Month: June 2017

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 6-28-17

Brit-hating Irish revolutionaries can be credited with causing the invention of the modern submarine. They financed John Phillip Holland in his quest to build an undersea warship and he made them the Fenian Ram.

However, a dispute about money occurred which led to the revolutionaries stealing the ship. Fortunately or not depending on one’s politics, the Fenians didn’t know how to work the ship and Holland wouldn’t tell them.

Holland would eventually build the U.S. Navy’s first modern sub, the USS Holland, and ironically, the Royal Navy’s first sub.

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 6-28-17

Fenian Ram

Spending Cuts Missing In Pa. Budget

Spending Cuts Missing In Pa. Budget

By Leo Knepper

It looks like the General Assembly is in full-on “kick the can” mode on the budget. An article from the Patriot-News lays out the options the General Assembly is considering for closing the budget gap. None of them involve cutting spending.

One of the top contenders is using the tobacco settlement fund as collateral for a loan. Other options include expanded gambling and a “by the drink” tax for bars and restaurants on alcoholic drinks. Right now, the tax is somewhat hidden from patrons because it is collected at the wholesale level, i.e. per bottle paid by the establishment. The new proposal would move that to a per drink tax paid directly by the consumer. From the budget crafters perspective, they’re missing out on revenue because the price paid for a bottle of alcohol is much less than the price the establishment collects by selling by the glass, etc.

Another item under consideration would be to add a financial transaction tax on electricity transmissions. From the Patriot-News article:

“Senate Republicans are also vetting a new financial transactions tax that would be centered solely on the obscure business of buying and selling space on energy transmission lines.

“Pennsylvania plays host to this roughly $2.5 billion-plus market by virtue of our role as host to the business end of PJM energy grid. Some have drawn a parallel here to the state taxes collected by New York on Wall Street transactions.

“Those familiar with the issue say a 5 percent tax on this relatively small slice of PJM’s activities could net the state about $125 million per year, with minimal impact on the industry.”

Remember when Governor Corbett and the members of the General Assembly assured us that the tax they were raising on gasoline wouldn’t be passed onto consumers? That fallacious argument is rearing its head again on this tax. If this goes through, don’t be surprised to see your energy bill go up to recoup the cost.

Please, take a moment to contact the General Assembly. Tell them to get serious about cutting spending and stop the tax and spend shell game.

PS: CAP is trying to raise $5000 in the month of June. If you value our work, please make an investment in our organization today.

Mr. Knepper is executive director of Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania.

Spending Cuts Missing In Pa. Budget

Spending Cuts Missing In Pa. Budget

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 6-27-17

Legionary vs Legionnaire — So what’s the difference between “legionary” and “legionnaire”? Nothing significant. Legionary is an English word of Latin origin that means serving in a legion. Legionnaire is a French of Latin origin that means serving in a legion that English speakers often apply to members of the French Foreign Legion and the American Legion.

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 6-27-17 Legionary vs Legionnaire

Legionary vs Legionnaire

Trump Won Popular Vote, Maybe, Really

Trump Won Popular Vote, Maybe, Really
Popular vote winner too?

Trump Won Popular Vote, Maybe, Really — Hillary Clinton officially got 2,868,691 more votes than The Donald last November.

Trump, however, claimed that he won the popular vote if the illegal votes were subtracted.

It looks like he was right. Data from a biannual Harvard study indicates  5.7 million noncitizens illegally voted in 2008 election, and 3.6 million did so in 2012.

There is no reason to think the non-citizen vote was lower in 2016.

And this does not include dead voters and other vote fraud.

Democrats will shrilly screech that vote fraud doesn’t exist.

Whatever. Humor us. Allow us to impose photo ID just as Costco does for those seeking to enter their stores and just as Wawa does for those seeking to buy cigarettes.

Allow poll watchers to cross county lines. What could ever possibly be the reason to oppose this? Hmm? There must be one because you shrilly screeched when it was requested last fall and stopped it from happening.

And what’s up with giving driver’s licenses to those here illegally? Here is a list of states that did in 2015. All but one went for Clinton including Nevada which was the only state Trump lost in which he led in the polls.

Vote fraud happens and it appears more and more it is the only reason for the victories the Democrats have managed over the last few decades.

Build the wall.

Trump Won Popular Vote, Maybe, Really