Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
The LuLac Political Letter was also named Best Political Blog of the Year for 2014 by NEPA BLOGCON and most recently David Yonki was named Best Blogger of the year 2015 by the publication Diamond City.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
The LuLac Edition #4,118, July 31st, 2019
WRITE ON WEDNESDAY
Our “Write On Wednesday” logo.
This week’s Write On Wednesday comes from a local religious leader who lays out a compelling case as to why Donald Trump is bad for America. She’s right.
TRUMP HAS NOT MADE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
Editor: Until these last two years, I thought the president of the United States took an oath to uphold the Constitution. It seems I was mistaken. We all fail to live up to our profound Constitution, but we want to and we try, some more, some less, but Mr. Trump disgraces it. He has not made America great again. He has taken away our greatness, or at least he is desperately trying to take away our greatness, our goodness and our efforts to live up to our ideals. How does he manage to fool so many good people? If one studies the sociopath, they know there are three among many characteristics that are extremely dangerous to themselves and to others. They are extreme narcissism, no conscience and the ability to fool people and leave a trail of shattered, broken lives behind them. He needs our compassion and help to get help. He needs to be in a good hospital, not the Oval Office. I could not help but rubberband back to my childhood at St. Nicholas in Wilkes-Barre and I was reminded of the dear, good German Sisters who taught me. They used to tell me how they once loved Hitler and thought he was great for Germany. That is of course until the killing of 6 million Jews left them aghast. They finally saw through Hitler to their painful sorrow. I hope we Americans won’t need another example like this of man’s inhumanity to man before we wake up and see through Donald Trump. We already are seeing something akin at the border. May God have mercy on us all. We are crying down the wrath of God upon us if we allow this to happen. Our children and our children’s children deserve a better legacy. Sister Mary Eleanor Thornton, RSM WILKES-BARRE
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that as the Democratic debates continue, the party struggles for a message. I felt that the Democrats should concentrate on three things. Health Care, Infrastructure and National Stability. That involves the conduct of President Trump. The latter could be achieved by NOT mentioning his name but reminding people that he is a racist thug and totally unpredictable in policy. Anything more than that will have people tuning out. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that this President has doubled down on his racism. Wow that is something rarely seen in politics. Racist George Wallace even tried to appeal to African American voters. Racist Strom Thurmond did the same thing and became a Senator for years. The fact that Trump refuses to do so tells us two things. He is a racist deep down in his soul (by the way the search party is still looking for that) and he is using it as a political calculation to divide us. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that it is physically impossible for a pig to look at the sky. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that my Indians are regaining their form and just two games out of first in the AL Central. MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that in this day and age, a young player decided to show up Indians Manager Terry Francona the other day. The pitcher, Trevor Bauer, refused to give the chief the ball and instead hurled it into center field into the stands in a pique of anger. Now if that were Billy Martin managing, he’d most likely do a double switch and put the kid in Center field so he can throw long distance to his heart’s content. MAYBE I’M AMAZED……folklore suggests that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex, you’ll soon fall in love. Speaking of strawberries, God they are delicious especially in the summer. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that bees are born fully grown. MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that debate parties are now springing up all across America. This helps galvanize support for either a party or a candidate but I’m kind of in a Super Bowl mindset on this one. I’ve been to a few Super Bowl parties in my life but always like the privacy of my own living room to get the jist of the whole event. But hey God speed to those who like that kind of thing.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has released its long-awaited bipartisan report on election security and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. It is not pretty! Among the key findings of the report, the committee writes that "the Russian government directed extensive activity, beginning in at least 2014 and carrying into at least 2017, against U.S. election infrastructure' at the state and local level." The report is heavily redacted in some areas and stretches 67 pages long. The Senate panel, which has been investigating Russian interference for more than two years, released a summary version of its election security findings in May 2018. The panel released its redacted report one day after former special counsel Robert Mueller appeared on Capitol Hill to testify about his own 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump. The congressional document, which is the product of a bipartisan investigation led by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), recommended that officials give "renewed attention" to vulnerabilities in voting infrastructure, such as further securing voter registration databases. My feeling has always been that if the Russians can interfere in an election, at some point they can come after the power grid. And when that happens, maybe Trump fans will see what their support has wrought. (LuLac, The Hill)
REP. CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO ENSURE CLEAN WATER AND AIR
TWO BILLS WOULD CLOSE LOOPHOLES TO MAKE OIL & GAS INDUSTRIES COMPLY WITH HAZARDOUS WASTE PROTECTIONS & STANDARDS
Representative Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)
Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced two pieces of legislation to hold oil and gas industries accountable to national standards for water and air protection. The first bill, known as the CLEANER Act, will ensure oil and gas companies are responsible for cleaning up and disposing of the hazardous waste that results from their operations. Specifically, the bill would eliminate current exemptions for those industries in the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, which was enacted four decades ago to keep Americans safe from harmful pollutants. The second piece of legislation, known as the FRESHER Act, will close the loophole for oil and gas companies in the Clean Water Act, and will mandate a study on the effects of stormwater runoff from these industries’ operations. “Northeastern Pennsylvania is blessed with abundant natural resources, water streams and wildlife, and it’s important that we preserve them for future generations,” Congressman Cartwright said. “These bills will close damaging loopholes in current legislation to ensure dangerous pollutants don’t seep into our waterways and our land.” The CLEANER Act and the FRESHER Act are part of the broader ‘Frack Pack,’ a group of five environmental bills that also includes: •the BREATHE Act, introduced by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY), to prevent toxic air pollution by reversing the exemption of oil and gas exploration and production activities, •the FRAC Act, introduced by Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), to reverse exemptions for oil and natural gas industries under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the SHARED Act, introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, to require testing for water contamination near fracking sites. The Frack Pack aims to close these loopholes in order to address growing environmental concerns caused by industrial pollution. The legislation package is supported by important environmental organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, and the Endangered Species Coalition. For too long, the oil and gas industry has been free to pollute our air and water without being held accountable. The introduction of these bills is a critical step toward protecting our communities from the dangerous effects of fracking,” said Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Matthew Gravatt. “The Sierra Club applauds Rep. Cartwright and the cosponsors of these important bills for their leadership in ending the special treatment of corporate polluters.” “It’s no secret that pollutants from oil and gas operations threatens nearby water supplies, air quality, wildlife habitat and downstream national parks, including Theodore Roosevelt and Canyonlands,” said Natalie Levine, Program Manager for Park Resource Protection at the National Parks Conservation Association. “The legislation introduced by Representatives Cartwright, DeGette and others will end regulatory loopholes for fracking companies that currently threaten clean water supplies and air quality in and around our national parks.” “The oil and gas industry has benefited from special exemptions from federal regulations for decades,” said Barbara Vasquez, Oil and Gas Committee Chair at the Western Organization of Resource Councils. “Spills and waste from oil and gas production continue to damage our land, air, and water across the West. All we ask is that oil and gas play by the same rules as other American industries, and this legislation helps guide that outcome by closing an outstanding loophole and eliminating dangerous exemptions.
MEDIA MATTERS
WALN TV
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week's guest will be Dr. Candis Finan, Fiscal Recovery Coordinator for the Scranton School District. 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
Most of our area's Farmer's Markets are open now and Farmer's Market Week is coming up. Scranton boasts one of the oldest, 80 years. and is one of the only Farmer's Market Co-operatives in the state. Clay LaCoe from the Scranton Market joins ECTV Live hosts Rusty Fender, David DeCosmo, and Program Director Mark Migilorie on the show the week of July 29th to talk about the markets and this year's produce outlook. ECTV Live is seen at Noon, 6, and Midnight daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.
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!
1969
Our 1969 logo
The Apollo 11 crew splashed down in the South Pacific Ocean at 1650 UTC (5:50 in the morning local time) at a point 235 miles (378 km) south of Johnston Atoll, and was recovered at 1729 by the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. At 1758, five minutes after stepping on to the ship, the three astronauts proceeded from their ship into a "mobile quarantine facility" for 17 days as a precaution against having brought any contamination from the Moon back to Earth. U.S. President Nixon, who was en route to Asia on a state tour of several nations, greeted the astronauts on the Hornet, speaking to them from outside of the window of the "isolation van" and told them "This is the greatest week in the history of the world since the Creation. As a result of what you have done, the world has never been closer together." Two civilians were already inside the mobile quarantine van when the astronauts arrived, and would live with the astronauts during the 21-day quarantine. A physician, Dr. William Carpentier, performed diagnostic tests to verify that the three men were not infected, while a mechanical engineer, John Hirasaki, examined the lunar orbiter, which had been placed next to the quarantine container.......NASA announced that the next manned mission to the Moon, Apollo 12, would be launched on November 14. Mission commander Charles "Pete" Conrad and lunar module pilot Alan L. Bean were identified as the persons to become the third and fourth, respectively, to walk on the Moon, while Richard F. Gordon would remain in orbit in the command module. All three of the Apollo 12 astronauts were officers in the United States Navy; Conrad and Gordon both had the rank of commanders at the time, while Bean was lieutenant commander. The mission would launch, as scheduled, on November 14, 1969………One week after causing a fatal accident at Chappaquiddick Island, U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy went on television to ask his Massachusetts constituents to give him "your advice and opinion" about whether he should resign his office. The three American television networks interrupted their regular programming to broadcast the 12-minute address nationwide. Earlier in the day, Kennedy had pleaded guilty in the Dukes County, Massachusetts court to leaving the scene of an accident and was given a suspended sentence of two months in jail and one year's probation. Most Massachusetts residents sending letters and telegrams would respond that Kennedy should continue in office, which he would do until his death in 2009. Even the mother of the accident victim told reporters that she hoped that Kennedy would stay in the U.S. Senate…in Pennsylvania the two Republican Senators say that the Kennedy accident was “tragic” and locally in Luzerne County reaction is mixed regarding the incident in the bay State and fifty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder.
This week we hear from our friends, Drs. Terry Madonna and Michael Young regarding how Pennsylvania looks right now about 16 months from the General Election.
POLITICALLY UNCORRECTED
BY G. TERRY MADONNA & MICHAEL L. YOUNG
AS GOES PENNSYLVANIA, SO GOES THE 2020 ELECTION
While Democrats wade through a marathon of intra-party debates, the national punditocracy is increasingly asking two urgent questions about the impending 2020 presidential contest: Can President Trump win Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin again? And can he win a second term without those three states? Both questions reflect a stark reality in American presidential elections: The presidency is won or lost in the Electoral College -- a body dominated by a handful of large so-called battleground states that can determine the outcome. Donald Trump triumphed in 2016 by winning narrowly these three Rust Belt states, which he was expected to lose. Pennsylvania was the biggest surprise as well as the biggest prize among them. In theory, Trump can win without these three -- either by replacing them with three other large states -- or by picking up several smaller states that equal their combined 46 electoral votes. But where will those replacement states come from? Presently, according to the New York Times, Trump is far behind in Pennsylvania (16 percentage points), Wisconsin (10 points) and Michigan (11 points). According to the Morning Consult, Trump’s current approval rating in Pennsylvania has plummeted 19 points since Inauguration Day. The president could go after states he narrowly lost in 2016, including New Hampshire, Nevada and Minnesota. But combined these would not nearly make up a loss in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. In addition, Trump may be on the defensive in states he won in 2016 and must win again in 2020. Florida and even Texas are wobbly while North Carolina, a Trump stronghold in 2016, is trending blue in statewide elections. Even winning all three again won’t make up a loss in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Inarguably then, Trump almost certainly cannot win the Electoral College without winning these three crucial Rust Belt states, which have voted as a bloc seven elections in a row -- supporting Democrats in six consecutive elections before shifting to Trump and the GOP in 2016. As goes Wisconsin and Michigan also goes Pennsylvania; and in 2020, as goes Pennsylvania, so goes the election. But can Trump win Pennsylvania again? What are the keys to the Keystone State?
Trump’s Strategy
• Increase the turnout among his base. Trump’s strength is rooted in rural and small-town western Pennsylvania with its long tradition of old economy “smokestack industries,” as well as the old mining and mill towns in the northeast and southwest. To win he may need a historically high turnout in these areas to overcome an expected anti-Trump surge in the suburbs. • Make it a referendum. The president must convince his supporters that he kept his promises: bringing back jobs and business lost to globalism; ending “bad” trade deals; and “fixing” the immigration problem. Presidential elections are almost always a referendum on the incumbent, and these are the issues still important to Trump voters. •Be a cultural warrior. Trump must continue to appeal to culturally conservative Democrats, who remain strongly pro-life and anti-gun control. Trump’s 2016 cultural message resonated strongest in western, rural, and small-town Pennsylvania and those voters still feel strongly about cultural issues. •Expand the base. Republicans must attract new voters who did not support the GOP ticket in 2016. Trump is running with a good economy at his back and no new wars. These conditions strongly favor incumbents and are attractive to independent voters who prefer the status quo.
Democrats’ Strategy
Democrats, who have won six of the last seven presidential contests in Pennsylvania, still think they can beat Trump. Here’s how they expect to do it: •Nominate a moderate candidate. While Pennsylvania can temporarily lean left or right, its instincts are moderate and centrist. If the Democrats choose a candidate perceived to be “far left,” Pennsylvania will be difficult for Democrats to win. •Produce the widely predicted “Democrat surge.” Certainly, there were strong indications during the 2018 midterms and special elections that state Democrats are locked and loaded for 2020. To beat Trump, however, Democrats must now translate 2018’s promise to 2020’s results. If they fail to galvanize the Philadelphia suburbs, Trump will win Pennsylvania in 2020. • Tend to the base. Democrats must recover some of the previously Democratic Party voters who now support Trump. Former Democratic strongholds such as Luzerne, Northampton, and Erie went for Trump in 2016, sealing his sliver-thin win. Democrats must address the fears and hopes of these lapsed party voters, especially white males. •Engage younger voters. Finally, Democrats must pull younger voters to the polls in 2020. Voters under age 35 have been among Trump’s fiercest critics. Yet this cohort normally votes at a rate about half that of older Pennsylvanians. Increasing youth turnout could spell the difference between defeat and victory in 2020 for Democrats. The Democrats’ impressive opportunities notwithstanding, it is foolish to conclude Trump cannot win Pennsylvania – just as it was foolish to write him off in 2016. Trump’s base in rural and western Pennsylvania will support him at least as strongly as in 2016. Furthermore, no incumbent in modern times has lost re-election in an era of economic prosperity such as we are now experiencing. Undoubtedly the greatest threat to Trump is a Democrat turnout tsunami in Philadelphia and its suburbs. The suburbs and city were disaster areas for Republican candidates in the last midterms – and early polling suggests the anti-Trump sentiment continues. Right now, Pennsylvania is the Democrats to lose in 2020. But that was also true in 2016. How did that turn out? Column first appeared at RealClearPolitics https://tinyurl.com/y4rk35uw
REP. CARTWRIGHT CHECKS IN ON CANAAN OFFICERS WHO FELL ILL, ADVOCATES FOR MODERNIZING PENITENTIARY MAIL SYSTEM
FIVE STAFFERS WERE RUSHED TO A HOSPITAL THIS WEEK AFTER EXPERIENCING DIZZINESS DURING CELL SEARCHES; AIRBORNE EXPOSURE TO UNKNOWN DRUGS IS SUSPECTED
Top photo: U.S.P. Canaan officers whose colleagues fell ill this week during cell checks. Bottom photo: U.S.P. Canaan Warden E. Bradley and Rep. Cartwright.
U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) visited a federal penitentiary in Wayne County on Friday morning amid reports that five of the facility’s correctional officers fell ill this week during routine cell checks. In two separate incidents, officers who were conducting pat downs in U.S. Penitentiary Canaan’s housing units began experiencing dizziness and other symptoms, and had to be rushed to Wayne Memorial Hospital. Two officers were affected during a cell check on Wednesday, and three were affected on a separate check on Thursday. The cause of both incidents is suspected to have been airborne exposure to unknown drug substances smuggled into the facility. “I’ve spoken with all five officers, and I’m happy to report they’re all okay,” said Congressman Cartwright. “I want to thank them for their selfless service to our community, and I commend the staff at Wayne Memorial Hospital for treating these officers in a speedy and professional manner.” On Friday, Rep. Cartwright advocated for a new, digitalized mail system at U.S.P. Canaan to protect correctional officers from these kinds of incidents, and to eliminate the possibility of inmates receiving drug-laced mail. “It’s clear to me that we must modernize the inmate mail system, not just at Canaan but at penitentiaries across the country,” Cartwright said. “It’s working in other places, where staffers digitally scan incoming letters in secure facilities, and then inmates can read digital copies of their correspondence on a screen.” “If we can close this known pathway to drug smuggling, we can protect correctional officers and inmates, and we can avoid dangerous incidents like these from happening again,” the congressman added.
NAACP BRANCH #2306 REACTS TO BRICK MONUMENT BEING TORN DOWN BY WILKES BARRE
NAACP Branch #2306 President Ron Felton and your blog editor, First Vice President of branch #2306 at Wilkes Barre City Council meeting.
The officers and members of the NAACP Wilkes-Barre Branch #2306 are delighted to see that the monument from Public Square has been removed. We were happy to see the editorial in Sunday’s Citizens’ Voice, Gene Stilp the activist/protester, City Council vote to have the monument removed, and Mayor George for actually getting it done. This sends a clear message that hate and intolerance are not welcome in our City. In ‘2009, we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the founding of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In ‘2030, the NAACP Wilkes-Barre Branch #2306 will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary. This great organization was founded by both blacks and whites as a result of lynching’s that were occurring throughout this country. The NAACP Wilkes-Barre Branch #2306 doesn’t object to anyone having pride in their culture or ethnicity. However, it should not come at the expense of anyone else’s culture or ethnicity. Right now, at this moment we are facing some turbulent times. Diversity should be embraced by all Americans who are only seeking to make the American dream a reality for all. For the last two years, the City of Wilkes-Barre has been on a progressive path and we wish to see that continue well into the future. After all, We Are Wilkes-Barre! Here are links from the newspapers: https://www.timesleader.com/news/750194/wilkes-barre-city-council-urged-to-include-kkk-in-dialogue-about-racism https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/w-b-monument-featuring-kkk-brick-removed-in-middle-of-the-night-1.2510025
NEW VIDEO SHOWS TRUMP DISCUSSING YOUNG WOMEN WITH EPSTEIN
Newsweek reports that a new video has emerged showing President Donald Trump laughing with Jeffrey Epstein and appearing to talk about women at a 1992 Mar-a-Lago party. In the footage, which was found deep in the NBC tape library, the pair are seen pointing and laughing at dancing women during the party at the president’s Palm Beach estate. Later in the video, Trump grabs a woman and pats her on the head. The president has said that he socialized with Epstein as part of a larger Florida circle, but that he has not spoken to him in years and that he “was not a fan” of the registered sex offender who has been charged with sex trafficking underage victims. Check out the link but look at Trump's eyebrows in this video. He was sporting the David Ferry https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tape-shows-donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-discussing-women-1992-party-n1030686 (LuLac, Newsweek)
MCCONNELL SAYS TRUMP IS 'NOT A RACIST AND CALLS FOR WASHINGTON TO 'TONE DOWN' RHETORIC
In the world of Trump, the Republicans are walking in line with their great leader. Here’s the latest from Mitch McConnell saying the rhetoric which his arsonist President started should calm down. Really? Because Trump’s comments have further widened Washington’s partisan divide, McConnell was asked to comment on them during his weekly press conference. “The president’s not a racist,” McConnell said. “And I think the tone of all of this is not good for the country. But it’s coming from all ideological points of view. To single out any segment of this I think is a mistake.” McConnell called on Trump as well as his Democratic critics to soften their rhetoric. “From the president to the speaker to freshman members of the House, all of us have a responsibility to elevate the public discourse,” McConnell said. “Our words do matter. We all know politics is a contact sport, but it’s about time we lowered the temperature all across the board.” (LuLac, aol news)
JOIN ACTION TOGETHER NEPA
If you are as sick of this administration undermining the very core of our democracy, I'd recommend joining Action Together NEPA. I went to a meeting the other evening and the Luzerne Chapter really has its act together in organization and enthusiasm.
The Luzerne Chapter leads are Cindy Malkemes and Jay Notartomaso. Membership is ten bucks. Here's the link to this organization: https://www.actiontogethernepa.org/
REP. CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $6.8 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR MEDICAL TRAINING IN NORTHEASTERN PA
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright announced that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded three grants totaling $6,812,541 to The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, a non-profit consortium focused on training regional medical professionals who go on to serve vulnerable populations. Headquartered in Scranton, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education trains medical professionals in community-based centers throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, including Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties. Through residencies and fellowships focused on getting more medical professionals to rural and underserved areas across the country, The Wright Center helps these professionals get hands-on experience and develop the necessary skills to treat vulnerable populations. “I’m proud to support initiatives that use federal dollars to provide affordable, quality medical services in communities like ours,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I applaud The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education in being recognized as a valuable source of physician workforce renewal in Northeastern Pennsylvania.” “Since our inception more than 40 years ago, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has been acutely mission focused on developing the physician workforce needed to care for patients and families within America's ever-changing healthcare system,” said Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., President of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “The Health Resources and Services Administration continues to recognize and respond to the great need for primary care doctors across America to serve the public better. HRSA’s continued federal investment in our future primary care physician workforce through the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program enables The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education to immerse our trainees in community-based venues where they are most needed. We are very grateful to HRSA and thank Congressman Cartwright for his past and future support of the Teaching Health Center legislation that brings these vital federal resources home to Northeastern Pennsylvania.” The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is a non-profit organization recognized by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education consortium in the country. The HRSA provides grants to organizations like the Wright Center to fund residency training in community-based primary care settings. Physicians trained in Teaching Health Centers (THCs) are twice as likely to practice in underserved areas as compared to those not trained in THCs. CARTWRIGHT EVENT THIS SUNDAY Congressman Matt Cartwright will hold his annual picnic this Sunday, 11am to 2pm at Segalia Park in Moosic.Cost is $25.00 a person. MEDIA MATTERS
WALN TV
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week's guest will be Bob Schlesinger, Executive Director of the Scranton Jazz Festival.
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 and David DeCosmo welcome Marko Marcinko back to the program during the week of July 22nd to outline plans for this year's Scranton Jazz Festival! The musical event draws crowds to the Electric City each year to hear top name Jazz musicians. ECTV Live is seen on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.
BUDDY RUMCHEK
Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”
BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP
SUNDAY NIGHTS!
1969
Our 1969 logo.
Fifty years ago this week, men landed on the moon. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, both American, landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours later on July 21 at 02:56:15 UTC; Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. They spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth. Command module pilot Michael Collins flew the command module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while they were on the Moon's surface. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21.5 hours on the lunar surface at a site they named Tranquility Base before rejoining Columbia in lunar orbit. Apollo 11 was launched by a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, on July 16 at 13:32 UTC, and was the fifth crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program. The Apollo spacecraft had three parts: a command module (CM) with a cabin for the three astronauts, and the only part that returned to Earth; a service module (SM), which supported the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water; and a lunar module (LM) that had two stages – a descent stage for landing on the Moon, and an ascent stage to place the astronauts back into lunar orbit. After being sent to the Moon by the Saturn V's third stage, the astronauts separated the spacecraft from it and traveled for three days until they entered lunar orbit. Armstrong and Aldrin then moved into Eagle and landed in the Sea of Tranquility. The astronauts used Eagle's ascent stage to lift off from the lunar surface and rejoin Collins in the command module. They jettisoned Eagle before they performed the maneuvers that propelled the ship out of the last of its 30 lunar orbits on a trajectory back to Earth. They returned to Earth and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24 after more than eight days in space. Armstrong's first step onto the lunar surface was broadcast on live TV to a worldwide audience. He described the event as "one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." Apollo 11 effectively ended the Space Race and fulfilled a national goal proposed in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy: "before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." …….
a young woman drown in a car he was driving in Massachusetts. The crash ended a young woman's life, and with it, a man's White House dreams. U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's Oldsmobile sedan veered off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, an extension of the resort island of Martha's Vineyard off Massachusetts, and plunged into a moonlit pond 50 years ago Thursday. His passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. Kennedy, 37, survived, but his presidential ambitions did not. The Massachusetts Democrat waited 10 hours to report the accident to police, and the "whys?" dogged him for the rest of his days. Half a century later, what did and didn't happen on Chappaquiddick Island on July 18, 1969, continues to fascinate and frustrates most political observers…..
Fifty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “In the Ghetto”- Elvis Presley
This week a reader to the Citizens' Voice out and out said the democrats must return to traditional values. I’m not sure what the reader intends by saying we should hold off in calling Donald Trump a racist but after this week what else can we call him.He says the party has been overtaken by 4 Congresswomen. I wonder if he has had a conversation with Matt Cartwright or Eddie Day Pashinski. Nonetheless it is an amusing read. Editor: It’s not our parents’ Democratic Party any more. Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey and Henry Jackson are long gone. While most Northeast Pennsylvania Democrats still represent the party’s traditional mainstream values including support for working Americans, the national party is now dominated by the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who equates enforcement of immigration laws to the operation of concentration camps. Rashida Tlaib talks about “our Palestinian people” as if she held office in the Palestinian Authority rather than our House of Representatives. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand once bragged about how much money Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase would make from cap-and-trade regulations. Prominent Democrats including Hillary Clinton and current candidates Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Gillibrand and probably others have appeared publicly with Al Sharpton. Sharpton played a major role in the Tawana Brawley scandal, Crown Heights riots, and the Freddy’s Fashion Mart incident in which Sharpton called a Jewish store owner a “white interloper.” The national-level Democratic Party might therefore want to hold off on calling Donald Trump a racist until it gets its own house in order. The Democratic Party must instead return to its traditional values — the same values expressed by our region’s Democrats — if it hopes to win Pennsylvania in 2020. Bill Levinson WILKES-BARRE
The recent comments by President Donald Trump regarding four Democratic party women of color was vile and disgusting, even for a human pig like him. A refresher of what happened. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Tliab, Ocasio-Cortez and Omar were told by Diaper in a tweet to leave the country they came from if they weren’t happy. The moron didn’t realize that three of the four were BORN and RAISED in America. One was born in Somalia but became a citizen legally. How many times have you been in a bar and heard a loud mouth slob say the same thing? Trump has become the drunken slob but the sad part is he doesn’t drink. Trump doubled down and called the four duly elected by a majority Congresswomen bringing up something about Isreal and other bullshit. The women responded back asking for his impeachment. Trump has shown himself to be a racist because he picks on people of color. But his racism is sly because he is appealing to that segment of America that thinks white is still right., We have never had a President in our history who has displayed such disdain for free discourse and for people different than he is. It has ceased to become an issue of Presidential temperament but rather one of human temperament and the soul of a leader. The Republican Party has not even condoned his behavior because they are afraid of his tweets and power. It is time for Americans to accept the fact that we have a racist thug as a President who should, along with anyone calling themselves Republicans’ out of office. All thinking people should repudiate this bag of crap and the party members who support racism by their silence.
1. What do you think of Attorney General Robert Barr’s tenure so far? I think he’s a disgrace. Talk about selling your soul for a second bite of the apple. Lackey first class. 2. How about that meeting in North Korea over the DMZ?
Typical Trump bullshit. Giving credence to a known killer. Wonder what Otto Warmbier’s parents think that nearly a year to the day their son died, Trump celebrates the regime that killed him. 3. Governor Wolf off to a good start on term number two? Absolutely. Focused. On the side of right. 4. What did you think of the all star game this year? One of the best I’ve ever een in a while. A lot of young talent. 5. Any thoughts about the census and Trump’s response to it? Well as usual he was wrong. Thank God for the Courts in this country. And let’s hope the courts put him in a orange jump suit when he leaves office. 6. Do you mind paying for the voting machines with a bond issue? Nope I don’t mind paying taxes for securing the sanctity of the vote. 7. Favorite viewing guilty pleasure for the summer on TV? BBC America and PBS on Sunday nights. Excellent programming. 8. Do you think Nancy Pelosi will prevail over AOC? Oh yeah she has the votes and the skill. While I enjoy AOC’s passion, she needs to reel it once in a while. 9. What are your thoughts on a John Chrin rerun against Cartwright? I’m not so sure Chrin would want to run in 2020 with Diaper Don at the top of the ticket. There was talk about Barletta too but Cartwright has been making all the right moves. 10. Will Trump keep Mike Pence again? He’d be a fool not to. But remember, after he picked Pence he was trying to change his mind so who the hell knows. 11. How do you deal with the Trumpers who think this guy is a saint? Just tell them they are on the wrong side of history and not waste my breath of energy on them. I can coexist with them that way believe it or not. 12. Is there a Hawaii shirt day at city hall? Not that I’m aware of. 13. Biden going to make it to the finish line? Too early to tell but watch as the flavors of the month start to melt in the heat of the political sun.
I was laughing my ass off when the Epstein story broke this week because the Trump-ites on Facebook said, “Oh wait until the stuff comes out about Bill Clinton! Then it was revealed that their sainted Diaper Don knew and parting with Epstein. Crickets on Facebook. Here’s what aol had to write. President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, the 66-year-old hedge fund manager charged this week with sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, were the only other participants in a party that consisted of roughly two dozen women at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a New York Times report. The women were reportedly flown in for a "calendar girl" competition that was requested by Trump, The Times said. "I said, 'Donald, this is supposed to be a party with VIPs. You're telling me it's you and Epstein,'" a former Trump associate recalled having asked. President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, the 66-year-old hedge fund manager charged this week with sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, were the only other attendees to a party that consisted of roughly two dozen women at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a New York Times report. In 1992, the women were reportedly flown in for a "calendar girl" competition that was requested by Trump, The Times said. "At the very first party, I said, 'Who's coming tonight? I have 28 girls coming,'" former Trump associate George Houraney reportedly said. "It was him and Epstein." "I said, 'Donald, this is supposed to be a party with VIPs. You're telling me it's you and Epstein," he recalled saying. Houraney claimed to have warned Trump about Epstein's behavior and said the real estate tycoon did not heed his notice. Houraney, a businessman, reportedly said Trump "didn't care" about how he had to ban Epstein from his events. My question is this. What can two old guys do with 28 women? Bet you there was a lot of Viagra being passed around then. (LuLac, AOL.mail)
CASEY REVEALS THAT ADMINISTRATION ABRUPTLY DENIED PA VETS ACCESS TO VA CAREGIVER PROGRAM
BETWEEN FY 2017 AND FY 2018, PENNSYLVANIA SAW A 62% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF VETERANS DROPPED FROM THE CAREGIVERS PROGRAM
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) revealed that the Trump Administration abruptly denied Pennsylvania veterans access to the VA Family Caregiver Assistance Program. A new report, issued by Casey, shows that veterans across the country have been cast out of the program despite growing need. Casey also introduced the Supporting Veteran Caregivers Act, which would require the VA to evaluate these discharges and ensure that Veterans and their caregivers were not deprived of assistance. “As we head into Memorial Day, it’s clear the Administration is falling short on ensuring that our veterans have access to this program,” Senator Casey said. “If the Administration won’t get its act together, Congress should. My legislation would ensure our veterans have access to this program. We owe them this and so much more.” More on Casey’s Report: The report issued by Senator Casey examines how the VA failed to establish standard processes for eligibility redeterminations and discharges in the VA Family Caregiver Assistance Program. This failure has resulted in thousands of Veterans and their caregivers being abruptly discharged from the program or receiving reduced support. After recognizing these inconsistencies, the VA has failed to reevaluate the cases of the thousands of Veterans that were discharged from the program or had their benefits reduced. The report is accompanied by data provided by the VA detailing discharges that occurred between January 2017 and March 2019. More on the Supporting Veteran Caregivers Act: In Pennsylvania, there was a 62% increase in the number of Veterans discharged from the Caregivers program between FY 2017 and FY 2018. The legislation introduced today would require the VA to reevaluate the cases of all Veterans and their caregivers that were discharged from the program or had their benefits reduced on or after January 1, 2015. Where the VA’s evaluation reveals that a discharge or downgrade in benefits was improperly made, the legislation directs the VA to offer that Veteran and their caregiver reinstatement in the program or renewal of benefits, and ensures that that the Veteran and their caregiver receive the assistance that they were entitled to during the period that they were improperly denied assistance.
MEDIA MATTERS
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This week's guest is James May from PennDOT. 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 has all the details about an important upcoming RailRider's game that's coming up next month! Our guest is Tony Harding who is a two time organ donor recipient. That baseball game will be promoting the need for organ donors! ECTV Live is seen on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) three times daily and can also be viewed on the electric city television YouTube page.
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!”
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1969
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One of the Soviet Central Television networks gave viewers "their first look at nude movies and sex magazines", unprecedented in the network's broadcasting and a shock to Russian society's normally prudish attitudes toward sex. Western observers concluded that the late evening show was intended for propaganda purposes, and that "Its apparent aim was to put America in a bad light by shocking puritanical Russians". Nude scenes from the recently produced off-Broadway play Oh! Calcutta! were shown, along with the recent film Che!, along with photographs of "sex magazine covers with unclad men and women" that "appeared to have been photographed through the windows of midtown bookshops in New York City". The show's narrator informed viewers that "The American public loves this." The narrator also described Oh! Calcutta! as "the most repulsive" example of the "erotic revolution" in the United States. The final vestige of the penny arcade era was quietly retired as the last known one-cent machine, a "fortune teller" that dispensed tickets for one penny, was removed and replaced by newer version that cost five centsPitcher Tom Seaver of the New York Mets kept 25 consecutive Chicago Cubs batters from reaching base and needed just two more to record what would have been only the tenth perfect game in Major League Baseball history. With one out in the ninth inning, little-used rookie Jim Qualls connected on Seaver's first pitch and reached first base for the Cubs' only hit of the game at New York's Shea Stadium….Hall of fame rock group Vanilla Fudge arrived four hours late for their concert at the Blossom Amphitheater at Northampton Township outside of Cleveland, after driving to North Hampton, Ohio, population 489, and located 200 miles away. Vocalist Mark Stein told a reporter later, "You understand, man, that the promoter kept telling our agent about Blossom Center in Northampton Township. Only we were up in Montreal, and looking at a map to find the place and sure enough — there's this town, North Hampton, near Dayton somewhere. We figured, that's a weird place for a concert, but if that's where peoples' heads are at in Ohio, fine — that's where we'll wail." The sellout crowd remained until the band began playing at 12:30 in the morning. Nearly four months after its cancellation by the American NBC TV network, Star Trek was introduced to British television viewers. Its run on BBC-1 began with the pilot episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (unlike the original US run, which had opted for "The Man Trap"). Filling in as a summer replacement for Doctor Who between the Doctor's sixth and seventh seasons, the programme was shown in the Doctor Who 5:15 p.m. time slot between afternoon sports and the 10-minute BBC news and weather update.[ The Soviet Union launched the unmanned lunar spacecraft Luna 15, three days before the scheduled liftoff of the American Apollo 11 manned mission to the Moon, with the objective of performing a sample-return mission and bringing back the first lunar soil (a "Moon rock") ahead of the United States Course corrections were done to place Luna 15 into lunar orbit at 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) altitude and on a different orbital plane than the Apollo 11 16.9 kilometres (10.5 mi) altitude above the lunar surface, and to land at the Mare Crisium after the American lunar module's landing at the Mare Tranquillitatis to depart first. However, what an author would describe later as something that "would have been an engineering triumph if it had worked" failed when Luna 15 crashed upon landing. One month before the Woodstock Festival rock concert was to take place, the zoning board of the town of Wallkill, New York, banned Woodstock Ventures from using land that the organizers had leased and had cleared [65]. The legendary rock concert would take place instead at a farm near Bethel, New York, 40 miles (64 km) away.[66]. A the time that the event had been barred from Wallkill, advance tickets had been sold at prices of up to $18.50 for all three days (equivalent to $128 in 2019), and the plan was to have music only during the hours between 2:00 in the afternoon to 2:00 the next morning. By the time Woodstock took place, most of the 400,000 people in attendance had gotten in without paying. A 58-year old South African woman in Johannesburg made headlines worldwide …State Representative K. Leroy Irvis said the Shfer administration has failed Pennsylvania…..in Scranton Council discusses the sale of the Redevelopment Authority and fifty years ago the number one song in Lulac land and America was . “In the Year 2525” by Zager & Evans
Open court hearings? Judge Ito during the O.J. trial pretty much gave them a bad name but sometimes, especially in local affairs involving political corruption they might be useful if not downright necessary. Here’s this week’s “Write On Wednesday”. From the Citizens’ Voice.
‘OPEN’ COURT IN TV BLACKOUT
Former Scranton mayor and newly minted felon Bill Courtright pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges that constitute a betrayal of his duty to the people of Scranton. To say that his case was of public interest is an understatement. Scrantonians had anticipated an indictment or plea ever since the FBI raided Courtright’s City Hall office and his house in January. But when Courtright entered the federal courthouse in Williamsport to enter a plea before President Judge Christopher C. Conner, he retreated into the land of the visual blackout. Federal and Pennsylvania state courts continue to maintain a senseless, archaic policy that precludes even proceedings of utmost public interest from being photographed or televised. Technology has eliminated the original objections to photographed and televised proceedings. There is no longer a valid argument that the equipment would distract jurors, lawyers or witnesses, as demonstrated regularly in state jurisdictions where photography and television in court are now part of the routine. The other major objection traditionally has been that some lawyers would play to the cameras rather than to the court to influence the court of public opinion. But that’s what judges are for; allowing cameras would not dilute judges’ powers to control their courtrooms. The courts, like the two other branches of government, conduct public business. To reject the use of technology that enables the public to better experience the judicial branch’s operation is contrary to the public interest. It severely limits public access and perpetuates public ignorance about crucial civic institutions. That is doubly unfortunate when a corruption case like Courtright’s gets to court — a sadly frequent occurrence in Northeast Pennsylvania. The United States has open courts primarily to prevent the government from railroading anyone by exposing cases to public scrutiny. The federal and Pennsylvania courts should more fully embrace the opportunity to meet that goal by opening the proceedings to the full degree that modern technology easily allows
OPINION ON THE PA BUDGET SPENDING PLAN PASSED BY THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Last month the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center Director Marc Stier made the following statement after the PA House Appropriations Committee passed a budget spending plan: "The House Republican budget proposal released today is sadly, but not surprisingly, a disappointment for working-class and middle-class families. "It includes no increase in the minimum wage even though every state around Pennsylvania has raised its minimum wage and found that the result has been not only higher wages but higher employment in low-wage occupations. "It provides less funding for Basic Education than Governor Wolf proposed and diverts some of that request from public schools to the EITC program that supports unaccountable private schools that often cater to the richest Pennsylvanians. "It does not fund the General Assistance program, which provides a minimal level of support to some of the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, many of whom are waiting to receive Social Security disability payments. "In each of these cases, the House Republicans show contempt for the opinion of the majority of Pennsylvanians who oppose their priorities. Poll after poll shows that Pennsylvanians want to raise the minimum wage, fully fund our schools, and expand the social safety net. "As we dig deeper, we hope to find some nuggets that suggest Republicans are proposing a budget that puts the needs of everyday Pennsylvanians first, as opposed to those of the rich and well-connected. But at first glance, there is little evidence of that."
Governor Tom Wolf has received criticism for putting a veto on the Voting machine funding but I think he was right on. Even though local leaders think he’s wrong, here’s why I think he’s right. The bill would provide funding for voting machines in the Pennsylvania counties. The bill though was an attempt by Republican cry babies who still can’t get over losing the courts to Democratic control that would seriously hinder voting rights. One of the bill’s provisions eliminates the straight-party ticket voting option on ballots. Wolf said eliminating it could lead to voter confusion and longer lines at polls, while Democrats had argued that it is designed to benefit down-ballot Republican candidates. The Dems are right on that. Currently the GOP is in lockstep with Diaper Don and Mitch McConnell. These are counties in Pennsylvania that are so red, they’d vote for a lying, racist slob for President if he was ever on the ballot. Oh wait, he was and they did. The Republicans have to be concerned that moderate suburban voters unhappy with Trump could give those who voted for him in ’16 pause. You bet! How would you like to be one of those voters who know how gullible Trump made you feel? As they did in ’18, these voters are waiting to make amends. Republicans know that Democratic anger in moderate suburban districts is a concern. But the Trump lovers insisted it did not motivate the legislation and said it was bi partisan. Bi partisan my as with 7 Democratic votes!
BYE BYE VAL
I had the occasion to hear former State GOP Val DiGeorgio speak a number of times. The guy was obnoxious, mean spirited, shrill and came across as the ultimate bully. That’s when he was attacking Democrats who were fighting for the rights of working people. Then he turned into a person who touted family values, waving the flag implying that no one was more patriotic than he and his followers. Well Val boy got into a mess because he texted a sexually explicit photograph of himself to a female candidate who ran unsuccessfully for the Philadelphia City Council. The report, in The Philadelphia Inquirer, said that the chairman, Val DiGiorgio, sent the candidate, Irina Goldstein, a photo of his erect penis on Facebook Messenger after exchanging sexually tinged messages for a few months after she accepted his friend request last October. Oh my God! This guy was the party Chairman of Pennsylvania. A bible thumping, God fearing podium pounding icon of Republican values. (Values, I love how they tout values when some of them are the biggest horn dogs ever to populate the earth!) And………add this to the mix. In this day and age when anyone can get any information on you………….you are too stupid to think there won’t be consequences. DiGiorgo said, “I extend my deepest apologies to my family and colleagues for this unfortunate distraction”. Distraction? He texted a woman with a boyfriend, a person who was recruited to help his party in an election and sent a photo of his Johnson to her? How is the appropriate. A distraction? DiGeorgio is married with kids. He said that he would defend himself against mischaracterizations. The GOP picked a new chairman. Fast. Here’s the link to the whole story: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/us/politics/val-digiorgio-irina-goldstein-pa-republican.html In the meantime Val, it was nice hearing your act.
Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".
