Ann Marie Ganchoso is no longer a candidate for Lehigh County Exec. According to The Express Times, she's got an 11 year-old forgery and theft record. Even worse, she works for LANTA.
It's amazing that criminal charges are in the backgrounds of 2 of 5 applicants for the highest position in Lehigh County. Maybe they think it's a requirement.
What about the others?
I like John Ingram, especially after Pawlowski refused to re-appoint him to the Planning Commission. But the dude never can shut his mouth. You could probably power the entire City with his jaw muscles.
Then there's Bill Hansell, age 347, who said he'd never be back after his brief stint as Commissioner. He wrote the Magna Carta, incidentally.
Dan McCarthy is the best of this bunch. But he's awful cozy with Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski. On top of that, someone would have to be appointed to fill his slot as a Commissioner. I'm sure this will be mentioned.
25 comments:
Are any of these guys willing to swear not to run for the position? If I were one of the commissioners, that would be my condition of support.
This short appointment should not serve as a springboard for a full term race as an incumbent!
Mccarthy has made a pledge not to seek election if appointed. Hansell didnt seek election after filling a vacancy as a commissiomer.
Appoint mccarthy and this fill his vacancy on the board. Big deal.
Awfully Cozy. Now that's an understatement.
bring back jane baker
nobody is cozy with Pawlowski. Even the most hardened democratic in allentown doesn't trust the guy.
We need a County Executive that is fully committed to the job. I think it is time the Commissioners take a serious look at the Salary of County of Exec. It is less than full time Mayors and most Township Managers. This appointment aside, the last thing we need is to limit the field of qualified candidates because of salary.
We need candidates who will put their heart and sole (that’s right, shoe leather) into the position.
Hardly an all-star team.
Love how the big money Republicans allways want the big dollars on public service jops. They just don't get it.
Perhaps Hilary Clinton can relocate to Lehigh County and fill this vacancy?
What is a jop - I don't get it?
BIG MONEY REPUBLICAN
It's okay, Anon 10:46.
Rethuglicans will NEVER be as cool as you, as smart as you or even as wonderful as you.
Don't panic so much and have a great day.
Only five candidates? Two with legal issues as well. It maybe that not many people want to get involved in the mess of government.
Lots of people will criticise, but not be responsible for the work.
10:46 -
Who are the Republicans who want big bucks for the job? The applicants have to be democrats (as was Cunningham, whose term they are completing).
To those who think a higher salary means better candidates, guess again.
If I recall correctly, the "attracting qualified people" argument was recently used in Allentown to boost Mayor Ed's salary.
So'd we get in the last election? Ed Pawlowski vs. Tony Phillips. The results would seem to contradict that argument. The only change is that now Allentown taxpayers are paying more for Ed's incompetence.
Mccarthy said he will not seek an election after his appointment is fulfilled. He is the best candidate, hands down.
McCarthy might be the best of the bunch on the surface, but someone should find out what his pension balloons to if he were to get this temporary gig. I've heard it may be significant.
That figure should be known before any decision is made. Perhaps McCarthy and the others should pledge to refuse any pension benefit as a result of being selected.
Inflating the pension is a real possibility.It has been done at the County Level and certainly in the City of Allentown
The pension issue would also apply to Croslis.
Since when do we decide who is best qualified to hold a job based on the possibility that they might be entitled to a pension?
I would think anyone hiring any employee would want to know EXACTLY what it will cost.
Not knowing the answer on either Croslis or McCarthy would be a disservice to the taxpayers.
It shouldn't be the only thing considered, but getting the best deal for the taxpayers is certainly part of the process.
It's not the idea of getting a public pension for time worked.The issue becomes important when someone works for a local government part-time for years and gets a full time position works a year full-time and is entitled for a much greater pension
He won't get a "much greater amount". You teabaggers are just too angry to think straight. He will have his Executive salary factored in for the year and a half he gets it. But the way the pension is computed at the county, will certainly increase his base but not the way many of you think.
Remember folks that is the way pensions work, both public and private pensions. By the way 401K are not pensions, never were and as they are structured today, still not. They are at best a structed saving plan with higher risk "hoping" for higher return.
If you hate the idea of pensions, whicih means a defiend benefit for the rest of your life, fine. Just please stop confusing pensions with saving plans.
Anon 7:01 pm, you know not of what you speak. County pensions are calculated on the highest 3 years. His pay as county executive will be 10 times his pay as county commissioner. His 1.5 years as county executive will increase his pension by over over 500 percent!
If that is the main and only issue. The answer is simple. He is already vested in the pension program due to his current length of service. Have him take his pension before taking on the Executive post. He will then immediately suspend his pension payments, while he is
Execuitve.
Once he is finsihed being Execuitve, his pension payments will resume but without the Executive term factored into them.
I find it interesting that all this pension concern was never addressed when John Stoffa first ran for office. You realize that if he was not already collecting his Northampton County pension, his eight years as Executive will push his yearly amount for life into the stratosphere.
Those are ther options and the facts.
Anon 4:32
You can not collect a pension while working for the county.
Stoffa comparison does not hold water. Stoffa was already retired. When he was elected, his pension stopped. Also, Stoffa's base pay due to past employment was already above his executive pay, so the executive position would not dramatically increase his pension. In Dan's case, the executive pay is much higher than his commissioner's pay and therefore his pension would skyrocket if he were appointed executive. He may be able to withdraw from the plan. Not sure. Elected officials can, but he would be appointed.
This post is about Lehigh, not Northampton County, and the constant references to Stoffa will be deleted. There are several hate bogs in which you can defame him anonymously, but you won't do it here.
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