Month: May 2017

Hallelujah Anyway Is Merciful Read

Hallelujah Anyway Is Merciful Read

By Kate Rainey

Hallelujah Anyway Is Merciful ReadIf you need a break from the polarized news and are searching for some mercy in your life,pick up a copy of Anne Lamott’s latest collection of essays “Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy” (Riverhead Books, 192 pages, $20). This book shows us there is a quieter world, one that is full of wonder, appreciation and generosity. Life is not about getting and achieving more.

Ms. Lamott, who teaches Sunday School at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in California, questions if she even recognizes mercy anymore, “the divine and human; the messy, crippled, transforming, heartbreaking, lovely, devastating presence of mercy.” She believes she, and our world, are starving to death for it.

“Mercy is radical kindness. Mercy means offering or being offered aid in desperate straits. Mercy is not deserved. It involves absolving the unabsolvable, forgiving the unforgivable. Mercy brings us to the miracle of apology, given and accepted, to unashamed humility when we have erred or forgotten. Charge it to our heads and not our hearts, as the elders in black church have long said.”

The title of the book is derived from Candi Staton’s gospel song “Hallelujah Anyway.” In spite of our problems, personal or political, the lyrics say “you get down on your knees and pray . . . Praise Him till your situation turns around. You gotta lift up your voice and say: Hallelujah Anyway!” 

As in Ms. Lamott’s nine other works of nonfiction, she is vulnerable, makes you laugh out loud and want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with her. What I learned, once again, from this easy read is lack of grace and mercy starts with me. When I do the inside work of being softer with myself, then I don’t have to “condemn others for being total sh__s, although they may be that. (Okay: are).”

Ms. Rainey is a resident of Middletown Township in Delaware County, Pa.

 Hallelujah Anyway Is Merciful Read

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-6-17

The character Dr. Strangelove did not appear in the book upon which the movie was based. The book, Red Alert, was not a black comedy but a serious thriller.

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-6-17

SERS Lowers Estimated ROI But Not Enough

SERS Lowers Estimated ROI But Not Enough

By Leo Knepper

Last week the State Employee Retirement System (SERS) took a baby step toward reality and lowered their estimated return on investment (ROI). SERS moved their estimated ROI from 7.5 percent to 7.25 percent. The SERS change matches a move made by the other state-managed retirement fund, PSERS, last year. Adjusting the estimates added about $3 billion to Pennsylvania’s unfunded pension liabilities. These changes don’t go far enough, unfortunately.

A 2014 “Blue Ribbon” report from the Society of Actuaries stated that the rate of return for public sector pension funds would be closer to 6.4 percent for the next 10 years. Actuarial assumptions may sound dull and boring. However, the assumptions that the state-run pension plans make in valuing their assets have real world consequences for taxpayers and reflect a major problem with the defined benefit (DB) model.

Because the assumptions used to determine the value of the pension plan assets and liabilities are influenced by politics, it is easy for politicians to make generous promises and then make legal whatever flawed assumptions they want to use to improve the outlook. Furthermore, they can change the laws to purposely underfund pension contributions (something they’ve done twice in the last 15 years) to pass a “balanced” budget.

By assuming an unreasonable ROI, SERS and PSERS are hiding over $15 billion in additional unfunded liabilities from taxpayers and lawmakers. An accurate picture of how challenging the pension funding situation is is a necessary part of discussing how to solve the problem. Imagine having a broken leg but asking a doctor to fix the problem using an x-ray of your arm, and that is what the state pension funds are doing by being overly optimistic about their ROI.

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

SERS Lowers Estimated ROI But Not Enough

American Bridge Trackers Following Scott Wagner

American Bridge Trackers Following Scott Wagner

American Bridge Trackers Following Scott WagnerBy Scott Wagner

When I announced that I was running for Governor of Pennsylvania, I knew Tom Wolf and the left would throw every dirty trick in the book at me.

If I’ve demonstrated anything during my write-in campaign and subsequent three years in the PA State Senate, it’s that I have zero tolerance for thugs who think they can harass, intimidate, and bully me into backing down.

Since announcing my candidacy, state and national Democrats have been sending one to two trackers to every event I attend. They know I am the biggest threat to their Kingdom.

For those who do not know what a “tracker” is, it is an individual who is hired by the opposition to video a candidate’s every move with the intent to get them on camera saying something that can be taken out of context and then later used in a negative attack ad.

O, May 2, I was scheduled to speak at a private event on private property.

A Democrat tracker gained entry to the event under false pretenses.

The tracker then recorded the conversations at this private meeting without the consent of those in attendance. Consent is required by Pennsylvania law before a conversation can be recorded.  As a public official I am used to being recorded, but no one else in that room had consented to having their discussions with me recorded by the tracker.  To the contrary, they thought they were attending a private event.

When it became clear that the tracker would not stop recording and leave the event, I took the initiative to remove the camera until the police could arrive. I requested that the Country Club of York call the police and escort the tracker from the premises.

The tracker’s employer, American Bridge, is a leftist political organization that is a tool of the Obama and Clinton machines.

American Bridge is financed by a who’s who of liberal donors, including the Democrat Party’s sugar daddy, billionaire George Soros, who contributed one million dollars in March of 2016.

Click on the following link to view a list of some of their donors:
 https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00492140

American Bridge’s mission is to disrupt conservative gatherings and intimidate Republicans – just like they attempted to do  this past Tuesday.  I’m not afraid of them, and I will not allow them to disrupt my events and intimidate my constituents and supporters.

American Bridge is welcome to send their trackers to my public events and record every word of my no-nonsense, conservative message.  I hope they distribute it far and wide because it’s a message that is going to win the Governor’s office back for the people of Pennsylvania.

What they are not welcome to do – and what I will not allow them to do – is trespass on private property, gain entry under false pretenses, intimidate my constituents and supporters and record them without their consent.

My candidacy makes Governor Wolf’s campaign, state and national Democrats very nervous, because they believe I pose a critical threat to the future of their regime. On that point, they are right.

For too many years liberal politicians have been cheating the people out of their hard earned money, while allowing special interests to control our government. One of the reasons I’m running for Governor is to end that culture, and trust me, I will not back down.

It should be no secret to them that I am not going to be intimidated.

American Bridge Trackers Following Scott Wagner

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 5-5-17

Russian fun — Do Russians ever have fun? Well, they don’t have a word for it. 

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 5-5-17

Russian fun

Libertarian Opposes GOP Health Reform Bill

Libertarian Opposes GOP Health Reform Bill — The Dale Kerns Campaign issued this statement concerning the GOP replacement of the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act.

Libertarian Opposes GOP Health Reform Bill
Dale Kerns

Today the House passed the American Health Care Act as a replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act. If I had the pleasure of being Pennsylvania’s representative in the Senate, I would vote no to this bill. The AHCA bill is just an Obamacare Lite that does not fix the overall problems that the Affordable Care Act is causing Americans. Without a mandate, the government monopoly on healthcare cannot work, and with the mandate the system is corrupt. The GOP bill will cause premiums to skyrocket. We need to bring the purchasing power of insurance back to the consumer by offering free market solutions. Instead the AHCA gives the insurance companies an open check book to make insane profits while driving the level of care further into the ground. We must repeal, but not replace. When you put out a fire do you look for another catastrophe to replace it with?”

Dale Kerns of Ridley is a Libertarian seeking to replace Bob Casey as U.S. Senator.

Libertarian Opposes GOP Health Reform Bill

 

66th Annual NDP Draws Crowd To Rose Tree Park

66th Annual NDP Draws Crowd To Rose Tree Park

By Kate Rainey

About 100 Delaware County residents gathered Thursday, May 4, for the 66th Annual National Day of Prayer (NDP) in Rose Tree Park on Route 252, Upper Providence.

66th Annual NDP Draws Crowd to Rose Tree Park
Photo by Kate Rainey

After everyone sang “America the Beautiful,” there was a moment of silence for our fallen soldiers and emergency workers. Honorable Mario Rivera, Chairman of Delaware County Council led the Resolution for the NDP.

Topics addressed during the hour of prayer included the theme message “For Your Great Name’s Sake! Hear Us . . . Forgive Us . . . Heal Us!”

“O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay because your city and your people bear your name,”  Daniel 9:19 was read by Mrs. Patti Bruno, who is Director of NDP and Delaware County Task Force.

Blowing of the Shofar and a call for prayer was presented by David Buffum, of Congregation Beth Yeshua, Overbook Park. Praise and worship music was led by the Rockdale Boys.

Rev. Dr. Wylie Johnson, of Springfield Baptist Church, prayed for our Veterans and Armed Forces; Pastor Perry Messick, of First Baptist Church of Collingdale, prayed for our police, fire and emergency medical teams; Pastor Bob Guaglione, of Calvary Chapel of Delaware County, prayed for our government leaders; Pastor Meredith Harper, of Quakertown Baptist Church, for revival in the land and unity in the body of Christ.

Father Rob Hagan, of Villanova University, prayed for our churches, clergy, youth leaders and service ministries; JP Berk lifted up peace of Jerusalem; retired Interboro teacher Robert Kern, schools, teachers and youth. Ed Cameron, owner of Copy Products and kindly donated all the paper products and signs for the event, prayed for our professionals and businesses. Diane Pluff, prayed for marriages and families; Monica Guaglione prayed for the arts, entertainment, Hollywood and media.

K-Love, 106.9 FM Christian radio station, was in attendance. There were red tents for those who needed personal prayer and healing.

To volunteer for next year’s National Day of Prayer, May 3, 2018, contact Mrs. Bruno at 610-416-8336.

66th Annual NDP Draws Crowd To Rose Tree Park

Pennsylvania Obamacare Repeal Nays

Pennsylvania Obamacare Repeal Nays — A quarter of the House Republicans voting to save Obamacare come from Southeastern Pennsylvania.

You can guess the names of these profiles in hackery but we will list them anyway:  Ryan Costello of the Chesco-centered 6th District; Pat Meehan of the Delco-centered 7th District, Brian Fitzpatrick of the Bucks-centered 8th District and Charlie Dent of the Lehigh County-centered 15th District.

Note that all the districts but the 8th are horribly gerrymandered and cross more than one county line.

All these men run as pro-lifers but voted, May 4, to save Obamacare’s mandate that businesses pay for abortions. All these men claim to be “fiscal conservatives” but voted to keep 12 job-killing taxes including taxes on prescription medicine and medical devices.

What could these men have been thinking? Why of coasting on the easy road, of course. They listened to pressure groups paying for push polls. They bowed before political consultants — you know, the kind that President Trump notably ignores.  They figured they’d follow that broad path to the wide gate of wealth and power rather than fight for what’s right.

They lacked the will — or perhaps, more charitably, the imagination — to articulate to those whom they represent why getting rid of these taxes and mandates will make their lives a lot, lot, lot  better. They refused to go out and sell this repeal plan to their constituents just as they refused to sell President Trump’s candidacy last November. This is especially ironic as the passage of Obamacare was responsible for sending three of the four to Washington.

Pennsylvania Obamacare Repeal Nays

Pennsylvania Obamacare Repeal Nays

 

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-4-17

Where is Frankenstein? Yes, it’s a where. It’s a town in Poland now known as Zabkowice Slaskie. It was established after the Mongol invasions in the 13th century. A plague in the 16th century killed about a third of its inhabitants.

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 5-4-17

Where is Frankenstein? Yes, it's a where. It's a town in Poland now known as Zabkowice Slaskie. It was established after the Mongol invasions in the 13th century. A plague in the 16th century killed about a third of its inhabitants.

William Lawrence Jr. Omnbit 5-3-17

Yes Pop Pop, Niccolò Machiavelli too was born on May 3. Of course, so was Bing Crosby.

William Lawrence Jr. Omnbit 5-3-17