The Tripps Park development was done by a guy who gave big bucks to Doherty. They ****ed that project up. Neighbors are in an uproar over flooding and drainage problems. Things are coming to a head in court and the guy who approved (or overlooked) the problems just left the city's employ. The solicitor who defended the city is also leaving. Timing is everything. Maybe I'm just nuts.
I have mixed feelings about the Village at Tripps Park.
On one hand, you have those who don't want to see any development in the city all...but then they also want to whine about the taxes being so high. Fay Franus falls squarely into this category. Guess what? High taxes are a product of ONLY TWO THINGS:
1. City Services costing too much (and city unions are against reducing those costs)...yes this includes management, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that non-management costs in Scranton are easily double managements costs. 2. The tax base not being large enough to support the costs of municipal service delivery (and certain critics are opposed to any and all development)
Oh, and there is no third option...gimicks like offering ambulance serivce as a way to raise revenue are an example of this; Reality check: Scranton as structural problems with it's budget...our government is too big and spends too much money...something neither the Evans nor the Doherty budgets addressed.
So either you reduce the cost of services, grow the tax base or a combination of the two. What isn't going to happen is the following: Ford is not going to move to Scranton to open a factory and solve all of our problems. Those days are long past. If we have to use the tax code to spur development (even less than perfect development), then so be it. But let's not be intellectually dishonest about it (unlike Ms Franus, who I suspect is someone who still uses a rotary phone but then complains about her phone service).
As for the drainage problems, that's very common in new housing developments. I have relatives that bought a home in Acorn Hills is Olyphant last year, and that development has had similar issues. It just takes time...years unfortunately...for that kind of thing to get worked out. But honestly, do we think the city is better off without the new homes? Yes, in a perfect world we have development without problems, but as my mom is fond of saying, "It ain't a perfect world".
Lastly Shari, do you honestly think Janet Evans, for example, would turn down campaign contributions from businesses? She would not. The fact is that Doherty is very well thought of in the business community (speaking as someone myself who works in the private sector... and he has visited our office several times over the years), so it's natural that he garners financial support from that sector. That doesn't excuse no-bid contracts for landscaping (for example), but until compaign contributions from businesses are made illegal, that's just 'bad' that we as a society will have to bear as part of a privately financed campaign system. This is just another example of the fact that some like to view Doherty through what I call '$hit-tinted glasses'. The man is no saint, but he is not Satan either.
The bottom line is this: If Doherty has broken the law, then crimminal charges should be filed. If he simply pisses people off (such as union presidents), then my response is as big fat "Yawn". Anyone who believes that he has broken the law but IBEW/IBM/CIA/FDIC/NASD/ICN is engaged in a massive conspiracy to keep him from being investigated needs to either get a hobby or see a qualified mental health professional.
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Free Speech does't require a multi-paragrah disclaimer Mr. Pilchesky.
Very nice post. A few thing to consider. I personally think KOZ's on residential properties will be better for a future tax spike than business KOZ's. The businesses, (which I have personal knowledge of) are gong to move when he tax forgiveness ends. The houses will probably not go empty, although some original owners have moved already. Someone will probably fill those homes even if the owners move after the taxes kick in.
I can't disagree with costs of services, but I've studied past budgets (all available at the library) and I believe if non essential personnel (which have doubled during his term in office) were cut, it should balance the budget. Pitting the "patronage" jobs against the people who provide our services (the low end Refuse collectors, street cleaners, cops, firemen and clerical staff) is the false battle line drawn by Doherty to falsely target where the real problem lies. The respective departments have been cut substantially over the years. Growth (and increasing expenses has been in upper and middle management, clearly in the budgets and expense reports. Doherty is simply lying to everyone, about where the problems are.
Where did I ever imply or state that Evans would not take business based donations to her campaign? I agree, it's a necessary evil and until the campaign finance laws are reformed, it's going to be a problem. Doherty spent over $1,000,000 to get re-elected. That's a disgrace in a city our size. The question everyone should be asking is WHY he spent that much and WHO gave it to him. There you will find the answer to his motives and actions and WHO he takes care of. It's clearly not the average taxpayer in the city. He sold out this city and it's residents for ONE special interest, his own.
I have added two words (a number of times) to a portion of the above post by sheri. She is intent on making her dd postings here, but look how easily the same terminology can be used to describe their mentor and his lawsuits, simply by inferring his name to the post.
... The question everyone should be asking is WHY he (Joe Pilcheski) spent that much and WHO gave it to him (Joe Pilcheski). There you will find the answer to his (Joe Pilcheski's) motives and actions and WHO he (Joe Pilcheski) takes care of. It's clearly not the average taxpayer in the city. He (Joe Pilcheski) sold out this city and it's residents for ONE special interest, his (Joe Pilcheski) own. ...
Just how many of those nefarious suits has he won?? And sheri, as long as you are in the mood and are taking time out of your busy schedule to find a copy of Janet's elusive budget, maybe you could pump the old man for a dollar figure as to how much he has cost the taxpayers. I'd appreciate it - thanks in advance for your prompt response to this inquiry.
Girl, I thought myself and Aga were having some interesting intercourse on that subject. Was it too confusing for you to understand, which in return, resulted in your typical thoughtless responses?
I understood perfectly well the gist of your conversation. After all, I'm not Granma. I also understood that some of what you stated could also be applied to the old man himself.
- He HAS spent an enormous amount of money (to win no cases out of 28) - I would like to have some answers to his motives and actions (again, to win no cases out of 28 and has cost the taxpayers copious amounts in legal fees) - I would definitely like to know who he is taking care of because it certainly isn't the average citizen (Is it Janet? Is it the mayoral candidate du jour? Pick one of the minion and get back to me.) - he also has sold out his city for his own benefit (anything to wring the city dry and (again) has cost the taxpayers copious amounts in legal fees with his frivilous lawsuits.)
So tell me, has the old man given you even a sniff of a dollar figure as to how much his nonsense has cost me so far? Can he offer an amount as to how much his nonsense is going to cost me in the future? Has he given you a dollar figure as to how much he has cost his Pac people? Oh, and have you played your "Do A Favor For Janet" card and has she given you a copy of her elusive budget? Hello? ... Anything? ... I didn't think so.
Oh, and if Ag has a problem with my interrupting your conversation, I am sure he'll let me know. Until that time, wiggle your arse n tha tchair a little longer to embed that burr in your butt.
ANother cerebral response. Thank you so much. Do you realize the idiocy of your concern for some "legal fees" caused by Pilchesky, compared to the financial lynching Doherty has done to us? Next time you pay your new sewer bill or property tax bill during the next 30 years, just make yourself believe Pilchesky caused it. It will make you feel much better.
Yeah, Paul. I don't know. To add an analogy, if water is pouring into your house because the roof leaks and you have a drip on your faucet, most people would direct their attention to the roof first.
I never claimed to be cerebral -- I never claimed to be political --
You're pretty mouthy for someone who just shows up at the door making demands. Don't think you're going to come in here and whip us into a frenzy. Just answer the questions. You're the one who is so "in-the-know". Just answer the questions. You've got your foot in both doors now. Just answer the questions.
And you really don't need to concern youself with WHY these questions are being asked. Just that they ARE being asked. And just like Miss Clairol and the old man make their many demands for answers, I would like mine answered as well.
The old man wouldn't have booted us out the door if he had any answers, even if he was so inclined to supply them to us. And since Janet won't even admit to knowing the guy, she won't have any of the answers. So again, you came to US - you've got both doors open to you - you're apparently the one with Miss Clairol's ear - so get the budget. Schmooze the old man for the info -- you'll probably like it, even if he doesn't supply the info.
See my post above Girl. You bring nonsense questions to this arena. While I post about millions being wasted, you interject about a few thousand being spent on lawsuits. Lawsuits to stop liars from holding office, lawsuits about stopping a theft of a ballfield, lawsuits about defending the right to have a message baord etc. You know, unimportant issues like that. While this goes on, you apply your energies and time fighting a guy because you were kicked off a message board. My point is, you reasons are fine to me, just why not put a little more effort into exposing the wrongs that many of you agree are happening.
By the way, where did you get the "28" lawsuits from? Did you read that in the paper? Off the top of my head, I think Pilchesky's suits haven't topped 10 yet. I may be incorrect, but no way 28.
What you see as wrongs, I see as necessary. The City is far from being where it needs to be to attract the type of consumers it needs. When I graduated I moved away because I was able to make a **** load more in a differnt area then I could in Scranton. Now that I am a home owner and getting close to the age where I will begin to raise a family Scranton is looking better and better. Actually Clarks SUmmit but I consider NEPA one city. IF I go back there do I want to put up with heyna or no people that I left a few years back. I would rather live around the people who embrase growth and are willing to take the hits that come with it.
It seems the LOD crew are not investors of any Kind. They also seem to not have any sence of business. They all however think they are poly Sci professors. If they would give up the coal cracker mentality and either get on board or jump ship then we could end all this BS> People leave NEPA for two reasons and move to NEPA for two reasons. IMO
LEAVE: No jobs and the mentality of some of the residents.
Comeback: Raise a family. MIss the people of the region.
KInd of a riddle in that you leave for the same reason you come back. I miss people from NEPA alot. I miss their honesty and integrity. I don't miss the fay franus types or JOe P types, they are the reasonsi moved on to greener pastures.
I just hope that my generation will come back and move forward. We will encounter the LOD and if that is the only speedbump then so be it.
I understand you competely Tim, just don't confuse this new "growth" mentality as something good. This is Doherty using some of these progressive ideas to vault himself to higher office. I agree with the "coal cracker" mentality keeping this region down and I loathe people who are afraid of change for the better, but Doherty's policies are not the answer. They're the real speedbump on the road to progress. Some day we'll get a true public servant who will impose good change as opposed to the "what's in it for me" mentality. Nothing Doherty does is for the good of the community. Only how he can parlay it into something good for him and his political future.
My thing is this; I have family in politics. Not scranton but elsewhere. They began in law and after years of civic awareness and running into the same problems yer after year they decided to ask for party support and try and do something about it. They put lucrative careers on hold to take civil service positions that come with limited pay. I remember asking the question why give up the mopne. A response I got from a very honest man was NY is a money town, DC is a power town. WE get in this for the power to help not only our constiuants but also our own personal agenda. It is foolish to believe any pol gets in it with out any agenda.
If Janet evens became mayor, don't you think she would have her folowers agenda at the top of the page. Where would the supposed Doherty loyalists priorities go. OUT THE DOOR> then evens deciet is born and a new legion of doom is created.
Same story different town all over the world. Doherty is doing what he can with what he has availablwe to him to turn the town into the place he wants it to be. That is what mayors usually do especially if they have the power he has because of the Home rule charter. Mellow, Kanjorski all of them have positives and negatives. I can make anyone look like a crimnal is I dig far enough, same as I can make some one look like a saint.
::: ... a few thousand being spent on lawsuits. ... ::: I guess that is all the answer I am going to get. But your verbal ain't proof, darlin'.
::: ... why not put a little more effort into exposing the wrongs that many of you agree are happening ... ::: I have never said I agree with everything our mayor has done since elected the second time. I have looked him in the eye and said "what were you THINKing?" And again, I will say - I am not a political person - and what interests me now - right now - this very moment - is this -- where is Janet's elusive budget, how much did pilcheksi spend and how much is it going to cost me?
Maybe tomorrow I'll talk take a stroll over to city hall and ask the mayor some pertinent questions. You see, that's all it takes. Just ask if he is in and there you go. Maybe you could take that little tidbit of info back to your girl Janet. She should try a little common decency - and maybe leave her bad-ass posse behind when she struts it up those steps to his office.
Very non selfish Tim. I wish more people like your family members would give up some of their lives to do for others. More power to them. The last part of your post summed it up nicely. If a mayor did everything for the taxpayers, the outside business or special interests would pound away, and vice versa. The regular people, which are the majority in this city are getting nothing but the bills for Doherty's catering to business and contributing followers. I happen to be a part of the regular people and that's why I rail against the mayor. Very nicely put Tim.
Now Girl, let's discuss. If you need to find out EXACTLY what the city spent defending against Pilchesky's lawsuits, GO FIND OUT YOURSELF! What I do know, is they didn't cost as much as the broken sewer contract that cost 5 million, the overspending at Nay Aug that cost millions, the legal fees fighting with the unions over broken contract agreements, the millions spent on additional pay back jobs created for his pals, or a number of million dollar political moves he's made that caused my taxes to climb 25% or my sewer rates to climb 56%. I tend to keep my eye on issues that actually make it to my pocketbook. I'll get you a copy of the damn budget. Give me some time. I don't have a hot line to Evans or city council that can make it happen over night. I made a call. As soon as I can obtail a copy, I'll send it along. While your at the mayor's office tomorrow, please ask him if our taxes are going up again next year as reported. That way I can plan ahead and maybe plan for Ocean City, instead of Florida next year.
One more thing, please let him know I think he's an *******. And I'm not alone on that thought.
the exact monetary number is not really important. It is the fact that he knew more than anyone else that his attempts would be frivolous and he still persued them. Also, he has clogged the system with more and more suits that he knows he can't win.
There is a case in DC right now where a judge is suing a korean laundry mat for 56 million dollars for lost pants. He took the literal translation of the law and applied it to the sanctions he aske for, He is now almost definitly going to be dis-barred. Why, he took advantage of the language. Joe takes advantage of the language. Pols take advantage of the language, we all do at times.
Joe is a thorne in the side of entire administration on the city and now county level.. The problem is almost all he is doing is unwarented. Politics is dirty, business is real dirty...people get hurt it is not right and we shouldnt be so accustomed to it but it is that way. JOe is using his "free Speech" right to say he is trying to clean it all up. I beg you as a supporter of him to really look into his motives. Look into it close. He is insulated to a point but he is sloppy. I know. He has achived limited success by getting fay franus, dan hubbard, nancy krake ect to join his team. They don't see him as anything but a good soul looking out for their best interests. To an extent that can be said but look deeper. BANG it will be clear. I not reading these boards for fun.
Joe's motives are his. What I'm concerned about is the lack of information that flows from the government. Joe, like him or not, provided a place to get information out. When Connors was the mayor, it wasn't a real problem because the Times hated him and every mistake or blunder made front page news. It didn't work well with the majority, because he acheived 3 terms in spite of the pounding he took. That just convinced me that most people don't know what's happening around them. The more flow of info the better. The more exchanging of ideas the better. It's not happening with the Times since Doherty took office. This site and Joe's site is the only place to freely exchange news. I can't and won't agree with some of the messengers or their message, but a lot of it is priceless in the suppressed media situation we're in. Lus and others get on my case because they say this is not the place for my message. This is about Pilchesky. I say, keep poking fun at me. It doesn't matter. This site is another outlet for me to educate on what I know. They hear it and they get it. Rarely do they admit it, but that's ok.
You are kinda bitchy to GirlThursday arent ya Shari. What don't you want these people to like you at all. Seems like you start with them and then get pissy when they give it back to ya. Ya get what ya give.
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Where oh where has My Milo gone ... oh where oh where can he be?
Nah, Milo. I started to have some good conversation with some here and every now and then I get garbage thrown at me disguised as legitimate debate by children that are blinded by their own hate. They cannot believe someone from "over there" could possibly be legitimate and understanding of other people's opinions. I only get so far before what they complain about over there is hurled at me. Hypocrits? Nah. In their own words: Pot meet Kettle? Yes.
WIM I will apologize for interrupting the conversation between you and Shari ... but here is the thing ... she is bitchy and we don't mind ... she can be as bitchy as she wants or needs to be.
But come on talk about a hypocrite ... Milo she came here and by her own admission she is a Liar ... she does not think that she needs proof to back up one thing she says ... we should hang on her every word ... she stated that she came here to educate us ... which tells me one thing ... that she can not handle being among free thinking people.
She talks about me lumping her with her DD cohorts ... well how the hell can I know she's not as bad as the rest ... she will not tell us who she is on DD (not her real name) ... that way we can't criticize her DD persona ... she's hiding ... or maybe she's afraid that Joey will tell her she can't come to our sandbox and play anymore ... who knows and I think that we all are past the point of caring.
I DO NOT to be educated by Shari ... maybe she's Janet Evans herself (joke) since she is so interested in giving all of us a proper education!
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I want everyone to stop and think about one thing ... Joe Pilchesky is not a lawyer ... he's just a guy playing a lawyer on the internet. Please don't trust your legal needs to this man.
Lus, you keep calling me a liar, telling me I'm full of ****, spinning a statement I made about me being Red Rover, when I was being facetious because I believed Agamemnon was Red Rover (obviously not understanding my intent of my comment) and brushing off anything I post. Let's turn it back on on you now. Prove anything I post is not true. Aga responded that he's not Red Rover, I believed him and dropped the subject. Instead of arguing with me over my posts, prove them wrong and I'll accept it. About being "bitchy"? I'm not bitchy at all. If you read a post from a few days ago, I said I'm going to act just like a few act towards me from now on. "Bitchy" right back at ya. Condesending sometimes? Sure, in return for condesending remarks made to me. I'm just trying to fit in here. Give thoughtless response to me, I'll give them right back. Carry good debate with me, I'll return it in-kind. Fair enough?
"Let's turn it back on on you now. Prove anything I post is not true...Instead of arguing with me over my posts, prove them wrong and I'll accept it."
Phenomenal strategy! When unable (or just unwilling) to prove the truthfulness of your statements yourself, you challenge the accuser to prove that they're false. Winning move!
Shari, you certainly are quick to quote the dollar figures and percentages when you need to. Now, c'mon - whip out that budget. It's been a few days - we're still waiting. Or aren't you the celebrity you think you are.
Shari ... you came here ... you prove you are right ... I don't need to prove that you are wrong ... you made the statement that you were Red Rover ... you didn't say you were "just kidding when you made that statement ...
What you didn't think would happen is that I would go digging up and posting Red Rover's posts ... and catch you in your lies ... now you prove I'm wrong!
Just when I was beginning to respect you a smidge ... you went and made me feel disgust for you and your lies again ...
And actually how do I know what you sent me is the Janet budget ... as Art has pointed out ... Jay Saunders was listed in that budget ... did missy jan pull the wool over your eyes Shari ... did your queen send you a ficticious budget ... that's what I'm thinking ... now prove I'm wrong!
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I want everyone to stop and think about one thing ... Joe Pilchesky is not a lawyer ... he's just a guy playing a lawyer on the internet. Please don't trust your legal needs to this man.