IT’S DEBATABLE – AGAIN!

WHACK-A-MOLE REDUX

    The League of Women Voters Mayoral Debate is tonight at 7:30 in the Southern Market Center!  After the events of this last week, there may be fireworks.  Can Charlie Whack-a-Mole?  LIP’s fearless mole certainly hopes not (it’s rumored he’s looking to buy a gun for protection – see below this article!)

OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING

    A Talkbacker posted this link to Fox 43 about the county commissioners work session last night and asked why it wasn’t in the Lancaster Newspapers.  It’s a very good question, but unfortunately I think there’s a pretty simple and obvious answer.  Please read the article.  The LCCCA spending is out of control.

STOP WHINING, HEIM

    Maybe the Lancaster Newspapers didn’t cover it because Mayor Smithgall and Police Chief Heim called them and asked for a reporter right away.  And when the Mayor calls, the Lancaster Newspapers jump!  The result is this morning’s Intell article,   “Gray sees revenue source in warrants” which is here.  I simply don’t have time today to cover all of the recent ridiculous comments about mayoral candidate Rick Gray that have been made by Mayor Smithgall, District Attorney Donald Totaro and Police Chief William Heim.  I will say that I already put Heim on the next train out of Lancaster and that brief story is here.   This weekend I will do a more in-depth look at the Police Chief titled, “Stop Whining, Heim.”   The Lanco Yokel took a look at the crime situation in Lancaster and his piece is here.  In early October, Smithgall questioned whether Gray was fit to lead the police.  In the Intell article of October 8, 2005 it says, “Smithgall, during an interview earlier this week, said he is concerned Gray would ‘run both sides of the street’ if elected.  Wow.  Look in the mirror.  Bragging about reducing crime while selling guns?  You’ve got to be joking!

CLEAN IT UP

    Which brings me to two jokes posted by Talkbackers this week.  Under a picture of Mayor Smithgall (which as you know I can’t post because they are “copyrighted”) a poster said, “Keep an open eye for this guy in your neighborhood and call the police if he does anything suspicious like promise to clean up the city and make it safe.  He did the same thing 4 years ago and we are still waiting for results.”

COMCASTIC!

    Under the “cable guy” thread, "'I'm appealing to clear my name,'" a poster wrote, “Now wait a minute, rumor has it Charlie if elected… would have free basic cable for all residents.  This would be paid for out of the budget surplus from the new convention center.”  To which a Talkbacker replied, “That is ‘COMCASTIC!’”  (Don’t hold your breath for that free cable.)

THANKS

    A quick note to the woman who wrote me a letter regarding a piece I did on the Jerry Grissinger case.  I think it’s an important topic and I would like to address it.  Please give me several weeks and I will be in touch with you.  Thank you for writing.

WHERE’S THE NEWS?

    I would like to thank a Talkbacker for the “Send Charlie back to the pharm” line used by our poor, beleaguered mole below this article.

WRITE A LETTER

    Mayor Smithgall seems worried.  This email from his campaign yesterday evening:  “Dear Friend, With just three weeks to go, Charlie needs our help now more than ever!  Our volunteer schedule for this week follows; it would also be great if you could write a letter to the editor expressing your support for the great things that are happening in the city.  Links for the letters to the editor of all three newspapers follow as well.  Thanks for your help!  Jess.”

    Well, thanks, Jess.  I’ll put those links up but suggest that supporters of Rick Gray might like to write a letter to the editor as well:

http://www.lancasteronline.com/pages/paper/sundaynews/letter.php

http://www.lancasteronline.com/pages/paper/newera/letter.php

http://www.lancasteronline.com/pages/paper/intell/letter.php

FIRING WEAPONS

    Charlie’s campaign has been very busy sending out the text of Lancaster Newspaper articles.  They sent out an email with the New Era editorial of October 11, 2005, “Smithgall’s success refutes all critics” under the subject title, “In case you missed it.”  Unfortunately, I didn’t miss it.  Ironically, the second paragraph of the editorial states “A decade ago, criminals regularly sold drugs and fired weapons all over town.”  Not one of the Lancaster Newspapers (all with supposedly separate editorial boards) has written one word about City Councilman Luis Mendoza’s allegation that Mayor Smithgall sold guns, including assault weapons, from a back room in his pharmacy.  This is dishonest and astonishing.  A mayor who has talked non-stop about reducing crime in the city allegedly, secretly, sold guns out of a back room of his city pharmacy.  And not one of the Lancaster Newspapers has mentioned it.

“WASTING AN ARGUMENT”

    Continuing with this unconscionable editorial, they breeze over his $900,000 unauthorized and unsupported money offer by saying, “Critics who say Smithgall should not have pledged that money before first asking them are wasting an argument.  Everyone knows how successful the ballpark has been.”  Excuse me?  That is also dishonest and unconscionable.

WHOSE “GREAT ACHIEVEMENT?”

    But, of course, the reason they are desperate to see Charlie stay in office is totally self-serving – the convention center.  He is their puppet.  The editorial states, “If two county commissioners, a group of disgruntled hotel owners and others who want to ignore the city would get out of the way, the planned convention center and hotel on Penn Square could become the greatest achievement of Smithgall’s administration.”

WE’RE STAYING PUT

    No, that would be the greatest achievement and money machine for the Penn Square Partners who include, of course, the Lancaster Newspapers.  And, no, we won’t “get out of the way.”

   

COMING TOMORROW – A look at yesterday’s New Era article, “Violent crime in city drops 34%.”

 

See “Stop It” Below

 

THE GALL OF SMITHGALL

 

    I was going to do a long piece on whether Mayor Smithgall was fit to lead the police today.  But I thought I would take you to three stories I have already done on the Lancaster Police.  Well, actually, one is Donald Totaro’s request for a Grand Jury because of all the “criminal activity” in Lancaster.  Add to these articles all the unsolved bank robberies, the unsolved drive by shootings and the death of Renee J. Binkley and the list just goes on and on and on.  I don’t think Smithgall is fit to lead the police department.

·        Totaro’s request for a grand jury is here.

·        A story on the murder of Heather Marie Nunn is here.

·        “Terrible Police Work” is here.

STOP IT.

    A Talkbacker designed the above T-shirt which is available here.  He says, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if a bunch of people got them and wore them to the City Council or LCCCA meetings?”  Yes.  Which reminds me, there is no mention in the Sunday paper regarding the Fox-43 poll (go to www.lookingatlancaster.com).  Instead, the Sunday News gives us “First look inside hotel/convention center.”  (The article and Talkback are here.)  I really, really wouldn’t count on that PSP Partners.  Could I interest you in a T-Shirt?

 

WHY CAN’T I WRITE THIS GOOD – PART 7

 

“It’s Charlie Brown trying to kick Lucy’s football, over and over again.  And I wonder if there ever comes a day when cultural conservatives get tired of it.”

Gil Smart, “Seriously, Charlie Brown, you’ll kick the ball this time,” today’s Sunday News

 

GAG ME WITH A SPOON AWARD

 

“Every vote they take on the convention center or related issues is self-serving.”

Dave Hennigan, “Commissioners are acting like children,” today’s Sunday News