The LuLac Edition #2602, February 16th, 2014
LENNY, LAWTON AND THE LACKEY
Oh man the news from the Luzerne County Courthouse just keeps getting better and better. A lawyer for the County said that Piazza was justly fired because he was lying about targeting a private citizen. Piazza said he was trying to set up a campaign Finance Compliance policy because Controller Walter Griffith had some mistakes on his campaign reports. Piazza was accused by new Manager Robert Lawton of violating Griffith’s Civil Rights. He was fired five days later.
It has been contended that Piazza was hired because people say Griffith was poisoning the well of various employees with the rookie Lawton. That has been denied.
But let me ask this question. It is the same question I asked when wire tap charges were filed against Griffith? Has it been worth it?
Because of Griffith’s misstep, we lost a Controller who (no offense to the newly elected Controller) really took the bull by the horns. And now with Piazza’s dismissal, we are seeing in virtually every election how ineffective, and downright ineffectual and his replacement is. Prior to Piaza’s dismissal, every election ran like clock work. Now everyone is holding their breath when the polls open.
Maybe Lawton should have given the guy a warning. Put him on a suspension. But to abruptly fire the guy? Dumb. Rookie mistake.
The news about the lawsuit this week brought to mind something I heard on the sandlot when I was a boy. “You might not always learn from rookie mistakes but you sure as hell have to pay for them”. Like Luzerne County is still doing.
Palm card from the late Joe Hannon's 1975 run for Luzerne County Treasurer. (LuLac archives).
JOE HANNON
Two term Avoca Mayor Jim Hannon died this past week. Hannon was a towering figure in local politics in the 60s and 70s and was quite the charismatic Irish Democrat. Hannon served on Council for a few terms before getting elected Mayor in 1969. Hannon was active in the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and always made sure he made room and time for “his Slovak interlopers”, referring to my late uncle Timmy Pribula and me when we’d attend those dinners. Hannon was a Democrat’s Democrat but did not refrain from bucking the party. In 1975 he ran for county Treasurer against the then incumbent from Shickshinny Bill Curwood in the ’75 primary. Hannon was defeated but still was a favorite among Democrats. His passing just illustrates how colorful and interesting local politics was back then. He died at Wesley Village and will be remembered and missed.
SORRY 1 %
I apologize to the 1 per centers. In last year’s Presidential campaign some of us had been very hard on you. Sorry. The people we should have been after are the less than one percent billionaires that spend 40% of the consumable goods in this country. These are the hedge fund managers who pay less than 14% in taxes. These are the people who have 2 million dollar birthday parties. These are the people that President Obama should have targeted instead of those people making $250,000 a year. But the man can talk, just can’t execute.Someone said that the gilded age has returned where there are the super rich and the rest are just getting by. Teddy Roosevelt in the early part of the 20th century busted the trusts. If someone with balls doesn’t come along and regulate these Wall Street slobs, this will continue. Maybe if the 1 per centers got together with the rest of us, we can make these people pay their fair share. That’s why there needs to be radical tax reform. And very, very few loopholes.
THE COST OF SNOW
The ski operators and the people who love this winter crap are happy. But the economic cost of this storm is going to take a toll. So far 15 billion dollars has been lost in sales for restaurants, movies, concerts, shopping and grocery items. People can’t get out. But hey right, it’s sooooooooooooooooo pretty. So was Cleopatra.
posted by David Yonki @ 12:17 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Dave-
I was so worried about that trial in Florida. After all it was Florida! But for the most part they came thru
and it appears justice prevailed. Still I have one question. If someone is guilty on counts of attempted murder how can they not be gulity on the shot that succeeded and did kill someone. Thats Murder!
JP
David, Please don't think even or a moment that tax reform will do anything for us. As for closing the loop holes, the holes they close are the ones the working ;poor have. The last time they "fixed" the tax loop holes, we lost the interest deductions on loans, credit cards and car loans. We also lost the ability to get some tax relieve from a major liability loss such as a wrecked car or house damage. Every time they fix the code, they stick it further up our collective butts. If you recall the last effort which failed was to eliminate the tax deduction for mortgage interest. Do you really think that tax reform will close the loop hole for the top earners in this country? Dream on. The ONLY hope we the people have is enough Congressmen with the same ideals and principals as our Congressman Cartwright will get elected. Unfortunately, the last gerrymandering that was done insured the reelection of the Lou Barletta's of Congress and that kills any chance for the working poor.
I wonder, does anyone believe Chris Christie's claim that he knew nothing of the lane closures on the GW Bridge? Is this a terrific example of a politician who will say anything regardless of any possible connection to reality? Republicans and Democrats take the American people for fools.
Re: The Cost Of Snow
I remember the mid 1950's and this is history (weather) repeating itself.
15 billion was 1.81 back then.
The only difference is we have Obama to contend with.
We'll survive once we overthrow him in the next election.
5:36
and the weather problems will stop
and we'll all ride on the good ship lollypop once we get a republican in the white house...
no need to overthrow him this time hes out no matter whos in.
we loved the snow in the fifties because we were kids.
we loved the snow in the fifties because we were kids. And our parents accepted the weather, they rolled with it, made the best of what they were dealt and we felt secure that the weather was something we could overcome.
Even the bus drivers in those days got us to school and back.
It is sad to witness the what **ssies we live amongst.
Life is not a rehearsal or video game.
5:36 PM Not only do they walk among us, they also vote. Are you aware that you can't over throw Obama in the next election because she now has his second term and can't run again. Please stay home and don't vote. It was voters such as you that gave us Lou Barletta and did you see he just voted no on the debt ceiling? Last time these damn Conservative Republicans pulled that move it cost us millions in additional interest because they hurt our credit rating and they learned nothing from that outrageous move. Go LOU!..... Go, Go, Go and stay away once you get there.
Griffith did "poison the well" as Gene Kelleher hooked up Lawton with Griffith from the beginning. Although I agree with you about Griffith "taking the bull by the horns," he often spoke or acted without really thinking, which ultimately was his downfall. Piazza, Pribula, Gibbons and others were basically disgarded because they may have been a bit smarter than Lawton. He surrounds himself with over priced second rate managers that will not challenge him or his supportive majority on Council. There are more offices in crisis than ever. Probably the most critical, Budget and Finance, is now managed by an individual fired for making financial errors who has fired experience employees for making "a" mistake which is probably a result of a flawed implementation of a financial system conversion that should not have been slammed through because Lawton was a rookie who listened to people who had no clue what and how financial systems operated but wanted it to look "pretty."
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