There is so much to talk about in the early weeks of 2016. Usually January is a slow, get your feet under you, put the holidays in the rearview mirror month. Not this year!

Locally, Williamsport hired a new Police Chief; Pennsylvania State Police Captain David J. Young. Captain Young will take over the reins from current Chief Greg Foresman on April 4. I appreciate everything Chief Foresman has done for the City and the Police Department. Mayor Campana made a little history hiring the first Chief that came from outside the ranks of City Police. I think it’s a great hire and hear only good things about Captain Young.

A new team of County Commissioners were sworn into office. Mr. Tony Mussare, who has one term under his belt as a commissioner; Mr. Jack McKernan, who is new to public office; and Mr. Rick Mirabito, a veteran public servant of the citizens of our area. Most years this would just be a changing or reappointment of the guard, as in guarding the assets and taxpayers’ wallets of Lycoming County. Just keep things rolling. Not this year.

There are many tough issues facing these men. We need answers about some things that have been swept under the rug from the past; we need that talked about “transparency” to finally occur. We need these good men to come together as a “team” and govern for us the taxpayers. Outside interests, agencies, and business networks need to stay out of the commissioners’ office. Every penny needs to be accounted for and valued. I know we have three men of character to take on the challenges ahead. I will be working with the commissioners to keep you informed and to provide you a first-hand take of what is getting done.

Now on to Harrisburg for a quick update. Governor Wolf in sheep’s clothes has borrowed $2 billion from the State Treasury; you know just to keep things running during the budget impossible. Great, so now we have borrowed money to cover the money that is somewhere locked up in a vault until the budget impossible ends. Therefore when we have a budget said money becomes available to pay back the treasury. What a bunch of poppycock!

One word for Governor Wolf, compromise! I believe both Democrats and Republicans have demonstrated this in getting a budget passed that only needs his signature. Just sign it and go back to chasing the gas folks out of our State and getting beds ready for Syrian refugees in your Gubernatorial Mansion.

Next stop, inside the beltway and onto my favorite President, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama. He will go down as the greatest President in Middle Eastern history, unless you are Israel of course.

He continues his release of prisoners from Guantánamo Bay. This is an absolutely deplorable action that should be viewed as treasonous and Mr. Obama held accountable. Depending the source, 30% to 40% of these terrorists, most linked to the Taliban, have returned to the business of terror or insurgent activity. US intelligence, the New York Post, ABC and many more have all confirmed this; even the liberal CNN has reported 116 former detainees have returned to terror.

Who’s left at GTMO? The worst of the evil worst. But in the best interest of National and World security let’s set them free. Unbelievable!

What was Mr. Obama’s other big action of the week? Was it dealing with ISIS? Maybe protecting our borders here at home, standing up to Vlad the Impaler and laying the law down in Russia? Nope, none of these three.

Was it setting Kim Jong-Un straight about his claim of having a hydrogen bomb. Incidentally, the issue is not whether he has one, the issue is Kim Jong-Un pounding his chest with pride and claiming to as he challenges and threatens the World. He is a disaster waiting to happen.

It must be our economy in fears of a financial collapse in China or developing our own natural resource to become energy independent? Yeah right.

Mr. Obama’s other grand act this past week was his use of the power of Executive Order to circumvent Congress and write his own gun laws. Who needs a House and Senate anyway? They just get in the way. Maybe a .45 would make them easier to deal with. This whole democracy thing is way overrated for Mr. Obama.

With all that our Country is threatened by he chooses to play the gun control card? In other words, we need to be kept safe from each other, let’s make it tougher for you and I to protect ourselves from you and I. Mr. Obama again proves it’s not about the American citizens, the taxpayers, the people that keep America going.

It is about self and his twisted evil agenda. It’s about staging a press conference surrounded by the parents of children murdered at Sandy Hook along with the loved ones of other most recent heinous acts of gun violence.

Mr. Obama even shedding a tear as he explained his thoughts and plans to take action and begin cleaning up the streets. Who wouldn’t shed a tear for these folks? What a bunch of malarkey!

First and foremost, criminals commit crimes, not the law-abiding citizens you’re targeting. In over 96% of crimes involving a gun the perpetrator is someone who has a criminal record. These fine upstanding members of the community are not obtaining their weapons legally, Mr. Obama!

In your home city of Chicago this past year 422 murders were committed with a gun. Nationally 379 people lost their lives in mass shootings.

Chicago has some of the toughest, if not the toughest gun laws in the Country. Per the Chicago Tribune more guns are seized by the police in Chicago than in any other city.

Chicago has banned handguns and the concealment of a handgun, banned gun shops within city limits. All have been overturned by the Supreme Court; however there is a 72 hour waiting period on the purchase of a gun in Illinois.

Chicago’s gun laws far exceed Mr. Obama’s new policy. As does the state of Pennsylvania. As do most states including places were mass shootings have recently occurred.

Mr. Obama’s one man stance on gun violence is anything but the truth and a practical solution.

The law-abiding citizen will fill out the paperwork, go through background checks and even wait the required amount of time to pick up the firearm purchased. Here in PA it’s a phone call to do the check and you can take the gun with you.

The issues that most need addressed are crime, criminals that commit violent acts with or without a gun and terrorism here on the home front.

If Mr. Obama was serious about stopping gun violence he would begin in his hometown of Chicago. He would identify the criminal element and demand a moratorium of Black on Black crime for the good of the people. It ain’t going to happen my friend.

God Bless America.