Scranton Mayoral Debate: What a Disaster! (Wilkes-Barre, Washington: neighborhoods, schools, income)

[PITTSTON2SARASOTA]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Misericordia University hosts a gay author/activist who came to the campus merely to speak not to "persuade" people to "turn gay" or anything, and Bishop Martino had a coronary, threatening to revoke the university's Catholic affiliation if they didn't shut down their diversity institute, which was formed to try to preach tolerance for minorities (apparently only "certain" groups though). In a show of solidarity all local Catholic-oriented colleges allied themselves with Misericordia and stone-walled Martino, much to the dismay of many who then SLAMMED Misericordia from straying from its "rigid Catholicism." Catholicism doesn't condone homosexual actions (i.e. the "how do the parts fit together" arguments I hear the right-wingers ask all the time in their parts of debates because they're so "inquisitive" about our personal lives). However, it DOES recognize that someone can be of a differing sexual orientation and believes that this person can be a productive member of society if they stay as in-check as possible. Therefore, Martino doesn't even understand his own faith when he is encouraging the perpetuity of intolerance by saying gay people shouldn't be allowed to speak at a venue like Misericordia. If Martino was honestly THAT concerned he could mandate that a local college host a mandatory follow-up session after the speaker leaves, hosted by a campus religious official, to teach students where the church stands on such touchy issues. Instead, he just said to Misericordia "none of that!" and a lot of the local lesser-educated Catholics who think Martino's every word is ACCURATE followed him, blindly defending his actions and words like sheep being led to slaughter. Are people actually that stupid that they believe a person speaking at Misericordia can convince a student to "turn gay?"

I think Martino ought to be more concerned with the inappropriate actions of some of his own HETEROSEXUAL flock. For example, last night at The Woodlands the dance floor resembled an orgy with clothing comprised of nearly every upperclassman jock/cheerleader/popular kid at King's imaginable, most of whom (if not all) were drunk off their derrieres and grinding each other so hard I'm sure most of the guys were in "firm" situations, if you catch my drift! He lets stuff like that occur while slamming intellectual discussion about a "touchy" issue at another campus, which, as I said, could have been EASILY countered by him permitting such speakers to visit campuses as long as a follow-up faith-based discussion follows. Truly unbelievable the double-standards that STILL exist in this region.

OH god; DON'T get me going on this issue .....Miss California......lol..... check out www.365GayNews.com for details.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by go phillies

I don't really support building a new stadium now, with this economy and with all of the taxes we pay, a new stadium is not a necessity. I just wish they had been forward thinking enough to build it downtown in the first place. At this point, it would be a waste to abandon the stadium we have, even if its not in best location, or up to date with current trends. If the Yankees were going to fund a new downtown stadium with their own money, I'd be all for it, but not with tax dollars at this point in time.

Scranton and Wilkes-Barre BOTH missed out on prime opportunities to rejuvenate their downtown corridors in 1989 and 1999, respectively, when both PNC Field (then the mouthful known as the Lackawanna County Multi-Purpose Stadium) and the Wachovia Arena (then known as the First Union or "F.U." Arena) were built in the suburbs. Ideally the Coal Street realignment in Wilkes-Barre should have occurred sooner with the extension to Union Street as a gateway directly to the core, and the arena could have been built on the large empty tract of land adjacent to the Jewelcor Building along Wilkes-Barre Boulevard. Scranton could have built the stadium either along Providence Road on or near the site of the present-day Scranton High School or on the tract of land near the Steamtown rail yards that was referenced in a Times-Tribune article last year.

While people in Scranton would whine like cry-babies about having to drive into Downtown Wilkes-Barre to see the Penguins/Pioneers play, and people in Wilkes-Barre would similarly air grievances about having to drive to Downtown Scranton to see the Yankees play, over time residents of EACH city would stand down and realize what a positive long-term effect those locations would have upon helping the revitalization of BOTH cities. Instead we have embarrassing urban sprawl scenarios that are now irreversible around both venues---Montage Mountain (yuck!) and Wilkes-Barre Township's Highland Park district (double-yuck!!). Even without the arena's presence the latter still would have developed around the new busy I-81 Exit 168 interchange to capture all of the traffic headed down Coal Street to the arena, but, as an added bonus, the CITY PROPER would have noticed some nice bars, restaurants, and shops pop up as well (a new downtown lifestyle center at the nearby eyesore called Market Street Square would have likely been in the works by now). In Scranton's case the white-collar "posers" that thought they were "too good" for the city by building their shiny glass office buildings atop the mountain (Prudential, CIGNA, BoA, PNC, etc.) would have been feeling even more isolated due to the lack of mixed-use zoning up there (without the stadium's construction the exit from I-81 never would have been redesigned, and land values nearby never would have skyrocketed for commercial ventures), and many may have considered seeking downtown office space. I APPLAUD Kildare's for being the ONLY sensible business on Montage for its decision to relocate downtown, and I hope others follow suit. The Shoppes at Montage are by and large an EMBARRASSMENT anyways. What's so "upscale" about it besides the perhaps four or five stores (New York & Company, Talbot's, Ann Taylor Loft, Chico's, and Coldwater Creek) that truly fit that demographic? What's so alluring about a bunch of vacancies and tearing businesses OUT of Downtown Scranton and pushing them out to suburbia (The Gap comes to mind)? What's so "high-end" and "unique" about Hallmark, Hot Topic, Christmas Tree Shop, etc.? That entire mountain should have NEVER been permitted to be scalped into the disgusting case study of sprawl it is today---imagine how much more VIBRANT Downtown Scranton would be if Cinemark had instead taken over the gross Marquee Cinema, if all of those aforementioned major employers had instead retro-fitted existing downtown buildings (or now decide to build in the new Mt. Pleasant Corporate Park within walking distance to downtown), if all of the white-collars living in Glenmaura were instead living in Green Ridge, The Hill, or, best of all, in upscale downtown condos, etc.?

Elected officials and urban planners in this area have NO foresight.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by PITTSTON2SARASOTA

OH god; DON'T get me going on this issue .....Miss California......lol..... check out www.365GayNews.com for details.

The Miss California issue is actually one that I thought was VERY unfair and made Perez Hilton look more like a pompous and aggressive left-wing know-it-all than anything else. I respect the opinions of those who, like Miss California, think marriage ought to be reserved only between a man and a woman. She was FREE to speak her mind and shouldn't have been slammed into the ground for it by the liberal media. I'm sure the only reason why people did enough "digging" to uncover all of her nude photos was due to her response. Otherwise her crown wouldn't be in jeopardy today.

[blip]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

The Miss California issue is actually one that I thought was VERY unfair and made Perez Hilton look more like a pompous and aggressive left-wing know-it-all than anything else. I respect the opinions of those who, like Miss California, think marriage ought to be reserved only between a man and a woman. She was FREE to speak her mind and shouldn't have been slammed into the ground for it by the liberal media. I'm sure the only reason why people did enough "digging" to uncover all of her nude photos was due to her response. Otherwise her crown wouldn't be in jeopardy today.

This is getting way off topic!

(PS- Live by the moralistic knife, die by the moralistic knife.)

[PITTSTON2SARASOTA]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

The Miss California issue is actually one that I thought was VERY unfair and made Perez Hilton look more like a pompous and aggressive left-wing know-it-all than anything else. I respect the opinions of those who, like Miss California, think marriage ought to be reserved only between a man and a woman. She was FREE to speak her mind and shouldn't have been slammed into the ground for it by the liberal media. I'm sure the only reason why people did enough "digging" to uncover all of her nude photos was due to her response. Otherwise her crown wouldn't be in jeopardy today.

last time off topic...she opened mouth...inserted foot...Perez's question was valid and noone said she could not speak her mind....she should have been diplomatic about it. She broke the contract....case closed!!!!!We are telling our youth if you have big teats and.... you can lie and break legal contracts.....OUTRAGEOUS........it is not a gay issue...the media has used gays as her scapegoat,even most "christian" organizations "dropped" her.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by blip

This is getting way off topic!

(PS- Live by the moralistic knife, die by the moralistic knife.)

Agreed. Let's get back to talking about how all three Scranton mayoral candidates should be replaced by Go Phillies! Honestly, I don't think any of those three, including the "hot air" incumbent, are worthy of your votes. DiBileo STILL doesn't sit well with me, and most people are voting for him because "he can't be any worse than Doherty" (I have a feeling many said that when they voted for Bush in 2000 after the Clinton sex scandal and then kicked themselves, but I digress). I have yet to meet more than one person who is voting for DiBileo because they think he's an excellent mayoral candidate who will herald a renaissance in the city. Nearly ALL are voting for him because "Doherty sucks." After voting for Obama because "Bush sucks" I now realize you should only vote for a candidate whom you truly believe in, not someone mediocre just to oust someone you dislike. As they say "Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't."

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by PITTSTON2SARASOTA

OH god; DON'T get me going on this issue .....Miss California......lol..... check out www.365GayNews.com for details.

Sure, God forbid people exercise their right to free speech. For this girl to be lambasted for an opinion that might differ from some people's opinions is not right. So women can only win this pageant if they adhere to a certain political ideology? If this were the other way around, and the judges were conservative right-wingers, and they blackballed her for supporting gay marriage, the people who are now applauding would be up in arms.

Somehow Bishop Martino is seen as a villain, but not Perez Hilton? Seems to me that Hilton is not doing the gay community any favors with his idiocy.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

The Miss California issue is actually one that I thought was VERY unfair and made Perez Hilton look more like a pompous and aggressive left-wing know-it-all than anything else. I respect the opinions of those who, like Miss California, think marriage ought to be reserved only between a man and a woman. She was FREE to speak her mind and shouldn't have been slammed into the ground for it by the liberal media. I'm sure the only reason why people did enough "digging" to uncover all of her nude photos was due to her response. Otherwise her crown wouldn't be in jeopardy today.

I agree.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by shoegal111

You may want to check your boundries. What about Vine? Seems to me I remember a nice high rise on Washington across from the courthouse that was until the feds took it for the courthouse.

Sorry Vine is not considered part of the "Downtown".....I would rather try and change the status quo then run from it. I promise that the federal courthouse actually provided more jobs then a run down high rise in Scranton.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by shoegal111

Dear Mr. Grinch, Any chance you might grow a heart instead of bashing two posters having a side conversation about Christmas about Scranton, WB, Pittston and yes, a recent experience in Seattle?

If I do leave again it may not be be because of my parents passing but because of unwelcoming people like you who instead of welcoming back home a fellow Scrantonian who has a white collar job, disposable income and wants to spend it within the borders of the city but instead spews nonsense and with me goes my white collar job and disposable income that is spent within the city limits at downtown shops where I don't hear the owners complaining about the taxes. Oops, there's that Brain Drain again.

Oh well don't let the door hit ya on the way out.........