Flood Czar

I wrote last year about the need for President Obama to appoint a "czar" to oversee the recovery after the Gulf Coast oil spill.

 The President has a penchant for appointing czars to oversee many of his initiatives.

 Well, here I go again.

 Mr. President please appoint a czar to be your point man as Northeastern Pennsylvania recovers from the flood caused by Tropical Storm Lee.

 It only makes sense. 

 In 1972, President Richard Nixon appointed Wyoming Valley native Frank Carlucci to this job after the Agnes Flood. He is given high marks for the work he did.

 And Mr. President may I be so bold as to suggest the right man for this job; Paul E. Kanjorski.

 It was Mr. Kanjorski who shepherded the Wyoming Valley Levee raising through Congress. Without the levee raising, I shudder to think what this region would look like today. Whether you like Kanjorski or not, he got the job done. His public service began during the aftermath of the 1972 Agnes flood. He served thirteen terms in Congress. 

 This is the man for this job. 

 This is a role he was born to play.

 I don't want to hear that he is a former Congressman. I don't want to hear that he may be a candidate again.

 There is a monumental task ahead of us. The amount of water dumped on the region can only be dwarfed by the mountain of red tape that comes with recovery.

 Kanjorski can get this done.

 Mr. Kanjorski, I beg you; take this job when it's offered.

 Wyoming Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania need you, AGAIN!