Fishermen in the Atlantic are still injured by dredging mustard gas canisters dumped after the various wars.
Opioid War Won’t Stop Epidemic
Opioid War Won’t Stop Epidemic
By Dale Kerns
President Trump, a few weeks ago, you addressed the opioid epidemic, which has gripped the country in recent years. In officially declaring the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, you took the important first step toward fixing this problem.
However, even more important is how we move forward in operating in the midst of this emergency. We have already tried treating the issue as a criminal one. Over the last 40 years, our nation has spent well over $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars on the War on Drugs as our federal prison population has increased by nearly 800 percent.
If one wishes to know the effectiveness of these policies, they need only learn that in spite of these strong steps, the United States remains the number 1 country in the world in illegal drug use.
With this “tough on crime” approach clearly failing, an alternative has emerged treat drug users not as criminals, but rather as human beings. In Portugal they decided to take this path less traveled in 2001. Once ravaged by chaos and disarray due to the drug trade, the country’s incidences of use and addiction has plummeted. Overdose deaths of adults are now the second lowest in the entire European Union, with 3 annually for every 1 million citizens.
Switzerland has embraced medical treatment for heroin addicts. The Swiss have experienced incredible results with their heroin-assisted treatment program, which began in 1994. The Swiss treat roughly 1,300 addicts with maintenance doses of heroin via more than 20 clinics. Perhaps the most incredible statistic, since the program’s inception there has not been a single occurrence of overdose in any of the clinics.
My own family has had a brush with the real-world ramifications of the failures of the current War on Drugs. Two years ago, we lost my cousin Dan. He had been a drug user, and when he needed help the most, the government ex- tended not a helping hand, but an iron fist. Thrown in jail, he never got the necessary treatment to help him kick his addiction.
Addiction is not a crime, and it shouldn’t be treated like one. If my family had been given the opportunity to help Dan, things could have turned out differently. It may be too late for him, but it is not too late to help the millions like him who suffer every day from the current Drug War.
In 1990, one leading business voice eloquently explained a path to winning the War on Drugs. He asserted, “You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.” That same business leader stated that by taking the drug trade out of the shadows, profits could then be used to educate the public about the “dangers of drugs,” rather than wasting that money on incarceration.
Mr. President, do you remember speaking these words? Your words could not have been more right then, and now you have the opportunity to prove yourself correct and enact this policy 27 years later. By taking the steps I’ve outlined in my “Addiction is Not a Crime” bill, I’m confident that we can work together to bring an end to the scourges that are drug addiction and the War on Drugs.
Dale Kerns is the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.
Opioid War Won’t Stop Epidemic
Swamp Thing Attack SOP On Judge Moore
Swamp Thing Attack SOP On Judge Moore — Allegations that Alabama Judge Roy Moore sought to creepily date teenage girls 38 years ago are being trumpeted by noted swamp mouthpiece and gay activist The Washington Post.
If you believe what the Post claims, we have some troubled assets to sell you.
Moore is the Republican nominee for the open Alabama U.S. Senate seat and the election is Dec. 12.
Moore has vociferously denied the claims. Why do we unquestionably accept his denials?
Leaving aside that he has been a controversial public figure for two decades and was long a highly desired trophy by the anti-religious left hence ripe for such a take-down, we have adopted the principle that any allegation made a month before an election against an anti-swamp candidate is false.
We remember Curt Weldon’s persecution by the Justice Department — the George (Swamp Can’t Be Spelled Without Dubya) Bush Justice Department — in 2006. The allegations made three weeks before the election turned out unfounded but the damage was done and he lost.
We remember Alaska Senator Ted Stevens July 2008 indictment and his trial three months later which resulted in his conviction one week before the Nov. 4 election. It was later revealed that FBI agents conspired to withhold and conceal evidence and the verdict was overturned. No matter. He lost the election by 3,724 votes to swamp-loving Democrat Mark Begich.
We remember the press conference by a Hillary swamp minion in October 2016 where several women came forward accusing Donald Trump of sexual harassment. Several of the allegations were easily debunked and none was ever established.
Most troubling, though, was a claim not made against a candidate but the economy. In September 2008, the swamp media was screaming the economy was going to collapse and we were all going to starve unless the big banks were bailed out IMMEDIATELY. On Oct. 3, with Republican John McCain ahead in the polls, President George (Swamp Can’t Be Spelled Without Dubya) Bush signed into law a bill giving the banks, along with Wall Street money men like Goldman Sachs, $700 billion of our money to save them from the stupid decisions they had been allowed to make during the Bush and Clinton years.
We don’t necessarily think it was to keep McCain out of the White House, albeit he would have been less of a tool than Obama. Without the pressure of a presidential election, however, and with discussion and debate we don’t think Goldman Sachs and the banks would have gotten our money.
The repercussions of this disaster remain with us.
So stay in the fight Judge Moore and may you win.
Swamp Thing Attack SOP On Judge Moore
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 11-9-17
Not-so-macho songwriter Cole Porter served in the French Foreign Legion. Well, he says he did and the French Foreign Legion says he did so who are we to say otherwise?
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 11-9-17
Chesco Bucks Republican Disasters
Chesco Bucks Republican Disasters — We reported how Democrats won in Delaware County on Tuesday but it’s worth noting that one-time Republican machines were whipped in Chester and Bucks counties as well.
In Chesco, there was not a single state-wide or county victory. Every line office fell. Way to go Val.
Oh, and the ballot question giving the option to end school property tax was overwhelmingly dominated in the county by the special-interest dissenters with (unofficially) 55,444 no votes to 39,534 yes ones.
In Bucks, Democrats won sheriff, recorder of deeds, prothonotary, and county controller but the GOP won the district attorney race, and most Bucks voters chose Republicans Sallie Mundy (Supreme Court) Christine Fizzano Cannon (Commonwealth Court) and Craig Stedman (Superior Court) for the bench.
Bucks voters also voted against the ballot question 49,265 to 40,532.
I don’t think these Democrat gains are a particularly good thing. The Democrat Party is a cult run by wolves and populated by exceedingly obedient — and stupid — sheep.
But I’m not overly sad either. The GOP has controlled both house of the General Assembly since the start of the Millennium along with the governor’s office for six of those years, and the insidious banal corruption that burdens all our lives remains unaddressed. State (our) money continues to flow to institutions whose administrators make $3 million salaries. Public guaranteed pensions — that means working familes are on the hook — continue to spiral out of control with one person getting $477,591 for a life of leisure.
Teacher strikes remain legal. Tell us again why some are allowed to harm or threaten to harm children for money. Withholding education is obviously harming a child.
Public work projects continue to be inflated by 20 percent. That means, Springfield, that you are paying $30 million more for your new high school than you would otherwise. Why haven’t you made an issue of this Alex Charlton? Tom McGarrigle? Andy Reilly?
And Alex and Tom, how about legislative salaries? You really need $85,338.65, Alex?
Tom, of course, as senator gets $197.35 more.
And that doesn’t count per diems and other benefits.
Maybe it’s unfair to take out our ire on some poor prothonotary or sheriff but we the people are really getting sick of this.
Just sayin’.
Chesco Bucks Republican Disasters
MI2 William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 11-8-17
MI6 is famed as the place where James Bond and George Smiley worked, and most have heard of Britain’s MI5 which is the agency responsible for counter-intelligence. So what was MI2? That was the department tasked with spying on the United States.
MI stands for military intelligence and came about during World War I as to describe the departments of the Directorate of Military Intelligence which was part of the British War Office. There were a total of 21 of them. MI4 handled maps, for instance.
There was a reorganization in 1965 and only MI5 and MI6 remain as terms in use and only because of popular culture.
MI2 William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 11-8-17
Rich Zeoli Hosts Honor Flight Nov. 10
Rich Zeoli Hosts Honor Flight Nov. 10 — Honor Flight Philadelphia will be Rich Zeoli’s guest during a live broadcast Nov. 10 from the Porch at the Lamb in Springfield.
Zeoli’s s show airs 3 to 6 p.m. on 1210 AM WPHT.
The restaurant is at 856 W. Springfield Road Springfield, PA 19064.
Stop by to say a few words about Honor Flight Philadelphia, meet Rich Zeoli, pick up memorabilia and have a meal. Veterans will receive a discount.
Honor Flight is a national non-profit organization founded in 2005 to give aging or terminally ill veterans a day of honor in Washington D.C.
There is no cost to the veterans.
The Philadelphia hub was started in 2011 by Springfield resident Andrew Schiavello.
Rich Zeoli Hosts Honor Flight Nov. 10
Dems Win Delco Council Seats
Dems Win Delco Council Seats — Tonight was not the GOP’s night. Democrats won two seats on Delaware County Council, along with all of the line offices.
To our recollection no Democrat has served on the council since it went to a five-person board four decades ago.
As of 11:45 p.m., Republicans Dave White and John J. Perfetti had 58,712 and 58,454 votes respectively as per the county website with Dems Brian Zidek and Kevin Madden at 60,657 and 61,695.
Libertarian Edward Clifford had 2,040 votes and arguably played the spoiler for at least one seat albeit arguably not as Dems did better in the races without a Libertarian candidate.
Jerry Sanders was beating Mary McFall Hopper for sheriff 61,846 to 58,435 with Libertarian Mathew Wallace getting 2,818 votes.
Joanne Phillips was beating Robert W. Kane for County Controller 64,357 to 58,938 and Mary Walk was beating Beth Naughton-Beck for Register of Wills 62,979 to 57,504. No Libertarian help was needed.
One GOP bright spot was Jack Whelan apparent victory in the Common Pleas Court race. He has beaten Kelly Eckel 63,175 to 61,415 according to the unofficial numbers.
There are GOP bright spots at the state level too.
Sallie Mundy appears to have won election to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ahead of Dwayne D. Woodruff 1,039,470 to 946,363 as of 11:54 p.m.
Ms. Mundy ran as an unapologetic conservative proudly displaying endorsements from the NRA and Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation on her web page.
Also, Christine Fizzano Cannon appears to be the top vote-getter in the Commonwealth Court race as of this writing with 893,973 votes. If the numbers hold she will join Democrat Ellen H. Ceisler on the bench, who appears to have the second highest total at 882,911.
In the race for Superior Court, the four top vote-getters appear to be Democrats Maria McLaughlin, 987,117; Deborah Anne Kunselman, 952,345; Carolyn H. Nichols, 893,489; and Republican Mary P. Murray, 841,035.
The referendum allowing school districts to end replace taxes on homes passed 924,989 to 782,922 according to unofficial figures.
All judges were retained.
Also Republican Margie Rovinski easily won election to the Springfield School Board beating Caitriona Mulholland 426 to 255.
Dems Win Delco Council Seats
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 11-7-17
The classic American travel song “I’ve Been Everywhere” was originally written Down Under using Australian locales. The first North American who had a hit with it was Canadian Hank Snow.
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 11-7-17
2017 Slavic Christmas Luncheon
Holy Myrrh-Bearers Parish will have its 2017 Slavic Christmas Luncheon, noon, Sunday, Dec. 3. It features traditional Eastern-European Christmas foods, basket raffles and a visit from St. Nick.
Seating is limited and tickets are going fast. Cost is $15 those over 12; $8 for children, 8-12; and free for children under 8. Call 610-544-1215 or email HMBChurch@verizon.net to order. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
Holy Myrrh-Bearers is at 900 Fairview Road, Swarthmore, Pa. 19081 (Ridley Township.)