Pennsylvanians May Photograph Public Records Says Open Records Office — The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, yesterday, Aug. 14, issued a decision — Muenz v. Township of Reserve — which holds that requesters can photograph public records which they asked to inspect.
Under the Right-to-Know Law, agencies cannot charge requesters who wish to use their own equipment, such as a smartphone, to photograph public records which they asked to inspect, the agency ruled.
Just something to know if a clerk gives one grief about being a curious citizen.
Argument for leaving things William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 8-15-23
Cx kn yanyjanm oxa fja rb xwn xo cqn vxbc noonlcren vnjwb xo yanbnaerwp ynjln.
Pnxapn Fjbqrwpcxw
Answer to yesterday’s William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit quote puzzle: The [classical] liberal argument is in favor of making the best possible use of the forces of competition as a means of coordinating human efforts, not an argument for leaving things just as they are.
Friedrich von Hayek
Illinois Joins California in Offering Police Jobs to Noncitizens
By Joe Guzzardi
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker caught up with California Gov. Gavin Newsom to see which of the Democratic leaders that oversee sanctuary states can do the most to accommodate their immigrant community at citizens’ expense.
Prior to Jan. 1, candidates for California police officers’ jobs were required to be either citizens or permanent residents to qualify. But a law Newsom signed, Senate Bill 960, opened law enforcement positions up to any California resident who possesses either a green card or a valid visa. The new law took effect January 1, 2023.
In July 2023, Pritzker signed HB3751, a bill similar to California’s, that will allow individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States to apply for the position of police officer, deputy sheriff or special policeman, subject to satisfying that job’s specified requirements. Illinois’ applicant pool would, like California’s, include deferred action for childhood arrival recipients (DACAs), lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and temporary protected status (TPS) holders.
Illinois has more than 35,000 DACAs and about 30,000 LPRs. By-state statistics on TPS are unavailable, but because that program has expanded dramatically since President Biden’s inauguration, it represents a significant total. Currently, 15 nations have been granted TPS, and if history is a guide, their status will never be revoked. Instead, the TPS designees’ list will grow longer. Pritzker’s folly will begin January 1, 2024.
Founded in 1915, the Illinois-based Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, strongly objected to HB3751. The group noted that police officers’ main function is to enforce the law and to ensure that people in their jurisdictions abide by all applicable laws. The union promised that it will “welcome these potential police recruits with open arms once their citizenship status is solidified, and look forward to the unique perspective they can bring to our profession.”
But the FOP asked what message does the legislation send when noncitizens become enforcers of our laws? “This is a potential crisis of confidence in law enforcement at a time when our officers need all of the public confidence they can get.” Making an important point that the FOP overlooked, Republican Illinois State Sen. Chapin Rose added: “It would be a ‘fundamental breach’ of democracy to allow noncitizens to arrest American citizens.”
Pritzker, in a half-truth-filled defense of his controversial legislation, said that about 20 years ago, post-9/11, Chicago and Illinois went on a hiring spree to safeguard against terrorist attacks. Those officers are now eligible for retirement and are leaving the force. Although Chicago’s crime rates are trending down this summer, they remain dangerously high. During a recent weekend, six people were shot and killed, and 27 others were wounded by gunfire, including innocent pedestrians.
Chicago’s police are increasingly frustrated by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s illogical limitations on their ability to carry out their duties. For example, officers can’t give chase to fleeing criminals because they’re suspected of having committed minor offenses. Under new Mayor Brandon Johnson, the road ahead for cops may be even rockier. Johnson promised during his campaign to eliminate Chicago’s gang database, a vital tool, and to redirect police funding to social services agencies. Johnson avoided using the phrase “defund the police,” but the end result will be the same. He also recently called events tantamount to riots just “large gatherings .”
If Newsom, Pritzker and Chicago’s administrators governed with more commonsense and less WOKENESS, Illinois and California wouldn’t have driven so many citizens out of those well-paid police jobs that include generous benefits packages. Often noncitizens’ backgrounds are murky; perhaps their ties to their homeland governments will outweigh their fealty to the U.S. If so, the bill put forth by Newsom and Pritzker will create long-term security risks.
Ice Cube And Bank Redlining — Tucker Carlson posted an excellent interview with Ice Cube on July 26 in which Cube said that among the issues facing the Black community was that it couldn’t get small business loans.
“There’s a big problem in this country with the financial banking system and Black people, and our access to capital,” said Cube (16:50).
He cited a guy who owned a lot in South Central Los Angeles and couldn’t get a loan to put up a store and implied redlining.
Maybe it is racism. Probably it is not. Banks don’t loan their own money. The money belongs to depositors and it is beyond irresponsible to unwisely risk it.
Not saying it doesn’t happen but it certainly is beyond irresponsible.
Here’s a suggestion and it’s a serious one. Cube obviously has a lot of disposable income. He, wisely, turned down a $9 million movie deal rather than tempt fate with Pfizer.
So, Cube, you make the loans. Scout out people in your community who have integrity and talent and dreams of doing business there, and underwrite them.
And these would be loans, not gifts or grants. You would make them sign a promissory note and put up collateral. You would charge interest.
Unlike a bank the money is yours so you don’t have to be a complete SOB if payment is slow. You don’t have to take someone’s home.
On the other hand, you can certainly do some shaming if the debtor isn’t trying or squandering what you loaned him.
If the problem is racism, that ironically is a good thing. That means there is a gold mine there.
Racism is irrational. If a hard-working skilled fellow with integrity is being rejected as an investment only because of his skin pigmentation, one will more than make his money back by giving him a loan.
And if a whole lot of hard-working skilled people with integrity aren’t getting serviced, the one who invests in them will make a whole lot of money back.
Whoever talks too much is detested William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 8-14-23
Bpm [ktiaaqkit] tqjmzit izocumvb qa qv nidwz wn uisqvo bpm jmab xwaaqjtm cam wn bpm nwzkma wn kwuxmbqbqwv ia i umiva wn kwwzlqvibqvo pcuiv mnnwzba, vwb iv izocumvb nwz tmidqvo bpqvoa rcab ia bpmg izm.
Nzqmlzqkp dwv Pigms
Answer to yesterday’s William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit quote puzzle: Whoever talks too much is detested, and whoever pretends to authority is hated.
Sirach 20:8
The Story Of The Assumption Of Mary — At the time of her death, so it is believed, the Mother of God was living in the house of Saint John on Mount Zion. The Twelve were preaching the Gospel in different parts of the world. But so they might see the Virgin once more before her death, all of them except Thomas were carried miraculously on clouds to the Holy City.
Besides the Twelve, the Apostle Paul, along with the bishops Dionysios the Aeropagite, Hierotheos and Timothy, were also present at her bedside.
As they stood around her, the Holy Virgin commended her spirit into the keep of her Son and God. He Himself descended from heaven and took her soul up with Him in His arms.
Led by Peter, the apostles sang funeral hymns in her honor, and carried her body down to the valley of Cedron close to Gethsemane, where she laid in a tomb especially prepared for her.
The Jews tried to interrupt the funeral processions, one of them even attempting to upset the bier. His hands were cut off by an angel, but he was subsequently healed.
Thomas arrived on the third day after the burial. Since he was anxious to look for a last time on the Theotokos, the apostles opened the tomb — and found it empty.
Without insisting on the literal truth of every element in this account, Easter tradition is clear and unwavering in regard to the central point: The Holy Virgin underwent, as did her Son, a physical death, but her body, like His, was afterwards raised from the dead and she was taken up into heaven, in her body as well as in her soul.
Choking him and making him carry me William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 8-13-23
Dovlcly ahsrz avv tbjo pz klalzalk, huk dovlcly wylalukz av hbaovypaf pz ohalk.
Zpyhjo
Answer to yesterday’s William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit quote puzzle: I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means – except by getting off his back.
Leo Tolstoy
