The W-B has a whole new voting system for city council candidates but the final result will not be any different. The Democrats will probably sweep all the races but at least every race is contested and for the first time I can remember there is a full slate for Mayor, Council and Controller on both sides.
Mayor Tom Leighton will win another term and he deserves it. He hasn't done everything everybody wants him to but who can? In my opinion his biggest accomplishment was getting the budget under control. The last year of McGroarity administration W-B had to take 3 tax anticipation loans and the bond rating was shot to hell, it took a tax increase and some aggressive lobbying to reverse that. There are more now cops on the street and the downtown projects are a reality instead of a dream. Sometimes a Mayor has to say NO, and say we can't afford it. If the worse thing he did was to close the Heights firehouse he's doing alright. Mark will fill you in on the details. I like his opponent Linda Stets, she is easy to talk with and very informed. She makes some good points such as Coal Street Park needing a swimming pool. Her ad in the CV today had a laundry list of things she wants to do which I agree with but just don't know how to pay for.
The Council races will be won by the 3 incumbents and the 2 Democratic newcomers, Mike Merritt and Rick Cronauer. In the Nord End the question is "Is John Yencha still alive? ".
I just have to pull for Walter Griffith in District A. The guy has been busting his ass forever to get on the city council and I think it would be a good thing. One party rule is not healthy.
17 hours ago
9 comments:
i was gonna vote walter until this thing came about his opponent's kid's kids. a new low i am voting against him because of that
He's a litlle off the wall on that one. How else are you voting?
Cronauer's grandson is Leighton's assistant's kid. Do you get it? The guy wants to be on the legislative side of things, but has blood ties to the executive side.
That never works.
The low was that Cronuaer didn't reveal that fact.
The polls in W-B are hopping, and there have already been plenty of pissed of folks, and most of the pissed off folks don't usually show up until after work. The independents in W-B are gonna come out, too. If it keeps up the way it's been, I predict Leighton will have to find a career lying to and stealing from someone other than his neighbors.
Wilkes-Barre took a 7.5 million dollar TAN for 2007, and they budgeted for a 10 million dollar TAN for 2008. Same old story, they just aren't publishing it.
Leighton is a liar, and he has been robbing Wilkes-Barre blind. Time for him to go.
Griffith, George, Kane, Merritt, Barrett, Stets in the W-B.
Hey Anon, What happened to your blog? I was enjoying your rantings.
what a load of shit. you never bring someone elses children into an election. when walter looses i hope he goes far away, he is a disgrace as a republican, as a politician and as a human being.
hey anon 11:46 we get it walter is a dispicable human being. I agree with the other 2 posters, it was a self serving, self righteous explotation of his daughter and grandchild. what a punk.
and i don\\\'t know where you are thinking walter doesn\\\'t stand a chance, he is gonna get so trounced. not a person you mention walter to doesn\\\'t laugh their asses off. he is a joke. his positions are if he were running for mayor, the simpleton deosn\\\'t realize he is running to be part of council not dictator.
First of all, Anon 11:46 made a very good point about Cronauer's intentional failure to disclose his relationship to the current admin. Even though he won, at least the 30% who didn't vote for him will know why he is wasting their money for the next for years - because it financially benefits his family.
Walter is a stand-up guy, unsuccessful as a politician in Wilkes-Barre because he isn't nearly sleazy enough, and because he doesn't have enough uneducated friends that he can give taxpayer-funded jobs to.
You don't call a guy who dragged a baby into an election sleazy? Wow.
Gents,
Lets be clear on my allegations regarding Mr. Flip Flop, Cronauer shall we !!! I never involved his Grandchild at any point in my comments. I was simply stating that the man that was running for City Council has no Integrity or Honesty when he would not inform the electorate that his (Future) Son-in Law Greg Barrouk was in fact his Blood Relation through Cronauers Daughter. I think this is very important for the voters to know that the Current Administration was in fact supporting Mr Cronauer . This is in no way an attack on the Child or his daughter....It is an attack on the character of a man that refuses to tell the voters his connection with the administration that they are trying to change in the City. I will sign my letter to allow full disclosure not like the guy that is attacking me in this blog...I find it real strange how people that have no idea of the facts and say things that they have no idea f what they speak, cannot sign their comments because of the yellow streak that runs down their backs.
Walter Griffith Jr
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