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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Thursday, December 09, 2010

She Who Must Be Obeyed

Cindy Feinberg, Lehigh County's Director of Community and Economic Development, was at last night's Commissioners' meeting. They were going to kill the funding for an affordable housing coordinator, and she wanted to talk them out of it. She did, too. In fact, when she was done with them, Percy Dougherty meekly withdrew his motion. She got some help from CACLV Exec Director Alan Jennings, but did not need it because Cindy is She Who Must Be Obeyed.

When she approached the podium to give her speech, she told me to shut my flip cam off because she did not want to be photographed in her reading glasses. Now this is completely ridiculous. This is, after all, a public meeting, and I have every right to record it, damn it. I've sued over this kind of Sunshine Law violation in the past. But I meekly put my flip cam away because Cindy is She Who Must Be Obeyed.

By the way, Cindy is a hot tamale, with or without reading glasses. For some reason, hot tamales have an aversion to being photographed.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sexist comment on your part!

Bernie O'Hare said...

I don't think so. My intent is to compliment, not disparage or denigrate, Cindy. So I'm comfortable with what I've written. You're not bc you're one of those trolls who is just looking for trouble.

michael molovinsky said...

one only need look at the endless migration of low-income to the valley, to realize that there is an abundance of affordable housing. positions like this only help create the poverty magnet. there cunningham goes again, saying he cuts jobs at budget hearings, then creating positions a month later.

Anonymous said...

she is indeed a formidable woman


we all worship cindy, and despair...

Anonymous said...

Can't believe you closed your camera!
Good Grief. What did you think she could do to you right there in the meeting room, especially with all those windows and a Channel 69 cameraman. What a nerve. Turn off the camera. Did she forget Government 101.

PippySqueek said...

I think for the holidays someone needs to get you one of those cameras that you hide in a tie or pen.

Bernie O'Hare said...

" there cunningham goes again, saying he cuts jobs at budget hearings, then creating positions a month later."

Actually, MM, it is an existing position. It has existed for three years and is funded by CDBG funds. I'll have more to say about affordable funding on Friday or over the weekend. There was an interesting debate between percy Dougherty and Alan Jennings.

michael molovinsky said...

i don't give cunningham credit for much, but i was encouraged when he first hired fineberg, she was a commercial RE hotshot at the time. don't know what she's done to bring business or jobs here, but to encourage more low income is counterproductive. she should have let the position open. build it and they will come.

Capri said...

Bernie, I know you have good intent with the Hot Tamale thing, but it really does demean women when they are spoken about in terms of their hotness in context of professional discussion. Even a compliment only reinforces the standard that women should be judged upon their appearances.

Bernie O'Hare said...

The reason I use that specific term is because I used it not too long ago to refer to two women who work in Northampton County's DCED. All day, people were walking up to them and calling them hot tamales. And they are hot tamales.

I'm pretty sure that both of them were mildly amused and neither was offended.

I feel the term hot tamales is fairly innocuous and carries none of the negative connotations in other terms. And hot tamales are manufactured right here in the LV!

Having said that, I am disturbed that you consider it sexist. It was not my intention to demean Cindy, or the women I discussed not long ago, in any way. I was only trying to be amusing, and perhaps I was out of line. I will talk to the women in NC and find out if they think I was offensive.

I will also post a blog about sexism within the next few days. One elderly woman said something to me at a recent meeting that made me realize women have a long way to go.

Capri said...

I don't think that you are intending to be sexist, or offensive, and honestly I don't think as an individual anyone would be offended to be called a hot tamale - the problem is simply that over the course of widespread and continuous acceptance of these kinds of relatively innocent and unoffensive comments, women continued to be valued for and judged upon appearance. Women are demeaned in professional jobs for being "too hot" or "not hot", so its a double edged sword, with unfortunately real consequences to professional advancement and success of women in the workplace.

Guy Williams said...

hey bernie. heres one for ya as an experiment. Start refering to some males as hotties or hunks and print on this blog. As innocent or accurate as you may be you will see how uncomfortable it will be for you and for the recepient.

Sandra Walters Weiss said...

Knowing you,I know your intent was to complement,but what does one expect from an Equal Opportunity Offender lmao
She is correct,it is a position that in A town is necessary.And to get Alan Jennings endorsing the proposal.I can't wait for the out come. I tend to agree with you Mr.Molovinsky but How about safe,affordable housing? See I am the Devi's advocate here,@ years ago I was mugged at 11th and Hamilton,the Dioceses of Allentown's employees parked and were escorted to the building.But that was 2 years ago and it has really changed right? If it can be an existing grant funded position,then I say :Atta Girl"

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
michael molovinsky said...

sandra, here's an experiment you can try. place an ad for housing for rent, and you will get hundreds and hundreds of calls from people with housing vouchers, section 8. there are thousands of them between the various housing authorities; lehigh valley, allentown, etc.. each unit upon rental application is inspected by the specific authority. how much safe, affordable housing do you want?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Capri,

I accept your criticism and suspect that, unfortunately, you are correct. I will try to make amends within the next few days.

Anonymous said...

dude you a creepy fat fucker. holy hell man. Are you serious with comments like that? You just blob around all daying suing people and kicking up dirt where everything is clean and then go on and make comments like that? Cripes man.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Give it a rest.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

I'll be happy to post your comment. Just be sure to identify yourself clearly so that Ms. Feinberg knows where to send the Sheriff.

Anonymous said...

For a middle aged woman, Cindy is HOT!! It's nice to see her in and at meetings as compared to many of the old, plump women that work in local government.