From the email inbox:
The Luzerne County Young Republicans will not meet on Monday, Feb. 8, so that members can attend the Lou Barletta announcement in Wilkes-Barre Township.
Please read on:
Mayor Lou Barletta to Kickoff Campaign in Northern Luzerne County
Hazleton, PA – Hazleton Mayor and candidate for Congress Lou Barletta will be in Wilkes-Barre Township on Monday night to kickoff his campaign in Northern Luzerne County.
Barletta said, “Luzerne County is my home and the fact that we won it in 2008 is a testament to our message and to the hard work of our supporters. I am very excited about kicking off my effort in Northern Luzerne County even earlier this year.”
Mayor Barletta will be joined by volunteers, activists and elected officials. He will be available for questions following the program. Refreshments will be served.
WHO: Mayor Lou Barletta
WHAT: Northern Luzerne County Campaign Kickoff
WHEN: Monday, February 8, 2010 @ 7:00pm
WHERE: Wilkes-Barre Township Fire Company 152 Watson Street Wilkes-Barre, PA
______________________________________
Check our Web site for updates
http://www.luzernegop.org/
Renita Fennick
Executive Director
Luzerne County Republican Party
570-208-4671
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Stupor Bowl preview
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!
I know I am.
I've read just about all that there is to read about this game. And despite the "Peyton knows best" gibberish that is the safe pick adhered to by almost all of the would-be prognosticators, I still think the deadly-accurate Drew Brees wins this one for "The Aint's," that team we all know and love as The Saints.
Yeah, according to all of the so-called experts on sports talk radio, Reggie Bush is the wild card in this one. Yes, according to the experts, Bush just might freak out and win this game all on his own. While I understand that mindset, that perspective, it needs to be noted that none of those so-called experts honestly believe that will come to pass. Instead, they wholeheartedly feel that Peyton Manning's remarkable command of the "Static O" offense will again rule the day. Um, considering the start time, rule the night.
I don't see it that way.
Knowing how versatile the Saint's offense is, and knowing Brees' propensity for hitting the open man no matter what the original play call may have been, I'm thinking the Saints prevail in this one. And I'm also thinking that Pierre Thomas, David Thomas and Robert Meachem--one of them--will be the difference in this game. Most likely Meachem.
And to the democrats, liberals, progressives, socialists, communists, welfare patients, or whatever name you're hiding behind of late, did you boys happen to notice that a woman--Sarah Palin--called out your trainee president from the pulpit of the Tea Party convention when she scolded Barack Oblahblah by saying, "...you better stop lecturing and start listening?"
BANG!!!
Oh, the nerve. The nerve of that woman.
Now, I know you so-called progressives hate women as evidenced by your electoral throwing under the bus of Hillary Clinton, the presumptive presidential nominee. And your irrational and overly exuberant hatred of Sarah Palin is quite apparent, if not, downright troubling. Sickening, in fact. It's sickening to read the words of the men who can not stand strong women. Men who can not stand strong women? Oh, you know, Moscow-leaning democrats.
Yes, you are all-inclusive, until chicks want in. I saw it happen. I got it. And I'm watching it happen as you wimps practically freak out over Sarah Palin's every spoken word. Yes, you're for the underdog, you're for the little guy, the guy not trusted in the shower, the black guy, the bomb-laden guy, the peanut farmer, the shameless philanderer.... just not the chick. Anything but a chick. But I digress.
Then again, you better stop lecturing and start listening.
Saints by 16.
But don't quote me on that.
Later
Editor's note: Go, Meachem, go!!
I know I am.
I've read just about all that there is to read about this game. And despite the "Peyton knows best" gibberish that is the safe pick adhered to by almost all of the would-be prognosticators, I still think the deadly-accurate Drew Brees wins this one for "The Aint's," that team we all know and love as The Saints.
Yeah, according to all of the so-called experts on sports talk radio, Reggie Bush is the wild card in this one. Yes, according to the experts, Bush just might freak out and win this game all on his own. While I understand that mindset, that perspective, it needs to be noted that none of those so-called experts honestly believe that will come to pass. Instead, they wholeheartedly feel that Peyton Manning's remarkable command of the "Static O" offense will again rule the day. Um, considering the start time, rule the night.
I don't see it that way.
Knowing how versatile the Saint's offense is, and knowing Brees' propensity for hitting the open man no matter what the original play call may have been, I'm thinking the Saints prevail in this one. And I'm also thinking that Pierre Thomas, David Thomas and Robert Meachem--one of them--will be the difference in this game. Most likely Meachem.
And to the democrats, liberals, progressives, socialists, communists, welfare patients, or whatever name you're hiding behind of late, did you boys happen to notice that a woman--Sarah Palin--called out your trainee president from the pulpit of the Tea Party convention when she scolded Barack Oblahblah by saying, "...you better stop lecturing and start listening?"
BANG!!!
Oh, the nerve. The nerve of that woman.
Now, I know you so-called progressives hate women as evidenced by your electoral throwing under the bus of Hillary Clinton, the presumptive presidential nominee. And your irrational and overly exuberant hatred of Sarah Palin is quite apparent, if not, downright troubling. Sickening, in fact. It's sickening to read the words of the men who can not stand strong women. Men who can not stand strong women? Oh, you know, Moscow-leaning democrats.
Yes, you are all-inclusive, until chicks want in. I saw it happen. I got it. And I'm watching it happen as you wimps practically freak out over Sarah Palin's every spoken word. Yes, you're for the underdog, you're for the little guy, the guy not trusted in the shower, the black guy, the bomb-laden guy, the peanut farmer, the shameless philanderer.... just not the chick. Anything but a chick. But I digress.
Then again, you better stop lecturing and start listening.
Saints by 16.
But don't quote me on that.
Later
Editor's note: Go, Meachem, go!!
Madeira for Congress.com
Dave Madeira has made the leap from blogger to candidate. That is, electronically speaking.
Dave Madeira for Congress
For the last year we've been politely asking "Could we please have our country back now?"
With your help, we'll demand it be returned to "We the People" at the ballot box this May 18th and then again on Nov. 2nd.
I'll continue posting my thoughts, but I'm going to do so here at www.MadeiraFor Congress.com. Head over there and sign up so you can get updates on all that we are doing.
I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail as we take back our country.
God Bless.
David
Congressman Carney, you had better start creating some distance between yourself and the trainee in the White House. Oh, and you might want to consider creating a few light years between yourself and those two kooks presiding over the Senate and the House.
Sez me, of course,
Markie in Nord End
Bye
Wilkes-Barre: Home of the cry babies
I'm assuming we all read with great interest the following Citizens' Voice story...
NEPA Filmmaker's documentary garners Sundance award
A very telling excerpt:
Alone, Fox set out on his cross-country trek with "no preconceptions," he said, but soon found "widespread regret among the people that leased" including in Dimock Township, Susquehanna County.
"The cowboys in Wyoming, the ranchers in Colorado, the ordinary people walking down the street in Fort Worth who have been burned by them," he said.
That's "widespread regret."
Anyway, I wanted to learn more about this local filmmaker, Josh Fox, and a search or two led me directly to his official movie page, as well as his blog...Gasland.
Give it a look.
This one had me shaking my head in stunned disbelief, but not for the reason one might expect.
From the Times Leader:
Skrepenak’s Big Ugly’s Sports Bar is closed
WILKES-BARRE – The sports bar/restaurant near downtown Wilkes-Barre that is owned by former Luzerne County commissioner Greg Skrepenak’s father is now closed indefinitely.
Greg Skrepenak Sr. opened Big Ugly’s Sports Bar & Grill, 165 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd., in December 2005.
A handwritten sign could be seen in the front glass door of the business on Saturday afternoon, noting the establishment will be “closed until further notice” and was signed simply by “Mr. Skrep.”
There was no indication given as to why the restaurant that features sports memorabilia highlighting the younger Skrepenak’s football career was closed.
While that's all well and good I suppose, that's not what caught my four eyes. I've never been in that bar, and I could care less about it's clientele, or lack thereof. Skrep went and got himself in a legal pickle, and I feel no ill towards him or his family.
And while I've always (since December 2000) felt free to criticize the elected and the appointed, as well as high profile local players, I never cross a line I drew for myself. Basically, I never bring their families or personal lives into it.
And you wouldn't believe some of the choice tidbits I've received in the email inbox over the years. Real juicy stuff. Still, other than having revealed Gort's real name (Herbie Swickles), I've never used any of that stuff.
But this, this is just absurdity on growth hormones...
A woman answering the phone at the elder Skrepenak’s home blamed the media for destroying her family’s lives.
“Look no offense. Don’t call me. I want no part of you people. You have made a mess out of my life, my son’s life, my whole family, so please do not call me,” she said.
The media? The media made a mess of her son's life?
Holy jumpin' orangutan farts, batman!!!
Look, I'm sure this woman must be absolutely horrified by the current turn of events, so I'll not comment further. Well, that is, except for this: Holy jumpin' orangutan farts, batman!!!
Editor's note: The following is a private message.
Hey Gort! Give it up, man. Come clean, boy. Did the chick flick make you cry or not?
V'ger neds to know.
Editor's follow-up note: We now return you to your regularly scheduled circumlocution.
Here we go again.
From the Times Leader:
Growing Pains and this other nugget of negativity, Bar crowds draws gripes
WILKES-BARRE – Not all downtown residents and business people are enamored with the resurgence of the city, citing littering, noise and recurring vandalism as black marks on the revitalization.
Carol Laiuvara owns and operates Carol’s Deli and Bakery on South Main Street. Although she usually isn’t open when center city nightlife is at its peak, she often is greeted by debris and dirtied windows when she arrives at her store in the morning.
“They spill drinks on my windows and I find a lot of bottles or glass on the ground,” she said. “A lot of my customers tell me they can’t sleep because of the noise.”
When the downtown was empty, when it was home to prostitutes and little else, they bitched. And now that's it's filling up fast, they bitch. Such is life in Wilkes-Barre, no matter what, they bitch and bitch and bitch and bitch.
The residents of this city bitch about the traffic lights and the traffic patterns. Having grown up in much more populated environs, I'd have to ask, what freaking traffic?
And they bitch about the crime rate, as if Wilkes-Barre is the only city in which crime occurs. Having grown up near NYC, where murders occur at a rate faster than one per day, I'd have to ask, what freaking crime?
They bitch about tractor trailers on their streets. Yeah, Master Chemical and Benco Dental have been hearing it for years. Now, how stupid is that? With those tractor trailers come commerce. Commerce that the city can then tax. And taxes keep the entire shebang afloat.
And they bitch ad nauseum about potholes, again, as if potholes are unique to Wilkes-Barre. It's as if the mayor or the city council are expected to pass an ordinance banning them or something. Mayor Tom, we demand that you suspend the freeze/thaw process!
And they bitch about rampant drug use and use buzz words like, outsiders, or, those people. What are those words being used as a substitute for? Um, I have a pretty good idea, and the word in question starts with a capital N. So, if the administration of the city would just ban entry to the city to all non-white peoples, life would be good again. Right? Isn't that what they're saying? It's their white kids using it, but they want the hammer brought down on the non-white kids selling it. No racism going on there.
And now, now we can't tolerate bars. Nope, these saloons are just too annoying. And we demand that something be done about them. (Oh, and we have to make sure those newspaper reporters spell our names right.) Mr. Mayor, we demand that you wave your wand and strike those bars from the landscape. As a matter of fact, we demand that you effect the return of Woolworth's, Kresge's, Planters Peanuts and McCrory's to the Public Square immediately.
And what's up with the crime watch folks already. They've been howling for 6 years about how the mayor was supposedly ignoring the safety of the neighborhoods for the sake of the fast-rejuvenating downtown. So what do they do? They monitor the downtown bars. Anything to get their names in the papers--again.
Where there is drinking, there is the potential for stupidity. And where there's crowds of people drinking, there's an enhanced potential for the outbreak of stupidity. So I would throw this back in their laps. What would you folks have us do about it? Should we force the closing of the bars? Should we deficit spend and double the size of the police force? Or should we run to the newspapers and generate some barely newsworthy bluster?
Downtown Wilkes-Barre has bars. And some of the patrons get drunk and act stupidly. And this differentiates Wilkes-Barre and every other city exactly how?
Bitch, bitch, bitch and gripe. Bitch, gripe, bitch and complain. Welcome to Wilkes-Barre, home of the cry babies.
I swear, if Planter's Peanuts were to reopen on Public Square, you people would be bitching about the peanut shells. What a bunch.
Later
NEPA Filmmaker's documentary garners Sundance award
A very telling excerpt:
Alone, Fox set out on his cross-country trek with "no preconceptions," he said, but soon found "widespread regret among the people that leased" including in Dimock Township, Susquehanna County.
"The cowboys in Wyoming, the ranchers in Colorado, the ordinary people walking down the street in Fort Worth who have been burned by them," he said.
That's "widespread regret."
Anyway, I wanted to learn more about this local filmmaker, Josh Fox, and a search or two led me directly to his official movie page, as well as his blog...Gasland.
Give it a look.
This one had me shaking my head in stunned disbelief, but not for the reason one might expect.
From the Times Leader:
Skrepenak’s Big Ugly’s Sports Bar is closed
WILKES-BARRE – The sports bar/restaurant near downtown Wilkes-Barre that is owned by former Luzerne County commissioner Greg Skrepenak’s father is now closed indefinitely.
Greg Skrepenak Sr. opened Big Ugly’s Sports Bar & Grill, 165 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd., in December 2005.
A handwritten sign could be seen in the front glass door of the business on Saturday afternoon, noting the establishment will be “closed until further notice” and was signed simply by “Mr. Skrep.”
There was no indication given as to why the restaurant that features sports memorabilia highlighting the younger Skrepenak’s football career was closed.
While that's all well and good I suppose, that's not what caught my four eyes. I've never been in that bar, and I could care less about it's clientele, or lack thereof. Skrep went and got himself in a legal pickle, and I feel no ill towards him or his family.
And while I've always (since December 2000) felt free to criticize the elected and the appointed, as well as high profile local players, I never cross a line I drew for myself. Basically, I never bring their families or personal lives into it.
And you wouldn't believe some of the choice tidbits I've received in the email inbox over the years. Real juicy stuff. Still, other than having revealed Gort's real name (Herbie Swickles), I've never used any of that stuff.
But this, this is just absurdity on growth hormones...
A woman answering the phone at the elder Skrepenak’s home blamed the media for destroying her family’s lives.
“Look no offense. Don’t call me. I want no part of you people. You have made a mess out of my life, my son’s life, my whole family, so please do not call me,” she said.
The media? The media made a mess of her son's life?
Holy jumpin' orangutan farts, batman!!!
Look, I'm sure this woman must be absolutely horrified by the current turn of events, so I'll not comment further. Well, that is, except for this: Holy jumpin' orangutan farts, batman!!!
Editor's note: The following is a private message.
Hey Gort! Give it up, man. Come clean, boy. Did the chick flick make you cry or not?
V'ger neds to know.
Editor's follow-up note: We now return you to your regularly scheduled circumlocution.
Here we go again.
From the Times Leader:
Growing Pains and this other nugget of negativity, Bar crowds draws gripes
WILKES-BARRE – Not all downtown residents and business people are enamored with the resurgence of the city, citing littering, noise and recurring vandalism as black marks on the revitalization.
Carol Laiuvara owns and operates Carol’s Deli and Bakery on South Main Street. Although she usually isn’t open when center city nightlife is at its peak, she often is greeted by debris and dirtied windows when she arrives at her store in the morning.
“They spill drinks on my windows and I find a lot of bottles or glass on the ground,” she said. “A lot of my customers tell me they can’t sleep because of the noise.”
When the downtown was empty, when it was home to prostitutes and little else, they bitched. And now that's it's filling up fast, they bitch. Such is life in Wilkes-Barre, no matter what, they bitch and bitch and bitch and bitch.
The residents of this city bitch about the traffic lights and the traffic patterns. Having grown up in much more populated environs, I'd have to ask, what freaking traffic?
And they bitch about the crime rate, as if Wilkes-Barre is the only city in which crime occurs. Having grown up near NYC, where murders occur at a rate faster than one per day, I'd have to ask, what freaking crime?
They bitch about tractor trailers on their streets. Yeah, Master Chemical and Benco Dental have been hearing it for years. Now, how stupid is that? With those tractor trailers come commerce. Commerce that the city can then tax. And taxes keep the entire shebang afloat.
And they bitch ad nauseum about potholes, again, as if potholes are unique to Wilkes-Barre. It's as if the mayor or the city council are expected to pass an ordinance banning them or something. Mayor Tom, we demand that you suspend the freeze/thaw process!
And they bitch about rampant drug use and use buzz words like, outsiders, or, those people. What are those words being used as a substitute for? Um, I have a pretty good idea, and the word in question starts with a capital N. So, if the administration of the city would just ban entry to the city to all non-white peoples, life would be good again. Right? Isn't that what they're saying? It's their white kids using it, but they want the hammer brought down on the non-white kids selling it. No racism going on there.
And now, now we can't tolerate bars. Nope, these saloons are just too annoying. And we demand that something be done about them. (Oh, and we have to make sure those newspaper reporters spell our names right.) Mr. Mayor, we demand that you wave your wand and strike those bars from the landscape. As a matter of fact, we demand that you effect the return of Woolworth's, Kresge's, Planters Peanuts and McCrory's to the Public Square immediately.
And what's up with the crime watch folks already. They've been howling for 6 years about how the mayor was supposedly ignoring the safety of the neighborhoods for the sake of the fast-rejuvenating downtown. So what do they do? They monitor the downtown bars. Anything to get their names in the papers--again.
Where there is drinking, there is the potential for stupidity. And where there's crowds of people drinking, there's an enhanced potential for the outbreak of stupidity. So I would throw this back in their laps. What would you folks have us do about it? Should we force the closing of the bars? Should we deficit spend and double the size of the police force? Or should we run to the newspapers and generate some barely newsworthy bluster?
Downtown Wilkes-Barre has bars. And some of the patrons get drunk and act stupidly. And this differentiates Wilkes-Barre and every other city exactly how?
Bitch, bitch, bitch and gripe. Bitch, gripe, bitch and complain. Welcome to Wilkes-Barre, home of the cry babies.
I swear, if Planter's Peanuts were to reopen on Public Square, you people would be bitching about the peanut shells. What a bunch.
Later
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Too big to be fouled?
Even though the hydraulic fracturing process is yet to get underway in Luzerne County (although, the drilling permits are in the works, kiddies), it's well underway in a couple of counties to our north.
Just in to CFD (that's Circumlocution for Dummies for you Obama supporters) is this new link...Frack Mountain...which, so far, is an informational portal on all things fricking fracking. And being that our potable water supply is soon, very soon, to come under direct hydro fracturing assault, we need as many online activists as is humanly possible.
As a result of that new link, I was watching some videos and following some of the links, when I had this epiphany of sorts. Well, perhaps it wouldn't rank with the all-time great epiphanies, but I got to wondering if this Marcellus Shale drilling would become a make-or-break issue before next we vote for keeps in November.
I can't see it becoming an issue for Paul Kanjorski in the 11th because nothing in Luzerne County has exploded as of yet, and no one as of this writing has gotten second-degree burns from their tap water just yet. Yeah, with the key word being "yet."
But what about the 10th Congressional district where challengers to Congressman Chris Carney seem to be coming out of the lean-to well sheds?
He resides in Dimock Township, where the Marcellus drilling is well underway, and where ghastly incidents a plenty have made the newspapers. Still, with the congressman's own water supply in play, and with a groundswell of discontent fomenting practically in his back yard, he has yet to make a definative public statement of any sort whereas the possible contamination of the local water supply is concerned.
What say you Mr. 1st Term Democrat surrounded by republican constituents drinking from their wells, do you think exploding glasses of Kool-Aid need to be dismissied as the price we pay for progress? Is this a workable energy policy? Short term profits for newfound long term Superfund issues?
I don't know much about his electoral challengers, nor do I really care about them, but it seems to me that at least one of those boys in the northern farmbelt should challenge the standoffish congressman on this issue.
Mr. Carney, now that you're all done providing questionable intel that led directly to a live shooting war, where do you stand on the pumping of millions of gallons of carcinagens into the local water supply? What say you Mr. Carney? Drilling companies got your tongue?
Is our water supply too big to fail, er, too big to be fouled?
Answer me that.
G'nite
Just in to CFD (that's Circumlocution for Dummies for you Obama supporters) is this new link...Frack Mountain...which, so far, is an informational portal on all things fricking fracking. And being that our potable water supply is soon, very soon, to come under direct hydro fracturing assault, we need as many online activists as is humanly possible.
As a result of that new link, I was watching some videos and following some of the links, when I had this epiphany of sorts. Well, perhaps it wouldn't rank with the all-time great epiphanies, but I got to wondering if this Marcellus Shale drilling would become a make-or-break issue before next we vote for keeps in November.
I can't see it becoming an issue for Paul Kanjorski in the 11th because nothing in Luzerne County has exploded as of yet, and no one as of this writing has gotten second-degree burns from their tap water just yet. Yeah, with the key word being "yet."
But what about the 10th Congressional district where challengers to Congressman Chris Carney seem to be coming out of the lean-to well sheds?
He resides in Dimock Township, where the Marcellus drilling is well underway, and where ghastly incidents a plenty have made the newspapers. Still, with the congressman's own water supply in play, and with a groundswell of discontent fomenting practically in his back yard, he has yet to make a definative public statement of any sort whereas the possible contamination of the local water supply is concerned.
What say you Mr. 1st Term Democrat surrounded by republican constituents drinking from their wells, do you think exploding glasses of Kool-Aid need to be dismissied as the price we pay for progress? Is this a workable energy policy? Short term profits for newfound long term Superfund issues?
I don't know much about his electoral challengers, nor do I really care about them, but it seems to me that at least one of those boys in the northern farmbelt should challenge the standoffish congressman on this issue.
Mr. Carney, now that you're all done providing questionable intel that led directly to a live shooting war, where do you stand on the pumping of millions of gallons of carcinagens into the local water supply? What say you Mr. Carney? Drilling companies got your tongue?
Is our water supply too big to fail, er, too big to be fouled?
Answer me that.
G'nite
Friday, February 5, 2010
Here's hoping Lomax got it right
I'm listening to WILK's Steve Corbett right now, and he is spitting mad. He's wound tighter than Barack Obama during the fast-fading president's child-like State of My Anger address to Congress. And he's throwing out stuff like "libel" and "defamation of character."
Why? Because of this Rube Lomax report from Electric City:
Which reminds me: the local rumor mill is grinding that Scranton carpetbagger and WILK whiner Steve Corbett is trying hard to latch his wannabe star on a nationally syndicated FOX radio show through his worship of all things Sara Palin. Allegedly, he’s working to impress Greta Van Sustern via her husband John P. Coale, who worked locally on the Hillary Clinton campaign. Corbett became acquainted with Coale through the Rodham brothers (his good buddies and Hillary’s wearisome siblings) which is why he’s now got his sights on a national show, hence his lips on the derriere of all things Palin-related. Perhaps he and Caribou Barbie could team up together. Now that would make for some good talk radio!
-ruderube@hotmail.com
Full "Rude Rube" column.
Here's Corbett's self-aggrandizing, self-important, self-immolating reaction from his WILK blog page: Thanks for listening
Check this excerpt:
My wife and I bought a big old house in the Hill section that’s loaded with stained-glass and hard wood that shines and sometimes seems to breathe because our home is so alive. We put down our own deep roots, built a Zen garden of stillness and committed our lives to making each other and the people with whom we share our city and region as happy and as empowered as possible.
Every day I encourage people to find their own voice, to stand against generations of political corruption and express themselves in the fight to make Northeastern Pennsylvania a stronger, better and more honest community.
My wife has dedicated herself to working as a community organizer upon whom her co-workers depend to help them in the fight for what is right and true and honest. That’s how neighborhoods grow. That’s how people grow. That’s how life gets better for everybody.
Why? Because of this Rube Lomax report from Electric City:
Which reminds me: the local rumor mill is grinding that Scranton carpetbagger and WILK whiner Steve Corbett is trying hard to latch his wannabe star on a nationally syndicated FOX radio show through his worship of all things Sara Palin. Allegedly, he’s working to impress Greta Van Sustern via her husband John P. Coale, who worked locally on the Hillary Clinton campaign. Corbett became acquainted with Coale through the Rodham brothers (his good buddies and Hillary’s wearisome siblings) which is why he’s now got his sights on a national show, hence his lips on the derriere of all things Palin-related. Perhaps he and Caribou Barbie could team up together. Now that would make for some good talk radio!
-ruderube@hotmail.com
Full "Rude Rube" column.
Here's Corbett's self-aggrandizing, self-important, self-immolating reaction from his WILK blog page: Thanks for listening
Check this excerpt:
My wife and I bought a big old house in the Hill section that’s loaded with stained-glass and hard wood that shines and sometimes seems to breathe because our home is so alive. We put down our own deep roots, built a Zen garden of stillness and committed our lives to making each other and the people with whom we share our city and region as happy and as empowered as possible.
Every day I encourage people to find their own voice, to stand against generations of political corruption and express themselves in the fight to make Northeastern Pennsylvania a stronger, better and more honest community.
My wife has dedicated herself to working as a community organizer upon whom her co-workers depend to help them in the fight for what is right and true and honest. That’s how neighborhoods grow. That’s how people grow. That’s how life gets better for everybody.
I'll bet he had tears in his eyes after he penned that bit. Makes you wonder how we'd have gotten by had the Corbett Volkswagon bus not headed back to Pennsylvania from California.
Anywho, the Lomax pitch sounds eerily familiar to this one posted at WILK Watcher but a few days ago:
Radio Rumors
There have been some rumors circulating on other media boards about a possible shake up at WILK. That a huge local talent maybe jumping to the talk show venue.
Then again, Steve Corbett could never be called a "huge local talent," could he? Nah. No way, no how. Not unless excessive decibels levels count as on-air radio talent. So perhaps the anonymous "watcher" is not so specifically referring to someone else at WILK.
Hmmm...huge local talent?
I know, maybe Sue Henry is poised to join Michelle Obama's inner circle as the Chief or Protocol, or something. Ah, never mind. Er, she's probably bolting to be the tamborine player for The Hold Steady, some band she's really keen on but I have yet to hear. I don't know. Ask Lomax, not me.
Anyway, Corbett had the editor of the offending weekend rag on his WILK talk show this afternoon. And Corbett huffed, and Corbett puffed, and said editor gave him the long, slow, professional version of 'go pound sand,' when the subject of a retraction by the weekend paper came up.
Being that this is an overly litigious society, Corbett ought to cash this one in--ka-ching! Suing people? Hell, it's like Mountain Dew--everybody's doing it. So, why not the California Kid?
He could take his huge settlement, his alfalfa sprout shakes, his salmon burgers, his peace and love and yoga and bongos and his Woodstock mentality and head off into the sunset to his final love-in on the beach.
Peace, brother.
Still, a huge, huge, HUGE part of me hopes that the Lomax thing might not be so far off target as Corbett would have us believe.
Think about it. No more shouting. No more spitting on the mic. No more sh*tty polka. No more repetitively boring reggae gibberish. No more Corbett as the new, undisputed center of the universe. No more taking credit for bringing light to subjects that are old news to some of us. And most importantly, no more Corbett.
Here's hoping Lomax got it right.
Later
Thursday, February 4, 2010
GOP news
From the email inbox:
LISA BAKER FOR SENATE
P.O. BOX 59
LEHMAN PA 18627
info@bakerforsenate.com
Contact: Renita Fennick 570-208-4671 or 570-239-8851
Feb. 4, 2010
Lisa Baker Seeks Second State Senate Term
Expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to serve and for the local support she has received, state Senator Lisa Baker is asking voters for a second four-year term.
"People want leaders who are conservative on spending and taxes, who have an ability to get results on matters of the public interest, and who possess a strong sense of ethics. Those are standards I try to meet every day," Baker said.
"When I first ran for office, I pledged to work to control the growth of state government and to secure reforms that people believe necessary. There have been some notable successes in terms of significant spending cuts and adoption of an open records law, but there is much more to do. I hope to have the chance to use my experience and determination to achieve better results from state government," she stated.
She voted against measures that take Pennsylvania in the wrong direction and hurt her district, including state tax increases and the attempt to toll I-80.
During her three years in office, Senator Baker actively pushed legislation, proved accessible throughout the district, and demonstrated accountability by accepting only actual expenses, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars. "I listen to the concerns people express, discuss issues with individuals and groups across the district, and make sure that state officials respond to the problems, projects, and priorities that emerge in our communities."
Senator Baker is a key player in the effort to strike the right balance in the gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, allowing the region to realize the jobs and economic benefits while ensuring that water and land are properly protected.
As a committee chair, she pushed through legislation long sought by veterans and volunteer emergency responders. "I believe we have a special obligation to those who serve to defend freedom and to protect our communities."
Baker took the lead in introducing legislation to respond to the notorious "kids for cash" scandal in Luzerne County. Her proposals include remedies for the victims of the scandal and preventative measures to strengthen the juvenile justice system against future corruption.
Senator Baker is pressing for action on legislation to reform the budget process and prevent a budget crisis such as occurred in 2009, when the state budget was signed 101 days past the deadline.
The Rev. Chuck Gommer and Gen. Dan O’Neill will once again serve as the campaign co-chairmen. Alvin Cragle will continue to serve as the committee treasurer.
Can you say...shoo-in?
Later
LISA BAKER FOR SENATE
P.O. BOX 59
LEHMAN PA 18627
info@bakerforsenate.com
Contact: Renita Fennick 570-208-4671 or 570-239-8851
Feb. 4, 2010
Lisa Baker Seeks Second State Senate Term
Expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to serve and for the local support she has received, state Senator Lisa Baker is asking voters for a second four-year term.
"People want leaders who are conservative on spending and taxes, who have an ability to get results on matters of the public interest, and who possess a strong sense of ethics. Those are standards I try to meet every day," Baker said.
"When I first ran for office, I pledged to work to control the growth of state government and to secure reforms that people believe necessary. There have been some notable successes in terms of significant spending cuts and adoption of an open records law, but there is much more to do. I hope to have the chance to use my experience and determination to achieve better results from state government," she stated.
She voted against measures that take Pennsylvania in the wrong direction and hurt her district, including state tax increases and the attempt to toll I-80.
During her three years in office, Senator Baker actively pushed legislation, proved accessible throughout the district, and demonstrated accountability by accepting only actual expenses, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars. "I listen to the concerns people express, discuss issues with individuals and groups across the district, and make sure that state officials respond to the problems, projects, and priorities that emerge in our communities."
Senator Baker is a key player in the effort to strike the right balance in the gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, allowing the region to realize the jobs and economic benefits while ensuring that water and land are properly protected.
As a committee chair, she pushed through legislation long sought by veterans and volunteer emergency responders. "I believe we have a special obligation to those who serve to defend freedom and to protect our communities."
Baker took the lead in introducing legislation to respond to the notorious "kids for cash" scandal in Luzerne County. Her proposals include remedies for the victims of the scandal and preventative measures to strengthen the juvenile justice system against future corruption.
Senator Baker is pressing for action on legislation to reform the budget process and prevent a budget crisis such as occurred in 2009, when the state budget was signed 101 days past the deadline.
The Rev. Chuck Gommer and Gen. Dan O’Neill will once again serve as the campaign co-chairmen. Alvin Cragle will continue to serve as the committee treasurer.
Can you say...shoo-in?
Later
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
No room for Harry Haas?
From the Citizens' Voice:
Full update: Pizzella to plead guilty tomorrow
Dave Janoski Published: February 3, 2010
Wilkes-Barre Area School Board President Frank Pizzella Jr. is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday to plead guilty in a bribery case.
According to the plea agreement filed today in district court, Pizzella will plead guilty to the felony indictment filed in September. Pizzella originally pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he brokered a $5,000 bribery deal between a prospective teacher and a board member.
So we're up to three. Three members of the Wilkes-Barre Area School (Bribe) Board are now transitioning their way towards the hoosegow. What is it, a seven member board? And we've got three fast heading towards convictions and incarceration. Predictably, our clueless school director said they all served admirably. As if.
And we are now leading all of the other 5,000 or so school districts in this county in the number of school board members copping pleas, pleading guilty or intentionally having their sentencing delayed. Pittston Area, the Vo-Tech babysitter, Valley West, they ain't got nuthin' on Wilkes-Barre Area.
Meanwhile, we've got two high schools desperately in need of millions upon millions in renovations. And we've got a third high school in need of major renovations while it's sinking into the river sludge, or the mines, or some such thing.
And remarkably, the voters did not elect Harry Haas, a bright young mind, a committed educator and a guy not real big on what made this county a backwards joke in the first place--nepotism and corruption. And why wasn't the best and brightest of the motley bunch elected to the school board? Why? Because he's a registered republican, that's why.
Shame on them.
Kayak Dude has posted some new pictures on his site. Pics of flooded drilling sites. Little, unimportant stuff like that.
The link: Susquehanna River Sentinel
By the way, that's his old site. Not the new, under construction site.
You know you're getting old, or stale, or perhaps even boring when this happens.
Or maybe you're simply perceived as being too, too much of a traditionalist, which is code for evil republican. No biggie. Life goes on, as does Markie.
Later
Full update: Pizzella to plead guilty tomorrow
Dave Janoski Published: February 3, 2010
Wilkes-Barre Area School Board President Frank Pizzella Jr. is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday to plead guilty in a bribery case.
According to the plea agreement filed today in district court, Pizzella will plead guilty to the felony indictment filed in September. Pizzella originally pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he brokered a $5,000 bribery deal between a prospective teacher and a board member.
So we're up to three. Three members of the Wilkes-Barre Area School (Bribe) Board are now transitioning their way towards the hoosegow. What is it, a seven member board? And we've got three fast heading towards convictions and incarceration. Predictably, our clueless school director said they all served admirably. As if.
And we are now leading all of the other 5,000 or so school districts in this county in the number of school board members copping pleas, pleading guilty or intentionally having their sentencing delayed. Pittston Area, the Vo-Tech babysitter, Valley West, they ain't got nuthin' on Wilkes-Barre Area.
Meanwhile, we've got two high schools desperately in need of millions upon millions in renovations. And we've got a third high school in need of major renovations while it's sinking into the river sludge, or the mines, or some such thing.
And remarkably, the voters did not elect Harry Haas, a bright young mind, a committed educator and a guy not real big on what made this county a backwards joke in the first place--nepotism and corruption. And why wasn't the best and brightest of the motley bunch elected to the school board? Why? Because he's a registered republican, that's why.
Shame on them.
Kayak Dude has posted some new pictures on his site. Pics of flooded drilling sites. Little, unimportant stuff like that.
The link: Susquehanna River Sentinel
By the way, that's his old site. Not the new, under construction site.
You know you're getting old, or stale, or perhaps even boring when this happens.
Or maybe you're simply perceived as being too, too much of a traditionalist, which is code for evil republican. No biggie. Life goes on, as does Markie.
Later
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Walter Griffith interview
Before you get into this, know that this was more an exchange of questions and answers than it was a actual interview. I have two formats for what ends up being listed here as an interview.
The first is the Q & A exchange like this one, with the other being what I like to call a 'beer summit.' The typical beer summit involves a face-to-face, plenty of cold brews and a few hours. And since we're both kind of busy right now, this will have to do.
One other note, I told Walter going in that I was going to stay away from specific conflicts or specific personalities for the purposes of this exercise, not wanting to add to any of the current rumblings and such are are weakening the underpinnings of the courthouse. That was my idea, not his. Plus, he didn't have to agree to this. So remember that, temper your vitriol if you feel the need to comment.
The exchange...
1. With a month under your belt as the county controller, it’s been, in my opinion, a turbulently busy ride so far. This early in the game, is it as you envisioned it before taking the oath of office?
a. The Office of County Controller was and is a great office full of responsibility and I envisioned this Office to be a very busy and turbulent one as well. I did understand before even running for the office that it would be a challenge and experience and it has not disappointed me as of this day.
2. We’re on the cusp of yet another tax increase, but there was some obvious resistance from various corners of the courthouse to your assertion that the ill begotten sheriff’s department tasers should be returned to the manufacturer.
We’re told that everyone involved worked as hard as humanly possible to present a balanced budget, yet some of those same high-ranking players also seemed more than willing to pay for an unbudgeted and heretofore unheard of $18,000 expense. Why the disconnect? Why the flippant disregard for procedure?
a. The past procedures and policies of the County were never followed or enforced in the past and therefore the resistance to someone in the Controllers Office that will enforce the policy and the State County Code is a foreign idea to some in the County Courthouse, and I understand this is a hard thing to understand but I will make them understand that the Commissioners are in charge and the Controller is the person that helps them with enforcing their policy.
3. Our county code is, in my opinion, a vast gray area that all but guarantees that no elected or appointed official can be held accountable for their actions.
Assuming you agree with that assertion of mine to some degree, how could we go about building more accountability, more checks and balances into the flailing system in the event that the Home Rule charter fails to be enacted?
a. The State County Code is not a grey area at all but a Code that is only “Grey” because of the lack of leadership by the people that are elected to follow the Code in the first place. The “Checks and Balances” are in place in the Code and the Controller is one of the people that are required to follow the policy. The Controller can make sure that the Code is followed by making sure the Purchasing Dept and County Commissioners and others follow the “Checks and Balances” in the State County Code.
3. Having held a couple of management positions of some importance in the past, I’m curious, does it bother you, or affect your decision-making process while knowing that some percentage of your coworkers probably loathe the very air you breathe?
a. The Controllers Office personnel are fantastic and great to work with and I have a great team of people that work hard every day and get the work done. There are others in the County that may feel differently because the ability to do what you want whenever you want is changing and they are loosing their sense of ownership and those people wont accept change easily but will accept leadership.
5. Attempting to prevaricate away a misstep usually compounds the original misstep, as has been proven time and again by elected officials everywhere.
Assuming you were to make a misstep, would you be quick to notify the press? Would you be forthcoming? Or should I say, would you deviate from the expected and accepted norms?
a. I would admit my shortcomings and also would not try to “Cover-up” anything and would accept the voters ability to forgive an honest mistake but am sure that the taxpayers are not naïve nor easily fooled.
6. Your job description probably precludes you from needing to be visionary.
But assuming that your office can bring some semblance of financial accountability to the courthouse, and assuming that balanced budgets and black ink rather than red are possible in the very near future, have you any thoughts on how we can faster facilitate the retiring of that $466 million in outstanding debts? That’s a big number and it is now consuming 21.7% of the annual budget, if I’ve got my numbers right
a. We can get rid of the debt by cutting spending and reducing the need for excessive personnel in various departments. I would eliminate all KOZ funding as well as TIF Funding until the County is on firm financial footing. Charity begins at home and until we can get a handle on the debt all un needed spending must stop.
7. During your recent taxpayer activist past, and now in your elected capacity, you have demonstrated time and again that not only row officers, but county commissioners as well have only a rudimentary understanding of the county code.
What that suggests to me is that people who had no intention whatsoever of better serving the residents of this county ran for office in the first place, and then neglected to do some necessary homework upon being elected.
How do we change that? How do we, as concerned taxpayers, force the candidates for elected county offices to demonstrate at least a working knowledge of the county code? During the debate process, perhaps? Or is this a failing on the part of our two local newspapers, the local talk radio outlets and the local bloggers?
a. The people of the County need to be more concerned with the “heart and Soul “of people that are running for office and not the empty promises. The people need workers to be elected to office and not people that can speak well and say what hey want to hear. The Newspaper does a great job and so does talk radio. But people need to listen more and talk less.
8. Now that you’ve made the huge leap from being an activist to the ranks of the elected, what advice would you have for the local GOP about ensuring that this county not descend back to the ranks of being a one-party county?
a. Everyone running for Office should do their homework and do the research on the issues and be sure they know what they can do to help the taxpayers and not themselves. The time for talk is over it now time to serve.
9. With the corruption scandal still swirling all about, what is the overall mood of the rank-and-file employees at the courthouse who played no part in any of this continuing nightmare?
a. The rank and file are as disgusted as the rest of the County and are unfortunately being labeled in a dishonest way and that’s unfortunate.
10. How is it that two people--you and I--who were on diametrically opposed poles whereas issues facing the City of Wilkes-Barre were concerned, now be on the same wavelength?
a. Because we finally both agree that the taxpayers deserve a honest and transparent government that is being managed by elected officials that are working for the common goal of accountability.
11. Going from the garage to the courthouse, how do you feel about wearing a shirt and tie in perpetuity? I know I always hated it.
a. I really don’t mind the Shirt and Tie but feel the clothes are part of the job much like the clothes were part of the job of being at the garage. I feel that you must be a professional in either position and the uniform is just different.
12. Has your car been keyed yet?
a. My car hasn’t been “keyed” yet and would not like to think that the position that I am in is one that would make someone feel that I am being unfair to anyone but am simply asking people in government to be accountable.
As for that one, Walter, I wouldn't put anything past some of these people.
Anyway, for what it's worth, there is it. Perhaps after things are sorted out and the courthouse becomes less tumultuous, we can do this again and in more depth.
Thanks, Walter.
Later
The first is the Q & A exchange like this one, with the other being what I like to call a 'beer summit.' The typical beer summit involves a face-to-face, plenty of cold brews and a few hours. And since we're both kind of busy right now, this will have to do.
One other note, I told Walter going in that I was going to stay away from specific conflicts or specific personalities for the purposes of this exercise, not wanting to add to any of the current rumblings and such are are weakening the underpinnings of the courthouse. That was my idea, not his. Plus, he didn't have to agree to this. So remember that, temper your vitriol if you feel the need to comment.
The exchange...
1. With a month under your belt as the county controller, it’s been, in my opinion, a turbulently busy ride so far. This early in the game, is it as you envisioned it before taking the oath of office?
a. The Office of County Controller was and is a great office full of responsibility and I envisioned this Office to be a very busy and turbulent one as well. I did understand before even running for the office that it would be a challenge and experience and it has not disappointed me as of this day.
2. We’re on the cusp of yet another tax increase, but there was some obvious resistance from various corners of the courthouse to your assertion that the ill begotten sheriff’s department tasers should be returned to the manufacturer.
We’re told that everyone involved worked as hard as humanly possible to present a balanced budget, yet some of those same high-ranking players also seemed more than willing to pay for an unbudgeted and heretofore unheard of $18,000 expense. Why the disconnect? Why the flippant disregard for procedure?
a. The past procedures and policies of the County were never followed or enforced in the past and therefore the resistance to someone in the Controllers Office that will enforce the policy and the State County Code is a foreign idea to some in the County Courthouse, and I understand this is a hard thing to understand but I will make them understand that the Commissioners are in charge and the Controller is the person that helps them with enforcing their policy.
3. Our county code is, in my opinion, a vast gray area that all but guarantees that no elected or appointed official can be held accountable for their actions.
Assuming you agree with that assertion of mine to some degree, how could we go about building more accountability, more checks and balances into the flailing system in the event that the Home Rule charter fails to be enacted?
a. The State County Code is not a grey area at all but a Code that is only “Grey” because of the lack of leadership by the people that are elected to follow the Code in the first place. The “Checks and Balances” are in place in the Code and the Controller is one of the people that are required to follow the policy. The Controller can make sure that the Code is followed by making sure the Purchasing Dept and County Commissioners and others follow the “Checks and Balances” in the State County Code.
3. Having held a couple of management positions of some importance in the past, I’m curious, does it bother you, or affect your decision-making process while knowing that some percentage of your coworkers probably loathe the very air you breathe?
a. The Controllers Office personnel are fantastic and great to work with and I have a great team of people that work hard every day and get the work done. There are others in the County that may feel differently because the ability to do what you want whenever you want is changing and they are loosing their sense of ownership and those people wont accept change easily but will accept leadership.
5. Attempting to prevaricate away a misstep usually compounds the original misstep, as has been proven time and again by elected officials everywhere.
Assuming you were to make a misstep, would you be quick to notify the press? Would you be forthcoming? Or should I say, would you deviate from the expected and accepted norms?
a. I would admit my shortcomings and also would not try to “Cover-up” anything and would accept the voters ability to forgive an honest mistake but am sure that the taxpayers are not naïve nor easily fooled.
6. Your job description probably precludes you from needing to be visionary.
But assuming that your office can bring some semblance of financial accountability to the courthouse, and assuming that balanced budgets and black ink rather than red are possible in the very near future, have you any thoughts on how we can faster facilitate the retiring of that $466 million in outstanding debts? That’s a big number and it is now consuming 21.7% of the annual budget, if I’ve got my numbers right
a. We can get rid of the debt by cutting spending and reducing the need for excessive personnel in various departments. I would eliminate all KOZ funding as well as TIF Funding until the County is on firm financial footing. Charity begins at home and until we can get a handle on the debt all un needed spending must stop.
7. During your recent taxpayer activist past, and now in your elected capacity, you have demonstrated time and again that not only row officers, but county commissioners as well have only a rudimentary understanding of the county code.
What that suggests to me is that people who had no intention whatsoever of better serving the residents of this county ran for office in the first place, and then neglected to do some necessary homework upon being elected.
How do we change that? How do we, as concerned taxpayers, force the candidates for elected county offices to demonstrate at least a working knowledge of the county code? During the debate process, perhaps? Or is this a failing on the part of our two local newspapers, the local talk radio outlets and the local bloggers?
a. The people of the County need to be more concerned with the “heart and Soul “of people that are running for office and not the empty promises. The people need workers to be elected to office and not people that can speak well and say what hey want to hear. The Newspaper does a great job and so does talk radio. But people need to listen more and talk less.
8. Now that you’ve made the huge leap from being an activist to the ranks of the elected, what advice would you have for the local GOP about ensuring that this county not descend back to the ranks of being a one-party county?
a. Everyone running for Office should do their homework and do the research on the issues and be sure they know what they can do to help the taxpayers and not themselves. The time for talk is over it now time to serve.
9. With the corruption scandal still swirling all about, what is the overall mood of the rank-and-file employees at the courthouse who played no part in any of this continuing nightmare?
a. The rank and file are as disgusted as the rest of the County and are unfortunately being labeled in a dishonest way and that’s unfortunate.
10. How is it that two people--you and I--who were on diametrically opposed poles whereas issues facing the City of Wilkes-Barre were concerned, now be on the same wavelength?
a. Because we finally both agree that the taxpayers deserve a honest and transparent government that is being managed by elected officials that are working for the common goal of accountability.
11. Going from the garage to the courthouse, how do you feel about wearing a shirt and tie in perpetuity? I know I always hated it.
a. I really don’t mind the Shirt and Tie but feel the clothes are part of the job much like the clothes were part of the job of being at the garage. I feel that you must be a professional in either position and the uniform is just different.
12. Has your car been keyed yet?
a. My car hasn’t been “keyed” yet and would not like to think that the position that I am in is one that would make someone feel that I am being unfair to anyone but am simply asking people in government to be accountable.
As for that one, Walter, I wouldn't put anything past some of these people.
Anyway, for what it's worth, there is it. Perhaps after things are sorted out and the courthouse becomes less tumultuous, we can do this again and in more depth.
Thanks, Walter.
Later
Monday, February 1, 2010
And the award goes to...
Gasland!
SUNDANCE AWARD - JOSH FOX & GASLAND
A Special Jury Prize for Documentary was presented to GASLAND, directed by Josh Fox. With spirit, strength,and a sense of humor, Fox's personal documentary takesa look at how gas drilling affects our air, our drinkingwater, our communities, and our nation.Robert Koehler of Variety wrote an awesome reviewsaying that "GASLAND will become to the dangers of gas drilling what "Silent Spring" was to DDT."And Mickey Rapkin of GQ called Josh Fox"Sundance's new Erin Brockovich": Gasland
NYC MAYOR - NO DRILLING IN WATERSHED
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued his most forceful statements to date opposinggas drilling in the city's upstate watershed. Bloomberg's NYC-DEP is urging the state to banshale gas drilling in the city's watershed. "The consequences are so severe that it is not a risk thatI think we should run. I do not think that we should allow fractured drilling anywhere near our watersupply," Mayor Bloomberg told reporters: NYC Mayor
Read more at Damascus Citizens.org
And from the Times Leader:
Full story: Rep. backs state control of drilling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week an “Eyes on Drilling” tip line for citizens to report – anonymously, if preferred – anything that “appears to be illegal disposal of wastes or other suspicious activity,” according to an EPA news release.
Also, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Scranton, has introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which would close the so-called “Halliburton loophole.”
In the Energy Policy Act of 2005, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” was exempted from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, creating the loophole. Fracking forces water, sand and chemicals into rock formations underground such as the shale to crack the rock and release natural gas.
In a resolution introduced in the state House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee last week, Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, called for lawmakers to urge the U.S. Congress to not pass Casey’s proposal.
Later
SUNDANCE AWARD - JOSH FOX & GASLAND
A Special Jury Prize for Documentary was presented to GASLAND, directed by Josh Fox. With spirit, strength,and a sense of humor, Fox's personal documentary takesa look at how gas drilling affects our air, our drinkingwater, our communities, and our nation.Robert Koehler of Variety wrote an awesome reviewsaying that "GASLAND will become to the dangers of gas drilling what "Silent Spring" was to DDT."And Mickey Rapkin of GQ called Josh Fox"Sundance's new Erin Brockovich": Gasland
NYC MAYOR - NO DRILLING IN WATERSHED
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued his most forceful statements to date opposinggas drilling in the city's upstate watershed. Bloomberg's NYC-DEP is urging the state to banshale gas drilling in the city's watershed. "The consequences are so severe that it is not a risk thatI think we should run. I do not think that we should allow fractured drilling anywhere near our watersupply," Mayor Bloomberg told reporters: NYC Mayor
Read more at Damascus Citizens.org
And from the Times Leader:
Full story: Rep. backs state control of drilling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week an “Eyes on Drilling” tip line for citizens to report – anonymously, if preferred – anything that “appears to be illegal disposal of wastes or other suspicious activity,” according to an EPA news release.
Also, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Scranton, has introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which would close the so-called “Halliburton loophole.”
In the Energy Policy Act of 2005, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” was exempted from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, creating the loophole. Fracking forces water, sand and chemicals into rock formations underground such as the shale to crack the rock and release natural gas.
In a resolution introduced in the state House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee last week, Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, called for lawmakers to urge the U.S. Congress to not pass Casey’s proposal.
Later
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