The LuLac Edition #319, Oct. 4th, 2007
PHOTO INDEX: MAYOR TOM LEIGHTON AND LINDA J. STETS.
IT'S ON!!!!
The race for Mayor is on, it seems like things have been quiet for a time but now with October in full swing, the campaigning has to start. It's now or never. Here are the links to the two websites for each candidate for the city's Mayor's chair. The very first election for the strong Wilkes Barre Mayor form of government came in 1975 where City Controller Walter Lisman outlasted Councilman Joe Williams and School Director Tony Mussarri in the primary. Lisman of course became the Mayor. There were signs, phone banks and big newspaper ads. It wasn't very interactive. Now, the information a voter needs is at the tips of your fingers. Here are those sites, check them out:
SWEENEY IN THE HOUSE?
Today's Times Leader had a story about former weathercaster Vince Sweeney running for Congress in the 10th. We got an e mail tip a few weeks ago spotting Sweeney with GOP chair Lynette Vallano but would not publish it because of my two source rule. And on Sunday I was shopping at Shield's when I encountered Sweeney and his wife Carole exiting the store. We were so hellbent on telling old media stories that I never got around to ask him about "the tip". When I told Mrs. LuLac that I saw him in Parsons, her reaction was "Wow, he's out of his neighborhood isn't he?"
Anyway, if Sweeney runs, here are the strengths.
1. Name and face recognition.
2. Likeability.
3. Great personality and presentation skills.
4. Straightforwardness. (Liked how he addressed his personal education background in the TL article.)
The weaknesses:
1. Has to get a grasp on national issues. Being liked and charismatic will only carry you so far. Ask Lynn Swann. And now Fred Thompson.
2. The Republican party in Luzerne County. There is none.
3. The national Republican party, they gave no help to Joe Leonardi last fall.
4. Running in what promises to be a Democratic year.
But with those strengths and weaknesses aside, he'd be formidable. And I wish him luck.
posted by David Yonki @ 10:28 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Yo Yoni,
Sonny Bono
Fred Grandy (gopher love boat)
Steve Largent
Bill Bradly
Jack Kemp
All people who got to Congress (I'm sure thre are others) on name recongition so who knows........Don't discount name recongition, it can be a powerful factor.
Holding copies of e-mails sent to Leighton's [City Hall] office about the sale [of real estate], Grier asked Leighton if he used his office in "any way, shape or form regarding real estate."
Leighton did not respond to Grier.
When asked [by a Citizens' Voice reporter] if he conducted real estate business during city time, Leighton responded, "I'm not going to answer..."
source: The Citizens' Voice 9/21/07
Club Mardi Gras on South Main Street may be the second downtown entertainment destination to close this year.
Campus Billiards, a few doors down from the nightclub, closed in April.
source: The Times Leader 10/4/07
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH PEOPLE! WAKE UP! LEIGHTON IS PROFITING FROM BEING IN OFFICE - HE IS IN IT FOR THE MONEY, NOT FOR YOU, ME OR OUR CITY.
You got fooled when you voted for Leighton the bloodsucker in 2003, and you know how the saying goes... fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me... don't get fooled (and be the fool) again. None of the current administration's plans are sustainable. These projects are taxpayer-funded; Leighton's campaign contributors make out in the short run, we suffer in the long run. The fact that two businesses have already failed in the downtown is an example of what is to come if we continue to buy into Leighton's schemes. LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND GET RID OF THE GREEDY PARASITE!
Wake up folks. PLEASE! Leighton refused to say if he was using his office in City Hall for private gain. Read between the lines. What does that tell you? If he wasn't doing it - and if he hadn't gotten caught - he would just say that he wasn't doing it.
Leighton has the best interests of himself and his campaign contributors in mind.
The fact that both Club Mardi Gras and Campus Billiards - two businesses geared toward the college crowd that is 100yards away - failed in the newly reborn downtown before Leighton's first term even ended, well that is just a sign of things to come for this city and its residents if we continue to believe Leighton's lies that his friends' taxpayer-funded projects are in the best interest of the taxpayers.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND VOTE THIS PENSION-SEEKING PARASITE OUT OF CITY HALL ONCE AND FOR ALL!
There have been rumors for a long time out there for guys like Sweeney, Marisa Burke and your old buddy Webster from Rock 107. Pa. has a long tradition of electing talking heads, Congressman Ron Klink, Al Benedict, there was evn talk of a Keith Martin candidacy. Yep, there is name recognition there and in this day and age of the short attention span voter, that's all you might need.
Hi Dave...
I only wish we could have stood in the parking lot and gabbed for an hour or two about old radio/TV stories; between us both we've got a million, and the scars to show we both fought on the beaches of broadcasting.
Please tell the lovely Mrs. LuLac that I work now in that neighborhood, as many know. Also, please tell her I appreciate her missing me on TV. We met in that parking lot because we were there for the booze. It's one of the few state stores open Sundays. So there you have one problem met with honesty; I drink! I especially love good beer.
Do I smoke? Nope, not any more, gave it up about 5 years ago. How about gambling? Nah, it never floated my boat, does nothing for me, but the wife loves the slots on occasion. We've visited the Mohegans a sum total of two times, despite my working right next door.
You would both be welcome with warmth and affection should you ever care to visit our shelter; better yet, there is no obligation, just come, look, and let me show you around. Please consider that an invitation.
I would like your kind and gentle(for the most part!)readers to understand how much I love my job. The opportunity to do good and important work is a blessing, a gift, and I am daily grateful that The SPCA of Luzerne County asked me to join them on their journey. I am thrilled to be there.
That being said, and truthfully so, allow me to address this congressional thing. You were kind enough to call me straightforward, I will continue to live up to that compliment. The facts are these...
Until recently, I was a Democrat. That I changed my affiliation could become an issue. The PA Republican Committee is comfortable with it, so any explanation will come at another time, which would be the time I decide I am a candidate. Right now, please, I am not a declared candidate. How the Democrats feel about it, I have no idea, they have not contacted me. They have my number, they know where I am.
The R Party in Luzerne County has problems, no doubt about it. However, the portion of the county that is in the 10th is decidedly R, perhaps overwhelmingly R.
Today, Lynn Swann could be governor of PA - he's not for one reason; the Casey/Santorum race sucked up all the money and interest, and it took the focus off of Rendell/Swann. Swann was proving daily that he was enormously popular with PA voters, but the R money all went into unsuccessfully saving Santorum. I have no problem with Governor Rendell, but Swann, absent Bobby Casey in the senate race, could have beaten him.
You are very right, it will be a Democratic year, I would not argue that for a second. Chris Carney might very well be unbeatable. I have nothing bad to say about Carney. Is he a good congressman? Yeah, he probably is. Would I be a good congressman? Given time to settle in the job, I believe so.
The key to it all is held by two entities, the DNC and the RNC, and which one will outspend the other to retain or take back that seat. It's my understanding that there is a limit as to how far either will go. They'll look at house seats nationwide, then decide which to fight like hell for, and which to cross their fingers and hope they can keep. Where the 10th falls in that assessment, I have no idea.
One last thought, for now - finding myself on the front page of the Times Leader came as a total shock. They did contact me after hearing the "rumor," we did speak, it was pleasant, but I had neither any idea nor indication it would be a stand-alone story, never mind front page. Plus, it was completely accurate and well-written, for which I personally thank Ms. Andes.
Again, David, thank you for your kindness, and the opportunity to come here and blab a bit. I wish you well, sir!
IN RESPONSE
The fact that both Club Mardi Gras and Campus Billiards - two businesses geared toward the college crowd that is 100yards away - failed in the newly reborn downtown before Leighton's first term even ended,
YOU CAN'T BLAME THOSE CLOSINGS ON LEIGHTON. MAYBE THE FACT THAT THEY WERE MARKETING TO COLLEGE KIDS IS A MISTAKE. I HEAR ALL THE TIME HOW THEY'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE NEXT ELECTION, THEN THEY NEVER COME OUT TO CAST A VOTE. SAME THING WITH THE DOWNTOWN, THEY WHINE AND SAY "THERE'S NOTHING TO DO" BUT WON'T WALK HALF A BLOCK PAST GONDA'S TO SUPPORT A LOCAL BUSINESS DOWNTOWN OR UP THE STREET FROM SOUTH STREET TO DO THE SAME. I THINK IT'S HYSTERICAL THAT KING'S HAS A VAN TO TRANSPORT THE LITTLE DARLINGS FROM WASHINGTON STREET TO N. MAIN TO GET TO CLASSES ON TIME. WHAT IS IT TWO BLOCKS FOR YOUNG, HEALTHY 19 YEAR OLD BODIES? LEIGHTON'S MISTAKE, IF IT IS THAT IS TRYING TO CREATE A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN FOR THE COLLEGE KIDS. THEY PROVED THEY WON'T COME. THE CURRENT COLLEGE STUDENT IS TOO BUSY DRINKING THEIR BEER AT EXCESSIVE LEVELS, GOING TO WEEKLY PARTIES THAT ARE A STONE'S THROW AWAY FROM THEIR COUCHES AND COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO SUPPORT THE DOWNTOWN THEY CONSTANTLY CHARACTERIZE AS "BORING". I THINK IT'S INDICATIVE OF THE WAY PEOPLE UNDER 35 LIVE NOW THAT THE CLUB MARGI GRAS WAS CRITICIZED FOR HAVING A DRESS CODE! HEAVENS NO, WE CAN'T HAVE THAT, MOM AND DAD ARE IN JERSEY AND CAN'T DRESS THE KIDS. THE MAYOR GAVE IT THE OLD COLLEGE TRY, PUN NOT INTENDED. HE NEEDS TO MARKET TO A MORE LOYAL AND APPRECIATIVE DEMO.
IN RESPONSE
Again, David, thank you for your kindness, and the opportunity to come here and blab a bit. I wish you well, sir!
POST ANY TIME YOU WANT VINCE. I CAN ALWAYS SAY THAT I KNEW YOU BEFORE YOU ACQUIRED YOUR TV PERSONA AND BOYISH GOOD LOOKS, BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN YOU HAD A FACE FOR RADIO!!!
Tom Leighton might not be the friendliest guy in the world but I'm voting for him again. Here's why: he's trying and not burying us in debt. Plus, all you get when you mention his name on your site (and Dave I believe you are being fair by listing the two web sites and as you always do offer historical perspective on elections) are vicious, no named attacks that are just rehashes from the local papers. You offered people a chance to look at his web site (as well as his foe's) and what you got was not a debate on what needs to be done in Wilkes Barre to make life better but an attack that is both blistering and unfair. The more they come after him with these wild eyed charges, the better his vote totals will be.
Debates in our democracy tend to get overheated. Obviously there are many passions running deep in Wilkes Barre cityy elections. Moreso than in the county, SAvokinas wearing a tee shirt at a summer rally, Stankus working at Sunshine, pleeeeeeeeeezzzzzzeeee, at least the city folks are willing to mix it.
Got back late afternoon on Saturday. I saw two great games. A slugfest and the best pitching performance I, possibly, ever saw by Carmona! 45,000 people chanting Yankees Suck is impressive!! Downtown Cleve
like Louisville on Derby day all day Friday and after the game! Lady in front of me wearing a shirt that read
“Yuck the Fankees!” Didn’t run into LeBron or Dennis Kucinich’s Wife. Was gonna kiss her for ya if I did.
Go Tribe!!!
Tribe polishes off a shaky Yankee team and NY fans blame the bugs!
Torre should just walk. Screw the bastards. He did the best he could.
Boston will be tough, but we can beat em! This could be the Tribe’s Year.
I might get to a World Series Game. Remember my birthdate and the Tribes
last Championship match up. October 1948.
The City of Wilkes-Barre has borrowed significantly during the last four years - for the intermodal center, the wireless network, oh, and to meet payroll. All they did was refinance the city's debt and then add millions more to it over the past four years. Whoever says they are not burying the city of Wilkes-Barre in debt is flat out wrong. The city is carrying more debt now then when the current administration took office.
Period.
And as for blaming Tom Leighton for the businesses failing... I do not think I blamed him for their failure, I am simply pointing out that every time some new sandwich shop or bar opens, he takes the credit for facilitating a renaissance, when in fact, no such thing is taking place. And Dave, if he can take credit for providing an atmosphere that is business-friendly, why not assign him blame when the environment, it turns out, is not that at all?
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