.
Oh and there were snarks from right wing callers to Talk Radio who said, “Jeez, I heard people were called to come”. Yeah people get invited. It’s not a big deal.
He showed up.
Democrats do.
REPUBLICANS who have no record to defend, Toomey, Barletta, Marino: DON’T. And WON'T!

CASEY FOR PRESIDENT?

I saw the article about a question that was posed to Casey about running for President. It was even on Page one of the Voice. People seem to think Pennsylvania needs a President. Let’s get Casey back to D.C. so he could deal with the President we have now! First things first.

CARTWRIGHT, CANTWELL INTRODUCE BILL TO REFORM RISKY BUSINESS PRACTICES IN THE COAL INDUSTRY

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

Congressman Matt Cartwright  and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) along with colleagues in both the House and the Senate, introduced the Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act. The bill would protect taxpayers from liabilities caused by coal companies’ risky financial practices.
Current law requires coal companies to ensure that they can cover the cost of reclamation – that is, rehabilitating land after coal-mining operations on it have stopped. But the law allows the Interior Department and state agencies to accept performance bonds for this cleanup work from coal mining companies without separate surety, known as “self-bonds.” These self-bonds are a significant financial liability to state and federal taxpayers. As dozens of coal companies have declared bankruptcy in the past two years, the financial risk to taxpayers posed by self-bonding has become apparent.
“This bill prohibits coal companies from pushing their financial responsibilities to taxpayers,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Coal companies which once seemed financially secure are declaring bankruptcy, forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for clean-up costs totaling billions of dollars. Ending self-bonding nationwide is imperative to protect hard-working Americans.”
"As coal companies emerge from bankruptcy, we should act now to avoid the mistakes of the past,” said Sen. Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "That means coal companies need to set aside real resources for cleanup, not so-called 'self-bonds' that risk taxpayer dollars to clean up the mess these companies can leave behind.”
Current law, however, does not require the acceptance of these bonds. In fact, some states do not allow their use, including Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana and Virginia.
This bill would prohibit any new self-bonds for coal reclamation. The bill would also phase out existing self-bonds when their 5-year operating permits come up for renewal under current law.
The House bill was introduced with the support of 27 cosponsors. The Senate introduction was also led by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).
“Under the current system, coal companies can file for bankruptcy and avoid paying to clean up the public health and environmental hazards they created. That’s not right,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “This legislation would ensure coal companies have assets available to pay for cleaning up their messes. Taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill.”
“Taxpayers should not have to bear the burden of coal mining companies’ irresponsible financial practices,” said Sen. Durbin.“These measures strengthen bond requirements to successfully hold the industry accountable for reclamation.”
This legislation bill also requires the Interior Department to issue a rule within a year of enactment to minimize the financial liability of the government by tightening requirements for sureties.
Lastly, the bill adjusts rules for posting collateral by prohibiting coal companies from posting coal assets (including coal, mines and processing facilities) as collateral. The bill also authorizes the Interior Department to require the inclusion of coal executives’ salaries and bonuses as collateral.
“If a coal company digs up the land and extracts its minerals, there should always be solid guarantees that it can pay to repair whatever long-term damage its caused, and not lean on taxpayers to fulfill its responsibilities. Eliminating self bonding is about basic fairness. It's time to accept reality and eliminate the self-bonding loophole and protect taxpayers from having to bail out coal companies,” said Dalal Aboulhosn, Deputy Legislative Director for Land and Water for the Sierra Club.
“As Peabody Energy’s recent reorganization shows, the era of allowing coal mining companies to self-bond environmental clean-up responsibilities needs to come to an end,” said Margrethe Kearney, Senior Attorney with the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “This legislation ensures coal mining companies don’t put taxpayers back on the hook.”
“During coal company bankruptcies, state regulators made it clear they cannot be trusted to implement self-bonding strictly enough to protect taxpayers and ensure reclamation will be completed. Even though Arch, Contura, Peabody and Cloud Peak are all replacing their self-bonds for now, they have stated their intent to again use self-bonding in the future, if allowed by the states. Weaker coal markets both incentivize self-bonding and render it more dangerous to the public interest. Market volatility is projected to increase in the future, so now is the right time to end self-bonding nationwide once and for all,” said Bob LeResche, Powder River Basin Resource Council Chair and Western Organization of Resource Councils Board Member.
To protect taxpayers from footing the bill for coal companies, the bill sets a financial liability standard for alternative bonding programs. The provision limits the Interior Department’s ability to approve alternative state programs to those that “result no greater risk of financial liability” to the government than a standard surety or corporate bond program.
Supporting organizations: Supporting Organizations: 350 Colorado, Appalachian Community Health Emergency, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico, Bear Creek Council, Californians for Western Wilderness, Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues, Canton Lake & Its Watershed, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens Against Longwall Mining, Citizens Coal Council Clean Energy Action, Clean Water Alliance, Coal River Mountain Watch, Committee for Constitutional and Environmental Justice, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Earthjustice , Earthworks, EcoFlight, Environmental Law and Policy Center , Friends of the Cheat, Gila Resources Information Project, Great Old Broads For Wilderness, Boise Chapter, Greenpeace USA, Idaho Conservation League, Information Network for Responsible Mining, Kanawha Forest Coalition, Kentucky Resources Council, League of Conservation Voters, Mountain Watershed Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, New Mexico Environmental Law Center, New Mexico Sportsmen, NextGen Climate, Northern Plains Resource Council, Ohio Valley, Environmental Coalition, Okanogan Highlands Alliance , PennFuture, Powder River Basin Resource Council, Prairie Rivers Network, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, Save Our Sky Blue Waters, Sierra Club, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Stand Up To Coal, The Lands Council , The Wilderness Society, Uranium Watch, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Western Colorado Congress, Western Organization of Resource Councils, Wild Earth Guardians

MEDIA MATTERS

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Trump and O'Reilly (Photo: Fox News)

Donald Trump has come out and supported Bill O’Reilly the Fox TV Host who has been besieged by sexual assault allegatio.sn by a number of women he worked with. Trump said O’Reilly should not have settled.
Meantime 35 American businesses ranging from "BMW "to "Ready Whip" have dropped advertising on The O’Reilly Factor. Yep, I’m sure both compared their war stories on how they groped the ladies!  
Let's remember this, here's what Trump thinks, O'Reilly good, Susan Rice a criminal.

THE IRREGULARS THINK TANK BREAKFAST

Coroner Tim Rowland (Photo: Irregulars)

The Irregulars Think Tank Breakfast will be held in Ballroom A on the second floor of The Irem Clubhouse at Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas this Saturday, April 8. Presenter will be Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy D. Rowland. In his presentation, Trends in Death in the Coroner’s Office, Rowland will address the numbers of deaths in Lackawanna County by natural causes, suicides, homicides and drugs. He will focus primarily on the horror of deaths by opiates. Attendees will also be able to learn more about the duties and responsibilities of a Coroner. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and buffet-style breakfast is served at 9:00 a.m. Breakfast is over when the last person walks out the door. Cost is $11 per person and we ask that you reply now whether, or not, you will be attending.
Trends in Death in the Coroner’s Office – Being Coroner requires good judgment and the ability to completely understand every possible extenuating circumstance surrounding an unexpected death, and to conclude with the highest degree of certainty, the cause and manner of death for those unfortunate whom the Coroner represents. It is the coroner’s responsibility to be the voice for those who have lost theirs and to insure that the deceased are treated with honor, respect and dignity.
In 2016, the average number of days between fatal overdoses in Lackawanna County was three (3) and seventy-five percent (75%) of heroin addicts began with prescription opioids. The Lackawanna County Drug Task Force made four hundred eighty-eight (488) arrests from January to December 2016.
Deaths By Opiates – Opioid deaths in Lackawanna County more than doubled in 2016. Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin as well as powerful prescription painkillers. Prescription opioids can be effective for pain management when used for a short amount of time. However, extended use can be ineffective and over time can actually create problems, including addiction. Prescription painkillers are often a gateway to heroin. And like heroin, they can lead to fatal overdose. “Opioids can slow or stop a person’s breathing, which causes death,” said Coroner Rowland. “An overdose death may happen hours after taking drugs.”
Coroner Rowland points out that people don’t choose to become afflicted with the disease of addiction. But they can choose to get help. It’s available now more than ever. There are resources for everyone affected …families, friends, neighbors, employers, co-workers.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine.
Brian Hughes speaks with Greg & Theo Zayac about the 3rd Annual "Jog for Jude". in honor of their son, who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, coming up on Sunday April 23 at the Dunmore Community Center.
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Shannon Pedudo from the Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center about their 3rd Annual Gala, coming up on Saturday April 29th at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and Frankie speaks with Jill McGlynn from Cross Valley FCU anout the Northeast Pa. Heart Walk, also on Saturday April 29th at PNC Field in Moosic.
Brian speaks with Dr. Edward Fox and Raquel Martinez about new treatment options for persons dealing with Multiple Sclerosis.
And an encore of Brian's interview with Dr. Jade Miller about children's dental issues.
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.

ECTV

ECTV Live hosts Rusty Fender and David DeCosmo along with Director Mark Migilore welcome Tom Morekin to the program during the week of April 10th to unveil plans for this year's Tour de Scranton, a series of bike rides to the Electric City.

ECTV Live is seen three times daily on Comcast Channel 19 (61 in some areas). ECTV Live is hosted by David DeCosmo and Rusty Fender and is Directed by Mark Migilore.

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest will be PennDOT spokesman James May. Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA 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. The show will run Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. on WILK, and on KRZ, Froggy and Max 102 early Sunday morning.

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 he heartwarming comments on the issues of the day on Webster and Nancy with Karel Zubris.

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!

Bobby's show is back again live this Sunday @6PM on The River.

1977

Our 1977 logo

Attempt for Muslim state in Chad fails…. NFL decides to experiment with a 7th official in some preseason games….. Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks.

Mont Canadiens set NHL record of 34 straight home games without a loss…Boston Bruin Jean Ratelle scores his 1,000th NHL point….Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's 1st meeting with US President Jimmy Carter…… Netherlands/Belgium/Luxembourg adopt summer time….. US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site….. Judge rules Beatles 1962 Hamburg album can be released…..Kingdome opens, Seattle Mariners 1st game, loses to Angels 7-0….. Consumer Product Safety Commission bans "TRIS" flame-retardant…… Toronto Blues Jays 1st game, they beat Chicago 9-5…in Pennsylvania Governor Shapp says he will try to work with GOP Legislators to try to carve out a workable budget…..in Wilkes Barre Mayor Walter Lisman continues the work with the Redevelopment Authority in recreating Public Square after the ’72 flood and forty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Rich Girl” by Hall & Oates.