PHOTO INDEX: MISS PUERTO RICO, INGRID MARIE RIVERIA, AND THE LATEST REPEAT VISITOR TO THE ELECTRIC CITY.
PUERTO RICO
The last primary on the calendar is the sunny island of Puerto Rico. Imagine being named coordinator of either the Clinton or Obama campaign on that island! As a US territory, Puerto Rico has a murky, much-disputed status, being more than a colony and less than a fully fledged state. Sunday's primary is regarded by many as an oddity, even an inconvenience, because the 2.3 million registered voters, whose language, culture and economy more closely resemble Latin America than any part of the mainland US, are not allowed to participate in presidential or congressional elections. The Democratic party, doing its best to be inclusive, allowed Puerto Rico to elect 55 delegates for the nominating convention but has never really considered the prospect of the primary counting for much. And with Obama closing in on the nomination, perhaps it won’t. But imagine if it came down to what many refer to as the 51rst state. Senator Clinton is working hard there, having danced her way throughout the island over the Memorial Day weekend. Senator Obama made one stop, some say a token before resuming his efforts in the states. The results will be tallied on Sunday and if the final tally doesn’t count for much, at least it will be interesting to see how the citizens regard the two main Dems.
LUZERNE REASSESSMENT
Some people got their reassessments in the mail for the County taxes over the weekend. Many are reported to be unhappy with the increase but you had to know it was coming. Some had their homes reassessed upwards of $3,000. Scuttlebutt says those people in the cities will do better than the citizens living on the acres with the hoi paloi in places like the Back Mountain or Mountaintop. The trouble with places like that are you can be living on eighth street or in Nuangola on the way to wide open paradise and get caught up with a hefty rate just by being in the neighborhood. It will be interesting to see the political fallout, if any this will engender. I mean this has been coming for a while and thanks to the cancellation of it by Commissioners Skrepenak and Vonderheid last term, people may be a tad more prepared than the last time reassessment came down the pike, which was 1964. By the way, the architect of that deal, County Commissioner Jim Post lost big in his re-election bid in 1967.
BIG ED FOR SENATOR?
Rumors are floating, as they always do when a politico gets ill, that Governor Ed Rendell may be looking into running for the U.S. Senate. One of my favorite Senators Arlen Specter has taken ill again with a recurring bout of cancer. It is hoped he will return to form but now there is rampant speculation that the Governor may be looking at the Senate seat to stay on the national scene. Personally I don’t think Rendell will do anything in terms of action because of his regard and respect for Specter. Arlen gave Ed his first job in politics. But if Specter steps aside, the strongest candidate might very well be Rendell. Pennsylvania Governors though have a pretty poor track record of going to the Senate, in 1958 after his term ended as Governor, young George Leader, a Democrat ran for the U.S. Senate and was defeated by GOPer Hugh Scott who went on to serve until 1976. And in the nineties, Governor Dick Thornburgh, then U.S. Attorney General under the first Bush administration tried to advance in a special election for the seat of the late John Heinz. He was defeated by Harris Wolford. Still, if anyone can beat back political conventional wisdom, it is Ed Rendell who became the first Philadelphia Mayor since 1914 to be elected Governor. Twice!
THE TOURIST
The city of Scranton has been visited by members of the Bear family frequently. So much so police have had to sedate the burly ones who have been hanging out In the downtown. Our frequent poster, reader and booster Pete Cassidy wondered why and our crack LuLac staff set to work and came up with the top 10 reasons why the Bear is visiting the Electric City so much:
10. He got the wrong date for “The Office” convention.
9. He wasn’t crazy about the “I Believe” slogan in Wilkes Barre, likes Scranton’s “Got Honey??” better.
8. He saw Janet Evans on public access TV and decided to make his move.
7. Heard about the Shimkus-Murphy election and wanted to fill in his damn oval. It was his intent to vote for Shimkus.
6. Heard they needed volunteers to clean up the Washburn Street cemetery and as a Hillary supporter he wanted to help.
5. Three words: Pizza By Pappas.
4. One of the original members of the Ken McDowell search party, he never got the message when the errant Controller showed up for work.
3. Applied for an overnight shift at Rock 107 and got sidetracked because he auditioned on “Beer Thursday”.
2. Wanted to become precinct captain for Mayor Chris Doherty’s re-election bid so hizzoner could lock up the bruin vote.
1.University of Scranton co-eds attending summer school!
If I understand this, reassessment should have absolutely nothing to do with location at all. Your property's fair market value, by law, is to be based on square footage and lot size, and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that some of the suburbs have higher taxes is that the properties there are newer, meaning they've been assessed in the last 20 years, whereas older properties haven't undergone the same since 1965.
I think the fallout from this mess will be huge, lasting years on end.
I live in a neighborhood where everyone is planning to appeal, with several people starting the process first thing this morning.
The appeals process alone could take a decade simply because of the number of appeals, prior to which it's unclear whether or not the new taxes can be collected legally.
Loved #8 on the Scranton Bear Chart! Tuned in tonight and she is talkin as usual. Its non stop. The woman is the original "motormouth"
ReplyDeleteor "the mouth of the Lackawanna"!
Maybe the bear will one day have his way with her, but I bet she'd
"talk" him out of it...
I think the Bear is on to something. Ever see those Scranton U babes going to class in the summer? It ain't your daddy's or my dress code for that matter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke the reassessment is. Here is one that shows you just how screwed up it is. I took a look at the assessment of the half a double that I sold in 2006. The one side was valued at 66000(way to high) and the other side, an EXACT copy of the other was valued at 88,000. Now how is that? I have no clue.
ReplyDeleteLove Janet Evans, I am wondering if I could stop that motor mouth for an evening of ...
ReplyDeleteLet us hope and pray that Senator Specter regains his health. What a dedicated public servant. But if he were to step aside and spend some time with the grandkids after 2010, there would be no better replacement than Ed Rendell. The guy is a national figure already and would only give our state more stature than it has now.
ReplyDeletePizza by Pappas? How 'bout Alfredo's?
ReplyDelete44 years is a long time for some homes to sit unaccessed. Typical Luzerne County Profiles In Uncourage. Nothing surprises me anymore and this, like they said on the radio this morning could not have come at a worse time. Thanks a lot domers!
ReplyDeleteFast Eddie Rendell planned on being Hillary's VP. Bet he gets a lot of votes out of Pittsburgh. My brother in another state refuses to believe me when I tell him Eddie does an Eagle's post game show! Cant imagine such a thing. I explained that Rendell would appear at a phone booth if cameras were there.
ReplyDeleteThe Maytag repairman is the job for Ed. He could also answer Hillarys 3AM phone calls. Just another "politician" on the road to nowhere. I say we should "lease" the Governors job to a foreign country! What ever you do dont get in Ed's way at the buffet line!
Reassessment is not going to make everyone happy but it is long overdue. What will make a difference though is the way the powers that be spend the money garnered from these new fiound taxes. If they spend it well, then there will be little concern. If they continue with the past, reckless ways, all heck will break loose.
ReplyDeleteReassessment is not going to make everyone happy but it is long overdue. What will make a difference though is the way the powers that be spend the money garnered from these new fiound taxes. If they spend it well, then there will be little concern. If they continue with the past, reckless ways, all heck will break loose.
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck does Miss Puerto Rico have to do with the Puerto Rico primary? Oh never mind, I'm grateful. No Geena Davis references now for at least a month! Btw, Hillary will romp in the islands on Sunday! As the late Freddie Prinze used to say, "looooking goooood!"
ReplyDeletethe hell with politics, more about Miss Puerto Rico!
ReplyDeleteI think that whatever happens to the candidates this fall, Rendell has charmed or bamboozled the national media. Like him or not, he's a player.
ReplyDeleteGood citizen Chuckie Costanzo is in trouble again. What a shocker!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Chuckie has two choices. Sing like a "little" birdie and rat out a former county commissioner or two, or go to jail,
where the buffet line is not very appetizing, for a long time. No doubt this bully is a coward and will choose the former.The sooner the better. Bye Bye, Chuckster. Ah, the remants of the Cordaro/Munchak Dynasty are still with the people of the Lac. The question now is, are the "new guys" although clearly less arrogant, much better?
try spelling her name correct. it is rivera... yeesh
ReplyDeleteIN RESPONSE
ReplyDeletetry spelling her name correct. it is rivera...
MY APOLOGIES. I WAS A BIT, AHEM, DISTRACTED!