The LuLac Edition #1439, Jan. 16th, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: FORGIVENESS LOGO AND THE LUZERNE COUNTY COURTHOUSE.

COPS PICKS

The other evening, the COPS (Citizens Opposed to Political Suppression) chose their candidates for Luzerne County Council: COPS endorsed seven Democrats for county council - Wil Toole, Michelle Bednar, Kevin Casey, Casey Evans, Thomas Ksiezopolski, Thomas Rome and Gary Reese; and six Republicans - Michael Cabell, Kathy Dobash, William James, Moderno "Butch" Rossi, Edward Warkevicz and Frank Vandermark.

TRAINING SESSIONS PLANNED

Luzerne County Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza has scheduled training sessions for candidates in the upcoming primary election and campaign finance committee treasurers.
Sessions will be from 6 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 18, 19 and 20 and from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 22. They will be at the county Emergency Management Agency building on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre.
The sessions will include a review of new state reporting requirements. Reservations are required because seating is limited. For information, contact Piazza at 570-825-1570.

DATES FOR PRIMARY ELECTION CANDIDATES

Feb. 15 - The first day candidates can begin circulating nominating petitions for signatures.
March 8 - The last day for candidates to file nominating petitions with the required number of signatures to get on the ballot for the primary election.
March 23 - The last day for withdrawal by candidates who filed nomination papers.

FORGIVE US?

The Times Leader reported that the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce branch failed to put an estimated $926,300 into a special fund to pay for road upgrades at the Hanover Industrial Estates as required, a revelation Friday that rankled one Luzerne County commissioner.
The chamber’s Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund was supposed to put $6,000 from each acre it sold into the special fund, according to a 1993 agreement with the county, said county Engineer Joe Gibbons.
Chamber representatives attended Friday’s work session and requested the county’s forgiveness of the $926,300 in exchange for the chamber’s commitment to fund necessary traffic-related improvements within five years.
“When they say they’re going to do something, they should live up to their agreement. This let’s the chamber off the hook for most if not all of the $920,000,” Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said.
The county got involved in sorting out the funding obligation because past county commissioners had agreed to take over care of the industrial park’s roads in 1983.
Urban said he will oppose this compromise because the chamber will be seeking state and federal transportation funding that could go to other local projects to fund the lion’s share of the traffic improvement costs.
During the work session, Urban asked chamber representatives Larry Newman and Tom Williams why the special traffic improvement fund contains only $27,600.
They said the answer is still unclear because the agreement predates the current chamber administration. The chamber will seek state and federal assistance to fund the improvements, they said.
Urban and Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Thomas Cooney said they may table a vote on the revised agreement at their regular meeting.
Okay, let me get this straight. Newman and Williams said the agreement predates the current administration. Because of that, they can't give the Commissioners an answer. So I guess that means an outstanding debt from Commissioners Makowski and Tucker can just be written off because there is a new group of county commissioners? Or just because there was a change in the hierarchy of the bank, Mrs. LuLac can skate on her car loan? Or maybe I can get that quaint little beach house in Negril from a bank, I can get it but not pay for it. I can call it an "unfunded liability"! Or better yet, I'll ask Petrilla, Urban and Cooney. But if they visit, I'm not providing airfare!
The Chamber is supposed to bring in local business. They charge dues to their members. I wonder if they have forgiven any debt on members who forgot to pay their bills? You can bet they didn’t. A wise businessman I worked for said that if you had a business, you were paid last. Your obligations, taxes, vendors, loans and commitments came first, then after that was taken over, you get paid last. Oh, if only the Chamber with staff salaries way above the hourly wage average here in Luzerne County ran their office like that small businessman. If they did, it would never occur to them to ask forgiveness of nearly a million dollars from a County strapped for dollars. I stated here many times I don't mind paying taxes. But I do mind paying them for organizations, no matter how noble they tell us their goals are, default on a commitment.

MEDIA MATTERS

PCN’S BIG COVERAGE

Follow coverage of Tom Corbett’s Inauguration Tuesday January 18th on PCN TV. PCN does stem to stern coverage from the pre event festivities to the evening balls. Also all day today you can view past Inaugurations of Pennsylvania Governors.

TARONE INTERVIEWS PETRILLA

L.A. Tarone interviews County Commissioner Mary Anne Petrilla on WYLN TV 35 this week. You can catch the Tarone program featuring the Commissioner 4PM Monday the 17th and 7:30PM Tuesday the 18th. Petrilla is in her last year as County Commissioner and will also be serving on the Transition Committee that will usher in Home Rule.