Water Flow Slows Firefighters 
No Injuries Reported In Regent Street Blaze

Accused Killer Says Victim Provoked Him

Friday, January 24, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Editorial failed to appreciate Jones's skills as minority commissioner &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In response to your editorial, ``Minority commissioner must strike right
balance'' (Jan. 13), I believe the key words here are ``right balance.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There are those who believe that the job of the minority is to be simply &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``against.'' Of course these same people know very little about government
and even less about politicsJoseph "Red" Jones is a man of character and a
fine public servant. As the watchdog minority, he seems to have a strong grasp
on knowing when to bark and when to wag his tail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Your editorial indicated how often he voted with the majority and how
seldom he voted against the majority. The point you missed is that he did make
every vote, and he voted in what he thought was the right way. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If you understand government, you well know that most votes are for routine
matters involving the day-to-day business of government and rarely do minority
commissioners get the opportunity to cast an ideological vote. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You mention in your editorial how Jim Phillips voted no on almost
everything and that the minority should be looking for wrongs to be righted
such as nepotism. If Jim Phillips was such a great minority, how did his son
end up on the nepotism list? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The fact is Mr. Jones did cast a negative vote on at least one occasion,
and that happened to be one of those rare times when philosophical differences
can be made known. I don't have a problem with that nor should anyone else. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Let's look at the facts: County government is not run as it once was. Frank
Crossin is not the young, inexperienced man who stepped into his father's very
large shoes and tried to fill them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Frank Crossin is a mature man with many years of county government
experience on which to call upon. He has learned the art of politics, which is
simply the art of compromise, and has become a great community leader. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With Mr. Crossin's knowledge and experience along with the enthusiasm of
Atty. Tom Makowsky and his vast experience with municipal solicitorships, the
three have created a coalition government like we have never seen before. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead of having two commissioners working to solve problems and at the
same time trying to appease a minority, we now have three commissioners
working to solve problems, not wasting time playing political one-upmanship. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I think Joseph "Red" Jones has a very clear understanding of his job as the
minority, and I think that he is focused on doing that job. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The fact that he has defined his role in government as being a part of the
solution by working with the majority commissioners, not as part of the
problem by being a simple negative vote, is a clear example of how government
should be run. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wil Toole &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pittston &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Editorial Failed To Appreciate Jones's Skills As Minority Commissioner 
In Response To Your Editorial, ``minority Commissioner Must Strike Right 
Balance'' (jan. 13), I Believe The Key Words Here Are ``right Balance.'' 
There Are Those Who Believe That The Job Of The Minority Is To Be Simply 
``against.'' Of Course These Same People Know Very Little About Government And 
Even Less About Politics.