Month: May 2014

Lazy Infantile New York Times

NYTBuildingLazy Infantile New York Times. Why should anybody treat the old media with respect?

 

The New York Times had for many years held a position of respect if not reverence among America’s ruling class.

With the advent of the World Wide Web things have gotten a bit more transparent and the idol is starting to crumble disconcerting the self-proclaimed smart set that have long worshiped it.

Not that the paper ever deserved the honor that had been bestowed upon it.

It fell hard for the Piltdown Man hoax .

It covered up shamelessly for the progressive mass murderer Joseph Stalin.

But still it sailed on, its favor coveted by those who lusted for power.

Well, now we are finding out more about who runs the place, namely that they are greedy, petty, extremely childish and rather stupid.

Taiwanese satirists TomoNews has done a brutal recreation (see below) of the May 14 firing of first female editor Jill Abramson, who accused the powers-that-be at the company of sexism because her salary of $525,000 was $34,000 less than the guy she replaced.

The company bosses in response said she was a crap administrator who caused disruption and was unable to stop the circulation decline or increase the paper’s web presence.

We think they are both right.

The stuffed moose in the video, by the way, was something Publisher Pinch Sulzberger brought to board meetings as some kind of pop-psychology-based motivation tool.

Regarding the once-vaunted editorial page, even the liberal reporters at the paper say it has become boring, innaccurate and inane. The New York Observer has a rather long expose about it.

It quotes one former Times writer as saying  “(Columnist Thomas) Friedman is the worst. He hasn’t had an original thought in 20 years; he’s an embarrassment. He’s perceived as an idiot who has been wrong about every major issue for 20 years” and that Maureen Dowd “who has been writing the same column since George H. W. Bush was president.”

That’s a liberal that’s being quoted by the way.

 

 

 

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-19-14

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-19-14

 

Of the 271 words in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, 203 of them were just one syllable.

 

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-19-14

Prosperous Pennsylvania Blueprint

Commonwealth Foundation has created a well-thought plan to save the state. Call it a Prosperous Pennsylvania Blueprint.  Below is the executive summary.  The complete report in the form of a pdf can be found here. For the record,  BillLawrenceOnline   most vehemently opposes  leasing the Turnpike, which is a public resource. Our suggestion is to make it a freeway eliminating traffic snarls and allowing for far more entrances and, especially, egresses to be built . This would increase its utility and improve traffic flow in Pennsylvania  far less expensively than building new roads.

It should further be noted that  expensive I-76 makes the Port of Philadelphia less competitive with New York/New Jersey — no tolls on I-80 after all — and tolls are a rather inefficient way of collecting revenue due to the cost of infrastructure and personnel.

And E-ZPass, frankly has too much of a hint of Big Brother for us.

Freedom is good.

By Elizabeth Stelle, Bob Dick, Jessica Barnett

Over the past six fiscal years, the commonwealth has spent more than it has taken in.  This fiscal gap is projected to widen as expenditures are on pace to grow faster than future revenue. Such a structural deficit poses a threat to the very foundations of economic growth and job creation that lead to prosperity for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers.

From 1970 to 2014, state government spending rose from $4 billion to nearly $67 billion—the highest in state history. Adjusting for inflation, that’s an increase of $3,163 per resident.

This decades-long pattern has placed an undue burden on the backs of state taxpayers.  Pennsylvania has the 10th highest state and local tax burden in the nation.  Meanwhile, state and local government debt has grown to a combined $125 billion—nearly $10,000 per resident.

High spending, taxes, and debt hinders Pennsylvania families’ opportunities for prosperity.  The commonwealth is near the bottom in most state rankings of economic climate and has lagged the rest of the nation in job and income growth for decades.

Unfortunately, the prospects for improvement are overshadowed by the challenges lawmakers face in balancing our state budget.

Recent budgets relied heavily on temporary federal stimulus dollars and one-time revenue sources, creating an imbalance between spending and revenue that has not yet been resolved. Spending on Public Welfare—the largest department in the commonwealth’s budget—continues to grow faster than taxpayers’ income.  Debt payments and prison costs continue to eat a large share of the state budget.

The most pressing threat to our fiscal house is a looming public pension crisis.  With $47 billion (and growing) in unfunded pension liabilities between the two statewide plans for public employees, state pension contributions will skyrocket by 143% in the next five years.

This report outlines reforms to help build a foundation for lasting prosperity.  Our analysis focuses on three categories of reform.

First we address short-term fiscal reforms to deal with challenges facing our state budget.  We also identify long-term reforms to bring spending in line with inflation while reducing the size of government and the burden on taxpayers.  Finally, we discuss policy reforms aimed at economic growth.

These recommendations include:

–Cut corporate welfare spending—including Redevelopment Assistance Capital Spending, the Commonwealth Financing Authority, and the Horse Race Development Fund—and targeted tax incentives in favor of tax relief for all.

–Utilize part of the legislative reserve fund.

–Reduce reliance on driver charges and general tax revenue to fund mass transit, and shift to greater user fees.

–Allow school districts to use fund reserves to invest in pension funds and receive a credit for their future pension costs.

–Privatize and utilize competitively-bid management contracts for “yellow-pages” government, including state liquor stores, the Pennsylvania Lottery and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

–Enact comprehensive welfare reform to slow the rate of spending growth while also reducing poverty.

–Enact long-term care reform to encourage private long-term care insurance and reduce reliance on government programs.

–Increase school choice programs to provide families with greater educational opportunities at a lower cost per student.

–Limit future increases in government spending to inflation plus population growth.

–Lower the overall tax burden, rather than relying on economic development programs, to encourage economic growth.

–Enact a Right-to-Work law to make Pennsylvania more competitive with other states in attracting business investment.

Combined, these reforms detail a blueprint for a stable fiscal house that will provide opportunities for prosperity for all Pennsylvania families.

 

Pennsylvania Toll Booth Prosperous Pennsylvania Blueprint

Prosperous Pennsylvania Blueprint has mostly great ideas but the Turnpike belongs to the people. Get rid of the toll booths.

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-17-14

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-17-14

President Theodore Roosevelt shook hands with 8,513 people at the 1907 New Year’s White House celebration.

 

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-17-14

Medicare No Care

This Medicare No Care off the internet is courtesy of Pat Keevill who says it was forwarded to her from her insurance agent.

Medicare No Care

Subject: Are you 76?
TO ALL MY FRIENDS ON MEDICARE

If you don’t read this, and do nothing about it, don’t complain when it affects you or your loved ones!!!!! This is the second Judge to have read the Obama Care document and made comments. More highlights of Nancy ‘s “pass it and Then find out what’s in the bill”!!!!!! Show this to everyone nearing the ripe old age of 76. These are just a few of the things that we Seniors are going to have to deal with starting in 2014. Even far left Democrats will not like these.
MEDICARE AT AGE 76, IMPORTANT PLEASE READ – ANYONE WHO DOUBTS THIS IS TRUE CAN DOWNLOAD THE NEW OBAMA CARE AND LOOK UP THE PAGES MENTIONED. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING………………….PLEASE PASS THIS OUTRAGE TO EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST!!! THIS should be read by everyone, especially important to those over 75……. If you are younger, then it may apply to your parents….
Your hospital Medicare admittance has just changed under Obama Care. You must be admitted by your primary Physician in order for Medicare to pay for it! If you are admitted by an emergency room doctor it is treated as outpatient care where hospital costs are not covered. This is only the tip of the iceberg for Obama Care. Just wait to see what happens later this year!

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE THIS… At age 76 when you most need it most, you are not eligible for cancer treatment * see page 272. What Nancy Pelosi didn’t want us to know until after the healthcare bill was passed. Remember she said, “We have to pass the Bill so that we can see what’s in it.” Well, here it is.

Obama Care Highlighted by Page Number THE CARE BILL HB 3200 JUDGE KITHIL IS THE 2ND OFFICIAL WHO HAS OUTLINED THESE PARTS OF THE CARE BILL. Judge Kithil of Marble Falls , TX – highlighted the most egregious pages of HB3200 Please read this……. especially the reference to pages 58 & 59 JUDGE KITHIL wrote: ** Page 50/section 152: The bill will provide insurance to all non-U.S. residents, even if they are here illegally.

** Page 58 and 59: The government will have real-time access to an individual’s bank account and will have the authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts.

** Page 65/section 164: The plan will be subsidized (by the government) for all union members, union retirees and for community organizations (such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – ACORN)

** Page 203/line 14-15: The tax imposed under this section will not be treated as a tax. (How could anybody in their right mind come up with that?)

** Page 241 and 253: Doctors will all be paid the same regardless of specialty, and the government will set all doctors’ fees. This is what they do in Sweden too. I know because Alf’s daughter Ann is an OBGYN, and her husband, Thorsten, is a surgeon………

** Page 272. section 1145: Cancer hospital will ration care according to the patient’s age.

** Page 317 and 321: The government will impose a prohibition on hospital expansion; however, communities may petition for an exception.

** Page 425, line 4-12: The government mandates advance-care planning consultations. Those on Social Security will be required to attend an “end-of-life planning” seminar every five years. (Death counseling..)

** Page 429, line 13-25: The government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.

HAD ENOUGH???? Judge Kithil then goes on to identify: “Finally, it is specifically stated that this bill will not apply to members of Congress. No wonder they did not see the need to read it….doesn’t apply to them!!! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP TO WASHINGTON …. I don’t know if we can do anything, but awareness helps.

Winds Of Change — Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. At least 20 if you can. It has to stop somewhere. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have this message. This is one idea that really should be passed around

Medicare No Care

Tea Party Likes Matt Wolfe

Matt Wolfe and wife, Denise Furey.

Matt Wolfe and wife, Denise Furey.

Calling him the right man at the right time to shake things up, the Independence Hall Tea Party PAC announced, today, that its Board of Delegates has voted overwhelmingly to endorse Matt Wolfe for Philadelphia City Council At-Large in the upcoming May 20 Special Election.

“The Independence Hall Tea Party, with thousands of adherents in the Delaware Valley, is endorsing Matt Wolfe because of his commitment to bringing fiscal responsibility to
Philadelphia city government,” said PAC President Don Adams.

“Matt Wolfe, a former Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General and a graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and the Villanova University School of Law, possesses excellent qualifications to serve on city council.   As an active member of the Philadelphia community for most of his adult life, Matt Wolfe knows all to well the challenges that confront the nation’s fifth largest city.

“Matt Wolfe is seeking to reduce spending and taxes–including the implementation of business and wage tax cuts–in order to stimulate growth in the city’s private sector.  He understands that a growing private sector is key to revitalizing the economy, creating jobs, and stabilizing neighborhoods.

“In addition, Matt knows just how critical it is to enact pension reform for retirees and–in the area of educational reform–school choice for our city’s children.

Here is Matt Wolfe in his own words:

The Democratic Machine has run the city for generations.  They run it not for our citizens, but for themselves.  Philadelphia did not become the poorest big city in America due to a natural disaster.  There was no Super-storm Sandy.  Philadelphia’s disaster was man-made.  Bad decisions made by politicians for whom reelection trumped good government.

Philadelphia is a great city.  Even in some of the poorer neighborhoods you see new homes being built. There is a market despite our oppressive tax rates, irrational tax structure, corruption, mismanagement and misplaced priorities.  With real leadership the city could thrive.

“In a related matter, we also agree with Matt Wolfe’s “no” position on a ballot question #2–designed to change the City Home Rule Charter requiring an elected city official to resign from their current position if they wish to seek a different elected office.

“Why should taxpayers foot the salary of an elected official who is running full-time for another office?  Like Matt Wolfe, we say keep the ‘resign to run requirement.’

“If he prevails in next Tuesday’s special election, Matt Wolfe would become an important independent voice on city council.  Philadelphia desperately needs Matt Wolfe to shake things up,” said Adams.

How-To Write-In Pennsylvania

We have gotten requests to provide write-in how-tos for other Pennsylvania counties in light of the GOP primary gubernatorial campaign of Bob Guzzardi.

Guzzardi is actually on the ballot in several counties due to the delay in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on his campaign so if one is fortunate to live in one of those simply hit the button by his name.

If, however, you have to write in his name some machines such as the Danaher 1242 which is in use in Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia counties require you to use a pen so make sure you bring one.

Others, including Montgomery County and parts of Chester County, use machines made by Election Systems & Software (ES&S) that allow the write-in name to be typed in via a keypad. In Montco’s case it is the Sequoia Advantage DRE that provides this feature while in Chesco it is the ES&S iVotronic.

Chester County’s website also list the use of the ES&S M100 Paper-Ballot Scanner System in which case a pen will be needed.

A tutorial on Montgomery County’s system — including the write-in process can be found here with the write-in description starting at 1:20.

A tutorial on the write-in procedure of the ES&S iVotronic can be found here.

A tutorial on the the ES&S M100 can be found here.

A tutorial on the Danaher 1242 can be found here.

If in doubt bring a pen on May 20.

 

Bob Guzzardi How-To Write-In Pennsylvania

How-To Write-In Pennsylvania to vote for Bob Guzzardi

 

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-16-14

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-16-14

 

A reader wants to know  Band Leader Lawrence Welk’s license number. It was A1 An A2.

 

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-16-14

Write-in How-to For Delaware County

Bob Guzzardi Write-in How-to For Delaware CountyWrite-in How-to For Delaware County

The Pennsylvanian Supreme Court, May 1, threw Bob Guzzardi off the Republican gubernatorial primary ballot in a bizarre decision based on a picayune reading of the letter of the law that ignored the spirit of it.

It was hypocritical — dare we say corrupt? — in that if his opponent had made the same error it is unimaginable that he would have been thrown off.

Still Guzzardi has not ended his campaign. He remains on the ballot in several counties due to the delay in the court’s decision and votes for him on those ballots will count for him.

In the counties where he is not on the ballot — and this apparently includes Delaware County –he is asking for write in votes.

The write in votes are easy. In some counties the machines have keypads that allow you to type in the name.

In Delaware County, which uses the Danaher Shouptronic machine, you have to write in the name with a pen. Make sure you bring one. We plan to bring two, a ballpoint and a Sharpie just to make sure.

The name to write in is Bob Guzzardi.

The video below includes a demonstration as to how to do a write-in vote in Delaware County.

 

Alex Trebek Tea Party Guy?

Alex Trebek Tea Party Guy?\

Alex Trebek Tea Party Guy?

The New Republic has a fascinating article on long-time Jeopardy host Alex Trebek which reveals that he attends church regularly, watches Fox News, is a Redskins fan who doesn’t want them to change their name, and says the “Tea Party is a reflection of the people.”

He’s likely going to retire in 2016 but the revelation is not going to hurt his career. Jeopardy is watched by 25 million people per week, a huge number in today’s internet-inspired fractured markets, putting in second place among syndicated game shows.

The leader? Wheel of Fortune hosted by Vietnam vet and outspoken conservative Pat Sajak.