Resistance is NOT Futile!

Wilkes Barre City’s leadership is no stranger to corruption, backroom deals, questionable hiring practices, and dictator like governing, or so I am told.

It has been just less than one year since a handful of concerned citizens began their quest for truth, justice, and the pursuit of a cleaner, leaner, less meaner city government.

In that short time we have seen: "Click on the links to view the stories"

• No Bid Contracts
• Parking, Leasing, or Fleecing?
• LAZ Parking Backroom Deal
• No Receipts Per Diem
• Ridiculous Spending, Outrageous Trips
• Bid Rigging
• Missing Credit Card Statements: Only available to Average Joe, never the City who owns them.
• Now can you believe the receipts for the months in question are also missing?
• Taxpayer Upgrade Private Homes, OK with AG
• City Billed Monitoring Fees
• Falsifying Documents
• Altered Documents
• Perjury by City Officials
• Million Dollar Mysteries
• Nepotism
• Intentional destruction of City Credit Rating
• Unethical Hiring of his own Kid’s
• Sold Memorial (This was the 1 Legal Action)
• Biased AG?
• Cars for Cash?

Many keep saying, and trust me folks there are many days when I and many like me feel like Resistance is Futile. 

• There just no use! 
• You can’t fight City Hall! 
• That’s just the way it is, and that just the way it will always be. 
• Your one person, you can’t change the way people think. 

But there is one among us who is always positive, who never listens to the naysayers, who keeps reminding me, and everyone else that we took up this cause just one year ago, and look at all that has come out. If this is what they released what else are they hiding.

So with that I must concede that if your reading Wake Up Wilkes Barre, PureBunkum, Grateful Hands, Firefighter Dan, or anything else for that matter where truth is not only expected but demanded then Resistance is NOT Futile!

This Blog is dedicated to my dear friend, fearless leader, and always positive grounding post. 

You know who you are, and we "the citizens" are forever grateful for all your hard work.

Thank you,

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Bidding, not just for EBay anymore!

According to the Times Leader: W-B owes $30,000 for bid violations

Not following the Bid process! Well

• That’s just the way it is in Wilkes Barre. 

Let’s see we didn’t  ask for bids when we bought Fire Trucks, and when reporters asked, the King said we didn’t need to, we used COSTARS, a state program that includes vendors who have been pre-approved to sell items to municipalities statewide


But upon further investigation the state said Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!

Then when the King and his shyster buddy, cooked up the idea to hire him and his family, so they could sell the city’s parking authority down the river, because he can’t seem to find work in the private sector. 

We didn't put that work out for bid either, but hey the parking authority isn’t technically owned by the city so it’s all good!

Now at the cost of $30,000 to the city taxpayers, for not following the bid process, the King and Butch say things like we didn’t know!

• “When we purchase these products, it’s very difficult to know exactly where you are going to land,” Frati said.

I guess it would be too much to ask of Butch, to just look at how much we used in previous years and guess that we always go over $10.000!

• Frati said cold patch also does not have a long shelf life!

I guess the stuff is like MILK!

• Frati said the vendor in this case, American Asphalt, was approved to sell certain items under COSTARS, but asphalt was not one of them. The city mistakenly believed that product was included, Frati said.

COSTARS again? I don’t know Butch perhaps you could have looked at the COSTARS Bid sheet FIRST! Just a thought!

• “We keep as close an eye on it as we can, but if we go over it, we go over,” Frati said.

Hey it’s not like the $30,000 is coming out of Butch’s pocket, RIGHT

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Parking, Leasing, or Fleecing?

King Tommy, and his Bootlicking Sidekicks have been telling us for months now that we “The City Taxpayers” will benefit from the proposed Fleecing of the city’s parking assets, and some in the press have been lapping it up, but not the new Citizens Voice report Josh Moyer who had the audacity to go looking for answers.

In the May 24, 2012 edition: Parking consultant disputes city's claims

Desman Associates told Josh 

• "We did not validate the $20 million and we haven't really done a report yet," 

Wait, What, The Kings Mouthpiece Droopy Drew told us last week they did. "We stuck with the reserve price of $20 million and Desman was comfortable with that," McLaughlin said at the time.

• McLaughlin said Wednesday his previous comments do not contradict Desman's position, maintaining that Desman was "comfortable" with the city's proposal.

Sounds to me like Desman is playing the liar, liar pants on fire card here Drew!

King Tommy told Josh

• "It's not that we're pushing this," Mayor Tom Leighton said Wednesday, "We're on a schedule. If it would not have been detrimental, we would have (waited)."

• But then our King declined to specify how waiting for Salzman's report would have been detrimental. Instead, the city released the request Friday, and it's now unclear how much input Desman had.

Could it have anything to do with the fact that council people are telling city employees that if this PARKING DEAL doesn’t go through they won’t get paid?

What the Kings Mouthpieces said

• McLaughlin said previously that the "conservative" $20 million estimate was formed by City Hall, with the help of Fox Rothschild and J.J. Murphy, early in the process.

• Neither Wohlstetter nor Murphy returned messages seeking comment, and neither Leighton nor Desman has released Desman's estimates.

I wonder if that’s because neither Wohlstetter no Murphy, never had a clue on how much a deal like this was really worth!

I also wonder if “the conservative $20 million estimate” was just the number LAZ offered the King back in the winter when they all hatched this Get Rich Quick Scheme!

• We all heard Alan Wohlstetter, the Liar with Fox Rothschild singing Desman's praises for more than a month."If you want to have a credible bid process, you need that box checked," he said, regarding Desman, during an April parking authority meeting.

• Even Charlie Lyons, vice president for parking consultant Shelly Communications AKA The Slick P.R. Firm, said after another parking authority meeting that, "In order to get these companies to actually invest a lot of time and money - they're going to go in and say, 'They've got Desman doing their work for them. This is legitimate, these numbers are real, this proposal's real.' "

So what’s really going on here? Well my friends I will tell you.

• We “The City of Wilkes Barre” are BROKE!
• Loans are due, payment time and we can’t refinance any further!
• That means Distressed City Status!

Problems:

• The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) appoints a recovery team with a recovery coordinator to oversee a recovery plan.

In other words a full Audit of City Hall!

• Prior to February 14, 2008 Pennsylvania Citizens didn’t have Right To Know, so there were little worries about all the shady backroom deals being made public, but as we have seen the Karen Ceppa-Hirko’s of Wilkes Barre have been fighting to make this all public.

• So after February 14, 2008 The City quickly implemented a CYA initiative, but as we all know state law on retention, requires all records MUST be maintained for 7 years. 

• So we 'The City" cannot safely file Distressed City Status until February 15, 2015, or many at City Hall may end up being fully housed by the taxpayers!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Read More:

• Leasing parking assets would be sellout for city
• Act 47 - Distressed Status
• W-B City Debt Services
• Financially Distressed Municipalities Act
• Parking consultant disputes city's claims

Parking For LAZ Only

As we move forward with The Kings Parking Scam, some interesting reading materials began popping up.

Click these links and check it out. 

1. Times Leader: Chicago way’ not the best way
2. Chicago Sun Times: Chicago Parking Meter Rebellion??
3. LAZ Parking Meter Enforcement Ready To Resume
4. Has the parking meter revolt begun?
5. LAZ Parking

Best of all

• PROPOSED CONCESSION FOR CITY OF WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA PARKING SYSTEM

From Page 6

Concessionaire Compensation Events.  Among the Concessionaire 

Compensation Events are: (i) any Competing Parking Action (to be 

defined in the Concession Agreement) where a public parking garage or 

lot is constructed in the Competing Parking Area (to be defined in the 

Concession Agreement); (ii) changes in Operating Standards , excluding 

certain changes made to comply with a new law; (iii) a reduction in the 

Schedule of Parking Rates (to be defined in the Concession Agreement); 

(iv) the imposition of a Parking Tax in excess of 8%: (v) failure to adhere 

to the Enforcement Standards (to be defined in the Concession 

Agreement); or (vi) any Adverse Action (to be defined in the Concession 

Agreement) by any governmental entity which has the effect  of having a 

material adverse effect on the fair market value of the Concessionaire 

Interest (to be defined in the Concession Agreement).  Private 

development of  the Sterling Hotel or other private economic 

developments which include parking do not trigger a Concessionaire 

Compensation Event.  Payments due the Concessionaire under the 

Concession Agreements, including payments with respect to 

Concessionaire Compensation Events, shall be the financial 

responsibility of the City. 

Question

• If Luzerne County or a private business opened a competing lot would The City be held liable for lost projected revenue? 
  Why not after all L.A.Z. sued Chicago for $14 million for revenue lost from parking revenues 

• If L.A.Z. is currently managing The Wilkes Barre City Parking Authority and was interested in leasing said Authority, then why all the need for Overpriced, Do Nothing, Goal Oriented, Consultants?
• L.A.Z. told Chicago all ticket revenues stay with the Windy City, so why is L.A.Z. in charge of that? 

Truth Be Told

• Make no mistake folks L.A.Z. is the ONE the ONLY interested SCHEMER fishing in our little pond.
• They stole the wind from The Windy City, got Punted from Pittsburgh with their over $400,000,000.00 offer, and now eyeing The W-B! 
• WHY?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

We don’t need No Stinking Receipts

Why is it that when officials snatch and grab taxpayer money for their own personal gain, is it that it only seems to bother a few in this town?

• Are we so accustom to it that we just aren't phased?
• Is that just the way it is, or has been for as long as anyone can remember?
• Or are we just to busy working 40+ hours a week @ $8.00 per hour, to pay for all this wonderful corruption that we don't have time to notice what the W-B Elite, are doing with our money?  

Well, I for one am sick to death with Wilkes Barre Politics. 


This town is overrun with PIGGIES, as one would say, and criticize him for being obnoxious if you must, but GOOD GOD MAN he’s been right all along.

From the Times Leader 

• Free lunches do exist
• Meal allowances for W-B council generous

“Bill Barrett is a staunch defender of allowing council to attend conferences insisting that he’s brought back information and ideas that have significantly benefited the city.”

• Why is it we cant get this information from Google?
• Don’t we have computers in City Hall?
• Or are they Too Stupid for Distance Learning? As we previously reported!

I wonder if Billy had to pay for the trips himself, like IDK Scranton’s Council Members would he still defend this position so much, and better yet would he still go so much?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre!

Is the PA Attorney General’s office biased?

Recently Linda Urban of the Wilkes Barre City Taxpayers Association once again raised issue with Mayor Leighton and former city administrator J.J. Murphy, for dipping into the general fund at will, to not only buy overpriced taxpayer funded home security systems, but to also pay an outrageous fee to move one of the security systems years after any supposed threat had passed. In addition let's not forget that the taxpayers were also billed for monitoring fee, but remember that was a simple 5 Year old accounting error. 

The response by the administration as reported in the Times Leader “City Administrator Marie McCormick said the issue was brought up in the past and an independent investigation by law enforcement found the purchases were allowable and legal.”

I wonder was Marie referring to Linda’s private civil criminal complaint, filed in district court, forwarded to the Luzerne County D.A., and then forwarded to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office only to be dismissed, without cause.

I wonder if the fact that J.J.’s own father has worked for the PA Attorney General’s office for the last 5 years had anything to do with it.

I know what you’re thinking: He’s not a prosecutor, and if he asked his boss to drop the investigation into his boy, they surly wouldn’t! 

• Or would they?
• This is Pennsylvania after all!
• Land of corruption!

How many local, city, county, school board, state, elected officials has it been that have been charged? I know I’ve lost count!

Should we also wonder, since the taxpayers unknowing gifted these outrageously overpriced security systems to the King, and his Joker should they not have least had the decency to claim them on their 1040, and a gift?

After all if you win something from the radio station you get a 1099, so shouldn’t they have reported the generosity of the taxpayers to the IRS?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

Murphy @ A.G. Office
J.J.'s Security System

Namey out, Kane in?

The Valley Scanner reported on Kathy Kane resigning as chairman of the Luzerne County Democratic Committee to run for a job in June, and asked the question what JOB?

Well word on the street is she’s eyeing Dr. Namey’s Job as Superintendent of Schools for Wilkes Barre Area: 

• Remember folks Kane thinks she is Able.
• After all, the long time teacher turned councilwoman was elected city controller with little to no experience. 
• Once elected controller she rarely shows up for work, and when she does she skips out for her late morning coffee rarely to return.

So why not let the teacher, turn cupcake hating councilwoman, turn nonexistent city controller, negotiate her former coworker’s contracts with the labor unions? 

I'm betting she would have noticed a runaway lawyer over billing the district long before the Feds! 

In a recent Times Leader article School Board President Maryanne Toole stated: “the district needs a serious break from a tainted past and that requires a fresh face at the top.”

I guess Kathy, either didn’t get the message or while on her cruse she is paying a visit to Joan Rivers’s plastic surgeon. Either way like Mrs. Toole said we want a “Fresh Face”!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre 

Tapping the general fund at will

City of Wilkes-Barre:

Mayor Leighton and "JJ" Murphy: Tapping the general fund at will:

It behooves us all as hard working citizens of Wilkes Barre to keep the heat on these two thieves. And that's what they are. Thieves. 

Anyone whom has the unmigated nerve to arbitrarily access a "city's general fund" to gift themselves and in secret no less; is a thief.

Recall; we were never to know about the purchases. Our mid 2011 - RTK city hall request exhibited the theft.

And bear in mind that the one invoice for "JJ" Murphy's home security systems was purposely altered to mislead inquiring minds the actual destination of his...security system.

JJ Murphy actually signed "his" own invoice that stated that his security system was going to be installed at the Wilkes-Barre Police Dept.

That's outright theft and fraud and falls under the criminal law catagory of "Tampering with Public Rcords."

What else have these two weasels taken while no one was aware or watching? Or, as our esteemed elected at city hall and employee's knew about?

To defraud the Commonwealth of PA - Dept. of Revenue for the applicable 6% PA Sales & Use Tax that WE would have had to pay under the same circumstances is tax fraud.

Torbik Safe & Lock Co., S. Main St WB is also a cohort as he dam well knew that the systems were not covered (lawfully) under the TAX FREE certificate that is reserved for city hall direct use purchases.

We the taxpayers do not own Leighton's or Murphy's homes and neither of their homes are city property so technically speaking; theft and tax fraud is evident to all of us.

The issue of whether Leighton and JJ the weasel Murphy claimed the pricey "gifts" on their appropriate federal tax year's is also a question that needs to addressed.

We improved the value of Leighton's and Murphy's homes without our knowledge or permission with general fund monies. 

• How gracious of us.
• Should we file a lien in order to retreive our money? Yes.
• The financially strapped citizens of Wilkes-Barre, our Commonwealth, and the federal government (IRS) lost out.
• How do these men of which one Leighton being an elected official skates laws and the PA tax laws?

If it's not questionable credit card purchases made by "JJ" Murphy, council, or controllers, free gas fill ups at the city garage pumps for them and their kin/friends; it's a pricey home improvement "project" of security systems happening.

Where and when will the powers that be of PA act and demand retribution both criminally and financially with these two men and others like them at our city hall?

There isn't any reason on God's green earth for us to shoulder Leighton's and JJ Murphy's costly personal desires on our dime. Or, anyone else's at city hall for that matter.

We all know that city hall elected and staffers et al cover for each due to their genetic - friends employment habits or pay backs for other reasons.

Justice wasn't ever meant to be selective and to allow one infraction after another robs everyone of us of ethical government.

• Our demand for full reimbursement of the entire cost of the security systems stands as well as PA and the feds getting their cut.

I won't let this issue of outright theft of city taxpayer monies and tax fraud rest until justice is served on the criminal side as well as demanding full monetary retribution for all involved.

• Theft is a felony.

Accessing a city's general fund for "personal home needs" hands down is theft. And illegally USING a city's tax exemption certificate for an elected officials HOME or 'JJ's" personal home purchasing - needs thereby skating the PA 6% applicable tax is tax fraud.

Linda Urban

Board Member - Wilkes-Barre Taxpayers Assn. 2012

Wilkes-Barre

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

How many people does it take to sell parking spaces?

Click here to see J.J.'s Crazy Bills

1. The city (Leighton, McCormick, McLauglin, City Attorney Henry)
2. Greg Barouk WB Director of Economic Devt.
3. WB Parking Authority
4. Fox Rothschild law firm (Patrick Murphy's)
5. Goals Consulting (JJ Murphy)
6. Desman and Associates Parking Consulting Firm
7. Shelly Communications (Public Relations firm) (Are they supposed to look for bidders?)
8. Carlyle Group Consulting
9. Bond Counsel with TML (I guess we couldn't have used the city counsel W-B pays already pays for)
10. Spent 3 hours total ($900) with "Mendy"... met with and evaluated their financials (can we see these evaluations?)
11. Spent 7hrs ($2100) with RBC on refinancing (Is this parking related? or did Murphy call in and leave phone off hook for 7 hours).
12. PA Solicitor (as opposed to city solicitor)
13. Meeting with Rosen Jenkins and Greenwald, Desman Consulting, and Murphy (A $1,600 2 hr meeting to taxpayers?) (A TRIPLE DIP? Desman, RJG, and Murphy all get paid?).
14. Times Leader I assume they were billed when they questioned Murphy's pay!
15. Citizen's Voice I assume they were billed when they questioned Murphy's pay!

NOTE: The conference calls are the most insidious form of looting from the city. EVERYONE on the call is being paid simultaneously!!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre