The LuLac Edition #4,628, November 25th, 2021

THANKSGIVING 2021 

 WHY WE SHOULD THANK GOD FOR BIDEN

President Biden has had the most challenging year of a first year Presidency that I can remember in my lifetime.  He came in office succeeding a man child who refused to believe he lost the election in 2020 by the same margin that he won it in 2016. Essentially all of the norms associated with a normal Presidency were torn asunder and needed to be repaired ASAP. Then our democracy was under assault by a group of wrongheaded hateful so called Americans that now deny they tried to overthrow the country. So Joe Biden had an extraordinary amount thrown at him. From the lies being told about his election to the Pandemic to the anti vaccine proponents it has not been an easy road. Americans are a fickle people with short memories. Here’s  a gentle reminder as to why Americans should be grateful to have Joe Biden as their President.

1.     We have a President that every day comes out to the nation and addresses the problem or issue at hand. He does so with facts and no bluster.

2.     We have a President who doesn’t blame others for his failures.

3.     We have a President who is not prone to name calling and belittling other people.

4.     We have a President who relies on his staff to do the right thing. At this stage in the Trump Presidency, Diaper Don blew through staff like condoms at a Stormy Daniels rendezvous.

5.     We have a President who when faced with a problem doesn’t use the terms “disaster”, “It’ll be beautiful” or some nonsense like “”like you’ve never seen before”.

6.     We have a President who doesn’t hire their vapid kids.

7.     We have a President who has changed more in America in his first year than two entire GOP administrations in this century did.

8.     We have a President who is not afraid to admit a mistake.

9.      We have a President who has so far kept his promises. To those comatose Americans who say he hasn’t, I say, “read a newspaper!”

10.                        We have a President who values family and their basic needs.

11.                        We  have a President who might be older, flawed a bit and not that exciting……but at least he is NORMAL.

12.                        We have a President who will go down I  history as someone who cleaned up a mess and with the grace of God, saved America.   

13. Three shots in the arm. 

14. No scandal, no drama except for the wretched GOP party of snowflakes, liars and gun toting racist cowardly drama queens. 

 

 CASEY, LAMB INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR COLLEGE STUDENT

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives) 

This week, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Conor Lamb (D-PA-17), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24) and John Katko (R-NY-24) introduced the bipartisan Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help (PATH) to College Act. The PATH to College Act establishes a new pilot grant program for public transit providers, in collaboration with eligible institutions of higher education, to increase access to public transportation for college students.

“A lack of reliable transportation should never stop a student from achieving their dreams,” said Senator Casey. “This legislation will improve public transportation so students can pursue education and training beyond high school, allowing them to focus on their education instead of how they’re getting to school every day. I’m proud to partner with Representative Lamb on this bill and I’ll keep fighting to get it over the finish line.”

“Too many students who want to pursue education or training beyond high school face challenges with the ability to simply get to school. This bill will improve accessibility to public transportation to ensure more students can access education and training opportunities in their community,” said Rep. Lamb.

“The cost and lack of access to public transportation are often barriers for students pursuing higher education,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan legislation will increase public transit stops near college campuses, ensuring that students have a reliable and affordable way to get to class, so they are able to focus on their studies.”

“The lack of access to reliable transportation is one of the greatest barriers between students and their educational pursuits. Far too often, young people are challenged with the simple task of getting to campus. This legislation will improve access to public transportation to ensure that students can get to class easily and on time,” said Rep. Wilson.

The PATH to College Act authorizes funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Labor to award funds, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education and transit agencies for the purpose of improving transit accessibility for students attending community colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, or those with a large number of Pell-eligible students. A report from the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation indicated that just 57 percent of community colleges are currently accessible by transit.

Multiple higher education and workforce development advocacy organizations have endorsed the legislation, including Partner4Work, Association of Community College Trustees, College Promise, Student Veterans of America and more. Click here to read the endorsing letters.

 

REP. CARTWRIGHT VOTES TO PASS

HISTORIC BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

 

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright  recently voted to pass the Build Back Better Act in the U.S. House. This historic legislation crafted by the President and Democrats in Congress will create good-paying jobs and bring more people back into the workforce, cut taxes for the middle class, reduce price pressures and fight climate change.

“The Build Back Better Act invests in workforce development, begins to tackle allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, boosts access to affordable child care and cuts taxes for working families. Most of this is paid for by asking the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share. Together with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this legislation will give all working people and families a better shot at a good middle-class life, and a fair chance to share in the success of a growing economy.”

According to a report from Moody’s Analytics, the Build Back Better Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill together will:

Add 1.5 million jobs per year on average across the whole decade;

Increase labor force participation and accelerate the return to full employment; and

Increase our total economic output by $3 trillion throughout the next decade.

Moody’s also confirms that these bills will keep prices stable and decrease inflationary pressures as we continue our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Build Back Better Act: More Jobs, Tax Cuts for the Middle Class, Lower Costs

More Jobs

Workforce Development: The United States ranks near the bottom among the world’s biggest economies when it comes to training workers to seize the good-paying jobs of the future. In fact, funding for federal job training programs has dropped by nearly half since the beginning of the 21st century. The Build Back Better Act invests in training programs that will prepare Pennsylvania’s workers for high-quality jobs in fast-growing sectors like public health, child care, manufacturing, IT and clean energy. 20 public community colleges in Pennsylvania will have the opportunity to benefit from grants to develop and deliver innovative training programs and expand proven ones.

Job Creation Through Climate Action: Pennsylvania has experienced 37 extreme weather events over the last decade, which has cost more than $10 billion in damage. It reduces carbon pollution, makes infrastructure ready to withstand extreme weather and strengthens the American clean energy economy.

Tax Cuts for the Middle Class

Lower Taxes for Families with Children: The Build Back Better Act extends the life-changing tax cut of the Child Tax Credit of $300/month per child under 6 or $250/month per child ages 6 to 17.

Lower Costs

Prescription Drugs: The Build Back Better Act will begin to enable Medicare once again to negotiate for lower drug costs for seniors. It also:

Ensures Americans with Diabetes will not pay more than $35 per month for insulin; and

Creates a new out-of-pocket cap of $2,000 on what seniors pay for prescriptions in Medicare Part D.

Health Care: The bill expands Medicare to provide coverage for hearing aids as well as hearing assessment and treatment services. It dramatically lowers premiums in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Marketplace. It also makes historic investments to allow more seniors and the disabled to receive the services they need in their homes. These investments in the Build Back Better Act will help 122,000 Pennsylvanians gain coverage and hundreds of thousands more save on health costs each year.

Child Care and Early Education:

The average annual cost for child care in Pennsylvania is $11,402. The Build Back Better Act will expand access for over 700,000 young Pennsylvanians and ensure that no one pays more than 7 percent of their income on child care.

Only 16 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in Pennsylvania have access to publicly funded pre-K, while the average cost of private pre-K in the state is $8,600. The Build Back Better Act will ensure universal pre-school for all 3- and 4-year-olds.

54 percent of employers surveyed earlier this summer as part of a Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce-led study reported losing employees because of a lack of affordable child care options. These investments will help more parents rejoin the workforce knowing their kids are cared for.

A full White House fact sheet on the impact of the Build Back Better Act for Pennsylvania is at this link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Pennsylvania_BBB-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf.

 

 

ALL OF THE ABOVE THAT CARTWRIGHT VOTED FOR…….

MEUSER AND KELLER VOTED NO!

 

 

WOLF ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $1.2 BILLION AMERICAN RESCUE ACT-FUNDED PLAN TO BETTER SERVE PENNSYLVANIANS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives) 

Governor Tom Wolf today announced the spending plan for approximately $1.2 billion in American Rescue Plan Act federal funding to support Medicaid’s home and community-based services (HCBS) system throughout the commonwealth, allowing more Pennsylvanians the access to critical services in their communities.

The temporary funding enhancement will be directed toward Medicaid-funded essential care services to seniors, adults with intellectual and physical disabilities, adults with behavioral health needs such as substance use disorder or mental illness, and children with chronic complex medical needs.

“More than 3 million Pennsylvanians are able to access essential physical and behavioral health care because of Medicaid, but beyond that, Medicaid makes it possible for individuals to live safely and supported in their communities among their families and peers,” said Gov. Wolf. “As Pennsylvania continues to rebuild from a difficult two years, this funding will be an invaluable investment in normalizing and advancing services and supports for Pennsylvanians.”

The American Rescue Plan Act provides states with a temporary, one-year 10 percent increase to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for certain home and community-based services funded through Medicaid. States must reinvest the state savings to enhance, expand or strengthen HCBS under the Medicaid program.

“A robust, thriving home and community-based services system is an essential part of our health care system and recognizes the inherent freedom of individuals to live independently,” said DHS Acting Secretary Meg Snead. “Our service systems, providers and workforce have continued to deliver care throughout the pandemic with incredible resiliency and flexibility. This enhanced funding is an opportunity for us to invest in them as they invest in their communities and the people they serve. On behalf of DHS and the Wolf Administration, we are grateful for their dedication to their work, and we look forward to using this funding to recognize their service and support growth and innovation moving forward.”

Pennsylvania’s funding plan focuses on the following domains:

Increasing access to home and community-based services

Staff recruiting and retention

Providing necessary supplies to safely facilitate services

Additional trainings and learning opportunities through workforce support

Supporting families caring for their loved one

Improving functional capabilities of people with disabilities

Enhancing transitional supports

Home and community-based services capacity building

DHS first submitted its proposed spending plan to the federal CMS in June 2021, which was revised and resubmitted in late August following a public comment period and initial feedback from CMS. Pennsylvania’s plan is pending full approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), but planning is already underway so that DHS is prepared to implement the activities in the plan once the formal approval is received.

For more info here’s the link: https://www.dhs.pa.gov/coronavirus/Pages/American-Rescue-Plan-HCBS-Public-Comment.aspx

 

 

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Category 5 Typhoon Nina smashes the Philippines with 265 kilometres per hour (165 mph) winds and a devastating storm surge, causing destruction and 812 deaths./….South African Airways Flight 295 crashes into the Indian Ocean off Mauritius, due to a fire in the cargo hold; the 159 passengers and crew perish……….Korean Air Flight 858 is blown up over the Andaman Sea, killing 115 crew and passengers. North Korean agents are responsible for the bombing… "Dreamgirls" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 177 performances……75th CFL Grey Cup, BC Place, Vancouver: Edmonton Eskimos 10th Championship; defeat Toronto Argonauts, 38-36 on Jerry Kauric's last second field-goal…….France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll….. Joe Montana of SF 49ers completes NFL record of 22 consecutive passes and this week thr number one song in LuLac land and America was “Brilliant Disguise” by Bruce Springsteen.