The LuLac Edition #749, Mar. 6th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: (CLICK TO ENLARGE), PROTHONOTARY CANDIDATE CAROLEE MEDICO, HAZLETON MAYOR LOU BARLETTA MAKING A POINT IN HIS ADDRESS, CONTROLLER CANDIDATE NANDA PALISSARY, PROTHONOTARY ASPIRANT WALTER MITCHELL, CONTROLLER CANDIDATE WALTER GRIFFITH JUNIOR, AND OUR 1964 LOGO.

A GRAND OLD PARTY!!

Last night I attended a gathering at the GOP County headquarters on Public Square. By my count more than 100 people jammed into the building and listened to the party leaders in their attempt to rejuvenate the Republicans.
Vice Chair Paul DeFabo served as Master of ceremonies and did a great job moving the program along. Saying “It was a great time to be a Republican in Luzerne County”, Defabo said this was the best opportunity for the party to make real gains. Defabo read a letter from Chairman Terry Casey who was out of town on business. It was revealed that the GOP would be making an endorsement slate after a straw poll and consultations. DeFabo also welcomed aboard former Democratic County Commissioner Ed Brominski who is running for Controller.
Candidates running for row offices were heard for a brief capsule of the issues. For Controller:
Walter Griffith Junior told the crowd that as a taxpayer advocate he has spent a great deal of his own time researching issues on the citywide and county level. Griffith said he concluded it is better to work from the inside rather than the outside. He told the group it was not about power but all about people.
Nanda Palissary, an Attorney from Kingston gave a brief tribute to Democrat Steve Flood saying that Flood was on the right track in sorting out corruption in the County. Palissary said that as an attorney, he knew legally what bills could be paid and what ones could not. He told the group the office needed to catch up on audits and were short of staff. He pledged to restore confidence and accountability to the office. He also inquired why current Commissioner Mary Anne Petrilla signed off on bills to Probation Psychologist Frank Vita that essentially earned him nearly a million dollars.
Bob Sypnicwski told the crowd he was a newcomer to politics but pledged to restore order and competence to the county. Talking about his father, a former Wilkes Barre policeman, Sypnicwski said that like his father protected the streets of Wilkes Barre, he wanted to protect the tax dollars of the county. Touting himself as the only candidate who has a career in finance, Sypnicwski said there had to “be less lip service and more listening to what the people say”.
The contenders for prothonotary came up before the audience. A passionate Walter Mitchell said he was “sick, disgusted and fed up”. He said there weren’t enough adjectives to describe the feeling when a King or Queen in the house of cards goes down. He said there was no remorse and a toxic sense of perverted entitlement in Luzerne County government. Touting his business experience and four terms as Mayor of Bear Creek Village, he pledged to set up a citizen’s advisory committee and said he would take office with no bias or preconceived notions.
Former Prothonotary Carolee Medico addressed the crowd saying she had been there. She said she was a full time office holder sometimes spending additional time on weekends and at night. Medico said she stopped records from being tampered and Judge shopping as well as bringing in money to the office. She said that revenue from one copy machine alone went from 0 to $21,000 in a year. Paying tribute to Steve Flood, she told the crowd he was right on the issue of corruption in the county. Saying “She was someone who has been there, you know my record”, the candidate asked for the support of the group.
Dr. Bill Lewis spoke on behalf of the only Republican running for Judge, Richard Hughes. Touting Hughes’ integrity and knowledge, Lewis told the crowd about great GOP jurists of the past, Correale Stevens, Charles Lemmond and Richard Bigelow.
He told the group that it was time the GOP had an elected Judge once more to restore integrity to the bench. Lewis also touted the retention efforts of Judge Tom Burke who is running for retention.
The main event of the night was an address by Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta. Barletta gave a common sense speech on Republican values which he translated as American values. Barletta held the U.S. Congress’ feet to the fire when he questioned the emergency stimulus plan that included a mouse habitat and a railway from California to Vegas. Barletta said he was tired of the GOP as being portrayed as weak, gutless and negative leaders. He said it is time for the GOP to embrace conservatism and not let it get beat down by a liberal, left of center agenda. Barletta said, “Americans crave strong leadership and the GOP has to provide that in these troubling times”. His take on the Obama plan was that it was not in the middle but too far left. Barletta talked about how the media would treat a GOP Congress if they introduced a huge stimulus plan that ran into the billions. He wryly told the crowd how in one week he was criticized from coast to coast by both the New York and L.A. Times for his beliefs as a strong conservative. Barletta urged the local party to get to work and present a unified message that would lead this area and this country into a new century of progress, competence and values that reflect the American spirit. Barletta received a standing ovation before and after the address. During his speech, there were rumblings from the crowd agreeing with his stances on the issues. “You got that right”, “Yes sir”, “Tell us more”, “You’re telling it like it is” were comments heard in the crowd. It is more than obvious that the statewide GOP need not go looking for a stronger candidate than the one who addressed the Luzerne County GOP Thursday night, Lou Barletta.
Executive Director Renita Fennick thanked the crowd for attending, went over the upcoming events of the party including a dinner featuring former Bush aide Carl Rove. She also introduced Heidi Roccograndi as the new chair of the reorganized Young Republicans. The event was a wonderful start for the County GOP in the hope (theirs and mine) that a two party system in the land of the Lu becomes a reality.

THIS AND THAT

Judicial candidates making the scene were Eugene Sperazza, Stephen Menn and a late arriving Joseph Musto......Two Kingston Mayoral candidates were there, John Cordaro and Mayor James Haggerty.....Paul DeFabo made the rounds as a long time leader of the party....Lackawanna County resident and WILK Talk Show host Joe Peters stopped by to say hello to his fellow GOPers......Various Home Rule candidates were there asking for petitions to be signed......Someone made some very delicious cookies in the shape of an elephant. Nice touch there......The news media was out in full force, Times Leader reporter Bill O'Boyle was there along with a news crew from WLYN TV in Hazleton......Parlimentarian Attorney Robert Davison was there as the manager of the candidate's time limit.....Also was Marge Davison Matisko who introduced Mayor Barletta and confided to the crowd that she helped organize the Young Republicans in 1976. "I'm old" she joked. Hey Marge, you aren't the only one! You just look better than the rest of us!

FASHION REPORT

All of the male candidates were sporting dark suits and subdued colored ties with either a white or blue shirt.....Carolee Medico was in winter white while many in the crowd dressed in a sensible, Republican like style.

HEALTH SUMMIT

Barack Obama summoned allies, skeptics and health care figures of all stripes to the White House yesterday to debate ideas for overhauling the nation's costly system and declared, "The status quo is the one option that is not on the table. "The big Washington session — Obama called it a health care summit — and meetings to follow around the country show the new president's push for expanded health insurance will be more open and inclusive than the Clinton administration's failed attempt of 15 years ago. The U.S. system is the world's costliest and leaves an estimated 48 million people uninsured. Although he wants coverage for all, the president suggested a willingness to compromise even if it means not fully meeting his goal.

1964

Jimmy Hoffa is convicted by a federal jury of tampering with a federal jury in 1962…… Constantine II becomes King of Greece, upon the death of his father King Paul… Malcolm X, suspended from the Nation of Islam, says in New York City that he is forming a black nationalist party……….Statewide Governor Bill Scranton made news on two fronts. Scranton said he might accept a draft for the Vice Presidential GOP nomination……and the Governor said that simple courtesy may be the key to a more profitable tourist trade in the commonwealth. Scranton addressed more than 100 service station attendants and waitresses saying “that it was his job to attract tourists but it was their job to get them to return”……..locally State Representative Frank Crossin introduced legislation which asked for $100,000 for a study to be used on researching anthracite power generating plants. His amendment was co-sponsored by Representative Michael Needham of Lackawanna County………………and 45 years ago this week, the Beatles continued their assault on the number 1 song position in America. This week, “Love Me Do” was number 1 in America and LuLac land.

AND HERE'S OUR LULAC PROMOTIONAL VIDEO.