The LuLac Edition #994, Nov. 2nd, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: SUPREME COURT CANDIDATES JANE ORIE MELVIN AND JACK PANELLA, DON PACHANCE, AL ZOBA, THIS BLOG EDITOR AND LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MARY ANNE PETRILLA ON THE SET OF WYLN TV 35 AND A FEW DUFFERS ON THE DRIVING RANGE.

A BIG STATE BATTLE

You might not think the battle between Judges Jack Panella and Jane Orie Melvin is important to your every day life because of the remote nature of the office. After all not many Pennsylvanians appear before the State Supreme Court. But in terms of the future makeup of Pennsylvania politics, it is huge. State Democratic leaders are just as blunt as top Republicans in saying that to them, the court fight is one of the most important races in this off year election. They are saying it could influence the once-every ten year remapping of congressional and legislative districts which will occur after the 2010 U.S. Census. According to the state constitution, each party gets two seats at the negotiating table when district boundaries are redrawn to reflect population shifts since 2000. The court likely will be called upon to appoint an arbiter to break the tie, and that's where the election comes in. Both parties are keenly aware that the six justices who will still be on the court next year are split 3-3 in terms of party affiliation. (The seventh justice, Jane Cutler Greenspan, was appointed to fill the seat of the late chief justice, Ralph Cappy, on condition that she not run for a full 10-year term.) In practical partisan terms, the winner of Tuesday's election will determine the court's majority. And at redistricting time, the majority gets to pick the arbiter. None of the politicos is saying that Orie Melvin or Panella would be anything less than fair and impartial. And the candidates tell us that they won't let partisanship influence them. Yet Orie Melvin and Panella - now colleagues on the state Superior Court, are accusing each other's campaign of turning the remapping into an issue. Because they controlled the last redistricting process a decade ago - when they had a majority on the court - Republicans were able to move district lines in ways that benefited their candidates and hurt some Democrats. Partly because of redistricting, Republicans were able to reverse the 11-10 majority that Democrats had previously held in U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania. By 2003, Republicans held 12 seats; Democrats, seven. That’s the underlying reason why this race is so important and both candidates are visiting the area, buying copious amount of time on TV and literally slamming each other with charges and counter charges. I wonder what their fellow judges on the court think of their ads. Bet the duo running really don’t care because they won’t ever work together again. But even though this is supposed to be high minded justice, the political stakes are high. Here's a video snippet of Panella.

Now Jane Orie Melvin's controversial commercial.


TEE OFF ON TINA

Tina Polachek Gartley must feel like a supermarket tabloid celebrity at the point. There are more rumors floating around about her than A Rod and Kate Hudson. It would be amusing if it weren’t designed to derail her bid at a Judgeship. The latest involves golf. Yes golf that annoying game with the little ball and all the bad plaid. (Well Lauren makes some nice plaid shorts but I digress). Now there is a whispering campaign about a 2005 Golf Tournament that Mark Ciaverella ran in 2005. Over the weekend word was on the street that Tina contributed big bucks to the effort and therefore was joined at the hip with the deposed Judge. WRONG! First off, golf tournaments as fundraisers are big with non profits, politicos and even businesses using them as revenue enhancers. They are to politicians what pagan babies were to the Catholic missions in the 60s. Here’s the facts on Tina the so called golfer:
There was a tourney but Tina’s husband Scott played in it.
1. The check was written by Scott Gartley. So in response to the inquiry “Did Tina contribute?” the answer is no. However, because the check was drawn on a joint checking account the finance report says it is from “Scott and Tina Gartley” - it’s an argument over semantics that it is pointless to engage in. Bottom line: “A contribution was made to play in a golf tournament by Scott Gartley from Scott and Tina Gartley’s joint checking account.”
2. It is unfortunate that individuals and groups in Luzerne County would use these “swift boat” tactics against Gartley and try to cast her in a negative light the days before Election Day. It also says much about her character that - in order to try and tarnish her chances of being elected - they have resorted to engaging in arguing over semantics. This was already explained in the press that it was for a golf tournament played in by her husband Scott. In fact, Richard Hughes also contributed $125.
3. In defense of both Gartley and Hughes, if the contribution of $125 to a golf tournament means guilt by association, then everyone who played golf that day should be questioned from Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta to former State Representative George Hasay to Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton. Mrs. LuLac and I have a joint checking account but because of my limited expenses (when you get as old as I am you downsize because you’ll be dead in a few years anyway and then who will get your stuff, right?) she writes out all of the bills. If she wrote out a check to say “The Sarah Palin Foundation” that doesn’t necessarily mean I’d be in support of it or agree with it. It’s a matter of logistics. So I hoped I have diffused another whispering rumor that has been a problem for the Gartley campaign. My sources tell me they are coming from disgruntled losers in the Spring primary but according to others I’ve talked to it’s more than that. Short term this is not going to help Gartley. Exposing the truth hopefully will alleviate some concerns within the Gartley camp. Long term, what are barristers going to do for recreation in the future if they can’t play golf anymore in fear of having something you did 5 years ago come back to bite you or your spouse? Don’t be surprised to see duffers paying with cash in the future or seeing “bagmen” deliver the cash to the people running the tourney. Hey wait, that might be a good thing. After the feds are through here, bag men will be underemployed around here and will need the work.

LULAC MEDIA CALENDER

My personal media schedule in the next few days will be WYLN TV 35 on Tuesday night from 8PM to 11PM. I’ll be on with that crew and as a reminder WYLN TV 35 is seen on Service Electric Channel 19. And then on Wednesday morning I’ll be on the Sue Henry Show on WILK Radio at 9:30AM.