Paul's letter to the editor in today's paper (Allentown, Reading: crime rates, house)

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I practically DO live in the city, as I can look out our north-facing windows and see the city lights and even run on my workouts to within two miles of its city limits.

This line made me laugh, it truly did. Like the cat sitting in the window waiting to be let out.

I don't think I really said anything that was mis-informed about Scranton, with the exception of population. As a matter of fact, I took offense that you were knocking other cities when comparing them to The Holy Land. Most of my posts were about schools and living in suburbia, nothing real specific about Scranton.

Now please turn off your computer and look lovingly out your windows to Scranton.

Hey, I can make out part of the citizens bank sign from my back porch, that means I'm a resident of WB. WooHoo!

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I don't know very much about Harrisburg, Allentown, Binghamton, etc.

But yet you know enough about these cities to slam them in an earlier post? Implying that people should drive through these hell holes (my words, not yours) and come back to Scranton to see how lucky they are.

I have never professed any great knowledge about NE PA cities, but a city is a city and they all share common problems.

[Chefkey]

LOL Lehigh, I can see that sign from my perch in the Heights as well. On a clear night I think I can see SWB's lights of Scranton too.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Lehigh Valley Native

This line made me laugh, it truly did. Like the cat sitting in the window waiting to be let out.

I don't think I really said anything that was mis-informed about Scranton, with the exception of population. As a matter of fact, I took offense that you were knocking other cities when comparing them to The Holy Land. Most of my posts were about schools and living in suburbia, nothing real specific about Scranton.

Now please turn off your computer and look lovingly out your windows to Scranton.

Hey, I can make out part of the citizens bank sign from my back porch, that means I'm a resident of WB. WooHoo!

Anyone who views Wilkes-Barre Township as a separate entity from Wilkes-Barre, Pittston Township as a separate entity from Pittston, Roaring Brook Township as a separate entity from Scranton, etc. is doing nothing but feeding this argument of provincialism. PA, overall, is struggling because it is one of the most politically-fragmented states in the nation. Why do the vast majority of our state's townships and boroughs have under 5,000 residents? Why do each of these little "fiefdoms" need their OWN police departments, fire departments, DPWs, board of supervisors/council, etc.? I'm a fan of intermunicipal cooperation. There's no reason why Avoca and Dupont, both of which are struggling to upkeep their own services, couldn't merge their communities to become Duvoca or Avocont, for example. There's no reason why Wyoming can't absorb West Wyoming. There's no reason why Wilkes-Barre couldn't absorb Wilkes-Barre Township (and capture all of those lucrative businesses). There's no reason why Luzerne couldn't absorb Pringle and Courtdale. There's no reason why Bear Creek Township couldn't absorb Bear Creek Village. There's no reason Foster Township couldn't absorb Jeddo. I could go on and on for hours if I wanted to just to illustrate how WASTEFUL this provincial fiefdom mentality is. Similarly, when there's a fire in Scranton, neighboring communities dispatch THEIR departments to lend a helping hand as well. If and when Wilkes-Barre ever repeats the Agnes Flood, I'm sure Scranton will be there to help out. I view myself as a resident of NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, not of one of these stupid little fiefdoms that were important during the mining heydays and now mean nothing. I view my neighbors NOT as merely those whose property lines abut ours in our subdivision, but also as those who live in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, West Pittston, etc.

You can see the Wilkes-Barre skyline from your home? Well, then, you SHOULD consider yourself a resident of the city and keep abreast on ways to help to see it succeed. Plains Township, Kingston, Laurel Run, or wherever it is you reside would be an awful place to live if you lost all of the amenities that Wilkes-Barre has to offer. I can likewise see that living in Pittston Township would be pointless without Nay Aug Park, the Scranton Cultural Center, Mall at Steamtown, etc. which is why I care so deeply about the worrisome future of the Electric City.

By and large, this "I live in Scranton, and you live a mile away in Moosic so keep your mouth shut" mentality needs to stop. If the person in question has researched his/her argument, has thorough knowledge of the other city, and wants to express his/her idea to help the city in question, then why prohibit that? I might have been a bit quick to judge you, and I apologize, but I was getting an "uppity" vibe off of you that I didn't appreciate at all.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Lehigh Valley Native

But yet you know enough about these cities to slam them in an earlier post? Implying that people should drive through these hell holes (my words, not yours) and come back to Scranton to see how lucky they are.

I have never professed any great knowledge about NE PA cities, but a city is a city and they all share common problems.

I have researched these cities ON PAPER for hours to the point where I know that they ALL have higher crime rates than Scranton while the residents of that city do nothing but complain about how "bad" they all have it. My research in terms of driving through the cores of most of these cities also proves to me that Downtown Scranton's redevelopment as of late is LIGHT YEARS ahead of the curve, much to the chagrin of those who think the downtown doesn't have anything to offer. I get tired of people who have nice things and don't appreciate them, which is why when people slam Scranton (or Wilkes-Barre for that matter, which is a notch down from Scranton in my opinion but is still a great place to live), I feel compeled to remind them that the grass is NOT always greener in other cities that they benchmark us to. Look me straight in the eye and tell me the quality-of-life in the urban cores of Camden, Reading, Harrisburg, etc. is better than it is in the core of Scranton (or Wilkes-Barre for that matter). How could you possibly make the comparison? Apparently I touched a nerve with the Allentown comment, but have you compared the crime rate lately between that city and Scranton? Even with 30,000 more residents or so, there is no excuse for the disparity.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I practically DO live in the city, as I can look out our north-facing windows and see the city lights and even run on my workouts to within two miles of its city limits. It's only about eight miles door-to-door from my home to the city line, so I don't know why everyone refers to me as an "outsider?"

I actually do live in the city. Nothing "practically" or "almost" about it. You do not. Plain and simple. You live 8 miles from the city line. You do not live here, you do not work here, you do not go to school here. You are an outsider. I don't see what can possibly be so confusing about it.

Have all the opinions about Scranton that you want to have. Fantasize all you want about your civil union residing in downtown Scranton in an as yet undeveloped apartment, living your dream career at an as yet established firm in the downtown. No one here is denying you that. What we are getting pretty tired of is that given all of this, you still feel that it is your place to tell any of us what is best for us, or what we need, or what we should embrace. Jeez, I don't want to hear that crap from Dan, and he lives here, too. Do you really think I want to hear it from a kid from Pittston who hasn't lived in Scranton a single day in his life?

And it's not that outsiders aren't welcome here. That's not true at all and you know it. It's self professed, presumptuous, arrogant know-it-alls (not unlike yourself) who have all the "right" solutions for everything ailing the city who are going to be waiting a mighty long time for a welcome mat to be rolled out to them. You're 21 years old with no practical life experience, forcing your utopian fantasies on everyone. As long as you continue to do so, you'd better get used to confrontation.

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

You can see the Wilkes-Barre skyline from your home? Well, then, you SHOULD consider yourself a resident of the city and keep abreast on ways to help to see it succeed. Plains Township, Kingston, Laurel Run, or wherever it is you reside would be an awful place to live if you lost all of the amenities that Wilkes-Barre has to offer. I can likewise see that living in Pittston Township would be pointless without Nay Aug Park, the Scranton Cultural Center, Mall at Steamtown, etc. which is why I care so deeply about the worrisome future of the Electric City.

Yes, I live in Kingston. Although I have lived here only a short time, I have been visiting this area with great frequency for the past 8 years. As far as WB is concerned, it could burn to the ground tomorrow and the impact on me would be minimal. I don't go into WB for much of anything, unless I am driving somewhere else. Museums? We go to Philly, NYC or D.C. Nightlife? having 3 kids has put a kink in that, but we use to go down to Manayunk. Shopping? Wilkes Barre Twp has everything we need. Malls? We drive down to the Lehigh Valley or KOP mall. Steamtown is too small and the one in WB is too run down. Parks? Kirby park is scary, filthy and not a pleasant place. We truly miss the city parks in Allentown and the suburban playground/miniparks, I suppose we will go to Ricketts Glenn or try the one out in Scranton.
No one place holds the keys of life for everyone, someone will always need something that is somewhere else. I have no qualms driving to where my family will have the most fun, in the most comfortable setting.

[CHS89]

Heh, I have at least half a dozen Red Sox caps, a jacket, 4 t-shirts, and a jersey. I can also name the starters, field dimensions, mailing address to Fenway, and know the pitching rotation by heart. By SWB's logic, I should get a World Series ring in April.

I'll post back if that logic holds up....

[CHS89]

I bet you can see the stars on a clear night. Ever consider yourself a Martian?

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by CHS89

I bet you can see the stars on a clear night. Ever consider yourself a Martian?

Very funny. On this lighter note, I'm bowing out of this discussion before Yac comes and smacks us around as he likes to do. I'll leave you all with a self-portrait: