9 out of ten commenter's agree

About a month ago I did a post mostly about comments from the Times Leader. I thought I would do it again.

The article is "Six in running for mayor of Wilkes-Barre"


9 out of ten commenter's agree. Leighton must go.

COWBOY33

Now don't say he never did anything. He did waste over 3 million dollars on a camera system that is seldom useful so that his "pals" can make money. The cameras are poor, seldom work, seldom face the right way to catch something, and at night unless there us A LOT of light can't see anything. But at least JJ Murphy and Dale Rinker were able to start businesses based of it.
That money could have lowered taxes, fixed roads, bought equipment. Instead it paid for a trip for "consultants" to go to Vegas.


Joeythe2nd 5 hours ago

“I have a proven record of accomplishments,” he said. “I believe there are few people who would say that the city is not a better and safer place to live. We’ve maintained and improved services while holding the line on taxes during some very difficult economic times.”

Is Leighton delusional ? Has he walked the neighborhoods of Wilkes-Barre ? Has he forgotten that city property taxes were raised by 30% in 2008 ?


Guy in reply to Joeythe2nd

Don't forget he also re-raised the city wage tax back to 3% from 2.85%! Leighton has to go!


duke911

First of all the neighborhoods are not safer ....show us some statistics........second my tax's went up so i'm not sure what the hell he's talking about ...........third the streets are a mess ........no street cleaning ........recyclables all over the streets every where you look ........call the police for assistance and unless there was a shooting you will be waiting quite awhile ........and if it's deemed not an emergency they won't even show up..........so lets make a change it can't get any worse .

Guy in reply to duke911

I second that on calling the police for assistance and them never showing up because "no officer is available" or show up the next day, meanwhile, if you drive down the road, you will see a cop or two sitting in a parking lot doing nothing or two cruisers where officers are chatting with each other.


Aggie95

what has he done for the neighborhoods ......the only time I see a cop here in the Heights is when we call them or they raid one of the many dope houses.


Ralph_Edmunds

The wisdom in changing leadership every 4-8 years is simple: Corruption, insider favoritism, backroom dealing - it all grows like a vine. Sorta ok at first (big maybe) but eventually it will strangle the life out of a government and rip off the overburdened taxpayers bigtime. Thank you Mr. Leighton for most of what you've done. Now be gracious and say good-bye to this job.


TeaPartyDem

Running crime watch is not anything close to running a city with a $40m budget. And the crazy tower gets a comment in the paper why???

GoldBond in reply to TeaPartyDem

So lets keep these "expert" people in office who allowed the city to be near bankrupt (their words, not mine) for at least 10 years. Every time he speaks, he lets you know that the city is broke, but there is always enough money for legal expenses and all of his "accomplishments" - like adding bars to the downtown area while leaving neighborhoods to go to the gang members. Im not ok with this scenario either. Managing a $40 million budget doesn't make you a good leader. A good leader will put the RIGHT people in place to get the job done.



Guy

$40 million dollar budget is because salaries and debt service eat up most of the city's expense leaving very little room for anything else. Why is it the Deputy Controller of the city makes more than 2 times the Controller amount?



Three things dictator Leighton said in the article jumped out.
First
“I expected competition,” Leighton said. “After seven years as mayor, I don’t expect to have kept everyone happy, nor should I keep everyone happy.”
Most of the people he has made "happy" are political hacks and/or campaign contributors.

Second
“I have a proven record of accomplishments,” he said. “I believe there are few people who would say that the city is not a better and safer place to live. We’ve maintained and improved services while holding the line on taxes during some very difficult economic times.”
How many things are wrong with this statement?
"We’ve maintained and improved services"!!!!! What?!! He has cut the fire/EMS service by about 30% and claims to have 'maintained' services!!!!! We are paying for top notch service but are getting his 'pet projects' instead!!

Third
“We have been able to improve the downtown and we have made great improvements to the neighborhoods,” he said. “There is much more that we can do, and I plan on doing more and that’s why I am seeking re-election.”
What improvements? Yeah, “There is much more that we can do, and I plan on doing more and that’s why I am seeking re-election.”
Like
1. Screwing up selling the Sterling hotel (costing us $325,000)
2. Trying to sell city property for 8 cents on the dollar to a campaign contributor
3. Lying to county officials to get tax forgiveness to a campaign contributor
4. The largely worthless camera system (Costing us well over $2,000,000)
5. Violated contracts (like Citywide Towing's contract) so he could give it to a campaign contributor (that cost us over $225,000)
6. VIOLATED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, TWICE !!! (Denise Carey & the Hammonds). That's cost us over $275,000. And anyone who has served in the armed forces or has a loved one who is or has served, should be as FURIOUS as I am over this.

Obviously he thinks that there is still money to give to his friends.
Maybe he thinks he's got 'Tiger Blood' because his claims make about as much sense as Charlie's do.

"(Political) offices are as acceptable here as elsewhere, and whatever a man cast a longing eye on them, a rottenness begins in his conduct" Thomas Jefferson (1799)

Dan Emplit WBFD
AKA Don Quixote