Bloggers are reluctant and accidental Committeemen

In the 2010 primary election DB Echo of Another Monkey was elected as a Luzerne County Democratic Committeeman from Nanticoke. By his own admission he was "written in by a friend as a joke and won."  To his credit he has taken his responsibilities as an officer of the party seriously going to as many meetings that he can make. He even keeps local Bloggers informed of the activities of the outfit even if the Chair is apprehensive about letting Bloggers know what is going on.

Now the Blogfather may become a Republican Committeeman in Wilkes-Barre.He got a vote or 2 but so did someone else.

GOP committee races to be decided

Most, if not all, ties occurred because no candidates filed paperwork to get their names on the ballot. Voters wrote in names on the electronic voting machines, prompting multiple people to receive the same number of votes, in some cases one vote each....The election office will choose winners using numbered balls shaken in a container. Balls will be picked for candidates who don’t appear.

He looked at mounting a serious campaign after being encouraged  but got sidetracked because of the loss of a family member. He has never been high on the local Republican Party saying  I took my unexpected call to join the local GOP scrum as the equivalent of being General George Armstrong Custer's replacement bugler during that final gallop into history. Sad, but blatantly honest on my part. 

If he does win the ping pong ball selection and follows through he will be as welcomed at a 6th District Republican Committee meeting like ants at a picnic. 

A few years ago some people wanted me to run for Democratic Committeeman in my little corner of Plains Twp. to replace  the invisible man, a guy that lives a block away but never met. I took a pass because of my work schedule and blogging activities. I'm glad I did because now my committee guy is Thom Shibula .He also was elected to the state committee and will be a delegate to the DNC in Charlotte. Thom does the work of an old fashion  local precinct captain like dropping off yard signs at my house. I haven't heard if he could deliver a ton of coal.

Who gets the pork?

Or Kanjo screws Yuddy

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Revitalization money may be cut

BY ELIZABETH SKRAPITS

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In the federal transportation funding bill passed in August 2005, U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, included $5.6 million to build a parking garage for the Kanjorski Center on East Main Street in Nanticoke...What local officials didn't know until this week was in February Kanjorski had the bill amended to pull the $5.6 million for Nanticoke, cut it to $3 million, and reassign it to parking and street improvements in Wilkes-Barre.

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The project he is messing with is supposed to help Luzerne County Community College move a satellite campus into downtown Nanticoke into the aptly named and vacant Kanjorski Center.

This is a pet project of State Rep. John Yudichak but he didn't jump to any conclusions. "No one was aware of this action...Perhaps there was some misunderstanding that we can clear up."

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Skrep didn't pull any punches:

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Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak believes Nanticoke lost the money because Kanjorski and Yudichak are political adversaries. The chairman of the county commissioners pointed the finger of blame directly at the veteran congressman.

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"I have nothing against Paul," Skrepenak said. "I work well with Paul and I work well with John, but when you look at this, it just doesn't add up. This is what gives politicians a bad rep. I think if a project is viable for the community and the big picture, you put personal feelings aside and do the right thing...The county has been supportive and the state legislature has been supportive. We thought Paul was too."

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This is wrong in so many ways. Appropriate money for one purpose then redirect it to another, something Skrep knows something about. Using the transportation bill to build a parking garage when the money should be spent on highways and bridges. Having a little town rely on the funding then pull the rug out all because of politics.

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This adds fuel to fire to the rumours that Yudichak is going to challenge Kanjorski in the primary. And the speculation about Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty taking on Kanjo is still out there.

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Image from A Blog of Nanticoke.