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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, February 22, 2008

Norco Council Does Its Best to Discourage Citizen Volunteers

Northampton County has no shortage of authorities, boards and commissions. Last night's county council agenda called for confirmation of numerous executive appointments, including Ralph Stampone (former Elections Commissioner to Personnel Appeals Board), Jerry Seyfried (former county exec to Retirement Board) and Cordelia Miller (to add much needed diversity at LANTA).

A few years ago, council members complained they were confirming people they knew nothing about, so Council prez Ann McHale (who then chaired the Personnel committee), sought out resumes.


That wasn't good enough.

Sometime within the last two years, other council members groused they'd also like to see these people, so most of them now show up at the council meetings in which their appointments are considered. Because there were so many appointments last night, the place was packed.

Before the meeting started, I met a few of them, including Cordelia Miller. She was all dolled up for the occasion with a very nice outfit and beautiful lipstick. Many of the men appeared in very nice-looking suits.

Service on most of these boards is pretty much a thankless task. All but a very few are unpaid positions. Very few offer junkets to Las Vegas. Amazingly, people still volunteer to serve their community, although County Exec John Stoffa notes it's getting harder to find people willing to sacrifice so much time.

I can always spot the nominees. In addition to being very well dressed, they usually bring one or two members of their family for what they think will be a Kodak moment. By the time they lerave - with no one offering a simple thank you - they've got to be asking themselves, "Why the hell did I get dressed up for this bullshit?"

Last night's session was particularly tacky. Appointments were vetted by the personnel committee on Wednesday, and council member Diane Neiper expressed reservations about only one of many appointments.

But last night, when appointees were asked to rise as their names were announced, council members Charles Dertinger and Diane Neiper began to complain. First, they wanted to table the new appointments. When that failed, they rambled on while well-dressed volunteers stood at attention.

"I really don't know anything about these people," Diane Neiper disingenuously claimed. She had already reviewed their resumes and could easily have called any one of them. Then council member Dertinger complained that Stoffa's picks for the Personnel Appeals Board were too administration-friendly. Neiper readily agreed.

Which is it Diane? Do you know anything about these people or not?

One of these appointees, Ralph Stampone, is a small businessman who owns an auto repair shop. He has kept my jeep on the road for twelve years, pretty much a miracle. He was a vocal opponent of anti-union Wal-Mart in Wind Gap, which Dertinger himself supported.

So how the hell is Ralph Stampone anti-union?

As nominees continued to stand rigidly, some of them now dripping beads of sweat, Dertinger decided it was time to launch into his routine complaints about the Stoffa administration. This time he whined that board member lists are always outdated.

County Exec Stoffa attempted to clarify a point about those lists soon being made available on the Internet and elsewhere, but Dertinger stopped him cold.

"Mr. Stoffer, I believe I was speaking ...."

- "It's Stoffa."

"Since you interrupted me, I can call you Stoffer."

Nominees remained at attention while Prez McHale and others explained that problem had been resolved at the meeting the previous day, which Dertinger never bothered to attend.

"I have to work, work, work."

I guess the rest of us have nothing else to do.

In the peanut gallery, I kept signaling nominees to sit down. Many were understandably reluctant to listen to some idiot in jeans, dirty T-shirt and a coffee thermos that looks suspiciously like a pipe bomb. Eventually, all nominees were approved, no thanks to council members Neiper, Dertinger and McClure. The only council member who thanked these newly appointed board members was the Evil Ron Angle.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this," Angle told them.

It is precisely this kind of petty behavior and incivility that makes people unwilling to serve in government, even as an unpaid board member. Most left in confusion. As he walked out, Jerry Seyfried, himself a former county exec, asked me, "Am I on or not?"

"You're on. Now get the hell out of here before they change their mind."

I really don't know, but they don't either. At the current rate, the county will soon be out of volunteers. Then Dertinger is going to have to work, work, work, work and work some more.

I'll bet Dertinger picked up a ton of votes tonight.

21 comments:

Chris Miller said...

Why doesn't Stoffer, excuse me, Stoffa, punch Dert in the mouth. Dert appears to be about 6 or younger. Next time throw your pipe bomb at him.
By the way how did you get a blog story into the Express-Times as a guest writer? Use new stuff not something we all have read. Otherwise I will send John and my son Mike to you abode.:)

Bernie O'Hare said...

I liked that story, and a lot of people emailed me about it. I usually just get comments. I decided to take a chance and ask the ET if it wanted to go with it. It was very nice of them to run it.

LSTresidentPIA said...

What kind of work do these "volunteers" do exactly?

Anonymous said...

I think Council is curious why so many Republican supportes of Stoofa are replacing long time experienced Board members.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I think Council is curious why so many Republican supportes of Stoofa are replacing long time experienced Board members.

Stoffa made two significant changes:

1) He replaced Steve Curto, a 14 year vet of the PAB, with another Dem. (The PAB must contain members from the two major parties so there is no way Stoffa could stuff it with Rs. That argument is a red herring). Neiper was incensed that a veteran would be replaced at a time when many appeals might be filed after the pay stidy is complete, and that's as valid concern. Stoffa said, "There's two ways of looking at that. Fourteen years is an awful long time to be in one position, and I offered Steve a spot somewhere else." Stoffa is the couinty exec. He makes the appointment. if the Dem majority on council did not like it, they could have voted it down.

2) The second major change was replacing Steve Schmitt with Coedelia Miller. Steve Schmitt has been a wonderful voice for alternative transportation. But he went out of his way to antagonize the mostly minority merchants on Hamilton Street with remarks that are at best insesnsitiive. I've quoted those remarks as recently as yesterday. He neve apologized for insulting these hard-working people whose businesses were suffering as a result of bus routing changes. He basiucally called them liars who were just looking for something to complain about. Two businesses have closed and others have laid people off.

I don't know whether Steve belongs to any policitcal party and believe he was propped up by the LVP a few years ago as the token liberal. There are only 3 women on LANTA's 12 membner board. Only one of these women may vote. None is a person of color. The selection of Cordelia adds a woman who is black and who can vote, too. That board might benefit from the diversity she provides. It needs all the diversity it can get.

Anonymous said...

Charles Dertinger is an excellent public official. His problem, if I understand him correctly, and I don't always, is that the list of the people who currently sit on Boards, Authorities and Commissions was not updated since the middle of the Reibman Administration. Therefore, his point is, I think, you can't tell who is being replaced with whom. And the Home Rule Charter doesn't merely give Council the role of advice and consent - it grants Council to exercise its own independent judgment.

Anonymous said...

Annon 10:52
You make a very good point. I think Council just wants to know what is going on. This Administration keeps some of them in the dark so they need to ask. They don't want these boards packed with inappropriate or political croonies. I agree Drtinger is a very good official but because he questions Lord Stoffa he is attacked.
Angle questioned Reibman and was knighted by the Press.
This is the first County Executive in history to be treated so politiely by the media. Since the reporters only wrtite the press releases, Council must ask probing questions. Good work County Council, or at least some of you(the new ones).
Like this new guy Stoffa is hiring to replace Daday. A position he said he wouldn't fill. Now an old buddy needs a job and a position vacant for three years needs to be filled. Hopefuly Coucil will have the courage to say NO. Save our Taxes!!

Anonymous said...

The beat reporters cover the Administration pretty straight. You have to remember that Council, as O'Hare has correctly pointed out, has been ineffectual at taking Stoffa on in the realm of public opinion. It does not help, that the Ed. Bds. at both papers look at John through rose colored glasses with green eye shade on.

Anonymous said...

I remember back in the day with other County Executives if they made a statement about something the reporters would run to council members to get their reaction. It would all be in the story. With this guy he says anything he wants and no going to Councilmembers. This is the laziest County reporting staff in years. Or they have their orders.
Stoffa could say the moon is made of cheese and the County has a space program and that is what would be printed. With a trophy from the Excess for good measure.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Charles Dertinger is an excellent public official. His problem, if I understand him correctly, and I don't always, is that the list of the people who currently sit on Boards, Authorities and Commissions was not updated since the middle of the Reibman Administration.

By nearly any standard, Dertinger has been a big disappointment on council. The first thing he did after being elected was to run for Congress, neglecting his own job.

In his first two years in office, he has among the worst three records for attendance at council committees.

His point about using outdated lists was made and answered the previous day during a committee hearing, at whcih he was absent. While he moaned about Mr. "Stoffer" and purposely mispronounced the county exec's name, appointees were standing like schoolchildren. He embarrassed himself and the entire county by his arrogant performance Thursday night.

When the MC long ago called him a "faithless politician," that paper was right on the money.

Anonymous said...

Mt Dertinger has a tough job as the only Councilman who believes in the oversight role of County Council. Mr. Stoffa like any other politician must have at least one person checking on his actions with our taxes. Thankyou Charles for you due diligence.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Mt Dertinger has a tough job as the only Councilman who believes in the oversight role of County Council.

Well inform Mount Dertinger that it's impossible to perform an "oversight role" from his union advocate job in NYC. If he wants to do that, he should attend a committee meeting from time to time. It might help him avoid embarrassing himself, as he did Thursday night by launcching one of his diatribes against "Stoffer" while county appointees stood at attention. That should sound priceless on the radio when Dertinger launches his reelection bid. He's getting experienced at publcly saying things that come back and bite him in the ass, isn't he?

Anonymous said...

Yo BO, maybe he did the 'r' thing because of his Newh Yaaark accent.
Just a thought.

Bernie O'Hare said...

The first time he did it, no problem. It's one of those things. But the second time he did it, it was rude and arrogant and will be perceived that way on any radio ad run against him. Of all people, he should know his words can come back to haunt him.

House of Crayons said...

I have to disagree with th low level of vetting that you advocate Bernie. This has been a huge issue with us.

ABC service is not to be taken lightly or at your convienience. It's not hard to find people to serve; it's mostly just hard to find people who think like you to serve.

Just look at our Riverwalk situation here in Easton.

"Louie (Ferrone) is doing a heck of a job!"

More on this at our blog. Enjoy the week.

Bernie O'Hare said...

House of Crayons,

I do not advocate a "low level" of vetting. Resumes were in. Appointees were physically present and standiung like schooldchildren. What I detest is treating the complete lack of courtesy displayed to this applicants, which discourages a willingness to serve.

Anonymous said...

"Well inform Mount Dertinger that it's impossible to perform an "oversight role" from his union advocate job in NYC."

BOH where do you get this Sh*t, what was your source for this one. its one thing to be a lap dog for Stoffa and Angle but now you are just making things up. Maybe you're not attending the same council meetings I have but Dertinger is a project manager God help us all but he repeats it everytime anthing even close to construction comes up. That means he works on the management side, he works for some electrical company not a union.
It's obvious you hate this guy but making things up calls into question your motives.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Dude, Dertinger works for IBEW. Who do you think you're talking to? He is the union's guy on the job.

Bernie O'Hare said...

In addition, he was rude, not just to "Stoffer", but to the many appointees forced to stand during his harangue.

Anonymous said...

BO, who has the better 'harangues'; Angle or Dertinger.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Ooh, Angle is the master, but doesn't make people stand as he does it. And his are a lot more entertaining.