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Commrad Vinsko -- Yeah Right, 19:32:19 09/08/05 Thu [2]

Uh-oh! Vinsko admitted tonight at the city council meeting that he's billing Carey for services through his private law firm! Can you say "conflict of interest"? What a scum bag! Mark, maybe it's time to rethink your support for Furher Leighton. It's not too late to take an objective look at this guy. We all make mistakes...

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[> Re: Commrad Vinsko -- Walter Griffith, 13:36:14 09/12/06 Tue [1]

>Uh-oh! Vinsko admitted tonight at the city council
>meeting that he's billing Carey for services through
>his private law firm! Can you say "conflict of
>interest"? What a scum bag! Mark, maybe it's time to
>rethink your support for Furher Leighton. It's not too
>late to take an objective look at this guy. We all
>make mistakes...

Wilkes Barre City Solicitor Bill Vinsko is a man that has no moral background and would sell his own mother for 30 pieces of silver....He needs to be replaced ...

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JJ volunteers? -- wow, 21:10:32 08/28/05 Sun [1]

I think you should read your own paragraph from your latest posting. Evidently the general public does not have the same opinion of the city administration as you. Also I don't think JJ volunteers his time, he is in the reserves and recieves his city pay when he is gone. You should really be bitching how much time JJ goes to the reserves and the city still covers for him. Think again. By the way how many Search and Rescue mission have come out of Langley lately?

Try this one on for size. If I had a dollar for every time someone said this administration doesn't care a lick about public safety, I'd have enough money to buy all of Detroit and all of it's surrounding suburbs. But while our nation is sending our armed forces into harm's way, who is it that volunteers his time for Search & Rescue mission duties out of Langley Air Force base on occasion? Well, that would be J.J. Murphy. He cares not? Think again.

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Cindy is to Chuck as____is to.......... -- Ethel Hozniak, 23:56:05 08/21/05 Sun [1]

Oh, honey, I know you missed me. It's been so long but I've been out on the road with moveon.org and its been such a great summer getting the word out.

Then, out of nowhere, Chuck Hagel goes and spreads the word for us. Good 'ol boy Republican Chuck goes and spews his "anti-American" hate.

Just a taste of what Chuck had to say in his home state of Nebraska:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The end result, he said, probably will be some form of Islamic republic. But there's a 50-50 chance Iraq will implode as Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds vie for power or autonomy.

Already, Iran exercises more influence in Iraq than the United States does, Hagel said.

"It's a pretty bleak picture," he said. "I'm sorry to give you such a report. But I owe you an honest assessment whether you agree with me or not."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now why would some Presidential aspirer start saying such things. I get the feeling that Chuck is going to get a voice mail telling him "Your either with us or against us."

Now if Chuck thinks we're looking at an Islamic state, what on Allah's green Earth happened to that democratic state my tax dollars were going to create.

What about freedom? All those other Islamic states don't have freedom so what would make Iraq any different.

And then Chuck goes and says that Iran has more influence than the U.S.

Markie, what the hell are we doing over there? What are those kids dying for? It sure as hell isn't so the terrorists don't come here because I just watched Hannity on the border and it's about as secure as S. Main St. in W-B.

Please, Zorcong, tell us how you'd kick some camel jockey ass!

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Guest -- Lucy, 15:45:11 08/12/05 Fri [1]

I heard from the "The Fire News" that there will a special appearance of Popeye & Olive Oil at the Thompson St. block party tomorrow night. Is this true?
Lucy

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how sick -- upset, 18:20:11 08/04/05 Thu [4]

mark,
just read your joke that included the name larry and linda and the hundred dollar bill. i know larry and linda and i could almost say that the e-mail was from your firemen friend larry! mark i've known these two people for a long time and let me tell you i thought that joke put linda more or less down and i had to say something. i doubt very much that linda the firemen larry's wife would tolerate that kind of joke and i'm sure that if she gets wind of it you will hear from her. as my parents always taught us children that there is two sides to every story.

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[> Re: how sick -- Larry, 20:28:44 08/04/05 Thu [1]

No Linda, I did not send this to Mark. Why do you hide under assumed names. Everyone knows your writing style. If you would like to keep this divorce public for all to see, that is up to you. People are really getting sick of your wining. If you would really like me to start on this forum, keep it up. Get a life already. I will gladly give details here if that is what you want. Sorry Mark

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[> [> Re: how sick -- Jerri, 21:36:29 08/09/05 Tue [1]

>No Linda, I did not send this to Mark. Why do you hide
>under assumed names. Everyone knows your writing
>style. If you would like to keep this divorce public
>for all to see, that is up to you. People are really
>getting sick of your wining. If you would really like
>me to start on this forum, keep it up. Get a life
>already. I will gladly give details here if that is
>what you want. Sorry Mark
Looks like this person that is being accused of writing on this forum is winning this battle. Way to go girl!

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[> Re: how sick -- Deb, 06:34:02 08/09/05 Tue [1]

O.K. already. Some people just need to lighten up and take a joke for what it is. I sent Mark this joke as well as MANY others he posts "from the e-mail" box. No references to REAL people are ever intended. Just a snicker or an all out belly laugh is all that is expected. I don't know Larry but I have met Linda and I have no reason to have anything but respect for her.

In a world as messed up as the one we seem to have to deal with on a day to day basis, I personally just like to find
SOMETHING to laugh at. Believe me, that isn't always an easy task. Nothing does that better for me than a good dirty joke. I just like to share the wealth!

Deb

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Pathetic -- Afraid and not too ashamed to admit it............., 21:58:45 08/08/05 Mon [1]

"I'm certainly not happy about what happened to that lil' old lady, but I'm not going to freak out because of it. What happened there was a random, senseless, brutal act and it in no way can be construed to be the 'norm in this city. I'm sure I'll catch hell for this, but direct family members and friends aside, I think the reason that so many out there are so filled with revulsion is the fact that one of the white folks got killed"

Wow, if I were a member of this woman's family I would be outraged at this comment. People are mad because she was a white woman? No, I beg to differ. People are mad because she was an innocent person, minding her own business in her own apartment, not capable of ever hurting anyone. I don't care if she was white, black, purple, or orange and anyone would half a brain would feel the same.

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Billy Badass: Or How Zorcong Taught Us to Defend Ourselves -- Mr. Oblivious, 09:53:16 08/08/05 Mon [1]

I love all the Stanley Kubrick-inspired headlines, by the way. It's great to see a true, praying to the altar of Bush-type like yourself inspired by a satirical movie dealing with the Cold War. Ironic, isn't it?

So El, what have you learned this week from Billy Badass Zorcong? Grow a pair? Pack some heat? Start kicking in the nuts? Go for the spleen? Quit being an idiot? Quit being a pussy? There's no Real problem? The police have it all undercontrol? Start bashing heads against a cigarette machine? Break the bums in two? If your around bad people, bad things will happen to you? The crime rate reflects bad criminals on bad criminals?

Wow, and to think all this has been done before by Billy Badass and the problem is still around. Maybe we need Badass to start a S. Main St. watch program and teach 80 year old deaf ladies how to rips eyes and tongues out.

Or teach Wilkes co-eds how to 'grow a pair' and snap necks.

Billy Zorcong remains so predictable. Tell everyone how much of a Badass he is and that everyone else should act the same in life.

I guess the only way to 'Believe' is to 'Grow a Pair' and quit being a 'Pussy.'

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I wish he'd scream at me while out and about. But that's a whole other subject. -- Elmer, 11:21:00 08/06/05 Sat [2]

The name is elmer come on down by the china queen and ask for me, I want you to explain to me what you would do if I screamed at you. You see I have no problem whacking anyone, I have nothing to lose. I have nothing, I sleep in the woods, or the city cellblock. Two weeks ago I was involved in a minor altercation in the old Neddoff's parking lot. I was arrested for kicking a man in the head while he was on the ground. Those 13 cents are very important to me and if you do not given them to me I get very upset. With your ever present scanner on your side I am surprised that you don't hear all the activity that happens in the plaza.

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[> Walking tour of Plaza -- El, 21:18:27 08/07/05 Sun [1]

Of course you can walk in the plaza now, there are more police in that area now then ever before. The vagarants don't want to be hassled. Ironic isn't it? But I think you maybe missing the point, it is not about you walking thru the area armed. But how about anyone's wife, daughter, grandparent, or grandchildren going into the pet store or a college kid using the laundromat. I don't think they are armed or a match to some of these lowlifes. These guys are not Charlie Weiss, who I don't think can walk two blocks let alone run them. I don't think the Druby family thinks that they are nothing to worry about. When an arrest is made it may just turn out to be a lowly panhandler. I am glad that you are proud of your history of beating up drunks in the 70s and 80s, must be why you still wear the same glasses. But this is a different class they are armed too. So becareful out there.

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If you build a theatre, the crime will come -- Mr. Oblivious, 23:31:46 08/04/05 Thu [1]

From today's Voice article dealing with S. Main St. crime.

"We are aware that particular area is a problem - the South Main Plaza," Crane said. "This nuisance stuff has the potential to grow."--------

Grow? My man, this 'nuisance stuff' is in full bloom. Has been for many years. Is going no where. And is likely to get worse before it will get better.

The pimps and their staff have been working that street like Bud salesmen at the Meadowlands for many a hot night. The drug dealers work without fear and drunks loiter looking for the next '13 cents' for another 40 according to today's Voice article.

So now a little old deaf lady gets stabbed. Dead. End of story. And it's on the doorstep of Wilkes and close enough to a future theatre to gets people's attention in a very bad way.

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fire dept. -- curious, 12:01:25 07/30/05 Sat [1]

help please!! i heard that the city of w-b has a site that is run by a member of the fire dept. could you please post the link on here so that we can visit it? that's if it isn't just for the firemen. PLEASE

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Why the attention on S.Main St.? -- Mr. Oblivious, 00:41:17 07/26/05 Tue [1]

"Crime is up 39%? Really? And who is being affected by it? For the most part, it's the criminals themselves being affected.

Big frickin' whoop! "

Ah, Zorcong, the all-knowing, king of the common man, Citizen Raising Kane, what have you gone and defended? Rising crime rates?

Do you realize what happens when crime invades cities. It breeds crime. Just like dogs in heat, the drug dealers and pimps need more money, more cars, more guns, more women.

Remember, when you, I or soccer mom drive down S. Main St. for a movie, Raul from the Lower East End isn't going to give a shit if you get in his way. He has a job to do whether it's day, night or Christmas Eve.

If he wants to jack your new Kia, it's his.

The chief is on target when he talks about those looking for trouble getting it. But it only takes one. I've said it before and the chief must be reading my messages, it only takes one Wilkes co-ed to be hurt, one teen at the movies to be robbed, one serious shootout, and those movies will be playing to empty seats.

There is too much riding on that theatre to not make S. Main St. the top priority in the fight over crime in the city.

"I believe" will be really hard if you have to feel unsafe trying to be an upstanding citizen just out to see a movie.

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I just love him -- JoAnn, 20:45:50 07/05/05 Tue [2]

i can't tell you how much i love seeing my honey on here!
now i can use it as a desktop. i just love him tons and tons and tons and tons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS

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[> Re: I just love him -- laugh, 04:36:39 07/12/05 Tue [1]

>i can't tell you how much i love seeing my honey on
>here!
>now i can use it as a desktop. i just love him tons
>and tons and tons and tons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS
how can u have the nerve to say this? all i can say is watch out,the love will wear off

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THANKS MARK -- SHERI, 19:44:33 07/05/05 Tue [1]

Hey just wanted to say thanks for showing us the famous SCHULTZ....now we know what he looks like when he comes up in conversations. It helps seeing the face.

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Check it out -- Shawn, 07:46:20 06/17/05 Fri [1]

Hey, gang. Dig this...although it pretty much preaches to the
awakened/enlightened chior, it is still worthy of a reading.

May Love, Peace & Sanity Prevail,
Shawn


Bush Lies, America Cries
This just in: Global terrorism rates are higher than any time since
1985.
Thanks, Dubya!

By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist

Oh my God I feel so much safer. Don't you?

I mean, don't you feel so much more secure in your all-American
gun-totin'
oil-happy lifestyle now that we have wasted upward of $300 billion
worth of
your child's future education budget, along with 1,600 disposable young
American lives and over 20,000 innocent Iraqi lives and about 10,000
severed American limbs and untold wads of our spiritual and moral
currency,
all to protect America from terrorism that is, by every account, only
getting worse? Nastier? More nebulous? More anti-American?

Here's something funny, in a
rip-your-patriotic-heart-out-and-spit-on-it
sort of way: Just last week, BushCo's State Department decided to kill
the
publication of an annual report on international terrorism. Why? Well,
because the government's top terrorism center concluded that there were
more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985. Isn't that
hilarious? Isn't that heartwarming? Your tax dollars at work,
sweetheart.

Lest you forget, this is what they do. They trim. They edit. They
censor.
BushCo kills what they do not like and fudges negative data where they
see
fit and completely rewrites whatever the hell they want, and that
includes
bogus WMD reports and CIA investigations and dire environmental studies
and
scientific proofs about everything from evolution to abortion and
pollution
and clean air, right along with miserable unemployment data and all
manner
of research pointing up the ill health of the nation, the spirit, the
world.

In other words, if BushCo doesn't like what comes out of their own
hobbled
agencies and their own funded studies, they do what any good
dictatorship
does: They annihilate it. Now that's good gummint!

Let's be clear: The obliteration of the National Counterterrorism
Center
report merely goes to prove what so many of us already know -- that
BushCo's brutish and borderline traitorous actions since they leveraged
9/11 to blatantly screw the nation have done exactly nothing to stem
the
tide of terrorism -- and, in fact, have, by most every measure,
apparently
increased the threat of terrorism. In other words, the world is a more
dangerous place because of George W. Bush. Is that clear enough?

Let's put it another way: Under Bush, in the past five years, the U.S.
has
made zero new friends. But we have made a huge number of new and
increasingly venomous enemies. And no, they don't hate us because of
our
malls, Dubya. They don't hate us because of our freedoms. They don't
hate
us because of our low-cut jeans and our moronic 8 mpg Ford Expeditions
or
our corrupt Diebold voting system that snuck you into office.

They hate us, George, because of our policies. Anti-Muslim. Pro-Israel.
Oil-uber-alles. Anti-U.N. Anti-Kyoto. Anti-planet. Pro-war.
Pro-insularity.
Pseudo-swagger. Bogus staged "town hall" meetings stocked with
prescreened
monosyllabic Bush sycophants. Ego. Empire.

But here's the truly sad part, the hideous and depressing and
soul-shredding part about all those young kids in the U.S. military
right
now, all those mostly undereducated, lower-middle-class kids, most of
whom
aren't even old enough to buy beer and many of whom have barely had sex
and
many who got sucked into the military vortex in an honest attempt to
help
pay for a college education so they could go out and not find a decent
job
in this miserable economy. The sad part is all those kids in the
military
who've been trained/brainwashed to believe they are serving in Iraq to
protect America's freedom, to protect us from, well, something dark,
and
sinister, and deadly. When in fact, they're not. Not even close.

The truth is, we were never under threat from Iraq. There were never
any
WMDs, and Bush knew it. Our military is protecting nothing so much as
our
access to future stores of petroleum, nothing so much as helping set up
a
giant police station in Iraq to ensure surrounding nations don't get
all
uppity about just who controls the rights to those oil fields.

So let's get honest and just ask it outright: Is this a worthy use of
the
massive bloated machine that is the U.S. military? Of the largest and
most
advanced fighting force in the world? To protect the flow of oil to the
most gluttonous and wasteful and least accountable developed nation on
the
planet? Is this worth so many young American lives?

You already know the answer. Ask any oil exec. Any government
economist.
Any BushCo war hawk or auto manufacturer or the leaders of any major
manufacturing industry. Ask the president himself. They all say the
same
thing: You're goddamn right it is.

Here, then, is the warped, convoluted irony: We went to war under the
lie
of a Saddam-fueled terrorism threat that never existed. We are at war,
instead, to protect our oil and to establish regional control, an act
that,
in turn, has destabilized the Middle East even further and is actually
inciting much of the very terrorism we were ostensibly there to battle
in
the first place, thus producing a level of anti-U.S. hatred not even a
(still alive and apparently very chipper) Osama bin Laden could have
wet
dreamed. Isn't democracy fun?

We are not "spreading democracy" by invading Iraq. We are not giving a
gift
of a more peaceable Iraq to a grateful world. That is merely insidious
Republican PR spin. Right now, the U.S. military is, in short,
protecting
your right to a $3 gallon of gas, which will soon be $4 and then maybe
$5
and $6 as we are running out of the stuff faster than anyone thought
and
the fight for that which remains will only turn uglier and more violent
and
so I have to ask again, do you feel safer?

Because if you say yes, you are, quite simply, lying. Or delusional. Or
you
have had your brain edited by BushCo. Or those are some mighty powerful
drugs you are obviously taking and you might wish to consider switching
to
aspirin and wine and Fleshbot.com.

They say that violence is the last refuge of a desperate nation. And
violence under the guise of secrecy and outright lie such as BushCo has
foisted upon the nation is the last refuge of a nation of thugs. Yes,
I'm
looking at you, Rummy. I'm looking at you, Cheney. I'm not looking at
you,
Karl Rove, because looking at you makes my colon clench and looking at
you
makes birds die and looking at you makes small children feel hopeless
and
lost, like the world is full of black venomous hate and bilious
condescension that is aimed squarely at their heads, like a gun.

It's true. We are living in a nation run by overprivileged alcoholic
frat
boys and power-mad thugs. This much we know. This much we need to be
reminded of, over and over again, until we finally wake up.

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Sprawl-Mart -- Mark, 19:32:05 06/01/05 Wed [1]

Wal-Mart Sucks Up Taxpayer Subsidies & Pays Poverty Level Wages

From www.commondreams.org

November 28, 2004

Wal-Mart Ways

by Ralph Nader

Law-breaker, union-buster, tax-escapee and shifter of costs to others, the
world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, announced last week that it would
respect the wishes of its Chinese workers to form a union. As is usual with
Wal-Mart announcements, a substantial overstatement is working here.

In China, unions are not independent; they are government-controlled with
the Chinese communist party turning them into what would be called "company
unions" in the U.S. With 40 stores in China already, Wal-Mart understands
that these essentially Communist Party-controlled unions serve as a
controlling mechanism over workers � a one-stop system which often have an
in-company manager in charge.

China is seen by Wal-Mart as the future. With the U.S. market approaching
saturation (Wal-Mart has 3,600 big and bigger stores here), the company with
the biggest gross revenues in the world -- $258.7 billion last year � is
importing more from Chinese factories then is the entire country of Germany.

Its message to U.S. suppliers is that if they cannot meet the "China
price," they should close down in America and open up in the world�s largest
communist dictatorship. Astonishing, isn't it, that this giant capitalist
corporation is using this Communist regime as its labor enforcement arm to
drive down wages and benefits in the U.S.

In Western Europe, Wal-Mart has to treat its workers better than it treats
its American workers. European labor laws are much tougher than those in the
U.S. Wal-Mart has to give its workers paid vacations (from four to eight
weeks depending on the country), better benefits and working conditions.
There is no "off the clock" work or wages not fully paid for long periods of
time. Wal-Mart has even agreed to collectively bargain with a large German
union.

In the country of its birth, Wal-Mart is wrecking havoc with worker
standards of living. It forces other large grocery chains to demand from
their unionized employees lower wages and benefits to be able to compete
with Wall-Mart's race to the bottom. This direction is a historically tragic
reverse for the U.S. economy that before World War II featured rising wages
that increased consumer demand and improved livelihoods.

Increasingly, Wal-Mart's immense arc of influence here is pushing wages and
benefits downward. With hundreds of thousands of its nearly 1.4 million
workers making under $7.50 an hour, before payroll deductions, (the average
wage is between $7.50 and $8.50 an hour), the average-on-the-clock workweek
is only 32 hours. Since Wal-Mart defines anyone working fewer than 34 hours
per week as part-time, they have to wait for two years before qualifying for
health insurance whose co-payment takes one-fifth of the average paycheck.
Get the idea of what is meant by the Wal-Mart way.

Waiting periods are key to Wal-Mart's phony health insurance boasting in
their television ads. Impoverished employees don�t stay, with turnover rates
for these hourly employees at 50 percent to 100 percent at many stores.

Wal-Mart is devilishly ingenious in thinking up ways to have taxpayers fill
in its wage gap. Put them on partial welfare, says the very well paid
company bosses who make millions of dollars each per year. These workers are
given advice on how to apply so that taxpayers subsidize Wal-Mart�s profits.

For example, in Georgia, over 10, 261 children of Wal-Mart employees are
enrolled in the state�s Peachcare program for health insurance in families
meeting federal poverty criteria.

According to the report, Everyday Low Wages, one 200-person Wal-Mart store
could cost federal taxpayers over $420,000 per year. These costs include
subsidized lunches, health insurance and housing assistance, federal tax
credits and deductions for low-income families, among other examples of
Wal-Mart's freeloading.

Enough is never enough for this corporation. It often demands substantial
local tax breaks from municipalities as a condition for locating there.
Although successful local opposition is blocking dozens of Wal-Mart location
plans, this corporate welfare King still manages to escape its fair share of
taxes, while local home owner and small businesses ante up for local public
services and assume Wal-Mart's share. That is, small businesses that manages
to remain in the hollowed out Main Streets that are the aftermath of a
Wal-Mart opening. Minimal thinking by consumers say Wal-Mart is a bargain;
maximum thinking starts adding up the local, national and global costs of
this Goliath depressor of purchasing power by workers.

For more information on these cost burdens, see the website
WalMartWatch.com which also shows how communities have stopped the Wal-Mart
invasion.

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How about the Neighborhoods -- OZ, 06:08:43 05/10/05 Tue [3]

I'm very excited about the downtown being revitalized, but I think the neighborhoods other than central city need to be improved. Maybe if council and the mayor use some of this grant money to buy more homes to fix up, plant trees in residential neighborhoods, and pave the streets, the city would be better off.

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[> Re: How about the Neighborhoods -- Harry McCarthy, 18:48:49 05/11/05 Wed [1]

To some extent I might agree with you. While City government has largely ignored the neighborhoods for a very long time I remember the last administration attempting to rehab dilapidated homes which proved to be a terrible disaster. As I remeber it, most of those blighted homes were in blighted neighborhoods. No amount of paint, dry wall and vinyl siding was going to make those areas attractive to potential buyers. For example, the City spent over $70,000 dollars ( according to McG.) rehabing a home at the lower end of Lehigh St.. Right in the heart of "Crack Central". It's still for sale today. And there's another one on Hazle St., and still others.

The problem with rehabing these older homes is twofold. First you have to figure out where the money comes from. Typically, Federal grants are issued but come with restrictions as to who the buyer can be. Usually they are designed to put lower income people into their own homes. Often it's difficult to find people who meet the criteria.

And then there's the location. You know what they say: "Location, location, location." If you can sidestep the purchasing restrictions or finance the reconstruction another way, you'll find that most folks with money don't want to live in the worst neighborhoods. They'll save a little longer and buy a house in the burbs with a nice yard and some distance between them and their neighbors. Or simply look in better neighborhoods if they really are set on living in the City.

Here's what I proposed to several of our City politicians (who all looked at me as if I were on drugs) years ago. Instead of trying to fix up a crappy house in a crappy neighborhood, why not try to improve the neighborhood as a whole? Why not tear the house down and offer the lot (in half or whole)to the home owners on either side? Give people a little elbow room! That's what the folks who move to Dallas or Bear Creek are seeking. Take a look at any new developement and you'll see what I mean.

Most people today don't want to be able to reach out of their window and touch the neighbor's house. That wasn't the case when a lot of this town's houses were built. If you study the history of the valley you'll find that many areas were developed by the coal companys and other industries to house their workers. They were referred to as "patch towns" or "company houses". Good examples can be found on Empire street, or North Sherman. As my Councilman father has stated in the past you can't walk between some of these homes. They're that close together. And that keeps poroperty values down. Really, where else in this country can you buy a decent house for $40,000 or less? Or any house for that matter?

Now I didn't think up any of that. Honestly, I'm not that smart. But folks who are smart gave a gazillion dollars to our own Redevelopemnet Authority back in the seventies to do what I just proposed. And they were doing it until they ran out of money.

I know what you're thinking. The City needs those properties for the tax revenue. One of our Councilmen was quick to point that out to me. But my research at the time revealed that all of the properties the City planned to rehab were in arrears of taxes. Some owed qiute a hefty bit of cash. So the City wasn't getting any money from them, nor was the County or the School District. And as I said before, a number of those houses that were rehabbed under the last administration are vacant to this day. So where is the "win"?

I say: "Give people a chance to improve their property and the neighborhood will improve along with it."

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Harry











>I'm very excited about the downtown being revitalized,
>but I think the neighborhoods other than central city
>need to be improved. Maybe if council and the mayor
>use some of this grant money to buy more homes to fix
>up, plant trees in residential neighborhoods, and pave
>the streets, the city would be better off.

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[> [> Re: How about the Neighborhoods -- Harry McCarthy, 18:59:37 05/11/05 Wed [1]

>To some extent I might agree with you. While City
>government has largely ignored the neighborhoods for a
>very long time I remember the last administration
>attempting to rehab dilapidated homes which proved to
>be a terrible disaster. As I remeber it, most of those
>blighted homes were in blighted neighborhoods. No
>amount of paint, dry wall and vinyl siding was going
>to make those areas attractive to potential buyers.
>For example, the City spent over $70,000 dollars (
>according to McG.) rehabing a home at the lower end of
>Lehigh St.. Right in the heart of "Crack Central".
>It's still for sale today. And there's another one on
>Hazle St., and still others.
>
>The problem with rehabing these older homes is
>twofold. First you have to figure out where the money
>comes from. Typically, Federal grants are issued but
>come with restrictions as to who the buyer can be.
>Usually they are designed to put lower income people
>into their own homes. Often it's difficult to find
>people who meet the criteria.
>
>And then there's the location. You know what they say:
>"Location, location, location." If you can sidestep
>the purchasing restrictions or finance the
>reconstruction another way, you'll find that most
>folks with money don't want to live in the worst
>neighborhoods. They'll save a little longer and buy a
>house in the burbs with a nice yard and some distance
>between them and their neighbors. Or simply look in
>better neighborhoods if they really are set on living
>in the City.
>
>Here's what I proposed to several of our City
>politicians (who all looked at me as if I were on
>drugs) years ago. Instead of trying to fix up a crappy
>house in a crappy neighborhood, why not try to improve
>the neighborhood as a whole? Why not tear the house
>down and offer the lot (in half or whole)to the home
>owners on either side? Give people a little elbow
>room! That's what the folks who move to Dallas or Bear
>Creek are seeking. Take a look at any new developement
>and you'll see what I mean.
>
>Most people today don't want to be able to reach out
>of their window and touch the neighbor's house. That
>wasn't the case when a lot of this town's houses were
>built. If you study the history of the valley you'll
>find that many areas were developed by the coal
>companys and other industries to house their workers.
>They were referred to as "patch towns" or "company
>houses". Good examples can be found on Empire street,
>or North Sherman. As my Councilman father has stated
>in the past you can't walk between some of these
>homes. They're that close together. And that keeps
>poroperty values down. Really, where else in this
>country can you buy a decent house for $40,000 or
>less? Or any house for that matter?
>
>Now I didn't think up any of that. Honestly, I'm not
>that smart. But folks who are smart gave a gazillion
>dollars to our own Redevelopemnet Authority back in
>the seventies to do what I just proposed. And they
>were doing it until they ran out of money.
>
>I know what you're thinking. The City needs those
>properties for the tax revenue. One of our Councilmen
>was quick to point that out to me. But my research at
>the time revealed that all of the properties the City
>planned to rehab were in arrears of taxes. Some owed
>qiute a hefty bit of cash. So the City wasn't getting
>any money from them, nor was the County or the School
>District. And as I said before, a number of those
>houses that were rehabbed under the last
>administration are vacant to this day. So where is the
>"win"?
>
>I say: "Give people a chance to improve their property
>and the neighborhood will improve along with it."
>
>Anyway, that's my two cents.
>
>Harry
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>I'm very excited about the downtown being revitalized,
>>but I think the neighborhoods other than central city
>>need to be improved. Maybe if council and the mayor
>>use some of this grant money to buy more homes to fix
>>up, plant trees in residential neighborhoods, and pave
>>the streets, the city would be better off.

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Settin' the Record Straight -- Mr. Oblivious, 22:25:19 05/02/05 Mon [1]

While I admire your passion for the career of Hank Aaron, your comment, "And he hit home runs at a very steady pace. He never hit 40," is not true.

Aaron actually hit 40 or more 8 different times with arguably his best season coming at the age of 37 when he hit 47 HR's and drove in 118 while batting over .300.

Ironically, with all the talk of Bonds hitting HR's really late in his career, Aaron had his last 40 HR season at the age of 39.

What baseball historians forget to tell about Aaron was that he had the speed to go with the power. While we're always told that today's players are on an entirely different level, the facts show that Aaron stole 20 or more bases six different times and had an incredible 31 SB's in '63.

As for today's game, Palmeiro is at the end of a career. Sosa, McGwire, Bonds and Giambi are guilty with the charge. That doesn't excuse a baseball community that allowed the practice to become acceptable.

Cheating has always been part of the game. Whether it's scuffing a ball or tapping a bat, it won't stop. But better policing is in order to bring most everyone back to an even playing field.

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heights firehouse -- Jeremiah B., 06:50:55 04/27/05 Wed [1]

There was a meeting in the heights last week about reopening the firehouse on Northampton street. All of the Council members were invited, but only one showed up.

Councilwoman Kane is upset that another council member attended the heights firehouse meeting and spoke of his efforts to reopen the station. She quibbled there's no "I" in team alluding to her alledged efforts along the same theme. The truth is that she was also invited and chose to be elsewhere. To her I say: "Yes Ms. Kane , there isn't an "I" in team. But there isn't an "I" in Frog Pond Tavern either!"

And at the same Council meeting the Councilman in question asked Mayor Leighton if he planned on hiring any more firemen as he is promising to hire more cops and the Mayor's answer was: " No! Why do we need two people on an ambulance? Can you tell me why?".

Wilkes-Barre is indeed fortunate to be led by such brilliance.

Jeremiah

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Public Square Saga -- Suburban Life is Great, 09:06:14 04/20/05 Wed [5]

I have to laugh at your observations from Public Square about the degenerates that hibernate there where this "W-B Revolution" is supposed to take place in the next year with all this development.

Do you really think people are going to flock downtown and have to deal with all these bused-in drug dealers, teen wannabe thugs, and toothless losers working a shopping cart like an Audi TT on the Autobahn?

Sure, your going to see a couple of new buildings, something the valley hasn't seen in ages. But those down-on-their-luck types are going nowhere. What is Leighton going to do, Martz them to Moon Lake for weekend retreats.

You may be energized by the thought of a seeing a movie within a bike ride, but those who would ultimately make downtown thrive will be heading to Moosic like they always have to avoid any trouble with those same degenerates you had to deal with. And your trouble came in the daylight.

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Replies:

[> Re: Public Square Saga -- Oz, 08:20:38 04/23/05 Sat [1]

>I have to laugh at your observations from Public
>Square about the degenerates that hibernate there
>where this "W-B Revolution" is supposed to take place
>in the next year with all this development.
>
>Do you really think people are going to flock downtown
>and have to deal with all these bused-in drug dealers,
>teen wannabe thugs, and toothless losers working a
>shopping cart like an Audi TT on the Autobahn?
>
>Sure, your going to see a couple of new buildings,
>something the valley hasn't seen in ages. But those
>down-on-their-luck types are going nowhere. What is
>Leighton going to do, Martz them to Moon Lake for
>weekend retreats.
>
>You may be energized by the thought of a seeing a
>movie within a bike ride, but those who would
>ultimately make downtown thrive will be heading to
>Moosic like they always have to avoid any trouble with
>those same degenerates you had to deal with. And your
>trouble came in the daylight.

I hOPe your HAPpY IN SuBUrBIa! i'M sURE THE PlantS aND aNIMalS LOvE the faCT tHAT yOU CONTRiButEd TO ruIniNG There HaBItAt! The CITY Isn't THAT BAd. IF yoU don't wANT TO be A pARt OF The FUturE of w-B, thEN Don'T COme HEre! I THInK the MAYor is DOING a fINE jOB, hE Can't hELp iT if igNoRANT PeOpLE fROM THE BiggER citIEs KEEp mOVIng Here, And DEsTRoYIng Our WAYs Of LiFe.

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[> [> Re: Public Square Saga -- Suburban Life is Great, 07:34:13 04/26/05 Tue [1]

You're the one hoping the National Guard would come to town and setup checkpoints. You complain about the noisey cars, unwelcome dog owners and whatever else could be wrong.

I'm just telling it like it is. These degenerates aren't going anywhere and when the sun goes down on S. Main St. those vampires will come out in full force from the drug houses looking for trouble in order to continue the meth high.

The W-B police force are in for a huge undertaking keeping the unwelcomes away from that theatre project. Good luck.

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[> [> [> Re: Public Square Saga -- OZ, 19:36:27 04/26/05 Tue [1]

But when something positive like the comeback of the downtown is starting to happen, I'm not knocking it. Can't wait for the theatres to open, I'll be going. IF you want to take a ride to Moosic then go right ahead.

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[> [> [> [> Re: Public Square Saga -- Suburban Life is Great, 22:10:39 04/26/05 Tue [1]

No shit you're not going to knock it. When it's the only new construction in W-B since that ghost called a 'Call Center,' you have reason to be excited.

What you should be worried about is the viability of a theatre being successful in an environment such as that of S. Main St. We're not talking Middle America. It's more like an urban jungle with drug addicts that don't give a left nut whether you are on the way to see a flick.

If they need to pull a gun or a blade to keep the meth high rolling, consider it done.

The point of these posts is that W-B has a huge undertaking of public perception to overcome and the police will have to fortify that area of town in order for people to attend a movie. Good luck.

The first time, God forbid, something happens to a co-ed from Wilkes, that theatre project will suffer immensely and you are mistakened if you think an out-of-town movie theatre owner is going to care.

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Thanks -- Peace and Quiet, 18:23:02 04/09/05 Sat [1]

Thanks to all the jerks that drove by my neighborhood once again last night, blasting their music so loud that it kept me and probably many other people from sleeping! Some day these ignorant kids are going to get a taste of their own medicine. Am I the only one that thinks this excessive loud music coming from these cars, is annoying? It seems like theres no peace and quiet in the city anymore. It sounds like a freakin war zone with all these boom-boom cars!!!!

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what a low life -- high up, 14:56:35 04/06/05 Wed [2]

just thought i would say i heard who the firemen is that left his wife, he left her for some swinger that is ten years younger plus very,very experience at what she does in other words SHE'S BEEN USED QUITE A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Replies:

[> Re: what a low life -- Mr. Oblivious, 16:47:26 04/06/05 Wed [1]

@ing me that he left his wife for Linda Stetz? I thought she was shacking up with Urban. This fireman should be ashamed if this is the case.

>just thought i would say i heard who the firemen is
>that left his wife, he left her for some swinger that
>is ten years younger plus very,very experience at what
>she does in other words SHE'S BEEN USED QUITE A
>LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Crap is Piling Up -- OZ, 07:20:27 04/05/05 Tue [1]

Walked by G.A.R. high school the other day and seen tons of dog doo-doo all over the place. Very disgusting. on the south grant street side. Can't people clean up after there dog!

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the lowest of all lows -- disgusted, 19:55:50 03/29/05 Tue [3]

SO I HEAR ONE OF THE CITIES FIREMEN IS DOING QUITE A JOB LATELY WHEN IT COMES TO USING HIS HOSE !!!!!! TO BAD HE CAN'T CONTROL HIS HABIT OF CHEATING THROUGHOUT RELATIONSHIPS ..

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Replies:

[> Re: the lowest of all lows -- Mr. Oblivious, 16:14:24 03/30/05 Wed [1]

Are you saying that he's having a hard time performing his job duties? Maybe the department could get him a refresher training course.

>SO I HEAR ONE OF THE CITIES FIREMEN IS DOING QUITE A
>JOB LATELY WHEN IT COMES TO USING HIS HOSE !!!!!! TO
>BAD HE CAN'T CONTROL HIS HABIT OF CHEATING THROUGHOUT
>RELATIONSHIPS ..

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[> [> Re: the lowest of all lows -- disgusted, 20:43:51 03/30/05 Wed [1]

>Are you saying that he's having a hard time performing
>his job duties? Maybe the department could get him a
>refresher training course.
>
>>SO I HEAR ONE OF THE CITIES FIREMEN IS DOING QUITE A
>>JOB LATELY WHEN IT COMES TO USING HIS HOSE !!!!!! TO
>>BAD HE CAN'T CONTROL HIS HABIT OF CHEATING THROUGHOUT
>>RELATIONSHIPS ..
Performing his job? That all depends,anyone who knows him will say he's slacking off more than usual on the job,his other job well>>>>we seem to be in need of the "V" pill.
I doubt if he needs a refresher course since he is very experienced at not only cheating but ruining people's lives. I assume he thinks life is just a bowl of cherries.

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I am guilty -- Rush Limpbaugh, 16:32:41 03/30/05 Wed [1]

"....aren't the Brians of the world the source of all of our drug problems in the first place?"

Why, yes I am. And I deserve to go to jail for illegally buying huge amounts of meds. My best friend GWB is also guilty of being a source of our drug problems. His was coke and my was pills. Then we have the Clintonista, a doper.

Who else? What about you Zordork? Ever toke a spliff? Roll a Philly? Don't tell me you never went Uncle Rush style on a few 'ludes to bring you down from a Jim Croce album on a lonely Saturday night.

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Miss you Honey -- Ethel Hozniak, 16:32:35 03/29/05 Tue [2]

Darling, you are losing your edge. Is life so great in W-B that there isn't much to report on other than that commie Kurt?

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[> Re: Miss you Honey -- Mark, 19:13:02 03/29/05 Tue [1]

Darling, you are losing your edge...

And I quote:

"P.S. I can't wait to hear back on Colin Powell trying to convince the Bushies that an exit strategy might be a good thing. I get so bored with all the firefighter columns."

BABS! It's no wonder you've been laying so low for so long. Gettin' spanked in public must suck.

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Iron Triangle -- COncerned Citizen, 21:23:03 03/17/05 Thu [1]

I think HAzle st and Park ave should have weekly police checkpoints set up! That area is really bad anymore! THose certain drinking establishments aren't making the neighborhood any nicer, I"ll tell you that much!

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Bring in the National Guard -- OZ, 18:01:22 03/13/05 Sun [2]

I think the city should call in the National Guard to do traffic stops throughout the city along with the police. Put them on every entrance coming into the city several times per year, without telling anyone. I know it sounds like I'm a commy, but so what, maybe i am! Desperate times calls for desperate measures! Our city is against the ropes right now going into the 12th round.

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Replies:

[> Re: Bring in the National Guard -- Mr. Oblivious, 11:06:09 03/14/05 Mon [1]

And what purpose would this serve?

>I think the city should call in the National Guard to
>do traffic stops throughout the city along with the
>police. Put them on every entrance coming into the
>city several times per year, without telling anyone.
>I know it sounds like I'm a commy, but so what, maybe
>i am! Desperate times calls for desperate measures!
>Our city is against the ropes right now going into the
>12th round.

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Time will tell the tale -- Mark, 07:26:20 03/13/05 Sun [1]

NEW YORK TIMES (of all places)

Looting at Iraqi Weapons Plants Was Systematic, Official Says

By JAMES GLANZ and WILLIAM J. BROAD

Published: March 13, 2005

U.N. experts say at least 90 weapons sites have been looted or razed since the invasion in 2003.

AGHDAD, Iraq, March 12 - In the weeks after Baghdad fell in April 2003, looters systematically dismantled and removed tons of machinery from Saddam Hussein's most important weapons installations, including some with high-precision equipment capable of making parts for nuclear arms, a senior Iraqi official said this week in the government's first extensive comments on the looting.

The Iraqi official, Sami al-Araji, the deputy minister of industry, said it appeared that a highly organized operation had pinpointed specific plants in search of valuable equipment, some of which could be used for both military and civilian applications, and carted the machinery away.

Dr. Araji said his account was based largely on observations by government employees and officials who either worked at the sites or lived near them.

"They came in with the cranes and the lorries, and they depleted the whole sites," Dr. Araji said. "They knew what they were doing; they knew what they want. This was sophisticated looting."

The threat posed by these types of facilities was cited by the Bush administration as a reason for invading Iraq, but the installations were left largely unguarded by allied forces in the chaotic months after the invasion.

Dr. Araji's statements came just a week after a United Nations agency disclosed that approximately 90 important sites in Iraq had been looted or razed in that period.

Satellite imagery analyzed by two United Nations groups - the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, or Unmovic - confirms that some of the sites identified by Dr. Araji appear to be totally or partly stripped, senior officials at those agencies said. Those officials said they could not comment on all of Dr. Araji's assertions, because the groups had been barred from Iraq since the invasion.

For nearly a year, the two agencies have sent regular reports to the United Nations Security Council detailing evidence of the dismantlement of Iraqi military installations and, in a few cases, the movement of Iraqi gear to other countries. In addition, a report issued last October by the chief American arms inspector in Iraq, Charles A. Duelfer, told of evidence of looting at crucial sites.

The disclosures by the Iraqi ministry, however, added new information about the thefts, detailing the timing, the material taken and the apparent skill shown by the thieves.

Dr. Araji said equipment capable of making parts for missiles as well as chemical, biological and nuclear arms was missing from 8 or 10 sites that were the heart of Iraq's dormant program on unconventional weapons. After the invasion, occupation forces found no unconventional arms, and C.I.A. inspectors concluded that the effort had been largely abandoned after the Persian Gulf war in 1991.

Dr. Araji said he had no evidence regarding where the equipment had gone. But his account raises the possibility that the specialized machinery from the arms establishment that the war was aimed at neutralizing had made its way to the black market or was in the hands of foreign governments.

"Targeted looting of this kind of equipment has to be seen as a proliferation threat," said Gary Milhollin, director of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, a private nonprofit organization in Washington that tracks the spread of unconventional weapons.

Dr. Araji said he believed that the looters themselves were more interested in making money than making weapons.

The United Nations, worried that the material could be used in clandestine bomb production, has been hunting for it, largely unsuccessfully, across the Middle East. In one case, investigators searching through scrap yards in Jordan last June found specialized vats for highly corrosive chemicals that had been tagged and monitored as part of the international effort to keep watch on the Iraqi arms program. The vessels could be used for harmless industrial processes or for making chemical weapons.

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Bar shooting -- OZ, 06:58:20 03/10/05 Thu [1]

That bar was like a ticking time bomb. Finally it went off. I drive by there every night, I've spotted many out of town licensce plates from NY and NJ, And I can bet ya that their not here to look for a job. This bar makes the average nuisance bar look like hatchy malatchy. That neighborhood is awful!

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Good job City Council -- OZ, 14:43:03 03/05/05 Sat [1]

I'd like to commend city council for passing that Landlord Ordinance. Hopefully it will help clean up our city.

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Exit strategy anyone? -- Mark, 14:18:10 03/04/05 Fri [1]

Max Boot: LA Times

Neocons May Get the Last Laugh

March 3, 2005

In 2003, more than a month before the invasion of Iraq, I wrote in the Weekly Standard that the forthcoming fall of Baghdad "may turn out to be one of those hinge moments in history � events like the storming of the Bastille or the fall of the Berlin Wall � after which everything is different. If the occupation goes well (admittedly a big if), it may mark the moment when the powerful antibiotic known as democracy was introduced into the diseased environment of the Middle East, and began to transform the region for the better."

At the time, this kind of talk was dismissed by pretty much everyone not employed by the White House as neocon nuttiness. Democracy in the Middle East? Introduced by way of Iraq? You've got to be kidding! The only real debate in sophisticated circles was whether those who talked of democracy were simply naive fools or whether their risible rhetoric was meant to hide some sinister motive.

Well, who's the simpleton now? Those who dreamed of spreading democracy to the Arabs or those who denied that it could ever happen? Of course, the outcome is far from clear, and even in Iraq democracy is hardly well established. Yet some pretty extraordinary things have been happening in the last few weeks.

The most extraordinary event of all, of course, is Iraq's Jan. 30 election, when 8 million voters cast ballots despite insurgent bombs and bullets. Weeks earlier, Palestinian voters had trooped to the polls to elect a successor to Yasser Arafat. They chose Mahmoud Abbas, who proclaims his desire (sincerely or not) to end the armed struggle against Israel. Then, on Feb. 10, Saudi Arabia held its first-ever municipal elections. Only men could vote, but this was still a crack in the hitherto absolute authority of the royal family.

Now, in Egypt, Hosni Mubarak has suddenly pledged to hold a multi-candidate election for president this fall. Will he allow a genuine contest? That opposition leader Ayman Nour remains in jail is hardly encouraging. But something significant has happened when the pharaoh feels the need to proclaim, "Egypt needs more freedom and democracy."

Bashar Assad, the Syrian strongman, is also feeling the heat. The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a Feb. 14 bombing widely blamed on Syria has stirred worldwide outrage. Rivals from across the Lebanese political spectrum have united to demand the end of Syrian occupation. France and the United States, normally as divided as Lebanese Christians and Muslims, have joined to support a U.N. resolution calling for Syrian withdrawal. Washington already had made palpable its anger over Syrian backing of terrorism inside Iraq by passing the Syrian Accountability Act of 2003, which imposes sanctions on Damascus.

Assad is trying to deflect this growing backlash through token steps such as removing some troops from Lebanon and handing over Saddam Hussein's half brother along with 29 other Baathists to Iraqi custody. But the people of Lebanon will be satisfied with nothing less than true independence. If they succeed, the Baathist regime in Damascus, which has mulcted its richer neighbor for decades, could be a goner.

This week, tens of thousands of anti-Syrian demonstrators in Beirut forced the resignation of the pro-Syrian government of Prime Minister Omar Karami. Many are already starting to compare the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon to the Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine.

It would be the height of hubris to claim that all these developments are due to U.S. action alone. Pressure has been building up in the Middle East pressure cooker for decades; the long-suffering people of the region do not need any outside prompting to list a long litany of grievances against their dysfunctional governments. But it was the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent democratic elections there that blew the lid off the region.

"It's strange for me to say it," says Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who would never be mistaken for a Bush backer, "but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq."

"Now with the new Bush administration," confirms former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel, "we feel a stronger determination in liberating Lebanon and in promoting democracy in the Middle East."

Maybe, just maybe, those neocons weren't so nutty after all.

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Noise pollution -- OZ, 06:51:56 02/28/05 Mon [1]

is anyone else getting sick and tired of cars going up and down the roads blasting music so loud that you can't even relax in your own home? I wish the city had some type of ordinance against this. THe noise from these cars rip right through my house! Maybe this is one of the reasons why more people are looking for a home in the country.

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NASCAR and Hollywood Elite -- Donny, 13:25:43 02/27/05 Sun [1]

Mark,
Just watching the race today. I'm about sick of seeing these Hollywood elites at the races. They wouldn't know anything about driving cars with them always using limos. I hope Fox quits giving attention to these fools.

Donny

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SHOOTINGS ON PARK AVENUE -- OZ, 21:57:14 02/16/05 Wed [1]

POLL QUESTION:
Where is the person or persons from, that committed the crimes on PARK AVE?
A. New York City Area
B. PHiladelphia
C. New Jersey
D. All Of the Above

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Row homes on Northampton Street -- OZ, 06:52:41 01/24/05 Mon [3]

Does anyone know what the city is doing with those row homes that caught fire last year on Northampton st?

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Replies:

[> Re: Row homes on Northampton Street -- Mark, 19:22:13 02/01/05 Tue [1]

Good question, OZ dude. The short answer is that those burned tenements are separately owned for the most part, so cleaning up that mess is going to be a red tape nightmare to some degree. Plus, four of them on the lower side of the hill are still being inhabited.

That eyesore isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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[> Re: Row homes on Northampton Street -- A.W., 15:59:48 02/10/05 Thu [1]

Driving by yesterday, I see they've started ripping down some of the house on that block.

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What happened at the TL? -- diamondcity2004, 19:06:39 01/12/05 Wed [2]

I heard Allison Walzer, the editor, was fired tonight. What's up?

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Replies:

[> new Walzer web site -- anonymous, 17:06:08 01/15/05 Sat [1]

News on Allison Walzer's departure, as well as a link to an anonymous message board:

http://whathappenedtowalzer.tripod.com/

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What Happened to the Iraq Coverage? -- Ethel Hozniak, 22:10:19 01/10/05 Mon [1]

It's so quiet around here. Before I continue, the email has changed. It was a New Year's resolution.

Now, I've been away on a Eastern European vacation to Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, the former Eastern Germany and even made it to Sarajevo. You should see what they have done to that city. The bombed out buildings are becoming Internet cafes and the economy is picking up. Sure can't wait for Iraq to stabilize, you know, maybe they could join the 'haves' of the world.
Since I've been gone for awhile I finally got a good refresher on the Times of Zorcong. I got to the 25Dec post and thought I'd come across holy wishes to all of his suddenly religious comrades, following the born-again evangelist himself G. Dub.

What I got was some filth about Iraq not cooperating with Dubya's almighty vision of how to build a peaceful nation. Why hasn't Billy Graham signed up for those trips to Iraq? Instead the troops are treated to Kid Rock.

I enjoyed the vindication of Colin Powell.

Courtesy of Zordork:
"There is a distinct reason why Colin Powell is being drummed out of this administration. The overriding reason being his own doctrine of not going to war without knowing when we were going to quit beforehand."

I just don't get you Zordork. Are you saying that you would rather have a SofS that doesn't think of these possibilities before committing 100,000 troops to a region known for wars lasting decades? Wouldn't an exit strategy be something to consider?

Just looking back over my Iraq notes I have come across my talking points memo from the Fox News 'Fair and Balanced,' Sean Hannity, Bill (Take it all off, bitch) O'Reilly, Loyalist Michael Savage, and G. Dub's daddy Rush Limbaugh about how Bush thought he'd win the war and the peace would follow. It's looking more like this is a possibility if those pesky multinationals would just go home and find someone else to fight. Someone tell those hardline Iranian Shiites to go back to baking pita bread. Someone tell those Jordanian militants to hitch up to a 7-Eleven and join the management team. Someone tell those Saddam supporters to find some good desert farmland to irrigate. Someone tell Zordork to write a best-seller on how to get these rejected camel jockeys a job driving a cab. WHY DON'T THESE RAG HEADS COMPLY WITH G. DUB'S WISHES!!

Signed,
YellowBelliedCommie
Ethel

P.S. I can't wait to hear back on Colin Powell trying to convince the Bushies that an exit strategy might be a good thing. I get so bored with all the firefighter columns. It's time to go Emeril style and kick it up a notch. Don't you know that we have an upcoming election to cover. I'm looking for Allawi in a landslide with all 100 votes counted from the Green Zone voting booth.

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Where're you coming from -- Harry McCarthy, 21:50:17 01/09/05 Sun [1]

Rob,

I keep sending you e-mails, but they are returned as undeliverable. Drop me a line at Harrytee@msn.com and I'll try again.

Harry

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HARRY-Where are you coming from? -- Rob Sudnick, 16:27:42 01/09/05 Sun [1]

Your said in your letter to Mark----Yes it's true that Rob's input before Council has ended the publics ability to engage in discussion about re-opening East Station at the legislative level.Harry I realy dont think so,when your wife was talking to Kathy Kane at that meeting when I stood up and said no one should be talking about union contract personel staffing level without an E-Board member present.
It was because the public would only get answers to this 3 men on an engine - from our local government's point of view, there was no one there to answer your wife's questions from our union's side(no E-Board member was present).The last time the 3 men per engine thing came up at a meeting, before the closing of East Station, it didn't look good for Local 104 and its members at all. The mayor at that meeting said we ran with 2 men on a engine for all these years, why the change now, and more or less blamed our contract for the lack of engines in service. So there you have it. I didnt want to hear a one sided explanation of our situation that has to do with our present contract. The public would only get one side of the story. So you still say because I talked out of turn, not even being on the agenda, has ended the public's ability to engage in discussion about re-opening East Station at the legislative level? Man what does that mean,we can't bitch any more that we dont have a fire house up on the hill? We can't demand more firemen to be on duty in order to have 4 engines in service all the time. Really? Guess what. I could. You can. And we should. We live on the hill. We live in this city. We work on the department.I want enough guys on duty to handle the most extreme situations. Man if you need a second opinion on what was said at that meeting call Stein. He was there too. Sorry to drag you into this mess Robbie.

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back to the heights we go (response) -- Rob Sudnick, 06:47:19 01/07/05 Fri [1]

Wow what meetings where you at? Your perspective on what was said and to whom couldn't
be more off. Maybe you should put the beer down,drink a pot of coffee,and then couple hours later
write mark another letter.How dare you talk all that shit about me..and you ask---(Why would a union
firefighter do that? You got me.
Members of the E-Board told me that they were stymied by this assertion.And that there weren't any
ongoing talks of staffing East Station. As I said before the contract was signed and it was a done deal.
So the truth be known, it was actually an over zealous firefighter who killed the firehouse issue
(on a legislative level). All I have to say to that is..... You piece of shit you know where I work if you have something to say, say it to my face.You can talk to me instead of talking bullshit about me to everyone else.

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One more thing -- Shelby Sudnick, 21:09:34 01/06/05 Thu [1]

If someone out there does have the ability to get those transcripts of the council meetings, that would be fantastic to get them posted!

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Firehouse Committee -- Shelby Sudnick, 20:56:09 01/06/05 Thu [1]

Hi Mark, How are you, Hope all is well with you and your family. Well after reading and hearing the ridiculous rumors that are going around I'd thought I would give you a little insight on the facts of the situation of the firehouse committee and maybe put an end to all the misinformation out there. I joined this committee in hopes of helping reopen the East Fire Station, when this committee was first mentioned at the city council meeting and formed I had thought that this would be something that everyone could work together and maybe come up with an idea or two to help reopen this station whether it be fundraising or helping clean it out. In no way shape or form did I ever have the idea that this was an opposition committee, after the first meeting everyone had decided that we would have a walk through of the firehouse to examine the property to see if it could be fixed what that walk through turned out to be was anything but that, it was a three ring circus, I am sorry but this is not how I choose to spend my time. After that day I decided to issue a statement at the next meeting, offering suggestions on how things should be handled so we do not look like a bunch of publicity seekers. Well all hell has broken out since then, I have been accused of "Dethroning" a committee member from their leadership, rumors have been circulating that I am being instructed by the administration ( God I wish I was that important, Lol)and now the letter that was posted about Rob standing up at a council meeting expressing now to discuss union issues when there was no union representation there. I would just like to let everyone know that I play politics with no one, anyone that knows me well would know that, I have been fighting the good fight for quite sometime now when others just stood in the background and I am a bit sick and tired of all the nonsense circulating just because I may have ruffled someone's feathers when I issued a statement at a committee meeting because I rather work with tactfulness, rather than a vicious circle. Bottom line, my husband worked out of this station for six years, it needs a hell of a lot more that just a roof, firefighters put their lives on the line day in and day out, so should they also be at risk in their own firehouse when the building my come down on them one day? I am very concerned that this firehouse is closed, but also it concerns me to put firefighters back into a dilapidated, pigeon shit infested building. Thanks for your time, Shelby Sudnick sshelby121@juno.com

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You would think, right? -- Mark, 13:45:28 12/31/04 Fri [1]

IT'S ABOUT THE TRAGEDY - NOT MORE BUSH-BASHING

By JOHN PODHORETZ
--------------------------------------------------------
December 31, 2004 --

THE political and ideological exploitation of perhaps the worst natural disaster in all our lifetimes is almost beyond belief � were it not for the fact that nothing these days is beyond belief.

Even as tears spring into the most hard-hearted person's eyes at both the unimaginable scope of the tragedy and at the wrenching individual stories of loss, opinion leaders just can't help themselves.

They are using this cataclysm as little more than cheap debate fodder about the nature and character of the United States, its president and its citizens.

Don't misunderstand.

It is fine and proper to have a debate and discussion about the degree of generosity the United States could, should and must show in the wake of this literally earth-shaking event.

But at this moment, the United States is not the issue.

The foreign-aid budget of the United States is not the issue.

Our government should not be the focal point of the discussion right now.



Don't we owe the dead, dying and injured the minimal grace not to convert their suffering into a chat-show segment � the latest left-right clash over the Bush presidency?

And couldn't the editorialists at The New York Times have forborne � even just for a week � making use of the tsunami to complain about U.S. government spending on "development aid"?

Development aid is the blanket term for American grant money handed out to other countries, supposedly to help their economies grow. Development aid has nothing � nothing � to do with what has happened.

The aid at issue now is disaster relief.

Secretary of State Colin Powell found himself in the position of having to remind the world that over the past four years the United States has provided more such aid than all other nations on the planet combined.

It is appalling that he had to mention this, and that President Bush was compelled to cite the same information on Wednesday, because you're not supposed to brag about how charitable you are. But once a United Nations official decried the American aid pledge as "stingy," the administration had little choice.


Any rational person would have understood without having to be told what the president told the world on Wednesday morning, which is that the $35 million pledge "is only the beginning of our help."

But maybe people are looking for a sideshow to distract them from the sickening pictures and the keening cries of the untold numbers of mothers whose babies were swept away.

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Thanks Mark -- Deb, 11:38:43 12/27/04 Mon [1]

Thanks for your post of "The Paratrooper of Love".

As you know, my son and I sent over many bags and bags of toys for the Iraq children, and we felt very good about that decision. When time went by and we were treated to the killings, maimings and beheadings of our soliders and countrymen my opinion changed to a "Kill em' all and let God sort them out later" attitude. Then I wanted to cry when I saw the suidide bombers killing innocent civilians/children. All I could think of was "One of the dead children could have been holding onto one of my sons toys/stuffed animals when they were so brutally murdered. It was all just too sad. Today, with a tear in my eye, I'm proud that something so small as a stuffed bear saved many Marine lives. Could that have been one of Will's bears?? It was definetly a humbling experiance.

Deb

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$52 TAX Questions -- OZ, 20:33:06 12/20/04 Mon [1]

Why cant the city take $1 dollar out of everyones paycheck per week? Why are the people who are making under 8400.00 dollars per year exempt from this tax? Everyone can afford 1 dollar per week.

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The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe -- Mark, 13:27:58 12/20/04 Mon [1]

Tree plus tree equals sixx.

Cashola payola.

Or fractional divisions thereof.

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roll the dice -- roll, 12:50:00 12/20/04 Mon [1]

roll the dice

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cash money -- abc, 12:17:46 12/20/04 Mon [1]

cash money

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A Big Snake -- Use-to-be-friend, 13:30:58 11/30/04 Tue [2]

I recently heard that we have one large snake working for the city,seems they are roaming around in new places and not going or staying where they should or at least making believe they are!!!!!!!!!!
YOU ROT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Replies:

[> Re: A Big Snake -- biznilly, 20:47:52 12/18/04 Sat [1]

Your shamed and disgusted, and the best you can come up with is......you rot??????? What, are you 10?

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The downtown chainlink fence project -- biznilly, 22:14:48 12/17/04 Fri [1]

Just took a drive by the movie theatre sight. Boy, oh boy! If the rest of the movie theatre looks as good as that fence, we're in for a rip-roarin' good time! You know, McGroarty had some pretty lame press conferences in his time, but did he ever hype a fence? Flame On!!!!!

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Wilkes-Barre Police Website -- Matt, 09:11:04 11/07/04 Sun [1]

Hello. if there is any wilkes-barre police officers here, or if any police officers from depts. around wilkes-barre interested in a free police website, please email me @ webmaster@scrantonpd.net

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Kerry on Religion -- OZ, 06:06:31 11/01/04 Mon [1]

Kerry said in an interview yesterday."That President Bush's faith based and community initiatives step over the constitutional line, because he allows religious activities as part of the programs". I thought our country was found on religion?

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Constittution PARTY -- OZ, 22:10:21 10/30/04 Sat [1]

I found a new political party and someone I'm voting for as our president on Tuesday. Elect Peroutka/Baldwin 2004! read about them at www.constitutionparty.com. he is on the ballot so look for him if you agree with him and the constitution party!

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Kerry Supporters -- OZ, 14:39:05 10/23/04 Sat [2]

Can someone tell me why it is that most of the phonies in HOllywood and all these rappers seem to be pushing Kerry? What has Bush done to P. Diddy that made him organize that VOTE OR DIE program. Is it because President Bush stands for Moral values in this country? If it is then I'm glad I'm voting for Bush. BUSH/CHeney 2004!

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Replies:

[> Re: Kerry Supporters -- Mark, 16:01:29 10/27/04 Wed [1]

Who cares other than some limp-wristed, wishy-washy types who need to be told what to think and why? P Diddy? Who? Is there something lower than being a lightweight, talentless know-nothing who mouths off every chance one gets? If and when the sorry but not unthinkable day actually arrives when politically useless blowhards such as Michael Moore, Sean Penn, George Soros, Barbara Streisand and Eminem influence our policies to any great degree, America as we know it and came to love it will no longer exist. The celebrities that constantly espouse their less than factual opinions have succeeded in nothing more than Balkanizing the American electorate at a time when we should be unified and resolute in the face of our greatest external challenge. The War on Terror has been overly politicized by these would-be policy experts, but if a sizable mushroom cloud appears over what was an American city anytime soon, they'll quickly retreat to their default position. In other words, they'll chop another line on their tiny mirrors and they'll buy yet another ultra-expensive classic car as a tax write-off.

P Diddy? F**k him and the crack whores he rode into town on.

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Kill the rich!!! -- Mark, 15:22:23 10/27/04 Wed [1]

Commentary
posted October 27, 2004

Punishing the wealthy punishes us all

By Patrick Chisholm | csmonitor.com

WASHINGTON � Lest there be any confusion about the overarching philosophy of John Kerry, the presidential debates cleared that up: income redistribution and penalization of the rich. Though emotionally appealing, this philosophy hurts all Americans in the long run.
Kerry's strongest and most consistent campaign message is the lament that the top income-earners benefitted from President Bush's across-the-board tax cut, and that their money instead should have been spent on government programs. During the three debates he invoked this theme about a dozen-and-a-half times, pledging to raise income taxes on people earning over $200,000 and lowering taxes on those making under that amount.

This is a true class warfare-style strategy: punishing the rich and rewarding the non-rich. It would be terrible for our economy and hurt the rich, poor, and middle class alike.

The reason America's standard of living is high - and why our poor would be considered middle class in the majority of other countries - is because we produce so many goods and services per person. Monetary rewards, and/or a desire to break out of one's current economic class, are largely what motivate us to produce those goods and services.

Raising taxes on the rich reduces those monetary rewards, which in turn lowers the incentive to work harder or smarter. That's bad enough. To raise taxes on the rich while reducing them on the middle class - Kerry's plan - reduces that incentive even more.

It's akin to your boss cutting your pay if you put in longer hours, and raising your pay if you work shorter hours.

Actually, lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the rich harms economic growth even more than leaving middle-class tax rates intact while raising them on the wealthy. It results in what economists call a higher marginal tax rate - the tax rate on what you earn above a certain dollar amount. It is marginal tax rates - not overall tax rates - that so affect our incentive to produce. Why put in extra work if the extra income that comes with it is going to be taxed higher?

A May 2001 Wall Street Journal editorial indicated that "a recent flurry of academic work suggests that small-business people - and the number of small businesses - live or die by marginal rate changes."

A study by Martin Feldstein and Daniel Feenberg of the National Bureau of Economic Research found that following the 1993 tax increases, high-income taxpayers reported 8.5 percent less taxable income that year than they would have if their tax rates had not increased. This is largely because, along with shifting compensation from taxable cash to untaxed fringe benefits, people such as the self-employed and senior executives can reduce their taxable earnings by a combination of working fewer hours and taking more vacations - i.e., fewer goods and services produced.

The ill effects of slower economic growth particularly play out over the long term. Europe, with its high marginal tax rates, serves as a good example. In 1973, per-capita income for the United States was about 26 percent higher than that of Germany. After three decades of slower growth in Germany, the gap had widened to 37 percent. The numbers for France are similar.

Per-capita income of Germany and France is about the same as that of our least-wealthy state, Mississippi. A recent study by Edward Prescott of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis - and this year's co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics - concludes that Europe's higher taxes account for almost all the difference in labor force participation rates between Europe and the United States. As taxes have risen over the past three decades, European workers have responded by working less.

There are plenty of other good reasons not to penalize rich people. (For the record, I'm not rich.) They are by far the biggest savers. Were it not for their savings, there would be little money available for the rest of us for housing loans, education loans, or car loans. Funds for productive investment by businesses also would be scarce. And most people owe their jobs to a rich person - the owner of the business they work for.

It's not as if the rich are undertaxed. According to 2001 figures - the latest year of available data - the top 1 percent of taxpayers pay about 34 percent of all individual income taxes. Kerry lambastes Bush because the top 1 percent's taxes were reduced along with those of everyone else who pay taxes. Well of course - if you cut taxes on everyone, people paying most of the taxes will be affected.

Who says John Kerry doesn't have a strong message? It is loud and clear: penalize the wealthy, and reduce the incentive to become wealthy. That would harm the long-term well-being of Americans of all stripes.

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Nuance run amok -- Mark, 14:03:15 10/12/04 Tue [1]

Listen to yourselves:

I would consider Bush a slick talker. According to the AP (6-27-04) He's got a satellite device strategically relaying his deep thoughts back to Karl Rove who then codes a secret language back to Bush that is easily understandable only in Texas and other 'hollers of the south.

Holy frig! Ethel...your already suspect credibility has now sunken lower than that of a confused mayor who would spend $5 million to dig a large hole.

You know, if it weren't for the possibility of a bankrupted economy, a ruined environment, an erosion of reproductive freedom, a theocracy run by the richest Americans, endless war in the Middle East, and the entire world hating our guts, another four years of Bush would probably be quite funny.

A bankrupted economy? Try again clueless jag-offs.

A ruined environment? What, did a striped snail meet it's untimely demise? Oh no!!!

An erosion of reproductive freedom? Is there a place we can't stick our ya-yas into at this point? You're serious, right?

A theocracy run by the richest Americans? In a country where "Under God" has come under serious fire, we're being ruled by theocratists?

Endless war in the middle east? And???? What else is new? That's Bush's fault?

The entire world hating our guts? As if that is something new. DUH! Do a Google search. Type in "class envy, you freaking speds."

Four more years? Yup. Deal with it, kiddies.

There it is.

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My Vote This Year -- Roger VonBesheski, 08:41:03 10/11/04 Mon [3]

I must say that this race is over as far as I'm concerned. Watch this and you'll be convinced.

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/BushUnityConfSovereignty.wmv

Good job as usual, Mark!

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Replies:

[> Re: My Vote This Year -- OZ, 10:22:28 10/12/04 Tue [1]

>I must say that this race is over as far as I'm
>concerned. Watch this and you'll be convinced.
>
>http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/BushUnityConfSoverei
>gnty.wmv
>
>Good job as usual, Mark!
Wow Roger! That was something! How can he go from whooping Kerry the other day at the debate, to something like that? But you know maybe thats why many people like him, Just because he's not a slick talker like Kerry, doesn't mean he can't lead this country.

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[> [> Re: My Vote This Year -- Ethel Hozniak, 11:43:09 10/12/04 Tue [1]

OZ,
I would consider Bush a slick talker. According to the AP (6-27-04) He's got a satellite device strategically relaying his deep thoughts back to Karl Rove who then codes a secret language back to Bush that is easily understandable only in Texas and other 'hollers of the south.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/

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I've Made Up My Mind As Well -- Ethel Hozniak, 11:33:56 10/12/04 Tue [1]

Roger,
Great link. I was still undecided after seeing that video but finally made up my mind for the election after doing some final research. Here is the site that helped me with my vote. You'll love this one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/

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Graffiti -- Oz, 09:41:29 10/07/04 Thu [2]

The Graffiti on Corlear and Beekman Streets in S. WIlkes-Barre is a disgrace. There are some nice properties down that way and that crap on those buildings make it look like a ghetto! What does it take to buy some graffiti remover from home depot to remove it? Not much, maybe an hour? If the owners don't want to remove it, then maybe the city should contact them and tell them they'll do it as long as they pick up the tab for the paint!

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Replies:

[> Re: Graffiti -- Deb, 05:47:56 10/08/04 Fri [1]

The Graffiti is nothing. They should get someone to do some maintenance in general for the old bakery. That is an even bigger disgrace! Street people live in the building, the parking lot is always filled with trash, and the grass is so high at times you could a hide a small country.

>The Graffiti on Corlear and Beekman Streets in S.
>WIlkes-Barre is a disgrace. There are some nice
>properties down that way and that crap on those
>buildings make it look like a ghetto! What does it
>take to buy some graffiti remover from home depot to
>remove it? Not much, maybe an hour? If the owners
>don't want to remove it, then maybe the city should
>contact them and tell them they'll do it as long as
>they pick up the tab for the paint!

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Feeling Better -- Curious, 06:06:22 10/06/04 Wed [1]

Mark,
Just wanted to say i hope your feeling better and all
is well with you.....Take care

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Land in Miners Mills -- OZ, 07:12:58 09/28/04 Tue [2]

I bet when that land is finally developed in MIners MIlls all the big wigs that work down at city hall will be living there. They know are city is losing morally sound people and are biting at the oppurtunity to get out. Well this is it. By the way I wonder how many city employees actually live in the city?

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Replies:

[> Re: Land in Miners Mills -- Mark, 15:58:44 09/28/04 Tue [1]

>I bet when that land is finally developed in MIners
>MIlls all the big wigs that work down at city hall
>will be living there. They know are city is losing
>morally sound people and are biting at the oppurtunity
>to get out. Well this is it. By the way I wonder how
>many city employees actually live in the city?

Well, hello there!!! What in the muck are you babbling on about? I'll bet when that development opens for business in earnest, not even one of our "Big Whigs" will end up residing there. Not that I'd accuse them of untold crimes against humanity for wanting to do so.

I suspect that you have fallen prey to the constant drumbeat of the class envy-inspired warfare. Reign that useless sh*t in, okay? This is not a zero-sum game. If we boil our "big wigs" alive, we will not take ownership of their imagined billions buried out back in the Hellman's jars. Get a grip. Okay?

How many city employees reside within the city's limits? Obviously, you're going to be shocked to learn that most of them do.

Morally sound people? What are you saying? You want to see me split too? If so, you wouldn't be all by your lonesome in that regard.

Ain't happenin'.

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Bummer, libs -- Mark, 15:05:29 09/28/04 Tue [1]

The siren of defeatism

Larry Kudlow

September 28, 2004

�One of the reasons John Kerry is going to lose the foreign-policy debate Thursday night in Coral Gables, Fla., is that he is a pessimist and a defeatist. His recent broadside attacks on President Bush's war against terrorism are right out of the Vietnam era: Blame America. Blame the commander in chief. Blame the military. Assume we will lose.

�Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq seemed to grasp the danger in this when he spoke in the Rose Garden last week: "When political leaders sound the siren of defeatism in the face of terrorism, it only encourages more violence." Compare that line to the one Kerry delivered at NYU: "We have traded a dictator for chaos that has left America less secure."

�Less secure? Is he nuts? The United States took out the Taliban in Afghanistan. With the help of Pakistan, we are in the process of destroying the Al Qaeda organization. We have taken out Saddam -- who, by the way, according to Russian President Putin, was planning an attack on the United States.

�Kerry, who despicably agrees with Kofi Annan that the Iraq war was somehow illegal, calls Iraq a "profound diversion" from the battle against Al Qaeda. But former allied commander Tommy Franks says in his book that "we entered Iraq with 9,500 troopers in Afghanistan. And by the time we finished major combat in Afghanistan -- or in Iraq -- we had 10,000 troops in Afghanistan."

�Do we need Allawi to remind us that Iraq is a "country emerging finally from dark ages of violence, aggression, corruption and greed"? Allawi underlined the fact that more than a million Iraqis were murdered or disappeared under Saddam, with at least 300,000 found in mass graves. Allawi concluded, "My friends, today we are better off, you are better off, and the world is better off without Saddam Hussein."

�Kerry may correctly state that Iraq has become a haven for terrorists. But we have engaged the forces of Islamo-fascism and terrorism on their turf rather than ours. Surely this has made America safer.

�Meanwhile, the United States has established a forward military beachhead in the heart of the Middle East. This will enable the United States to respond quickly to potentially aggressive actions from Syria, Iran and others. Think of it as keeping troops in South Korea or Japan or Germany during the Cold War. It's a vitally important strategic objective.

�In his speech before Congress, Allawi chronicled progress in quelling the terrorist insurrection and laying the groundwork for free elections. Most -- 14 to 15 -- of the 18 Iraqi provinces are stabilized. Najaf and Kufa are in better shape. Secretary of State Colin Powell has made it clear that the U.S. military will soon mop up in Ramadi and Samarra, before tackling Fallujah. Sen. Kerry apparently doubts the U.S. military, but they will not let us down.

�According to Iraq the Model, an Iraq-based blog, there's no bad news coming out of Duhok, Samawa, Diwanya, Kerbela, Irbil, Ammarah, Kut, Hilla, Rawa, Haditha, Ana, Rutba and Heet. The Kurds enthusiastically embrace the election outlook up north. Al-Sistani is a strong supporter of elections in the Shia south. Allawi and other observers also confirm that oil pipelines are being repaired, homes are being rebuilt, hospitals are working and millions of kids are back in school.

�Defeatism is the hallmark of the Kerry policy, so you won't hear the candidate mention any of this. Instead, he'll whine about internationalizing the war, while neglecting to mention that U.N. Resolution 1546, which passed in June, endorsed the Iraqi interim government and pledged support for the upcoming elections. The G-8, the European Union and NATO have also issued formal statements of support.

�Problems in Iraq? Absolutely. A quagmire? Absolutely not. Allawi a strong ally? Definitely. "But a puppet of the United States, (where) you can almost see the hand underneath the shirt today moving the lips," as top Kerry advisor Joe Lockhart put it? Nonsense. Pure partisan political pap. And the solutions Kerry is putting forward -- training Iraqi security forces, rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure, holding elections in January, bringing in more allies -- are already being undertaken by the Bush administration.

�This is World War IV, as Norman Podhoretz recently put it. Bush understands this. Kerry does not. In essence, it's a vision thing -- a key difference that will surface in Thursday's debate. Bush's vision is to use American power to promote democracy and freedom in a vital part of the world that has become unimaginably dangerous. Bush's vision is also one of optimism, of America's ability to succeed in carrying out a humanitarian operation that will make the world a better place and leave America more safe and secure.

�Kerry has no such vision. He's a pessimist and a defeatist, whose campaign is doomed to failure.

BANGUM! Ethel, if your check is running late, I've got some extra Drano you can drink.

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Post-Totalitarian Stress Disorder -- Mark, 12:17:36 09/27/04 Mon [1]

Visit this bugger. Do it.

www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005676

Don't be afraid. Do it.

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It's the economy, stoopid. Or is it? -- Mark, 19:07:55 09/21/04 Tue [1]

A man without a plan

Bruce Bartlett

September 21, 2004

�Quick question: What is John Kerry's economic plan? Can anyone reading this column name even one key element of it?

�With the economy being a central issue in the election, one would think that any reasonably well-informed voter could easily answer these questions. But, in fact, I doubt that more than a tiny handful of professional economists or economic journalists could do so. The reason is pretty simple -- there really is no plan.
Kerry has policies, of course -- lots of them. The problem is that they don't hang together in any logical way that could even loosely be called a plan. They look like items chosen from a menu -- one from column A, one from column B, etc. Viewed in isolation, any one of them might be defensible. But when you put them together, they often contradict each other and don't really add up to very much. Having a plan implies that some thought went into creating a coherent set of policies that are linked together philosophically. It is on this basis that I say that John Kerry has no plan.

� Kerry clearly recognizes that he has failed to articulate an economic message that goes beyond attacking George W. Bush for every ill of the economy. But even if people are inclined to agree that Bush's economic policies have been lacking, they are still unlikely to replace him unless they have reason to believe Kerry will do better. After all, he might do worse.

�Last week, Kerry made an effort to present a coherent economic plan. In a Wall Street Journal article titled, "My Economic Policy," he made his case. It has four key elements: create good jobs, cut middle class taxes and health care costs, restore America's competitive edge, and cut the deficit and restore economic confidence.

�Kerry's proposal to create jobs involves reducing outsourcing by closing a tax provision that he believes encourages U.S. companies to invest abroad. The $12 billion per year that this would raise would be used to reduce the corporate tax rate slightly. He would also reinstate a failed tax credit for new jobs and crack down on imports from China and elsewhere.

�Economy.com, a respected independent forecasting service, looked at these tax provisions and concluded that their net impact on job creation would be "very modest." On the other hand, Kerry's implied protectionism could be very damaging to economic growth. Renowned Columbia University economist Jagdish Bhagwati calls Kerry's trade policy "muddled and maddening" and "the voodoo economics of our time."

�Kerry's tax plan basically involves extending all of Bush's tax cuts except those affecting the top 2 percent of taxpayers, whose taxes would be raised to their pre-2001 level. The revenue raised by this tax increase on America's principal job creators would pay for a $1 trillion expansion of federal health insurance. However, Kerry says it will only cost $650 billion because he will cut $350 billion worth of waste and red tape from the health system.

�Economy.com calls Kerry health savings "questionable." This is a polite way of saying that they are non-existent. More than likely they would require additional spending in order to begin to achieve them. This means that the Kerry plan will add substantially to the deficit.

� Kerry's plan for restoring America's competitive edge involves increased government spending for research and development, tax credits to expand broadband service to rural areas, and encouraging more women and minorities to study math and science. His only proposal that might actually accomplish something is elimination of the capital gains tax for long-term investments in small business startups.

�Finally, we get to Kerry's plan to cut the deficit, and all that he offers is his word that he will do it. "Americans can trust my promise to cut the deficit because my record backs up my word," he says. This is like Dan Rather telling us that we can trust him when he says that obviously forged documents are actually genuine.

Even Kerry's own allies don't believe him. A Washington Post editorial called his deficit reduction plan "flawed" and "undercut by his fine print." A New York Times editorial said, "It's hard to imagine how he could combat the deficit, expand health care benefits, increase spending on education and grant middle class Americans more tax breaks simply by rescinding the Bush tax cuts for those earning more than $200,000."

�In the end, all Kerry has is the charge that everything� Bush has done on the economy has been wrong. This may be enough for hard-core Democrats and Bush-haters. But anyone who is remotely open-minded is going to have a hard time believing that Kerry will do better. He would have helped himself by proposing something bolder and more interesting. You can't beat something with nothing.

Bruce Bartlett is a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Townhall.com member group

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Speeding and Loud Music -- Oz, 21:34:31 09/16/04 Thu [3]

Is anybody else getting fed up with these kids and there loud music? It seems like theres no peace and quiet anymore in W-B.. All I hear is bum-bum-bum... My windows in my house literally start shaking! I can hear a bum bum car coming 2 blocks away!!! And another thing thats getting pretty annoying are these muffler systems kids are putting on there cars. They sound like a giant lawn mower coming up the street!!

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[> Re: Speeding and Loud Music -- Mark, 15:58:29 09/17/04 Fri [1]

Is anybody else getting fed up with these kids and
there loud music? It seems like theres no peace and
quiet anymore in W-B.. All I hear is bum-bum-bum...
My windows in my house literally start shaking! I can
hear a bum bum car coming 2 blocks away!!! And another
thing thats getting pretty annoying are these muffler
systems kids are putting on there cars. They sound
like a giant lawn mower coming up the street!!

Oz! You sure got that right. It's not nearly bad enough that they blare that "Kill da ho! Kill da cops!" sonic desecration of what would normally be called music. It's even worse that they think driving a rice burner less powerful than my Aunt Vickie's 1960 Rambler is somehow cool. Such sad times are these when passing nincompoops mistakenly think we look upon them with envy while they are gleefully listening to sh*t and driving a piece of sh*t. Give me some Ramones (sans the overly distorted bass gibberish), a '67 Chevelle SS and then we'll talk "chick magnets."

If any of ya'll are serious computer gamers, check out Kumawar.com. This war gaming site even has a new John Kerry-inspired swift boat game. The object of the game is to garner as many medals as one can without getting wounded. Nah. Just kidding.

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[> [> Re: Speeding and Loud Music -- Oz, 18:23:20 09/19/04 Sun [1]

>Is anybody else getting fed up with these kids and
>there loud music? It seems like theres no peace and
>quiet anymore in W-B.. All I hear is bum-bum-bum...
>My windows in my house literally start shaking! I can
>hear a bum bum car coming 2 blocks away!!! And another
>thing thats getting pretty annoying are these muffler
>systems kids are putting on there cars. They sound
>like a giant lawn mower coming up the street!!
>
>Oz! You sure got that right. It's not nearly bad
>enough that they blare that "Kill da ho! Kill da
>cops!" sonic desecration of what would normally be
>called music. It's even worse that they think driving
>a rice burner less powerful than my Aunt Vickie's 1960
>Rambler is somehow cool. Such sad times are these when
>passing nincompoops mistakenly think we look upon them
>with envy while they are gleefully listening to sh*t
>and driving a piece of sh*t. Give me some Ramones
>(sans the overly distorted bass gibberish), a '67
>Chevelle SS and then we'll talk "chick magnets."
>
>If any of ya'll are serious computer gamers, check out
>Kumawar.com. This war gaming site even has a new John
>Kerry-inspired swift boat game. The object of the game
>is to garner as many medals as one can without getting
>wounded. Nah. Just kidding.

I hear ya Mark! I Know there kids and hopefully they'll grow out of it but its starting to get downright annoying! I know it will never happen but I think the city should impose an ordinance on this excessive loud music. It can be a distraction while driving.. I think theres a town In California that enforces a law regarding loud music coming from cars. Can't see why W-B cant do the same...

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BUSH -- OZ, 08:42:27 09/14/04 Tue [1]

It seems like the Democrats want Bush out of Office so bad that they'll go to extreme measures to do so..The dems are the ones that brought this whole thing up about Bush's military service, and now that the bush campaign is questioning J. Kerry's service record they dont' like it! I give Kerry lots of credit for even going over to vietnam but you have to wonder about his record. 4 months 3 purple hearts??? In the navy if your rewarded 3 purple hearts in a war your sent back home. And we all know what he did when he came back home...

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Rather Be Blogging -- Mark, 18:02:37 09/13/04 Mon [1]

Rather Be Blogging

CBS stonewalls as "guys in pajamas" uncover a fraud.

Monday, September 13, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT

A watershed media moment occurred Friday on Fox News Channel, when Jonathan Klein, a former executive vice president of CBS News who oversaw "60 Minutes," debated Stephen Hayes, a writer for The Weekly Standard, on the documents CBS used to raise questions about George W. Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service.

Mr. Klein dismissed the bloggers who are raising questions about the authenticity of the memos: "You couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of check and balances [at '60 Minutes'] and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing."
He will regret that snide disparagement of the bloggers, many of whom are skilled lawyers or have backgrounds in military intelligence or typeface design. A growing number of design and document experts say they are certain or almost certain the memos on which CBS relied are forgeries.

Mr. Klein didn't directly address the mounting objections to CBS's story. He fell back on what high school debaters call the appeal to authority, implying that the reputation of "60 Minutes" should be enough to dissolve doubts without the network sharing its methods with other journalists and experts. He told Fox's Tony Snow that the "60 Minutes" team is "the most careful news organization, certainly on television." He said that Mary Mapes, the producer of the story, was "a crack journalist" who had broken the Abu Ghraib prison abuse story.

But leaning on reputations does nothing to dispel the doubts raised by bloggers, experts and relatives and associates of the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, the memos' putative author. Gary Killian, Col. Killian's son, says CBS apparently didn't call several people he suggested they contact who would have contradicted the CBS story. Bobby Hodges, a former Texas Air National Guard general whom "60 Minutes" claimed had authenticated the memos, says that when he was read them over the phone he assumed they were handwritten and wasn't told that CBS didn't have the originals. He now says he doesn't believe the memos are genuine.

Hugh Hewitt, the unofficial historian of the blogging movement, says that "bloggers have been overwhelmed with e-mails from active-duty and retired military who scoff at the form of the memos." They point out the man cited in the memo as pressuring Mr. Killian to "sugar coat" the Bush military record had left the Texas Air National Guard a year and a half before the memo was supposedly written. In addition, typewriters with perfect centering ability were nonexistent in 1972 and 1973, and National Guard regulations barred the maintenance of such records. Mr. Killian's widow adds that her late husband kept no personal files from his Guard duty, notes that CBS won't reveal its source, and says the memos are bogus. Earl Lively, director of operations for the Texas Air National Guard in the 1970s, told the Washington Times that the memos are "forged as hell."

CBS's fallback defense is that its story was only partly based on the documents and points to its on-camera interview with former Texas House speaker and lieutenant governor Ben Barnes, who claimed that he pulled strings to gain a place for Mr. Bush in the National Guard. But Mr. Barnes is clearly unreliable. The New York Times reported last February that an unnamed former Texas official--later revealed to be Mr. Barnes--was telling reporters he had interceded on behalf of Mr. Bush but that his story "was subject to change, and there were no documents to support his claims."

Indeed, Mr. Barnes's own daughter says her father's story can't be trusted. Amy Barnes Stites called a talk radio show Thursday to report that her father had told her a different version in 2000, when Mr. Bush first ran for president. "I love my father very much, but he's doing this for purely political reasons," she said. "He is a big Kerry fund-raiser and he is writing a book also. And the [Bush story] is what he's leading the book off with. .�.�. denied this to me in 2000 that he did get Bush out (of Vietnam). Now he's saying he did." When hostess Monica Crowley asked Ms. Stites if she believed her father had lied in his interview on "60 Minutes," she replied "Yes, I do. I absolutely do."

"60 Minutes" may have a sterling reputation in journalism, but it has been burned before by forged documents. In 1997 it broadcast a report alleging that U.S. Customs Service inspectors looked the other way as drugs crossed the Mexican border at San Diego. The story's prize exhibit was a memo from Rudy Comacho, head of the San Diego customs office, ordering that vehicles belonging to one trucking company should be given special leniency in crossing the border. The memo was given to "60 Minutes" by Mike Horner, a former customs inspector who had left the service five years earlier. When asked by CBS for additional proof, he sent another copy with an official stamp on it.

CBS did not interview Mr. Camacho for its story. "It was horrible for him," says Bill Anthony, at the time head of public affairs for the Customs Service. "For 18 months, internal affairs and the Secret Service had him under a cloud while they established that Horner had forged the document out of bitterness over how he'd been treated." In 2000, Mr. Horner admitted he forged the memo "for media exposure" and was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison. "Mr. Camacho's reputation was tarnished significantly," Judge Judith Keep noted.
Mr. Camacho sued CBS and eventually settled for an undisclosed sum. In 1999 Leslie Stahl read an apology on the air: "We have concluded we were deceived, and ultimately, so were you, the viewers."

If it turns out that the Killian memos are indeed forgeries, the Internet will have played an invaluable role in exposing the fraud much faster than the 18 months Mr. Camacho had to twist in the wind. Free Republic, a Web bulletin board, raised early warning signals about the memos within hours of last Wednesday's "60 Minutes" broadcast. Powerlineblog.com, a site run by three lawyers, reposted those comments, which were amplified by indcjournal.com. Then design expert Charles Johnson, who blogs at littlegreenfootballs.com, retyped one of the memos using Microsoft Word and showed them to be a perfect typographic match.

A defensive Dan Rather went on the air Friday to complain of what he called a "counterattack" from "partisan political operatives." In reality, traditional journalism now has a new set of watchdogs in the "blogosphere." In the words of blogger Mickey Kaus, they can trade information and publicize it "fast enough to have real-world consequences." Sure, blogs can be transmission belts for errors, vicious gossip and last-minute disinformation efforts. But they can also correct themselves almost instantaneously--in sharp contrast with CBS's stonewalling.

Hi there, kiddies. I snatched that from the Wall Street Journal. One...more...time!!!! Bush lied????

Sounds to me as if the liars hurling the most bombastic of the accusations are guilty as charged of what they accuse the Prez of. And yet, the Dems are about to roll out an "AWOL" ad campaign despite the fact that CBS is about to roll out a new cable network: MUD TV.

Bush was awol! Bush was awol! Bush was awol! Ask Dan Rather, he'll confirm it without possessing even a shred of proof. The fool.

Bloggers rule!!! Ask Tom McGroarty. What did he say? Anyone can sit in their basement and type away? Wasn't that it? Yepper, boy. That's the point in a nutshell. Anyone can sit at home and type away. Rich or poor, smart or stupid, we can all enter the fray. And lots of folks simply can't stand that fact. Screw 'em all if they can't take a joke or tell the truth to save their rapidly flagging credibility.

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Is Bush a Socialist? -- BN, 22:48:04 09/08/04 Wed [2]

He plans a series of socialist ideas, can he afford them? Clinics in every town. Extension of grants to underpriviledged youth.

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[> Re: Is Bush a Socialist? -- Mark, 19:47:47 09/09/04 Thu [1]

He plans a series of socialist ideas, can he afford
them? Clinics in every town. Extension of grants to
underpriviledged youth.

Au contraire, mon ami. Check your facts. He referred to clinics in "rural" towns. You know, those rustbelt outposts miles and miles away from existing hospitals now that consolidation and hospital closings have become the rage. Is that socialism, or an idea that has real merit? Then again, maybe it'll cut into the funding going to the illegal aliens. We wouldn't want that.

Extension of grants? The Pell Grants? Current budget deficits aside, if you want to see this country grow beyond what it is now, offer Pell Grants to every kid that would not otherwise be able to afford a community college. We're talking free college for the poorest kids not content with being poor. That was me 30 years ago. Without the Pell grant, even community college would have been totally beyond my reach at that time. I did not excel in that environment by any stretch of the imagination, but it did provide me with experiences and opportunities that I would have never known otherwise.
Since those days, Pell grants have become hard to come by.

Consider the GI Bill after WWII. An entire generation was offered free college in return for their sacrifice and this country's economic engine has been second to none and then some ever since.

Wanna do away with ghettos? Offer hefty Pell Grants. Wanna do away with trailer parks? All right, let's not get crazy here.

Despite the fact that I squandered what was offered to me, I fully understand that education is the quickest ticket to curing quite a few of our most daunting ills. And I'd rather see our poorer kids head off to a local community college than to one of those expensive indoctrination camps.

Look at it this way. Investing heavily in Pell grants is an investment in the future of our country that can only pay great dividends in the long run. An educated populace is a productive populace. Get it? Productive?

Can he afford them? You tell me.

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Bush -- Oz, 21:18:12 09/03/04 Fri [1]

Remember one thing. Not long after Bush took office we had 9-11. The stock market was falling apart 6 months before Clinton left office! The economic boom was declining. Is that Bush's fault? HOw come when somebody loses a job around here its Bush's fault? What about when leslie fay closed was that Clinton's fault? Nooooo, Not Slick WIlly!!! Give me a break!!!

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Bush Speech -- BN, 20:27:58 09/02/04 Thu [2]

So for 4 more years we can expect war, more job loses, war, more outsourcing, war, more overtime cutbacks to line corporate pockets, and more war! He didn't even address domestic policy issues. Republicans that are of the working class can enjoy their ride.

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[> Re: Bush Speech -- Ethel Hozniak, 20:42:07 09/02/04 Thu [1]

BN, I think you are forgetting the continuous debt that he's going to add up over another 4 years. But that won't be his problem because it will only come back to haunt the next generation.

On a side note, I still can't get over Marky 'The Exterminator,' finding The Ex-Terminator so funny.

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War on Terror -- BN, 10:40:07 09/01/04 Wed [1]

If I read the transcript correctly, we have no real plan to defeat terror. We'll take them as they come along.

Here's another possibility that needs to be considered. When it comes to a free Iraq and Afghanistan, I don't give their governments 6 weeks each before civil unrest topples both governments.

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BUSH -- OZ, 21:46:49 08/31/04 Tue [1]

Bush got my vote!!! As for Kerry I think he's a phoney! He talks about bringing jobs back to america, but yet he voted for NAFTA!!!! Go figure... Him and his wife talk about the cleaning up the envirerment but yet they have several gas guzzling Suv's!!!!

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Republican Flip-Flop -- BN, 17:16:29 08/31/04 Tue [2]

Can we win the war on terror? Or not?

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[> Re: Republican Flip-Flop -- Mark, 19:09:46 08/31/04 Tue [1]

Can we win the war on terror? Or not?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate you bringing that up. Listen, I should have made my point more clear about what I meant. What I meant was that this is not a conventional war. It is a different kind of war. We're fighting people who have got a dark ideology who use terrorists, terrorism, as a tool. They're trying to shake our conscience. They're trying to shake our will, and so in the short run the strategy has got to be to find them where they lurk. I tell people all the time, "We will stay on the on the offense. We will bring them to justice in foreign lands so we don't have to face them here at home," and that's because you cannot negotiate with these people. And in a conventional war there would be a peace treaty or there would be a moment where somebody would sit on the side and say we quit. That's not the kind of war we're in, and that's what I was saying. The kind of war we're in requires, you know, steadfast resolve, and I will continue to be resolved to bring them to justice, but as well as to spread liberty. And this is one of the interesting points of the debate, Rush, is that, you know, I believe societies can be transformed because of liberty, and I believe that Iraq and Afghanistan will be free nations, and I believe that those free nations right there in the heart of the Middle East will begin to transform that region into a more hopeful place, which in itself will be a detriment to the ability to these terrorists to recruit -- and that's what I was saying. I probably needed to be a little more articulate.

Come on. Get a grip. You knew what he meant, as did everyone else.

But...if I'm not entirely mistaken, you now hold the modern record for the shortest post ever to appear here. 9 total words. Thank you for your insightful commentary. I'll have Ethel order your trophy.

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Excuse me -- oz, 21:08:11 08/29/04 Sun [1]

excuse me grammArman.... I think you better brush up on your spelling also dude!

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Kielbasi Festival -- OZ, 21:15:21 08/26/04 Thu [2]

Hats off to the city of Plymouth. That small town on the west side seems to have more going on than the city of W-B! I think just on that small little main drag there they have more succesful establishments than W-B entire Downtown!!!

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[> Re: Kielbasi Festival -- grammerman, 00:15:16 08/28/04 Sat [1]

>Hats off to the city of Plymouth. That small town on
>the west side seems to have more going on than the
>city of W-B! I think just on that small little main
>drag there they have more succesful establishments
>than W-B entire Downtown!!!


Not very good at grammar, were you OZ?

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THREE MONTH'S AND COUNTING -- were waiting...., 18:48:39 08/25/04 Wed [1]

Back on May 25,2004 it was posted here that "there are many things in the works right now and rest assured only the opening salvos have been fired", "they have seriously compromised the lives of the community called W-B,and they have seriously compromised the safety of every firefighter that reports for duty from this point on".
What Happened? It has been 12 weeks...THREE MONTHS...and NOTHING...nothing at all...WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIGHT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS? it was said their saftey was seriously compromised! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY?
it was said lives in the community were seriouly compromised... SO WHAT HAPPENED?? WHY NO FIGHT?
Perhaps there was never going to be a fight? Perhaps it was just a PAPER TIGER? It's very strange how something as important as a issue as this,and if there ever was a more noble fight to be fought,that this would of been one to stand up and fight for. BUT NOTHING..Yeah there was some rumblings and saber rattling before council,but was that just for show?
How can you not fight for firefighter and community safety?
How can you not at least give it your absolute best effort?
Even if you lose,you still tried,you still made a attempt,you still stood up for the right thing to do...and everyone would of seen,,everyone then would of at least been made aware,then again it may of worked.
BUT NOTHING...WHY??? Why post here and say that stuff and then not act? Is it all just a Paper Tiger?
So many people in this community need to know the dire situation that is upon them.The facts need to be given..The good fight needs to be fought...it's not to late and it never will be..

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Leighton on PCN! -- BN, 19:56:27 08/24/04 Tue [1]

Did anyone happen to see Mayor Leighton on PCN? He talked about improvement of morale with city workers, apparently he doesn't read this forum very often.

In other news, I particularly enjoyed Lane Filler's column. His opinion was inciteful! We don't need new leaders. We need better checks and balances.

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American Traitor -- Ethel Hozniak, 12:37:35 08/19/04 Thu [3]

I've heard enough about how much the mayor makes. It's my opinion that there are only three important cities in this state; Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Wilkes Barre. When your crime rate is right up there with the other two you need a high-priced mayor to make the changes needed.

Now, onto the important discussion of the day. Why is an American coaching the Chinese Olympic basketball team? I got up early to read the Times Leader and caught the game and saw a white man on the sidelines. He didn't have slanted eyes so he can't be Chinese. Then I find out that Del Harris is an American. I'm outraged.

That's it. I need to go get my concealed gun license.

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[> Re: American Traitor -- Mark, 20:06:59 08/19/04 Thu [1]

LOFL!!!

Exactly which mayor of ours was it that decided that the city as a whole would march forward into his disasterous future without adequate police protection???

Pick one, "wit" twit.

McNamey?

McLeighton?

Or was it...McGroarty???

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[> Re: American Traitor -- OZ, 21:51:01 08/19/04 Thu [1]

HOw Come there's not a white guy on our Beloved DREAM TEAM???

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Graffitti -- OZ, 21:38:42 08/18/04 Wed [3]

Would like to know when the City of WIlkes-Barre is going to clean up all the grafitti? I see where Kingston is getting an ordinance that would make the person that owns the property that gets sprayed a time limit to get it cleaned up or be fined. Does W-B have an ordinance like that?

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[> Re: Graffitti -- Mark, 18:53:15 08/19/04 Thu [1]

That has enormous implications for the host municipality speaking from a strictly financial standpoint.

Hmmm. If we can fine the folks that are the victims of completely random acts of vandalism, just imagine how far-reaching such an ordinance could be. Why not bill the victims of gunshots for bleeding all over the jagged tarmac? After all, the fire department would have to hose away those stains.

How about when a car slams into a house? Hell! Give the homeowner 30 days to affect the needed repairs, or his ass ends up in a financial sling. That'll teach him to own property in this town run by dimwits.

A smashed window?

A slashed tire?

A rape victim?

Let's do what Kingston does. Yeah, that'll work. With enough passage of time, the innocent victims of crime become the criminals.

Let's start a petiton drive.

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[> Re: Graffitti -- Oz, 21:47:47 08/19/04 Thu [1]

>Mark: Many people don't care when there property gets sprayed. I'm sure if your place got sprayed you would remove it immediately right? I know I would... But I see places in town that got sprayed years ago and their too cheap and lazy to get it removed! You know I dont see one sign on our streets prohibiting grafitti. Like they have about littering. How bout GRAFITTI $1000 FINE!!!!

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Tennis Anyone -- Al W., 05:52:05 08/17/04 Tue [1]

I read the forum page and then watch for Mark's replies. It's like a watching a tennis match.

Duece!

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And with that said -- ??????, 20:37:34 08/16/04 Mon [1]

For whatever reason, which can be debated until the Eagles finally win a Super Bowl long after we're all dead, the city is temporarily broke, and your union decided to do the right thing in response. And you don't seem capable of dealing with reality. And the sad reality that totally escapes you is that when the company is going backwards in a financial sense, so go the employees. And assigning blame for past mistakes won't change that reality.

And with that not only should ONE union deal with that reality but everyone employed by the city. You seem to skip that fact when the politicos salaries are brought up. Yes we do not want to attract weirdos for council, but in all reality it goes for the same in the depts. Who do you think in years to come will be willing to risk their lives to apply for public safety jobs when the benefits suck and the salary is cut? And as for being used to the private sector, many, many firefighters have busted their asses in the private sector before they got their positions. Get a grip already Mark, this was all fine and dandy last year but God Forbid anyone has a different opinon than you this time around, you feel the need to down them any chance you can get.

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Priorities -- Just wondering, 22:38:22 08/15/04 Sun [1]

Just wondering after reading the Sunday TL, Should we be putting our efforts into a Movie Theater when we have 3 gangs that are taking over the city, or should we be investing in more police so people will actually want to go to a movie in Downtown W-B. Its kind of moronic thinking to cut back on public safety when we are a step above Philly in crime rates, Will people actually want to attend a movie in W-B when we cannot afford to add more police to patrol an already crime infested city? I seriously doubt it and if they don't make a change before this theater occurs it will end up being just like the Call Center, Oh and speaking of the call center, where is all the tenants that were supposedly lined up and banging down the doors to rent it?

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Fiscal Responsibilty? -- Here we go again, 18:17:38 08/15/04 Sun [1]

Fiscal Responsiblity.............hmmmmm...........let us think about this one, again i have to ask the question since a certain someone in particular cannot let it go, Did the firemen break this city or put in into the financial dire straights that it is in? We all know what the answer is except for a certain few and maybe that is why the FD is so angry over what has happened because they were the easy target to save some bucks.(Scare tactics again my friend). They have every right in the world to be pissed off. If anyone should take a lesson in Fiscal Responsibilty it is the people who are running this city, they are the ones who think a freakin movie theater is going to save their broke asses, what a Godamn joke. First off put more cops out there so we don't have to worry about being shot or stabbed while going to the movies and maybe then it would be a half decent idea. I hate to tell them but it going to take a hellauva lot more than a movie theater to bring back this city that is truly infested with drugs and crime. Its time to come down from your post election party cloud and start looking out for the safety of the people in this community. And God help us all when more of the low income housing is brought into the downtown to fill it up, it should be eventful.

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count me out -- CMO, 19:15:05 08/13/04 Fri [2]

I was planing on coming to the block party but now I have seen what a turncoat some people truly are,I would rather not rub shoulders with them and the politicos that will also be there.Too bad it all turned out this way,but many said it would and the proof is in the pudding.

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Replies:

[> Re: count me out -- We should have known..............., 13:01:50 08/15/04 Sun [1]

>I was planing on coming to the block party but now I
>have seen what a turncoat some people truly are,I
>would rather not rub shoulders with them and the
>politicos that will also be there.Too bad it all
>turned out this way,but many said it would and the
>proof is in the pudding.
It sure is too bad, no wonder why giving a name is always so important now, unlike last year when it wasn't. I'll be awaiting the obnoxious comments to follow on the posting for this one......................

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Leadership -- BN, 11:47:39 08/13/04 Fri [2]

What happened under McGroarty should be a history lesson for the future. Your remarks made one think that council was afraid to cross McGroarty. If that's the case, then what happened to needing to be a leader for the people? I don't agree with a referendum government, it's fair game in the absence of leadership. I've even noticed at current council meetings that Leighton usually whispers in the council ears during the meetings. Is this a case of leading the uninformed?

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[> Re: Leadership -- Scare Tactics, 15:39:51 08/13/04 Fri [1]

>What happened under McGroarty should be a history
>lesson for the future. Your remarks made one think
>that council was afraid to cross McGroarty. If that's
>the case, then what happened to needing to be a leader
>for the people? I don't agree with a referendum
>government, it's fair game in the absence of
>leadership. I've even noticed at current council
>meetings that Leighton usually whispers in the council
>ears during the meetings. Is this a case of leading
>the uninformed?
It sure is......... Isn't it funny how scare tactics slways seem to work rather well in this city?

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real petitioners -- KB, 21:39:42 08/11/04 Wed [1]

I remember when some city folks were prodding me to run for a council seat.
Don't flatter yourself I doubt that you would have gotten the votes needed for the position. In that same statement no one made the current council members run for office they knew what they were getting into.

Now, who should I prefer to have running this city? A man that has rubbed elbows with presidents.
Why does rubbing elbows with a president make this person more qualified to serve on council? Remember we have a hot dog vendor who is doing a very good job.

And how much money does it cost us to cover council's salaries and benefits? $150,000 tops?
That's another cop or two.

And don't tell me some of the people that are fighting the petition are doing it for the good of the people. Read the names check their affiliations like you would have done last year. One is looking for a city job, one just got a city job, several relatives of city folks.

You thought it was fine to print come on Falzone Brothers. I don't know why you think they are the adults that should run the towing business.

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Threats???? -- GotaClue?, 20:06:53 08/11/04 Wed [1]

HMMMMMMMMMMMM, the story in the Voice today proves to be rather interesting, countersuit from the city because there may have been misleading info or even threats regarding the petitions? The city itself is also pretty good with threats, misleading information and also scare tactics to scare the unions into doing what they want.

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Council....... -- poo-poo, 07:19:47 08/11/04 Wed [1]

So Mark, what you're saying is that it is OK for our council people to continue to recieve fully paid health insurance, and a very generous salary for basically getting the city into the financial mess it is now in? They all (except one) sat on council during the last administration. They sat and watched as McG dug his own grave. It wasn't until after the primary that they actually did something about it. It's funny how the FD came out in support of the current admin. and did everything possible to ensure they were elected/re-elected for the good of the city. The first thing they do is take a giant dump on them by slashing manpower and closing fire stations. Beautiful. When someone wants to cut their numbers it gets poo-poo'ed. Sorry, but I would take FF's over council people anytime! I support Walter in his efforts to reduce councils salary and benefits. Also, if we don't need as many fire stations or FF's , we don't need as many council people either. Before you start hacking on me being anonymous, I am a city employee and it's not much different from the last admin. Trust no-one.

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2004 Republican Convention Schedule -- Wilkes-Barre Online Ombudsman, 09:08:27 07/31/04 Sat [1]

Republican Convention Event Schedule
The Repugs have outdone themselves with an incredible array of planned events for their NYC convention.
- - - - - - - - - -
by Rich Proctor
skreed.com

AUG. 30

OPENING PRAYER read by Mel Gibson, while being flogged with a spiked leather strap wielded by Ann Coulter, who will enjoy it a little too much.

1. TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to RED.

2. LEST WE FORGET -- HONORARY ROLL CALL of All Members of (and Friends of) Bush Administration Who Might Very Well Have Been Killed In Vietnam If It Hadn't Been For Nasty Trick Knees, Anal Cysts, Recurrent Headaches, and Highly-Placed, Overly-Protective Parents. (Sponsored by Tyson Chicken)

3. ANTONIN SCALIA speaks -- "SLAVERY - THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF OUR FOREFATHERS, AND GREAT FOR BUSINESS! (Sponsored by Wal-Mart)

4. DICK CHENEY hosts AMBASSADORSHIP RAFFLE - Opening Bid 1,000,000 (cash, non-sequential bills 20's or less)

5. CLIMAX OF THE EVENING -- FILM - "BRING IT ON!" Stirring fictionalized re-creation of Mr. Bush's actual dental appointment in Alabama in 1972, where he showed the incredible courage to allow "deep cleaning" of gums without anesthetic. (Sponsored by Sinclair Broadcasting)

6. SUGGESTED AFTER-EVENT -- "GET BAKED WITH RUSH "Crankster" LIMBAUGH! (Location TBD) (Sponsored by Pfizer)


AUG 31

OPENING PRAYER read by Our Lord (The Passion Of) Jesus H. Christ, as channeled by Lt. General William G. "Jerry" Boykin, the man who first revealed that Mr. Bush was chosen by God to lead this country into war against the heathens. Mr. Boykin will then give a short, upbeat presentation on Islam called, "My God can Beat Up Your God."

1. TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to FLASHING RED.

2. WAYNE LAPIERRE will pry Davy Crockett's Kentucky Long Rifle out of Charlton Heston's cold dead fingers (subject to Heston's death) (Sponsored by Smith & Wesson)

3. DESIGNATED BROWN PERSON (Hispanic or Muslim, or possibly an Hispanic Muslim, if we can find one) will speak on how being a brown person doesn't automatically disqualify you from being a Republican (subject to finding a brown person capable of being bribed to do this -- may need professional actor, possibly brought in from third world country)

4. CLIMAX OF THE EVENING -- PAUL WOLFOWITZ announces American plans to invade Iran, strip them of nuclear weapons, and turn over entire country to Bechtel to be run as a subsidiary. (Wolfowitz will tell anxious voters that the operation will involve 200 out-sourced "consultants", will take one week and will be entirely funded by pocket change found in a White House couch.) (Sponsored by Halliburton)

5. SUGGESTED AFTER-EVENT -- "RIDE THE WAVE WITH RUSH "Big Oxy" LIMBAUGH!" (Do a couple of 'ringers' with Big Pharma -- sponsored by ROBITUSSIN)


SEPTEMBER 1

OPENING PRAYER by the REVEREND JERRY FALWELL who will demonstrate the spirit of Compassionate Conservatism� and the eternal mercy of God by wishing a horrible fiery death and an eternity in the pit of hell for all non-white, non-male, non-Christian non-heterosexual non-Republicans.

1. TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to PULSATING RED

2. THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF INSANELY RICH PERSONS (AAIRP) will present LAURA BUSH with A PLATINUM CHAINSAW in thanks for the Bush Administration tax cuts (Sponsored by Gulfstream)

3. ANN COULTER, BILL O'REILLY and SEAN HANNITY will lead a special TWO-MINUTE HATE aimed at photo of John Kerry.

4. CLIMAX OF THE EVENING -- DIEBOLD CORPORATION WILL ANNOUNCE ELECTION RETURNS - BUSH WINS RE-ELECTION WITH 51% OF VOTE (YET TO BE CAST). (JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA will certify vote results) Diebold Board member Wilbur H. Grafton will deny fraud, announce his retirement, and be named the new Ambassador to Jamaica. (Sponsored by Diebold)

5. SUGGESTED AFTER-EVENT -- GET WRECKED WITH RUSH "Kicker" LIMBAUGH (sponsored by Eli Lilly)


SEPTEMBER 2 (nomination night)

OPENING PRAYER by ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT, who will then sing "Let the Eagle Soar" and light the ceremonial "TORCH OF FREEDOM� with the (actual) Bill of Rights.

1. TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to FIRE ENGINE�RED, and ANNOUNCES CAPTURE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN.

2. CONVENTION SHIFTS TO "GROUND ZERO" -- DICK CHENEY will introduce and personally re-nominate PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, who WILL IMPALE OSAMA BIN LADEN WITH DAVY CROCKETT'S KENTUCKY LONG RIFLE donated by Wayne LaPierre (Sponsored by NRA)

3. PRESIDENT BUSH WILL GIVE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, standing on Osama's dead body.


FIRST PEEK - Here is the proposed text for President Bush's speech:

"Hey, Freedom-Lovers! 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay The Course Evil-doers trust my gut 9-11 Freedom Evil-doers Stay The Course Democracy 9-11 Evil-doers trust my gut 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay the course Trust my gut Tax cuts Who cares what you think Evil-doers Things are great Jesus speaks to me 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay The Course Evil-doers 9-11 Freedom Evil-doers Stay The Course Democracy 9-11 Evil-doers trust my gut 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay the course Trust my gut Tax cuts Who cares what you think Evil-doers Things are great Jesus speaks to me. G'night everybody!"


POST CEREMONY CLOSING NIGHT PARTY OPPORTUNITIES:

1. "GET MAXED with RUSH 'ROCKET CAP' LIMBAUGH!" (Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline)

2. RICK SANTORUM '"OG ON DOG'" PETTING ZOO (adults only, please)

3. BILL O'REILLY SHOWS OFF PULITZER PRIZE, ACADEMY AWARD, AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

4. SPECIAL BUFFET -- JOHN ASHCROFT will PERSONALLY EXORCISE A KINDLE OF CALICO KITTENS, BARBECUE THEM, AND SERVE THEM ON CANAPES (sponsored by KRAFT "Thick N' Spicy" BBQ Sauce)

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Horse-Faced Kerry Family -- Wilkes Barre Online Ombudsman, 18:30:30 07/26/04 Mon [2]

Have any of my conservative friends noticed those horse-faced Kerry daughters. They're just more liberal scum from a gold-digging daddy.

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[> Re: Horse-Faced Kerry Family -- hot teens, 22:15:45 07/30/04 Fri [1]

Someone must be jealous?!!! Maybe you're hiding your true stalking inspirations.

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Pat Burrell -- A. Walker, 20:55:48 07/29/04 Thu [1]

Mark,

I wouldn't think about next year. Burrell could find himself with the Red Barons for some instructional hitting.

I also have to amend a comment I made about Millwood. I don't just think that he stinks, I think the whole pitching staff smells of doggie dung. Take away the almost no-no, and you have an under-achieving goat.

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OMG -- J.F.Kerry, 23:14:40 07/16/04 Fri [2]

Geez, Private Sector Dude! Can you be anymore Repulican? Really, is being Democrat or Republican more about pride then politics? One would tend to think that with the Q & A session with yourself that you are a confused individual on several fronts. You are confused with yourself and with the facts. Where are GWB's WMD's? Maybe you should ask Sherwood Baker if he found any, may God be with him! More importantly, is former WJC running again? I fail to see the comparison between WJC and GWB with respect for the current election climate. Why didn't GHB finish the job he started? No balls or did he succumb to UN pressure? Either way he now looks like a big pu$$y. Was there justification to enter Afghanistan? Sure! Was there justification to send our boys into IraQ? Scholars will be busy debating this question for years, yet you seem to have the knowledge and understanding to make such assumptions. I'm sorry if you had a direct link to the general's planning the whole operation.

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[> Shove it, you liberal, socialist, left-wing wacko -- Private Sector Idiot, 18:25:24 07/26/04 Mon [1]

How dare you question me, you moron! Don't you know that I spend my days becoming the best Republican I can be. The daily routine of reading the Bible, listening to Rush and Hannity and finishing the day reading Marky has given me entrance to the Republican Glee Club.

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ROFLMAO -- laugh, 15:22:42 07/16/04 Fri [3]

THE LION ROARS AND THE BLOG BECOMES QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Replies:

[> Re: ROFLMAO -- HaHa, 19:43:43 07/16/04 Fri [1]

>THE LION ROARS AND THE BLOG BECOMES QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!Its because we are all laughing at you.

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[> Re: ROFLMAO -- Toot your own horn some more, 21:26:26 07/16/04 Fri [1]

>THE LION ROARS AND THE BLOG BECOMES QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Practice what you preach anonymous....................

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private statements -- mcg, 21:11:18 07/14/04 Wed [2]

As far as this backstabbing about promoting a private is concerned, what those folks won't menton is how many times said private was passed over for promotion by a previous administration or two. Especially after he led a very public fight to save two firehouses from being closed a decade ago.
Mark, would you go into an interview in shorts and a tank top with a coffee in hand if you really wanted to be considered for the position? I think several people would argue with you who "led" the public fight to save the firehouses, but I guess you only hear one side of the story.

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Replies:

[> Re: private statements -- Larry, 13:48:05 07/15/04 Thu [1]

>As far as this backstabbing about promoting a private
>is concerned, what those folks won't menton is how
>many times said private was passed over for promotion
>by a previous administration or two. Especially after
>he led a very public fight to save two firehouses from
>being closed a decade ago.
>Mark, would you go into an interview in shorts and a
>tank top with a coffee in hand if you really wanted to
>be considered for the position? I think several people
>would argue with you who "led" the public fight to
>save the firehouses, but I guess you only hear one
>side of the story.

Just to set the record straight. The petition drive was "led" by Edmund Hahn, our Union President at the time. The main point man and the one who set up every area that we covered and spoke to Council and presented the 18,000 petitions to Council was me. You all know that. You still do not have the balls to post your names or approach me about any of this. CAJONES; remember. Talk to me, those that know me are aware that I don't bite.......... YET
As far as promotions are concerned, I did nothing any different than the 20 or so other people did who are seeking these positions. Grow up already. Larry

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Welfare Ding-a-lings -- J.F.Kerry, 06:49:44 07/15/04 Thu [1]

Typical republican remark. We have the power to make a change, but we're too worried about the voting choice of the poor to do anything about it. Does anyone remember what Pres. Clinton (D) did to the welfare benefit?

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Dear Mayor Leighton -- Shame, 05:26:56 07/14/04 Wed [5]

The reason i decided to comment on this article was because i am assuming that a fireman or a relative of one had to send it in who else would even know about who is involved. MY OPINION!!
I recently read a post that a CAPT. BILL said not to call the firemen babies...well how come some of you are sure the hell acting like one?
"Please promote two of your fire captains"Oh how sweet!!! What makes them so more qualified? Experience? Seems to me most of the firemen have experience, some more than others and they are privates.The qualifications didn't state that you had to be a CAPTAIN to qualify just experience!!!!!
"Please don't pull a McGroarty and promote a private who is not qualified but a friend of the administration's!!!!"
Give me a frickin break, show me one person that hasn't had contact with one if not more of the administration and just because of that you have to condem them? If i recall i was around for the election of our Mayor and i seemed to remember that there were a great deal of firemen who got involved some were a little hesitant at first but then they sure jumped on the band wagon when the primary was over. Weren't you one of them? So don't hand me that bull sh-- about being a friend!!!!THAT'S A POOR EXCUSE!!!! What's the matter didn't your high profile person help you out this time? Maybe we shouldn't have contact with people in politics or hold a position because it gets held against us.
Before you people take shots at someone for doing something or getting involved with people you should take a good look at yourself first. If you ask me there is a lot of dirty laundry that involves the fire dept. men some who even are involved in the promotion and you have the nerve to keep shooting your mouth off.
The biggest remark was " Please consider the morale of your whole fire dept." Oh now the morale? The morale has nothing to do with the promotion....The morale of the men was down so much when the old chief was on then when they appt. the new one the morale jumped up...Now the morale is back down because of not having enough men on shifts.So don't use that for another excuse why not to promote a private........I feel that no matter what goes on or who knows who, ALL the men should try and get along it's up to them alone to make the morale among themselves.
So to all the people who have so much to say about the promotions get on already what's going to happen will happen and there is NOTHING you can do to change it! Why don't you spend your time and thoughts on something that will be useful in life!! As far as the firemen go i think you have enough problems and worries to keep hacking away at this and i'm sure you have had more than enough back stabbing among yourselves that you need to stick with saving lives rather than destroying them!!!!

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Replies:

[> Re: Dear Mayor Leighton -- anonymous?, 16:33:41 07/14/04 Wed [1]

>The reason i decided to comment on this article was
>because i am assuming that a fireman or a relative of
>one had to send it in who else would even know about
>who is involved. MY OPINION!!
>I recently read a post that a CAPT. BILL said not to
>call the firemen babies...well how come some of you
>are sure the hell acting like one?
>"Please promote two of your fire captains"Oh how
>sweet!!! What makes them so more qualified?
>Experience? Seems to me most of the firemen have
>experience, some more than others and they are
>privates.The qualifications didn't state that you had
>to be a CAPTAIN to qualify just experience!!!!!
>"Please don't pull a McGroarty and promote a private
>who is not qualified but a friend of the
>administration's!!!!"
>Give me a frickin break, show me one person that
>hasn't had contact with one if not more of the
>administration and just because of that you have to
>condem them? If i recall i was around for the election
>of our Mayor and i seemed to remember that there were
>a great deal of firemen who got involved some were a
>little hesitant at first but then they sure jumped on
>the band wagon when the primary was over. Weren't you
>one of them? So don't hand me that bull sh-- about
>being a friend!!!!THAT'S A POOR EXCUSE!!!! What's the
>matter didn't your high profile person help you out
>this time? Maybe we shouldn't have contact with people
>in politics or hold a position because it gets held
>against us.
>Before you people take shots at someone for doing
>something or getting involved with people you should
>take a good look at yourself first. If you ask me
>there is a lot of dirty laundry that involves the fire
>dept. men some who even are involved in the promotion
>and you have the nerve to keep shooting your mouth off.
>The biggest remark was " Please consider the morale of
>your whole fire dept." Oh now the morale? The morale
>has nothing to do with the promotion....The morale of
>the men was down so much when the old chief was on
>then when they appt. the new one the morale jumped
>up...Now the morale is back down because of not having
>enough men on shifts.So don't use that for another
>excuse why not to promote a private........I feel that
>no matter what goes on or who knows who, ALL the men
>should try and get along it's up to them alone to make
>the morale among themselves.
>So to all the people who have so much to say about the
>promotions get on already what's going to happen will
>happen and there is NOTHING you can do to change it!
>Why don't you spend your time and thoughts on
>something that will be useful in life!! As far as the
>firemen go i think you have enough problems and
>worries to keep hacking away at this and i'm sure you
>have had more than enough back stabbing among
>yourselves that you need to stick with saving lives
>rather than destroying them!!!!
Again, not too hard to figure out who is writing this, practice what you preach, think about it.

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[> Re: Dear Mayor Leighton -- anonymous?, 16:34:53 07/14/04 Wed [1]

>The reason i decided to comment on this article was
>because i am assuming that a fireman or a relative of
>one had to send it in who else would even know about
>who is involved. MY OPINION!!
>I recently read a post that a CAPT. BILL said not to
>call the firemen babies...well how come some of you
>are sure the hell acting like one?
>"Please promote two of your fire captains"Oh how
>sweet!!! What makes them so more qualified?
>Experience? Seems to me most of the firemen have
>experience, some more than others and they are
>privates.The qualifications didn't state that you had
>to be a CAPTAIN to qualify just experience!!!!!
>"Please don't pull a McGroarty and promote a private
>who is not qualified but a friend of the
>administration's!!!!"
>Give me a frickin break, show me one person that
>hasn't had contact with one if not more of the
>administration and just because of that you have to
>condem them? If i recall i was around for the election
>of our Mayor and i seemed to remember that there were
>a great deal of firemen who got involved some were a
>little hesitant at first but then they sure jumped on
>the band wagon when the primary was over. Weren't you
>one of them? So don't hand me that bull sh-- about
>being a friend!!!!THAT'S A POOR EXCUSE!!!! What's the
>matter didn't your high profile person help you out
>this time? Maybe we shouldn't have contact with people
>in politics or hold a position because it gets held
>against us.
>Before you people take shots at someone for doing
>something or getting involved with people you should
>take a good look at yourself first. If you ask me
>there is a lot of dirty laundry that involves the fire
>dept. men some who even are involved in the promotion
>and you have the nerve to keep shooting your mouth off.
>The biggest remark was " Please consider the morale of
>your whole fire dept." Oh now the morale? The morale
>has nothing to do with the promotion....The morale of
>the men was down so much when the old chief was on
>then when they appt. the new one the morale jumped
>up...Now the morale is back down because of not having
>enough men on shifts.So don't use that for another
>excuse why not to promote a private........I feel that
>no matter what goes on or who knows who, ALL the men
>should try and get along it's up to them alone to make
>the morale among themselves.
>So to all the people who have so much to say about the
>promotions get on already what's going to happen will
>happen and there is NOTHING you can do to change it!
>Why don't you spend your time and thoughts on
>something that will be useful in life!! As far as the
>firemen go i think you have enough problems and
>worries to keep hacking away at this and i'm sure you
>have had more than enough back stabbing among
>yourselves that you need to stick with saving lives
>rather than destroying them!!!!
Again, not too hard to figure out who is writing this, practice what you preach, think about it.

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[> Re: Dear Mayor Leighton -- hosechick!!!?, 17:37:28 07/14/04 Wed [1]

Why don't you use your hosechick name on your posts anymore? This post contains so many of your grammar errors it is easy to determine you wrote it.

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[> [> Re: Dear Mayor Leighton -- linda( ailas hosechick), 06:26:55 07/15/04 Thu [1]

>Why don't you use your hosechick name on your posts
>anymore? This post contains so many of your grammar
>errors it is easy to determine you wrote it.

it took me a second to figure out who posted this message,i am not as dumb as you might think. i just want you to know that i didn't write that post about the article.. the article has been in front of me from sunday up until yesterday..i wouldn't have been so subdued speaking my mind (after all look at my last name) i would have no problem in speaking my mind about the article and i wouldn't have any remorse about it....the problem is right now i just don't have the time to speak my mind but if you want i would love to comment about it but i don't know if you would really want me to write what i really think about the promotions!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the compliment even though it wasn't me.

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7 WEEKS -- and counting..., 07:01:14 07/14/04 Wed [1]

As previosly posted on 5/25/04....there are many things in the works right now and rest assured only the opening salvos have been fired. WHAT A JOKE!!! It's now been over 7 WEEKS since that post.Say one thing,do another.Say one thing,do another..etc...WHEN IS THE FIGHT GOING TO START?

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Socialist?? -- Taxpayer, 20:29:41 07/12/04 Mon [1]

You make a nice arguement, Mark. If it's such a big deal to the republicans, why haven't we done away with welfare? The republicans had numerous chances with house and senate majorities to make the change. Are republicans really socialists at heart?

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If I remember correctly...... -- Ethel Hozniak, 19:45:12 07/12/04 Mon [1]

"I bust my ass day in and day out and supply myself with everything, that's everything I need. I also bust my ass day in and day out and supply those lazy ding-a-lings with everything they need."

I think I remember you telling us about how your family received welfare benefits during your childhood. If so, maybe you'd like to return a check to the federal government since you can afford to payback for what my generation paid out.

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??? -- J.F. Kerry, 23:53:12 07/10/04 Sat [1]

Mark continually discredits anything democratic on the federal level. He thinks anything and anyone speaking against the Republican party is misinformed. His "educated" opinion is the word of political knowledge beyond our comprehension. So I'm wondering what his thoughts are of the 9-11 commission report? I might add a bi-partisan commission appionted by the almighty himself, GWB!? Is it humbling to know that GWB is human after-all?

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Brasso -- shine, 20:22:31 07/06/04 Tue [2]

You can't shine sh*t,but you can give one a gold badge...

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[> Re: Brasso -- Been there, 06:33:18 07/08/04 Thu [1]

>You can't shine sh*t,but you can give one a gold
>badge...

Seems we've already been there the last three years and solved that problem with the recent demotion in January. Sounds to me like sour grapes. Remember watch who you screw with on the way up,,, they will be waiting for you on the way down.

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Millwood Stinks -- A.W., 05:58:47 07/04/04 Sun [2]

When are the Phillies going to realize that Millwood is nothing but a bum?!

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[> Re: Millwood Stinks -- f-troop, 15:22:24 07/04/04 Sun [1]

>When are the Phillies going to realize that Millwood
>is nothing but a bum?!

When are the members going to realize that the F-Board are nothings but bums?

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5 WEEKS and counting........... -- were waiting, 06:16:16 07/02/04 Fri [2]

Back on 5/25/04 of this forum a individual posted how,there are many things in the works right now and rest assured only the opening salvos have been fired. Well what happened? It seems the opening salvos kinda missed. And it seems not much more is being done. Out of salvos? Did a surrender take place? It's been strangely silent.One would think that every concievable solution or battle to right this wrong would be taking place,every minute of every day,but it is now 5 WEEKS since.Is this chapter about to be closed,and chalked up to a Oh Well?

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[> Re: 5 WEEKS and counting........... -- shame, 08:49:39 07/04/04 Sun [1]

>Back on 5/25/04 of this forum a individual posted
>how,there are many things in the works right now and
>rest assured only the opening salvos have been fired.
>Well what happened? It seems the opening salvos kinda
>missed. And it seems not much more is being done. Out
>of salvos? Did a surrender take place? It's been
>strangely silent.One would think that every
>concievable solution or battle to right this wrong
>would be taking place,every minute of every day,but it
>is now 5 WEEKS since.Is this chapter about to be
>closed,and chalked up to a Oh Well?


your right on track here,they rattled their sabers a bit to pretend they are doing the job,but when push came to shove they hid in the corner and cried they are just employees and can't do anything else,it's politics,we tried,oh poor me...yet it was their idea to do this in the first place...what a sad bunch they are.

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GOLDEN Boys -- it's a sin, 12:20:33 07/03/04 Sat [2]

well rumor has it this is the week for promotions.it's a sin how two will be promoted.after all the crying the last months about how the city has no money,they are about to increase the payroll,without hiring to replace.so not only does that bring the numbers down farther,but we already have two chiefs who can take over those positions,they are about to appoint.So you see,when they say they have no money,that can't be true,cause why would you appoint when you already have two to fill those vacant positions?
things that make you go hmmmmm....

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[> Re: GOLDEN Boys -- BOO HOO HOO, 15:40:32 07/03/04 Sat [1]

>well rumor has it this is the week for promotions.it's
>a sin how two will be promoted.after all the crying
>the last months about how the city has no money,they
>are about to increase the payroll,without hiring to
>replace.so not only does that bring the numbers down
>farther,but we already have two chiefs who can take
>over those positions,they are about to appoint.So you
>see,when they say they have no money,that can't be
>true,cause why would you appoint when you already have
>two to fill those vacant positions?


More crying from people who can't figure out money matters. Think about it. They are paying acting chiefs and acting captains pay all along. More people crying about something to cause trouble. BOO HOO HOO LOFL
>things that make you go hmmmmm....

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Still kickin' -- Mark, 18:54:08 06/30/04 Wed [2]

Me frickin' puter suffered an untimely death on Sunday. He will be missed. It took me a couple of days, but I finally unearthed my old Web Tv Plus unit and I just sat thru 57 updates from MSN. Ouch. Slummin' it, am I? Not so. I can take phone calls while on the net. I can lounge with my wireless keyboard. I can watch baseball in the PIP window while on the net. And bestest of all...I have a 31 inch monitor again. I could get used to this all over again. In other words, I will be buying a new Dell PC, but thanks to this nifty gizmo I'll be in no particular hurry. Anyway, the speculative reports of my undoing have been greatly exagerated. I'll be talkin' at ya'll tommorrow.

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[> Re: Still kickin' -- Kayak Dude, 08:23:36 07/02/04 Fri [1]

Mark:

Sorry to hear about the dearly departed HP. Hope you're able to retrieve everything from the hard drive.

Consider this a public service announcement to all the folks with inkjet printers out there. I'd highly recommend that you DO NOT purchase ink cartridges that are made by anyone other than the original manufacturer of your printer. To save a few bucks, I recently purchased a St***** brand replacement cartridge for my Epson printer. Hasn't worked since. In their written reply to me, St***** stated "...would like to reassure you that testing and improvement of this product continues on a constant basis."
They also (semi) acknowledged that their cartridge was defective.

Don't take the risk of damaging your printer. I'm sure I did not buy the only bad cartridge out there. My former photo quality printer is now a useless paperweight.

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wanna no -- curious, 06:08:06 07/01/04 Thu [1]

Help I'm curious!!!!!!!! I heard through the grape vine that a certain 'CITY' employee is having trouble with her/his love life and is trying to put the make on a higher up employers wife/husband! Anyone know if so let me know i love excitement and especially news.

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Please Cool Down -- A. Walker, 21:53:51 06/22/04 Tue [1]

R. Sudnick recently posted that this forum isn't a place to air union differences. It especially isn't a place for union brothers to dispute one another. Considering we are all civil adults, union meetings should be the place to express your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with any union business or it's representatives.

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INFO -- Sky, 10:18:25 06/21/04 Mon [4]

I always come on this site to read what people write and never once posted a message until now. From what i read lately it all has to do with the firemen in the city of W-B and if i'm not mistaken some people are really getting annoyed at what is getting posted, and especially when someone writes and don't even have the respect to put his or her real name on, such a shame. So since all the post concerns the firemen why don't we ask them to post their own personal history for instance how long have you been on the fire dept. what is your rank, if married how does your family deal with you going to fires and so on. Maybe then we can see that there are real men on this dept. and not just a bunch of cry babies. Just a thought.

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[> Re: INFO -- Capt. (Bro) Bill W-B FD, 11:01:07 06/21/04 Mon [1]

HOW DARE YOU!Your fire fighters are far from cry babies. We are trying to protect YOUR safety as wall as keep ourselves safe. When you go to work- do you know you are coming home? We don't. When you go to work do you have to see other peoples troubles and pain and suffering.Then try to deal with it. I hope to GOD you don't. When we try to keep those we protect safe as well as give OUR families some peace of mind DON'T YOU EVER CALL US CRY BABIES. It's people like you who cause these rifts.

>I always come on this site to read what people write
>and never once posted a message until now. From what i
>read lately it all has to do with the firemen in the
>city of W-B and if i'm not mistaken some people are
>really getting annoyed at what is getting posted, and
>especially when someone writes and don't even have the
>respect to put his or her real name on, such a shame.
>So since all the post concerns the firemen why don't
>we ask them to post their own personal history for
>instance how long have you been on the fire dept. what
>is your rank, if married how does your family deal
>with you going to fires and so on. Maybe then we can
>see that there are real men on this dept. and not just
>a bunch of cry babies. Just a thought.

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[> Re: INFO -- Never posted?, 13:08:15 06/21/04 Mon [1]

>I always come on this site to read what people write
>and never once posted a message until now. From what i
>read lately it all has to do with the firemen in the
>city of W-B and if i'm not mistaken some people are
>really getting annoyed at what is getting posted, and
>especially when someone writes and don't even have the
>respect to put his or her real name on, such a shame.
>So since all the post concerns the firemen why don't
>we ask them to post their own personal history for
>instance how long have you been on the fire dept. what
>is your rank, if married how does your family deal
>with you going to fires and so on. Maybe then we can
>see that there are real men on this dept. and not just
>a bunch of cry babies. Just a thought.
You've never posted? Hmmmmm, this kinda looks familiar, how bout your personal history, why don't you post yours? Who are you trying to fool already, you are playing both sides of the fence and you know exactly who you are.

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[> Re: INFO -- Me, 20:23:15 06/22/04 Tue [1]

First time poster huh, I don't think so you don't even leave a real email address!! Cry Baby

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Let's Play a Name Game -- Ethel Hozniak, 11:37:37 06/19/04 Sat [2]

You guess what the edited parts of this quote are and what the source of the quote is. You have until the 25th to submit your answers.

"As much as some might try to marginalize this film as a screed against (Edited), "(Edited)" � as we saw last night � is a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty, and at the same time a indictment of stupidity and avarice.

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[> Re: Let's Play a Name Game -- Partial answer, 14:45:26 06/22/04 Tue [1]

Ethel---Fareheight (Sp.?) 9/11 Not sure of the auther

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New Officers -- alert, 10:02:12 06/21/04 Mon [1]

Do you firemen think that maybe you should vote out the men that you have in charge of your union and vote for new men? Maybe someone who will take all the fire fighters advice and not just some and work for the men ? Do all the members of the union (especially the ones that are so vocal)attend the meetings or do they just sit back and let others be noticed for speaking up and getting a bad rap while they sit in the background or don't even attend?
My opinion is i think you and i mean all you firemen should get together a meeting and iron some of these comments out and not vent so much online.
Remember the way you feel and act might jeopardize the people of the city and we wouldn't want that. I know you firemen are more than known for just putting out fires but some people just don't realize that and for that i say THANKS for being a phone call away. So now can you all maybe get together and act like men and try and solve your problems in front of one another and not here online??

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have a vote -- we count, 09:47:24 06/21/04 Mon [1]

excuse me for the 12 or 13 number..I was typing fast...It should be 2 or 3...Thank you

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have a vote -- we count, 09:43:56 06/21/04 Mon [1]

Who cares what the president wants,or the other four.It's not what they say is final.They are only 5 votes out of 81. It's what the ENTIRE membership wants.Let us vote on 12 or 13.Then the issue will be resolved once and for all.
Can you say Majority Rules!!!

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Worse Before Better -- Bro Bill, 08:17:41 06/21/04 Mon [1]

I have said this before (and Mark can back me up) that things can only get worse before they get better. Right now we are at the worst. Yes we backed Tom Leighton, BUT he said all along that he would have to make unpopular decisions. Remember we were the ones who pursued the three firefighters per engine but we also heard from our local president "I don't care how many engines they give us, as long as there are three firefighters per". THIS IS NOT ABOUT US, IT IS ABOUT THOSE WE WERE SWORN TO PROTECT !
We as a group are called upon to perform rescues of all kinds or do those jobs that the police don't want or cannot do. Of course we came to the 'rescue' of OUR city with the contract. But,I would like to ask each of our politicians in office in Wilkes-Barre if they know exactly what our job entails. We just don't fight fires, we do everything from nursing assistants to river rescues to saving cats from trees (something that I have done at least three times) to bats in the house, etc. Case in point-Just today a police officer came upon a dmaged utility pole and called the FD to handle it. What, he couldn't call the cable co, or the electric co himself. Then there is the communicable disease thing (bodily fluid pathogens)that we must constantly be on the watch for in performing our duties, and then pray we don't take something home.I don't think the general public know what we actually do throughout a given shift.
All in all, we are scared, scared of change, scared of what might happen with longer response times, scared of what those decision makers who don't know, the Wilkes-Barre fire fighter, will do next.

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let the members -- 10-4, 05:16:10 06/21/04 Mon [1]

Their are 80(?)members.You were elected to represent,NOT RULE the membership.Let the members decide(all of them)if it's going to be 2 or 3.It's that simple.

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Tired -- Rest-needed, 04:34:28 06/21/04 Mon [1]

Ok everybody I think it's time we just take a rest from all the quabbles and comments already. I see most of the comments are about or to the Firefighters but enough already!!!!!Listen it was you the Firemen that backed up Tom Leighton when he decided to run, you that opened your arms when Jake Lisman got the Chiefs job and the union and the Fire Department that decided about taking no pay raise and helping with the Co-Pay so why do the people that use to enjoy reading the posts now are fed up with all the name calling and so on? If you people have so much to say then why don't you go to the people that are responsible? It seems that we don't need name bashing in the Fire Dept. we need to know that are men are there and can do their job with a high moral and not with very low moral. We need to know that instead of bashing one another that they use that to try and get along with one another. The people of the CITY OF WILKES-BARRE needs to feel safe. Cmon guys stop venting here and use it to the real people.

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Force Fed -- Very confused, 20:49:40 06/20/04 Sun [1]

Regarding tonight's posting, the only thing that I can see that is being force fed is to NOT question anything this adminstration does, no matter how logical the posting comes across whether it be by someone by name or anonymous it gets ripped apart and taken out of complete context. I do not know what you are receiving in your email box but from reading most of these postings it doesn't look like anyone is suggesting to "kill em all" it looks about to be the opposite. The way I see it the nightly postings reek of counter productiveness when it comes to this present sitituation, I do not know when this adminstration has become unhuman and unable to make any mistakes, in your postings that is how is comes across, I don't think anyone is trying to hang the mayor or the council, but they are trying to open their eyes a bit to see that this is a mistake, maybe things are getting out of control, but what will it take for a solution, when presented in a civil manner, they backlashed, (council meeting for a prime example). Beleive me also when I tell you that the ambulance issue is not out of hysterics, beleive me this is not a rumor, there are upcoming changes again and beleive me something to this nature is going to happen. Keep your eyes open.

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still more from a post on this site 5-1-2003 -- read it again yourself, 08:34:20 06/20/04 Sun [2]

If you happen to be out tommorow,hoot,holler and honk in support of our "hosedudes".They are not getting rich while serving the residents of this city.They are not a problem in the troubled Wilkes-Barre scheme of things.They are the people that will rescue your stranded cat from the tallest tree,stop the bleeding when your kid gets broad-sided while
traversing a city interesection and drag a toddler from a burning building when called upon.These are the people that come to the rescue when things go bad,while the mayor goes on and on about increased city services namely curbside pickups.Support your "HOSE DUDES" you"ll never know when you might need their tireless efforts.

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[> Re: still more from a post on this site 5-1-2003 -- honker, 11:35:34 06/20/04 Sun [1]

>If you happen to be out tommorow,hoot,holler and honk
>in support of our "hosedudes".They are not getting
>rich while serving the residents of this city.They are
>not a problem in the troubled Wilkes-Barre scheme of
>things.They are the people that will rescue your
>stranded cat from the tallest tree,stop the bleeding
>when your kid gets broad-sided while
>traversing a city interesection and drag a toddler
>from a burning building when called upon.These are the
>people that come to the rescue when things go
>bad,while the mayor goes on and on about increased
>city services namely curbside pickups.Support your
>"HOSE DUDES" you"ll never know when you might need
>their tireless efforts.
WHEN---------WHERE DO YOU WANT US TO HONK OR HOLLER?????????

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Taken from a post on 5-3-2003 on this site -- Please read this and understand where we are coming from, 00:44:22 06/20/04 Sun [1]

Here, here! BANG! The mayor can vilify the hose dudes all he wants for his own political benefit. The fact of the matter is, when the grandkids are trapped in a burning building, nobody calls the mayor. When some proud senior citizen who�s body is slipping a tad falls and breaks something and lies crying on the street and are totally ashamed by their age-induced vulnerability, they don�t want to see the mayor. When the cars collide, or roll over, nobody dials 821-8111. When somebody that thinks they�ve had enough of life�s trials and tribulations jumps off of a bridge, the mayor doesn�t get wet when the water rescue ensues. When a heart stops, the mayor doesn�t get paged. He doesn�t have to respond to a 10-45 call and remove a body that was a person only minutes, or hours before they were called. When the worst thing imaginable happens to you, or your family, �who ya� gonna� call?�

The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department.

Despite the non-stop abuse the mayor shovels onto them every chance he gets, they are only a 911 phone call and four minutes away. They are the �real world.�

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Firefighters, the union and angry faces -- Harry T. McCarthy, 18:10:17 06/19/04 Sat [2]

I'm going to say a few things here that might piss off my union firefighter brothers. And maybe even the Leighton supporters. But most of us are angry at the administration for a variety of reasons. Some personal, some financial and some ideological.

As firefighters we know that none of us are going to get rich doing this for a living. Anyone who enters this occupation believing differently should have his head examined. But we are paid adequately, and in my own opinion it wouldn't really bother me to not get a raise for a couple of years. I suspect most of my brothers feel the same way.

So we accepted a contract that limits the financial burden to the city by suspending a raise and adds increased co-pays to our health insurance. Most of us feel that we were duped into believing that this contribution to the city would help hold off an Act 47 scenario (which isn't good for anybody) and keep firehouses open and staffed. It seemed the right thing to do regardless of the fact that we didn't cause the city's financial woes.

You see, the more houses that remain open and staffed properly translates to better public safety. And more selfishly, better firefighter safety. And you know we all want to go home in one piece at the end of our shift.

So our give back was rewarded with a deconstruction of a great public service. Engines are gone that will never return, coverage areas are unclear, and we're told to expect more changes. Now the kicker is that we all know and respect our Fire Chief, Jake Lisman. He's an educated man who always looked out for the well being of the men in his command and stressed training and safety. With that said it's hard to believe this nonsense could come from such a man. It smacks of the bean counter yes men of the previous administration who thought they had a leg up on reality. Many of whom are still serving in the same capacity they were under McHitler. Could such poor planing be nothing more than coincidence?

So can anyone out there tell me we shouldn't be angry? That we shouldn't have menacing looking faces? That we shouldn't be distrustful? I'd be happy to hear alternative opinions providing they ring common sense.

Harry McCarthy

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[> Re: Firefighters, the union and angry faces -- Most sense I have heard in a long, long time, 23:58:21 06/19/04 Sat [1]

>I'm going to say a few things here that might piss off
>my union firefighter brothers. And maybe even the
>Leighton supporters. But most of us are angry at the
>administration for a variety of reasons. Some
>personal, some financial and some ideological.
>
>As firefighters we know that none of us are going to
>get rich doing this for a living. Anyone who enters
>this occupation believing differently should have his
>head examined. But we are paid adequately, and in my
>own opinion it wouldn't really bother me to not get a
>raise for a couple of years. I suspect most of my
>brothers feel the same way.
>
>So we accepted a contract that limits the financial
>burden to the city by suspending a raise and adds
>increased co-pays to our health insurance. Most of us
>feel that we were duped into believing that this
>contribution to the city would help hold off an Act 47
>scenario (which isn't good for anybody) and keep
>firehouses open and staffed. It seemed the right thing
>to do regardless of the fact that we didn't cause the
>city's financial woes.
>
>You see, the more houses that remain open and staffed
>properly translates to better public safety. And more
>selfishly, better firefighter safety. And you know we
>all want to go home in one piece at the end of our
>shift.
>
>So our give back was rewarded with a deconstruction of
>a great public service. Engines are gone that will
>never return, coverage areas are unclear, and we're
>told to expect more changes. Now the kicker is that we
>all know and respect our Fire Chief, Jake Lisman. He's
>an educated man who always looked out for the well
>being of the men in his command and stressed training
>and safety. With that said it's hard to believe this
>nonsense could come from such a man. It smacks of the
>bean counter yes men of the previous administration
>who thought they had a leg up on reality. Many of whom
>are still serving in the same capacity they were under
>McHitler. Could such poor planing be nothing more than
>coincidence?
>
>So can anyone out there tell me we shouldn't be angry?
>That we shouldn't have menacing looking faces? That we
>shouldn't be distrustful? I'd be happy to hear
>alternative opinions providing they ring common sense.
>
>Harry McCarthy
This post has made the most sense yet. I do not think certain persons out there also DO NOT understand this to the fullest extent and is only getting a one sided view of this sitiuation. People, you must understand if the fire dept. loses the manning number, the city administration can lower this number to whatever they want whenever they want, You must understand that once certain things are gone they are gone for good no matter if this city becomes financially sound or not. If you think otherwise you are mistaken, very sadly mistaken. And also please be advised that I hear the ambulances are also on the way out. This is putting YOU the public at a horrible risk, please speak out, this is not about politics, it is way above and beyond that ugly game, this is about safety, your safety, your families' safety, and the safety of your homes.

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tirade -- what gives?, 10:11:20 06/18/04 Fri [2]

Has everyone else noticed how a certain webdude is unable to take criticism these days.Starting to remind of a certain ex little dictator when he used to go off on people when they questioned him.
The more things change,the more they stay the same

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[> Re: tirade -- Zorcong "The Honorable Defender the Free World", 11:49:06 06/19/04 Sat [1]

This is my message board. If you don't put your name on your post I will label you a liberal commie and disallow you to attend my ultimate block party.

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? -- ?, 11:08:55 06/19/04 Sat [2]

What ever happened to that blue ribbon panel that was formed? And if any wrong doing was uncovered,why hasn't any charges been brought up?

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[> Re: ? -- Big Richard Hurtzer, 11:40:35 06/19/04 Sat [1]

One more question like that and I'm going to eliminate this board. Use your real name you chicken shit socialist scum.

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piss and moan -- enough already, 19:50:57 06/18/04 Fri [2]

An elderly lady phoned her telephone company to report that her telephone failed to ring when her friends called -and that on the few occasions when it did ring, her pet dog always moaned right before the phone rang.

The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile elderly lady.

He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned loudly and the telephone began to ring.

Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:

1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire via a steel chain and collar.

2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.

3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the phone number was called.

4. After a couple of such jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate on himself and the ground.

5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.


This demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by pissing and moaning.

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Replies:

[> Re: piss and moan -- haha, 10:37:39 06/19/04 Sat [1]

>An elderly lady phoned her telephone company to report
>that her telephone failed to ring when her friends
>called -and that on the few occasions when it did
>ring, her pet dog always moaned right before the phone
>rang.
>
>The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene,
>curious to see this psychic dog or senile elderly lady.
>
>He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test
>set, and dialed the subscriber's house. The phone
>didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned loudly
>and the telephone began to ring.
>
>Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman
>found:
>
>1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground
>wire via a steel chain and collar.
>
>2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.
>
>3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current
>when the phone number was called.
>
>4. After a couple of such jolts, the dog would start
>moaning and then urinate on himself and the ground.
>
>5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus
>causing the phone to ring.
>
>
>This demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by
>pissing and moaning.

funny

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wow -- can't believe, 05:42:42 06/19/04 Sat [1]

I can't believe the way the FF'ers are being refered to at the council meeting.First of they were all standing cause they gave their seats to some elderly people,second the show of force was to present to council and the public the message that "WE CARE". We were there to show that we have your families saftey in mind,the public's well being in mind,we are the ones fighting to have the proper equipment and personnel on duty to protect and serve the public.
Do you want to wait 15 min. or more for a out of town ambulance if something happens at your household or business? Or would you rather have a engine with trained FF'er EMT's arrive within 3 mins. to assist.
Do you want us to pull up with less FF'ers and equipment then is needed to conduct a fire attack and search for a trapped person and protect exposures and take care of the injured? Or would you rather have the proper number of personel and equipment that is needed ON DUTY to carry out the many tasks.
The list can go on for miles just how bad things can get and in a hurry without the proper staffing and proper equipment to respond and in a timely manner.
We were their fighting to put those engines back in service for YOU,the public,because we are the ones who know first hand,what a raw deal this is for the citizens.
And we will continue to fight for public safety and we ask the public for their help.
You cannot take public safety for granted,and when you know that the Fire Dept. is only a moments notice away from dealing with ANY situation,that can occur from a major train derailment,to a chemical spill,auto accident with entrapment,woman in labor,structure fire,industrial accident,dog bite,shooting,flooded basement,overdose,child struck by car,difficulty breathing,power lines down,heart attack,drowning victim,smell of natural gas,building collapse,CVA,choking victim,fall down stairs,evacuation,
lighting strike,fireworks accident,someone not breathing,
grease fire,school bus accident,trench collapse,water rescue,high angle rescue,ETC.ETC.ETC.
Don't you want to have the people and equipment ON DUTY,when you need them?

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