Scranton Pennsylvania

Skulnik · Jul 10, 2012

Christopher Doherty

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<TABLE style="WIDTH: 22em" class="infobox vcard"><TBODY><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; FONT-SIZE: 125%" class=n colSpan=2>Christopher Doherty</TH></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" colSpan=2>

</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; BACKGROUND-COLOR: lavender" colSpan=2>29th Mayor of Scranton</TH></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; BACKGROUND-COLOR: lavender" colSpan=2>Incumbent</TD></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" colSpan=2>Assumed office
January 18, 2002</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Preceded by</TH><TD>James Patrick Connors</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; BACKGROUND-COLOR: lavender" colSpan=2>Personal details</TH></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Born</TH><TD>March 25, 1958</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Political party</TH><TD>Democratic</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Spouse(s)</TH><TD>Donna Doherty</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Residence</TH><TD class=label>Scranton, Pennsylvania</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Alma mater</TH><TD>College of the Holy Cross</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Website</TH><TD>http://www.chrisdoherty.com/</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Christopher Doherty is the Mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania.<SUP id=cite_ref-scranton_0-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP>
<TABLE id=toc class=toc><TBODY><TR><TD>Contents

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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[edit] Political career

Doherty was elected to a third term in November 2009.<SUP id=cite_ref-1 class=reference>[2]</SUP>
He was elected President of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities (PLCM) in 2006.<SUP id=cite_ref-2 class=reference>[3]</SUP> In 2008, Doherty received the PLCM Distinguished Community Service Award, the Local Government Award for Excellence, and was inducted into the Keystone Society for Tourism.<SUP id=cite_ref-3 class=reference>[4]</SUP>
Doherty was recognized by the United States Conference of Mayors in 2008 for his efforts to protect the City?s tree canopy.<SUP id=cite_ref-4 class=reference>[5]</SUP> In addition, he serves as a member of the steering committee for the Mayor?s Innovation Project, a learning network of America?s mayors dedicated to efficient government. He supports a woman's right to abortion.<SUP id=cite_ref-5 class=reference>[6]</SUP>
[edit] Personal life

Doherty is a graduate of the Scranton Preparatory School and the College of the Holy Cross. He and his wife, Donna, have six children. His great-great grandfather, Hughie Jennings is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
[edit] Political future

Doherty was a candidate in the 2010 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election until February 17, 2010, when he conceded and entered the race to succeed retiring Democratic State Senator (and Minority Leader) Bob Mellow in the 22nd District. Doherty lost in the primary, however, to John Blake.
[edit] References

Skulnik · Jul 11, 2012

In Scranton, Pennsylvania workers fight drastic wage cuts

By Hilary Russ

Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34pm EDT

(Reuters) - Firefighters, police officers and public works employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania sued the city on Tuesday after the mayor slashed pay for the city's workers to the state's minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

Christopher Doherty, mayor of the cash-strapped city, cut the pay of nearly 400 city workers on July 6 in an effort to meet payroll costs.

Doherty, who did not return calls seeking comment, cut his own salary as well as those of the City Council to the state's minimum wage.

Three public sector unions, which under state law are not allowed to strike, launched two federal suits and filed a motion in state court.

One complaint accuses the city of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, while the other claims the city gutted benefits without notice or a hearing for police and firefighters disabled in the line of duty.

Separately, the unions also asked a state court to hold Doherty in contempt. They had sued in state court on July 2 to try to stop the pay cuts from going into effect. A local judge ordered Doherty not to implement the cuts, but the mayor did so anyway.

"It's an economic disaster to them and their families," said Thomas Jennings, an attorney for the unions. He said the judge could ultimately order the mayor jailed.

Jennings also said the wage cuts were the result of a budgetary dispute between City Council members and the mayor.

"As a consequence, my clients -- who fight the fires, arrest the bad guys and fix the potholes -- are stuck in the middle," he said.

City Council President Janet Evans did not reply to requests for comment.

The unilateral pay cut was imposed with just eight days notice, according John Judge, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local Union.

"Our guys can't live on $7.25 an hour. They have families to raise," Judge said.

With firefighters making an average of about $22 an hour, according to Judge, the pay reductions slashed their wages by two-thirds.

Doherty cut wages because of the city is nearly broke. On Thursday, it had $5,000 in cash, the Scranton Times-Tribune reported.

The city's business administrator told the newspaper that Scranton is facing a projected $16.8 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2012.

Scranton, a city of about 76,000 in the northeast of the state, is the latest U.S. city in financial turmoil amid sunken revenue collections, lowered state aid and increased pension and other costs.

Some of the Scranton's current problems also stem from the $52 million in bonds it guaranteed for the Scranton Parking Authority, according to credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service, which does not rate the city.

The city delayed a payment of $1 million payment, originally due on June 1, by two weeks to cover the bonds, raising doubts about the city's willingness to make timely payments, Moody's said in a comment.

The $52 million represents more than a third of Scranton's general obligation and guaranteed debt obligations, Moody's said.

Despite the delay, the payment could help Scranton borrow money for operating expenses through the end of the year with short-term cash flow notes, Moody's said.

The bond attorney for the city and the parking authority declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by Mark Shade and Lily Kuo; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Skulnik · Jul 11, 2012

I saw this story on Yahoo yesterday and last evening on CBS News, there isn't any mention that the mayor is a Democrat in any story, how many times would we have read or heard the word REPUBLICAN, if the city had a Republican mayor?

:shrug:

ssd · Jul 11, 2012

It's too bad, Republican or Democrat, honestly.

People raked Meredith Whitney over the coals when she predicted wholesale muni defaults.

Scranton cuts city employees to minimum wage.
Stockton CA declares banckruptcy
Harrisburg PA declares bankruptcy
Mammoth Lakes CA declares bankruptcy
San Bernadino CA declares bankrupcty.

They staved it off with federal funds from the stimulus and by cutting back on infrastructure improvement jobs.

Now, bridges and water pipes and sewer lines will start to break and fail and there will not be money to fix those issues as well.

Police and fire should not be paid minimum wage. Benefit packages and pensions need to be looked at and addressed. But the guys fixing the roads with hot patch and picking up the garbage - minimum wage sounds about right if you ask me. It is a necessary position but not a skilled position and should be paid appropriately.

Duff Miver · Jul 11, 2012

It's the Democracy problem.

People elect politicians who promise both lower taxes and more services.

Cali is the best example. They passed Prop 8 which prohibited tax increases, and now they wonder why the best education system in the country has been destroyed.

Everybody wants a free lunch, and every politician promises it.

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