Judy Gatelli can run, but can't hide (Scranton, Pittston: low income, houses)

[NYRangers 2008]

Leaders ‘outta here’

Editor: I’ve never seen an elected government official angrily storm out and say they are not going to take it anymore, as Scranton City Council’s president did recently after a heated exchange with a combative constituent.

Imagine if past and present American leaders had let hecklers get the best of them. Here are some scenarios that come to mind, and how some of history’s most memorable quotes could have been altered by the presence of a persistent pest:

Abraham Lincoln: “Four score and seven years ago. . .”

“Hey, anyone ever tell you your ears look like barn doors?”

“Oh, yeah? You come up here and finish the Gettysburg Address, you tiny-earred cretin!”

John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you . . .”

“Yo, is it true what they say about you and Marilyn?”

“Why don’t go back under your rock, you chowdah-head!”

Richard Nixon: “I am not a crook . . .”

“Yeah, sure. Covering up burglaries and lying is normal behavior for law-abiding U.S. presidents.”

“You said it, buddy, I didn’t! I’m outta here!”

Ronald Reagan: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!”

“If he does, do you promise you’ll stay awake for it?”

“Well, there you go again! Goodbye, you pinko puckering pinhead!”

Bill Clinton: “I did not have sex with that woman”.

“Did you have it with this woman?”

“It depends on what your definition of this is. I don’t have to take this. I’m going home, where I definitely won’t have it with ‘You know what’ woman!”

George W. Bush: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . you can’t get fooled again!”

“Would you care to repeat that, sir?”

“Heh heh heh. No.”

VINCE MORABITO

SCRANTON


I had to post this letter to the editor of the Times about our great council president. What she pulled last week was rude and totally unprofessional. To get up and leave while a citizen was speaking was uncalled for. If she can't take it anymore I suggest she step down and get someone who can handle running a council meeting. She's an elected official and she should learn to listen to what people have to say, whether she agrees with it or not.

[to570717]

I am going to play devils advocate here. I watch and hear this small group of people bash Judy Gatelli. I do not think she is a great Council Pres but I dont think she is awful as some would tell you. Rather than argue I will point out how your post uses logical and rehtorical fallicies that will get you introuble if you debate a resonably intelligent person.

First would be it is an Ad Hominem agument all around. Everyone bashes her personally rather than DEBATE or attempt to persuade her to reason with other sides. She was voted by people to vote on decisions. she is doing just that. You can not say she is not doing her job because her job is to vote on legislation. Also she is there to attempt to maintain decorum and the flow of the meeting. She is consistantly met with juvanile attempts by Fay Franus, Sam Patilla ect, to disreupt the meeting. It is their right to speak but there is also a proper way of adressing grivances.

She may have cancelled meeting and you can argue that she is not doing her job. You may be able to win that point. However I would contest that it is the ad ignorantiam aguments made by speakers who make it impossible for any person to answer. Judy feels threatend whether we like it or not. Remember a few years back a SSB president was shot and killed. She has the right to be scared.

This is called Argumentum ad baculum. Appeal by force. They are trying to intimidate her.

NOw like i said before, i dont think she is the best leader. BUt she is there now like ti or not. Get up at the podium and tell her the problems you have with City Policy. Tell her and other members the issues you have. Write letters and let your neighbors know the problems. the approach the LOD'ers are taking is absolutly wrong. They have legitimate gripes. I support them fully in a sence. I have zero respect however for people that openly defy the rules. That goes for speakers and council members..

Thanks and bash away. Remember, devils advocate.

[NYRangers 2008]

I never said that she wasn't doing her job. She's just doing it badly. My whole point here is that she acts unprofessional. When you're voted into an elected position who have to develop somewhat of a thick skin, which she does not have. If she had one, she would be able to handle council speakers in a civil and professional way. To walk out on someone while they are speaking, whether they are ranting and raving is uncalled for. There's a certain way you handle certain situations. And time and time again, Judy has shown she can't handle the job.

I don't know if you've ever been to a council meeting, but the way she carries herself is just unprofessional. You have to see it live for yourself to get a true sense of how Judy acts during meetings. I understand certain speakers rant and rave and act childishly, but the legimate speakers have alot to say and she has no right to try to censor anyone.

[CHS89]

Seems to me that she did run. And was elected.

Instead of using a week old letter to the editor concerning a two week old event, would you care to express your "outrage" using your own thoughts?

[NYRangers 2008]

The letter was not a week old, it was in yesterday's paper. And the event wasn't two weeks ago, it was last week. I used "my thoughts" on the bottom of the thread, plus I posted again about the "outrage". I didn't know we had a Judy Gatelli fan on this forum.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

To walk out on someone while they are speaking, whether they are ranting and raving is uncalled for.

Agreed, to a point, but when it's the same half a dozen people ranting about the same thing week in and week out, well, enough does become enough.

Council isn't getting anything done because a limited number of citizens who DO NOT represent anything close to a majority, are constantly fillibustering over nonsense and making it impossible to accomplish anything.

Don't lay Council's inability squarely on Council's shoulders.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

I didn't know we had a Judy Gatelli fan on this forum.

*zing*

What a brilliant response.

Anyway, as was said before, she's not the best, and she's not the worst. She did win the election, however, so there's that. Now it's all sour grapes. Her term's almost over. Vote her out.

[weluvpa]

Well here is one for you.

I was told first that the $281,000 that never was used for the flood project on East Elm was just for that project and then I did some research and I found that the money was actually left over from the money to repair Pittston Ave cave in in 2004 and I told them this and the story quickly changed. I said well if its from there and it was used for E. Elm then lets use whats left to help LG. She then told me that the money was from HUD and had to be used in low income neighborhoods and that LG is not low income but low to mod, ok then. I was then told that if I wanted the money that I would have to do a cesus of my neighborhhod to prove that we were low because they attached us to Greenridge in the census. The week before her vacation she stated that she was going to try and use that money to demo houses in HER neighborhood, so that they could protect their property values.

NOW you tell me what is professional about intentially keeping that money from LG so that they could use it to help themselves especially Gatelli. Hell I voted for her because she was running with DeBileo and she was out spoken against the mayor, when she was elected and her son-in-law needed a job he got one at SSA and she suddenly turned against most of the peole that put her there, remember she ran as a opponent of the mayor to court the Janet and Gary votes and she got them then she went in with her own agenda and worked tirelesslly for the mayor. She is the worst council person that I have ever seen on the bench, she makes Kevin Murphy look good.

OK they are legislators, well please show me one piece that Gatelli, Fanucci and McGoff voted for that was good in any way for us the residents of this city? If you could show me one good thing then I might listen more but I just want to see one thing that was railroaded thru for the benefit of the people and not the mayor or his cronies, just one thing? Do not say Free Swimming because that took alot of public pressure and then they slammed it in the paper anyway last week.

Just one good thing, please?

[to570717]

This is sorta what I ment by me not wanting to argue. If your set in your ways concerning this lady then be my guest at not agreeing with my point of view. to each their own.

Have you ever seen Tony Snow, Scott McCllen, Ari Fleischer, dee dee Myers, ect ect. They have to answer unscripted questions askled by the White House press core. That last part is somewhat of a joke. The press core is picked for its very well behaved manner of asking questions and its prefessional way of reporting.

They ask hard questions and Snow for example will chukkle, look at them like he would look at an 11 year old and say move on. Or just end the conference. This is what Politicians skilled at PR and Qand A sessions do. They dodge the hard questions. Judy has actually tried to answer a lot of them. If you don't believe me then just email her. She isll email you back. Janet Evens won't. She is consistanly nailed to a cross every thusday. I don't care how thick your skin is. When you feel you are doing your best and a few loud people tell you how aweful you are then you will crack. That is their plan.

Look at that dumb website about Doherty. They call gatelli and her family all types of names and things that have nothing to do with her on a professional level.

I think i siad this before but I will say it again. When you go to a meeting and have a real complaint that needs to be adreesed and then someone gets up and freaks out and make the meeting get adjouned who is to blame.

I would say the freaker by the speaker (Keller Williams song) It is not fair to go there with an agenda to disrupt the meeitng and see if you can get Judy Gatelli to run away. It detracts from guys like you who may have a real issue.

Honey get the bees. The squeeky wheel get the oil but sometimes you just throw it out.

Holla!

[to570717]

to answer dan a little, you ask about one peice of leg that was good. The money that was alloocated by city council, be it a million or 300 million is being used for things that are for the greater good of the city. you may strongly dissagree. It may be things we dont need in your opinion like parking, or tax forgivness or tree houses or bridges or whatever. They are tangible items that people like. You may not but I do. So there we cancell each other out.

Look at the POWER group that is in Scranton. Or look at Scranton Rennisance organization. These are groups that are doing well because of the jolt this mayor has created. They are trying to help the city through positive marketing. They are working well might I add.

Your generation of young people did not do anything like that at all. This generation is excited about the direction NEPA is heading in. I know you think we are on a course to hell but I am more optimistic. Time will tell.