WHAT’S UP WITH JOHN???
State Senator John Yudichak. (Photo: LuLac archives).
Luzerne County Democrats are wondering what is going on with State Senator John Yudichak. In 2010, Yudichak vanquished both Wilkes barre Mayor Tom Leighton in the primary and County Commissioner Steve Urban in the General. Once elected Yudichak hit the ground running to get his district noticed in Harrisburg. Like his predecessor Ray Musto, Yudichalk put together a local staff organization that was constituent friendly and on spot with whatever a voter needed regardless of party affiliation.
However, Yudichak seems to be expanding his horizons and recent things I am hearing tells me he wants to channel a little Martin L. Murray in his repertoire. Murray as you recall was the former shoe salesman who rose to be President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate and ruled the Democratic party with an iron fist.
For starters Yudichak has made sure that every Democrat running for Governor (excluding me, you and the guy behind the deli at Price Chopper in Dunmore) knows where Luzerne County is. One of them is bound to be the nominee and maybe one might be Governor. Being on a first name basis with the head man/woman on top helps one’s career and district.
The Yudichak reach has permeated the recent County election with the Senator lobbying heavily for Michelle Bednar for Controller. By his enthusiastic support, the County Council race appears to have taken a back seat. The Democratic candidates were not even endorsed by the party but by the District Chairman. So far every district has had a meet and greet for the council candidates except on Casey Evans’ turf. The Democrats are running but certainly not as a united team. Having two events on the same night would never have happened under the Murray regime.
Now the latest rumor is that Yudichak is encouraging former Ashley Mayor John Joblonski, (at one time a rising young star in the Democratic party) to run against State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski. But Joblonski is now a Republican serving on Wilkes Barre Township Council. He became a Republican to serve on that body. Now if I’m the Wilkes Barre Township GOP, I want him to run as a Republican but Joblosnki wants to run as a Democrat to primary Pashinski. One wonders why a neighboring Senator would want to encourage someone to run against a tenured Representative? Yudichak handily trounced Mayor Leighton in the primary in 2010 so one might ask what’s the beef with Eddie and the District?
As the County Council candidates scramble for votes, Michele Bednar has more miles on her car than an Ice Road trucker and one wonders if the Election Bureau will ever gets its act together, with all this happening, the one question I keep hearing at every event, political and non political I attend is, “What’s going on with John?”
Former Mayor candidate Liz Randol. (Photo: LuLac archives).
ROLLING WITH RANDOL
At one point, Luz Randol was the hottest political commodity in LuLac land. She nearly won a nomination for County Commissioner and made a decent if not inept run for Mayor of Scranton. Amazingly, she landed on her feet with a pretty decent job. (Not many candidates who challenge the establishment get that sweet a deal).Yet Randol seems to have a serious flaw in terms of managing her life. Randoll was charged with a DIU the other night when a Scranton Police officer found her asleep at the wheel or passed out. But when the policeman knocked on the window, her car rolled backwards into the municipal vehicle that stopped her.
Randol eschewed a breathing test and the story hit the news. Can her political standing recover from this? Maybe, but the larger question is can Randol get her life in recovery and then worry about the politics? Her backtracking in the Spring primary and on a Scranton street the other night gives new meaning to the words “Rolling with Randol”.
POLITICS AND COUNCIL
The Luzerne County Council has been taking heat recently for some moves. And they are being called to answer for them. The appointment of Jim Haddock as a Manager even though he had no qualifications for the job smacks of old time politics. The job is civil/criminal records overseer but County Judicial Services and Records Division Head Joan Hoggarth (she of the $35,000 raise) says his banking experience makes him qualified. I used to date a lot of nurses so I guess that makes me qualified to be a Hospital Administrator if you use her logic.Then Tuesday night the County got into dutch with Wilkes Barre City Controller Kathy Kane who went to the board and railed against them for not reappointing her to the Arena Board. While I think Alex Milanes will be a fine addition to the board and bring in a newer set of eyes, I have to give Mrs. Kane credit for going to Council. How many of us who never got a job or an appointment where we truly believe we were the best choice just skulked away and let it go when all the time we wanted to confront the people who gave us the thumbs down and say “WTF??????” Tuesday night was Kathy Kane’s “WTF” moment and you have to love that.
All of this controversy cannot help any incumbent Council member running for reelection. A former County employee who really was let go unjustly referenced the Haddock hiring as well as the Red O’Brien hiring in the Pittston Area and said, “I guess if I need a job from the Council I have to open up a bar in Avoca!”
MEDIA MATTERS
ECTV
ECTV Live hosts Tom Munley and David DeCosmo will be looking towards winter on their show the week of October 28th. James May of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will be on hand to discuss plans for the winter driving season, including an alliance PennDot has set up with the Army National Guard. SFB Patrick Scarfo will on the program as well to discuss the Guard's involvement. ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast Ch19 throughout the week at Noon and Midnight.SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine ...Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with James May & Mike Taluto from PENNDOT about Teen Driver Safety Week.Brian Hughes speaks with Todd Katz from MetLife about Fall Open Enrollment Season.This Week In Harrisburg features 2 Dunmore policemen being honored by the State Senate, legislation to offer reduced hunting and fishing license fees for disabled Pa. veterans, and legislation in the State House to create a "Corrections Officers Bill of Rights". And an encore of Brian's interview with Dr. Gabrielle Silver who discusses diagnosis delays.Sunday Magazine., Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93 and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.
SUE HENRY’S SPECIAL EDITION
Tune in to Sue Henry's "Special Edition" this week as Sue recaps the week's news. Special Edition is heard Saturdays and Sunday on these Entercom stations, WILK FM Saturday at 2pm Sunday at 6 am on Froggy 101 Sunday at 7 am on The Sports Hub 102.3 Sunday at 7 am on K R Z 98.5 Sunday at 7 pm on WILK FM 103.1
WBRE's Andrew Forgotch. (Photo: Twitter).
WBRE’S NEWEST REPORTER
WBRE TV’s newest reporter is Andrew Forgotch. Forgotch has worked in local news before and is handling stories on the ground in the WBRE TV coverage area. Welcome to the region Mr. Forgotch. Looking forward to your Tweets!BUDDY RUMCHEK!!!!!
Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”
Our 1976 logo.
1976
Clarence Norris, the last known survivor of the Scottsboro Boys, is pardoned…….in the final days of the 1976 election, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter criss cross the country in their quest for the Presidency…….state wide, John Heinz and Bill Green go head to head but Heinz is outspending Green by five to one……in Luzerne County final campaign events by both parties heat things up as Carter and Ford partisans battle it out…..and thirty seven years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was a remake by Dusty Springfield by the Bay City Rollers, “I Only Want to be With You".