The LuLac Edition #3694, Janury 11th, 2018

OPRAH FOR PRESIDENT?

(Photo: Newsweek)

A few thoughts on this Oprah for President boom-let. It of course happened after the former TV Talk Show host gave a resounding speech at The Golden Globes regarding women and equality and how things have started to change.
Many Democrats are waxing poetic about how she might be the perfect anecdote to a Donald Trump re-election. To them I respond with one word: WHOA!
Or Stop.
First off Winfrey is certainly someone we can all look up to. She has inspired millions with her story. Many women in broadcasting and media owe their success to her in part because as a trailblazer, she made success possible for other women with talent and smarts.
That said, the last thing America needs is another celebrity or “cool” President. It is true that we are media obsessed in this country and if she does run you can count on a chunk of support that will, like Trump’s devotees go down swinging with her. But she has no government experience. No world view. No skills in terms of running the biggest operation on the planet.
This “cool” celebrity craze started with Barack Obama. Obama won his office by talking about Hope and Change but when push came to shove he was unable to work the innards of government negotiation with any true, measurable success. He might have done better if he had used the power he had and sent a flurry of legislation through when he had the numbers. But Mr. Cool didn’t want to offend and naively thought he could win over the opposition.
On Obama and Winfrey. Does anyone really think Oprah could unite America? My God the GOP/Conservative attack machine will do to her what they did to Obama and Hillary. To that base, Winfrey gives them a two for to hate, an African American and a woman. Obama and Hillary were not the best President and candidate to come down the pike. I say that objectively as one who voted for them. But they weren’t the worst either. Her candidacy, if it happens will divide us even more.
I am not anti black, anti woman, anti success, anti change from the administration we have right now. If Winfrey were to win, she would certainly be more inclusive and strategic in her skills as leader of the free world. But she would bring to the table the same level of experience Donald Trump had in government: ZERO.
We Americans are very picky about what we choose, what we buy. If a cookie is broken in a box of Oreo s we buy, we’re immediately sending an e mail to Nabisco doing our best Frank Costanza imitation and spouting our grievances.
When we opt for surgery, we want the most qualified to cut into our skulls, chests, knees, hips. When Doctor Krywicki did my hip surgery,. I didn’t care if he was nice enough to have a beer with, hell I don’t even know to this day if he drinks beer! All I wanted to know was if the surgery was going to be a success. 
It is astounding to me that we as Americans being so picky about things both great and small want to turn over our government,  AGAIN, to someone with little or no experience.
Ever since 2000 when George W. Bush got elected, this is the sum experience we got when WE THE PEOPLE elected a President.
Bush: 6 years Governor of Texas.
Obama: 4 years Senator.
Trump: 0 years experience in government.
Winfrey? 0.
Prior to 2000, from 1960 through then, over a 4 decade period, there was a collective 111 years of experience. Interesting that we did not become "divided" or a 51-49% body politic until then. 
In 17 years, 3 Presidents, 10 years of government vs. 111 prior to that. 
I’m one who will tell you (stealing a line from the New York Post here) 
OPRAH NOPRAH!

CIAVARELLA GETS SOME COUNTS DROPPED

Headline from back in the day when Ciavarella was convicted. (Citizen's Voice)

It appears convicted Judge Mark Ciavarella is doing more than jumping jacks in his term in prison. Ciavarella has maintained that the statue of limitations had run out on three charges he was convicted of. Keep in mind that he was convicted on 12 of 39 counts in his 2001 trial.
The opinion on Monday centered on counts of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ciavarella’s appellate attorney, Jennifer P. Wilson, of Duncannon, argued his trial attorneys should have pursued a statute of limitations defense on those charges.
During a hearing in September, Wilson noted the jury’s verdict slip showed jurors found that Ciavarella violated federal law by accepting $1.6 million in kickbacks in January 2003, but that he did not violate the law regarding a $1 million payment in July 2005 and another $150,000 payment in February 2006.
As a result, Ciavarella should not have been convicted on those three counts because the only transaction that jurors found was illegal took place more than five years before the indictment came down in September 2009, she maintained.
Ciavarella’s trial attorneys William Ruzzo, of Kingston, and former Luzerne County public defender Al Flora Jr. freely admitted they had no reason for failing to raise a statute of limitations defense and said they should have done so.
Conner opined Monday that the failure to seek a statute of limitations instruction “may have altered the outcome of these proceedings.” The judge granted Ciavarella a new trial on the three counts, but rejected the former judge’s effort to have additional convictions on charges of honest services mail fraud overturned.
Ciavarella is six years into a 28-year prison sentence that he is serving at Federal Correctional Institution-Ashland in Kentucky.
If he gets another hearing, this will certainly re-open a case that and verdict that's been debated for years. Ciaverella warned young people that he would lock them up. Was there an abuse of power? Most definitely, but Ciavarella, defiant since the charges hit will not go down swinging.
(Source: Citizen's Voice, LuLac)

LULAC REPLAY

This is a video from WYOU TV Interactive News on how this whole thing started.  

JOE PETERS GOING AFTER SEAT IN THE 11TH

11th Congressional GOP candidate Joe Peters (Photo: Lulac archives)

Our good friend Joe Peters is in the race for the GOP nomination for Congress in the 11th Congressional District. The seat is now being held by Lou Barletta who is making a run against Bob Casey this year for the U.S. Senate.
Peters has an impressive resume. He has actually worked in a functional White House, been a street policeman, Political commentator and has a fine political lineage. I like to refer to Peters as a reasonable Republican.
Peters is up against millionaire Dan Meuser who lost a run for Congress in the 10th against Chris Hackett. 
It should be remember that Hackettt won that primary back in 2008 and even though Meueser is personable, handsome (looks like someone out of central casting) and has a lot of money, plus the GOP establishment, never count a guy like Peters out.

SCOTT WAGNER ON TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS 

GOP candidate for Governor Scott Wagner (Photo: Wagner for Governor website)

In an intriguing post on his website, GOP candidate for Governor Scott Wagner made a pretty potent observation. He essentially called out Education Associations for caring more about power and not children. And to boot, he quoted one of their own. Take a gander at this:

Power, Not Children

“IT IS NOT BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT CHILDREN, AND IT IS NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE A VISION OF A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR EVERY CHILD. NEA AND ITS AFFILIATES ARE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE WE HAVE POWER.”

These were sad and shocking admissions made by Bob Chanin, a leader of the National Education Association, an organization of which the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) is a member and significant funder.
I think it’s time Pennsylvanians have a serious conversation about the PSEA.
Protecting power — not kids, teachers and taxpayers — is what drives the PSEA. And the PSEA is Tom Wolf’s largest union funder.
Worse yet, in Pennsylvania, public sector employees — like teachers — don’t get to choose whether or not they pay dues. Dues are taken from their paychecks and sent to the unions — like the PSEA — whether teachers like it or not.
This method of collecting union dues has made the PSEA very, very powerful.
And I’ve seen firsthand how the PSEA uses teachers’ dues against them, and against students and taxpayers. They block every effort that would benefit these stakeholders — like solving the pension crisis so that money can actually go to the classroom, and eliminating school property taxes so hardworking people can keep their homes.
Add your name if you agree that we need to reign in the public sector unions.
Back in February, the Pennsylvania State Senate passed a bill that would stop the PSEA from collecting involuntary dues, and curb their ability to block what’s good for stakeholders. Senate Bill 166 (Paycheck Protection) passed with a vote of 28 (Y) to 22 (N), and upon passage was sent to the House for a vote. This past week, however, the State House defeated the bill by a vote of 102 (no) to 90 (yes).
The PSEA doesn’t like me much — and I’m not particularly fond of the way they work against teachers, students and taxpayers — but make no mistake. When I’m governor, changing this power dynamic will be a top priority of my administration.
Unlike Bob Chanin and the PSEA, as the governor of Pennsylvania, I will be representing children, teachers and taxpayers from day one, because for me, it is about children, and it is about having a great public school for every child, every teacher and every taxpayer.

CARTWRIGHT, ROSKAM INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO INCREASE COLLEGE TUITION TRANSPARENCY

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright  and Peter Roskam  of Illinois recently introduced bipartisan legislation to help students and families plan for the increasing costs of higher education. The bipartisan Truth-In-Tuition Act (H.R. 4715) would require universities and colleges to provide a four-year price model for students and parents.
Tuition and fees at four-year universities has increased over two and a half times the inflation rate, making a college degree less affordable than ever. After adjusting for inflation, prices for tuition, fees, and room and board rose 33% and 26% respectively at public and private nonprofit universities from 2005 to 2015.
The Truth-In-Tuition Act would require schools to present each incoming class with a multi-year tuition and fee schedule or give each student a non-binding estimate of what their education will cost them individually. There are no price caps or tuition freezes, and schools are still free to determine tuition rates.
“Skyrocketing college tuition costs limit opportunity and place many students and their families in serious debt,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Without having the full picture of college costs, students and their families are forced to take on more student loan debt than they originally anticipated. This bipartisan bill will help create a clear path forward so that unforeseen costs don’t inhibit students’ ability to achieve their education goals.”
“A college education is a key factor in an individual’s future success and unpredictable costs should not make this an unattainable goal. Colleges and universities that rely on federal dollars owe it to students and families to provide truth in tuition,” said Rep. Roskam. “Making this process more transparent gives families the peace-of-mind to better plan for college and relieves some of the anxiety that comes along with it.”
In Illinois, public universities and colleges are already required to provide a financial roadmap. Baylor University, George Washington University, the University of Minnesota, Central Michigan University, the University of Texas-Dallas, and many more colleges have implemented this policy.
Rep. Matt Cartwright represents Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District, which includes Schuylkill County and portions of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, and Northampton Counties. Cartwright serves on the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest is Bill Lazor, CPA, discussing tax preparation.Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV LIVE

2018 is expected to be a busy year for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation with some major construction projects and the use of new technology. James May from Penndot's District staff joins ECTV Live hosts Rusty Fender, David DeCosmo, and Director Mark Migilore to talk about what's happening and what's about to happen in the months ahead. The program airs the week of January 15th. Penndot's Mike Taluto was on hand for the program as well.

 ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) and is aired during the Noon, 6pm and Midnight hours each day of the week. Following Monday's Live program the show will become available on Electric City Television's YouTube channel which can be viewed on your computer.

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!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1960

Our 1960 logo

British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan makes the Wind of Change (speech) speech for the first time. The Labour government of 1945–51 had started a process of decolonization, but this policy had been halted by the Conservative governments from 1951 onwards. The speech acquired its name from a quotation embedded in it when he gave it in Capetown, South Africa. Macmillan said:
"The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact."

The first televised anime, Three Tales, debuts on NHK…..in the Commonwealth Senator Joe Clark is mum on who he will support for the Democratic nomination for President. Clark says that with three Senators in contention, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey that there is an embarrassment of riches in his party….in Scranton Mayor James Hanlon says the state of the city is good and fifty eight years ago the number one song in LuLac land was “El Paso” by Marty Robbins.