More fun with reassessment

The CV has an article telling you why it should be delayed. And the TL has one saying why it shouldn't. It was originally scheduled to be completed this year just in time for the new tax rates to hit in the spring of 2007. Gee, what else is scheduled for the spring of 2007? That's right, the primary election for Luzerne County Commissioners. I guess spending another $700,00 to put it off until 2008 is no big deal. You don't want to confuse people or make politicians justify their decisions in an election year. What the hell, they already borrowed over $7 million to do this, what's a few hundred grand more "to get it right." If it goes on longer they can float another bond.

Just add it to the debt they have piled up for this, to renovate the Penn Plaza Building, remodel the River Common, give golden parachutes to 100+ county employees (and hire them back as consultants), to meet payroll the last 3 years and a few other things that escape me at the moment. I can't wait until the election of 2007 when we can take away their (our) credit card. I feel like a victim of identity theft.

Don't look up

A new music venue is opening in Edwardsville and A Flock of Seagulls is one of the first acts booked. I'm a sucker for 'has been' 80's bands and I'm looking foward to seeing this one.

EDWARDSVILLE:

The walls still need painting. The floors need sweeping.The green room, where performers will lounge and get ready for their shows, still needs to be furnished.And a deadline is looming large. The Spitfire Theatre is set to open this Friday with Richard Lewis, a top-name act in stand-up comedy, as its first headliner. Spitalik, 35, a former stand-up comedian whose flame-eating act earned him the nickname “Spitfire,” is accustomed to the spotlight. But he isn’t free with jokes at the moment. The owner of the new business concedes he’s staking “a lot” on a belief that he, Edwardsville, other area business owners and the region will benefit from the mid-size entertainment venue he’s creating at the revived Gateway Shopping Center.....

He already has bookings into November. Among them are national acts like The Knack and A Flock of Seagulls, as well as local bands. Entertainment will vary from pop to country, jazz to swing.

A challenge

My blog buddy Above Average Jane has issued a challenge or asked a question, depending how you look at it.

We in the blogosphere write and comment a lot on what we want from candidates and elected officials. Things are seldom a one way street however; other than voting, what is our part of the bargain? What should we be doing during campaign season? If our candidates are elected, then what? Do we just sit around until the next election? I asked Joe Hoeffel this question in the most recent interview and he gave this answer
Q.: In the bargain between elected officials and voters, what are the responsibilities of each?A.: Great question with a simple answer. Voters must stay informed, and officials must stay honest.What do you think? Are we making a bargain with candidates? If so, what is our part? If you have your own blog and are interested, write on a posting on this topic sometime next week and let me know when your posting is up. I’ll compile a list of all of them on Friday. If you don't have your own blog, leave a comment on this or another participating blog. Let's see what we can come up with.

I'm working on my response. But if anyone wants to weigh in on this I will be happy to post it. Toss me an email or put it in the comments.

10th CD update

“You can’t be proud of this congressman.” -former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland

CLARKS SUMMIT-Mr. Cleland, a decorated Vietnam veteran who lost his legs and part of an arm in the war, spoke to about 45 people at the Clarks Summit VFW. He endorsed Mr. Carney, of Dimock Township, Susquehanna County, because of his “honor and integrity” and “family values.” He talked about Mr. Carney’s war experience as a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve, saying Mr. Carney had a unique perspective on the war in Iraq that could help if he is elected. “We have the chance to get someone better than what we have here,” Mr. Cleland said. “Don Sherwood has not represented this area and its values.”

I picked up something interesting from the vote count in Wyoming County according to the Wyoming County Press Examiner:

In contested races locally, outside of the 20th Senate and 117th House races, there were few surprises, except that a number of observers were surprised at the strength of Kathy Scott in her Republican Primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood's 10th District seat. District wide, Sherwood garnered 56 percent of the vote to Scott's 44 percent. In Wyoming County, Sherwood had 67.8 percent of the Republican vote compared to Scott's 30.5 percent, and the rest given to write-ins.However, the 2,579 votes that Sherwood did receive were down by 863 from the 3,442 votes he received two years ago in the Republican Primary, when he was unopposed. Last week's showing suggested some voter upset over Sherwood's admitted relationship with a woman not his wife that ended last year but led to charges of physical abuse. Those charges were settled last November out of court.

The CV and the Scranton Times had a story about how Kathy Scott almost pulled it off:

She doesn’t think it was an accident. She did not improvise. She had a plan. Seasoned politicos question the role played by Scott’s $12,000, classic grass-roots campaign based out of her Williamsport home, but she said she thinks her hard work and election savvy helped her almost topple a sitting Republican congressman in the sprawling 14-county 10th Congressional District.

I like Kathy Scott. She was almost a giant killer. If she decides to run for office in the future I will consider helping her. She concentrated on the so called super voters. I'm one of them but I don't live in her district. So now the choice is easy:

Click on the image.

The Pennsylvania Republican civil war

Perzel rousing ire in party faithful

When Mark Harris was born, John Perzel was wrapping up his third term in the state House.
But Harris - a self-styled Reaganite who upset a longtime Republican House incumbent this month - showed no deference when asked about the future of the powerful speaker of the House.

"John Perzel has to go," Harris, 21, barely of legal age to serve in Harrisburg, told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh the day after his primary win. "He is out of touch with the rest of the Republican Party. I think he is out of touch with the rest of the state of Pennsylvania."....

One House Republican compared Perzel (R., Phila.) and his leadership team to "George Custers. I have some major concerns with those who led us into this ambush, with those who led us into this slaughter, with the George Custers who led us into this massacre," said Rep. Will Gabig (R., Cumberland), who fended off a GOP primary challenger.

"The question now is do we continue with the same people who got us here and hope for the best in November, hope more people don't get their heads taken off, or do we make changes?"

If the Republicans keep a majority and Perzel survives as speaker you can expect Mark Harris (if he wins) to be the junior member of the special committee on tire recycling.

Memorial Day

The Senate race

There is an old rule to politics, the challenger doesn't win the the election, the incumbent loses it. Every thing I have seen so far is like Santorum wants to lose this election. He calls attention to his house in Penn Hills. Every story about it leads with the fact that he doesn't live there. Dumb. I 'm sure anyone who reads this site is aware of all the controversey.

If Rick was a Conservative I could respect him. He's not. He has been travelling around the Commonwealth handing out pork checks to every local government he can find.

What happenened to the Republican Party I grew up with?

Remember them? The party that wanted to balance the budget and keep the government out of your life.

It's more government in a weird way.

There are other candidates

Libertarian Meets Signature Requirement for November Ballot in a Single Day

Lower Providence Twp. - In another aftershock of the anti-incumbent earthquake, PA Clean Sweeper James Babb, the endorsed Libertarian challenger for State Representative in district 157, has collected the necessary signatures to be on the ballot.
Pennsylvania election law requires third-party and independent candidates to collect 466 signatures from district voters to qualify for the ballot in district 157. Although 55% larger than the major party signature requirements for their primaries, Babb's requirement was easily met in a single day at the polls Tuesday. The Babb for Pennsylvania volunteer team completed the task months before the August 1st deadline. Registered Republicans and Democrats who showed up to vote in their primaries gladly filled page after page with their signatures.
"Now voters in our district will have a true choice in the fall." said Babb. "Many voters in our district are concerned about the never ending tax hikes and runaway spending authorized by incumbent Carole Rubley. I look forward to debating these issues at the earliest opportunity. I want to know why she keeps taking more and more of our hard-earned money."
Babb's platform includes a pledge to personally read all legislation that he votes for, and cite the exact clause in the Pennsylvania constitution that authorizes any new law he supports. He also pledges to pursue the repeal of all existing laws not explicitly authorized by the constitution. He advocates common sense, free-market solutions instead of expanded government power.

It's Memorial Day weekend and vets support vets

Former Sen. Max Cleland to speak at Carney event

Former Sen. Max Cleland will be the guest of Christopher Carney, Democratic candidate for the congressional race in the 10th Congressional District, for a Memorial Day campaign event at 5 p.m. on May 29 at the Wyalusing Municipal Park, the Bradford County Democratic Committee has announced.


Max Cleland is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, including the Battle of Khe Sanh. On April 8, 1968, Cleland lost two legs and an arm in a grenade explosion, and he today serves as an advocate for all veterans. He was the administrator of the United States Veterans Administration under former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

The way this man was smeared by his opponent in his re-election bid still sticks in my craw. A chickenhawk bastard who never served a day in uniform put his picture next to Osama's. Well, where is Osama?

He went to Vietnam. He didn't get a place in the National Guard or had an anal cyst or received 3 deferments because he "had other priorities." I urge my readers in the wild north to go out and say thank you to this true American Hero.

The full schedule is at Carney for Congress.

The Governors race

From Political Wire: Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has opened up a huge lead over challenger Lynn Swann (R), according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll. Rendell currently tops Swann 52% to 34%, an astounding 21-point gain for Rendell since April’s poll. These numbers represent Rendell’s largest lead to date in his bid for reelection.

Rapid Edward will motoring up I-81 at the speed of light to attend an event in Wilkes-Barre tomorrow. He will still be late.

CV: Gov. Ed Rendell will be the guest speaker at a Memorial Day service Saturday at 6 p.m. in front of the Vietnam War memorial on the Luzerne County Courthouse lawn. The Luzerne County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee is hosting the event in Wilkes-Barre.

Has anyone seen Number 88 in the area? He just bailed out on an event in Williamsport that pissed off the organizers so he can get his picture taken with Tom Ridge instead. And they raised $15,000 for him. As West Branch Manufacturers’ Association Executive Director Michael J. Sharbaugh said, "It’s hard to understand. It makes you wonder, if he were going to be governor, would he keep his commitments?"

Cell phones

Some of my friends are celebrating the elimination of an antiquated tax on telephones. For most people it will mean a couple of bucks and will increase the deficit. It would be nice if they came up with a way to cut spending in an equal amount. I may be wrong but I think cell phone customers will benefit the most. Good for them.

I hate cell phones. What is so important that you have to be glued to one of these devices? You turn into a dog on a leash and can't even use the excuse that you weren't home when somebody called. I have been out for dinner where 3 of the 4 people at the next table have all been yelling into the things. A few days ago I'm trying to watch a ballgame at my local pub while some idiot was searching for the perfect ring tone. I left. I have had many close calls while driving when some jerk had one of them glued to their ear. It's just a matter of time before I get clobbered. When I ask why some one has a cell phone, the most common answer is in case I-my wife-girlfriend-kid-Aunt Tilly break down. How often does that happen?

I would not cut taxes on cell phones, I would increase them! Pennsylvania has a lot of Nuisance Taxes. This is one of the biggest Nuisances in my life.

Hugo's house is sold

Who would want it? I guess if you live in New Jersey next to oil refineries and toxic waste dumps a few bodies in the back yard is no big deal.

WNEP: The home where accused murder Hugo Selenski lived sold Thursday morning at auction.
The place in Luzerne County went to a New Jersey couple for $160,000. The home comes with a notorious past. It was the backyard of the home near Dallas where the remains of five people turned up three years ago. Selenski lived there with his former girlfriend.
The government seized the property during the probe "because of its connection to illegal activity," according to Luzerne County District Attorney Dave Lupas.
Selenski has a new address. He is in prison on murder charges.

The DA that couldn't get a conviction is upset about all the attention.

TL: “Rather than just glorifying that this was the property that Mr. Selenski lived in and making light of what may be unearthed or uncovered in the back yard. … Dead murdered, human beings were dug up from that property. That’s fact,” District Attorney David Lupas said. “People need to know that.”

Lupas is unsure if his office will get a slice of the proceeds.

Carney's chances improve

It's good to see one of the local papers catching up with what this and every other blog has been reporting for over a week. The combination of people waking up to the incompetence of the Bush administration, Sherwood's outrageous behavior and the throw the bums out mood of the people of Pennsylvania has made this a competitive race.

TL: Democrat Chris Carney's chances of upsetting U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood have improved, according to two nonpartisan sources that analyze congressional campaigns.

The Cook Political Report and Congressional Quarterly report the 10th Congressional District race is now competitive, but still give the Republican from Tunkhannock an edge.....The Cook Report changed its assessment of the race from Likely Republican to Leaning Republican. CQ changed its assessment from Republican Favored to Leans Republican, noting Sherwood's tepid primary showing against political neophyte Kathy Scott in last week's election.

The four-term congressman reported spending more than $350,000 in the seven months on a primary campaign against Scott, a little-known challenger from Williamsport.
Scott didn't file a campaign finance report before the May 16 election because she raised and spent less than $5,000 in campaign money. Yet she captured 44 percent of the Republican vote.

"This mediocre performance underscored the political damage done to the congressman by a sex scandal and emboldened Democrats who think they can pull off a big upset in a conservative-leaning district that usually is a Republican stronghold," Congressional Quarterly reported May 17.

"Forget Waldo! Where's Hoffa?"

All these years of jokes about NFL players doing touchdown dances on top of Jimmy Hoffa in the Giants Stadium endzone may go out the door. He may be in Michigan.

MILFORD, Mich., May 23 — The most popular items on the menu at the Milford Baking Company these days are the 95-cent "Hoffa cupcakes" featuring a green plastic hand reaching up through chocolate icing and candy sprinkles designed to resemble dirt....In fact, agents are preparing to begin the next phase of their search for Mr. Hoffa, which commenced a week ago. Workers from a local demolition company said they were asked to arrive Wednesday to start tearing down a 100-foot horse barn.
The barn stands over the spot where an F.B.I. informant, now in prison, claims he saw Mr. Hoffa buried in 1975, rolled up in a rug. A large tent was erected on Monday to house the horses that will be displaced by the excavation.
The dig on the farm, about 30 miles northwest of Detroit, is the most extensive search for Mr. Hoffa's remains since he disappeared 31 years ago from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant 17 miles east of the farm.

Fun with Rick

All the attention today has been about Santorum's radio ads complaining about some sort of made up invasion of his privacy. He cares about his privacy but he doesn't care about the privacy of anyone else. Just a side note, his first media buy doesn't say why you should vote for him, but he says the other guy is a bum.

A tip to KP for this gem from York Blog:

It shouldn't have come as any surprise. Santorum has some odd views about privacy - mostly that people have no right to it.

Which, when you think about it, is an awfully weird thing for a person who calls himself a conservative to believe.....

To sum up, Santorum thinks people do not have a right to privacy. And he thinks that the government collecting our phone records is not a violation of whatever privacy we can expect to have, which is none, as far as he's concerned.

It's kind of confusing.

So I called Santorum's office. I thought someone there could try to straighten this out.

But then, I figured, if Santorum doesn't think the government collecting all of our phone records violates our privacy, he certainly wouldn't mind giving me all of his phone records so I could analyze them and put them in the paper.

I'm sure his phone records are a lot more interesting than mine. I only call for pizza now and then. He's probably calling lobbyists and fundraisers and, maybe, 1-900 numbers to phone lines where you can talk dirty to Rin Tin Tin.
I got his communications director, Robert Traynham, on the phone. Traynham offered a clarification. He said he thought his boss was speaking in the context of the government asking the phone companies to hand over records of every phone call made in America.

OK, but he did say it wasn't violation of privacy. So I asked Traynham if I could have records of all of his boss's phone calls.

He didn't understand the question.

I tried explaining, saying that since Santorum doesn't think it's an invasion of privacy, he wouldn't mind releasing records of his phone calls.

Traynham said, "Not at this time."

And then he said it was "a trick question," asking whether Santorum was planning to let everybody see his phone records.
I didn't think it was a trick question.
He did.

And he thought it was a "leading question."
And then he said he wouldn't "dignify" my questions with answers.
That happens to me a lot.
So from this, we can conclude a few things.

Either Santorum doesn't really understand the meaning of the word "privacy."
Or he thinks he's entitled to it, while you're not.

Joe Leonardi for Congress

I got a press release from the Leonardi campaign. Kanjo never sends me anything. It's a heads up about a LTE that will probably not get published in the local rags:

Leonardi for Congress
228 Main Street Dupont, Pa 18641Leonardi4congress@yaoo.com

(570) 718-1511

Dear Editor: On Saturday I spent the morning in Scranton to support our local Veterans. The Armed Forces Day Parade is a long-standing Scranton tradition which, being a veteran myself, I whole heartedly support and appreciate. I was saddened by Saturday’s low spectator turnout. The outstanding women and men of the United States Armed Services, who volunteer their lives to protect both our freedom and democracy, deserve not only to be remembered, but celebrated. I've talked about the formation of a NEPA Volunteer Corp., and once implemented, the volunteers will make Armed Forces parades and memorials a top priority. Among those priorities will be to ensure the continued existence of the Scranton Armed Forces Day parade. We live in an era in which those who oppose war can protest war, yet not protest those heroic individuals who fight in it. I am confident that all members of our community share my pride in our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. During the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, I am optimistic everyone can find a way to recognize the sacrifices and contributions the brave members of the United States Armed Forces engage in on a daily basis.Finally, I want to thank WYOU for their coverage of the parade.

Thank You,

Dr. Joseph F. Leonardi,

Republican Candidate,U.S. House of Representatives PA District 11

Let's just wait until after the election, wink-wink, nudge -nudge

CV: Luzerne County officials are running out of time to implement the first countywide reassessment and an upcoming meeting should determine whether approximately 160,000 property owners have new tax rates in effect for 2007.

Maybe I'm just cynical but if you read the stories in papers about the ongoing reassessment Todd and Vondy are dragging their feet on this. They are raising all sorts of objections to delay the new property values being implemented which might result in many people having to pay more property taxes until 2008. Even if it means paying 21st Century Appraisals more to extend the contract.

The primary election for commissioners will be in 2007. A plus is they are trying to blame Steve Urban for the delay.

Fun in the Senate race

Thug?

Somebody looked into the windows of some house that Rick Santorum owns but doesn't live in and he goes ballistic. He doesn't live there and the place is empty.

This is the best little Ricky can do.

Read Santorum Blog

Beer in PA

Tip to Lou's List for pointing this out. Anheuser-Busch has bought out Rolling Rock and will close the local brewery. In the future the rocks will be made in New Jersey.

PITTSBURGH-But news that Rolling Rock will be leaving Latrobe, a town of about 9,000 people, spells trouble for the local economy and has upset residents who have seen generations of local people go to work at the brewery.
Tom Marflak, Latrobe's mayor, called the move "an injustice for the city."
"It goes without saying how disappointing it is to hear the news that Rolling Rock will no longer be brewed in Latrobe," he said. "It goes beyond just the brewery."
He said the sale could lead to a rise in unemployment or the relocation of families. If the plant closes, he said, taxpayers would pay a price.

Boy this global economy is just great. A few years ago Anheuser-Busch wanted to buy Yuengling but Dick Yuengling wouldn't sell. He realized that they would just take the recipes and close the local bottling plants. Now Yuengling is one of the fastest growing beers in the country! He realized he could have become a very rich man but he would have damaged his town and put his workers out in the street. The advantage he had is that it is a privately held company. Thank you Richard L. Yuengling jr., your head and heart are in the right place.

No Decision yet

The numbers are bouncing all over the place in the 118th State Rep race. The district includes northern Luzerne County around Pittston and a part of Monroe County.

WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County officials on Friday conducted a 14-hour count of Tuesday's primary election returns, and the official vote count erased some votes officials say were erroneously added during Tuesday's unofficial count of paper ballots.
As a result, Arthur Bobbouine, Luzerne County chief deputy sheriff, went from winner to runner-up in the Republican primary for the state House 118th District seat.
Maureen Tatu, a Chestnuthill Township supervisor in Monroe County, appears to have won by 11 votes. According to the unofficial vote count, she trailed by 20 votes. Tatu's vote total now stands at 818. Bobbouine's total is 807.

This one is headed to a recount.

In the 117th Karen Boback is the apparent winner. I know James May mounted a write-in campaign but I have not seen the final numbers.

Boback edges out Carroll for GOP race for Hasay seat