After the Nazis took power in Germany, but before World War II started the British heard rumors that they had a “death ray” capable of destroying whole towns. They felt it imperative to make their own. They sent radio waves at solid objects. They soon learned a death ray was a pretty stupid concept. The radio waves, however, were just peachy at detecting things and determining their range. Hence R(adio)A(nd)D(etection)A(nd)R(anging) came about. The Nazis, ironically, never matched the Allies with regard to radar.
Delco Debates will meet 7 tonight, Nov. 16 in the basement meeting room of the Marple Public Library, 2599 Sproul Road, 19008 to discuss its 2016 schedule.
Delco Debates is a group dedicated to providing a space for all viewpoints, including alternative and independent candidates from all sides of the political spectrum, and has developed a reputation for reason and fairness.
Adolph Hitler shot himself with a Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell made by Walther Arms better known as the Walther PPK. It was the same kind of gun James Bond would carry.
Chalk this up under things that will make you throw up but a Commonwealth Court panel just gave back a taxpayer guaranteed pension to convicted pedophile Jerry Sandusky.
The State Employees Retirement Board ruled that Sandusky couldn’t get his $4,900 monthly pension because of his conviction. The state judges said he wasn’t a working state employee when he was convicted of molesting kids so they gave it back to him.
You know a whole lot of working people who never shoplifted a candy bar much less molested a child would be real happy with an income of $4,900 a month.
And you know state pension plans are horrifically underfunded and that Gov. Wolf expects you, the working person, to make up for the shortfall to give money to guys like Sandusky and has no intention of of asking people like this to ante up to share the burden.
Pennsylvania’s state motto is “virtue, liberty, and independence.” Ironically, there is no place less welcoming to those principles today than the gilded hallways of the commonwealth’s capitol. What began as William Penn’s “holy experiment” has sadly devolved from a beacon of civic virtue and engine of prosperity into one of the most corrupt and economically stagnant states in the union. Penn’s own words would become prophetic: “As governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined, too.”
Whereas the Keystone State’s lawmakers were once altruistic citizen legislators serving only part-time and for limited terms, today they are a frequent subject of criminal prosecutions and pilloried by the media as “hogs” who “slop themselves” with ungodly perks and benefits. At $84,000 a year, their salary ranks second only to California legislators. Upon retiring in 2010, the Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader received a lump sum pension payment of $331,025 and had amassed an annual retirement benefit of $138,958.
Harrisburg today is best defined by what the watchdog group Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania calls the “Iron Triangle”, which comprises career politicians hell-bent on re-election, bureaucrats, and the special-interest groups to whom the politicians slavishly pander for campaign money by ladling out taxpayer dollars. The Iron Triangle’s scandals of the last three decades are too numerous to mention, but its devastating impact on Pennsylvania’s economy can be summed up with a few bullet points:
· Pennsylvania’s per-capita burden of state and local debt is 2nd highest in the nation.
· Pennsylvania produced the second fewest number of jobs from 1970 to 2009.
· Pennsylvania had the fifth lowest personal income growth from 1970 – 2009.
In 2012, John McGinnis, Ph.D., decided he could no longer watch from the sidelines as Harrisburg’s political class continued to debase itself and put the American Dream ever further out of reach. A professor of finance at Penn State-Altoona and chartered financial analyst, Dr. McGinnis defeated longtime state Representative Rick Geist in the Republican primary election and went on to win the general election.
Despite his keen intellect and acumen, Dr. McGinnis was—not surprisingly—greeted coldly by the career politicians in Harrisburg, as they denied his request to serve on the two legislative committees—Education and Finance—most befitting his rare skill set. He’d earned his place in the House of Representatives by beating one of their prized “old bulls” – and on a platform of fiscal restraint and forswearing the trappings of office, no less. They were more concerned with letting him know that they didn’t like how he got there than harnessing his brainpower.
Nonetheless, Dr. McGinnis immediately went to work on his own to address the most ominous of clouds hovering over the commonwealth: public pension debt.
This book is important for two reasons: foremost, it exposes—with irrefutable data and plainspoken language—the true amount of unfunded liabilities (debt) in the commonwealth’s two public pension plans—SERS and PSERS—which the Iron Triangle has kept hidden from taxpayers and the media. Dr. McGinnis details what’s necessary to ameliorate catastrophic fiscal repercussions from years, if not decades, of bad policies and put Pennsylvania on firm footing for the long term.
Second, the book offers a rare and crucial insider’s perspective of the Iron Triangle, such that taxpayers will better understand the mindset of career politicians and how their insatiable chase for re-election is ultimately why Pennsylvania finds itself well over $100 billion in the hole.
Hopefully, enough taxpayers and journalists will read this book that by the time Dr. McGinnis’ self-restricted tenure in the legislature comes to its untimely end, the collective outcry for fiscal responsibility will be deafening and what he is fighting for now will come to fruition—before it’s too late.
Among those with Rusty Carter (second from left, back row) are fellow Freedom Medal recipients Anna Wright (back left), and (seated) Margaret Lozinak Lawrence and William Hilton.
A crowd of 600 — including several Delaware County notables — packed tonight’s (Nov. 12) 2nd Annual Freedom Medal Dinner at the Springfield Country Club.
Congressman Pat Meehan was there as was State Rep. Bill Adolph, State Sen. Tom McGarrigle, District Attorney Jack Whelan and most of County Council.
The event was sponsored by Delaware County Council and the Delaware County Veterans Memorial with proceeds benefiting the Memorial, 4599 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square.
Those honored were Charles “Bud” Burns, Russell L. “Rusty” Carter, John J. V. Cook, Rev. Dr Wylie W. Johnson, William R. Hilton, Margaret Lozinak Lawrence, Dr. Merle Horowitz, Anna H. Wright, and Mike Innocenzo.
Carter of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division was injured when his vehicle snapped a tie-rod while returning from a night mission in Afghanistan. It rolled off a bridge falling 50-foot into a ravine. He broke his neck and he was told he’d be paralyzed from the neck down and have to live strapped to a machine to let him breathe. He refused to allow them to give him a tracheotomy to attach him to the machine and went into therapy. He can now move his arms which he demonstrated in a video shown to those attending the dinner.
He said he is glad to be alive and in Delaware County. He says he lives his life for his friends who never made it back.
He said he plans to attend Temple University and pursue a career in journalism or broadcasting. He said he would like to broadcast sports.
He expressed extreme gratitude to Springfield Police Chief Joe Daly — a Vietnam veteran — for the support he has given him since his return.
Burns is a Navy veteran of World War II; Cook served in the Marines in Korea and Hilton served in an all-black division Army division in Korea. Hilton was wounded three times and survived hand-to-hand combat with the enemy.
Mrs. Lawrence served as an Army nurse in Korea. She described how she was trained in infantry tactics, experienced guerrilla attacks and how all pulled together to save the wounded. She praised the Memorial and said it was good for veterans.
Rev. Johnson, who is pastor of the Springfield Baptist Church, is a retired Army chaplain leaving with the rank of colonel. He served in five armed conflicts. Since his retirement he has been working to fight suicide among returning veterans.
Dr. Horowitz, a long-time teacher who just retired as Marple Newtown School superintendent, received her medal for her dedication to education. Innocenzo accepted his on behalf of PECO for dedication to community. Mrs. Wright, who was instrumental in funding the Memorial, received the President’s Award. She asked that the late Stan Short and the late Steve Neri, who were also among the prime movers, be remembered.
Father James Kelly, the retired pastor of St. Pius X Church in Marple, and Rabbi-emeritus Max Hausen of Main Line Reform Temple in Wynnewood gave blessings. Rabbi Hausen is a World War II veteran.
The master of ceremonies was Sue Serio of Fox 29.
The National Anthem was performed by Christopher and Yvette Pecoraro — Christopher also performed Bring Him Home — and God Bless America was sung by Carolyn P. Hilton-Finney, who is William Hilton’s daughter.
The Posting of the Colors was by Valley Forge Military Academy Regimental Band; the Marine Corps Bridge Company B, 6th ESB 4th MLG; and the General Smedley D. Butler Detachment of the Marine Corps League.
Taps was played by Dan Fitzpatrick and Lloyd Spangler.
Claude de Botton, who provided the land for the Memorial and who came to this country as an immigrant, spoke about how much he loved America and was grateful for those who fought and sacrificed to keep her free.
Kudos to Linda Houldin, Barbara Zippi, Guy Fizzano, Chief Daly and Nicole de Botton Robinson for the work they did for the event.
2nd Annual Freedom Medal Dinner
Here is the video courtesy of Margie Royal of Delco News Network of Margaret Lawrence describing her experiences that aired at the 2nd Annual Freedom Medal Dinner
