Young Dems getting together

This is great.  Luzerne County Young Democrats  are having a meeting at

Rodano's

53 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18701

Thursday, July 27 at 6 PM

 

LCYD Meeting at Rodano's 

 A night to celebrate local Democrats, engage in current events, and increase membership in the LCYD!

 

 

 I have always been a supporter of our local chapters of the Young Democrats and Young Republicans in Luzerne County . Both outfits have been  very generous to me over the years.

 Just looking at their Facebook pages they both have been dormant for a while so it's good to see one of the organizations getting back in gear

                                                                                                                                         

President: Beth Gilbert
Vice President: Dominick Butchko
Secretary: Matthew Ford
Treasurer: Kyle Kocher
Immediate Past President: Thomas Shubilla

A boring upcoming election

Most of the PA legislature seats in Luzerne County are uncontested. John Yudichak and Lisa Baker may get a third party challenge but will cruise to reelection to the state Senate. Eddie Day, Mike Carroll, Jerry Mullery and my favorite party girl Tarah Toohil don't have an opponent for state rep in the fall.

The most interesting races are Karen Boback being challenged by Laura Dickson and the open seat being vacated by Phyliis Mundy's retirement.  Eilleen Cipriani is the hands down favorite to succeed one of my favorite state reps although Aaron Kaufer has been working very hard.

The most interesting race is the 117th District which has been redrawn to include Wyoming County and local official Laura Dickson is looking to work the home field. I don't know what it is but the local Republicans out there have a thing for making Karen Boback's life misarable. Davis Haire took her on in the primary this time and James May went after her earlier. I think Dickson's best chance is a depressed GOP turnout because Tom Corbett has pissed off just about everybody on both sides of the aisle. 
 

Dairy issues may be a key

Possible 120th HD candidates

First of all I want to say say thank you to Phyllis Mundy for being for being a friend and an outstanding State Representative.

Just as I was getting worried that we wouldn't have many competitive state legislature elections next year Phyllis drops a bomb shell. Right now Pashinski, Carroll, Mullery, Toohill, Yudichak and Baker don't have an announced opponent but that will change as some guy with a tri-corner hat gets the itch. So far only Karen Boback has a serious opponent in Laura Dickson.

Bill O'Boyle in the TL runs down the likely candidates.

On the GOP side 2012 nominee Aaron Kaufer gives kudos to Phyllis and sounds like he will run again. She cleaned his clock 56%-44% after the state GOP pored a ton of money into the race. And there is always  speculation that Kingston Mayor for Life Jim Haggerty will try to lose another election outside of the Municipality after getting shot down for State Senate and Judge. I'm sure some other names will pop up.

The Dems will have plenty of candidates. Edwardsville Councilor Gary Mack is interested as is West Pittston attorney Laura Dennis who is said to be able to self finance. This line from the TL article kind of bugs me. Dennis said she wants to run for elective office; she has to decide if the state legislature would be the best fit for her. In other words she wants to run for office to be somebody instead of doing something. She has time to clear that up.

The early frontrunner for the Democratic nod has to be West Wyoming Council Prez Eileen Cipriani. She has been at Phyllis' side and organized the West Side Council of Governments that has been able to pool the resources of the west side to get things done.

Other names being thrown around include:

Former W. Pittston Mayor Bill Goldsworthy who is working for the the Guv and ran against Phyllis in 2010. He may want to get off the Corbett sinking ship before it goes under.

Just for shits and giggles a commenter says:  I say Michael Szustak- did a bang up job with Gelb and Cartwright. Has what we need for the job!

 And we all know that Joe V has always wanted to be elected to something...anything

If Mundy does retire, who knows, maybe I’ll tap into that communion money and throw my hat into the ring as well.

Laura Dickson for State Representative

Karen Boback won't have a free ride in 2014.

From the inbox:

Wyoming County Auditor Laura Dickson announced her candidacy for Pennsylvania State Representative in the 117^th District.

 “I decided to run based on the conversations I've had with people across the district and their dissatisfaction with our current representation in Harrisburg”.

 Dickson, who has served as county auditor since 2010, has pushed for greater fiscal accountability within Wyoming County government. As auditor, she has been responsible for the overall annual review of the county's multi-million dollar budget. “We need to make sure that every penny is being spent properly, especially when so many municipal and county budgets are shrinking. We need to balance the needs of our citizens with the financial resources available to us.”

 Dickson stated that her focus as state representative would be on promoting economic development through education, infrastructure rehabilitation, and development of new industries.

 “If we can coordinate our education system with the needs of potential employers, we can create hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs in this district. We need a representative that will work every day to achieve that goal”.

 Laura Dickson has served on the Executive Board of the Pennsylvania State Association Of County Auditors since 2012. She recently worked as a divisional vice president at NCS, an institutional pharmacy company. While at NCS, she owned and operated her own fitness center business. She has served as the chairperson of Youth and Ministry and as chairperson of Special Programs and Events at East Lemon United Methodist Church where she has been a member since 2000. Additionally, she volunteers at the Seven Loaves Soup Kitchen, Tyler Hospital and the Wyoming County Kiwanis.

 She met her husband Jim while attending Keystone College. They have been married for 34 years and have one daughter, Sharon. 

 Check out her website

Laura Dickson For State Representative

 and her Facebook campaign page

 

Andrew Seder covered her announcement in the TL

 

Wyoming County auditor to challenge Boback in 117th District

 

Predictions 118th HD and 17th CD

 
Sorry I have been out of the loop for the last 2 days but I had some family obligations to tend to. I'll start off with the easy ones. You can beat me up on later posts.

Mike Carrol will be reelected in the 118th HD. Terrance O'Connor is the Republican candidate but has not made much of an effort other than putting on tricorner hat and yelling into a bullhorn from the back of a pick up truck just like he did last time. Carroll has pleasantly surprised me with his desire to overhaul the campaign finance laws (there aren't many) of Pennsylvania and reforming the redistricting process.



Karen Boback is unopposed in the 117th HD as is Eddie Day Pashinski in the 121st HD. I told Pashinski  that I'm not voting for him this time. More on that later. As a political junkie I hate unopposed races. Sorry but I have to put up James favorite Karen pic.






In the newfangled gerrymandered 17th Congressional District Matt Cartwright (D) will win in a blowout over Laureen Cummings(R). Probably 60%+. Cartwright beat incumbent  Blue Dog Tim Holden in the primary in the overwhelmingly Democratic district because people wanted a real Democrat not Republican lite. It's great that both candidates have run positive campaigns discussing issues. My contact at the DCCC tells me that Cartwright is up 26% in their latest poll.

If you are still undecided here is the video from WVIA debate.

 

Watch 2012 PA 17th Congressional District Debate on PBS. See more from WVIA Special Presentations.

Duke for state rep

Democratic voters in the 117th District, please write in Mark Barrett for State Representative on Tuesday, April 24th!

Due to the Supreme Court ruling regarding the redistricting plans that shifted the boundaries back to their 2001 borders so close to the petition due-date, Mark didn't have enough time to collect the amount of signatures needed for ballot access, despite an amazing push in the final days. He is leading a true grassroots campaign to get on the November ballot to represent the voters in the 117th! You may know him from radio call-in shows as "Duke from Dallas". He will have all party resources available for his run.

An accomplished software developer, Mark will stand up to corporate lobbyists and the gas industry in Harrisburg, and be a stalwart and responsible leader for clean, safe drinking water and he will work to end loopholes that allow corporations to essentially do as they please with no oversight. He understands that when our students are doing well, our state is doing well, and while Tom  Corbett aims to destroy our educational system by cutting it down to the bone, Mark will restore funding to our public schools. If you feel that Karen Boback has been unresponsive to citizens, running unopposed will make her even less so.  She needs to be held accountable for her abysmal, Corbett-enabling record in Harrisburg.

Her recent vote to allow Republicans in Harrisburg to supersede local zoning laws allows the gas industry to override the will of the people in communities across Pennsylvania for the sake of profit; that's just one of many issues where Rep. Boback has sided with special interests over the people she was elected to represent. She voted for Tom Corbett's disastrous budget two years in a row, crippling public education and further burdening local taxpayers. Essential PA services, like Adult Basic heath care & Medicaid, that help everyday Pennsylvanians, have been sacrificed on the altar of "deficit reduction" in order to give more tax breaks for corporations. Unbelievably, Boback even proposed raising taxes on seniors and low income families through new taxes on food, clothing, and retirement income, in order to eliminate taxes for wealthy property owners!

We deserve better, and Mark is the right man for the job. Six years of Karen Boback is enough. So this Tuesday, please write in Mark Barrett for State Representative - he won't work for the gas industry, but he will work for YOU!

Casey Evans

2nd District Chairman

Dallas

Duke from Dallas for State Represenative

 From his Facebook page


Politicians Shouldn't Run Unopposed-
Write-in "Mark Barrett" PA Rep 117th on the Dem Ballot.
Heard on local talk radio, ”Duke from Dallas” will work to protect your Property Values from Natural Gas Corporations that threaten Communities with Heavy Industrial Facilities & Compressor Stations from the Big Government “Act 13” that eliminates traditional “Local Zoning Rights” and quality of life.

Duke tried to get on the primary ballot but got a late start circulating petitions and came up short. He needs at least 300 write-ins to win the Democratic nomination. I'm sure that Republican State Rep  Karen Boback will also mount a write-in effort trying to secure both nominations.

Free Ride

Looking over the candidate roster for the upcoming State Senate and House elections I was struck by how many incumbents will not face a challenger in the primary or general. That might change as the independents and 3rd party candidates have until August 1st to circulate petitions so a handful of Greens and Libertarians may still make the race. I always want a choice in an election but I realize it is a big decision to run for office and put up with the aggravation of press scrutiny, unfair attacks and snarky bloggers.

Capitol Ideas did the math

It'll Be A Lonely Primary For A Lot Of Lawmakers This Year.

if we're counting correctly, it would appear that seven of 25 state senators up for re-election this year are running without primary or general election opposition...In the House,at least 69 of 203 members are running without primary or general election opposition.

Locally it looks like that Karen Boback (R-117) and Mike Carroll (D-118) will have a free ride but that could change in the 117th.

Jim explains how the Supreme Court decision threw a monkey wrench into the process.

As to uncontested races... I think the redistricting fiasco played a part in this. I have to wonder how many people simply decided not to run due to the uncertainty about what district they were going to be in. I'm still waiting to see where we folks in Plains end up: the 121st or the 118th. Redistricting added a whole layer of complication to this year's petition season.

PA State Represenative candidates in Luzerne County

The candidate roster can found at the PA Department of State.

Mike Carroll (D-118) and Karen Boback (R-117) will not have an opponent in the upcoming primary and general elections. Like most political junkies I hate uncontested elections because the people should always have a choice plus you never know if the incumbent might have something blow up on them. It looks looks like Duke started too late to get the 300 signatures needed in the 117th.

The big news is assistant Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Frank McCabe is running in the Democratic primary trying to unseat my 3rd favorite State Rep Phyllis Mundy in the 120th HD.
A resident of the district said "Nice, a stealth undercover petition signing. He must know people to get all of those signatures with no one spilling the beans. Now its getting fun." I don't think that Mundy hasn't has had a primary challenger since she won the election in 1990 taking the seat from Republican incumbent Scott Dietterick who was found guilty of insurance fraud just before the election. The Yonk will correct me if I'm wrong. What Democrat could have a beef with Phyllis? Young Republican Aaron Kaufer is the GOP candidate.



The other matchups include Ransom Young (D) taking on freshman Tarah Toohil (R) in the Hazleton area 116th HD. Rick Arnold (R) has a rematch with Gerald Mullery (D) in the 119th. Pete Mailloux (R) is taking on incumbent Eddie Day Pashinski (D) in the 121st HD for now but all this could change depending on the mapmakers response to the Supreme Court.

Duke from Dallas for State Represenative

Yesterday I got an email from a reluctant Democratic Committeeman from Nanticoke about another subject that included this tidbit
"Duke from Dallas is running for something or other, I didn't quite catch what - against Karen Boback, maybe? He just got drafted for it shortly before the meeting."




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That got my wheels turning so I asked Duke if he was running but he didn't give me a straight answer so I asked the 2nd District Chairman who gave me an Apparatchik type answer "I have no comment at this time. Please expect an official Democratic Party press release regarding the 117th State Representative seat following the submission of the nominating petitions."


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Surfing around social media (Facebook) it was easy to confirm that he is circulating petitions.
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From Duke's page
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my PA Rep Karen Boback voted to put the value of my residence & quality of our neighborhoods a FISCAL RISK. Dallas Twp spent about $150,000 & 2 years' work on Zoning only to have Rep Boback turn her back on LOCAL DEMOCRACY. If she doesn't read or can't understand the bills she votes on that let Foreign & out of state CORPORATIONS trump local citizens' rights to clean air & water it might be time for a CHANGE
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Home Rule Disaster: Pennsylvania Residents May Be Forced to Live Within 300 Feet of A Frack Well Pa
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Below we see Karen Boback discussing the impact of fracking on the dairy industry with a constituent.
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PA State House redistricting

Late this afternoon the new boundaries for the Pennsylvania State House and Senate were revealed. As usual Borys is on top of what it means for Lackawanna and Luzerne counties with a list of what towns will be switching districts. It's hard to visualize without a map to actually look at but I'm sure our local papers will have them tomorrow.

I don't cover Lackawanna County much so I will leave it to my friends at NEPartisan to analyze what this means to citizens north of the border with the move of the 115th to Monroe County and 117th and 118th that have been mostly in Luzerne County getting chunks of Lackawanna.

The 120th represented by Phyllis Mundy appears to have the least change picking up Edwardsville from the 117th which makes it a bit more Democratic as far a registration goes.

Mike Carroll's 118th seat has Monroe County towns taken out and is moving both north and south. According to this Plains Township will now be in the 118th despite being in the 121st for a long time and will now snake up to include some Lackawanna towns such as Moscow. I know both towns and they have different concerns. I live in Plains and we have more in common with W-B than Moscow or Pittston.

The 121st (Eddie Day Pashinski) will still be centered on Wilkes-Barre and W-B Township but will move south to include a part of Mountaintop, more of Hanover and throw in Laurel Run, Sugar Notch and Warrior Run. Ashley moves to the 119th ( I'm not sure how they pulled that one off) and the district makes into the Hazleton Area that has freshman Rep. Gerry Mullery objecting.

I only looked at 3 of the traditional 6 House Districts in Luzerne County and have yet to look at the Senate bounderies but is apparent that the people drawing the lines ignored geography, the common interests of the people invovled and common sense.

It may take 10 years but it would be good idea to take the redistricting process out of the hands of the politicians. Much as I advocate Judge's on Merit. Sometimes we need less politics deciding the ground rules.

No tax on Drillers

Rendell calls gas severance tax dead this year

An effort to enact a state severance tax on natural gas production during the past 18 months ran into a dead end Thursday amid a round of political recriminations. Gov. Ed Rendell pronounced the push to enact a severance tax on natural gas production dead this year - a tacit recognition that the legislative session is effectively over until January and his term in office ends that month too. Rendell said the unwillingness of Senate and House Republican leaders to negotiate in good faith on a compromise tax is responsible for the breakdown.

The argument that a tax on gas extraction will chase away the drillers is laughable as just about every other state has one. The natural gas market is a world wide market just like oil. The gas extracted in PA doesn't stay in PA but is put onto the world market so consumers in the Commonwealth are already paying a severance tax to other states. The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center explains.

Across the country, 96% of natural gas is produced in states that have severance taxes. Pennsylvania, however, remains one of the only energy-producing states without one.

While some policymakers in Pennsylvania worry about the impact of a severance tax, studies in Wyoming, Utah and other states have shown that tax rates have little effect on natural gas production. Rather, drilling decisions are made based on the location of reserves and the expected price of natural gas.
...
This weekend, Pennsylvania will reach a new milestone - $100 million in revenue lost by the Legislature’s failure to approve a natural gas severance tax. The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center is tracking in real-time how much severance tax revenue has been lost since October 1, 2009 by not having a tax in place. View the Severance Tax Ticker here.

This is not surprising since we have the best legislature and candidates that money can buy.

The Money Game: Marcellus Shale Cash

It might seem odd that Kim Pegula, a self-described "homemaker" from Boca Raton, Florida, would donate $180,000 to help state Attorney General Tom Corbett become the next governor of Pennsylvania. ...To be sure, Ms. Pegula is no ordinary homemaker, but is responsible for an 8,000-square-foot, Tuscan-style estate in the exclusive St. Andrews Country Club that is currently on the market for $5.4 million... A study of reports filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State shows that in the 18-month period between January 1, 2009, and last June 30, drillers gave at least $751,762 to candidates-nearly triple their total of $276,802 for 2008.

One thing is very clear: the gas companies believe that their interests will best be served through the election of Republicans. Of the grand total of $1,028,564 contributed in 2008, 2009 and the first half of 2010, fully 82 per cent, or $843,884, went to Republican candidates.

Corbett accepted $311,803 in natural gas money while his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, took $94,000. State Auditor General Jack Wagner, who lost to Onorato in the Democratic primary, received $26,250.
For the record, Corbett opposes taxing natural gas, saying it would hurt a fledgling industry.

If this wasn't bad enough SRS points out that they not only don't want to tax this activity but want taxpayers to subsidize it.

Bill proposes State funding for marcellus infrastructure

Our environment is being raped in slow motion and the perps want us to pay for the pleasure. The water in Dimock has been poisoned by the gas drilling but Cabot Oil won't accept responsibility for its actions. Instead of making it right for the families affected Cabot pours money into the coffers of friendly politicians that will help them to avoid paying for the damage they have done and will do in the future. Yes, $12 million to build a water pipeline to service 16 families is madness. Expect more madness in the near future. The question is who will pay for the madness?

117th Democratic State Rep candidate Richard Shermanski sent this statement:


Shermanski Declares Death of Severance Tax Bill "Offensive"


The failure of the Pennsylvania legislature to enact a severance tax in the state was called "irresponsible" by Governor Rendell. Richard Shermanski, candidate for the 117th district, would also call it offensive. Given Pennsylvania's budget struggles, leaving a $70 million hole in the revenue plans is bad - but the issue of safety is another matter entirely.

"I'm committed to making sure that gas extraction is done safely. How can we make sure it's safe? We must have monetary reserves on hand to make sure that we can quickly respond to a disaster on the scale of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill we saw just months ago. A tax will put in a position to do just that," Richard said earlier today.

Richard said that House Republican leadership and their loyal foot soldier, Representative Karen Boback, had been more concerned about making sure the corporate interests were assured of higher profits
than safety of Northeastern Pennsylvanians.

"Pennsylvania will be the only mineral rich state in the country without a severance tax. The argument that a tax here would force companies elsewhere is absurd."

As we progress into the next legislative session, it's imperative that we tackle this issue. I want to pass this tax so that our commonwealth can improve financially - and, by extension, the lives of the citizens in Northeastern Pennsylvania will improve financially. Richard also said, "That House Republicans would look out for these out-of-district corporations over the potential safety of the families in the 117th and elsewhere is simply offensive."

117th candidates news

The TL contrasted the positions of 117th State Rep Karen Boback (R) and her Democratic challenger Richard Shermanski over the recently passed gas drilling severance tax.

They both favor the tax but differ about how the proceeds should be distributed. Boback wants more money coming home to the local municipalities while Shermanski wants to fund the Department of Environmental Protection.

Shermanski sent me a double barrelled press release:

SHERMANSKI ASKS: WHAT IS KAREN HIDING?
Who represents you in the PA State House? We hoped to have the opportunity to learn a little more about our state representative at a debate on October 21 – at least we wanted to, until Representative Karen Boback refused to meet Richard in a debate on October 21st.
Richard began reaching out to the Boback campaign back in August to schedule this debate. After the League of Women Voters began to make the event a reality, Karen decided that she had a prior commitment that night – waiting weeks to declare that she was unable to appear.
The families of the 117th deserve a fair shot at meeting their representative – and finding out why Richard would make a better Representative. Boback’s record in the House has often left voters wondering, “What was she thinking?” But, now, they’re forced to think “What is she hiding?” Why is she so afraid to face her constituents in a forum where her views might be challenged by an opponent?
A few things that Karen might be hiding...
• Why did she vote to support large gas extraction corporations over the safety of families in the district?
• Why does she continue to receive campaign donations from major corporations from outside the region?
• While she’s been in office, the PA House has repeatedly failed to pass a budget on time – and then, when they were set to do so, she voted against it.

Want to know even more about what Karen isn’t doing for the families in the 117th? Want to know what Richard plans to do to help our families and communities? Give us a call at 570-592-4766.



SHERMANSKI APPLAUDS PA HOUSE FOR VOTE PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
In the course of this campaign, we’ve always put the constituents of the 117th first. We’re not about supporting companies that aren’t based in the area and protecting them when they don’t even employ workers in our area. That’s why we’re so pleased the State House stood up to outside interests, even though Representative Boback caved to pressure from her friends in the corporate world.
What’s worse is that Karen and the party leaders she supports tried to deceive the people of Pennsylvania by offering up a frightening argument about jobs. The Republican argument about job loss is ludicrous. There’s no way oil and gas companies will abandon the state and give up these profits – not when we’re sitting on top of what’s been called the Saudi Arabia of natural gas.
Representative Boback and her party bosses that she takes her marching orders from were perfectly willing to sacrifice the quality of life – everything from the roads we drive on to the water we drink – of the families that live and work in the 117th. It’s incomprehensible that Karen voted against providing the counties and municipalities impacted by these drillers with the tens of millions of dollars they will need to repair their roads and protect their water supplies. She once again put special interests ahead of the interests of Pennsylvanians.
We are at a crucial juncture in the birth of the nature gas extraction industry. After seeing the problems of our fellow Pennsylvanians in Clearfield County with the well accident and the polluted water supply in Susquehanna County, we know how important it is for us to make sure this industry grows responsibly. The recent actions taken by the state house are an excellent step in that direction.
With questions or for more information on my view on the Natural Gas extraction, please give us a call at 570-592-4766.


The have been reports of cows drinking frack water so by popular demand I will repost this pic of Boback discussing dairy and water issues with a constituent.

Blogger/Candidate Meetup September 17th postgame

The picture above is from Another Monkey who raised the question on what to call this semi-annual event. I probably created some confusion by posting it as a Blogger/Candidate Meetup on the blog but created a Facebook event page titled Happy Hour-Fall Edition then sent out a promo email refering to it as the Mega-Meetup. Joe Valenti tagged it Blogfest which appeared on the sign outside Rooney's. Beer Summit was suggested by the Blogfather who was MIA and many people were asking about him.

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We had another great turnout and expect the spring event to be the best one yet when all the local offices are on the primary ballot. National and state elections are not as nearly intense as the local ones and primaries have all the activists more fired up than the general election.

Gene Rooney and his staff did an outstanding job like they always do taking care of our need for beverages and really good food.

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Me and Mrs. G got there early and the first one in the door was 117th State Rep Candidate Richard Shermanski and Bob Caruso. This was real treat for me because I haven't seen Bob since we both worked for different candidates in the 1976 Presidential primary then organized a Young Democrats chapter in Luzerne County with a lot of help from State Senator Marty Murray. We shared some great memories like the time Jimmy Carter came to town and we lost Kevin Blaum in Mountaintop and the future Mayor of Boston, Tommy Menino, didn't know what a CMP was.

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Luzerne County Commissioner and PA Senate 14th District hopeful Steve Urban worked the crowd all night as did the Libertarian candidate Betsy Summers. Lackawanna PA 20th Senate District Republican nominee Frank Scavo was there with his lovely wife and he didn't get into a shouting match with Bart Simpson. Another Lackawanna county candidate was Republican Theresa Kane who is running against longtime State Rep Ed Staback in the 115th. She was accompanied by Scranton Tea Party activist Lauree Cummings.

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My 3rd favorite Congressman Paul Kanjorski showed up with a posse that included Joe Terrana, his COS Karen Feather and Nicole Giambusso and stayed well into the night. For some reason they all wanted to know how I learned to speak Polish. Lou Barletta didn't make it but his press guy Shawn Kelly made the rounds. Él estaba muy emocionado cuando le dije que si el alcalde Lou gane las elecciones voy a empezar a referirse a él como el congresista Nelligan.

118th Republican candidate Terrance O'Conner walked in the door dressed up in his 18th century garb but I didn't get a picture before he changed. He said he lost his bullhorn

I asked State Senator Lisa Baker what she thought her margin of victory would be and we recounted the 2006 race when Dave Madeira and Russ Bigus got in to that argument over who had killed the most animals. She confided that she ran into a deer around that time that totaled her car and was going to put out a satirical press release saying she was the only candidate that got a deer that year but demurred.

Hoping to win the 119th Rick Arnold (R) and Gerald Mullery (D) mixed it up with the crowd. 121st Republican candidate James O'Meara is a great guy and I just recently learned that he married a girl that I had a crush on in high school. Small world.

From the courthouse Solicitor Vito DeLuca made it as did Controller Walter "the hump" Griffith. I think Mary Jo was blushing when the wags were busting on him.

All 3 120th State Rep candidates attended like they always do for my events, thank you. In this cycle I have had the most contact with them and I'm sort of like the Will Rogers of the local blogosphere since I have got to know and like all of them. Whoever wins the district will be well represented. West Pittston Mayor Bill Goldsworthy (R) tells me he is good shape and is keeping an eye for yard signs for Tim Mullen in Democratic areas. My 1st or 4th favorite State Represenative Phyllis Mundy (D) has an energetic young staff including Omeed Firouzi who is running the show and is still in high school! Omeed, when I was your age I could only dream of such things. After I got some experience I was instrumental in sinking more than one candidate's aspirations when they were dumb enough to make me the campaign manager or field director. The difference is you have a great candidate and I never did. Libertarian Tim Mullen continues to impress me. The number of signatures on his petitions and actualy being able to open an office is impressive for a 3rd party candidate. He brought some his supporters including the head honcho of the local Libertarians, Lou Jassikoff, who sends out a great email everyday.

Speaking of third parties the Greens didn't show up but Renee was flying the banner of the Pirate Party, arrgh.

Radio personality Dr. David Madeira brought his "oldest daughter" and other radio guys in attendance were Duke from Dallas and Bible Buck. The mad drummer and special Gort42 correspondent Austin Smith jones Ford deSoto was in the crowd and talked policy with Harry Haas. My pals David Baloga and Zen always light up a room. I finally got to meet Luzerne County elections honcho Lenny Piazza and thanked him for all the help he has given me over the years.

A couple of our local bloggers that concentrate on national issues should write up this event. But as I told Kanjo the beauty of blogging is that you don't have an editor or a deadline although Mrs. G and Renita are pretty good editors and I welcome all the help I can get.

Big Dan's site moves so fast I can't keep up. He looks taller on the internet. It was great to meet Mrs BD who does great work with the Fresh Air Fund . Chris NovoRockey used to post about local stuff but has gone full tilt to the dark side on national issues. Just remember that Colbert married his hand.

People kept asking me before and during the gathering what are the rules for the event.

There are 3 rules.

1. No Speeches

2. You must wear clothes even it is warm.

3. Agree to disagree but don't be a disagreeable.

One of my favorite moments from this night is when Chris Hackett and Dan Mueser shook hands and spent a few minutes chatting. I'm sure you remember that they had a knock down drag out primary in 2008. Dan gave me some credit for driving that race and he said he wanted to get together during it but his press guy kept jerking me around.

Vito said it best:

"You should do this more often! It was probably the most stress-free 'political' event I have ever been to. It was so refreshing to meet people from all parties and discuss issues at such a casual affair. In addition to typical politics, I had the opportunity to engage in conversations about gas drilling, home rule, college football, and how my three boys believe it is their Constitutional right to maintain a messy bedroom. Great job Gort!

Maybe we should call this event The Rodney King Get Together.

The bloggers report

Another Monkey

NCFE

NEPartisan

LuLac

Pittston Politics

Loreley's Musings

More photos at this link.

2nd District Dems to meet tonight

Time Today · 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location Lakeside Skillet
Pole 279 Harvey's Lake, Pennsylvania 18618


The September meeting will involve endorsement votes on candidates and ballot issues, as well as caffienated beverages! Note: Only elected committee members may vote on issues at the meeting, however, in the interest of open and transparent government, any Democrat from the 2nd District may come to view the proceedings and participate in the discussions.

2nd District Democratic Committee of Luzerne County

117th District candidate Richard Shermanski is an officer in this outfit and he recently sent me a press release supporting Kanjo's latest big idea:


Yesterday Richard Shermanski, Democratic Candidate of the 117th District, attended Congressman Kanjorski’s press conference on having Conyngham Township the location for a federal training facility. Over the last four years job growth in the 117th Legislative District has been, literally, at a stand still. For this reason Richard was very excited to hear about this project and its potential to bring in nearly 1,000 jobs to NEPA.

“I fully support Congressman Kanjorski on this project and I believe it will bring much needed growth to the area.”

However, Hazleton Mayor, Lou Barletta, opposes the plan claiming it will disrupt the residents of the area with bomb blasts and machine gun fire. Richard finds these claims “Unfounded”
“Having studied the maps of the area and seeing where the facility will be built I see no reason to think any training will be a nuisance to the residents.”

Although nothing is set in stone with the construction of the facility, Richard will make it a point to support its construction in his campaign throughout the area.

“I am committed to fully supporting this training facility’s construction and I look forward to informing the residents of my district of what it will bring to our area.”

Then another one:


Cooperation between state and federal governments is very important, and that’s why Richard is standing with Congressman Paul Kanjorski in his push to bring a training facility for the U.S. Department of State and the General Services Administration to Luzerne County. Congressman Kanjorski is working with Federal leaders to make sure that the property is one of the top choices for the facility, which will be used to train diplomatic security personnel.

The area stands to gain around one thousand jobs if the facility comes to Luzerne County. As a local leader, Richard will join Congressman Kanjorski in his efforts to bring the facility to Northeastern Pennsylvania.



“There’s no doubt that this election year is all about jobs. I know my neighbors are concerned about the future of the district, and this facility will bring long-term, stable employment to the region. That’s why I think that a partnership with Congressman Kanjorski is essential.” The proposed site is in Conyngham Township, on land managed by the Earth Conservancy. Local laws and leaders will be instrumental in the final decision-making progress, which is why Richard is eager to help pave the way. "Anything we can do to make this site more appealing to the agencies involved, we must do," Richard said.



The potential benefits to the district are numerous, according to a statement released by Congressman Kanjorski’s office. The statement reads “The training facility would bring up to 1,000 permanent jobs to the area, plus between 350-550 construction jobs just for the initial phase of the project. DoS would need to hire many new jobs at the facility for buildings and grounds, range operations, emergency medical services, administrative, custodial, vehicle maintenance, security, telecommunications, and food service.

The training facility would bring about 10,000 trainees to the area each year which would greatly benefit small businesses, hotels, and restaurants as they would receive an exponential increase in business. Currently, DoS books about 25,000 hotel rooms each year for existing training programs. …”



Richard added, “In a time when we’re worried about what workplace will collapse because of the dangerous economic policies that Representative Boback has overseen during her time in the State House, it’s imperative that we push for opportunities like these to ensure that local neighbors and families can thrive in our communities.”

Weekend events

NANTICOKE- Rick Arnold, candidate for state representative in Pennsylvania’s 119th District, invites residents to join him on Aug. 20 in recognizing the contributions of those who defend, protect, educate, and serve the needs of their community.

The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at Nanticoke’s West Side Park in the 300 block of West Grand Street.

Republican nominee Arnold is opposed by Democrat Gerald Mullery (who has rarely been heard from since the primary) and Libertarian Brian Bergman.





On Saturday 117th state Rep Democratic challenger Richard Shermanski invites you to breakfast in Drums. He is taking on GOP incumbent Karen Boback.









The big event on Saturday is Gas Stock.


Festival- Rally– Concert
Sat. Aug. 21, 2010 from 10 AM to 6 PM
at the
Luzerne County Fairgrounds
State Route 118 Lehman, PA

Sunday you can meet and greet 120th State House Republican hopeful West Pittston Mayor Bill Goldsworthy at Bo Brothers, Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming. Libertarian candidate Tim Mullen plans on knocking on more doors that day. They are taking on Democrat Phyllis Mundy.





Goldy and Phyllis have been debating debates on my last post.





I'm sure you will be able to find some of the politicians mentioned here and many others at the Pittston Tomato Festival.

Update:

Attorney General Tom Corbett, Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Governor will participate in the Pittston Tomato Festival Parade Saturday morning and will make a stop at Luzerne County Republican Headquarters, 41 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, at 2 p.m.

Gas Stock Saturday

No Fracking - Drilling!!
Artists, musicians, speakers, & storytellers will gather Sat Aug 21 10 AM
at Luzerne County Fairgrounds
to entertain and inform residents of NEPA
about Marcellus Shale gas drilling and the risks posed.
Join us for fun and facts in a family-friendly environment.

Be part of NEPA's Community Event of the Year!


GasStock
Free!


Concert - Rally - Festival at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds in Lehman, PA


Sat. Aug. 21 starting at 10 AM



I'm looking forward to seeing the Associates perform.



You can start the day by having a hearty breakfast with 117th Democratic State House candidate Richard Shermanski.





Kayak Dude will be walking from Nesbitt Park to the fairgrounds and is asking for company. I hope he wears proper blogger attire.

Petrilla backs Shermanski

From the inbox:


The Shermanski for State House Campaign is excited to announce our latest endorsement – this time from a prominent figure in Luzerne County Politics. Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla has expressed her confidence in Richard’s ability to lead in the local community and in Harrisburg. “As the chair of the Luzerne County Commissioners, Maryanne has a feel for the communities in the 117th district more than most, and that’s what makes me so excited to accept her endorsement,” Richard stated.

Maryanne Petrilla has been a positive force for Luzerne County and a leader in our area for
years. Prior to her service at the county level, she served as Butler Township Manager for over a decade. Richard is proud to have the support of a leader with so much public service and community involvement.

Official statement from Richard on the endorsement: “With this endorsement, we can continue to grow as a campaign. I look forward to working with Maryanne and other leaders from
throughout the 117th as we work to bring jobs back to Northeastern PA, improve our schools
throughout Pennsylvania, and protect our environment from dangerous drilling practices.”

.

Shermanski is running against incumbent State Rep Karen Boback.

Karen Boback wants to protect water

Boback is in favor of water legislation


“Natural gas drilling has the potential to be the most promising economic boon for our Commonwealth, but we have to proceed with caution and make sure we are putting the health and safety of our citizens first,” said Boback. “I am introducing this legislation to put additional safeguards in place for the drinking water sources we all share and on which we rely. As we have seen from the catastrophe in the gulf, once an accident occurs, it is difficult to restore our natural resources. I believe the best approach is to proceed with caution.”


Her opponant Richard Shermanski responded:


Well for one she's not supporting any form of a Moratorium on drilling, Karen is simply tack on regulations to the drilling. We simply can not rush into this, we need to stop this drilling completely till we can be absolutely sure that it this extraction of shale is 100% safe.


Also, Karen is introducing more legislation. Why doesn't she just support one of the several pieces of legislation already introduced? Instead we are getting more clutter on th house floor instead of our Represenatives working together to create a real piece of legislation that can really fix this problem.



I agree we need regulations on the drilling but until we can be absolutley sure it's safe we can not and should not take the risk of even allowing any form of drilling.



Here's my plan if elected:



"As a candidate for the House of Representatives I fully support placing a Moratorium an all drilling in Pennsylvania until we can be assured that the excavation of the shale is 100% safe for those living around the sites including the fresh water wells and reservoirs of the area. I also will push to make sure no drilling companies will excavate the material unless they are absolutely capable of stopping any form of leakage of the chemicals into the ground and water, they must use top of the line equipment and up-to-date methods of extraction and safety. If they can not handle the risk then they can not take the chance of reaping the rewards. I also will enforce stricter regulations on the drilling companies, no longer will they simply be allowed to drill just because they leased the land and they will have State Department of Energy Supervisors at every site to ensure that everything is done correctly."



I don't want to just put a band aide on a open wound, we need to fully understand what effects this drilling will have on the land and the people around it. Simply putting small regulations on this process will not be what puts peoples minds at ease, we need to know that this is safe. Once we know it's safe to drill we can place regulations and taxes on the drilling companies. But, until that day we must put a stop to this extraction.

Meet the candidate

Normally there is a lull of political activity after the the May primary until Labor Day but not this year.

Today 117th Democratic State Rep candidate Richard Shermanski will be at King's Pizza, 49 S Mountain Blvd in Mountaintop at 7PM. Join us for free pizza and soda, and meeting the Democratic Party's nominee for State Representative! Representatives for other local and statewide campaigns will also be there, so please pop by and say hello!

Tomorrow Congressman Joe Sestak will bring his US Senate campaign to Misericordia University's Bevevino Library, 301 Lake St, Dallas starting at 2PM. It's good to see that his camp actually did some advance work this time.


On Tuesday James O'Meara will be at the Naked Grape in Plains at 6PM and he also promises free pizza. All this pizza is not going to help my ulcer. Jim has an uphill fight as a Republican in the overwhelming Democratic 121st State Representative District and also has a tea and crumpets event scheduled for June 24th at the GOP HQ in Wilkes-Barre or is it coffee and cake. My suggestion is to forget the deserts and go for a cheesesteaks and beer event.

State Senate 14th District Republican candidate Luzerne County Commissioner Steve Urban has a meet and greet scheduled for June 17th starting at 5PM at one of my favorite restaurants Dan's Keystone Grill , 162 Union St., Plains. If you go and decide to have dinner get the prime rib and order it rare. The next day Urban will be at the Chicken Coop in the East End section of Wilkes-Barre. The wings are way overrated.



El alcalde de Hazleton Lou Barletta está tomando su tercer disparo en la sede del Congreso de 11 y una barbacoa para programar 18:00, 22 de junio en la parrilla de Damon Estado Carr. 120. 93 de Hazleton, PA y estará a Dooley's Pub, 120 Oak Street, Old Forge a partir de las 18:00. No he comprobado el menú para ver si puedo conseguir un burrito o algunos de nacho

Sorry Shawn, I just can't help it.



This Sunday you can join my Libertarian Party friends including Tim Mullen at Grotto Pizza in Edwardsville at 2PM.