I missed the big bicentennial parade. I was supposed to work until approximately noon yesterday but ended up halfway to Williamsport due to some less than accurate directions to a prospective job site. That sucked. Of all of the festivities the city had planned, the parade was the one I planned to attend no matter what.

As is always, unless you’re a member of one of those victim groups the Democrats enabled, work comes first. And second. Third, too. That kind of sucks, also.

But, I got me a mini vacation starting in a few days, and a kick-ass block party to boot. It’s weird, the block party really is a rip roaring event year-in and year-out, but with it comes this sense of sadness as it signifies that summer’s end is just about upon us. Well, at least for me.

I often hear some people say that they actually enjoy the changing of the seasons and suchlike, and to them I say it might be time to embrace a healthy dose of electric shock treatment. The way I see it, if it ain’t warm outside it just ain’t right. And it ain’t. Don’t even think of arguing with me on all of that.

I learned by reading some comments at a local blog that some of you pajama-clad losers (like me) are thinking about attending the big bash later this week. Why wouldn’t you? For a nominal fee you’d have yourself plenty of good folks, agricultural amusement aides, tunes, food, games, prizes and all around demented revelry in a safe environment. (Yes, we will have a police officer on hand again) Throw in the off-street parking, and you have little or no reason not to attend. It’s cheaper than a night out at the favorite watering hole, and a whole lot more entertaining. And, no, I do not bite the fat heads off of liberal types unless they get to touching my stuff. You have been warned.

Lemme know.

I love this one. I really, really do.

First the, ahem…“activists” claim the city is ignoring the neighborhoods by working feverishly to revitalize the long-stifled downtown. Then, when the city does get after a long-time problem property, the self-appointed leader of the vacuous leadership experts cries foul because he objects to the process by which said idiot magnet will be eradicated..

Walter, rather than look at the acquisition of the property in question as an unnecessary expense, instead look at it as an overdue investment in the city’s increasingly brighter future. The alternatives are to condemn the place and then watch it disintegrate. Or, we can condemn it, demolish it, put a lien on the property and then enjoy that empty lot for years on end. Think, man. It does not hurt.

From The Times Leader:

Wilkes-Barre City Council not following will of the people I would like to respond to a recent story about a Wilkes Barre resident who is circulating a petition to get the Wilkes-Barre City Council elected at large instead of the way the taxpayers voted in 2001 to have them elected. In my opinion, the Wilkes-Barre City Council is an illegal body of government that has thumbed its nose at the state judicial system. It is in contempt of court because it is not following a court order that was handed down two years ago that said the will of the voters must be done. I would also like to state that Ann Bergold, who is circulating this petition, is the same person who stopped the petition that was circulated and signed by 1,500 residents, to reduce the mayor’s $80,000 salary and city council’s $ 15,000 salary, so that these elected officials can now get a bigger pension and more benefits. I would like to know why the city council and mayor are assisting this woman in her quest to change the city charter. I feel this is a conflict of interest for them to participate as well as sign the petition. This petition is just another way that this city administration has demonstrated its contempt for city taxpayers. I feel it should be deemed illegal and the city should levy a fine against this taxpayer, like it did to the poor woman in the Heights that was just trying to make her neighborhood safe by reopening the fire station. The taxpayers said in 2001 that they wanted city council elected by district because the taxpayers are tired of not getting any service in their neighborhoods. They are tired of watching as city administration raises all types of fees and taxes to take care of the downtown KOZ area that does not generate a dime to the tax base. The city administration is running scared and afraid that they will have to run on their merits in the neighborhoods that they represent and be responsible to the taxpayers who elected them. City taxpayers must get more involved in what is going on with city council. Walter L. Griffith Jr. Wilkes-Barre

I really don’t want to further debate any of the various and tawdry petition efforts, except to say that reinventing local government should not be undertaken during each and every election cycle as we have been doing in this city of late. And, attempts at reinventing our local government should not be entrusted to those who know very little of what they are attempting to do.

Plus, while one side showcases this fight as an attempt by the incumbents to cling to their power, they misrepresent the fact that it is also a thinly-veiled ruse wherein the unelectable change the rules to benefit themselves. If you can’t win a council seat by way of a city-wide vote, then you’re going to have to divide the city into tiny fiefdoms in which you might actually have a chance.

The following is utter poppycock:

I feel it should be deemed illegal and the city should levy a fine against this taxpayer, like it did to the poor woman in the Heights that was just trying to make her neighborhood safe by reopening the fire station.

Wrong! The City did not levy a fine against anyone. A Luzerne county judge ordered a resident to pay the court costs associated with her failed petition effort. Besides, I thought the unelectable encouraged everyone to float petitions, say, every other week or so. Oh, but when the petition in question is not to the liking of the unelectable, well, then, the petitioners should be fined? Sounds like we got a tyrant in the making.

In this city, petitions are like assholes; everyone has got one. And all too often, they are the object of our simmering discontent. We used to argue about how to better improve the city. Now all we seem to be doing is arguing the latest, greatest petition. In my special place, there’s a fine line between getting involved for the good of the community and screwing things up even worse. And ever since carrying petitions became the ultimate rage in Wilkes-Barre, things have gotten pretty screwed up. Deny that.

And what’s up with this gibberish about the “…city administration is running scared?” Based on what? The Community Action Team has been very, very, very busy since it’s inception, and to suggest that the city’s neighborhoods have been neglected is a bald-faced misrepresentation of the facts. A misrepresentation designed to benefit the unelectable come election time.

Running scared? With millions upon millions of private and public dollars being invested in the city at this very moment? Are we blind? Boy oh freaking boy, if I had to run on this administration’s record, I’d be feeling very optimistic about my chances of being reelected.

If you’ve got a problem in your neighborhood, all it takes is one phone call to bring it to the city’s attention. But, you can’t get yourself elected by doing that. No, for the purposes of getting elected, you’ve got to make lots of noise steeped in illogic at council meetings, and write letters to the editors completely laced with inaccuracies.

Near as I can tell, no one currently toiling away as a council member sacrifices virgins, engages in secret demonic rituals, or is a card-carrying member of any group known to partake of criminalities. Yet, to hear the self-aggrandizing critics spin the tale, our city council should be vilified as the evil-doers that they obviously are. Simply put, that’s bunkum.

Despite the fact that many anonymous cowards have attempted to paint me as some sort of suck-ass insider, nothing could be further from the truth. Do you honestly believe I could give a flying funk if somebody currently sitting on council gets shown the political door when we next vote? If Councilman B gets dumped, I’m going to hang my head and then ingest enough DEET to kill every mosquito this side of Bangladesh?

I don’t care who serves on city council, so long as they are competent. And if this current crop are so completely incompetent as Walter would have us believe, despite all of his insistent rambling, he has clearly failed to make his case. The louder he drones on and on about how dastardly they are, the more he identifies himself as someone not worth wasting a single vote on. That’s my opinion, and they tell me I’m still entitled to it.

“Now, the biggest obstacle that we must overcome is the negative attitude of a small, but pervasive, segment of our population. These people who are petty, jealous, constantly complaining and always negative do not share the dreams and goals of the people standing here with me today. Our future is bright and we cannot let the lack of enthusiasm of a few darken the future for us all.

If we embrace this negative attitude, we are not only failing the City, but we are failing ourselves..”--Tom Leighton, June 9, 2005

Here, here!

We got ourselves yet another entry into the local blogosphere. While I find that to be a reasonably good thing, sadly, it is yet another anonymous pursuit.

There’s really no point in parsing words, so why start now? So far, we’re exploring tired themes. The Chamber of Commerce is targeted, and the paving of MY street has taken too long. And I do object to Larry Newman being called a “lackey.” As urban planning folks go, name me one that has done more to transform Wilkes-Barre into a vibrant place. Go ahead. Take a stab at that one. (Sigh)

Oh, and to point to every dollar as a dollar that could have been used to hire a cop or a firefighter will get me to shaking my head every time it’s tried. When we weren’t hiring cops and the force was smaller than your average Cub Scout troop…nobody noticed. Nobody cared. Nobody, other than myself and a scant few others, said a single word. But now that we have an administration that hired what almost amounts to an entire platoon of new police officers, every day is yet another chance to point out how many cops we could have hired but didn’t. (Yawn)

Whatever. Give it a visit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

When I cried out unrelentlessly from the rooftops that the former mayor needed to be replaced, they mistakenly called me every name ever thunk of and told me I was wrong. And when I wholeheartedly endorsed our current mayor, they stupidly accused me of doing as much so as to benefit myself. And when I repeatedly stated that I am grateful for the job Tom Leighton has done to date, they ridiculously ripped into me for being his “insider” cheerleader.

It must suck to be so completely wrong every time you folks make with the anonymous sniping.

Reader’s comments:

Anonymous said... Good site, I just stumbled on this site! Keep writing about local politics, no other site does this other than some wierdo who is infatuated with himself and his love of the Mayor and some person nicknamed "JJ". However, you have to start writng more often!

Weirdo? (note the spelling there, bucko) Finally! Somebody pegged me correctly. I’m a weirdo, but that much has been established long, long ago. Or so I thought. But…I am not an anonymous assassin weirdo. Kudos to me.

The equally feeble-minded and cowardly have spoken once again. No local Web site is worth reading unless the author hates every one of those sick bastards down at City Hall. They are all equally worthless, and anyone who suggests otherwise is kissing right where the excrement meets the road. Whatever. Kill ‘em all! We gotcha. Just like we got the rest of the anonymous dimwits totally ensconced in their negative mindset.

Typical.

If I gave you the impression that I support Joe Leiberman, I must apologize. That was not my intention. I was keenly interested in his predicament only because I wanted to see if the far-left appeasers were actually going to prevail by eating one of their own. He no doubt has a very liberal record, so I found it very interesting that so many thought he should be shunned only because he supported our war efforts.

I find many of the oft-virulent Democrats to be offensive by their very nature, but Joe Leiberman never even came close to joining that list. He was a liberal through-and-through, but he didn’t spew needless invective as a means to an end. As lefties go, he was measured, reasonable and statesmanlike. He came this close to being the veep, and now he’s persona non grata among his own. I find that to be fascinating.

I don’t think this is a good sign iffin’ you’re one of those Democrats. What this says to me is, if you have a thought of your own and won’t tow the party line without exception, you are a dead duck. And it’s kind of frightening when you consider our immediate future. How can isolationism and appeasement counter direct and growing threats from abroad?

We shall see.

CYA