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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Monday, July 21, 2008

Final Reminder: Who Would You Like as Northampton County's Next Exec

Is John Stoffa running for reelection? Your bet's as good as mine. But let's say he decides he's had enough. Which Democrat is his best successor? Is it McHale and her appeal to the women's vote? What about Rich Grucela's formidable political skills? Does affable Ron Heckman want return us to the good ol' days of Glenn Reibman? I started a poll on the left sidebar. I'll close it sometime Tuesday. Who do you think is winning? Vote and find out.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the one thing that is clear is that Stoffa is finished.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Sadly, we will return to the world of pay to play. But I'll have lots more to write about.

Anonymous said...

You seem to like Cunningham and Callahan. They make everyone look like pikers in regard to pay to play. Yet they seem to be doing a good job..Stoffa rewarded Bradt with a number of Republican hires. I know, that doesn't count..

Bernie O'Hare said...

It doesn't count. Stoffa gave Bradt no reward. The reason Stoffa appointed some Rs is bc he was not so concerned about political affiliation as he was with getting the best person for the job.

Conklin, for example, is technically an R. But he has no interest in politics and I doubt he even knows Bradt. Connie (from HR) was an Indie, but switched to D bc Dertinger and McClure were on a blue crusade.

Bradt seems to have little involvement in local politics anymore. If he were the partisan you make him out to be, he did a pretty lousy job on the citizen advisory panel, where he bent over backwards to be nice to Deb DePaul.

Pay to play does not exist in the Stoffa administration, and that drives the Dadays of this world nutz. They hearken to a return to political patronage, where who you know matters far more than what you know.

Cunningham is running for Governor. He better be soliciting large contributions or he stands no chance. I've looked closely at Callahan's reports and see nothing particularly outrageous or offensive. I don't see it used like Reibman or, more recently, Pawlowski.

Anonymous said...

Shame you have to cheap shot Heckman. It was your poll you sound as if you are mad he did well.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I give Heckman no cheap shot. He's a very affable guy. But it's clear to me that some people think they can use him in order to turn the clock back and return to the weay things were.

I'm not angry at this. I'm invigorated. it gives me the best argument that exists to convince Stoffa to seek a second term. He ran to rid Northampton County of the patronage and "pay to play." His job is not done.

Anonymous said...

So your point is that Ron Heckman is a pay to play politican and that he would be involved in patronage?
You take another shot at him infering he is so stupid he would be used by people. How do his ethics and life compare to yours.
You must really hate this guy or really love Stoffa.

Bernie O'Hare said...

No, my point is that people like you are waiting to crawl from under your anonymouse rocks to demand a return to patronage and pay to play. You will demand it from heckman just as you demanded it from Stoffa. And if you don't get what you want, you'll turn on him.

Anonymous said...

Like Cunningham, Heckman is going to have to raise alot of money to run in Northampton County. You seemed to excuse Cunningham for all his fundraising by saying he has to do it. Just raising alot of money does not necessarily mean you'll have to pay back everyone who donates to you however.Reibman's problem is that he brought on Soloman who was a major pay to play player. I doubt that Heckman, McHale or Grucela would consider that.

Bernie O'Hare said...

No, Solomon went to jail. And reibman's reign included many paybacks. You want to return to that. I don't.

Anonymous said...

Is reibman running again? I didn't know that. What makes you assume that McHale, Grucela, and heckman will have anything to do with that?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Heckman helped me when he was a Coucilman with my aunt at Gracedale. They gave us a hard time and he got it resolved. I think he is a good person.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Is reibman running again? I didn't know that. What makes you assume that McHale, Grucela, and heckman will have anything to do with that?

I have no worries about McHale or Grucela. I am concerned about Heckman, but only bc he is backed by the pay to play crowd.

Anonymous said...

O'Hare hates Heckman probably because he won't kiss his or anyone else's backside.
The inner circle is McHale and the old Bethlehem Club crowd. Heckman has always been an outsider not afraid to say what he means.
He must have told you off for you to hate him and lie. To bad he won't kiss your butt if he runs.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Heckman and I are on friendly terms. It is people like you, who savage everyone else, who concern anyone interested in good government.

Anonymous said...

Gee Bernie,of all three you call him the crook. He probably riased less dollars in his runs than any of those other people McHale, Grucella. They are probably more 'connected' than he ever was.
With Friemds like you...

Bernie O'Hare said...

Gee Bernie,of all three you call him the crook

No, I call people like you the crooks. Your goal is to have Heckman sitting there so that you can slop at the trough once more.

Chester said...

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