Libertarian Petitions Confiscated In Delco — In an exceedingly boneheaded move, Saturday evening (July 16), Delaware County Park Police stopped Libertarians from circulating petitions for 7th District congressional candidate Patrick Henry Sellers in the county’s Rose Tree Park in Upper Providence. Police confiscated the petitions and later chased down the circulators with intent to cite them for disorderly conduct.
“I was asked to leave the park and complied,” said Dale Kerns. “I went to (the nearby) Wawa. After leaving Wawa on 252 by the Route 1 bypass, the Park Police pulled me over outside their jurisdiction on Route 1 heading toward the Blue Route.”
The encounter shortly before 8 p.m. was recorded by Kerns. One of the officers says the action was taken at the behest of County Council member Mario Civera just after explaining why the citation is being issued.
Tough break, kid. You are young and there are many other police departments in the nation.
Solicitation is prohibited in county parks albeit this is generally understood to be for commercial matters and not for things like collecting signatures for candidate petitions.
Regardless, that the petitions were confiscated is drastically overstepping all reasonable bounds of law enforcement.
At least American law enforcement.
Kerns says that police ultimately decided not to file the criminal citations but they have yet to return his petitions with the names he collected.
He says he has been in contact with a civil rights attorney.
Among those with whom Sellers will be contending this fall — assuming he gets enough signatures to get on the ballot — will be GOP incumbent Pat Meehan.
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.
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.
The irresponsible budget passed by the General Assembly became law without the Governor’s signature early Tuesday morning (July 12). Because spending exceeds revenue projections, the budget was not balanced. Pennsylvania’s constitution requires a balanced budget. The imbalance was corrected, at taxpayers’ expense, on Wednesday.
On a somewhat positive note, the increased taxes on heating bills was not part of the tax increase. However, there was a lot not to like about the legislation. To satisfy the General Assembly’s insatiable need for spending increases, taxes were raised on tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and digital downloads (music, movies, apps, etc.) among other things. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a full list of the tax increases and sources of additional revenue.
Here are the roll call votes for the House and Senate.
Ed Notes: Of the 31 Republicans in the 50-member Pennsylvania Senate, 17 voted against the tax hikes including Delaware County Republicans Tom McGarrigle (R-26) and Tom Killion (R-9). Andy Dinniman of the 19th District was the only Democrat to vote against the bill. Kudos to them.
Of the 118 Republicans in the 203-member State House, 54 voted for the bill including Delaware County Republicans Bill Adolph (165), Steve Barrar (160), Nick Miccarelli (R-162) and James Santora (R-163). Republican Chris Quinn, who won a special election, July 12, to fill the 168th District seat vacated by Killion for his Senate run, did not vote as he had not yet been sworn in. Of the 84 House Democrats, 11 voted against the bill including, believe it or not, Delaware County Democrat Leanne Krueger-Braneky (D-161). Mr. Conservative Steve Barrar, mull that one around.
The orginal name for the Amazon River was Rio de Orellana coming from Francisco de Orellana, the first guy to sail its length and he did it from west to east mind you.
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 7-13-16 Rio de Orellana
Father Joseph Szupa R.I.P. — The Very Reverend Joseph T. Szupa, 51, suddenly fell asleep in the Lord, Sunday, July 10. He had just concluded the 11 a.m. Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia, where he served as rector since July 1, 2015.
Father Szupa, a native of Chester, PA, was one of five children born to the late Andrij and Eva (nee Hrebinec) Szupa on May 12, 1965.
He received his elementary education at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic School, Chester, PA; in the fall of 1979 he entered St. Basil Preparatory School in Stamford, CT. After graduation in 1983, and sensing a call to the priesthood, he enrolled in St. Basil’s College Seminary to prepare for ordination.
He completed his undergraduate studies at The Catholic University of America where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy while a seminarian at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary, Washington, D.C. He continued his matriculation at The Catholic University of America and was awarded a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree and completed the program of priestly formation at St. Josaphats Seminary.
On Sept. 20, 1992, Father Joseph was ordained a priest in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception by Metropolitan-Archbishop Stephen Sulyk. The newly-ordained Father Szupa celebrated his Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving in his home parish, Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church, Chester, PA.
After ordination, Father Joseph was assigned parochial vicar of the Cathedral parish and also served at St. Andrew in Philadelphia. He also served the faithful in the following New Jersey parishes: St. Nicholas, Passaic; St. Nicholas, Rutherford; St. Vladimir, Elizabeth; and Immaculate Conception, Hillside.
He held the following archieparchial positions: chancellor, member of the college of consultors, member of the archieparchial corporation, member of the presbyteral council, member of the finance council, protopresbyter of the New Jersey deanery, advocate in the tribunal. He also was secretary of the Board of Directors of Ascension Manor, Inc.
Father Joseph is survived by brother Stephen Szupa of Woodlyn, PA, sister Joanne Balandiak and her husband, Peter of Woodlyn, PA; nieces Dawn Marie Mastella, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Szupa, Dana Marie Gaffney; and nephews Kristopher Michael Szupa, and Andrij J. Balandiak. Father Joe is also survived by four great-nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers Michael and Peter.
