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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, July 17, 2015

NorCo Commissar and No-Smoking Ordinances Fail

Among the matters considered by Northampton County Council at their July 16 meeting was a Seth Vaughn and Ken Kraft ordinance to call on voters to decide whether they could change their title to Commissioners. That was tabled. So was a Seth Vaughn and Mat Benol ordinance that would ban smoking anywhere on county property, even in a rowboat in the middle of Minsi Lake. Council also refused to tinker with a resolution tabled two weeks ago that would permit Executive John Brown to reneg on a 4.5% raise he proposed and Council granted unanimously in April to Magisterial District Judge employees. Council did so much tabling that instead of asking voters to change their name to commissioners, carpenters would be more appropriate. It was a two-hour meeting during which nothing was accomplished.

Perhaps the low light to this waste of a beautiful Summer evening occurred immediately after the carpenters refused to get involved in the dispute between Executive Brown and 17 magisterial district judge over whether he really meant to give them that raise or had just made a mistake. It had been discussed at length the previous day at Ken Kraft's Personnel Committee, but Seth Vaughn missed it. Instead of viewing the video, Vaughn asked Council to fill him in. And they did, on a matter that was tabled.

Lamont McClure suggested tabling the Council to Commissioner ballot question, most likely because it was pretty clear that the votes were not there. Though McClure conceded this name change was not "sufficiently grave" to bring to voters, he nevertheless defended Kraft and Vaughn, insisting it is a "legitimate point of view to have."

No it's not. It is perhaps the most idiotic suggestion in a Council that has had no shortage of really silly ideas. It is nothing more than a monument to ego. As I have told Kraft and Vaughn, they might as well call themselves Commissars and wear beaver hats. And while they're at it, rename the executive to Shogun or Dear Leader.

Only Kraft and Mat Benol voted against the motion to table. Thankfully, Benol never explained his reasoning.

The smoking ordinance, by Vaughn's own admission, needed some work. He told Council that he was willing to remove the prohibition on smoking in county parks, but was the sole council member to vote against a table motion that essentially sent his ordinance up in smoke.

So people can still carry their bazookas into county parks and light one up.

Only one member of Council, Hayden Phillips, was willing to untable the resolution that would allow Executive Brown to reverse a payraise that he had proposed himself and Council unanimously approved.

Brown and Deputy Administrator Cathy Allen have insisted they never intended to grant raises to 17 Magisterial District Judge employees who are already at the top of their pay scale. But Council has been reluctant to inject themselves in this matter , preferring instead to see that Brown work things out with Bethlehem Attorney Chris Spadoni.

Administrators have suggested a cash payout, but it is reportedly only $500, and only for one year.

Peg Ferraro was distressed that "the people on the front lines of the justice system" are paid so poorly, and was upset that AFSCME representative Justus James was not assisting them.

There were highlights in this meeting. Becky Bradley, the Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, had some interesting details about the Lehigh Valley, which i will share with you soon.

Another highlight of this meeting occurred after Scott Parsons correctly described the no-smoking and Commissioner ordinances as "really frivolous." Lamont McClure suggest it is time for a home rule charter study commission to overhaul or perhaps even trash the Home Rule Charter in favor of a return to a Commissioner form of government.

He's right.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to see Northampton County Council isn't letting Rome burring interfering with their fiddling.

You get the government you vote for and the also the one you don't vote for.

Dreaming of Justice said...

I vote for "Shogun".

Anonymous said...

even in a rowboat in the middle of Minsi Lake.

Can you imagine the video of a police officer rowing out to the middle of a lake to give a ticket.

Anonymous said...

"County Council" was already voted on and approved by the electorate. Why should we have to vote on the same issue again?

Anonymous said...

I am please to see that you and McClure agree with my suggestion years ago that the HRC needs to change and go to a commissioner style of government. There is too many egotistical clowns on council and a power hungry no nothing executive to get anything done of substance or importance to progress NorCo in any area.

Hopefully the voters will be able to decide what form of government they deem most appropriate because no one besides MCClure that is leaving will vote to change to protect their own a$$.

Anonymous said...

wake up 7:21AM.......
Bernie agrees that after almost forty years of Home Rule Government it is time to take a look at the Charter and see what is working, what is not working, and what needs to be "tweaked or revised". It is long overdue.

Anonymous said...

I thought Benol was some sort of libertarian but he wants to ban smoking - OUTSIDE?

What a useless crew.

Anonymous said...

Meeting was a total bore. Useless ordinances. Good to see that Brownstain did not renew Sahl contract. Biggest waste of taxpayer dollars in years.

Anonymous said...

Go to the Polls and Vote in November! This clown act of wannabe "Commissioners" is a waste of County time. Who gives a PUFF Vaughn? Change "my Title" Kraft? Let Allen and Brownstain off the hook council? Tell and ask for Brownstain to resign and you get results. The Norco residents wanted to keep Gracedale, now get rid of Brownstain!

Anonymous said...

Smoking ban on all county property a total bone-headed waste of time. Ex-smokers are the biggest zealots when it come to smoking bans. They are offended by catching a whiff of smoke when they pass employees smoking outside the courthouse. As a lifetime non-smoker I could care less. Most of those employees know they are killing themselves slowly with this habit, so let them deal with that bigger issue. Smoking on the grounds of county property is unenforceable and a total waste of government powers.

Anonymous said...

Maybe meetings like this are why the E-T typically skips them.

Moses said...

I think "Thou Shalt Not Smoke" is in the Ten Commandments. Bernie, please check the plaque at the next meeting and verify.

Warm regards,

Mo

Bernie O'Hare said...

7:21, I do not agree that we need to revert to a Commisdioner form of government. I believe it is time to study the issue and then make an educated decision. I have an open mind on the issue, would want to review the charter thoroughly and then decide if it can be overhauled. One problem with home rule is the dearth of case law. There is
Much more interpretation in courts of the commissioner form of government, and thus more certainty. I also like the insistence on inclusion of the minority party. But there are thingS I like about home rule. If this kind of commission were established, this would be the one time I might run for office despite my many shortcomings. I am a student of county government.

Anonymous said...

10:17. Big waste of 5 minutes. Wow

Anonymous said...

Since they are going to buy the HS building and keep Gracedale they may want to focus on how they will pay for all of this. After that they can ban shit-zu's from the parks. I hate the little bastards. Also no more tea parties at the parks they never clean up their diapers. Disgusting.

Anonymous said...

Same for occupy types. They shit themselves and leave it all over the place.

Anonymous said...

Madame Ferraro is in "distress", join the club. What is really distressing is that she has been involved in county government for twenty-five years and still acts like a freshman. This is not the experience that helps anyone. She is either forgetful if generous or just daffy if fair.

We really could use some county experience up there sadly it doesn't come in the Ferraro package.

She should focus on her real love Republican Party politics and leave governing to people who have better ability to remember and govern.

Anonymous said...

It is amazing how someone who has been in the county as long as Peg Ferraro can be so clueless most of the time. It does seem like it is more of a hobby thing for her. Yet they keep pulling her lever.

Bernie O'Hare said...

They pull the lever for her bc she is a decent person who looks for the best in others. Even Ken Kraft, who can be partisan, supported her. I disagree with her often, but she is one of the best persons I have ever met. She must have been a good teacher.You can trash her if you want bc she is an elected official? But why not sign your name? Scared of a person you call clueless?

Anonymous said...

Nice enough lady but truly ineffective and waste of a seat.

Bernie O'Hare said...

And you are so scared of an ineffective person that you won't sign your name. What does that say about you?

Anonymous said...

Ferraro and council would be far better off with her not being president. She does not have leadership skills. Often she seems lost up there - which is very strange given the amount of time she has been on council. She has a lot to offer - but that is the wrong seat.

Anonymous said...

If Peg was so into Party politics as you say, gracedale would have been sold already. Wait till next year whe Cussick and Dietz are in and they have a majority to sell it, then things will change.

Anonymous said...

The smoking ban would be almost impossible to enforce in 6 out of the 8 county parks (could be wrong on those number) as the parks are in areas covered by the state police. I would believe that this smoking ban would be considered a local ordinance and therefore PSP would not act on it. I assume the Sheriffs Department would be allowed to enforce it, but that seems like a waste of resources (any law enforcement time spent on a no smoking violations pretty much is)

Hank_Hill

Anonymous said...

But he is a tea party Rep0ublican who believe in individual freedom. Smoking ban. Seems a bit socialist. Could the people be fooled?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Deputy sheriffs do security, warrants, service of process and prisoner transport. They have no time for rowboat patrols at Minsi.

Anonymous said...

But they a good job at tracking down devious deadbeats who lie to them, and defraud creditors by criminally concealing assets.

Anonymous said...

do a good job...

Anonymous said...

I don't know about all county parks, but the Louise Moore park bans dogs. Now they want smoking too? What is this county coming to?

Anonymous said...

Seriously. How can you call it a park if it doesn't allow dogs?

The nicest parks in the Lehigh Valley are in Allentown and they all allow dogs, even Treadler Park, the nicest of them all. When you were a kid, do you remember dog crap being a problem at parks? It seems the anti-dog crowd complain that their precious children would be rolling around in piles of feces if we allowed the dreaded canines into the park.