The LuLac Edition #5, 663, May 21rst, 2026

 

POST 

ELECTION THOUGHTS

GOP RE-ALIGNMENT?

At the outset, I stated that this election was going to define the tenor of politics in Luzerne County for the next few cycles. Let’s start with the Republicans. The race in the 117^th of Jones vs. Walsh and Baker vs Myers in the 20^th Senatorial district confirms that the party  is leaning into the MAGA philosophy of 100% purity. Walsh in his victory statement essentially said the old guard let down Republicans and citizens for years. Even though Baker won by a somewhat comfortable margin, Myers has said he will be watching her and has taken has taken  45% of the vote as a mandate to keep on espousing his beliefs. Some people might call this a wash of traditional Republicans vs. this more outspoken doctrinaire philosophy but the voters have made clear that the good old days of genteel campaigning is a distant memory and no longer the norm.

How this translates into a general election strategy is still a mystery.
 

DEMS STATE COMMITTEE RACE

WHEN YOU COME FOR THE KING…….

This year the Democratic party had competitive races for the innocuous State committee races. This was a self-inflicted wound by a party that just won an election sweep. The chair, Thom Shubilla was ousted 6 months before his term was up and a former party nominee was sanctioned for taking a picture with some Republican sheriff. This led to two slates of 6 being proposed. One consisted of the recently dispatched Thom Shubilla and the other one was what I’m told was an Action Together created slate.

Then Peter Butera enters, son of long time Election Attorney Mike Butera. There was the Independent Democrats, the Blueprint Dems and Butera.

Three men were to be chosen.

Three women to be chosen.

After various signing parties in the winter, when winter turned into something camouflaged as spring, this is how the race turned out.

Shubilla

Chernetsky

Groshek

Kruk

Kocher

Butera

The first four were Independent Democrats, Kocher was only 1 of 5 from the Blueprint ticket (perhaps they need to for back to the drawing board) and young Mr. Butera. The situation was hen aggravated when the Blueprint Democrats decided to go on their own sans Action Together Executive Director. 

This began with upheaval, removing a chair before the term ended and doing petty retribution in the name of party unity. They got change, so much so that a two term veteran state committee member was denied another term. But this race also brought in an array of young Dems who are a promising bunch.  

Then there is the singular power of women like Shannon Groshek. I have people on the west side who are telling me that Leard divided the party by wanting to run. If anything both Leard and Groshek as a strategist have grown the party. Numbers don’t lie. By capturing the state committee seats, the Indy Dems have 67% of that vote. In three successive elections since 2012 Groshek’s efforts have increased involvement by 8 points, 2024 19 points and 2026 15 points. Additionally, Steve Coslett came in second in the 2025 County Council race, Amy Breakfield won a seat on the Dallas Area School board for the first time in Democratic history. With a party registration lead of nearly 7,000 Republicans, how in good conscience could Democrats ignore these numbers?

There seems to be a replacement for Performance Politics vs. old fashioned boots on the ground.  Clearly voters thought this state committee strategy of a 67% formula is the way to go. Plus, voters chose a newcomer Peter Butera and a worker Meghan Kocher to augment this success.

The bottom line here is this. Because of the way this new slate took form with the Blue Print candidates being repudiated, perhaps its high time the Democratic party shunned outside organizations that want power and stop cutting each other up. But because this is the Luzerne County Democratic party, I’m sure that still another tiresome plot is underway to nit seat the winners. That self serving faction of the party needs to sit down and shut up. 

 

 

THE ULTIMATE GRIFT

 

The recent release of the news that the Trump administration and by extension the Republican party has found  a new way to steal from American people is like a bad novel written by crackpots.  The U.S. government will permanently drop tax claims against President Donald Trump, according to a settlement document that is part of a deal to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

As part of the settlement agreement, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current tax issues, according to a one-page document posted to the DOJ website on Tuesday.

The Trump administration announced Monday the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies of the Republican president who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted, an arrangement that Democrats and government watchdogs derided as “corrupt” and unconstitutional.

The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” of $1.776 billion, will allow people who believe they were targeted for prosecution for political purposes, including by the Biden administration Justice Department, to apply for payouts, creating what acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”

Blanche, who was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, would not rule out the possibility that people who carried out violence during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol will be considered for payouts from the new fund.

Blanche who is a Trump ass kisser extraordinaire of course gives up any dignity by saying this.

Democratic lawmakers and ethics watchdogs slammed the creation of the fund, saying it was corrupt, opaque and had the potential to become a “slush fund” for the president and his allies.

According to a separate settlement agreement posted to the DOJ website Monday, Trump will receive a formal apology from the U.S. government but “will not receive any monetary payment or damages of any kind,” from the settlement.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday the fund is dedicated to “reimbursing people who were horribly treated.”

Like THESE people? The treasonous pigs who killed Police officers?

This whole endeavor is based in its entirety on a baseless conspiracy theory about the Biden administration weaponizing the levers of power against poor, unsuspecting Republicans and their like-minded allies. The party, however, has never presented a shred of credible evidence to bolster the conspiracy theory, despite extensive efforts to uncover some proof, making the whole idea behind the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” rather ridiculous.

With a political scheme that looks an awful lot like a heist. Much of the political world has grown understandably inured to the day-to-day corruption that’s come to define Trump’s tenure, but a giant, taxpayer-financed reparations fund for Trump’s pals reflects new depths unlike anything Americans have ever seen.

These corrupt bastards are spending money in a lawsuit where the thug pig President got his itty bitty feelings hurt because someone leaked his tax returns. You can bet that this board of 5 with a majority vote of 2, I mean is that even a Math thing is going to be honest. This is a far cry from when American Indians and black farmers were paid $4.6 billion to address claims of government mistreatment over many decades under landmark legislation President Barack Obama signed Wednesday.

The legislation "closes a long and unfortunate chapter in our history," Obama said. "It's finally time to make things right."

This group was WRONGED! To base this litigation on people who did not break the law and give it to thug, pig protesters who shit on legislators desk, who stormed the Capitol and killed people tells you all you need to know about America @ 250 years.

Bottom line is with this….you can’t shine shit no matter how much of it-comes out of Todd Blanche’s lying lips.

 

 

SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION AND FEEDING PENNSYLVANIA CELEBRATE A DECADE-LONG PARTNERSHIP WITH FARMERS TO FIGHT FOOD INSECURITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURAL SURPLUS SYSTEM

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Feeding Pennsylvania celebrated a decade-long partnership supplying families in need with fresh, high-quality food, and giving Pennsylvania farmers a reliable market for their surplus crops through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS).

Since 2016, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has worked through PASS to increase food security and reduce food waste, providing $31.9 million to Feeding Pennsylvania's network of food banks to buy 38.3 million pounds of nutritious surplus food from Pennsylvania farmers. PASS dollars cover harvesting, processing, transportation, and packaging costs for top quality items that otherwise go to waste. In the last decade, the PASS partnership has united Pennsylvania's farmers, food banks, and state government in serving more than 31.7 million meals to 7.9 million households in need across Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania farmers are great at what they do. We need our farmers to stay in business. And we need to feed the 1.7 million Pennsylvanians who struggle with hunger," Secretary Redding said. "For 10 years, PASS has been a highly effective tool for bridging that gap between abundance and need - by multiplying the work our farmers and food banks do every day to help feed our neighbors. PASS is just one more way the Shapiro Administration is creating opportunities for Pennsylvania families and the farmers who feed them to thrive."

 

BRESNAHAN AND COLLEAGUES UNLOCK HELD-UP FEMA FUNDING FOR PA HOSPITALS

Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $600 million in previously unobligated FEMA Public Assistance funds related to COVID-19 response costs. This announcement comes less than two months after Rep. Bresnahan sent a letter to DHS urging the release.

“This is a welcome announcement for the hospitals and providers who care for our families daily,” said Rep. Bresnahan. “Pennsylvania hospitals stepped up during COVID-19 and did everything asked of them and more to protect patients and support frontline workers. This funding is going to go right back into the system, meaning more support for patients and medical professionals alike.”

Almost $200 million was awarded to the Geisinger System, which includes Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Luzerne County. Additionally, $7.8 million was awarded to the Pocono Medical Center DBA Lehigh Valley Hospital in East Stroudsburg and over $2 million was awarded to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Corporation in Luzerne County.

During the COVID pandemic, FEMA offered Public Assistance grants to help offset the significant costs to hospitals. While a significant portion of that funding was distributed, close to $600 million in reimbursements to Pennsylvania healthcare providers remain outstanding.

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WVIA  

WALN

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.

 

THE LAURIE CADDEN SHOW

Tune in every Saturday morning at 9am for The Laurie Cadden Show on WILK FM 103.1 and AM 980 and 910. Laurie’s program has been a northeastern Pennsylvania mainstay every Saturday. Tune in to hear her insights and take on local issues as well as entertaining and informative interviews.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

THE LULAC TIME MACHINE

MEMORIAL DAY 1967

Memorial Day 1967 was 21,539 days ago. Approximately 718 months have passed. It was the 150th day of 1967, in week 22. The decade was the swinging sixties. People born on this day are currently 58 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. 239 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

It is Memorial Day in the United States, which means that summer has unofficially begun. In America, the song "Respect" by Aretha Franklin is at the top of the singles charts, while "Silence Is Golden" by The Tremeloes is the number-one song in the UK. Lyndon Baines Johnson is the President of the United States, and the movie Casino Royale is at the top of the box office.

Harold Wilson is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In fashion, a new "hippie subculture" has emerged, bringing with it laid-back Bohemian styles. Frayed bell-bottom jeans, Jesus sandals, crushed velvet suits, and bright tie-dye t-shirts are all popular items of clothing at the moment. It's 1967, so radio stations are playing hit songs from artists such as Procol Harum, The Monkees, The Beatles, The Doors, Lulu and The Association.

If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Jayne Mansfield, Che Guevara, Otis Redding, and Martin Luther King would all still be alive. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "What's My Line?", "Batman", and "Dark Shadows". Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "My Three Sons", "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Top Cat", and "Cool McCool".

Popular toys at the moment include Troll doll, Barrel of Monkeys, Operation, and Best of the West (action figures).

The afro hairstyle took off during the 1960s and early 1970s. Public figures such as Angela Davis, Pam Grier, Jimi Hendrix, and the Jackson 5 were among those who sported the style.

During 1967, the USA continued to expand its presence in Vietnam. By the end of the year, troop numbers had increased from 385,300 to 485,600. Casualties of US military personnel also nearly doubled during this time frame. As the year wore on, public opinion polls in America showed that the war was becoming unpopular and that people wanted US troops to pull out.

The best NBA players in 1967 were Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson.

US President Lyndon B. Johnson was named Time Person of the Year in 1967.

Push-button telephones were beginning to replace the older rotary-style landlines.

In the mid-to-late 1960s, the miniskirt became a favored clothing item among women. The skirt countered the conservatism of the 1950s and early 1960s. As a result, many people at the time saw it as a rebellious fashion statement.

A miniature oven called the "Suzy Homemaker" was a sought-after toy around this time.

The fast food industry was steadily growing, much to the detriment of local diners and drive-in restaurants. Consequently, things such as jukeboxes and carhops also started to decline.

While “Respect” by Aretha Franklin holds the number 1 song thia Memorial Day 1967, The album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is released by The Beatles. The title track segues into "With a Little Help from My Friends" amid the sound of screaming fans recorded during a Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl. In his role as Billy Shears, Starr contributes a baritone lead vocal that Womack credits with imparting an element of "earnestness in sharp contrast with the ironic distance of the title track". Written by Lennon and McCartney, the song's lyrics centre on a theme of questions, beginning with Starr asking the audience whether they would leave if he sang out of tune. In the call-and-response style, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison go on to ask their bandmate questions about the meaning of friendship and true love; by the final verse, Starr provides unequivocal answers.