Sultana v. Big Easy Easton Brass Band

On Friday night, the Big Easy Easton Brass Band participated in the City's Christmas parade.  I've had the opportunity to view a few YouTube videos of this group, and they make me feel like I'm at a Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They wear outrageous outfits, even stilts and play with such positive energy that you can't help but smile. Unfortunately, the leader of this fun band - Jeremy Joseph - ran into some negative energy that night for refusing to be deferential to City Council member Taiba Sultana. Sultana not only complained to police that she was harassed by Joseph, but she also made sure to prepare and send a news release to Lehigh Valley News about the incident. She also posted about it on her Facebook page, saying this:

Last night while participating Easton’s Christmas Parade, I was harassed and threatened not because of anything I did wrong, but because some people cannot accept that a woman of color,and a fighter for working families has a seat in power.

And I will not accept this intimidation. Not now. Not ever.

The threats I received in person and the disgusting, violent messages sent to me online are not about me as an individual.

They are an attack on every person who believes in a more just, fair, and inclusive Easton.

This is what happens when you challenge old power structures.

This is what happens when you stand up for working people and seniors.

I have filed a police report. Thanks to the random public cameras for recording the evidence. I have documented every threat.

And I will keep showing up louder, stronger, and more determined than ever.

You cannot bully someone who is rooted in community. You cannot intimidate someone who serves with purpose.And you cannot weaken a movement built on justice.

Easton deserves leadership that does not bow to hate, fear, or harassment.

And that is exactly what I intend to deliver.

Bandleader Jeremy Joseph has a completely different take. Here's his response from his Facebook page.

ok Easton, here we go!

Taiba approached me before our parade, acting like we're friends. I let her know what I think of her political tactics - I told her she doesn't support the people she says she does, that we know what she is after years of watching her on city council - that we know what she is from her own children that told the police on camera that she was physically abusing them. She is a fraud. I am absolutely disgusted by her behavior and political positioning. I said all of this to her, then she proceeded to march in front of my band as we paraded down the street, acting like she's leading the parade - I'm the one who said she has "no shame" as she walked in front of the community band I work so hard to keep going.

Now, you are going to file a report that I was harassing you!!!!! You were getting honest feedback from the community Taiba! Deal with it!

You really have no shame! Councilwoman Taiba Sultana Taiba Sultana - you are not welcome at my parades. (She'll remove this tag)

Sultana insisted on marching in front of the band anyway, as though she was leading it, assisted by her photographer husband.

Joseph went to the police station This is what he learned. 

I just got back from the Easton police station. Taiba had no evidence, video or otherwise. She could not explain to the police what I said that was threatening or harassing. She said I created an “unsafe” environment - which the officer asked, “What was unsafe about it? There was a police officer right there and hundreds of people?” She couldn’t answer.

But yet, she goes to the press and accuses me of violent threats? She posts on her social media accusing me of being racist and sexist. She states I approached her, when there were plenty of witnesses that saw the opposite. She approached me.

Does she just get to get away with this?

Sultana apparently intends to run again for the State House or State Senate so she likes to present herself as a victim of racism, sexism who stands up to bullies. 

Except she's the bully. 

This incident has resulted in public reactions from some people I respect.

Easton City Council member Frank Pintabone: "I’m sorry to read this. You are such an asset to our city. You and the band did us proud again last night." 

Easton City Council member Crystal Rose: "Jeremy, I want to thank you for everything you do for this community. Your dedication to the band and to creating inclusive, positive events for our residents is something I’ve always admired and deeply appreciated. The time, energy, and heart you pour into Easton does not go unnoticed.

I’m genuinely disgusted and disappointed by the behavior you described and I’m sorry you were put in that position. No community volunteer, especially someone who has given as much as you have, should ever have to deal with that kind of conduct or political theatrics. Our residents and our events deserve better.

I’m grateful for your continued commitment to Easton. If there’s anything you need from me, I’m here."

NorCo Dem party Vice Chair Sandy O'Brien: "Try your best to shrug this off, as this type of unhinged behavior can really hurt the person it's directed toward. You are respected and applauded for all you do, and I'm certain that you have tremendous support as people read, and probably chuckle about, her latest quest for relevancy."

Gracedale One of Nursing Homes in 25-Mile Radius Rated at "Much Below Average"

NorCo County Council member Kelly Keegan dislikes all the negative attention that Gracedale receives. She has argued it just depresses the people who work there. Medicare disagrees. It maintains a public website that lists every nursing home and rates them based on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Gracedale's latest rating, as I told you last week, is just one star, meaning it is "much below average." 

How does this compare to other homes, including privately-owned facilities?  There are 45 nursing homes within a 25-mile radius of Gracedale. Aside from Gracedale, only two other homes have a one-star rating. They are Sapphire Care and Rehab Center (E Stroudsburg, Pa) and Little Brook Nursing and Convalescent Home (Chalfont, NJ). Of the three homes with this one-star rating, only Gracedale has been flagged for abuse.  "Nursing homes that have been cited for potential issues related to abuse have the following icon next to their name:  "

The abuse designation at Gracedale is no doubt the result of an agency nurse who, believing she was an exorcist, attempted to perform an exorcism on a resident back in June. But there have been a rash of six substantiated complaints against the home since March, including three instances in which residents just left and had to be brought back by police.

Recently, the home was flagged again for abuse, although this time it was an abusive resident who assaulted another resident who was wandering and entered the abusive resident's room. The abused resident was hospitalized with a broken coccyx and a head injury.  

Latest CMS Gracedale Rating - "Much Below Average"

The latest Medicare rating for Gracedale is out and it's pretty bad. It has dropped to just one star - "much below average." It is a precipitous drop from its 4-star rating - "above average" - in February. I have previously told you about a rash of substantiated complaints brought against the home, which no doubt play a role in the latest rating. 

Donald Trump Has Named His Successor

Sen. Mark Kelly (D. Ariz.) is a retired Astronaut and Navy Captain. During his vaunted career in the navy, he flew 39 combat missions during Desert Storm. He and five other members of Congress angered President Trump recently when they told US service members to refuse to follow illegal orders. On his own social media platform, Trump called them all "traitors" and accused them of "SEDITIOUS BEHAVOR, punishable by DEATH!" Trump lemming Pete Hegseth, ever eager to please the boss, wants Kelly recalled to active duty and court-martialed. 

I believe Trump has actually just named his successor. 

Kelly is exactly what this country needs, a centrist who is willing to and has worked with Republicans to get things done. He is certainly a notch above career politicians like Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Rahm Emanuel and Kamala Harris. 

NorCo Council Rejects Budget Amendment That Would Give LVPC Over $1 Million in 2026

Back in October, during a budget hearing for Northampton County Council, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) requested $965,500 for next year. That's a problem. Executive Lamont McClure has only set aside $625,000 for the bi-county venture. At last week's budget amendment meeting, Council members John Brown and Lori Vargo Heffner tried to give LVPC an additional $461,375 by taking the money from Grow NorCo future grants. They failed. Five votes are needed to move something forward for consideration on December 4, when the budget is adopted. Only four Council members supported the increase. Two Council members - John Goffredo and Ron Heckman - might have given a fifth or even a sixth vote, but they were absent

LVPC, which serves both Lehigh and NorCo, plans regional land use, transportation, recreation, economic development, storm water management, and environmental impact studies. It reviews about 300 subdivision plans a year, just in Northampton County. Most importantly, it provides technical assistance to smaller local governments that have no planners. But does this justify what is 50% increase in the county contribution next year? Lehigh County thinks so and has already voted to. give LVPC what it wants. 

NorCo is a different story. 

"Why do we want to give Lehigh Valley Planning Commission all this money?" demanded Council member Ken Kraft.  "You heard them when they were here. They have a huge budget surplus." 

Council member John Brown supported an increase and said it was part of the agreement we have with our sister county. But in the eyes of Kraft and many others going back to former Council President Wayne Grube, we are treated more like the ugly red-headed step-sister.

Kraft went on a tear.  "I didn't tell them to move into a new building. I didn't tell them to incur all this new debt that they did and I don't think our taxpayers should pay for that. And 90% of it was in salaries alone. ... I think they need to figure out how to pay their bills without handouts. I'm a strong No. .... I can't believe we're doing this." ... "It's ludicrous to give this kind of money to them when they said most of it is for salaries. Remember, they are the people who brought you the warehouses all over the county. They told every one of these little municipalities back in Walt Dealtry's days, if you remember, to change their zoning and planning to allow what happened. And then in the future, we're like 'Oh my God, there's warehouses and cars and everything everywhere.' Who gave us that? The LVPC. ... They have a lot of reserves. We should have their reserves."

"For us to be so far off from Lehigh County is concerning to me," responded Council President Lori Vargo Heffner. She also told Kraft that some of the municipalities in his district rely on LVPC for planning.

Council member Jeff Warren, donning his Solomon costume, is willing to cut the baby in half. He is willing to give LVPC some of what it wants, but not all. 

In the end, a motion to sweeten the LVPC handout by $461,375 failed in a 4-3 vote. Council members Vargo Heffner, Brown, Jeff Corpora and Tom Giovanni voted Yes. Kraft, Warren and Kelly Keegan voted No. 

Expect to see another effort to provide this money to LVPC when the full Council meets on December 4. 

Jeff Warren's Proposal for Public Database of Blighted Properties Panned by NorCo Council

By a 6-2 vote, Northampton County Council voted last week to reject a proposal (you can read it here) by Council member Jeff Warren to establish a public database for blighted properties inside the county. He only had support from Council member Kelly Keegan. 

Warren, who is running for State Rep and would probably like to be Council President next year, claimed that blighted properties and absentee landlords are becoming more prevalent, and thinks a county-wide public database, administered by the county, would apparently shame owners into remediating code violations. "We have a ton of properties that are being neglected," said Warren, who added that this is "an aging community."

It certainly is, and I'll be the first to admit I am very blighted. I am listed as such on several public databases.

After reading the resolution in its entirety, which took about five minutes and with the usual rhetorical emphasis at certain points, Warren gave an equally lengthy sermon in response to a question from Council member Ron Heckman, who simply wanted to know how much it would cost. After about five minutes of pontificating, Warren eventually admitted he did not know.

Heckman, who incidentally has great hair but is otherwise also blighted, had his own soliloquy. He pointed out that the county exists for very limited purpose (courts, county bridges, election and administration of human services) and is barely able to do that. "We have an infinite need and finite resources," he said. "I don't want us to get into zoning and code enforcement or anything like that." He derided Warren's proposal as "more empire building than anything else." He said Warren's idea is "far afield" from what "county government is all about." 

Council member Ken Kraft, who once served on Bethlehem's Zoning Hearing Board, agreed with Heckman. "This is overreaching," he said. "This is not in our purview. ... We don't set zoning codes. We don't set those laws. They've nothing to do with us." He added that when Wilson Borough's Dixie factory "went to Hell" for 40 years, the municipality did nothing to correct it.

Kraft is also blighted. 

Of course, Warren had to respond again. He admitted that the state is considering a statewide database, which has passed the House. This begs the question why the county would need to do it as well.   

By the way, what the hell is blight anyway? Some might think pink flamingos look great while others think they are tacky. Some people like the natural look in their yards while others insist on mowing every 30 seconds. Council member John Brown noted that definition is far from uniform. 

I am concerned that this could be weaponized to shame elderly and low-income property owners who simply lack the resources to maintain properties to the highest standard. As for absentee landlords, do you really think they will care if their blighted property is listed on a public website?  That's why they are absentees. 

So yes, like Kraft and Heckman, I agree this is way beyond why county government exists. But unlike them, I think this is a terribly stupid idea. 

73 Court-Appointed Employees to Get $450,410 Raise

At last week's meeting of Northampton County Council, a pay raise totaling $450,410 was approved for 73 court-appointed employees. Thy include domestic relations conference officers, probation officers, pretrial services officers, law clerks, supervisors and even the court's accountant. The salaries were approved mostly by a 7-1 vote, with Ken Kraft dissenting and John Goffredo being absent. (You can see the numerous positions involved here.)

Earlier that week, President Judge Craig Dally told Council that the majority of these employees were at one time part of a union, but disbanded in 2019. When that happened, these employees should have been moved from union to career service PayScales, but they were never moved over as they should have been. 

Were these employees being punished for decertifying from a union? What I can say is that when they disbanded, the county initially refused to give them a retroactive 2% payraise that was slotted for career service workers that year. Two of Council's former members, both of whom just happened to be union agents, wanted to stiff these workers. And initially, they succeeded. "They made the choice to leave the union and that was their choice," said Kevin Lott at the time. He was among four Council members (including then Council member Tara Zrinski and now Council President Lori Vargo Heffner) who voted to deny these workers a pittance that would cost the county a grand total of $69,000 for 64 court-appointed professionals. 

Though this raise was eventually passed, these former union members were never moved over to the higher career service PayScales. 

"I wasn't aware of this," said Judge Dally. "Had I known, I would have come here sooner." 

Judge Dally was under the impression that these raises were going to be part of the 2026 budget, but was that never happened, either. 

This could be a misunderstanding. It could also be an administration intent on punishing employees for having left the union.  

Interestingly, the one Council member who balked at this migration was Ken Kraft, himself a former union agent. He was more than willing to let these employees stew in the wages of an expired union contract that was at least 6 years old. 

These raises are effective now, not next year. Judge Dally told Council he had the money in his budget to cover it.