The LuLac Edition #485, May 27th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: MISS PUERTO RICO, INGRID MARIE RIVERIA, AND THE LATEST REPEAT VISITOR TO THE ELECTRIC CITY.

PUERTO RICO

The last primary on the calendar is the sunny island of Puerto Rico. Imagine being named coordinator of either the Clinton or Obama campaign on that island! As a US territory, Puerto Rico has a murky, much-disputed status, being more than a colony and less than a fully fledged state. Sunday's primary is regarded by many as an oddity, even an inconvenience, because the 2.3 million registered voters, whose language, culture and economy more closely resemble Latin America than any part of the mainland US, are not allowed to participate in presidential or congressional elections. The Democratic party, doing its best to be inclusive, allowed Puerto Rico to elect 55 delegates for the nominating convention but has never really considered the prospect of the primary counting for much. And with Obama closing in on the nomination, perhaps it won’t. But imagine if it came down to what many refer to as the 51rst state. Senator Clinton is working hard there, having danced her way throughout the island over the Memorial Day weekend. Senator Obama made one stop, some say a token before resuming his efforts in the states. The results will be tallied on Sunday and if the final tally doesn’t count for much, at least it will be interesting to see how the citizens regard the two main Dems.

LUZERNE REASSESSMENT

Some people got their reassessments in the mail for the County taxes over the weekend. Many are reported to be unhappy with the increase but you had to know it was coming. Some had their homes reassessed upwards of $3,000. Scuttlebutt says those people in the cities will do better than the citizens living on the acres with the hoi paloi in places like the Back Mountain or Mountaintop. The trouble with places like that are you can be living on eighth street or in Nuangola on the way to wide open paradise and get caught up with a hefty rate just by being in the neighborhood. It will be interesting to see the political fallout, if any this will engender. I mean this has been coming for a while and thanks to the cancellation of it by Commissioners Skrepenak and Vonderheid last term, people may be a tad more prepared than the last time reassessment came down the pike, which was 1964. By the way, the architect of that deal, County Commissioner Jim Post lost big in his re-election bid in 1967.

BIG ED FOR SENATOR?

Rumors are floating, as they always do when a politico gets ill, that Governor Ed Rendell may be looking into running for the U.S. Senate. One of my favorite Senators Arlen Specter has taken ill again with a recurring bout of cancer. It is hoped he will return to form but now there is rampant speculation that the Governor may be looking at the Senate seat to stay on the national scene. Personally I don’t think Rendell will do anything in terms of action because of his regard and respect for Specter. Arlen gave Ed his first job in politics. But if Specter steps aside, the strongest candidate might very well be Rendell. Pennsylvania Governors though have a pretty poor track record of going to the Senate, in 1958 after his term ended as Governor, young George Leader, a Democrat ran for the U.S. Senate and was defeated by GOPer Hugh Scott who went on to serve until 1976. And in the nineties, Governor Dick Thornburgh, then U.S. Attorney General under the first Bush administration tried to advance in a special election for the seat of the late John Heinz. He was defeated by Harris Wolford. Still, if anyone can beat back political conventional wisdom, it is Ed Rendell who became the first Philadelphia Mayor since 1914 to be elected Governor. Twice!

THE TOURIST

The city of Scranton has been visited by members of the Bear family frequently. So much so police have had to sedate the burly ones who have been hanging out In the downtown. Our frequent poster, reader and booster Pete Cassidy wondered why and our crack LuLac staff set to work and came up with the top 10 reasons why the Bear is visiting the Electric City so much:
10. He got the wrong date for “The Office” convention.
9. He wasn’t crazy about the “I Believe” slogan in Wilkes Barre, likes Scranton’s “Got Honey??” better.
8. He saw Janet Evans on public access TV and decided to make his move.
7. Heard about the Shimkus-Murphy election and wanted to fill in his damn oval. It was his intent to vote for Shimkus.
6. Heard they needed volunteers to clean up the Washburn Street cemetery and as a Hillary supporter he wanted to help.
5. Three words: Pizza By Pappas.
4. One of the original members of the Ken McDowell search party, he never got the message when the errant Controller showed up for work.
3. Applied for an overnight shift at Rock 107 and got sidetracked because he auditioned on “Beer Thursday”.
2. Wanted to become precinct captain for Mayor Chris Doherty’s re-election bid so hizzoner could lock up the bruin vote.
1.University of Scranton co-eds attending summer school!