How much beer is drank in Ireland? A lot. About 26 gallons per person per year. Only the Czech Republic, Austria, German, Estonia and Poland drink more per capita. 
Beer includes ale here.
Partisan Democrats Hurt Children
Partisan Democrats Hurt Children
By Sen. Scott Wagner
This is an update on the latest budget vote in the Pennsylvania Senate that occurred yesterday (March 16) at approximately 2 p.m.
The words swirling around in my head as I write this email are – upset, angry, disgusted, disappointed and irresponsible, for starters.
The State Senate voted on House Bill 1801 yesterday – HB 1801 is a supplemental appropriation bill for the 2015-16 year which provides $6.05 Billion to restore line items vetoed by Governor Wolf in December.
HB 1801 passed with 30 Senate Republicans and one Senate Democrat voting yes.
Eighteen Senate Democrats voted no.
Governor Wolf has repeatedly stated he will veto HB 1801.
If three\more Senate Democrats had voted “yes” then we would have had 34 “yes” votes – enough to override Governor Wolf’s veto.
There are at least six Democratic Senators who represent school districts and non-profit agencies in their districts that have borrowed money and have serious financial challenges.
What is upsetting to me is that these Democratic Senators are being intimidated by Governor Wolf and the Senate Democratic Leadership, which is dominated by Pittsburgh and Philadelphia members.
My question is very simple to my Senate Democratic colleagues – how can you come to Harrisburg and complain about how bad things are back in your Senate District and then proceed to not vote to restore funding for the schools and non-profits in your district?
How can you go back to your Senate Districts and face your constituents?
Last week the State House of Representatives held Appropriation hearings – Budget Secretary Randy Albright stated during a hearing that budget vetoes by Governor Wolf on June 30 and Dec. 23 of last year for the 2015-16 budget packages sent to him by the House and Senate were “to make the clear statement that it (the overall amount of funding earmarked for state aid to public school in the GOP crafted budget) is not enough.”
To be clear the statement made by Budget Secretary Albright as to why Governor Wolf vetoed budgets sent to him means “leverage” over conservative and responsible Republicans. In my private sector business world this is similar to being backed into a corner – and I don’t like being backed into a corner.
After several weeks of Senate Appropriations meetings starting on Feb. 22 and lasting until March 8, it is even more apparent than ever to me that Pennsylvania State Government is out of control.
Here is a great example: Seven State Corrections Officers made over $100,000 just in overtime alone in 2015, the overtime earned is on top of their base wages which can range from $60,000 to $85,000.
During last year’s Appropriations hearings the Secretary of Corrections stated that he did not anticipate any new hires, but in fact some officers may work some additional overtime to avoid having to hire additional employees.
The 2015 records show that overtime has skyrocketed and the Department of Corrections has hired 400 new employees.
As a sitting Senator, do I have the authority to question the Secretary of Corrections on the excessive overtime being reported and the new hires?
Almost every agency that appeared in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee reported that for every $1 of compensation that is paid, an additional $0.80 to $1 is spent covering benefits.
In the private sector the percentage ratio of benefits to compensation is typically under 50 percent.
At my various companies the benefit percentage is around 45 percent.
What does this mean? It means that benefits for state employees are two to three times more generous than the private sector.
If Governor Wolf chooses to veto HB 1801 and inflict more financial pain on Pennsylvanians it is time to recognize just how irresponsible this Governor really is.
Governor Wolf is Pennsylvania’s CEO. He needs to start acting like it.
He needs to hold every agency secretary accountable for their budgets.
Partisan Democrats Hurt Children
Kasich Makes Pennsylvania Ballot
Kasich Makes Pennsylvania Ballot — Ohio Gov. John Kasich will be on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Pennsylvania, April 26.
Nathaniel Rome, a Marco Rubio supporter, has dropped his Commonwealth Court filing challenging the validity of 40 percent of the signatures on the petitions Kasich submitted for ballot access.
If Rome continued and the signatures were found invalid, Kasich would have fallen far short of the 2,000 required.
Kasich was in Delaware County, yesterday, March 16, campaigning at Villanova University before a crowd of 650. Another 200 reportedly watched Kasich in another room via video.
Kaisch Makes Pennsylvania Ballot
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-16-16
President William McKinley liked rye whiskey. He had a drink named after him called “McKinley’s Delight” which was 3 ounces of rye, an ounce of sweet vermouth, two dashes of cherry brandy and a dash of absinthe. His successor, Teddy Roosevelt, had similar tastes with rye-based mint juleps being his favorite.
McKinley’s Delight rye whiskey– William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-16-16
Kasich Pennsylvania Plan Has Flaw
Kasich Pennsylvania Plan Has Flaw — After Gov. John Kasich’s stirring primary win last night (March 15) in his home state of Ohio, he said “Tomorrow I’m going to Philadelphia and then I’m going all over the country!”
Great plan and all as Pennsylvania has a similar demographic to The Buckeye State except there is a problem. Of the signatures on the petitions that Kasich submitted to get on the ballot here, 802 of them are said to be invalid. This is a big problem as 2,000 signature are needed and Kasich submitted but 2,184.
A Rubio supporter is the one making the challenge. Leaving aside that Rubio has suspended his campaign and that the complainant now might wish he could take it back, we suspect that there is a very good chance that the signatures are bad as per state law.
Pennsylvania has what might be the nation’s most obscenely technical ballot access laws.
Most feel that it should be the spirit of the law rather than the letter that applies when it comes to ballot access. Judges in Pennsylvania, however, most definitely disagree.
In 2015, the Democrat candidates for Delaware County Council were kicked off the ballot due to a minor filing error. The precedent was set in May 2014 when the state Supreme Court overturned a lower court and said that retiree Bob Guzzardi could not be on the Republican gubernatorial primary ballot because the papers were not filed in the proper sequence with the proper kommisars.
The access laws should obviously be changed but this is a serious ethical pickle. It is very wrong to leave Kasich off the ballot, unless it should be that the offense is egregious such as the signatures being forged. It is worse, however, to grant him an exception from laws that had hitherto been strictly enforced.
The Pennsylvania primary is April 26 and Kasich’s lawyers are fighting hard right now to get him on the ballot.
Kasich Pennsylvania Plan Has Flaw
Casacio Newtown Square Meet And Greet
Casacio Newtown Square Meet And Greet — Stan Casacio, who is taking on incumbent 7th District Congressman Pat Meehan in the April 26 Republican Primary, will hold a meet and greet, 7:30 p.m., March 21 at Uno Pizzeria & Grill, 3910 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.
There will be refreshments.
For the record, if Congressman Meehan sends us his events we will use them as well.
Casacio Newtown Square Meet And Greet
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-15-16
Ides is what the Romans called the day that was the middle of the month. For most months it falls on the 13th. For May, July, October and March, of course, it is the 15th.
Ides — William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-15-16
Wolf Furniture Chain Unrelated To Governor
Wolf Furniture Co. of Blair County, which operates nine stores in central Pennsylvania, has taken out television commercials in which proprietor Doug Wolf says “I’d like to clear the air. We’re not related to anyone in public office.”
It’s sure sign of Gov. Tom Wolf’s unpopularity when a connection to him is considered bad for business.
The Governor achieved his 1-percenter status from the York County kitchen cabinetry company he inherited, and that appears to be the source of the confusion.
Repeat: There is no connection with the Blair County furniture chain.
Wolf Furniture Chain Unrelated To Governor
Wagner Rips Backroom Deal Claim
Wagner Rips Backroom Deal Claim
By Scott Wagner
This is to set the record straight on the false allegations reported by the media last week.
Scott Harper, a candidate for Pennsylvania Senate in the 31st District, has alleged that I was involved in a back room deal to get him out of the race.
Let me be crystal clear: I was not involved in a back room deal nor will I ever be.
One of the primary reasons I was elected to office in the Special Election for the 28th District PA State Senate seat on March 18, 2014 was because the Establishment tried to handpick the candidate for that race in a backroom deal.
On March 18th, 2014, 11,000 people in the 28th PA State Senate District came out to the polls and wrote in my name, despite the horrendous and dirty attack campaign that was waged against me in an attempt to tarnish my reputation.
We sent a message to the Establishment that backroom deals and dirty politics weren’t going to cut it anymore.
Fast forward 15 months and now some guy I’ve never heard of and whom I spoke to one time in the hallway of the Capitol for one minute is alleging that I (or someone from my staff – oddly enough, he can’t seem to remember who) tried to get him out of the race.
Mr. Harper has got another thing coming if he thinks I’m just going to roll over and let him get away with lying.
A funny thing happens when you win the first ever write-in campaign in Pennsylvania and become a public figure – opportunists come out of the woodwork trying to hitch their wagon to yours and derail your message.
Mr. Harper is someone who I’ve never had contact with before, or after our one minute meeting in the hallway of the Capitol.
In fact, I’ve never run into him at any Republican events nor have I ever seen him in the York community.
There are four candidates running for the 31st PA State Senate seat and Scott Harper has the lowest name recognition out of all of them.
Mr. Harper fabricated this lie about me and thinks he can ride it out in the media to get some free publicity.
Below is an email Scott Harper sent on Feb. 11, 2016 to the political operative he brought with him to the Capitol. This email proves that he is lying and he was not offered anything by me or any of my representatives.
I have an idea of who is pushing this story to the media and for those of you who remember the infamous “Clara Palmer” and “Millionaire Trashman” ads that were run against me before the Special Election should know exactly who is behind this latest stunt.
I don’t need to look any further than the “Republican” campaign and lobbying firm Long & Nyquist.
Long & Nyquist attempted to tear down my reputation before the Special Election in 2014 and they’re at it again.
But why would Long & Nyquist be targeting me since I’m already in office? They were the main campaign firm used by the Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC) of which I am now the Cycle Chair (at my request). I imagine business has taken a hit since I don’t approve of Republicans taking a hatchet to other Republicans’ reputations in primaries.
Long & Nyquist, who is supposedly a Republican lobbying firm, represents the PSEA. Yes, you read that correctly, Long & Nyquist represents the teachers’ union – the Pennsylvania State Education Association. The PSEA does not want to reform the pension system so your property taxes would go down. Long & Nyquist also represents the United Food & Commercial Workers Union which strongly opposes liquor privatization.
Long & Nyquist strongly opposes the lobbyist reform bills I am sponsoring which would bring transparency to state government. I have repeatedly reported that there are too many lobbyists and numerous conflicts in Harrisburg and that it is one of the main reasons why no fiscal reforms have been passed. Click here for more information on my lobbyist reform bills.
Long & Nyquist is representing one of the other candidates in the 31st District State Senate race and they will do anything to win.
Let me just wrap up by saying this – I get to walk in the Capitol each and every day knowing that I am not owned by anyone.
For me, there is zero pressure to please lobbyists and special interest groups. This allows me to continue to expose the activities of firms like Long & Nyquist. They are in the game solely for the money and to defeat reforms that PA needs now. They could care less about the people who are choking on property taxes due to a broken and bankrupt pension system that is going to bury Pennsylvania with unsustainable debt.
I will not be be intimidated by liars and manipulators who think they can take advantage of me – I will continue to fight to protect your tax dollars and expose corruption in Harrisburg.
Sen. Wagner represents the 28th District in the Pennsylvania Senate.
Wagner Rips Backroom Deal Claim
William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 3-14-16
Who is Alexander Suvorov? He was the Russian general who invaded Switzerland back in 1799. He was one of the few generals in history who never lost a battle. One of his big victories came against a Frenchman named MacDonald. He died in 1800. His greatest ambition was to meet Napoleon on the battlefield, a wish never achieved.