LUZERNE COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN’S QUESTIONABLE GRUDGE MOVE NOT HELPING IN THIS OFF YEAR ELECTION
A few weeks ago when President Trump was in town, Luzerne County Chairman Ron Ferrance got to The Arena early and planted himself in the section that would be strategic enough for him to be seen on TV. While statewide GOP officials hobnobbed with the local committee people in their front row section seats, Ferrance stayed apart from them waiting for his little bit of fame. Sure enough, on national TV there was Ferrance aping his approval of President Trump. That’s all well and good for his own personal exposure but political observers are wondering just how this will help Luzerne County candidates.
The stunning success of President Trump’s victory in Luzerne County seems to have given the GOP here a very short memory. They must come to grips that they are still a minority party. The saving grace for them is that up until recently, the Democrats have been inert in their operations. But with a new Chair and an energized base, the GOP can’t bank on the Trump voters of ’16 to pull them through. Parties in a fight, need to be united.
Which is why many observers are wondering why Ferrance, in a unity picnic, meant to thank volunteers, decided to remove County Treasurer Greg Wolovich from his position. The move was made over a grill as committee members, David Baloga, Frank Polidora, Chris Thomas and Ferrance himself voted Wolovich out. Justin Behrens and Lynette Villano voted no. 5 were not present. Ferrance himself made the motion which to my knowledge is inappropriate. The Chair can ASK for someone to make a motion but not make it themselves.
With Ferrance’s has poor record of organizing events, some are scratching their heads as to why this move was made and turned a pretty good event into a personal grudge fest for him. Since he took over as Chair, there have been NO Lincoln Day Dinners and last year he even uninvited people to his summer outing because he was afraid of some kind of blowback by a party that never showed up. The only action from the party in terms of candidate advocacy and fundraising has come from the 119th and 120th Districts.
Maybe Ferrance was trying to distract attention from his very infrequent successes as Chair by firing his Treasurer Greg Wolovich. Greg as we all know won the primary to oppose Eddie Day Pashinki in the General Election. He stepped aside in an act of political heroism to have Sue Henry run in his place. Since then, Ferrance has had a boner to “get Wolovich” because we’re told Ferrance’s feelings were hurt because he wasn’t consulted.
Last month, even after the County Committee voted to endorse Henry, he still asked for Wolovich’s resignation as party Treasurer. He didn’t get it. So he then approached multiple individuals to “get the Treasure’s information” because he didn’t have the stones to confront Wolovich. Those he asked refused.
Now I know this is inside baseball but stay with me here. Ferrance will most likely point the finger at Wolovich saying the bills weren’t paid on time. But there is documentation of text messages and e mails showing Ferrance had sole control of the party debit card and it’s post office box.. So if the Treasurer didn’t pay bills on time, as Ferrance alleged, it’s because they were sent late. The only person having control over what was received was the Chair and distributed was Ferrance.
Ferrance is also mad at Wolovich because Greg made a statement at a meeting that I have done more to help him than the Chair did. Yeah me. Well let’s see.
I went to a meeting Greg had in the pouring rain in January. A petition party signing. No Ferrance.
A good friend of mine walked with Greg to get his petitions signed in the damp winter. No Ferrance.
While I reported the developing story about Wolovich and Henry, and I guess in a way using the power (such as it is) of this blog to help drive the story, Ferrance did nothing but castigate a generous young man who he should be thanking instead of looking the gift horse of a Henry candidacy in the mouth. Without Wolovich stepping aside, there would be no Henry race.
By now, because of his focus on being a “pure Republican” and his inactivity in terms of organizing events (Dan Mueser paid for the Saturday party I'm told) that make money, Henry and other Republican candidates have gotten the message that with Ferrance at the helm, they are on their own. Did Ferrance do anything for Wolovich since becoming Chair?
Very little. Wolovich got NO SUPPORT from him when he ran for County Council. In this race for State Rep, Ferrance got three signatures on a petition but because he was living in the 119th, they could not be used.
He did give Wolovich a bunch of financial reports, after Greg assumed the office, that were a mess and well past deadlines (there is proof of this too by the way) and then after Wolovich straightens them out, he fires him in a pique.
Here’s why Ferrance fired Wolovich as Treasurer:
1. While out of town, he wasn’t told of the Wolovich-Henry announcement. Ferrance has to know that there were bigger fish in the GOP frying pan than he who also weren’t told but they aren’t getting unhinged like he is.
2. I’m a Democrat who has NOT EVEN come out and in WRITING supported Sue Henry but just reported on the developments. If he thinks that he can win with his understaffed and under funded 121st organization in the fall, he is a classic Luzerne GOP Chair that would rather lose but have the crown! That’s why Republicans DON’T WIN HERE.
3. Ferrance might have the votes of the County committee by restacking the deck and pushing in a corner workhorses like Lynette Villane and Bill Lewis. But his lemmings and cronies will have to answer for following this petulant Chair on this one. It is amazing to me how Baloga, Polidora and Thomas followed Ferrance’s lead by driving out the future of the party. Old boys and cronies still abound in the County GOP. Meanwhile, the County Dems have women like Wendy Cominsky and Polly Delaney leading the charge backed up by more than a dozen young men ready to be future leaders. Say what you want about the Democrats here but they, unlike Ferrance’s regime, aren’t throwing their young in a trash heap.
Yep, the GOP had a summer outing that got more than 20 people on Saturday afternoon.
But Ferrance decided to fire a young man who he deleted from the e mail list, who he has NOT INVITED to meetings, who he has not confronted in person and whose only crime was stepping aside for a better general election outcome. Wolovich was thinking of State, District, and then party. Ferrance is not even thinking of his own party but his own itty bitty feelings.
80 days out from a truly important election and this is what your Luzerne County GOP is up to. There is discontent with the leadership of the County GOP when there should be harmony. But apparently ego and narcissism not only exists in D.C. but also in the GOP Chair’s office here too.
Plus, based on information that is available regarding the events that transpired on Saturday (and they are procedural practices, and parliamentary minutia not worth getting into at this time) you might be seeing some legal ramifications in the future on this one regarding this punitive and public action by a party Chairman.
EDITOR'S NOTE: If we get more information on a response from Mr. Wolovich, we'll share that too. But as of post time, there is no news on that.
THE BOYS OF THE 8th LOVE THOSE TOMATOES!
Residents of Pittston were treated to a visit from the two candidates running for the new 8th Congressional District seat currently held by Congressman Matt Cartwright. It is now the old 17th.
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