Letter to NuPo: Cut Back on County Spending Before Cuts are Forced on Us

The following was submitted by Tim Mullen, candidate for Luzerne County Council:

Structural deficiencies in our national economy guarantee us a lower standard of living. The greatest crisis of the last 70 years was greeted with the solution to "just go shopping."

Government and households have spent beyond their means. Luzerne County took the lead and is saddled with a debt approaching a half billion dollars.

The time has come to pay the piper. I am the one candidate that will tell you everything you don't want to hear. We can face our fate head on now by voluntarily sacrificing, or unpleasant changes will be forced upon us in the near future.

Some have accused me of used tired old sound bites such as "no tax increases" or "no more borrowing." I am one candidate that will "walk the walk" not just "talk the talk." As promised in past writings I will offer solutions, not empty rhetoric.

As your county council member I would ensure that we have another layer of checks and balances by restoring the powers lost by the county controller under the new charter. This can be done by legislating into the administrative code the ability of the controller to review purchases and contracts prior to approval of the executive branch (county manager). This can be done without violating the covenants of the charter.

The council has no control over hiring and firing within the courts, but it does have the ability to approve the court's budget. It may have been forgotten, but it is the taxpayers that mandate how much it requires to run the courts, not the courts themselves. Luzerne County courts are now overstaffed 20-25 percent more than similar sized counties.

I would advocate for a budget in line with similar sized counties.
I am not a lawyer and I have no relationship with the courts.
I am a taxpayer advocate.

Let it be up to the courts to decide whether the money should be spent on personnel or paper clips and how much of each.

Cost analysis of each department will be done by the controller's office, not department heads under the charter. Department heads will always ask for more than they would ever need. It will be, however, up to the council to hold the controller's feet to the fire to ensure that performance audits are done in a timely fashion.

Implement into the administrative code that audits will be done by different auditors in a two year rotating schedule versus the present system which allows a cozy relationship to develop between the auditor and the audited.

I have only scratched the surface in looking for ways to run a leaner more efficient county government. Yes there may be cutbacks in county services as well as county personnel. I reiterate, it is best to do so now while we have some say in the matter rather than when it is forced upon us.

Tim Mullen
Kingston Township
Candidate for Luzerne County Council

To read more of Tim's writings, go to http://www.votemullen.com/blog.html

Ensemble Chaconne to Play at KING'S College

Press Release:

Ensemble Chaconne will perform a selection of 18th century London chamber music using classical instruments during a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the J. Carroll McCormick Campus Ministry Center at King’s College. Admission is free.

The concert will feature masterpieces by Handel and Vivaldi and selections by other great European composers who settled in London during the latter part of the century.... To continue reading see http://www.kings.edu/news_and_events/ensemble_chaconne

Cars for Cash Protest Shines Spotlight on Corruption

Citizens rightly outraged by the underhanded dealings between tow truck operator Leo Glodzik III and Wilkes-Barre City Government and Police held a protest Saturday September 17th.

Traffic was a little thin, and the city hall building was closed on the weekend, but the press showed up, and mayoral candidate Betsy Summers made sure the few cars that did pass by heard her loudspeaker into which she chanted "Investigate Glodzik-gate!" The organizer of the event, Mark Robbins, brought police tape to wrap around the proverbial crime scene of city hall and others wrote messages on poster-boards that they commenced to wave before passing vehicles. All in all, it was a brisk sunshiny day of righteous protest.

Notable attendees were protest organizer Mark Robbins, Libertarian Party of PA chairman Lou Jasikoff, Wilkes-Barre mayoral candidates Betsy Summers and Lisa Cope, as well as Luzerne County Council candidate Tim Mullen, the good tow truck operator Bob Kaluboski, and Republican Primary W-B mayoral candidates Frank Sorick and Karen Ceppa. Many other anti-Leighton protestors attended and added up to about 25 people in all. Ron Paul supporters staged a complementary Ron Paul sign wave at the site, and some partook in the protest of Wilkes-Barre government corruption.

Leighton Protest Recap (Updated 9/17/11)

(Updated 9/17/11)

Mark Robbins lead a protest against the corrupt dealings between the Leighton Administration and its tow truck contractor Leo Glodzik.

The event was touted as a "benefit to help those who lost their cars or were otherwise price gouged by LAG Towing. Robbins pledged to match a $5,000 gift to those who got towed with a $5,000 gift to flood victims.

Notable attendees were Robbins, Jasikoff, Summers, and Cope, as well as Luzerne County Council candidate Tim Mullen, the city's former tow truck operator, Bob Kaluboski, and 2011 Republican Primary mayoral candidates Frank Sorick and Karen Ceppa. Many other anti-Leighton protestors attended and added up to about 25 in all. Ron Paul supporters staged a complementary Ron Paul sign wave and some protested Wilkes-Barre corruption.

Traffic was a little thin, and the city hall building was closed on the weekend, but the press showed up, and Betsy Summers made sure the few cars that did pass by heard her loudspeaker into which she chanted "Investigate Glodzik-gate!" Robbins brought police tape and others wrote messages poster-boards that they commenced to wave at the passing vehicles. All in all, it was a brisk sunshiny day of righteous protest.

Talk Radio Drinks Rick Perry Koolaid

Somehow, "conservative" talk radio is falling unanimously behind Rick Perry in the Republican presidential primary. It's like a pod of whales all following each other to become beached on the perilous shore. And so with them, swims all their listeners to the craggy cove of Governor Good Hair.

Rash Limbaugh was dubbed an honorary Texan by Rick Perry in 2009, so that deal is sealed. He also says that Ron Paul is a "kook"--the same slander used by Bill Kristol.

Laura Ingram is gushing over what a pious Christian she believes Rick Perry to be. She remarked that he is "ticking off all the right people", as if all Perry's opponents are Obamaphiles, which is false.

Even Michael Savage, who we would expect to know better, is now glowing about how handsome Rick Perry looks to him; and how he's physically superior to Ron Paul (this is seriously what he said). Savage has also begun to falsely claim, just as Rush has, that Ron Paul can't win despite the fact that Paul scores way better with moderates and independents than Savage's man-crush Rick Perry.

Mark Levin and Sean Hannity will no doubt try to outdo these three in Perry worship.

But considering all the problems* with Rick Perry, wouldn't we expect at least one major talkshow host endorse somebody else? Perhaps Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, or Romney? Why are these people mindlessly falling into the Rick Perry Groove?

It almost seems like a conspiracy. Talk Radio has been stoking the anti-Obama fires in people's souls for nearly three years. This is why listeners often say that "anybody would be better than Obama." With the flame a-broiling, Talk Radio then, surreptitiously, slips in the name of Rick Perry as an alternative.

It's like the listeners have been conditioned to have an appetitive urge for the removal of Obama. It is a childish, ridiculous view that only conservative talk radio could have fostered. Indeed, Obama is a Machiavellian monster who leans left in his corporatist policies and acts like an effeminate despot, but by centering all the discussion on the basic thesis that "Obama and the Democrats are the cause of all our problems", Talk Radio has conditioned its listeners to accept Obama's exact policies as long as they have a Republican stamp on them. It is a moronic tribalism that only Michael Savage seems to break with, but even he has the hots for Governor Good hair; and brings his listeners to the same craggy shore as does his fellow gabbers.

Talk Radio and its dependents may well accept the phony right-wing populist Perry just as the Left accepted the phony left-wing populist Obama in 2008. By saying Ron Paul doesn't have a chance, Talk Radio inflicts a self-fulfilling prophecy by getting their listeners to write him off.

We had held out hope the Savage would endorse Paul, but he has cast himself as one of the pack.
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*Some of Rick Perry's Problems include:
1. He called for the TARP bank bailouts.
2. The fact that the Texas state government grew at a faster rate than the US government during his tenure.
3. Lack of action on illegal immigration. He also signed the Texas version of the DREAM Act which allows in-state tuition for children of illegals.
4. The selling of toll roads to foreigners.
5. Holding a pre-election prayer event, likely for political gain.
6. Benefiting from an insiders club of billionaires while repaying them with sweet deals and government contracts.
7. Assuming the role of "parent" by forcing little 12 year-old girls to take Gardasil shots despite the fact that most of them would have never gotten the virus that causes HPV, especially if they and their fiances were to wait until marriage. Not only this, but Perry did it via an executive order and thus severely violated his own state constitution.
8. Perry acted like the opt-out clause of the mandate was easy, but if Perry really wanted to "give" people a choice, then there should have been an opt-in as Santorum said. Nevertheless, opting out was much more difficult than Perry made it seem in the debate.
9. Lying to Michele Bachmann about how much Merck, the maker of Gardasil, benefited him.
10. Endorsing moderate Rudy Giuliani in 2008.
11. Scoffing at the idea of endorsing constitutionalist Ron Paul in 2008.
12. Provoking Debra Medina to run against him in the Republican Primary of 2010.
13. Exclaiming the wonders of Hillarycare in the 1990s well after having switched to the Republican Party.
For more see http://www.facebook.com/groups/conservativesagainstrickperry/

Crazy Cestwood Superintendent Refuses to Cancel School

Crestwood High School Superintendent Dave McLaughlin-Smith decided not to cancel classes Friday despite massive flooding in the Wyoming Valley. Crestwood was the only school in Luzerne County that did not close.

One may argue that Mountain Top, where Crestwood is located, was not in any danger of significant flooding and therefore should have had school. However, this is a small-minded view for a number of reasons.

First, evacuees from the floodplain below were reportedly having difficulty finding places to stay. The Crestwood gymnasium may have been better used as a refuge for them rather than for school activities.

Secondly, many residents of Mtn Top undoubtedly had family members living near the river in areas such as Wilkes-Barre and Forty Fort who needed help coping with things. If at least the high school kids were allowed to stay home, things would have been easier.

Third, many Crestwood employees actually live in the floodplain or in school districts that were closed due to imperiled roads. Placing these people in danger is not in the interest of safety or education.

Finally, What possibly could have been more important on the school schedule Friday than the need for an evacuee center, for time to take care of loved ones, and relief from having to travel perilous roadways? Although, school is important, it's not like the children aren't there 179 other days out of the year. This has led me to conclude that the superintendent has an irrational fixation with not canceling school and is crazy.

Dombroski: "The Dikes Aren't High Enough"

The Susquehanna River is expected to crest at 41 feet, the exact height of the dike as it stretches along Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Forty Fort, and Wyoming. Any increase in dike levels would mean flooding for the region. One man, Thomas Dombroski, has been saying for a while that the dikes are not high enough, and that they would need to be 56 feet in order to withstand another Agnes-type of rainfall.

Hurricane Agnes was the cause of the Flood of 72, perhaps the greatest disaster to ever hit a part of Pennsylvania. At the time, the Susquehanna River crested at 41 feet, so the Army Corps of Engineers said that a height of 41 feet was sufficient to stop another Agnes. But according to Dombroski, the reason they refused to go above 41 feet was that it would cost them more money and that another Agnes was deemed to be unlikely.

Dombroski, head of the Wyoming Valley Flood Protection Committee, had several of his properties damaged in the 1972 flood and still owns several properties along the river. By using physics calculations, which were independently seconded by a Wilkes University professor, Dombroski found that the dikes would have to be 56 feet high to withstand another Agnes. The reason is that although the river crested at 41 feet, when it did so, much water had already spilled out from the river bed to the flood plain. Dombroski measured the area of the flood plain and took samples of the height of floodwater in various locations. He then used physics calculations to flop the floodwater back onto the river bed and concluded that it would have reached a height of 56 feet there. The reason he was able to do this was that he assumed steady state conditions for the river because the river was flowing at the same speed upstream in Tunkhannock as it was downriver in Nanticoke. Therefore, any water that spilled past the banks would have stayed atop the river and added to its height had it not spilled over the dikes.

Lord willing, the river's height will not clear 41 feet. And if it comes close, Wyoming Valley residents may have Dombroski in part to thank for no flooding, because he did a lot of work in the 80's via the Flood Protection Committee to get the dikes raised to 41 feet. This entailed convincing local leaders to agree to work toward acquiring some federal and state funds to build a new dike that would be than the 36 feet it had previously stood at. The scare of 1996 prompted Bill Clinton to guarantee that the project to raise the dikes to 41 feet would finally begin.

When asked his opinion on the 41 feet, Dombroski reflects "we took what we could get". Hopefully what they got will be enough.
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SOURCE: "Pennsylvania Issue: Are the Dikes High Enough" King's College, PA. May 2011

Obama Consulted Newt Gingrich on Education

According to a White House visitor's list, Newton Gingrich visited POTUS (Barack Obama) for a private meeting in the Oval Office on May 5, 2009 at 12:30pm. Gingrich is publicly known as a champion of charter schools and vouchers.

Free-market writer Sheldon Richman has pointed out the problems with charter schools, namely, that they will be controlled by an anti-charter school establishment. Richman sees such schools as ultimately being more of an exercise in futility than anything else.

Click pic to see Newton's name.

In the Republican Primary debate this past Thursday night, Newt attempted to play the role of "the bigger man" by criticizing the questioners for trying to pit the candidates against each other, stating that all of them would be better than Obama. But Gingrich seems to be quite an establishment figure; and, after writing a forward to one of Al Gore's books Gingrich did a "Climate Change" commercial with Nancy Pelosi. Gingrich may not be as anti-Democrat as one might think. Regardless, it is doubtful that POTUSbama would have invited constitutionalist Ron Paul to a private meeting on education.

Letter to NuPo: On the Anniversary of 9/11

This letter is from Elizabeth Potter of Unity Productions Foundation.

In memory of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I would like to offer you and your readers of Nothington Post a message of peace in a short video and a pledge of tolerance.
http://myfellowamerican.us
If you are able to post or tweet about the video and the pledge, please let me know. I am here if you have any questions.

Thank you so much,

Elizabeth Potter
Unity Productions Foundation
myfellowamerican.us
facebook.com/MyFellowAmericanProject
@usmuslimstories

To send your own letter to the Nothington Post, email nupoblog@yahoo.com