(Not so) good stuff

When I went out to my truck yesterday morning, I went through my usual pre-trip inspection. Safety first, kiddies.

Alternator firing. The emergency brake checked out. Horn? Yup. Then I checked the brake lights against the fence I was backed up very close to. And in the dew on my rearview mirror were the following words scribbled in by way of a fingertip, “Mark Core [sic] for Mayor WB.”

Yeah! That’ll happen. Wifey demonstratively rejected out-of-hand the insane notion some of my neighbors had about me running for a council seat the last couple go-rounds. Not even would she hear any noise about a council seat. Mayor? Maybe in the next lifetime.

Besides, I can’t take the pay cut.

Oh, great! Just what we needed, longer lines, longer waits for sutures.

From the Times Leader:

Jobs and services leaving Geisinger South

WILKES-BARRE - Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre will close its inpatient and emergency services departments as the hospital converts to a regional ambulatory campus in July.

As a result approximately 179 positions will be eliminated, according to a press release issued by Geisinger Health System.

Hospice Community Care will continue to lease space and operate its inpatient hospice program at the hospital. Plans call for moving Geisinger Wyoming Valley’s inpatient rehabilitation program to newly remodeled space on the GSWB campus this summer. They will be the only two inpatient services located at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre.

Geisinger Health System purchased the former Mercy Hospital in late 2005.

For the complete story read The Times Leader tomorrow.

Great! So now the greater Wyoming Valley and all of it’s satellite communities are reduced to all of two available emergency rooms. Wonderful.

The next time Junior’s out in the woods mutilating squirrels and accidentally jams grandpa’s old bowie knife through his palm, you are going to have to use one of your sick days to get his wound properly tended to.

Yeah, an emergency room visit. I’m thinking you’ll need a sleeping bag, a pillow, a half dozen Nutri-Grain bars, plenty to drink, an AM radio, spare batteries, a change of clothing and the latest issue of Paris Hilton Magazine.

Oh, yeah. And some rudimentary Spanish.

Good luck with that.

Or, you could just clean the wound, hit it with some antiseptic goop and then duct tape the heck out of it. I dunno. It always worked for me. The scars still turn out the same…cool looking.

Again, good luck with that.

This one is fairly easy to follow. And expensive, too.

Times Leader again:

W-B to pay Kadluboski $250,000

WILKES-BARRE – The city has agreed to pay tow truck driver Bob Kadluboski $250,000 to settle a lawsuit he filed that alleged his contract was improperly terminated, according to city clerk Jim Ryan.

Ryan said although the city agreed to settle the case, it does not admit to any wrongdoing. The settlement includes payment to Kadluboski and legal fees charged by his attorney, Bruce Phillips.

Kadluboski, owner of City Wide Towing, filed a federal lawsuit against the city in connection with its decision to cancel his towing contract in 2004.

The contract gave Kadluboski the exclusive right to tow all vehicles, such as those involved in car crashes, that were ordered removed by city officials. The city began reviewing Kadluboski’s performance after receiving complaints, including that he was rude and refused to provide itemized bills.

U.S. District Judge James Munley ruled in September that the city had violated Kadluboski’s right to due process when it terminated the contract because it failed to give him an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Okay, then.

So, somebody down at City Hall made a $250,000 error. And my only question is, who is responsible for making a $250,000 mistake? Better yet, who will be held responsible for that egregious and unforgivable mistake? A question, by the way, I figure we’ll never receive an answer to. Think about it. Heads only roll in the private sector.

Looks like Bob will be upgrading his overtired police scanner and buying himself an even bigger gun.

I feel safer already.

Check out this utter stupidity.

This is what WILK’s Steve Corbett had to say on his talk show last night. And I effing quote:

“Pound for pound, Tom Leighton is the worst mayor in the United States of America.”

No foolin‘?

Steve, you must have conducted years upon years worth of exhaustive, excruciatingly detailed researched to so proudly and loudly unleash such a definitive charge. Piles and piles of data, printed out stats and road trips up the proverbial sphincter, right?

Right?

I mean, you do have the volumes and volumes of extensive data to back that up, don’t you?

Or were you just being utterly and profoundly dense when you made that ridiculous and grossly off-target claim of yours?

Or was that just your personal animosity for the man further clouding your already questionable judgment?

Or is your oft-repeated charge that internet bloggers are reckless much more self-descriptive than you’d care to admit?

Hmmm?

Breaking news:



One...more...time...The Times Leader:

James Height resigns from Wilkes-Barre Area School Board

James Height has resigned form Wilkes-Barre Area School Board. Superintendent Jeff Namey said he received a brief letter from Height this afternoon expressing regret but giving no reason.

No, there won’t be any speculation or conjecture going on as a result of this. Nah. He must want to spend more time with the grandkids or something. Must want to get in some more fishing. Or get back to playing some serious Pinochle three nights a week.

Who knew? After all these years, all those campaigns, all those positions sought after…Christine Katsock may actually get herself elected. By default, of course, but why split hairs?

We shall see on all of that.

This just in, Wifey says the pool is open as of this Saturday. While that’s all well and good, what that suggests to me is that bike about season is officially underway. Woo hoo!!!

I’ll see you out there somewhere.

Bye