King Doesn’t Double Dip!

In recent weeks our King has come under fire for allowing his friends and family to tap the city gas pumps, like a keg in his back yard, but that’s no reason to ever think he would double dip RIGHT?

The King has been quoted in the paper claiming it’s cheaper for us “the city taxpayers” to allow the unmonitored, undocumented, free flow of gas into The King & Co. cars because he doesn’t bill us for mileage.

Leighton insisted that he saves the city money by driving his own car fueled by city gas, rather than charging the going rate of 55 cents per mile. “Do the math,” he said, “it’s cheaper.”

Now it turns out he’s been getting gas at DPW, and seeking mileage reimbursement for out of town trips.

Let's be fair to the King, a few of those trips were too faraway lands, where only one take of gas wouldn’t make it there and back, but most were to Harrisburg. 

As I’m sure most of you know Harrisburg is only 104 miles from The W-B, and if not click here for a Google map, so if the King fueled up at DPW he could drive to Harrisburg and back without the need to refuel, even if he did some sightseeing while in the states capital.

Questions:

• Why seek reimbursement for small trips to Harrisburg if the King only uses DPW gas to save us money?

• On those other trips to faraway lands how was gas paid for at foreign gas stations? Did the King pay with cash from his reimbursement, or was it charged on a city credit card?

• What do you Believe?

• Is the King a double dipper?

The King Speaks Out!

“If you think I’m double dipping, absolutely not,” Leighton said.

“You are always going to have skeptics out there, and that’s unfortunate. It’s something I deal with every day,” Leighton said. “I would hope you would take my word because I’m telling you exactly what I did.”

• There was a time that we “Believed” but with every passing lie it’s become harder and harder to Believe!

He said he has been more careful to track his mileage since the controversy over fuel usage erupted.

• So because you got caught you’re now going to act responsible?

• Wow we may have to report such great acting to The Academy!

The King said he no longer obtains fuel from the city tanks and plans to submit a form detailing his mileage on a monthly basis.

• Good let’s see if he still drives only 200 – 300 Miles per month 

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• W-B mayor got mileage out of travel money
• Leighton, DPW boss scrutinized
• City gov’t tanks when it comes to doing valid math 

Let them EAT New Cars

As I’m sure you have all heard The King & Co. can no longer steal GAS from the City, and as a result of this I am told that The King is madder than "Shrek would be, had Donkey run off with the girl".

That being said Wake Up Wilkes Barre received this email from a concerned citizen who overheard the King’s response to GAS-GATE!

"So they think their smart do they, well I will just go buy everyone new cars. Let’s see how they like paying for that" T.M.L. He said right down to the little inspector will get a new car. Heard it may be already done!!!

• The King must have been referring to that pesky Taxpayers Association, when he said "So they think their smart do they"!

It’s no surprise that the King will want to retaliate. After all the taxpayers did stop him, his family, and all their friend from filling up on the city’s dime.

Positives to the King Revenge:

• Only the City Cars can get gas!

• All City cars are City assets, and will hold some sort of resale value, unlike stolen gas!

• Only City Employees should be driving City Cars!

• We will see a City Logoed car when the King is out selling Real Estate when he should be at City Hall!

• We will know what bar the King is at, seeing the City Logo car parked nearby!

• All Citizens will now see where, when, how fast, the new City Cars are going, and who’s inside.

When you spot the new cars, please post all photos here!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Gas Gate goes Gulf?

According to Terrie Morgan-Bescker of The Times Leader: Hollenback fuel usage cannot be specified

Now more than 5,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel have been delivered to the Hollenback Golf Course in the past three years, but a city official acknowledged it cannot precisely document how the fuel was used.

The City’s Mouthpiece Drew Mc-Laugh-Lin made the following statements:

City officials are confident there’s been no improper use of gasoline at Hollenback, in part, because of the how the gas tank operates and its physical location.

• Isn’t that always the case Drew?

There is no tank to hold diesel fuel, which is kept in 55-gallon drums stored in one of the course’s buildings.

• Is it even legal to store diesel fuel indoors?

Mc-Laugh-Lin acknowledged there’s nothing to stop a person from filling up portable containers for unauthorized use. But there are several check-and-balance systems in place to guard against that, he said.

• What are those checks-and-balances you speak of Drew?

The gas tank is located in an area that is visible to the public. It’s also in the view of surveillance cameras

• Wake Up Drew those cameras are worthless, they either don’t work or they didn’t record. At least that’s what you’re Right to Know officer keeps telling me. 

“Given the size of the tank and its intended purpose, it’s in clear view in the middle of a neighborhood, abuse at Hollenback is a very minimal chance,” Mc-Laugh-Lin said.

And although usage has not been strictly monitored, the city does keep tabs on fuel deliveries to ensure they are consistent. If there were an unusual spike that would he investigated.

• OK so now we know there are no checks-and-balances!

“We would know if someone was abusing the pumps if we got frequent deliveries that were out of the norm,” he said.

• Come on Drew you didn’t even know gas was missing from DPW until the TL told you, or did you?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Tell the Truth, That’s an ORDER

As first reported by Wake Up Wilkes Barre, and now both papers our King met with dozens of Department of Public Works employees Friday, asking them to cooperate with investigations into 18,000 gallons of unaccounted for fuel at the city's gas pump.

• Wait, what, we still have dozens of DPW employees? I thought the King cut that department to the bone!

"I just wanted to let them know they may be questioned," Leighton explained Monday. "I emphasized they should tell the truth and be open and honest with any questions."

• Did he not think that our DPW employees would cooperate if questioned by the DA?

“I just wanted to let them know the city administration plans to cooperate 100 percent in any investigation. We want to make sure they answer questions truthfully and honestly,” Leighton said.

• Ya, because DPW employees don’t know how to read the paper.

Leighton said he called the meeting Friday after several DPW workers asked him if they needed to have attorneys present during meetings with investigators. At first, Leighton believed they could get advice from city solicitors prior to meeting with investigators, but city officials later determined that would be a conflict of interest.

• Do we really think DPW employees called the King, and asked if they should, or could have an attorney present if questioned by the DA?

• Perhaps the DPW Boss, but anyone beyond that I highly doubt!!!

"I did not give them any advice on what to do except tell the truth," Leighton said.

• Read between the lines here folks:

• Tell the truth, “you didn’t see anything” or “you have regularly failed to log out your gas”

• When this is over either The King & Co. will be jailed or a lot of DPW workers will be fired for failing to properly log gas.

Tell the truth folks your job depends on it!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Mayor: Cooperate with fuel probe
• Lawyers to address DPW queries on probe

Gas Gate Questions

The Editors of The Citizens Voice: More questions on 'Gasgate' are asking some of the questions one would hope the DA’s office is also asking.

CV Questions:

If the 18,000 shortage occurred in just seven months, how much might be missing from previous months and years?

Who made the decision not to use the Phoenix 8000, which has been attached to the city's fuel pumps since 2009?

Who are the other city officials authorized to fuel their private vehicles at the pumps and what was the justification for that authorization?

Did Leighton or those other officials file any sort of documents detailing when, why and how far they drove on the city's dime?

Who was responsible for monitoring the pen-and-paper log?

And finally, Mr. Mayor, when will you secure the city's fuel supply and have that Phoenix 8000 turned on?

Other Important Questions:

According to The Times Leader story, Who’s fueling who?, The City was missing 17,880 gallons over 7 months. That’s an average 2,554 gallons missing each month. 

If this was only a “record keeping error” as the city claims, and nothing has changed other than now logging gas out, is the city still consuming the same number of gallons each month, as they have over the previous 6 months, years, whatever?

The number of DPW Trucks, Police Cars, Code Enforcement Cars, ETC hasn’t changed since The Times Leader uncovered Gas-Gate so the number of GPM – Gallons Per Month used shouldn’t decrease now that we are properly filling out the log, should it?

DPW Meeting Friday:

The King called an employee meeting Friday at 3:00 PM to inform the DPW employees that they may be called by the DA or another investigative agency to give statements, and if they felt uncomfortable they could be accompanied by one of The City Lawyers.

Scare Tactics

Although The King did tell the employees to cooperate fully with any investigator the fact that some may take the lawyers, and some may not, in itself is a scare tactic. 

Per The King: Those who choose not to take the lawyer (AKA spy) must plan to tell the DA the truth.

How often in life does any witness or potential witness need to take a lawyer?

Is the DA that scary?

If The King truly had nothing to hide he wouldn’t need to call staff meetings to tell his staff what to do, they would just do it!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Kangaroo Court for L.A.G.

As reported by Jerry Lynott of the Times Leader’s story W-B tower’s pact to be reviewed

A city official said Thursday a special panel will be created to review the contract with LAG Towing Inc., whose owner has come under fire for his fees and record keeping.

• Hold the phone, didn’t a Luzerne County Judge, The Office of Open Records, Several Citizens, and even Leo himself say he doesn’t any maintain records?

“The mayor’s going to accept council’s recommendation to form some type of committee,” said Drew Mc-Laugh-Lin, city administrative coordinator

• Oh thank god, for a second we were beginning to think our City Council was as powerless as Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant following the tsunami.

Still to be determined are who will sit on the committee and its time frame to conduct the review, said Mc-Laugh-Lin.

• I wonder, will it be hand pick cronies, or good honest taxpayers.

• I’m betting the expert in the field comes from The King’s besties over at Falzone.

• If The King truly wants to avoid suspicion he would pick any one of the 6 board member from The Wilkes Barre City Taxpayers Association. Any ONE of them would do.

The mayor also plans to discuss with each of the five council members their concerns on the issue, said Mc-Laugh-Lin.

• In other words, The King will tell council once again what to think of all this.

The lone dissenter, Councilman Tony George, failed to gather support for his call to end the contract. He accused LAG owner Leo Glodzik of price gouging and failing to respond to the city’s request for receipts of towed vehicles.

George said Thursday he made his position “very clear” last week. “I have not changed my position,” he said.

• Thank you councilman George for your efforts, and for being the only honest council-member in Da Hood, I know it’s a rough job, but at least the taxpayers have ONE!

George said he said the paperwork and documents he collected on LAG were handed over to council President Mike Merritt.

• Is it me or does anyone else hear that old Life Cereal ad, “hey let's get Mikey” and we all know what The King will tell Mikey, “hey mikey he likes it”!!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Gas Gate Mc-Laugh-Lin Style

Terrie Morgan-Besecker of the Times Leader has done a remarkable job covering Gas Gate. 

In-Fact without Terrie doing what the city should have done, and that is comparing its fuel logs against the inventory logs to see if it balanced, we might never have known The King & Co. were having their way with Our Gas.

As reported by Wake Up Wilkes Barre yesterday gas is still seeping through the City’s old but improved accounting system.

For instance, on July 3 the tank measurement shows 230 gallons of gasoline were removed, while the log shows 234.7 gallons were dispensed. The diesel fuel tank reading shows 159 gallons were removed, whereas the log shows 165.3 gallons being dispensed.

Drew Mc-Laugh-Lin, the city’s administrative coordinator, said DPW officials have been reconciling the logs and tank reports daily. If there is a discrepancy that seems higher than what would be expected, they are reviewing surveillance tapes of cameras that record the pumps to try to determine what happened.

• Isn’t that what the Taxpayers Group asked you to do back in October?

Mc-Laugh-Lin said DPW “flagged” the July 10 and July 13 readings noted by The Times Leader.

• GOOD JOB again TL for telling Mc-Laugh-Lin where to look!

“A request was made for surveillances tapes of those days to show what the issues were. Did someone forget to fill out the log? If so, what department? That will be addressed with them,” Mc-Laugh-Lin  said.

• Good God Drew, I sure hope you don’t get the same excuse the Taxpayers got, when they asked to see the tapes, “due to a recent change in surveillance system at the Department of Public Works garage, the requested surveillance (i.e., April, 2012) does not exist.”

Mc-Laugh-Lin said the improvement in accounting for fuel is a testament to the city’s efforts to address issues that led to the problems.“We said before we take the issue very seriously.”

• Thank you Drew, for doing NOW what you should have done all along, and that’s YOUR JOB!!!!!

Every inch of gasoline needs to be accounted for,” Mc-Laugh-Lin said. “We have gotten better, but there are a few discrepancies.”

• Oh Drew, now you sound like a member of the Wilkes Barre City Taxpayers Association!

Watch The Pump:

The city has begun stationing an employee at the fuel pumps at the Department of Public Works building to ensure fuel logs are being accurately filled out, administrative coordinator Drew Mc-Laugh-Lin confirmed Wednesday.

Mc-Laugh-Lin said the city opted to place an employee at the pumps as part of its efforts to ensure the logs are accurately filled out.

• Thank goodness Drew I thought that man was sleeping in that chair!

Mc-Laugh-Lin said. “We are still putting the emphasis on city employees to follow procedures, but if manpower is available, we are assigning them to the pumps.”

• Drew stop riding our city employees like circus ponies, when you know as well as we do that the “employees” have ALWAYS logged out their gas, it’s the King & Ken that were stealing it. 

• I know let’s assign an employee to follow the KING, and then we might really know what’s going on! 

• Drew you know as well as we do that the “employees” have ALWAYS logged out their gas, it’s the King & Ken that were stealing it, let’s assign an employee to fallow the KING, then we might really know what’s going on!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• City keeping better tabs on fuel

• Wilkes-Barre employees watching pumps now

Gas Gate Investigation

Karen Ceppa-Hirko sat before city council last October with concerns about the lack of oversight at the city fuel pumps.

• LAST OCTOBER????

The D.A. weighs in

"It was an easy decision to investigate," Salavantis said, "because once you look at the basis of the complaint, that there are 18,000 gallons of gas that are alleged to be missing, I believe an investigation is warranted."

• Oh sweet naive Stephanie  

Criminal tax attorney Greg McCauley told The Citizens' Voice on Monday that finding fault with city officials would be tricky because of the lack of a paper trail. 

Salavantis said Tuesday she hoped to overcome that by looking at surveillance footage and photographs, interviewing witnesses and looking into the city's policies.

Drew Mc-Laugh-lin said the Department of Public Works, which houses the fuel pumps, keeps footage for only three or four weeks. 

• So then why is it when the taxpayers requested the April 2012 video on May 01, 2012 they were told NO VIDEO!!!

Just a thought here D.A. but video recovering software, take the hard drives, also it should be noted that the DWP cameras are network cameras viewable in the KINGS office in real time.

We know this because the KING calls DPW to yell at Mr. Pahler when he thinks he sees the DPW employees doing nothing.

"I just want justice," Ceppa-Hirko added.

• As do we all Karen but the authorities will once again prove their worth. Or lack thereof!

City spokesman Drew Mc-Laugh-lin said the city has already taken steps to correct its lax record keeping at the city pumps.

As a result of not being able to account for 18,000 gallons of fuel, Mc-Laugh-lin said the Department of Public Works is now comparing - daily - its written logs with the computer-generated copy. That way, he said, if the data doesn't match up perfectly, the DPW can check its surveillance cameras to see who didn't sign the log.

• FYI Ken is still not filling out the log, and yet you do noting!

• Fix the barn door after as they say, right Mc-Laugh-Lin, when you could have listened to Karen back in October.

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

DA's office joins case of missing W-B gasoline

Gas Gate Goes Criminal?

It looks as if the state has begun a criminal investigation into “Gas Gate” but Allison Roberts of the Department of Revenue said if any wrongdoing is uncovered; such investigations are then forwarded to the state Attorney General's Office for prosecution.

• GREAT: Off to J.J.’s POP for a look-see! 

• I wonder how that will turn out?

"Any penalties or consequences depend on what actions are uncovered," Roberts added Monday.

• Well let’s see here Mrs. Roberts, how about city officials allowing their kids to fill up at the city gas provider’s stations, and bill the taxpayers? 

Criminal tax attorney and author Greg McCauley, of West Chester, said any investigation that involves the bureau is taken seriously. He labeled investigators "very thorough" and "very competent," but believed the case still leaned in favor of city officials.

Unless the bureau decides to charge officials for sloppy record-keeping, he said, theft of the fuel - or filling up private vehicles for personal reasons - will likely be difficult to prove because of the lack of paperwork.

"If any one of the political insiders are saying, 'I used the fuel, but I did so to benefit the town itself,' then I don't think there's any problem with that," McCauley said. "But 18,000 gallons is a lot of fuel to not have any records for."

• OK we have a better chance of seeing GOD then expecting THUGS to admit their crimes! 

• Besides 18,000 gallons over ONLY 6 months, for a city ONLY 7 Sq Miles! 

• Is the King driving around the city aimlessly? 

• Wake Up Investigators, and start interviewing the DPW workers who know The King, His Kin, Ken, His Kin, and now LAG have all been filling up on our dime.

"Eighteen-thousand gallons is a lot of fuel, but it is probably more of a book-keeping error than any criminal wrongdoing," council President Mike Merritt said Monday. "At least I would hope so."

• Wake Up Mikey you know as well as we do, who’s been filling up.

Bob Kadluboski the person who filed the criminal complaint said “I’m sure if it goes criminal we’ll know more, At least we have someone doing something now.”

• Don’t hold your breath Bob, and remember this is Pennsylvania “Land of Corruption”

David R. Kraus, chief counsel for the Department of Revenue made statements like

“The issues you raise, if proven, are serious.”

“Please be assured that we are handling this matter promptly and seriously,”

• Translation: Don’t hold your breath BOB, we can’t charge the King, he has way too many friends in high places!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source: 

• Wilkes-Barre's missing fuel leads to criminal investigation

• State criminal unit probes missing Wilkes-Barre fuel

Lies from LAG

Thursday night, council opted not to start termination proceedings against LAG and Leo Glodzik and instead voted to ask the administration to create a review panel.

“I welcome it,” Glodzik said Saturday. “Because every question they have I have an answer for it.”

• Then why have you been dodging Judge Gelb?

• Or is it because Leo knows what we all know. As long as he continues to Bribe the King the Bobbleheads won’t do anything!

“I had to go to the meeting to defend my name,” said Glodzik

• WOW now that must be a daunting task.

The people who complained to council about LAG had done so before and fabricated their stories, he said.

• Like the statements that an accountant would shred records every month and a half?

Please see affidavits from Leo, and "Dewey, Cheatem & Howe" 

• Affidavit of THOMAS P. RAINEY
• Affidavit of Leo A Glodzik, III

• Or that any police chief would tell you to prove a copy of a license, insurance card, title, and or registration card, during a Right to Know, but shred receipts to protect the identity of the towed.

• Yep, Lying Leo, it’s the complainers fabricating their stories!

• FYI, their (the complainers) story hasn’t changed a bit, NOT ONCE!!!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source: 

Tower says he welcomes scrutiny

Mobster like Tactics

Councilman Tony George motioned to recommend the mayor fire city contractor LAG Towing, but not one of the other bobbleheads would second the motion.

"Have courage!" yelled one resident. "Wimps!" said another.

• I have another word to describe the lack of courage but even the internet has its limitations.

Leighton responded his administration stays on top of complaints about contractors.

• Oh ya I bet he does, the King and Leo have an understanding! The King is under, and Leo is standing!!

The King said “When we do get a complaint we act on it,” he said and dismissed George’s motion saying there was “no reason to terminate the contract.”

• Yet in former news articles the King couldn’t offer ONE instance when clemency was granted to a citizen, NOT ONE!

“I want to look at this very methodically, very carefully and very analytically to ensure that everyone’s being treated fairly,” said Barrett. The last time the towing contract was terminated, the city ended up in federal court and paid Bob Kadluboski a couple hundred thousand dollars, said Barrett.

• Wake Up Bobblehead Bill, and please remove your head from the Kings backside so you get this. 
• The last towing contractor wasn’t stealing cars either!

“Tom Leighton’s not going to fire Leo Glodzik unless Tom Leighton gets bribed by somebody,” said Kadluboski.

• The King actually shook his head in agreement!

Mobster like Tactics

LAG Towing owner Leo Glodzik sat before council with a prepared speech - but offered few explanations. Instead, he criticized coverage by The Citizens' Voice, chastised City-Wide towing operator Bob Kadluboski for towing vehicles during a funeral, called out Frank Sorick, president of the Wilkes-Barre City Taxpayers' Association, and referred to the regular critics of city government as "hateful people."

"And Mr. George," Glodzik said, "the receipt won't be there for you when you came into my lot and asked me not to charge your relative."

• Attacking a sitting councilman for asking you not to RAPE his relative years prior to being elected. WOW Leo is dumber then he looks, and I didn’t think that was possible!!

• Attacking the Citizens Voice for printing the truth about you, and your former father-in-laws slimy "Dewey, Cheatem & Howe" accounting firm?

• Attacking CityWide for towing from a funeral. WOW that’s as bad as LAG towing from the Meyers High School Graduation.

• Or attacking Frank Sorick for escrowing his taxes, and having them arrive late every year since 2001.

• I have news for you, Mob-Son-In-Law, or former as it may be. After paying for free gas, home security systems, and other no bid rip off contractors like yourself, most taxpayers don’t have a choice but to either escrow, or pay late. Some find themselves in bankruptcy because of shysters like you, and the King. 

• It’s not like they can bribe police with champagne, and have an unlimited supply of customers to RAPE!

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• W-B council offers another chance to towing contractor
• W-B City Council to review towing