Dom Backs Casacio At Delco Event

Dom Backs Casacio At Delco Event — Montgomery County businessman Stan Casacio, who is challenging incumbent 7th District Congressman Pat Meehan in the April 26 Republican primary election, will explaining his candidacy before the Delaware County Patriots, 7 p.m., April 4 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 327 N. Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.

Dom Backs Casacio At Delco Event
Stan Casacio at his campaign kick-off in January.

He will be introduced by WPHT talk show host Dom Giordano.

The public is invited.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by calling 484-995-1540.

Dom Backs Casacio At Delco Event

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-19-16

Time travel is banned in China. OK, what this really means is that movies featuring it as a plot are not allowed to be shown because it treats history frivolously.Time travel is banned in China

Time travel is banned in China — William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-19-16

Robin E. Cohen Kudos

Kudos to Robin E. Cohen who has been named top the professional team of The Lapin Group of Jenkintown.

Robin has spent over 25 years in the fields of development and non-profit executive management. She served as the Interim Executive Director of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), assisting them with the launch of their capital campaign and centennial celebration. During the span of her career she has also served as executive director for synagogues and other non-profits across the country, and has held various positions in fundraising, programming, and public relations. Her specialties include turnaround management, leadership development, marketing and PR strategy and campaign management. Robin E. Cohen Kudos

She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Florida International University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Nova University.

Robin E. Cohen Kudos

Destructive Wolf Off Rocker Says Senator

Destructive Wolf Off Rocker Says Senator

Destructive Wolf Off Rocker Says SenatorBy Sen. Scott Wagner

Yesterday (March 17) I updated you on votes in the Pennsylvania State House and Senate on HB 1801, which would end the 2015-16 Budget impasse.

I also reported that Governor Wolf had stated that he would veto the budget bill.

Late yesterday it was reported that Governor Wolf was making statements that he was willing to close schools.

Click on this link and please read the story – I recommend viewing the video by Courtney Brennan.

Governor Wolf has gone off his rocker. Governor Wolf will go down as the most destructive governor in Pennsylvania history if he allows schools to close.

I see first-hand every single day how Governor Wolf has absolutely zero interest in cutting costs, cutting waste, and putting Pennsylvania on a diet.

As a matter of fact, Governor Wolf is committed to growing Pennsylvania government to reward his public sector union friends.

The best example of Governor Wolf growing government would be the 400 new employees hired at the Department of Corrections in 2015, which I feel confident saying are now dues-paying union members.

Click on this link to see which Democrat’s voted no on HB 1801 in the state House and Senate.

(Under “Floor Roll Call”, click on the word “Vote” to pull up the House votes and the Senate votes.)

To end your week, here is a great example of the irrational thinking of Senate Minority Leader Vincent Hughes from Philadelphia on the budget.

Stay tuned – I will have more to report next week.

Destructive Wolf Off Rocker Says Senator

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-18-16

American Hippo Bill
Hippopotamus a.k.a. Lake Cow Bacon

Congressman Robert F. Broussard in 1910 figured hippopotamus would solve a then severe meat shortage and also eat the invasive water hyacinth that was clogging up the rivers in his state of Louisiana. A win-win. So he introduced the American Hippo Bill calling for their importation and release into the bayous. Former President Theodore Roosevelt backed it as did the U.S Department of Agriculture, the Washington Post and The New York Times which described the meat as “lake cow bacon”.  The bill fell just short of being passed.

American Hippo Bill introduced by Congressman Robert F. Broussard in 1910– William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 3-18-16

PSERS Loses Money

PSERS Loses Money




PSERS Loses Money

By Leo Knepper

The Pennsylvania Public Schools Employee Retirement System (PSERS), released its 2015 performance results last week, and they weren’t good. PSERS assumes a 7.5 percent rate each year to avoid appearing even more underfunded than its publically stated $44 BILLION in unfunded liabilities. For 2015, PSERS lost nearly 1.8 percent. When we’re dealing with billions of dollars, the difference between the pension plan’s expected returns and actual returns is a substantial amount of money.

Last year’s loss comes despite PSERS spending a small fortune on “active” fund managers who are supposed to anticipate future market conditions and invest resources accordingly. As noted by the Philadelphia Inquirer:

“PSERS’s extra losses reflected its unusually large bets on commodity fund managers. The system posted a 33 percent loss for funds invested in “Master Limited Partnerships” (typically oil and gas investments), an 18 percent loss for commodities investments, and an 8 percent loss in “risk parity” investments, which can look a lot like hedge fund strategies.”

No fund manager can outperform the market every time, and this isn’t just the opinion of CAP. It a position widely held by well-respected academics and folks like Warren Buffet.

The previously mentioned Inquirer article notes that Montgomery County adopted a low-cost index fund investment approach two years ago. Last year, they substantially outperformed PSERS with a modest .3 percent return on investments. Montgomery County’s performance was not a fluke. In his book “Future Forsaken”, John McGinnis compares PSERS performance (and the others SERS system) to an index fund approach. He found that the low-cost option outperformed the current actively management funds across a thirty-year time horizon.

On top of outperforming active managers, switching to lower cost index funds could save taxpayers $750 million per year. Given the facts, there is no reason for the state’s pension systems to maintain the status quo and every reason to explore alternatives to protect taxpayers and future retirees.

Mr. Knepper is executive director of Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania.

PSERS Loses Money

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 3-17-16

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. 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.

How much beer — William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 3-17-16

Partisan Democrats Hurt Children

Partisan Democrats Hurt ChildrenPartisan 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

Kaisch Makes Pennsylvania Ballot
Almost 900 people came out to see the Governor at Villanova.

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 ryePresident 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