Fiction day is HERE!!!!

Got to tonight's council meeting late tonight (it was a quick one, out the door by 6:25)AND FICTION DAY is Here!! The day when council passes the Emperors fictional budget. How do they get away with it? Year after year they budget some ridiculously small amount for overtime (while not fixing the reason for the overtime) and then blame the FD for going over budget. 2009, because the FD is approximately 19 people down, it cost $322,000 for OT. 2010, we are still about 19 down despite the hiring of 6 men, you could expect about $322,000 for OT. Emperor Leighton budgets $125,000, whines that we are going over budget and then cuts YOUR safety by effectively closing South Station. I say 'effectively' because on the off chance we have the manpower we man that Engine. It is in service about (yes, I am guessing here) 1/6 of the time.

But in his time in office, he has:

1 Screwed up selling the Sterling hotel (costing us $325,000)
2 Bad faith moves
3 Back room deals
4 Tried to sell city property for 8 cents on the dollar to a campaign contributor
5 Lied to county officials to get tax forgiveness to a campaign contributor
6 Cut our safety to fund HIS pet projects
7 The whole Ice Rink, which was supposed to revitalize W-B HOW?
8 The largely worthless camera system
9 Raised taxes and fees to an all time high.
10 Racked up MASSIVE lawsuit debts
11 Violated a contract (Citywide Towing's contract) so he could give it to a campaign contributor (that cost us $225,000)
12 Trying to sell W-B property (Tax Free) to a campaign contributor (Known for not paying his own taxes)
13 Outright lies to us (The citizens of Wilkes-Barre)
14 Blaming anyone and everyone for his failures (remember the 'I believe' campaign, "I wouldn't say I oversold it. I think maybe the media did," Mayor Leighton said. (WNEP June 10, 2005) AKA It's not my fault, it's the medias)
15 Ignoring the Lloyds Study (which states the minimum FD manning per shift is 17) and cutting manning to 12 per shift
16 VIOLATED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, TWICE !!! (Denise Carey & the Hammonds). That's cost us over $275,000.
"Fiscal Responsibility", My ASS.

We are paying for TOP notch services, Why do we NOT have them? Because of DICTATOR LEIGHTON.

Can't wait to read the fiction he calls a budget this time.

Dan Emplit WBFD
AKA Don Quixote