Kanjo looks to the future and wants to bury the past

Kanjorski sees change in atmosphere

U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski won a 14th term in Congress earlier this month and for the first time in a dozen years, he’s poised to join a House where his party is in the majority. The Nanticoke resident, who will turn 70 in April and appears to be in no hurry to retire, now has reason to stick around.

In the interview he notes that he is now the 2nd ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee and has his pick of what sub-committee he wants to chair. This is a big deal because the nuts and bolts of lawmaking is done in the sub-committees. He says it will give him an opprotunity to bring home the bacon in the form of Wall Street West. He wants to work with incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi "to bring civility back to the House."

Q: What do you think Democrats can reasonably accomplish in the next two years?

A: I think we’ll definitely get a change in the minimum wage … I think we can get a better competitive program on (Medicare) prescription drugs, which will lessen the cost of those drugs to the government … We have to do that. Nobody can justify why this nation’s people, not only those who get it through Medicare and Medicaid, but the general population are paying so much more than every other industrial nation in the world … All the other governments of the world do negotiate their drug prices.

Q: What else do you think you can do?

A: I think we’re really going to have to start looking at how we got into a war like Iraq and what future wars are out there. We can’t change that disaster now but we can hope and put into place things that should lessen the likelihood that the president can make that mistake again.

We'll see about that. Since WWII the Congress has abdicated its power to declare war. My view is if its important enough to fight and die for the people through their elected represenatives should follow the constitution and make a formal Declaration of War. Not pass a resolution such as Tonken Gulf or the last one giving the OK to the Iraq debacle.

Then there is Cornerstone Technologies.

Rep. Kanjorski denies avoiding deposition concerning firm controlled by his nephews.

Steering $9 million of taxpayer money to a firm owned by your relatives sure doesn't look good. Especially when the company goes belly up and has nothing to show for this "investment." Now the whole thing is wrapped up in litigation and the judge in the case had some choice words:

On Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Conrad confronted Cornerstone President Peter A. Kanjorski, the congressman’s nephew, saying the bankruptcy was aimed at preventing “yourself and your uncle from being deposed...I’ve sat through this case for four years, and I’ve watched the most twisted, obstructive effort to deny discovery that I have ever seen,” Judge William F. Moran said while ordering the contempt proceeding during a Sept. 5 hearing. “Maybe the people who are involved in this think they are immune from the law because of who they are. But they’re not in this county,” Moran said, according to a hearing transcript.

Slosh machines

In another middle of the night session the state legislature passed a bill to let slots operators give away free booze to players.

HARRISBURG-General Assembly critics assailed the state legislators for again enacting a major proposal late at night without adequate public input.
"This is the same kind of stealth legislation that happened with the original slots law and the legislative pay raise," complained Tim Potts, head of Democracy Rising PA, a citizens group formed last year to fight the pay raises...Late Tuesday night, just minutes before they ended the 2005-06 session, the House and Senate enacted a change to the state liquor code, permitting casinos to offer free drinks to anyone playing slot machines from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.

Again they passed a law without any hearings, public input or openly debating the proposal 3 times as the state constituition requires.

You can debate the merits of this proposal but the problem with Harrisburg is the process. If you think the law should be changed to allow this, fine, but it should go through the normal legislative process not pass it in a lame duck session.

New name for the Red Barons

CV: Northeastern Pennsylvania will have to wait a little longer to learn the new name of its Triple-A baseball franchise, though sources suggest an announcement is likely in a week or two...And yes, the Yankees name does appear to be in the running. But it’s not alone...Among them: Bombers, Yankees, Clippers, Pinstripers, Highlanders, Iron Horses and Babes — are all related to the parent club. In deference to local history came options Barons, Mountaineers and Coal Crackers.

The Red Barons name is merger of the Scranton Red Sox and Wilkes-Barre Barons that paid tribute to our minor league baseball past. But it got perverted into a bi-plane logo that didn't make any sense. I can't say I'm thrilled with any of the proposed names but it could be worse. The thieves of the Lehigh Valley are calling their new Phillies farm club the Iron Pigs.

A new record

Over the holiday weekend I've received over 20 emails asking for my help in liberating a fortune or informing me I have won some sort of lottery. I find it hard to beleive that anyone on the net has not heard of the Nigerian Letter or 419 fraud and it's variations. But some suckers must still reply to these crooks (probably before they go play the slots at Pocono Downs) or they wouldn't still try.

Hugo on hold

Dr. Tara let me know that next installment of the Hugo Selenski saga will be delayed. The defense has been given a mountain of evidence in the discovery process and can't get through it all before the original trial date in January.

Anyone and everyone in Luzerne County who has been following this case remembers that the escape charges against Hugo were dismissed because DA David Lupas filed the the paper work late. He's on a roll, he lost the first murder trial and the crime he could prove beyond a resonable doubt, escape, can't be prosecuted. Now the DA's office has dropped the ball on another case.

Felony gun charge might be tossed

The article gets into the technical aspects of the law. The DA wants relief because of a typo saying the typist put an (a ) where a (c ) should be. With all the lawyers in the DA's office you think one of them would have read the charges -looking for problems- that were going to sent to the court.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks to Miss Cellania for the pic.


And for everyone who has lived through an uncomfortable day with the relatives. From A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago there is:

The Pre-Meal Thanksgiving Safety Demonstration

Welcome to this Thanksgiving meal, with non-stop service from passive aggression to outright yelling. This afternoon's meal will last approximately two hours and 14 minutes. At this time, please direct your attention to the head of the table for the pre-meal safety demonstration.

Emergency exits are located at the door into the kitchen and through the living room into the front hall. Please take a moment to locate the exit nearest you.

When the meal begins to take off, you must fasten your lips shut. To do so, insert an alcoholic beverage into a glass, and pull it to your lips for a long swig. We suggest that you keep your beverage glass full throughout the meal, as we may experience turbulence.

In the event of a sudden pressurization of the dining room's atmosphere, various members of the family may drop insults that they don't actually mean. Remain calm. Pull the defensive psychological mask that you have constructed over your face and breathe normally. Insults will continue to flow even after the mask is in place.

In the event of water flowing from eyelids, please remember that your Walgreen's Thanksgiving print paper napkin can be used as a tear-soaking device.

This is a non-smoking meal. Tampering with, disabling, or destroying the smoke detectors located in the bathroom is an offense punishable by substantial yelling and cursing.

At this time we ask that you turn off all cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices. Please make sure that you have stowed away all painful memories and disappointments in preparation for the meal.

For complete information on meal safety procedures, please review the email provided to you by your cousin Joe detailing which family members are not talking to which other family members and which subjects are prohibited.

Thank you for choosing this side of the family for your Thanksgiving meal. At this time, you may sit back, relax, and enjoy the fight.

Calif. court says bloggers can't be sued

via KOS

Good news for bloggers in Luzerne County and nationwide. We now have some case law that protects us when we link to something that someone objects to.

State's Supreme Court said a federal law gives immunity from libel suits

The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that bloggers and participants in Internet bulletin board groups cannot be sued for posting defamatory statements made by others.
In deciding a case closely watched by free speech groups, the court said a federal law gives immunity from libel suits not only to Internet service providers, like AOL, but also to bloggers and other users of their services.
"Subjecting Internet service providers and users to defamation liability would tend to chill online speech," today's unanimous ruling said.

This doesn't mean we can say any irresponsible thing about anybody but it protects us if we link to someone who does put something out there that turns out not to be true. I'm not a lawyer but I read it to mean that we are also not responsible for any charges made in our comments.

Holiday animation

Nothing puts you in the mood for the upcoming season like watching Mickey, Minnie and Goofy getting kinky.

Ryan Howard MVP

Not bad for a second year player. Last year Rookie of the Year and now the National League Most Valuable Player. Howard becomes the second player in Major League Baseball history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards in consecutive seasons, following Cal Ripken in 1982 and 1983. Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) have the sweeter distinction of winning both awards in their first seasons. Howard's season of 58 homers and 149 RBIs is made more impressive by his .313 batting average. Congrats Ryan!

Now the Phils need another bat since their off season target Alfonso Soriano signed a crazy contract with the Cubs, Soriano agreed Monday to a $136 million, eight-year contract. The deal became official after Soriano passed a physical Monday. Soriano's deal is the fifth-largest total package given to a major league player. And Pat Burrell still hasn't been traded.

In other sports news the Eagles season went into the toilet, if it wasn't there already, when Donovan McNabb got hurt again. And Penn State beat Michigan State finishing with an 8-4 record and probably will get a New Year's Day bowl game.

Barletta on 60 minutes tonight

TL: The CBS news program airing tonight will feature interviews with Mayor Lou Barletta, citizens of Hazleton and a spokesman for the coalition challenging the Illegal Immigration Relief Act and English Only ordinances.

The local papers are demanding that he release the names of people who have donated to his legal defense fund which is funny in the case of the Times-Leader since they won't even tell you who owns the paper. One big donor from Philadelphia has gone public. Joey Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks that made headlines over the summer for an English-only ordering policy, says he's proud to have given $10,000. It was interesting to read in the Philly papers that Geno's uses imported beef from South America. The other segments of the show sound more compelling. Stories about Joe Namath and the dwindling number of tigers in Indian jungles. Lou is extending his fifteen minutes of fame while people and businesses flee Hazleton.

I just watched th 60 minutes piece. The number one news show in the country is featuring the Mayor of Hazleton Lou Barletta about his efforts to rid his town of illegal aliens. Although he can’t actually prove illegal aliens are the source of all crime in that small town. But it makes for good press and that’s what he is about. I know I’m in the minority about doubting his efforts and motivation in this adventure. When I point out that Italians were looked upon with suspicion a hundred years ago because they looked different and had another religion people say “oh right.” It’s easy and dangerous to blame a minority for all your problems.

They reffered to the the wilds of PA and said the mayor is making a name for himself. "If the federal govt was doing something about it we wouldn’t be talking about it today." I agree with that. Then he confesses "Nobody knows how many illegals are here." And alleged that "The police are overwhelmed." Then he said he wants to make landlords and employers into INS agents.

The people they interviewed left town because they don’t feel safe.

Vondy out

CV: Luzerne County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid confirmed at a Friday morning news conference he will not seek a second term in office. He did promise to serve out the remaining 13 months of his current term.

The Yonk has his farewell letter. He notes some accomplishments but I give him and Skrep many incompletes plus some downright blunders such as the life transition plan, adding to the long term debt and still playing games with jobs.

But let's look to the future.

The heir apparent is Controller Maryanne Petrilla who took on and replaced Steve Flood when he started asking too many inconvenient questions. The Democratic Party owes her for getting rid of a loudmouth, dedicated and honest man. From what I hear she even shows up at the office once in while since Laura Bidwell was fired and can't sign Petrilla's name to official documents. Wilkes-Barre city councilwoman Kathy Kane is also looking to move up because of the uncertainty of surrounding the new districts but if she stays on council she is looking at positions with the Pennsylvania and National League of Cities. Such a tough choice when you want to be somebody. Other possible Democratic candidates are Pittston Township Supervisor Tony Attardo, Wilkes-Barre attorney Ray Hassey, and former Bear Creek Township Supervisor Ed Benkoski.

On the Republican side Steve Urban is being coy but will probably run again. Other Republicans considering a run are: Crestwood School Board member Bill Jones, Hanover Area School Board member David Shipula, Dallas chiropractor Dave Madeira, former West Hazleton Mayor Carl Puschauver and everybody's favorite Bill James. Out of this bunch Madeira is the most interesting candidate. He ran a surprising 2nd to Lisa Baker in the primary to replace retiring Charlie Lemmond in the 20th Senate District. I don't agree with him about many social issues but county commissioners aren't involved in arguments about God, guns and gays. He impressed me as a fiscal conservative who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Sounds like a good running mate for Urban.

To me the potential candidate that stands head and shoulders above the rest is former Controller Steve Flood. And I know my fellow Democrats out there will object because he is not a "team player." For four years the guy was a pain in the ass to the powers that be and we need that. Although things have improved somewhat the county government is still not run properly.
Not only the job situation but the sweetheart deals for the well connected such as the juvi jail lease. Steve Flood wants to do things not just be somebody. Flood, who lost the controller seat to Petrilla in 2005, said he is 60-40 in favor of running because “too many people” contacted him about concerns about the county’s long-term debt, management salaries and costly county real estate leases. I just hope he runs a better campaign than last time when he just sat back and let his opponents smear him.

Lehigh Valley blogs are fun

Even the local newspaper noticed.

Blogs: Less filters, more voices

Led by LVDem and Bernie O'Hare there has been an explosion of Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem bloggers that concentrate on local politics and other things. The combination of insight and comedy makes for a good read everyday. I was going to list the sites I visit but it's a long one and I'm sure I would miss someone. Plus I'm lazy.

The thrust of the story is that bloggers are changing the reporting of the news. There is an instant fact check on what is written in newspapers plus a sometimes rush to publish by bloggers that turns out to be wrong that the reporters refute. I think it's a healthy relationship. For all the doom and gloom written about the demise of newspapers because of the internet that's not going to happen. The big national blogs react to what is in the NY Times or the Washington Post as we react to the Morning Call, Times-Leader, Patriot News or Citizen Voice. We need each other.

To give you an idea how enlightened the Lehigh County blogosphere is I was named one of the Sexiest Men Alive, sort of.

Update: Happy blogoversary to LVDem.

Rick Santorum for President

Citing family reasons the soon to be unemployed junior Senator from Virginia rules out a White House bid in 2008.

Santorum: No oval office run
Some backers sought an '08 campaign, but he said: "Absolutely, positively not."

As much as I knock Rick you have to admire any politician that says what's on his mind. I've said before that I would miss him. Politics is a contact sport but it is also entertainment. Who is more entertaining than Ricky? Hopefully he won't go on to be a lobbyist but get some sort of media gig. Fox News is a natural fit. Actually in the last weeks of the campaign when he was going on about the gathering storm, etc. I thought he was looking to run for President. But he ruled it out and I will take him at his word. At the same time he can always change his mind. The idea of being President is a powerful tonic for anyone involved in politics. The old joke about everytime a Senator looks in the mirror he can see a President also applies to Congressmen, city councilors and even bloggers.

On a side note I want to congratulate Alex and the gang at Santorum Blog for providing the most comprehensive coverage of the Senate election. Good or bad for their guy it was posted.

Flash floods

TIMES LEADER/CLARK VAN ORDEN
A bridge collapsed on Cleveland Street in Plains Township due to Thursday’s storm.

Here we go again. This area has been prone to flooding for as long as I can remember. Tonight's adventure in some ways is more dangerous than what happened in June when the Susquehanna River threatened to jump it's banks in the Wilkes-Barre area. All our EMS types keep an eye on the river and when it starts to rise there is plenty of warning. When Mill Creek near my house gets out of control there is no warning.

Just a point of cartography. The stream that runs through Plains, Miners Mills, Hollenback Park, past General Hospital and into the river is actually named Gardners Creek (map). But it's always been called Mill Creek by me and everybody else.

But anyway. My normal 10 minute trip home tonight turned into an hour adventure. There was a two foot lake near the side entrance to Pocono Downs trapping many people putting their life savings into a machine that will never love them back. I had to turn around and when I tried the back roads it was more high water with the added attraction of mud and rock slides. When I finally got home I was met by a torrent of water gushing down the hill because of the runoff and just about every drain being clogged by leaves and debris. As happens in times of emergency people came together. Everybody was out helping out either cleaning leaves from the storm drains or setting up sump pumps in the house next door.

The great thing about living in an old neighborhood is that we have been through it before and know what is at stake. By old neighborhood I don't just mean people who have lived here a long time. Even our new home owners and renters on the street chipped in tonight and became part of the old neighborhood.

They eat more than donuts

WILKES-BARRE - A uniformed Wilkes-Barre police officer entered the Kidder Street Wendy's on Sunday afternoon and ordered a single hamburger combo, without cheese, pickles and onions, a baked potato and a regular iced tea with lemon. The entire meal cost a little over $5.

The officer signed a receipt and waltzed out the door without paying a cent.

Can that greasy, made-to-order fast food hamburger- and the sides -buy police protection?

Ethics issues surrounding the policy of gifting vary by police department. There are no state-level regulations against the practice, but Lindenmuth said accepting gifts can create a public perception that certain businesses curry favor with patrolmen because of handouts and freebies.

In a past life I worked at a resort in the Poconos that offered free meals to the state police. Sometime we would have 10 troopers eating in the employee area of the dining room at once. This wasn't burgers but prime rib and lobster. I didn't think it was right and raised an objection only to be told to shut up. On the rare occasion when we needed the police we would still wait an hour for them to show up if it wasn't supper time. One of the cops who regularly put on the feed bag even gave me a ticket for an expired inspection sticker. I'm not sure it buys you extra protection but it doesn't look good.

Let's juggle the books and fund the wish list

WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County commissioners approved a plan Wednesday to restructure up to $110 million in debt, claiming it will help balance this year’s budget and allow them to propose a balanced budget for next year...This year’s budget deficit was projected at $9 million and now should be erased by $7 million obtained from debt refinancing and other expected savings. The refinancing deal also gives the county an extra $5.3 million next year.

The kicker is the taxpayers are on the hook for higher debt repayment in the future. If I had any faith that they would hold the line on spending I might go for it but everybody has their hand out. In an election year it will be hard to say no.

County requested to contribute $9.4M Money would go toward 18 tasks, including Kirby Center, Osterhout Library, Lands at Hillside Farms capital projects

The Osterhout Free Library wants $300,000

The Lands at Hillside Farms wants $609,912

Butler Township officials want $1.5 million

The Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce wants $500,000

Plymouth wants $350,000

Wilkes-Barre wants $1.2 million

And so on.

You can argue the merits of each project mentioned but the county just doesn't have the money to fund them all without cooking the books and creating even more debt. The politics of it is Skrep is running for reelection and Vondy is leaving for a job with the Chamber of Commerce. Steve Urban is living up to his reputation as Dr. No and will probably be proven right. Don't forget that Luzerne County will have to build a new prison soon to the tune of $70 million or more that will require borrowing more money. Why our society insists on locking up so many people is another subject.

More on 2008

I know this a local political blog but it's fun to speculate on the next Presidential election. This is the silly season when we can all size up the field before the election gets close and we all start tearing each others heads off.

Rudy Giuliani was in Wilkes-Barre yesterday to talk about leadership and sanitation.

Giuliani not talking White House -- yet
BY ELIZABETH SKRAPITS

To Republicans, Giuliani says, "You have to go back to your principles. We have to say, what can we do better? The list should include reducing spending and pork barrel projects, and finding better ways of dealing with corruption, he said.The election also indicated Americans want cooperation between the parties, Giuliani said. An issue to start with that both agree on is the need for immigration reform...He quoted another famous former New York mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia: "There is no Democratic or Republican way to pick up the garbage, only the right way to do it."

After telling our local reporters he isn't ready to announce that he is running for President he forms an exploratory committee. Remember this paragraph because you're going to see it many more times:

The former mayor is a moderate who supports gun control, same-sex civil unions, embryonic stem-cell research and abortion rights - stands that would put him at odds with the majority of the GOP conservative base.

Chris Bowers at MyDD thinks he's the frontrunner:

Here is the thing: right now, I actually think Giuliani should be considered the favorite to win the Republican nomination. As much as the Republican base has been raised up as an all-powerful, unstoppable conservative force (which might be true, since they did win the 2006 elections for conservatives) the truth is, and always has been, that Republican money runs the show... Unless Republican money sides with someone besides Giuliani, and I don't see that happening right now, I would have to consider him the Republican favorite. Not to mention that he will have what is left of the Republican libertarian and Rockerfeller wings all to himself, while a zillion wingnuts vie for the title of theocon of the year during 2007 (including, probably, McCain)

His biggest asset is his performance on 9/11 but Talk Left points out that many of the 9/11 families don't have a high opinion of him:

Rudy Guliani was greeted with heckles by families of 9/11 victims today as he as he appeared for his testimony before the 9/11 Commission.

Local bloggers Dr. Rick and the Yonk like him. I think Chris is wrong and the poll he put on his post shows most of his readers agree. Rudy just won't sell in the South or with the fundamentalists. It's McCain's turn, he will get the money and Bush will back him.

Who's running for President, or not

Mark Warner pulled out before the election now my early favorite Russ Feingold takes a pass.

Yet, while I've certainly enjoyed the repeated comments or buttons saying, "Run Russ Run", or "Russ in '08", I often felt that if a piece of Wisconsin swiss cheese had taken the same positions I've taken, it would have elicited the same standing ovations. This is because the hunger for progressive change we feel is obviously not about me but about the desire for a genuinely different Democratic Party that is ready to begin to reverse the 25 years of growing extremism we have endured.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa took the initial step in his long-shot bid for the White House Thursday, establishing a presidential campaign committee and seeking an early jump on 2008.

Tom Vilsack doesn't excite me or anybody else but you never can tell. The big news is the obvious.

WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain said Sunday he is taking the initial steps for a White House bid in 2008, setting up a committee that allows a potential candidate to raise money and travel the country to gauge support.



The Republicans always have been very orderly about the nomination and it's McCain's turn. He has to win over or at least neutralize the religious conservatives and he's trying. He has to be the fiscal conservative's guy as he has always been out front on wasteful spending. On national security it's hard to find a bigger hawk.

In the end I think it comes down to Dubya. If he backs some one for the nomination they will win it. The thing I fear is that McCain makes a deal with the devil and puts Jeb on the ticket.

McCain-Powell is the best one for the Republicans.

What happens when the novelty wears off?

PLAINS TWP. – The slot machines at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs are sure to be a losing proposition for many visitors, but they are shaping up as guaranteed jackpots for nearby hotels.

The slots are off and running at Pocono Downs. Plains Township is already spending the promissed money on street paving and the local school boards hope it results in some tax relief. The LCTA is adding stops at the Racino while eliminating stops at grocery stores. The United Way provided a guest list of high rollers for the test run, most of whom will never be back. The hotels are talking about adding rooms to cash in on the additional traffic and the local gas stations will see an uptick in business.

From what I've read this facility is not being marketed in a way to draw out-of-town business but to bring in the locals. We can expect more glowing stories in the local media about what a "success" it is until the other slots parlors open. Then all the promises of a never ending stream of revenue will dry up.

2006 Election...A Comedic Roundup