Is Vinny Clausi Off to Elba?

Recent election results in Northumberland County have sent Republican Kurt Masser off to Harrisburg with a 2-1 margin of victory.  Does the 2-1 margin, set Masser up as being the Northumberland County's next powerbroker?

In the latest series of developments already since the Tuesday victory,  current Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi has seem to put himself on an island. On Thursday, DCNR gave the county a $400K check for the proposed OHV Park for which Masser still serves on the Steering Committee.  But Masser said the decision is up to the county now.

Clausi has now declared was on the union that represents the Transportation and Weatherization departments in the county.  Read this account in the Daily-Item. In News-Item account of the same story, this little piece caught my eye:

Clausi, who is very upset about the union's rejection of the county's contract offer, added, "Under the Sam Deitrick, Kurt Masser and Frank Sawicki administration in 2007, they gave the kitchen sink away to the union for three years." 

In 2011, all three commissioner seats will be up for election.  Will Masser use his new found machine to swing the election to a 2-1 Republican majority.  Governor-elect Tom Corbett campaigned on lower taxes, lower spending and less government.  Does he want to give away 5 million away for the park to make, Clausi and Sawicki look good?  Or was a promise made to Masser who sits on the OHV committee?

If your keeping score at home, since Tuesday, Clausi has thrown Masser under the bus once, while Masser has punted on the OHV issue once. 2011 promises to be big drama on the local county scene.

Both have a way out.  Masser through Corbett could simply say the state can't afford the grant at this time.  Is Clausi's way out through ballot referendum on the OHV Park and leave it up to the voters?

Want to follow the money, big business (drillers) funded the Corbett campaign.  To paraphrase NCFE the least of our brothers (Matthew 25:45), look for funding for human services to be slashed big time.

With Clausi's war on the county worker and the new Masser machine, Clausi's 2011 election prediction come next November could indeed come to pass.