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Sunday, February 06, 2000 Page: 5B
The voters made themselves heard in last November’s elec tion: They wanted
change from business as usual in the courthouse. The voters elected a man who
had never held public office before, an underdog whom they believed suited to
bring in some fresh air and drive out the nepotism and cronyism.
After all, candidate Stephen Urban had promised so much. He was going to
work for more openness and accountability, prevent political hiring practices
and keep a watchful eye on the Democrats’ penchant for spending our money. In
short, he was going to make his Republican minority voice heard, something
outgoing Commissioner “Red” Jones had not done and which had cost him his
seat.
While most voters are cynical and savvy enough to understand pre-election
promises are hardly ever kept, to betray them to the extent Urban is doing by
announcing his decision to run for Congress against Rep. Paul Kanjorski,
D-Nanticoke, amounts to a new low and outright betrayal. And having the voters
deceived once, does he really believe he can dupe them a second time to vote
for him?
As a freshman in elected office, Urban would need the better part of his
first year in office to learn the ropes, establish his relationship with the
majority commissioners, sort out the issues and gain experience. He would then
need the remaining three years of his term to make good on the promises he
made to those who elected him.
Instead, he plans to squander his learning period by gallivanting off in a
campaign for the U.S. Congress, which will demand all of his attention. A
candidate again, just how does he propose to attend to his duties as a county
commissioner?
Apart from the flagrant disregard for those voters who put him into office,
Commissioner Urban is also fighting the odds given the fact that he has
already been defeated twice in his attempt to unseat Rep. Kanjorski. Believing
that he stands a better chance the third time around doesn’t say much for his
judgment, but it says a lot for his self-indulgence and self-serving
motivation.
Urban evidently does not care what goes on in Luzerne County once he
ascends to higher office in Washington. His announcement recently that he will
indeed run for Congress is no less than a betrayal.
Anneliese Moghul
Mountaintop