If the truth doesn't save us, what does that say about us?--Lois McMaster Bujold

The issue of council members serving on authorities and whatnot was in the Leader again today and it is a non-issue that the mayor won’t let up on now that he’s the “underdog” with the $32 million war chest. It’s gotten old man! Who gives a muck? Nobody, except a failed mayor clinging to the most minute gooblety gook in hopes of generating some press. Useless press that is! And he managed to finally get himself slammed by bringing it up again. Tom Leighton had the best response yet to this nonsensical bullsh*t.

"I think the city benefits by having council members on these boards because we get first-hand information about what's going on," said Leighton. "Just as an example, if we had had a council person on the redevelopment authority all along, a lot of what's happened with the theater project and everything else probably could have been avoided."

Repeat after me...BANG!!! 10-4 big guy! If the RA was a functioning authority rather than a useless group of hand-picked apparatchiks, we may or may not be enjoying movies drowntown this weekend, but we wouldn’t have built $5 million footers either.

I know we’re getting closer and closer to the mayor’s Waterloo and he‘s desperate to hoodwink a few voters any way he can, but isn’t there something more important we can debate other than the parking authority? Is this gonna be a question at the Great Debate?

Mr. Smith, as the mayor of Wilkes-Barre, would you object to council members serving on the (pick one) authority? Who gives a flying farg’? Like we don’t have bigger, more immediate problems to be addressed.

Check this freakin’ yard sign. Talk about elaborate. The photo was taken by a city resident who wishes to remain nameless until Wilkes-Barre is liberated and free from the goon squad.

Check this puppy out. The Rethinking schools click and drag geography game. Turn the kiddies onto this if you can master it yourself. I got three wrong. Damn! I’m slipping.

Let’s do an e-mail:

******Just read your most recent comments concerning Nanticoke and their financial troubles. Also just got done reading a clip form today's Citizen Worst (Voice) stating how West Pittston is exploring an option from a Carolina firm to put corporate sponsorship on city police vehicles in exchange for a purchase price of $1 per cruiser. The story estimated a $25,000 per cruiser cost for a well equipped vehicle. You know, in West Pittston they have actual lights and stuff on their police cars so costs would actually be less in this city. Anyway, when are the powers that be and the citizens of all these little towns/cities, Wilkes-Barre included, going to realize that regionalization is the only way that we are going to be able to provide adequate police and fire protection for this area in years to come. For some reason, the citizens of this area are afraid to loose their community identity, i.e. "I'm from Sugar Notch and proud of that we have our own fire and police depts. Don't raise my taxes to pay for them, though." Who gives a rat's ass if you're from Sugar Notch or anywhere else. Shouldn't it matter more that when someone breaks in you house that a cop is going to be there within minutes, instead of waiting for over an hour for a state police officer to respond. If your house catches fire, do you want someone there in a timely manner to actually save you and it, or do would you rather have a place to play bingo on Wednesday nights? That's not a knock against any volunteer firefighters. They have their own day jobs to worry about to support their families.

This whole corporate sponsorship thing on municipal vehicles is such a bad idea. It's just not the answer. Worse yet, it's right up the mayor's alley. Painting dump trucks city high school colors is one thing, but could you imagine a big PEPSI logo on the back of Rescue 7? It's possible with this moron. I could see/hear it now : "Rescue 7 to county. County. Rescue 7 is arriving on scene. We have a two car MVA with fluids down, no injuries. Rescue 7 is assuming command......and we'd like to remind you, the next time you're feeling thirsty, reach for an ice cold PEPSI. Nothing refreshes more - than a PEPSI. County : 10-4, Drink PEPSI!"

Enjoy the snow and I'm sure that the mayor will be his normal calm, cool, collected self today during the storm.******

Why not rename the fleet? Rescue 7 would become Pepsi R-7! Heyna? Wait a minute! Come on! Everybody knows that accidents go better with Coca Cola, accidents go better with Coke! Any community that goes for the advertising/free cruiser deal is making a big mistake as far as I see it. Our police are supposed to project an image and I don’t think they will be quite as intimidating when they need to be if they patrol the streets in something that looks like it’s prepped for the next Busch series qualifying event. What’s next? Viagra patches on their shoulders in place of an American flag?

The folks in this area would go completely broke before they’d accept regionalization. Look at the stupidity of the Kingston/Luzerne police pact. The folks in Luzerne whined that they were getting second fiddle treatment, so they dumped Kingston and signed on with Swoyersville. How long before the residents start griping about the Swoyersville police’s handling on their calls? Probably not very long.

Where does Sugar Notch end and Warrior Run or Askam begin? The folks that live in those communities smaller than your yard probably don’t even know, but they do know where they were born and where they’ll die and they’ll die broke before they’ll go for giving up their town’s identity, which in most cases doesn’t even afford them a post office or a dot on a map. How do you put it? They are dumb fu*ks.

Did ya ever notice how tough chicks can be on one another when it comes to chick stuff like hair styles, clothes, jewelry and shoes? They are brutal. Here ya go babes, check this site out a tad. Ugly Dress.com

Okay, the Iraq campaign was a smashing success. Gas prices will begin to recede, but not as much as we’d probably like until we put Iran and Syria in their place and the rest of the Middle East finally shuts their mucking holes. Go here to find the lowest gas prices in town- Gas Buddy.com. I checked it out, it does work.

Then we have the Voice story today covering the fact that the mayor will not be happy until he bulldozes those buildings at the intersection of S. Main and Northampton. He yammered something about marketing the properties after demolition. Yeah right! Try marketing the call center first. What is it, seven weeks until the next payment comes due on that gray elephant? He merely believes he’ll get some spending money after the wrecking ball delivers the remainder of the EDA grant that he hasn’t already spent on something other than what the first draft of funding was meant for-primarily buying out the last tenant, which is now suing because the mayor never delivered on his promise to buy them out.

This issue is another one that is just not making the radar screens of the average voters in this city. The daily reminders about council members serving on authorities and the most blighted corner in our drowntown pale in comparison to the Holeplex, the Intermuckal center and the rising crime rate, the broken sidewalks, the falling window panes and wires protruding skyward from our sidewalks where a street light used to be. This is why I say that he’ll never enter into a candidate’s debate with Mr. Smith and Mr. Leighton. He can’t bare to admit that we have any problems, other than some trivial bone to pick with council about charter by-laws or other procedures that are subject to interpretation, but no one in his camp will make the final interpretations-only the charges. He’s hoping this dribble will stick in the minds of voters, while trying to make them forget how completely he has stuck it to them already.

I don’t take him at his word where these buildings are concerned. All he sees is dollar signs. Dollars that will go right to the general fund and be gone forever. His track record is unmistakable.

I have not seen a single yard sign for any of the mayoral candidates, republican or democrat, except for Jim Verdekal’s. Was sup wit dat?

I’m going to watch this NCAA final that has the area all abuzz over this McNamara kid from Scranton. I’m not much into this final four jazz, but I will have to root for the local kid tonight. During the thousands of commercials, I’ll root for the other local kids on the Fox news channel as they sweep through Iraq. Go Syracuse! So America!

Later Wilkes-Barre.

TLFM