The Larry Kane Report

Paul Gluck is a professor at Temple  University,  a broadcast executive with a storied career in Philadelphia, and a highly focused observer of the American scene. We are great friend, and last night, we both decided that we’ve had enough of fat-cat, ego-centric and alleged “stars” who show their phony-baloney view of life, and want the world to cry for them, and “suffer their pain,” even as hard-working people all around the country are trying to cope everyday with challenges.

Lindsay Lohan comes to mind. Poor Lindsay. She hasn’t been smart enough to get real help? Gimme a break. This millionaire mess of an actress is one of the worst examples of poor-human being, rich person in the world. And you know what, WE are part of the problem. It’s our industry that glorifies and glamorize the fast and the nasty, people like Lindsay and Paris Hilton, and Nicole Richie. And how about everybody’s hero, the venomous, hate-spewing, wife-beating , disgrace of an actor. Oh boy! Mel Gibson. Now there is a real giant of a human being!

We could go on forever about the rich malcontents and their super-selfish unfulfilled lives. But there are solutions.

Maybe Lindsay and Paris and all those pseudo-stars might try what millions of Americans do everyday – volunteer, counsel, mentor and care about others . I think these California judges should forget about those two-week prison terms. Instead, force these actor-infants to do real time, working with real people who need help. Maybe that will bring them back to earth. I doubt it, but you never know.

As for Lindsay Lohan:  enough of those courtroom tears. Get a life and get it fast, before you become yesterdays newspaper. That paper, with your faded headlines, might be used to wrap fish, a better use of newsprint than the garbage that you are disseminating to the people of America.

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Ringo Starr, the only Beatle born into difficult living conditions, celebrates his 70th birthday on Wednesday. That means I’m not that far behind! In many ways, Ringo’s non Beatles solo career, has been very productive and enormously unselfish. Years ago, Ringo created the All-Starr band allowing other fantastic artists to share the spotlight on a nationwide tour. The mix has worked well with a lot of great entertainers making their way back to the spotlight.

A few notes about Ringo. He was wonderful to travel with, always offering himself up for interviews, and making light of difficult situations. He was also quite an intellectual with his view of the world and politics. His early life was tortuous, not only the economic challenges, but several serious health crises that he had to face down.. I also believe , from my perspective, that Ringo’s contribution to the Beatles was enormous. He has  a magnetic stage personality and understanding of music unrivalled by any drummer of his, and his vocal hits over the years as a solo entertainer have been very impressive.

Happy Birthday to Ringo Starr!

THE STEELE CURTAIN -

There’s a real irony about Michael Steele. The GOP Chairman is a great speaker. But he has no filter on what he says. As of this writing, he is on his way out. It may not happen shortly, but it will happen. This is officially the era of loose lips, and extreme statements when it comes to politics. But Steele doesn’t know when to stop. When he made remarks about this bring the Obama war, it was denigrating to the Presidency and the military, much as it was when Democrats declared Iraq the Bush War a few years ago. The problem is simple: men and women are putting it all on the line to fight for the U.S. They don’t need a Michael Steele or a Stanley McChrystal to cheapen their mission with insults that are outrageously ill-timed.

PRIME TIME FOR JULY 4th – ADVICE FOR THE MAYOR

Mayor Nutter wants our Fourth of July program on Prime Time NATIONAL TV. He’s right. But to make that happen, he’s got to move fast. There are any number of Cable and broadcast networks that would consider doing  package. But a show like that needs a tremendous amount of planning,  more stars, and a show that will attract audience with special features. Planning for such a broadcast should start right now. Recruiting for entertainment should be made in conjunction with entertainment networks.  The location would  remain the same, but a second stage should be established at Independence Hall, where it all began.

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Camp Kagan is over in the U.S. Senate. The usual suspects showed up. Just like the Democrats before them in the Bush days (remember Roberts and Alito bashing?) the Republicans this time tried to find some good dirt on Elena Kagan, with little success. The story brings a good question to mind. Why is the Senate process so long ? It took the Senate one day to confirm General Petraeus. Over the years, the Supreme Court nomination process drags on with much-too-much show and tell. The Senate is the slowest legislative body in the free world. It’s systems are archaic and unruly. It needs to be fixed, and the first phase :  limit the perks, and force more real work-time!

AIRPORT BLUES -

Mark Bowden’s report Sunday on the Philadelphia Airport parking mess was so incredibly timely. The INKY piece by the award winning writer pinpointed the screwed-up electronic parking signs that simply do not work! Period! Flights are often missed because of this system, but most of all, there is no backup. Many of the service phones do not answer. The people who answer them cannot tell you where spots are available. Linda Miller, the PPA executive who deals with many communications issues, is a fantastic executive, but she can’t run the airport system by herself. The system is flawed, and the people, the people who pay for parking, are getting hosed.

On the airport itself: bathrooms are filthy, there is hardly a sense of “welcome” by some of the people at the information desks, and the airport is simply not bright and cheery. Philadelphia needs a better welcome environment for visitors. And this is a must.

NOTE TO GOVERNOR CHRISTIE – FIGHT TO KILL BEACH FEES

The gutsy New Jersey Governor should fight to end the nastiest taxes of all  -beach fees. Beach fees are clearly not ethical, because the people own the beaches. Beach fees are a sad excuse for keeping people away. The communities without beach fees are doing just fine. Wildwood comes to mind. Beach fees are a terrible, maybe unintentional form of discrimination. Who says that Americans should be restricted from their beautiful natural resources? It’s an old argument, but it remains a good one. Florida doesn’t have beach fees. Neither do most of the Carolina’s.

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Nancy Pelosi is 1. Out to hurt the Democratic Party. 2. Wants to damage national security. 3. Seeks more power. 4. All of the above.

The Speaker of the House is playing what could be a devastating and potentially dangerous political game. In an age of terror, the Speaker is going head-to-head with the Commander in Chief.

What’s the big fuss? Pelosi is pushing legislation that would require the CIA to give EVERY member of the House and Senate intelligence committees advance knowledge of covert activities. She also wants the power to audit these activities. Only committee chairmen currently get the top-secret briefings.The President threatens to veto the Pelosi power grab. The showdown is coming up soon.

Talk about political selfishness? Why damage your own party in an election year?

Both key Republicans and Democrats oppose the Pelosi move. One thing is certain –Washington is a city of leakers. That kind of sensitive information in the wrong hands could be dangerous to the nation’s well being.

Pelosi Vs. Obama. Watch this one.

SLICK OILERS-

The national oil lobby is filling the airwaves with messages about the safety of oil drilling.

Save your money you big-pocketed gusher-kings. We need oil, but we also need common sense in the aftermath of the mess in the Gulf. You can’t fool all of the people all of the time!

SEPTA AT THE BALL PARKS

So one of the mobile phone companies is buying the name to the Septa subway stop at the Sports Complex. Pretty cool? Not so fast. It’s good for Septa to get the bucks, but will the phone company guarantee that our cell phones will work in the stadium areas?

LIKE A ROLLING STONE

The McChrystal public relations disaster may turn out to become an investigative study by some major journalism schools. It is hard for most journalists to comprehend that any official of his rank would make the comments he made, anthat his top aides would mouth—off like that. Rolling Stone denies that any rules of engagement were violated. It would be interesting to discover what the rules were for any off-the-record remarks. The entire affair reminds me of rule one for people in power: if you want to protect your backside, always think there’s an open microphone in the room, even if there isn’t.

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Will someone tell the big BP Oil Company how to manage a disaster? This company may have the worst public relations outlook on the planet. BP should be the company that preempted government action by offering to compensate each person whose earnings and future earnings have been affected by the slimy mess and the mismanagement surrounding it. The company has huge current and future earnings, despite the liability now pouring out of the bottom of the ocean. It is time for BP to cut the BS and come to the table with plenty of cash and a plan to save the Gulf. Government should have been more involved from the beginning, but the company must put its money where its pr mouth is – in the hands of the victims.

HUGO CHAVEZ – THE MOUTH THAT ROARED- OR A NUKE BLACKMAILER

Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez has developed, in recent weeks, more intimate ties with the killer regime in Iran. This is dangerous business for Chavez who is scaring the heck out of his own citizens by playing with their rights of free speech, and even threatening to break up families, by sending children away to special indoctrination schools. That move would probably force the military to take him out. So the madman has backed off on those threats. But there are reports that Chavez is using his power to supply a route for uranium to arrive in Tehran. If that is true, it’s time for the United Stated to affect a serious blockade of Chavez’s empire. This man is much more dangerous than Fidel Castro was at the bloody height of his powers. The United States must start focusing on the madman of Caracas. He is not just a pompous orator. Chavez is dangerous and must understand that there will be some consequences to his alliance with the extremist regime in Iran.

FLYERS – ONE LAST NOTE-

Minute to minute, every thrilling minute, the Flyers gave us a spring to remember. Any sports writer or fan who considers this past season a “lost cause”, should find a new city or a new team. I mean, that was enough nail-biting suspense to last a long time, or at least until a World Series, or the beginning of Eagles season. I’m tired of the glass half empty crowd. This is Philadelphia, best sports community in America. No apologies for the Flyers!

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