During Thursday's county council meeting, when Ron Angle asserted no one has applied for a Lehigh County's American Heroes tax rebate, Charles Dertinger erupted."That's not true," he shouted.
Let's take a gander at Friday's papers.
Friday's Morning Call: "Dertinger said veterans in Lehigh County have taken advantage of the rebates, but both Angle and Bernie O'Hare, a blogger from Nazareth, said after the meeting that they had contacted Lehigh County and learned that they've gotten no requests from veterans."
Friday's Express Times: "Lehigh County spokesman Frank Kane said his county just posted the rebate application on its Web site and already received a few calls about the program but no applicants yet."
I called Lehigh County's assessment office late Friday, and spoke with Mike Martucci, the fellow who actually approves these grants. He tells me one application has just been approved. We both agreed this program, though very worthy, will not reach many people.
Northampton County's former Director of Veterans Affairs, Ray Greene, insists the federal government has failed its veterans, and has strayed from the Poet President's goal - "…to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan…."
American heroes extend beyond those serving in Iraq.
Ron Angle has proposed honoring all veterans on fixed incomes who have served in foreign wars. His plan calls builds on Cunningham's "American Heroes" grant with property tax rebates for our "Greatest Generation." Obviously, Lehigh County has more than one hero. Why not honor them all?
I wish all the heroes would be honored. At least this grant program is a step forward.
ReplyDeletedon cunningham should teach a course in the art of giving press conferences. i remember as mayor of bethlehem he had about one a week at the steel site, and rode those empty words to harrisburg. how many of those projects came to fruition? his conference on the grant program was in mid-april, and no takers? was there a notice with the tax bills or any other outreach program?
ReplyDeleteThe American Heroes Grant ordinance was only adopted on 6/13. I suspect there will be takers, but just not that many. In NC, the prediction is that only about 50 people would be qualified. Its impact will be a little greater next year. It's a good program and the small number of people taking advantage of it is primarily because it's a small pool.
ReplyDeleteThat has nothing to do with Cunningham. Yet you seem to feel some compelling need to snark him and everyone else with a D after their name. You call yourself a "nonpartisan" but I have yet to see you criticize a single Republican on your blog. And now you crtiticize Cunningham because there are too few Iraq war vets?
i felt heydt, because of his soft-spot for low-income housing, hurt allentown. during his second term he and pawlowski together won the national hud award. i have more to say about democrats because they sweep the recent local elections. because i don't post anonymously, i seem to be a soft target for you. i.e, that anon who wrote they can not paint the bridge rails because of the water treatment plant, where is the documentation for that since there has been no lead in paint for 30 years. i stated i called the city, was told it would be painted two years ago, and you dismiss my statement because of a comment from an anon? btw, although dc cut back on the courthouse, he wants to buy the former bank building at 7th and hamilton, negating any saving. if i was pawlowski or cunningham i would be thankful my only critic is an independent one man
ReplyDeletei'm glad there is not alot of iraqi war vets, but perhaps because of that, he could have done a direct outreach program insuring they get enrolled, instead of a headline grabbing news conference. so we ended up with a big headline, but not one dollar of tax relief for a vet thus far, so perhaps my statement that cunningham is a press conference artist has some basis to it.
ReplyDeleteMM,
ReplyDeleteA direct outreach program before an ordinance is even adopted? That would be foolhardy.
And where do you reach? In NC, the admin has made some effort to determine how many soldiers are serving overseas. No one even knows! Not the feds, not the staties, not anyone. And Cunningham's program, which requires 4 months active duty in 2007 or 2008, would apply to soldiers who are most likely overseas now. They're not sitting on their stoop reading the MC or ET every day, as you seem to think.
As I said before, the impact of this program will not be felt until next year. Most feel it will apply to only a small number.
But it's amazing that you would snark Cunninghman for proposing this idea. You blast his press conference. Yet at the same time, you claim he should have given it more publicity.
You argue inconsistently, and that's simply because you detest Cunningha, Pawlowski or anyone else with a D after their name. You are a divisive person who pretends to be "nonpartisan," and it showed in your vote tally when you ran for mayor.
i didn't post here because i enjoy being insulted, but because i felt the lovefest you bestow upon cunningham needed alittle balancing out. how many votes i received has nothing to do with this assertion; in my mind, if you have a big press conference to announce a program which will affect very few people, there certainly is an element of grandstanding.
ReplyDeletei didn't "snark" cunningham for the proposal, but for the grandstanding press conference. you consistently play with people's words, putting and taking words from their mouth. you ignore things you cannot refute,(such as all those unbuilt projects on steel land cunningham announced and that i also ran against a republican) and then even resort to personal insults like my vote tally. in your own words his proposal will affect few people, so it clearly was flag waving more for his benefit. btw, for an independent to receive 3.5%, being virtually ignored by msm, and spending a fraction per vote of his opponents, was not that bad. i'm afraid for the sake of allentown, in the future, people will look back and say only one person told the truth in 2005.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like being insulted, then stop snarking people.
ReplyDeleteThe signifigance of that program, which affects very few people, is that it demonstrates a local community stepping to the plate and saluting our soldiers, making a small sacrifice for soldiers who make a big sacrifice. The amount of press given to this proposal was not up to Cunningham, but to the newspapers. They decide whether something is or is not newsworthy, not Cunningham, and not even you.
I think it is a big deal because few local communities have made this sacrifice. The newspapers apparently agreed.
I bestowed no "lovefest" on Cunningham, as you falsely claim. I lauded his good idea, pointed out that only one person has taken advantage of it, and suggest the program should be expanded. In earlier posts, I suggested that the American Heroes ordinance should be amended as well. I've offered some constructive criticism, not the adulation you claim.
Because I didn't bash Cunningham, you had to come on this blog and do it yourself. You do that with any idea that has a Democrat associated with it. Be honest. Your blog has yet to criticize a single Republican. That's fine, but just don't falsely claim you're "nonpartisan." And that's what you do on your blog. It's dishonest.
What I've found from own my dealings with you is a thin-skinned sophist who resents the slightest criticism and who can't ever get his facts straight. When I pointed out some factual errors on one of your blogs, it just went POOF. And don't tell me I haven't criticized liberals who've done the same thing, because I have, and more harshly than with you.
What's even worse, you've actually called other bloggers liars simply because you do not believe what they say. There is no reason for you to be so divisive with people when you simply disagree with them.
People like you, whether on the left or right, represent all that is wrong with this country. You feel a need to pigeon-hole people, snark liberals (always used in a disparaging tone), and end up burning all those bridges you claim need paint. You can get away with that on Gunther, but the people here talk back. It's a little harder to manipulate the truth here.
I will say this much. Your vote tally demonstrates pretty clearly that our democratic form of government is still very healthy.
The truth is that conservatives and liberals both have good ideas and both should listen to each other. You don't listen.
only one person told the truth in 2005.
ReplyDeleteYep, his name is Ed Pawlowski.
you repeatedly refer to me as a republican pretending to be an independent. in reality i was a frequent critic of the past republican administration. when i referred to other blogger postings which have been deleted, you simply claim you didn't see them. this is maybe the fifth time you mentioned gunther, again i do not direct talk radio. cunningham could have made his proposal directly to the county commissioners, press conferences are not mandatory. my original statement was that cunningham could teach a course on press conferences, everything else was your reaction. btw, you certainly have no trouble with manipulation, good day.
ReplyDeleteOh, boy, here we go...
ReplyDeletethat was my first Halloween costume as a kid.
ReplyDeleteBelive it or not George isnt at home....
Thats Bernies halloween costume. Angle wears the Wonder Woman suit. Stoffa just goes the way he goes everyday, as God.
ReplyDeleteThe Greatest American Hero was my son's favorite show.
ReplyDeleteWas mine too. whats the Scenario?
ReplyDeleteRobert Culp a forgotting great actor. Also co-stared with Dr. Cosby back in the day when many feared such a role.