Luzerne County salaries

The Luzerne County Council is kicking around the idea of giving raises to some non union employees that haven't had one in 5 years. The proposal is to give them $1000 across the board although some council members want to base the raises on merit. The problem with that idea is that the county doesn't have an employee appraisal system (surprise) and it may take 2 years to fully implement one. Raising salaries in this fiscal climate will go over like lead balloon but people have to live. Most county employees do a good job and deserve a cost of living increase.


The salary of the Controller is also on the table. It has been $35K for as long as I can remember and is well below what the compensation should be for such an important position.  Present Controller Walter Griffith says he is OK with the salary.

I'm reminded what Wil Toole said in the 2009 election: I'm going to tell everybody here a dirty little secret if you really want to know the inside of politics in Luzerne County. The salary of elected officials have been kept low to keep good people out of government. 

That's not a knock on Walter as he has done a good job with limited resources and most of the row offices have been eliminated by the charter. The new Division heads are to be paid between $75,000 and $90,000 per year.

John Hanger for Governor

Campaigns keep starting earlier. Sure you start laying the groundwork running for any office but actually making an announcement 2 years out is relatively new.

Pennlive: John Hanger, a 55-year-old Harrisburg lawyer, will make a stop in Harrisburg on Wednesday to announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2014. He will start off in Philadelphia then travel to Pittsburgh. A visit to Erie, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Allentown in the near future should be high on his list. 

He works for the law firm of Eckert Seamans:  John served from 2008 to 2011 as the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Chair of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, the Chair of the Environmental Quality Board, Vice Chairman of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure and Investment Authority, and a Commissioner of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. He also chaired the Pennsylvania Mine Safety Board. In 2010, for the first time in Pennsylvania’s history, no miners died on the job.

As Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, John was in charge of permitting and regulation of gas drilling in Pennsylvania. He led a complete review of regulations governing gas drilling and enacted major new rules governing drilling of wells as well as the withdrawal of water for drilling and the disposal of drilling wastewater. 

And he's a Blogger!
  
John Hanger's Facts of The Day

Philly businessman Tom Knox has also said he intends to run. 

Other possible candidates include York businessman Tom Wolf; Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski; state Treasurer Rob McCord; retiring state Auditor General Jack Wagner, and former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak.

Tom Corbett can be beat.

Idiot Watch

I took the week off from blogging because this is a slow time of year for politics and I was busy getting ready to host our sometimes annual Thanksgiving feast with the family. I bragged that I got thru the prep and Turkey Day itself without any knife wounds only to slice the middle finger of my left hand yesterday getting the leftovers ready. I haven't figured out how to blame this on the dog yet.

I'm not sure who the bigger idiots are when it comes to this early Black Friday shopping frenzy. The stores that open on Thanksgiving or the people who go out shopping in them. RTG has an account of the loss leader tactics of the Peoples Republic of China North American Retail Division (Walmart).

A Philadelphia area blogger started a site to trash Philly restaurants called Staph Meal  then branched out into creating Facebook pages that advocated the murder of Mitt Romney, DA Seth Williams and others.

His lawyer says it's satire: "The charges, in my opinion, violate the First Amendment," Long said. "This is free speech. It is parody and satire, all of which is protected under the First Amendment, which also protects offensive speech and vulgar speech. There were no serious threats that were ever communicated, no serious requests for any harm. In the context of all the comments that Mr. Albert made, none show an intent for any harm to anyone."





And we have some local geniuses.

TT: Officers soon had Johnson - who appeared intoxicated - in custody at the intersection of William Street and Rockwell Avenue. Schwartz identified him as the man he saw raiding his refrigerator and walking out of his house.  A search of the bags Johnson, of Scranton, had on him offered a glimpse of his menu at the William Street home: a bushel of clams, some crab legs, shrimp - most of which was already eaten - and an opened box of Reese's Klondike bars. He had thrown the bottle of coconut rum on the front lawn of the Williams Street residence but the bottle of Three Olives vanilla vodka was in another bag Johnson had on him, according to the complaint.

The food, alcohol and pack of Camel cigarettes in Johnson's pocket accounted for all of the items missing from Schwartz's home.




Pizza and piss
: 
According to Plains Township police:
Police were dispatched around 8:08 p.m. to Mack and South River streets for a report of a vehicle that struck a stop sign and several concrete parking blocks. Upon arrival, police found an unoccupied Chevrolet Metro, partially blocking Mack Street. Police noticed about 100 feet of skid marks before the impact. An eyewitness told police the driver fled the car and started walking south on River Street, with a box of pizza. Police soon located Hall in a yard up the street, eating the pizza. Police said Hall appeared intoxicated and later flunked several field-sobriety tests. After resisting arrest, police say Hall was placed into custody and transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center for blood-alcohol testing. Hall refused testing, police said. Back at the police station, Hall continued to be "combative," police said. At one point, he urinated on himself and then on the floor of a holding cell, police said. Authorities then took Hall to jail for the night.




Thanks to  unindicted co-conspirator Michelle for help with this post.

Happy Thanksgiving

YouTube weekend

I want one of these. I think the guy built it himself. It would be a great attachment to a snowblower  that would let me plow the slush as you can't use the blower because it would be clogged by the ice.


 

The Independent Gazette open house Sunday

The Independent Gazette is hosting an open house this Sunday, November 18th between the hours of 10:00am-8:00pm in our Wilkes-Barre office. We are located at 253 South Main Street and admission is free.
If you, like us, believe that if you own the media you own the message and that message must be the truth, please help as we move forward with our newspapers and radio show by supporting our efforts.  WE DO NEED YOUR HELP!
You can do that in many different ways:
Subscribing to our you tube channel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fphBWvt3T7c&feature=youtu.be&a
Or taking out a subscription to our newspaper -  http://www.wbindependentgazette.com/donate/
Maybe you wish to advertize your business in the paper or on our radio show, Sanity Check Radio - the new standard in media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D09HAwchtU8
Either way if you are in the area stop in and say hello.  Heck, you can even do some Christmas shopping in our store or check out our online stores  www.thepoliticalemporium.com and http://www.endisneargear.com/
Join us this Sunday as we stream live from our W-B office with Anthony Antonello Productions and other great guests.

Hillary Clinton for President or Supreme Court?

Many people on both the left and right expect Hillary Clinton to run for President in 2016 despite her repeated denials of wanting the job. The Buffalo News and Warren Buffett have already endorsed her. Norton the Blogger says she will clear the field once she announces a bid and speculates about the Republican hopefuls.

I agree that she would be one of the most qualified presidential candidates in recent history. First Lady, Senator and now Secretary of State. I think you have to back to the early 1800's when a Secretary of State was elected President. That was John Quincy Adams.

But timing is everything and that's where the Supreme Court comes in.  If one of the liberal Justices born in the 1930's such as Ginsburg or Breyer decides to retire the President will probably be able to get his pick confirmed despite the usual caterwauling from Rush and Fox News. On the other hand if a spot opens because Scalia or supposed moderate Kennedy or one of the other conservative Justices leave the court then there will be a big fight. In my judgement the only person that could be confirmed in that circumstance would be Hillary Clinton. The Senate rarely rejects one of their own and the American people have a high regard for her.

If that timeline doesn't work out I'm on board with Hillary 2016.

Let's ask Luke Russert if she is too old for the jobs.

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.

2013 Luzerne County elections

5 seats on the Luzerne County Council and the Controller's spot are up for reelection next year. Democrats Elaine Madden Curry and Linda McClosky Houck and Republicans Harry Haas and Eugene Kelleher along with Independent Rick Williams were the bottom 5 of 11 elected in 2009 so their seats are up this time. The other 6 seats will be decided in 2015. I haven't heard that any of them are planning to run again or bow out but it's early and I'm sure there will plenty of candidates in the primary on both sides. I can think of a few people that came up short last time that will give it another try and a few others are making some noise.

Controller Walter Griffith told me he is definitely running for reelection and I don't see anyone taking him on in the Republican primary but anything can happen. Walter has taken some criticism over audits but I would argue that he is still the most popular politician in the county because he continues to be a pain in the ass. His 2009 Democratic opponent Bob Morgan said he is not looking for a rematch but I've seen him at all sorts of political gatherings the last few months. People change their minds. The other candidate in 2009 was Wil Toole of Pittston who can't be counted out. Former Commissioner Steve Urban is also threatening to run.

Who's running for Governor?

Tom Corbet can be beat in in 2014

Veterans Day

This a repost from 2 years ago.

I always joke that I expect a call from the White House on Veterans Day.

I understand why the last occupant of the place never called since he didn't give a shit about the people that were killed and maimed as a result of his Oedipal complex and my opposition to it. I voted for Barry and expected better from him but he continues the ill fated adventure in Afghanistan. Clinton waged a half assed effort in the Balkans and his predecessor had a violent reaction when oil supplies were threatened as any (oil) junkie would.

Some of you know that I wore the uniform of the United States Air Force after high school.

During my time in the service the United States engaged in 3 significant military actions on the orders of President Reagan. The bombing of Libya was justified but didn't deter them from taking down an airliner over Scotland a few years later. I knew the navigator in the F-111 that went down. Although I didn't know it at the time I was part of the planning of the raid. In the Beirut fiasco a good friend who was a load master on a C-130 got shot up on the tarmac of the airport, 241 Marines later died when their barracks was blown up after the US took sides in a civil war. The next day the US invaded Grenada.

I hate war.

YouTube Weekend

YouTube Weekend

Some insurance guy keeps calling which reminds of the scene from Take the Money and Run when Woody is put into solitary with an insurance salesman.




We are out of town to attend a memorial service. See you Monday.

Bush voted for Obama

Oops.

George Bush Accidentally Votes For Obama

  Former U.S. president George W. Bush accidentally voted for Barack Obama today at a polling place near his Crawford, TX home.

According to local reports, the two-term Republican was confused by the instructions on his electronic voting machine and mistakenly cast a ballot he intended to discard.
Witnesses say Bush argued with poll workers for several minutes afterwards in a effort to redo his vote, but in accordance with state law they ultimately denied his request.

A touch of the screen to Big Dan for passing this along.

Wake up Republicans

MB:

Ohio really did go to the president last night.
And he really did win.
And he really was born in Hawaii.
And he really is -legitimately- President of the United States.
Again.
And the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not make-up a fake unemployment rate last month.
And the Congressional Research Service really can find no evidence
That cutting taxes on rich people grows the economy.
And the polls were not skewed to over-sample Democrats.
And Nate Silver was not making up fake projections about the election
To make conservatives feel bad.
He was doing math.
And climate change is real.
And rape really does cause pregnancy sometimes.
And evolution is a thing.
And Benghazi was an attack on us.
It was not a scandal by us.
And no one is taking away anyone's guns.
And taxes haven't gone up.
And the deficit is dropping, actually.
And Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction.
And the moon landing was real.
And FEMA isn't building concentration camps.
And UN election observers aren't taking over Texas.
And moderate reforms of the regulations on the insurance industry
And the financial services industry
Are not the same thing as communism.

Get out of your echo chamber

The day after

I was up late so I feel like the guy pictured above.

The President was reelected and I have been reading some apocalyptic things on right wing blogs and Facebook. Relax people. We lived through 8 years of Bush and you will survive 8 years of Obama. The late Bob Novak once said something that has stuck with me. The President doesn't run the country, the people do. The economy will improve no matter who is President, it's called the business cycle. The Republicans should have won this election but they nominated a candidate that didn't believe in anything except he wanted to be President. Romney switched so many positions in so many elections you couldn't trust him. That and the steady stream of lies from his campaign. See Mitt's Mendacity Vol I thru XLI.

Pennsylvania made history by electing the first Democrat and woman as Attorney General.I hope she digs into Tom Corbett's handling of the Sandusky investigation.

Senator Bob Casey beat back the coal guy 54%-47%.  he spent a big chunk of his own  money on  a losing cause. Coal and Oil are not our future.


No surprises in the local races for Congress. Tom Marino won 2-1 and Matt Cartwright gathered 60% of the vote as predicted. Gene Stilp ran a fun campaign but you still need money to win. Lou Barletta will continue to defend us against the Barbarians at the Gate

The incumbent state house member were returned for another term.

The photos of Tarah Toohil probably helped her as we all have done things we are not proud of.  It was dirty pool by someone who wanted to hurt her but the Democratic candidate or party had nothing to do with it.She won 67% of the vote.

Rick Arnold got a late start and it wasn't enough to beat Jerry Mullery. Mullery improved his performance from 2010 winning 61%-39%.

The 120th HD race was near and dear to my heart. Phyllis Mundy has been a friend for some time and is my xxx favorite legislator. Aaron Kaufer became a pal and ran a great campaign that gave Phyllis the run of her political career. In the end Kaufer got more votes than any other challenger over the last 20 years but came up short. He will be back. Phyllis won 56-44 improving on the 53% she got last time.

Now the speculation begins about the 2016 Presidential candidates. I predict that Hillary won't be one of them because President Obama will appoint her to the Supreme Court.

On to the 2013 local elections. Walter Griffith is running for reelection as Luzerne County Controller and Bob Morgan may take him on again. Steve Urban is also making noise about a Controller run. Some seats on the Luzerne County Council will also be up.

President Obama has been reelected

A request from the Rain Man

Kane leads the way

Dems sweep Pennsylvania as predicted

President Obama wins PA bigger than I expected

Wins Ohio


President Obama has been reelected.

Phyllis Mundy reelected

167 of 189 precincts reporting


Phyllis Mundy (D)   12,183 56%

Aaron Kaufer (R)      9,649  44%

An even bigger win than last time.


Toohil wins easy

Tarah Toohil (R)    8151  66%

Ransom Young  (D)  4250  34%


Mullery is returned

Gerald Mullery (D)  12,352  61%

Rick Arnold (R)   7963  39%

CD update

With 23% in.

Gene Stilp is in the lead!!!!! in the 11th CD

Stilp 68,878  58%

Barletta  48.953  42%

Marino is reelected in the 10th CD

Marino   43,303  65%

Scollo  23.043  35%

Matt Cartwright will be our next Congressman

Cartwright  72,339  68%

Cummings  35,542  32%

A bigger win than I expected