The LuLac Edition #4, 974, June 1st, 2023

DEMOCRATS, BIDEN, McCARTHY SAVE ECONOMY

Well the drama in the House of Representatives is over. Last night 169 Democrats and 149 Republicans voted to raise the debt ceiling which in normal, rational times would have been a no brainer. Instead, we had high drama that would make a third grade class of ballerinas blush. A few takeaways.

·         Biden: by not negotiating early The President, a multi term Senator and Vice President knew the drill. When you have a position that has precedent and makes sense and your idea is opposed by a bunch of destructive unpatriotic thugs, you sit back and let them set themselves on fire. Saying in public that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was a good man open to a deal, he positioned himself as both resolute but open to compromise. His detractors, even in his own party, say he’s too old for the job. The President has constantly proved that with age does indeed come wisdom. I wonder when America is going to stop underrating Biden’s leadership skills especially when stacked up against his baboon predecessor.

·         McCarthy: The Speaker did what sane government officials do. Put the interests of the country first and the party second.  McCarthy let the Freedom caucus yammer away but knew the path to success was not going to be through a loud, vulgar unpatriotic, ignorant minority. By doing so McCarthy got more than any GOP Speaker before him. McCarthy, a man of both pride and skills had to remember the deals he made to be the head man earlier in the year. To be humiliated by the members of his own party time and time again is something hard to forget. Facing down the bullies and almost disregarding them, gave McCarthy the standing to do a deal.

Will he be challenged by one of them for the Speaker-ship? Maybe but he will not be dethroned because the Freedom Caucus alternatives are a joke. McCarthy traveled the country to win back the House only to be stymied by a bunch of MAGA ingrates. With this deal, he gained capital and respect. The MAGAs, not so much.  

·         The Republicans who voted yes. While conservative they proved to be the adults in the party. Realizing they would be up for re-election in ’24 as will their nominee, the last thing they needed was this same debate in such a crucial year.

·         The Republicans who voted no. There is no ideology to describe who they are or what they want. Hypocritical extremists who use power to diminish others is not a winning formula for success in the short or long run. By whining and complaining that they didn’t get everything they wanted accentuated their extreme policies that offer no solutions. Government by destruction is never a good look but these fascists seem to think so.

·         The Democrats who voted yes and no. First the no vote. While the GOP opposition was one of subtraction. The Democratic opposition came from their hearts. "Forty-six House Democrats voted against the bill because that's what ideological purists do. They elevate their own sense of principles to the exclusion of all others, treat compromise as a four-letter word, and play relentlessly to their bases. That's as much true on the left as it is on the right. Of course, the fact that the bill seemed destined to cross the finish line without their support gave many progressive lawmakers room to vote down the bill. Now, they can go home to their gerrymandered districts and say they voted against cutting social programs, cloaked with the reassurance they didn't throw the U.S. over a fiscal cliff."

·         BEST STATEMENT: "I made clear that I'm going to support the legislation that is on the floor today…I support it without hesitation, reservation or trepidation, not because it's perfect, but in divided government, we of course cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. Through previous administrations as well as this one, Democrats proved they can pay the bills. The MAGA right proved they won’t”. (Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries).

 

CHRISTIE FIT FOR OFFICE?

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has questioned President Biden’s fitness for office because of the Commander in Chief’s mental acuity. With Christie’s weight gain after bariatric surgery, would it not be fair to question Chrtisie’s health and well being to serve? It is apples and oranges but life expectancy for obese people is shorter than the average weight.

 

THANKS FOR THE WRITE IN

WAMPOLE NEWS SERVICE

To the voter who wrote my name in on the Democratic side for Luzerne County District I say THANK YOU. I’m sure the current DA will not lose sleep over this development.  The vote comes as no surprise to me because for years people have mistaken me for being a lawyer.  When I asked a person why once she replied:

1.       You dress like one.

2.       Your have great ties.

3.       You act like you’ll return their phone calls. 

 

WHO KILLED JUANITA TODD?

Corbett (Photo: Corbett Facebook page)

Columnist and author Steve Corbett outlines the case in a series of articles regarding this unsolved mystery. Here’s the link: 

 Who Killed Juanita Todd? Part One - The Outlaw Steve Corbett (theoutlawcorbett.com)

 

POISON PILLS IN FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT SACRIFICE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH; SHRINKS THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET

Over the weekend, McCarthy and Biden released a draft bill to raise the debt ceiling and to prevent impending government shutdown. Addressing the debt ceiling is vital to avoid a government shutdown that could impact millions of poor and working class Americans. The so-called  "Fiscal Responsibility Act," however, takes harmful detours in addressing this critical issue, by attaching poison pills that have nothing to do with the debt ceiling, including: fast-tracking the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, drastically limit community input on fossil fuel projects, gutting bedrock environmental protections so that oil and gas pipelines and other energy projects would be completely exempt, and targeting poor families who depend on food assistance programs.

In reaction to the announcement, Ozawa Bineshi Albert, Co-Executive Director at the Climate Justice Alliance, a national nonprofit representing 89 rural and urban community-based environmental justice organizations and supporting networks, said:

“Our communities have called upon their elected officials clearly, loudly, and successfully to stop this dirty deal in its multiple iterations since Senator Manchin tried to make a deal in order to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. Our demands have not changed. We demand a public and transparent debate of all policy proposals, that environmental justice communities are no longer sacrificed, that our positive vision of permitting reform be the guide for any legislation, and that we ensure a Just Transition away from fossil fuels by stopping expansion of and investment in fossil fuel infrastructure. We need a clean debt ceiling bill, not a bill with poison pills like a new handout to the fossil fuel industry in the form of this so-called permitting reform. ” (Climate Justice Alliance).

 

"PARDON WHO?" ASKS JOE

WILL BIDEN PARDON TRUMP?

 

President Joe Biden held a brief Q&A with reporters on the White House South Lawn yesterday afternoon, culminating in a question that the Democrat probably wasn’t expecting.

“Did you see that Ron DeSantis said that if he became president, he would pardon [Donald] Trump?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked. “Where are you on the idea of presidents pardoning Trump?”

Biden, apparently chuckling to himself, waved goodbye to reporters and started to walk toward Marine One. The president said something that was hard to hear — he was facing the helicopter, not the press — before he turned, shrugged a bit, and added, “It’s a great question. Thank you.

it was Biden’s smiling reaction that stood out as notable.

If this subject sounds at all familiar, it’s not your imagination. In October 2019, while campaigning in Iowa, Biden was asked whether he might follow Gerald Ford’s example in pardoning Richard Nixon after Watergate, at a time when the Republican still faced possible prosecution. Biden said he would choose a different course.

“It wouldn’t unite the country,” Biden said, adding, “I think President Ford, God love him, he’s a good guy, I knew him pretty well. I think if he had to do it over again, he wouldn’t h the question has become highly relevant. The former president has already been indicted once, and no one in either party would be especially surprised if more charges soon follow. Biden wouldn’t be able to pardon his predecessor in response to state charges — in New York and Georgia, for example — but the incumbent president would at least have the authority to intervene in the event of federal indictments.

Biden, however, has said he has no intention of doing so, and the fact that he literally laughed off a question about this yesterday suggested he hasn’t changed his mind. Ave done it.

But Trump is no Nixon. The question has become highly relevant. The former president has already been indicted once, and no one in either party would be especially surprised if more charges soon follow. Biden wouldn’t be able to pardon his predecessor in response to state charges — in New York and Georgia, for example — but the incumbent president would at least have the authority to intervene in the event of federal indictments.

Biden, however, has said he has no intention of doing so, and the fact that he literally laughed off a question about this yesterday suggested he hasn’t changed his mind.

 

REP. CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION TO INCREASE BLADDER CANCER AWARENESS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) re-introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate May as National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. In 2023 alone, an estimated 82,290 individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with bladder cancer and nearly 17,000 will die due to the disease.

"In the fight against cancer, increasing early detection is paramount," said Rep. Cartwright. "This resolution will raise awareness about one of the most common types of cancer in the United States, promoting early diagnosis and potentially leading more Americans to timely treatment and successful outcomes."

“The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) thanks Congressman Cartwright and the resolution cosponsors for recognizing May as Bladder Cancer Awareness Month,” said BCAN CEO Andrea Maddox-Smith. “There are more than 700,000 people living with bladder cancer in the U.S. and Congress’s increased focus is essential as we seek better tomorrows for patients and caregivers.”

Cosponsors of this legislation include Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04), Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Don Davis (D-NC-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Eleanor Norton (D-D.C.), Donald Payne (D-NJ-10), Katie Porter (D-CA-47), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25), David Scott (D-GA-13), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Lori Trahan D-MA-03), Susan Wild (D-PA-07).

 

CASEY, FETTERMAN URGE DEFENSE OFFICIALS TO PROTECT PA WILDS

THE 13-COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA WILDS REGION CONTAINS THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF PUBLIC LANDS IN PA

TOURISM AND OUTDOOR RECREATION ACCOUNT FOR $1.8 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE PA WILDS

Senators Fetterman and Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

 

U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman  sent a letter to the Maryland Air National Guard and the Air National Guard Readiness Center to request a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the Air Force and National Guard Bureau’s proposal to lower the altitude floor at which pilots can fly in the Duke Military Operating Area (MOA) to as low as 100 feet Above Ground Level (AGL). The letter follows concerns from North Central Pennsylvania organizations and residents about the possible effects of this proposed change on quality of life and on the environment in the Commonwealth’s largest collection of public lands.

“Low, loud, and frequent flights could disrupt livelihoods in a region that has built its identity on outdoor recreation and bucolic tranquility,” the Senators wrote. “The proposed changes to the use of the airspace over the PA Wilds region may threaten the rich natural resources of the area, damage quality of life in the Wilds, and threaten the vitality of the growing outdoor and tourism economy.”

Without a full EIS, it is impossible to accurately determine the cumulative effects of lowering the altitude floor may pose to the lives and livelihoods of North Central Pennsylvania residents. Many state officials, local leaders, conservation groups, and community members share the Senators’ concerns about the Duke Low MOA, highlighting its potential negative impacts on local economies, public health and safety, wildlife, and outdoor recreation.

 

 

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO DIRECTS DEPARTMENT OF AGING TO CREATE FIRST-EVER MASTER PLAN FOR OLDER ADULTS, TAKING FURTHER ACTION TO SUPPORT AGING PENNSYLVANIANS

THE SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION’S LONG-TERM PLAN WILL TRANSFORM SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS IN PENNSYLVANIA

Governor Josh Shapiro signed an Executive Order directing the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to develop its Master Plan for Older Adults – a 10-year roadmap to meet the needs of Pennsylvania’s senior population and improve Commonwealth services for older Pennsylvanians.

Older Pennsylvanians are vital contributors to our communities – and Governor Shapiro knows they deserve to have a voice in shaping their futures and how they will best be able to live and thrive in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is home to 3.4 million seniors, with an older adult population that ranks fifth highest in the country. That’s why Governor Shapiro is taking action to bring state agencies and community organizations together to deliver a roadmap that will help support older Pennsylvanians.

“I’ve heard firsthand from seniors who told me we need to do more to help them stay in their homes, tackle rising costs, and have a high quality of life – and they deserve our full support,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “My Administration is making a long-term commitment to our seniors with this master plan and my commonsense proposal to expand the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which will put more money back in more Pennsylvanians’ pockets. Together, we’re going to continue delivering results and help our seniors receive the support they need in order to age with dignity.”

Governor Shapiro was joined at today’s Executive Order signing by Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich, who will soon embark on a regional listening tour to highlight the Master Plan for Older Adults and actively engage seniors across the Commonwealth in the plan’s development.

“We are grateful to Governor Shapiro for signing this Executive Order authorizing the Master Plan for Older Adults. This Executive Order is a clear demonstration that the health, well-being, and quality of life for older adults is a priority for our Administration and for the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “This master plan for aging will be crafted by Pennsylvanians, for Pennsylvanians – because we are committed to ensuring the voices of older adults are heard in every component of this plan. Our next priority is visiting the communities we serve to make sure those Pennsylvanians who want to be heard know their opinions, thoughts, and priorities are reflected in this strategic initiative.”

In addition to creating the Master Plan, today’s Executive Order further directs the Department to, among other things:

Identify relevant services to older Pennsylvanians provided by other agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction.

Partner with traditionally disadvantaged or underserved communities to understand their specific needs as older Pennsylvanians and where gaps in services may exist.

Establish at the Secretary’s discretion a working group to assist in gathering, reviewing, and studying data necessary for the Master Plan.

The Area Agencies on Aging and the Centers for Independent Living will host listening sessions where the public can learn more about the plan and how to submit their input. The stakeholder engagement process will involve outreach and requests for feedback from anyone or any group with an interest or with some interaction toward aging-related services, programs, and infrastructure.

This executive order is the latest in Governor Shapiro’s commitment to support seniors and making sure their voices are heard. In the Governor’s first budget, he has proposed expanding the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program – a critical lifeline for seniors. The PTRR provides a rebate to low-income renters and homeowners every year, putting money back in their pockets so they can stay in their homes.

The Governor’s proposed budget also invests in more grant funding for the Department’s 485 Senior Community Centers, which are essential public meeting spaces that help seniors stay connected, supported, and make ends meet.

After the announcement, Pennsylvania joins 11 other states that are in the process of developing a master plan for older adults. There are five states currently implementing a master plan: California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Texas. 

 

MEDIA MATTERS

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 SOCK HOP

 

 

1954

Our 1954 logo

The grand opening of the sculpture of Yuriy Dolgorukiy takes place in Moscow (this statue is one of the main monuments of Moscow)………..English cryptanalyst, mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, age 41, commits suicide by cyanide poisoning......McCarthyism: Joseph N. Welch, special counsel for the United States Army, lashes out at Senator Joseph McCarthy, during hearings on whether Communism has infiltrated the Army, saying, "Have you, at long last, no decency?"

And 69 years ago today the number one song in LuLac land and America was David Whitfield and Montovani with “Cara Mia”.

Then of course there was the Gold Standard version done by Jay Black, he of Jay and The Americans 11 years  later.