Last minute emails

The election is tomorrow and a few candidates have sent me some stuff.

I don't cover Scranton or Lackawanna County unless a friend is running for office but the Mulligan camp has been sending things to me for months. This is the latest:

SCRANTON, PA - With just one day until Election Day, the Mulligan for Mayor of Scranton campaign continues to build momentum. And as the campaign continues to build, here is a look back at the numbers behind the momentum:

21,000            Number of doors in Scranton knocked on by the Mulligan Campaign

1890               Number of blocks walked in Scranton while going door-to-door

180                 Miles walked by Jim Mulligan while going door-to-door in Scranton

$154,165        Amount raised by Mulligan Campaign in less than three months

$66,703          How much less Bill Courtright's campaign raised than Mulligan in the last 3 months

41                   How many ideas Mulligan proposed to fix Scranton's finances

41                   How many more ideas Mulligan proposed than Courtright to fix Scranton's finance

1-0                  Jim Mulligan's record in debates against Bill Courtright

1                     Endorsement by the Scranton Times-Tribune of Jim Mulligan for Mayor

 Luzerne County Council candidate Eileen Sorokas talks about the budget:

The County Council has many issue they are facing prior to this election. In fact, all issue are important, that affect the public. Indeed, the most important issue, beside public safety, I will have to deal with is the budget. Through life experiences I have gain skills to manage budgets and understand the suffering people undertake when they lose their homes to foreclosures due to taxation or loss of jobs from budgets cuts. The hard decisions have to be made to either increase taxes or lay off people. My Goal is to “To Hold the Line on Taxes” with staff reduction through attrition. However, the county released an unbalance budget.  Consequently, putting fear into the public and employees with having an 8% tax increase or 160 employees to be lay off. Also, the unions will be asked for $2.7Million dollars concessions or 57 layoffs. Furthermore, the county cannot get a Crediting Rating for potential refinancing of their bond issue, unless they prove they have fiscal stability for at least two years. Also, no credit rating is causing our bonds fees to increase.  Appears my Goal may be out of touch with the main stream. Indeed, I will have to work harder to achieve my goal. Consequently, the County Manager and his staff should works to reduce taxes for all the citizens of Luzerne County.

The time for talking is over, we must go back to justifying all department cost.  Zero base budgeting. No more using past figures. Also, the taxation problem is state wide, but magnified with Luzerne County’s high debt. Furthermore, our State legislators should be working with our county to fine solutions. Indeed, there are some bills in the house and senate for tax relief using the States Income Tax and Sales Tax. Maybe, a local Drink Tax. However, the bills are not going anywhere. Incidentally, the Gaming Industry was for property tax relief, how much are we getting?  We have a Casino in Luzerne County and the county get very little if any benefit. We must look at other ways of taxation besides property taxes. Certainly, new taxation in the future to be equal for all citizens. By council working together and making it a goal, I believe the end result will be positive for all citizens of Luzerne County.

  Thank you 

Eileen M. Sorokas for County Council

As does Kathy Dobash:

 Luzerne County Citizens:

I attended the first public hearing about the Luzerne County Budget.

Below is the audio.  If you fast forward to the end of the meeting you will hear the intimidation thrown at citizens who stayed to speak during the public comment portion of the forum.

The County Solicitor is instructed to time everyone. 

10-29-2013 - First Luzerne County Public Budget Hearing

First I want to say, public comment should be allowed at the beginning of the meeting.  The meeting should take place in a larger room. 

A  tax hike of 8% was suggested throughout the meeting.

The majority of County Council did not want to hear the public outcry.  They are out of touch with those who live on a fixed income and working families.

The next scheduled budget hearings are:

November 12th, 18th and 19th.

My name is Kathy Dobash. I am a candidate for Luzerne County Council.

 I oppose tax hikes.  They hurt families and businesses.

On Tuesday, November 5th, help me OPPOSE the 8% tax hike.

Political Rants: 


Tomorrow is election day here in Pa. I am urging everybody to get out and vote. In particular (no fainting please) vote for Bednar for Controller and Harry Haas for council.

In the controller race, as much as it pains me to ever endorse a democratic candidate, this is an easy call to make. Sometimes the devil you don't know is a far better pick than the one we all know all too well.

For county council I am hoping everybody votes for just Harry Haas. Harry is a man of exceptional character and honesty and he deserves all of our votes.

Corey O'Brien gets some national press

The New YorkTimes story a day before President Obama's visit to Scranton created something of of a buzz. It says that this is Hillary Clinton country full of Reagan Democrats who may vote for a Republican this time around. Despite what the Professor thinks Barack Obama will win Luzerne and Lackawanna counties in 2012 but our area but it will be a battleground as it always is. Expect the President and VP Biden to visit us in the run up to the election and the Republican nominee will also make a few stops.

At first I focused on this quote “For many people here, Obama is too liberal,” said Ed Mitchell, a Democratic strategist based in nearby Wilkes-Barre. Sorry Ed, Obama is not liberal enough, if he was he would hire retiring Congressman Barney Frank as Press Secretary or maybe Bernie Sanders or at least listen to their advice.

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien's remarks got the most attention “Enough with the soft approach,” said Corey O’Brien, a Democratic Lackawanna County commissioner and early backer of Mr. Obama. “He’s got to say, ‘I’m in charge, and I’m going to get it done with or without Congress.’ ”

A few people chastised Corey for not knowing how the the Federal government works.

Where Campaigns Work Well

No, Barack Obama is not Harry Potter

FOR SOME REASON, a lot of people think after that his inauguration, President Obama was handed a top secret magic wand.

Kevin Drum: Republicans have to be chortling at this. It's exactly the response they've been hoping for as we head into election season...

Political Animal: Just to be clear, my point is not to pick on Corey O’Brien, an Obama supporter. He’s very likely frustrated and concerned, and knows plenty of people in his community who are equally frustrated and concerned. I don’t blame them in the slightest — given the larger economic circumstances, their anxiety is well justified....The public likes to think of the President of the United States, no matter who’s in office, as having vast powers....Americans hate Congress, overwhelmingly dislike Republicans, and the notion that the GOP is sabotaging the economy just to undermine Obama is widely believed. And yet, the president may suffer politically because many voters expect Obama to succeed — despite unprecedented Republican obstructionism — by “getting it done with or without Congress.”

The Plume Line

Why GOP benefits from blocking Obama’s jobs policies




I thought it would be worth checking back with O'Brien to get a sense of how widespread this sentiment is in that region, a bellwether area that Obama is set to visit today.

Turns out it is widespread, and that this dynamic may well be in full force. O’Brien said that many voters from the region are fully convinced that Republicans are deliberately trying to block Obama policies that might help alleviate joblessness — but that in their minds, the buck still stops with the president.

“People see that Republicans have been the party of blocking progress — that’s clear,” O’Brien told me. “The people of northeastern Pennsylvania, who will help decide who wins the state, all understand what’s going on.”

But he added: “They still look at the president and say, `the buck stops with the president.’ And that’s something the president has to overcome.”

O’Brien predicted that Republicans would not be rewarded for their obstructionism in the end. But he depicted an extremely volatile political environment, in which people are enraged by government’s failure to alleviate people’s economic suffering. He said Obama still needs to find some way of either securing some GOP support or making it even clearer that he grasps the depth of pubic rage over gridlock and that he’s the one fighting to make things better.

“The frustration is boiling over,” he said. “There’s an awareness here that the president can’t do this alone and that’s never been more true than it’s been now.” But he again characterized public sentiment by saying: “The buck stops with the president.”

And there you have it.


UPDATE: O’Brien got in touch with me after Obama’s speech today, and he sounded convinced that Obama was striking the tone he needs to strike. He said he thinks Obama “scored a lot of points” with eastern Pennsylvanians.

Huber Breaker

Responding to my critics. This comment was left on my Pile of Junk post:

First you endorse Republican Baker as a future Governor; now you want to tear down the Huber breaker; one of the few remaining edifices of our coal mining heritage. I think it is far more important to put money into preserving an important piece of history as opposed to investing in entertainment venues such as the arena (which you support) and sports complexes, etc. etc. I thought you were a history buff???

Yes, I am a history buff but I'm not a fan of boondoggles. Spending $10 million or more to restore the Huber Breaker is just not possible right now. The state is looking at a $3 billion deficit and Luzerne County hasn't balanced the books for as long as I have been blogging and then some. Even if the money was available to restore the breaker I doubt that it would be a crowd magnet just like Steamtown has very few visitors.

If you want to see a coal breaker the Eckley Miners Village has one and they are begging for money to fix it up. An entertainment venue such as the Wachovia Arena attracts people, it makes money and has transformed an abandoned strip mine into the most vibrant retail hub in the area.

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As far as what happens to Lackawanna County Stadium I think the best thing to do is repair it. Again, because of budget restraints a new park is not in the cards. But for the most part I don't give a shit since the clowns up north chased the Phillies farm team out of town and replaced them with the Yankees AAA club. We could build them a new stadium and they will still move the the team to Newark or somewhere else.

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I didn't endorse Lisa Baker for Governor but just made a prediction. I would probably vote for the Democrat in any future hypothetical race. In today's environment she wouldn't win the GOP nomination because she isn't sufficiently nuts about taxes and social issues.

Shimkus bounced from ballot

TT: Saying he intended to deceive voters about his address, a Commonwealth Court judge threw state Rep. Frank Shimkus off the Democratic ballot for state representative in the April 22 primary election.
'The decision leaves former City Councilman Kevin Murphy as the only candidate on the Democratic ballot for the post, and gives him a leg up on winning the job in the November election. Mr. Shimkus said he would appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

I don't know if this will end his chances for reelection. Remember Bob Cordaro was on and off the ballot last year like a yo-yo.

The Florida Yankees

The Lackawanna County election has been finally decided and King Bob Cordaro has been dethroned. Cordaro and his running mate Brian Cashman got clobbered by the Democrats but are alleging some monkey business with the vote count. The official vote count is underway just in case the voters got it wrong on Tuesday but the ballots from Tuesday haven't all been counted yet.

The newfangled and expensive electronic voting machines were deemed unreliable by the state so 2 foot long paper ballots were used. They were all supposed to be fed into a scanner that should tabulate the results quickly but many of the absentee ballots wouldn't scan so a hand count ala Florida 2000 had to be employed. Three days after the election Lackawanna County has been compared to a Banana Republic.

The Lu Lac Political Letter has a breakdown of the dynamics of the race. To add to David's analysis I would say that the off the ballot/on the ballot adventure of Cordaro because of his incomplete financial disclosure and refusal to release his tax returns played a part.

And today he drops this bomb:

Cordaro claims deal on stadium

Why do we want to build a new stadium to replace a building that is only 20 years old? He claimed he has financial backing from the state but State Sen. Robert Mellow said he is blowing hot air. Some choice Mellow quotes:

Mellow said he hasn’t interacted with Cordaro in months and finds Cordaro’s comments “very offensive.

“He put us in a situation to have to build a stadium to keep a team,” Mellow said, describing Cordaro as “pathological.”

The franchise agreement approved by Cordaro includes a purchase option, which means the franchise could be sold and the area would lose its claim to house a Triple-A team.

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.

Chris Doherty for Congress?

Normally I wouldn't even post a rumor like this until I could check it out further. But I'm pressed for time because I'm busy packing for the dog's vacation and will be gone for a week. If it's wrong no harm done but if it's right you read it here first.

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I got an email:

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Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty is preparing a run for Congress against Paul Kanjorski. Also, Doherty has an agreement with Lacka. Cty. Commissioner Bob Cordaro NOT to raise a dime for Washo-O'Brien in exchange for Cordaro steering donors Chris's way for his primary campaign against Kanjo. This info is 100% accurate. I heard it from Tim xxx and Sarah xxx

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I'm just as sceptical as you are about this. Kanjorski has over a $1 million cash on hand according to his latest FEC report. Unless he retires I think it would be a suicide mission but one of my favorite political prognosticators disagrees:

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He'd beat him big time. He'd carry all of Lackawanna County and those Dems from Luzerne who are dying for an alternative, any alternative. A Kanjo-Barletta race gives him the edge because no one wants to vote for Lou except his crowd. Kanjo wins by default. BUT if Doherrty takes on Kanjo, that gives folks a choice in the primary and neutralizes Barletta in the general.

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I don't think so.

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Another view:

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For the last several years, Chris has been wanting to run for Congress--even though it makes less political sense than other offices. ...He is planning on running on the corruption issue (grant for Kanjo's nephew). However, Doherty is refusing to raise money for Washo and O'Brien because he has a deal with Cordaro that he'll stay out and Cordaro will funnel donors to him in exchange (heard that from Cordaro himself).

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I've never heard of any animosity between Doherty and Kanjorski, quite the opposite. And Doherty running against corruption will get some howls from these people. Corruption has never been an impediment to our local Congressmen. If I recall both Dan Flood and Joe McDade were reelected after an indictment.

Lackawanna Wonderful

A few days ago someone sent me this video. I didn't know what to make of it since I'm not that familiar with political players of our neighbors to the north. I asked the anonymous emailer to add some context but he/she never responded. The Scranton Times provides an explanation.

YouTube posting portends vicious commissioners race

A buddy of Republican county Commissioners Robert C. Cordaro and A.J. Munchak showed up at the fundraiser for Democratic Lackawanna County commissioner candidates Mike Washo and Corey O’Brien that was attended by Gov. Ed Rendell. His mission was to spot Republicans that were attending the event and when he was spotted he let out a a highly offensive, racially charged statement in reference to the fundraiser attendees. Charles Costanzo's firm processes county worker compensation claims, and he and Mr. Cordaro are good friends. The workers’ comp contract is a matter of public record. Both said they are longtime friends.

When Costanzo spots the video camera he flips them the finger and says "go suck a big black cock." Costanzo says he 's not a racist. “I’m not a racist by any means,” he said. “I totally regret what I said, but I didn’t think I was going to play to the world.”

All this is bad enough but the clip is set to Godfather theme and some of my Italian friends are up in arms. Constanzo is threatening to sue whoever posted the video for making him out to be a “gangster.”

This might be the biggest intertubes dustup since Bernie Kieklak said some stupid things at Lehigh Valley Ramblings .

Write-in, right on-but can they spell?

Lou Barletta made an effort to have Democrats in Hazleton cast a write-in ballot for him and it paid off winning both nominations. Bob Cordaro got bounced from the Lakawanna County Commissioners race but won the nomination with a write-in campaign. And there are 1,403 write-in votes for county coroner and 1,261 votes for district attorney in Tuesday’s primary election on the Republican side according to the CV. So one of the losers of Tuesday's races may appear on the ballot in the fall. But the catch is that the candidate's name must be spelled right for the ballot to count and any variations may end up in court as pointed out in the TL.

Does this open up all sorts of possibilities. In future elections a candidate could skip the whole petition process and just urge his/her supporters to type their name in. A write-in campaign will still be a long shot but will be easier than it was in the past when you had to actually write the name on a little strip of paper on the mechanical machine or use a sticker. If some write-in candidates start winning elections I'm sure that you will hear an outcry from powers that be to either raise the threshold for nomination from the present 250 votes or get rid of the electronic machines altogether.

Cordaro off the ballot

SCRANTON – Lackawanna County Republican Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro said he will run as a write-in candidate following a state Supreme Court decision Monday that knocked him off the May primary ballot.

He's off the ballot because he filed an incomplete financial disclosure report. I still think he will the nomination since there are only 2 Republicans in the race. I'm still pissed at him for chasing the Phillies out of town and then taking credit for landing the Yankee's AAA team. The ads he and Munchak are running featuring Brian Cashman make me sick.

Kudos to Joe Pilchesky of Doherty Deceit.

Sell the Barons/Yankees

What a start to the baseball season. The Phillies are winning one game a week and are on a pace to go 44-118 which would set a new major league record for losses. A-Rod is winning games with walk-off grand slams and Dice-K was outpitched by Seattle Mariner hurler Felix Hernandez.

Now Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro’s claims that agreements with SWB Yankees LLC take politics out of the baseball operation. The clowns that run Lackawanna County lost the Phillies franchise and come out of it looking like heroes because they landed the Yankees AAA team. Even running ads that feature Brian Cashman singing Cordaro's praises. Now that there is possible windfall involved the Luzerne County Commissioners what a piece of the action and typically are throwing insults at each other. As ugly as this process has become I'm glad to see the team being sold to people who know what they are doing. The government shouldn't own a baseball team as I've said over and over.

My favorite local cartoonist John Cole had this to say about Cordaro:

Lackawanna County Commissioner Bob Cordaro has long struck me as one of the most impolitic politicians I've ever watched. Short of temper, publicly disdainful of anyone who questions his policies (to say nothing of his brilliance) and never one to shy away from pointing out his opponents' intellectual shortcomings, he is the consummate grump.

From the Inbox:

I was kinda shocked you didn't mention anything about the stadium fight between Skrep and Cordaro, knowing our shared passion for the game of baseball. I don't know what Skrep was talking about when he said Luzerne County should get a share because our fan's go there. Should we have them call up Mayor Bloomberg and demand that the big Yankees give us money because Luzerne County fans go there. They should just settle it and call it the Scranton Yankees and the Wilkes-Barre Penguins. Both stadiums were purchased by those two respective counties. If what Lackawanna County is saying is true then we shouldn't be entitled to more than what they say we are. I guess when you hope to add new programs, it benefits to try to snatch money from everyone else. I guess Skrep is just trying to be the Ed Rendell of NEPA. I'm still a little ticked they are called the Yanks because I won't buy a shirt that says Yankees due to my love for the Sox but in the end I am allowed something that a ticket price entitles me... Heckling the next generation of Yankees, if they aren't traded for over the hill power-hitters.

Lackawanna County Commissioners

I usually don't cover the goings on of our neighbors to the north but I received a few emails about the selection of former Penn State kicker Chris Clauss as commissioner Mike Washo's running mate. This one sums it up:

Chris Birk had the wool pulled over his eyes by Mike Washo and Harry McGrath. Chris Clauss is as dirty as they come -- a former Alberigi/Corcoran crony, appointed to the COLTS board by Castellani and Corcoran in 2000, he has a track record of being both disingenious and unconcerned with laws and ethics.

In a brash embrace of hypocrisy, Clauss had the nerve to utter "My honesty, coupled with Mike's experience, we can pull this together and do the right thing for the county.

"Baloney." A political newcomer" and "clean political slate" shall go down in newspaper history with headlines such as the infamous "Dewey Defeats Truman" snafu.

Chris Clauss accepted over $40,000 in illegal health insurance benefits as a member of the COLTS authority.

In fact, as the stories below will show, was the ONLY member to NOT give up the benefits in a timely manner! And, he's an INSURANCE agent! Hahahaha. Boy, the days move by but things just never seem to change! Here's the evidence

COLTS official still receiving free insurance
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=11957015&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

COLTS Board Rides Taxpayers
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=11357362&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

COLTS board drops health perk, but most keep free life insurance

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=12152856&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

COLTS Directors Drop County Fight

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12136022&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416046&rfi=6

Don't Look Toward State Law for Simple Answers

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=11417036&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

COLTS Board Still Mired in Animosity

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=12814272&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

COLTS elects Chris Clauss as new leader

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=13107810&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8