125930624_web1_Hacken.jpeg

Luzerne County coroner provides rationale for proposed 2021 budget increase

125930510_web1_wba-mock-elect

WB Area crafts mock election into multi-subject lessons for grades 7-12

In an election filled with uncertainty, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser appears to have won a decisive victory for a second term in the 9th Congressional District.
				According to unofficial and incomplete results, Meuser, 56, of Dallas, had garnered 147,064 votes (71.74%) to Democratic challenger Dr. Gary Wegman&rsquo;s 57,030 (28.3%).
				&ldquo;I&rsquo;m humbled as well as grateful that the people of the 9th District felt I&rsquo;ve done a good job for them,&rdquo; Meuser said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve worked for the president as I promised and I will continue to do so. We will do all those things and do them even better during my second term.&rdquo;
				Meuser said under the leadership of President Trump and Congressional Republicans, policies were enacted to reduce taxes and over-regulation. He said those policies allowed the private sector to create jobs and build the greatest economy Pennsylvania has seen in over 100 years. The COVID-19 pandemic intentionally slowed that growth, but we are already seeing the economy climbing back to build an even better economy than before.
				Meuser said he is committed to supporting law enforcement officers and work with them to institute any necessary policing reforms. He said he supports putting a stop to the violent riots plaguing many of America&rsquo;s largest cities. Additionally, he said he would continue to fully support a strong national defense and enhanced border security.
				Meuser added that he supports improving America&rsquo;s infrastructure is a bipartisan issue and it is critical to every aspect of our country, including public safety and commerce. Has introduced legislation &mdash; the America Infrastructure Bank &mdash; which would help to advance the creation of public-private partnerships.
				Wegman said during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hidden costs for vital services overwhelm even those who thought they had good coverage, prices for medications and healthcare premiums have risen astronomically. He said the need is to reform the US Healthcare System to make it less expensive, more efficient and more accessible, with better quality of care and better outcomes.
				Wegman also said it&rsquo;s vital to commerce and industry, having a devastating effect on entire regions as young people migrate to find jobs and opportunities. He said nowhere has this been more evident than in the coal-region and rural Pennsylvania, where promises of growth-producing infrastructure projects have gone unfulfilled.
				Wegman added that agricultural practices of large corporate farms threaten the country&rsquo;s ability to feed its people. Monopolization of food production, distribution, and supply chains is worrying. In the 9th District, where agriculture is the largest industry, the dairy producer has suffered losses due to COVID-19 restaurant restrictions, opportunistic advertising (of soy &ldquo;milk,&rdquo; almond &ldquo;milk&rdquo;), and the misguided removal of whole milk from public schools.
				8th Congressional District
				Democratic U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright was losing at press time to Republican challenger Jim Bognet of Hazleton, according to unofficial and incomplete results.
				Cartwright, 59 of Moosic, is seeking his fifth term in Congress.
				Bognet, 45 of Hazle Township was leading with many mail-in ballots still to be counted.
				According to incomplete and unofficial results, Cartwright had 138,240 votes (48.5%) to Bognet&rsquo;s 143,693 (51.5%).
				The campaign was bitterly fought, with Bognet constantly attacking Cartwright for voting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 99 percent of the time and also highlighting his wealth &mdash; four homes and a luxury yacht.
				But what seemed to be of most assistance to Bognet was his past experience working in the Trump Administration.
				&ldquo;We feel great with where we are at this point,&rdquo; Bognet said. &ldquo;We are leading against an eight-year incumbent who spent millions of dollars of Washington D.C. special-interest money. The people of Northeastern Pennsylvania have sent a message that they want a Congressman who will support and work with President Donald Trump. I&rsquo;m honored by the president&rsquo;s belief in me and I believe we will be victorious.&rdquo;
				Cartwright campaigned on several key issues. Cartwright said he is pushing for a sustained public health and economic response to COVID-19. He is calling for a robust national testing and tracing program to get the virus under control and people back to work safely, and strong economic relief to support workers, families and businesses who are struggling.
				Cartwright said he is also advocating to rebuild the economy in a way that all Northeastern Pennsylvanians &#8211; not just the wealthy &#8211; get to enjoy the benefits. That includes major investments in infrastructure and education, and bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. from China, especially the PPE and drugs needed to beat the pandemic.
				Cartwright said he will continue working to lower prescription drug costs and protect and expand access to affordable health care, and opposing GOP attempts to dismantle the law that protects people with pre-existing conditions. He is also committed to strengthening Medicare and Social Security for Northeastern Pennsylvania&rsquo;s seniors.
				The key issues for Bognet were to bring jobs back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, protect Social Security and Medicare, stop illegal immigration and protect Pennsylvania&rsquo;s energy jobs.
				He said he would focus on policies to bring back good manufacturing and energy jobs to Northeastern Pennsylvania and to &ldquo;make China pay for the jobs they have stolen, the lies they have told about COVID, and the lives we have lost due to their cover-up and dishonesty about COVID.&rdquo;
				Bognet also said he supports police and keeping the public safe and he opposes defunding the police, and supports better funding and training for law enforcement.
				Bognet also said he is pro-Second Amendment, pro-life, and believes in conservative NEPA values. He said he would promote energy exploration in Pennsylvania, keep the jobs created by fracking and promote Pennsylvania natural gas as a clean energy alternative for the country.
				Bognet said he favors a major Infrastructure bill to invest in roads, bridges, telecommunications, and other key infrastructure in Pennsylvania and across the nation.

Bognet leading Cartwright in 8th; Meuser clear winner in 9th