Tank Girl

9-15-2004

Tank Girl

Let's revisit one of my "rantings" from 9-9-2004. Trust me, there's a reason for all of this. One of those amateurish taxpayer activists (Charlatans) who are currently preying upon the abject ignorance of the average voter mistakenly thought that taking me to task via e-mail was an especially bright idea. I really did consider being somewhat civil in my response to said e-mail, but after remembering that these mostly goofy referendum sidewinders, these local quasi-Republican operatives are trying to pass themselves off as the heroic Ho Chi Minns of the long downtrodden and usually apathetic taxpayers, I figured I might as well let it rip.

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"Look out for...

...tanks on Public Square." (???)

That neurotic ditty ended Claire Wert's recent 'Letters to the Editor' challenge to the attorney that filed the court challenge to Walter Griffith's ill-fated and incorrectly prepared confetti posing as brillance.

And I quote: "If Mr. Polishan has proof of these allegations, then let him take the next step."

Uh-huh. What-f**king-ever. It seems to me that "the next step" would have been when Walter showed up in court and proved beyond reasonable doubt that the "allegations" were totally wthout merit. As we all know, he very wisely decided to forego that route, so Claire's rantings are completely laughable at best.

I don't care where she went to high school, or where she went to college; she followed a guy into battle who was not properly prepared for the battle that he alone sought out. So now she's reduced to lashing out in print at the folks that do happen to know what the farg they're talking about and how it pertains to city government.

My only crime was questioning our system of democracy.

No, your only crime was not doing your homework. Oh, and allying yourself with a verbose and platitudinous pretender. And by the way, this still glorious country of our's is not a democracy. Did they fail to mention that at the best schools that Wilkes-Barre has to offer? Give me a ringie sometime. I'll tutor you for a very nominal fee.

This is rich:

If Mr. Polishan wants to investigate something, why doesn't he investigate the fact that the city's insurance is written through an office in Pittston! God forbid the city give one of its own taxpayers some business.

Oops! Which insurance agency should the city be dealing with? Would that be the same one you happen to work for, Claire? Now why is it again that you've gotten yourself knee-deep in politics all of a sudden? Personal gain perhaps? Or some greater, some much more noble purpose such as correcting "some of the wrongs that currently exist in our local governement?"

I've heard plenty of cost-cutting ideas from residents that really don't know much about how this city works. One bright idea is to switch to a volunteer fire department. I'm sure we'd save tons of money, but if I wanted a volunteer fire department to arrive too late to save my burning home, I'd move to Kunkle with the rest of the people mowing their ravenous lawns in their underwear. Another is to privatize our curb-side pick-ups. That one doesn't phase me one way or another, except to say that the private haulers move a helluva faster than our guys do. Any other bright ideas that will actually amount to significant savings?

How about removing every existing incentive in place that might actually attract professional people to City Hall? How 'bout that? That's what you're calling for, Claire. In a city with a $35 million budget, your current life's work is the stripping away of any incentive for the best and brightest to get involved in our city in a major, major way.

You offer us no substantial monetary savings through your screwed up and misguided efforts. What you offer us is a way to stick it to the people that the majority of us elected to preside over Wilkes-Barre's rebirth. You offer us some sort of hack-kneed payback, childish pettiness and little else.

This is not about democracy. No, your short-sighted and feeble efforts are an affront to your so-called democracy. This is about the always disgruntled few with a "how to" government manual and some ambition who wish to rule by appealing to the always disgruntled many, and for all the wrong reasons.

Claire, I do have a question for you. Since Walter is now the self-appointed champion of the perpetually disgruntled taxpayers, let's revisit his promise to the residents of this city during the last election cycle. And I quote: I support term limits for Council and Mayor and reduction in benefits for Council And Mayor to save taxpayers money.

End quote.

Why is it that the highly prolific author of so many referendum questions left out the promise to seek term limits for Council and Mayor? Why is that? Is he planning on running for a council seat again? If so, has he suddenly rethought the term limit promise? Why not take care of all of his lofty promises with one fell swoop? At the bottom of one of Walter's campaign door hangers it clearly states: Please vote responsibly on November 4, 2003

And that is the one glaring part of the equation that is totally lost upon all of the taxpayer activist crazies currently wreaking their self-styled brand of havoc upon this city.

We did!

We did vote responsibly on November 4, 2003.

And yet, you refuse to abide by the wishes of the majority of the voters.

Look out for tanks on Public Square?

You may have once studied with the best that literati supposedly has to offer, but your ill-disciplined efforts and especially your reflexive, sour grapes comments are displaying your outright contempt for the voters who can actually think.

You, your fellow jihadi and this city would be much better served by your playing the political game as it currently stands, rather than by trying to reinvent the game to suit your questionable needs. And if you must persist in all of your self-righteous, self-serving quasi-religiosity, you can count on me to counter your every effort.

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BANG!!!

Allrighty then! Herewith...the e-mail chastising sent my way by one of the relentless ranconteurs trying to turn Wilkes-Barre upside down. The precipitous decline of our city has ended, but some of us still refuse to wake up and smell '04.

Subject: Response to your rantings

Dear Sir,

First of all I reserve the right to have only my friends refer to me by my first name.

Secondly, I only mentioned where I was educated to indicate to people like you that I was not a "grease monkey". I believe that was your terminology.

Also, how is it that you know where I work? Inquiring about me? This city has numerous capable agencies with which the city can do business. Why the politically corrupt Joyce Agency?

As far as "the next step" Mr. Polishan stated there might be legal actions taken even after the withdrawal of Mr. Griffith's petition. That was my reasoning for writing to the newspaper.

Please do not believe that if the benefits were reduced for our public officials that professional people would not be attracted to work at City Hall. There are plenty of intelligent people who just cannot finance a decent attempt at cracking the Democratic Wall, as I refer to it.

You can revisit anything you like, but how about looking into the fact that two of your challenge buddies asked Polishan to remove their names.

Also, the voters of our fair city have voted and when we make a decision it is people like you who attempt to squash it. Redistricting ring a bell?

Lastly,I truly don't understand what I would possible have sour grapes over, and I never have and never will display outright contempt for the voters or citizens of the city; unless of course they all behave like you.

Sincerely,

Claire M. Wert

Here we go! Hang on to your inconsequential referendum petitions. You're gonna need something to light the coal furnace with.

Dear Sir,

First of all I reserve the right to have only my friends refer to me by my first name.

Sir? Sh*t, she doesn't know me at all, does she? Sir?

I'm not your friend? Say it isn't so. Flam dammit! If I had 100 hits of methadone at my disposal, I'd swallow all of them right now followed by a twelve-pack chaser. Goodbye cruel world! The charlatans will have absolutely nothing to do with my demented self. URGH!!!

Okay. If I'm not nearly worthy of addressing her by her first name, how about if I refer to her as "Tank Girl" from her on out?

Next?

Secondly, I only mentioned where I was educated to indicate to people like you that I was not a "grease monkey". I believe that was your terminology.

That's complete bullsh*t and you know it. You spouted off with your educational history as if it was some sort of impressive resume that allows you the freedom to launch into ad-hoc attacks against the folks that were duly elected by their peers.

I sure hope Walter doesn't read any of this. You're more than willing to follow a grease monkey into battle, but you also went to great lengths to assure that you couldn't be identified as one. My terminology, you say? It is what it is, Tank Girl. Walt, I suspect that even your most loyal followers do not respect your chosen profession.

And trust me, over the years, I personally hired plenty of college graduates with four year degrees in tow that made for excellent dishwashers and waitresses. Your stated credentials certainly do not impress this former member of the "Who's Who" list of academic slackers.

Next?

Also, how is it that you know where I work? Inquiring about me? This city has numerous capable agencies with which the city can do business. Why the politically corrupt Joyce Agency.

How is it that you know where I work? Inquiring about me??? Tank girl, please, please attempt to keep your obvious paranoia in check, heyna? Truth be told, I did everything I could possibly do to help get your boss elected to a council seat quite a few months back. Yup. Feeling pretty stupid right about now, are we? Duh! Unilke you and your comical charlatan ilk, I do my freakin' homework.

The Joyce Agency? Assuming that they're "politically corrupt" as you charge, I would be led to assume that doing business with that particular firm is damaging to the taxpayers of this city. Yet, yet...you definately neglected to mention this at any of the numerous council meetings you personally attended. You mentioned it in your letter to the Voice as nothing more than a weasily cheap shot at our elected folks. And you never thought for a split second that anyone would ever dare to challenge your needless bullspit after reading of your supposedly unflappable credentials. Guess again.

Next?

As far as "the next step" Mr. Polishan stated there might be legal actions taken even after the withdrawal of Mr. Griffith's petition. That was my reasoning for writing to the newspaper.

Listen to me tell it, Tank Girl. If your problematic charlatan brigade knew as much as they thought about how to successfully operate a Third Class City, they wouldn't have had to tuck their laughable petitions between their legs and walk away wimpering about "the powers that be." Your letter to the newspaper is little more than further proof that some folks just don't know when to give it up.

I believe your letter was answered and then some when the Leader reported that the city was considering legal action to recoup some of the money it spent to defend itself against your latest foray into politics after breezing through Politics for Dummies.

Next?

The Democratic Wall? So I was right all along. There are no legitimate taxpayer watchdogs in this county, only Republicans trying to build up some hefty name recognition by cleverly appearing to be something they're not: The champions of the forgotten residents. Or in other words, they are lying to the general public in an attempt to get themselves elected to some office. Any office. Publicity whores. Again, my terminology. I gotta tell ya. Neither Tom Leighton, nor any member of council ever lied to me. They told me they wanted to be elected. The folks fighting the "Wall" pretend to be something they're not.

And if we can't finance a run at whatever elected office, I guess we'll just have to stick to rewinding the armatures of our dated AFX cars until we finally meet our HO makers. What is your point other than some more sour grapes claptrap?

Follow me. If you owned a restaurant which was your family's lone source of income, would you seek to replace the recently departed manager by advertising a starting salary of $25,000, or $40,000? Don't give me any further bilge that by lowering the salaries of any future elected folks, we'll somehow be doing ourselves a great favor.

I don't care who you run with, but there are some stark realities you need to face and soon. Despite the venom that Walter is spewing, this city is finally headed in the right direction, evidenced by the new Governor's frequent visits to Wilkes-Barre bearing gifts totalling in the millions. With that said, how low should the hoi polloi empowered by the next referendum set the mayor's salary at? How low should it go, assuming that we're trying to save significant tax dollars and not deliver some immature payback of sorts? $40,000? $30,000? And what happens to our recruitment process when another jilted political hopeful decides that referendums would be a quick and tidy form of retaliation?

Short of setting off a wonkish debate here, I'd have to say that if there are so many "intelligent" people out there seeking elected office, they should be able to get themselves elected. What's currently stopping them? The fact that three members of council enjoy health care benefits? Or is it the salary of the mayor that prevents them from getting their "intelligent" message across to the voters? Cut the salaries. Cut the bennies. Then the "intelligent" folks will be on equal footing? What in the hell are you folks talking about?

Next?

You can revisit anything you like, but how about looking into the fact that two of your challenge buddies asked Polishan to remove their names.

My buddies? Again, you know not of which you speak. My "buddies" would not be caught dead with any of the folks that shot Walter's foolishness to sh*t. My buddies like Blue Oyster Cult played loud enough to shake foundations loose. They like drinking, puking, and then drinking some more. They like delivering savage beatings to whomever may seek one out. They enjoy playing darts with throwing stars rather than darts. You don't know my buddies and you certainly don't want to piss them off.

The "buddies" you are stupidly making reference to are plain folks who believe that the current elected crop have us on the correct path and also see Walter's inept efforts as nothing more than the latest roadblock to progress that needs to be overcome. If you forgot any of those names you refer to as my "buddies," lemme know and I'll refresh your memory.

I can revisit anything I like? Okay. How 'bout Walter's promise to pursue term limits? Why wasn't that petition being scribbled over with crayons and whatnot? Cause he has already rethought that empty promise and he never believed that anyone would actually call him on it. But I have a borderline photographic memory thanks to my Grandpop's Irish lineage. So they tell me.

Next?

Also, the voters of our fair city have voted and when we make a decision it is people like you who attempt to squash it. Redistricting ring a bell.

People like me? Please expound on that, thy giver of all needed voting knowledge. The voters of this city will always vote in favor of anything that smacks of get-evenism and that's why your charlatans always play that pathetic angle. Your rabble-rousing crew always plays to the lowest common denominator and little else.

Redistricting? Are you f**king kidding me? Talk about a total f**king disaster. If you drive from one end of your gerrymandered voting district to the other, the price of crude oil will instantly spike upwards. We might get nailed with roaming charges on our cell phone bills after calling the folks in our redistricted districts. We could stage a triple marathon without ever leaving our own voting districts. Yeah, that referendum sure worked out nicely, didn't it? What we need is some more referendums right quick, depending on which failed candidate for political office you may be talking to. Excuse me, depending on which taxpayer watchdog you may be talking to.

Next?

Nah, nah, nah, Tank Girl. Nice try and all, but that's not what I said. I didn't say "contempt for the voters or citizens of the city," I said: "...contempt for the voters who can actually think."

Your Charlatan Party posing as an activist group is an insult to "the voters who can actually think" in this city. Your class envy road show gallivanting in search of the easily duped among us will never, ever pass as some sort of responsible citizenry, or even a modicum of intelligence for that matter. Your irrational and overzealous obsession with lashing out at our elected leaders while we're on the very brink of progress is matched only by your obvious propensity for following losers.

...; unless of course they all behave like you.

Trust me on this, Tank Girl. No one person has ever accused me of behaving when I percieved even a growing threat to my beloved city. And in my spinning mind, you and your mostly clueless ilk are a direct threat to the future progress now dangled in front of this struggling city.

And if you must persist in boiling your eye of newt in my City Hall, I will always be poised and ready to splash you with a bucket of water and then watch you melt away into nothing.

Behave?

You don't know me very well, do you?

When it comes to the well-being of this rebounding city of ours, as far as I'm concerned, every single day is a no holds barred testosterone-dominated donnybrook. Why? Mainly because of clueless class envy warriors such as yourself. That's why.

Behave?

It'll never happen.

CYA