PHOTO INDEX: LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MARYANN PETRILLA, VINCE SWEENEY, A COMMISSIONER OF ANOTHER KIND AND OUR 1968 LOGO.
PETRILLA: TRUST ME!
David Capin, the Kingston resident who started an inquiry into Home Rule recently had a meeting with Luzerne County Commissioner Chair, MaryAnn Petrilla. Petrilla asked Capin to put his drive to get the Home Rule question on the ballot this November aside so she can change things under the dome. Unlike Commissioners Skrepenak and Vonderheid who told people to trust them in the ’03 election, Petrilla has put a time limit on her request. Capin agreed and Petrilla has pledged to make visible changes in progress at the Courthouse. Two things here, 1. Petrilla has used her power of persuasion, not seen in the campaign, at least by me, to govern. She defused an issue sure to take away from the Presidential campaign and gave herself some time to repair some damage done to the Democratic party. And 2, Get this, she said she’d think about backing the charter if people were not satisfied with her actions. Bold talk backed up by bold action. During the recent Presidential campaign in Pennsylvania, the Commissioner impressed many with her abilities ranging from coordinating with the national campaigns, introducing the candidate herself and keeping all the political dignitaries, or people who think they are dignitaries happy with seating arrangements near the candidate. So far she’s getting high marks for being candid, visible and straight forward. That can only be great for her political career and not too bad for the County she governs.
NEWSPAPERS?
How about all those newspaper endorsements Barak Obama got from the Philly Daily News, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Scranton Times, the Allentown Morning Call and many, many others? It seems like Pennsylvania residents ignored the wise men in the editorial board rooms across the state. Does this mean that people in the state have stopped reading newspapers? Stopped understanding them? Nope it just means that like always, Pennsylvanians don’t believe everything they read in the papers. Bitter? No. Knowing their own minds? Oh yeah! Those editorials are now lining many a birdcage in the Keystone State.
BANK OF AMERICA
Word is out this week that Bank of America has suffered its greatest losses since the company was formed by Italian immigrants at the turn of the century. The financial losses are said to be in the tens of millions. Nothing can make me happier. Out of all the banking institutions that hold credit card companies, Bank of America is the worst toward consumers. They have led the way with bait and switch credit card offers, they have raised rates to loan sharking levels that would make Tony Soprano blush and they have screwed the average American who is trying to pay off their debt. Having paid my Bank of America cards off, I now get offers from them asking me to join their “financial family”. I take the mailer they send me, take a sharpie pen and write in big red letters about the offer, “shove it up your criminal corporate fat ***!!!” Then I send it back to them using their own postage. Bank of America, what started out as something to help average Americans attain the dream, now has done much to destroy the lives of their customers. May they lose whatever remains of their tattered, bloodsucking corporate shirts.
GAS PRICES!
We can control the price of these outrageous gas prices. We the people. But we won’t because we’re wimps. My suggestion is to have a shutdown day once a month. It could be the 15th, the 30th but have one day where no one uses gas. Call in sick, take a vacation day, personal day, whatever. But don’t under any circumstances use your car. Shut down the whole country. What are they going to do, fire everybody? Stay home as if it’s Super Bowl Sunday or Christmas Eve. Don’t drive, don’t buy, don’t participate in anything going on in this nation. Chill, watch TV, listen to the radio, have sex with your wife, play with your kids, pray to your God but just don’t use fuel or any product that is related to fuel. See how fast those prices will come down.
COMMISSIONER SWEENEY
Vince Sweeney, Shavertown, has been appointed by Governor Edward G. Rendell and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate to the Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN) Commission. "I am honored to serve the Commonwealth and the Governor on the PA Public Television Network Commission. As a dedicated believer in the future of my great state, especially Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, it brings me great joy in knowing that I can be of service as we all move forward, and of how public television will play a key role in our inevitable success."
Vince Sweeney currently serves as the Executive Director of The SPCA of Luzerne County. He has an impressive and diverse background in media, broadcasting and entertainment. He was a familiar face and voice to residents of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania for over thirty years. Sweeney was the senior on-air weathermen for NBC affiliate WBRE-TV in Wilkes-Barre from 1985 to 2006. Prior to that, Sweeney was a high-profile radio personality on WARM radio from 1978 to 1985 for the number one rated radio station in Northeastern Pennsylvania. An alumnus of the University of Scranton and a product of the American Academy of Broadcasting, he has been recognized as one of “The Top Ten Most Influential Broadcasters In NE PA”.
“Vince Sweeney brings an ideal balance of experience to PPTN. He’s been in commercial broadcasting for years and knows what people want to watch and listen to,” said PPTN Chairman Tony May. “Equally important, he’s run a non-profit organization and understands the fiscal and donor structures that our eight member stations face.”
Mr. Sweeney joins 22 other appointees on the Commission, which is the policy and decision-making board for PPTN. PPTN is a technology service and grant-making agency to eight PPTN member public television stations. The network is committed to advancing educational, cultural and civic opportunities and supporting public safety. PPTN is accountable for Commonwealth funds appropriated to it by the General Assembly and supports its member media organizations in their service to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
1968
The cover of the April 29th issue of U.S. News and World Report had these headlines, “If It’s Nixon Vs. Kennedy, The Odds”, “Vietnam Truce? When?”, “Insurrection: Outlook In America”, “The Future For Gold” and “How Young People Will Vote”……..Statewide, Democrats in the Commonwealth planned strategy sessions for incumbent Senator Joseph Clark, an anti war Democrat who defeated Congressman John Dent, a pro war supporter in the 1968 Pennsylvania primary. The split party held meetings to unite behind Clark touting his 12 years of seniority…..Pat Salano of Hughestown was elected to a two year term as Chairman of the Luzerne County GOP…in Wilkes Barre, the board of education adopted a 1 and ½ earned income tax….in Pittston at St. John the Baptist school, the annual kickball tournament, played on macadam was played in the church/school parking lot, in an upset, the seventh grade boys beat the eighth grade boys although no one will admit that to this day and this week, in Lulac land and all across America, this was the number 1 song. From You Tube: Petula Clark and “Kiss Me Goodbye”, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxIbCdZgkaw.
The unnecessary war goes on, young people are dying and suffering horrendous injuries, our country is at a well deserved low point in world opinion, the president has an approval rating worse than Nixon's at the height of watergate, the vice president is evil, the economy sucks, gas prices are totally out of control, the rich get richer, the middle class is disapearing, health care coverage is almost unaffordable and all we get is lies from candidates and the media and he said, she said, they said coverage of an election that started one year ago and is becoming never ending and ugly! I thought things were bad in '68.
ReplyDeletewow dave, are you revved up? if you were one of those 60s radicals in '68 instead of a grade a schooler, you'd be storming wall street. and the gas shutdown, classic. i think we should do it.
ReplyDeleteThe more things change, the more they stay the same! Thanks for reminding us how true that is with your look back to 1968. If we had truly learned the lessons of those times, we would be driving fuel efficient smaller vehicles. And there would be alternative fuel vehicles on the market as well. There would be world peace and the U.S. wouldn't be drawn into bogus conflicts which we then argue about endlessly. And we would have had our first female president or African American president long ago.
ReplyDeleteA gas shut down day? Brilliant! Let's pick a beautiful sunny day where we can just lay out in the sun or sit on the porch. Shut down this sorry excuse for a government.
ReplyDeleteDavid!
ReplyDeleteYou really hammered MaryAnn Petrilla hard when she fired Kathy Bozinski. But once again, you demonstrate an element of fairness not seen in even our local media. Giving Petrilla credit where credit is due is a good thing. Thanks. Now, isn't it amazing that just a few short years ago, Hazleton always cmplained they got the short end of the county stick. With Petrilla doing so well, Todd Eachus head of the State House Caucus and Lou Barletta making another run for Congress, our neighbors to the south are not only making inroads but policy.
Credit card company CEOs, oil company execs, they all should be shown the door......the door to a jail cell.
ReplyDeleteI think a national shutdown day will get everyone's attention. Dems, Reps, everybody. The American people, the people who make America work have been used and abused too long.
ReplyDeleteI want fuel for my car.
ReplyDeleteRemove the tax on domestically produced oil.
Open up Alaska to drilling.
Open up the Gulf of Mexico to drilling.
STOP with the boutique gas blends - refine ONE generic type.
I want fuel for my car!
Great idea, but lets take it beyond one day a month! By the way, what were gas prices in 1968?
ReplyDeleteyonk was hammering on petrilla while skrep was ham... yonk was hammering on petrilla while skrep was hamm....(edited for content)
ReplyDeleteI listen to the Sue Henry Show every day even though she aggravates me. But she at least has a graasp of reality. Her fill in today was yammering about how it's all our fault because gas prices are too high and that we should start to conserve by carpooling (okay) riding the bus (where it's appropriate) or riding bikes. Bikes my *** (edited). I'm going to start riding a bike while the oil fat cats make billions in bonus and salary. Yeah and me riding a bike is going to save those ******** (edited) from jacking up the price of oil every chance they get. My wife is a real estate agent, (yeah that's going great right now thanks to the Bush administration and the greedy ****** (edited) from as you mention Dave BOA) what is she supposed to do, take a client to a house on a bike? And My God you'd think this one, ***** ******** (name of sub talk show host edited, we don't want to encourage her career in talk radio anywhere)had the lips of the Lord whispering in her ears. Can't that radio station run an informercial when Sue's away? Dave, I think a national shutdown day is better than riding a bike!
ReplyDeleteI know this is a long way off but.............2011, for Commissioner: Petrilla & Sweeney on a Fusion ticket. Geographical balance, any body think it's an idea that can work?
ReplyDeleteGood grief - On my way south today I heard the Sue Henry substitute today and she was awful. She was all over the place, interrupted callers to inject her own two cents worth and was generally annoying. After all her talk about conserving she tells us she will buy a 6 cylinder car but it will be a stick and she is willing to pay the for the extra gas she will use. Then she tells us she went to NJ to buy cheap gas but that it used up most of a tank getting there and back.
ReplyDeleteSay what you will about the other WILK local talent, but they are not guilty of fuzzy thinking like that. You may not agree with them, but at least you know what they think and how they arrived at their conclusions.
I was actually glad when I drove out of range of that drivel.
You know I have to tell you the feature on 1968 brings back some memories. Nice memories like gas under a buck, bread that wasn't $3.50 a loaf and a country that while divided, was intelligent in the way they debated and argued. Even George Wallace outlined a program of sorts, what we have today is not only a failure to communicate but an unwillingness to even think about what we are saying. I lasted until 9:20AM then put on the Spanish station.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Yonki:
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to drop a note to tell you how much I have enjoyed your writing. Your blogsite has evolved to one of the best in the entire country. You seem to have that touch that both informs and entertains. Plus your storage of past facts from history to me is just incredible. I have read your fanciful account of radio in your novel, your first, hope it won't be the last, and enjoyed it, especially the ending. Didn't see that coming. I feel that right now in our country we need every resource to keep us informed and from making a mistake. Thank you for putting your ideas forth and for putting your name on them.
What do you say we give the one day a month gas boycott a start in LuLacland? Pick the day, David. Its your idea and its a good one.
ReplyDeleteCount me in 100%.
Pete Cassidy
Thanks, Dave...you may still call me Mr. Sweeney, no need for any of that commissioner business.
ReplyDeleteYonks,
ReplyDeleteIf the economy is so bad, and I believe it is, tell me how the hell the Dems are raising all this money?!
Dave, I grew up reading newspapers and enjoyed them very much. I used to buy ten bucks worth of newspapers on Sunday. Now since I have a computer, I haven't bought a single Sunday paper in years. Editorials, in my view are there to display a corporate philosophy. Why all of these guys went for Obama is anyone's guess but I'm thinking they went for the most radical change. What better way to replace a privileged snob country boy like George Bush who is whiter than wonderbread with a mixed race, junior senator from the land of Lincoln who just paid off his college loans and was brought up by a single mom with no new englend pedigree? You want change, that's it baby!
ReplyDeleteOn the newspaper endorsements, I'd love to know what was going on in Rich Connor's mind at the TL! I guess he knows when to hold them......
ReplyDelete"By the way, what were gas prices in 1968?"
ReplyDeletePremium was 32.9 cents a gallon.
This I know because I bought a 66 Ford Galaxie 500 XL. White, Black vinyl top, red interior, 390 c.i., 4bbl carb, 4 speed to get me back and forth from LCCC (Sterling Hotel).
Not only did I realize fuel and insurance cost hikes but 60 mph in 1st gear just might cost me my life!
Traded it for a 65 Mustang 3 sp 6 cyl. that ran on regular at 28.9 cents a gallon. (sniff)
Boycotts never work an are not such "good ideas".
ReplyDeleteThe problem with a gas boycott on a Monday is Tuesday everyone buys gas...Dosen't sound GREAT TO ME.
.
the way to make a gas boycott work is to pick one company and have a nationwide boycott for about a month. avoid sunoco, or shell, or whichever one.
ReplyDeleteif the company is not effected it will expose antitrust violations. if it is the price will come down.