Brad Koplinsky racks up the endosements

Most endorsements are good for a press release and not much else unless they bring in money or boots on the ground. That's why union endorsements are so important in the PA Dem primary.

Harisburg  City Councillor Brad Koplinski has few dozen friends.

Brad Koplinski Announces Another 86 Endorsements For His Campaign For Lt. Governor With 204 Total Democratic Statewide Endorsements from 54 Counties

Former State Treasurer and  Auditor General Barbara Hafer; Former Congressman Joe Hoeffel Tops List of Endorsers

Today, an additional 86 elected and Democratic Party officials throughout Pennsylvania, led by former Pennsylvania Treasurer and Auditor General Barbara Hafer and former U.S. Congressman Joe Hoeffel endorsed Harrisburg City Councilman Brad Koplinski’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor.

The list of Democratic Party officials endorsing Koplinski now includes 25 Democratic County Chairs, 53 additional members of Democratic State Committee, 20 Countywide Elected Officials, 30 Mayors and dozens of municipal and former elected officials.

In giving his endorsement, York County Democratic Chair Bob Kefauver said, “I have known Brad for many years and know that Pennsylvania can trust him to do the right thing.  He is a pragmatic progressive and will make an excellent running mate to defeat Tom Corbett.”

Councilman Koplinski said upon the release of the list, ““I am proud and grateful for the support of these distinguished leaders of the Democratic Party.  I am especially honored to have the backing of Former Treasurer & Auditor General Hafer, Former Congressman Hoeffel and over one-third of the state’s County Democratic Chairs.  Our campaign for Lt. Governor is building strength every day and we will continue to work until we reach the goal of beating Tom Corbett in November 2014.”

The list of new endorsements is below – the full list can be found at www.Koplinski2014/endorsements

The Luzerne County list:

Frank Coughlin – Councilman, Borough of Plymouth
William Dixon – Councilman, Borough of Plymouth
Dan Hartman – Democratic State Committeeman
Dan Lello – Mayor, Borough of Dupont
Clif Madrack – Councilman, Borough of Plymouth
Keith Moss – Mayor, Duryea Borough
Rebecca Sammon – President, Pennsylvania Young Democrats & Democratic State Committeewoman

More acrimony in Plymouth

Over the weekend it was announced that the DA won't pursue the removal of  Plymouth Councilman Bill Dixon. That came as bad news to Borough Coordinator Joe Mazur after he got the council to hire a $200/hr. lawyer to get rid of him because of state charges that have been pardoned by the Governor but there is a  federal conviction that has not been pardoned,  yet. Jim Haggerty is working on that.

Now Councilman Cliff Madrack wants a copy of the proposed budget that Mazur drafted but he can't get it. TL: “They said they can’t give me one because it’s a proposed budget,” Madrack said. “Why would we not want to give a copy of the proposed budget to anyone?”
Mazur said he is required to draw up a budget proposal and make it available for public review for 10 days before council votes on it, but not to provide copies.
“He’s not deprived of it,” Mazur said. “He’s a councilman; he can sit there and look at it all day."

This is so petty that it makes me laugh. It would infuriate me if I was a resident of Plymouth.  How hard is it to make some copies?  Madrack told me that Mazur is living in the 1950's. Mazur said "But to put it out on the street, we would run into so many problems that you can never get a budget done.”I don't think he has heard of the internet or a Xerox machine.

There seems to be some bad blood between Madrack and Mazur that I picked up from this story in CV by Michael Sisak last month: Mazur blamed Madrack for the divisiveness on the council, but scoffed when asked whether the borough should be investigating Madrack instead.
"Who the hell cares about him?" Mazur said.

A job in the street department has come open and Madrack want's it advertised in the local papers but  Mazur said he already had a stack of applications.

People tell me  that Joe Mazur is an expert on job applications. He has recommended many applicants for positions as a member of the Wyoming Valley West School Board.

Bill Dixon Victory Party

What was billed as a benefit to offset Plymouth Council member Bill Dixon's legal bills turned into a celebration when his lawyer announced that the DA had declined to get involved in the case.

MC Scott Cannon thanked the people that put together the event and introduced Bill.  He was almost speechless. He thanked everybody and choked up when he thanked his wife saying she "is the reason  I am the man I am today." I know the feeling.

Jim Haggerty  delivered the good news and the crowd erupted in applause.

The challenge to Dixon was engineered by Joe Mazur who is a past Luzerne County Democratic Chairman  but now has been reduced to trying to run a little town of 6000 people. He is not doing it well.

Plymouth Council member  Cliff Madrack ripped into Mazur.

 "He thinks he is in the 1950's. He want's to be the boss. It's easier to say come along instead of do what I say."

http://www.timesleader.com/stories/DA-not-pursuing-Dixons-removal,241524

Plymouth residents support Bill Dixon

Plymouth Councilman Bill Dixon is taking fire because he committed some crimes many years ago and his neighbors are planning a show of support.

Love Bill Dixon Benefit

Dixon backers plan buffet fundraiser

 The question is can someone convicted of a felony or "other infamous crime"  hold office. The thing that muddies this is that Governor Tom Corbett granted him a pardon on the state charges but he  also had a Federal conviction that has not been pardoned.  The people of Plymouth can ask the President to pardon him by starting a petition at WhiteHouse.gov 

 This is a clear example of our punitive laws being so destructive. From all the accounts Dixon went to Vietnam in the service of his country and had a hard time when he came home and did some stupid things for which he was punished. Since then he has been a model citizen CV: Dixon and his wife, Janet, raised two children in the borough. He has worked in substation maintenance for UGI, the regional electric utility, for the last 25 years. He has coached youth sports in the community for more than two decades.

A year after he was  elected as top vote getter in 2011 the Plymouth Borough Coordinator Joe Mazur decided to make an issue of his past. 

  We all remember Mazur for his eloquence when he was the Luzerne County Democratic Chairman and said Register of Wills Dotty Stankovic was "a cancer within the organization. " He was also gleeful" when Petrilla defeated incumbent Controller Steve Flood in the 2005 primary.

 That worked out well.

 The DA or Attorney General could remove him from office but it  looks like they will pass on getting into the weeds of Plymouth politics. 

 The Examiner is all over this story.