The LuLac Edition #976, Oct. 16th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: LUZERNE COUNTY JUDICIAL CANDIDATES RICHARD HUGHES, TINA POLACHEK GARTLEY AND WILLIAM AMESBURY. IN SECOND PHOTO AMESBURY, HUGHES AND POLACHEK GARTLEY PREPARE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, OUR 1964 LOGO, A VOTING BOOTH AND AUDITOR GENERAL AND PRESUMED CANDIDATE FOR PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR JACK WAGNER.

THE FINAL 3

It’s midway through October and the final leg of the Judicial Race is in its final stages. The remaining trio from the multi candidate Judicial race of the spring are showing a little wear and tear. Richard Hughes the GOP victor in the spring is running his campaign and at the same time working two major homicide cases in the DA’s office. Bill Amesbury has been as ubiquitous as he is sincere indicating that decision day is near and it can’t come a moment too soon. Amesbury garnered a dual nomination in the spring on both the Democratic and Republican sides. Tina Polachek Gartley participated in the Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters Thursday night at King’s but was then motoring (safely I might add) to an event in Pittston. After a scandal filled year with the county Judiciary taking a hit, Luzerne County voters have the opportunity to pick two candidates out of three very intelligent, honorable, hard working and I’d venture to guess bone tired people. But like a great work out at the gym or a runner in sight of the 26 mile mark, I bet it’s a good type of tired. Here’s a brief recap of the forum:

WHY THEY’RE READY
Polachek Gartley: Said she is ready from day one to bring a new voice to the court. Her experience as a victim’s advocate as well as her 18 year legal career makes her ready to lend a hand on the county judicial level.
Hughes: Said he would rely on facts of law to determine his ability to be a good judge. Outlined his experience in all areas of law said he is a problem solver, not one who creates them.
Amesbury: Touted his long service in the community, said being a judge requires more than a law degree and promise of integrity. Said his experience in all areas of the law as well as his varied life experiences prepare him to lead.

TOP 3 QUALIFYING REASONS
Hughes:
1. Impartiality.
2. Understands rules of evidence.
3. Family man, can transfer those values to court.
Amesbury:
1. Competence.
2. Temperament.
3. Integrity.
Polachek Gartley
1. Legal expertise.
2. Community involvement from the ground up.
3. Temperament.

BEST QUOTES
Amesbury:
“No better teaching tool than real life”.
Hughes:
“This is why they call it a forum not a debate because we agree more than we disagree”.
Polachek Gartley:
“Integrity comes from who we are and what we do with our lives”.

FASHION REPORT
Amesbury: Charcoal gray suit, white shirt, light gray tie, breast cancer ribbon in left lapel.
Hughes: Dark midnight gray suit, white shirt, navy and red rep tie.
Polachek Gartley: Black suit with gray pinstripes, silk gray blouse with collar overlapping suit coat.

WAGNER URGES COST CUTS

Maintaining vital services without raising taxes, transforming Pennsylvania into an energy leader, and lowering the cost of higher education are among state Auditor General Jack Wagner's top priorities, if elected governor. Wagner cited those three priorities during an interview prior to an appearance before the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee at its fall banquet. Wagner was among a number of Democratic candidates for various local and state offices who were expected to address the committee in Delmont. A Democrat from Pittsburgh, Wagner is one in a crowded field seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010. Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, who also attended the event Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty; Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel; and retired Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox have indicated they are in the race. Wagner said he will draw on his two terms as auditor general to find ways to maintain services without raising taxes.
"In this recession we're in, it puts more emphasis on government to make sure it's properly utilizing its resources," Wagner said. "In other words, you can't increase taxes, but you still need to provide quality services. We have been doing thousands of audits of state government as auditor general, looking at government from the inside out, and I firmly believe there are hundreds of ways to reduce state government and still keep providing dollars to very necessary programs." Tapping into the state's energy resources responsibly, Wagner said, is another priority. "We have a magnificent opportunity with the Marcellus shale gas wells, but at the same time, we have to make sure we go about it in an environmentally sensitive way," Wagner said. A third priority, Wagner said, would be to make higher education affordable. He would push for the state to adopt a scholarship program, similar to ones found in other states, that reduce tuition costs for any student attending a state or private college, university, or vocational-technical program. Wagner acknowledged the state's next governor will face the same fiscal problems that resulted in the budget stalemate. He said he would work to prevent a repeat. "Do I think the next couple of years will be difficult?" Wagner said. "Yes. But it requires bipartisan communication and cooperation, and that has to begin very early in the budget process to make sure you don't run over."

CHARLIE AND PAULIE

As many know, House Leader Charles Rangel is under an ethical cloud that is bothering many national Democrats. The problem Rangel has is that his problems contain easy ingredients that most every taxpayer can understand. The most serious, perhaps, is the allegation that he failed to pay taxes on about $75,000 in income from renting out a beach house that he owns in the Dominican Republic. For the chairman of the House committee that writes tax legislation not to pay his fair share in taxes would not set a good example. The most stunning alleged violation is more of a technicality: On required financial disclosure forms, Rangel failed to list more than $500,000 in assets. I don’t know about you but your average citizen isn't likely to have half a million let alone have that much slip his mind.Our local Congressman Mr. Kanjorski has steadfastly defended Mr. Rangel and even went to a gathering the New York Congressman was holding. But as you can see by this video, the Congressman took a rather circuitous route to the event. From You Tube:

INSTRUCTING THE VOTERS

The local GOP has taken issue with new instructions to voters regarding straight party voting. The county commissioners, serving as the Board of Elections, had decided in August to omit the straight-party language from the ballot. The other day Democrats , Petrilla and Skrepenak changed their minds. The language in question reads: “To vote a straight party ballot, select the party of your choice. You may vote for individual candidates in any contest.” Party Chair Terry Casey fired off this statement:
“We believe this is a ploy to revert to the old system of a powerful political machine that leads to one-party dominance in our county and local governments,” Casey said. “And look where that has led us. An ongoing FBI investigation into public corruption that has resulted in the arrest or indictment of at least 14 individuals, almost all of them Democrats.” Casey said he is urging voters to “come to the polling places with an open mind and to give us a chance.” Here’s what I think about this. I can understand the GOP reaction to this given the history of straight party voting in this County. But with the advent of the new computer systems and the ability to write in people as well as go from one party tab to another, I don’t think the directive will have an impact on the modern voter. What the GOP needs to do and this might be a tall order given the size of the party, lack of patronage and overwhelming Democratic edge, the GOP needs to develop a ground game at the polls on election day to make sure they get a concrete committed base to their entire ticket and build on that. Wording is not going to effect this thing one way or the other, foot soldiers will.

1964

A lot of big news this week – American civil rights movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. becomes the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to end racial prejudice in the United States........ October 1415 Nikita Khrushchev is deposed as leader of the Soviet Union; Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin assume power............The Labour Party wins the parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom, ending 13 years of Conservative Party rule...........The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the visiting New York Yankees, 7–5 to win the in 7 games (4–3), ending a long run of 29 World Series appearances in 44 seasons for the Bronx Bombers (also known as the Yankee Dynasty). The next time the Yankees will return to the World Series will be 12 years later in 1976...........Harold Wilson becomes British Prime Minister for the first time..........In the state of Pennsylvania the opening of Route 81 to Dupont is the first step in a nationwide highway which will intersect in Luzerne County. This section of Route 81 will cost an estimated 300 million dollars……..In the Wilkes Barre area students are warned against the evils of smoking. Dr. William Dyson of the Luzerne Intermediate Unit announced a cooperative program with the American Cancer Society to educate high school seniors on the dangers of cigarettes as a health hazard….in Scranton Public Words Director under the Schmidt administration Eugene Peters asked for official documentation of line extensions on sewer projects in the city and 45 years ago the number 1 song in LuLac land and America was “Let It Be Me” by Jerry Butler (who later became a Cook County Commissioner in Illinois and Betty Everett who in ’64had a solo hit which also reached #1, “The Shoop Shoop Song."