The LuLac Edition #5, 176, September 26th, 2024

 

DROP BOX AND SECURITY IN LUZERNE COUNTY 

THREE SIDES  TO EVERY STORY

 

I must admit that when I heard the County was going to eliminate the drop boxes for the election, I was both stunned and disappointed. It seemed to me that the county administration was caving into the political pressure of the Republican controlled County Council and  MAGA crowd. The drop boxes made sense for people who wanted to drop their ballots. It was particularly helpful to people who worked, had child care issues and those who just wanted to get it off their “to do” list.

I was set to agree with like minded people from Action Together and those former election board officials who advocated for it.

Then………I tuned into the Council meeting on Tuesday night. One by one, people came to express their opinion. It was interesting to hear the MAGAs who thought getting rid of the boxes was a good decision. They spouted conspiracy theories, election fraud and other nonsense about the integrity of elections. All of their statements were met with applause.

Those who advocated for the boxes, well their statements were left with silence. At one point one of the audience started to yammer his foolishness and was thankfully shut down by Chair John Lombardo. T.J. Fitzgerald, the drug felon took his shoes off talking about a toe and then said that the people who wanted to vote by the drop boxes because of THEIR disability, well to him that was in his words “bullshit”.

Rich.

So the person who is confined to a wheel chair, their support of drop boxes, that’s bullshit. The disabled veteran without a limb, that’s bullshit?

Wow!

Then the numbskull gets on TV and starts moaning about voting fraud. Why any reporter would give this guy a platform, I have no idea.

But what did it for me was when I heard one of the people who supported using the drop boxes talk about a news conference they had which was interrupted by the MAGAs and some bully with a bullhorn trying to drown out the sound.

Then the light bulb came on.

These people were dangerous. Selfish. Ignorant. Unsympathetic.

Undemocratic. Unpatriotic to the core. Not one of them has denounced the insurrection, in fact some celebrate it. When I first heard “security concerns” as a reason, I was dubious.
But after seeing the behavior, the lame excuses (especially the presentation by Lying Crying Brian Thornton’s brother) and hearing the verbal pasting of concerned citizens by the MAGAs, I now see a security concern.

I believe the County managers and elected officials across the state have received credible threats about interference on election day. Those threats are not coming from immigrants, the Democrats or ordinary citizens. They are coming from right wing cult members who I believe will resort to any tactic to cause confidence to evaporate.  Logic doesn’t matter to them. A case in point is why in the world did they protest the 2020 vote in Luzerne County after the election,  after Trump won the county?   Why not Lackawanna County where Biden won? I’m not thrilled about the decision, but I now believe, (especially after seeing and what I heard on Tuesday) that security is a real concern. And that concern is not some outsider even  some one in the MAGA group might escalate  emulate the behavior of their lord and master. The insurrection proved that people would go to jail for their MAGA beliefs. Who’s to say, win or lose that this might happen here.

I’m not inside the county manager’s head but er first duty is to protect her staff and their well being. In every public statement she has referenced that.

The unfortunate by product of that is she must also protect the entire county and the MAGAs from themselves.

Win or lose, this group is never, ever satisfied.  I don’t believe in normal times this action would not be necessary.

But these are abnormal times…thanks to the little MAGA snowflakes who believe that everyone is crooked and immoral. As always with them “accusation is confession”.

 

 

LUZERNE COUNTY MAGA NEWS THIS WEEK #11 (9/25/24)

 

COUNCIL MEETING MAYHEM

 

 

The dysfunction shown at the Luzerne County Council meeting on Tuesday, September 24, perfectly illustrated why Councilwoman Joanna Bryn Smith's proposed ordinance is essential to protect election and poll workers from harassment and harm. The meeting saw several notable figures within the MAGA movement making incendiary comments.

At one point in the meeting, a Kingston resident named Gavi Shapiro claimed that the ordinance to prevent bullying, harassment, and intimidation wasn’t necessary because his MAGA group had behaved well during the session. What he conveniently left out was that earlier, during a pro-drop box press conference just outside the Courthouse, he used a bullhorn to bully, harass, and intimidate participants for the entire 30-minute event. It turns out that Gavi Shapiro stormed the Capitol on January 6th and went on the Waxcast conspiracy podcast to talk about it.

Gavi Shapiro harassing and intimidating press conference participants video.

Jamie Walsh, former president of the Citizens Advisory of PA and winner of the Republican Primary for the 117th District, addressed the meeting crowd, possibly the largest ever recorded, by labeling those who support drop box voting as "Marxists." Not long after, Benny Herring, current president of the Citizens Advisory of PA, echoed the same accusation via Zoom, once again calling pro-drop box advocates "Marxists." Finally, Mark Rabo, a member of the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority, joined the chorus by referring to these individuals as "Marxists" and "Communists." These repetitive and extreme labels highlight how much Trump supporters mimic the rhetoric and talking points of Donald Trump.

At one point in the meeting a Zoom caller stated that January 6th was caused by Antifa and BLM, and ironically, there we two Capitol stormers on the audience. Council Chair John Lombardo let Frank Scavo speak. Frank was arrested and did about 6 months of jail time for his trespassing in the Capitol. Frank lives in the neighboring county of Lackawanna. Shapiro was the second.

This meeting demonstrated the ongoing challenges in creating a safe and respectful environment for election workers, and why Smith's ordinance is crucial considering the escalating tensions. The ordinance will need to introduced and voted on by a Republican majority led County Council who already stated their opposition to it, in an upcoming meeting.

Whatever your stance on drop boxes is, this is truly deplorable behavior for the radical conservatives who fight because they know drop boxes are favored by Democrats. Safety, due to threats, or cowering to the MAGA base to disenfranchise, is not an easy decision to make.

 

 Jamie Walsh comments on Marxism

Convicted FELON Scavo

 

 

MARTY FLYNN WEIGHS IN

 

On Sue Henry’s show on WILK yesterday, Senator Marty Flynn wanted to know from Manager Crocomo what she was told to come to this decision.
Investigations with the Attorney General’s office have ensued. Flynn, a political veteran then made this observation.

In stark numbers, 27, 000  mail in ballots were requested.

17,000 from Democrats.

7,000 from Republicans,

Hmmmm…in a county where the MAGFAs  just won a registration edge, it looks like a movement might be scared.

 

GENTEX, LOCKHEED OFFICIALS TOUT F-35 FIGHTER JET, LOCAL WORKFORCE

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

Two manufacturing firms with facilities in the area touted the importance of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet's impact on national security Wednesday morning at Gentex Corp..

The aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin, features stealth technology, advanced sensors and weapons capacity and range.

Gentex is one of 63 companies throughout the country providing components for the F-35.

"It's next-generation technologies," said Robert McCay, vice president of aircrew systems for Gentex.

"We provide a modular helmet system which houses all the personal protection situational awareness capabilities to enable the aircrew member to complete the mission and have increased mission effectiveness. Everything is about lightweight, center of gravity to have that pilot have less weight on their head so they can perform the mission and survive if they need to eject."

McCay estimates Gentex has produced more than 3,500 helmets for F-35 jets, which include noise-reduction headsets and oxygen masks.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, who had an opportunity to operate a F-35 simulator during Wednesday's program was impressed by its advanced technologies.

"This is an amazing simulator and more importantly the F-35 is an amazing aircraft," he said. "It has the United States of America at the forefront of military capability in the air. This is sending a strong message to Russia and China that we still have the most modern capabilities in the world and that we will work together to deter aggression."

He also praised Gentex's employees for their ongoing commitment for the project.

"The contributions you're all making to our national security are absolutely vital," Cartwright said. "I'm proud of the folks here at Gentex who are really leading the world in cutting-edge technology for the F-35 helmet and for the good-paying jobs the program is bringing to our Commonwealth."

Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, stressed the importance of continued funding for production of F-35's. (Scranton Times)

 

CASEY’S BIPARTISAN BILL TO PROTECT SAVINGS ACCOUNTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES UNANIMOUSLY PASSES SENATE

CASEY CREATED THE ACHIEVING A BETTER LIFE EXPERIENCE (ABLE) PROGRAM IN 2014 TO ALLOW PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO SAVE MONEY WITHOUT LOSING ELIGIBILITY FOR CRITICAL FEDERAL PROGRAMS

THREE ABLE PROVISIONS THAT MAKE THE PROGRAM MORE ACCESSIBLE AND EXPANSIVE ARE SET TO EXPIRE IN 2025

CASEY’S ENABLE ACT, WHICH PASSED THE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY, WOULD ENSHRINE THOSE PROVISIONS IN LAW PERMANENTLY

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

Senator Bob Casey Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, applauded the Senate’s passage of his bipartisan Ensuring Nationwide Access to a Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act, which would extend three key provisions of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program. ABLE, created by Senator Casey in 2014, allows people with disabilities and their families to save and invest through tax-free savings accounts without losing eligibility for federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Three provisions that make the program accessible to more people with disabilities and make it easier for those in the program to save are set to expire in 2025. The bipartisan ENABLE Act, which Casey introduced alongside Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) earlier this year, would enshrine these provisions into law permanently.

“For years, people with disabilities were barred from saving for the future, meaning they couldn’t save for a home, purchase needed assistive technology, or save for an accessible car. I worked to create the ABLE program to knock down those barriers, and ever since I’ve been working across the aisle to make sure the program is as effective as it can be,” said Chairman Casey. “Now that my bipartisan bill to prevent some key ABLE provisions from expiring has passed the Senate, it is on its way to ensuring that as many people with disabilities as possible across the country can continue to benefit from opening ABLE accounts.”

People with disabilities are more than twice as likely to live in poverty compared to people without disabilities, yet households including a person with a work-limiting disability need, on average, 28 percent more income to obtain the same standard of living as people without disabilities. For a long time, this intersection of disability and poverty was made worse by asset limitations for federal assistance programs that many people with disabilities rely on. Senator Casey created the ABLE program to fix problem for more than 181,000 people with disabilities across the United States, who have saved approximately $2 billion since the program was created.

 

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO WELCOMES UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY TO SCRANTON ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, SIGNS SISTER STATE AGREEMENT WITH ZAPORIZHZHIA, UKRAINE TO STRENGTHEN TIES

 

Governor Josh Shapiro greets President Zelinski at the airport. (Photo: Shapiro website).

Governor Josh Shapiro and members of the Shapiro Administration welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Lackawanna County - one of two major munitions plants in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

President Zelenskyy made a special trip to the Keystone State to visit the Pennsylvania workers who are playing a vital role in Ukraine's defense. During the visit, President Zelenskyy spoke with workers at SCAAP - a U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command (JMC) facility that manufactures large-caliber metal projectiles and mortar projectiles for the U.S. Department of Defense - and thanked them for their efforts. SCAAP specifically builds 155-millimeter howitzer rounds, some of the most vital equipment for Ukraine's defense against Russia.

"Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American freedom - and our Commonwealth proudly stands with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom against naked aggression," said Governor Shapiro. "I'm proud to welcome President Zelenskyy and his delegation to Scranton - to visit with the women and men who are fueling his country's fight for freedom - and sign an agreement with Zaporizhzhia that will strengthen both states and foster collaboration for years to come. Pennsylvania looks forward to building a close relationship with Zaporizhzhia as we continue to stand on the side of freedom."

 

 

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BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

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1984

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NFL San Francisco 49er quarterback Joe Montana misses his 1st start in 49 games… Paul McCartney releases single "No More Lonely Nights"……..London performance of musical "Stepping Out" presented…….Barbara Damashek's musical "Quilters" opens at Jack Lawrence Theater ,NYC; runs for 24 performances…….Egypt & Jordan regain diplomatic relations……NY Met Rusty Staub joins Ty Cobb, who hit HRs as a teen & in 40s….. 5,251 turn out to see Phillies play NY Mets at Shea Stadium……. Berlin appeals court clears Paul McCartney in a paternity suit……..Britain & China initial agreement return Hong Kong to China in 1997…..Dutch Queen Beatrice opens University…… Phila's Juan Samuel sets record for steals by a rookie with his 72^nd…… Krzysztof Penderecki's initial version of "A Polish Requiem" premieres with Mstislav Rostropovich leading the Stuttgart Radio Symphony……ep 30 Bowie Kuhn ends career as Baseball Commissioner….0 California Angels Michael Witt is 11th to pitch a perfect baseball game and the number one song in LuLac land and America was  “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince & The Revolution.

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