August 31, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

The citizens of Reading, Pennsylvania may get a chance to vote on an ordinance requiring a codes inspection before the sale of real estate.

Now most of you know where I stand on this.  I believe that the codes need to be enforced.  Most of these single homes in Reading are subdivided into poor excuses for apartments that have less room them bathroom stalls to shit in.  Most of these subdivided buildings are not even up to code either.  A vast majority of the city’s criminal element live in these bathroom stall type apartments.  One of the biggest problems is that the codes are never enforced.  This is one of the vital steps that need to be taken to rid Reading of its criminal element.

As I was once considering investing into some Real Estate on the side and looking at some possible investment properties in the city I was shocked to see how these were subdivided into apartments since my initial research stated it was a single family home.  The Real Estate agent from Century 21 who will stay unnamed told me that about 85% of the houses are like this, and you can make a killing, because The Mayor, City Council, etc. have no interest in enforcing the laws.  That’s where I have come to notice how much of a grip the slumlords and Real Estate Pimps have on the city.

My view is if I’m buying a single family house then by god it will be a single family house.  Some of the places that were in better shape and not subdivided impressed me of the early craftsmanship of the wood work among other things.  To be honest with you new construction bores me, because it’s the same damn cookie cutting crap where back in those days there was some originality in the designs.  Plus I would never rent a property to a person that I would not be willing to live in myself.

Hopefully in the end the residents will fight off these slumlords and defeat them.

Posted in Berks County Politics | Print | 3 Comments »

August 29, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

The Airport Land Sale being shot down

My take on this is that the land is not being used at all, despite if the Airport will ever reopen commercial flights again.  The City could use the tax revenue from the new jobs this would create, and to give more of that revenue to the Police Department.

Unanimously rejected a request to convert a building at 1217 Moss St. from what is termed a single-family home, although it has several apartments in it, into a nine-unit apartment building.

A very good move by City Council here.  However the main problem is enforcing it.  If enforced it would chase out these slumlords, and be a big step toward improving the quality of live in Reading.

Raised the salary of Managing Director R. Leon Churchill Jr. by 3 percent to $115,536.

Churchill does not deserve this raise.  A recent letter to the editor in The Reading Eagle said it best before you start trying to pick our back pockets for more tax revenue to fund the police, then stop giving scum bags like Churchill raises.

Tabled a bill to give department directors fired for political reasons six months’ pay and six months’ health insurance, double the current severance package. Directors fired for cause would not get the package.

With a mayoral race coming up next year, the city wants to prevent a recurrence of what happened in 2000 when incoming Mayor Joseph D. Eppihimer fired the police chief and numerous other directors for political reasons.

This has to be the worst one yet.  All this will do is muzzle the will of the voters when electing a New Mayor that he, or she can’t fire somebody in fear of having to spend more of the public dime.  This smells Mayor Inner Child McMahon, and Al “Pimp” Boscov all over it.  From what I read in the City Charter so far that the Mayor has the right to hire and fire in any way he chooses, and I would not be surprised if this faces a court challenge in the near future.

Posted in Berks County Politics | Print | 7 Comments »

August 29, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

It seems that the cheerleaders for Mayor Inner Child Tom McMahon are not just at the Reading Eagle.  Today on WEEU’s Feedback with Mike “Mr. Anti-Democracy” Faust showed his bitter true colors today in reaction to the green light given to voters to vote on the Reading Trash Bill in November.  Faust at shortly after 9:00 this morning when his show went on the air began getting bitter, and called the referendum “a bad thing”.  Shortly after that Faust back peddled and corrected himself and said that democracy was a good thing, but Mayor Inner Child McMahon’s trash plan is still a better idea.

Now not only will the residents of Reading have a chance to vote on this, but they will also be fighting against themselves.  Remember Mayor Inner Child McMahon, and Al “Pimp” Boscov will be spending tons of your taxpayer money to run ads on radio, TV, newspapers, etc. to demand you allow Mayor Inner Child’s Trash plan to go trough.

The Trash plan has to be the most honest name Mayor Inner Child McMahon ever put on a bill, because it is exactly that.  TRASH!  I’m sure right now Al Walentis, Dana Hoffman, Zeke, Mr. Anti-Democracy Mike Faust, and others are stocking up on their Mayor Inner Child cheerleader skirts for this one.  Maybe after November they can hold a Mayor Inner Child McMahon Cheerleading Contest at the Goggle Works, but I don’t think anybody would want to see Walentis, Zeke, Dana Hoffman, or Mike Faust in Cheerleading outfits.

Now keep mind folks, that it’s good to see these people throw a fit right now, because we all know that they don’t feel comfortable with you the citizen having a voice.  I’m going to predict that this Trash Scam they are passing will be shot down by a wide margin.  Everybody I talked to does not want this, and if anything it just proves when you control every media outlet in Berks County like Mayor Inner Child McMahon does, then every bit of SPIN can seem true.  I also predict that this will send a big message to Mayor Inner Child McMahon that the residents are tired of his constant disregard for them, and the city charter.  In the end this will be the first bump in what will be a long bumpy road to November 2007 for Mayor Inner Child Tom McMahon.

Posted in Berks County Politics | Print | 1 Comment »

August 27, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

I just came by this on Grassrootspa.com, and once you read this story it will get you even more angry then the middle of the night pay raise.

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_236170244.html

Now can anybody really justify this? If you ask me this should be played at every polling station for voters to see come November.

I love the part about the house and senate barber shops in this video. Makes you have to wonder if they are cutting more then the hair on their heads?

Posted in State Politics | Print | 2 Comments »

August 26, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

Despite the strong arming of the league roll off by The Manager of Berks Lanes Brad Bixler in an attempt to put us at a disadvantage we came out on top tonight and took first place.  I have to tell you that this team was a team.  Not one bowler was the sole reason, but as a unit we overcame the odds.

After staying even in the first game, the second game we came back in full force.  After that the one guy running the counter Matt was so pissed off that he put his fist into the counter.  Third game was tight, but in the end we pulled off a great 10th frame finish and brought it home.

Despite this being a summer league and I usually don’t try much, it became personal after Brad Bixler started to attempt to defeat us using fake pre-bowl scores that had no printouts to prove anything.  Then when Brad still could not shake us out of first, during position round Brad put little kids right next to us open bowling, and cutting us off.  Despite that we took the one point needed for force the roll off.  Last, but not least Brad attempted to fix the roll off to defeat us that way, and tonight we shoved it up his ass.  Brad Bixler needs to learn how to screw things better.  The only thing Brad Bixler was ever good at screwing was that Ferry Shawna, and he did such a stellar job that he even knocked her up.  So on behalf of the team we would like to tell Brad Bixler to kiss our asses, because we are going to Bowl-O-Ramma for the winter where they still believe in fair play.

Now onto a serious note I want to put down some messages from the team on the outcome of tonight.

Vernon Niles would like to dedicate this victory to his wife who has been in the hospital, and not doing the best.

Ronnie Helbert wants to thank his team for stepping it up tonight.  This is his first championship win.

Marci Heckman who was not able to bowl the last few weeks due to problems she has been having with her 3rd pregnancy, and was under doctors orders not to bowl.  Marci took Female High Average tonight, and would like to Thank Jim Reitnour for filling in for her not just on Saturday Nights, but Thursday Nights at Bowl-O-Ramma.

Now for me.  I took Male High Game tonight, and I would also like to thank Jim Reitnour for filling in for Marci toward the end.  Marci’s pregnancy is going fine, but she has to be on bed rest for the time being.  I have to say I did not expect to come back to a summer league and win a championship considering when I started the league I was coming off of a year hiatus due to an automobile accident I had in September 2005.  I have to admit that I would still like to get more consistent, and still am getting used to changing my style a bit to adjust to the injury, but the fact I finished the league with a 192 average with a banged up knee I’m happy, because honestly I expected to bowl worse.  Lucky for me I had a team that stepped it up and picked up each other.

I would like to dedicate this victory to my cousin Stephen Levanti who sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago from prostate cancer.  Stephen was my confirmation sponsor when I was confirmed, and one of the things I knew him best for was that he tackled anything no matter how the odds were stacked against him.  To him odds were merely a bunch of numbers, and that was it.  Tonight after having the odds stacked against us, and in the process of me recovering from an injury, we overcame it.  If we all had Steve’s “It can be done” attitude, then we would all be better off today.

This one is for you Steve.

Posted in Bowling | Print | 4 Comments »

August 25, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

What I’m about to say will more in likely have me banned from almost every bowling establishment in Berks County.

I have been confronted today about my recent writing about the Jay Lanes Fire. The owner of Jay Lanes Ed Satkowski contacted Jim Reitnour about my piece crying foul that it makes him look bad. Despite everything in the post proven to be factual Jim asked me to edit its content, because it would risk alienating The Friday Night Dixie Cedar League, and also asked not to write anything else about it.

After sitting around thinking about this for the past couple of hours I decided that I must respectfully decline Jim Reitnour’s request. Part of the reason this blog network was founded was to expose hard facts that in some cases can be a pill that is hard to swallow for some people. Facts that locally I am critical of The Reading Eagle for not reporting. Just because this particular case hits the back doorstep of one of us, we need to prove that we are not going to go the do as I say, not as I do route, but to do as I say, and do as I do route. If we lower ourselves to the same level as the people who gave us the reason to start The Berks Blog Network in the first place, then this project would be a failure.

As for Jay Lanes, they have lost a customer tonight. I’m a bowler first, and a patron second. I respect the rules, and conduct of the game. Something that along with Berks Lanes, Limerick Bowl, and now Jay Lanes could care less about. Tomorrow night I will be bowling in a three way roll off for first place. The manager of Berks Lanes Brad Bixler has attempted to strong arm the league in conducting the roll off his way which would put the top two teams at a disadvantage.

As for Jay Lanes they are no better in my book. One of the biggest rules in USBC is gambling. Jay Lanes for years has been running an underground gambling operation with video poker machines in the bowling establishment that were located near the restrooms. Jay Lanes employees from Harry at the counter, to Donny the mechanic payout those machines under the counter. Several Bowlers that gamble on these machines range from known bowlers like Jim Anton, Shirley Boyer, and Chris Hetrich. I have also dropped a friendly line to the state tonight informing them of these actions, and stay tuned, because I’m sure the best is yet to come.

Jim Reitnour needs to do some soul searching, because he has also raised concerns about bowling establishments like Berks Lanes strong arming leagues, and their respective officers. As a league secretary Jim you need to put the game, and its integrity first before the establishment. It may not be the popular thing to do, but it is the moral and ethical thing to do. If Ed Satkowski wants to be that way then I’m sure the league can go to Ramma, or another house, or disband. Friends always put out a helping hand when they see the ones they know stray away, and this is one of those times. This is the biggest problem why the sport today has it problems, and these are the types of things that stereo type the game. Put yourself above that.

As for the rest of them you may think I’m a prick, an asshole, and sometimes a nice guy, but if there is one thing you can’t deny is that I’m fair.  Ed Satkowski is a coward, and I wonder how the Mercury would like to hear a story about this?

Posted in Bowling | Print | 9 Comments »

August 25, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

Have a good weekend It is nice to see everybody is allowed to comment on the Eagle Blogs again. I understand a ton of you guys beat Walentis into submission. Good Work.

Posted in Off The Cuff Friday | Print | 1 Comment »

August 21, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

Not only is Zeke a stupid retard when it comes to sports as Ben Helbert has exposed several times, but Zeke is a stupid retard when it comes to an education, and The Constitution of The United States.

Zeke like any good little Reading Eagle Cheerleader was praising Mayor Inner Child McMahon for wanting to ban handguns.  JESUS CHRIST HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF THE CONSTITUTION?  DO THEY TEACH ANYTHING IN SCHOOL OTHER THEN PUTTING CONDOMS ON CUCUMBERS?  DO THEY WONDER WHY WE THE PEOPLE GET PISSED OFF WHEN THESE TEACHERS UNIONS BECOME GREEDY, AND STRIKE?

Our Founding Fathers put in the 2^nd amendment for a reason, because they believed in empowering the individual citizen to defend him, or her self.  The Founders knew that citizens should not enslave themselves to government, and the 2^nd amendment empowers the citizen to defend themselves against an oppressive government, or the average thug.  Our government is a government of the people, and without the 2^nd amendment that reality would go away.  My Grandmother always told me that one of the benefits of a military draft was that every American citizen learned how to handle a gun, and defend themselves in combat.  These thugs would think twice about mugging and American for that reason in fear of themselves getting their asses kicked.  That storekeeper that fought back had the right idea, and proved that fighting back does solve crime, and proved the 2^nd amendment is vital to a higher quality of life in a community.  That is why Mayor Inner Child McMahon wanted to prosecute him.

As Ronald Reagan said, “Government is not the solution to our problems.  Government is the problem.”  We can destroy Reading’s criminal element by using the God given rights our people have under The Constitution Of The United States.  Don’t you see freedom can win the day?  Mayor Inner Child McMahon, and The Reading Eagle’s ideas would only oppress, and weaken the good hard working citizen.  This would also be far more effective then anything the Department of Homeland Security could ever do.

These thugs will get guns regardless.  Do these retards honestly think that these thugs will just walk into a gun shop to buy a weapon to commit a crime?  HELL NO! They will get it from the back of some smuggler’s van, or other black market means where they sneak these weapons in with drugs from Mexico and other nations.  Of course we can solve that problem by cracking down on our borders, but oh that’s right The Reading Eagle, and Mayor Inner Child McMahon want open borders, and invited all the Illegal Aliens from Hazleton to come on down.

Want to fix crime then follow these steps.

1. Secure Our Freaking Borders.
2. Encourage more law abiding citizens to use the 2^nd amendment to defend themselves, and if necessary secure funding to instruct people how to use them.
3. Governments like Mayor Inner Child McMahon need to protect the citizens, and not the murders, rapists, and thugs.

Follow these steps and PROBLEM SOLVED!  These sick murders, thugs, rapist, crack whores, child rapists, etc. would think twice before attempting to harm, or destroy the quality of life in a community.

Posted in Berks County Politics | Print | 23 Comments »

August 19, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

August 18, 2006 by Matt Heckman.

As you know everything goes.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Posted in Off The Cuff Friday | Print | 1 Comment »