Today the Lehighton Times News pointed out that the Republicans have moved past the Democrats in registered voters in Carbon County. This was not true of neighboring Monroe, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, all of which increased their Democratic margins.
What is wrong with Carbon? What happened here?
I buy my New York Times every day at Sunny’s gas station and convenience store on 209 in Monroe County. Over the years I have developed a number of friendships with the staff, who are informed and full of good cheer. Today, for unknown reasons, the distributor did not deliver any New York Times. Fridays are important to me–the weekend arts section and the movie reviews are in the Friday paper, along with the second most difficult crossword puzzle of the week.
So, I went on a quest. Palmerton, no Times. Lehighton, no Times. Jim Thorpe, no Times. I didn’t drive to Lansford or Summit Hill or Nesquehoning, but I’ll give you really good odds that I wouldn’t find it there either. This is a county of about 60,000 people. We are about 90 miles from Manhattan.
When I lived in Fairfax, California, I subscribed to the Times. It was on our doorstep at 4 a.m. Here, nada. What kind of a cultural wasteland is this?
Am I a snob? An esthete? Yeah, maybe, but please don’t ask, Why don’t you go back to California? My answer to you is: Why don’t you move over to Schuylkill County?
I think if Linda were here, she’d tell me not to post this, but she is in Ireland. Probably reading the New York Times.
By the way, this is not to knock the Times News, which is excellent on local news, or the Morning Call, which does a reasonable job on regional developments. I read them both. I just want my Times as well.
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