A Russian TV company remade every single episode of the ’90s sitcom Married With Children in Russian with a Russian cast. They called it Schastlivy Vmeste which means happy together. Shoe Betcha.
Altoona Call Center Was Most Efficient And Is Now Closed
Altoona Call Center Was Most Efficient And Is Now Closed
By Leo Knepper
In November, the Wolf administration announced that they would be laying off 600 employees from unemployment call centers across the state. The official line is that the layoffs were due to the Senate’s failure to pass legislation funding the call centers. On the surface that explanation makes sense. However, it becomes less likely when you consider that the Governor had redirected billions of dollars in state funding during the extended budget process in 2015. It is also an odd “coincidence” that four of the seven call centers selected for closure were in Republican Senatorial Districts.
When that coincidence was pointed out to the Department of Labor and Industry, their spokeswoman flatly denied that politics played any role in the selection process. According to the Patriot-News, Governor Wolf stated that the closure decisions were “”based on a series of variables, including performance, capacity, efficiency, and ability of the centers to handle increased call volume.” Now information has come out refuting those claims as well.
Last Friday, Senator John Eichelberger and Senator Scott Wagner visited the Altoona Call Center. He had some interesting thoughts on the visit:
“The Altoona Center is rated as the most efficient center with the lowest cost per call, they are the only office trained to handle a federal displaced workers program, and their building is one of two owned by the Commonwealth; the remainder of the Call Center buildings are leased. Most businesses would not close their most productive office, nor would they shut down an operation in a building they’re stuck with instead of closing one where they can get out of a lease. Some of the employees feel that after the layoff, claim filing will become severely backed up and take out their anger on state legislators. The real question is whether or not that is the strategy of the Wolf administration. If their plan is to inflict enough pain on people who just lost their jobs simply to leverage the House and Senate, that smacks of the “Bridgegate” charges in New Jersey.” (Emphasis added)
The New Jersey Bridgegate scandal involved Governor Christie’s staff closing lanes of a local bridge to punish his political opponents. Considering how much heartburn some Republicans in the General Assembly are causing Governor Wolf, there are certainly some interesting parallels to the closure of the call centers and the Bridgegate Scandal in New Jersey. Senator Wagner and the Senate have submitted right-to-know requests for communications related to the closures and we’ll be curious to see what they find.
Mr. Knepper is executive director of Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania.
Altoona Call Center Was Most Efficient And Is Now Closed
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-19-16
Prisoners have a lot of time on their hands. That is one explanation of why so many novels are written in jail cells. Name one? Okay. Cervantes was doing time when he started writing “Don Quixote.”
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-19-16
Lawrence Tabas Announces Bid For Pa GOP Chairman
Respected attorney Lawrence Tabas has announced his candidacy for chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
Thank God.
The leading alternative is Chesco GOP Chairman Val DiGiorgio, whose incompetency has weakened that once-powerful county organization. He has demoralized the most dedicated Republicans — many of whom now consider themselves former Republicans — for go-along/get-along-toe-the-party-line-at-all-cost types.
What is especially damning is that he did not even bother to try to win over dissenters but launched what could fairly be called a purge. That is the very definition of bad leadership.
And let us not forget his incestuous relationship with big-wheel Democrats and his employment with the state’s leading light of special interest.
A DiGiorgio chairmanship could very well be the end of the Pennsylvania Republican Party.
Tabas is general counsel of the state Republican Party. Even those he beats in court respect him. He has been a Republican activist for 38 years and has worked with candidates at every level.
And he knows what the job of party chairman is.
“Our mission will be to build a grassroots party that has 67 county parties that are stronger than the year before,” he said in the announcement of his candidacy. “In the next four years, we must achieve the following: win the Governor’s office; win an additional U.S. Senate seat; keep and expand our Congressional, State Senate, and State House majorities; win the row offices and judicial races; and re-elect Donald Trump and Mike Pence. “
He has pledged not to take a salary or do lobbying while chairman.
“I will serve as a volunteer Chairman and will not accept any legal work from the State Committee or any other Republican committees.. I have not been, nor will I be, a registered lobbyist, using my position for personal or professional benefit,” he said. “I also will go a step further and fully disclose all the state committee business to our membership so there are no conflicts of interest. I will be accountable to you by visiting all 67 counties every year.”
Top that Val, LOL.
Lawrence Tabas Announces Bid For Pa GOP Chairman
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-17-16
Terry Gilliam, that icon of British humor, is not English. He was born in Minneapolis.
Bob Hope, on the other hand, was born in London.
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-17-16
Gun Rights Equal Voting Rights, Sen. Toomey
Gun Rights Equal Voting Rights, Sen. Toomey — With the election safely over and a another six-year term guaranteed, Sen. Pat Toomey has returned to gun grabbing.
“Four years ago, 20 young children and six school employees were shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School,” the Pennsylvania Republican said in a statement Dec. 14. “It was a terrible day for our country, and meeting some of the families of the victims was one of the most moving moments in my Senate career. These senseless killings also inspired me to work across the aisle on common sense gun safety legislation that upholds the Second Amendment while also making it harder for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to purchase a firearm. I remain committed to this cause and look forward to working with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) again next Congress on our background check proposal.”
OK, let’s be charitable. Maybe he really just wants to stop senseless killings and not take from average citizens the constitutional right to the means to defend themselves from cruel aggressors which is what politicians usually mean when they talk about “sensible” gun regulations.
So here is our suggestion for Sen. Toomey, a litmus test if you will, for his “common sense” gun safety legislation: Equate gun rights with voting rights.
This means put in your bill that the criminals and mentally ill who should not be allowed to own guns should not be allowed to vote.
We dare you.
Gun Rights Equal Voting Rights, Sen. Toomey
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-16-16
Yes Virgil, the O.K. in the O.K. Corral stands for Old Kindersley. Why was it called Old Kindersley? Don’t know.
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-16-16
Gale Loudly Objects To 2nd Consecutive Montco Tax Hike
Gale Loudly Objects To 2nd Consecutive Montco Tax Hike — Montgomery County, yesterday, Dec.15, approved a budget calling for an 11 percent tax hike over the strong objections of Commissioner Joe Gale who is the mandated minority Republican.
The hit to the citizens was even greater than last year’s 9.87 percent tax hike.
Yes, the budget includes a new tax category dedicated to fund Montgomery County Community College.
Montco will spend $409 million in 2017 which is $18 million more than this year. The average home owner will pay $66 more.
Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh called Gale “irresponsible” for daring to object to the budget, while Commissioner Josh Shapiro — who will be Pennsylvania’s next attorney general — said failing to pass the hefty tax increase would require the county to cut (county) jobs, funding for the community college and reduce pension payments.
Gale responded by outlining $7 million in cuts that would eliminate few jobs, keep spending to this year’s level and eliminate some contracts with favored consultants leaving the majority red-faced.
They passed the budget anyway, however.
The people of Montco are not stupid. Someone in government that is not a quiet lapdog but loudly warning the people of what is being taken from them could actually cause a change in power.
That would be nice.
Gale Loudly Objects To 2nd Consecutive Montco Tax Hike
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-15-16
Top baby name — Worried about America becoming Hispanic? The most popular boy’s name for newborns in New Mexico in 1910 was Jose. Last year, it was Noah as it was in nine other states including California and Texas.
It’s Irishization that must be feared. Liam was the most popular baby name for boys in 14 states in 2015 including New York and Florida.
Liam, of course, is just another way of saying William which was the most popular name 11 states including most of the Deep South.
Oliver is tops in Washington, South Dakota and Wisconsin; Mason leads in Pennsylvania and Delaware; and Henry in Minnesota and Nebraska. New Hampshire prefers Jackson, Oklahoma, Elijah, and Massachusetts, Benjamin.
Top baby name William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-15-16
Detroit Vote Fraud Indication
Detroit Vote Fraud Indication — Detroit News reports that a third of Detroit precincts registered more votes than people who voted.
This is a pretty good indication of vote fraud.
Donald Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes or about .2 percent. The revelation regarding the Motor City — which overwhelmingly went for Hillary Clinton as big cities are wont — means that Trump’s margin of victory was likely much higher.
Considering the obvious voting by those here illegally, and reports of major vote fraud in Nevada – a state that Trump lost where he was actually ahead in the polls — cleaning up our election system must be a priority now that Republicans are holding the reins in most places.
In Pennsylvania, poll watchers should be certified on a state-wide basis and allowed access to any precinct of their choosing, which is not the case now.
Independents and minor party representatives should also be allowed easy certification for poll watching.
Data should be shared nationally regarding registration, and criminal penalties imposed for those registered in more than one location. Bummer, Swarthmore College kids.
And yes, when one registers to vote it should be confirmed that that person is a citizen.
Allowing someone to vote illegally is every bit a violation on civil rights as keeping someone from voting. It’s bizarre that some fail to comprehend this.
Detroit Vote Fraud Indication