Bob Sypniewski for Controller-the interview

I met with Luzerne County GOP Controller candidate Bob Sypniewski last Sunday. Bob was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre. He graduated fron GAR High School and attended LCCC. He's another Yankees fan which now seems to be a requirement for the position. He likes the Eagles in the NFL and defying the logic of my world he somehow roots for the Miami Hurricanes in college football.

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Why should you be the next Luzerne County Controller?

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I believe the background that I come from being the 15th of 16 kids and my dad being a Wilkes-Barre police officer for 40 years taught me that hard work and honesty will get you somewhere in life. Today with the corruption going on in Luzerne County I have no ties to anyone and everything I have in life I’ve gotten because of hard work. I believe the qualities I possess and the leadership I possess will change and help the foundation of Luzerne County to head in the right direction. My financial background is 10 plus years running my own business on my own. I believe what I’ve done to help people to buy homes will help to fix the county. The biggest thing is sitting on the county board and seeing the corruption that I saw with this assessment. I fought hard to get on this board to help people lower their taxes, not because I felt sorry for them but it was the right thing to do. One thing I want to talk about is a property being assessed at $125,000 that is right next to the Susquehanna River and our county hired a company that assessed it at $125,000 and we knocked it down to $7,000 because that was were it belonged because the property flooded six months out of the year. I believe my time on the board showed what I can do. I can also bring it to the county as the Controller.

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You mentioned that the last time I heard you speak. Why didn’t you go public with it sooner?

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The reason why I didn’t go public was this. I knew the corruption that was going on in the courthouse and if I went there and said listen, this is what I’m seeing, I know that would have done to me. They would have got me off the board and replaced me with somebody else. You saw when the formal appeals first started, the cries in the newspaper of foul, there weren’t a lot of people on that board that I believe that were really out there helping the people. They made some changes and I sat there quietly and made reductions where I could. And I knew this, if I went to Skrep or Petrilla they would have got me out of there.

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Will you be a full time Controller?

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I will be a full time Controller. Just like when I ran the assessment board, I ran that full time. I put my businesses to the side. I am the only candidate that can say that I took 2 of my business and shut them off from 8 o’clock to 6:30 at night for 4 months. I did that with my business. The proof is in the pudding and my will tell you that, I was gone. What I did for the assessment board in 4 months I can do better as a full time Controller in 4 years.

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I have a couple of questions from some of my helpers. Will you commit to serving no more than 2 terms?

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It’s going to take at least 4 years to get the county courthouse headed in the right direction. I believe 2 terms after that will be enough were I can sit back and ask do I want to further my life as a politician or do I want to sit back. That’s a tough question to answer. I learned in politics very early that you never say never. Right now I’m committed to getting elected for 4 years with the understanding that this is going to take longer than 4 years to clean up. It’s been going on for how many years? So we’re going to put 4 years into this and look into this every time you’re up for reelection.

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The Controller doesn’t have a lot of policy input. Who would you partner with in the county government to help clean things up?

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When I come to office I understand that are positions that I can change immediately. My assistant Controller is going to change immediately, my Solicitor is going to change immediately. I have a list of people from both sides of the aisle that we are going to bring in. I really respect Steve Urban for what he has done in the past, I respect Steve Flood and what he’s done. I don’t believe I’m going to partner with any of our elected officials right this second because I do not know who to trust in there. We need new faces, we need fresh faces. We need people who never worked there before to come in and clean house. At this very moment I’m not willing not commit to working with anyone in that courthouse other than the team of people we’re going to come in with to clean house there.

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So you’re saying that you won’t be a rubber stamp for what has been going on

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Most definitely, it makes sense that when that when a contract is handed to you and not a single Commissioners signature is on it that you don’t make payment on it.

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The Republican Party endorsement went to Nanda Pallisery. How do you feel about that?

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It disappoints me not about the endorsement. It disappoints me that there is 275 committee people and less than 130 even cast a vote. I believe that 29 cast it do not endorse which I believe I take credit for. I was the only candidate out there crying do not endorse, let us all run on our own merits. So if you look at it, Nanda walked away with 40 votes. I don’t know if that is a Republican endorsement or if that is the same old politics endorsement. It doesn’t affect me, what I want is the people’s endorsement. I want their vote to represent them not as a Republican, not as a Democrat Controller but as an independent voice that’s going to bring change.

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You want to add to your earlier comments about reassessment.

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I want to touch base this about this assessment. I didn’t understand as much as I thought I knew until I sat down and realized by helping people through the appeals process and adjust them adjust their home values and saw the hurt that our political people did to our people. It caused me to contact Derrick Williams from Tioga County. People may remember that Tioga County kicked out this same assessment company, Century 21 Appraisals. They got kicked out because of a breach of contract. I spoke to Derrick Williams twice and there is a new report coming out on the 28th that I believe is going to back Tioga County and this is why I stayed private with this because silently I want to put together a majority of people to one day see that we can take what Tioga County did and bring it here to Luzerne County. I believe we need to start all over with this with our own people. In the next coming days you are going to see a press release from the independent arbitrator that was assigned to Tioga’s County dealings. And I believe if you elect me as Controller I will have a bigger say when you look at that actual contract and I think that will be a big key to my race as well. There is only so much you can do as a taxpayer crying foul but there is more you can do as an elected official.

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As Controller you are going to oversee the county’s finances. What experience do you have with government accounting?

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I was a business major in high school. It’s pretty easy, when your debits outweigh your credits you have a problem. When you have a Controller that’s not monitoring statements showing all these debit card purchases coming out and not saying anything that’s a big issue. A lot of it is commonsense thinking first of all. Second of all we are going to bring a good team of people into this. You take the last 10 years of my business and I’m looking at people’s finances. Could they afford this house? Not just based on what is on their credit reports. We are looking at their grocery bills, their utility bills… and in 10 years of helping people buy a home I never had a bank call me back and say you misquoted their budget and now we’re taking this house back and we want our money back that we paid you. So I believe the common sense thinking I bring to it plus the 10 years of helping people with their finances is going to be a huge benefit to the county. But understand this too. I can’t do it on my own, I know I can’t. That’s why the team of people that I bring there is going to be an effort as a team of people that are going to come together to put this in order. It’s not humanly possible to do it alone nor could any other candidate say that. If they did, they are lying to you. I will have a CPA as my assistant Controller and I will have a Solicitor that has the minds, thoughts and interests of the taxpayers in mind. The three of us are going to look at this and get this done right.

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A little nuts and bolts about campaigning. How are you doing on money?

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We just sent out our first fundraising letter about 2 weeks ago. I actually funded most of my campaign right now. I don’t look at it as money today; I’m going door to door. I’m doing the old style politics where I go out and meet the people so they know who I am. We are going to raise some money but not a whole heck of a lot. People are asking me where is your website, where is your signs? I understand that websites and signs don’t get you elected. If people don’t know who I am they are not going to vote for me so I am making more of my efforts in getting out there. But like I said we just put together our first fundraiser and we probably raise about 10 to 20 thousands dollars. That is our expectation on that.

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Do you plan to do any media? Print, radio or TV

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Right now we’re taking advantage of the free press. We sent in a lot of letters to the editor and I will be a frequent caller into the Steve Corbett show as well as Sue Henry and Nancy and Kevin in the Morning. I plan on trying to put together a commercial. Humanly possibly there is no way I can get to the four corners of the county. Maybe a couple of commercials.

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What do you think about Home Rule?

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I’m big supporter of open government. Take Steve Flood for example. When this Juvenile Detention Center was being built wanted a public forum on this and he was chastised for it and then his own party took him out. I don’t know all the policies of Home Rule but from what I understand about it, it’s going to be more of an open government which I stand firm with.

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As far as streamlining the county do you have any ideas? I have been an advocate of getting rid of elections for things like Prothonotary, Jury Commissioner and possibly even Controller if you can up with a different way of doing it.

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I believe in what you just said there. The Controller is a position you need a leader in there and if that is changing hands because of political powers then there is a problem, same thing with Prothonotary. Down the road I believe, hopefully not right now because I’m running for it, those should be positions (not Union positions) that should be full time. Because if you are constantly doing this every 4 years you have to run for reelection so somewhere along the line in that year that you’re running for reelection you’re going to burn yourself out to the point of what’s going to come first and what are you going to walk away from? You are going to walk away from time on the job just so you can be elected again for another 4 year term. So I would agree that somewhere down the road to possibly rewriting the Controllers position, the Prothonotary and also the Jury Commissioner to make them not political seats. And make them full time position not political positions. I’m open to that.

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My observation that some people may not agree with in this economic climate is that the Row Officers and Commissioners are not paid enough.

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If you look at the size of our county and look at some smaller ones, they’re paid more. In my business I actually hired an ex-president of a bank. People say why would an ex-president of a bank work for a 28 year old broker? I paid him well. I realize this, if you pay people well they will be there full time. And you look at what the Commissioner get paid and there is a lot going on. Sometimes they have second jobs so they can actually maintain a life. I believe in time, once we get this in order there should be a pay raise for some of the county officials not because of political purposes. My philosophy is this, pay them right and the job will be done right. If you look at what has been going on in the county, look at the greed.

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Involving some very high paid people

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But the funny this is this, you had 2 Commissioners that had to allow that juvenile detention center to go. Those judges were corrupt but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about those 2 Commissioners, Greg Skrepenak and Todd Vonderheid, they were the ones that brought this forth. If they had listened to Steve Urban and Steve Flood this would have been thrown out. So when you put people in the Commissioners area make that worth their while to make sure the county is run effectively. I believe a lot of theses deals probably would not have been made. I agree that there should be an increase but also there are some offices that shouldn’t have as much. There is too many chiefs and not enough Indians out there. There is too much manpower in some of the offices in the courthouse that could be let go, we don’t need it. I won’t harp too much on this but if the Assessor’s office had done the job that was required we wouldn’t had to need hire an outside company to reassess our county. I would take a look at the stories I hear about people going out in the field to measure properties, I want to see their work reports. I want to see where they have been. I tell you what, it doesn’t pass my test as far as getting the job done. With an increase to certain positions in the courthouse there could be a huge decrease in personnel. I know it’s not a popular statement and I know a lot of county officials won’t like that but a fact is a fact. There are too many people that work in these offices and there is not enough work to show for it..

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Closing statement

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As I worked hard on the assessment board I saw what the corruption of county politics can do to the hard working people. The people that are trying to make a living but yet our government constantly knocks us back. I worked 4 months for the county people and have been able to decrease thousands of household’s property taxes. I believe if I’m the Controller I can do even more. I could be the inside person for the people in the county courthouse. A lot of people have hammered me because I didn’t come public with this but they have to understand if I went public they would have taken me out and replaced with somebody else. I’m the 15th child out of 16 children grew up in the Wilkes-Barre Heights and I have no political ties and I have no strings attached. I’m going to run this job like I ran my own businesses, it will be full time. It will be with all my heart and soul to get this thing right. I have 3 boys that are counting on me to make this right. Here is a fact, if I don’t get this right my generation of people are moving out, they’re going. My biggest fear is getting a phone call from Harrisburg or Washington, DC saying Luzerne County we’re cutting you off until you get this right. We need to elect a fresh face, someone new with no political ties. There is a debate coming up on the 28th at Wilkes, I encourage people to get down there. I hope they broadcast it. I think this is going to be a great chance to see the differences. Who is going to run that office? Who is going to run it efficiently? Is it going to be an attorney that is running a law firm? Is it going to be the guy that runs the mechanic business? Is it going to be an accountant that already runs a business? I’m the only candidate that has shown that I can work for the county, work for the taxpayers and then do my life second. I’m done it before, give me 4 years so I can prove it.

Skrep says Petrilla is being investigated by the Feds

TL reporter Jennifer Learn-Andes witnessed a blowup between Luzerne County Democratic Commissioners Greg Skrepnak and Maryanne Petrilla that confirms that they are not exchanging Christmas cards anymore. Petrilla stormed into Skrepenak’s because he was repeating a rumor he says he heard that Petrilla was being investigated by federal authorities. She said she checked with the Feds and is not under investigation and said he should be the one worried about a federal investigation. Hard to argue with that because the Secret Service investigation of the debit card abuse has been completed and sent to the US Attorney plus there is still the question of why Skrep and former Commissioner Todd Vonderheid approved that 20 year lease of the PA Child Care facility. Why Petrilla didn't continue the investigation of it started by Steve Flood when she was Controller is another question.


“See what I put up with?” Skrepenak told the reporter after Petrilla left his office. “How dare she come into my office? I didn’t defame her...I think there’s a lot of animosity on both sides, and I think it’s at the point that it becomes personality not principle,” Skrepenak said. “It is what it is at this point, and it’s unfortunate.” Skrepenak said he and Petrilla have reached the point that they can’t have a productive working relationship. Petrilla said Skrepenak will have to “show up for work” to have a working relationship.
“He works maybe – and I’m really stretching it here – five hours a month."

She threatened to sue him for defamation and Skrep told her to sue him.

Just another day under the dingdome.

Dunn is done

The local media are reporting that Wilkes-Barre Area School Director Brian Dunn has been arrested for selling jobs.

I'll have more later tonight.

Wilkes-Barre Area School Director Brian Dunn federally charged

School Director Charged with Taking Bribes

Wilkes-Barre Area school board member charged with accepting kickbacks

Read the criminal complaint

UPDATE

I never understood why someone would want a job like school director. You have to spend time at meetings and learn something about a myriad of subjects like building codes/construction, federal and state academic standards, finance and budgeting, etc. to make informed decisions when you have to cast a vote. Since the job doesn't pay an "official" salary our local school board members also have to hold down a daytime job to pay the bills. The one area that our local board members are all experts in is personnel. They vote to hire everyone from the superintendent to the janitors with a special focus on the teachers positions. It's long been an open secret that you can't get a teacher's job around here unless you are related to a school board member and if you're not the only way to land a job teaching is to grease the wheels. And we lament that our young people move out of the area. Paul Golias in the CV says the going price for a teacher's job is $4,000 in addition to what they get/demand on construction contracts (10%). I think that is a low number. The arrest of Brian Dunn confirms these suspicions and a few more might be next in line.


Dunn is an interesting character and his profile in the TL sometimes reads like a rap sheet. He drove his car onto the sidewalk after having a few cocktails in 2005 slamming into a building and running over a pedestrian. He was sentenced to the ARD Program by, who else, former Judge Michael Conahan and he lost his drivers license for only a month. These guys really take care of each other. Dunn also didn't bother to file campaign finance reports for his past races in 1995, 1997 and 2001. What is the point of having campaign finance laws if they are not enforced? His wife was the treasurer of his campaigns and I know it will shock you to learn that she is also an employee of the W-B Area School District. Dunn is also on the W-B Vo-Tech board which hired his wife for a part time gig that was worth $7,000. Of course he didn't vote on the hiring, just like the rest of them who don't show up when one of their relatives are up for a job. But they still get hired.

A few months ago a friend told me that Luzerne County needed a good enema. It looks like the US Attorney has delivered one and the shit is splattering everywhere.

Prothonotary forum tonight

The League of Women Voters is hosting a forum for Luzerne County Prothonotary candidates tonight at Wilkes University’s Stark Learning Center, Room 101 from 7 to 9 p.m. Stark Learning Center is located on River Street between Northampton and South streets in Wilkes -Barre.


The candidates are Democrats Gerald L. Mullery, Nancy McGinley Bellas and Alfred Akulonis Jr. and Republicans Carolee Medico Olenginski and Walter Mitchell.

I can't make it tonight but if anybody attends please give us a report in the comments.

Lokuta wants decission tossed

HARRISBURG – Saying it would be “easier to unscramble an egg than to extract untainted testimony” from her misconduct trial, former Luzerne County Judge Ann Lokuta on Monday filed a legal brief urging the state Court of Judicial Discipline to dismiss or reopen her case.

In her brief she blasts the disciplinary court’s chief judge, Richard Sprague, accusing him of a conflict of interest because he was the lawyer for PA Child Care owner Robert Powell. Powell has been named as one of the people that was paying bribes to the Juvie Brothers, former Luzerne County Judges Conahan and Ciavarella. I think she has a good case and at the least she deserves a new hearing.

Idiot watch

From the Times-Tribune


Naked woman assaults firefighter, starts blaze while heating chicken wings


Firefighter John Judge was attempting to clear people out of a smoky, second-floor apartment at 1540 Wyoming Ave. on Saturday about 10:30 p.m. when he was confronted by a naked Amanda Masker, 27, police said. When Mr. Judge told her to get clothes and get out, Ms. Masker cursed at him, pushed him and then struck him in the chest with her fists, police said. Mr. Judge escorted the struggling woman downstairs, where she was arrested by officers who were called to assist.

For the record, I have never tried to cook wings or anything else without at least wearing an apron and I always cite my sources.

Corey O'Brien for Congress?

A few weeks ago I was contacted by an outfit called Accountability Now who wanted to know if I knew of someone that would be willing to take on Congressman Paul Kanjorski in the Democratic primary next time out. I told them I thought it would be a suicide mission for any sitting office holder but threw out a few names of politicians that might be interested in going to Washington if and when Kanjo retired. Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty, former W-B state Rep Kevin Blaum and Nanticoke's JohnlYudichak came to mind.




This past week a few people have told me that Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien is gearing up for a primary challenge to Kanjo in 2010 for the 10th CD seat. . In fact I have found out that Jimmy Siegel, a big Democratic media gun, has been contacted by O'Brien. I'm not still convinced that O'Brien will make the race. I sent an email to him asking for comment. If he answers I will let you know.

Update: Corey got back to me. He neither confirmed or denied my report. We will get together later this week. I asked him if he was running for Congress and he said "I am seriously considering it.



Stay tuned.

Luzerne County finances

According to the story in the TL today Luzerne county is less messed up this year than in years past. The county has 'only' has to borrow $17.9 million to make the books balance in 2009. I won't be too hard on the Commissioners about this because it was part of this year's budget. At least they were up front about it. The county took in $1.6 million less than anticipated but spent $5.4 million less than they expected in the first 3 months of 2009. Property tax revenues are up and the the cost of locking up juvenile offenders is down. We we all know why property tax revenue increased (reassessment) and spending on juvenile placements is down (Juvie Brothers).

Another day another indictment

The FBI shows up at the Pittston Area School District with a subpoena for school board minutes and the next thing you know Superintendent Ross Scarantino is indicted and arrested for taking bribes from contractors. He is out on bail and has asked for a leave of absence. US Attorney Martin Carlson noted that this was “the first charge in an ongoing investigation into allegations that teachers and contractors were required to provide money or anything else of value in connection with being hired or obtaining a public contract.” This is probably just another example of how government business is bid out in Luzerne County but this time it involved money from the Federal Government. The School Board members are all “shocked,” “saddened” and “surprised” by the charge . What next ?

Update: This dropped into my inbox yesterday

"CUZ, YOU GOTTA BE FRIGGIN KIDDING ME FBI WHO? MINGIA, WHAT ARE MY COUSINS GOING TO DO NOW?....HEY, LET'S GO DOWN THE GRAMERCY FOR MEATBALLS".....

Pittston Area under scrutiny

As first reported on Pittston Politics on Tuesday Pittston Area Solicitor Joe Saporito has confirmed the FBI paid a visit to the district Tuesday, April 14th. “The FBI served a subpoena requesting minutes dating back to April of 2004,” Saporito said.

The Times-Leader says the investigation seems to be focused on purchases and contracts, not teacher hirings.

Who's next?

Busy Wednesday

Back from his trip to the Middle East & Central Asia Congressman Chris Carney will be having a town hall meeting today at Eagle Hose Company, 1 Eagle Lane , Dickson City , from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

The Luzerne Home Rule committee has scheduled its latest weekly forum at 7 tonight in the Hazleton City Hall council chambers.

Gerald Mullery, Democratic Candidate for Luzerne County Prothonotary, will be hosting a meet and greet at the House of Wings on Main Street in Plymouth from 6 - 8.

And there will be a Tax Day Tea Party from 4 to 7 p.m. on Public Square, Wilkes-Barre. RNC Chairman Michael Steele has sent me a few emails urging me to attend and I know of at least one person that is going.

Rachel and Anna Marie explain what it is about.





Unfortunately my schedule won't allow me to make any of these events.

Harry Kalas is "outta here"

When I heard that Harry Kalas died today I felt like I lost somebody I knew. I've been listening to him call Phillies games since I was a kid and spent many enjoyable summer evenings in the yard with the radio tuned to Harry and the rest of the broadcast crew.

He is most famous for his home run call "it's got a chance, outta here." But my favorite line of his was "right down the middle for a ball."

In a way he was lucky because not many people leave this world while doing the thing that they love. I'm glad that he got to see his team win the World Series, let's hope we don't have to wait another 28 years for another one.

Nanda Palissery for Controller-the interview

I had a chat with Republican Luzerne County Controller candidate Nanda Palissery on Thursday. Nanda emmigrated with his family from India to Wilkes-Barre when he was 2 years old and has lived the American dream like many other immigrants. Hard work and a good education pay off. He graduated from Wyoming Valley West High School then went to Texas A&M (go Aggies) where he got an Engineering degree. He then went on to Temple University Law School.

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He is a New York Yankees fan but I will forgive him for that.

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Why should you be the next Luzerne County Controller?

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A couple of things that I think that are important. One is that I always believed and was raised to believe that if you want something to be done right, do it yourself. Among the candidates that have submitted their names in this election to run I think I am the most qualified for a couple of reasons. One is that I have a business background, I’ve had various businesses in the area including my own law practice for 15 years. I’ve been fairly successful with that. Two, in addition to a business background I have a legal background and I think a lot of what the Controller does is legal in nature. That is interpreting contracts and appropriateness of spending and so on. I think for those 2 reasons if nothing else I think I am the most qualified candidate. And third I’ll you that, not to be boastful, that I am a hard worker. I work all the time, as of right now in fact my wife and kids are on vacation. They went to Florida, I did not. I’m here and working, I have to work that’s who I am. Being a hard worker is a quality that I think that is important is this race as well.

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Will you be a full time Controller?

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I know that there has been talk about that. I’m going to be a 24/7 Controller. That is I will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any issues that come up. A lot of the work that has to be done in this case is not a matter of being in the office 8 to 5 because that’s not what this is about. What this is about is reviewing expenditures, reviewing contracts and so on and understanding what the Controller does. He doesn’t necessarily have to be there 8 or 9 hours a day but I will be available whenever the office requires me to be there.

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The last time I heard you speak you said you knew a lot about the operations of the office and they were behind on audits. I don’t know how it’s staffed but what kind of people would you be looking for such as your deputy and auditors. The type of people not necessarily names?

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One of the things that is happening in the office as I understand it is that there are several people on the Controller’s staff that actually don’t do work for the Controller that should be reassigned to the Treasurer’s office. They do some work for the Controller’s office but not enough. So there is a lack of auditors in the office and we need more of those. So one of the first things I want to do is propose to the commissioners a reallocation of the people in the office so we can get more auditors on board so the office can do one of the things it has to do. That is to complete the audits of all the magistrates’ offices and municipalities and so on. So that’s one of the first thing we have to do.

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When Steve Flood took over the office he made a point of hiring a deputy that with a CPA that was from out of the area and no political ties. Are you willing to do something similar?

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I think it’s obviously important having a CPA as our deputy, there is no doubt about that. Having CPAs as much as we can available in the office is important. As far as political ties are concerned, I am absolutely for someone who is independent and without ties. The problem is a practical matter. If you can find somebody who is qualified, who doesn’t have political and will relocate from outside the area then great. I don’t know if those persons exist, if they we will seek them out. And another thing I want to bring up as well because we talking about whether I will be a full time Controller. One of the things you have to consider is that in order to do this job effectively you have to be beyond reproach and that’s what I am. I’m not doing this for the money as I said before and I’m also not doing this for any other advantages or whatever benefits that may come from it. It’s a matter of doing it for the right reasons and being beyond reproach means being financially beyond reproach as well. That is what I am, I’m not easily bought. If the public is looking for a guy who is going to be there from 8 to 5 and give up whatever he does for a living to do this then the public is going to get that. There going to get somebody who is striving to get a $35,000 a year job. Or if you want to have somebody that is beyond reproach I believe that you have to have someone who has a life and who has the ability to not cave to money offers and whatever else might come along if it did. And that’s who I am, I’m beyond that. I’m not for sale is my point.

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A few years you ran for Judge. Why run for Controller instead of Judge this time with a couple of seats open?

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That’s a good question. The reason is I don’t think a judge can do what needs to be done in this county to start bringing fiscal responsibility back to the county and to bring transparency to the government and so on. Those are things I’m running on. A judge can’t do that, a judge is limited as to what he can promise to do. He is limited as to what his role is in government because he doesn’t have a role in government. He’s in a different branch, the judicial branch. As a Controller we have a voice on the Pension Board and Salary Board and those are things that I can bring some order to and bring some regularity to. As well as what I call normalcy, that is being beyond being bought. I think I could do a great job as judge I really do. Maybe someday I may reconsider it. As of right now Controller is a position that I think we can make a change in our government that we need to make at this point.

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You were recently endorsed by the Luzerne County Republican Party. What has that gotten you?

As this point I’m very proud to have been endorsed. What has it gotten me so far? I’ve had discussions with the party concerning advertising and so on. Obviously I can advertise in my campaign that I am the endorsed Republican. But I think what’s important that the people know that there was an endorsement procedure and of the people who were up for endorsement I was the one who was selected. And it was a matter of qualification. What it does is that is gives me the ability to say that I’m qualified for this position and not only do I think so but so does the Republican Party of Luzerne County.

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A little nuts and bolts about campaigns. How are you financing? Are you doing it yourself, are you asking for donations?

At this point the bulk of the money that has been promised so far is from me. As far as donations are concerned we haven’t had… any… So when I say the bulk…

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You’re it.

I’m it. But I’m expecting there will be some financial contributions. We want to do a fundraiser maybe 2. The main part of our campaign at this point is going to be mailers targeted to super voter Republicans and targeting people who are most likely to vote in this election. We need to put money together for that reason. In addition to that obviously I’m going around to different events and introducing myself to people who do not know me. I have a small breakfast scheduled for tomorrow just for a select group of people that I’m hoping that will be able to help me financially as well.

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Other than mailers are you planning radio or TV?

Radio and TV are in the schedule and I just ordered signs today, some cards to hand out and stickers to wear and so on.

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Around here people make a big thing about the ethnicity of politicians. You don’t look Irish.

(laughter)

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You don’t look Irish. If someone thought I was Irish I would have to tell them I was from the southern most tip of Ireland. No I don’t, I thought it would be an issue in the campaign when I ran in 2003 but I don’t think that it was. If it was it was a small issue. At this point I don’t think that it’s an issue at all. And I’m really happy to say that for a couple of reasons one is that it’s good to know that people aren’t looking at your skin color as the issue or your ethnicity as the issue. The issue is am I qualified to do the job. I forget what blog I read it on but someone said, maybe it was Gort42, if we can have a President with a strange name we could have a Controller that has one too.

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I wrote that.

I loved that, it was a great line.

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Palissery almost sounds Italian.

It does, if I just changed the y to an i, I would be Italian and change Nanda to Nando.

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I forgot to ask him about Home Rule in our sit down so I called him to ask. This is a paraphrase.

I want to see the plan because they could come up with something worse than what we have. It’s important that people with a knowledge of how government works be elected to the Study Commission. Kingston Mayor Jim Haggerty is a good choice for the commission.

I have 2 questions from my fellow bloggers. I don’t know if you a familiar with Wilkes-Barre Online.

No I’m not.

This goes back to the full time thing.

In a county mired in countless political corruption scandals, a county near overwhelmed by crushing outstanding debts, a county where recent, unrealistic budgets amounted to red ink ultimately paid for up by even more future outstanding debts, should the newly elected County Controller put his or her chosen career on the back burner for the time being and take the taxpayer’s financial bull by the horns?

One of the misconceptions is about the actual role of the Controller and that’s something that people need to understand that there is not a lot of discretion that the Controller has. The Controller does not have discretion over what items are to be paid or funded. All I can do as the Controller is to say is hey look this was supposed to be approved by the commissioners before it got paid. Just like I said before Dr. Vita is my example having collected $1.2 million since 2001 that was never approved by the commissioners. That’s what the role would be. As far as budgets and so on I will do and say whatever I can say as far as they accept input from the Controller. But I don’t have a lot as a Controller that I can do about the budget there is not a lot of discretion that I exercise in that regard. What I am saying is the time that I’m going to make available will be anytime they need me to do anything. I don’t necessarily need to put my career on the back burner to do that.

And bloggers being wise guys Norton wants to know what cigars you like?

There is whole bunch of cigars I like but for the most part I’m generally a Maduro smoker.

That’s it. Anything you want to add?

Just to say I firmly believe I think I’m the best candidate for this job, I really think I am. I don’t just say that to be boastful I just think that I am. I don’t know if anybody can do a better job than I can. Because I will work as hard to as I need to… to get this job done right. I have absolute confidence that’s going to be me.

NEPA Blogs

DB Echo and Michelle have been adding some sites to NEPA Blogs and I finally got around to listing some links that I have been sitting on.
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Check out these recent additions:
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Whitmoyer Art Studio & Gallery
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Scootin' da Valley
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PolishBear's World
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ComputerWise
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Old Forge High School Class of 1976
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Breaker Brewing Company
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Luzerne County Ghost Hunters
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Hazleton's Cargo Airport
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Luzerne County Juvenile Detention Center Analysis

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Two local bloggers have also been added to the Gort42 blogroll:
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Not Cease From Exploration
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Could we please have our country back now?
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And Michelle has started a Facebook page for NEPA bloggers.
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If you are linked from NEPA Blogs and want to join, search for the "NEPA Bloggers" group on Facebook and join in on the fun.
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And being the social butterfly she invites all local users of Twitter to the third official NEPA Tweet Up.
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#NEPATweetUp v3.0
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Start Time: Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 7:00pm
Arena Bar & Grill
Coal Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Details here.

Hippity Hoppity

EASTER IS FOR JESUS, NOT THE STIMULUS BUNNY!!!

An Easter Message from Mean Old Man

I'm fit to be tied over the fact that the glorious Holy Day of Easter Sunday has been used over the years by the liberal establishment as a brainwashing technique to swerve our children into Communism!!
Every year the children of my great country go to bed in hopes of waking up to baskets full of Easter joy---for which they are asked to give nothing in return! Hey, at least the secular invention Santa Claus demands that kids be good all year in order to get their presents. But the Easter Bunny promises everything and for nothing in return, and we all know where promises of that kind are rooted---right out of the playbook of Chairman Mao, and President Obama's stimulus plan, that's where!!
Damn!!!!!

In my day Easter was a sacred day, not a day for kids to have fun. On Sunday morning you got your butt out of bed, went out to the railroad yard to fetch some coal (the colliery guard wouldn't catch you, if it was a good year) and bring it home for Mom to stoke up the trusty stove so that we could fill our guts with nauseating oatmeal. Then us kids would have to keep the furnace fired up, while keeping the noise down so as not to wake Pops up (he was usually sleeping off the previous night's poker game). Of course, Pops always did end up dragging himself down the stairs and he would wallop each of us with his shaving strap. One time he got me right in the jaw, God, I can still feel the sting and then the swelling that followed. My mouth was so swollen that I couldn't eat or sleep for days, it was brutal, painful, wrong, and degrading for me to experience that, but I LOVED IT!!! Because he wacked me to show how much he loved me!!!! Boy, that's a lesson a lot of snot nosed kids could learn today, but of course, their prissy fathers don't have the guts to give it to them. Thanks Dr. Spock (your show Star Trek was as Commie as you are!).

And what's the deal with all of these pagans who don't follow Jesus showing up at church every Easter, taking the seat I've had for myself all year long?!!!! The missus and I always have to stand for the whole mass while the fair weather Judas's sit in comfort showing off their 600 dollar suits and dresses. Maybe instead of closing the churches up, the Bishop can pass out tickets for Easter mass during the regular services throughout the year, then only the true Christians can come to praise our beloved Lord.

And while I'm at it, what is it with the candy industry selling out our Judeo Christian values? I was sitting in my living room the other day watching Lawrence Welk when I noticed my stupid granddaughter Danielle fiddling with a cellophane wrapper that to my horror contained a chocolate cross---that's right, you didn't read it wrong, a chocolate crucifix, the symbol of our Lord's sacrifice, which she proceeded to devour like a human garbage disposal. Talk about teaching kids to disrespect our values and our Savior. Maybe the Bishop should get on this too!!! Needless to say, I threw the little twerp out of the house and told her to go back home to her parents and that hippy commune they call a gated community.

I bet if you asked any kid today what Easter is all about, they would tell you some gibberish like it is the "day I get a basket of candy and an 8 track tape player…" or something to that effect. Kids today don't know a damned thing about the holiday or what it is about. And they have it too damned easy, too!!! We didn't get an Easter basket when I was a kid; we were lucky to get new cardboard to fill in the holes in our shoes and even luckier if Mom found the time to mend the holes in our gloves!!

But what's the point of my even trying anymore. I've had it with today's prissy parents and their kids. And I could tell you a thing or two about the stupid relatives coming to my house this weekend, but all you need do is to view my past columns to know that story. To be honest, if I go through the trouble of printing the whole sorry scene once again, I'll throw up!!

So, all you dimwit, robotic liberals, enjoy your Easter. Hell, maybe you'll even get a stimulus check in your baskets. As for me, I'll feast on a dinner of fresh smoked ham, retire to my upstairs attic which I've turned into a den, light up a lucky, pour down a bottle of Steg, and fire up the ol' victrola to listen to the soothing sounds of Bing Crosby singing Easter Parade.

Happy Easter, I hate you all!!!!!!!

YouTube weekend

With Luzerne County Home Rule on the horizon maybe the Government Study Commission should consider establishing a permanent Office of Special Prosecutor for Luzerne County.


By request from the Rain Man


Metallica - ...And Justice For All (live)

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?

Carney in Pakistan

I haven't read anything about this in the US press but according to the Daily Times of Lahore Congressman Chris Carney is in Pakistan with Senator Jeff Sessions, Congresswoman Jane Harman and Congressmen John Kline. They are discussing terrorism, trade and energy with the Pakistani government. Some links from the local press:

Private sector urges US to provide market access

US delegation calls on governor

Alternative Energy: ‘US should provide coal-fired tech to Pakistan’

I've asked his office to give us the details on the trip.


When he gets back he will continue his Listening Tour Town Hall Meetings.

Eagle Hose Company, 1 Eagle Lane , Dickson City , PA
Wednesday April 15, 2009 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Kelly Township Building , 551 Zeigler Road , Lewisburg , PA
Thursday April 16, 2009 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

American Legion Post 644, 259 Shoemaker Street , Swoyersville , PA
Monday April 20, 2009 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Kanjo on the job

Congressman Paul Kanjorski has been in the news a lot lately. He's looking good without the eyeglasses and has been a regular on CNBCs Squawk Box discussing the financial crises. You can watch the videos on his website. He was joined by Sallie Mae CEO Albert L. Lord and Senator Bob Casey on Monday to announce that 600 jobs will be added to the Hanover Twp. facility. And he's still bringing home the bacon securing $2.8 million in stimulus money to used for housing renovations and a water distribution system upgrade at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Plus Northampton Community College will get $400,000 for the school's Electrotechnology Application Center.

He also got a standing ovation when he told a large crowd that he opposed the closing of the postal processing center in Wilkes-Barre saying the USPS didn’t take into account the impact consolidation would have on the region, which is on its way back after a quarter-century of economic depression.

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Photo credit: PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Gort in the Washington Post

WaPo blogger and TV star Chris Cillizza who writes The Fix asked his readers to suggest the best political blogs in each of the 50 states and Gort42 made the cut. I'm joined by some other excellent Pennsylvania bloggers:


Harrisburg Politics (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Above Average Jane

2 Political Junkies

Gort 42


Thanks to whoever nominated me.

Drop a dime on your local School Director

A day after Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Jeffrey Namey testified before a federal grand jury probing the district the FBI is asking the public for help.


The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking the public's assistance in an on-going criminal investigation in northeastern Pennsylvania. If you are a teacher, prospective teacher, employee or prospective employee of any kind who has been required to provide money, or anything else of value, to any individual in connection with being hired at any public school in northeastern Pennsylvania, or if you were denied employment because you refused to provide money or anything else of value for your prospective job, you may have been the victim of a crime and you are requested to immediately contact either Special Agent Richard Southerton or Special Agent Joseph Noone in the FBI's Scranton office at telephone number 570-344-2404.

Home Rule news

The third of the weekly Home Rule forums will be held tonight, April 8th, at 7:00 PM in the Kingston Municipal Building.
This event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions about Home Rule or would like to meet the Government Study Commission (GSC) candidates this is your chance.


There is now an online voters guide with information about most of the GSC candidates.

Candidates who have submitted information for the Voter’s Guide:


Ray Gustave, Swoyersville

Frank Sindaco, Wilkes-Barre

Edward Transue, Dallas

Darlene Duggins, Wilkes-Barre

Rick Morelli, Sugarloaf Township

Walter Griffith Jr., Wilkes-Barre

Charmaine H. Maynard, Sugarloaf Township

James Thomas Gaughan, Courtdale

Paul P. Krombel, Conyngham Township

Christopher C.J. Kersey, Kingston

Phillip Struzzeri, Jenkins Township

Veronica Ciaruffoli, Larksville

Frank E.P. Conyngham, Kingston Township

Jeffrey Niemiec, Wilkes-Barre


Candidates who have NOT submitted information the our Voter’s Guide:


Jim Haggerty, Kingston John Adonizio, Hughestown Richard “Kick” Heffron, Dallas Jack Schumacher, Kingston Robert Whammer Wanyo, Forty Fort Joe Wizda, Freeland

Luzerne County Judicial candidates websites

Pittston Politics has a poll asking who will be our next local lawyers to be elevated to the bench. So far Joe Terrana and Jennifer Rogers are in the lead.

As a public service I have wasted some time looking for campaign websites for all of the 17 hopefuls. Please let me know if I missed anyone.


Bill Amesbury

C.J. Bufalino

Gene Sperazza

Jennifer Rogers

Joe Sklarosky

Mike Blazick

Molly Hanlon Mirabito

Dick Hughes

Joe Terrana

Tina Polachek Gartley

Joe Musto

Daniel Zola

Tom Marsilio


Some of them are also on Facebook. The all say they are shocked and saddened by the conduct of the Juvie Brothers and few are pledging not to take campaign contributions from attorneys or their families. It seems like that that is the only issue in the race for the 2 open seats. I think events have shown that the problem is not taking money from lawyers before the election but when Judges take money from lawyers (and others) after the election.

Joe Terrana started running this ad a few days ago.


Terrana for Judge - "Stand"





If the other camps want to send me their TV spots I will be happy to post them.

Browser

I usually use Internet Explorer 7 for most of my surfing but some sites work better using Firefox. Some of us have been getting this new error message,
Internet Explorer script error: Line 53, Character 3 when trying to close some blogs.

Now Microsoft is offering an upgrade to Internet Explorer. I'm always leery to install an upgrade to anything because I've had some bad experiences in the past.

So has anyone installed IE8 and how is it working?

I paid my property taxes today

I even paid them early to get the 2% discount. Some people don't have to bother with such things.

Restaurateur owes about $140,000 in back property taxes


Robert S. Jabers, owner of the Saber Room Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, and his company, Excalibur Development Corp., owe about $140,000 in unpaid property taxes, interest and delinquency fees to the county, city and the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, tax claim records reveal.The Saber Room on Butler Street — the site of many fundraisers, political gatherings and election parties over the years — has a delinquent tax bill of more than $16,500, and the bill for Jabers’ home on Marjorie Avenue in Wilkes-Barre is almost $36,000. Unpaid taxes on Jabers’ properties date back to 2004, and the county could have listed them for tax claim sales in 2006 and 2007.

This guy can't pay his taxes on time but was able to drop $3,250 on various local political campaigns and some campaigns spent $21,772 on 17 Saber Room events since 2000. His donations include $500 to the Commissioner campaign of Maryanne Petrilla and Greg Skrepenak two years ago.

Various officials were asked by Michael Buffer why his properties weren't put up for Sheriff's sale and he got the usual non-answers.

"That I have no idea. … Sometimes things were crossed out of sales by a higher authority"-Mary Dysleski

“I shiver to think how many there were.”- Maryanne Petrilla

“I couldn’t answer the question”- Sam Diaz

I know we all have to pay our taxes but I would feel better if I thought that my money was being spent prudently and everybody was paying their fair share.

Alice Coffman has a website

Alice B. Coffman, CPA for Luzerne County Controller

A CPA for controller. What a novel idea.


I am announcing my intention to seek the Republican nomination for the vacant seat of county controller in the May primary. I feel my experience in public accounting for the past sixteen years will serve as a valuable asset to the citizens of Luzerne County.
I am very disheartened by the inappropriate behavior recently uncovered within our local government. The citizens of Luzerne County have the right to expect the highest level of professional conduct from their elected officials. Holding one another accountable comes partly from a system with checks and balances. The weaknesses in the current accounting and internal control systems are quite evident.
If elected, my immediate intentions are to perform audits of various county programs seeking inefficiencies and discrepancies and to implement and enforce internal control procedures to deter future misconduct and wasteful spending.

Opening Day

Or night.

Tonight the Phillies play the Braves in the first regular season game of the 2009 season. A few years back the first pitch was always in Cincinnati and the rest of the games got started 15 minutes later. I love baseball and college football in part because of the history and traditions of the games and every year they do something to take away from that.

Toole out

A lot of conflicting information has been coming out of the Courthouse about Judge Michael Toole. I'm hearing that he has resigned his position and we can expect another US Attorney press confrence on Monday complete with an idictment and plea agreement.

Norton says I'm wrong. But if doesn't happen this week it's only a matter of time.

Lou Barletta for Lt. Governor

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta Paid for a poll to test his name ID in a possible run for Pennsylvania Lt. Governor next year. It's not surprising that he is best known of all the possible contenders in the GOP primary and has a high favorable rating among likely Republican primary voters.


I sat down with Mayor Lou a few months ago but never actually posted about it because of some technical issues like my recorder batteries went dead and I accidentaly deleted the word document that I wrote up afterward. Looking over my notes from that meeting I can say that the guy loves being the Mayor of Hazleton. He hit me with charts and graphs detailing some of the improvement projects that in the works for the mountain city such as a new transportation center and an amphlitheater to be built on an abandoned strip mine. He defended the use of Delaware River sludge that is filling the old coal pitts saying every load is tested for safety. He contends that Immigration ordinance would be appealed to the US Supreme Court if the 3rd circuit rules against the the city and will fight the attorney fees awarded by Judge Munley. He rejected the charge that he is a racist pointing out that he performed several hundred weddings since the ordinance was passed and 80% of them were of Hispanic couples and 55 new businesses have opened since then with many of them having hispanic owners. Lou is expecting his first grandchild soon and the father is hispanic. Barletta said there is no great divide in Hazleton and took some shots at "self appointed" hispanic leaders.

His answer to Mark's question was interesting.

Why would you agree to be interviewed by a blogger who did everything he could to keep you from winning a congressional seat?

His Answer: Why not? You won't know what I'm about unless you get to know me.

So much for the contention that blogs are anathema to the great majority of the elected, as well as almost all of the hopefuls?

I will be interviewing various candidates for the county row offices in the next few weeks.

Barletta said the only person possibly more surprised that he didn't win the US House race was Paul Kanjorski. His internal polling had him leading the whole way.

As far a race for Lt. Governor goes I think it is a natural fit because he would win the primary easily. He has ambitions to be Governor but I don't think he can beat Attorney General Tom Corbitt for the nomination this time out.

Teacher jobs for sale?

I'm shocked, shocked that the Feds are investigating the way teachers are hired in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District.

CV: The FBI has subpoenaed school board meeting minutes and other documents from the Wilkes-Barre Area School District... FBI agents have visited district offices several times...


TL: The FBI on Thursday requested a list of the Wilkes-Barre Area Vocational-Technical Joint Operating Committee board members since 2005...


While the rest of the country is screaming for qualified teachers around here you can't even get an interview unless you have a relative on the School Board. It's not just Wilkes-Barre but every school district in NEPA. I hope they look at them all. Nepotism Queen Barbara Youngblood landed jobs for around 20+ members of her family before the voters finally caught on and booted her out a few years back. How many stories have you read over the years that relative xxx of school board member yyy was hired. Usually the uncle/aunt, etc. would not vote on the hiring to make it look good but you know the rest of the board was involved in back scratching so when their nephew/cousin came up for a vote they would get hired.

Sometimes there is shortage of relatives to fill the open positions so the squeeze is put on the long time substitute teachers to cough up a few bucks to land a permanent position. I have no direct evidence of bribes being demanded or paid but like you I have heard the stories for years.

Take the money and run

Juvie Brother former Judge Mark Ciavarella wants to cash out his contributions to the state pension plan to the tune of $234,000. That would drop his monthly benefit from $6800 to "only" $5,150 until he is sentenced for selling his office to the 2 highest bidders. I wish I could pull in 5 grand a month. His co-conspirator Michael Conahan got that sweet deal last year collecting a $300K lump sum and $8073 a month since January 2008. I'm in the wrong line of work.

The chutzpah of this guy doesn't seem to have any limits. Yesterday he said he can't be sued because he is protected from the civil action by the “doctrine of judicial immunity.” McGruff has an explanation of the legal mumbo jumbo of judicial immunity. He wrote the motion himself and said "Judges of courts of superior or general jurisdiction are not liable to civil actions for their judicial acts, even when such acts are in excess of their jurisdiction, and are alleged to have been done maliciously or corruptly.”
In short he is saying even if I sold kids up the river you can't touch my money. I hope the State Employees’ Retirement System sits on his application for as long as they can.

In addition to the 3 class action lawsuits already filed the Luzerne County Commissioners are looking at joining in the litigation fun to recover some of the cost of the county paid to PA Child Care. “Why not get in line also?” -Steve Urban

Is it just me or does Ciavarella have a uncanny resemblance to Woody Allen?

He is acting like a Cello player in a marching band.

Internet nonsense

Some sort of virus has infected everybody that uses Internet Explorer and Windows that will bring about the end of the world as we know it. I may have to shut down for a few days to get my machine scrubbed.

The next computer will be a MAC.

Republicans to endorse today

The Luzerne County Republican Party make its endorsements based on the results of a county-wide poll of all committee people. Chairman Terry Casey said.“We want to conduct this endorsement process in an honest, open, fair and transparent way, just as we promise to govern in Luzerne County. Ours is a simple message: we want to restore honesty and integrity to the county courthouse and we’re starting by conducting an honest and open primary in our own party.”

I'm going to make some predictions. First the easy ones. There are only 2 Republicans running for the Court of Common Pleas, Dick Hughes and Michael Pendolphi, so that is a no brainer and Gina Nevenglosky is the only candidate for Register of Wills in the primary.


Carolee Medico Olenginski and Walter Mitchell are in the running for Prothonotary and I think that former Prothonotary Carolee will get the nod.


The hottest race shaping up seems to be for Controller. To get the nod a candidate has had to be a registered Republican since Feb. 16, 2008 so that rules out Edd Brominski. The contenders are Alice Coffman, Walter Griffith, Nanda Palissery and Bob Sypniewski. My reading of the tea leaves tells me that Nanda Palissery will be the anointed one.


You can read the POLIICIES & PROCEDURES FOR ENDORSEMENT if you are interested.


UPDATE: I got them all right.

As predicted Hughes and Pendolphi were backed for a seat on Court of the Common Pleas and Nevenglosky was backed in her uphill battle to be the next Register of Wills.

Former Prothonotary Carolee Medico-O got the nod over President for Life of the breakaway Republic of Bear Creek Village Walter Michell with a vote of 75 to 55. I still think that Carolee will sail through the primary and be returned to the Prothonotary's office in the fall.


The battle for the endorsement for County Controller was closer than I expected with Nanda Palissery edging out Walter Griffith 51-39.

I was stuck by how many Do Not Endorse votes were cast in each race.

Overall only 132 of the 272 Republican Committee people returned a ballot and they still don't have a full compliment in the county. Maybe I should run for Republican Committeeman in my little burgh because we don't have one.

What did I miss?

I took a few days off from blogging and will play catch-up for a bit. The long awaited 20/20 piece about the Juvie Brothers aired on ABC on Friday and we made the New York Times on Saturday. Another claim to fame for the area. It was just a matter of time before Luzerne County was named as a defendant in one of the lawsuits and new President Judge Chet Muroski wants former judge Mark Ciavarella’s seat placed on the May 19 primary election ballot.



Acting Controller A. J. Martinelli made some news when he was accepted into the ARD program after his spectacular performance when he got popped for DUI in January. No word on if he will required to wear a belt. And in the latest misuse of county funds to come to light Martinelli was the benefits coordinator when 2 unpaid members of the prison board were given health coverage. He claims he can't remember the details of the applications.


And the price of smokes is going up.

YouTube weekend

Busy, busy, busy

The blog has taken a back seat this last week because of other things I have to do. Same for next week.


Jeff Beck will be at the Scranton Cultural Center Monday April 6. We got our tickets, I hope you have yours. Drop me a line if you are going.


Jeff Beck - Blue Wind

Lokuta gets a break

HARRISBURG – The state Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a stay of the Court of Judicial Discipline’s ruling that removed judge Ann Lokuta from office and directed the Secretary of the Commonwealth not to place her judicial seat on the May ballot.


Lokuta has contended all along that charges against her were orchestrated by admitted crook Judge Michael Conahan with the help of the other Juvie Brother Mark Ciavarella and Conahan's cousin Bill Sharkey because she was cooperating with the Federal corruption probe. Throw in the involvement of his business partners Jill Moran, Richard Sprague and Patrick Judge in this seemed to convice the state Supreme Court stay her removal from the bench because of after-discovered evidence that was revealed as part of the corruption probe in the county judiciary. The Supremes ordered the Court of Judicial Discipline to determine whether it should reconsider it's decision to remove her and grant a new hearing.

This throws a monkey wrench into the campaigns of the 17 Judicial hopefuls because now there will be only 2 seats up for grabs instead of 3.


Timeline from the CV:

April 2004: A complaint from a former Lokuta staffer leads to an investigation by the state Judicial Conduct Board.

April 2005: The Conduct Board formally informs Lokuta of its investigation.


November 2006: Lokuta is charged with six counts of misconduct by the state Judicial Conduct Board. She is accused of being abusive to court staff and attorneys and late or absent for court proceedings.

September 2007-January 2008: Lokuta is tried before a three-judge panel from the state Court of Judicial Discipline. Lokuta testifies she is the victim of a conspiracy orchestrated by former president judge Michael T. Conahan, who was angered because she talked to federal investigators about his handling of case assignments. Conahan used his position to influence other prosecution witnesses, she testifies.

Oct. 30, 2008: The Court of Judicial Discipline finds Lokuta guilty.

Nov. 5, 2008: The court suspends Lokuta without pay.

Dec. 9, 2008: Lokuta is officially removed from the bench.

Jan. 6, 2009: Lokuta appeals to the state Supreme Court.

Jan. 26, 2009: Conahan and fellow judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr., who also testified against Lokuta, are charged with accepting $2.6 million in kickbacks. They eventually plead guilty and are relieved of judicial duties.

Feb. 3, 2009: Another witness against Lokuta, county court administrator William T. Sharkey Sr., is charged with embezzling $70,000 in court funds. He eventually pleads guilty.

March 3, 2009: Lokuta asks the state Supreme Court to postpone an election to fill her seat.

March 25, 2009: The Supreme Court cancels the election and orders the Court of Judicial Discipline to consider holding a hearing on whether evidence of courthouse corruption involving prosecution witnesses would have affected the outcome of Lokuta’s trial.

Ciavarella wants his pension

And you thought that the AIG bonuses were outrageous. According to the story in the CV by Dave Janoski former Luzerne County President judge Mark Ciavarella may be able to collect $6800 a month until he is sentenced for taking bribes for sending kids to the PA Child Care facility in Pittston Twp. The other juvie brother Michael Conahan has been pulling in $8073 a month since he retired in January 2008 and was even able to cash out part of his pension ($300,00) before the shit hit the fan. Both have plead guilty in the probe and will serve 87 months in prison if Federal Judge Edwin Kosik agrees to their plea agreement. Kosik could reject the agreement and this could drag out for a long time.

In other juvie brother news Participant 2, multi-party Bob Mericle, has hired some big legal guns to defend himself in 2 of the class action suits. Although he does not face criminal charges, Mericle and his company have much at stake in the civil-rights claims filed by more than 175 former defendants in the county’s juvenile court. The suits seek millions in damages from Mericle, the judges, and other individuals and companies implicated in the federal case on the grounds that the juveniles were wrongly imprisoned and denied legal representation.

Home Rule forum tonight

In preparation for the public question on the Home Rule Government Study Commission in May, we will be hosting weekly educational forums. This will provide citizens an opportunity to learn more about Home Rule and how it can affect the county as well as an opportunity to meet the candidates for the Government Study Commission.


The first of these weekly forums will be held March 25th at 6:30 PM in the Luzerne County Community College Conference Center.

Dems vote for open primary

The Luzerne County Democratic Party decided to leave it up to the voters in the races for Judge and Prothontary. I think that is a good call with 15 Dems wanting to wear the black robes and 3 candidates in the running for Prothonotary. Chairman Mark Bufalino wants to avoid some of the acrimony that endorsements or lack of them have caused in the past.

Republican Chairman Terry Casey said the Republican Executive Committee has abandoned it's plan to endorse county candidates in the primary.

Walter has a Website

Walter Griffith for Luzerne County Controller

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My background politically is very simple…I am not related to any one in Luzerne County that works in the courthouse and I will not bankrupt my moral or ethic character to get elected to any position in government..

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He lays out an Action Plan for the office.

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Including a Pledge to be a “Full Time” Controller, place all County Audits online and to provide that all County Audits are done by Bid and all Bid’s submitted will be solicited from outside Luzerne County.

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He also has a picture of Tim Grier speaking before the Wilkes-Barre city council posted which I asked him about; I placed this picture to emphasize the people that are taxpayer advocates as well as to show I was a part of the fight at City Hall. I think a lot of people respect Tim as well as him being a good friend of mine...

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Walter is also running for the Government Study Commission.

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The other Republican candidates for the controller nomination are : Edward Brominski, Swoyersville; Alice B. Coffman, Sugarloaf Township; Nanda Palissery, Dallas; and Robert Sypniewski, Dallas. The winner will face the lone Democratic contender, Bob Morgan, of Mountain Top.

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None of the other candidates have website up yet as far as I know.

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Update: Griffith attended the Salary Board meeting today and sent along this recap.

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I represented the taxpayers today at the County Salary Board Meeting regarding the approval of all the court employee's salaries.
The Meeting opened with the public comment section of the agenda and I asked Chairperson Petrilla why the agenda and salaries are not made available long before 5 minutes before the meeting so the people can review the salaries and the creation of new positions. The people need to have sufficient time to read the agenda and the salaries to be able to be sufficiently educated to ask questions if we are going to move forward with an open and efficient government.
The agenda had the roster of the Salary Board as Urban, Pettrilla, Skrepenak, Martinelli and President Judge Muroski, however the President Judge was not at the meeting but his "Right hand Man" Mullroy was there in his place. I immediately spoke to object to this because the County Code stated the President Judge must be there not his designee as the County tried to do this time . I was successful in having the Court Tipstaff have the President Judge come to the meeting because he was summoned there by the Salary Board. I made this the first time the President Judge was actually a part of the process as prescribed by law...
I then raised the issue as to why AJ Martinelli was on the Salary Board when he is not the County Controller. I was told by Commissioner Petrilla that AJ is the Controller because the Governor issued a letter stating he was appointed by him as the Acting Controller. AJ Martinelli is not the Controller and has no place on the Salary Board.
There is supposed to be a salary freeze on the County Budget however in the enclosed documents you will see the County Courts are able to create new positions and fund them quite well.. Seems like a double standard..I will not allow this as the next County Controller..I will not vote to increase the payroll by increasing the staff..
I have enclosed the Exhibits of all the personnel at the Court system as well as the Agenda for your review and if there are any questions...please feel free to ask ..also note that there was no other candidates for Controller at the meeting...