The LuLac Edition #3988, January 21st, 2019

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY 2019

The LuLac Edition #3987, January 20th, 2019

MAKING AMERICA NOT SO GREAT AGAIN

It is two years to the day that President Trump took office. From day one he has not inspired anyone to their better angels but has been an inspiration to those closet racists who now feel free to show us who they really are. The effect Trump has had on young people is stunning. His lack of knowledge and his pride in it that lack of anything normal  has emboldened people of all ages to be "just like him". 
Witness what happened over the weekend when a Catholic School from that bastion of inclusion, Kentucky dissed a Vietnam War Veteran who happened to be a native American. 
This behavior should not stand when a snot nosed jerk wearing a MAGA Hat made his sorry ass famous this week. 
BTW, the school and the kid were at a Pro Life rally in D.C. I wonder if they even knew WHY they were there? 
Protecting life inside the womb is fine but when you show disregard for life outside of it, show disregard for the dignity of life at any age, then you're a thug and a bully. 
The apple of this incident didn't fall very far from the Trump tree! 
This was meme worthy and here are a few. 

The LuLac Edition #3986, January 17th, 2018

MARINO BAILS 

The quitter. Tom Marino (Photo: LuLac archives) 

12th District Congressman Tom Marino announced today that he will resign his Congressional seat to accept a job in private business. He said he was in public service for many years and had an opportunity in the private sector.
Plus he’s resigning NEXT WEEK! That must be some humdinger of a job. Marino had to have an inkling when he was running in the general election and there are many people on Social Media, Republicans who think he might have warned them. I disagree because once elected, someone can do whatever they want with the seat.  Jobs that make you want to leave Congress don’t come suddenly now do they?Or maybe they do. Or maybe there are underlying reasons we don't know about.
The saving grace is since elected in 2010, he has pretty much kept a low Legislative profile. He almost became the Drug Czar but taking himself out of the running might have been the best thing he could have done for himself personally. 
It is shame though that voters in the old 10th got rid of Chris Carney a demonstrated leader and even in the primary picked Marino over Dr. David Maderia in the primary. Maderia would have been way better because of his more passionate conservatism. But Marino was no slouch in that department and the voters in the old 10th and the new 12th didn't seem to have buyer's remorse. 
Marino told news reporters he will work to create new jobs. Even though we've disagreed with him more times than not, we wish him well and the best as he exits Congress. 

DIAPER DON HAS ANOTHER TANTRUM

So old Diaper took out his pique on Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not providing military aircraft in her trip to the Mideast. Not surprising because this overgrown child has no class.
But what is concerning is that Trump made known her location in a War Zone. Diaper, diaper, diaper……so full of it.

PELOSI WANTS TRUMP TO SUSPEND STATE OF THE UNION

The Speaker and The President (Photo: CNN)

In an extraordinary move, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked President Trump NOT to give his State of The Union address.
Citing security constraints from the partial government shutdown, asked President Trump on Wednesday to scrap his Jan. 29 State of the Union address, and a bipartisan group of senators called on him to reopen the government while they negotiated a compromise on border security.
“Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government reopens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has reopened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on Jan. 29,” Ms. Pelosi said in a letter to Mr. Trump on Wednesday. She suggested he forgo the annual presidential ritual of addressing a joint session of Congress in a televised speech during prime time and submit a written message instead.
Ms. Pelosi’s proposal served as a reminder to Mr. Trump that, with Democrats in control of the House, she has the power to frustrate his agenda and upend his plans amid a prolonged stalemate over his demands for a wall on the southwestern border.
Two things here.
1. The President will not say anything new.
2. Security concerns are real. Unlike Trump who thinks there are criminal immigrants around every corner, Pelosi’s concerns are real. The President for his own safety should listen.
But he won’t. (LuLac, New York Times)

CASEY, COLLEAGUES PRESS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE FEDERAL CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES RECEIVE PAY

Senator Robert Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey alongside 33 of his Democratic Senate colleagues, urged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to direct federal agencies to work with contractors to provide back pay to compensate low- and middle-income contractor employees for the wages they have lost during the shutdown.
“Contract workers and their families should not suffer the consequences of a shutdown that they did not cause,” The Senators wrote to the OMB Acting Director. “Low-wage service contract workers perform jobs that are absolutely vital to the government, such as food service, security, and custodial work. Many of these workers live paycheck-to-paycheck, and cannot afford to pay their rent and other bills if the shutdown continues.”
Under their existing authority, Senators argued, federal contracting officers should use provisions that allow them to modify the terms of the contract to work with contractors to provide back pay for employees who lost wages as a result of the government shutdown.

JUDGE STRIKES DOWN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN TO ADD A CITIZENSHIP QUESTION TO 2020 CENSUS

State Attorney General Josh Shapiro (Photo: Philly.com)

The Trump Administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. census was not only unlawful but also bad for Pennsylvania.
Josh Shapiro and a coalition of attorneys general and cities, including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, have been fighting back -- and yesterday, they blocked the addition of the citizenship question. A federal judge struck down the United States Department of Commerce’s citizenship question on the census in a big win for our democracy.
This victory is a crucial step in the fight for fair representation, and Josh will keep working to ensure that the 2020 census be conducted in a fair way.
Including an unlawful citizenship question would have driven down participation rates and compromised the census’ accuracy, particularly in areas with large immigrant communities. It could have meant our Commonwealth losing on our full share of federal resources, including funding for law enforcement, schools, and emergency services.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest will be Jennifer Pennington, Coordinator of this weekend's Martin Luther King holiday events in Scranton. Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV LIVE

ECTV Live hosts Rusty Fender, David DeCosmo, and Director Mark Migilore welcome John Gleason from the Keystone Mission to the program during the week of January 21st. Mr. Gleason will discuss the current needs of the mission which deals with the homeless problem in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties. He'll also discuss the non profit agency's efforts to secure a new building where Keystone and other agencies can coordinate efforts to help those individuals.

The shows will air several times daily on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) and will also be rebroadcast on the electric city television YouTube page!
ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) and is aired during the Noon, 6pm and Midnight hours each day of the week. Following Monday's Live program the show will become available on Electric City Television's YouTube channel which can be viewed on your computer.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1969

Our 1969 logo

An explosion aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 27 and injures 314.
The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 4.... The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5, which docks with Soyuz 4 for a transfer of crew. Two cosmonauts transfer from Soyuz 5 to Soyuz 4 via a spacewalk while the two craft are docked together, the first time such a transfer takes place. The two spacecraft undock and return to Earth two days later. Student Jan Palach sets himself on fire in Prague's Wenceslas Square to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; 3 days later he dies......In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution displays the art of Winslow Homer for 6 weeks.....Richard Nixon is sworn in as the 37th President of the United States.

An assassination attempt is carried out on Leonid Brezhnev by deserter Viktor Ilyin. One person is killed, several are injured. Brezhnev escaped unharmed...in Pennsylvania Republican delegations go to D.C. to see Nixon sworn in....in Scranton Mayor James Walsh says he will run for another term as Mayor and in LuLac land and America the number one song was "Hooked On a Feeling" by B.J. Thomas.

The LuLac Edition #3985, January 16th, 2019

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our "Write On Wednesday" logo

A hot topic in every election season is the raising of the minimum wage. If you take a look at where this state stands, we are way behind the curve if not the 8 ball. The Citizens’ Voice editorialized about it earlier in the month about why we need it in the Commonwealth and that’s today’s “Write On Wednesday”.

PENNSYLVANIA SHOULD RAISE MINIMUM WAGE

Millions of workers across the United States have begun the new year with a brighter outlook because their state legislatures or local governments, or both, have mandated higher minimum wages.
In Pennsylvania, however, Republican legislative majorities cling to hoary and discredited notions, promulgated by narrow special interests, that boosting the minimum wages will harm workers and the economy.
Due to that political cowardice, Pennsylvania remains an island of poverty-level wages at the bottom rung of the ladder. It’s minimum wage is the federal minimum of $7.25, which was established in 2009.
State lawmakers shamelessly have maintained that Bob Cratchit-like minimum wage while ensuring that their own compensation automatically increases each year without a debate or vote.
Pennsylvania is surrounded by states that have raised their minimum wages over the last several years, yet have not experienced the economic calamity that supposedly flows from such sensible policy.
Nationwide, 20 states have raised their minimum wages with the dawn of the new year, from a nickel-an-hour in Alaska to $1-an-hour in Maine, Massachusetts and California. In several conservative states, notably Arkansas and Missouri, voters mandated significant wage increases by referendum after legislators declined to act. And more than 20 large cities have raised base wages beyond the state levels.
Gov. Tom Wolf likely will propose a minimum-wage increase in his budget address in February. State lawmakers should adopt one as a simple matter of economic justice. For them, doing so would produce the bonus of reduced reliance on expensive state-funded social services and increases in state income and sales tax revenues.
https://www.citizensvoice.com/opinion/raise-state-s-minimum-wage-soon-1.2429225

The LuLac Edition #3984, January 15th, 2019

WOLF IS SWORN IN AS PA. GOVERNOR; FORMER BRADDOCK MAYOR FETTERMAN BECOMES LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Tom Wolf was sworn in today, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, for his second term as Pennsylvania governor. "I ask you to choose hope over hopelessness, empathy over apathy," Wolf said in his inaugural address. "I ask you to choose action over passivity. I ask you to take the future of our commonwealth into your own hands and help lead us forward."

The new Lieutenant Governor, John Fetterman, was sworn in about two hours before Wolf, in the Senate chambers. Fetterman, a York County native, gained notoriety as the dressed-down, hands-on mayor of Braddock in western Pennsylvania.

(Photos: billypen.com )

The LuLac Edition #3983, January 14th, 2019

YOU F----D IT UP': DONALD TRUMP RIPS MICK MULVANEY IN FRONT OF DEMOCRATS OVER FAILED SHUTDOWN TALKS: REPORT

(Photo: Business Insider)

In case you’re wondering if this government shutdown will end very soon, well bottom line is it won’t. The impasse will not be blamed on Democrats but the President himself who is not even giving hos own appointees the chance to make this sordid part of our governmental history go away. Axios reported that President Donald Trump ripped Mick Mulvaney in front of Democratic leaders over his new chief of staff’s handling of shutdown negotiations, according to a new report.
Trump’s frustration boiled over during a Jan. 4 meeting in the White House situation room, where he and Mulvaney were meeting Congressional leaders of both parties to discuss border wall funding, Axios reported Sunday night.
After Trump repeated his demand for $5.7 billion to build the wall, Mulvaney suggested the White House would be open to a figure somewhere between the president’s wish and Democrats’ offer of $1.3 billion.
“Trump cut him off ... 'You just f---ked it all up, Mick,'" a source who was present in the room told Axios. "It was kind of weird."
According to the Axios report, that account was confirmed by another source who was also in the room. The second source said Trump had become irritated with Mulvaney’s negotiating tactics.
He was supposed to shake thing up, be a deal maker, fix things as only he could. Yeah well that ain’t happening is it?

GOOD LUCK TOM WOLF

Your blog editor and the Governor. (Photo: LuLac archives)

Governor Tom Wolf embarks on his second term as Governor in Pennsylvania. Wolf will continue being the unconventional Governor and look for him to be a moderate force in this new 4 year term. You’re not going to see grand initiatives or sweeping reforms. The Governor still has a GOP House and Senate to deal with. You won’t see any grandstanding or chest thumping either of big policy plans either. That is not Wolf’s style. But what you will see is a continuation of the goals he set as Governor from 2015 to the present.
Baseball enthusiasts called it “Small ball”, not going for the fences. Bill Clinton had a satisfactory run working with the GOP as did former Governor Ed Rendell too. Wolf will put his nose to the grindstone and work on the following that will most likely,. barring an unforeseen emergency in the next four years.
He won in 2014 by his strong support Pennsylvania’s public schools; he’ll be a vocal proponent of stronger gun reforms, maintaining stronger and geographically broader economic growth; lowering the state’s corporate net income tax.
We wish Governor Wolf luck and success in the next four years!

MEDIA MATTERS

LIVE INAUGURATION COVERAGE ON PCN

Inauguration Day is January 15, 2019. PCN will be there, LIVE at the Capitol and in studio for a full day of coverage. Then join us in the evening as we take you LIVE at the Inaugural Celebration. Coverage begins at 10 AM.

The LuLac Edition #3982, January 13th, 2019

13 QUESTIONS

Our 13 Questions logo

1. What are your thoughts on that career politician Pelosi taking the reins?

I think it’s a good thing. She actually came to her career late after raising her children. She will be a formidable champion for the middle class and a foil for the President and his gutless party.

2. Thoughts on Dan Meuser and his stance on the wall?

He is falling in lockstep with a policy that could have been fixed years ago. But he supports the fact that federal workers will not get paid all because of the vanity and ignorance of his man Trump. I feel so sad for the new 9th. Let's see how much he cares about building up a rural business corridor while he’s in the minority supporting a wall.He's more concerned about Trump's campaign promises than his own.

3. Do you see comparisons to the GOP with the 2020 gaggle of Democratic candidates running?

Comparisons to what, 2012, 2016? I think I’d compare it to 1972 when about 15 Democrats were running. The vote was so split up that George McGovern prevailed because of the rule changes as well as the sheer amount of candidates. 

4. What frustrates you the most about the Trump era of history?

That people don’t understand it or cherry pick examples to back up their debates.  I wish they realize that their support of him will rival all the bad political decisions ever made in the world. Plus it’s a crime that he doesn’t understand history either.

5. Your team fired its Coach after 13 years. Any thoughts on the Pack and will it be back?

Any Packer fan should always be grateful to McCarthy for winning a Super Bowl. But it was time and in due time, the Pack will be back. Football more so than baseball has a quicker rebound cycle.

6. Can you still believe in God and forgo creationism?

Yeah I guess you could but it would have to be a hard thing to explain. If you are a Christian fundamentalist you disagree with the evidence of common descent of humans and other animals as demonstrated in modern genetics which are based upon the conclusions of modern evolutionary biology,and geology. The Roman Catholic faith has said that they do recognize evolution. No less an authority that Pope Francis said, "God is not a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life...Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
The polling data reflects a split. According to a 2014 Gallup survey, "More than four in 10 Americans continue to believe that God created humans in their present form 10,000 years ago, a view that has changed little over the past three decades. Half of Americans believe humans evolved, with the majority of these saying God guided the evolutionary process. However, the percentage who say God was not involved is rising."A 2015 Pew Research Center survey found "that while 37% of those older than 65 thought that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years, only 21% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 agreed.
It is more of a debate in this country than in Europe. You’d have to believe in terms of common sense that evolutionary biology had a hand in the diverse array of living beings. Look at Noah’s Ark. A pair of each species in an ark? Would that include n African Elephant that produces 300 pounds of waste every day? Or the animals that were discovered after the Ark's Journey?
I think if you believe in a being, and live your life in a good, decent manner, this question is just something that when you meet your maker, will not be on his or her top list on whether or not you get into paradise or not.  (LuLac, wikipedia, Newsweek)

7. Your year end features were awesome. What is the longest one to do?

The deaths are the most labor intensive  Plus because this is an online site, I even update them long after publication if I forget someone. Thanks for noticing our hard work which we do as a LuLac tradition even if it cuts into our Holiday time.

8. Is Haley Bianco as nice and bubbly in person as she is on TV?

Even more so. What you see is what you get. She is really great to be around.

9. Andrew McCutheon is back In Pennsylvania. As a Pirate fan what do you think of that?

He went looking for the money, the Pirates never pulled the trigger and gave him what he wanted, the Giants and Yanks didn’t work out and now he’s a Fightin' Phil. Good to see him back here but I’m wondering who is paying him after those two stops. Like is his check an aggregate of three teams?Crazy, crazy baseball contracts.

10. Any interesting reads lately?

Yes I have been reading Conservative books to get a better read on why people voted for Trump. Got through “Hillbilly Elegy”, “Republican Like Me” and “How the GOP Lost It’s Mind”. All were good and gave me an understanding into the anger that produced a Trump win. But he was just the right guy at the right time as all of this blew up.The only thing never addressed though was why the GOP has become a party of personality than principle to values.

11. I stopped drinking cold turkey on New Years Day but I love the bars. What do you drink when you area at a bar or a political function and can I use it as a substitute to maintain my sobriety?

Oh my, 13 Questions is great. Now I’m an alcohol counselor.Hey, stay with your plan though. Good for you!  I like Ginger Ale and Cranberry Juice. Nobody asks what it is (if you’re worried about peer pressure) and it tastes good and is cheap.

12. Any thoughts about ending LuLac?

The numbers guy in me took over toward the end of the year. 14 years in, 4,000 editions closing in, the grind and the time away from family and friends. But the last few week have been rewarding because people who wait tables, people I see in grocery stores and on the street say they enjoy it even if they sometimes disagree with my premises. The best compliment I got was from a woman who said it should be taught in civics classes in middle school, so kids could understand local and state government. That kind of changed my mind to keep going. When I told Mrs. LuLac about what people said she told me she gets comments all the time about what we do. So, with good health, enough bandwidth and God’s plan, we’ll keep going.

13.What will be the lasting legacy of Donald Trump's Presidency? 

It will mirror his business career. Anyone who came in contact with him was diminished and would have been better off had they not met him.