The LuLac Edition #4, 608, October 30th, 2021

 LUZERNE BOROUGH AT  CROSSROADS 

BANICKY CAN HELP 

Municipal elections are all about local government.  Sometimes with major races for the Judiciary small town races are put on the back burner. But small boroughs and towns are the heartbeat of a larger population area. In Luzerne County, various small towns have grown and progressed. Two  things are accomplished by this. 

1. The residents received a better more progressive form of government that looks to the future. 

2. The larger surroundings of said small town grow as a result of the forward thinking leadership that makes progress happen. 

Luzerne Borough right now is at a vital crossroads in the direction of the town in the next decade. Voters on Tuesday will chose between the status stagnant  quo or the forward thinking candidacy of Walter Banicky. We feel compelled to share Banicky's vision of his town. We hope residents choose Mr. Banicky this Tuesday to lead Luzerne Borough solidly in the 21st century. 

We're twenty one years into the 21st and times awasting. 

The LuLac Edition #4, 607, October 28th, 2021

 

NAACP HOLDS FREEDOM FUND BANQUET

 Video courtesy of Video Innovations

The Diamond City branch #2306 of the NAACP held their annual freedom fund banquet in October. Ere is the affair in its entirety on You Tube.

 

 

Former NAACP President, 2021 Award Winner and branch historian Constance Wynn with Representative Kenyata and Gwen Garrett of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department. 

Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, Dr, Rhonda Rabbit from Wilkes University, Representative Kenyata and Executive Committee member Erica Acosta.  

Your blog editor, Keynote Speaker Kenyata, Magistrate Kokura -Kravitz and Attorney Nick Kravitz.  

Your blog editor and First Vice President with NAACP President Jiimel Calliste. 

All photos by Joe Milcavage.
 

 

 

 

DEMOCRATS NEVER LEARNED THE LESSON OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE

 

Before the Affordable Care Act was passed, over 65% of the American people favored a public option. By the time the GOP lie machine got their hands on it and the Democrats started dicking around with it, there was mo stomach to provide Medicare for all.

Now on the human infrastructure program, the very tenants the Democrats campaigned on are being cut. Free tuition for Community colleges, child care provisions for home leave and a complete unraveling of what the President wants to do with making taxes and the economy fair for all Americans.

The worst part about this is that Democrats are chopping up these major changes of America in little pieces.

So here are my two questions to Joe Manchin and the non entity from Arizona.

`1. Why the fuck did you give Joe Biden the nomination if you were going to screw him and his party? 2. When the fuck are you going to stop this third grade nonsense and work for your President and the American people?

Right now, people are pleading with the Progressives to accept the new framework the President laid out. But they don't trust the likes of Manchin and the non entity from Arizona. And WHY SHOULD THEY? Manchine and the so called successor to John McCain has screwed them at every turn. 

If THIS doesn't pass, the blame is on Manchin and his little so called leader from the West. If it does pass, all people will remember is the fight. Plus you might as well figure that this might be the last Democratic President in maybe the rest of this century. The Republicans have it set up that even when they lose, they'll win because the Dems have not done anything with  voter oversight. 

Shame on both sides for screwing a visionary President. Biden could have been FDR, thanks to his own party, they have made him into Herbert Hoover! 

 

BILLIONAIRES' TAX: WHAT IT IS AND WHY WE NEED IT- MARC STIER, DIRECTOR

 

From the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center

As negotiations between President Biden and House and Senate members over the Build Back Better plan have developed in the last few weeks, a new tax proposal to fund the close to $2 billion investment in health care, child care, paid family leave, climate care, and other programs has come to the fore: a “billionaire tax`.” While Senator Wyden and others have been discussing this proposal for some time, it is a relatively unknown concept and would be a new form of federal taxation. Here we briefly explain what it is and why it is an excellent idea.

The new proposal is to tax the increased wealth of the richest Americans each year. The tax would apply immediately to tradeable assets—stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and derivatives—where the value of the asset is known at the beginning and end of the year and the owner gets a financial statement that is reported to the IRS. The tax on non-tradeable assets, such as ownership in a business or real estate holdings, would be deferred until the asset is sold. Interest would be charged for those years that taxes were not paid but the asset increased in value.

The billionaire tax would apply to people with a minimum of $1 billion in assets or people earning more than $100 million in income three years in a row. Only about 750 households in the entire country have $1 billion in wealth and their total wealth increased by over $2 trillion just during the pandemic.

The rate for the new tax is still under negotiation. It is likely to be at least as high as the top tax on capital gains, the tax on income generated by the sale of assets, which is currently 20%, with an additional 3.8% net investment income tax. It appears that the goal of the billionaire tax is to raise about $25 billion a year or $250 billion over ten years.

The billionaire tax is necessary as part of the funding for the Build Back Better plan, which will cost roughly $1.75 to $2 billion. The original plan was to raise this money by increasing tax rates on American families making $400,000 or more and on the corporations that received a substantial tax break from the Trump tax cuts. Senator Sinema’s rejection of these proposals made it necessary to find an alternative source of revenue that does not raise taxes on any one but the very rich owners of major corporations.

We believe that a billionaire tax is an excellent alternative and a good idea in its own right because it is necessary to correct a glaring loophole in our tax system that mainly benefits the very richest Americans.

The vast majority of income earned by most of us consists of wages, independent contractor payments, and small business profits. This is the income we rely on to pay for our daily expenses such as food, housing, transportation, and entertainment. However, the very richest Americans often have very little income of that kind. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and largest stockholder, does not receive a salary. Instead, he and the other richest Americans rely on increases in their wealth—that is the growing value of their assets, such as stocks and bonds, mutual funds, and derivatives—to pay for daily expenses that far exceed those of average Americans. And while they sometimes sell those assets in order to pay for their living expenses—and pay a capital gains tax that is already at a rate lower that the income tax rate paid by most Americans—they don’t really have to sell assets. Instead, they borrow on the value of their assets to cover their daily living expenses. And, as a result, they can support an extravagant lifestyle while paying no income taxes at all. And then, when they die, the “capital gains step-up” provision of the tax code enables their children to avoid paying any taxes on the increased value of their assets.

The growing wealth of the richest Americans has made this tax loophole more and more attractive to them. And their wealth has increased dramatically even while most Americans have been suffering from the economic impact of COVID-19. According to Forbes data analyzed by Americans for Tax Fairness, America’s nearly 750 billionaires saw their wealth increase by a total of $2.1 trillion, or 70%, during the first 19 months of the pandemic.

Based on IRS data, ProPublica found that Jeff Bezos paid zero federal income taxes in 2007 and 2011. Elon Musk paid zero in 2018, and Michael Bloomberg paid zero times in several “recent years.” ProPublica also found that the richest 25 billionaires paid an effective tax rate of just 3.4% on a $400 billion increase in their collective fortune between 2014 and 2018. That rate is based on how much billionaires paid in federal income taxes during that period compared with how much their wealth grew. White House economists found that, on average, when the increased value of their stock was counted the wealthiest 400 families in the U.S. paid an effective federal income tax rate of just over 8% in recent years. In comparison, the average effective tax rate on all Americans is just a bit below 15%. Billionaires usually pay lower tax rates than middle-class workers like teachers, nurses, and firefighters.

The billionaire tax is similar to the wealth tax proposed by Senator Elizabeth Warren during the 2020 presidential campaign. But because it is a tax on income—that is the income earned by wealth not labor—it does not raise possible federal constitutional objections to the wealth tax.  

Thus, our view is that the billionaire tax is not only important to funding the Build Back Better plan but is a good idea in itself. At a time of growing income and wealth inequality, and after decades of Republican tax cuts for the wealthy that have placed the burden of paying for all the essential services provided by government increasingly on the middle class, the billionaire wealth tax would be a huge step forward in making the federal tax system fairer.

 

 MEMBERS OF GOP CONGRESS NERVOUS 

 

Organizers of the January 6 mob at the U.S. Capitol say they participated in "dozens" of planning meetings with members of Congress and Trump White House staff in the lead-up to the violent insurrection that sought to overturn the results of the election.1

In a jaw-dropping exclusive by Rolling Stone, two sources who are cooperating with the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack have named Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and six other GOP members of Congress as having coordinated and planned the events of January 6. The sources even said that one of the GOP members promised them a "blanket pardon" from the Trump White House.2

This bombshell report comes on the heels of the House voting last week to hold former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for defying a subpoena from the January 6 select committee.3

On Sunday, CBS's "Face the Nation" played a segment from Bannon's own podcast the day before the insurrection in which he said, "All hell is gonna break loose tomorrow. It's going to be moving. It's going to be quick. And all I can say is strap in .... tomorrow it's game day."4

The 14th Amendment says that someone who "engaged in insurrection" cannot serve in Congress. The Democratic majority must do everything in their power to remove the members of Congress who incited violence and attempted to violently overturn the results of the 2020 election and have been seeking to obstruct the investigation and support the violent insurrectionists ever since.5

That's why MoveOn and others are leading a massive effort to hold the insurrectionists accountable by demanding their immediate resignation or expulsion from Congress. They are prepared to go big with TV ads, billboards, and "homepage takeover" ads blanketing the websites of local newspapers in the seditionists' districts, as well as people-powered efforts to lift up the voices of their own constituents calling for their resignation and expulsion—on top of efforts to push corporate donors to stop funding insurrectionist Republicans

In addition to Marjorie Taylor Greene, the other GOP representatives identified as being involved in the planning of the January 6 events include Representatives Paul Gosar of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Louie Gohmert of Texas.6

Rolling Stone also reported that Ali Alexander, who helped organize the events of January 6, said in a since-deleted livestream broadcast that Gosar, Brooks, and Biggs helped him formulate the strategy. At the time, he said, "I was the person who came up with the Jan. 6 idea with Congressman Gosar, Congressman Mo Brooks, and Congressman Andy Biggs. We four schemed up on putting maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting so that ... we could change the hearts and the minds of Republicans who were in that body hearing our loud roar from outside."7

We cannot let the violence we saw on January 6—resulting in the deaths of Capitol police officers, more than 100 injuries, and more damage to the Capitol than any event since the War of 1812—become a normalized part of the GOP playbook.

There must be clear, legal consequences—including for any members of Congress who helped organize the protests, encouraged the violence, provided information that helped with the planning of the attacks, or have covered up for the coup in the months since.

At the same time, we're building grassroots support for Democratic leaders in Congress to use their authority to enforce the 14th Amendment by expelling Rep. Greene and the others who aided and organized the January 6 events.

More pressure will be on GM, AT&T, Apple, and other corporations for the ways they continue to financially and materially support insurrectionist Republicans and the dangerous disinformation they spread about our elections and the events of January 6.

And if the GOP seditionists aren't removed by resignation or expulsion, they must be defeated for re-election when they face the voters in 2022.  (Move On, LuLac)

  

MORE THAN 100 ECONOMISTS AND EXPERTS URGE ROBUST INVESTMENT IN HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives) 

More than 100 economists and public policy experts sent an open letter urging Congress to make a robust investment in home and community-based services as part of the Build Back Better Budget. The group recommended that Congress allocate a minimum of $250 billion to expand home care services, noting that such an investment would create jobs and respond to the overwhelming desire from most seniors and people with disabilities who would prefer to receive care at home. In June, Senator Bob Casey  Chair of the Senate Aging Committee, introduced the Better Care Better Jobs Act, which would provide a bold investment to expand access to home and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities, support family caregivers and lift up the home care workforce.

“The consensus among economists, public policy experts, caregivers, families, seniors and people with disabilities is clear – a substantial investment in home and community-based services is urgently needed. The Better Care Better Jobs Act is essential to strengthening our economy and enhancing access to quality, cost-effective care for American families. I will continue to fight for full funding for home and community-based services in the Build Back Better Budget,” said Senator Casey.

 

GOV. WOLF CONTINUES TO CALL FOR MEANINGFUL ACTION TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives)

Governor Tom Wolf today joined advocates, community leaders and Democratic lawmakers at the Capitol to continue their collective call for meaningful legislative action to address gun violence.

“My administration has made it a top priority to address the scourge of gun violence, but executive action alone cannot end gun violence in Pennsylvania. We need the General Assembly to take action to increase gun safety and prevent gun violence,” Gov. Wolf said. “I have repeatedly called for legislative action on key commonsense measures. Instead of acting to increase gun safety and reduce violence, the majority are instead pushing dangerous legislation that would make all of us less safe.”

The governor has repeatedly called on the General Assembly to take up safe storage legislation to reduce the number of shootings by people who should not have access to guns, including accidental shootings by children; to tighten reporting requirements for lost or stolen guns; to swiftly pass the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, also known as the red flag law; and to pursue state-level universal background checks on all gun purchases.

The governor also supports CeaseFire PA’s legislative solutions, which similarly call for the following:

Creating Extreme Risk Protection Orders as a means to temporarily remove firearms from someone who wants to hurt themselves or others.

Reporting lost or stolen firearms within 72 hours, helping cut community violence.

Closing the gaps in Pennsylvania’s background check system to prevent the purchase of military-style rifles from a private, non-licensed seller.

“Communities across our commonwealth — especially Black and brown communities — are facing a daily barrage of gun violence as we now prepare to mark three years since the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. We need everyone’s help to address this crisis. While Governor Wolf’s leadership is greatly appreciated, we also need a Senate that is part of the solution — not a Senate ​that prioritizes legislation that makes communities less safe,” said Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA.

Two measures may soon come to the Senate floor for consideration: Senate Bill 448, which would allow anyone to sue a city for enacting gun safety policies then force taxpayers to pick up the legal costs, and Senate Bill 565, which would allow anyone over 18 to carry a loaded, concealed firearm in public without a permit.

“Republicans in the General Assembly should focus their energy on enacting common sense firearm legislation, such as universal background checks and banning ghost guns. These proposals enjoy wide bipartisan support, unlike the Republican firearms legislation, which despite having strong bipartisan opposition, is sitting on the Senate calendar,” said state Senator Vincent Hughes. “Democrats fought for the $30 million for gun violence intervention and prevention grants to community groups that was included in the budget. With applications for funding through that program now closed, more than $170 million in requests were received. The General Assembly should be focused on providing additional financial resources to neighborhood level groups combatting the rise in violence across the commonwealth.”

 “The paralyzing impact that comes to far too many Pennsylvania families as a result of a death due to gun violence is beyond words,” said state Senator Anthony H. Williams. “But for members of the Senate to run bills that are counter to that painful experience is a statement regarding their lack of compassion and well-being for all Pennsylvanians.”

 The governor has made it a top priority to address the gun violence crisis impacting communities across the commonwealth. 

 In 2019, he signed an Executive Order creating the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a Special Council on Gun Violence within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), as well as the Division of Violence Prevention within the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

As a result of recommendations of the council, PCCD has prioritized available funding to support direct, multi-year grants to organizations implementing gun violence prevention/intervention models. In February, $3.1 million in Community Violence Prevention/Reduction grants were awarded to specifically target gun violence in Pennsylvania, with most of the awards going to support efforts in Philadelphia. This effort builds on the $3.8 million that has been released in the previous two years to support efforts to reduce gun violence throughout Pennsylvania.

In May, the governor announced the availability of $5 million in funding through the Gun Violence Reduction Grant Program to support local efforts to reduce community gun violence in Philadelphia and other regions across the state experiencing surges in shootings, homicides and other firearm-related crimes.

In June, the budget that the governor signed included an additional $30 million for Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants, to be administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), through the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC).  This VIP funding will support effective local intervening and preventative measures to stop gun and group violence in regions that are experiencing high rates of violent crime.  

Earlier this month, the governor joined New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to announce a Memorandum of Understanding to share crime gun data in an effort to prevent gun violence and enhance public safety. 

 

 SENATE PASSES WILDING’S LAW WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT

SENATOR FLYNN DISCUSSES WILDING'S LAW ON SENATE FLOOR

Senator Marty Flynn (Photo: LuLac archives)

I'm happy to announce that Wilding's Law (Senate Bill 814) passed today with bipartisan support, increasing the penalties for those who run from an arrest. Senator Yudichak and I introduced this bill because we felt there needed to be more accountability for those who put police officers at risk.

Every day, our police officers put their lives on the line for us. What’s at stake for them every time they go to work - we can’t imagine. So it’s our job as lawmakers to look out for those who serve and uphold the law. We have to protect those who protect us.

What happened to Officer Wilding was a tragedy, and what’s worse is that it was a preventable one. Unfortunately, we cannot change what happened to Officer Wilding, but hopefully this law will provide some small measure of peace for his family, and will prevent something like this from happening again.

I am thankful to my colleagues in the Senate for honoring Officer Wilding’s ultimate sacrifice and overwhelmingly supporting Senate Bill 814. We have an opportunity here – a responsibility, even – to better protect Pennsylvania’s law enforcement officers and make it clear that we have their backs, so I urge my counterparts in the House of Representatives to consider and promptly pass this bill.

 

 SENATOR FLYNN APPOINTED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMISSION

I was honored to be appointed to the Pennsylvania Military Community Enhancement Commission earlier this month. It's imperative that we do everything we can to support America's service members, and to make sure they are granted the resources they need to protect this country. This commission sets out to enhance and promote the military in Pennsylvania, and to ensure that our state is fully equipped to be the best possible host for all military organizations, personnel, and their families.

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS 

 

WALN TV

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

 

This week's guest is Mark Keyes from the Pennsylvania Paranormal Association 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.

The head of Salvadoran Human Rights Comm assassinated by death squads….Lucas Mangopes Democratic Party wins Bophuthatswana elections….. South Korean voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution……"Don't Get God Started" opens at Longacre Theater  

 NYC for 86 performances…… Thomas Hearns wins unprecedented 4th different weight boxing title….in Japan, NEC releases the first 16-bit home entertainment system, the TurboGrafx-16, known as PC Engine……"Faith" debut album by George Michael is released…..American jockey Chris Antley becomes first rider to win 9 races in a day (4 at Aqueduct / 5 at The Meadowlands) and a  pair in Coventry, England, ties world record for longest singles tennis match at 80 hrs 21 minutes plus on this day the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Breakout” by Swing Out Sister. Here’s the long version.