Pension Bills Introduced In Pennsylvania — Governor Tom Corbett was joined by several legislators at the Capitol last week for the introduction of his plan to address rising costs associated with the state’s two public pension systems, the State Employee Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
House Bill 1350, and its companion Senate Bill 922, are aimed at providing short- and long-term pension relief, Cox said.
The plan would rebalance the state’s obligations to both pension funds and the General Fund, Cox said. It also would provide short-term budgetary relief to avoid deep cuts in core services and programs. Long-term reforms would produce overall savings to the pension systems.
The legislation contains no changes to current retiree pensions; keeps current employees and retirees in a defined benefit plan; automatically enrolls new employees, including legislators, in a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k); and limits the amount by which the state’s employer contributions can be increased to provide short-term budgetary relief.
According to the governor’s budget office, new calculations show the current unfunded liability of SERS and PSERS to be $47 billion. If no reforms are made, pension costs will consume an estimated 60 percent of all new state General Fund revenues in the 2013-14 fiscal year.
Today’s journey into the whackier side of the world wide web concerns the internet film “The Theorist” which is an entry in “Operation Paul Revere” a film contest sponsored by Alex Jones’ infowars.com.
This bit of wonder manages to touch on numerous pieces of paranoia including genetically modified foods, artificial sweeteners, fluoride — yes, Mandrake fluoride — and government microphones embedded into compact fluorescent bulbs, which is frankly one we never heard of nor could we even begin to imagine it.
Some nice things to say about it concern the acting of the wife and daughters who actually are quite good.
The movie climaxes with the hero having a nightmare in which his daughters are groped by Nazi-garbed TSA highway-patrol agents after which he goes to his basement studio and lip-synchs a song after which he is shot by a government sniper apparently concerned about the impact the webcasts are having.
Pretty whacky.
So why are we embedding it? We like the song. It starts at 31.25.
In a rather peculiar and ill-timed statement issued this past Friday, a mid-level IRS administrator publicly admitted that the agency has been harassing Tea Party and Patriot groups who filed for 501c tax-exempt status by forcing them to undergo additional burdensome scrutiny above and beyond the standard application process.
As many news outlets reported, IRS intimidation of conservative groups has been ongoing since 2010.
None of this is news to the Independence Hall Tea Party Association.
Due to our concerns over the Obama Administration’s control of the IRS, the Association decided not to file for tax exempt status. In addition, unlike most Tea Party groups across the nation, we formed a federal PAC to handle political endorsements and activities–thereby making it less likely that we would become potential government targets.
However, a left-wing, anarchist group called Anonymous did manage to hack into both of our websites during the 2012 primary–taking over the sites for a 24-hour period and posting pornographic images/racial slurs on our home page.
We believe the Anonymous attacks were directly related to our hosting an event with Governor Mitt Romney at the Franklin Institute in which we refused to admit members of Occupy who were threatening to disrupt the Governor’s speech.
(Because of our limited resources, both the Association and the PAC decided only to report the matter to local authorities and to focus our efforts, instead, on our respective educational and political missions.)
As for the IRS, the Association, like everyone else, is waiting for the Inspector General’s full report–which is expected early this week.
The Inspector General’s report, we insist, should signal the beginning of a more thorough investigation–not the last word on this highly explosive scandal.
Cyber Bully Bill Before Full House — The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation, May 7, to address cyber harassment of a child, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
HB 1163 would make it a third-degree misdemeanor to use electronic communications to repeatedly make statements or offer opinions about a child’s sexuality or sexual activity “whether true or not”. The bill also would make it a misdemeanor to make statements that significantly ridicule, demean or cause serious embarrassment to a child under the circumstances or offer a threat of unlawful harm.
Child is defined as someone under the age of 18.
It exempts communications made for “medical, education or other legitimate purposes, if the actor is an adult”.
House Bill 1163 now goes to the full House for consideration.
Kyviv zj ef jlty kyzex rj jftzvkp: kyviv riv zeuzmzulrc dve reu nfdve, reu kyviv riv wrdzczvj.
Drixrivk Kyrktyvi
Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew
Tonight’s Mother’s Day meal by Chef Bill Sr. was a surf and turf with scalloped potatoes, and a delicious salad of fresh blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi topped with a honey and cottage cheese sauce.
Answer to yesterday’s puzzle: As it fell upon a day In the merry month of May, Sitting in a pleasant shade Which a grove of myrtles made.
Richard Barnfield
Developer Claude deBotton (right) and a member of the community grateful for his contribution.
Delco Vet Memorial Dedicated — Big names came to Newtown Square, today, May 11, 2013 to dedicate the Delaware County Veterans Memorial, which, as Delaware County Councilman Mario Civera said in his remarks will soon be the landmark on West Chester Pike.
The monument, an arc of pillars embracing a sculpted eagle and
name-engraved pieces of marble, is atop a small hill at Alice Grim
Boulevard. There is a pillar for each of the nation’s wars including the
present one upon which are carved the quotes from the leaders of the
conflicts mingled with the words of local persons who served.
It competes with anything found in Washington D.C. Civera echoed the words of Gov. Tom Corbett who had spoken earlier and noted that not a penny of tax dollars was used in its construction.
The land was donated by developer Claude deBotton, who described himself as an Italian born in Egypt who fled that nation amidst war and persecution to America in 1956.
He spoke of his great love for his adopted land. “Your citizens accepted me,” he said. “Your children protected me. . . God bless you.”
Corbett was introduced by Major General Wesley E. Craig who is the adjutant general of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Corbett, after his remarks, introduced former governor and first secretary of homeland security Tom Ridge. Ridge, a combat veteran from Vietnam, noted the importance of listening to veterans. He said those who have recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan have much to teach us.
Korean War nurse Marge Lozinak Lawrence with grandson Anthony in front of her quote on the pillar. (see below)
Also speaking was 7th District Congressman Patrick Meehan who read a roll of the local persons whose names are quoted on the pillars; former Newtown Supervisor Linda Houldin, who noted how the push for the monument came from Newtown residents and former Marines the late Stan Short and the late Steve Neri; Guy Fizzano, who is president of the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association; and Brigadier Gen. Kevin J. Jacobsen, who is Air Force commander the Office of Special Investigations at Quantico, Va, and is a graduate of Marple Newtown High School.
Keynote speaker was author Benjamin Patton, who is the grandson of Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. and the son of Major Gen. George S. Patton IV.
The invocation was given by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson of the Springfield Baptist Church. The benediction was given by Rabbie Max Hausen, a World War II veteran and rabbi meridius of Main Line Reform Temple and Father James Kelly, pastor emeritus of St. Piux X Church of Broomall.
Music was provided by retired state trooper Lt. Kevin Pierce and Yvette Pecorao and Christopher Pecoraro.
Everyone worked feverishly to save lives. I learned to administer anesthesia, assisted in back surgery, anything necessary. No one complained. There was not time to feel tired, to even know your feet were hurting. When a lull came, while we waited for the next wave that we knew was inevitable, we would grab a couple of minutes of sleep.
Marge Lozinak Lawrence(Korean War Pillar)
