Bankrupt The City Of Hazleton- An Active Effort By The Dems

In the latest bully pulpit spewed by Todd Eachus to the news media over the City of Hazleton's pension woes Steve Mocarsky writes in the Times Leader as stating "Eachus said he’s busy working to try to balance the state budget, which he said is “facing the largest deficit since the Great Depression” – $3.2 billion – and trying to find a fix for the city’s problem right now is impractical. He also said case law wouldn’t allow for retroactive reimbursement even if the bill were passed. so the city would still owe the pension funds $3 million." Can one imagine that the Legislator for a district is too busy doing something else that working on an issue in his disctrict is "impractical"?

That statement is only one in a series of moves on Eachus's part that points to an active campaign which involves bankrupting the City of Hazleton. Let us examine his claim.

On October 8, 2008 Senate Bill 1093 was passed and signed into law in Pennsylvania. Information about the bill is found in the state's portal system. The act is more commonly known as Act 92. Here is synopsis from the portal document.

Act 2008 – 92 (Senate Bill Number 1093, Printer’s Number 2038). Signed into law on October 8, 2008, Act 92 amended the Municipal Police Pension Law (Act 600 of 1956), as amended by Act 30 of 2002, further clarifying eligibility and applicability of survivor benefit provisions for certain beneficiaries. Act 92 closed an unintentional gap in the survivor benefit coverage provided in Act 30 of 2002 for a small number of surviving spouses of police officers who retired before the effective date of Act 30 of 2002, and died after the act's effective date.

Act 92 declared that survivor benefits were payable to the surviving spouse or dependent child, as applicable, provided that the surviving spouse was not remarried on April 17, 2002. The surviving spouse is entitled to receive a pension of no less than 50% of the pension the member was receiving at the time of death, provided the spouse was a member of the police force or a former member of the police force who: 1) prior to April 18, 2002, retired on pension and dies subsequent to retirement; or 2) after April 16, 2002, retires on pension and dies subsequent to retirement. This act applies retroactively to April 17, 2002.

Eachus voted YES on this bill. So there is a pension bill passed in 2008 that is retroactive to 2002 that Todd Eachus voted YES on but Eachus makes the claim to John Q. Public that case law wouldn't allow for retroactive reimbursement.

His earlier attempt to thwart progress in Hazleton centered on the dredge issue and Hazleton Creek Properties. He worked with Clean Water Action to prevent the dredge from making it to the site. He issued a "Health Alert" from his official House Office using taxpayer dollars stating that the dredge would risk public health. Yet, the Department of Environmental Resources cleared the use of the dredge material by Hazleton Creek Properties.

It's statement: “The company’s proposal meets DEP’s strict regulations and includes conditions to ensure the safe and effective use of this material in construction,” DEP Northeast Regional Director Michael Bedrin said.

Governor Rendell supported the plan with a $250,000 investment through the Rail Freight Assistance Program. “Hazleton Creek Properties will receive $250,000 for construction of new track to serve a bulk unloading facility adjacent to Humboldt Industrial Park; the facility will dispose of dredge material from the Delaware River".

As a result of that project over $4 million dollars have or will come to the City of Hazleton. Hazleton was paid $1 million dollars to date for material brought to the Hazleton Creek Properties site. In November, 2006 Mayor Lou Barletta was interviewed by Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes. In that interview he stated there were 31 police officers on the force. By March, 2007 the number of police officers increased by 2 to 33 keeping pace with a pledge he made in December, 2006 to increase the force by ten officers. Hazleton eventually went on to hire the ten officers meeting Barletta's goal with salaries for six of those officers paid for from the revenues generated by the dredge project.

It appears there is a concerted effort to make the City of Hazleton, its residents, firefighters, police, children, and senior citizens suffer over a political slugfest.

Eachus feigns support. “Something must be done to get the city out of this bind, but I want to make it clear that any solution must be within the confines of the state law and the state Constitution. It will be a challenge to fix the city’s mistakes, but I have asked my staff to determine what options, if any, we can take. While we work to find a solution, I suggest you also begin examining alternative options,” Eachus wrote.

The solution is already in a bill that Eachus failed to support. He sat silent during a hearing held by Rep. Dave Levdansky's committee. Representative Dave Levdansky made the statement during that hearing on Hazleton's pension issue he was opposed to a bill that only addressed one city. Yet in that same portal article a pension bill was passed for members and former members of the Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority. Eachus has made a similar claim.

Act 2002 –185 (House Bill Number 2595, Printer’s Number 4633). Signed into law on December 9, 2002, Act 185 amended the Second Class County Code to permit a member who became an employee of the county to receive service credit for prior service with the former Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority (ACRA); and permit an active member of the system to receive up to three years of service credit for prior military service without regard to the minimum age or service requirements currently mandated by the Second Class County Code, and to be exempted from paying statutory interest of 6% per annum for the service purchase provided the member pays the required sum in full within three years of the effective date of the legislation. This bill passed 200-0 in the House so Eachus supported it was well.

Eachus acknowledges that the pension issue could cost Hazleton $3 million dollars. If the House Majority Leader cannot get a resolution through his chamber to help the largest city in his district why should the people of Hazleton support his reelection?

His opposition to the dredge project, had it been successful, would have added another $4 million dollar loss. If Eachus fails to support and intervene on the pension issue it will show that his priorties have been clouded with stinkin thinkin in an effort to "get Lou Barletta." Eachus has the audacity to call Barletta "reckless." His actions and inactions point to reckless disregard for the citizens he is paid to represent. It is time to call him out on his actions.