Twitter

I use Twitter like a RSS feed. I follow my favorite writers and click on their latest post. I'm having a hard time keeping up with rest of the social media like pintarest, instagram and even google plus. Maybe I should have gone to the last Blogcon to learn about the new apps.

My twitter handle is  @Gort421

Bob Reilly wants a pension

Used car salesman and part time Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly wants his pension from the county after being convicted of corruption. That takes some balls to even ask. Salute.

His lawyers argument is that he lied to to feds but not the locals so some loophole applies.

If The Facts Are Against You, Argue The Law.

How nuts is the right wing in this country

This one is going around on RW websites:

Pat Dollard

Recycle the Turkey Day dinner

Leftovers are good on Friday but get old by Saturday. After the care packages are packed up for the relatives there is still a bunch of ham and turkey to deal with.Our system has worked for the past few years. The turkey scraps are divided between a turkey pot pie and turkey salad that we take for lunch for the following weeks. The ham goes to Mrs. G's mom because she makes a ham casserole that will knock your socks off. For some reason  we never have any left over Kielbasa that we got from the Plains Meat Market.

Kathy Dobash says thanks

Dear Friends,

I am writing to thank you for your vote and support during the most recent general election on November 5, 2013.

As a candidate-elect for Luzerne County Council I want to provide you my email address:  kathydobash@yahoo.com .  Please feel free to contact me regarding any Luzerne County issue which may require my assistance.

I believe in openness and transparency.  I will be glad to present your concerns to other members of Luzerne County Council at public meetings.

With your help, we can make a difference and improve our communities throughout Luzerne County.

Again, I sincerely thank you for your support.  I wish all Luzerne County Citizens a wonderful Holiday Season!

Kathy Dobash

Happy Thanksgiving

The Luzerne County Election website is still a mess.

When I read this story about a little town in Utah forgetting about the election I thought this is where we should look for the the next Director of Elections for Luzerne County. After all a school board election needed a do over because a candidate withdrew and the other jurisdictions were not notified and W-B Township  Dems had only one candidate on the ballot in a 2 person race. I'm sure that made John Quinn bust another blood vessel.

After spending $7000 to give us up to date election results we didn't get results until 11:30PM but  the newspapers and TV stations had them earlier. It was a  task that was completed in house in past elections with results earlier. I hope that the latest election numbers will be archived on the Luzerne County website like all the past ones.

The campaign finance reports (CFR) were not posted before the recent election unlike previous years so we were not able to see what money was flowing to the candidates. I brought that to the attention  of a member of the county council who said he would bring it up. So much for that.

 The CFRs are are now posted on the website but there are all kind of technical glitches.  The few reports that you can access are posted upside down and others give you a warning message when you click on it. 

• This Connection is Untrusted
• You have asked Firefox to connect securely to www.luzernecounty.org, but we can't confirm that your connection is secure.
• Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted identification to prove that you are going to the right place. However, this site's identity can't be verified.
• What Should I Do?
• If you usually connect to this site without problems, this error could mean that someone is trying to impersonate the site, and you shouldn't continue.
• 
  

YouTube Weekend

Elvis Costello will be at the Kirby tomorrow,

This is a version of the Tarah Toohil song.

To get along, go along

"I'm not going to fight him out in the press about this. He hasn't been a board member very long. He needs to come to some meetings to learn what the process and procedures are. He's just been very disruptive. He's doing what he wants to do when he wants to do it."- Luzerne County Convention Center Authority Board Chair Donna Cupinski


I had a bad feeling when I heard that local hooligan Alex Milanes had been appointed to the Arena Board. Alex doesn't always play well in the sand box and is working on a follow up to the Dale Carnegie  classic with the working title of How to Lose Friends & Piss Off People. He is the kind of guy that makes you feel good about being constipated. His entertainment experience consists of working as bouncer at one of those safe downtown W-B bars. Hell, I've been thrown out of places like that by people like him so maybe they should put me on the board.  Maybe he can use his connections to bring in some unique acts  such as a one legged tap dancer or a ventriloquist that stutters.

At his first board meeting last week Alex endeared himself to the other members by objecting to the free lunch that was served. I think he was just disappointed that corn dogs were not on the menu.  Cupinski said it was no big deal as she said the sandwiches only cost a buck.

That led to an exchange of emails that a 3rd party was good enough to forward to me.

Alex asked for all receipts  for catering and the authority to pay for it. Donna shot back that it would take 3 days to put that together and told him he can't go into the place unless he has an appointment, tickets or a meeting. She then accused him of  wanting special treatment for tickets to the Luke Bryan show. He explained that he actually wanted to exchange his floor seats for less expensive side seats so his son could see the stage.

Cupinski also told him not to bring in cookies for the staff. I'm not sure about that one but she might be concerned that Milanes got his cookie recipe from Casey Evans and gay dope might be baked into them.

 She is just as charmed by him as I as am

Alex-

That is enough!  I have checked my facts and know what is true. You have  been nothing but disruptive since you have been appointed to the board and  I will not stand for it. We are doing GREAT things at the arena and I will  not have you paint the staff, the board or me as doing otherwise. I also  will not fight this out in the press or before county council.

Donna

Maybe he should get a suit that fits.

JFK and the Cuban Missile Crises

The Cuban Missile Crises is regarded as Kennedy's finest moment

The whole 13 Days film is on YouTube

JFK: 50 years later

My friend David Yonki has had the best retrospective of any local media outlet on the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's murder. The well researched posts on The LuLac Political Letter and his media tour that gave us a local perspective has been outstanding. 

I usually discount conspiracy talk but when you look at the Zapruder film it's obvious that the 3rd shot came from the front. I'm too young remember where I was when he was killed but I remember where I was when I heard that President Reagan was shot. The Hagiography of Kennedy is annoying and Taylor Marsh doubts that he could be elected today.

 The thing that always bothered me about Oswald is he had to have been watched by the FBI or some other agency. A Marine who defects to the Soviet Union, get's mixed up with pro-Castro groups and even visits the USSR embassy in Mexico City that the CIA knew about.

YouTube Weekend

The war on drugs is a failure

When I read this story

Trey Radel, Busted On Cocaine Charge, Voted For Drug Testing Food Stamp Recipients 

The real outrage is the  draconian drug laws in this country rather than the  hypocrisy of this guy in Florida. Is this really the kind of offense that somebody should be locked up? I'm sure he will not see any jail time because of his connections but many others will for something similar. 

For the last  40 Years the strategy was to  lock up everyone involved in drugs and it has not worked. 

 

I don't know what the solution to the problem is. Maybe there isn't one.

 

 

 

Nobody reads blogs on Saturday

Well maybe JimboBillyBob but he just tunes in for pictures of the Q.

The boys look so innocent

Other thoughts.

Whatever happened to the DO Not Call List? We are getting a bunch of telemarketing calls lately.

And I see Dick Cheney was in the area.

                  Turkey hunter reportedly shot in face

What! No corn dogs for lunch?

According to the TL new Luzerne County Convention Center Authority member Alex Milanes has probably pissed off the other members of the board in his first meeting by calling attention to the sandwiches that were served for free. This is a real stand on principle as I have never known Alex to skip a meal. Maybe the solution to the perceived ethics violation is they all kick in a couple of bucks for lunch.

Some guy headed to Seattle and Alex at Blogfest

No such thing as a free lunch? There is for arena authority

 In more important news: Another authority committee is reviewing options to continue improving the arena sound quality. Acoustics have been an issue because the building is cavernous, Cupinski said. A new soundboard, acoustic panels and additional speakers have made a difference and prompted praise from many arena-goers, and the board is studying the benefits of reconfiguring the placement of speakers, she said.

 The acoustics in the place needs improvement. Unless you are on the floor in the first section the sound quality stinks. 

After  Alex was appointed to the position a local politico cried politics because she wasn't appointed. 

 

LOL stuff from Pure Bunkum

Kathy Kane Sounds Off On Playing Politics. Public Laughs Out Loud.

 

 

Mr. Smith goes to Plains

Thom Shubilla is hosting an event for Lt. Governor candidate Mark Smith tonight at Leggio's on Rte 315 near the Woodlands. It starts at 6PM.

Smith is a Bradford County Commissioner and  a critic of the Corbett administration like all the other LG candidates. Thom sent me an invitation a few weeks ago in snail mail but the campaign has done a piss poor job of promoting the event. There is not an events page on Smiths website or a mention on his Facebook page. Nothing on Thom's FB page or a press release.   I'm a blogger and need to link to things.

Mark Smith with his best campaign asset

Looking to 2014

As my long time readers know the primary focus of this blog has always been elections. Next year we choose a Governor of the Commonwealth, members of the US House and state House and half the state Senate. In the next few days I will post about these and some races around the country.

PA Gov Tom Cabot Corbett has an uphill climb according to the polls but things can change in the next year and no sitting Guv has lost reelection since they have been allowed to run for a 2nd term. So far there are 8 Dems smelling blood in the water.

The Lt. Governors race is most interesting as I have met most of the Democratic contenders. My early favorite is Brad Koplinski because he sent me a bribe.

Of the 3 local Congressman I keep an eye on only Matt Cartwright has a declared opponent so far. 2 of them in fact. A few people are teasing that they will run against Lou Barletta including Bill Vinsko, Gene Stilp and Chris Carney but I doubt any of them will run. Libetarian Betsy Summers may get into it.

A few weeks ago an old friend called to feel me out about running against Tom Marino in the Republican primary. His rational was Marino is one of the most ethically challenged people to ever hold office.  I had to throw cold water on the idea because his family wasn't behind it and he would need to declare right now and raise at least $100K before the end of the year.


On the state scene Sen. John Yudichak has no declared opponent so far. Neither do Mike Carroll, Phyllis Mundy, Eddie Day Pashinski, Tarah Toohil or Gerry Mullery. I heard a rumor that Mullery may get a primary opponent.

Karen Boback however is being challenged by Laura Dickson. I haven't been this excited about a state rep race since James May took her on.

Fall turns into Winter

And the best thing about Winter is that it turns to Spring.

Time to put away the lawn mower and tune up the snow blower. The Q helped.

The cat has enough of this dog stuff

Must see TV

Molly and Murphy at the Fall 2011 Blogfest

My friend former Congressman Patrick Murphy has been a regular guest on MSNBC and today he will be hosting a show.






Dear Gort,

As a strong supporter, I wanted to let you know first about a special MSNBC event this Veterans Day weekend. I will be hosting "Taking the Hill" on MSNBC this Sunday, November 10, 2013, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. "Taking the Hill" will focus on military service, progressive politics, and national service. For this special event, we’re partnering with the Wounded Warrior Project by highlighting the story of returning heroes during our program.

The show is airing live from the NYC 9/11 Ground Zero memorial. Please tune in to MSNBC

Just Yell Kids for Cash

Longtime local political consultant/media guy Ed Mitchell has a blog on tumblr. That's probably not the best best platform if you want to reach a wide audience. I'm sure that Ed isn't aware that I did some volunteer work for him when he ran for Congress in 1976 with the slogan President Carter/Congressman Mitchell. Joe McDade won big in that one.

NEPA McCarthyism

In the 1950s there was a wing of the Republican Party that terrorized American politics by labeling political enemies Communists through guilt by association. It was named McCarthyism after it’s main practitioner, Sen. Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin.

Recently we’ve seen shades of a new McCarthyism in Northeastern Pennsylvania campaigns through guilt by association with the “Kids for Cash” judges who are serving prison terms for their corrupt practices.

It started by blaming anyone who served on the Luzerne County courts or in the district attorney’s office while the scandal took place. “How could they not know it was happening?” was the question asked.

The one who suffered most publicly over these charges in her reelection fight two years ago was former DA, Jackie Musto Carroll.

This year, Atty. Jerry Mecadon ran for District Judge. He was attacked by his opponent for hiring me to work for him because 20 years ago I helped elect the judges who later turned corrupt.
Fact is, none of the sitting judges on the current court, Jackie Carroll, Jerry Mecadon or I had any clue of the no good Michael Conahan or Mark Ciaverella were up to. They didn’t consult with any of us.

But Jerry Mecadon’s opponent’s campaign employed the new NEPA McCarthyism and tried to link him to the scandal.

I don’t know if it worked. We don’t have exit polls for local races. I suspect the fact that Alexandra Kokura had the Democratic nomination and voter registration edge is why Mecadon lost.
The “Kids for Cash” scandal was a terrible chapter in Luzerne County judicial history. But it shouldn’t be wrongly exploited by any individual or political party for electoral gain. These were the crimes of a few bad men, not an entire system.

Hopefully, voters in the future won’t be fooled by innuendo or guilt by association either. We should believe people are innocent if they’re not proven guilty.