The Cost of Betrayal, NEPA Style

...and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.

- Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 26, verse 15

Dunmore (PA) borough council voted this past week that the Keystone Sanitary Landfill is not a structure for purposes of zoning, and as a result can go forward with a plan to create a real mountain made of (mostly) out of state trash.  You can read more about this HERE.  This will allow the landfill to remain open for more than four decades into the future.

I'll note that I have nothing personally against the family that owns the landfill.  In fact, as supporters of the University of Scranton, they helped fund scholarships that enabled my soon to be Ph.D. middle daughter to earn her B.S. in biology.  What I do have a problem with though is allowing something that will harm the environment of this area of centuries to come. 

Taking a step back, Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) was the world's center of anthracite coal mining for almost a century.  The area still bears the environmental scars from this activity, even though most of the regions coal mines were closed by the time I was born in 1964.

The coal mines made a few people wealthy and left many areas in ruins.  I personally also think that this activity helps contribute to the higher cancer rates in this region(*).  It's against this backdrop that four members of Dunmore borough council voted to allow the landfill expansion.  The key question is this:  Why?  Really, what's the underlying reason in support of the landfill?

While the landfill is a highly engineered structure (by its own admission), the fact remains that no amount of planning will prevent some level of groundwater contamination by the decaying consumer and commercial waste at the site.  What's more, the landfill itself sits upon abandoned deep mines (you can see for yourself HERE), which in this area tend to be filled with water.  The landfill also produces methane gas as the trillions of bacteria treat its contents as a kind of "all you can eat garbage bullet".  Some of this gas is captured and used for energy production, some of it is also burned off.  Some of it inevitably escapes into the atmosphere.

Yes, we need to put our garbage somewhere.  However, in NEPA, we shouldn't have to also deal with the garbage of other states as well.  At this stage, we've done enough in the area of sacrificing for the greater good, again going back to the coal mining days.

In the end, the records will show that four members of Dunmore's borough council decided that some benefit known only to them was far more valuable than the health of an entire region.  For their figurative 30 pieces of silver, they betrayed an entire region.




(*) A few citations:
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute data
NEPA Cancer Rates Continue to Rise
Pennsylvania Ranks Third in Cancer Incidence

Please Support Friends of Lackawanna

To the very best of my knowledge I have never, in the over 8 years this blog has existed, asked anyone to support a particular cause.  Well, that changes today.

If you are able, I urge anyone residing in Northeastern Pennsylvania to consider supporting the group Friends of Lackawanna and their opposition to the creation of "Mount Trashmore" in the borough of Dunmore.  You can find out more about Friends of Lackawanna at...

...their website, www.friendsoflackawanna.org

...and their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/friendsoflackawanna

This is more than just the creation of a garbage mountain in a borough or two, by the way.

(from the Friends of Lackawanna Facebook page)

This truly is a case of "David vs. Goliath", with Goliath being a landfill owner that has had far too much influence on politics and policy in all of NEPA for far too long.  This is precisely why I strongly believe that every little bit of support is needed to help Friends of Lackawanna fight the creation of an actual mountain made of garbage.

Our parents and grandparents and their parents may have had to allow generations of business interests to pretty much do whatever the Hell they wanted to both the residents of NEPA and our land, but it has to end.  History can not be allowed to repeat itself time and time again.  It's time for residents of NEPA to say "enough is enough!".  We shouldn't be content with the theory that laying down for interests such as those owning the landfill will somehow provide for some small benefit that will trickle to the rest of us.  That didn't work so well back in the coal mining days, and it surely will not work now.

So, please consider taking a stand against the creation of Mount Trashmore.

If that support is financial, well then that's great.

If you don't have the money to spare, then consider writing to the Department of Environmental Protection to voice your opposition to expansion of the landfill.  Also consider contacting your local elected representatives and letting them know that the coal baron days...and their modern day equivalent...are over.  Information on contacting the Pennsylvania DEP, as well as local representatives, can be found on the Friends of Lackawanna website.

Thank You.

Steve Albert
West Pittston, PA

Corey (O'Brien)'s Big Adventure

As reported many places (including HERE), Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien is resigning his elected office, effective March 10th.  According to Mr O'Brien, a new private sector employment opportunity is awaiting him.

Now I normally wouldn't spend too much time on a topic like this, although I have written about Mr O'Brien in the past, particularly his peculiar "this guy is terrible so don't vote for him" to "this guy is wonderful so please vote for him"...within the span of about a month...relationship with his fellow commissioner Jim Wansacz.  Got sincerity?  I'll also note that Mr O'Brien gets a small part of the collective blame for the abysmal state of NEPA's economy, something he shares with other elected officials.  How abysmal?  Well NEPA has had the highest unemployment rate in all of Pennsylvania for an unbroken steak of many, many years.  At the end of the day though, Corey O'Brien always struck me as a guy who would have fit in far better in political service circa 1950, where vindictiveness and blatant political showmanship were both far more tolerated and encouraged than they are today.  See THIS one example, of many.

Anyway, on to the point I really want to make about this story.

It's not been a very well kept secret that Mr O'Brien has been looking for new employment opportunities for a long time.  The fact that he isn't at the moment telling the public where where he will be working is intriguing.

My best guess?  I'm thinking there is a better than 50/50 chance that Mr O'Brien's new employment will have something to do with...or connected to...Dunmore businessman Louis Denaples.  If I'm wrong, well I'll gladly cop to that fact.  If I'm right?  Well let's just see.

Dunmore Council approves the building of an actual mountain made of garbage

The posting title is not from The Onion, but has actually happened.

Reference THIS article in the Tuesday, November 25th edition of the Scranton Times.

Here's a key paragraph from the article:

"Council member Paul Nardozzi told the crowd that previous council members had attempted to negotiate a better deal with the DeNaples brothers even before the 1999 agreement that gave Dunmore only the state minimum fee. They denied those requests but offered to help the borough in other ways, he said. "

Let me translate Dunmore-speak into English:  "They told us no, and we simply said 'Yes sir, thank you for the free turkey!'."

Look, I have no issue with the DeNaples family, their businesses, or anyone who wants to make living in an honest and fair way.  This particular action though goes way over the top.

What I do have an issue with here is a simple fact:  they are building a mountain out of garbage, and the beneficiaries will not be the community, future generations, the environment, the economy or anything else of the sort.

The community will have a mountain made out of garbage FORVER.

Future generations will look at this monstrosity and wonder "Why in the Hell did they do that?".

The environment will be put at risk through the possible contamination of ground water.

The only economy that will end up growing as a result of this will be that of the DeNaples family.

Congratulations Dunmore Borough Council:  you once again never failed to fail because it was the easiest thing to do.  Now go off to see Mr DeNaples, get a nice pat on the head, and maybe snag one of those free turkeys.

Construction of Mount Garbage (temporarily) On Hold

In April I posted a story about a plan by Dunmore businessman Louis DeNaples to construct an actual, real mountain made of garbage.  You can read the original posting HERE.

Well, plans for Mount Garbage are on hold, all be it just temporarily.  Link HERE.  Yes, it appears that there isn't really a concern about an actual freak'n mountain made of garbage from a conceptual standpoint; heck, I don't think anyone really cares from that perspective.  No, the concern expressed by the Department of Environmental Protection is that the weight of Mount Garbage may in fact cause abandoned coal mine voids below to collapse, potentially sending all manner of waste crap into nearby rivers, etc.

Again, it seems that most are fine with an actual, real mountain made of garbage, as Mr DeNaples "does so much for the community".  By the way, I really do admire Mr Louis DeNaples, as he is truly a self-made man.  However, admiration noted, I continue to believe that construction of a mountain composed of trash is a bad idea for NEPA.  What's worse?  The fact that so few seem to not have a problem with an actual, real mountain made of garbage in their back yard.

Got to love Dunmore:

"There is NO WAY way we'll have a methadone clinic in our safe little town!"

"Mr DeNaples is building an actual, real mountain made of garbage?  Yeah, I'm sure that will be just fine.  He's does so much for the community you know.".

As I noted in April, Mount Garbage gives new meaning to the the phrase "NEPA is a dump".

Road Apples, #149

Parents Gone Bad...The Scranton Times reported yesterday and today that the Bishop of Scranton, Joseph Bambera, placed a local Catholic elementary school's basketball program on probation over poor behavior during a hotel stay as basketball playoffs were occuring.  Apparently there were multiple complaints of children running while in hallways as adults get tanked at a bar (and other such stuff).  I think the Bishop is spot on in this case; playing basketball (or any sport) is privileged, not a right, and it is secondary to both the purpose of education and the reputation of the institution supporting the school.

Speaking of Bishop Bambera...I have to say I am very, very impressed with his actions.  Not that he needs my approval, by the way.  Whether it is his handling of feral basketball boosters, a tough statement on the allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of the former rector of St Peter's Cathedral or his writing to the Vatican to try and stop an accused child molester from gaining more authority in a South American diocese, he seems to be trying to do right.  No doubt some will fault his actions, regardless of what he does, but it seems to me that there is a clear pattern of behavior on his part that sets a high standard of conduct, as opposed to a "holier than thou" attitude of a certain prior bishop.  Refreshing stuff.

Frank Bonacci Murder Case...I get it, a young man was killed.  Sadly though, young men are killed all the time, even in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  What I don't get though is why this case has gotten so much attention from The Scranton Times and others in the media.  I am sure his family has suffered through his loss, but from what you read, the entire community of Dunmore has suffered as well.  It's almost surreal.  Anyway, there's more to this story than what's being told I suspect.  Well I will confess to actually know a little more about this story, nothing shocking mind you, but enough to know that all is not as it appears.  Regardless, here's to a swift trial and justice being served, however that may end up being manifest.

Tom Corbett...Is already launching attack commercials on television against one of his potential Democratic challengers in the Fall.  Pretty pathetic stuff actually, implying that Tom Wolf, as Tax Collector in Pennsylvania, had something to do with tax and employment rates.  When last I checked, it's the legislature and the governor that set tax rates; the collector, well, simply collects the taxes.  If Tom Corbett is this desperate now, how is he going to sound in October?  By the way, I'm still waiting for that major oil/gas company to relocate its corporate headquarters to Pennsylvania.

Have A Few Million Laying Around...and feel like buying a shopping mall?  Well the Steamtown Mall will be sold via Sheriff's Sale next month.  Another sad bit of economic news for an area that has more than its share of sad economic news.  I actually think the Steamtown Mall has a lot going for it, none the least of which is plenty of covered parking.  What it doesn't have going for it, from a merchant's perspective, is the fact that it resides in a very business-unfriendly city, as manifest by the business abuse known as the "gross receipts tax".  Remember, this is a tax a business pays even if it fails to make any profit.  This is one of several reasons why NEPA lacks a thriving, job-producing private sector.

The Supreme Court Recently Ruled That...states upwind don't have a right to dump their air pollution downwind onto other states.  Seems like common sense to me, yet queue all the rhetoric about "War on Coal", "Job Killing Regulations" and "Out of Control EPA".  Note:  one of the things I want the government to do...and I am NOT a big government guy...is protect me from you.  This was a good decision on the part of the court and I hope the EPA will hold polluting states feet to the fire in terms of stopping the spewing of filth into the air that we all breathe.

Mount Garbage Anyone?

Yes, as if rampant public sector nepotism, a bankrupt city, high taxes, poor employment picture, crater-sized potholes, methane bubbling in water and higher than average death rates weren't enough, things in NEPA may very well manage to get worse.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...

MOUNT GARBAGE

Yes, the good folks at the Keystone Sanitary Landfill want to add 50 years of garbage capacity to their landfill via going skyward.  I kid you not...simply read the article.  They actually, literally, factually want to make a garbage mountain.

Look, I get it:  we need to put our garbage somewhere but do we really also need to put New Jersey's, Connecticut's and New York's garbage here too?  Seriously. when some folks say that "NEPA is a dump", little do they know that they are actually being factually correct.  Well technically it is a dump twice over, as we have two large ones within a few miles of each other.

This is truly a bad, bad idea.

NEPA's worship of the public sector

There was a great article in the March 9th edition of the Scranton Sunday Times, where the newspaper basically figured out that about 1 in 10 employees in the Dunmore School District are related to members (past and present) of district administration.  You can link to the article HERE. Bravo to the Scranton Times for digging in deep on this particular topic.

Now I've ragged on an on about nep(a)otism here from time to time, so need to re-seed the field.  However there is another angle to this that I've referenced before which I think bears re-treading.

I think this whole sad state of affairs...in the Dunmore School District and in other corners...is simply a symptom of a larger problem:  namely a general indifference (at best) to the private sector and a over-whelming tilt towards the pubic sector when it comes to employment and economic development in NEPA.

Consider the following:

"Where the (good) jobs are"
Why is there so much nep(a)otism in the Dunmore School District (and in Scranton and other places as well)?  I'd guess because that's where the good jobs are considered to reside.  What does this say about the private sector economy in NEPA?  I'd also add, on the side, that many private sector employers have at least some policies in place to guard against nepotism.

"Youse should get a job at Da Depot, like uncle Cappy did"
Why is there a cloud of doom over NEPA (and much marshaling of the troops) when another base closing commission begins to look at Tobyhanna Army Depot (affectionately known as "DaDepot")?  Again, because in NEPA that's where so many of the best jobs are to be found.  Nothing against the work done at DaDepot, but relying on the government as a major source for employment will always involve an almost constant sense of economic endangerment, this side of 1970.

"Sure, why shouldn't a county government should own a shopping mall"
The Steamtown Mall is dying.  What do the county commissioners almost immediately propose?  Why have the county take over the site via eminent domain.  Link HERE.  For the record, Lackawanna County only a few years ago got out of the ski resort business, so I guess there is a general hunkering for more private sector endeavors to partake in before too long.  Now the days of touting the advantages and/or disadvantages of the Steamtown Mall are long gone, as it's here and we all need to deal with it.  What's more, I'm not opposed to the government helping in an effort to revitalize the property, but when all is said and done, it should be owned and operated by the private sector, subject the market disciplines that the private sector requires.  Anything else is just a smoke-screen and will cost taxpayer even more.

"Tax the bastards to death"
On the flip side of the coin, why are Scranton business owners subject to a gross receipt tax?  To the uneducated, allow me to explain:  this is a tax where you pay a percentage tax on what you take in, in addition to the taxes you pay on what you make.  With a gross receipt tax, even if you are losing money you still have to pay the City of Scranton.  Again, why is this?  See thoughts above; in Scranton (at least), the private sector is treated at best with indifference, as this is a punitive tax the has the impact of punishing private sector employers.

"NEPA:  Winner of the award for highest unemployment rate, several years running"
So why does NEPA chronically have the highest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?  It's a darn good question, and for the record I've yet to hear a very good answer.  Think about it for a second:

...we have excellent transportation links
...close proximity to large east coast population centers
...several universities that produce thousands of highly qualified graduates each year
...a willing workforce and land that could be developed.

So again, why the highest unemployment rate in the state?  Remember, this means that such garden spots as Johnstown , Altoona and Erie have chronically had lower unemployment rates than NEPA.


I could go on and on, but the point is well made, I think.  In NEPA, I'd venture to guess that, as a percentage of the total labor force employed, the public sector has a higher than average hold in NEPA than it does in other parts of the state.  Now if anyone has any statistics to prove me wrong, then bring'm on, because I'd gladly eat crow on that one if my hunch is incorrect.  Anyway, I truly think that there is an almost in-grained distrust of the private sector in our region, which translates to a defaulted trust in government.  Whenever government is given such power, it is inevitable that there will be some abuse.  The above referenced article about the Dunmore School District is a great example, in that I'll bet the district is probably one of the largest employers in Dunmore.  Holding sway over that many employment opportunities begs for corruption, especially in organizations where nepotism and patronage are treated as job perks for administrators.

Long on questions and short on answers, I know.  My final conclusion is this though:  so long as the private sector is  treated with (at best) distrust, NEPA will continue to suffer economically.  The reality is that the coal barons are gone and the mines are closed.  NEPA residents can stop thinking like chronically oppressed coal miners, ever distrustful of the private sector.  This kind of ingrained attitude...and the policies it spawns...are a part of what's holding the area back.

Fun with Dunmore

Saturn's moon Methone, as photographed from the Cassini spacecraft orbiting the Saturn system.

Image courtesy of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

From THIS press release:

"It's difficult not to think of an egg when looking at Saturn's moon Methone, seen here during a Cassini flyby of the small moon. The relatively smooth surface adds to the effect created by the oblong shape."

In related news, residents of Dunmore, Pennsylvania mistakenly think the moon is named "Methadone" and quickly proclaim that they are glad it is "there" and not "here". 

Discarded blog post ideas

For no particular reason, other than my own amusement, here are a few blog post ideas that I decided against using over the years.


Janet Evans:  City Council President or Sith Lord?

Fear and Loathing in Nannicoke

10 Reasons why Dunmore is bad for your health

If the Internet existed in 1980 I would never have left home

The University of Scranton:  Economic Engine or Hellmouth?

The Zen of the Laundry King

10 tips for a successful divorce

Playing fetch...with your cat

Illiterate F&%ks:  Why there are so few Scranton-based blogs

Soiled Jocks:  15 suggested occupations for former high school athletes

Democrats Kill Babies
(oh, sorry, that was actually a PA for Human Life blog posting...never mind)

Old Spice:  Whatever Happened to the Spice Girls?

Does Hillbilly Heroin abuse cause hearing loss?  The Limbaugh case study

A-Roid:  10 Things I'd like to ask to Alex Rodriguez*
(#1...does it really shrink your johnson?)
*All of the questions would be about 'roids & none about baseball

How to succeed in politics without paying your taxes
(oh, sorry, that was a Ken Smith blog posting...never mind)

Heyna Go?  Wilkes-Barre Geography

Sister Queer:  Recollections from attending Catholic high school

Big money in killing people...assassin or tobacco company executive?

Methane:  the latest craze in flavored water

In the "Even a small step is a good step" Department...

...we have the borough of Dunmore canceling a summer youth program. Article link HERE.

Now before I get labeled a bitter middle-aged man (better that than a bitter "old" man I suppose), I want to note that I have nothing against summer youth programs in concept. What I am opposed to is spending money that simply doesn't exist. Yes, 125 kids will now not benefit from a few hours of structured activity per day, but the simple-but dirty little fact is that Dunmore doesn't have the resources to pay to pay its employees and the light bill, let alone run a summer program. $25,000 isn't going to break the bank, but the road to fiscal hell is paved with small payments.

This is one small step for Dunmore, but maybe...just maybe...one giant leap towards eventual fiscal sanity. Good job Dunmore council. Get your sea-legs by making a few of these small but difficult decisions, then get ready for the big one: you simply can't afford your paid fire department.

Dunmore: Tell Me, Who REALLY Is To Blame?

Interesting article in the Scranton Times today about how the owners of the Keystone Sanitary Landfill are not likely to re-negotiate the fee they pay the borough of Dunmore for partially hosting the facility.

You can read the article HERE.

The cheap-n-easy thing to do here is to blame the landfill and the DeNaples family. Cheap-n-easy yes, but not necessarily correct.

Let’s pretend: You set up a business arrangement whereby a neighbor allows you to use their property in exchange for a fee you pay monthly. You honor you end of the bargain by paying the fee every month and occasionally also buy the neighbor a cake as a gesture of good will. Your neighbor though is notorious for spending more money than he has. He buys brand new cars every year, goes out to dinner almost nightly and just generally doesn’t think about how his spending impacts his overall finances. Then one day your neighbor maxes out on his credit cards and can’t get any more loans. No more money for eating out. No more new cars. He comes to you and basically says “Hey look, I am out of money and I can’t get any more credit, so I need you to pay me more, okay?”. Tell me, would your response be:

a) I’m sorry you have screwed up your life…here’s some more money.
OR
b) Pound sand…we made this deal in good faith and I had nothing to do with your decisions to over-spend.

I think most of us would pick some version of ‘b’.

The issue here isn’t Mr DeNaples, as it seems to me that he has lived up to his end of the deal. Why should he renegotiate the landfill fees? Is it his fault that the borough of Dunmore has mismanaged its finances all these years? If anything, perhaps Mr DeNaples has been too generous over the years, almost creating a situation whereby the borough expects him to come to the rescue whenever the going gets tough. It’s the classic “feeding the stray cat” syndrome.

I’m not trying to be a Louis DeNaples apologist here; I don’t know the man and besides I don’t think he actually needs my help. Did he get a sweetheart deal on the fees in the first place? Maybe, but then again he didn’t unilaterally set them: that was negotiated between the borough and the landfill. If the fees are too low, it’s the fault of the borough officials who cut this deal in the first place, just as it’s the fault of borough officials all these years for over-spending.

At worst, you can fault Mr DeNaples for being a good businessman by getting the best deal possible for the landfill. Contrast that against borough leadership, who seem intent on getting the worst possible deals for taxpayers. Given the choice, I’m siding with Mr DeNaples.

Road Apples, #65

Politics, Scranton Style...There has long been an anti-Chris Doherty message board (and a message board against the anti-Doherty message board...I know, that is confusing), but now there is an "Impeach Janet Evans" Facebook group. Having read the wall postings, I'd say that Mrs Evans is getting off relatively easy compared to the Internet pasting regularly dished onto Mayor Doherty. Oh, and no, the Mayor isn't a member...yet.

In the Rush is (usually) Wrong Department...Apparently the Gulf of Mexico is having trouble absorbing the massive BP oil spill. Hmmmmm, maybe noted environmental scientist Rush Limbaugh was wrong when he said (and I quote) "...The ocean will take care of this on its own if it was left alone and left out there" (reference HERE). In case you are curious, estimates are that upwards of 25,000 barrels of oil a day are spewing into the Gulf. For factual...as opposed to Limbaugh...information on the oil spill, you can click HERE.

Al & Tipper Gore Divorce...It was widely reported this afternoon that the Gores will be getting a divorce. While I'm sure some will have a field day with this, all I'll note is that I hope this is the best for both of them. I do want to note though that the divorce papers were not served while one of them was in the hospital receiving cancer treatments*. That's one small victory for family values.

Doctor's Appointment...In news of the more mundane kind, I had a check-up today and it seems that I will be blogging for a while to come. No big problems detected, and my blood pressure is at a manageable level. Here's to the joys of clean/boring living I suppose.

Israel vs Gaza vs Turkey...I have mixed feelings about this whole mess in the middle east. The "starving out" of Gaza residents via blockade is clearly wrong, yet the moral outrage of Arab countries seems to wane when Israeli citizens are on the receiving end of rocket attacks from Gaza (and there are no rocket factories in Gaza, so the materials are coming from somewhere else). The whole mess is what happens when you have extremists of both sides of an issue running the show. It's time for moderate Arab states to...

...acknowledge that Israel is not going to simply disappear off the map
...start taking an active role in encouraging peace in the region
...publicly take a stand against nut-jobs like the Iranian president (who would probably make Dr Goebbels blush with his rhetoric).

It's time for Israel to...

...end the illegal blockade
...stop the settlement craze that is nothing more than invasion via bulldozer

It's also time for the United States to stop being Israel's world apologist. I think it was Bob Dole who once commented that Washington DC was the "real occupied territory".

Dumore Borough Council...is apparently considering adding the court system to their arsenal of financial tools, right next to "begging" and "ignoring the problem". Maybe bankruptcy will prove a little more effective. Regardless, the bills are coming due and the checkbook is empty. No word from "Mayor Nibs", who has managed to remain remarkably stealthy throughout the 10+ year fiscal pickle that Scranton's neighbor has faced. In news that will make some residents happy though, rumor has it that Dunmore's garbage-gas fueled anti-heroin deflector shield is still fully functional, quietly protecting the populace from all manner of drug addicts (hence no need for any of those silly treatment centers).


(*) If you don't get the sarcastic reference, just google "Gingrich Divorce".

Election Results

Just a few random thoughts on the recent election results...

Dunmore - Well I'll be, elected officials (including mayor-for-life "Nibs") will actually have to do their jobs now and make some tough decisions. I'm referring, of course, to the fact that Dunmore voters, to the tune of about 80%, voted against giving the borough the ability to levy a special tax to help fund the fire department. Dunmore, like many people, lives beyond it's means, so it's only a matter of time before fiscal gravity kicks. This will get much worse before it gets better, but I have no doubt that in the long run this really will make Dunmore a better place.

John Blake - It seems to me that John Blake, nominee for the State Senate, really is just a proxy Bob Mellow. It also reaffirms in my mind that many folks in this area are still not willing to let go of the whole system of "governing/politics by favor" regime. Maybe I'm wrong...maybe Mr Blake isn't just Bob Mellow's hand-picked replacement...maybe he will be an independent voice for change in Harrisburg; regardless, it's pretty clear that this was the candidate that outgoing Senator Mellow wanted in his seat. That can't be good.

Ken Smith - Another example of how sometimes voters are stupid. Mr Smith has done many things that should have prevented his re-election, including not paying his taxes, not repaying loans, not pushing for reform in Harrisburg, etc., but yet he is most likely going to be re-elected in November. I'm thinking that Mr Smith should be sending out a thank-you card to Kevin Haggerty for making sure that the anti-incumbent vote was well split.

Jim Wansacz - It's time for Mr Wansacz to start using his State Representative seat to push for all those reforms he said were needed during the Senate primary. Man-up Mr Wansacz, man-up.

Chris Doherty - Here's to hoping that the Mayor's wander-lust has been satisfied and he will now concentrate on checking the over-reach of council president Janet Evans. Better yet, how about the two of them actually working together to make Scranton fiscally sound for the long term? That's a tough one for Mrs Evans and her city union backers, who want us all to believe that city personnel expenses can be increased while taxes are decreased. Regardless, welcome back to your job Chris.

Arlen Specter - I hope Arlen truly enjoys his retirement. As I've previously noted, I like Senator Specter, but it's time for a change. I would like to see something of a public apology from Senator Specter for the swift-boating of Joe Sestak...that would be classy thing to do.

Matt Drudge - Funny, but the Drudgereport didn't even mention the GOP's failure to immediately capture the former Rep. Murtha seat in western Pennsylvania. Gee, I wonder why? After all, Matt went to great pains to point out that President Obama was 0 for 4 in this primary. Could it be that the Drudgereport is biased? Nahhhh, and I have a very small nose too.

Pat Toomey - I will be interested to see what kind of campaign Mr Toomey runs. Pennsylvania is not a hard-right state. Even past GOP governors (Tom Ridge, Dick Thornburgh) were center-right, and the last hard-right state-wide politician, Rick Santorum, was thrown out on his high-horsed ass.

Joe Sestak - Can easily win in the fall. Two words of advice though: Harris Wofford. I could also say "Rick Santorum", but I've already used that reference once. Pennsylvania...outside of inner-city Philadelphia & (to a lessor extent Pittsburgh) is not a Liberal state, so it makes sense to let Toomey seem like the extremist in this campaign. Staying in the center, emphasizing a strong military career, painting a picture of Pat Toomey as someone who is out of touch with most voters all makes sense to me.

In the "Why?" Department...

Dunmore councilman Paul Nardozzi is running for State Representative in the PA-112th District. I've seen this reported in a number of blogs and in the February 20th edition of the Scranton Times (link HERE). For the record, this is the District that includes my home, so I suppose I should be paying attention to what is going on.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Mr Nardozzi runs on his experience as a member of Dunmore Borough Council, just what does that actually mean?

...he is experienced at not rocking the boat
...he is experienced at looking to an "anonymous business man" for solutions to pressing problems
...he is experienced with entrenched small-town politicians (cough*Nibs*cough)
...he is experienced at ignoring blinding truths, such as the notion that a town like Dunmore can't in fact support a paid fire department
...he is experienced at encouraging a NIMBY mentality
...he is experienced at double-dipping at the public troth (Dunmore Council & Clifford Township police)
...he is experienced at allowing mob-decision making, even if it flies in the face of reality

While I've already noted that I will never vote for Ken Smith again over this compassion-less, NIMBY-encouraging, ignorance-fueled stand on the Methadone Clinic, it seems to me that Mr Nardozzi isn't an awful lot different. If I'm wrong, then maybe someone can show me the errors of my way.

Now I've never met Mr Nardozzi, and I'm going to assume that he is a fine police officer, and for that service to the community he should be commended. But 12 years on Dunmore Borough Council? That's like claiming Klan membership as a qualification for a position on a Diversity Panel. I'd be curious as to what credit or blame Mr Nardozzi takes for his tenure on Dunmore Council, because outside of a senior center that the borough can't afford, I'm not sure that anything of substance has occurred in Dunmore over the past 12 years, well other than ever-increasing taxes.

Dunmore's collision course with reality

Great article in this morning's Scranton Times.

Link Here.

I've said more than a few times that the borough of Dunmore is living in a dream-like state of denial, believing that it is somehow above the budget realities of the services it provides.

"The borough has a tax base that is insufficient to fund the municipal services it currently provides,"
- Dunmore Solicitor Thomas Cummings

It's nothing short of miraculous that a borough official actually is on record as saying this, although it's worth pointing out that Attorney Cummings doesn't hold an elected office. When you look at the statement of an elected official, as quoted in the article, you get a much more weasel-esque response of "We're still doing research on that,". Yupp, they really should look at the numbers, but here's some food for thought...

If revenue equals "X"

And Expenses equal "Y"

And "Y" is greater than "X"

...then they have a problem.

All ribbing aside, Dunmore (like many communities) has a structural deficit. The municipal budget's expenses are built around the best of times (when revenues are a-plenty), but yet reality dictates that the best of times never last. What then happens is a crisis...such as what Dunmore is inevitably facing...when those best-of-times expenses meet the worst-of-times economy.

Taking a step back for a moment, it's really no different than personal finances, a point that I've made time and time again. During the good times, politicians tend to be like 10 year old boys with $5 in their pockets: the desire to spend becomes this overwhelming force that they can not resist. It also helps that by spending recklessly politicians can then point to all the things they do "for the people". Again this is true in most communities, the City of Scranton most definitely included. However Dunmore (with its paid fire department) seems to me to be a particularly egregious example of living beyond the municipal means.

Dunmore, meet reality.

Liability?

The story about the Dunmore firefighter who sued the borough came to a conclusion yesterday with a $150,000 verdict. Even more interesting is the finding that two council members are to be held personally liable for $1,000 each. Read the article here.

I spoke to a spouse of someone with some fairly in-depth knowledge of the case earlier in the week, and they insisted that this gentleman was very badly mistreated in what amounted to a personal vendetta against him. Apparently the source was pretty consistent with what the jury apparently heard, given the award. Note that this firefighter did not, to the best of my knowledge, lose any wages or benefits as a result of these actions; instead, the case was one of his civil/due process rights being violated. Regardless, given the amounts involved (seemingly high to us, but given the cost of putting on a trial maybe not so much), I'm not sure that there will be an appeal.

The most interesting part of this lies in the two members of Dunmore borough council being held personally liable for $1,000 each. I obviously didn't attend the trial and it's not abundantly clear from the Times article just why these two are being required to pay up (as opposed to others involved). However the underlying concept here, namely that these two members of council are personally liable, should make all of us take a moment and consider just what the real implications will be. Now the "anonymous experts" on both sides of this have already been posting comments to the story right and left, but I think the real considerations here are much more complicated than simply "evil, greedy fireman" or "evil, conniving council members".

Why?

If you take the position that the council members should be held personally liable, then that does in fact create the possibility that any elected official could be held civilly liable for their actions. Remember, there were no accusations of criminal activity here so comparisons to (for example) the Luzerne County Monster Judges isn't fair or accurate. Also, the standard for proof in a civil case is substantially lower than that of what is required in a criminal case. Given a sympathetic plaintiff and a good lawyer, couldn't many, many actions by elected officials then create exposure to personal liability? I'm not defending the actions of the council members here, but honestly would you want to serve in elected office knowing that you and your family's finances could be negatively impacted by something you did in office? Good, reasonable people could decide not to run for office simply out of financial fear.

On the other side of the coin, being an elected official doesn't give anyone carte blanche to do whatever they want under the guise of official actions. Maybe part of the problems in NEPA is the fact that elected and appointed officials have, for far too long, felt that they were accountable and answerable to no one. In the absence of a personal desire to govern honestly, maybe the fear of being held personally accountable for misdeeds is as good a motivator as any for insuring that officials don't treat their offices as excuses to recklessly exercise authority.

As I noted above, this isn't a simple case and it doesn't involve simple issues. It should, however, make all of us stop and think though.

Blurb on Methadone

I found this while looking for information on OxyContin abuse*. The full article can be found here, but there was an interesting paragraph on the use of Methadone as a form of treatment of OxyContin abuse. Here it is:


Methadone Treatment

Medications that were developed through NIDA-supported research, such as methadone and LAAM, can be used as effective treatments for addiction to opiates, if available to the patient. Methadone is a synthetic opioid that alters the effects of heroin and other opioids, eliminates withdrawal symptoms, and relieves drug craving. Treatment with methadone requires daily dosing. It has been used successfully for more than 30 years and has allowed many addicts to lead productive lives.

So, a dufus like me just surfing the web can find in about two minutes a reference to the fact that Methadone is an effective treatment for opioid addiction. Oh, and it's from a source that has nothing to do with Heroin, Methadone clinics or the borough of Dunmore.



(*) I was curious as to whether or not OxyContin addiction/abuse could have played a role in comedian Rush Limbaugh's recent cardiac problems. Don't get me wrong...I wish no ill will on the man and I hope he fully recovers from this episode. However I do find him (Limbaugh) to be an appalling hypocrite on many, many levels; in fact I think he once said something about how people who abuse drugs should go to jail and that there is no "right to privacy". Note that when Limbaugh was fighting his doctor-shopping charges in Florida, his defense was based upon, you guessed it, a "right to privacy".

Mr Smith's Defense

State Representative Ken Smith wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in the January 3rd edition of the Sunday Times. You can link to it here.

Now what I'd like to do is go through the letter line but line, but pasting it here would run afoul of my friends at the Times, so that's out of the question. Instead I'll do my best to summarize what I read in Representative Smith's letter [with a few editorial comments by me in brackets]:

1. Addiction is bad.
2. Representative Smith knows how to look up "addiction" in Wikipedia.
3. Facilities like Marworth are great. [Note that not everyone can afford a place like Marworth, despite how fine it is.]
   
4. Methadone clinics are bad because some in the community fear them. [Note that some in the community probably also fear lots of things...minorities...fluoridated drinking water...childhood vaccinations...are all of these things bad too?]
   
5. Methadone clinics are bad because they are "for profit centers without a means to an end". [Is every for-profit health care concern bad or just these? Also, Representative Smith is implying that these centers exist to keep people addicted to Methadone, without providing any evidence that this is actually true.]
   
6. Doctor (I mean Representative) Smith believes in "treatment to abstinence". [This sounds nice...and hell, who wouldn't disagree with abstinence as being the solution to bad behavior? The problem is that Doctor (I mean Representative) Smith seems to say that Methadone isn't a valid form of treatment, but yet I doubt he actually knows anything about it.]
7. Representative Smith has had family and friends who suffered from addiction. [Call me crazy, but how many of those family and friends had the means to take advantage of a place like Marworth? Now how many heroin addicts have access to the same types of resources? That's part of the issue here: Not everyone fits into the neat little world of "just say no" that Representative Smith outlines in his letter. Addiction is a dirty, complicated business. It doesn't fit into nice little models of behavior. I recommend that Representative Smith read Eric Clapton's autobiography for a bit more insight into the issue. Better yet, actually visit a few Methadone clinics before writing them off as a form of treatment.]
8. Representative Smith will not stop fighting the Methadone clinic. People in Dunmore don't want it in their backyard.
9. Bad people come to Methadone clinics...bad people who will put the residents of Dunmore "at risk".
10. Representative Smith is NOT pandering for votes. He is just opposing a medical treatment facility because...well...people don't want it in their neighborhood. [Pandering is pandering is pandering. Besides, better to be in front of an issue like this than to be behind in another issue...like taxes.]

Rather than diffusing the issue, it's my opinion that Representative Smith actually made matters worse in his letter. His letter screams pandering. What's more, his attempt to disguise his opposition to a Methadone clinic as some form of compassion is derailed by his inability to actually articulate any kind of alternative, other than "just say no". Yes, study is needed: Representative Smith should thoughtfully study Heroin addiction and the role of Methadone BEFORE he goes proposing any kind of moratorium.

No Soup for You Dunmore

I think the local news is almost at the "Dunmore Saturation" point, with the latest being that the bank (formerly) controlled by a major borough benefactor is not issuing a Tax Anticipation Note until a budget is passed.

Story link here.

If I lived in Dunmore this kind of thing would really, really upset me; however as a casual observer I find it more interesting than anything else. As I noted in a previous posting, Dunmore's political leadership is living in an almost constant state of denial, believing that somehow it's possible to have services like a full-time fire department, but yet refusing to accept the fiscal responsibility that goes along with it. Now we have council members talking about how some form of tax increase may be inevitable, which is the almost classic politician bait and switch ploy of "hey I didn't want to raise taxes, but at least we've managed to pair it down". Dunmore council must be taking cues from the Scranton School Board, which has the "thank us for keeping the tax increase to a minimum" act down pat.

Now politicians are expert at making this kind of thing seem very complicated, but in reality it's conceptually no different that any of us who run a household budget. We all have mandatory expenditures, we all have discretionary expenditures, and we all have to look at ways of saving money when costs go up faster than our income. What bothers me is that while we make the tough decisions for our home budgets, politicians seem to think they are above such nonsense when it comes to the public's money.

The Dunmore fairy tale continues: services can be maintained without raising taxes and there are no substance abusers needing treatment.