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.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
The LuLac Edition #5, 100, April 23rd, 2024
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED
Our “Maybe
I’m Amazed” logo.
Pennsylvania
Presidential Primary Edition
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…..that the first Presidential primary in the Keystone state was put in
place in 1968. Prior to that delegates were picked by party leaders. The
Constitutional convention mandated that the primary election for the Presidency
would take place in that election year and the other elections statewide and
municipal would take place in May.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…..that the first two winners of the Pennsylvania primary were Senator
Eugene McCarthy who was running unopposed because Senator Robert Kennedy
entered the race on March 16th, incumbent President Lyndon Johnson
had withdrew on March 31st and Vice President Hubert Humphrey had
not yet declared. On the Republican side Governor Raymond Shafer ran as a
“Favorite Son” candidate. At the quadrennial American national political party
conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates a presidential candidate
from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a viable
candidate in the view of other delegations, and votes for this candidate in the
initial ballot. The technique allows state leaders to negotiate with leading
candidates in exchange for the delegation's support in subsequent ballots. In
1968 there were 12 Favorite Son candidates consisting of Governors and
Senators. One of those candidates was Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew who was
later picked by Richard Nixon as his Vice Presidential candidate.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…..that Hubert Humphrey’s first primary election win EVER was in
Pennsylvania in 1972. Humphrey had run in 1960 against John Kennedy and lost
the Wisconsin and West Virginia primaries. In 1968 he entered the race on April
30th past the primary filing dates in all states.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…..that in 1976 much of the speculation for the 1976 nomination
surrounded Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, formerly Vice President of the
United States and the party's nominee in 1968. Humphrey had won the largest
number of votes in the 1972 primaries but lost in a bitter fight with McGovern.
Though Humphrey ultimately declined to seek the nomination again, many early
votes went to uncommitted delegates who supporters hoped would commit to
Humphrey by the time of the convention. The 1976 campaign was the first
presidential campaign in which the primary system was dominant.[citation
needed] However, most of the Democratic candidates failed to realize the
significance of the increased number of primaries, or the importance of
creating momentum by winning the early contests. Jimmy Carter, who was
virtually unknown at the national level, leveraged his obscurity to run as an
"outsider" to Washington. Carter's plan was to run in all of the
primaries and caucuses, beginning with the Iowa caucuses, and build up momentum
by winning "somewhere" each time primary elections were held. There
was ab “ABC movement afoot (anybody but Carter in that year but the Georgia
Governor won 64 delegates with 36% of the vote followed by Congressman Morris
Udall, Senator Henry Jackson, and Governor Milton Shapp.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…….that in the 2008 primary election even though Senator Barack Obama had
huge crowds of more than 35,000 in Philadelphia, the fact was it didn’t
translate into votes. Hillary Clinton who drew less people won the state with
54% of the vote to Obama’s 45%.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…….that this was the first primary in the state that employed the usage
of Super Delegates. These were hand picked by partyoperatives and usually were higher echelon
elected officials. Clinton got , 16 superdelegates and 5 had announced support
for Senator Obama. The state’s top two officials Governor Ed Rendell and
Senator Bob Casey each had a favorite with Rendell backing Hillary and Casey on
board for Barack.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…that the 1980 Democratic primary was a nail biter. Senator Ted Kennedy
won by a few percentage points over incumbent President Carter. Kennedy had
45.68 to Carter’s 45.40% of the vote. Kennedy had 94 delegates, Carter 91.
Ultimately Carter prevailed in the nomination fightbut it was close.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED….that in 1980 on the GOP side Georger H.W. Bush beat Ronald Reagan by 8
percentage points. Reagan in fact lost more primaries to Bush including here in
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts but swept the southern states to secure the
nomination early. Reagan ultimately picked Bush after GOP leaders wanted a
ticket of Reagan and former President Gerald Ford as Vice President. Reagan was
having none of that and picked the former CIA Director and Ambassador.
MAYBE I’M
AMAZED…..that in the 1984 Presidential campaign (one I was involved with)
Walter Mondale won overwhelmingly against Senator Gary Hart of Colorado and
Civil Rights activist Jesse Jackson. Mondale garnered 81 ballots, Jackson had
16, Hart 14 and John Glenn who had dropped out of the race just 1. Mondale
appeared on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square the Friday before the lection. As a
Presidential candidate he made history by picking the first woman to be his
running mate, New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro and losing every state
but his own (Minnesota and thew District of Columbia) to Reagan in the fall.
Mondale had said that the most consequential thing he had ever done in his
political career was to be his party’s standard bearer for the top office in
the land.
Fittingly
today, LuLac closes in on celebrating 5100 editions. Here are our stats: 1,868,684 clicks.10,
948 comments.
18 years on
May 6th.
Consistency
and clarity in the ever changing worlds of politics and pop culture.
We have
covered 35 elections in the life of this blog. We’ve opined on 4 Presidents, 4 Governors,4 Senators, 7 Congressman and countless
officials in the Lu and The Lac. With
decent health and providence on to 5200.
And on this
day, if you haven’t mailed in a ballot…..
President
Joe Biden came back home on a first stop in this crucial state. Here’s a
summary of what he talked about when he arrived.
HIS RIVAL
AND WHAT HE WANTS TO TAKE AWAY
“Folks, he’s
coming for your money, your health care, and your Social Security, and we’re
not gonna let it happen, we can’t let that happen — we won’t let that happen.”
TRUMP’S FOR
THE RICH
“Now Trump
is running again on the same failed trickle-down policies,” Biden said.
“Nothing has changed. Just a few months in Florida, he said You’re rich as
hell. We’re going to give you tax cuts.’ Folks, they laughed about it — not
because they didn’t think it happened — but because they know it will happen.” No
billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a sanitation worker, a
nurse.”
MEMORIES OF
SCRANTON
“Scranton is
a place that climbs into your heart and never leaves,”I learned a lot in
Scranton. I learned that money doesn’t determine your worth. All everyone wants
is a fair shot. People like Donald Trump learned a different lesson — his money
was handed to him.
THE ECONOMY
“When I look
at the economy, I don’t see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago — I see it
through the eyes of Scranton. I prefer Scranton values over Mar-a-Lago values.
I’m a capitalist — if you wanna make a million bucks, fine, just make sure you
pay your fair share in taxes.”
MEDICAL
ADVICE FROM DR. TRUMP DURING THE PANDEMIC
“Trump told
us to inject bleach, remember that. Bless me, Father!”
SOCIAL
SAFETY NET
“I’ll
protect Social Security and Medicare, and I’ll make the wealthy pay their fair share,
and I’ll expand the child tax credit, because no child should live in poverty.”
ON THE
MILITARY AND VETERANS
Biden became
passionate about how Trump called
soldiers who served, were injured or gave their lives, “suckers”. How dare he,
who the hell does he think he is?”
(Photos: WNEP)
Biden then
went to his old neighborhood, visited the family who obtained his boyhood home,
spoke to a union group (Carpenters) then spent the night in town.
The next day
before leaving he visited an old haunt, Hank’s Hoagies near Marywood and left
for Pittsburgh.
KENNEDY FAMILY MAKES ‘CRYSTAL CLEAR’ ITS BIDEN ENDORSEMENT IN
ATTEMPT TO DEFLATE RFK JR.’S CANDIDACY
The AP reports from Philadelphia on the last day of President
Biden’s tour that President Joe Biden
scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political
family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and
marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former Attorney General Robert
F. Kennedy, niece of former President John F. Kennedy and sister of the current
presidential candidate, delivered the endorsements in Philadelphia by calling
Biden “my hero.”
“We want to make crystal clear our feelings that the best way
forward for America is to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more
years,” she said.
She never directly mentioned her brother, but insisted “there
are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency” this year,
framing the campaign as a choice between Biden and Trump, with no room for a
third party contender.
THE RACE IN
THE 120th
Musto, McDermott, Leard and Pugh (Citizens' Voice)
The
Wilkes-Barre League of Women voters hosted a debate for the people running for
the seat being vacated by 5 termer Aaron Kaufer.
The Citizens’
Voice reports that During a League of Women Voters forum on Tuesday night for
120th state House District candidates, Democrat Fern Leard often offered
different takes on issues than the three Republican candidates — Patrick Musto,
Lee Ann McDermott and Brenda Pugh. Buffer.
So three GOP
candidates showed, while Leard was the only Democrat. Leard ran the last time
against Aaron Ksaufer and ran a good race. Her events have been packed with
good supporters this year and she has the endorsement of long time retired Representative
Phyllis Mundy. Musto and McDermott (a second
term County Council member) are up against Brenda Pugh who has the support of
the moneyed and traditional GOP. She will most likely emerge as the winner as
the other two split their oppodsition tallies.(LuLac)
Leard was
the only candidate to express support for legalizing recreational marijuana,
for a constitutional amendment to protect the right to get an abortion and for
closing the loophole that allows the sale of firearms at gun shows without
background checks. Leard also said she wanted to close tax loopholes for big
corporations and opposes using public money to fund private schools.
The
Republican candidates said they oppose legalizing recreational marijuana, want
to eliminate property taxes, oppose changing laws on gun ownership and support
school choice in which funding goes to the schools students choose to attend. Buffer
These
statements are what one would expect from their philosophies. (LuLac)
John Morgan
Leard’;s opponent said he had a meeting at the Sanitary Authority and could not
attend. The meeting ended at 530. He was seen taking pizza to workers at Toby
Creek at 630. The debate was at 7 so the questionis why did he not attend to face the people.
It is
interesting that no one asked (or maybe the League got the question and ran out
of time) what the three GOP candidates thought about the recent split in their
party and who they were aligned with.
The answer
to that question would have been more illuminating than the boiler plate answers given. (d) (Michael Buffer, Citizens’ Voice, LuLac)
CARTWRIGHT
BILLS WILL PROTECT AMERICAN TAXPAYERS, CLEAN UP ‘ZOMBIE’ COAL MINES
THE COAL
CLEANUP TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT AND BOND IMPROVEMENT AND RECLAMATION ASSURANCE
ACT WILL ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAFEGUARD COMMUNITIES
Congressman
Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)
U.S.
Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced a pair of bills to help
ensure accountability and save taxpayers millions by addressing and preventing
“zombie mines,” idled modern-era mines that have not been cleaned up by
irresponsible coal companies.
The Coal
Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act, co-led by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
(MI-06), will help ensure coal companies restore mine lands across the country
to their original state after mining operations cease.
The Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) was supposed to ensure that
mines would not be abandoned without sufficient funding available to clean up
and reclaim them. Typically, these funds would be made available in the form of
bonds provided by the mine operator as part of the initial permitting process.
If the mine operator failed and did not restore a mine to usable land, the bond
would be forfeited, providing the state with enough money to cover the cost of
cleanup.
However,
loopholes within SMCRA have allowed too many mine operators to fail to put down
bonds equal to cleanup costs. This means coal mine operators have been able to
avoid responsibility and costs required for cleaning up their mines once those
mines are closed.
Cartwright’s
Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act eliminates reckless self-bonding practices
and requires operators to put down the full cost required for cleanup of their
mines. Currently, self-bonding allows coal companies to promise to cover these
cleanup costs without putting up sureties or collateral, leaving regulators
with little to no recourse if a coal company goes bankrupt and forcing the
American people to fund unfinished cleanup efforts. The bill also tightens
rules on other types of bonding that have been shown to leave taxpayers paying
for cleanup costs.
“We’ve seen
way too many coal companies file for bankruptcy and break their promise to
clean up mine sites after they’ve made their profits, leaving the American
people on the hook to foot the bill,” said Congressman Cartwright, a senior
member of the House Appropriations Committee. “These idled and abandoned mines
also prevent economic development and pose environmental dangers.”
“If you
build it, it should be your responsibility to take it down and clean it up,”
said Congresswoman Dingell. “Non-operating, defunct mines continue to
negatively impact our water, air and lakes, and it shouldn’t be on the taxpayer
to foot the bill to clean up these sites. I’m glad to join Congressman Cartwright
to introduce the Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act to put an end to this
harmful practice.”
This
legislation is endorsed by the Alliance for Appalachia, Appalachian Citizens’
Law Center, Appalachian Voices, Citizens Coal Council, Earthjustice, Eastern
Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR), Friends of the
Cheat, National Wildlife Federation, Powder River Basin Resource Council,
Sierra Club, The Lands Council, Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action,
Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), and the West Virginia Rivers
Coalition.
“The whole
idea of self-bonding, as it stands today, is a loophole and a farce,” said Bob
LeResche, board member of the Powder River Basin Resource Council and the
Western Organization of Resource Councils. “We appreciate Congressman
Cartwright’s efforts toprepare for
coal company bankruptcies and the permanent closure of coal mines by tightening
the rules for self-bonding. Coal companies should not be allowed to offload
mine cleanup costs onto taxpayers and states.”
Cartwright’s
Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act, also introduced today, goes one
step further in tackling bonding issues by requiring regulators to consider
important financial and environmental factors when calculating and
recalculating bond amounts, specifically:
·anticipated length of mine operations;
·inflation rates;
·long-term water pollution treatment needs;
·anticipated coal market conditions;
·the
cost of reclamation if performed by the regulatory authority.
This
legislation is endorsed by the Alliance for Appalachia, Appalachian Citizens'
Law Center (ACLC), Appalachian Voices, Powder River Basin, Sierra Club and
Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC).
"In the
last few years in Kentucky, we've seen several mine permits abandoned by the
coal operator with inadequate bond amounts,” said Rebecca Sheldon, director of
Policy for the ACLC. “We’re so grateful for Congressman Cartwright's leadership
in ensuring that mines have reclamation bonds that are sufficient to cover the
costs of cleanup. Our regions deserve clean water and reclaimed land so that we
can live safely and transition these sites into new opportunities."
"We
applaud Congressman Cartwright's dedication and leadership to ensure that coal
mines are cleaned up, and to ensure that taxpayers aren't paying for coal
mining reclamation,” said Chelsea Barnes, director of Government Affairs and
Strategy for Appalachian Voices.“Everyone
deserves to have clean water and to be safe in their homes; the Congressman's
bills are crucial measures to ensure coal companies aren't leaving mining
communities to deal with their messes."
CASEY,
BALDWIN SUCCESSFULLY PUSH BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO INVESTIGATE UNFAIR CHINESE
TRADE PRACTICES IN SHIPBUILDING
CASEY,
BALDWIN PRESSED ADMINISTRATION TO CRACK DOWN ON CHINESE TRADE CHEATS, STAND UP
FOR AMERICAN WORKERS
Senator Bob
Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)
U.S.
Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced they successfully
pushed the Biden Administration to investigate unfair trade practices by the
People’s Republic of China (PRC) that undercut American shipbuilding, threaten
our national security, and hurt American workers. Senators Casey and Baldwin
have led their colleagues in support of the United Steelworkers’ (USW) effort
to press the Biden Administration to initiate a full investigation into the
PRC’s unfair trade practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding
sectors. Today, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai
announced they are heeding that call.
“Senator
Baldwin and I pushed the Biden Administration to investigate the Chinese
Communist Party’s shipbuilding industry to protect the American workers and
manufacturers who have already paid the price for China’s cheating in this
critical sector,” said Senator Casey. “I’ll continue pressing the
Administration to hold this predatory regime accountable by imposing tariffs.
If we do not take on the CCP, American workers will only pay a higher cost.”
“China has
been cheating the rules and it’s hurting American workers and putting our
national security on the line. I am glad to see the Biden Administration heed
our calls and launch this investigation to hold China accountable, helping
protect America’s shipbuilding industry and American workers,” said Senator
Baldwin. “Wisconsin’s manufacturing workers keep our country safe, provide for
their families, and keep our economy moving forward – and I won’t let China
undermine them and jeopardize that.”
Today, Trade
Representative Tai announced that USTR accepted USW’s petition and will launch
an investigation of China under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Public
comments will be accepted through May 22, 2024, and a public hearing will take
place on May 29, 2024.
In March,
USW filed a petition under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to call on USTR
to initiate a full investigation into the PRC’s unfair trade practices in the
maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Senators Casey and Baldwin joined
USW and other labor leaders in support of the petition for a press conference
and also sent a letter to Trade Representative Tai to conduct a full
investigation.
Over the
last 20 years, the United States has lost industrial shipbuilding capacity as a
result of China’s increasingly aggressive subsidization of their shipbuilding.
Chinese state-owned enterprises and other facilities in China are now capable
of producing over 1,000 ocean-going vessels a year, while the United States
currently produces fewer than ten. While shipbuilding capacity, suppliers, and
shipyards remain vital to the U.S. economy and national security, uncompetitive
trade practices have led to 25,000 domestic shipbuilding suppliers leaving the
U.S. market over the past 20 years.
Senator
Casey is a staunch supporter of Buy America standards, as well as legislation
to develop American manufacturing capacity. In November, he sent a letter to
President Biden sharing their serious concerns about potential reductions of
Section 232 and 301 tariffs previously imposed on China on national security
grounds. That month, he also voted against a resolution to effectively remove
Buy American standards for electric vehicle (EV) chargers and force the United
States to continue relying on China for products critical to the next
generation of clean vehicle infrastructure. He fought to pass the Build
America, Buy America Act as a part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act, which requires that all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction
materials used in infrastructure projects are produced in the United States.
Casey also fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which included tax
credits for individuals and companies manufacturing or deploying clean energy
technologies to help lower costs and secure our energy independence, as well as
his provision to provide a “domestic content” bonus credit for companies that
use American steel, iron, and manufactured goods.
Pursuant to
Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls, and unsolicited mass electronic
communications cannot be initiated by Senator Casey's office for the 60-day
period immediately before the date of a primary or general election.
Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from Senator Casey's
office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.
SHAPIRO
ADMINISTRATION MAKES RECORD AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF, SAVING MILLIONS OF PENNSYLVANIANS MONEY BY REDUCING PROPERTY TAX BURDEN
GOVERNOR
SHAPIRO’S OFFICE OF THE BUDGET CERTIFIES $900 MILLION – A RECORD AMOUNT –
AVAILABLE TO CUT PROPERTY TAXES FOR MILLIONS OF PENNSYLVANIANS OVER THE NEXT
FIVE YEARS.
THE SHAPIRO
ADMINISTRATION’S CONTINUED TRACK RECORD OF FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP IS
PUTTING MORE MONEY BACK IN PENNSYLVANIANS’ POCKETS.
Governor
Josh Shapiro (Photo: LuLac archives)
Governor
Josh Shapiro’s Administration formally certified that a record $900 million
will be available for statewide property tax relief through the Department of
Education and local school districts. As is required by Act 1 of 2006,
Secretary of the Budget Uri Monson certified that this record amount of relief
is sustainable for at least the next five years – and local districts will be
required to pass this funding on to local taxpayers.
For the past
several years, the Property Tax Relief Fund has been robust enough to provide
$750 million in statewide property tax relief. However, thanks to strong
revenues and conservative projections from the Office of the Budget, the
Shapiro Administration is able to make available a historic amount of state
funding for property tax relief. Today’s announcement means that an additional
$150 million will be available per year, for each of the next 5 years to help
cut taxes and lower costs for Pennsylvanians.
In accordance
with Act 1 of 2006, school districts are required to pass 100 percent of this
funding on to its taxpayers. Often, that is done by increasing the homestead
exemption, which lowers property taxes by reducing the taxable assessed value
of the home. For example, if a home is assessed at $50,000 and the homestead
exclusion is $5,000, then the homeowner only pays taxes on an assessed value of
$45,000. School districts often use the funding announced by the Shapiro
Administration today to increase the homestead exclusion, which in effect,
means homeowners have a smaller tax burden and are required to pay less in
property taxes.
The
Pennsylvania Department of Education will notify each school district of its
property tax reduction allocation no later than May 1, 2024, which will allow
every school district to reduce the property tax burden on its citizens. The
amount allocated to each school district will be available at education.pa.gov
at that time.
“As I’ve
traveled across Pennsylvania, I’ve heard from so many homeowners who are
struggling with the burden of high property taxes – and that’s why I’ve been
focused on cutting costs and delivering real relief for them,” said Governor
Josh Shapiro. “Thanks to our smart, sound fiscal management, we are providing a
record amount of property tax relief to millions of homeowners all across our
Commonwealth, and I will continue working to bring people together in
Harrisburg to cut costs and keep putting more money back in Pennsylvanians’
pockets.”
In addition
to $900 million for statewide property tax relief, the Shapiro Administration
also certified that $175.6 million is available to support the historic
expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Last year, Governor Shapiro
and legislative leaders in both parties worked together to expand the program
and pass the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades.
Today’s
announcement builds on the Shapiro Administration’s strong record of sound
fiscal management and work to cut costs and lower taxes for Pennsylvanians.
Thanks in part to those policies, all three major credit rating agencies
affirmed the Commonwealth’s responsible budgetary management. In December,
Secretary Monson announced that the Commonwealth conducted a successful bond
sale of approximately $1.3 billion in new GO Bonds, saving taxpayers nearly
$100 million on debt service savings over the life of the bonds – and in
January, Secretary Monson released the Commonwealth’s first-ever debt
management policy, providing the Commonwealth and the public with predictable,
consistent policies.
In addition
to expanding the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program in his first year, Governor
Shapiro secured a major expansion of the Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care
Enhancement Tax Credit, helping to make childcare more affordable for over
200,000 Pennsylvania families and increasing the maximum state credit from $630
to $2,100 for Pennsylvania families.
In his
2024-25 budget proposal, Governor Shapiro called for further action to deliver
real relief for Pennsylvanians, including:
$50 million
for the Whole Home Repairs program, to continue to provide direct assistance to
homeowners and keep more families in their homes.
$4 million
for medical debt relief for low-income Pennsylvanians and calls for healthcare
providers to implement transparent practices to limit medical debt from being
incurred in the first place.
MEDIA MATTERS
WVIA PUBLIC MEDIA HOSTS ANNA QUINDLEN
It was a great night at the Mary Stegmaier mansion as WVIA Pubic Media hosted noted author and NY Times columnist Anna Quindlen. She spoke of many topics this evening (book banning as a terrible disservice to young learners) dealing with less time left on this earth (for some of us more-so than others and (local news deserts 🌵 ) in a time when there is less emphasis on local news except for WVIA’s commitments to telling local stories.
I was thrilled to meet up with an old WVIA FM colleague David Bravman. I was his board man for the Sunday Night Opera.
Here we are with Erika Funke moderator of the program. Thanks to Erika we got some nice recognition as representatives of the early days of WVIA FM.
Here is Ericka with me and Development chief Kate Sickora.
There’s always a big smile when I see my good professional friend
Alecia Panuski. Both of these leaders can be reached at WVIA if you are interested in helping public media grow.
Here is the guest of honor greeting her fans and the new novel! 👔
JASON BARSKY’S OBSERVATIONS
I love listening
to Nancy Kman and Jason Barsky but when he is going solo, the show becomes a
very different animal. Jason is a people pleaser and even in situations where
there is an obvious side, Jason tries to twist himself into an isosceles triangle
to be fair.
On Wednesday
the day after President Biden’s visit Jason could not understand why some WILK listeners
on the Facebook page were violently anti Bidden even when the leader of the
free world from their home town was making simple declarative statements like “nice
to be here”. Jason was confused that
these listeners were saying “he (Biden) lied about everything”.
I give him
credit for trying to understand the typical NEPA WILK listener. You can’t
because there is no logic.
Most are
older, bitter, racist, ignorant people who aren’t nuanced at all on the issues.
A majority are on government programs but hate the government when it’s a
Democratic administration who got them those programs. A minority hate Biden, a
home town boy so much they can’t stand the fact there is a street named after
him., This loud minority embrace a fake billionaire that has no empathy for the little
guy but makes these angry folks feel good because he has been a voice for them. Why do they like a liar? His lies
give THEM the license to lie.
A majority
are Roman Catholics and Christians who disdain the guy who goes to Mass every
Sunday vs. the guy who boinks porn stars.
The hatred of these folks is good business foir Audacy and WILK because the Mid Day Mussolini
who screwed up his political career by getting indicted and convicted fuels their
vitriol. His antics prove that even a former lawyer can reduce his mental
capacity to that of a third grader calling people names.
Then there’s
the afternoon guy, a former police detective who in a promo said the January 6th
was not an insurrection because as a cop he saw riots that were worse. Here is
a former policeman who thinks the killing of Capitol police was not an insurrection?Next time he uses the word :brethren” to describe
a policeman, well we all know what that’s worth.
The WILK
listener is enabled by these two because they have permission to do so. Barsky needs to getthat these aren’t nice people he hears from. A little later on during
the 8 o;clock hour Barsky heard about the death of a woman who was the wife of
a WILK regular caller. He had met the woman, spent time with her and was
emotionally shaken up. As he struggled on the air to make sense of this, was
there universal empathy from the haters? Nope, they wanted him to get on with
theshow! “C’mon man, not my wife!”
Yes Jason you
give the typical WILK listener too much credit. Through the years they were
against baseball and the arena. They were against Barack Obama. They vilified
Hillary because both sexes couldn’t stand a smart woman (again with ties to
NEPA) doing better than they were. Like abused suitors Trump makes those haters
feel his hate and that’s just dandy. They can text, call and share their ignorance on the air for all to hear.
What chance
did Barsky,and Angelo from Madisonville’s
wife have a chance with these people Wednesday morning.
God bless
Barsky rough for being real. There were some who appreciated him and the
moment.
WALN TV
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week’s
guest is ME, David Yonki fromthe LuLac
Political Letter discussing Primary Election ‘;24.
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.
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.
1984
Our 1984
logo
Pulitzer
prize awarded to Mary Oliver for "American Primitive"…….Braves
pitcher Pascual Perez suspended due to cocaine usage…..During Libyan Embassy
demonstration in London, British police officer Yvonne Fletcher shot dead……oan
Benoit runs world record female marathon
Space
Shuttle Challenger flies back to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base…..Advance
Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, with green and
gold the national colors…..Nemesis, death star of dinosaurs 1st appears in
print (Nature magazine) and this week in1984the number obe songin Lulac land was"Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me" by Phil Collins.
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".