Two Suicides at NorCo Jail Within Past 10 Days

NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski has confirmed that, over the past 10 days, there have been two suicides at the jail. The names of the deceased are being withheld until next of kin are notified and Coroner Zach Lysek completes his investigation. I will update this story with more details as they are known. I am told by a source (the mother of an inmate) that the deaths include one male and one female and they were days apart. 

According to a news release from Coroner Zach Lysek,

"One of the individuals is Katelyn M. Godiska, a 34-year-old woman from Bethlehem, PA. On June 14, 2026, she was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital, Easton Campus from the prison, where she was pronounced deceased. The cause of death was Asphyxiation, and the manner of death was Suicide.

"The other individual is Randolph P. Adams, a 35-year-old man from Bethlehem, PA. On June 19, 2026, he was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital, Easton Campus from the prison, where he was pronounced deceased. The cause of death was Asphyxiation, and the manner of death was Suicide."

According to her obituary, Godiska was "a bright and gifted graduate of Nazareth Area High School, where she also excelled in Lacrosse. Kate was working for Nick’s On Main, of Bethlehem. She was known for her artistic creativity, vibrant imagination, and ability to bring beauty and inspiration to those around her. Kate had unconditional love for her family and held a strong bond with her siblings."

Godiska was in jail because she was unable to post $75,000 bond after being charged by Bethlehem police with aggravated assault and related offenses. She was still awaiting her preliminary hearing., which would have taken place today.

Like Godiska, Adams was in jail because he was unable to post $50,000 bond after being charged by Palmer Tp police with robbery of a motor vehicle, theft and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. 

When there is a suicide at the jail, it goes into lockdown. Inmates are stuck in their cells and only allowed out for showers and meals.  Given that a high number are already suffering from serious mental illness, this policy should be reconsidered. According to Truthout, lockdowns are considered more severe than solitary confinement because of the lack of structure. They cause or exacerbate anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health issues

(Originally posted 6/22/26 at 1:56 pm.)

NorCo's New Fiscal Affairs Director Declines the Job Over Low Salary

Last week, Northampton County Council voted to confirm Deb Watlington, a CPA with 30 years of accounting experience, as the county's new Fiscal Director. But they did so at a lower starting salary - $109,632 - than the $125,108 proposed by Executive Tara Zrinski.  Council members Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan, Jason Boulette, and Jeff Warren were more than happy with a higher salary for what would have been the county's first Fiscal Director with a CPA. 

The final vote to confirm Watlington at the lower salary of $109,632 was approved by Council members Lori Vargo Heffner, Tom Giovanni, Ken Kraft, Dave Holland, Jason Boulette and Theresa Fadem.

Council member Qayyum was opposed to hiring Watlington at any salary.

County Solicitor Melissa Rudas had argued that the Executive has the authority to hire at a higher rate, but my reading of the Career Service Regulations (which could be incorrect) limits the Executive's authority to raise anyone's salary to only one step. Council approval is needed for anything higher. 

In a comment published on this blog, Council member Kelly Keegan warned that this could happen. She stated, 

Northampton County has gone months without a Fiscal Director, one of the most critical financial positions in county government. We've struggled to attract qualified candidates because the salary simply isn't competitive. Potential candidates have declined interviews or withdrawn from consideration because they could earn significantly more elsewhere.

Then, after an extensive search, we finally found a highly qualified candidate willing to leave her current position and take a pay cut to serve Northampton County. Instead of welcoming her and recognizing the sacrifice she was making, Council chose to amend the resolution and reduce her starting salary from Step 3 to Step 1.

Think about the message that sends.

We complain that we can't find qualified people. We acknowledge that the private sector and neighboring organizations pay more. We finally find someone willing to come here anyway, and then we decide to pay her even less?!

This wasn't fiscal responsibility. The difference in salary is negligible in a multi-million-dollar county budget. What isn't negligible is the cost of leaving a key financial leadership position vacant, delaying projects, overburdening existing staff, and creating instability in county government.

The question taxpayers should be asking is simple: Are we trying to recruit and retain talented professionals, or are we making political points at the expense of effective government?

Actions have consequences. If this candidate walks away, Northampton County will once again be searching for a Fiscal Director while wondering why qualified applicants aren't lining up for the job.

I believe that Watlington should have been hired at the higher rate requested by Zrinski. In pushing this hire down to the low rung on the pay scale, a majority of County Council allowed the perfect to be the enemy of the good. Watlington may have had no specific experience with county government. But she has 30 years of accounting experience and is a CPA and would be part of an office that is already very talented. County Council should reconsider what really was a mistake if Watlington is still willing to serve. 

Gracedale is Only Nursing Home in Pa With a Provisional II License

As I told you last week, Northampton County's Gracedale nursing home now has a Provisional II license. It previously had a Provisional I license. In early May, Executive Tara Zrinski said the home did very well in its annual survey, but the downgrade from Provisional I to Provisional II indicates that the facility is in worse shape now than it has ever been. 

Although Zrinski has previously stated that she is happy with Administrator Michelle Morton, the state Department of Health has had to visit the home 27 times since she has been there. Gracedale has been cited eight times since her arrival last year (six times last year and twice this year). The home has been repeatedly cited for elopements (escapes) and a failure to meet minimum staffing requirements. 

I've told you that the latest CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) rating places the home at just one star, which is considered well below average. The home has the added indignity of a scarlet letter in the form of a 

 next to its name to warn potential residents and their families about the possibility of abuse. The home has operated with a Provisional license since February.

All of this, not some of it, has happened during Morton's tenure. And that's understandable. She's had 23 different jobs since 1983. Her background is therapeutic recreation, not nursing or nursing homes. 

In her Exec report last week, Zrinski tried to downplay the problems, stating that they were caused by being too lax in admitting people. I'll agree that is likely one of the causes. Sure, Gracedale should be a sanctuary for the indigent, but should decline residents who are violent to other residents and to staff. But that is only one of the causes. 

Administration is another. The sheer number of visits from the DOH alone indicate that people (staff, residents or both) are unhappy with Michelle Morton, the current Administrator. The decline in the home's ratings, the citations, and the downgrade to a Provisional I and then a Provisional II license have all happened under her watch. I have no doubt she could succeed in some role, but not as Gracedale's administrator. 

A third root cause of Gracedale's problems is its heavy reliance on agency nursing. These are nurses brought in from outside agencies. They are paid far more than regular staffers, which obviously causes resentment. And since they come and go as they please, they are unable to build up the relationships with residents that regular staff have.

A final problem, quite frankly, is politics. The continuum of care positions that Zrinski sought and got are political hires who come and go with the exec. They should have the protection of either career service or a contract. When he was first elected Exec, one of the first things Lamont McClure did was fire the Director of Nursing, Her position was career service, but she must have been probationary, or he'd be unable to axe her. Here's what she wrote in 2018:

"Gracedale has been neglected for years. Not just the last four years but for many decades. The outdated and appalling status of the living conditions for the residents of Gracedale actually brought me to tears the first time I saw the cinder block walls and furniture obviously from decades ago. The resident mattresses had not been replaced for years (actually no one could tell me when) leading to resident skin pressure injury. An assessment revealed these mattresses were no longer offering any pressure reduction. The mechanical lifts recently assessed found 22 lifts were in poor condition. The most vulnerable of our population have been ignored and the taxpayers should be appalled as I was. However, my goal was to work to improve the conditions and the mattresses have been replaced, some furniture has begun to be purchased and the next step was to begin mechanical lift replacement. The ultimate goal being to develop a purchasing replacement plan yearly to assure that this would never happen again.

"I knew the position would be a challenge, and I happen to love a challenge that works to improve the lives of residents in long term care. So imagine my response in early December when I received a letter from the new county executive- elect that stated “this past November our voters spoke loudly and issued a mandate for change.” It went on to say “ I write at this time to inform you that you will not be re-appointed to your position in the new administration” and “your last day of employment with the County of Northampton will be January 1, 2018.”

I believe this nurse was canned because she was chosen by the John Brown administration. 

In her report to County Council last week, Zrinski stated that the downgrade to Provisional II occurred because of yet another resident elopement as well as a resident who brought contraband (I'm told it was a K-Bar knife) into the facility. These matters do not yet appear on the DOH deficiency site, but I suspect we'll be seeing them soon. An alarm actually went off during one of Zrinski's visits. "I assure you that person did not get away," she declared.

As NorCo Council member Dave Holland stated last week, a provisional license means that the state DOH can do a number of things. They can stop new admissions. They can stop Medicaid reimbursements. They can take over the facility with their own managers. 

How common is a provisional license in Pennsylvania? I decided to check.

According to the DOH nursing home facility webpage, there are 661 nursing homes in Pennsylvania. Gracedale is the only one operating with a Provisional II license. 

Of 417 for-profit nursing homes, four are operating with Provisional I licenses: Emerald Nursing and Rehabilitation (Elizabethtown); Kadima Rehabilitation and Nursing (Palmyra Pa); Rochester Residence and Care Center (Rochester); and Wecare at South Hills (Canonsburg) Provisional I.

Of 223 NonProfit Facilities, all have regular licenses. 

Of 14 county-owned facilities, only Gracedale has a Provisional license

Of 7 State-owned facilities for veterans, all have regular licenses.

Another point made by Zrinski during her Exec report is that for-profit homes are less likely to accept Medicaid. Northampton County has 11 nursing homes.  All but 1 accept Medicaid. 

Holland on What a Provisional II License Means at Gracedale

Dave Holland, a nurse practitioner and nursing professor at East Stroudsburg University, was also an administrator at Gracedale and at Monroe County's nursing home. He knows about medical care. He also knows about nursing homes. Last year, Northampton County voters fortunately elected him to an at-large seat on Northampton County Council. Since that time, his insights and attempts to provide advice about the home have been strangely ignored by Executive Tara Zrinski, who prefers listening to an administrator whose background is therapeutic recreation. While she does zumba classes, the home is clearly and objectively declining. It was placed in a Provisional I license last year. Despite claims that things were improving, the state Department of Health has downgraded Gracedale's license to Provisional II.  

When did this happen? When was Administrator Morton informed? When was Executive Zrinski informed? We do not have the answers to these questions, but the public itself was in the dark until earlier this week. 

The most important question is what does a Provisional II license mean? Despite attempts by Council President Ken Kraft to muzzle Holland at last night's meeting, he explained in very clear terms precisely what options are now available to the state Department of Health, and it's pretty bad. Here's what Holland said: 

If we don't resolve our noncompliance status, we're not going to have to worry about the continuum of care because we won't be able to have the license to do so.

So what do I mean by that?

So, in a provisional license status, every day that goes by that we're not in compliance, there are remedies that are available to the Department of Health, which they have not instituted yet, but they certainly could at any day.

That includes denial of new admissions to the facility.

If we're denied admissions to the facility, we're not allowed to carry out the mission of Gracedale, which I'm going to read to you.

Gracedale is a skilled nursing facility that serves the medically challenged and financially indigent residents of Northampton County and surrounding communities. The mission of the facility is to rehabilitate its residents to their highest practical level of medical, social, and psychosocial well-being.

If we get into a situation because of noncompliance, fair or not, that's the situation we're in from the Department of Health.

We're not gonna' be able to meet that mission because we may be denied admission at some point.

Second to that, the other option is to deny payment.

And again, we will not be able to comply with our mission to the residents of Northampton County if we're going to be denied payment for Medicaid or Medicaid residents.

There's a process where the agreement to provide payment for Medicare Medicaid can start, they can start that process to nullify and separate from that agreement based on noncompliance.

So the other options are temporary management.

If we don't get into compliance within a certain period of time, they can basically deem we are no longer capable of managing it ourselves and institute temporary management.

Zrinski Attempts to Minimize Gracedale's Problems

At last night's meeting of Northampton County Council, Executive Tara Zrinski spoke twice about Gracedale, both during courtesy of the floor and in her Executive report.  In hir first oration, she spoke about the good care the nursing facility provided to her mother, something she has done several times in the past. She never mentioned that this care was during a time when Jennifer Stewart King, and not Michelle Morton, was the Administrator. In her Exec report, she tried very hard to paint the home in a positive light. She noted that there were 14 citations in 2025, but only 4 "technical" violations this year. She did not point out that we're not even halfway through the year. She said the root cause of these problems go back several years. She said none of the citations this year reflect a failure to provide care, which is utter nonsense. In fact, the poor staffing is precisely why the home was cited in January and again in May.  I'd also say that a failure to follow doctor's orders, especially concerning medications and blood sugar levels, is indicative of outright negligence. 

She did finally mention Gracedale's downgrade from a Provisional I to a Provisional II license. She believes the root cause was the county's admission process, under which some risky residents were accepted. She said the home is now more selective in who it accepts. 

I'd like to know what the DOH has been at Gracedale 27 times since Michelle Morton was hired as Administrator. It's true that most of these complaints are unfounded, but the sheer number suggests to me that employees, residents and family are unhappy. This reflects on Morton's leadership. 

I'd like to know why, after being repeatedly cited for falling below the state minimum nursing care requirements, Gracedale was cited for that again and with a provisional license. Amazingly, Morton claimed this shortage was caused by call offs. Why on earth would the home fail to plan for call offs? 

I'd like to know how Gracedale, whose very mission is to take care of people, could ignore doctor's orders. 

We got answers to none of these questions because as soon as she was done with her Exec report, Zrinski asked for an Exec session to discuss "personnel."  And accompanying her into the back room were Morton and Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski, who is supposed to have nothing to do with Gracedale. That's the whole point of the new positions sought by Zrinski. No doubt, the purpose of the exec session was to scapegoat someone for problems that have grown worse since Michelle Morton arrived. 

Finally, I'd look to know when Zrinski was apprised of the downgrade to Provisional II. It certainly belies her previous reports. 

NorCo's Human Relations Comm'n Members Confirmed

At last night's meeting, Northampton County Council confirmed the following appointments to the newly established Human Relations Comm'n. 

Sylvia Keverenge Bethlehem, PA 18015 

Grace Crampsie Smith Bethlehem, PA 18018 

Peter Hristofas Easton, PA 18042 

Victoria Opthof-Cordaro Bethlehem, PA 18015 

Jessica Teel Sadler Wind Gap, PA 18091 

Marc Singer Easton, PA 18042 

Patricia Baranowski Wind Gap, PA 18091 

Reginald Belon Easton, PA 18042 

Thomas Raymond Dubreuil Bethlehem, PA 18020 

Arlene Ifill-Leon Easton, PA 18042 

Elena Kenney Bethlehem, PA 18018 

Ron Moyer Easton, PA 18042

I omitted precise mailing addresses. 

The vote was 8-0, with Council member Nadeem Qayyum abstaining (He said "absent"). Qayyum argued that the appointments should consist of "protected" classes, even though Council Solicitor Matt Deschler explained that we all can be considered a "protected" class, depending  on the circumstances. He wanted to know, as he did in a committee meeting the previous day, how many of the appointments were persons "of color." He asked Executive Tara Zrinski whether she went to churches and temples to recruit candidates, something she said she did not do or feel obliged to do. She said her picks were as diverse a group as she could possibly choose. 

NorCo Council Confirms New Fiscal Director, but at a Lower Pay Than Proposed by Executive

 At last night's meeting, Northampton County Council voted to approve the appointment of Deb Watlington as the county's new Fiscal Director, but at a lower starting salary than what had been proposed by Executive Tara Zrinski. 

Zrinski's appointment would start Watlington at a salary of $125,108, and with benefits would give her a total compensation package of $164,923. 

While she agreed with the appointment, Council member Lori Vargo Heffner said that the starting salary should be $109,632 and proposed confirming the appointment at the lower rate. Her motion to amend was passed by a 5-4 vote, The Yes votes were from Vargo Heffner, Theresa Fadem, Tom Giovanni, Nadeem Qayyum and Dave Holland. Voting No were Council members Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan, Jason Boulette, and Jeff Warren. 

At this lower rate of $109,632, Watlington's appointment was approved in a 6-3 vote. Voting yes were Vargo Heffner, Giovanni, Fadem, Holland, Boulette and Kraft. Voting No were Keegan, Warren and Qayyum. 

Before the vote, County Solicitor Melissa Rudas advised that the Executive has the right to hire a Fiscal Director at any salary she chooses, and that reducing the pay was an "exercise in futility." Vargo Heffner strongly disagreed, stating that Council approves the budget and corresponding salaries. 

This issue has arisen before. When he was Executive, John Brown knocked his Administrator's salary up by three steps without getting permission from County Council. Then Controller Steve Barron noted this increase violated Career Service Regulations (Section 4.01) that require County Council to approve any pay raise that bumps anyone up more than one step in the payscale.  The Home Rule Charter does specifically provide that County Council sets the wages (Section 202(11).

While Zrinski has the authority to award a one-step increase right now, it's unclear to me what authority she has to set a higher salary. 

Zrinski made clear in her introduction of Watlington that a higher salary was necessary to lure Watlington, a CPA, from Lehigh. So I fail to understand why Council went with a lower compensation package for someone who already is taking a pay cut. 

Zrinski Declines to Specify Race, Religion or Gender Identity of Human Relations Comm'n Members

During yesterday's NorCo Council Personnel Committee hearing, attended by five Council members*, a list of 13 nominations for the newly established Human Relations Commission was considered. Since I can only go by phonetic spelling of some of these hopefuls, I'll forego naming them until tomorrow. Things were going smoothly until member Nadeem Qayyum decided he had some questions. 

Qayyum, who has a very annoying habit of refusing to use his mike, decided he wanted to know how many of these selections are persons of color and wanted to know details like religion, etc. 

Zrinski, who is increasingly getting irritated by questions that Qayyum has written out in advance because his English skills are so subpar, said she declines "to specifically identify who is ... who is a person of color, who is Muslim, who is gay, who's trans. I am supposed to identify those individuals on this list? I would think that that is almost discriminatory."

I'd say it is definitely discriminatory.

"For the record, I need to ask these questions," explained Qayyum.

"Sure, sure, sure, sure, sure sure," responded Zrinski. "For the record, I'm not going to specifically identify people."

In the desire to be inclusive, we often make the mistake of being exclusive. 

_____

* This meeting was attended by Council members Nadeem Qayyum, Jason Boulette, Tom Giovanni, Dave Holland and Kelly Keegan.  

Pa DOH Downgrades Gracedale's License

Back in early May, NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski had good news about Gracedale, reporting that state Department of Health officials were very positive during the annual survey. Based on what she said, I expected to see that Gracedale's provisional license would be restored to regular status during a recent state licensure visit. Instead, that license has been downgraded from Provisional I to Provisional II. Though the county has been aware of this relegation, it has failed to make any public mention of it during any of the meetings since that time. This is not transparency. This is sweeping a problem under the rug and hoping no one notices. 

My understanding is that, at some point, Medicaid will refuse to reimburse nursing homes. This facility continues to move in the wrong direction. 

Zrinski Nominates a CPA as NorCo's New Fiscal Affairs Director

Northampton County Executive has nominated Deborah Watlington, a CPA, as the county's new Director of Fiscal Affairs. She was introduced at yesterday's Personnel Committee and is set for confirmation by County Council this evening. If confirmed, the county will finally have a Director of Fiscal Affairs for the first time since October of last year. 

Watlington, who as a degree in accounting and an MBA from Lehigh U, has been employed by Lehigh for the past 16 years.  She's worked in accounting for 30 years. She is currently Senior Financial Analyst in the Provost Office. 

She is one of 10 applicants for the job.  "I believe she will be an asset to the county throughout my tenure," said Zrinski. 

Qayyum, who earlier had reservations about the Human Relations Comm'n appointments and the salaries for Continuum of Care directors, had written questions about whether Watlington had direct government financial experience, but conceded she had good qualifications. 

He also complained about the proposed salary of $125,108. Zrinski responded that this salary is actually lower than what she was getting at Lehigh. His numerous objections are hard to report because he consistently fails to use his mike.

Finally, Council member Kelly Keegan interjected that "it seems like we're badgering a woman we're lucky to get." 

For once, I agree with her. 

A Trip Around the LV Blogosphere

For a time, the Lehigh Valley Blogosphere was pretty much a desert. Aside from Michael Molivinsky and your truly, few others were willing tor had the time to provide a local perspective. Thanks in part to Substack, that has been changing in recent years. 

Molovinsky on Allentown is an old fart who focuses primarily on Allentown, as his blog title suggests, although he does occasionally roam into other issues. Now if you read this guy, you might think he really must be some obnoxious asshole. But if you meet him in person, you'll soon realize you were right. Especially if you are employed by The Morning Call. Actually, Michael and I are friends. This is a matter of necessity because everyone else hates us. 

Lehigh Valley News Briefs is an excellent place for in-depth stories on what really is going on in our bizarre non-profit community, where entities like DaVinci, the Bethlehem Food Co-op and Lehigh Valley Public Media routinely con local officials into doling out our tax dollars for ventures that go nowhere. Publisher Jeff Ward is an accomplished alumnus of Bloomberg News. 

Armchair Lehigh Valley is made up of journalists and editors who at one time or another worked for the dailies. These folks have a lot of institutional knowledge about the Lehigh Valley that unfortunately is missing from what's left of our local newspapers. They do a great job of covering local campaigns and elections. Armchair's latest entry is a report about a complaint filed against Lead Left, a PAC that poured $1.7 million into the Pa.07 Congressional primary in an effort to keep Bob Brooks or Ryan Crosswell from getting the Democratic nod. 

Comm'r Ron Beitler is actually a Facebook page that gives us all a bird's eye view of what is happening in Lehigh County. Beitler is a thoughtful conservative who re-registered as an Independent recently and speaks out very persuasively on issues like Mark Pinsley's so-called "wealth tax". 

Upper Nazareth Township Meetings, penned by Becky Bartlett, is a no-nonsense news site that focuses solely on what is happening in Upper Nazareth. I envy Becky because, without any training, she can tell a story without government without opinion, the way that I and others just need to do. 

Apocalypse Vibes is written by Rich Wilkins, who at one time worked on Congressional races all over the country. He has a much better insight into congressional races than most of us. 

Allentown Truth is all about the inner workings of Allentown, written from the perspective of an anonymous person who really detests Mayor Matt Tuerk. His latest is that the City had a Blues, Brew and BBQ event at which no one showed. I don't know if that's true because I wasn't there. But if nobody was there, that should include the anonymous blogger who claimed no one was there, which would mean at least he was there.  

LVCI offers the perspective of a local Everyman who sees a strange world whiz by. Sometimes he laughs. Sometimes he cries. 

If there are other local blogs out there worth reading, please let us know in the comments. 

Pinsley's So Called Wealth Tax Under Fire

Blogger's Note: Below is an op-ed written by Lehigh County Comm'r Ron Beitler (Independent), Lehigh County Comm'r Antonio Pineda (Republican) and Phil Armstrong, former Lehigh County Exec, Democrat. 

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley has proposed recycling an antiquated county intangible personal property tax by branding it a “wealth tax.” Once levied by counties in Pennsylvania, it disappeared 25 years ago for many reasons: legal challenges, administrative problems and broad acknowledgement that it was bad policy.

Most concerning, the current label of a “wealth tax” is a sales pitch. Political marketing. It makes the proposal sound narrow, targeted and aimed only at billionaires. That is not accurate.

This is not a tax exclusively on the ultra wealthy or the “Elon Musks” of the world. Plain and simple, it's a tax on personal financial assets. It hits common savings tools and certain small business ownership interests. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and non-retirement brokerage accounts are all specifically named in the Controller’s report. The enabling law also raises unresolved questions about other useful family, retirement and estate planning tools, including custodial brokerage accounts, 529 college accounts and private mortgages held as assets. These are all tools working families, seniors, parents saving for their children and small business owners use to make responsible plans for their futures. As presented, this tax has no minimum income threshold. And adding one later may only deepen the legal problem because the 1913 law does not clearly give the County the authority to create one.

This is all part of the central problem. The public is being sold a narrow tax on extreme wealth, but the actual proposal reaches everyone. Repeating a misleading label does not change what the tax actually does nor does it change who it hurts.

This is not a Republican, Democratic or Independent concern. That is why the three of us, from different political backgrounds, agree on this point: Lehigh County should not revive a legally risky tax on savings, common investment tools and small businesses.

While some might dance around what this really is, others are more direct, describing this kind of saving as “hoarding wealth.” We strongly disagree. For generations of Lehigh Valley families, including people who worked hard their entire lives at places like Mack, Bethlehem Steel and other local employers, saving was not "hoarding wealth". These were not millionaires hiding money. They were working families taking responsibility for their futures, supporting children, driving modest cars, fixing what they could and planning ahead so they would not have to depend on the government later. That is basic financial discipline. We should encourage it, not punish it.

At a time when credit card debt is near record highs, younger folks struggle to save or invest, family sustaining jobs are harder to find, and basic costs keep rising, the answer is not to punish folks who manage to save. We should want people to work, save, invest and build security, not tax the same dollars a second or even third time because they planned responsibly.

The proposal also hits small businesses at exactly the wrong time.

Supporters claim owner-operated small businesses would be excluded, but Mr. Pinsley’s own report admits very common small business structures are actually the source of the majority of revenue. These are not exotic structures used only by the wealthy. They are common ways small businesses, especially family businesses, are organized.

Small business owners routinely work 50, 60 or more hours a week under pressures most never see: payroll, rent, insurance, utilities, supplies, repairs, maintenance, taxes, compliance, permitting, staffing and constant uncertainty.

For most small business “wealth” is not cash sitting in a bank account. It's tied up in equipment, inventory, buildings, debt, invoices and the business itself. On paper, a business owner may look successful. But in reality, many are fighting every month to make payroll, cover bills and keep the doors open, yet still find time and resources to sponsor youth teams, support fundraisers, and donate to fire companies, schools, churches, nonprofits and community events. This is exactly the wrong environment to pile another tax on small business owners and could force them to either cut back on their community support, or not grow their business.

The legal risk is also serious.

If this tax were clearly legal and clean, the county would not need outside tax counsel, as recommended by the Controller in his report, to find a constitutional workaround. This alone should raise alarms. This sounds less like confidence in the law and more like shopping for a legal theory to support the outcome they want. Passing a constitutionally suspect tax does not just invite a lawsuit. It would send taxpayers the bill.

Lehigh County should focus on controlling costs, delivering core services and encouraging economic growth.

This is not a bold new idea. It's a recycled bad idea that every county that once had it walked away from. Taxing savings discourages saving. Taxing investment discourages investment. Taxing small business ownership discourages growth, expansion, and job creation.

Do not be fooled. This proposal is not a so-called wealth tax. It is an asset tax. A broad tax on common savings tools and small businesses that punishes responsible behavior, creates huge legal risk and adds another burden at exactly the wrong time. Lehigh County should reject it clearly, publicly and permanently.

Commissioner Ron W. Beitler, Independent

Commissioner Antonio Pineda, Republican

Phil Armstrong, former Lehigh County Executive, Democrat