The LuLac Edition #3881, September 21st, 2018

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WEEK COMING UP

This coming week there will be big news about Property Tax relief. Here is the schedule and agenda for next Thursday evening. More to come on Lulac this coming week from both sides.

PASHINSKI GETS 300 AT BREAKFAST

On Sunday, Eddie Day Pashinski got 300 people for his annual breakfast. The interesting thing here was all the tables were sold and there wa not a seat to be had as he embarks on another run at Harrisburg.

DEMS IN WILKES BARRE GATHER…

The 121st Democratic Committee gathered in Wilkes Barre Thursday night. The evet was hosted by Congressman Matt Cartwright and Eddie Day Pashinski. . It was a good event with a packed house at Rodano's Dems in the 121st are revved up.
Congressman Cartwright gave a rousing  speech and asked for people to get out and vote. Cartwrright did not resort to personal attacks.
State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski gave his usual stem winder of a speech and touted all the issues Democrats have been on through the years in terms of helping people.
Carl Frank and Rick Gazenski the Chair of the 121st did a bang up job organizing the event. 

A few photos courtesy of Scott Cannon our friend at Video Innovations. 

Longtime party leader and Counsel Carl Frank and your blog editor have a chat. 

New party chair John Pekarovsky and Committeewoman Wendy Cominsky. 

The two main attractions at this event were Eddie Day Pashinski and Matt Cartwright in races for State Representative and Congress respectively. 

Radio's "Duke From Dallas" (when they let him on) is seen here with Pashinski. 

Gort 42, me and NAACP official Ron Felton. 

Mayor Tony George and Wilkes Barre's Dean of Political Wise men, Paul Maher. 

Representative Eddie Day Pashinski schooling me on Property Tax Reform.  

Matt Cartwright revving the troops up.  

 and the crowd loved it.

REP. CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE COAL ROYALTY LOOPHOLE

BILL WILL IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND WELFARE OF COAL COMMUNITIES ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY THE LOSS OF COAL JOBS

Representative Matt Cartwright introduced the Coal Royalty Fairness and Communities Investment Act of 2018, a bill that would provide $70 million to struggling historic coal communities to help build economic resilience, diversify industries, and promote new job creation opportunities; ensure fair returns on publicly owned coal; and improve the transparency of the federal coal program.
Communities across America have built their economies and livelihoods around the extraction, transportation, and manufacturing of natural resources. However, economies and industries change, often leaving these communities struggling in the wake. Significant decreases in demand for coal power generation have negatively impacted workers and communities that have relied on the coal industry for decades.
This bill allocates $70 million to help coal communities build economic resilience, diversify industries, and promote new job creation. In addition, $5 million dollars will be allocated towards funding the design, construction, and operation of large-scale projects to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources.
“Significant decreases in demand for coal power generation have negatively impacted workers and communities that have relied on the coal industry for decades,” Rep. Cartwright said, member of the House Appropriations C ommittee. “This legislation will close loopholes that the coal industry is taking advantage of while assisting struggling coal communities overcome the challenges associated with changing natural resources markets.”
The legislation pays for the investments by closing loopholes in the federal coal royalty payment system. Currently, by selling to their own subsidiaries at below market rates, coal companies often cut corners and avoid paying fair royalty costs on coal extracted from federal land.
"The federal coal program is rigged with loopholes that cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year in lost revenues and unfairly disadvantage Appalachian coal communities,” said Nicole Gentile, deputy director for Public Lands at Center for American Progress. “This measure will help fix major flaws in the federal coal leasing program and create a significant new revenue stream for local communities that are working to expand opportunities and diversify their economies."
Reports have previously found that coal sales to subsidiaries and other non-competitive activities cost the federal government as much as $139 million in royalty payments every year. Thus, this bill would be both deficit positive and provide additional funding to historic coal communities that need it most.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV & RADIO

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guests are April and Kim Holgate, discussing their play that will be part of the Scranton Fringe Festival. 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

Rusty Fender will host ECTV Live during the week of September 24th. His guest will be Nikki Keller, Vice President of Communications for the Lackawanna/ Wayne County United Way Campaign. Ms. Keller will discuss the current United Way Campaign and explain how donations are put to use in our area.
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 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

THE FREDDIE FACTOR

Tune in every Sunday at 3pm on WILK Newsradio for The Freddy Factor. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder why but in the end, it will be one hell of a good time!

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1960

Our 1960 logo

The Howdy Doody Show presented its 2,343rd and final episode, after a run that started on NBC on December 17, 1947.

After the marionette Howdy Doody, and host Buffalo Bob Smith, gave their farewells, Clarabell the Clown— who had used pantomime and honking horns to communicate, but had never spoken— surprised his audience by saying, "Goodbye, kids."......The Dallas Cowboys played their first NFL game, losing 35–28 to the team they later faced in three Super Bowls (1976, 1979 and 1996), the Pittsburgh Steelers..... the New York Yankees clinched the American League pennant with a 4–3 in over the Boston Red Sox. In Pennsylvania, the day before, The day before, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the National League pennant for the first time in 33 years, despite a 4–2 loss to Milwaukee, after the St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated by a 5–0 loss to the Chicago Cubs……in Wilkes Bare The United Fund campaign kicks off with agencies gathering to help the needy and 58 years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Theme From the Apartment” by Ferrante and Teiischer.

The LuLac Edition #3880, September 20th, 2018

JOHN FORSYTHE @ 100  

As part of our centennial birthday seroes, today we review John Forsythe who was born 100 years ago He was a TV mainstay for years and had an admirable and successful career.
John Forsythe was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety shows and as a panelist on numerous game shows.
His 60-year acting career began in films in 1943. He signed up with Warner Bros. at age 25 as a minor contract player, but he later starred in films like The Captive City (1952). He co-starred opposite Loretta Young in It Happens Every Thursday (1953), Edmund Gwenn and Shirley MacLaine in The Trouble With Harry (1955), and Olivia De Havilland in The Ambassador's Daughter (1956).
He also enjoyed a successful television career, starring in three television series, spanning four decades and three genres: as the single playboy father Bentley Gregg in the sitcom Bachelor Father (1957–62), as the unseen millionaire Charles Townsend in the crime drama Charlie's Angels (1976–81), a role he would reprise in the film adaptations, and as patriarch Blake Carrington in Dynasty (1981–89). He hosted World of Survival (1971–77).
Forsyth began his career as a Public Addrss Announcer for The Dodgers.
Despite showing initial reluctance, Forsythe began an acting career at the suggestion of his father. As a bit player for Warner Brothers, Forsythe successfully appeared in several small parts.
As a result, he was given a small role in Destination Tokyo (1943). Leaving his movie career for service in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, he appeared in the U.S. Army Air Corps play and film Winged Victory, then worked with injured soldiers who had developed speech problems
Throughout the 1950s, Forsythe successfully appeared in the new medium and worked regularly on all the networks, especially as a guest star. For example, during this period, he appeared on the popular anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents in an episode titled "Premonition" opposite Cloris Leachman. He starred in an episode of the CBS Western anthology series Zane Grey Theatre titled Decision at Wilson's Creek, which premiered May 17, 1957.
In 1957, he took a leading role in the situation comedy Bachelor Father for CBS as Bentley Gregg, a playboy lawyer who has to become a father to his niece Kelly (played by Noreen Corcoran), upon the death of her biological parents.

The show was an immediate ratings hit and moved to NBC the following season and to ABC in the fall of 1961. On various episodes Forsythe worked with such up-and-coming actresses as Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara Eden, Donna Douglas, Sally Kellerman, Sue Ane Langdon, and a teenage Linda Evans. During the 1961 season, Bachelor Father was cancelled that season due to declining ratings.
In the early 1960s, Forsythe returned to acting in movies including Kitten with a Whip (1964), Madame X (1966) and In Cold Blood (1967). In 1964 he starred in See How They Run which is notable for being the first film made for television.
He attempted two new television programs: The John Forsythe Show on NBC with Guy Marks, Elsa Lanchester, Ann B. Davis, Peggy Lipton, and Forsythe's two young daughters, Page and Brooke (1965–1966), and To Rome with Love on CBS (1969–1971) with co-star Walter Brennan. Between 1971 and 1977, Forsythe served as narrator on the syndicated nature series, The World of Survival. He was also the announcer for Michelob beer commercials from the 1970s through about 1985, notably during the "Weekends were made for Michelob" era.
Forsythe began a 13-year association with Aaron Spelling in 1976, cast in the role of mysterious unseen millionaire private investigator Charles Townsend in the crime drama Charlie's Angels (1976–1981). The show starred Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett, making stars of all three but catapulting Fawcett to iconic status. Forsythe introduces the series' concept during its opening credits:
Once upon a time, three little girls went to the police academy, where they were each assigned very hazardous duties. But I took them away from all that, and now they work for me. My name is Charlie.
Forsythe became the highest-paid actor on television on a per-hour basis: while the show's on-camera stars often worked 15-hour days five days a week, with a couple of hours just for hair and makeup, Forsythe's lines for an entire episode would be recorded in a sound studio in a matter of minutes, after which he would have lunch in the network's commissary and then leave for the track. During this period, Forsythe invested much money in thoroughbred racing, a personal hobby. Gaining respect with the celebrity thoroughbred circuit, he served on the Board of Directors at the Hollywood Park Racetrack starting in 1972, and was on the committee for more than 25 years.
Following heart problems, Forsythe underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in 1979. This was so successful that he not only returned to work on Charlie's Angels, he also appeared in the two-time Academy Award-nominated motion picture ...And Justice for All later that year as Judge Henry T. Fleming, the film's main antagonist, a corrupt judge who despises Al Pacino's lawyer character
In 1981, nearing the end of Charlie's Angels, Forsythe was selected as a last-minute replacement for George Peppard in the role of conniving patriarch Blake Carrington in Dynasty. Another Spelling production, Dynasty was ABC's answer to the highly successful CBS series Dallas. Between 1985-87, Forsythe also appeared as Blake Carrington in the short-lived spinoff series The Colbys.
The series reunited Forsythe with one-time Bachelor Father guest star Linda Evans, who would play Blake's wife, Krystle. During the run of the series, Forsythe, Evans and co-star Joan Collins, who played Blake's ex-wife Alexis, promoted the Dynasty line of fragrances. Dynasty came to an end in 1989, after a total of nine seasons. Forsythe was the only actor to appear in all 220 episodes.

Forsythe was nominated for Emmy Awards three times between 1982 and 1984 for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" but did not win. He was also nominated six times for Golden Globe Awards, winning twice. He was nominated five times for the Soap Opera Digest Awards, also winning twice.
Forsythe took his time at Dynasty with gratitude but a grain of salt. When cast members squabbled over perceived slights, he was reported to say to an on looker, “Look at these guys, don’t they know I worked with Pacino?”
Forsythe's wife of 51 years, Julie Warren died at age 74 from cancer in the hospital after Forsythe made the decision to disconnect her life-support system. She had been in a coma following severe breathing difficulties.
In July 2002, Forsythe married businesswoman Nicole Carter at Ballard Country Church; they remained married until his death. Nicole Carter Forsythe died five weeks after her husband.
Forsythe was 92 when he died. 
(Wikipedia, TV Guide, LuLac) 

The LuLac Edition #3879, September 19th, 2018

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our Write On Wednesday logo

ON MAGA AND WHY AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREAT!

This is a very interesting piece by Christine Flowers. I’m sure some will agree and others won’t but that’s why we have a Write On Wednesday.
I never liked the campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.” The implication was that we’d entered some dystopian era in which America was unexceptional, unpleasant, and diminished. Watching the red-hatted #MAGA folk cheer at Donald Trump’s rallies angered me, because the passionate elders and enthusiastic youth were inspired by a flimsy myth, namely, that America was second-rate.
The irony was not lost on me. These followers of a man —who wore the mantle of a conservative as uncomfortably as a porn star would wear a cloistered nun’s habit— were adopting an attitude that was typical of the left.
Back in 1981, this Philadelphian who fancied herself an internationalist signed up for two semesters in the City of Lights, intent on perfecting my French and finding a boyfriend. The former was a wash, since I ended up telling my host family that I had a giant radish (I meant radio) in my bedroom at home, and that I had many prostitutes (I meant Protestants) for friends, and that we put too many condoms (I meant preservatives) in our food. The search for the boyfriend was even less successful.
But even if my initial goals were unfulfilled, I did return home with something of value. The United States of Ronald Reagan was not viewed with great appreciation in the France of Socialist President Francois Mitterrand, and I found myself defending my country at bakeries, at museums, at cinemas, at pharmacies, and pretty much everywhere else. Some of the most heated arguments took place at the university, where pretentious natives with superfluous scarves wrapped around their necks let me know that my president was going to kill them all with his lust for nuclear dominance.
If my French had been good enough I would have said, “Good, I hope he takes out the Sorbonne first,” but instead I straightened my shoulders and muttered quietly, “Thank God I’m an American and understand the purpose of deodorant.” And I came back with the ability to look at my country with uncomplicated devotion, which was becoming increasingly unpopular on college campuses and among the nascent special-interest groups that would one day channel their annoyance and resentment into something called “multiculturalism.”
The vast majority of the people who criticized the U.S., both during my stay in France and when I came home, were what we would today call “progressives” and what we then called liberals. They made an art out of finding fault with the country they refused to abandon, probably because no other nation would allow them the freedom to whine incessantly and then applaud their constitutional engagement. My year in Paris turned me from a rather apolitical suburbanite to an unadulterated conservative who was in love with America.
It wasn’t a blind love. There was the understanding that improvements were needed. Utopias only existed in the mind of Thomas More. But while I got the part about working to make positive changes, I was repulsed by the way so many on the left refused to acknowledge what was good because of their addiction to pointing out what was rotten. They proved the old axiom that the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Then, 17 years ago this week, the enemies of America ground two majestic towers into human dust, murdered thousands of innocents, and tried to crush our dreams under the weight of their hatred. For a very brief moment, we joined together and sat Shiva for the memory of an invincible America. And for that very brief moment, before the dust settled and the tears dried up, we were worthy of our citizenship.
But that willingness to suspend personal grievance has an infinitely short shelf life, and we were soon back to the bickering about how America was racist, and sexist, and homophobic, and then Islamophobic, and then xenophobic, and then… and then.
I was catapulted back to Paris 20 years before, battling the French as I tried to articulate why my country was and always would be an imperfect but glorious Valhalla. Plus ca change.
So imagine my disgust to hear people allegedly on my side say that we needed to be “great again.” Donald Trump may scream that we are less, and he is wrong. Colin Kaepernick may silently condemn us for being unjust, and he is wrong. They are the same, in their shameful displays of ingratitude. And they are free to look like the fools they are.
We cannot diminish ourselves, despite our best efforts. America will always be great.
Christine M. Flowers is a lawyer and columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.

The LuLac Edition #3878, September 18th, 2018

THE PRAGUE SPRING AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA @ 50

The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ), and continued until 21 August 1968 when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to halt the reforms.
The Prague Spring reforms were a strong attempt by Dubček to grant additional rights to the citizens of Czechoslovakia in an act of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. The freedoms granted included a loosening of restrictions on the media, speech and travel. After national discussion of dividing the country into a federation of three republics, Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia and Slovakia, Dubček oversaw the decision to split into two, the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. This was the only formal change that survived the end of Prague Spring.
The reforms, especially the decentralization of administrative authority, were not received well by the Soviets, who, after failed negotiations, sent half a million Warsaw Pact troops and tanks to occupy the country. The New York Times cited reports of 650,000 men equipped with the most modern and sophisticated weapons in the Soviet military catalogue. A large wave of emigration swept the nation. A spirited non-violent resistance was mounted throughout the country, involving attempted fraternization, painting over and turning street signs (on one occasion an entire invasion force from Poland was routed back out of the country after a day's wandering), defiance of various curfews, etc. While the Soviet military had predicted that it would take four days to subdue the country, the resistance held out for eight months and was only circumvented by diplomatic stratagems (see below). There were sporadic acts of violence and several suicides by self-immolation (such as that of Jan Palach), but there was no military resistance. Czechoslovakia remained Soviet-controlled until 1989, when the Velvet Revolution ended pro-Soviet rule peacefully. The resistance also became a high-profile example of civilian-based defense.
After the invasion, Czechoslovakia entered a period known as "normalization": subsequent leaders attempted to restore the political and economic values that had prevailed before Dubček gained control of the KSČ. Gustáv Husák, who replaced Dubček and also became President, reversed almost all of Dubček's reforms. The Prague Spring inspired music and literature such as the work of Václav Havel, Karel Husa, Karel Kryl and Milan Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
One of the most important steps towards the reform was the reduction and later complete abolition of the censorship on 4. March 1968. It was for the first time in Czech history the censorship was abolished and it was also probably the only reform fully implemented, albeit only for a short period. From the instrument of Party's propaganda media quickly became the instrument of criticism of the regime.
In April, Dubček launched an "Action Programme" of liberalizations, which included increasing freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of movement, with economic emphasis on consumer goods and the possibility of a multiparty government. The programme was based on the view that "Socialism cannot mean only liberation of the working people from the domination of exploiting class relations, but must make more provisions for a fuller life of the personality than any bourgeois democracy." It would limit the power of the secret policeand provide for the federalization of the ČSSR into two equal nations.The programme also covered foreign policy, including both the maintenance of good relations with Western countries and cooperation with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc nations. It spoke of a ten-year transition through which democratic elections would be made possible and a new form of democratic socialism would replace the status quo.
Those who drafted the Action Programme were careful not to criticize the actions of the post-war Communist regime, only to point out policies that they felt had outlived their usefulness.
But the Soviets were not having any of it.
On 3 August representatives from the "Warsaw Five" and Czechoslovakia met in Bratislava and signed the Bratislava Declaration. The declaration affirmed unshakable fidelity to Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism and declared an implacable struggle against "bourgeois" ideology and all "anti-socialist" forces. The Soviet Union expressed its intention to intervene in a Warsaw Pact country if a "bourgeois" system—a pluralist system of several political parties representing different factions of the capitalist class—was ever established. After the Bratislava conference, the Soviet Army left Czechoslovak territory but remained along its borders.
As these talks proved unsatisfactory, the Soviets began to consider a military alternative. The Soviet Union's policy of compelling the socialist governments of its satellite states to subordinate their national interests to those of the "Eastern Bloc" (through military force if needed) became known as the Brezhnev Doctrine. On the night of 20–21 August 1968, Eastern Bloc armies from four Warsaw Pact countries – the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary—invaded the ČSSR.
That night, 200,000 troops and 2,000 tanks entered the country. They first occupied the Ruzyně International Airport, where air deployment of more troops was arranged. The Czechoslovak forces were confined to their barracks, which were surrounded until the threat of a counter-attack was assuaged. By the morning of 21 August Czechoslovakia was occupied.
Neither Romania nor Albania took part in the invasion. Soviet command refrained from drawing upon East German troops for fear of reviving memories of the Nazi invasion in 1938. During the invasion by the Warsaw Pact armies, 72 Czechs and Slovaks were killed (19 of those in Slovakia), 266 severely wounded and another 436 slightly injured. Alexander Dubček called upon his people not to resist. Nevertheless, there was scattered resistance in the streets. Road signs in towns were removed or painted over—except for those indicating the way to Moscow. Many small villages renamed themselves "Dubcek" or "Svoboda"; thus, without navigational equipment, the invaders were often confused.
The next day, several countries suggested a resolution condemning the intervention and calling for immediate withdrawal. Eventually, a vote was taken with ten members supporting the motion; Algeria, India, and Pakistan abstained; the USSR (with veto power) and Hungary opposed. Canadian delegates immediately introduced another motion asking for a UN representative to travel to Prague and work toward the release of the imprisoned Czechoslovak leaders.
By 26 August a new Czechoslovak representative requested the whole issue be removed from the Security Council's agenda. Shirley Temple Black visited Prague in August 1968 to prepare for becoming the US Ambassador for a free Czechoslovakia. However, after the 21 August invasion she became part of a U.S. Embassy-organized convoy of vehicles that evacuated U.S. citizens from the country. In August 1989, she returned to Prague as U.S. Ambassador, three months before the Velvet Revolution that ended 41 years of Communist rule. Memorial to the victims of the invasion, located in Liberec.
As a 14 year old person of Slovak heritage this was top of the mind. Our Church, St. John the Baptist in Pittston prayed for the success of freedom. The Sunday Mass during the time of the Soviet invasion was noted by Monsignor Super (then Father Super) in his homily. It was a lesson of what freedom of speech meant in that turbulent year of 1968. Fifty years after this, when this nation is being peppered by our own President about shutting down the media and screaming “Fake News” looking back on this is downright chilling. I often wonder about the Party Secretary Alexander Dubcek and how he would have fared under a Putin regime.
In April 1969, Dubček was replaced as first secretary and a period of "normalization" began. Dubček was expelled from the party machinery and was given a job as a forestry official.
(Wikipedia, Life Magazine, LuLac)

The LuLac Edition #3877, September 17th, 2018

DAN MEUSER AND ISIS

The Reading Eagle reported that Congressional candidate Dan Meuser compared Liberals to the ISIS terrorists. We all know ISIS. But comparing them to Liberals? ISIS are the guys who chopped people’s head off on film. Last I checked Liberals didn’t do that.
The Liberals of course are the people who gave us pesky things like Social Security, Civil Rights, Medicare, The Affordable Care Act, Head Start, The Endowment for the Arts, you know stuff that makes people’s lives better. Aspirational things that Silver Spoon Meuser never had to worry about.
Meuser of course backtracked by ‘splainin’ his remark. Here it is:
"What I said was that ISIS, two years ago, was arguably our country’s biggest threat. Due to President Trump’s efforts, policies and our strong military, they have been contained and nearly eradicated. I did say on a much different level, the extreme left socialist agenda is perhaps now our country’s biggest threat. Again, not equating the two. Any reasonable person would clearly know that they are obviously two different types of threats.”
Here’s the thing Danny Boy! That ISIS success you tout for your boy, ”Diaper Don”, was started by the previous administration. President Obama said it would take time. Diaper Don is the recipient of that foresight.
But let’s get to your actual comment. So because ISIS is no longer a threat, (says you.. plus we have no idea what the ramifications will be for us pulling out of the Iran deal!) just how in the hell is the Liberal left a threat to the country?
Is it because they are speaking out against a tyrannical no nothing you support? A person you embrace?
Is it because this administration has given millionaires like you tax breaks to get richer while the money will be made up by seniors with cuts to Medicare?
Is it because most Americans are waking up to the fact that you and your party really want to preserve the status quo of keeping people down?
Here’s the thing about guys like Meuser. This comparison as he called it was no accident. It is a belief that anyone who deviates from the boot licking, high stepping GOP party of Trump/Meuser is bad for America.
Meuesr wraps himself in the American flag because he truly thinks his ideology is more patriotic than anyone who dares disagree with his ilk.
Danny Boy can explain away this as a comparison and arrogantly say, “Any reasonable person would clearly know that they are obviously two different types of threats” is full of canal water. These statements aren’t made by accident, they reveal what is in a candidate’s heart.
That’s “reasonable” enough for the Wolff people and clear thinking voters to understand that Meuser’s statement was wrong and reveals more about his inner core than we ever thought.

CELEBRATION OF MULTI CULTURES IN WILKES BARRE

I was very glad to attend and help out at the annual Multi Cultural Parade and Festival in Wilkes Barre.
Right off the bat, I ran into WBRE/WYOU’s Lauren Hensley, then encountered two strong Democratic woman setting up their booth, Wendy Cominsky and Kathy Bozinski. Took a few steps and there was Wilkes Barre City Manager and former Killer Bees standout Ted Wampole.
Had the pleasure of manning a table with NAACP President Atty. Guerline L. Laurore and Secretary Dr. Andrew Wilczak. The NAACP will be holding a very important event on Saturday October 27th at the Westmoreland Club. More on that on future posts here and on LuLac. 

 Here a few photos, Dr. Wilczak, me, our Congressman Matt Cartwright and Attorney Laurore.

Another shot of us together at the table with our President holding the flyer for the October event 

and then the next photo is of Wendy Cominsky and Ronni Good stopping by.

Caught up with Ron and Peggy Felton on the way out. The parade was spectacular, the food smelled fabulous and there was a nice crowd of all of the people who make up this area. All are proud to be here and making this city and this region a good place today and an even better one tomorrow!

MATT CARTWRIGHT ATTACKED ON PHANTOM TAXES HIKES THAT HE NEVER VOTED FOR!!!!!!!

Congressman Matt Cartwight (Photo: LuLac archives)

I was watching TV the other night and an ad comes on paid for by the National Republican Committee against Congressman Cartwright. Of course they linked him to Nancy Pelosi. The thing with Pelosi is this. The average voter couldn’t even tell you who the heck Pelosi is! But she has been demonized by the right and conspiracy hatchet men so it is a reflex action to think she’s bad.
But I digress. The ad says that Cartwright is for tax increases. A little history here.
The Republican’s took control of The House in 2010.
Cartwright got elected in 2012.
The GOP took control of the Senate in 2014.
The Republicans have controlled the House for the entire time Cartwright was in office. How in the blazes does this even make sense? The only taxes that came down the pike were from REPUBLICANS  who controlled both chambers since 2014. 
Cartwright never did vote to raise your taxes!!!
And when the ad intimates that he MIGHT if Pelosi takes power, how in the hell do we know that?
The ad talks about a 30% increase in taxes that might come down the pike but that is a reflection economists are making because  the deficit will have exploded because the REPUBLICAN PARTY gave tax cuts to the rich (88%) and about 20 bucks a pay to the rest of us!
Cartwright is a victim of the GOP LIE machine always at the ready to do anything to discredit a public servant. .

The LuLac Edition #3876, September 14th, 2018

NEW NEWSMAKERS ELECTION PROGRAM BROADCASTING TODAY AND SATURDAY

NEWSMAKERS FROM YOUR LOCAL ELECTION HEADQUARTERS WILL FEATURE INTERVIEWS WITH CANDIDATES IN THE NEWLY FORMED 9TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

THIS IS THE RACE BETWEEN DEMOCRAT DENNY WOLFF AND REPUBLICAN DAN MEUSER.

AIR TIMES: FRIDAY SEPT. 14th, 11:30AM WBRE TV, SATURDAY SEPT. 16th, 11:30AM WYOU TV.

WAGNER’S # 571 RALLY IN WILKES BARRE

Scott Wagner held a rally in Wilkes Barre the other night. The campaign decided right around Labor Day to have it and the GOP faithful came out. My buddy Gort and I were there to meet and greet our GOP friends.
Wagner is authentic in his presentation. You might not agree with everything but the guy is passionate about fixing some of Pennsylvania problems.
He really laid it on the line regarding Property Tax Reform for Homeowners.
He gave a 35 minutes speech, some off the cuff and some with prepared notes that resonated with the crowd. He hit all the major GOP hot buttons but particularly asked voters to help him get to The Mansion. Wagner is down 12 points in the polls and was not happy with Dr. Terry Madonna’s polling.
That said, he revved the crowd up and there were many Wagner-Bartos signs leaving the building that night.
No candidate to me has ever worked harder trying to get his message out. This was rally #571 THIS YEAR!
I love a guy who keeps tabs like that!
Here are a few photos from the event.

The candidate addressing the crowd on Wednesday night.  

Sue Henry revving up the group about her candidacy. 

How about this guy, Justin Behrens who gave a campaign stump thumping speech. The decorated Vet was on fire with his remarks.

John Chrin candidate for Congress in the 8th was on hand. Again, know this, Chrin is targeting The Lu and the Lac in his effort.  

Wouldn't this be nice to see this guy, Frank Scavo as a State Senator who would actually vote for Property Tax Reform? Here is Frank with Senator Lisa Baker. 

This guy, State Party Chair Val DiGiorgo really went after the Dems, went through his laundry list of GOP lies about Sanctuary Cities and illegals being on welfare. He's the state Chair so I understand why he needs to do it but yikes! A great line of bull but the crowd loved it. 

DIAPER DON AND PUERTO RICO

My apologies to the Luzerne County GOP who had a nice rally the other night for Scott Wagner and the other candidates. My intention was to lay off your boy Diaper Don. Adopt the “Raccoon” strategy you so kindly refereed to on Wednesday night.
But once again your President proved to be his own worst enemy and for that matter yours. But here’s what he did yesterday with a major hurricane coming.
Diaper Don tweeted 3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000.
Then he blamed the Democrats for inflating the numbers. Look people died because this horrific administration never got enough help to the 51st state of America!
Death tolls can’t be made up. It is amazing that he creates his own fake news.

NAACP OPPOSES BRETT KAVANAUGH

Here is a missive sent by the Wilkes Barre Chapter of the NAACP regarding the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Take a look.
Freedom Fighters, since the moment Brett Kavanaugh was nominated for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, he was tasked with proving that he would be a justice who would uphold the rights of all, and that he was a person of unimpeachable integrity.
During last week's confirmation hearings, he decidedly failed to meet those standards. Instead, here is a small sample what we witnessed:
•Kavanaugh was caught misleading the Senate five different times. He apparently used documents stolen from Democrats, lied about when he knew about warrantless wiretapping, lied about his role in Bush's torture program, and lied about his role in nomination processes for two judges.
•After testifying that Roe v. Wade is “settled as a precedent of the Supreme Court,” records revealed Kavanaugh saying essentially the opposite in 2003. “I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent, and three current Justices on the Court would do so.” There are now four current Justices who would vote to overturn Roe. If confirmed, we should expect Kavanaugh to be the fifth, damning vote.
•On the same day that Trump’s Department of Justice argued in federal court to overturn patient protections guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Kavanaugh refused to commit to protecting people with pre-existing conditions ... twice. If confirmed, we can count on his vote to undermine the ACA and take health care away from millions of people.
What we already know about Kavanaugh — from public records and a small sampling of records cherry-picked by a partisan process — shows him to be wildly extreme and out of step with the American public. If he is confirmed, Republican senators should be clear that they are on the line for every 5-4 vote to rollback rights and health care.
Call Senator Patrick J. Toomey at (202) 224-4254. Insist they publicly OPPOSE Kavanaugh's nomination.

DEM EVENT SET FOR SEPTEMBER 20th

The 121st Democrats will have a rally on September 20th at The River Grille. Main attractions will be Congressman Matt Cartwright and State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski.

FRANK SCAVO

Frank Scavo is making the rounds in his efforts to beat State Senator John Blake in the 22nd Senatorial District, Blake singlehandedly screwed the voters just a few years ago by being the deciding vote in getting the bill to the floor.
Scavo will be part of a Town Hall meeting on September 26th at The Old Forge High school highlighting Property Tax Reform. It starts at 6pm.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

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

September is Suicide Prevention Month and ECTV Live welcomes Kathy Wallace of the regional Suicide Prevention Council to the program during the week of September 17th.
ECTV can be seen on Chnnnel 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 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

THE FREDDIE FACTOR

Tune in every Sunday at 3pm on WILK Newsradio for The Freddy Factor. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder why but in the end, it will be one hell of a good time!

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1960

Our 1960 logo

For the ninth day in succession, Hurricane Donna had maximum sustained winds of at least 115 mph (185 km/h)...U.S. senators James Eastland and Thomas Dodd accused the State Department of complicity in Fidel Castro's invasion of Cuba......The 1960 Summer Olympics closed in Rome…Against the advice of his campaign staff, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy had accepted an invitation to speak to Protestant ministers in Houston on the question of whether a Roman Catholic President could operate independently of the Vatican. In a famous address, Kennedy won over his audience, commenting, "I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president who happens also to be a Catholic." The next day, the Houston ministers described the address as "the most complete, unequivocal and reassuring statement which could be expected of any person in his position,"  Kennedy's opponent, Richard M. Nixon, a Quaker, commented that he could conceive of no circumstances which might ever require either himself or Kennedy to have a conflict between religion and the presidency….Lee Harvey Oswald's honorable discharge from the United States Marines, granted on September 11, 1959, was revised to an "undesirable discharge" (rather than a bad conduct discharge or a dishonorable discharge, which require a court martial), based on bringing "discredit to the Marine Corps through adverse newspaper publicity" since defecting to the Soviet Union] Although William B. Franke was the United States Secretary of the Navy at the time the revision was ordered, Oswald would not learn of the action until 1961, when John Connally was appointed to the position by President John F. Kennedy, and would write to Connally several times to seek a reversal. Connally would later win the office of Governor of Texas, and on November 22, 1963, Oswald would shoot both Kennedy and Connally; at least one author, James Reston Jr., would theorize that Oswald was actually trying to assassinate Governor Connally rather than President Kennedy…...Nikita Khrushchev and other Communist Bloc leaders arrived in the United States on the Soviet ocean liner Baltika, which docked at New York City at 9:20 a.m. Accompanied by János Kádár of Hungary, Todor Zhivkov of Bulgaria, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej of Romania, Khrushchev stepped off the ship to a mixture of cheers and boos, and then was driven to the Soviet consulate. Khrushchev and other leaders had arrived for the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, and could travel to New York at any time under the terms of the United Nations Treaty. Though the United States government could not bar Khrushchev, it asked television networks to minimize coverage of the Khrushchev's visit, and restricted him from traveling outside of Manhattan and Long Island…..in Pennsylvania the pennant stretch is getting exiting with the Pirates make their the way to the World Series…in Luzerne County the amount of tax collectors is increased n fifty eight years ago the number one song in LuLac land ad America was :Mission Bell” by Donnie Brooks.

The LuLac Edition #3875, September 13th, 2018

13 QUESTIONS

Our 13 Questions logo.

1. Who do you think that anonymous source was for The New York Times?

I think it might be Kelly Anne Conway. The language was well crafted, she threw in a few red herrings to have people think it was someone else and when the dust settles, she wants to come out ahead. She is nothing if not opportunistic.

2. How come you were a no show at the Matt Cartwright summer picnic?

A few reasons. Archbald? I mean does he need that much help in the Mid Valley? I did not understand that. A better move would have been in Luzerne County. But hey, I’m done giving his staff advice because they pretty much know nothing about me. All that said, I had a MG Support group meeting scheduled on the same day. Since I’m in remission and doing well, my responsibility was there and not up in Archbald that day.
Besides there’s an old girlfriend up there that’s still gunning for me so it was best I stayed away.

3. Nice tribute to Earl Watson a few weeks ago. Did you have many interactions with him?

No. Just a few in the newsroom when I was on the PR Team at United Way with Frank Pasquini, Susan Jellig and Martina Martin. He was nice but we never really got close.
But like many I was one of the thousands who read his articles every week and enjoying “Rambling With The Baron!”
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4. Dunkin Donuts, you up for Pumpkin coffee?

Jesus no, I’m an Ice Tea guy. Mrs. LuLac has asked me to taste every kind of brew there is from DD and Starbucks, butterscotch, chocolate, whatever, still tastes like coffee no matter what you put on it, in it or run through it.


5. Okay, Tuesday afternoon Sept 4th, Wilkes Barre, right across from Friday's at the light. I saw you with the top down, about 5:25PM. What song was that blaring from the radio?

Ah, “Save Me San Francisco” by Train followed by “Canadian Sunset” by Andy Williams. Check them out.



6. Being an old Slovak boy I would have thought you would have highlighted the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakian in your 50 year editions on 1968?

Forgot it, it’s in the hopper. That’s set to run any day.

7. Do you think your absolute hatred for Donald Trump has hurt your blog?

Nope as a matter of fact it has helped readership. Look no matter what, the lines are drawn. When you have people on the Trump side getting bent out of shape because Diaper Don was attacked by Meghan McCain, and she’s the villain after what he said about her dad’s service, that just tells you there is no talking to them.

8. Where is Mike Lupica from The New York Daily News?

Many people thought he was axed when the Daily News cut staff. His last column was in July and then he was gone. It is the revival of the Sunny Randall detective series that was started by the late best-selling novelist Robert B. Parker. Why he didn’t do a good bye column is anyone’s guess.

9. You’re trapped on an far away island with Kelly Anne Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. What do you do???

Walk into the ocean and thank the Lord for the good life I had.

10. Eagles to repeat this year?

C’mon too early to tell.

11. Do you think you’ll have a more current year in 2019 for your blog feature at the end of the week?

Yeah most likely. We did 1960 this year and that is like ancient history y today's standards. It was fascinating though for me to see the seeds of what is happening today that were planted in that year long ago.

12. Did you ever boycott any product?

No. Maybe if I had buying power in the late 50s and 60s I might have done so with segregationists businesses but it would have to be a very big deal now for me to do that. Besides my experience with people who threaten to boycott something is this: they sooner or later come back after shooting their mouths off. In many cases they don’t understand the nuances of what and why they were boycotting.

13. Favorite new guilty TV pleasure?

Lodge 49 on AMC. Really great.