Now we have a little more insight into why Wilkes-Barre (Dodge City) Mayor Tom Leighton’s alleged investigation into LAG Towing is taking so long.
It’s because thorn-in-his side, Council Vice-Chairman Tony George, is friends with Cupcake.
You heard me. Up until last Tuesday’s council work session, all Leighton would say is that the investigation into numerous complaints about LAG and its owner, Leo Glodzik, is a work in progress.
On Tuesday, he digressed, charging that George had an ulterior motive in demanding the termination of Glodzik’s exclusive city contract. It’s because he is friends with Leighton nemesis, Bob Kadluboski, the city’s former towing contractor, who is known by some as Kobby and by the mayor as Cupcake.
Not so, countered Councilman George. “LAG is the issue. When I was (police) chief, we did have complaints about City Wide, and we handled them,” he said, according to The Times Leader’s account of the meeting. George said those complaints were not city business because they concerned private towing contracts. That’s not the case with LAG. In one of the most egregious complaints, an 82-year-old city resident was told she needed to come up with almost $2,000 to get her stolen car back from LAG.
Several citizens have leveled charges of price gouging against LAG and claimed the company charged storage fees for stolen vehicles, in violation of its contract.
But as the mayor has reminded everyone over and over and over again, reviewing these complaints takes time.
“But I’m not surprised if you don’t know that,” the mayor said. He didn’t elaborate why this wouldn’t surprise him about George.
But what does surprise many citizen residents is that this investigation has been going on for over a year now, and all Leighton will say is that the matter is under review.
So just like the case across the river, at the Luzerne County Transportation Authority, where ghosts allegedly rode its buses, we just have to wait for the findings of other investigative agencies to see whether any wrongdoings took place. And they were interested enough to conduct investigations.
If they drag their feet like they’re doing in Dodge City, at least the mayor has promised that when the city’s internal probe is complete, if it ever is, that Councilman George will be the first one to know its outcome, adding that, “We all know why you’re doing this. You’re friends with City Wide.”
Hmmm. Does the reason for the foot dragging have anything to do with the mayor being buds with LAG or because Leo Glodzik has been a loyal campaign donor? Just asking.
For now, we need to be patient because these things take time and more time and more time and time after that.
- Betty Roccograndi
