The LuLac Edition #2256, November 7th, 2012
WRITE ON WEDNESDAY
MAYOR SHOULD LEAD BY EXAMPLE
This morning on the Sue Henry Show on WILK, we both were speaking of the state of cities in LuLac land. All three are on the edge financially and we both decided that not only should residents of those cities who should make sacrifices but also their leaders. Here is an editorial from the Citizen’s Voice on the situation in Wilkes Barre. Sometimes public service requires self-sacrifice.
Sometimes leadership means leading by example. If Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton kept those truisms in mind, he might have an easier time selling his proposed 31 percent property tax increase. Last week, Leighton and the city council faced a phalanx of angry taxpayers who wondered why Leighton's $80,000 annual salary, thousands for a St. Patrick's Day Parade and other city spending haven't been targeted in efforts to close a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall. After the meeting, Leighton only offered that paring down the tax increase might mean "major, major changes in professional services" and personnel cuts. While it is true that layoffs and service reductions are probably necessary, they would go down easier and might be somewhat minimized if Leighton would consider cuts that hit closer to home in the upper management offices of City Hall. Why shouldn't the mayor take a pay cut or forgo out-of-state travel to conferences or end Wilkes-Barre's $20,000 per-year membership in the League of Cities when already strapped city property owners face onerous tax increases? None of those moves would make an appreciable dent in the projected deficit, but they would send a signal to city residents that the mayor is willing to share some of their pain. Leighton might be more convincing in his austerity pitch if he hasn't been so cavalier about using city resources in questionable ways that benefitted him and his family over the years. It's hard to justify laying off city workers after the city repeatedly hired your children for summer jobs at a cost of nearly $25,000. It's hard to tell taxpayers that their fire and police protection must be cut after you've spent $14,500 in city money to outfit your home and that of a key aide with top-flight security systems. It's hard to tell city residents to tighten their belts after your failure to document your use of tax-free city gasoline in your personal vehicle contributed to a $26,000 fine from the state Department of Revenue. Mr. Mayor, you are asking the residents of Wilkes-Barre, many of whom are struggling financially, to pay more and accept less. The least you can do is offer some sort of personal sacrifice in the effort toward solving the city's budget crisis.
posted by David Yonki @ 9:48 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Good morning Students,
First off, I wish to congratulate Governor Romney on conducting a campaign of class and clarity. Unfortunately these traits do not bode well against an opponent who was hell bent on destroying a good man’s reputation. The decision was made and President Obama will have four more years and for that I offer him my congratulations. Mr. President, we are on a fiscal cliff and the economic responsibility of this nation remains in your hands. I pray you will conduct your handling of it in a different way than the previous four years.
The business of this classroom goes forward……
Students,
As you know, I submitted my retirement papers to the Dean several weeks ago. I made plans to bask in the sunshine of Myrtle Beach and other great golfing venues for the remainder of my life. The South Carolina sunshine and breeze is far more preferable to the alcoholic stench of this forlorn room of slackers. As I and some good friends sat at the club yesterday enjoying some good scotch and Cuban cigars we had time to reflect. I had time to reflect. And after much soul searching, I have concluded that it would be highly irresponsible of me to take my leave under the present circumstances.
IN other words, students, I am NOT retiring. How could I possibly do so under the present circumstances??? Give me your answer! We need to account for what will most definitely be more inaction on important issues of the economy, judiciary and most important, national defense. I feel obligated to remain here in order to correct the record. Many years ago, a mentor of mine told me something I have never forgotten. “If you can direct just one to the correct path in life, all the frustration will have been worth it.”
Something to think about this morning………..I shall see you all next week.
Class Dismissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the nominees for most gracious acceptance of defeat include:
Donald Trump
Karl Rove and Bill OReilly.
Perhaps Lulacers would like to vote on this important catagory
however since the professor has not yet chimed in we should keep the nominations open for a day.
Carey Ave Jack
Totally unrelated to this post. but thank God that PRes. Obama was reelected.
I truly lost sleep over this campaign (especially the night of the first debate). It would have brooken my heart had he been defeated.
PROFESSOR, DESPITE THE SLINGS AND ARROWS HURLED AT YOU, YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE! GLAD YOU ARE UN-RETIRING!
Shocking surprise on the oart of the Prof. What about my dinner?
Professor, you promised to go away but you haven't. This does not surprise Lulac readers. As usual you try to re-write history and twist facts. You might want to ask the Republican candidates Mr. Romney destroyed if he was " conducting a campaign of class and clarity" during the presidential primary election season. Maybe you can explain the clarity Mr. Romney exhibited during the last few months of the campaign when asked for specifics on his plans or the seemingly endless shifts in his core values as he changed from a neo-con hawk, to severely conservative, to conservative , to a compassionate conservative, to a moderate that will work with the other side.
If using Mr. Romney's business practices as CEO of Bain against him during the campaign destroyed "a good mans reputation" then the following is true. Mr. Romney should have thought about those practices before he enacted them. When you run for a political office, especially the President of the United States, no closet is left unopened. The Romney campaign used similar tactics against his opponents in the primary and Pres. Obama during the general election campaign.
As you pray for the President to handle things in a different way I hope you also pray for the obstructionist Republican Congress to handle legislative matters in a different way. A way that will solve our nations problems instead of trying to unseat the President as they did during the past four years.
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