Who’s buying your VOTE?

County Controller Race:

This is likely the most important race in the county, and don’t for one second think that The King & Co. aren’t aware of that either, as they are already plotting to grab control. Without a watchdog in the controller’s office the King will have a clear path to all things CityVest, and who will stop them? County Council, or the I’ll do as I please County Manager?

Now onto the candidates, I’ll make this real easy for you. We have 3 Watchdogs and 1 politically connected tourist & travel major who by the way already has questionable campaign contributors, and won’t even call the paper back to offer an explanation. Yet in her WILK radio ad, she says she won’t be beholden to “special interest groups”. My guess is except for those that have already bought their way into her campaign. One can only wonder what type of county controller she will make.

Who will we in Luzerne County pick, you may be asking yourself, well my money is on the “financial lady” who didn’t even know the controller seat was open until the City Attorney and cousin of the King, Bill Vinsko told her to run.

Don’t take my word for it look at what Attorney Vinsko’s wrote on Facebook: (With WUWB clarifications)

Bill wrote: "I am for Michelle Bednar because she is the most qualified.”

• WOW Bill most qualified? A tourist & travel major over a criminal justice major, or is it that you know Steve will NEVER allow the city to control his office?

Bill wrote: “She will work for the people by addressing the issues.”

• Or will she be an absent controller similar to the one the city has?

Bill wrote: “I support her run, but she is not running because I directed her to run.”

• Nah she’s running because she has been watching the county so closely, that she was oblivious to the election until you Woke Her Up!

Bill wrote: “For those of you reading, know that Michelle Bednar would not act inappropriately or degrade people for the sake of personal gain.”

• But will she shut up on the CityVest issue?

Bill wrote: “Vote for Michelle because she is the right person.”

• RIGHT person? You mean the one who will do your bidding?

Bill wrote: “I say this without getting anything in return and she is not my relative.”

• That remains to be seen!

Bill wrote: “She is simply a good, qualified person."

• There is that word again “qualified” we all know what that means, and it has NOTHING to do with education or experience.

Democrat Choices:

Stephen A. Urban

Bachelors in criminal justice

Master's degree in justice administration

UNITED STATES ARMY COLONEL Retired

Michelle Bednar

Associate degree in tourist & travel management

Republican Choices:

Karen Ceppa-Hirko

MBA, focus in accounting with forensic auditing

Walter L. Griffith Jr.

The current County controller

Wilkes Barre Area School Board concerns

Joe Caffrey raised more than $17,000.00 (a lot of which came from The Kings & Queens of Wilkes Barre) to run for an UNPAID position on the school board.

Now I ask you, who is buying his vote on the school board?

I bet Mr. Caffrey will allow the School District to be “The Cash Cow” for the city.  

The name Thomas is rearing it's head again, and one MUST wonder if this is an attempt to return the school board to city control. For year folks complained about the school board hiring the city elite’s kin and being the "cash cow" for the city, paying for everything from Hawkeye to an old elementary school traded for some free fire trucks.

I urge you to consider for a second, the past woes the city had with the name Thomas and ask yourself, do you really want to try that again? Remember former councilman Tony (grab the FREE trips, and flee the city) Thomas. I can still hear his quotes to the press when asked about going on a city junkets just weeks before leaving office: “it’s not like I’m going anywhere” Tony said, and then the second he was out of office he disappeared like a fart in the wind.

Now enter his sister Denise Thomas: Although I do not know Ms. Thomas personally the name itself should be enough to make the good taxpayers of our city quiver, and I pray Denise is nothing like her city fleecing brother, especially if you choose to bypass all the other candidates in favor of yet another family connection, as I’m sure you will.

UGRENT UPDATE: Please be advised of the comments below, by Anthony Thomas also on the ballot for School Director. Please DO NOT leave without reading what this man has to say. As Anthony is NOT related to the city fleecing Thomas!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Controller job now a solely watchdog
• The Kings and Queens of Wilkes-Barre
• Luzerne County Controller’s Race: Democrat Bednar outspends opponent with PAC money

Mr. Magoo saw more than Hawkeye

For about THREE weeks now citizens, guests, and college students of our city have been beaten, robbed, and apple picked by a group described only as black males, yet Magoo Security Solutions AKA Hawkeye has seen noting.

Tonight at about 9:45 PM (shift change time) a man was robbed and beaten so bad he had his nose broken. Yep by a group described only as black males. That’s only part of the tragedy. The other tragedy is the fact that this happened so close to several city cameras you could hit them with a rock, but why bother their utterly useless, and not because they don’t work but because there is only ONE person trying to watch nearly 300 cameras.

Then our thief of police has the nerve to say to WBRE's Joe Holden “this is an isolated incident”. NO IT IS NOT, and how would you know anyway, with Magoo seeing nothing I mean? 

The incident tonight happened near the corner of Carey Ave & Hanover. Magoo has several cameras right near Meyers that have a range of about 2 blocks, yet not one saw anything. Perhaps if the Hawkeye board truly wanted to offer a crime prevention system they could have offered less cameras yet more eyes on them, but my guess is the monitoring side didn’t offer nearly as many kickbacks as the installation side, considering we are paying about $10,483 per camera at install, yet replacement is only about $3,000. I'm not quite sure how that works considering their both wireless, but what do I know?

I really wish someone, anyone would explain how a $977 camera costs $10,000.00 NEW, yet only $3,000.00 on replacement? 

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Hawkeye or Blindeye? An in-depth look into the city’s surveillance system
• W-B Crime Watch Report
• Camera’s do you want them?

Can Wilkes Barre ever be honest?

By now you’ve all seen the racy photos first published here on Wake Up Wilkes Barre, of  “Detail” work. These photos were published ONLY to prove Municipal Affairs Manager spokesman Drew Mc-Laugh-lin deliberately misleads the press, and public.

When Times Leader reporter Ed Lewis went asking about the detail work Mc-Laugh-Lin could have told Ed about the Hardware Bar, and Sherman Hill, yet he left that out, and because we don’t like to make allegations without proof, we published photos in front of the Hardware Bar.

Photos for the Record:

Linda Urban presented these photos to city council in front of members of the press well over a year ago. 

• I was there. 

Bobblehead Barrett said “we will look into this Mrs. Urban”, well as you can see by the fallout from our publication that lying Bobblehead did nothing as usual.  

City Response to Photos:

Times Leader May 6, 2013: The two other pictures show a scantily clad woman squatting and grabbing the radio antenna on the rear of a police cruiser, and another scantily clad woman lying across the hood of a cruiser.

McLaughlin said those two pictures appear to have been taken in another city, perhaps Scranton.

Citizens Voice May 8, 2013: Municipal Affairs Manager spokesman Drew McLaughlin said Tuesday that the first two photos appeared to have been taken elsewhere, possibly in Scranton, and that no officers appeared to have been present regardless of where they were shot.

Take notice to only what you could clearly make out in the Black & White photos from WUWB

If nothing else was visible in this photo Mc-Laugh-Lin would like you to believe was taken “elsewhere, possibly in Scranton”, the license plate sure was. MG-0116D, now to the average person this my not be traceable, and I’m not suggesting Mc-Laugh-Lin RUN THE PLATE as that would be a misuse of police powers, not that Wilkes Barre would ever do that either, RIGHT FBI??? Anyway all Mc-Laugh-Lin had to do was check inventory.

Since our publishing new information has come to light, such as the original clear photos. 

Please note, not only the plate as this was visible on the B&W photo but a few other things, such as the book store, and department store to the top left of the photo, and the City recycling can in the mid-left of the photo, behind the yellow car. Now I ask Mc-Laugh-Lin where was this photo taken? Elsewhere??? I think NOT!!!

Also another fun pic TAKEN WHERE?

In color

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Photos of W-B cop prompt investigation
• Moonlighting police officers OK in W-B
• Chief looking into racy photos
• WNEP: Police Investigate Racy Photos of Woman Posing with Moonlighting Cop
• (AP) Wilkes-Barre chief probing badge-licking photo
• philly.com
• FOX NEWS: Pennsylvania police chief probing badge-licking photo

Moonlighting Cops grab fast cash

The Times leader today reported that, the police department’s Special Detail program places trained officers at public events or businesses at no cost to the city, said city administrative coordinator and spokesman Drew McLaughlin.

• OK Drew tells us about the beat down in front of the Hardware Bar. Is Jones in trouble or not, and who will face the civil suit, ONLY the OFF DUTY officer or The City???

• Linda Urban has been asking about this for years at council meetings, and not one of the bobbleheads ever gave her a straight answer.

Tonight in front of Movies 14

In Wilkes-Barre, off-duty officers who work special detail events are paid directly by the vendor who hires them for security, McLaughlin said, with the officer personally responsible to claim the extra income when they file taxes.

• Hum… Are they, at $35 per HR CASH????

“They are basically private contractors,” McLaughlin said. “Their pay does not affect their pension or is counted as city time. They are supplemental officers working a private detail and are not part of a patrol platoon working that day or night.”

• Now Drew, what if the officer is injured on detail, would that then affect their workers comp?

McLaughlin said off-duty officers working details pay the city a fee to cover the use of cruisers as well as insurance coverage.

• Can I see the canceled checks, not that I think an officer would lie. OK after watching Brian Gist in court, I know at least one that would.

We do have to wonder why Drew didn’t mention the Hardware Bar, and Sherman Hills as they always have detail. One Facebook poster said “the hardware bar falls under athletic events, chasing, wrestling and tackling drunks”.

Some fun detail photos sent to Wake Up Wilkes Barre, while on Detail, Enjoy 

Auto Detailing? 

Detailed Planking? (thought to be Scranton, but in front of Bell Furniture)

$35 Per Hr for this? (Hardware Bar WBPD)

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

•  Moonlighting police officers OK in W-B
• Moonlighting Theme Song

Kangaroo Kane

What a shocker that Cruella De Vil’s Hubby, The Horrible Justice Kane, would side with a cop who clearly committed perjury. 

For those of you who think I’m picking on an upstanding officer who does so much for our community, you should know, I am a huge advocate of the police, and truly believe they work under extreme pressure, and aren’t appreciated nearly enough. 

That is why it was so disheartening to watch a city officer Lie Under Oath, and MY GOD did he…..

Officer Gist’s story changed faster than LAG can increase it's storage fees.

First Gist said he was sitting in his police car watching Robbins do all that he did, and a few minutes later he was at his personal car getting something, when he first noticed Robbins.

Gist testified that on March 31 at 11:03 p.m., Robbins pulled his car abruptly into the parking area behind the city police station. Gist said he saw Robbins pull in, get out of his car and take pictures with his cellphone of a vehicle parked in the lot.

He said Robbins got back into his car and took another picture before Gist approached him.

Come on Brian you allowed Robbins to

• Pull in "Abruptly"

• Park

• Get out

• Roam around

• Take Photos

• Get back in his car

And that’s when you notice he was a danger because it was dark…

Gist said it is a "safety issue" for people to be there.

• I bet it was a "safety issue". Thanks to Robbins we now know just how dirty some members of The Wilkes Barre Police Department are.

The sad fact is, even if you are an honest officer, who does give this city your all; when you stand idly by and allow your fellow officers to be "on the take", you’re as guilty as they are.

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Vocal critic of LAG found guilty of trespassing
• Robbins guilty of trespass by motor vehicle

LAG Investigation move beyond KING’s authority!

According to an ongoing I-Team investigation, multiple agencies are now investigating LAG, from their alleged questionable business practices.  

Mayor Thomas Leighton refused to say if he had testified before any grand jury that's said to be investigating Glodzik. Leighton reiterated the city was continuing to conduct its review of complaints made against Glodzik. He had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but has since failed to return calls for comment.

• Sources have told Wake Up Wilkes Barre that the King has already been to Scranton, and he has sung like a bird. So now would be time for Leo to turn or burn.

The King told The Citizens Voice, and Times Leader 

"The investigation on our side is ongoing, and whether other law enforcement agencies are conducting (one), we're not made privy to that information," Leighton said.

“When we gather all our facts and we’re comfortable with the decision that we will make, whether it’s in a positive or negative way affecting either party, it will be made,” he said.

The mayor added he expects Glodzik to pay in full next Wednesday. Referring to the May 1^st payment of $50,050.00 LAG is required to pay the city, for their exclusive right to rape and pillage both residents, and guests of our city, while city police look the other way, driving LAG vehicles and swilling LAG champagne.

Well let’s look at the $50,050.00 for a second, Leo can’t pay his mortgage, he's so behind on his child support that the Kings brother is negotiating a deal to lower his domestic relations obligation, and yet he still manages to have the cash to gamble nightly, bribe city police, offer campaign contributions to the King, and pay $50K to the city.

I guess crime does pay well.

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

•  Sources: L.A.G. Towing owner under criminal investigation by multiple agencies
• W-B council not open to woman's food cart proposal
• W-B mayor assures fact-based LAG ruling

Hawkeye can’t afford to pay attention

According to both the Citizens Voice and Times Leader, Hawkeye told Legion they will only be watching the cameras for 12.8 hours a day, due to the fact that Hawkeye is BROKE!

One only needs looks as far as Philadelphia to see why Hawkeye is going belly up.  Alan Wohlstetter of Fox Rothschild LLP, the Philadelphia based law firm (owned in part by Patrick Murphy, brother of former city administrator, and former Hawkeye board member J.J. Murphy) is charging Hawkeye for every RTK (Right to Know), at a rate of about $85 per 10 min. So every RTK cost a minimum of $85, and on top of that he has the gull to bill Hawkeye for the copies, and way more than the $0.25 allowed by state law.

So now Hawkeye slashes Legions hours, and the city police must watch the cameras (NOT PAID BY HAWKEYE), all because Hawkeye squandered its money on slimy out of town liars, and no bid Schneider Electric $10,000 per cameras (ran by yet another Murphy).

• WOW if the unions only knew Hawkeye would be severely mismanaged; they could have just sat back and waited.

After squandering the last $5,494 Hawkeye had, arguing over whether or not Wohlstetter should give the Citizens Voice their RTK, (which by the way they finally did) Deputy (Do RTK) City Administrator Greg Barrouk said he will begin handling more requests but said he may still need Wohlstetter's assistance.

• What a novel idea Greg, have a board member answer RTK's for FREE

"He was here since day one, I didn't come in until two years after. So there's a lot of stuff in the preliminary stages I wasn't aware about," Barrouk said.

• Now Greg I wonder, if a citizen puts in a RTK for something, and the records were properly maintained, would it truly matter if you were or weren’t there from the beginning?

That’s like saying to your boss at Wendy’s “I can’t fetch the fries, because I wasn't here when you built the walk-in.”

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Hawkeye cuts monitors' hours
• Hawkeye contractor cuts hours

City Hall Repositioning for WHAT?

According to today’s papers, the King is repositioning city hall for something, but what one has to wonder? 

• Indictments perhaps?

The King’s statements - Translated to layman's terms:

King Said: “Basically, we have less people and we are asking them to do more,” he said

Translation: Basically we do noting as it is, and now that the taxpayers are berating down our necks, we will actually have to work, and so we should be paid for that work.

King Said: “We’re assigning more responsibilities to less people,” he said.

Translation: If I’m going to give my little suckholes a raise I will make up good reason.

Drew McLaughlin, who has been the city’s administrative coordinator and spokesman at a salary of about $40,000 per year, will become municipal affairs manager at $45,000 a year, effective immediately.

• OK hold the phone, Drew Mc-Laugh-Lin from spokes-joke to affairs manager? Well I guess with the amount of city employees having affairs one would need a manager to oversee them.

Greg Barrouk will change titles at his same salary, going from economic development director to assistant city administrator.

• WHAT no mo money for Greg? One does have to wonder what Greg is being groomed for?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Mayor announces changes in City Hall aimed at doing more with less
• Wilkes-Barre City announces restructuring

Wilkes Barre or Wild West?

It’s a sad day in the city when you can’t even allow your teenage children to walk down Public Square on the way to a movie at the theater, without fearing for their lives.

That is the realization that the parents of a high school junior faced Thursday night, when her child, and their two teenage friends were sitting on a park bench under a Hawkeye camera on Public Square, when four men surrounded them, pointed a gun, and demanded that they hand over their cell phones.

“One of them in the middle pulled out a gun, he cocked it and said I’m not playing around, give us your stuff,” 

• Now outsiders of our city, especially those who don’t read Wake Up Wilkes Barre might think that your safe by sticking close to Hawkeye, but please understand that Hawkeye is mostly reactive, rarely proactive.

The 17-year-old told WNEP TV-16 she was sitting on a bench surrounded by surveillance cameras and several open businesses, when four men surrounded her friends and demanded that they hand over their cell phones.

• FYI the local all know when to “Stash the Cash, and save their A$$”.

According to WNEP: A city spokesman has not confirmed if the crooks were captured on the city’s surveillance cameras or privately owned security cameras outside businesses on Public Square.

• What a shocker!

One has to wonder if the “Wild West Motif” the city administration has going on here was intentional either as a tourist attraction or as an attempt to make housing in the city more affordable.

Either way I’ve got to admit its working.  

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

Eyewitness report by Joe Wielgosz

I saw this story on a Facebook group “Just Saying” and had to share.

Start Joe Wielgosz story:

Here is a story I think you will all enjoy .. 

I live on a quiet road. Tonight I was working in my garage I seen my neighbor leave in his old dodge neon 30 minutes later he pulls up in a brand new hyandi So I figured he purchased a new car. I finished up what I was doing went into my house. 

20 minutes later I heard a huge bang mind you I was watching CNN about the Boston Marathon Bombing. I got up ran outside only to find out that the neighbor on the other side of me hit the brand new car and drove it into another car the truck was resting in the back seat of the new car. His face covered in blood his wife in the other side all air bags deployed. 

I immediately told a neighbor to call 911. Fire Dept was here Johnny on the spot as usual. Kudos to them! Police finely came after a few minutes. When the 2 police officers arrived I asked them if they really have to tow the vehicles because the vehicles were not impeding or blocking traffic (Mind you they have NO Clue who I am!) 

The Officer without mentioning any names ( Patrolman Rodriguez )Whose Girlfriend Rented a house off of Leo Glodzick at 253 New Hancock St W-B told me that it will be $300.00 to hook up to the truck and pull it off of the other vehicle or it will be $600 dollars if he towed it to Lag Towing. All of my Neighbors demanded LAG not tow their vehicles.. 

Patrolman Rodriguez started swearing that he is --cking sick and tired of this LAG bullshit!! I told him that I will put the truck in my yard. He told me that all three vehicles are being towed. I told him that I am now calling the press and that he was not going to tow all three. He immediately called for a supervisor who told me he was at home getting something to eat and he had to come over for this. 

I informed him that the neighbors were videotaping and they do not want their cars to go to LAG. So after a fight The supervisor finally let me drive the vehicle and remove it to their yard. So they took my neighbor to get blood tested after the hospital they took him to the police station. 

Patrolman Rodriguez told him that he has a loudmouth neighbor.. Thank You Mr. Rodriguez ( Your a shitty Cop ) The other responding police officer was great ( Sereyka ) So then he asked my neighbor for his social security number and he would not give it to him. Patrolman Rodriguez then told my frail elderly neighbor he was going to smack him in the face if he did not give it to him.. 

Now Mr. Rodriguez I know your girlfriend Rents a home that Leo Screwed me out of years ago. You are demanding these three cars to be towed to LAG and you know the exact amount and even specified CASH ONLY! I hope you were interviewed if not I'm am sure you are going to be! You made a enemy out of a whole street in a great part of the city! 

The bottom line is your buddy Leo Glodzick is not going to profit off of Stucker street which is 300 feet from Leos House..

How does a officer quote the price of how much the tow or the pull is going to be? I think certain officers are well prepared to help LAG no matter what is going on. This officers unprofessional attitude and insistence on LAG towing these three vehicles is way out of line and then to call me a loudmouth neighbor he really hurt my feelings(if he only knew)! 

Only one vehicle had to be towed another moved off of the street and the other one is drivable! Leo Is Not going to make $2000.00 from stucker street for a overnight stay! OH AND NOTHING WAS SEEN BY HAWKEYE!!

I will never Blame the Officer Its their Leadership allowing them to abuse the very taxpayers that pay their salary. We have a lot of great police officers. It only takes one bad one to make the public resent ever looking for you to protect and serve as your oath requires you too! Great Job Jeremy! To Patrolman Rodriguez come smack this Loudmouth citizen in the face I dare you!

End Joe Wielgosz story:

How the people are 

seeing our Police 

Thank you Mr. Wielgosz, and GOOD GOD WTF is the WBPD doing, can it be anymore obvious that these cops are being bribed?

The WBPD is acting like the town Bully's for LAG, and like any Bully when the "Average Joe" stands up to them, they back off!

There are a “Few Good Men, & Women” on the force, but either those number are dwindling or the good of the many are be outcast by the bad actions of the few. Either way this whole Police Depart looks as dirty as the LAG lot.

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source: 

• Just Sayin post By Joe