More Comments

Time for more from the comment section of our newspapers. I've done this twice before. 9 out of ten commenter's agree and comments from the Times Leader.
Now from the Times Leaders 'Leighton touts city’s progress at final town hall'
Once again I edited out the ones that are just insulting, irrational or made zero sense, Also a few were repeated, so I took them out for space reasons.

+Bruce
On drug and gang violence, the Mayor and his police chief don't have a clue. They reek of arrogance and need twice the number of cops they have. What good is a rehab'd downtown if you can't be sure you'll leave alive at night? How many officers are assigned to the "gang unit?" Do you even have a "gang unit?" What about drugs? What's being done to cut off the supply from New York and Philadelphia? Looks like that so called "town hall," was nothing more than "gimme another four years of taxpayer money to live off," meeting.

YAYA44
I'm afraid to critique Leighton, he may want to beat me up like he threatened to do to Yudichak.

soldier
Feel safe to walk downtown??? in broad daylight maybe, shootings in the parkade and on the streets, stabbings, fights outside downtown bars, cops being jumped and knocked out while responding to calls huge amounts of drug and gang acitivty.....and I should feel safe to walk downton...this is a small city these problems go unaddressed and are festering........SAFE? I laugh at this political bravado and challenge anyone who thinks the city is safe to prove me wrong.

Former City employee
Another taxpayer funded event for the Leighton for Mayor campaign! The entire front row of that picture is his staff! These numbers he throws out, $13 million spent on District C and 53 new businesses what is he talking about? Your reporter O'Boyle should question him on these numbers.

mjj
The mayor has done squat. He uses his position to improve his private business which is a conflict of interest. The mayor makes twice what the mayor of Scranton makes . Scranton is a far better place to be than WB in my opinion. Why is the downtown composed or restaurants only? What factories like manufacturing has Leighton attracted to Wilkes Barre? The apartments or should I say condos still remain vacant and will remain vacant at the prices being asked. Who is going to buy a condo without mass transit operating after 5:30? These are NY prices but they have transportation most of the day and night. Who are the owners of these condos and why are they silent? Why doesn't the TL send some cloak and dagger reporters into the business's on the square and ask them hows business. You will get an ear full.

Heights_Resident
It does not matter. Leighton wins even if he loses. If he wins, he runs his business out of the Mayor's office and draws over $80,000 a year while doing it. If he loses, he runs the business at his work office but still draws over a $40,000 a year pension from working only 8 years full time. While I get a tow truck pulling cars into an "unsafe" building that used to have a Fire Truck in it that protected me.

the_woodrow
How much did that 'movie' cost the city?

duke911
30 people turn out for final town hall meeting .........but half of them were administrative staff.........DOH !

And from 'Our endorsement Wilkes-Barre Mayor (Democrat) Tom Leighton'

YAYA44
I just keep thinking about that Old river road bakery deal.

Ralph_Edmunds
Generally speaking, the longer someone is in power, the more corruption seeps in. Leighton, a real-estate magnate, is responsible for converting a tax-generating property on South Main street in the heart of our city to a tax-exempt property putting yet even more burden on already stressed taxpayers. This is unconscionable. For a multitude of reasons, its time for a change.

Randall Flagg
How does a city of 40,000 people justify paying a mayor $80,000.00? The mayor of Pittsburgh, with a population of over 300,000 people only earns $16,000.00 more than Mayor Leighton.
Want something closer to home? The mayor of Scranton, with a city population larger than Wilkes-Barre, makes half as much as his Wilkes-Barre counterpart.
I swear Luzerne county residents are an apathetic bunch, who enjoy being screwed over by politicians. As long as the beer is flowing at the bars, everything is a.o.k. in Luzerne County.
It is disgusting.

Laura
He may have done all that but at what cost? Look at the city streets!! Downtown may look nice but you have to drive over HORRIBLE streets to get there.

dg1959
Anyone who would listen to this endorsement with any brains at all can see that the Wilkes Barre is a mess. And to endorse him. Please I thought the TL would have done itself a favor as well as the voters and stay out of it. The people of Wilkes Barre deserve better than the current Mayor.

And finally from 'Leighton lists achievements at town hall '

Former City employee
The Mayor once again uses his political position to hold his Election Rally, I mean Town Meeting to tout his accomplishments as the election draws near. Where were these meetings for the past 7 years? I thought the purpose of the meeting was for City officials to hear concerns from the residents not the residents hearing a paid for political ad!

TwelvePack
Let's not forget about the downtown nightlife achievements Leighton made. If you want to see overly intoxicated people vomiting and urinating in the street, fighting, committing acts of vandalism, etc., the downtown is the place to go.

333m
Wilkes Barre has been and is still a mess. Roads are a disgrace, no stores in the downtown, empty buildings, rampant drugs, no reason to go downtown. The city needs a lot more then Leighton.

Jeff Thomas
I like Leighton, but bragging about establishing an online presence seems a little extreme. Everyone has an online presence these days. it was the inevitable response to the changing times.
Furthermore, 250 cameras with no measurable results seems to be overkill. I know the room with all the screens looks cool, but I question the effectiveness of the system.
If Tom wants to get votes, he needs to distance himself from LAG Transportation, and do the right thing with the Old River Road Bakery. Sell it for a discounted price (NOT 39,000!) to the highest bidder.

Turk74
The Ice rink is the only project he created on his own. The other projects were from McGroarty. The theater, the coal st. widening, the transportation center, all McGroarty's administration. All Leighton did was torpedo McGroarty's project at the theater so his buddy Finlay could make out. Then it cost the taxpayers 5 million for the "hole in the ground". I don't hear him mention the "Call Center" project, Ive seen a picture with Leightons name as Chairman of Council, taken in front of the Call Center. Taxpayers lost Millions of Dollars on that project. His camera's haven't caught anybody important for 2 million bucks. Now he started cleaning the City up because the eelections coming. Where was Tommy boy the last 7 years? People aren't that stupid Tommy!

Ernest L. Schmid
800,000 people spending money at hotels, bars, restaurants, that puts money in the pockets of hotel owners, bar owners and restaurant owners. How does that help the taxpayers of the City of W-B ???? How does it put money back into the city, when most of them are in a KOZ zone ? Taxes have been raised, fees have been raised, but at least we have a facebook page...ain't that just great. As far as the streets being paved it was paid for by the people who drive and buy gasoline, with the fuel tax you pay at the pump, and the paving was long overdue.

COWBOY33
Still in bankruptcy???? Guess those millions of dollars wasted on the useless camera system could have been used better. The vast majority aren't in a neighborhood.
And "those people are spending money in our hotels"? Who uses the ice rink or goes to a movie and then stays in a hotel? Hired 29 officers??? Not new positions, just filling openings. 3 million to the fire dept? Wasn't that from a federal grant?
I remember over a year ago his press conference about computers for police. Still none in their cars..... though he said there would be. And the crime tip site? Could it be any more generic??? Check scranton's page for a real one.
Seems he likes to put his spin on things.

JoeLuke in reply to COWBOY33
Spin???You are a joke Cowgirl. Let me take your false info in order...
The cameras were obtained through a grant and if they were not applied for the grant would have went to some other project outside of W-B. The cameras are in EVERY neighborhood as they are in every park.
Coal Street rink built with grants. see note above about the money being spent elsewhere. So a family comes in from out of the area for a weekend hockey tournament and stays in a hotel. Chances are they take in the positive things that are in the community to include our movies and new restaurants. Hopefully they do not run into a negative officer like you, but chances are, you hide yourself pretty good instead of being a proactive officer.
Since I assume you are not a Police Chief, when is the last time you arrested a guy on a bench warrant? Since you were critical of Chief Duffy, I like to hear your record.
You said the Mayor just replaced 29 officers. Weren't there only 60-something when he took office and now there are more than 90. For that alone you should be thankful. Instead you sit behind your computer or phone and make negative comments all day.
The Fire Department has a bunch of new equipment and a new firehouse. Again, never enough...OHHHH the truck was paid for by a grant....Glad to see they are applying for these grants.
Computers in the car....Not sure I ever read about that, but sounds like more progressive ideas from the Chief...Again, you complain that it is not happening fast enough. lol
The city has email, a wireless city, a website and now a crime tip line...All done under Leighton's leadership. If you are such a good cop do some investigation and name another city in PA that has all of these. I will be waiting for your answer.

COWBOY33 in reply to JoeLuke

Sure ...web tips are progressive??? Yep, breaking news in 1992.... in 2010, not big news.
Magically you forget when he falls through with his promises. It was a big story.... technology in the city and how we were moving forward.
Ok, so where are the cameras in the neighborhoods? There aren't any!
As for the grants, yes they were applied for.... but they could have been applied for and used for much better things.3 million on a useless (for the most part) camera system so his buddies could start their own business....
Would much rather have seen police and fire get better equipment, and the roads paved. But hey, who needs money? I mean he can sell a bakery worth 250k for 39k. I guess the city didn't need that money.
And bankruptcy? Wasn't he touting how he has taken care of the cities finances? So which is it???
What city has those? Other then the Amish in Lancaster county most have e-mail,and webpage. W-B twp has had them for many years.

22 comments.... ONE pro Leighton. Kinda says something.
JoeLuke 'The Fire Department has a bunch of new equipment and a new firehouse. Again, never enough...OHHHH the truck was paid for by a grant....Glad to see they are applying for these grants.'

We needed the equipment, The newest Engine was a '97 with many problems, the best was a '91 also with many problems. The Ladder was a '76. So they HAD to be replaced.
We got a new fire station. He closed TWO! He said with 3 stations, the city would have adequate protection, and now he is poised to close ANOTHER!!
The Engines, the Ladder and Hollenback station were paid for with grants. Hope he doesn't hurt himself patting his own back for doing PART of his job.

Oh BREAKING NEWS, 5 or more stabbings in the city tonight. 1 at Stanton and Airy, More on Coal St. In 18 years I can't remember this much violence in one night. Do you feel safer? I don't.

Dan Emplit WBFD
AKA Don Quixote