APRIL 29 - MAY 5, 2000
MAY 5, 2K
Three cheers for Jocko!
Good morning. It is 60.1 degrees at 5:59 A.M. Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby
and next Sunday is Mother's Day.
I am beginning to feel like a red headed stepchild again. No one has taken up
my plea to fix up Tom Riel, and I was left out of the I LOVE YOU virus. Tom Clark
hasn't sent me a column this week so it looks like you are stuck with me one more day. And
no, I am not going to go on about Muttzie's Morality and Foster Township today.
Instead, on the very day that I am going before him and respectfully ask that he remove
himself from the Civil Suit I brought against Jeffrey Franklin, I find myself in the
situation that I must praise what he did yesterday. Opening up The Bradford Error this
morning I was greeted by the headline
Mrowka
sentenced to at least five years.
Now for those of you who are from outside this area, Larry Mrowka was a
cocaine dealer who came to Bradford and set up business. Living in a local hotel he became
one of the two main sources of cocaine in McKean County. When they caught him back in 1995
he offered to turn state's evidence for a promise of leniency. Judging from the account in
the paper, Agent Jim Michaels from the Attorney General's Office came to court to get him
just that.
But knock me over with a feather! Judge John M. Cleland would have none of
that and I am overwhelmed and flabbergasted. If I ever believed that anyone would have
gone along with the program on this case, I would have believed it would have been
Cleland. And he has proved me wrong and I am glad to say that I am.
Quoting from Sandra Rhodes fine reporting of the story, Cleland reacted in
the following manner:
While Mrowka may be viewed as a good citizen in Washington, Cleland
took several other things into account.
When doing the math, Cleland estimated that the 20 pounds of cocaine Mrowka brought to
Bradford had a street value of about $640,000, meaning he made a profit of about $400,000
selling four to eight ounces a week. Cleland pointed out that Mrowka spent $60,000 buying
five acres in
Washington.
Cleland said the purpose of sentences is threefold: rehabilitation, punishment and
deterrence.
With the many letters and testimony from friends and family, Cleland said there was a good
chance Mrowka could be rehabilitated.
Part of deterrence is sending a message to the community not to engage in this conduct,
Cleland said. Usually, not much stock is put in this because "people don't do a cost
analysis before committing a crime," Cleland said.
However, the benefits Mrowka reaped from selling the cocaine put him on another level.
"You made a lot of money," Cleland said
The third component, punishment, is another conundrum.
While he has made a positive influence on people in Washington, "it can't be disputed
you were a very negative influence on the community here in McKean County," Cleland
said.
Mrowka was willing to sell a substantial quantity of drugs in this community on a regular
basis, Cleland said.
This, Cleland said, is not so easily offset by his cooperation and information he
provided. Cleland also mentioned that any sentence he imposes has to give credibility to
the criminal justice system, with any sentence close to similar crimes, like ones he
recently handed down involving crack cocaine.
"A sentence too different would undermine the credibility of the criminal justice
system," Cleland said. "There has to be some consistency."
And I couldn't agree more!
We are dealing with an Attorney General who is a political opportunist. He
is looking directly at the Governor's Mansion and is all too willing to make deals with
criminals like Mrowka just to hold himself up as someone who is taking drugs off the
street. And that is exactly what this case was all about from the beginning. And
Cleland was 100% right and dead on target about the sentence. Good for him.
But, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Mrowka was, and still
is, only half of the problem.
So the Drug Task Force took 20 pounds of cocaine off the streets. Good.
But what about the brief case full that arrives here from Florida every two months? The
Drug Task Force knew about it. It is in the investigation that they did. They would be
down right stupid if they didn't know that it is still going on. And assuming that they
aren't stupid, what is that all about?
The answer is pretty simple.
The former DA and the current DA have direct links to those people. Other
elected officials have links to them. It's common knowledge! They are immune and they will
never be arrested. They will continue to bring cocaine into this county forever unless
someone stumbles on them somewhere else.
As for Mrowka, he will be going to the State Pen and I am very, very sure
that word will get there that he was a "rat" for the Attorney General. There is
little protection for "rats" in the pen. Mrowka made more than a few lives very
miserable for the past few years. It makes me feel good to know that finally he will get
what he deserves.
Unfortunately, programs like Miami Vice made being a drug dealer
fashionable and exciting to people like Mrowka. Fortunately for us John Cleland showed
both Mrowka and the Attorney General that saying you are sorry is not enough. There is a
price and now he will pay it.
Your comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.
MAY 4, 2K
All is well?
Good morning. It is 48.4 degrees at 6:50 A.M.
The flood of e-mail kept me tied up this morning. I was hoping we would have a
few offers from women for Tom Riel but there were none, just comments about Foster
Township and the usual junk mail, too. After all of that, I'm tired.
Even The Error was flat this morning. Anne wrote about Case having a spurt in
orders. Good for them! And there was a story about the Home Show this weekend. I heard
there was an influx of finance companies taking booths this year. They are seizing the
opportunity to pick up extra business making loans to help people pay their County and
School Taxes. And Tom wasn't giving out any statements, so not a whole lot was going on
locally. I guess that's good.
The question I have over the Foster Township ordinance is why?
I understand the need in the minds of the supervisors to keep Tom and I from buying a
vacant piece of property and starting a nude club, but the business over lewd materials
came out of nowhere. And who is to be the judge of what is lewd and what is not? Will it
be Dick Mutzabaugh?
I ask that question because it needs to be asked. Because whenever you pass something
like that, then someone has to be the judge of what is and what is not. And seeing how
this is obviously Dickie's work, I think he should be the judge.
Tom made a good point. It wasn't printed in the paper but it was a good point and
properly illustrates the folly of Muttzie's Morality.
Scenario: Foster Township property owner goes to the big city (soon to be Borough) of
Bradford. He rents a XXX video named Filthy Amateurs Part IX. He rents it and
brings it home for his own private use. He puts it in his VCR and begins watching it. His
wife comes home after a hard day of work assembling cigarette lighters and sits with him
and begins watching. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the door is battered open and in rushes the
Foster Township Police, The Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Game
Commission. (Why the Pa Game Commission, you ask? Because of the well known local lie that
they do not need search warrants to search you or your car and home.) The man is arrested
for distribution of lewd materials because he brought a XXX video into Foster Township
that was viewed by a second party, his wife.
I know that sounds far fetched to you, those of you who live outside of McKean County.
But unfortunately, things like that happen here all the time. They do because of the
system we have in place here that is so bent on trampling on the rights of the little guy.
Unless you are a solid and entrenched member of the "Club" in the inner
circle, or you are born to welfare and you can document that along with marginal criminal
behavior back for three to four generations in the family, you're out of luck. You
immediately fall into the category of having the right to work 40 hours a week making
anywhere from $7 to $12 an hour and pay exorbitant County and School Taxes, and support a
system that is still living back in the 50's.
We have Drug Task Forces that exist to help the DA get elected. They pinch small time
users, build them up as major traffickers, and then, after three years have them sentenced
to a year's probation with some house arrest. In the meantime the real traffickers, the
one's who bring the stuff in that is widely distributed and used, live their fancy lives
and drive their fancy cars, and attend all the same functions as our Judge, DA, and the
cream of Bradford Society.
At the same time, high school and middle school children buy alleged lewd magazines at
the corner store, smoke their grass, drink, and contribute to one of the highest teen
pregnancy rates in the state. We have Juvenile Probation Officers in the schools at tax
payer expense, so that makes it all seem okay to us. After all, no one has shot the place
up as of yet so what do we care? As long as the system continues as is all is well with
the world.
That is a great umbrella to be under. Yes it is. But really, is it?
Comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
MAY 3, 2K
ACLU, Larry Flynt, and Dickie Mutzabaugh
Good morning. It is 6:10 A.M. and it is 35.6 degrees outside. It is
supposed to be a sunny day everywhere except in Foster Township. Before we get to that I
want all of you to remember the following:
May 14th is Mother's
Day!
She taught you to
ride your bike,
read you bedtime
stories,
and always gives the
best advice.
She's your Mom and she deserves the best!
First of all, I guess I should apologize to my friend and business partner, Tom Riel,
for poking fun at him. I said he has been spending too much time with Greg Henry and he
needs a woman. I guess the fact that there were no takers after I published his picture
explains why he is spending so much time with Greg Henry. Poor Tom!
On the other hand, Tom's points taken against the Foster Township supervisors were
totally proper.
It appears that the ordinance they passed did not originate with any of the three of
them, or even the law school pretender who is the township secretary. No. On the contrary,
it appears the legislation originated in the head of none other than the esteemed Richard
Mutzabaugh. It also seems that the unelected solicitor drafted the legislation, sent it
over to the secretary, told her to place it on the agenda, and have the "boys"
vote on it. And they did as they were told like the good little "boys" they are.
The ordinance, obviously some of Dickie's finer work to come out of his daily walks to
the Bradford Club, is not only poorly written, but ill conceived. One of our readers poked
fun at the whole idea.
Bud, sorry I haven't written much lately......I'm busy. Here's a scenario I thought
up......for you and Tom to ponder...............Foster Township can make millions! Their
proposed fine of $600. per head for viewing "Lewd" material.......I'm assuming
includes a live woman's breasts (or underage girl) ............well thanks to the
Rochester 7 (bull dikes) .....a few years ago....bitched their way all the way to the
state supreme court in NY.......so that now a woman or girl of any age! (hint,
hint....Child Porn?) can remove her top if she is warm, or wants to tan her tits....or
whatever........So that a girl, or woman ...can go over the state line...say...up near the
"New Cow" ....turn toward Foster Township, and remove her top! Now we have cops
sit there, and any person that looks at their tits, can be fined $600.00......they would
need more cops to write all the
tickets!........................OR...........
Someone could set up a protest (hint, hint) ....let thousands of men know that some
"daring young girls" are going to be over the state line removing their tops at
a certain time (maybe in bikini bottoms only, applying oil to themselves!)......and let's
see how many galkers (in pa) get arrested!
Johnnie!
This is what will come of MUTTZIE'S MORALITY!
And isn't it a shame that the supervisors are not smart enough to keep clear of what
will surely develop in the not too distant future.
Tom Riel has notified the ACLU and I have e-mailed Larry Flynt. Hustler will
surely be one of the items identified as lewd in the eyes of the ordinance. I
just might buy a store in Foster Township for the express purpose of selling Hustler to
adults who desire to purchase it. Then we will see what we will see.
If memory serves me well, there was a movie along these lines. It was based on a true
story. Maybe Dickie missed it. Maybe he was deep in the martinis at the club when it was
out.
However, I do remember the one puffed up blow hard who was out to get Mr. Flynt,
finally did time for bilking old people out of millions. And while the resemblance to
Dickie is striking, I would not be so bold to suggest anything like that has ever taken
place. I am just interested in whether or not he has paid the city back the fifty grand
his firm took from the revolving fund to open the new offices?
I am leery of people who preach morality. I am leery of those who would protect us from
ourselves, especially when what they are protecting us from is something that is much less
harmful or hurtful than what they themselves engage in doing.
And will this new morality extend to the personal lives of his partners and staff? Or
is it just for the rest of us common folk who need his wisdom and guidance?
I it very hard to believe that all of this came about because Tom and I bought a
building and proposed opening a club. Either we are the true threats that it seems we are,
or there are some really stupid people out there reacting to something they don't have a
clue about.
But all should take heed and understand that the ACLU and Mr. Flynt, himself, are very
real (or is that Riel? I get confused) and can easily become players in the game that Mr.
Muttzie has set in motion. The ordinance is illegal and unconstitutional. It violates
Freedom of Speech, something the rest of us outside the Bradford Club still have the last
time I checked. If that is what he wants, that is what he will get.
Your comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
In the meantime, don't any of you single girls out there like Tom's picture?
MAY 2, 2K
Is it a knee jerk, or just jerk reaction?
Good morning. It is 42.4 degrees at 6:12 A.M. and Tommy Riel is in the paper
again and along with him my name is mentioned again, too. It seems that the Foster
Township supervisors are banning everything that has anything to do with sex. Does this
mean there is a ban on sex between married couples, too? What will happen to the birth
rate?
I read the article "Riel opposes ordinance banning lewd material"
and had a real chuckle. I could see him in action. Tommy is a battle of wits
with the supervisors. They were out gunned. Between all the supervisors, they would come
up short, all obviously being half-witted numb sculls to even consider such a thing. And
where was their great legal mind, Dick Mutzabaugh? Was he still at the club and had he
forgotten about the meeting? Or was he next door at 9 Main Street fixing it up for the
District Justice's office?
Where do these people believe they live? What do they believe is not going on here that
they intend to keep out? Is this the beginning of establishing the First Church of Foster
Township? Will all who live in the confines be forced to join?
Where is John Detweiller when we need him? Someone over there should have a brain in
their head and it becomes scary to me when Tom begins to make legal sense. That means just
one thing. He has been spending entirely too much time with Greg Henry!
That's bad! Tom needs a girlfriend so he can worry about other things rather than
obvious illegal ordinances. We need to fix him up and at the same time send the
supervisors to Oz to visit the Wizard. They need to ask him for brains. All of them need
some and that includes the township secretary, too!
In the absence of the Solicitor, Dick Mutzabaugh, does she fill in to interpret the
ordinances when the supervisors are too stupid to understand what they are doing? It sure
sounded like that from the tempo of the article I just read. And, if Dick had a bad day,
she might have made more sense, too. And that scares me, too.
What do I have to do?
Should I turn the Mountain Laurel Review into my own brand of Hustler
and like Larry Flynt begin to publish little exposes on the likes of Kaber, Slike,
Wolcott, Mutzabaugh and his gang? Is that what this has to come to?
I still chuckle when I take out my copy of his work in which our own Congressman John
Peterson was covered, or uncovered, as the case may be. I always thought a few issues like
that would go a very long way around here.
I recognize the need to keep our communities "pure." I recognize that but the
purification should begin somewhere else. Sex is easy for dim wits to pick on but what
about the drugs that are so very, very prevalent? What about doing something to occupy our
children? Wouldn't their efforts be better placed (mine too for that matter!) if we looked
to a way to interest and occupy our children? What is going on with the Skate Park?
The hysteria over these clubs needs to end. The Supreme Court gave every community the
easy way out. Townships like Foster don't have to do a thing. They can sit back and wait
until someone applies for a permit and then they can regulate what will and will not go
on. That regulation can essentially close the place down before it even opens. All of this
law writing is unnecessary and only a way for Dick to get paid one more time.
In the meantime, I think we all need to get Tom fixed up so he can do other things than
attend stupid and insignificant Township Meetings.
If anyone has any ideas, or anyone special in mind for a thirty year old bachelor who
is a pretty nice guy when he isn't embroiled in politics, e-mail me at the address below.
In the meantime clip this picture and see if you can't help get Tom off the streets. Your
efforts will be appreciated. Tom is a great guy and does mean well.
Comments and blind dates are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
MAY 1, 2K
Tax reform and poetry
Good morning. It is 42.3 degrees at 5:56 A.M.
On Saturday evening someone brought to my attention an article about Porn
on the Web. It was a well written article in The Error written by someone at
the Indianapolis Star. Figures! However, above it was a little ditty written by
one of The Error's writers and that, while grabbing my attention with the cute
picture, left me empty after reading it. It was supposed to be about Tax Reform.
Really, what did it say?
In the three to four hundred words I found very little that we already didn't know and
all the cute little twists of phrases do get boring after awhile.Is this the best they can
do?
Tax reform is a problem. The people we elect to give us tax reform are unfortunately
either judging leeks or always manage to be sick with some imaginary illness. Neither of
the two of them are capable, let alone willing, to manage an original thought on the issue
that truly does affect us and our pocket books up close and personal.
Property taxes are the way municipal governments and school districts pay the bills.
The idea was that responsible municipal governments and caring school districts would be
mindful of the financial restrictions on the voters and spend accordingly. When I was
growing up the "rich" school districts had the nicest schools and the best
teachers and the football fields with artificial grass. The rest of the districts made do
with what they had because the tax base could not support it. Anymore that is not the
case, especially here in Bradford. And, it especially is not the case in the county.
The smiling editorialist pulled up the usual excuse. He referred to the schools being
"....overwhelmed with federal and state mandates." I don't know about you, but I
am tired of hearing about these mythical mandates. Name me one that has come down this
year that will cause our school taxes to go up 14% next year? Better yet, name one from
last year!
The fact is there are no new mandates.
Sure we had the mandates for handicapped children. That was necessary. And there is the
discipline problem, too. What did Cheri and the gang do? They came up with ID badges that
were ignored by the faculty and the student body two weeks after they spent the money to
do it. The taxpayers got the bang for their buck that time.
And then there are the three stooges over in Smethport. The writer called a 43% tax
increase a "ruckus." He said it was a "lightning rod" to bring
attention to the real problem. Is that what the largest tax increase in the history of
this county is? A ruckus or a lightning rod? Cute. Real cute and a nice twist on words,
but that's about all. What he failed to say is they voted themselves a 4% tax increase
that will more than pay their own tax bill increase while the rest of us were left to fend
for ourselves. Did he or they ever hear of cutting spending?
The editorial was generated because some representatives who are tired of passing
meaningless constitutional amendments just so Governor Ridge could say that he had lived
up to a campaign promise got fed up. They got fed up and they are behind a bill to abolish
all property taxes. The editorialist thought that was a dumb idea. Maybe it is, but I
wonder what will happen if the state is faced with a problem as large as the idea of no
tax base, what it will do?
Maybe the idea is to get the one representative out of leek judging contests and the
other one off his imagined death bed and back to work. Maybe that is the idea state wide.
Maybe it is time for them to do real work and solve real problems like getting our taxes
down to something we can afford.
Then from our Ghostwriter in the sky comes some poetry.
The Road Less Traveled
Two paths in the woods diverged;
I took the one less traveled.
One was paved and lined with trees,
The other one was graveled.
One path with trees and concrete stone
A glorious path to tred
Was laid out straight and wide and firm
And I knew where it led.
The other one was dusty mud
And crooked was its way
Shadows lurked ‘round every turn
‘Twas less the traveled way.
The pear trees on the brighter fare
Were planted to refute
The flashing signs of Bradford Club--
The real forbidden fruit.
A street sign bore a classy boast
Of someone’s classic name--
Marilyn Horne Thoroughfare
This hamlet’s claim to shame.
The road less traveled, though, I saw
Wound ‘round the square and back
It’s name was Bud Beck Boulevard
And it was quite a track.
It traveled through the sands of time
And stopped at many posts
And always made its travelers learn
About the many ghosts,
Of past commissioners and such
Who ruled the county seat
And how the citizens regret
One gentleman’s defeat.
The road less traveled soon I saw
This path, a better way.
It might be barren for awhile
But only for today.
Two paths in the woods diverged and I
The one less traveled stray
But following Bud’s great footprints now
I’ll surely find my way.
Ghostwriter in the Sky---
Now that is exactly why I was attracted to that well written article about Porn
on the web! The other was the usual disappointment.
Comments are welcome at editor@mlrmag.com.
APRIL 29 & 30, 2K
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