Or Kanjo screws Yuddy
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BY ELIZABETH SKRAPITS
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In the federal transportation funding bill passed in August 2005, U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, included $5.6 million to build a parking garage for the Kanjorski Center on East Main Street in Nanticoke...What local officials didn't know until this week was in February Kanjorski had the bill amended to pull the $5.6 million for Nanticoke, cut it to $3 million, and reassign it to parking and street improvements in Wilkes-Barre.
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The project he is messing with is supposed to help Luzerne County Community College move a satellite campus into downtown Nanticoke into the aptly named and vacant Kanjorski Center.
This is a pet project of State Rep. John Yudichak but he didn't jump to any conclusions. "No one was aware of this action...Perhaps there was some misunderstanding that we can clear up."
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Skrep didn't pull any punches:
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Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak believes Nanticoke lost the money because Kanjorski and Yudichak are political adversaries. The chairman of the county commissioners pointed the finger of blame directly at the veteran congressman.
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"I have nothing against Paul," Skrepenak said. "I work well with Paul and I work well with John, but when you look at this, it just doesn't add up. This is what gives politicians a bad rep. I think if a project is viable for the community and the big picture, you put personal feelings aside and do the right thing...The county has been supportive and the state legislature has been supportive. We thought Paul was too."
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This is wrong in so many ways. Appropriate money for one purpose then redirect it to another, something Skrep knows something about. Using the transportation bill to build a parking garage when the money should be spent on highways and bridges. Having a little town rely on the funding then pull the rug out all because of politics.
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This adds fuel to fire to the rumours that Yudichak is going to challenge Kanjorski in the primary. And the speculation about Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty taking on Kanjo is still out there.
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Image from A Blog of Nanticoke.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKanjo is a politician out of the worst mold. I'm not that impressed with Doherty, either. But, consider this, the pretend newspaper in Scran'en also owns the Hazleton paper and one of the Wilkes Barre papers. If Doherty decides to run for it, he'll have those wannabe journalists publishing bj pieces in all three towns.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I dunno about the name, but the Kanjo Center is, at least, aptly vacant.
Funny Skrep had all that to say about Kanjo.
ReplyDeleteSkrep: "Hey, I'm gonna borrow all this money to build a kids detetion center. Wait, my buddy has a nice place for lease... anybody mind if I give all this bond money away for other stuff? No? Yes? Who cares, the residents have twenty years to pay it all back - I'll be long gone by then."
Thanks for the link to A Blog of Nanticoke. And in case you were wondering why there was no mention on that site of this grand and glorious plan to revitalize downtown Nanticoke...well, it's because it was obvious that something like this would happen to screw it up. We can't have anything nice.
ReplyDeletePoliticians fuck up everything they touch
ReplyDeleteI think the gauntlet has been thrown down. The Polish Clash of the Titans is on!
ReplyDeleteI think after this move by Kanjo young John will be able to start raising money.
This is gonna be a big race.