Thursday, September 21, 2006

Wilkes-Barre Politics

I did another blogsearch today and came across the Wilkes-Barre Politics blog. I don't think it's one we've got on the list yet, so I'll add it.

I found a way to search, say, all Blogspot blogs for any references to a given term. All I had to do was type in a string of search tems that included the item of interest and specified the site or sies I want to look at. So to search all Blogspot blogs for references to Nanticoke, I could type in the string nanticoke site:*.blogspot.com. I suppose this will work for MySpace and LiveJournal and all sorts of other sites. We'll give it a shot!

Update: Ooops. Hit the jackpot on MySpace. Too many to add. I'll see if I can find a way of firing off a message inviting them to submit their blogs, if they have them.

2 comments:

Walter said...

The WIlkes Barre Politics Blog has some great information concerning the City Politics.
I think there needs to be a sweeping change in Wilkes Barre City Administration in 2007...
The Mayor and City Council are only interested in lining their own pockets by taking care of the powerful ones in the City and forget the "John Q taxpayer" that works to support this Mayor's agenda to take care of the politically connected and forget that their is a City of Wilkes Barre that lie's past the borders of Public Square.

Walter said...

The manner in which Wilkes-Barre's Mayor and City Council engage the public at council meetings is certainly not a recipe on "How to Win Friends and Influence People", especially if someone rises to present an opposing point of view.

I have been attending Wilkes-Barre City Council meetings during the past three years and have witnessed city officials' discourteous reactions, including personal insults, to most city residents, and others, who have had the courage to come forward to air differing points of view on municipal governance, projects and employment.

The Thursday October 21 meeting at which there was a presentation regarding the proposed 9/11 Memorial that the city wants to erect in Kirby Park at a cost of more than one million dollars is a case in point. During that presentation by a gentleman who preferred for esthetic and established park usage purposes that the placement of such a memorial in that location be reconsidered, Council comments such as "I am ashamed of you!" and "Have you ever been in the Armed Services?" were leveled. Character and tolerance were lacking in this picture but not on the part of the gentleman who came forward and respectfully shared his opinion.

Later, Mr. Thomas Makar, President of the Firefighters Union, addressed City Council about operational concerns he has regarding the safety of the men and women of the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department. As Mr. Makar was commenting about an understaffing issue, Mayor Leighton called him a "Cry Baby!" and told him that he should stop being such a "Whiner!" Mayor Leighton's comments in this case and council members' reactions to the presenter who had a differing opinion about the placement of the 9/11 Memorial in Kirby Park should have been ruled "Out-of-Order!" by City Council's President. However, no one should ever hold his/her breath regarding such an action taking place against the Wilkes-Barre Mayor or any member of City Council at these meetings. Nevertheless, in lieu of such neglect, a public apology to each gentleman is, at the very least, in order.

Are tolerance, sensitivity and courtesy, among other positive people skills, too much to expect from our Wilkes-Barre officials when interacting with the public individually or at large? I think not! More importantly, however, what do you think?


Walter L. Griffith