There is an election in Luzerne County?

No yard signs, radio or TV ads, nothing in the papers and I haven't received anything in the mail. The Times-Leader pointed out something I've noticed or not noticed. Three row offices are up for grabs this November and the candidates are almost invisible.

The most important position is Controller. Our present Controller Steve Flood was a pain in the neck to the powers that be and he was targeted by his own party for defeat. He was willing to put up his hand and was willing to say stop and think about this. So now the Democratic nominee is Maryanne Petrilla the business manager for Butler Twp. I don't know much about her but I hope she will put her loyalty to the taxpayers ahead of her debt to the party. Speaking of debt, her last filing shows she has a $70,000 campaign debt. Her opponent is Eric Knappman who I know nothing about. Even my friends in the local GOP don't know much about him. If anyone can enlighten me, please do.

We have a rematch in the Prothonatry race. Jill Moran, the incumbent Democratic prothonotary candidate is up again against the previous occupant Republican Carolee Medico Olenginski. I'm not sure how to measure performance in this job as the duties are record keeping and administration. It probably should not even be an elected position. I don't think most people even know what a Prothonatary does. A long time ago when I had less gray hair someone was pitching a candidate for this office to me. My reaction was "what the hell is a prothonatary." I miss Carolee, her act with Fred Williams on WILK was always entertaning. Moran is another one who owes allot of people money, she has $139,000 in campaign debt.

I'm not sure about the Register of Wills race. Dottie Stankovic was renominated and don't even know if there is a Republican in the race. The county party chairman gave her ringing endorsement after the primary:

"There's obviously bad blood out there. There's no mandate for Dotty with the number of votes she got. She and certain other people have been a cancer within the organization."

She has my vote.