The LuLac Edition #4,475, February 25th, 2021

TRUMPANZEES INFILTRATE ELECTION BOARD 

DISCARD LEGAL RULING BY COUNTY HEAD LAWYER

URBAN NAMED CHAIRMAN 

 

 Taxpayers pay the salary of government solicitors to render decisions that fall into the parameters of the law. The folks who have a JD on their diploma usually have the expertise and knowledge to follow and interpret the law.

But the Chief Solicitor’s advice was not heeded as the Luzerne County Election Board’s two Republican board members on named Republican county Councilman Stephen J. Urban as the new board chairman.

Audrey Serniak, a Democrat pointed out the board had always sought citizen applicants and publicly interviewed them. Or;  almost interviewed them.

In 2020, I applied to be Chairman of the Election Board. I was walking over to the Election Board office for an interview for the position. After checking with my bosses at City Hall, who gave the go ahead, I was pretty excited about the  discussion about to take place. Before I reached State Street to cross, my phone rang and I was told not to show up. It turns out that my being a government employee disqualified me for the position according to the County Charter.

Yet Urban who is knee deeply involved in all aspects of county government and is paid by the county gets the position. Is it because the County Charter changed?

Nope. The non lawyers decided  to interpret the issue themselves. This is so reminiscent of the Trump syndrome of government.

Don’t listen to experts.

Interpret a document to fit your own political needs.

Forge ahead as long as you have the majority.

And screw institutional knowledge, the laws, the lawyers and the charter because you just say so.

What the head Attorney did not say is that these two individuals (along with the guy who accepted the position)  who voted to overrule her knowledge and decision might be personally libel for the decision they made against legal rulings and authority.

Diaper Don was immune from litigation when he was President. That isn’t the case for Luzerne County Council people who literally thumbed their noses at the Chief Legal officer as well as the Charter they swore to uphold when they took their oaths.

 

 

TOOMEY CENSURE BY PA. GOP

Republican Party committee members in Pennsylvania were meeting remotely Wednesday night, possibly for hours, in what is expected to include a discussion of whether to censure U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

Toomey's vote to convict Donald Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial — and his earlier assessment that Trump had committed “impeachable offenses” in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — has set off a wave of pro-Trump county and local party condemnations of Toomey in Pennsylvania.

So the state GOP essentially endorsed the thug pig President on all his bad behavior, they were cool to leave seditious Congressmen like Dan Meuser and  Fred Keller alone but a twice elected U.S. Senator thgey censure because he voted for the obvious? 

I never knew grown Republicans still needed to suck their thumbs and throw a tantrum when an adult made an adult decision.

 

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO DELIVER 25M MASKS TO HEALTH CENTERS

Lorraine DeHoff  (a friend and former co worker masked up. 

In an effort to fulfill President Biden’s goal of having all Americans wear face masks through his first 100 days in office to limit the spread of COVID-19, the White House announced Wednesday that it plans to deliver more than 25 million masks to communities hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

 The Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense will begin distributing the “high-quality” cloth masks to approximately 1,300 community health centers as well as 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens next month, the White House said in a press release.

 Anyone living in these communities will be eligible to pick up the free masks and will be encouraged to take an individually wrapped package of two for each person in their household. An estimated 12 to 15 million Americans will receive masks, the White House said.

The cost of the program, which will continue through May, will be $86 million, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday.

 

 

CASEY STATEMENT FOLLOWING BECERRA HEARING 

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)  

 

U.S. Senator Bob Casey  released  a statement following committee hearings for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra:

 “Following hearings in the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the Committee on Finance, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has demonstrated that he is the kind of leader our Nation needs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during this challenging time. He has spent his career fighting to expand access to health care, protecting patients and consumers, and working to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid. As a Congressman, he was instrumental in the drafting and passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and as California’s Attorney General he has led the fight to protect it. After reviewing his background and record, meeting with him and listening to his testimony before two committees, I look forward to supporting his nomination on the Senate floor.”

 

CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $2.4 MILLION IN COVID-19 RELIEF ALLOCATED FOR WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

 

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

 

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright  announced that the Federal Aviation Administration allocated $2.4 million for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP). The allocation comes from a nearly $2 billion relief fund authorized by the coronavirus relief compromise bill enacted by Congress in late December. AVP can lay claim to the funds for its COVID-19 prevention and response efforts through the FAA’s ongoing economic assistance program.

 

“AVP is a linchpin of our area’s economy. Businesses and workers have continued to rely on it throughout the pandemic,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “This funding will help them maintain a COVID-safe environment for employees and all those who pass through this important regional transit hub.”

 

“The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is pleased to be included in the allocation of funds from Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations bill. We thank our legislators, in particular Congressman Matt Cartwright, for supporting this important program. We plan on utilizing these funds in connection with our COVID-19 mitigation efforts and for small airport business support,” said Timothy McGinley, AVP Airport Board Chairman.

 

For AVP, the FAA has allocated $2,352,737 in funds authorized by the December COVID-19 compromise bill. AVP is also still eligible for $89,981 in unallocated CARES Act funding, the FAA said, for a total eligibility of $2,442,718 in COVID relief funds for the Northeastern Pennsylvania airport

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

,

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on The Mothership 1340/1400 am, 100.7 and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on The River 105 and 103.5.

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

 

1987 

 

Our 1987 logo.

Less than a month after re-signing, A's pitcher Vida Blue retires…….Minnesota sheriff's office arrest FBI's most wanted, Thomas G. Harrelson…….President Reagan lifts trade boycott against Poland……Bomb blamed on Unabomber explodes by a computer store in Salt Lake City…… David Hartman quits ABC's "Good Morning America" after 11 years….. 37th Berlin International Film Festival: "The Theme" wins the Golden Bear……..Syrian army marches into Beirut…….Bruno Marie-Rose runs world record 200m indoor (20.36 sec)…… Dick Howser retires from managing KC Royals, due to brain tumor…..Russian Writers Union accepts Boris Pasternak posthumous as member……Supernova 1987A in LMC 1st seen; 1st naked-eye supernova since 1604…..29th Grammy Awards: Higher Love, Graceland, Bruce Hornsby wins……LA Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores his 36,000th NBA point,,, Radio personality Larry King suffers a heart attack….. LaMarr Hoyt is banned from baseball for 1987, due to drug abuse The  US Supreme Court upholds (5-4) affirmative action  There is a 1st release of Beatles compact disc NBA's Michael Jordan's 58 points in one game is a Chicago Bulls record…and in this week of 1987 the number one song in LuLac land and America was "Is This Love" by Whitesnake. 

The LuLac Edition #4,474, February 24th, 2021

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo.

This week we present a letter to the editor regarding Governor  Wolf’s budget. The writer asks that the normally recalcitrant GOP to take a fair look at it.

GOP SHOULD GIVE WOLF BUDGET AN HONEST HEARING

Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed state budget deserves a hearing for two reasons.

First, significantly increasing state aid to local school districts makes it possible for them to eliminate and/or reduce unfair per capita and earned income taxes and perhaps to also reduce unpopular real estate taxes.

Second, by increasing the top income tax rate and by increasing the non-taxable income amount, it has the effect of increasing taxes on those who have the financial ability to pay higher taxes and lowering taxes for those who need a tax cut.

It has the same effect as a graduated income tax. Yes, the Republican-controlled House and Senate should give serious consideration to Wolf’s proposed budget.

But will they?

David L. Faust

The LuLac Edition #4,473, February 22nd, 2021

 PAUL MAHER PASSES AWAY

Maher with Pittston Mayor Mike Lombardo 

Wendy Cominsky, Paul and current Mayor George Brown in a photo from 2017. 

 Paul with Wilkes-Barre City Controller Darren Snyder. 

(Photos: LuLac archives) 

Every town has one. a political warhorse that was a staple at every election event, rally, gathering or summer picnic. Lackawanna and Luzerne have had their share of political people like these hat loved politics. The governing for many was just the necessary stuff that needed to get done until the next election.

Wilkes Barre city and Luzerne County lost one of those this weekend. Paul Maher passed away at the age of 87. His list of accomplishments and volunteer efforts were many.   But it was politics and government where he was the star.

The Citizen’s Voice tells us that starting in in 1971 Paul began working for the City of Wilkes Barre as coordinator of federal funds. According to Mr. Maher, the highlight of that position was working with the late Congressman Dan Flood, where a grant was obtained for a manpower program, at no cost to the city that was responsible for 30 people being hired. He actively served the city in the wake of Hurricane Agnes in 1972 attending Flood Recovery Meetings and assisting in setting up trailer parks for flooded city residents. At that time, he formed the South Wilkes-Barre Action Committee and served as chairman.

In 1976, Mr. Maher was appointed as the first Luzerne County budget and personnel director by the late chairman of the commissioner Board, Edmund .C. Wideman Jr. As budget director, he was instrumental in setting regular meetings with row offices and department heads to insure allocations were being kept in line. He also started a program that reached out to the many service clubs and women's organizations to get their input on the budget process.

In 1985, Mr. Maher became a field representative for Congressman Paul Kanjorski of the 11th Congressional District. He spent the next 26 years working with Congressman Kanjorski and performed many duties. He served as a liaison to all unions in the 11th District and handled many small business inquiries. He represented the congressman at countless fund-raisers, ribbon-cuttings, ground breakings and community events. Veteran political observers considered him to be savvy and astute. Many sought him out for his advice over the years.

It was fitting that Maher, who worked with Congressman Flood initially literally became the eyes and ears of Congressman Kanjorski. He attended many meetings and was known for his quiet but sage advice.

After retirement from work, there was still politics. If you were a candidate seeking office, you’d take a meeting with Mr. Maher. But unlike many political operatives who demanded that their ring be kissed, Paul just laid out the pitfalls as well as the opportunities for one’s candidacy.

He religiously attended 6^th District Committee meetings and up until recently was seen at many an event. My personal Paul Maher story was about his sheer tenacity to be in the center of the action.

During the 2019 primary campaign for Mayor, Tony George had a rally at an eatery that was divided into three sections. Paul arrived with his walker. At the time I too was relying on a cane to get around. Paul came through the door and started to talk to me and a few others in a sparsely populated room of the restaurant/bar.  He asked us where the rest of the people were. We told him there was a bigger room down below but there was only one large step and it was a dilly. The signature eyebrows went up, he looked into the room where the majority of the crowd was and said, “Well I’m going down there”. With walker and dexterity, he made the leap and worked the room. Well seeing that, the rest of us, younger and more able followed.

Paul Maher…..to the end was the type of guy you just had to follow.  He was never afraid to politically and socially take the leap of faith (or a big step in any direction) to be with his political folk.

He will be missed.   

 

FIORUCCI SEEKS SUGAR NOTCH MAYORAL SEAT

Democrat Mario Fiorucci announces his candidacy for mayor of Sugar Notch.

His platform includes, restoring “order to council meetings and make sure proper procedures are being followed,” Fiorucci said in his campaign announcement. He wants to obtain grants for paving roads and work to repair relations with state representatives and county officials.

Fiorucci, a history and pre-law major, graduated with honors from College Misericordia in 1980. He received an MA from Georgetown University in 1982. He served two years on borough council and is the publisher of Sugar Notch Townews, a free community newsletter, since 1998.

For more on Fiorucci’s candidacy visit, mariofiorucci.blogspot.com.

The LuLac Edition #4,472, February 18th, 2021

 TED CRUZ'S NOT SO EXCELLENT ADVENTURE 

 

 

With Texas paralyzed by a winter storm, Sen. Ted Cruz took his family on vacation to Cancun, Mexico, drawing criticism from leaders in both parties and potentially damaging his political ambitions.

In a statement on Thursday, Cruz said he was returning to Texas. He said he accompanied his family to Mexico a day earlier after his daughters asked to go on a trip with friends, given that school was canceled for the week.

Really?

This is Republican entitlement front and center. Blame it on the kids who want to go on vacation. Hey I’m a good dad Ted says.

Yeah right.

This sniveling carnival barker wanted and had the means to get out of town while the dumbass Texans who voted for him, believed him.

Those folks SUFFERED AND FROZE while Ted flew First class to sunny Cancun.   Imagine if a Dem did that. The right wing propaganda machine would have a field day.

As many of you know who have read LuLac, I never put much stock in what Donald Trump has said over the years. But he did tell a few truths and one of them was when he called this poor excuse for a Senator Lying Ted Cruz.

He’s a coward and liar. He didn't answer questions from the press upon landing sneaking out a side door. 

But a good dad? Yeah well good dads don’t throw their daughters under the bus. 

 

BLAKE RESIGNING FROM PA. SENATE

 CARTWRIGHT SNAGS HIM FOR DISTRICT POST

Cartwright and Blake (Photo: Times Shamrock)

 22^nd District State Sen. John Blake will be resigning from the legislature to join U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright’s staff as district director, the Democratic lawmakers announced Monday morning in Scranton.

Cartwright, who represents Pennsylvania's 8th District, was elected chairman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee last month. During his 2020 reelection campaign, he spoke about his hopes to use that role to bring more funding to northeastern Pennsylvania.

Blake, who represents District 22 (Lackawanna County and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties), will leave office on March 8. He was first elected in 2010, and said Monday he had already decided not to run again in 2022.

Blake brings a great deal of experience to the job and is a worthy replacement for long time staffer Bob Morgan who left the position. Blake will focus on Economic Development.

 

FOUR WOMEN SET TO RUN FOR LUZERNE COUNTY BENCH

Four women have thrown their hats into the ring for two Judgeships in Luzerne County. Each has a different starting point career wise in making the jump to the Common Pleas Court. District Attorney Stefanie  Salavantis will try to duplicate the feat of her predecessors Patrick Toole, Chester Muroski and Corey Stevens who achieved that position after serving as DA. 

Pittston Area Magistrate Alexandra Kokura Kravitz will try to emulate the success of her predecessors Joseph Augello and Fred Pierontoni. State Representative Tarah Toohil will try to make the move from the State House as Corey Stevens did when he gave up his House Seat to run for DA and then became a Judge. Laura Dennis will launch her campaign as many Attorney have done in the past from a successful private practice. 

All candidates can cross file on both parties.   

 

 TRUMP'S ACTS AS PRESIDENT ARE 'FAIR GAME' FOR CRIMINAL CHARGES

Donald Trump's legal troubles are far from over, despite his acquittal in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial that ended on Saturday.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell noted this just moments after voting to acquit Trump, saying the courts are the proper forum for holding the former president accountable for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

 “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “He didn’t get away with anything. Yet.”

 Here's an explanation of how Trump's leaving office affects his criminal and civil exposure.

 Can Trump be prosecuted for acts he engaged in as president?

 Yes. Now that Trump has left office, any misconduct he engaged in as president is "fair game" for criminal charges, said Brian Kalt, a constitutional law professor at Michigan State University.

 Trump enjoyed more protection from prosecution while he was president because the U.S. Justice Department has concluded it would be unconstitutional to indict a sitting president. But there is no federal prohibition on charging a former president for acts committed while in office.

 "The immunity argument is about the timing of the trial; it is generally accepted that ex-presidents can be prosecuted for crimes committed in office," Kalt said.

Do Trump's official acts enjoy special protection from prosecution?

 No.

In some contexts, U.S. courts have drawn a distinction between a president's "official acts" and actions unrelated to the job of president. For example, in a 1982 case the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, in civil lawsuits, presidents are immune from liability arising from their official acts.

But if Trump violated criminal laws, the fact that he took those actions while president would not shield him from liability, said Randall Eliason, a law professor at George Washington University and a former federal prosecutor. (AP, The Hill) 

 

WHAT JOHN FETTERMAN BELIEVES 

 

(Photo: Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

The minimum wage should be a living wage of at least $15 an hour. All work has dignity, and all paychecks must too.

Health care is a fundamental human right – just like housing, food, and education.

Climate change is an existential threat. We need to transition to clean energy as quickly as possible, and we can create millions of good union jobs in the process.

Weed should be legal, nationwide — for jobs, justice, veterans, farmers, and revenue. It’s time to end the failed war on drugs.

Immigration is what makes America, America. We need a compassionate response to immigration reform that actually treats immigrants like human beings.

Black Lives Matter. John served as mayor of a city that’s more than 80% Black, and has championed the idea that Black lives matter since long before it became a hashtag.

The union way of life is sacred. It’s what built this nation, and it must be protected. 

A woman’s right to an abortion is non-negotiable. Women should have control over their own bodies and their own lives. Period.

LGBTQIA+ communities deserve equal protections under the law. John has always stood for equality, and was one of the first elected officials in PA to officiate a same-sex wedding – when it was still illegal.

Get corporate money out of politics. John refuses contributions from corporate PACs, and he signed the “No Fossil Fuel Money” Pledge.

 

CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $56,000 IN COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS TO FIRE CO

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) today announced that five first responder agencies will be awarded a total of $ 56,689.70 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant – COVID-19 Supplemental Program Round 2 (AFG-S 2) to be used for personal protective equipment (PPE) and essential supplies. This is the second round of applications and awards.

“I often think of the men and women who serve in our fire companies and their families as I continue to push for more support for our safety infrastructure and local governments during this crisis,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I consider it my duty to fight for them and ensure our first responders have what they need to keep themselves and our communities safe.”

AFG-S 2 provides funds for the purchase of PPE and related supplies for our nation’s first responders during the COVID- 19 response. The CARES Act authorized $100 million in supplemental funding for this program.

 

 

CASEY NAMED TO SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE OVERSEES U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND INFLUENCES U.S. FOREIGN AND NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY

 

 U.S. Senator  Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he was named to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the U.S. intelligence community and influences U.S. foreign and national security policy. Senator Casey previously served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2007-2013, and chaired its Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee for four years.

 “I look forward to having the opportunity to serve on the Intelligence Committee as our Nation faces threats of domestic terrorism at home and complex challenges abroad,” Senator Casey said. “As a member of the Committee, I will promote policies that keep our country safe and further our interests.”

The Committee was created by the Senate in 1976 to “oversee and make continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government,” to “submit to the Senate appropriate proposals for legislation and report to the Senate concerning such intelligence activities and programs,” and to “provide vigilant legislative oversight over the intelligence activities of the United States to assure that such activities are in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States.”

With Democrats in the Senate majority, Senator Casey will also serve as Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and as a senior member of the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committees.

   

MEDIA MATTERS

 

RUSH

I first heard Rush Limbaugh on Jim Ward’s WARD Talk station in 1988-89.Ward put him on from 3 to 5 and had Rob Neyhard as a lead in.

When he started, Rush was wildly entertaining. He was brash, he was bold. He had that touch of irony and political incorrectness that evened out the furrowed brow era of George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.

As a centrist liberal Democrat, I could at least see the irony.

I loved the satire. I loved the radio show because he was an entertainer. It was akin to broadcast WWE, broadcast wrestling. You knew it was sarcastic and tongue in cheek but because at first he wasn’t mean.

But then as the years went by, the nuances, the wink of the eye changed because the satire and jokes became gobbled up as gospel by the listeners. The comic bits gave way to outright meanness. Then there were the dog whistles on race. Rush got canned from ESPN Sports Football for making a remark about black analyst Tom Jackson. To me, that rejection led to his all out assault on anything and anybody who was not a doctrinaire right wing conservative.

Then the ignorant and the crazies took him as their Jonh the Baptist who demonized anyone not white, conservative or willing to swallow his daily rants. Rush made Donald Trump possible. He defended him to the end.

Trump in turn paid Rush back with honors and kind words.

Rush saved AM Radio.  Having grown up on it, I was thankful for that. The results of that salvation, the dividing of this country, the mean spirited tenor and hate that his later shows engendered now make me wonder if that salvation of a broadcast medium was worth the price.

 

 WALN TV

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest will be Jimeal Calliste, President of the NAACP Wilkes-Barre chapter.  Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on The Mothership 1340/1400 am, 100.7 and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on The River 105 and 103.5.

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

 

1987 

 

Our 1987 logo.

37th NBA All-Star Game, Kingdome, Seattle, WA: West beats East, 154-149 (OT); MVP: Tom Chambers, Seattle SuperSonics,…..Former national security adviser Robert McFarlane attempts suicide…… NY Stock Exch installs ladies restroom in the Exchange Luncheon Club……Philippine troops murder 17 civilians in Lupao Massacre…..British Airways begins trading stocks……England beat Australia 2-0 to win cricket's World Series Cup……Philippines constitution goes into effect…….US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site…… Survivors of a black man murdered by KKK members awarded $7 M damages……. Tigers' Jack Morris awarded $1.85 million salary by arbitrator……… Detroit Pistons-Philadelphia 76ers game draws crowd of 53,745 at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac; third largest crowd in NBA history; Pistons win, 125-107  ABC-TV begins broadcasting "Amerika" mini-series……Karlstad skates world record 10km (14:03,92)……Nikolai Guljajev becomes world champion skater……Masters champion Craig Stadler is disqualified from Andy Williams Open for kneeling on a towel to make a shot…..Daytona 500: Bill Elliott leads for 104 of 200 laps including the last 3; had won pole with record speed of 210.364 mph…..PGA Seniors' Championship Men's Golf, PGA National GC: Chi-Chi Rodríguez wins his second and final Champions Tour major title by 1 stroke from Dale Douglass…….Demjanjuk, accused of being "Ivan the Terrible" trial begins…. Don Mattingly wins highest salary arbitration ($1,975,000 per year)……Michelle Renee Royer, 21, (Texas), crowned 36th Miss USA….and in 1987 the number one song in LuLac Land and America was   George Michael & Aretha Franklin’s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).