Comments on: EXCLUSIVE: Doherty gubernatorial run seems a sure shot (Updated)

By: mike

mike — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:20:13 +0000

Doherty won’t get into the state house. Scranton Voters are mentally challenged..not the whole state. Doherty may have his cronies backing him up…but believe me..Jack wagner will show him the door with ease. Unfortunately, We the scranton residents will have to endure 4 more years of political promises and financial pain.

By: Obamarox

Obamarox — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:23:14 +0000

This last post is the essence of our problems as a country: people in the middle class and the working class are being sold out by Ds and Rs. The corporatist Ds like Clinton, Rahm. Onorato, Rendell and Doherty will bow to their masters and be well rewarded. Those are the pols we need to keep out of office and maybe we can get the Wall Street crowd reined in.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:58:03 +0000

PAguy,

He won by under 1000 votes after spending $360,000 in a primary. Does that sound a little much for a mayoral race in a small city? A read an article in the Patriot News in Harrisburg about how appauled everyone was that two councilpersons spent less than $100,000 to run for mayor. Doherty spent over 1.2 million to win his second term. Those numbers are hard to overcome and that’s why he was re-elected twice. He shook down every vendor the city uses to raise that kind of money. If you think Rendell is a free spender, you haven’t seen anything yet.

By: Ray Lyman

Ray Lyman — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:54:17 +0000

Whus dis Doherty doin runnin 4 govner? I’m gonna get my friend Max to call da fedral attorney genral.

By: Joe Pilchesky

Joe Pilchesky — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:39:26 +0000

I’m a carpenter and ex-convict from Scranton. Chris Doherty is my mayor. I give him a hard time every now and then, but he’s been very effective. He also treats me fairly despite my criminal history. God bless him.

By: PA Guy

PA Guy — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:07:21 +0000

Margaret,

If it’s so bad in Scranton, how come Doherty won the Democratic AND Republican (as a write-in) primary in May? If it’s as bad as you say, how come he’s about to get elected to his third term?

By: Margaret

Margaret — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:56:12 +0000

Folks,
A few things you need to know about Doherty, straight from a Scrantonian who has lived through his nightmare.
When Doherty took office, we had 35 million of long term debt and an operating budget surplus of of 2.2 million.
Today, our long term debt is approaching 300 million and our operating budget surplus has dwindled to a 6 million deficit.

When he took office we had 175 police officers and 150 firemen and a budget of 52 million.
Today we have 150 police officers and 140 firemen and our budget has grown to 80+ million. We have tons of new crony hires in city hall, all non-union, in the parking authority and the sewer authority.
Our taxes have been raised just over 26%. Our sewer rates have jumped over 100% during his terms. Our parking rates have doubled also.
It was all to pay for his spending habits and patronage job creations.
He dumped over 300 million of local state ands federal money into the downtown and now we have many newly remodled buildings that are completely empty. Our long time businesses are leaving at a rate of 15 to 20 per year. Pay to play politics has reached a new height. If you donate to Doherty’s campaigns, he will reward you with contracts. (many without the bidding procedure.
Our police officers and firemen have been without a contract OR RAISE in over 8 years. Our police by their own cruisers (I kid you not) and lease them back to the city so they are ensured a safe vehicle to patrol with. Doherty spend over 1.2 million in his first reelection campaign and over 360 thousand in May’s primary race. This city has 65,000 people and the job pays $55000. Sound a little much for a mayoral race? I could go on and on. He will destroy what’s left of this state, as he’s done with our fair city.

By: samharmon

samharmon — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:39:33 +0000

In reference to the police/fire union issues in Scranton, things have been incredibly contentious. However, the city won a big decision in state court earlier this year. It all has to do with whether an arbitrator can rule in favor of a union and give it an award that it is direct conflict with provisions in the Act 47 distressed city law.

Doherty was completely behind Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary. Lackawanna County’s democratic committee people were completely behind Obama. Clinton took Lackawanna County 65% – 35%.

By: Jon Geeting

Jon Geeting — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:49:24 +0000

Will someone list the candidates in order from most conservative to most progressive? I think a lot of PA Dems still have a 2000 outlook where, as this telling goes, we can’t nominate someone too progressive or someone from the Southeast because the rest of the state is too conservative. That logic didn’t hold in the last two elections. We don’t have to settle for a conservadem. I’m not saying we can get away with nominating a Dennis Kucinich, but we also don’t have to timidly line up behind Onorato either. Right now I’m leaning toward Wagner, Hoeffel, and I’m giving Onorato an honest look too. I don’t know anything about Doherty. What happened with the unions?

By: obamarox

obamarox — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:34:30 +0000

Marge, I just disagree that spending a lot of money on ‘consultants’ equates to seriousness. I look at Washington and see a disaster in the making on health care because consultants and experts (read lobbysits) are too involved. The problems are serious and the solutions are obvious. If you are in government, step up and make a call and then explain it to people. It really is not that difficult. Of course, the consultants want you to pay them huge sums of money and proclaim how essential they are. They are not.