Gene Fischi takes a well deserved retirement

I haven't been a fan of the Luzerne County early retirement schemes* but maybe this time it has done some good.

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WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County Prison Warden Gene Fischi has opted to accept the early retirement incentive being offered by the county after efforts to secure a contract that would guarantee his job failed.

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After all the fun and games that have gone on at the prison the last few years Fischi and Deputy Warden Sam Hyder asked for 5 year contracts that the prison board ignored. So he quit, good for him. I wasn't aware that senior county managers even had contracts. I was under the impression that the top administrators were "at will" employees of the Commissioners like all political appointees. Mr. Fischi is still a young man so I'm sure he will find another government position after he "retires" ala Bill Brace.

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*The original "Life Transition Plan" in 2006 was supposed to save $2 million over 15 years by floating a bond to finance the plan that will cost $23 million over 15 years. I have yet to see an accounting or progress report that documents any money that has been saved. Another feature of this scheme was to hire back many of the people who took the golden parachute through a temp agency owned by PA-10th Congressional GOP candidate Chris Hackett who gave his first campaign contribution ever to the Democratic Luzerne County Commissioner candidates Vondy and Skrep.

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I've been asking Chris Hackett for an interview but he has been reluctant. The last time I asked him about it he gave me the weather report for Hades. Saying I will get a sit down when the weather down there turns unseasonably cool. I thought our last chat went very well. He wants to debate Chris Carney but he won't debate Gort? I've also asked Carney for some time but his campaign has yet to get back to me. He won't debate Hackett and he won't debate Gort?

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Well, not a debate, I would just like to ask them both some similar questions about budgets, spending and taxes. And a few other things.

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Gene Fischi's greatest hits.

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The Prison violated the county purchasing policy and possibly state law.

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His Deputy, Sam Hyder, travels the world on the county dime and has not still payed back his personal expenses incurred during his visit to a strip club. Bad eyesite.

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And we became a laughing stock of the country when Hugo Selenski used bed sheets to escape from the lockup on Water Street. It was a cliche from a bad old campy Movie.

Luzerne County prison

The prison board has declared a "state of emergency" because of the overcrowding at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. It was prompted because prisons in other counties no longer have room for Luzerne County inmates. Another result of the so called war on drugs which now sees over 2 million people locked up every year in the US. In the 1970's the national prison population was about 200,000. The practical effect of the declaration is that warden will be able to award a no-bid contract to build a fence around the facility’s minimal-offenders unit.

The Commissioners are still looking at building a new lock-up that will cost at least $70-100 million that will have to be borrowed and Minority Commissioner Steve Urban thinks is too expensive. He wants to renovate the old juvenile detention building and use it as a women's prison to free up space at the main facility.

The prison Board also settled 2 lawsuits that resulted from the Hugo Selenski escape. After that fiasco Warden Gene Fischi and his Deputy Sam Hyder blamed it on underlings. The underlings objected to taking the blame and mouthed off to the press resulting in them getting fired. Call this a win for the 1st amendment that county taxpayers have to foot the bill because the top people wouldn't take responsibility for their actions. Maybe Fischi and Hyder have a future in the Bush Administration. And just to add to fun a guard has been granted medical leave because his dog suffered hearing damage.

Lupas punts

More Delays in Selenski, Weakley Trials

The Luzerne County district attorney's office filed appeals Tuesday to the state superior court in the case of Selenski and Weakley. Those appeals mean another year or a year and a half before the men head to trial.

If this case ever comes to trial it will be long after Dave Lupas starts wearing black robes. He leaves it to Jackie-Mo to clean up another one of his messes.

Who wants a new Luzerne County prison?

At least 12 people do according to a story in the CV today. Those 12 want to sell the county the land to build a new one but we didn't get any details about who or where. Selling land to the local government is very profitable. The old prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre has had a lot of problems including the the Hugo Selenski escape. Fortunately, I've never been inside the place (except to visit) but I think it's over a 100 years old. Commissioner Steve Urban thinks that the old juvenile detention center should be renovated and turned into women’s prison and the Water Street jail could be made into a male only facility after a face lift. The Bond Brothers (Skrep and Vondy) have been pushing for a new facility that may cost $100 million plus.

Maybe it's time to look at other ways to deal with some of our "criminals" as the stories about the Drug Court in both papers illustrated today.

Drug Treatment Court graduates’ big day comes

First drug court graduation held

Congratulations to Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak for his leadership on this issue.

A deal for Hugo?

Hugo Selenski wrote a letter to the Citizens Voice that they decided not to publish but did a story on it. Kinda lame, they should publish it. The most newsworthy thing is the charge that Jackie-Mo offered a deal:

I’ll give you something to ponder by taking you back to early 2005,” Selenski wrote. “Jackie Musto Carroll walked up to attorney Demetrius Fannick in the courthouse and said, ‘Tim, is there any possibility of a plea agreement with Hugo? Dave (Lupas) knows his career is over if he loses this case.’ That sounds like a politically loaded question that only cares about furthering careers rather than being a protector of Luzerne County.”

And Lupas ' opponent, Tom Marsillio, for the Judge seat keeps hammering away at him. The Mary Leo ad is emotional and deceptive as a commentor on the TL website points out:

A Lupas ad claims he was responsible for the capture and conviction of the murderer of Mary Leo. I thought W-B PD caught him when he was linked to a stolen cell phone and then the guy confessed to the Leo murder. There was nothing to go to trial; he confessed. Just curious.

This week in Hugoland

The escape charges that were reinstated by a three-judge panel are being appealed by the defense to the entire Pennsylvania Superior Court. Hugo Selenski's defense team cited four reasons for the appeal. The most important one is The district attorney’s office, by its own admission, did not file its policies and procedures for joining the cases. This part of the case will drag on for a while.

The trial on the murder charges may also be delayed because of defense motions which is probably fine by DA David Lupas. Just get past the primary for Judge. And Paul Weakly's attorneys want a separate trial. The media coverage of the latest hearing focused on Hugo's supposed "outburst" in the courtroom. Dr. Tara calls bullshit on the coverage.

“Set a trial date already,” Selenski said. “I’m sick of this."

Hugo can be charged with escape

The master of the bedsheets (it's like a 1940's movie) can now be charged with escape according to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. A victory for DA Dave Lupas but there will be more appeals.