An open letter to the mayor
Disclaimer: Letters to the Editor express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily the opinion of WBIG ownership, management or staff.
Dear Mayor Leighton, I don’t personally know you but I have crossed paths with you and know some of your extended family. I was born and raised here in South Wilkes-Barre and have lived here my entire 53 years. My children attended the same schools as yours. We are neighbors, and good citizens of this town. I know of Wilkes-Barre’s past. I’m afraid for its future.
You were elected by your fellow neighbors because they trusted you to do the job they elected you for. You should be ashamed of yourself for what this city has become. Are you that blind that when traveling around town how disgraceful it has become? I know it can’t take one person to keep our city safe, clean and respectable but you have turned your head on us. WE are afraid . . . can you hear me? No matter what you may think, you need to start listening to us, as our mayor . . . remember the elected position you took? It wasn’t just to have “MAYOR” next to your name, was it? You promised us a revitalized city. A good town to raise families. Show me where. Take your blinders off and put your phone away and stop your antics and listen to us. Our home, our city . . . has gone to the dogs. Living in Barney Farms doesn’t exempt you from the rest of us. You are our fellow neighbor, does that shock you?
You grew up here in a time when life was simpler. You knew what it was like to go play outside, meet friends in the park, ride your bike and not have to worry about being robbed or shot. Don’t you think our kids of the city deserve the same quality of life? The element that has filtered in our city are attacking each other and taking our lives away. You are self-centered and selfish. I’m not even going to begin to talk about the political end of things. Your job as our elected official is to protect your fellow citizens and keep our neighborhoods safe. You are not doing that. Our police can’t keep up. Crime is not down, it’s just not reported to us. Start doing your job. Walk the streets, observe, talk to your neighbors all over the town and hear us!! Barney Farms is not the whole city! The square is not the whole city. No more bars! We have more than we need. Whether you like it or not, we are all equals here. Sure, some of us are more educated than others, but it doesn’t change the fact of the matters at hand. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a realtor to see how bad things are. You aren’t above us. You need to be fighting with us to return our city to a safe, clean and comfortable environment where we aren’t afraid of stepping outside or going to the corner store. It’s not safe at night for people coming or going to their place of work. If you can’t do that for us, then you don’t belong in the position. Is that too much to ask?
Sincerely,
Darla Carey, Wilkes-Barre
