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WILKES-BARRE – Gov. Edward Rendell on Wednesday announced that the state will provide $750,000 to demolish the fire-damaged Murray-Courtright Building.
This is what the state government should do when a disaster strikes a small city. A fire like this one can really strain the services and budget of a cash strapped town and the Gov realizes that. He was a Mayor himself and knows that the local tax base is barely enough to cover the costs of police, fire protection, snow plowing and filling potholes. Anything extra has to come from somewhere else. Mayor Tom Leighton said the city will transfer $250,000 from federal community development block grants (CDBG) to fund the demolition. That means less streets will be paved but this is an emergency. Speaking of CDBG's, where is Kanjorski in all of this?
The complex of buildings at the corner of Courtright and Darling streets in W-B has been a disaster waiting to happen for a long time. The city has ignored the place for 20 or 30 years despite constant complaints from the neighbors.
The building that burned is only one of many. Next to it is old Central Slipper factory next to Tank Hill that has been a shell of a structure with all the windows broken out, crumbling bricks and rotting floors. If you go down Darling Street behind the fire scene the ancient smokestack still is standing and across Darling Street there are more buildings. One of them housed a footwear manufacturer for many years before shoe making was moved offshore. My Dad worked at that last operation owned by the now bankrupt Carter Rubber Co. and I grew up about 2 blocks away.
Knocking down all the structures is not going to happen any time soon.
8 comments:
I wonder if Leighton paid someone to burn that building so he could do something about it before the election.
I have been to many a City Council meeting in the past to fight to have this building demolished and was always told there was no money. I think the City Council should have demanded this building be removed and allocated the funds to have it done. Now there is a rush to have it removed. If the City would have made the building secure in the first place and sent the bill to Tom Murray as a lien. This do nothing City Council needs to be more aware of the dandgers in this City.
Quite a coincidence that Fast Eddy always seems to be handing out big checks around the state just as we approach election time.
Slobby,
Rendell is always handing out checks. At least this one is for a real need instead of corporate welfare.
Good points Walter.
Throw,
If you're going to accuse an elected official of a crime such as arson you better have some proof. You may disagree with the way Leighton is doing his job but stick to the issues instead of making reckless charges.
Its funny Kanjo only delivers the bacon to people who have steak, but does nothing when the farm burns down. Dan Flood's Pork was laways intended to help the many poor of the district. and He would consider his biggest accomplishment the VA hospital. Also he delivered in the flood. Knajo ha s aTed Stevens Problem. he wants to give money for bridges to no where, but will not contribute for emegencies. i remember Tom Coburn suggested the money for the bridge go to katrina and Stevens ent ballistice, i bet kanjo and Murtha would do the same thing if you asked them to solve this problem instead of money for thier freinds and relatives
I am allowed to wonder. I least, I think I am. I now wonder if I am not allowed to wonder. Is there an unwritten rule here that one cannot think?
Think anything you want. Making an accusation of a felony needs some proof.
Where is the accusation? I simply wondered aloud. What you read into that is your business, not my accusation.
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