About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, May 31, 2013

DUI Firefighter Loses Bid For Reinstatement

Last August, Bethlehem firefighter James Schlener was charged drunk driving after his Jeep struck a utility pole on Eighth Avenue. Police charged that his blood alcohol was 0.256, more than three times the legal limit. Schlener, a former union official, was at the time Chairman of the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee. He was supposed to be working at the time of his accident, but had called off and was out drinking at the time he was supposedly too ill to work. His own shift responded to his accident.

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan fired Schlener, whose base salary was $63,072.

Schlener, who has a history of spousal abuse in 2004 and 2010, sought an arbitration on the termination. Unions rarely lose those. In addition, he worked against Callahan's bid for Northampton County Executive, even to the point of following him around.

Callahan won that election. And in a ruling that come down this afternoon, Schlener  lost his bid to get his job back. I will attempt to get a copy of the ruling next week.

Neither Schlener nor Jim Gregory appear to be good role models as Democrats or as public sector union members.

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! I am surprised by this one. I thought he was sure to be reinstated.

Anonymous said...

All this reporting, meanwhile Callahan is driving a municipal vehicle buzzed or drunk. There are pictures to prove this on another blog.

What a joke

Bernie O'Hare said...

Really? Those pictures, taken by Schlener, show nothing more than a hard-working Mayor meeting with some constituents at the end of a long day. In fact, after meeting with four city residents, Callahan attended another Bethlehem function that day. He could not have spent more than 40 minutes with these guys. It takes a wee bit longer than that for an Irishman to get drunk. You'll have to try harder.

Uncle Remus said...

a drunk wife beating ex fireman and a wacko girlfriend abusing mental case worker.

union pukes at their best

Anonymous said...

Schlener should file a federal law suit. He declares himself and alcoholic, goes into rehab, then gets his job back. Recovering Alkies are treated differently than a simple drunk. I'll bet you a beer he gets his job back if he files the case in Federal court.

Anonymous said...

He was in the union and needs to follow union protocols, which was arbitration. He lost, he has little if any recourse now. A federal lawsuit will not be successful. Also, heard he fell off the wagon, after going to rehab.

Anonymous said...

What is the deal? This guy and Gregory are really something. I doubt they will hold their labor council positions very long.

I think both are finished.

Anonymous said...

Jimmy is such a sad story. Hope he can get his life in order. A lot of people that get involved in politics think the positions they assume enable them to act in ridiculous ways.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully you are not reading this, but if you are Keep getting any and all help you can. Jimmy, you can beat this and get your life back to where you want.

Seamus

Anonymous said...

Bernie I'm sure you feel like you hit jackpot with this article!
Jimmy is a good guy with a great heart, too bad you don't know him well enough to see that. Continue on your fair & balanced postings...

And people will always have a past (just like you) but that doesn't mean they won't have a future.

Carry on Bernie, your fans await you

Bernie O'Hare said...

I would be the first to shake his hand and wish him the best if I thought he was at last trying to turn his life around. He is not. He is in denial. He blames others for his problems, from the women he beat to those who expose him, to those who force him to suffer the consequences of his own misconduct.

He has written comments here blaming his wife for the beatings she took, attacking me for exposing him and slamming Callahan for refusing to go along with his enablers.

When he expects responsibility for his actions and recognizes that he can turn things around, I will be happy to encourage him in every ay I can.

He is, first and foremost an alcoholic. If he has stopped drinking, and I hope he has, it will still take him years to get over the mindset he developed as a drinker. I quit drinking in '85,and was still making bad choices in 1990. It takes some time, but he can straighten out. Until he makes that effort, he is poison, just like Gregory.

Anonymous said...

Schlener is a good guy that let booze ruin his life. Unlike Gregory, he Is not nuts at heart. If he can conquer his demons he will be the great guy he always was. That is the difference. Gregory is a nut, always has been and always will be. Only a nut thinks the current city council member would appoint him to anything.

Good Luck Schen. Please stay the Hell away from Gregory, the guy is poison.

Anonymous said...

In case no one has noticed Gregory still has his job, was found guilty of nothing, and is doing rather fine these days..You, Bernie, and your other fake selves like Remus can ramble on forever about his supposed issues. As far as Jim Schlener is concerned, someone earlier had it right..The guy is a great guy with a good heart who you are trying to trample on now..No surprise here. It's your MO..
Does the word Karma concern you at all.Callahan needs to hope and pray that Schlener and gregory are both working hard somewhere this summer..If they join Dent, the Coaf,Morganelli, and everyone else who opposes Callahan, he is simply toast..As far as the Labor Council goes, they love Jimmy and as long as he is there, it's highly doubtful Callahan gets any of their support. At best, he can hope for neutrality from them.The worse thing for the Callahan campaign is to win this arbitration..They'd better hope there is a way out of the decision for them. Hang in Jimmy..You'll be fine

Anonymous said...

If you crash your own ride and are a political opponent, you get the book thrown at you. If you're related to the mayor, you may destroy a city police cruiser and not be held responsible.

This is John Callahan's Bethlehem.

Unaffiliated said...

Gregory is not a Democrat..He filed unaffiliated months ago. He must have heard you were still a Democrat and decided to get out before the entire p[arty is poisoned, lol

Gone said...

Dear 6:33,

It won't be Callahan's Bethlehem for long..Nor will it be Stoffa's county for long! Thank you God!

Solidarity said...

How freaking despicable can you get Bernice. A former drunk and disbarred lawyer whose drinking ate his conscience. You trash a guy who you know, only, that has had a drink..As far as I , or anyone else knows, he has been completely off the wagon as of late..However, without any knowledge of whether he is or not, you just suppose he is and tell your readers, falsely , that he is. As usual, without any freaking facts at hand, you go on with your despicable tirades trying to harm a good person with a good heart..His drinking didn't affect his heart at all. He is still a great guy, always will be . You, on the other hand, are pathetic. Do you ever stop to think about what a monster you are. Were you abused as a child..Sons of alcoholics usually are. You'd better pray that God doesn't exist, cause if he does, you are so freaking toast.. If you think Callahan's people don't realize they need Schlener for Labor support, you are dumber than I thought, which is really freaking dumb, lol. That means they will sell out your ugly ass ina millisecond, if it came to a choice between the two..Think about it, you brain dead imp. Call them whatever you want, Gregory and Schlener have good friends in the Labor movement and always will. Because whenever labor needed them, they were there. We are not talking here about a few assholes in C&Y who dislike Gregory, they don't matter. if there were an election today, they'd be gone. We are talking about real, true Labor folks who know the meaning of solidarity..They are behind Jimmy and always freaking will be..Jerry Green and Jimmy Irwin would be on the top of that list.and many others besides, especially the firefighters.

F U said...

In case you missed the words, fuck you, in that tirade..FUCK YOU!

Anonymous said...

LOL

Bee said...

It's funny that you seem to get these stories before the newspapers, like Gregory's PFA and Harassment charges, and now this..If I didn't know better, I'd say someone in the Callahan campaign is tipping you off.
Wow, when that backfires on them, it will sting like a motherfreaker, lol

Anonymous said...

is that right Bernie, well if You have the balls I have some pictures You can post and maybe You will finally realize how full of shit You rally are these pics include but are not limited to Johnny casino on Santee Mill RD.....leaving the appollo.,.. leaving the golf course when He should have never been driving...so you an respond back if You really want to post the truth MR O'Hare

Auntie Remus said...

O Hairy would know the truth if it bit him in his fat ass twice. If he ever got a morsel of truth in his so called reporting, it's because he accidentally stumbled over it, tripped and fell on it..Even then, he tried to wipe it off thinking it was a stain on his reputation of being a complete asshole, lol

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't know the truth, lol..Come on Auntie, learn to freaking type.

Anonymous said...


The deciding fctor for Callahn was probably the part about not working on his campaign. The rest is an average day in Callahans world.

Anonymous said...

@ 7:54: If you have Proof of a crime, you would be remiss in your civic duty by not reporting it to the proper authorities. Innuendo's & Allegations to gain point's in a blogosphere shit-fight mean you are not serious. Seriously!

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

FU 7:09

Must be time for a couple pills and a few beers.

seriously !!!!~ said...

8:44,

You might have to prove a crime unless you are in Bernie's bizzaro world where everyone is guilt before any evidence is shown..But , at the very least Callahan is guilty of stupidity..The pics are out there and he has another campaign to run.. Maybe not criminal, but the proof of stupidity is overwhelming. Seriously!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

11:11,

He is not in politics.He is in a union! Wake up and stop talking shit when you are clueless.

12:34,

I'm sure he needs cowardly pukes like you to tell him what to do Potter.
Have you stopped over to visit him yet..oops, not on your schedule?

9:31,

Why dont you go knock on her door and ask her. You are a lowly piece of pond scum..Stop by Schleners and tell him that , you coward!

Anonymous said...

His gf must like drink filled sex with some slapping around. I think he pays the stunner for sex and escorting.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"He is not in politics.He is in a union! Wake up and stop talking shit when you are clueless."

This is false. He is both a union activist and a politico who chaired Bethlehem Dems until his DUI. He was at several of the debates, worked hard against Callahan and thought Lamont would set things straight for him.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"The pics are out there and he has another campaign to run.."

They say a pic is worth 1,000 words, but the ones you mention require 1,000 words just so the reader understands that they are supposed to be damning. And after reading your 1,000 words, not damning at all. If this is the Brown campaign, everyone should go home now. I think more likely this is cRaZy MezzaKKKappa, who Brown will run from.

Anonymous said...

Bernie you can't say you know that Jim isn't or hasn't turned his life around. His friends and family know that his life is in a good place right now. Happy home, good, beautiful woman in his life. This is just a set back for him. He will bounce back . Maybe your next blog should be about the lawyer you ONCE were!

your friends are here for you Jim, screw Bernie.

Anonymous said...

Gregory stop posting. You sound more insane then ever. Labor council is voting to kick you out.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Bernie you can't say you know that Jim isn't or hasn't turned his life around."

I can only go by his comments here and elsewhere. Based on those, my opinion is that he is still in denial.

"your friends are here for you Jim, screw Bernie. "

I might be a better friend than you. I won't enable him to continue making the same mistakes. And I will identify myself, unlike this so-called fried.

Anonymous said...

Again, what does this post have to do with Gregory?

Get a life people!

Lol

Bernie O'Hare said...

They are both active in local politics, both public sector union members, both engage in misconduct, both are VPs of the LV Labor Council. On Schlener's public F/B page, Gregory has posted comments like this:

"There are very few people on this planet with a bigger heart and a stronger drive then you. Relax. I stopped drinking, knowing if I didn't I'd probably strangle Bernie at a Council meeting..If anything is worth the fines and costs and a criminal record, that would be, lol. Now, if I could only cut down on the Gambling, lol..Let me think, fun and gorgeous waitresses..Na, not anytime soon, lol"

Anonymous said...

Hey Bernie this Gregory guy is constantly making veiled threats of violence. Be careful.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I have no fear of cowards who beat women.

Anonymous said...

And no one fears an ex-con lawyer who has a blog. TIC TAC!

Bernie O'Hare said...

cRaZy MezzaKKKrappa comes to the defense of Gregory, but she's no woman. I'm not what sure what she is. The "ex-con" reference is a bit of an embellishment, but that is what she does. Put more plainly, she is a liar.

Anonymous said...

Bernie,
That is not a threat. You should know better. That is someone blowing off steam.
You seem really obsessed as you are now creeping peoples' Facebook pages.

Bernie O'Hare said...

cRaZy MezaKKKrappa, I did not say it was a threat. Someone else did, and I said that the words of a woman beater do not bother me. Nor do the words of a liar, which would be you.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Gregory the writer of the now defunct blog Lehigh Valley Rumblings?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I had thought so, but he denies it and there are not enough "lol"s in it. I suspect I know its author, but will wait until I have proof.

LOL said...

Again , Bernie, you accuse Gregory of beating women but not one shred of evidence has been brought forward other than accusations of his girlfriend..Nothing! Like any other passionate couple , I am sure they had their issues, but my guess , it was at best, a mutual quarrel..Guess only time will tell. However, in the meantime, every time you accuse him of something not ever, ever shown, the only thing that proves is that you are a liar. No surprise there..That, is a well known fact.Oh by the way, lol means it's a joke , you freaking moron. If he wanted to strangle your pathetic little cowardly ass he'd never have the patience to wait in line with the hundreds of others who feel the same.

Trespass said...

Since you are trolling Facebook, why don't you check out Gregory's picture with Jerry Green from last night on his Facebook page, Mr Golem.

I think they are coming for you Bernie..Gregory might wait in line, but Green won't. He hates lines.

Oh yeah, I have heard he is still pissed that you trespassed on his property the night of Gregory's event..Maybe he'll press charges for trespass. Lots of witnesses there. Good luck with that.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Gregory is referring to the Thursday night in which I went to the steelworkers' hall to track him down and attempt to get his side of the story regarding allegations that he had assaulted his girlfriend. Gregory
denied anything had occurred, which we've all since learned is untrue. I walked right by Jerry Greene, and believe I asked him where Gregory was. I was at a public event, but would have left had Jerry Green told me I was unwelcome. If Jerry has something to say, he certainly would not use you to say it.

Anonymous said...

Jerry didn't even see you Bernice..Had he seen you, he'd have tossed you onto Center street.Ask him if you don't believe me. Of course, investigative reporting isn't exactly your bag, is it. Shooting from the hip is. He's easy to find, ask him.

In fact, why don't you stop by again..By the way, I don't want to get in the way of your so called facts, but Gregory was not served with the summary harassment, to which he plead innocent by the way, until Friday when he was on the phone with, guess who, his girlfriend..So to say he was lying on Thursday night was a lie, an absolute lie. Sort of like your one about Jerry Green..

Anonymous said...

Go back to bed Bernie..You are way to old to be awake this early

Bernie O'Hare said...

The first person I saw upon entering the hall was Jerry Green. I am pretty sure that I asked him where you were and he pointed to you. Had he asked me to leave, I would have done so. I was there in an attempt to be fair to you and get your side of the story. You denied the incident had happened, which I subsequently learned was false.

The facts only said...

You are so absolutely wrong..Gregory knew nothing about the so called incident at that time..That's why he told you to go ask her, you dummy.
Geez Bernie, where do you get your info..I talked to Jerry last night.He told Gregory that he never saw you.
You might have passed him, but he was pretty busy. Happens all the time. Again, ask him if you want..In fact , he is at the Steel Hall generally every morning with his Grievance guys like Tim Rehrig..He saw you that night , but he had no idea who you were. No he knows. My advise would be , don't go over again..You will be arrested for trespass or removed promptly.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Now let me get this straight. You want me to go to the steel hall in the morning to confirm that I am not welcome there. Alrighty then.


Anonymous said...

Give it a rest Gregory. People are concerned about Schlener. You are just making it worse.

Stay away form Jimmy, you have enough of your own problems.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I'm not too impressed with Schlener, either. But Gregory is more unstable.

Anonymous said...

Why does every article's posts end up being about Jim Gregory?

Anonymous said...

Gregory is a twisted, never was, hack. Who the hell cares what he does? He goes to the casinos for the hot waitresses? Yeah, he is a catch. A soon to be unemployed clerk who beats up his girlfriend. No problem Jim, those girls really like you. They don't what little money you have left. Certainly you have no morals left and your mind is gone.