The LuLac Edition #4, 948, April 13th, 2023

 

YOUTH VOTE CRUSHES IN WISCONSIN COURT RACE

Ever since people could vote at the age of 18 back in 1970s, the anticipation of the youth vote was slow in coming. My first national vote came in April 1972 when my political idol Hubert Humphrey was running in the Pennsylvania primary.  Not only did I vote but I was a youth volunteer for the campaign. Humphrey, who up to that point had not won a Presidential primary carried the Keystone State handily against George McGovern, Edmund Muskie (who the county Democratic leaders endorsed) and Senator Henry Jackson.

When the fall came political pros were sure the youth vote would go for McGovern. They did not. In subsequent elections (even the Obama ones) the youth participation increased but was not a formidable factor. The Baby Boomers and Millennials, while active, turned out to be just another piece of the puzzle. Engaged by necessity but not passionate.

Things have changed with this new generation of voters. This age group has been victimized by gun violence, written off as not ambitious in economies that weren’t wage friendly and has realized their place in society will not be as aspirational as their parents. Issues like equality, violence against anyone who was different (ie gender and orientation) and reproductive rights have pushed this new group from mere passive participants  to actual stake holders. Here’s an example of what happened in Wisconsin from our LuLac correspondents.

Last Tuesday, Janet Protasiewicz, who promised to protect reproductive rights, won the election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court by an astonishing 11 points in a state where elections are often decided by less than a point. Victor Shi of Voters of Tomorrow reported that the youth turnout of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, increased 240% since the last spring general election in 2019. Youth turnout at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, increased 232%. Almost 90% of those young people voted for Protasiewicz.

This is what happens when young voters change from onlookers to a generation personally affected by backward thinking, non inclusive right wing politics that turn into law. 

 

LYING CRYING TRUMP AT COURT

AOL reports that Former President Trump’s claim to a Fox News anchor that New York court employees were “crying” and apologizing for his arraignment on felony charges is “absolute BS” and doesn’t remotely resemble what took place, a law enforcement source familiar with the details of what transpired that day told Yahoo News.

“Zero,” said the source when asked how much truth there was to Trump’s colorful account. “There were zero people crying. There were zero people saying ‘I’m sorry.’”

Trump offered his version of events in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson that aired Tuesday night.

“When I went to the courthouse, which is also a prison in a sense, they signed me in and I’ll tell you people were crying,” Trump told Carlson. “People that work there. Professionally work there that have no problems putting in murderers and they see everybody. It’s a tough, tough place and they were crying. They were actually crying. They said ‘I’m sorry.’ They said, '2024, sir. 2024.’ And tears were pouring down their eyes."

 

 

REP. CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $4.9 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH CENTERS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that Scranton Primary Health Care Center, Inc.; Maternal and Family Health Services Inc.; and The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education/The Wright Center Medical Group will receive a total of $4.96 million in federal grants from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

·         Scranton Primary Health Care Center will receive a Health Care Cluster grant in the amount of $1.86 million to continue providing the needed services in their community, including pediatrics, family & internal medicine, women’s health, gynecology, prenatal & postpartum care, infectious disease care, behavioral health, and general dentistry.

·         Maternal and Family Health Services will receive a Family Planning Services grant in the amount of $1.6 million to continue providing services to women, men, and teens, to ensure they have the critical support and care they need to make informed, educated decisions about their reproductive health.

·               The Wright Center Medical Group/The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education will receive a Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program grant in the amount of $1.5 million for the planning and development of three residency programs: obstetrics, pediatrics, and pediatric dentistry.

“Community health centers play a vital role in delivering quality and affordable care to underserved populations, acting as essential pillars in our communities,” said Rep. Cartwright, who is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, where he oversees more than $70 billion in annual federal spending. “Also, having teaching health centers in Northeastern Pennsylvania is an invaluable tool to help fill the void of primary care physicians. Thanks to these grants, my constituents will have greater access to resources in their communities and I will continue to advocate for this federal funding.”

The Health Care Cluster Grant is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of HHS. It is the primary federal agency for improving health care for those who are geographically isolated or economically or medically vulnerable, working to improve health outcomes and health equity across the country.

Enacted in 1970 as part of the Public Health Service Act and administered by the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Title X family planning program is a critical part of America’s public health safety net, serving as a point-of-entry into care for millions and the gold standard for providing high-quality, affordable, and confidential voluntary family planning and related preventive health services, with priority given to low-income clients.

The Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program (THCPD) is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It provides planning and development grants to establish new accredited or expanded community-based primary care residency programs. 

 

 

CASEY, FETTERMAN ANNOUNCE $266 MILLION TO MAKE PA DRINKING WATER SAFER, IMPROVE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

INFRASTRUCTURE LAW HAS SENT MORE THAN $400 MILLION TO PENNSYLVANIA FOR CLEAN DRINKING WATER UPGRADES

FUNDING FROM INFRASTRUCTURE LAW WILL ENABLE PA TO REMOVE ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ LIKE PFAS FROM DRINKING WATER

Senators Fetterman and Casey ( Photo: CNN)

U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) announced $265,913,000 in federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make Pennsylvania’s drinking water safer and cleaner. The funding, bolstered by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, will remove contaminants—like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)—from the water supply and improve water infrastructure by replacing lead pipes.  

“Thanks to the infrastructure law, Pennsylvania will receive more than $265 million to make our drinking water safer and cleaner, including significant boosts in funding to eradicate ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS and replace lead pipes,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “Every Pennsylvanian has the right to safe, pure water and I will keep working with the Biden Administration until that promise is a reality in our urban, suburban, and rural communities alike.”

“It’s just plain commonsense that we need to provide clean drinking water to all communities in Pennsylvania and across the country,” said U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s robust investment in water infrastructure will help ensure that access to clean drinking water is a right, even in communities that have long been marginalized and forgotten.”

EPA is distributing this appropriation to Pennsylvania from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Thanks to the infrastructure law, EPA increased the Commonwealth’s DWSRF allotment from the Fiscal Year 2022 amount. Most notably, Pennsylvania’s funding to replace lead pipes increased by 64% this fiscal year. The infrastructure law is investing over $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY 2022 and FY 2026—the single largest investment in water the federal government has ever made.

Funding from infrastructure law will enable PA to remove ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS from drinking water.  

 

FIRST LADY SHAPIRO, SECOND LADY HOLMES DAVIS URGE SUPPORT OF LOCAL FOOD BANKS AMID MAJOR FEDERAL CHANGES TO SNAP IN NEW OP-ED  

– Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro and Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis in a recent op-ed reminded Pennsylvanians of major federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that went into effect earlier this month, and further encouraged anyone who can to donate food or volunteer their time to help fill the gap of need.

On March 1, due to federal legislation, a pandemic response policy that provided additional SNAP funds every month since early 2020 came to an end, affecting more than 1.9 million Pennsylvania SNAP recipients.

Governor Shapiro understands how vital these dollars are to SNAP recipients – that’s why his 2023-24 budget proposes a 50% increase in the minimum SNAP benefit, a historic state investment of $16 million that will help seniors and people with disabilities keep food on their tables. The Governor’s budget also seeks to continue universal school breakfasts, an investment in children’s ability to learn and access to food for working families in all communities. 

 

CHANGES TO SNAP WILL REQUIRE US TO HELP OTHERS

By Lori Shapiro & Blayre Holmes Davis

Recently, we had the honor of volunteering with the Vetri Community Partnership in Philadelphia, a non-profit organization that provides culinary and nutrition education programs, and with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. We learned about the importance of healthy meals for our physical and mental well-being while we learned to cook, packed bags of fresh produce for seniors living in low-income housing in West Philadelphia and packed meals for local Pittsburgh area students to take home during the weekend.

We saw firsthand how important access to these nutritious meals is for our communities.

The Shapiro-Davis Administration is fighting for families and communities all across Pennsylvania, and that starts with ensuring Pennsylvanians can meet their most basic needs. Joining us in this fight are food banks, food pantries, and other organizations that make up Pennsylvania’s charitable food network. This network strives to address hunger across our Commonwealth every day. Their work helps people meet one of our most basic and essential needs – having enough to eat.

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, complements our charitable food network and helps more than 1.9 million Pennsylvanians access food by providing money each month for groceries. These SNAP households include seniors, as well as children and people with disabilities; as such, the program’s impact cannot be overstated. SNAP helps people achieve better health by making high-quality, nutritious food affordable and accessible and helps reduce chronic hunger enabling our food banks to preserve resources and serve people in need. Food banks across the Commonwealth have been serving on average more than 581,000 people each week since the pandemic began.

During the past three years, SNAP households received emergency pandemic allotments which increased a household’s SNAP benefit amount to the maximum available amount for their household size. Due to federal legislation, February was the last month the emergency payments were sent. Additionally, that federal action also instituted a cost-of-living increase to Social Security Income but did not proportionally raise eligibility for SNAP benefits. Due to this change, approximately 249,000 senior households will experience a further decrease in their SNAP benefits.

These changes mean that SNAP households are losing a significant part of their monthly food budget. These federal changes could not come at a worse time as inflation and food prices remain high. Further, local grocery stores, farmers markets, and other retailers rely on SNAP driven sales. Pennsylvanians should also know that while SNAP benefits are being reduced, they are not being eliminated. Anyone who already receives SNAP should reach out to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) to make certain their information is up to date to ensure they are receiving the maximum SNAP benefit they are entitled to. Anyone who isn’t already receiving benefits, and is struggling to afford food, should reach out to DHS and apply for SNAP assistance.

Gov. Josh Shapiro made it very clear in his budget address earlier this month that it is not okay for any of our neighbors to go to bed hungry or for kids to go all day in school without a meal. That’s why the governor’s inaugural budget proposes giving every Pennsylvania student universal free breakfast, and further plans to boost the minimum SNAP payment by 50 percent for seniors and disabled Pennsylvanians, every month. That is a $16 million state investment in meeting the shortfall caused by changes in this federal program, and it’s an important first step in helping our neighbors.

In addition to supporting the governor’s efforts though his budget, we are asking everyone in the Commonwealth to help their neighbors in need by supporting Pennsylvania’s charitable food network. If you have the means to provide resources, please reach out to Pennsylvania’s charitable food network through Feeding PA. Consider making a small donation to your community’s food bank or contact your nearest food pantry to find out what shelf-stable items they need most. You can also volunteer your time by assisting feeding efforts in your community.

Other organizations in need of volunteer support can be found through the United Way of Pennsylvania’s 211 website. Every contribution of time or resources makes a difference.

Despite these changes to SNAP from the federal government, we know the great people of Pennsylvania can and will step up again because Pennsylvanians are helpers. Like Mister Rogers once said about times of emergency, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Whether you’re from the City of Brotherly Love, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – or anywhere in between – small, individual acts of kindness can and will make a positive difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians who need it most.

 

MEDIA MATTERS 

 

WVIA FM 50th ANNIVERSARY

Tune in to WVIA TV's "Keystone Edition" on Monday April 17th t 7pm as Erika Funke interviews the WVIA FM staff.  

WALN TV

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM 

 

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River. 

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT

1954

Our 1954 logo

Italian driver Piero Scotti wins the 1954 Coppa della Toscana sports car race in a Ferrari 375 MM…….In a general election in Belgium, the Christian Social Party wins 95 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives, and 49 of the 106 seats in the Senate. The government, led by Jean Van Houtte, loses its majority in parliament. The two other main parties, the Socialist and Liberal Party, subsequently form a rare "purple" government, with Achille Van Acker as Prime Minister……..Raymond Impanis wins the 52nd edition of the Paris–Roubaix cycling race……The 1954 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship opens with the first round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship…….The 1954 New Orleans Women's Open golf tournament, part of the LPGA Tour, concludes. Marlene Bauer wins the tournament, with Betty Jameson coming in second……April 11, 1954, is considered by search engine True Knowledge the least eventful day in the 20th century. No significant newsworthy events, births, or deaths are known to have happened on this day…Bill Haley and His Comets record the ground-breaking single "Rock Around the Clock" at the Pythian Temple studios in New York City

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Aneurin Bevan resigns from the British Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet in protest over his party's failure to oppose the rearmament of West Germany……Harold Connolly becomes interim Premier of Nova Scotia, Canada, after the sudden death of Angus L. Macdonald……While towing a barge from Skagway, Alaska, to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the 541-ton Canadian tug Chelan sinks off the entrance to Sumner Strait west of Cape Decision in Southeast Alaska. All 14 people on the ship are lost……US Vice President Richard Nixon tells the press that the United States may be "putting our own boys in Indochina regardless of Allied support"……Steam trains operate for the last time on the Clinchfield Railroad, between Kingsport and Erwin, Tennessee, United States and 69 years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land America was “The Theme from “The High and Mighty” by Les Baxter and his orchestra.