The LuLac Edition #3610, October 8th, 2017

BLOGFEST SATURDAY THE 14th

Northeastern Pennsylvania Bloggers will be hosting the semi-annual Blogfest on October 14 at The River Grille, 670 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 starting at 5PM. This is an informal gathering of bloggers, candidates for office, elected officials and anyone interested in politics or blogging. Additionally, NEPA BlogCon organizers and attendees will join in the festivities at the conclusion of their conference. There is no charge for admission.
Since its inception, Blogfest has been described as the best non-political political event of the season. No speeches are allowed and the rule is agree to disagree but don't be disagreeable. Many local and statewide candidates will be attending.

For additional information visit these websites:

http://nepablogs.org/

http://nepablogcon.com/

http://gort42.blogspot.com/

http://lulacpoliticaletter.blogspot.com/

NEPA Blogfest 2017 Fall Edition

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2017

Time: 5-10pm

Venue: River Grille

670 North River Street

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

PENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYERS CYBER COALITION

WILL HOLD MEETING THIS WEEK

Our friend Charles Urban sent information about a very important meeting affecting homeowners in local school districts.
Luzerne County Property Owners, a member organization of a coalition of 87 grassroots Pennsylvania Taxpayers groups for elimination of school property taxes, will hold a meeting on Wednesday, October 11th at 7PM at the Swoyersville American Legion, Shoemaker Ave, Swoyersville .
Pa. State Representative Aaron Kaufer will speak and give an update about HB 1285, a Constitutional Amendment that will come up for a vote on November 7.
If this measure passes and the Constitution is amended it will permit the General Assembly to enact legislation authorizing local taxing authorities - counties, municipalities, and schools - to eliminate from property taxation any amount UP TO 100% of the assessed value of each homestead property within a local taxing jurisdiction, but not necessarily complete elimination. Full details will be explained.
All property owners are asked to attend.

REPUBLICANS IN STATE TRY TO ADJUST  MEDICAID

LAWMAKERS IN HARRISBURG VOTE TO MAKE HARMFUL CHANGES TO MEDICAID

PHAN APPLAUDS GOVERNOR WOLF'S DECISION TO VETO THE BILL

The REPUBLICAN controlled House and Senate can’t pass a budget but they can sure try to screw those less fortunate than their big money, little action policies. Governor Wolf said he would veto the changes and the Pennsylvania Health Action Network weighed in.
House Republicans yesterday voted to approve HB 59, a bill that would force Pennsylvanians to jump through additional hoops in order to keep their Medicaid coverage. Antoinette Kraus, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network released the following statement applauding Governor Tom Wolf for his promise to veto this Bill:
"If it became law, the bill that was passed by state lawmakers in Harrisburg yesterday would make it harder for working families, older adults, people with chronic health conditions, and people suffering from substance use disorders to keep and use their coverage. It would also waste already-limited state resources on expanding state bureaucracy. Pennsylvanians don't need more hoops to jump through to get and stay covered; they need Medicaid to stay healthy so they can work, care for loved ones, and attend school.
Beyond creating additional administrative hurdles for Pennsylvanians seeking to access care, the bill would fast track cuts to benefits that could include: dental care, hospice care, physical and occupational therapy, clinic-based mental and behavioral health care, and more. These benefits are covered for a reason: they keep people healthy and allow them to live independently. Cutting these benefits and making it harder for people battling substance use disorders to keep their coverage is especially irresponsible as Pennsylvania attempts to address the worst opioid crisis it has ever faced.
If the goal is to keep Pennsylvanians healthy and working, this Bill does the opposite. We applaud Governor Wolf for his promise to veto this harmful bill and for recognizing that any legislation that would waste state Medicaid dollars or create new hoops for families to jump through to keep their health care would hurt Pennsylvania."
BACKGROUND:
Some members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives used amendments to hijack an adoption bill (HB59) and propose harmful changes to Medical Assistance that would cut benefits and reduce enrollment in the program. This amended version of HB59 was further amended and passed by the Senate in July and then returned to the House, where it passed yesterday by a margin of 116-78.
A coalition of 173 Pennsylvania-based organizations signed on to a letter opposing the Bill. The letter is available here.
HB59 would weaken Medicaid by: 1) imposing new bureaucratic work requirements for non-disabled, non-elderly, non-pregnant adults (but not exempting people with serious conditions like cancer or MS, or those in active drug and alcohol treatment or those who are homeless); 2) fast-tracking cuts to “non-essential” benefits, like dental, vision, mental health and behavioral health clinic based services, and hospice care; and 3) paving the way for additional cuts in the future.
Fifty eight percent of Medicaid Expansion enrollees are already working, and 3 in 4 have at least one full-time worker in the home, so adding new work requirements is simply a way to reduce enrollment by tripping people up with new layers of red tape. These changes will result in people losing the benefits and care that keeps them healthy enough to work.

MEDIA MATTERS

WORDS MATTER

Well Wilkes Barre made national news in connection with the horrible Las Vegas shootings. A vegan food truck owner posted on FB about the tragedy. "Yes, I am jaded. Fifty-nine meat eaters dead. How many animals will live because of this?"
She was of course referring to those killed in the massacre at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas Sunday night. A few things.
1. She made a blanket statement about all of them. What if there were vegans in that group?
2. She clarified and made an apology but the genie was out of the bottle.
People are passionate, I get that,  but before anyone, a business owner, whomever, issues something in connection to that tragedy, one must be very careful. Unlike the CBS Vice President who was sent packing, there was just no room to defend or clarify.
The CBS veep opened her statement with an assertion that if the killing of babies could not move souls to enact gun control, then maybe nothing would. Her mistake, like the vegan food truck owner, was in saying that all of those dead were most likely c&w fans and deserved what they got. Both were blanket indictments of a life style on those killed. The Vegan truck owner left to no room for doubt in her statement, the CBS Veep should have stopped after her reference to Sandy Hook.
The food truck owner has said her business is gone, her son said people ruined their life. No, careless words did that. Her apology, in my view was sincere and heartfelt. That was well and good, but in this time of 24/7 news, with media outlets grabbing any morsel they can. Wilkes Barre as well as Northeastern Pennsylvania is no longer a little enclave where "it's just us". The world through social media has their radar set on everybody. Poster beware should be the rule of the day before you hit that send button. 

LOCAL BASEBALL HERITAGE AND THE TRIBE ON PA LIVE

We had the opportunity to be on Pa Live Friday afternoon with Dave Kuharchik and the very delightful Haley Bianco. Here’s that video.