Barletta & Marino Speak at King's College

Tuesday was a good opportunity for students on campus to get to know newly elected Congressmen Lou Barletta and Tom Marino in a Q&A forum held at King’s College called Congress on Campus. The main topics of discussion were repealing Obamacare, the US Government’s debt, and upcoming budget cuts.

It was sort of a coming out party for Tom Marino as he has emerged from his campaign cocoon meant to protect him from questions about DeNaples. Tom Marino was very open about his beliefs and opinions. He sounded just like regular guy expressing his political views, but was definitely more impressive and informed than the average opinionated guy. He also told of the busy schedule he and Barletta keep, having to work from 8am to 10pm sometimes; and even as late as 4:30am when votes are being cast. The two freshmen reps often need to hold walking meetings as they walk to their other meetings. Both are members of three committees.

Barletta was his usual smooth self, and had good touch with his answers, but was not as talkative as Marino.

The format was Marino and Barletta each answering questions; first from moderator Sue Henry, then from King’s student Ashley Scarpetta who read audience members’ questions from index cards that had been handed out.*

One of the main topics of discussion was budget cuts. Marino said many lobbyists approached him, saying they didn't mind if other programs needed to be cut: just not their own. Barletta told of Kanjorski’s advice on how to deal with lobbyists: if they lie when you ask for the other side of the issue, never meet with them again. Marino said he’s already stopped meeting with one such lobbyist.

Both men answered that they would oppose the DREAM act, meant to give a pathway to citizenship to illegal immigrants who have completed high school in the US and are currently in a 4-year college. Later, Barletta recited his reaction to the Kichline murder and other crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Hazleton, saying these were what influenced him and Hazleton city council to try to require businesses to verify the US citizenship of employees.

Although both congressmen called for a repeal of Obamacare, Marino implied that he would favor legislation that would make health insurance available for people with pre-existing conditions, more affordable, etc., but said he wanted these changes passed with multiple bills, one at a time according to the change it made. It is not known whether he planned to accomplish this with socialistic legislation or through deregulation or by a combination of the two ways.** Barletta said he wanted to make healthcare more affordable, but didn't say how. Never did it cross either of their minds that, ideally, it ought not to be their jobs to make healthcare more affordable. But since certain laws and government dealings inevitably make healthcare more expensive, perhaps the government could enact tort reform as Marino suggested, and other changes that have to do with scaling back ways government drives up health care costs, but otherwise, a politician has no obligation to play the role of provider.

After the Q&A, one King’s College student personally approached Marino and said to him: “I want no free healthcare, I want no free education, I want no more entitlements; all I want is liberty.”

Despite having to rely on index cards instead of their own voices, it was a great event for people to get to know their congressmen better, and vice versa. Hopefully there will be many more meetings like this.
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*During the index card Q&A, one audience member interrupted whoever was speaking and complained that his card had been placed in one of the collector’s pockets, presumably never to be read. Sue Henry glared at the man as it was explained that some cards were put away so no duplicate questions would be asked. One audience member seemed to concur with the man’s frustration: “I sort of had my heart set on asking a question with my own voice.” The notecard Q&A format may allow more audience members’ questions to get through since questioners don’t have the time to opine for great lengths of time before they must ask their questions. But the thing about being allowed to speak directly to a speaker is that you can call him out on any fibs or misstatements he's made. For example, Marino said he was a tea party member, but he has not joined the congressional tea party caucus. Nevertheless, the index card conundrum was not a major aspect of the event.

**Sorry, we misreported earlier that Marino wanted socialistic legislation. This was not clear from his comments.

FOX News Needs to Apologize More to Ron Paul

FOX News anchorman Bill Hemmer excused the Network's "honest mistake".

To set up an interview with Ron Paul after he won the 2011 CPAC straw poll for president, FOX aired a clip of Ron Paul Being booed after winning at CPAC in 2010, instead of the clip from 2011 when he was not booed.
The video below explains it all.


Additionally, it has been said that the reason FOX News's film from 2010 has so much booing is that FOX had their sound equipment set up amid a hoard of Mitt Romney supporters. Many argue that a comprehensive sound bit from 2010 would have displayed better than a 50/50 ratio of cheering to jeering.

Whether FOX News really did just make a mistake in airing its 2010 booful clip is questioned by many and doubted by others.

But FOX News has many more things to answer for in terms of their barbaric treatment of Ron Paul over the years.

FOX's first apology would be for their constant smearing of Ron Paul as a 9/11 Truther during the 2008 election. Despite the fact that he is avowedly not a Truther, FOX purposefully cast him as one, and even sicked Michelle Malkin on him that she might absurdly allege with much vitriol his Truthership. Okay, maybe it's not known whether FOX "sicked" her on him, but her lurid display of errancy would have been pulled by a network concerned with journalistic integrity.

It is not known why FOX News has allowed such a display of ignorance to color their coverage of Representative Paul. Any journalist ought to know that Ron Paul has not "come out of nowhere", that it's false that he has "no business being on stage with other Republicans," and finally that he has his fair share of "electability."

One would at least expect FOX to be "fair and balanced" toward a Republican.

Paul has had a long and storied political career. A longtime supporter of Austrian Economics and freedom in general, he has dined with esteemed intellectuals such as Nobel prize winner F.A. Hayek, and has had an important role in questioning and debating with Fed chairmen since the days of Paul Volcker. Moreover, he has voted strictly with the constitution, an old, old Republican platform that lost popularity in the 20th century. Ron Paul needs no truther hype; he already has things he's famous for.

Others besides FOX News have found other excuses not to like Paul. In 2007, then writer for National Review Peter Suderman took the route of criticizing Paul for being "rigid." (He may have changed his mind since then as he now writes for the Libertarian outlet Reason.) But, to contend with his past point I propose that in an age of rampaging Fabian Socialism and flaccid RINO rulers, wouldn't a little "rigidity" or backbone desirable?

As for Paul's lack of Hawkish ambition, being a Republican should not entail supporting a proactive instigatory foreign policy. If it does, then the Republican Party could be said to have in place a form of psychological draft that it imposes on its members to make them into an army of chickenhawk voters, and this is a conscription which is rather aggressive and not indicative of a small government mentality.

Anyway, FOX News needs to apologize for everything it has done to Paul. Yet many chumps view FOX News as a bastion of conservative morality. "How could our noble, conservative network be wrong about Paul?" they ask. But remember, FOX News is a subsidiary of Newscorp which profits from Pay per View porn channels via its part ownership of DirecTV. Perhaps these sorts of associations explain the rising skirt levels of FOX News anchorwomen.

Some morality.

FOX News has many good hosts such as Judge Andrew Napolitano, and their reporting is reliable for liberty issues such as Net Neutrality, but the network has much to apologize for, and the first person they need to see is Ron Paul.

Prominent Donor Dan Meuser Named to Corbett's Cabinet

Two articles detail how Big-time donor to the Corbett Campaign Dan Meuser has been named to his cabinet.

Meuser and Family Big Corbett Donors
Gov.-elect Corbett has trend of finding high-profile spots for campaign donors. by Andrew M. Seder of The Times Leader
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An excerpt from Financial Statements Disclosed to Ethics Group by Peter Jackson -AP [2-13-11]

...Also referring questions about his statement to the governor’s office was Daniel P. Meuser, Corbett’s prospective revenue secretary — Pennsylvania’s tax collector.

Meuser stepped down in 2008 as president of Pride Mobility Products Corp., an Exeter-based company that sells power chairs, scooters and other equipment for people with physical problems that limit their mobility. He retained nearly 5 percent equity in the company last year.

Meuser, 46, also held a 20 percent share in two real-estate companies — Commonwealth Resources in Honesdale and Fairland Resources LLC in Wysox — and owned two rental properties -- in Harveys Lake and Oak Beach, N.Y. Harley said Meuser will continue to accept dividends from Pride Mobility, but will not profit from the real-estate firms or rental properties.

“His only income is going to be from the state,” Corbett Spokesman Kevin Harley said.

Meuser spent $1 million of his money on an ultimately unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in northeast Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District in 2008. He contributed $50,000 to Corbett’s most recent campaign, according to state reports.

The governor said he is not concerned about conflicts of interest among his top advisers, even though he said many of them are taking pay cuts to work for the state...

Fr. Ryan Named New King's College President

Video link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blMQ3VOE7qw

Times Leader Story, here

Press Release from King's College (below)

Father Jack Ryan, C.S.C., Ph.D., dean of the William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s College and a Wilkes-Barre native, has been named the College’s ninth President by the Board of Directors. Father Ryan will begin his presidency on July 1, following the departure of Father Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C., Ph.D., who will end his 12-year presidency June 30 to return to the classroom full-time in 2012.

“The selection process for a new President produced three outstanding finalists and for that we are most grateful,” said Thomas Smith, chair of the King’s Board of Directors. “We are appreciative of Father Ryan’s willingness to accept this position and we know that as our next President he will continue to lead King’s to even greater success.”

Father Ryan, 61, has been a member of the King’s business faculty since 1994 and has led the McGowan School of Business since 2004. Under his leadership the School has achieved international accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a designation only granted to five percent of business schools in the world. He has also taught finance at the University of Notre Dame as he began his divinity studies.

“King’s College will be truly blessed by the leadership of Father Ryan,” said Father O’Hara. “He is bright, hard-working, a proven administrator, and a dedicated priest who is committed to the mission of King’s College.”

Father Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Wilkes, his master’s of business administration (MBA) from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, a master of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto, and a doctorate in business administration from Temple University. During his studies in Toronto and Philadelphia, he did parish work in both cities.

Following his graduation from Wilkes, Ryan served in a variety of accounting, engineering and management positions for 13 years with Gilbert/Commonwealth Associates, Inc., in Reading. He was ordained as a priest in the Holy Cross order in 1989.

He has published numerous articles and belongs to prominent professional organizations and has been a presenter at professional meetings. He is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee and the Planning & Restructuring Committee of the Eastern Province of Holy Cross. He is a member of the Board of Stonehill College. He serves on the Board of several local organizations, including the Earth Conservancy and the Sustainable Energy Fund. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Ethos-Gen, LLC.

Father Ryan regularly assists the local diocesan clergy by participating in weekend liturgies and other parish functions, including a chaplaincy at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.