Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
The LuLac Political Letter was also named Best Political Blog of the Year for 2014 by NEPA BLOGCON and most recently David Yonki was named Best Blogger of the year 2015 by the publication Diamond City.
Saturday, June 13, 2026
The LuLac Edition #5, 683, June 13th, 2026
CAESAR RODNEY
DELAWARE’S
DECISIVE VOTE
Caesar
Rodneywas a Delaware Founding Father, lawyer, and
soldier who signed the Declaration of Independence and played a pivotal role in
securing Delaware’s vote for independence in 1776 The National Constitution
Center.
Born on
October 7, 1728, on his family’s 849-acre plantation “Byfield” in Kent County,
Delaware, Rodney was the eldest son of Caesar and Elizabeth Crawford Rodney
Wikipedia. He received early education at The Latin School in Philadelphia
before his father’s death in 1746. Rodney served as sheriff of Kent County,
judge of the Supreme Court, and later as Delaware’s governor during the
Revolutionary War The National Constitution Center.
Rodney
was a delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776. In
1776, when the vote on independence was tied 2–1 in Delaware, Rodney was in
Dover, serving as brigadier general in the state militia The National
Constitution Center. On July 1, 1776, despite suffering from asthma and a
cancerous facial condition, he rode overnight through stormy weather from Dover
to Philadelphia to cast the deciding vote in favor of independence AOL. This
ride, often reenacted today, is considered one of the most dramatic moments in
the Declaration’s ratification
Rodney’s
actions ensured Delaware’s support for the Declaration, making him a key figure
in the American Revolution. He also represented Delaware at the Stamp Act
Congress in 1765 and was a signer of the Continental Association American
History Central.
Today,
Rodney is remembered not only for his political and military service but also
for his personal sacrifice. In 2026, as part of the 250th anniversary of the
Declaration, a bronze equestrian statue of Rodney was installed at Washington,
D.C.’s Freedom Plaza, alongside other Revolutionary War figures, to honor his
pivotal ride and the broader story of the nation’s founding WJLA.
Caesar
Rodney’s ride to Philadelphia in 1776 was the decisive act that secured
Delaware’s vote for independence, cementing his place among the Founding
Fathers and ensuring the Declaration’s ratification.
Rodney
was tormented throughout his life by asthma, and his adult years were plagued
by a facial cancer. He experienced expensive, painful, and futile medical
treatments for the cancer. Rodney wore a green scarf to hide his disfigured face.
He died from the disease after eight years. His body is buried at an unmarked
grave on his beloved farm, "Poplar Grove", known as
"Byfield" today.
While
there is a marker that appears to be a gravestone for Caesar Rodney at Christ
Episcopal Church, this is merely a monument. Many sources cite that he is
buried there; however, most Delaware historians believe that the remains of one
of Rodney's unidentified relatives is buried there instead. Rodney is buried in
an unmarked grave in his family's unmarked plot on their former 800-acre farm
(320 ha) east of Dover Air Force Base.
The
Caesar Rodney School District in Delaware is named after him. (LuLac, wikipedia)
Plymouth
resident Megan Kocher was elected the new Luzerne County Democratic Party chair
during Wednesday’s reorganization meeting, representatives said.
A
Nanticoke native, Kocher, 27, works as a national distributed field manager
with Rural Organizing.
She has
bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from Wilkes University and
a master’s degree in criminal justice from California Coast University.
Kocher said she started getting actively
involved in Democratic campaigns and issues that prioritize working-class
values while she was a college student. In September 2025, the county party’s
executive committee elected her the committee chair, with a focus on organizing
regular meetings, supporting district chairs, and facilitating conversations
about party needs, she said. (Times Leader)
PRIOR TO MEETING ATTORNEY SEEKS
INJUNCTION AGAINST OWN PARTY
Earlier an attempt as a democratic county council member and the two
highest ranking members of the Luzerne County Democratic Party, along with
others, tried to circumvent the will of county democratic voters by demanding
the inclusion of 14 illegally unelected people as democratic committee members.
A three member panel of Luzerne County Judges said NO!
THIS SUNDAY
TRUMP’S 10 MILLION DOLLAR NAP
The attendance of Donald Trump at the
Knicks Spurs game was an act of selfishness, defiance and tone deafness that is
emblematic of his Presidency. Trump’s last-minute decision to attend the highly
anticipated game resulted in a heavy security operation that saw businesses
shutter, events canned and patrons subjected to intense screening.
After passing protests on the way
into Madison Square Garden, the President was hit with a loud chorus of boos
from fans when he was shown on screens during the national anthem.He wasn’t wanted, he cost taxpayers tons of
money and then fell asleep.Like any
other sensible man of nearly 80. He would have been better off in a recliner
watching the game with a friend.
Oh wait………….he has none.
SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT TRUST FUND
WILL RUN DRY IN 2032 UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS
Tens of millions of retirees and
other Americans could see smaller monthly Social Security checks in six years
if lawmakers don’t act to shore up the program’s finances, according to an
annual report released Tuesday by Social Security’s trustees.
Social Security’s retirement trust
fund – which helps support payments to senior citizens and survivors of
deceased workers – is expected to be exhausted in late 2032, which is one
quarter earlier than previously forecast, according to the trustees. At that
time, payroll tax revenue and other income sources will be able to cover only
78% of benefits owed.
That means the next president could
be faced with having to address Social Security’s shaky finances, which have
long been considered a third rail in American politics. The issue could play a
more prominent role in the 2028 presidential campaign if the projected expected
insolvency date remains only a few years away.
The combined Social Security’s
retirement and disability trust funds – are expected to be exhausted in 2034,
the same as last year’s forecast, according to the trustees. At that time,
payroll tax revenue and other income sources will be able to cover only 83% of
benefits owed.
Some 62 million people received
Social Security retirement and survivors benefits at the end of 2025, while 8
million Americans received disability benefits, according to the program’s
trustees. More than 69 million people were enrolled in Medicare last year.
Then there’s wh at the pipsqueak Mike
Rogers said:
HEY MAGA’S GOOD JOB VOTING FOR THIS
GOP
TRUMP EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO BLACK
STUDENTS:
“AND YOU ARE?
For
generations, the federal government enforced civil rights laws with an eye
toward remedying historic, systemic discrimination against Black people and
other people of color. The Department of Justice pressed schools to
desegregate. The Department of Education worked to promote equal opportunity
and held schools accountable for racial bias.
But under
the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for
students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students.
Programs that have long withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “
illegal DEI ” — diversity, equity and inclusion — by the White House. Schools
that do not comply have faced lost grants.
This is
immoral and goes against the basic civil rights of minority students. These
Republican thugs never heard of slavery? Never heard of lynching in the south?
I guess they figure since the pig President has instructed his wrestler woman
to defund the place, they can do what they want.
Civil
rights lawyers describe the Republican administration’s actions as a complete
inversion of legal history.
In
January, the conservative 1776 Project Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging
the designation, describing it as “a program of overt discrimination against a
new minority: White students.” The next month, the Justice Department filed its
own complaint and asked to join the lawsuit.
I thought
the Justice Department was supposed to defend against discrimination. WHITE
STUDENTS-A NEW MINORITY?Are you kidding
me?
The
district’s “desegregation program has outlived its usefulness to the point of
being unconstitutional,” a federal prosecutor said in a news release.
Let’s
hope that after this terrible era of Trump and its capitulation by a MAGA
Congress, a new administration will get rid of the lawyers there who have
“outlived their usefulness”. My hope is that all of them will be unsuccessful
ambulance chasers. (AP, Annie Ma, LuLac
GERALD FORD
BICENTENNIAL PRESIDENT
THE EARLY YEARS
Ford was
born Leslie Lynch King Jr. on July 14, 1913, at 3202 Woolworth Avenue in Omaha,
Nebraska, where his parents lived with his paternal grandparents. He was the
only child of Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King Sr., a wool trader.
His paternal grandfather was banker and businessman Charles Henry King, and his
maternal grandfather was Illinois politician and businessman Levi Addison
Gardner. Ford's parents separated just sixteen days after his birth and his
mother took the infant Ford with her to Oak Park, Illinois, where her sister
Tannisse and brother-in-law Clarence Haskins James lived at 410 N. Humphrey
Ave. From there, she moved to the home of her parents in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. Gardner and King divorced in December 1913, and she gained full
custody of their son. Ford's paternal grandfather paid child support until
shortly before his death in 1930.
Ford
later said that his biological father had a history of hitting his mother. In a biography of Ford, James M. Cannon wrote
that the separation and divorce of Ford's parents was sparked when, a few days
after Ford's birth, Leslie King took a butcher knife and threatened to kill his
wife, infant son, and Ford's nursemaid. Ford later told confidants that his
father had first hit his mother when she had smiled at another man during their
honeymoon.
After
living with her parents for two and a half years, on February 1, 1917, Gardner
married Gerald Rudolff Ford, a salesman in a family-owned paint and varnish
company. Though never formally adopted, her young son was referred to as Gerald
Rudolff Ford Jr. from then on; the name change, including the anglicized
spelling "Rudolph", was formalized on December 3, 1935. He was raised
in what is now East Grand Rapids with his three half-brothers from his mother's
second marriage: Thomas Gardner "Tom" Ford (1918–1995), Richard
Addison "Dick" Ford (1924–2015, and James Francis "Jim"
Ford (1927–2001).
Ford was
involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and earned that program's highest rank,
Eagle Scout in August 1927.He is the only Eagle Scout to have ascended to the
U.S. presidency. Ford attended Grand Rapids South High School, where he was a
star athlete and captain of the football team. In 1930, he was selected to the All-City team
of the Grand Rapids City League. He also attracted the attention of college
recruiters.
PAIGE COGNETTI
NEWS
Paige Cognetti’s
public service career has been about bringing reform, transparency, and
accountability to government. “I’m running for Congress to take on corruption
and make Washington work as hard as we do. To help reform a broken Washington,
I will fight for:
Government
should work as hard as the people it serves
A Ban on
Congressional Stock Trading. No one should be able to use their public office
to enrich themselves.
No Corporate
PAC Money. As a candidate and member of Congress I will reject the influence of
special interests.
Audit the
Federal Government. I’ve been cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government for
nearly a decade, but we need to do it with a scalpel, not a chainsaw.”
With a
Democratic majority in the House, you can bet that Cognetti will keep those
promises.
BRESNAHAN PROMISES TO
FIGHT PROPOSED MEDICAID RULES THAT COULD COST SERIOUSLY ILL TO LOSE COVERAGE
Sarah
Scinto and Borys Krawczeniuk from WVIA FM News reports that U.S. Rep. Rob
Bresnahan said Friday he plans to fight proposed federal Medicaid rules that
advocates say may jeopardize treatment for cancer, HIV and other serious
illnesses.
Bresnahan
signaled his opposition during a news conference to announce $192 million in
long overdue federal COVID-19 relief money that he successfully fought to
obtain for Geisinger and other hospitals. The news conference took place at
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp.
Bresnahan
faulted the rules for “shortsightedness.”
The
Congressional Budget Office estimates the law will reduce federal Medicaid
spending by $911 billion in the next 10 years with work requirements accounting
for about $326 billion. The number of uninsured people will rise by 10 million
with 5.3 million of that because of the work requirements, according to the
CBO.
Bresnahan,
who voted for the act, has defended the law as a way of preserving Medicaid
“while rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.”
So
after all this time, where is the fraud and abuse?Both Meuser and Rob are trying to find the
abuse? On Tuesday, 48 patient groups, including the American Cancer Society
Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the Muscular
Dystrophy Association, said they are “deeply concerned” about the new rules.
They
said the rules do not “protect people with serious or complex health conditions
and would instead dramatically and inappropriately increase the number of
people who will lose their healthcare coverage.”
So
now he’s slapping his forehead in an ”oh shit, it’s 5 months before the
general” moment and re-evaluating his position. He was told people on Medicaid
were working. He was told that people were sick. He was told Medicaid is a
major funder of nursing home. He was told that people had cancer. He was told
that people with disabilities would be harmed.
He
is not a dumb guy but he went with the weasel Rogers who under the guise of
“Christianity” lies for his colleagues.This is going to be a hard sell for Bresnehan. It might even make him
the HJim Nelligan of this century.
SHAPIRO
ADMINISTRATION, PA TURNPIKE COMMISSION URGE DRIVERS TO PRIORITIZE SAFETY DURING
SUMMER TRAVEL AND HIGHLIGHT UPCOMING LAW CHANGE TARGETING HAND-HELD DEVICES
Beginning June 5, 2026, drivers convicted of using a hand-held device while driving will pay a $50 fine under Paul Miller's Law. Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) urge drivers to prioritize safety during summer travel, in Lawn.
The
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police
(PSP), and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) is urging drivers
to put the phone down, drive sober, and drive slower this busy summer travel
season.
Every driver
will need to do their part for safe roadways this summer, with Pennsylvania
taking center stage for several of the nation's most high-profile sporting and
cultural events, including the FIFA World Cup 26™, MLB All-Star Game, and
America250PA. These events will also bring millions of visitors to
Pennsylvania.
"With
Pennsylvania poised to become the center of America's biggest moments this
summer, it's more important than ever to drive safely," said PennDOT
Secretary Mike Carroll. "Pennsylvania is expecting millions of visitors,
and many will drive, which is why we all must do our part to encourage safety
this summer, and all year. Please put the phone down when you are driving! It's
not only dangerous, it's now also illegal. Slow down, be kind, and never drive
impaired by any substance."
MEDIA MATTERS
WVIA NEWS
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
June 1976
CARTER SEWS IT UP
The final
presidential primaries for the 1976 U.S. presidential election were conducted,
with voting in the states of California, Ohio and New Jersey. Former Georgia
Governor Jimmy Carter won the Ohio Democratic primary and gained more than 200
delegate votes overall, putting him within 400 votes of the nomination. Carter
estimated that he had at least 1,250 of the necessary 1,505 delegates needed
for a win on the first ballot[20] and received endorsements from several
prominent Democrats the next day, in what The New York Times described as
"capping one of the most brilliantly plotted nominations in American
political history." In the race for the Republican Party nomination,
incumbent U.S. President Gerald Ford had a narrow lead of 105 delegates over
former California Governor Ronald Reagan, although the outcome of the
nomination depended on "a six-week battle through 11 state
conventions."
A day
later, Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter received the endorsements of two of
his former opponents in the race for the Democratic Party nomination for the
1976 U.S. presidential race, with Alabama Governor George C. Wallace and U.S.
Senator Henry M. Jackson pledging their delegates, and Chicago Mayor Richard J.
Daley giving his endorsement. The three endorsements were seen as certain to
give Carter (who already had at least 1,135 delegates) more than the 1,505
votes needed for the nomination. The prospects for U.S. President Gerald Ford
to be nominated as the Republican candidate were less certain, in that he had
only a slight (105 delegates) lead over his challenger, former California
Governor Ronald Reagan, with Republican conventions in 11 states still to be
held over the next six weeks and this week the number one song in LuLac land
and America was“Get Up and Boogie” (That’s Right) by Silver Convention.
Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".