Fwd: What is PA Gov Candidate Wagner smoking?

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From: Ken Krawchuk, Libertarian for Governor

Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate Ken Krawchuk Blasts Senator Wagner's Opioid Crisis Solution, Offers A Proven Alternative Approach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 15, 2018 For more information, please contact Ken Krawchuk at Campaign@KenK4Pa.com or 224-Krawchuk (224-572-9248)     LIBERTARIAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE KEN KRAWCHUK BLASTS SENATOR WAGNER'S OPIOID CRISIS SOLUTION, OFFERS A PROVEN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH   ABINGTON PA  –  "What has Senator Wagner been smoking?" asked Ken Krawchuk, Libertarian candidate for Pennsylvania Governor.  "Every two and a half hours another Pennsylvanian dies, a victim of the Opioid Crisis.  The recent meteoric rise in opioid-related deaths is a sure indication what we're doing today is failed policy.  But Mr. Wagner's so-called 'solution' is merely doubling down on that failed policy.  Pennsylvania deserves better."    Senator Wagner recently unveiled his plan to combat the Opioid Crisis.  Key points include suing drug manufacturers, expanding criminal prosecutions, and reinstating the death penalty for drug dealers.   "Wagner's solution is a poster child for the problems resulting from the entire failed War on Drugs," Krawchuk continued.  "They've taken a social issue and made it a criminal justice issue.  It's clogged our courts, filled our jails, and ruined countless lives, likely many more lives than have been ruined by drugs themselves.  And now Senator Wagner wants to enlist the courts in his extremist scheme to add to that death toll.  It's a cure much worse than the disease."   In addition to decrying Wagner's heavy-handed suggestions, Krawchuk laid out his own reasoning and outlined the Libertarian approach.   "Before coming up with a solution," Krawchuk explained, "We have to ask: What are the facts?  According to the National Institute of Health, opioids are the leading cause of accidental death in America, and according to Scientific American, there are virtually only two causes.  The first is ignorance; ignorance of the fact that opioids can kill when mixed with commonly available items, things like alcohol or certain prescription drugs.  The second is an acute lack of quality control.  They're 'street drugs' remember, and you can never be sure of what's mixed in: rat poison, fentanyl, Coffemate, you never know.  It's like ordering a beer and getting moonshine.   "But if I told you there's a way to reduce opioid use by 75%, reduce opioid deaths by 85%, and reduce HIV infections by more than 90%, would you be interested?  Because these are the results recently published by the Portuguese Health Ministry.  How did they conquer their killer?  Portugal faced the compassionate truth: Addiction is not a crime.  Instead of putting sick people in cages, back in 2001 they ended their insane War on Drugs.  The results speak for themselves.   "Today Portugal provides counseling to all, where in America, only 10% get it.  That addresses the issue of deaths from ignorance. And Portugal provides opioid substitutes such as Methadone, and free drug purity testing.  That eliminates the 'street drug' aspect.  Better yet, instead of calling sick people 'criminals' and putting them in cages, drug possession is treated no worse than a traffic ticket, one that comes with a free social worker to help guide them on the path to rehabilitation.  And best of all, their approach saves money.  Portugal spends less than $10 per citizen per year on drug programs, where the U.S. spends some $10,000 per household.   "So I can't understand why Senator Wagner wants to double down on a failed policy and use the power of government to kill even more people.  Instead, let's follow the Libertarian approach and save money and lives by ending the War on Drugs today.  It's a modest proposal with huge results: reduce opioid use by 75%, reduce opioid deaths by 85%, reduce HIV infections by more than 90%.  It's a solution within reach.  It's a future worth having.  We only need leadership with the political courage to do it -- hopefully before another two and a half hours passes!  As your governor, I promise I will follow Portugal's example, decriminalize all drugs, and finally put an end to all that needless death.   "To quote the NY Times, 'The lesson that Portugal offers the world is that while we can't eradicate heroin, it's possible to save the lives of drug users if we're willing to treat them not as criminals but as sick, suffering human beings who need helping hands, not handcuffs.'   "So please vote for me, Ken Krawchuk, Libertarian for Pennsylvania Governor.  Because if you keep on voting the way you've been voting, you're going to keep on getting just what you've been getting – including another opioid-related death every two and a half hours."   Krawchuk, 65, is an Information Technology entrepreneur from Abington, Pa.  He has appeared on the gubernatorial ballot twice before, facing Democrat Ed Rendell in 2002 and Republican Tom Ridge in 1998.  His Lieutenant Governor running mate Kathleen Smith is a retired retail merchant from Canonsburg, Pa, and has served two terms on her local school board, one of them as board president.  Because of Pennsylvania's onerous ballot access laws, Krawchuk is the first third party or independent gubernatorial candidate to appear on the Pennsylvania ballot since 2002.  His return to politics comes on the heels of his federal court victory in 2016 that ruled unconstitutional the $80,000+ fines that have been levied against statewide candidates who are unsuccessful in their attempt to appear on the November ballot.   Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the state and the nation, with over 150 elected and appointed officials currently serving in office nationwide, and 40 in Pennsylvania.  Libertarians are fiscally conservative and socially liberal, and like the Founding Fathers, Libertarians believe that you have the inalienable right to conduct your life as you see fit, without interference, so long as you respect the rights and property of others.   For more information about the Libertarian Party, the public is invited to contact the Krawchuk campaign at www.KenK4Pa.com, Campaign@KenK4Pa.com, or (224) Krawchuk (224-572-9248), the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania at www.LpPa.org or (800) R-RIGHTS, or the National Libertarian Party at www.Lp.org or (202) 333-0008.   Krawchuk appears weekly on a Facebook livestream at 8 PM every Wednesday night, https://facebook.com/KenK4Pa.   ### Copyright © 2018 Libertarian for Pennsylvania Governor, All rights reserved. Please say subscribed if you would like to receive all the press releases from the Ken Krawchuk Campaign for Governor. Our mailing address is: Libertarian for Pennsylvania Governor PO Box 260 Cheltenham, PA 19012-0260

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Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Fwd: Fall Invitational Registration OPEN again

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From: TFTP <pcoultas@thefirstteepittsburgh.org>

The First Tee of Pittsburgh

Due to the weather last weekend, the Fall Invitational has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 29th. Registration is OPEN again thru Tuesday, September 25th. Register NOW if you haven't already. Don't miss this great event for the kids. If you already registered for the September 8th event, you DO NOT need to register again, we'll just see you there. New tee-times will be released Thursday, September 27th at 4pm. You should receive an email. CLICK HERE for more Information ‌ ‌ ‌ YOU'RE INVITED !!! Our annual TEE IT FORWARD event is set for Saturday, September 22, 2018 at The Rivers Club in downtown Pittsburgh CLICK HERE for more Info Participant DEALS CLICK HERE for more Info Show the image of the Primanti Brothers Hometown Edge card when paying your bill at their Waterfront location in Homestead and 10% of your entire order will be donated to the First Tee of Pittsburgh.  It's that simple.   This program runs through October 31, 2018 and is only good at the Waterfront location. CLICK HERE to see some of our Upcoming Events Do you plan to participate in the Drive, Chip, & Putt local qualifier? Watch this short video to learn what to expect. Watch Video New to The First Tee? CLICK HERE for More Info and FAQs Become a Volunteer Coach It is as FUN as it is REWARDING CLICK HERE to Volunteer The First Tee of Pittsburgh is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. EIN # 01-0867393 CLICK HERE to Make a Donation Your contribution helps economically disadvantaged children participate in our golf and life skill clinics. What is The First Tee of Pittsburgh? Watch this short video to find out. ‌ ‌ ‌ CLICK HERE to visit our website

The First Tee of Pittsburgh | 5370 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Sent by pcoultas@thefirstteepittsburgh.org in collaboration with

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Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Fwd: FW: Vietnam: a Working Class War - flyer attached - please forward. Full program at

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From: John H

This is an important and worthwhile conference for all of those who desire a better understanding of what transpired in the American War in Viet Nam.  Understanding that is vitally important to understanding where we have come as a nation and why.  Do plan to attend if you are able.

John

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Why Remember?

1968 is really ancient history for young people today. When you are 75 like I am, 50 years is something you can wrap your arms around. However in 1968,  rebellious youth like me were only fifty years from 1918, the bloody last year of World War I, and few beyond veterans and historians paid the slightest attention to the anniversary. 

The Vietnam War remains such a traumatic event to this day because the deep political divisions that bedevil our American present had their roots in the rice paddies, defoliated jungles and bomb craters of Vietnam and put hundreds of thousands of citizens in the streets to protest our nation's actions. Why? First, the US lost the war, something that an almost religious belief in our nation's manifest destiny held was not possible. Second, the Tonkin Gulf resolution of Congress, used to give political cover for the war, was based on a politically manufactured deception. This governmental deception was repeated in the "weapons of mass destruction" justification for the invasion of Iraq. Before John F. Kennedy's assassination nearly 77% of the American people trusted our government; in 2017 that trust was 18%. Democracy cannot survive if people can no longer trust the people they elect to govern them.

 Estimates are that 1,640,000 Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were killed in the war while 58,220 American soldiers also died. Hundreds of thousands of Americans and Vietnamese still carry physical and spiritual wounds. Our nation suffers from moral injury when the sacrifices of its soldiers are tainted by governmental lies and private profits that undermine truth and erode our accountability as a nation.

Charles McCollester, Battle of Homestead Foundation

Poster 

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Mark Rauterkus       Mark@Rauterkus.com 

Executive Director of SKWIM USA, a 501(c)(3)

The Pittsburgh Project - swim coach and head lifeguard

Middle School Swim Coach at The Ellis School

Former Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy

Sabbatical for 2018: PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo 

Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://CLOH.org

412 298 3432 = cell

Fwd: Get ready, it's coming . . .

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From: John H

The pins are all lined up, the principals are talking in unison and the rest of us are continuing to whistle in the dark as if everything is right with the world and the 'Trump Economy' is just wonderful . . . no matter that, just like 2008, the entire U.S. economy, built of subsidized stilts which are about to collapse under the weight not so illusory debt burdens, is headed for the dumper once again.  When one hears the Wigs of central banking pleading for 'more ammunition' (in other words, unchecked and unwatched free money) to fight such a collapse can there be any doubt that they know something we don't.  The solution they propose is just more of the same – give endless money to perpetrators and take it away from the rest of us since we are too profligate to use it wisely.  It's just like when the U.S. government says that Assad better not use chemical weapons this time, it knows that they will be used because our surrogates are planning to use them.  There's no wizardry here, foreknowledge is a powerful tool.

 

The two articles in the attachment should be taken with utmost seriousness, so don't fail to read them.

 

John

 

articles in PDF