The LuLac Edition #3724, March 8th, 2018

TRUMP SIGNS RESOLUTION TO PERMIT DUMPING MINING WASTE INTO WATERWAYS

The resolution, signed February 16, reversed an Obama-era rule aimed at blocking coal-mining operations from dumping waste into nearby waterways. The changes would provide companies with annual compliance cost savings of up to $100 million, but environmentalists warn that doing away with the regulations risks poisoning clean drinking water for millions of Americans and pollute already-endangered ecosystems.
The changes would extend how long the over 400 coal-fired power plants across the country can maintain unlined coal ash ponds and allow states to determine how frequently they would test disposal sites for groundwater contamination.
I wonder if all the miners who gave their lives, some whose bodies wound up on their front porches because they were no longer a value to the company as well as many others who died prematurely (like Mrs. LuLac’s father at age 59) would think this was a good idea. It is bad enough that most anti pollution regulations are pulled back, now safe drinking  water is at risk.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

Texas has been red since Lloyd Bensten ran for Vice president with Michael Dukakis. But Tuesday night the Democratic women candidates had a good night.
As a matter of fact, some people are calling it downright historic.
Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia won their primary elections outright. Texas has never sent a Latina to Congress, and they could both be the first.
The other candidates — Gina Ortiz Jones, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, and Lillian Salerno — are advancing to run-off elections on May 22nd. Their races are top opportunities to turn red House seats blue, and  these women are the right candidates to defeat Republicans.
Now to be clear, these are only primaries BUT Democrats are energized in the Lone Star state. You might see a big change coming in the fall that might portend bad things for Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott.

JERRY BROWN’S LEGACY: A $6.1 BILLION BUDGET SURPLUS IN CALIFORNIA

Outgoing Governor Jerry Brown (Photo: Sacramento Bee) 

All the right wing Facebook trolls have been castigating Governor Jerry Brown for years now over the horrible economy, sanctuary cities and all things California. But no less an authority than The Wall Street Journal has given Brown credit for leaving office with a surplus.
Funny how it was Bill Clinton who left the country with a surplus as well as Brown, one a centrist and the other a Liberal, who were attacked by Conservative Republicans. Those GOPers  have blown up the deficit under Reagan, Bush 43 and now Trump.
Brown appears poised to exit office next year with a top political priority in hand: free from the massive budget deficits that had weighed on his predecessors.
Buoyed by tax increases passed under his administration and a strong economy, Brown said Wednesday that the state is projecting a $6.1 billion surplus for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Brown, unlike this President will be leaving his successor room to work fiscally. (Wall Street Journal, LuLac) 

WAGNER/MANGO SPAR ON PROPERTY TAX BILL.........

SCOTT WAGNER ON PROPERTY TAXES: “I’M THE GUY THAT CAN GET IT DONE”

CRITICIZES WHAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CALLED MANGO’S “ABOUT-FACE ON AN ISSUE IMPORTANT TO MANY CONSERVATIVES”

 GOP candidates for Governor Scott Wagner and Paul Mango. (Photo: tbo.com)

During a debate this week between the 2018 Republican gubernatorial candidates in Philadelphia, Paul Mango admitted that he flip-flopped on the issue of property tax elimination. Back in June Mango bashed the Senate’s plan, Senate Bill 76, but he’s since endorsed it.
As the Associated Press reported yesterday: “For Mango, that is an about-face on an issue important to many conservatives. He originally had said he favored letting local tax increases make up for evaporating property tax dollars, instead of state tax increases. He also had criticized the bill for failing to immediately eliminate school property taxes, and warned that raising the state income tax would drive higher earners from the state.” (Associated Press, 3/6/18)
Today, on the very same radio show where Mango outlined his opposition to Senate Bill 76, Scott Wagner, a cosponsor of the legislation, pointed out that he is the only candidate in the race who can be trusted to eliminate property taxes.
In an interview with WILK’s Sue Henry Wagner said:
“Well if you remember last year you had Paul on your show and you asked him a question about property taxes and then he came back and said that he didn’t think Senate Bill 76 was really the answer and then you pinned him down. But now he’s flip-flopped, and he’s now - 76 is okay now because he’s talked to Senator Argall and he thinks it’s going to work. I don’t know whether it’s Paul the flipper, flippin’ Paul, lyin’ Paul, I don’t know what it is. But he’s taking direction from his political consultants, they say listen, Paul, you got to say this if you want to get elected. Listen, the bottom line is property taxes are huge in Pennsylvania. You know it, you have a lot of people on your show that talk about it, I’m the guy that can get it done.” (Interview with Sue Henry, 3/7/18)
In addition to flip-flopping on property tax elimination, Mango also lied about why he changed his mind on the issue. At yesterday’s debate Mango said:
“When I spoke to Sue Henry I had questions about SB 76. I was concerned about all that money routed through Harrisburg and whether it was ever going to get back to the school districts. You know what I did, I talked to Senator Argall, the author of that bill, I talked to others who had input into that bill, and they gave me comfort that that would be the case. And once they gave me comfort I acknowledged that SB 76 would be just a fine way to do that.” (Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Debate, 3/6/18)
In his interview with Sue Henry in June, “money routed through Harrisburg” was not one of his concerns. In fact, he had a whole host of others. Mango said:
“SB 76 actually increases personal income tax rates by 60 percent. We from 3 percent to 5 percent. It increases sales taxes by a significant amount. And my fear is what’s happened in Connecticut and what’s happened in Maryland and other states that have increased their personal income tax. You know what’s happened there? All the high income earners have left the state. So my fear is if we take property taxes and do nothing other than convert those into income taxes we are going to wind up losing a lot of high income wage earners and then we are going to have a bigger budget whole than we have now. And let me just let you in on the dirty little secret about property taxes and SB 76, I’ve talked to seven school superintendents, and they say 98 percent of the school districts in PA will still have property taxes if that law is passed. And the reason is, and it’s a little bit technical, but they still have the ability in that law to recoup their capital expenditures – expanding schools, new schools in the property tax even after that thing is passed. So we are going to wind up with residual property taxes, a higher state income tax, we’re going to loose a lot of our high income earners, we’re going to have less revenue than we have today, we’re still going to have property taxes and we are going to be in a deeper hole.” (Interview with WILK’s Sue Henry, 6/16/17)
Therefore, some questions should be asked to Mango - Does he still believe SB 76 will drive high wage earners out of Pennsylvania? Does he still believe that 98 percent of school districts will have to pay taxes if the legislation passes? Does he still believe it will leave us in a deeper hole?
The bottom line here is there are TWO Republican candidates that are in full support of this. I pretty much don’t care who was first, who changed their mind on this or when, there are many of us who are happy that the top of the ticket wants this, or a portion thereof enacted. (LuLac, Wagner campaign)

PROPERTY TAX REFORM ON THE MOVE

Our friend Charlie Urban is circulating information on candidate who will vote for House Bill 76. Here’s his information:
Election is coming and we have incumbents and 3 new candidates that are running for office against these non supporter of HB/SB 76.
New Candidates: VOTE FOR
Senate: Frank Savo for senate 22nd district Luzerne , Lackawanna, Monroe County vs Senator John Blake
Representative: Anthony Bartoli 118th district Luzerne , Lackawanna County vs, Mike Carroll
Representative Gregory Wolovich Jr. 12st district Luzerne County vs Eddie Day Pashinski
Sen. John Blake, Rep. Mike Carroll. Eddie Day Pashinski do not support HB/SB 76
As members of the PTCC Captaxes4 Luzerne Country Property Owners, Mountaintop on the Move , Wilkes Barre Area Taxpayers Coalition do not vote for these men. Sen. John Blake, Rep. Mike Carrroll. Rep Eddie Day Pashinski and spread the word to your members and friends.
The Luzerne County Property Owners, Charles Urban. Captaxes 4 Grace Griffiths, Wilkes Barre area Taxpayers Association Audrey Biscontini Founder is endorsing these incumbents and new candidate's that support 76
Incumbents : VOTE FOR
Senate John Yudichak 14th district , Carbon, Luzerne County
Senate Lisa Baker 20th district Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming County
Rep. Tara Toohil 116th district Luzerne Couinty
Rep Gerald Mullery 119th district Luzerne County
Rep. Karen Boback 117th district Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming County
Rep. Aaron Kaufer 120th district Luzerne County
Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich 114th district, Lackawanna County
Rep Marty Flynn 113th district Lackawanna County.
Here's that link from the Citizen's Voice: http://citizensvoice.com/news/legislators-to-introduce-bill-to

PA PRO-LIFE FEDERATION RATES JEFF BARTOS "PRO-LIFE"

Jeff Bartos, candidate for Lt. Governor (Photo:  PoliticsPa)

Jeff Bartos, the endorsed Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor, has been rated "Pro-Life" by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the largest organization in the Commonwealth focused solely on the right to life since 1979.
“I’m honored to have been rated 'pro-life' by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation as I work to bring our shared values to Harrisburg,” said Jeff Bartos. “Since 1979, the Federation has been a leader in defending the sanctity of life and protecting the unborn. I believe that every human life is sacred, and as Lieutenant Governor, I will staunchly defend our most vulnerable and work tirelessly to preserve and protect life.” (Pro Life Federation)

HOUSE PASSES BIPARTISAN CARTWRIGHT BILL TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Eliminating Government-funded Oil-painting (EGO) Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for portraits of government officials. U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-17) introduced the EGO Act last March.
“I am pleased that the House passed this bipartisan bill to save taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Every dollar the government spends on vanity projects for federal officials is a dollar that is not spent improving the lives of hardworking Americans. It’s just wrong to spend taxpayer dollars on portraits the public will never see.”
Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Senate companion of the bill.
“The national debt is over $20 trillion,” said Dr. Cassidy. “There’s no excuse for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on paintings of government officials.”

MEDIA MATTERS

THE 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 on Saturday, March 10. Presenter Dr. Francis J. Collini, MD will be enlightening us on the Art of Cosmetic Surgery. A very effective PowerPoint presentation covering cosmetic surgery procedures that are common in this area for both men and women will enhance Dr. Collini’s remarks. Irregulars are encouraged to bring along your spouse, friend, son, daughter or other guest since this special presentation will benefit high school and college students and their parents who are interested in a career in health care. 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. If you plan on attending, please respond to this email.

Dr. Collini, the medical director of The Renaissance Center for Plastic Surgery in Shavertown and co-founder of Community Cares for Kids, will present, "Art of Cosmetic Surgery." A plastic surgeon, Dr. Collini trained at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Prior to relocating to Pennsylvania, he worked in Beverly Hills with world-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Ellenbogen.
Dr. Collini is also well-known for his humanitarian and community service. He is the co-founder of Community Cares For Kids whose volunteer medical personnel have performed hundreds of operations on children with severe birth deformities and injuries in South America and in the United States. Since 1996, Community Cares for Kids has helped needy children in the poorest regions of third world countries, particularly those born with birth defects or suffering from post-traumatic deformities.
With Dr. Collini, a medical team has been traveling to Ecuador annually to operate on children in need of reconstructive surgery. For one week, a dedicated group of doctors and nurses provide around the clock surgery, surgical care, and necessary supplies. The volunteers expanded their humanitarian mission in 2006 to children in similar need from other parts of the world.

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest will be Paul Trama from the Lackawanna Blind Association. 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

ECTV Live hosts Rusty Fender, David DeCosmo and Director Mark Migilore welcome Bill Goldsworthy of the Red Cross to the program during the week of March 12th to review some of the agencies recent emergency response work and its needs in the months ahead.

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!”

1960

Our 1960 logo

The New Hampshire primary, first of the nominating primary elections, saw U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy win the state's Democratic Party delegates, and U.S. Vice-President Richard M. Nixon win on the Republican ticket, each with a record number of registered voters from their parties. Other major candidates had declined to participate in New Hampshire. Kennedy defeated Chicago businessman Paul Fisher, 42,969 to 6,784 and Nixon's 65,077 votes were matched by write-ins for four candidates, including 8,428 for New Hampshire Governor Wesley Powell....

NASA established an Office of Life Sciences to work on exobiology, based on Dr. Joshua Lederberg's ideas that space vehicles should be sterilized before and after their missions in order to prevent the possibility of contamination of outer space or of the Earth by microbe….During a visit to Montevideo, the President of the United States was among the people who fell victim to tear gas, used by the Uruguayan police to disperse rioting university students. Dwight D. Eisenhower and his host, newly inaugurated Uruguayan President Benito Nardone, could be seen rubbing their eyes as their motorcade passed shortly after the gas was use.. Lufthansa, the German national airline, entered the jet age with the flight of its first Boeing 707.. Pope John XXIII elevated seven bishops to the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, bringing the number of members to a record of 85......Laurean Rugambwa of Tanganyika became the first Black cardinal, while Peter Tatsuo Doi and Rufino Santos were the first cardinals from Japan and the Philippines, respectively…Lucille Ball filed for a divorce from Desi Arnaz.

Television's Lucy and Ricky had filmed their last show together three weeks earlier....

After 28 years as a nationally known radio political commentator, Walter Winchell left the airwaves, making his final broadcast on the Mutual network……The iconic image of Che Guevara 

was taken by photographer Alberto Korda, who was on assignment from the Cuban government newspaper Revolucion to cover a protest rally the day after the explosion of the freighter La Coubre. The photo attained worldwide popularity in 1968 after Korda gave a copy to Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.

Staff Sergeant Elvis Presley was honorably discharged from active service in the United States Army, nearly two years after being drafted into the service on March 24, 1958. After departing from Fort Dix in New Jersey, Presley remained in the U.S. Army reserve for four additional years until completing his military obligation……in Philadelphia Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Show has the dancing teenagers wish Elvis a hearty welcome…..and in Scranton plans are underway for the annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick’s dinner and fifty eight years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was a tune by Little Anthony and The Imperials. A little history here. On Thanksgiving Day 1971, a huge snow storm gripped NEPA. My dad was called out to work on the railroad so our dinner was delayed. The late Paul Grimes, then at WPTS was stuck at the station and called me. He asked if I’d stay on the phone with him for an hour and introduce records. For a kid dying to get in radio I was thrilled. I introduced this song and botched the pronunciation because I was nervous. After that mistake, the song just stuck in my head. I can not only pronounce it, but sing it pretty well too! From 1960, “Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop!”