Category: Guest Authors

Pa Stays Open If Deadline Missed

By Sen. Scott Wagner Pa Stays Open If Deadline Missed

Everyone is under the assumption that the state budget MUST be completed by June 30 or the State of Pennsylvania shuts down.

This is an outright lie that has been used in the past and will be used again to intimidate the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Putting on my private sector business owner hat – every Wednesday our payroll departments electronically transfer the deducted employee state taxes to the PA Department of Revenue.

In addition, every day transactions occur throughout Pennsylvania that generate sales tax and other taxes – so the cash flow to Harrisburg does not stop.

Governor Wolf’s budget does not address any cost cutting, expense controls or efficiency projects  – Governor Wolf’s budget is very simple – RAISE REVENUE THROUGH MORE TAX REVENUE.

It is the goal of the PA State Senate to have a balanced budget without tax increases completed by June 30th to be sent to the Governor.

Let me be clear – Harrisburg does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending problem.

Prevailing wage mandates on public school districts, out of control benefit costs, and zero accountability for money being spent are a few examples.

I will be a NO vote on any tax increases – we MUST address the expense side of Pennsylvania Government first.

Governor Wolf continues to beat his drum that he wants to DUMP (and I use the word DUMP) $1 billion  in the public school system.

I am in total agreement that education for our children is the number one priority – the public school system has many components that need to be fixed, changed or eliminated before a billion dollars is thrown at the problem.

In the private sector, throwing money at a problem without stopping the leak that is causing the problem is called throwing money down a black hole.

Until the structural problems in the public school system are fixed – the $1 billion  that Governor Wolf wants to throw at the problem – the money will disappear – next year and every year to follow there will be some group who will be asking for more money to be DUMPED into the public school system.

Enough is enough !

Sen. Wagner represents Pennsylvania’s 28th District.

Pa Stays Open If Deadline Missed

Rachel Dolezal Truth Matters

Rachel Dolezal Truth Matters -- What’s black and white and red all over? An embarrassed Rachel Dolezal. Or at least she should be. Had she not resigned, Dolezal should have been fired, but not because she is white. There is no reason a non-black could not perform extremely well in that capacity; as a matter of fact, according to reports, Rachel Dolezal did just that. The reason she deserved termination is simple: She lied, and in doing so, destroyed her integrity and damaged the reputation of the organization. No matter how well-intentioned she was, deliberately misleading people was unacceptable, and keeping her in that position would have set a terrible example.
By Chris Freind

What’s black and white and red all over? An embarrassed Rachel Dolezal. Or at least she should be.

But the former President of the NAACP chapter in Spokane, who resigned under fire after it was revealed that she was, in fact, white, isn’t blushing at all. Despite duping so many by being a racial chameleon, leaving supporters feeling betrayed, Dolezal stated that she would have done nothing differently, calling her actions ones of “survival.”

Given that this is giving the Bruce/Caitlin Jenner saga a run for its money as the year’s best “you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up” story, where does one begin?

Consider:

1. When asked by the press if she was black, Dolezal replied, “That question is not as easy as it seems. There’s a lot of complexities … and I don’t know that everyone would understand that.”

Sure there are, Rachel. Yep. There are just so many complexities in answering such an extremely simplistic question. Thanks for the patronizing non-answer, but let’s cut out the psycho-babble. The answer is simple: You are white. Period. There are no subtleties here, nor should there be. If the NAACP wouldn’t have hired you because of your skin color, then shame on them. But playing coy with something so obvious serves only to make you look like a lunatic, destroying whatever credibility you have left.

2. Had she not resigned, Dolezal should have been fired, but not because she is white. There is no reason a non-black could not perform extremely well in that capacity; as a matter of fact, according to reports, Rachel Dolezal did just that. The reason she deserved termination is simple: She lied, and in doing so, destroyed her integrity and damaged the reputation of the organization. No matter how well-intentioned she was, deliberately misleading people was unacceptable, and keeping her in that position would have set a terrible example.

3. Dolezal’s parents stated that they are puzzled as to why she would misrepresent her race. Rachel responded by saying that she doesn’t understand why her parents “are in a rush to whitewash some of the work that I have done.”

If that pun was intended, good one! But one has nothing to do with the other. The parents aren’t whitewashing the work Rachel has done, but questioning why she would lie about her racial heritage. Simply put, the end doesn’t justify the means.

4. Following the theme of Jenner’s “transgender” soap opera, the term “transracial” has quickly become the newest politically correct buzz term, ostensibly because Rachel Dolezal said, “I identify as black.” But what does that mean?

You’re white, but because you have an affinity for black culture or history, it’s now perfectly acceptable to represent yourself as black? Because if that’s the case, life just took a turn for the better! If you love Hawaii, and call yourself a native Hawaiian, then that must mean you get all the special privileges afforded to those folks. Same for Native Americans. And while you’re at it, throw in being an American Samoan, because that’ll really help get the kids into college. And of course, being formerly-white-but-now-transracial will make getting minority-only loans infinitely easier, as well as landing a job where minority-hiring quotas are in effect.

America’s entitlement mentality is out of control, but thinking you’re “entitled” to being another race, ethnicity or gender just because you feel like it takes the cake.

5.Rachel Dolezal attended Howard University, a historically all-black college. Did she represent herself as black to gain admission? And did she do the same to obtain government loans, aid, or any type of benefits? If so, losing her job will be the least of her worries, as fraudulently representing your ethnicity for financial gain isn’t just unethical, but illegal.

6. The NAACP is way behind the times, as the “C” stands for “colored” people — a term long since considered offensive to blacks. And while the organization should correct that, maybe it’s time to go all the way and change the name to NAAAP — the National Association for the Advancement of All People. Advocating special treatment for some — not all — smacks of discrimination, especially reverse discrimination, and has a counterproductive effect. When other races feel alienated, the racial gap widens, which has a detrimental effect on everyone, including, and sometimes especially, blacks.

To achieve racial harmony, we must start viewing ourselves as Americans, and only Americans. Not Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American, or white. Just Americans, with equal opportunity for all, and special treatment for none.

But unfortunately, selective discrimination has been deemed acceptable, even trendy. Far from creating racial accord, as its advocates naively believe, it has created a flashpoint in the powder keg of America’s race relations.

There are no white caucuses in our legislatures or NAAWPs, nor should there be. By their nature, they would be divisive and exclusionary. Yet they are just as divisive, and just as exclusionary, when used by other ethnicities. Once a race — any race — feels that it is not afforded equal rights, tensions flare, often uncontrollably.

Rather than learning our lesson, we are marching in the opposite direction, with too many — on all sides — playing the race card at the drop of a hat, often for ulterior motives.

The solution is for strong leaders of all races to unite and demand colorblindness in America, from policing to entertainment, and from education to the workplace. Tragically, though, too many succumb to cowardice, eschewing tough stands in favor of feel-good rhetoric, which placates the masses but solves nothing.

As a result, we are reverting to when people were judged by skin color. Resurrecting such barriers, however well-intentioned, has no place in an America striving to right the wrongs of its past.

Trumpeting color is demeaning to the very people it is designed to help. Instead of uniting, it divides. Instead of equality, it promotes the notion of special privilege based on color. Instead of building upon the American spirit of competiveness and achievement — may the best person win — it robs all people of dignity and respect.

Sadly, we are coming full circle: separate and unequal; separate but equal; equal; and now separate again. That’s not why so many — both black and white — sacrificed so much in the fight for civil rights.

Let’s whitewash the controversy about Rachel’s Dolezal’s race and instead focus on building a nation where people are not judged by their skin, but, as a famous man once said, by the content of their character.

No principle could be more … black and white.

Rachel Dolezal Truth Matters

Wagner Sees Little Chance Of June Budget Passage

By Sen. Scott Wagner Wagner Sees Little Chance Of June Budget Passage

Many people are asking me whether I see Governor Wolf’s budget being passed by June 30.

I entered the Pennsylvania State Senate in April of last year, and by that time the majority of the budget process had already taken place, so this is my first real experience with the budget.

This year is also different because I serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

I attended 33 of 35 appropriations hearings in March and April with agencies and entities affected by the budget.

This is my prediction – unless lightning strikes the Capitol in Harrisburg I do not see the budget being passed by the June 30 deadline.

Governor Wolf’s budget asks for various tax increases totaling $4.5 billion  for the next fiscal year and $4.5 billion  for the following year for a two year total of $9 billion.

Governor Wolf’s budget does not address any dramatic cost saving initiatives.

The best example of “PA Government Gone Wild” would be benefit costs for public sector employees.

When I identify public sector employees, I am referring to both union and non-union public sector employees.

Benefits for public sector employees are running at a minimum of 60 percent and up to 97 percent for benefits on one dollar of payroll.

The private sector generally runs in the range of 40 percent for benefits for each dollar of payroll.

We have come to a crossroads in Harrisburg.

For at least 25 years, people have been running the State of Pennsylvania with little knowledge of how a budget is balanced in the real world – wage and benefit increases were handed out like they were candy –  public sector union bosses have been demanding more wages and benefits for their members, at the expense of the taxpayers.

From my point of view, virtually every public sector employee is doing well with wages and benefits.

When Senate Bill 1 (Pension Reform) was in the process of being passed two weeks ago my Senate office received over 250 emails from teachers bashing the bill.

Trust me folks – teachers are also doing well – teacher salaries in my home school district average between $85,000 and $90,000 per year for 180 days of work –plus great benefits too.

Governor Wolf wants to dump $1 billion  into the public school system but is unwilling to entertain a discussion to eliminate prevailing wage mandates on public school district projects.

By public school projects, I am referring to new building construction, building renovations, maintenance and repair projects.

The elimination of this ridiculous mandate might very well save $200 – $300 million per year for school districts throughout the state – that is 20-30% of the $1 billion  Governor Wolf is proposing to put into the public school system.

What do my readers think – Am I right or wrong on prevailing wage mandate elimination for school districts?

A few weeks ago I reported in an email blast the outrageous pensions being paid to retired Penn State employees.

During an appropriations hearing almost two months ago I asked the President of Penn State for a balance sheet to be supplied to the appropriations committee so we could understand how much cash they are sitting on – as of today we have not received the information requested.

Penn State could be sitting on billions of dollars for all we know – so here is my question – if outrageous pensions are being paid – plus Penn State has one of the most valuable football franchises in the nation – Why is the State of PA going to give Penn State $400 million  for this upcoming fiscal year – am I right or wrong on this question?

I have a simple suggestion – Why doesn’t the State of PA go to a zero-based budget each year?

It is time to start over and clean out 25 years of excessive costs and stop the mentality that money grows on trees and there is an endless supply.

Sen. Wagner represents the 28th District in the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Wagner Sees Little Chance

Iran Sanctions — No Bill Beats Bad Bill

By Robert B. Sklaroff Iran Sanctions -- No Bill Beats Bad Bill

No amendments.  No anguish.  No bill.

Congress must not pass any Iran Nuke Bill, for it could promote what some feel is Obama’s alleged goal – namely, making Iran into the Middle East’s hegemony.

Instead of pondering the improbable and/or reliving the tragic ignorance of the 1930s, there is a method by which President Obama’s failed foreign policy – promulgated for more than a half-decade – can be placed into a form of “receivership,” even if he would profess that it has been successful.

Because of existing sanctions legislation, purposeful inaction should necessitate that a component of this “deal” be submitted to Congress.  Obama can waive sanctions only if it’s determined to be necessary to the “national interest”; his stated rationale would then be subject to litigation.

Therefore, those who perceive it as a treaty – invoking the precedent of all prior nuke-related agreements – would mandate that it be ratified by two thirds of the Senate (Article II, Section 2, ¶2), even as Obama’s apologists claim he could sign off on an executive order.  Indeed, he has not ruled out issuing an executive order to close Gitmo!

Let’s call his bluff!

The trigger for this initiative was the bluster of Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who claimed that Obama “will have to stop implementing all the sanctions, economic and financial sanctions that have been executive order and congressional. However he does it, that’s his problem.”

Indeed, the left-leaning Politifact determined it to be “mostly true” that “the next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time,” because “a key portion of the 286-word [Cotton] letter says that the undersigned senators ‘will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei’.”

It is unnecessary to analyze the situation further, except to note that endorsement of this unamended bill by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) violates that group’s responsibility to advocate the position of the Israeli government as “America’s Pro-Israel Lobby.”  Proof positive of this flip-flop is what happened a decade ago, when the JTA reported that “there never was any doubt that AIPAC would offer some measure of support for the Gaza withdrawal, since the lobby is committed to backing the policies of the Israeli government.”  Mark Levin railed against AIPAC – along similar lines – on May 5 (podcast @ 47:49-49:13).

Thus, by ignoring PM Netanyahu and eschewing the gravamen of his “State of the World” address, AIPAC has become compliant irrevocably to the Dems…exposing the myth of AIPAC power.  In contrast, as per an exhaustive analysis by Ted Belman on his Israpundit website and personal e-mail, the Zionist Organization of America endorsed amending the bill.  Again, among national pro-Israel advocates, the Organization’s president, Mort Klein, stands alone against the forces of evil.

The amendment process, admirable as it should be, may apparently be short-circuited by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who doesn’t want the Cotton-Rubio initiative (requiring Iran to disclose the history of its nuclear program, to shutter all its nuclear facilities, and to recognize Israel’s statehood) to be subject to a vote.  His supporters claim that this “stunt” constitutes a “poison pill.”

Uncertainty abounds, such as the potential for the U.N. Security Council to remove sanctions independently.  Danger abounds, noting the capacity of released billions to grease Tehran’s worldwide sponsorship of terrorism.  Concern that a constitutional crisis looms abounds, for any clash of powers of allegedly co-equal branches may ultimately reach the SCOTUS in a fashion comparable to the current litigation promulgated by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) against unilateral Obamacare rule changes by the administration.

The alternative to standing firm is capitulation.  Instead, as Netanyahu has repeatedly argued, it is necessary to maintain – if not to expand – sanctions until/unless a “better” deal has been reached.  Clarity is mandatory; Congress must not pass an Iran bill.

Dr. Sklaroff is a hematologist/oncologist in Montgomery County, Pa. and has served as a GOP committee-person for more than two decades. This article has appeared in American Thinker.

 Iran Sanctions — No Bill Beats Bad Bill

Pamela Geller Defending A Friend

Pamela Geller Defending A Friend

Pamela Geller Defending A Friend
This is the cartoon that the establishment media is reluctant to show to help understand what the fuss is about. Mohammed’s balloon says “You can’t draw me”. The cartoonist is replaying “That’s why I draw you.”

By Don Adams 

ISIS has issued a fatwa against a dear friend of the Independence Hall Foundation, Pamela Geller.

Just writing these words seems so bizarre.

Ms. Geller keynoted our 2012 American Exceptionalism July 4th Celebration held at the Independence Visitor Center.

The event location had to be moved in doors, from the original  location on Independence Mall, due to threats that had been made against Ms. Geller (even then) in relation to her appearance.

Occupy Philadelphia was hosting a national gathering on the Mall and some of their attendees had  also threatened to interrupt our program.

In the end, over 300 friends packed the banquet hall to hear a terrific keynote address from Ms. Geller–the best speech ever delivered to our organization–with the exception, perhaps, of 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s Tax Day talk at the Franklin Institute.

Pamela Geller Defending A Friend July 4 2012
Pamela Geller flanked by Don and Terri Adams at the Independence Hall Foundation’s July 4, 2012 event.

The event went off without interruption–thanks, mostly, to the National Park Service security officers and the assistance of Internal Affairs Division of the Philadelphia Police.

ISIS Operatives Attempt to Carry Out a Texas Massacre
In Texas, earlier this, the situation was quite different–as Ms. Geller’s Muhammad Cartoon Contest ended with the killing of two
ISIS terrorists and the wounding of a security guard.

As quickly as the violence erupted in Texas, a national debate unfolded around the merits of the the contest and the supposed limits of free speech.

At the center of the storm–Ms. Geller–who was quickly labeled “hater” by the left–the same left that applauded “Christ in Urine” and a tasteless depiction of the Blessed Virgin that was praised as “art” by Catholic-bashers everywhere.

In all of our interactions with Ms. Geller, we have found her to be
principled, honest, hard working, dedicated, thoughtful, sincere, and caring. Of all the numerous conservative politicians, pundits, and operatives that we have hosted, she is one that we greatly admire.

While we wholeheartedly support Ms. Geller–and vouch for her tremendous character, we also firmly believe that with our rights, including free speech, come responsibilities.

Holding a single contest to prove several points–that free speech is preferable to the alternative, that a fatwa can be issued against American citizens, that ISIS is alive and well on the US mainland, and that Jihaddists will stop at nothing to destroy the West and all that it represents–may have been worth the price of the Texas shootings.

But conducting such contests over and over again, here and there, will prove nothing new–and will increasingly bring into question the motives of those holding the contests rather than the would be terrorist-murderers who seek to carry out fatwas and the extinction of western culture.

The following are two fascinating, yet contrary, opinion pieces written by conservative pundits – –Rich Lowry, for Politico, and Kathleen Parker, for the Washington Post.
For the record, we completely disagree with Ms. Parker’s view of Ms. Geller.  Media hound Parker knows far too well of which she speaks–as most of what she says about Geller applies to herself, instead.

Update: Don has asked to add that another good thing concerning Ms. Geller’s contest was the way it exposed the hypocrisy of the left.

Mr. Adams is among the founders of the Independence Hall Foundation.

Pamela Geller Defending A Friend

 

$477,591 Public Pension In Pa

By Sen. Scott WagnerSen. Wagner decries $477,591 Public Pension In Pa

Contained in this column are two articles from the Patriot-News.

The first  was published May 6 by reporter Jan Murphy.

It is titled “Set for Life –Browse the database to see who is getting a six-figure annual pension”  Click here to view it.

The second article was published May 7 by reporter Charles Thompson. It is titled – “How PA state workers and teachers calculate their pensions” and can be read here.

The first article exposes the six-figure annual pensions of many retired Pennsylvania state government and school district employees.

Number one on the list is a retired Pennsylvania State University employee who is receiving $39,799.23 per month for a total yearly annuity of $477,591.

Number two on the list is another retired Pennsylvania State University employee who is receiving $36,989.98 per month for a total yearly annuity of $443,880.

These numbers do not reflect the health benefits that retired state employees are also receiving.

Please take note that of the top 25 people on the list, 13 are Penn State University retirees.

I have reported in the past that I serve on the Senate Appropriations committee and our committee is in the process of reviewing the governor’s budget.

I am scratching my head wondering why last year the State of Pennsylvania contributed approximately $230 million dollars from the general fund to Penn State University and this year Governor Wolf’s budget is proposing a $50 million dollar increase this year to Penn State for a total of approximately $280 million from the general fund to Penn State.

During Appropriations hearings last month I specifically asked the President of Penn State University for their financial statements to allow our committee to understand how much cash Penn State currently has in its various bank accounts and endowments.

Here is the head scratching thought – why is the state giving Penn State any money when it appears the money is going to subsidize breathtaking lifetime pensions when in fact the money should be going towards the education of their students?

I am not trying to single out Penn State University –  I am just stating the facts.

I have mentioned in previous email blasts that retirement and health benefits state employees receive are completely out of line with the private sector and they are virtually unsustainable.

For anyone wondering why Pennsylvania taxes are so high, these articles are crystal clear examples.

The second article explains how pension benefits are calculated stating that, “So as the plan exists now, a PennDOT foreman with 35 years of service could retire with pension income equal to 87.5 percent of their average pay for the last three years on the job.”

Excuse me – did I read that right?

In the last 3 years of a PennDOT foreman’s employment it is not unreasonable that this person could spike their gross income to $100,000 annually or more for the last 3 years of their employment so that an average of the 3 years could very well be $100,000 or more.

At $100,000 per year average for the last 3 years this person would retire with $87,500 per year to start for the rest of their life, plus lifetime healthcare benefits.

So a foreman could tell his wife – “Hey honey, I’m going to spend the next 3 years working as much overtime as I can so I can drive  my annual compensation up as high as possible so I’ll get a gold-plated pension when I retire – I’ll be back in 3 years!”

Reading articles like this combined with what I have learned since taking office makes me sick to my stomach.

This is the exact reason why I have introduced legislation such as my Taxpayer Fairness in Compensation Act.

These articles are more examples of how working class families are the ones who continue to get exploited in Pennsylvania.

Below is a graph from PennLive of the Top 40 highest pensions, but to view and search the full database of the thousands of retired state government and school district employees receiving over $100,000 per year in pension benefits, click on this link or look below.

 

Last Name First Name Yearly Annuity Monthly Annuity Total Years Of Service Last Employer
Erickson Rodney $477,591 $39,799.23 37 Pennsylvania State University
Benkovic Stephen $443,880 $36,989.98 43 Pennsylvania State University
Mitchel Irene $332,017 $27,668.12 48 State System-Higher Education
Schultz Gary $330,699 $27,558.25 38 Pennsylvania State University
Willey Richard $314,658 $26,221.49 25 Pa Higher Educ. Assist Agcy
Oliver Frank $286,118 $23,843.13 54 House Of Representatives
Kuo Kenneth $277,440 $23,120.01 39 Pennsylvania State University
Pierce William $254,362 $21,196.85 27 Pennsylvania State University
Racculia Phillip $249,902 $20,825.13 35 Pa Higher Educ. Assist Agcy
Kiely Daniel $242,169 $20,180.75 47 Pennsylvania State University
Costello Anthony V $222,685 $18,557.10 39 Garnet Valley Sd
Pell Eva $222,549 $18,545.76 36 Pennsylvania State University
Hershock Michael $222,174 $18,514.49 34 Pa Higher Educ. Assist Agcy
Marciniak Robert $219,221 $18,268.39 56 Pennsylvania State University
Parizek Richard $217,550 $18,129.13 52 Pennsylvania State University
Vesell Elliot $212,284 $17,690.34 39 Pennsylvania State University
Ohmoto Hiroshi $208,576 $17,381.36 44 Pennsylvania State University
Porter Jack $204,818 $17,068.20 39 State System-Higher Education
Anderson James $199,070 $16,589.15 40 Pennsylvania State University
Reddy Channa $196,173 $1,6347.74 28 Pennsylvania State University
Mcnairy Francine $194,408 $16,200.69 40 State System-Higher Education
Meyers Ronald $193,592 $16,132.67 47 State System-Higher Education
Summers Edward $189,844 $15,820.30 27 Administrative Off.-Pa Courts
Mazur Lee $189,690 $15,807.52 39 Administrative Off.-Pa Courts
Klein Richard $188,181 $15,681.74 42 Administrative Off.-Pa Courts
 Sen. Wagner, a Republican, represents the 28th District in the Pennsylvania Senate.
 
 $477,591 Public Pension In Pa

 

Extraordinary Jubilee Year Means Mercy

Rev. Frank Pavone Extraordinary Jubilee Year Means Mercy

It is time for the doors of mercy to open even wider for the People of God. Jesus Christ himself is the mercy of God. To believe in him is to believe in mercy, to witness to him is to witness to mercy. And the Church wants us to become experts in this.

That is why Pope Francis has declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, to be observed from Dec. 8, 2015 through Nov. 20, 2016.

On April 11, the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Pope issued the document explaining the purpose and vision of this special Holy Year. It intersects perfectly with our commitment to rescue children from the violence of abortion.

Pope Francis points out that mercy is seen in God’s actions, and must be seen in ours. He points out that Psalm 146 “attests to the concrete signs of his mercy: ‘He secures justice for the oppressed; he gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.’… In short, the mercy of God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality through which he reveals his love as that of a father or a mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child” (n.6).

Later in the document, naturally, the Pope points out how this is fulfilled in Jesus’ own description of his ministry as one that will “proclaim liberty to the captives”.

If we are to live out mercy, therefore, the Pope explains that we are to “look forward to the experience of opening our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society: fringes modern society itself creates. How many uncertain and painful situations there are in the world today! How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out … Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!” (n. 15)

As he had pointed out in Evangelii Gaudium, the most defenseless of all are unborn children. Certainly they live in “fringes modern society itself creates” by its false and destructive declaration that they are not persons, that they do not deserve the protection of the law.

Living mercy means seeing their misery and speaking up for them. Death is a result of sin. Mercy not only forgives our sin, it rescues us from death. The Holy Year, the Pope writes, is “to proclaim liberty to those bound by new forms of slavery in modern society…to restore dignity to all those from whom it has been robbed” (n. 16). Let us practice mercy for the children in the womb, speaking up for them and rescuing them from death!

Father Pavone is national director of Priests for Life

Extraordinary Jubilee Year Means Mercy

Cable Commando Showed Lack Of Courtesy

Cable Commando Showed Lack Of Courtesy
By Chris Freind

Oblivious to the danger, the operative sprang into action, reaching the junction box where his mission-critical skills would be put to the test. Honed by years of experience, his hands worked effortlessly as they located the sensitive communications cable and severed it. In the blink of an eye, he was finished, making it back to the safe house unscathed. Victory!

An American agent working behind enemy lines to disrupt an adversary’s crucial communications? No way.

Instead, in a typical reaction of the Entitlement Movement sweeping the country, it was a self-righteous, “I’m offended” baby boomer suburbanite who deliberately disconnected his neighbors’ communications cable, knocking out their phone, television and Internet for days. (Disclosure: the author was in no way involved).

And what prompted the suburban commando to choose instant gratification over good relations with his neighbors?

Due to some nearby construction, a thin communications cable was temporarily above-ground, running in front of his house. That’s it. It wasn’t the latest chapter in a Hatfield-McCoy feud, nor was it an act of desperation because his life had been turned upside down. It was only a small cable, which didn’t affect anyone. And the kicker is that our “hero’s” actions hurt those who had absolutely nothing to do with the situation.

Did it matter that his neighbors’ kids couldn’t log on to do their homework? Nope. Or that people missed work deadlines because of no Internet? Or that baby sitters without cellphones had no way of calling the parents (or 911) in an emergency?

Absolutely not. So long as he still had service, that’s all that mattered, everything and everyone else be damned.

In straying from what were once our values, he succumbed to the do-whatever-you-want-that-makes-you-feel-good mentality, where consequences and accountability are ignored.

Several thoughts:

–First, tampering with a company’s equipment is a serious crime, so he’s lucky not to be prosecuted. Ironically, if he did jail time, he’d still be able to watch cable TV, but it’s just not the same when Bubba, your ax-murdering cell mate, doesn’t share your programming tastes. (Suggested shows/movies while in the pen: “Law And Order,” “The Jerk,” “Dumb And Dumber,” “The Cable Guy”).

–Obviously, the rerouted cable was a result of the construction. So clearly, he should have addressed the construction manager, not disrupt his neighbors. That’s common sense, but it didn’t happen.

–It’s pretty sad when people have nothing better to do with their lives than complain about trivialities while assailing their neighbors and friends.

–By far, most disconcerting is today’s total lack of courtesy. Not that long ago, when people had a problem, they’d walk next door and talk things out civilly. Imagine that. Same at work, school, on sports teams, and yes, even in government buildings. But somewhere along the way, that all changed, replaced by an it’s-all-about-me attitude.

Far too many now deem it acceptable to hide behind social media while demonizing others. Or shout obscenities at the motorist ahead who didn’t stomp on the accelerator the second the light turned green. Or insult someone at the ATM because we’re “inconvenienced” by waiting a whopping two minutes.

It has become commonplace to see adults (and, sadly, their children) butt in front of others at the amusement park while acting as if that’s their right. We see parents screaming at referees during youth sports games, acting like it’s the NCAA championship. And these same parents accept their young children rudely calling teachers and coaches by their first names.

Manners, let alone etiquette, have become foreign concepts. (Though the oasis in the desert of rudeness are Wawa stores. People go out of their way to hold open doors, wait patiently in the coffee line, and even behave themselves finding a parking space. Whatever causes that phenomenon needs to be studied and emulated.)

The biggest irony is that the same people who are just dying to tell the entire world their life story on the back of their cars — yes, we know: You went to Ohio State, vacation in Sea Isle, have been to Disney World, love Pomeranians, brake for squirrels, hate guns, support the troops, save the whales, and have brainiac kids who, despite their massive social ineptitude, are middle school honor students, play the cello, are mathletes, and attempt to play lacrosse — won’t give you the time of day in the elevator or walking down the street. No hellos, God Bless yous, or good mornings. Nothing. All too often, it’s just a sneer.

Ronald Reagan and former Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill disagreed on most issues, but at the end of the day, they shared a beer while laughing, telling stories and enjoying each others company.

So why the change? Crazy as it sounds, maybe it was the fall of the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, the threats of the Red Menace and nuclear war were always with us. While we naturally still had our disputes, the common perils we faced kept us disciplined, focused on the big picture. Once the Communist walls came tumbling down, so did the common bonds that kept us united, replaced by the new “causes” of unchecked consumerism and greed — an unprecedented thirst for materialism that would make Gordon Gekko blush with envy.

Or maybe it’s air conditioning and back decks keeping us totally isolated from our neighbors, unlike the days when everyone in the neighborhood would sit on their front porches. That made for tight-knit communities where neighbors were intimately involved in each others lives.

Maybe it’s a pipe dream, but Americans would do well to put down the phones now and then, and try that lost art of talking to each other. Will we ever return to those halcyon days of yesteryear when respect and courtesy were commonplace? Hard to say. But this much is certain: that transformation can only begin one conversation at a time.

And a good day to you!

Duke Angers Special Snowflake

Duke Angers Special Snowflake
By Chris Freind

See if you can tell what’s wrong with this story:

Girl applies to Duke University.

Girl is rejected by Duke University.

Girl doesn’t “accept” Duke’s decision, writing a letter “rejecting” the University’s rejection.

Girl uses social media to make letter go viral.

Media, incomprehensibly, runs with the story.

Duke responds and holds firm, but with a wimpy, politically correct answer.

Girl pouts about how much “power” universities have over students.

Millennial generation, and their coddlers, applaud girl as “hero,” and letter as brilliant.

Given that the Millennials are the leaders of tomorrow, only one thought comes to mind: God help us.

First things first. To all the Millennials who think they’re God’s gift to America, and their adult enablers who encourage that generation’s entitlement mentality through constant coddling, bring on the hate mail. We can see it now: The big, bad columnist beating up on a 17-year-old just trying to make her way in the world, as he criticizes an entire generation with sweeping generalizations.

Good. Someone certainly has to, because the Millennials need a good, swift kick in the derriere to bring them back to planet Earth and that pesky thing called The Real World.

Let’s take a look at the situation involving this high school senior:

1. Her Tumblr bio says a lot: “I’m … and there’s not a boy on this Earth worthy of me.” Wonderful! With that attitude, she will no doubt have an illustrious dating career. Confidence is one thing, but sheer arrogance is quite another, something the Millennials (those born between the early 1980s and 2000) have not come close to understanding.

But that arrogance comes with an ironic twist. For the most part, the Millennials are not confident at all. Quite the opposite, they are extremely risk-averse and thin-skinned, getting hurt feelings whenever something doesn’t go their way, and “offended” by everything — a complex fueled by a woefully misguided sense of entitlement.

Sure, they are a product of their environment — helicopter parents hovering over their every move in a fairy tale attempt to sanitize everything. But like every generation before them, they have to be accountable for their own actions. Instead, they continue to reject that rite of passage.

2. As everyone knows, Duke is an elite university, accepting just 12 percent of students. The student was rejected. Fine. Join the club. But if you’re going to call the university on the carpet and insist it made a mistake, you had better have your ducks in order. There’s an old saying that arrogance isn’t arrogance if you can back it up, but in this case, she fell far short. Let’s take a look at, and correct, parts of her letter:

“This year I have been fortunate enough to receive rejection letters from the best and brightest universities in the country. With a pool of letters so diverse and accomplished I was unable to accept reject letters I would have been able to only several years ago…. despite Duke’s outstanding success in rejecting previous applicants, you simply did not meet my qualifications. Therefore, I will be attending Duke University’s 2015 freshmen class.”

The student’s appalling use of grammar unwittingly validated Duke’s decision. It’s common sense that, if you’re serious about Duke reconsidering its decision, you sure as hell better not send a poorly written letter. Duke picks the cream of the crop, so if you’re going to broadcast to the world that the Blue Devils made a mistake, you need to be perfect making your case. She wasn’t:

A. Universities are not “bright;” people are.

B. Letters cannot be “accomplished.” (And a comma is needed after “accomplished.”)

C. The rest of that sentence is not just poorly written, but completely unintelligible. If people wonder what you’re trying to communicate, you’ve already lost.

D. A university isn’t “successful” when it rejects applicants. And the remainder of that sentence is indecipherable (why would an applicant have qualifications for being rejected?)

E. Finally, students don’t “attend” the Class of 2015; they become part of it.

Is that nitpicking? Was this all just in jest? Are we taking this too far? No.

Americans, especially students, have become horrendous communicators. Part of that is due to our failing educational system, and partly because Millennials rely on technology so much that their social and communication skills are virtually nonexistent. And if we don’t correct it at age 17, then when? At 21? When they enter the job market? And why did the media, and Duke, give this student a free pass on her grammatical errors? When her letter went “viral,” making worldwide headlines and being reposted over 100,000 times, it landed in the public square. You can’t have it both ways: basking in the attention, but not taking responsibility for shabby work. Grade: F.

3. Duke’s response also went viral. To the university’s credit, it told the girl she could appeal, but overturned rejections were rare. Fine.

But then it bowed to political correctness, playing right into the very problem Millennials have: their constant need to be stroked. The Duke letter stated, “Please know that our decision was not a judgment of you as a student or a person, but a reflection of our limited space and talented applicant pool.”

Sorry, Duke, but you got that one wrong. Of course rejecting applicants is based on who they are as students and people! There are no other criteria on which to judge! And that’s perfectly fine. It doesn’t mean rejected students are bad people or unaccomplished, but that they simply didn’t make the cut.

The student, in an email to the Huffington Post, wrote, “I just realized how much power these universities seem to have over students … Their word is the end-all, be-all. But what if it wasn’t? What if I treated them like they treated me?”

What does that even mean? Should every university, sports team and employer accept everyone who applies simply because rejecting people is exercising “power” over them? And how exactly did Duke “treat” her that merits that response? They simply said she, along with 88 percent of other applicants, didn’t make the cut. Deal with it. And if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

That’s the real world, and rejections are a big part of life. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Walt Disney was fired because he had “no good ideas and lacked imagination.” Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates — the list of those who faced difficult rejections but bounced back to find success is infinite.

Of course being rejected stings! It’s supposed to. What sets the Millennials apart is that they wallow in self-pity, believing they are entitled to success without doing the heavy lifting required to achieve it. What they should be doing is learning from their failures and using them as motivation to improve themselves and ultimately, prove their detractors wrong.

But that’s not happening. And until it does, the Millennial generation will keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result. As Einstein, who failed many times, said, that’s the definition of insanity.

Would the next generation please stand up?

Duke Angers Special Snowflake

Ben Farrell Apple Expose

It’s a time-tested rule-of-thumb that the ones who most loudly proclaim their compassion, open mindedness and altruism are the cruelest, most bigoted and greediest. Silicon Valley proves this rule. The companies that are most supportive of the Democrat Party and most insistent upon “social justice” are the world’s most predatory capitalists and the least tolerant of diversity and dissenting views. Ben Farrell Apple Expose

Ben Farrell, an Australian policemen who emigrated to the U.S. to work at Apple, has written an expose on the company’s  cult-like business model and rather inhumane treatment of its workers.

Here is an excerpt from his article: I Quit: What Really Goes On At Apple published on April 6, 2015 on his site Road Less Travelled.

By Ben Farrell

I’ve just escaped the Apple institution. I’ve sent in my resignation, and fled down its bright white corridors curated by crass colourful pictures of iPhones past. I handed in my security pass and in return I was able to re-claim my creativity, individuality and free thinking from the secure Apple cloak room.

Finally now, for the first time in two years, I feel light, creative and inspired. I am again an individual with my own creative ideas, perceptions, values and beliefs. It may take me a while, but from what I believe – I’m now able to express such beliefs again. I am no longer part of the collective  iCult machine whose dirty, worn-out, greasy and naive internal mechanisms of bullying, harassment and mind-games push out shiny and polished iPhones every year. I AM FREE

It is ironic that one of the world’s largest companies and one that prides itself on innovation, creativity and ‘breaking the mould’, operates on such soul limiting entrenched dogma. It’s an organised boys club where perception is valued over substance and tenure over talent. I spent two years in the Apple camp managing customer service improvement for their technical support contact centres and out of the fifteen plus years working in this industry I’ve never witnessed so many bizarre and unprofessional things, only some of which I have time to touch on here.

I found Apple to be a sheltered workshop. The common language spoken being passive aggression, sarcasm and Kool-Aid fuelled stories of ‘success’ designed to manipulate and intimidate naive workers who have never experienced corporate life outside the Apple walls. Like the Chinese emperors believed the forbidden city in Beijing was the centre of the universe and constructed their empire around it, I’m sure that some people at Apple feel the same… Is it a coincidence that the new Apple Campus looks like a giant spaceship? Maybe the plan is for everyone to drink poisoned ‘kool-Aid’ before ascending to the mothership… Sounds like I got out just in time.

Even after-work beers were a strange affair. Drinks with colleagues revolved around the same stories told again and again as drunken management spoke of times when Apple executives made ‘strategic’ decisions to cut jobs and shut down Apple sites so swiftly and carelessly. Like boy-scouts around a campfire, employees eyes would glow and twinkle at this notion of power and embrace these stories with awe but with utter disrespect for the actions Apple has on the broader community of contractors, vendors, partners, resellers and business partners they have bent over a barrel of non-profitability. Remarks such as “… to make a decision that affects so many lives and so many jobs so quickly like that shows the sheer level on which they (Apple executive management) operate… Amazing” were common dialogue around Friday beers. In my opinion a monkey can cut jobs, but at Apple the strangest things are revered.

Sixteen hour days are filled with meetings after meetings followed by more meetings. Whilst this is somewhat standard in most organisations, meetings at Apple wreaked of toxic agendas designed to deliberately trip people up, make fools of the less respected and call people out. Team spirit is non existent as ‘internal customers’ attack individuals and push agendas that satisfy their morning egos. Hours upon hours were wasted in meetings to prepare for meetings in preparation for other meetings to the point where little work actually got done. These rehearsals – called ‘dry runs’ (to me it sounds like something you’d pick up from South East Asian street food) – were meetings to refine impressions and push agendas… how to get the impressions right. How to bend, twist and polish data to tell the story you were instructed to tell… Not the reality the data presents. If a story can’t be forged, the data is excluded.

I had organised a day off recently where all my family were visiting me from interstate. Despite this I had agreed to dial in to one conference call as the audience attending was ‘important’. Well it seems Important but disrespectful, as the audience never even turned up, yet I was still made to ‘dry-run’ the whole meeting from start to finish for an hour and a half as if there was full attendance and interest in what I was saying. So, as the food I had prepared for my family went cold, there I was stuck on the phone role-playing a fake menial meeting to satisfy managements ego.

Sickness, family emergencies, and even weddings are given no respect at Apple. When I started my role I missed one business trip as my wife was pregnant, fell down the stairs and had to be hospitalised – this was listed as a ‘performance issue’ on my record and brought up during a one on one with management as a major ‘miss’ on my behalf. Meetings at midnight were also common place where I was always asked to present something menial (again to be seen), however even then I wasn’t allowed to simply speak to my topic but instead I was fed scripts by management through instant message with countdowns included about how long I had left to speak (“1 min 30 secs left”… “too long…”, “wrap it up”…).

Read more of the Ben Farrell Apple Expose at RoadsLessTraveled.me

Ben Farrell Apple Expose