The LuLac Edition #5, 725, July 28th, 2026

 

LET THE SLEAZE BEGIN

 

 

and this guy  

The Republican party of the state, Luzerne county and the 21^st district has started the lying, sleaze and outright slinging of  vile early in this ’26 election. The Republican party I grew up with had some honor and at least an acquaintance with the truth. NOT ANYMORE! 

This is what the Michael Harostock campaign for state Representative is endorsing.

"The simple truth is Democrats voted to let murderers, rapists, and child rapists back on the street."

This is a ridiculous claim. No sane person in the country would EVER back that.

"Jessica McClay stands with them."

REALLY LYING GOP? 

THIS IS THE TRUTH 

 

Jessica McClay is a proud supporter of our police officers and first responders. She has a record of supporting our police while on City Council, like her vote to approve funding for more Wilkes-Barre City police vehicles.

Jessica will always protect our first responders from on-the-job hazards and ensure they make it home to their families every night.

 

As a mother whose son works for the local police department and as a local leader, Jessica knows this district deserves real leadership - not dangerous and baseless attacks. That’s why she is running to be your representative.

HERE'S HAROSTOCK LIE 

"Mike Harostock will keep you safe by saying NO violent criminals back on the street.

Here is what Attorney General Dave Sunday said about the vote: https://accessnow.pro/oxpRNOWX

Democrats are lying to confuse voters. Their values are no police, no jails, no safety."

First off, Jessica McClay DID NOT CAST THE VOTE. She isn’t in office as Harostock MUST KNOW. But then again……. as a lying Republican, THAT DOESN’T MATTER.

The issue they are using was a Supreme Court decision regarding second degree murder. Their beef is that the Democratic legislature didn’t go along with the curtrent discussions to fix the second degree ruling for murder. The GOP blames Hliberal Democratic judges in Philly Pittsburgh can use discretion in sentencing.

Okay, judges have leeway in sentencing. IT’S THEIR JOB. That doesn’t mean they are letting everybody go. Judges are elected in Pennsylvania, you think they are letting criminals go just for shits and giggles?

This is one Court decision the GOP doesn’t like and they are using t to gain traction by stoking ignorance and fear!

To recap the Harostock LIE,

"Democrats are lying to confuse voters"

Specifically WHAT LIE?

"Their values are no police, no jails, no safety."

Just when has Harosdtock’s opponent EVER SAID THAT?  

Plus, given the state of the Republican  party, they have Trump lying in the thousands, Walter Griffith saying his petition is about “protecting children” and Cabinet members routinely lying to the faces of the public…it is McCLAY GOING TO VOTE AGAINST A SON ON THE POLICE FORCE?  

"The Truth is greater than Democrats’ lies"

The organization that paid for this as well as the Republicans who get their support from them wouldn’t know the truth if it hit them in the face with a 2 by 4.

Paid for by Americans Defending Truth.

The Republicans will lie to get ahead and misrepresent or worse yet  become a mind reader for opposing candidates. Locally, this is a perfect example.

 

 

REPUBLICANS McCORMICK, BRESNEHAN AND MEUSER TOOK FOOD OFF THEIR VOTER'S

TABLES

1.5 MILLION CHILDREN CUT

 

Remember that big, beautiful bill that Senator McCormick and Congressmen Meuser voted Bresnehan voted for last year? Remember how they told you it would improve your economic life?

Well it might have helped some of their wealthy pals but SNAP recipients, disabled and working have been screwed.

Here’s the data from April of 2025 to July of this year.

SNAP participation is down by more than 4.5 million people, or 11 percent, in USDA data. (It’s down more than 4.9 million people, or nearly 12 percent, over the past year.)

SNAP participation has dropped in every state except Alaska, including by 5 percent or more in 44 states, and by 10 percent or more in 23 states.  In Pennsylvania there is a near 11% decrease. (10.8%)

The last time there was such a steep decrease in participation in this short period of time (other than temporary spikes following natural disasters) was nearly three decades ago, after Congress enacted very deep cuts to SNAP (then the Food Stamp Program) in 1996. SNAP participation dropped by 11 percent (2.7 million people) in the nine months from March to December 1997.

In the 19 states with publicly available data that have shared unpublished data, the number of children receiving SNAP has fallen by 1 million since July 2025. It’s very likely that nationwide, the number of children receiving SNAP has dropped by more than 1.5 million since July 2025.

Unemployment nationwide has been flat at about 4 percent since July 2025, BLS data show. At best, it’s down in 13 states and the District of Columbia by less than 1 percentage point. It’s very unlikely that reduced need is driving the decline in SNAP participation.

These participation declines began before some of the major changes from the harmful 2025 Republican reconciliation law were fully in effect. Experts  expect these harms to grow as states fully implement eligibility restrictions and take actions to lower their error rates.

The harmful Republican reconciliation law enacted July 4, 2025, poses great harm to families, including higher food costs, poverty, and hunger. It makes deep cuts to federal funding for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), shifting significant new costs to states. It dramatically expands SNAP’s already harsh and ineffective provision taking away people’s benefits for not meeting a work requirement. And it ended eligibility for many people with a lawful immigration status. It is estimated that SNAP participation nationwide fell by more than 4.5 million people (11 percent) between the law’s July 2025 enactment and April 2026, based on the latest month of data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and data from the Georgia Department of Human Services provided in an open records request. This estimate uses state data for Georgia due to anomalies in USDA data.

This is a disgrace. McCormick doesn’t run again until ’30 but Meuser and Bresnehan are up this year. If you have compassion for the poor, any type of empathy vote Bresnehan and eventually McComick out.

 

 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 724, July 27th, 2026

 MONDAY MEMES 

The LuLac Edition #5, 723, July 26th, 2026

 

 

 

MORE THAN 60% OF RESTAURANT WORKERS ARE SKIPPING MEALS WHILE THEY FEED THE REST OF US

NEW DATA SHOWS 75% OF HOURLY RESTAURANT WORKERS ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, WITH MOST REPORTING CONSTANT FINANCIAL STRESS AS FOOD COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE.

Food prices have remained elevated for more than three years, while the cost of dining out continues to climb. For the millions of hourly employees who keep the restaurant industry running, those higher costs are taking a measurable toll.

According to the 2026 State of Hourly Restaurant Workers Study, 61% of hourly restaurant employees surveyed said they skipped more than one meal per week during the past month because they couldn’t afford food. The national survey, commissioned by Instant Financial and conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics, polled 750 hourly restaurant employees between March 3 and March 31. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. Census by age, region, gender, and geography. The survey also found that 75% of respondents are living paycheck to paycheck, a figure that rises to 83% among restaurant employees not in management roles.

A single setback can trigger a financial crisis

Nearly all respondents (97%) reported experiencing financial stress, with 63% describing it as constant or frequent. On average, respondents said they set aside just $92 from each paycheck, leaving little cushion to absorb an unexpected expense.

For Allison Padilla-Goodman, CEO of Giving Kitchen, a national nonprofit that provides financial assistance to food service workers in crisis, the data reflects what her organization sees every day. “For too many food service workers, the margin between getting by and falling into crisis is one missed shift, one medical emergency, or one unexpected bill,” Padilla-Goodman says. “At Giving Kitchen, three in five of the clients we serve are considered ‘working poor’ by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and more than 80% say they are not able to put money into savings.”

Restaurant workers face higher rates of food insecurity

The survey’s finding that 61% of respondents skipped meals points to a broader issue that extends across the food industry. A 2025 analysis by the Food Chain Workers Alliance found that frontline food workers were 93% more likely to experience food insecurity than workers in other industries, based on federal labor data spanning the food supply chain. The consequences can extend beyond workers’ personal lives: A 2025 study published in Personnel Psychology found that food-insecure workers were more distracted on the job.

Financial gaps are pushing workers into debt

Nearly four in five respondents (79%) said they used at least one financial workaround in the past three months because they needed money before payday.

Those measures included payday loans, overdrafts, credit card cash advances, and buy-now, pay-later services. Among respondents who took out payday loans, the average cost was $117 in fees and interest.

What Happens When America Stops Measuring Hunger?

Housing remains the most pressing need among the clients Giving Kitchen serves. According to the organization, 75% of people who received financial assistance reported that the support helped them avoid eviction. Padilla-Goodman says the financial strain often extends beyond a single unexpected expense.

“We are also seeing workers come to us with more complex needs, including a 62% increase in mental health referrals this year,” she says. “This is not just about one bill or one bad month. It is about an industry workforce carrying chronic instability without the basic safety nets many other workers rely on.”

Higher prices are outpacing wages

The findings come as food prices continue to outpace many household budgets. The Consumer Price Index rose 4.2% year over year in May, while the cost of dining out increased 3.5% over the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A separate BLS report found that real average hourly earnings fell 0.7% over the same period, suggesting wage growth has not kept pace with rising costs.

Where Do Diners Tip More in America? A New Report Reveals the Most Generous States

Jason Dorsey, founder and president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, says the report stands out within the firm’s broader workforce research. “The findings from this study show a workforce under significant financial stress, and it is clearly affecting their daily lives,” Dorsey says. “It’s rare to see this consistently high intensity within workforce experiences.”  More Than 60% of Restaurant Workers Are Skipping Meals While They Feed the Rest of Us

New data shows 75% of hourly restaurant workers are living paycheck to paycheck, with most reporting constant financial stress as food costs continue to rise.  Stephanie Gravalese, Food & Wine.

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 722, July 25th, 2026

 

THOMAS MIFFLIN

SOLDIER

FIRST GOVERNOR

OF PENNSYLVANIA

 

Thomas Mifflin was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Pennsylvania, who is regarded as a Founding Father of the United States for his roles during and after the American Revolution. Mifflin signed the United States Constitution, was the first governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1790 to 1799, and was also the state's last president, succeeding Benjamin Franklin in 1788.

Born in Philadelphia, Mifflin became a merchant following his graduation from the College of Philadelphia. After serving in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and the First Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, he joined the Continental Army in 1775. During the Revolutionary War, Mifflin was an aide to General George Washington and was appointed the army's Quartermaster General, rising to the rank of major general.

On August 14, 1775, Washington appointed him to become the army's first quartermaster general, under order of Congress.Although it has been said that he was good at the job despite preferring to be on the front lines, questions were raised regarding his failure to properly supply Washington and the troops at Valley Forge, alleging that he had instead warehoused and sold supplies intended for Valley Forge to the highest bidder. Reportedly, after Washington confronted him about this,[9] Mifflin asked to be relieved as quartermaster general but was persuaded to resume those duties because Congress was having difficulty finding a replacement.

Mifflin's leadership in the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton led to a promotion to major general.  In Congress, there was debate regarding whether a national army was more efficient or whether the individual states should maintain their own forces. As a result of this debate the Congressional Board of War was created, on which Mifflin served from 1777 to 1778. He then rejoined the army but took little active role, following criticism of his service as quartermaster general. He was accused of embezzlement and welcomed an inquiry; however, one never took place. He resigned his commission, but Congress continued to ask his advice even after accepting his resignation.

He returned to Congress in 1782 and was elected president of the Congress the following year.

In 1983 Mifflin was at the resigning of General George Washington’s military commission. He is standing on the left.

He served as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1785 to 1787 and as president of Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council from 1788 to 1790.

Mifflin was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and signed the United States Constitution. He then presided over the committee that wrote Pennsylvania's state constitution, becoming the state's first governor after the constitution's ratification in 1790. Mifflin left office as governor in 1799 and died the following year.