Controller Question Number 1

Here is the first question posed to the six candidates who are running for Luzerne County Controller. This is the first of a series of questions.

Question 1: What will be your top priority as controller?

Nanda Palissery

Top priority is getting the audits completed on time and reorganizing the office to work more efficiently. I also intend to devise a protocol to meet with and communicate with the commissioners and all department heads on a regular basis to discuss county spending and a procedure whereby future contracts may be reviewed in advance of execution.

Bob Sypniewski

DID NOT ANSWER

Edd Brominski

Establishing a system whereby each bill submitted has a code verifying payment..i.e. Authorized by BID, Office Holder , less than required amount necessary for bid or emergency as some examples.

Alice Coffman

Have financial reports brought up to date. This is very crucial to have up to date information available to the public and for budget purposes. The most recent Financial Statements are for December 31, 2006 issued January 7, 2009. This absolutely amazes me. I believe it is due to the lack of experience.

Bob Morgan

My top priority will be to use my real world business experience to provide leadership in the Controller's office for the citizens of Luzerne County. I believe our next Controller needs to review and reorganize the functions of the office to ensure that we meet the required responsibilities in a timely fashion. I believe our internal audit staff needs to grow in irder to complete the tasks required of the office which include internal audits of the row offices, tax collectors and magisterial offices. I would also look toward expanding the audit oversight to include all county department and agencies and the Luzerne County Community College which receives approximately 5% of the county budget but is not currently audited by the Controller's Office. While many of the agencies, LCCC for example, are audited by state and federal government agencies I believe the Controller's office should also be responsible for oversight in these areas as well.

I believe my over 20 years experience in the financial services field will allow me to bring a unique perspective to the the Controller's office. I will use this experience especially in my role as a member of the Retirement Board which is responsible for the management of the county retirement plan. I pledge to be an active advocate for the taxpayers and the employees of Luzerne County to ensure this plan is managed in a sound and responsible way. I believe my prior life experience, especially my years of working with large corporate retirement plans, provides a level of professionalism not previously evident on the Retirement Board. This asset pool must be managed in a sound and prudent fashion because the effect on the greater budget can be devastating, as an example we are faced with a $17 million deficit which will require the taxpayers to take on additional levels of debt, 2/3 of this deficit represents the $11 million Annual Required Contribution for the pension plan. I believe the Board will benefit from taking a proactive approach to managing our retirement liability that will have a positive effect on the taxpayers in the long run.

Walter Griffith
1. My Top Priority will be to bring to the Controller's Office a person that will be there every day from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM so that if there are any questions or concerns from any of the staff or Commissioners, I will be there to answer them and to direct the staff in the office. I will not be a "Phone Call" Controller.

2. The second priority is to get the audits completed so that the County will comply with the DCED Guidelines and therefore allow the County to become eligible to recieve loans from the State.

3. The third Priority is to make sure that all County Contracts and Bids for contracts are followed according to the County Code that states that all contracts must be bid.

Financial Reports Due Tomorrow

The 10 day Pre-election finance reports are due tomorrow. The UNIVAC 3000 has just had its tune up by Buzz and is ready to work overtime. We will be reviewing as many reports as we can, and we will bring you as much info as we can.

Stay tuned.

Breaking News: Controller Candidate Caught in 1993 "Prostitution Sting"

I was once told by a political consultant that before you decide to run for public office, you should “search your closet” for your “deepest, darkest skeleton,” and if you can live with that “skeleton” appearing on the front page of the newspaper, go ahead an place your name on the ballot. One of those skeletons has emerged from the closet of Luzerne County Republican Controller candidate Walter Griffith's closet in the form of a criminal citation for patronizing a prostitute in July of 1993.

We have afforded Griffith the opportunity to respond, and he has done so. His response is posted below.

Once you place your name on the ballot, everything becomes fair game. It is this very thing that deters many fine persons from ever seeking political office.

In this age of the twenty four hour news cycle, which includes anyone with a computer and the urge or will to blog, the public scrutiny of even candidates for minor offices has become intense. The public’s right to know has become great and, at some times, insatiable.

We do not take our obligations as bloggers lightly. We try our best not to engage in rumor or gossip, and we steer away from personal attacks and try to give an objective viewpoint based upon facts.

We consulted many a trusted friend today on the decision to post or not to post. Many asked us not to post this article because of its remoteness to present day and for the sake of Walter Griffith’s family. We struggled today with the decision, but decided the public is the ultimate arbitrator of whether or not Griffith’s actions 16 years ago are relevant to his ability to serve as Luzerne County Controller.

We strongly believe a public official or public office seeker’s family’s private lives are off limits, but we also strongly believe that the private actions of a public official or office seeker are fair game.

Harry Truman is famously quoted as saying, “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” In the spirit of those words of wisdom, “if you don’t want your private life made public, don’t run for public office.”

We are not personally swayed or influenced in the least bit by remote and distant private actions of candidates for public office which do not directly affect that person’s ability to carry out the duties of the office which he or she seeks. People are human, and it is through mistakes and misdeeds that we learn. Squeaky clean politicians scare us, but not everyone thinks that way. Some look to the private actions of a politician, regardless of their remoteness, as an important indication of one’s public character.

We make no comment on the incident or Griffith's account of his actions that night. The public will be the ultimate judge.

Here is Griffith's account of the incident in his own words:

"The incident happened on July 16th 1993 on my 40th birthday and I went to the place on S Main St to pick up my sister in law to go out and have a few drinks to celebrate my birthday, because my wife was working and could not go with us. My sister in Law worked for an answering service in the building directly in front of where the "Sting Operation" was being performed.

While I was waiting outside of the building, I was asked by an undercover Policewoman, what I was doing there and I explained I was waiting for someone and then I was told to drive around the rear of the building and there I was arrested for soliciting a prostitute.

I appeared before Magistrate Collins and was found not guilty but paid a fine for loitering.

I apologized to my wife at the time and have asked God for forgiveness for this incident even though I, in my opinion, was not doing anything wrong, other than going to celebrate my 40th birthday and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

This incident happened 16 years ago and I have changed my life and am a new person and that is what I am inside and outside."

Controller Bios

Today we begin our extended Luzerne County Controller coverage. We begin with bios submitted by the candidates pursuant to our questionnaire. The order in which they are presented has been selected by the UNIVAC 3000.

Edd Brominski

1980/1983 Luzerne County Commissioner.... Balanced the budget each year ( I was Chairman the last 3 of those 4 years). Married to my first wife Dee (only wife) for 48 years. Two Children Ed Jr. and Lynn. Two Grandsons, Randy and Scott Salus. I taught for 15 years, was Mayor of Swoyersville for 4 years, worked in Insurance sales and management for 8 years , was the Director of the Assessement office in the county for 7 1/2 years, and worked as a medical prescriptions sales person for 5 years. Retired in 2005.

Walter Griffith

My name is Walter L. Griffith JR. and I am currently 54 years old and a lifelong resident of Luzerne County. I currently own and manage my own Auto Repair business and have done so very successfully since 1989. I am also very active in managing an organization that is responsible to submit a budget and balance our books each year, as well as organize and facilitate the operation of an organization that covers 4 states.

I currently have been very active in Wilkes-Barre City Government, as well as Luzerne County Government, and have been very active in the daily operations of these governments for the taxpayers of the City and County and have made much progress in being sure that our elected officials are held accountable to “us” the taxpayers.

I am running as your County Controller and have demonstrated time and time again my desire to represent each and every taxpayer and citizen in Luzerne County by my constant asking of the “tough questions” of your elected officials and will continue to do this on your behalf if elected as your County Controller in 2009.

I represented “YOU” the taxpayers when the County Commissioners were going to plunge the County into more debt with regard to the 16 million dollar loan and was successful in representing “YOU” by having that amount reduced to only 5.6 Million.

I also was at the meetings to represent “YOU” when the Debit Card issue was happening and the feel the Controller should have known about this long before the people were swindled out of thousands of dollars.

I was at the courthouse when 21^st Century Appraisals were doing our appraisals in a very shoddy and haphazard way that has cost the taxpayers of this County thousands of dollars.

I was at the Courthouse when the Salary Board was not functioning according to the law of the County Code as well and was very instrumental in helping your elected officials cut spending by my information.

My background politically is very simple…I am not related to any one in Luzerne County that works in the courthouse and I will not bankrupt my moral or ethic character to get elected to any position in government.

Alice Coffman

EDUCATION:

• Hazleton Senior High School, 1984
• Penn State Hazleton Campus, May 1986. Associates Degree in Business Administration

• Bloomsburg University, Magna Cum Laude, December 1992, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in Accounting.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Self-employed CPA, dba Coffman & Associates, located in Conyngham, PA since July 1996, specializing in small business and individual accounting and tax matters. Served as auditor for the Luzerne County Children’s Home and United Charities in West Hazleton, PA.
• Parente Randolph, Hazleton, PA; auditor of financial statements of both profit and non-profit entities and pension funds, spring of 1994.
• Deloitte & Touche, Fogelsville, PA; auditor of financial statements for profit entities and the Pennsylvania State University system, December 1992.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

• None, this is my first time entering the political arena.

PERSONAL:

• Married August 25, 1990.
• No children, nine siblings, one deceased due to MS August 2008, twenty-six nieces/nephews, 10 great nieces/nephews, Parents both deceased.

Bob Sypniewski

DID NOT RESPOND

Bob Morgan

Bob Morgan is a lifelong resident of Luzerne County, born and raised in Kingston and currently residing in Fairview Township with his wife and two children.

He is a graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School and King's College where he received a B.A. in Government. While a student at King's he served an internship in the Washington office of Congressman Frank Harrison.

After graduation, Bob began a career in the financial services industry, beginning his career with Prudential Investments, one of the leading managers of retirement plans in the country. During his time at Prudential he served first as a Marketing Representative supporting the firm's regional pension sales representatives. In 1991, he began managing client relationships for a number of client's of the firm, eventually becoming an Account Executive with responsibilty for a team of service representatives who handled day to day operations for large corporate retirement plans with assets of over $750 million. Bob was also responsible for presenting semi-annual reports in face to face meetings with the Chief Financial Officers and pension trust committees of his team's plans.

In 1998, he joined Smith Barney as a Financial Consultant working with individuals managing their personal assets. During this time he managed a number of corporate 401(k) plans in the local community as well. At Smith Barney he attained the titles of Retirment Plan Consultant and Financial Planning Consultant. In 2006, Bob joined PNC Investments as a Senior Financial Consultant, earning the title of Assistant Vice President in 2007.

Bob has also served as Past President of the Friendly Sons of Greater Wilkes-Barre, served as Past Chair of the Awards Committee, and has served as a charter member of the committee for the organization's annual charity golf tournament. He is currently serving his 8th consecutive term, 13th in total, as Treasurer of the Friendly Sons. He is also a Past President, and past member of the Board of Trustees of the Wyoming Valley Serra Club. He and his wife have served as Chairpersons and sponsors of the Wyoming Valley March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction in 2007 and 2008.

Nanda Palissery

I am 43 years old. I was raised in South Wilkes-Barre and Hanover Township. I attended Middle/High school were at Wyoming Valley West.

I graduated from high school in 1983. I have a sister and two brothers. My father taught at Luzerne County Community College from 1967 through 2000. He died last November. My mom, who lives in Shavertown teaches at LCCC also.

I attended LCCC for two years, and then transferred on to Texas A&M University, where I graduated in 1989 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I worked for Westinghouse as an HVAC engineer and began law school at Temple University School of Law in 1990.

I graduated from law school in 1994. During the last 2 years of law school, I taught full time at LCCC in the areas of calculus, physics and laser technology. I opened my private practice in 1994 and have a general practice, with the bulk of my practice being criminal defense and civil litigation.

I am married since 1992, live in Dallas and have 3 beautiful girls 14, 13 and 10. They all attend Dallas school district schools.

My wife and I owned the Exit 6 bar in Luzerne for 5 years and ran it successfully until we sold it in
2006.

OVC Controller Questionnaire Answers Begin Tomorrow

OVC will begin its extended coverage of the Luzerne County Controller's Race. Nanda Palissery (R), Walter Griffith (R), Bob Morgan (D), Bob Sypniewski (R), and Alice Coffman (R) are pictured. Edd Brominski did not supply a photo.

A few weeks ago, the OVC staff sent a Controller questionnaire to the six candidates. Between now and May 19th, we will post their answers verbatim and without commentary.

OVC Hires Legal Correspondent

OVC is pleased to announce that they have added Bruce the legal correspondent to their staff. Bruce, pictured to the left, is a graduate of a Yale Law School and former Beechum County prosecutor.

Bruce will be commenting on legal issues of the day and handle all OVC legal matters, including copyright infringement, libel and slander actions, and various legal issues involving the registration and inspection of the microbus.

Bruce can be reached at brucehaller@yahoo.com.

CV's Coulter Jones wins the Yuri Andropov Award

Citizens' Voice "Beat Reporter" and "Community Watchdog" Coulter Jones has been awarded the prestigious OVC Yuri Andropov award. The "Yuri" is awarded to an individual who shows utter contempt for the Right of Free Speech. The Yuri was instituted by OVC in 2006 and is named after the former Soviet KGB Chief who fulfilled his childhood dream and became leader of the Soviet Union in 1982. Coulter will receive an autographed copy of Das Kapital, a fifth of Russian vodka, and a roll of duct tape.

In the May 2nd edition of the Citizens' Voice, Jones penned a column entitled "Campaign signs litter roadways as primary draws closer." To the staff, at OVC we love political signs and see them as one of the ultimate symbols of the democratic process and the Freedom of Speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. It is quite ironic and clearly in the spirit of Yuri that Coulter Jones would see signs as "litter."

Democracy is not always pretty and not always sterile. Unfortunately, the Coulter Joneses of this country want it to be that way. God forbid a couple of signs "litter" the public highways and byways.

Public spaces have always been a place where one can express his or her opinion. The pamphleteers who helped spawned the American Revolution used these public spaces to spread their message. The political signs in public spaces today are the pamphleteers of Colonial Times. Unfortunately, many local politicians don't understand this parallel.

Local townships pass anti free speech ordinances, because "everyone else is doing it," and because their solicitors don't tell them that what they're doing flies in the face of the First Amendment. Political speech is the cornerstone of the First Amendment, and laws which restrict it rarely meet the constitutional standard. The justification that political signs are "unsightly" or "litter" shows a deep misunderstanding of free speech guarantees of the First Amendment..

Don't get us wrong, after the election has passed, then the signs become litter. We have absolutely no problem with a township, a city, or borough requiring candidates to remove their signs within a reasonable time after the election.

The Wilkes-Barre City ordinance, to which Coulter refers in his column, is just plain unconstitutional, and Wilkes-Barre City should know better. The last time we checked, Wilkes-Barre City is not a First Amendment free zone.

And, as far as calling or e-mailing Coulter to notify him of signs that violate local ordinances, perhaps time would be better spent sending Coutler and the local officials a copy of the United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions, which both expressly prohibit such infringements on political speech.