Consensus is the negation of leadership.--Margaret Thatcher

Alrighty then. Now we've Islamic hip-hop acts spewing more hate. Is anybody still clinging to this "religion of peace" smoke-screen?

It was reported today that Osama met with Pakistani nuclear scientists on several occasions, coalition forces in Iraq have captured 7 pounds of cyanide material, and terrorists are planning to assemble explosive devices in mid-flight in an attempt to down civilian airliners. If this is Islam at it's peaceful best, I'd hate to see what a full-blown Jihad would amount to.

I see that the Party Animals column in the Voice touched on the fact that a certain failed candidate for city council tried to sabotage our future by e-mailing the folks at AMBAC. They stopped short of printing his name, but I did. It's one thing to approach the podium at City Hall and use all of the clever catch phrases that resonate with frustrated and ill-informed voters in an attempt to build some name recognition. But it's a whole other thing to secretively attempt to directly interfere with the actions of a newly-seated administration that needed to act quickly before the next loan default date arrived. Whether he realizes it or not, Walter Griffith tried to deal this city a serious setback. He needs to be held accountable for acting so recklessly.

Try this on for size. The AMBAC folks were convinced by Tom Leighton that the City of Wilkes-Barre is once again worthy of their trust. How does Walt react to that news? By claiming that our new administration is amassing huge debts without regard as to how they'll be paid off. What if Walt's e-mails convinced the AMBAC folks to send Leighton packing with a resounding no? When March arrived and the city defaulted on it's pension bond payment, Walt would be leading the watchdogs to the podium to charge that Tom Leighton failed to make adequate arrangements to satisfy the bond payment. It's not bad enough that the guy doesn't know spit about operating a Third Class City. The fact that he tried to directly involve himself in the process of governing the city suggests that he either didn't understand what happened this past November, or he's bitter about it and will go to extreme lengths to not only naysay whatever decisions come from City Hall, but work behind the scenes to have them scuttled. We voted, he got skunked, and as evidenced by his dangerous e-mails sent to NYC-he has become a loose cannon in a city that cannot afford anymore loose cannons.

Walter is still on the attack though. He also made the "Your Voice" page of the Voice this morning with this letter.

I must respond to your article in the Jan. 31 issue about the mayor of Wilkes Barre and his proposed 2004 amended budget and 20-mill tax increase.

I find it appalling that this administration has the nerve to actually minimize the tax increase by saying it is just $1.90 a week and that the citizens of Wilkes Barre should contribute to the city's revitalization.

The taxpayers of this city have suffered the last eight years of a city council that instead of fixing the problems, constantly pointed a finger of blame at the mayor and a mayor that was always doing the best he could to run the city all by himself.

The current administration has, in one month's time, placed the city of Wilkes Barre in debt an additional $18 million without regard to where the money was going to come from and without looking for any spending cuts that were recommended by the taxpayers at the Dec. 9, 2003, meeting of city council.

I feel the city taxpayers need to protest this administration and their total disregard for the welfare of the taxpayers by coming out on Tuesday, Feb. 12, and picket and protest in front of City Hall in a call for compliance to the wishes of the taxpayers.

Walter L. Griffith, Jr.
Wilkes-Barre

Okay. Okay. Stop laughing. I love this snippet:

The taxpayers of this city have suffered the last eight years of a city council that instead of fixing the problems, constantly pointed a finger of blame at the mayor and a mayor that was always doing the best he could to run the city all by himself.

I mistakenly assumed that the "Council Bad/Mayor Good" clarion call was all but an afterthought at this point. Who knew that anyone could be so foolish as to defend the actions of one Mayor T.D. McDebt at this late stage of the game. This guy should be writing for the Conan O'Brien Show.

Here's another timeless classic:

I find it appalling that this administration has the nerve to actually minimize the tax increase by saying it is just $1.90 a week and that the citizens of Wilkes Barre should contribute to the city's revitalization.

We shouldn't contribute to the city's revitalization? Then would the hell should? The residents of Kingston? Oh, the nerve of Mayor Leighton!!! $1.90 a week???

I also enjoyed this one:

The current administration has, in one month's time, placed the city of Wilkes Barre in debt an additional $18 million without regard to where the money was going to come from and without looking for any spending cuts that were recommended by the taxpayers at the Dec. 9, 2003, meeting of city council.

We can make all of the recommendations that we want. But we weren't elected to make the final decisions. We don't have a City Solicitor locked in an upstairs bedroom that can explain to us why our ideas won't float. Most of us don't understand the entire city charter, the complexies of our union contracts, or how acting hastily can end up causing more harm then good. Our elected folks are not bound to enact every recommendation presented to them, and to offer that their having ignored our recommendations is proof that they are not doing their jobs is sophmoric at best.

This one is beautiful coming from someone who wants to run our city. Is this an example of how he'd manage the city?

I feel the city taxpayers need to protest this administration and their total disregard for the welfare of the taxpayers by coming out on Tuesday, Feb. 12, and picket and protest in front of City Hall in a call for compliance to the wishes of the taxpayers.

Yeah, baby! An organized "picket and protest." A call to arms to the taxpayers. Walter will lead us to the promised land. But when should we show up armed with our pitchforks and torches? Is it Tuesday, February 10, or Thursday, February 12? The guy can't properly organize a two man protest, but he seems to think he can manage this city more effectively than the folks we elected to office. I guess the media will just have to guess which day the protest will actually be held if Walt's gonna get his name in the newspapers again.

I hate to say it, but I think the sidewalks at City Hall could use another pressure washing.

Or at the very least, a few dozen water balloons launched towards them.

And if you haven't overdosed on Walter just yet, Paul Krzywicki's "Outside the Lines" column in the Voice took Walter to task this morning. If you haven't already seen it, find it. Here's a tasty excerpt:

Wilkes-Barre residents and elected officials need to ask the city's most out-spoken critic one important question: Where have you been for the last eight years?

I'll take a stab at that one. Nowhere to be seen, nor heard from?

Walter's true motivation is transparent. They suck. Vote for me. He's not a taxpayer watchdog.

After reading the Voice story: Leighton encourages residents to participate in Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch groups, I think I might have to attend two of those meetings. No. I'm looking to join the Crime Watchers. Trust me, my plate is full enough. What caught my eye was that at the February meeting, Capt. Lori Remensnyder will present city crime statistics, then show residents innovative ideas the police now have for capturing criminals and preventing crime.

I'd like to see those crime stastistics.

Plus, it was also announced that at the April meeting, Remensnyder will introduce material on gangs and gang-related activity.

After what we've dealt with on this tiny street, I'd like to learn as much as possible about the vampires still on the prowl.

Anyway, it might be very interesting and you should consider dropping by. As the Voice article points out, you can call the Crime Watchers at 208-8900, or access their web site at www.wbcrimewatch.org. not www.wbcrimewatch.com as the Voice mistakenly listed the address as being.

I did not completely understand this new towing fee program the city is about to institute, so I sought out a better explanation today. The program is meant to free up our police officers from investigating cars reported as stolen that were in fact towed. Plus, it will generate some much-needed income for the city.

My biggest question was would this program do away with the towing contractors having to bid for the towing contract with the city. It will not. The towing folks will still have to submit bids to the city to obtain the towing contract which belongs to City-Wide Towing until 2006.

If you remember correctly, our former mayor awarded this contract to City-Wide after City-Wide submitted no bid, despite Falzone's having submitted a bid of $65,000, and Ayers bidding $50,000 a year. That mayor inherited a $2.5 million surplus, and left us $10 million in debt after only eight years. I guess he felt we didn't need $65,000 a year from our tower.

Now we're getting pics sent in from Harrisburg. Aren't icicles supposed to hang downward and not become erect? Hmmm.

The knower of all things sent this along via the e-mail inbox:

There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.

Say it ain't so? That's just not right. Betty was a cartoon Diva. Let's do it. Betty, or Wilma?

I'm losing it.

I gotta go.

CYA