Lisa Esler WAEB Guest

Lisa Esler WAEB Guest
Stupidity Never Sleeps

Lisa Esler WAEB Guest — Penn Delco School Director Lisa Esler recently appeared on NewsRadio 790 WAEB to discuss extremely stupid legislation pending in Harrisburg that would open up women’s private places in Pennsylvania — whether it be school locker rooms or interstate rest stops — to basically all-comers and make it far more difficult for small business owners to manage employees.

The bills are SB 1306SB 1307, and SB 1316, and all should die quick and quiet deaths.

You can listen to what Lisa had to say below.

She has written a letter about it that has appeared in the Delaware County Daily Times and can be found here.

Lisa Esler WAEB Guest Concerning SB 1306, SB 1307 and SB 1316

Wagner Two-Faced On Anti-Business Law

Wagner Two-Faced On Anti-Business Law — Sen. Scott Wagner, who says in the below article, that he is “extremely concerned with how Federal and State Regulations are choking businesses” and “Barack Obama’s anti-business agenda” is pushing legislation to make life harder for small business by adding  “sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression” to the list of “protected classes“.  Nobody likes bullies but what Wagner and Sen. Pat Browne (R-16) are ignoring with the laws they are pushing is that bullies exist in government too and especially in the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission  which would be tasked with enforcing this garbage.

There are employers and supervisors who take pleasure in humiliating employees and prospective employees. Nobody likes them. They are not an iota as dangerous, however, as the government officials with that character trait.

Like those in the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

The anti-business bill Wagner is pushing, SB 1307, is advancing and was re-referred to the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee on June 27.

A bill, SB 1316, sponsored by Sen. Browne which would forbid discrimination against men claiming to be women regarding housing such as college dorms moved to the State Government committee June 21.

SB 1306, also sponsored by Browne, which would grant even broader privileges to men claiming to be women, remains stuck in Labor and Industry.

All these bills expand control by unaccountable bureaucrats over our lives and should die quiet deaths.

Wagner, a Republican, represents the 28th District in York County.

 

By Sen. Scott Wagner

Wagner Two-Faced On Anti-Business Law
How is giving more power to the PHRC helping business?

The Pennsylvania state budget for 2016-17 was finalized July 13. I will be reporting in depth the details in an email next week.

This email is focused on the Presidential election.

I will be traveling to Cleveland next week to attend the Republican National Convention.

It appears that the Presidential race is down to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

I expect that Donald Trump will be nominated as the Republican candidate for the General Election in November.

I would like to share my thoughts and opinion.

As a private sector business owner I am extremely concerned with how Federal and State Regulations are choking businesses.

Case in point – Barack Obama’s war on coal has just about vaporized the coal industry in the US and especially Western Pennsylvania.

Businesses employ people and create jobs – they always have, and always will.

I am very concerned about the thought of Hillary Clinton stepping foot into the White House and doubling-down on Barack Obama’s anti-business agenda.

Americans have witnessed firsthand the last three weeks of events – first when Bill Clinton just by chance happened to be on the same tarmac, at an airport on an airplane, at the same time that the United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch was at the same airport, the same tarmac and on an airplane, and they just happened to meet.

The press reported that Bill Clinton and Ms. Lynch discussed golf, the weather, their children and grandchildren – ironically several days after this chance meeting the FBI announced that they are not going to pursue action against Hillary Clinton over her emails.

Cut me a break – The press, Bill Clinton and Hillary must think that Americans are clueless and stupid – the meeting was preset and a deal was definitely done on an airplane.

I have been watching Donald Trump very closely – I watch what he says and what he does.

Looking back to 2013 when I announced that I was going to run for the Pennsylvania 28th State Senate seat I called a donor in the York community – he told me that he was going to sit on the sidelines with my race – he had concerns that my style wouldn’t work in Harrisburg.

I have worked hard on my style – but at the end of the day – my style is asking questions and continuing to ask questions until I fully understand the issue – demanding accountability – I am pushing the envelope on change and breaking the status-quo mold.

Please allow me to point out – I did not have a lifelong plan to run for a seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate – I was fed up, and when our Senator resigned I decided to roll up my shirt sleeves and get involved to make a difference.

I think Donald Trump is similar in many ways to me – he doesn’t need the job as President and he doesn’t need the money – the guy is seventy years old – I am sure he would be much more happy continuing to operate his businesses – it appears that his children are highly active in the businesses and are smart and intelligent – Donald Trump could spend the rest of his life working with his children and watch them become great business people.

I think that Donald Trump, in his own large ego way, said one day, “I have had enough of America being pounded and run down by career politicians and the crony system.”

I stayed on the sidelines up until a few weeks ago – I made a decision to let the Republican candidates work through the process – at the end of the day I respect each and every Republican candidate who stepped into the ring with their own ideas of how to get America back on track.

Now that Donald Trump is most likely going to be the Republican Candidate I am going to do everything I can to help him get elected.

I put a lot of effort into Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012 – his campaign was not run well in Pennsylvania, and as a result he lost.

This past weekend I reached out to someone in the Pennsylvania State Republican Party to arrange a meeting with the top person or people who are running Donald Trump’s campaign.

I received a call this past Monday afternoon that a meeting had been set up with Trump’s campaign people for that evening.

I traveled to Cleveland and had a forty-five minute private meeting with Paul Manafort, the National Campaign Manager for the Trump campaign and five other high level campaign people.

The conversation was direct and to the point – I expressed that many people in Pennsylvania want to be part of this critical race.

I requested 20,000 yard signs so that any person who wants a “Trump for President” sign for their yard can get one in South Central PA.

I also asked what may be a strange question – Does Mr. Trump have a best friend? – A best friend who can be off stage at an event that Mr. Trump is speaking at, and if he says something stupid that this friend can yell at Mr. Trump for the stupid comment or comments he made.

I am lucky – I have several friends who yell at me if I say something stupid – I am getting better and so will Mr. Trump.

I left the meeting on Monday night with Paul Manafort with an increased level of confidence that Donald Trump has hired Mr. Manafort and a very strong team is being assembled to win the General Election in November and put Donald Trump in the White House.

News releases today are suggesting that Governor Mike Pence from Indiana may be Donald Trump’s pick as his running mate for Vice President.

I had an opportunity to meet and have a conversation with Governor Pence at an Republican Governor’s Association event in Detroit this past October.

Governor Pence has done good things for Indiana since he has been in office – I can tell you he is not a status-quo person and wants to make positive changes – he is very pro-business – remember what I said earlier – businesses employ people and create jobs.

So here is my ask of everyone who cares deeply about our great country – please put aside all of your differences and be supportive of Donald Trump – the bottom line is we cannot – I repeat, we cannot allow Hillary Clinton in the White House.

Please don’t make comments that you are not going to vote for either candidate – your lack of a vote is not acceptable – please remember this great country – the United States of America – please remember the many brave people who fought for, and the people who died for, the freedoms we enjoy each and every day.

Wagner Two-Faced On Anti-Business Law

Bathroom Bills Back In Pa As SB 1306 And SB 1307

Bathroom Bills Back In Pa As SB 1306 And SB 1307 — Public outcry stopped  pending Pennsylvania legislation that would open ladies rooms and girls sports teams to men but the termites in Harrisburg never sleep and new bills were quickly introduced to  catch the sane occupants of the Keystone State off guard.

Senate Bill 974 hasn’t moved since Sept. 15 and a resolution ending further consideration on HB 1510, was passed June 7 after this garbage crept into the public conscience.

Bathroom Bills Back In Pa As SB 1306 And SB 1307
Sen. Browne, let this man in the girls room!

So on June 10, SB 1306 and SB 1307 were introduced by Republican zealots that, like SB 974, would prohibit “sexual orientation, gender identity or expression” from discrimination in “public accommodations” like, well, public restrooms.

And school showers.

And school sports teams.

And it would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” to the protected classes making it difficult for businesses to fire or discipline those describing themselves as gay or transgendered or whatever.

The prime sponsor of both bills is Sen. Pat Browne, a Republican who represents the 16th District which is in Lehigh County, and who is also the prime sponsor of SB 974.

Brown is being strongly backed by former conservative hero Scott Wagner, a Republican who represents the 28th district which is York County.

SB 1307 adds to the law the phrasing Public policies, reflecting an open and welcoming environment and ensuring equal opportunity, foster economic growth and prosperity which benefit the inhabitants of this Commonwealth. Conversely, the absence of nondiscrimination protections hinder efforts to recruit and retain the diversity of talented individuals and successful enterprises required for a thriving economy and strong public sector on which the inhabitants of this Commonwealth depend.

Sen. Wagner, are you saying that if a guy wearing fishnet stockings comes to you asking to drive one of your trash trucks, there is policy that now prevents you from hiring him?

This is not true.

Bathroom Bills Back In Pa As SB 1306 And SB 1307
Sen. Wagner, let this man drive your trash truck!

The only thing Senator that would now prevent you from hiring such a man is your own prejudices. Please don’t project them on to the rest of us.

Protected classes do not foster economic growth and prosperity. They hurt economic growth and prosperity. The goal should not be to expand them but to eliminate them.

A discussion of Wagner’s and Browne’s bizarre crusade can be found on this archived broadcast of It’s A New Day 1180 AM WFYL below:

Bathroom Bills Back In Pa As SB 1306 And SB 1307

 

 

 

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms — An email has been forwarded to us from Pennsylvania State Sen. Scott Wagner (R-28) in which he doubles down in support of legislation which most feel will mandate opening traditional private places for females in schools and businesses to males claiming to be women.

The bill is SB 974 i.e. The Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which has remained stuck — hopefully permanently — in The State Government committee since being introduced Sept. 8.

Sister legislation HB 1510 remains similarly and thankfully entangled in the House.

Wagner in his missive correctly notes that the bills were introduced before the open ladies room controversy happened and insists it won’t change anything with regard to state law.

That’s naive. Just because Wagner couldn’t see what was coming doesn’t mean the powerful interests who lobbied for the bill didn’t. And how, exactly, does a bill “prohibiting discrimination against LGBT individuals as it relates to . . . public accommodations” exempt public restrooms?

And school locker rooms?

Sports teams?

Most troubling, though, is that Wagner, who has generally championed the needs of business, supported SB 974 knowing full-well it expanded “protected classes“.

Being in a protected class does not help one find employment. Just consider the employment rates for those in a “protected class” verses those who aren’t.

This is not due to bigotry. This is due to self preservation. A small business-owner will bend over backwards to avoid hiring a person from a “protected class” because it is exponentially harder to fire one in that class if that person turns out to be a bad employee.

Now, if one has a company that has grown big enough to have its own HR department fully able to keep up with the latest in employment law and do the appropriate record keeping of employee failings some of the risk is mitigated but if one is part of a three-man LLC and has to do the hiring and firing face to face along with a thousand other things, this is the type of government interference that causes ulcers.

As someone who has run a business and who has hired gays knowing full well they were gay  — really, Scott where do you think gays are more inclined to seek employment, journalism/advertising or trash collection? — employee sex lives are not an issue for the vast majority of business owners. Show up on time and meet deadlines. Everyone is happy. Special protection does not help anybody yet probably hurts everyone.

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms
Senator Special Snowflake?

And one more thing Senator. The “special snowflake” stuff does not become you. If you think you are being “bullied” or “intimidated” when angry constituents contact you, you probably should stick to trash collection.

Here is Sen. Wagner’s email:

Over the past several months, my office has received hundreds of phone calls and emails regarding my co-sponsorship of SB 974, The Pennsylvania Fairness Act. This legislation would add sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, effectively prohibiting discrimination against LGBT individuals as it relates to employment, housing, and public accommodations.
I have been asked to remove my name as a co-sponsor of SB 974 because of recent events in the news related to how bathrooms are dealt with in other states, as well as President Obama’s recent directive regarding schools and Title IX funding.

Let me be very clear – I will not be removing my name from this legislation. Allow me to explain why.

As an employer and a Pennsylvanian, I believe that everyone should be treated fairly and with dignity.

As an employer, I do not care what your sexual preference is as long as you perform at or beyond the required expectations of your job. The fact remains that without this legislation there are a group of citizens that can legally be fired or overlooked because of their sexual orientation instead of their job performance. This is a step in the right direction to ensure workers are not being discriminated against.

This is why I put my name on this legislation, and this is what I will continue to work toward. The fact that attempts have been made to intimidate me and other supporters of SB 974 to try to get us to remove our co-sponsorships of this legislation and are trying to change the conversation to make it about men in women’s bathrooms should not deter us from our goal.

Cities all across Pennsylvania have had ordinances similar to SB 974 for well over 20 years without a single issue as it relates to bathrooms. From a very practical perspective, SB 974 changes absolutely nothing about the way that bathrooms are dealt with, in spite of claims to the contrary that are full of legalese and references to court decisions from states with laws that are very different from Pennsylvania’s.

I believe that it is critical that we find a way to treat LGBT people with the dignity and fairness that they deserve – that we all deserve. I am equally committed to work with concerned groups to find ways to improve the legislation. If there are valid concerns related to individuals with deeply held religious convictions, we should work to fix them. If there are real, concrete concerns with the way that bathrooms will be handled, we should listen.

What we should not do, however, is completely abandon all efforts to gain fairness for the LGBT community. What we should not do is use fear as a tool to attempt to bully legislators into just giving up on this important issue.

Those of you that know me, know this – I will not be bullied.

I encourage those of you with serious concerns about this legislation to continue to contact me so that we can continue our work on this issue. My staff and I have spent a great deal of time with interest groups on both sides of this issue attempting to find a way to accomplish everyone’s goals, and we will continue to do so.

I know that fellow Pennsylvanians share my commitment to make our great Commonwealth a state that is open and welcoming to everyone, whether that means changing our Human Relations Act or addressing our oppressive tax and regulatory systems.

I appreciate your support, and look forward to continuing the effort to create a better Pennsylvania with everyone.

Wagner Doubles Down On Open Ladies Rooms

 

 

 

Barack Bathroom Push Backed By Pa Bills

Barack Bathroom Push Backed By Pa BillsBarack Bathroom Push Backed By Pa Bills — Donna Ellingsen has let us know that Barack Obama’s national boys-in-the-girls-room public school policy can only become law if the Pennsylvania legislature lets it happen, which some in Harrisburg are trying to make so with HB 1510 and SB 974.

She has forwarded us a letter from Pennsylvania Family Council which notes that President Obama’s bathroom bullying directive is not an executive order. It is not an administrative regulation. This has no force of law or legal authority behind it, but asks schools to voluntarily throw away every student’s right to bodily privacy and threatens to remove Title IX funding if they do not.

Donna points out that federal funding provides about 10 percent of Pennsylvania public school budgets but that money comes with a lot of  strings attached — besides letting boys into the girls room.

The Pennsylvania taxpayer would likely be far better off rejecting all the money and the mandates that come along with it.

Kudos Donna for bringing this up.

By the way, Delaware County’s James Santora (163rd) is among the few Republicans sponsoring HB 1510.

And regarding SB 974, while it is also overwhelmingly sponsored by Democrats, the prime sponsor is Lehigh County Republican Pat Browne (16).

What’s up with that Pat?

Yes, we know Scott Wagner’s (R-28) name is on it too.

What’s up with that Scott?

Barack Bathroom Push Backed By Pa Bills

Pennsylvania Bathroom Bills

Pennsylvania Bathroom BillsPennsylvania Bathroom Bills — A pair of very stupid bills were introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature last fall that would give emotionally disturbed males legal access to all public women’s rooms.

SB 974 has been sitting in the Senate’s State Government Committee since Sept. 8, as has HB 1510 in the House counterpart.

Biology is reality. Other people’s feelings matter. If a person born a male — which means he is a male — is uncomfortable using a man’s restroom he has an emotional issue and you can feel sorry for him. One has to recognize, however, that women have feelings too and most — the overwhelming majority we suspect — would feel very uncomfortable about him entering their private space.

And this is leaving aside the impossibility of weeding out males who merely claim to identify as female to enter ladies rooms.

Target gave men by-right access to the ladies rooms at their stores and have found it to be very bad business.

Voting for these bills would be very bad politics.

And that means you too, Scott Wagner.

Pennsylvania Bathroom Bills