Raise taxes or else

Today’s Citizens Voice:

The mayor said his staff continued "crunching numbers" throughout Thursday to determine how many furloughs were necessary to plug a budget shortfall. He would not provide an estimate of how many jobs are in jeopardy or what departments would be affected.

"Right now, there's not much to tell you," Leighton said outside City Hall on Thursday. "We have an idea, but I don't have a number."

• Basically what the mayor is saying here is, we squandered the money on free gas, free security systems, $300 per hour do nothings, and now the employees who voted for him need to pay up.

"There's no enjoyment out of this," Leighton said. "I've worked nine years trying to avoid this."

• If that were even remotely true, your lordship, then why in those nine years would you fill your tank FREE, in your undershirt?

The alternative to layoffs, Leighton said, was a 30-mill tax increase he included in his proposed 2013 budget, a spending plan he said council is unlikely to approve.

• So then this is all just a ruse to sell your tax hike?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

Source:

• Leighton: Layoffs may be announced today