4-18-2007 Political thugs

I pedal through the train station parking lot each and every morning, long before most of you are out of bed, and I say we strip it down to it’s original luster.

From the Times Leader:

Train cars will be leaving Market St. station for good

GOOD!

When it comes right down to it, despite it’s advancing age, the train station is still a handsome-looking structure. If we’re due to revisit the old days by reintroducing train service to downtown Wilkes-Barre, let’s revisit it all the way.

Anyone disagree?

Cancel those upcoming murder trials. Tell Hugo he can go on parole so long as he doesn’t start anymore graveyards without a permit. Forget the Drug Task Force. Disband it. Tell those crime watchers they are on their own. You see, Walter is demanding his umpteenth investigation. I’m guessing that the Attorney General is on vacation, and the FBI didn’t return his numerous calls.

From the Times Leader:

Election complaints sent to DA

The Luzerne County Election Board decided Tuesday that election-related complaints requiring law enforcement investigation must be reported to the county District Attorney’s Office, not the county Election Bureau.

“We’re not a police agency,” Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza said after the meeting.

The issue surfaced because of complaints from Walter Griffith and Harry Skene about election signs without mandatory messages stating who paid for them.

Piazza said a penalty – a fine or prison or both – could not be imposed unless the accused are convicted of willfully violating election law.

Griffith, who attended Tuesday’s election board meeting, was informed that he may file a complaint with the district attorney’s office.

The county doesn’t want to forward complaints, Piazza said, because it could create the impression that the county believes some sort of action is warranted.

Griffith said he will file his complaint with the district attorney’s office, though he reviewed the law Tuesday afternoon and says he disagrees with the county’s interpretation. He said he wishes the county would have informed him of this rule when he filed the complaint on April 10. He noted that the county election bureau followed a different procedure in the past by accepting this type of complaint.

He named council candidates Kathy Kane, Tony Thomas Jr., Shirley Morio Vitanovec and Rick Cronauer for committing alleged sign violations in his complaint.

Clearly an oversight on their parts but still a clear breach of the rules. Okay, great job. (?) Big whoop. Certainly not worthy of any investigation coming from the DA’s office, but, at least Walter got his name in the newspaper again. Oh joy!

Is there anyone out there that he hasn’t accused of wrongdoing, threatened to sic some long arm of the law on, or cited some obscure criminal code to? What a thin-skinned, effing whiner.

He sure can dish it out, though.

Two more additions to the downtown, anyone?

Again, from the Leader:

Two more for dining downtown

Now all we need is some new places we can shop in.

From the e-mail inbox To all:

If you've been following the inflatable dam project, you know that the PA DEP and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are now reviewing the "complete" application for permits to build the dam on the Susquehanna near Wilkes-Barre. I've been told by the DEP, as recently as yesterday, that it may be several months before a decision is made. And to date, no required public hearing has been scheduled to discuss the twice-revised plans for fish passage and "Operational Flexibility."

This Sunday - Earth Day - I will be making a very simple yet very visible statement opposing this project. Beginning at ~sunrise, I will be on the apex of the Market Street Bridge, downstream side, with high-quality signage big enough to be read from the Luzerne County Courthouse. I've notified all traditional media outlets, bloggers, and the hundreds of contacts I've made through the years we've been opposing this project. Over a month ago, I also notified the Wilkes-Barre Police Department of my plans.

At the 5/1/06 public hearing, someone sitting next to me - who also testified against the dam - said we needed to become more visible & organized against this project. What better day than Earth Day to do just that? If you'd like to help, here's my list:

I'll have my kayak. Drop off yours for the day so we have more than my red tandem lining the sidewalk. I plan on wrapping up at ~3 p.m.
Hang around for an hour or so, bring a chair. If you've purchased a "No Dam" T-shirt, please wear it.
Forward this e-mail to anyone that you know is opposed to this project. Feel free to post it on your blog.

The Susquehanna River in the Wyoming Valley needs to flow freely, now and in future generations. Regardless of the "powerful" people supporting this project, I believe it can be stopped.

Hope to see you - and many others - on Earth Day.

Don Williams

Susquehanna River Sentinel

Count us in. Although, I’m not sure what time. Other than a couple of bicycles, what else should we bring? Rocks? Molotov cocktails? Let us know.

Steve Corbett’s really got me sold on this revolution stuff. Christ only knows, he says the word in every third sentence. Can we start a riot just like all of those preachy MoveOn.org “progressive” psychotic protestors do? When WNEP shows up, we can get our sturdy backs under the back bumper and spin the van in place. How about if we roadblock the bridge? Injure a few police officers just for the fun of it? I know! We can make like the Buddhist monks in ‘Nam by dousing ourselves with gasoline and setting ourselves ablaze. That’ll show them.

You will reimburse me for the gas, right?

Ouch! Quite the spanking.

One more time: From the Times Leader:

MAIL BAG LETTERS FROM READERS

Critic of council candidate Raup obviously doesn’t know her

This letter is in response to Mr. Walter Griffith’s March 30 letter criticizing Charlotte Raup, candidate for Wilkes-Barre City Council in District E. Mr. Griffith accused Charlotte of being an opportunist and not being committed.

If he knew Charlotte at all he would know that his statements are nothing further (from) the truth. Mr. Griffith evidently has no clue as to how much time and energy Charlotte has given to the city of Wilkes-Barre for the last 10 years.

Yes, Charlotte is an opportunist. She has taken the opportunity to work as a volunteer to improve the city, prevent crime and curtail the use of illegal drugs as head of the city’s 13 crime watch groups. She has planned and coordinated crime prevention programs for hundreds of residents in the city.

In addition, Charlotte has taken the opportunity to organize local parades, cleanups and crime watch patrols. There is not a day that goes by that she is not talking to residents about suspicious activities in neighborhoods, working on crime watch meetings or planning a community event.

She does this all on her own time. Her actions speak louder than Mr. Griffith’s words. She will make a first-rate council person because of her knowledge and integrity.

Charlotte has received three resolutions from Wilkes-Barre City Council members extending their appreciation for service to the community and she was the recipient of the 2006 Governor’s Citizen Crime Prevention Volunteer Recognition Award.

That is commitment, Mr. Griffith.

Robert Schuster Wilkes-Barre

It’s not really his fault. The problem is, he’s not near as bright as he thinks he is. In fact, his typically inane banter causes massive spikes of incredulity coming from those of us that can actually think.

Who's managing his campaign anyhow, Charlie Weiss? How smart is it for a city council candidate to publicly belittle the president of the Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition? Um, not very?

Here’s how all of this works.

He and Timmy have formed a political cabal of sorts, proving that it‘s awfully lonely at the bottom. It’s a sad cabal, but a cabal nonetheless. They both know that I have purposely killed more brain cells than they were blessed with at birth combined. They also understand that, without some unexpected scandal erupting, I will vote for Charlotte Raup on election day. So, they cannot resist the overwhelming urge to attack her every chance they get. Why else would they attack a city council candidate they are not running against? Why else would they take underhanded potshots at someone who tirelessly works behind the scenes to make their own neighborhood safer? Why else would they attack a person that has been out there on the streets after dark striving to improve Wilkes-Barre long before they got all impressed with themselves?

I goaded them in and they both bit. One used his name, and the other pretended to be “Jose.” Put simply, they’re hapless chumps. I know it, and they don’t like it. But rather than muck about with the likes of me, they want to talk tough to the girls. They have to talk sh*t on the girls. Consider the sources. They are political thugs, posing as patriots.

If you’re a compassionate sort, have pity on them. And if you’re not, on election day, send these fair-weather political friends back from whence they came: nowhere. The way I see it, the election results will convince them to recuse themselves from the very public life they have regrettably sought out. And despite the trial separation, oblivion awaits them with open arms.

That’s a really good thing.

I have to cut this short. I’m tired, I need a shower and Wifey is cooking something or other. Another night of watching the Phils self-destruct.

I love it.

Buy one, get none free

Later