Tim Mullen Q&A

Today we have Tim Mullen, yet another candidate for Luzerne County Council, taking a whack at the very same questions I previously offered to two other candidates for that same newly-created body.

I'm not going to give him a big, big build-up, except to say that I first met him at last Summer's GasStock protest and informational event, I spoke at length with him and I was duly impressed by him.

Anyway, here are his responses to my proddings...

1. Why you? Why now? What differentiates you from the rest of the crowded field?

1. I follow the Libertarian principles of economic and individual freedoms for all. I am a man of unwavering principles. If something is going to take away that freedom, I am not going to vote for it plain and simple. The new Home Rule Charter is our last best chance to turn Luzerne County around, so it is crucial that those elected to the council are of the highest moral fiber and have the fortitude and vision to lead.


I am disgusted with the happenings of government at all levels from the courthouse to the White House. Nothing is as pitiful as the state of affairs here in Luzerne County. When I ran for state representative in the 120th district last year, I gave up every spare minute of my time for a year to knock on 12,000 doors, write to papers, and talk on radio about my message and of fiscal sanity. I and many of supporters do not want my message to fade away. The present situation within Luzerne County and the transition to the 11 member council is a next logical endeavor.


While other candidates are touting credentials and connections, I tell of my integrity and fortitude. Where other candidates tell you everything you want to hear, I'm the one that will tell you everything you don't want to hear. I do not owe anything to anybody. I will keep it that way.


2. What motivation is there to want to serve on a legislative body for very little pay and no benefits?

2. I have accomplished most of the things I've set out to do in my life. I have served my community as a registered nurse, and my country in the Army, although truthfully I always just looked at them both as jobs. I have made some good investments with my hard earned money and have the good fortune to be able to not have to work anywhere near as hard or as long as I have in the past. Last year I decided I wanted to do more for my community and wanted the most challenging task I could think of. I decided to run for state representative at that time in a large part out of concern for the taxpayer due to the mounting problems with state finances. The opportunity to serve our beleaguered county presented itself this year and I felt like I had to step up to the plate. Unlike the ploy others use in not accepting the pay, I will accept it. I will also give up my full-time status at my present employer to concentrate on the monumental task of transitioning to our new form of government. I do not expect it to be a part-time job. There is also much I need to learn about county government. I feel anything less on my behalf would be shortchanging the taxpayers of this county.


3. Last I knew, the debt service payment was 17.2% of the yearly budget. Any ideas on how we can significantly reduce our outstanding debts?

3. With a debt load well over three times the annual budget, I feel we are beyond the point of no return and bankruptcy would be the way to go. Remember that we now have record low interest rates, Rates have no where else to go but up from here. Could this county possibly function with an even greater percentage of revenues going to pay interest? I don't think so. Could the taxpayers take on an even greater burden? I won't let it happen in all my power. From what I understand about bankruptcy proceedings, union contracts could be voided and / or renegotiated, and layoffs could commence. Outside of bankruptcy I would like to see reductions in the county workforce through attrition ideally, at first. With a workforce one third larger than similar sized counties, there is a lot of dead weight to be removed. More than likely we will need layoffs to bring the situation quickly under control. There will be cuts in services no doubt. I would see to it that it is done in the most humane way possible.


4. How can our newly-created council help to restore the public’s shattered faith in our county government?

4. From what I have seen from most of the other candidates, there seems to be a genuine concern to do right by the people of Luzerne County. Being a part- time position with minimal pay is one of the plusses of this charter I feel. The term limits are a positive also, in that the candidates will know at some point in the near future their time is up. This will eliminate a lot of the wheeling and dealing career politicians do to remain in office. These reasons in and of themselves should give faith to the public. Transparency, and an anti-nepotism / code of ethics policy could go a long way to help restore the public's faith.


5. In your opinion, does a nationwide search for a county executive make more sense than electing a local person?

5. I would advocate a nationwide search for the county executive. We will need someone without bias to make decisions on a daily basis, especially when it comes to hiring and firing. I will not rule out local talent, but only if it can be proven beyond a shadow of doubt there is no conflict of interest.


6. Should public sector unions be allowed to strike?
7. What are your thoughts on the collecting bargaining rights of said unions?

6 &7. Franklin D. Roosevelt arguably one of the most pro-labor presidents in our country's history warned of the scourge public sector unions could become. Even he was appalled by the thought of any strike against the taxpayer. Do not misread me. Labor unions have done tremendous things over the years. If not for them we may be all working eighty hour work weeks starting at age thirteen. I have nothing at all against organizing the working man in the private sector. In such an environment both labor and management have something to gain, The unions work for a decent wage and benefits for the worker, and a content workforce is more productive for management. Should unions become too greedy, the company's bottom line could suffer, the company could fold, and everyone would become a loser. There is a self-correcting balance.


There is no place for public service unions because those that represent management (the taxpayer) have little or no skin in the game. For example, I know of school boards loaded with ex-teachers or relatives of teachers. Who's representing the taxpayers? No one, in fact, quite the opposite. Many political campaigns are bankrolled by the public sector unions. Who are those politicians going to represent? Not the taxpayer. I ran against an incumbent in my state representative race last year that received contributions from the PSEA. Who is she going to represent when push comes to shove? Not me. Taxpayers are viewed as something that needs to be fleeced regularly. Even those politicians that have no ties to the unions are subject to what I call the " spread the pain, concentrate the wealth effect". Taxpayers are taxed in small but ever increasing increments analogous to a frog in a pot of water. He feels nothing as the water is slowly heated to boiling. If the frog were simply tossed into the pot of boiling water, he would instinctively just jump out. When someone down the street loses their home to the property tax, you might not notice. When your neighbor loses their home to taxes you still may not care. When you lose your home it is too late. The concentrated wealth that is received by the public service unions and their members motivates a small but extremely powerful and vocal group, you need look no farther than the present situation in Wisconsin.

Ironically their rallying cry is " were for the working family". Nothing makes me more madder than a hornet in jar when I hear this. Just who do these so-called servants think is paying their usually overly lavish salaries and benefits? It's not the people that are not working. Taxpayer beware of any group touting themselves as being for the working man in this county council race. Its more of the same old same old. Since I am not going to eliminate public service unions single handedly any time soon, I will do everything I can to ensure that they bargain in good faith. If necessary I will escort a legion of public servants to the unemployment line before I see another taxpayer lose their home to property taxes in this county.

8. Would you be in favor of a clear-cut anti-nepotism policy?

8. I believe an anti- nepotism policy may help, but it will be hard to draw up and enforce. For example it could help in cases such as close relatives and business associations that are easy to discern. Who is to say that a county employee's second cousin twice removed is disqualified from a certain position?. What constitutes a friendship? I tell people nepotism is not an issue with me personally because I only have three relatives in the county, none of which are interested in working for the county, and I have no friends. The voter has the best solution by electing people of the highest moral fiber. I will go one step farther in advocating a third party candidate like myself or an Independent like Charlie Hatchko to keep tabs on the political shenanigans of the two establishment machines.


9. Since austerity seems to be the way of the world for the foreseeable future, would you be in favor of an across the board budget cut by a fixed percentage?

9. No, I would not approve across the board cuts by fixed percentages. I would approve of cuts as a percentage of the whole budget, but I would like to have the ability to remain flexible to fund departments or services that might be deemed too vital.


10. What should become of the Valley Crest property as well as the former juvenile detention facility? Moon Lake Park?

10. Just like in investing, sometimes you have to take your losses to see another day. The Valley Crest and juvenile detention facilities should be moth-balled to prevent a Hotel Sterling type of fiasco. Then the properties should be put up for sale to the highest bidder ASAP regardless of the price received. The revenue for a projected sale of Valley Crest should never have been included in any realistic budget. I will use of all my power to ensure budgets have no pie-in -sky revenue projections that leave the taxpayers on the hook for shortfalls.


As a Libertarian I don't like the idea of the county owning a park. As an environmentalist the last thing I would want is Moon Lake Park sold off to drillers or developers. I am concerned if the park is a drain on the county coffers. I have no problems with a user (ie. admission) fee, or an increase in the pool or camping fees to bring in park revenue. I would look into partnerships with civic groups such as the Sierra Club, Boy Scouts, etc. to help with the maintenance and / or staffing of the park. Those that need to do community service could also be used to staff or maintain the park.

11. If the makeup of the county council were to be dominated by one area of the county, do you think that the funding of capital projects could become provincial in nature?

11. There is a possibility that capital projects could become provincial in nature. First off in these cash strapped times I would advocate only those projects of the utmost urgency be funded. The voter once again will have to be responsible for making sure that their vote does not favor one geographic area of the county over another. The at-large elections were one reason that I had opposed this charter. This is another reason why voter selection of the right mix of candidates is crucial.


12. If you could fund one major project by executive fiat, what would it be?

12. I wouldn't. We can't afford to spend a nickel more . Given no choice and a reasonable amount of financing, I would like to see our history preserved at the old Huber Breaker / Ashley Planes site. A viable plan would have to be developed to ensure it would never become a burden to the county.


13. What’s your favorite color (trick question)?

13. This one is easy. Gold. I am a believer in the Austrian School of economics and a constitutionalist. I believe in a gold backed currency and have put my money where my mouth is. Prospecting is one of my hobbies and I don't travel anywhere without my gold pan and sluice box.

Wanna shake things up in a county know known for wholesale corruption?

Vote for the guy who is neither a Democrat, nor a Republican.

Thanks, Tim.

I'll be following your numbers on election night. Good Luck

Later

I'm all good with the Bang! Bang! play

Having listened to WILK all day long today, I've heard a lot people feeling uneasy about the celebratory mood of many Americans with the news that Osama bin Laden took a high-velocity projectile through the face. I have no such misgivings. I feel no such queasiness. I chuckle at the fitting end of the mass-murderer.

The way I see it, if we had authorized this assassination during the 1990s when Osama and his sandal-clad boys first started killing innocent Americans, we'd still have two giant skyscrapers dominating the New York City skyline.

And maybe, just maybe, 4000-plus Americans would still be alive if we had put a bullet through good ole Saddam's face, rather than mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops to prosecute his removal from power.

And why are we goofing around with Libya's long-entrenched dictator? We killed his daughter back in the 1980s. And now, going on 20 years later we've wasted his son and 3 of his grandchildren. Yet, there he sits shaking his clenched fist at the western world.

Rather than mobilizing the tanks all over again, how about if just get the Joint Cheifs on the blower and order us another one of them high-velocity projectiles?

And what's up with this burial at sea nonsense? Why didn't they store him at Area 51, in a tank right next to those aliens that mistakenly took in Roswell, New Mexico with a mighty thump?

And Obama, I think Obama was the first president in the history of the country to make an address to a sleeping nation, coming in at a whopping 9 minutes. Yeah, the "Me, Myself & I" speech.

Still, though, Wifey needs to know: Who got voted off of The Celebrity Apprentice last night?

Later

Bring on the 77 virgins!

Courtesy of StickDeath.com...

Video of Osama bin Laden's final moments

G'nite

Bruce Simpson Q&A

Bruce Simpson, a candidate for Luzerne County Council, was kind enough to engage me in a question and answer exchange, all of which will follow.

Bruce has been aggressive in getting his message out early on via WILK, a message that I heard loud and clear. I'm no PHD in the ways of political science, but I expect him to do well on May 17.

1. Why you? Why now? What differentiates you from the rest of the crowded field?

Why me? Because I have an extensive background of varied experience which has prepared me for just such a role in local government. I have experience on the streets as a police officer, experience in the courts as a Magistrate, and Management experience in the Federal Government. In my capacity as a Federal Government employee, I had to manage a budget, review and select vendors to provide particular services that I required to carry out my job duties. I supervised a couple hundred employees, including hiring and firing using Federal Civil Service regulations. I was assigned to implement a brand new law throughout the Federal Government and then put it in operation nationwide, which consisted of a $50 Billion responsibility. I have excelled at every job I have ever held including the Federal Government where I received an award from both the Vice President of the United States as well as the Secretary of the Treasury. I have the undergrad and graduate level education to go along with my experience, all of which I wish to bring to the service of the citizens of Luzerne County. I seek to serve my fellow citizens and not myself.

Now is the time to get involved because of the importance of the first County Council. If we do our job correctly, we will set the foundation for future Councils to govern wisely, honestly, and fruitfully. We must ensure that corruption is a thing of the past and that good honest government is made available to the citizens who are paying for it.

2. What motivation is there to want to serve on a legislative body for very little pay and no benefits?

I have been in public service all of my life and with being retired from Federal service, I have the will and desire to serve one last time in my own community. The pay doesn't matter to me in the least. I would seek to serve even if the job paid nothing. I have all the benefits I need and require nothing more. This county government is broken and needs repair. I desire to lend whatever abilities I possess to achieve that goal working in unison with the other ten members of the Council.

3. Last I knew, the debt service payment was 17.2% of the yearly budget. Any ideas on how we can significantly reduce our outstanding debts?

Once we get settled, a careful review of the personnel costs that the County pays must be undertaken. This will require visits to the various departments of the Government to see for ourselves what job each office is required to do, how many employees they have, and how much that particular office costs to run. Some departments are running with fewer employees than they are authorized to have due to attrition and no new hires being accomplished to replace the outgoing employee. It is my belief that it is essential that the Council understands what each department does. If there are areas discovered where fat exists, then cuts can be made. The question then becomes can that department still do its job with the lower number of employees. Any savings realized from this review of costs could then be directly applied to the deficit.

Additionally, in recognition that property taxes are already too high for the people of Luzerne County and are placing a burden on many seniors who are trying to hold onto their homes, if elected to the County Council, I will not vote to raise property taxes.I realize that, in order to eliminate the nearly half-billion-dollar deficit under which Luzerne County is anguishing, new revenue will have to be raised. It is my intent to introduce whatever legislation is required to do this so that the tax burden is spread evenly across the board and, where possible, on non-residents of the county. It isn’t equitable to tax only home owners, or only those who reside in apartments, to battle the deficit. New thinking is required to solve this problem.

If elected, I intend to propose a raise in the hotel occupancy tax by one to two percent on the 3,200 hotel rooms within Luzerne County. This will result in only a one- or two-dollar per night increase to those utilizing hotel rooms, and will raise the county tax rate from 5% to 6%, which would match the state rate of tax. I would also look into proposing a new entertainment tax that would affect the Mohegan Sun casino, a business that was supposed to reduce property taxes for many in the county. I’ve seen no such decrease and if the County does not have authority to tax the casino, then the Council would need to work with Harrisburg to implement any of these proposed new taxes. I would also investigate levying a new tax of $0.25 for every movie ticket sold in the county, and an additional one-dollar tax on every live event entertainment ticket sold at any Luzerne venue.Any new taxes of this nature would be classified as “restricted revenue streams,” so that the only permitted use for these new taxes would be to apply them directly to the deficit. I would also propose a “sunset” provision on these additional taxes that would make them expire and revert to the previous tax rate once the deficit reaches zero.I realize that these taxes might be controversial, but the Luzerne County government must make concrete efforts to reduce the debt that is choking off growth in the county, as well as taking badly needed revenue away from productive projects and services while money is going towards interest payments on the debt.

I will be committed to having the new council examine all sources of revenue and how they are being used to the benefit of the county.

The days of raising taxes without a plan and with no concern for who they affect must end. Creative use of available new sources of income must be sought out so that taxes are fair to everyone and the county can avoid bankruptcy. We must attempt to only raise taxes on things that can be classified as a luxury, and not a necessity such as additional taxes on homeowners. Simply filing Bankruptcy is not a viable option. It is important that the County regain an outstanding credit rating so that we can get better financing deals in the future for any emergency requirements that arise.

4. How can our newly-created council help to restore the public’s shattered faith in our county government?

The people will know us by our work. It will become fairly obvious fairly quickly whether or not we govern in the best interests of the public. Sweetheart deals will become a thing of the past and unwise expenditures such as time clocks that cost a half million dollars with further substantial costs for maintenance are avoided at all costs. These costs can be avoided simply by having the right managers in place that can supervise their departments. If they can't perform that task, then they must be replaced. Honest work for honest pay can be guaranteed to a great extent by a strong ethics regulation with a suitable investigative mechanism to look into any actions that indicate that employees are cheating the tax payer. Severe penalties must be instituted for those found to have filed false reports on hours worked.

5. In your opinion, does a nationwide search for a county executive make more sense than electing a local person?

I don't believe it's one or the other. A nationwide search can be launched with minimum cost while welcoming applications for county manager from local sources as well. My belief is the best man or woman for the job should get the job, no matter where they come from and that mandates a search of all resources for applicants.

6. Should public sector unions be allowed to strike?

If labor and management bargain in good faith, a strike should never even be on the table. An honest wage for honest work should be the normal way of conducting work for the county. Public safety employees should never be allowed to strike as it places lives in danger.

7. What are your thoughts on the collecting bargaining rights of said unions?

Good faith bargaining is essential to all parties concerned. Again, what is fair to all parties is what should occur with management willing to say no, when demands by unions exceed the ability of the people to pay such demands. The unions must understand that it is a two way street just as management must. The bottom line is what is best for the tax payer who is footing the bill. Another essential element of this process is cooperation between the parties, once again keeping in mind that we all work for the people and it is their checkbook that pays the wages earned by all concerned. Unions made this country strong and contributed too many successes in industry to help make this country great. This is a new era where most if not all government entities are out of money that is found in excess within the coffers of said governments.

8. Would you be in favor of a clear-cut anti-nepotism policy?

Without question. This has been one of the major problems in various bodies such as school boards as well as some county departments. This practice must be relegated to the past where it belongs.

9. Since austerity seems to be the way of the world for the foreseeable future, would you be in favor of an across the board budget cut by a fixed percentage?

No, I would not be in favor of this. Each department must be examined to determine the work load, current staffing stats, work flow, and costs in addition to personnel costs that must be covered. Some departments in the Luzerne County government are already operating at below authorized staffing levels. To issue a broad sword cut could damage the ability of some departments to carry out their mandated responsibilities. Any cuts in funding must be done with intelligence and knowledge so as to not hinder the proper conduct of business.

10. What should become of the Valley Crest property as well as the former juvenile detention facility? Moon Lake Park?

First, look for alternative use for said properties. For example, would the former juvenile detention facility be able to function for the purpose of housing county records? The current facility is leaking and in danger of leading to damage to massive amounts of records. Instead of building or buying a new facility, a quick study by the proper people should be undertaken to ascertain whether or not a transfer of records to the juvenile facility would serve the purpose instead of new expenditures. Certainly security of the documents should not be a problem. If it is determined that the facility would be unsuitable for that purpose, then looking into using the facility for certain classes of county prisoners such as drug users, or people convicted of minor offenses and sentenced to short stays for things like bad checks should be considered. Currently, we send all offenders sentenced to county jail time to the same place where they can learn to become more involved in the criminal life by learning from other major case inmates how to do certain crimes. They come out worse than when they go in and our recidivism rate climbs.

Maybe turn the detention center into a drug and alcohol facility where incarceration and rehabilitation can occur to get the person off drugs might be one example of a better use scenario. The county spends a lot of money housing convicted drug offenders with little or no attempts to get them off drugs so they might have a new chance of leading a drug free life and thus stay out of prison.

Frankly on the other two, I would try and do a long term lease on Moon Lake and study the nursing home for alternative uses if it can't be sold. If the facility is still in good shape, why couldn't it serve its original purpose?

11. If the makeup of the county council were to be dominated by one area of the county, do you think that the funding of capital projects could become provincial in nature?

All parts of the county must be treated equally when it comes to things like infrastructure maintenance, whether its roads or bridges. All taxpayers must see a benefit from the taxes they pay. I believe that historically some areas of the county have been ignored to the detriment of the people in that area. This must not continue to occur. It is also the responsibility of the citizens in various parts of the county to report issues such as destroyed bridges resulting from a flood, to the County so that action can be taken. The people must hold the Council accountable for the lack of attention that has occurred in the past but cannot continue in the future.

12. If you could fund one major project by executive fiat, what would it be?

To ensure that every bridge located in Luzerne County is sound, safe and maintained to the highest degree.

13. What’s your favorite color (trick question)?

Definitely NOT red! It's time to bring the county into the black and that can be done by electing an intelligent, informed, cooperative county council, that has the ability to think outside the box using imagination to solve the problems that we face as a people and county.

And there you have it, Bruce Simpson, candidate for Luzerne County Council.

Thanks, Bruce. Oh, and good luck.

Later

Trump's W-B headquarters

Help me out, here.

Did Donald Trump acquire the Hardware Bar when no one was looking?


I have no idea what that's all about. Some sort of deranged promotion? Yes, you can register to vote while eyeballing lots of jiggling mammalian protuberances. Or, perhaps it's simply a sign of Trump devotion coming from the owner of the establishment. Got me.

By the way, Trump was completely justified in hammering our mystery man of a pretend president about his long-elusive birth certificate. George W had every single aspect of his life examined in detail...and then some, while the press was constantly clamoring for some proctological permissions. Yet, Obama refused to divulge even something as supposely mundane as a birth certificate. Hmmm.

But what of his immunization records? Where are they?

And what about his library card records? Were there a couple of books that were never returned? Whatever happened to Dick & Jane do Spot?

Was he a Boy Scout? If so, how many merit badges did he earn?

Oops, wait a minute. Scratch that Boy Scouts request. The Boy Scouts are way too pro-American for Obama's Marxist-tinged globalist tastes. Nevermind.

Bye

Scranton gone Wilkes-Barre circa 2003

When I finished with this Times-Tribune story--Scranton running out of cash, running up deficit--much earlier today, my mind immediately raced back to a online spat I once had with a former, short-lived Scranton area blogger.

His angle was that Wilkes-Barre was hopeless, while Scranton had a shiny new mall and plenty of projects on the-then drawing boards. My angle was that Wilkes-Barre (under the-then new mayor, Tom Leighton) had embraced fiscal sanity where none existed before he took office, and that Scranton's finances even back then were a literal basket case and would only flat-line over time.

It took a little while, but score one for Markie.

Interestingly enough, Scranton's current financial woes almost exactly parallel Wilkes-Barre's financial difficulties from the not-so recent past. See, it's fairly easy to follow: When you need a T.A.N. (tax anticipation note) to retire the previous unpaid T.A.N. in any given fiscal year, you are already reeling well out of control.

And as a general rule, if your municipality of choice needs more than one such loan in any fiscal year, you might want to consider pulling up stakes. Head up to Bradford County. The word is that property values in that area are low, and going lower every day.

And you might want to extrapolate this upon the current brouhaha in Washington. One side says we need to cut back, but the other side says cutting back will hurt people...so, so over their dead bodies!

And wasn't that exactly the argument between Scranton's executive and legislative branches during the last budget smackdown?

Ah, whatever. Like I could really give a flying funk about Scranton.

Sadly, stupidly, down here in Wilkes-Barre, the residents either do not or deliberately will not appreciate what financial solvency is all about. Financial solvency, if I may, that first began to take shape back in January of 2004.

Hey, it is what it is. Mayor Tom Leighton righted our heavily-listing ship. Deal with it.

Later

Photo outtake

There's something about this outtake of a photo that reminds me of Highlights for Children, that Honesdale-based kiddie magazine.

Don't ask me why. I am a walking, talking, introspective amalgamation of conflicting influences, so much so, that it sometimes makes me wish that I had me one of those glorified Donna Reed upbringings, much like the kids who grew up without fences in Forty Fort.

Did you know that was a locally generated magazine, Highlights for Children? I'd bet big, big, goofy looking Monopoly bucks printed on imported Chinese presses that you did not know that.

Personally, I miss Life Magazine. At least, I miss the award-winning photos that usually graced it's oversized covers. And I truly miss Boy's Life, a rag that is still published to this very day.

Imagine that, a magazine published for boys. In this day and age?

Heresy!

Thanks to our newly-found, enlightened state of feminine awareness that we were heavily prodded into realizing, we now know that boys and all that they bring to the world should be deleted whenever and wherever possible.

Face it. This is an enlightened, crashing society that we are now desperately trying to escape from. We'll save the whales. A couple. And we'll attempt to suck face with dangerous Polar bears, until first contact, when they rip our faces off.

But...boys?

Ewwwwwwwwww!!!
Later

Happy (insert politically correct gibberish)

Well, it's official.

Boscov's does not open on Easter.

My bad.

Checkin' in

Just in case anyone is wondering, I'm still toiling away out here. Or, out there. Something or other.



I'm tired. I'm beat. I'm dinged up, and earlier today I took a disintegrated steptic pencil to two of my bleeding knuckles. Could be worse: could have been one of those liquid (borate dope) patches I used to use for bowling.

Sure, it's been annoyingly cold, but it's been equally wet. Oh, and then some. And mature termite colonies will always predictably flock to moisture, moisture and then those elevated moisture levels within structures. And where there are no fallen forests within 300 yards to feed upon, there are frame structures. You get the picture.

Anyway, the waistline is shrinking, the overall muscle tone is increasing...and I'm looking forward to two days of doing nothing.

I'm still here, but I am currently engaging the fast-emerging enemy.

G'nite

Dump the Chump in 2012

There's not much going on on my end. Zach, Jeremy and I enjoyed a spirited walkabout throughout the Nord End earlier today.

I received a rather impersonal e-mail invitation to the upcoming blogger/candidate event to be held up there in Pittston, but I seriously doubt that I'll bother to make an appearance. The thing is, no matter how hard I force myself to try, I cannot get myself even a little excited about the impending primary election. My reasons will follow after the paragraph break.

I don't care what the latest polling data may suggest, we've got a pencil-neck geek recently escaped from academia running the economy of the country into the jagged rocks awash with ocean spray. We're going down fast. We're going down hard. And if the geek actually secures a second term in the White House, there will be no coming back from the damage already done, as well as the damage soon to be done.

With all of that having been typed, how am I supposed to get excited about any of the multitudes of candidates running for the multitudes of local offices? Um, because they seem to be the best of the rest whereas the implementation of austerity programs are concerned?

Be it City Council, the soon-to-be seated Luzerne County Council, magistrate, judge or what have you, all of the people to be elected next month will become impromptu bean counters like none that came before them.

The Fedrule Govmint is melting down financially, and with those formerly engorged Fedrule teats now gone all but dry, our city and state governments, as well as our local school districts are now doing the previously unthinkable by instituting austerity programs. In fact, while the initial budget cuts may seem to be draconian in nature, they will easily be dwarfed by what is likely to follow.

My point?

Well, nothing really matters until we unceremoniously dump the clueless 'community organizer' chump from Chicago. Not really.

It's time to dispense with this foolish and destructive notion that only the recipients of entitlements and union members matter, and get this country back to work...back on it's feet.

As for the hordes of locals trying to get themselves elected in these denuded parts, until we dump that aforementioned chump in 2012 with all corresponding and thoroughly deserved glee, all that they need to do is tell us how we will balance our increasingly strained budgets. That is, how we'll do much less with less and less.

Other than that, I'm in a pretty good mood.

Later