The LuLac Edition #4,581, September 9th, 2021

 

SCRAPPY KID FROM SCRANTON TAKES ON VACCINE BULLIES 

 

President Biden called out state Governors who are stopping school boards from giving out lifesaving vaccines to students across America. Biden correctly called these spineless Governors bullies. My late friend and boss at another job, Tom Joseph told me “Scranton guys take care of bullies…fast”.

President Joe Biden also today turned up the heat on his administration's COVID-19 vaccination campaign with two measures aimed at getting workers inoculated, part of a six-point plan to combat the pandemic.

Biden announced a new rule by the Labor Department that will require all businesses with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated or submit to testing at least once a week.

In addition, the president signed an executive order requiring most federal workers and contractors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, a tightening of the previous policy announced in July that called for vaccinations but allowed other options.

Combined, Biden said the new vaccine requirements would cover about 100 million workers, two-thirds of the country's workforce.

Channeling the frustration of vaccinated Americans upset about not being able to return to normal life during what he repeatedly calls a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,’’ Biden had a direct message for the nearly 80 million holdouts.

“What more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see?’’ he said. “We’ve made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. The vaccine is FDA approved. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We’re patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us. Please do the right thing.’’

The new Labor Department standard would apply to more than 80 million Americans working in the private sector. The executive order affects employees working for the executive branch, about 90% of the federal workforce.

Some federal health workers, including those who work for the Veterans Department, are already required to get vaccinated. Members of the U.S. military also need to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

But civilian federal employees and contractors only had to reveal their vaccination status and, if not inoculated, get tested regularly, socially distance, wear masks and be subject to restrictions on most work travel. Those won't be options anymore. (LuLac, USA Today)

 

FRANK SCAVO PLEADS GUILTY TO MISDEMEANOR IN U.S. CAPITOL RIOT

THE OLD FORGE MAN ENTERED THE PLEA OVER ZOOM WITH A FEDERAL JUDGE FROM WASHINGTON

 

Scavo (Photo: Pa Homepage)
 

Newswatch 16 reports that Frank Scavo has plead guilty to a misdemeanor in the Capitol Hill attack and assault on January 6^th. It happened on Wednesday to a single misdemeanor charge for participating in the riot started by fellow Trumpanzees.  Scavo entered the plea over Zoom with a judge from Washington. He at first denied that he was anywhere near the Capitol on January 6. But then, photos of the event showed him inside the building.

He faced several charges, but under his plea agreement, he only pleaded guilty to one charge, a misdemeanor, called "parading, demonstrating, and picketing in the Capitol."

Scavo could face up to six months behind bars. He will be sentenced later this year. His attorney says he will argue that Scavo not be sent to prison, saying that Scavo is "very regretful" and wishes he was never at the U.S. Capitol that day.  Here’s an observation. This is the guy who preached law and order. He preached following the rule of law about immigration. He helped organize the rally and urged people to ride his buses to “take back” the country, the election, the Capitol. You fill in the blank. This is a guy who said to WNEP that he wasn’t anywhere near there. All of a sudden, after all of his cheer leading for Trump he becomes a doubting Thomas?National news outlets are saying there was a guy who chartered buses to the event and they speculate Scavo was naming names. Nah, he doesn't strike me as a guy who would throw someone under a bus to save his own ass!

He should regret his being there on that day.  It’s ironic that he didn’t have to take a bus down to D.C. to plead guilty. The technology of Zoom and the Pandemic saved Frank one lonely bus ride.

 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS & SENATE NEED TO MOVE FAST

 

It is now September. Democrats in the House and Senate who are wobbly on the nuances of the Infrastructure bill. The deal calls for investing $110 billion for roads, bridges and major infrastructure projects, according to the summary. That's about the same amount agreed to in a bipartisan bill in June but significantly less than the $159 billion that Biden initially requested in the American Jobs Plan. Included is $40 billion for bridge repair, replacement and rehabilitation, according to the bill text. The White House says it would be the single, largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system, which started in the 1950s.

There is money for transit and rail the package would provide $39 billion to modernize public transit, according to the bill text. That's less than the $49 billion contained in the earlier bipartisan deal and the $85 billion that Biden initially wanted to invest in modernizing transit systems and help them expand to meet rider demand. It also aims to help lower the price households pay for internet service by requiring federal funding recipients to offer a low-cost affordable plan, by creating price transparency and by boosting competition in areas where existing providers aren't providing adequate service. It would also create a permanent federal program to help more low-income households access the internet, according to the White House fact sheet.

Plus the human infrastructure bill is something Democrats have championed for a long time. The eyes of history are on all the Democrats. They have the power now. No matter what they do, the GOP lie machine will decry, deride and deny. It’s time to step up and not only act as Democrats but as leaders who care about the future of this country.

 

HOW LINCOLN AND GRANT SCREWED US 

 

When I was listening to the coverage of the take down of the big ass Robert E Lee statue the other day, I was stunned by the comments of some of the southerners. They said,

1.      He was a hero.

2.      He fought valiantly for a cause he believed in.

3.      He fought for his homeland, his state!

 

Uh............NO!!!!!!!!

1.      He was a traitor, a West Point graduate fighting against his own army!

2.      The cause he believed in enslaved people of color. Think that was righteous?

3.      His state was not his homeland. It left the Union and joined in a revolt against the United States.  Lee was born an American citizen first, then a Virginian.

The bottom line here is that Lincoln and Grant should NEVER have given any of these historical figures amnesty. Kiss your boo boo and make it better there Robert E. Lee?  They should have put their names and faces in the newspaper as traitors. Period.

By granting amnesty, Lincoln and Grant gave the south and some numbskulls up here in LuLac land the path to re-write history.

 

FEDS ASK MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TO ACCOUNT FOR OVER $3.5M OF UNITEMIZED DONATIONS

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has asked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for more information about $3.5 million in contributions to her re-election campaign. In two filings posted to the FEC website on Monday and surfaced on Twitter by Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Stephen Fowler on Tuesday, the congresswoman's husband Perry Greene—her campaign treasurer— was asked to provide additional details about donations the campaign received during the first two quarters of 2021.

Between January and March, the Greene campaign received $2,558,631.61 in unitemized donations from undisclosed donors, while the campaign received another $967,045.73 in unitemized donations between April and June. The campaign reported a total of more than $4.5 million in donations during the same time period.

Candidates are not legally obliged to itemize donations or disclose the identity of their donors for contributions that total under $200 during an election cycle. For donations that do need to be itemized, campaigns must supply details including the name of the donor, the donor's address, occupation, employer and the date of the donation must be provided. The FEC has given the Greene campaign until October 12 to provide clarification about the $3.5 million. To comply with FEC rules, the campaign must either provide information about the donors or show that the money came from small donors only—from at least 17,630 different individuals contributing no more than $199.99 each. Since the campaign has received a high volume of donations this year, it could have easily raised the $3.5 million strictly through small donations.

Candidates are not legally obliged to itemize donations or disclose the identity of their donors for contributions that total under $200 during an election cycle. For donations that do need to be itemized, campaigns must supply details including the name of the donor, the donor's address, occupation, employer and the date of the donation must be provided. The FEC has given the Greene campaign until October 12 to provide clarification about the $3.5 million. To comply with FEC rules, the campaign must either provide information about the donors or show that the money came from small donors only—from at least 17,630 different individuals contributing no more than $199.99 each. Since the campaign has received a high volume of donations this year, it could have easily raised the $3.5 million strictly through small donations.

Greene's status as one of the most prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump and baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him, as well as her remarks against COVID-19 vaccines and other public health restrictions, have made her a media fixture since she entered Congress in January. The attention likely played a role in increased contributions to her campaign, including the small donations.

Donations to Greene's campaign spiked earlier this year while she was embroiled in controversy over her comments and actions related to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, as well as past remarks taken from her social media accounts. Greene used the controversy to appeal to her supporters for campaign contributions, while comparing herself to Trump in the process. (MSN, LuLac)

 

 

GOVERNOR WOLF: PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURE READY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, NEEDS INCREASED FEDERAL SUPPORT

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives) 

Governor Tom Wolf called for U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to implement a $737 million Chesapeake Bay Resilient Farms Initiative to support Pennsylvania farmers in their desire to take a stand against climate change by implementing on-farm efforts for more sustainable agriculture practices that reduce nitrogen output, improve water quality, and effectively decrease negative impacts of climate change on agriculture.

“Last week, we all saw the devastating and deadly impacts of climate change as Hurricane Ida swept across our nation, leaving it’s mark not only on the hurricane-prone states to the south, but also Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey,” said Wolf. “As we rebuild, we need to rethink how we can all do our part to mitigate against climate change. Pennsylvania agriculture has stepped up to the challenge and has a plan, farmers are waiting to jump into action. We just need support, as was provided to the Mississippi River Basin, to get moving.”

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding last week signed his support for a proposal by the Chesapeake Bay Commission to the U.S. Department of Agriculture which would create a Chesapeake Bay Resilient Farms Initiative (CRFI) funded at $737 million to support the efforts of the agriculture industry in the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states over the next decade. With the agriculture industry responsible for 80 percent of nitrogen reductions, this program is critical to increasing capacity and making this goal feasible for the industry to accomplish.

“In agriculture, we not only have the responsibility to harvest food to feed the world, but we have the opportunity to harvest carbon and make a real impact on the climate of the world we leave for the next generation,” said Redding. “This plan makes implementing conservation practices realistic for our farmers through voluntary cost-share programs that help us to achieve our co-equal restoration goals.”

Redding signed a joint letter with the agriculture secretaries of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New York that was issued to Vilsack on August 25. The proposed CRFI program is modeled after the USDA-funded Mississippi River Basin Initiative and targets the sub-watersheds – particularly the Susquehanna River – that has the greatest impact on the Chesapeake Bay and offers the most cost-effective solutions. Out of the six watershed states, Pennsylvania faces, by far, the biggest challenge with the Susquehanna River providing half of the Bay’s fresh water. However, with a targeted investment in Lancaster, York, Franklin, Cumberland, Lebanon, Bedford, and Centre counties, Pennsylvania could achieve half of its reduction goals and restore more than 19,000 locally impaired stream miles.

Through the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, Governor Wolf has invested funds from the commonwealth’s budget to support sustainable agriculture practices and assist farmers in achieving their conservation goals. Since signed into law in 2019, Wolf has committed $15 million through the PA Farm Bill’s Conservation Excellence Grant Program and expanded funding for the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection tax credit program.

For more on the Wolf Administration’s support and investments in a sustainable agriculture industry, visit agriculture.pa.gov.

 

CASEY STATEMENT ON SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives) 

Last week   Senator Bob Casey released a statement following severe weather across Pennsylvania.

“Last night, residents across Pennsylvania experienced storms never seen before in the region, resulting in historic flooding in the Delaware Valley. The full extent of the flooding remains unknown, but we’re already hearing reports of people being forced to evacuate their homes. My office is in touch with officials through the Commonwealth, including Governor Wolf, Mayor Kenney, county officials in Chester, Bucks and Montgomery Counties, as well FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. I’d also like to express my gratitude to the first responders who have been instrumental in saving lives and keeping Pennsylvanians safe.

“It’s important to let the professionals do their jobs now. I am standing by to ensure that local and state officials get the federal resources they need. Looking ahead, I will ensure that Pennsylvania gets all the federal resources available to recover. It’s also becoming increasingly clear that because of climate change, what should be one-in-a-100-year weather events are occurring every few years. Congress made some progress in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but we need to pass the Build Back Better budget in the fall to make serious investments in combatting climate change.”

 

MEDIA MATTERS 

 

WILLARD SCOTT

Willard Scott (Photo: NBC) 

Willard Scott and Ed Walker, the Joy Boys (Photo: Washington Post)

I had the pleasure of meeting Willard Scott twice. Once when I was living in Washington, D.C. at the NBC station WRC. The building housed the TV and radio stations. Scott was with his partner Ed Walker doing their Joy Boys program. It was in its end stages, not the heyday of years gone by. We got a tour and got a chance to see Scott do a Maytag commercial where he flung his toupee into a dryer he was selling. He was gracious, affable and a pleasure to talk to.

Years later, Scott came to Wilkes-Barre to do a live weather-cast on Public Square. He stayed at the Sheraton-Crossgates Hotel and again remained unchanged in personality and energy in those intervening years.  He loved TV, especially national TV and the worldwide attention he gained. But radio was where the seeds of that great career were planted. Here’s a sampling of the classic Joy Boys promos and their last show which I heard in D.C. that afternoon in October. There were episodes of "As the Worm Turns" on that last show. 

 

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 SUNDAY NIGHT DOO WOP

SOCK HOP 

 

1987

Our 1987 logo.

Goiânia accident: Metal scrappers open an old radiation source abandoned in a hospital in Goiânia, Brazil, causing the worst radiation accident ever in an urban area……. Pope John Paul II arrives in Los Angeles for a two-day papal visit, hi Netherlands sends 2 minesweepers to Persian Gulfs first one ever to the city, where he makes an arrival day speech to local leaders of the U.S. entertainment industry…..  

 Jerry Lewis' 22nd Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $39,021,723…… Netherlands sends 2 minesweepers to Persian Gulf……Gary Hart admits on "Nightline" to cheating on his wife…… Largest US Tennis Open single night session (total) 21,016…..MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan strikes out his 4,500th batter….4th MTV Video Music Awards: Peter Gabriel wins…..US Open Women's Tennis: Martina Navratilova retains her title; beats Steffi Graf of Germany 7-6, 6-1….. Tampa Bay quarterback Steve DeBerg establishes a franchise record with 5 touchdown passes in the Buccaneers 48-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons……..Les Miserables' opens at Rock Theatre, Vigzinhaz Budapest…..  

Cal Ripken's streak of ,243 consecutive innings (908 games) is broken……California’s Bob Boone catches record 1,919th major league game…and this week in 1987 the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Songbird” by Kenny G.