The RailRiders

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees will now be know as the RailRiders. The other choices were Blast, Black Diamond Bears, Porcupines, Trolley Frogs or Fireflies. The Porcupines was the second choice and they will use it as a mascot on the merchandising. Bleech. The Barons should be the name.

The politicians in Lackawanna County made a total hash of the 18 year relationship with the Phillies that chased them out of town then got the Yankees to relocate their AAA team from Columbus. Convicted criminal Bob Cordaro even ran campaign ads featuring Bombers GM Brian Cashman.

I'm glad that we still have a team and a professional sports company bought the team and politics has been taken out of the daily operation of the team but why did the taxpayers of Pennsylvania foot the bill for the renovation of the stadium? Baseball is a multi-billion dollar business so the teams should pay for their own buildings.

The renovation of the stadium in Moosic is reported to cost $43 million. That's less than the salaries of A Rod and Jeter in 2013. More corporate welfare.

The new taxpayer funded stadium in Miami has worked out well.

Lackawanna corruption

The US Attorney's office is promising some some big news later today in Lackawanna County. Whatever else he did I think that former Commissioner Bob Cordaro should be dragged through the streets for chasing the Red Barons out of town.


TT: A federal grand jury in Scranton indicted Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak and former Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro this morning on public corruption charges.

Both are indicted on charges of racketeering and tax evasion. Mr. Cordaro faces a maximum of 364 years and a $7.7 million fine if convicted. Mr. Munchak faces 193 years and a $3.25 million fine.

Click here to read the indictment

Lackawanna Wonderful

Unlike Luzerne County our neighbors to the north have a Commissioners race that is in doubt. Incumbent Republican Bob Cordaro and his running mate Brian Cashman remind us that that they made the hard choices. I'm sorry, I meant A J Munchak. It's just that Cordaro continues to brag about stealing the Yankees AAA team from Columbus it's hard to tell who he is running with. Sorry Bob, some of us are still pissed that you chased the Phillies out of town. The election is shaping up as a referendum on the incumbents as it always does.


A poll by Momentum Analysis shows the Democratic challengers Mike Washo and Corey O’Brien in good shape.

In the two-vote race for County Commissioner, nearly half (47% and 46%, respectively)
vote for Washo and O’Brien, less than a third (30% and 28%, respectively) vote for
Munchak and Cordaro, a fifth (21%) were undecided in their choice for either seat for
Commissioner and another 6% were undecided in only their second choice.

Will he or won't he

After withdrawing from the ballot because of a legal challenge to his financial disclosure Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro was nominated by the county Republican executive committee to replace himself on the ballot. If he does accept you can expect another court challenge. He hasn't said yes or no yet but his reelection ads are still running on TV.

And yet another story speculates about Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta's future. Will he run for Congress against Paul Kanjorski or seek another office? He says he will decide by January whether to run for Congress in 2008 which suggests to me that he will pass on a 11th CD run. To take on a long time incumbent like Kanjo he would have to start raising money now.

Bob Cordaro can't fill out forms

“People are able to fill their statements out without having scientists or forensic accountants help them. They just tell the truth and then they’re held accountable for what they tell,” -Mike Washo

Here we go again. For the second time Lackawanna County Commissioner Bob Cordaro is off the ballot after a challenge to his latest financial statement. He got bounced off the primary ballot when his last statement was found to be incomplete by the state Supreme Court but won a write-in campaign. He may get a third chance if the party nominates him as his own replacement and will file yet another financial disclosure. Good luck with that. So is he incapable of filling out some routine forms or doesn't he want to fill them out completely?

I've never been a fan of this guy and it has nothing to do with his party affiliation. I don't live in Lackawanna County but I'm still pissed off that he chased the Phillies Triple A team out of town then came up smelling like roses because the Yankee's team took their place. He's been running ads that have have Brian Cashman singing his praises. He was put in charge of the negotiations with Mandalay and gave away the store. I think the team should be sold but not at a bargain basement price. Luzerne County is objecting to his business acumen. And I won't even go into the fun and games at the Airport.