News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
Kerry Wendell Thornley was a hippie who is best known for founding a rather nihilistic religion called Discordianism. He also served in the Marines and was an author whose first book was called The Idle Warriors. The protagonist was a fellow who served with him in his radar unit and later defected to the Soviet Union.
The fellow’s real-life name was Lee Harvey Oswald. The book was completed in February 1962, which was 21 months before Oswald became really famous.
Petty Wolf Punishes Opponents For Doing Job
By Sen. Scott Wagner
Last Wednesday, Nov. 16, the Pennsylvania Senate had one session day in which Senate Leadership for the next legislature session was elected and several bills were considered. One bill that caught my attention was House Bill 2375 which would have amended the Unemployment Compensation Law to provide up to $57.5 million in funding to the Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund (SIIF) in calendar year 2017.
The bill clarified that money may be used for technological upgrades to the delivery system for unemployment compensation benefits. A lively discussion took place in the Senate Republican Caucus at which point I learned that four years ago the legislature approved $60 million per year for four years to upgrade the delivery system (computer hardware and software).
Wait a minute – the legislature authorized $60 million a year for four years which ends on Dec. 31. Over four years the Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) was given $240 million and now they want another $57.5 million? I have had enough of zero accountability in Harrisburg. Why wasn’t the project completed on time and why was the Senate expected to vote to give L&I another $57.5 million at the eleventh hour?
Later that afternoon, after the Senate did not vote to give L&I the additional $57.5 million dollars, Governor Wolf issued a press release that he was angered by the Senate’s failure to vote and approve this funding and that call centers may close. Over the next two days, Thursday and Friday, Governor Wolf stated that call centers will close around the state because of the funding issue. Not a surprise to me, Governor Wolf has selected to close call centers that are all in Republican Senate Districts.
In the private sector people would lose their jobs if $240 million was spent to upgrade a system and then four years later it was still not completed. A good place to start would be to fire the Secretary of Labor and Industry and the managers who failed to deliver the final product. And who does the Secretary of Labor and Industry report to? Governor Wolf.
Why aren’t people being held accountable in Harrisburg?
In 2018, taxpayers of Pennsylvania get to hold Governor Wolf accountable and elect him out of office.
This is another great example of abuse of taxpayer funds, lack of leadership from Gov. Wolf and his unwillingness to hold people accountable. I have had enough.
I have been in Harrisburg since April 2014 and I have witnessed first-hand the financial games being played by Gov. Wolf and his Administration. Trust me when I tell you this, Gov. Wolf and his Budget Secretary know where to find money to continue to fund the call centers.
Gov. Wolf did not have a problem finding money this past August to give almost 30,000 state employees wage increases of almost 12 percent over a 27 month period – based on my calculation these wage increases total over $150 million and were not part of the 2016-17 budget. I serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee and we were not informed of these increased wage costs.
I was elected by voters in the 28th Senate District to do my job – the pension crisis has not been solved, school property taxes continue to increase, roads and bridges are crumbling, and we have the highest state gas tax in the nation – it is time we hold Harrisburg accountable which starts in the Governor’s office.
Stay tuned and watch how Governor Wolf grandstands and turns this issue into a political issue resulting in closing call centers and using state employees as hostages.
Sen. Wagner represents the 28th District in the Pennsylvania Senate.
Pennsylvania Elector Faces Orchestrated Pressure — Carolyn Bunny Welsh, who is Chester County sheriff and one of Pennsylvania’s 20 electors for Donald Trump and Mike Pence, is getting swamped with letters, emails and phone calls demanding she not vote for the victorious Republican ticket.
The demands are coming to her home and office, and to her personal and business accounts.
She has received thousands over the last three days and she no longer even bothers checking her voice mail.
“It’s harassment,” she said. She had to assign an assistant to specifically deal with the onslaught until Chester County’s I.T. staff developed new filters.
She says most of the messages asked that she vote for Hillary Clinton although many merely wanted her to abstain or vote for another person.
She said the messages are clearly orchestrated. One sender even inadvertently included a form to follow.
She said the messages started as trickle on Wednesday and then exploded.
She said that none she received could be construed as threats and most were generally respectful. She said some implied, though, she’d be a racist or misogynist for voting for Trump.
She said many claimed to be minorities or gays and begged to be protected from Trump.
The plan is to keep Trump from getting the 270 electoral votes need to take office.
It is not going to work.
“I don’t get it,” she said. “What do they expect to accomplish?”
Pennsylvania is one of 21 states whose electors are not bound by law, so the Keystone contingent can expect the spamming to continue until Trump and Pence officially become president and vice president when the Electoral College votes on Dec. 19.
“It’s normally just a ceremonial thing and a great honor,” she said.
There has been more than one London Bridge. The famous one was completed in 1209 and closed in 1832. It was the only bridge over the Thames for most of that time and had houses on it. The bridge that replaced it was closed in 1968 and moved to America where it spans a canal in Lake Havasu City, Az. The newest London Bridge opened in 1971.
Many European public restrooms in Europe have blue lighting. Why? Blue veins can’t be seen in blue lighting. This discourages druggies from using them to shoot up.
Tallis, Victoria Featured Sunday By Delco Symphony
By Joseph B. Dychala
The second chamber series concert of the Delaware County Symphony is this Sunday, Nov 20, at 3 p.m. in the Meagher Theater in the Bruder Life Center at Neumann University in Aston, Pa..
The program begins with selections from Tomas Victoria and Thomas Tallis followed by a selection featuring the DCS Brass Ensemble. Next on the program will be a Cello Concerto from Vivaldi then chamber series director Robert Whalen performs on timpani. The concert concludes with Beethoven’s “Ghost” Trio featuring Arnold Ostroff on piano.
Tickets are $12 for adults. Presenting a Delaware County or Montgomery County Library card the day of the show allows the purchase of two adult tickets for the price of one. As always, one child under 12 admitted free with an accompanying paid adult. This is an excellent way to bring the classics to a new generation of listeners. The next full symphony concert entitled “Magical and Exotic” is Dec 4 and features selections from Mozart, Leibermann, Respighi and Borodin.
Tucker Carlson Demolishes Jonathan Allen — The times they are a changin’. Tucker Carlson left Roll Call columnist Jonathan Allen literally red faced with shame after an interview, yesterday, Nov. 18, on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
Allen smeared Sen. Jeff Sessions, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, as racist in an innuendo-filled but fact-free column. 
Carlson repeatedly asked for specifics leaving the hapless swamp-dwelling hack sputtering in helplessness.
It was beautiful to watch and one can see it below. Carlson’s show airs 7 weeknights on Fox News Channel.
Wyatt Earp was not the marshal when the gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurred. He was just a deputy. The marshal was his brother Virgil.
Delco Higher Tax Burden Than Philly — Delaware County residents have a higher tax burden than those living in Philadelphia according to a study by Pew Charitable Trust.
Pew says that a middle class Delco resident paid 14 percent of his or her income — $8,557 on average — in sales, property and income taxes in 2015.
And that’s assuming one did not work in the city. For commuters, the bite was 19 percent or 11,661.
The 2015 tax burden for middle class Philly residents was 12 percent or an average of $7,704.
This is a huge change from Y2K, when the cost for a middle class Delco non-commuter was about 12 percent of income which averaged about $1,184 less than a Philadelphian.
We suspect the main reason for the change is increasing educational expenses in the burbs.
Springfield does not need a $130 million new high school.
Executing a murderer is homicide. Really. Homicide means any killing of a human by another. Some homicide is justifiable. Murder never is. One might even be executed for it.