News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) reports that the Pennsylvania House’s Legislative Budget and Finance Committee held a hearing, recently, which included the topic of combining the state’s Game Commission and the Fish and Boat Commission.
The merger would save the state $5 million annually it was estimated.
It was also noted that news laws Act 24 and Act 26 of 2014 reduce the length of term for commissioners from eight years to four.
Pedo Lawsuit Mentions Clinton — A story not being reported by the government media concerns the Palm Beach court battle between billionaire Democrat-donor Jeffrey Epstein, and lawyer Bradley Edwards along with disbarred convicted Ponzi-schemer Scott Rothstein.
All artillery has been unleashed at convicted sex-offender Epstein, who served a soft 25-month sentence ending in June 2010 relating to using a minor girl for sex. The sentenced featured 12 months of house (mansion) arrest and 13 months in a county prison where he was allowed daily field trips.
Prosecutors were convinced the crime was just the tip of the iceberg and Epstein deserved decades in the pen.
But he was connected and the money and the friendship of people like Bill Clinton came through for him.
Which gets us to the court battle. Testimony has been taken from women who were participants in orgies held at Epstein’s private island of Little Saint James, and, yes, our 42nd President was among the guests.
At least one of the woman — identified as Jane Doe 102 (note the number) — was there unwillingly according to the lawsuit.
And these are the people guiding our society. These are the people supported by the self-proclaimed protectors of women’s rights.
William W. Lawrence Sr Omnbit Trivia 3-31-14
Good luck Phillies. Opening game is 2:05 p.m., today, against Texas.
The Pennsylvania House Consumer Affairs Committee last week questioned utility officials and energy experts about the high spikes in consumer electric bills this winter, caused primarily by variable rate electric contracts and the added stress on the electric grid, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
Highlighted during the hearing was the need for greater consumer education, as well as the ability to switch suppliers more quickly.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reported nearly 4,800 informal complaints and nearly 9,000 phone calls from consumers. It is currently investigating those complaints and working with consumers and energy suppliers to resolve any other outstanding issues. The committee is working on legislation that would limit rate increases, prohibit cancellation and early termination fees for variable rate contracts, require the posting of current and historic rates on the PA Power Switch website and reduce the amount of time it takes to switch electric generation suppliers, Cox said
W. A. Criswell, in The Offense of the Cross, points out,
“The Roman Empire was the most tolerant, the most liberal, the most wise, and the most accurate in its handling of the many provinces and religions of its empire of any kingdom that ever existed. Men could worship, have temples, and do as they pleased. And yet the Roman Empire and the Caesars persecuted the Christians. Why? For one simple reason: the Christian refused to compromise his faith with any other religion whatsoever.”
That refusal to compromise is seen in the response of the apostles themselves to the command not to teach in the name of Jesus: “We will obey God rather than men!” As it was in the beginning, so it is now. Christians in America face another one of those key moments – seen frequently in Scripture and Christian history – of conflict between the commands of civil authority and the demands of their faith. And believers of other traditions are standing with them as well.
The Obama Administration, implementing one of the provisions of “Obamacare,” has declared its intent and goal to increase access to various “preventive services” that include contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. This is an open, publicly-announced plan. Numerous Americans, and the religious traditions they embrace, teach that such “drugs and services” are immoral to use. Therefore, they oppose this plan.
But the conflict goes deeper than that. If those believers are also employers who offer their employees health insurance, the Obama Administration is requiring them to cooperate in the plan by making coverage for those drugs and services an essential part of those health insurance plans.
And that’s where we say “No!” If the government wants to expand access to these immoral – and in some cases lethal – activities, it’s going to need to do it without us. We do not want to be involved.
And that is the argument regarding the HHS mandate, and the theme of the multiple lawsuits that have been introduced against it. We at Priests for Life filed the fourth of what are now dozens of such lawsuits launched both by religious groups and for-profit businesses.
On March 25, the Supreme Court heard two consolidated cases on behalf of two of those businesses, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Woods, run by believers who refuse to cooperate with the mandate. The Court considered, among other things, whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act applies to for-profit corporations to protect them from this mandate.
In a separate action, the Supreme Court is also being asked to take up the matter of the non-profit and religious entities who object to the mandate, and whose rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act are not in doubt. We at Priests for Life have petitioned the Supreme Court to hear our case, and it should be learned in the next few days as to whether it will happen.
The claim that the government is making is that it is in fact exempting the religious groups like Priests for Life from following the mandate. In fact, President Obama himself addressed this in his February 2 interview with Bill O’Reilly. The President said, “Here’s the way this thing works. All they have to do is sign a form saying they don’t — they are a religious institution —And — and they get what they want.”
In other words, the form we are being asked to sign states that we object to the mandate because of our institutional religious convictions. Then, our insurance policy will not have to include coverage of the objectionable drugs and services.
At first glance, that sounds quite reasonable to sign. But what the government says further is that upon us signing the form, and receiving the names of our employees on the plan, they will make separate provision to cover the objectionable drugs and services. In other words, by signing the form, we are still part of implementing the plan to provide access to those drugs and services. The form is an authorization; our employees are covered precisely because they are our employees. It’s not a matter of who pays for it; it’s a matter of being the gateway to the immoral activities.
President Obama, in his O’Reilly interview, seems to indicate that he understands this. He said, “The problem is they don’t want to sign the form — Because they think that that somehow makes them complicit.” Exactly right. And Mr. President, that’s not only what we and the other religious plaintiffs think; that’s precisely what our religion teaches. And the freedom to follow that teaching is precisely what you and the law need to respect.
All this may seem like a big deal to be making over the signing of a form. But to go back to W.A. Criswell, he points out, “When the Christians were invited just to bow down before the Roman image, their lives could be spared if they would merely take a pinch of incense and put it on the fire that burned in the presence of the image of the Roman Caesar. The Christian died rather than compromise with a pinch of incense.”
Whether it’s about government incense or a government form, we will obey God rather than men.
Father Pavone is national director of Priests for Life.
William Lawrence Sr Omnbit 3-29-14
Here is the reaction to President Obama’s joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, March 25, at Nuclear Security Summit 2014 at the Hague, Netherlands.
It appears our leader’s platitudes are wearing thin on the world stage.
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As the month comes to a close, let’s look at some events so bizarre that you just couldn’t script them:
:
» World Trade Center Security Breach Number Two: Freindly Fire’s last
column detailed how a 16-year old thrill seeker bypassed security at
the new World Trade Center, roaming the building for hours. Turns out
that infiltration wasn’t even the first breach of the Freedom Tower. Six
months ago, a group of parachutists did the same thing before jumping
from the top. In both cases, the trespassers had unfettered access to
what was supposed to be, for obvious reasons, one of the nation’s most
secure structures.
But here’s the best part. Despite all the reports this week
highlighting the inexcusable security lapses, yet another guard was
caught sleeping on the job. Even more bizarre, he was the only guard at
the ground floor security desk, yet he “could barely see half the lobby”
(his own words) because he is blind in one eye and has limited vision
in the other. And to top it off, ABC News reported that he was named
Security Officer Of The Year.
So that we don’t have to revisit this, is there anyone out there who hasn’t sneaked into the Freedom Tower?
» TSA “Theatre” Now Playing — again: The Transportation Security
Administration just released a report recommending that armed police be
present at security checkpoints and ticket counters, as well as in
places where many people gather. Gee, that narrows it down. Well, except
for anyone watching a 76ers game.
They’re good ideas. But it begs the question: Why aren’t police there
now? That’s easy. Because we A) much prefer window dressings to real
solutions, 
have extremely short memories, C) don’t want to “offend”
anyone by instituting policies that would actually make flying safer,
and D) lack even basic common sense.
The debate, like always, will revolve around either irrelevant issues
or no-brainer solutions that could be implemented in five minutes, yet
the government still refuses to do its job of actually protecting us.
Consider:
1. A frequent traveler with no criminal record can be granted TSA
PreCheck status, a screening initiative that supposedly enhances
aviation security and expedites the process. There’s another, much more
apt label: American stupidity.
Once enrolled, you breeze through your own airport security line
while enjoying benefits of not removing shoes, belts or jackets. And
neither laptops nor clear bags holding liquids are required to be
removed from carry-ons.
Which means one of two things. Either the
show-us-your-shoes/belts/laptops mandate for all other security lines is
completely bogus, since TSA machines are capable of scanning those
items whether or not they are removed, or, more likely and much more
terrifying, the TSA is admitting it isn’t screening PreCheck travelers
with the scrutiny employed on everyone else. There is no third option.
Are they serious? Do they not think a terrorist, especially a
homegrown one, isn’t smart enough to game the system? Keep a clean
record, become a member of TSA PreCheck, and then — showtime. Oklahoma
City bomber Tim McVeigh is a prime example: U.S. citizen, Bronze medal
winner, Gulf War veteran — yet still a murderous terrorist. Time to end
all special privileges for flyers. If they don’t like it — take the bus
to Europe.
2. A passenger flying on America’s biggest airline recently went
through security (TSA PreCheck, of course), and, upon arriving at his
gate, was informed that his meeting had been canceled in his destination
city. Informing airline personnel that he had canceled his flight, he
asked where he could retrieve his checked bags. Their response? They
don’t take bags off domestic flights.
Isn’t that a big no-no? Most terrorists aren’t suicidal, preferring
to watch their target explode while sipping a latte instead of going
down with the ship — or plane. Since a passenger checking in but not
flying is rare, it should be standard procedure to get his bags off the
plane ASAP. No exceptions. Yet complacency still rules the day at our
airports.
» Boston bomber should never have bombed: Once again, a simple lack
of common sense came back to haunt us. A report being released by the
House Homeland Security Committee documents the missed opportunities to
detain Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev before he acted.
Russian intelligence, starting in March 2011 (more than two years
prior to the bombing), warned both the FBI and CIA that Tsarnaev had
ties to violent Muslim militants. The CIA in turn notified the National
Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security, and the State Department.
Yet Tsarnaev passed right through our grasp at JFK Airport twice — first
flying to Russia, and then returning six months later after his
terrorist training.
The reason for this foul-up? His name was spelled “Tsarnayev,” with
an extra “y,” in a database. Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up.
Google any subject and the computer knows what you are trying to
find, even if you are misspelling the word or phrase. Yet the most
powerful, and certainly the most important, computers in our government
can’t figure out whom we are attempting to access in a database, or at
least bring up a list of people with similar names?
The president just stated his fear of a nuclear bomb exploding in New
York. Based on the above, he, and we, should be afraid. Very afraid.
» Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s unpopularity goes global: It’s bad
enough Corbett’s popularity is in the toilet at home, but he just
suffered a blow of global proportions, this time courtesy of Pope
Francis. Corbett’s much-ballyhooed trip to Rome — together with
Archbishop Chaput and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter — had made big
headlines, since the purpose was to convince the pontiff to attend World
Conference on Families in Philadelphia next year. All that was needed
was the guv to work his oratory magic and seal the deal during a private
audience with the Holy Father in his papal apartment.
One small problem: The pope changed the plans, opting instead to meet
Corbett and the Pennsylvania delegation in public after his weekly
general audience in St. Peter’s Square instead. All involved insist it
was not a snub, merely a change of schedule.
While atoning for his sins might’ve actually done the governor some good, why the last-minute change of plans?
Did the world’s most popular man simply not want to break bread with
America’s least popular governor? Or did the pope become wise to
Corbett’s Jerry Sandusky Sins — an issue that hits close to home for the
church?
Whatever the reason, Corbett’s response that “with the church, you
never know what’s going to happen” probably didn’t endear him to the
pontiff. Given the pope’s change of plans, Corbett is now the Rodney
Dangerfield of politics — he truly gets “no respect.”
With all these sins of commission and omission, maybe we should call
the pope and beg for absolution to get America back on track.
Since Tom Corbett will soon have a lot of time on his hands, maybe we
could ask him to ring Pope Francis for us. On second thought, maybe
not.
California Democrat State Sen. Leland Yee, a prominent San Francisco liberal and gun control advocate, has been charged with federal weapon and corruption charges after allegedly agreeing to help an undercover agent get $2.5 million worth of automatic “shoulder-fired” weapons and missiles.
Yee had apparently been facilitating the shipment of Russian arms to Islamic terrorist groups in the Philippines for much bucks.
Tough break, Yee. Not every state can have a Kathleen Kane.
The Philadelphia 76ers, last night, March 27, fell 120-98 to the Houston Rockets and tied a record for the NBA’s longest losing streak.
Philadelphia now holds or shares the losing-streak record in two of the four major sports as the 23 in a row lost by the Phillies in 1961 continues to stand as the benchmark for modern major league baseball.
All that’s needed are some really bad season from the Flyers and Eagles and the city will sweep the category.
The funny thing is that the two greatest teams in history of baseball and basketball are often argued to be the 1929 Philadelphia A’s and the the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers.