Libertarian candidates

I'm glad to see there are couple of Libertarian Party candidates running for seats in the state legislature. The Libertarians and the Greens put a lot of energy in putting up candidates for President, Governor or US Senator with no hope of winning those races but rarely field candidates for school board, city council or county commissioner, etc. I always ask my friends in those parties 'how to you expect to win a statewide race if you don't build a bench'?


Betsy Summers has announced that she is in the the race to succeed Ray Musto in the 14th state senate district. She has previously run for US Senator and Auditor General and coming back to earth was a member of the previous Luzerne County Government Study Commission. She has a website

SUMMERS FOR STATE SENATE

State Rep John Yudichak is the first Democrat in the race to take Musto's place and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton will announce his intentions shortly. Luzerne County Commissioner Steve Urban is mulling over this race or a long shot campaign for Lt. Governor.


Another Libertarian, Tim Mullen, will be taking on long time state rep Phyllis Mundy in the 120th District. He is a registered nurse and an Army Reserve vet.

From his website:

In the past two years I have become active with the Campaign for Liberty and the Tea Party movement, speaking at the latter's events and writing letters to the editors that have appeared in both local newspapers on both groups' behalf. The economic events of the past year and the steepening slide toward the abyss of socialism as evidenced by nationalization of the banking, insurance, and auto industries, and the push for socialized medicine has pushed me to act.


The Republican Mayor of West Pittston, Bill Goldsworthy, is also expected to get into the race.

Petrilla rakes in the bucks

Luzerne County Democratic Commissioner Chair Maryanne Petrilla has raised $54,000 this year and has $78,000 cash on hand according to her latest campaign finance report. That is more money than all the row officer candidates running this year combined.

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Indicted Jury Commissioner Jerry Bonner gave her $500 but she sent it back. There are a few other names that are in the news listed in the report.

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Wilkes-Barre Area School Board President Frank Pizzella kicked in $125 for her golf tournament that is also listed on his CFR. Pizzella has been charged with conspiracy in a teacher job-selling scheme in 2004. I didn't know that she played golf.

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Michael Pasonick is the owner of an Architect/Engineering firm that does business with just about every government agency in Luzerne County made 2 donations totalling $1750 to Petrilla.

Pasonick was recently identified as the person who paid the bribe of $1400 to Housing Authority member Billy Maguire that was passed on by fellow board member Jerry Bonner. I wonder what the vig was in that deal? In one of the most creative excuses that I've ever heard Maguire said that he was reluctant to ask the housing authority for reimbursement of $1,400 he spent while attending a meeting of the National Leased Housing Association with Bonner in late January 2009 because of the debit card scandal and previous publicity that he was travelling the world on the taxpayer's dime when he was working in law enforcement. So he got Bonner to ask Pasonick to pick up the tab. At least he didn't try to double dip because records show he was not reimbursed by the authority. Bonner's attorney Mike Butera made the revelation about Pasonick. Butera has contributed $1000 to Petrilla.

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Sometimes this gets confusing. Patrilla's committee received contributions from Hazleton State Rep. Todd Eachus' and DA Jackie Mo Carroll then her committee sent money to Eachus and Jackie Mo's campaign committees. Scott Gartley kicked in $500 and Petrilla contributed $1000 to Tina Gartley's judicial campaign. I guess this is an example of 'you wash my back, I'll wash your's.' These people don't use their own money to go to all these events, the donor's pay for it. In addition to Gartley she contributed to 2 other Luzerne County judicial candidates. She sent $250 to Joe Musto and $125 to Bill Amesbury.

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In the row ofifce races she(her committee) gave $250 to Dem Prothonotary nominee Nancy Bellas who's husband has been indicted for taking a bribe and Democratic Controller hopeful Bob Morgan got $550.

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Some Luzerne County officials chipped in for the boss.

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Director of Assessments Anthony Alu $125

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County Solicitor Vito DeLucca $375

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Prison Warden Joe Piazza $500

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This one I find interesting. Former Commissioner Todd Vonderheid ( Bond Brother) who is now the head honcho of the local Chamber of Commerce chipped in $250. Vondy ran as a team with Greg Skrepenak for Luzerne County Commissioners telling people we didn't need home rule because we can trust them. That worked out well. Vondy quit before his term was up.

Not in Plains

My little burgh of Plains Twp. (home of the Mohegan Sun casino) has a potential minor scandal brewing. There is an allegation that some Department of Public Works employees and equipment might have been used to do some work at a private property. District Attorney Jackie Mo (of the Pittston Musto's- State Sen Ray and Judge Joe) has called in the PA State Police to check it out. Commissioner Brigid Murray (Marty's daughter) O’Connor said “There has been a complaint filed and we need to investigate it further. I will not tolerate any of that behavior in Plains Township." Commissioner Ron Fillipini also wants an independent investigation.

Plains Township Solicitor and candidate for Luzerne County Judge Stephen Menn had a careful statement “As I understand it the board is going to do an internal investigation to find out what is going on. That information has to be looked into, and who’s making that complaint and what actual allegations are, I don't believe we have all the information of those involved or who is making the complaint."


A shovel of dirt into the backhoe to McGruff for pointing this out.

Some other things are being kicked around like why did the Commissioners apply for a grant the last 2 years to help Mohegan Sun pave a parking lot but we can't get a new Fire Truck?

Robocall

I said I wasn't going to comment much on the the Luzerne County race for Judge unless something unusual happened. Then something unusual did happen

I just got an automated phone survey from this number in Washington 202-747-7306. I tried a reverse look up but came up empty. The voice asked me to push a button on what was the important issues in the Luzerne County Judicial races like crime, etc. But the last 2 questions seemed like a shot at Joe Musto. Would you vote for a younger or older candidate? And would you be more or less inclined to vote for a candidate that would be too old to finish his term?

Not exactly a push poll since no names were used and I think this mandatory retirement age of 70 for Judges is bogus anyway but somebody is planning to use it as an issue.