Sitting quietly in the peanut gallery at tonight's meeting of Northampton County Council was Russ Shade. He is the mastermind behind John Stoffa's surprisingly successful county exec campaign.Stoffa thanked poor Russ by appointing him, at no salary, to a five member citizens panel charged with the controversial task of sorting out our elections system. Other draftees included Richard Benner (former registrar who oversaw 45 elections); Jack Bradt (former CEO at SI Handling); Greta Browne (former Green party congressional candidate); and Peg Ferraro (former county councilperson). Ferraro resigned from this task force when she decided to run for council again, but the remaining four members conducted seven meetings in the dead of winter. They also circulated a detailed survey among voters, poll workers and former candidates for public office.
At nearly every gathering, these unpaid citizens were insulted by a very defensive voting Registrar, Debbie DePaul. She incredibly referred to her tenure as her "reign." She brought a hired legal gun to bully volunteers and then tried to stick the county with a $2,700 legal bill. She proved her impartiality by selecting this lawyer from a list given to her by Norco Dem Boss Joe Long. And because I wasn't towing the machine line, Bossman Long threatened me right before one of these meetings.
Tonight, Russ told council members that the panel's final report will be released on Monday. He promised to make a copy available to me, and I will post it in its entirety as soon as I get it.
20 comments:
Good seeing you tonight Bernie. I'll probably be a regular...that was entertaining as hell!
Julian, Yep, this stuff is better than TV. It was nice to see you, too. I'll have another report about the veto. These guys keep e busy.
I happened to be at the meeting when Mr. Long was there. I sat right behind him and did not here a threat from him to you that night. I do remeber you screaming in the mike, "he just threatened me", when in fact Mr. Long did no such thing. I question your recollection of that evening.
Anon 10:43,
He didn't just threaten me once, he did it two or three times. And when I publicly disclosed his threat, his answer was, "That's a lie. I've got witnesses." You must be the person to whom he referred. Incidentally, I did not "scream" into the mike. I've been addressing public bodies over many years, and have never once screamed. I try to speak with respect. of course, I was repeatedly interrupted by Long when I addressed the task force. Do you remember that?
I wrote a blog
blog about this the very evening it occurred, when the facts were still very fresh in my mind. In addition, I take extensive notes.
Dude, I know when I've been threatened, and I was threatened that night. There's no mistake. And my recollection is pretty good because I reduced it to writing at the time. Perhaps you did not hear the threat, but it was made.
Long is irrational when it comes to me. In live radio, he started cursing at me and had to be vut off the air. He erupted in a tirade at the county exec simply because I attended a press conference. And he has threatened at least one othjer blogger, who wrote about it at the time.
So I stand by my statement about Long. He did threaten me that night.
I thought Shade moved out of Northampton County.
He did. he now lives and works near King of Prussia.
Bernie O'Hare said," Dude, I know when I've been threatened, and I was threatened that night." As I stated before, Mr. Long did not threaten you that evening, and if anyone was interupted, it was Mr. Long, by you that evening. When you were there that evening you were very disrespectful and annoying to others around you. They could not hear what was being said by Mr. Long when he was speaking. I also hear people speak about you at work (I work in the court house), and their comments of you are not very becoming. They think you are a problem when you are present in the court house, because you are proud of the fact that you were naked in the men's restroom. I suggest you do some soul searching and find out who you really are.
Anon 9:23,
That's complete buillshit - a fabrication. The right to speak includes an obligation to listen, and I listen to everyone who cares to speak at a public meeting. I have attended public meetings for many years, and am never disruptive. Most people would not even know I'm there. Your story is a lie.
You are obviously a Long ally or Long himself.
Whoever you are, you may work at Governor Wolf or Gracedale, but you don't work at the courthouse. No one who works in the courthouse proper was there that night, excepting me.
Do you honestly think I give a rat's ass about your feigned offense at my changing in the bathroom when I ride a bike to work from Nazareth? That breaks no law and is entirely permissible. People should be encouraged to get out of their cars more often, not smeared for riding a bike and then cleaning up. When I do that, there's opne less car cluttering the overcrowded parking lots.
Incidentally, what do my restroom habits have to do with my veracity?
But next time I do it, I'll let you know so you can come and watch.
Hey Bernie, to hell with "Lehigh Valley Ramblings." Change it to "LV Naked Blogger."
What's another ass in a courthouse that's already loaded with 'em?
No photos, please.
I'd make that change, but Chris casey has already claimed that title.
Don't worry about the photo. I can't load one until I get a wide angle lens.
Bernie --
Sounds like you've got a Larry Craig wannabe in the stall next to you.
I wonder how wide Joe Long's stance is?
Time for some toe tappin love, between Bernie O, and Longy Joe!
Joe "Miles" Long.
"I make my move, tap my toe.
and wait for my honey, Bossman Joe.
He takes a swing, but it's a big miss.
I take my bow, and blow him a kiss."
Looks like HRH DePaul doesn't want her kingdom relocated. What nerve.
annon 6:44
I don't think it's the move. A move of that office out of Wolf has been planned for a long time. It is the timming. With the 'problems' of the machines and allegations of problems by the 'special committee' to move now before the election with coordination of the lever machines to prepare for, she is justifiably concerned. Anyone not joined at the hip with Stoffa knows he has her in his sights and wants her out. So lets throw another curve that might contribute to problems in November. It's classic Stoffa.
Forget nerve, she should document everything and be ready with her attorney as team S, tries to get her again.
If I were Stoffa, I would have demoted her long ago. She's given him every reason to fire her - from publicly advocating that he refuse to follow the law, to bringing a private lawyer to bully a citizen's task force, to blocking email access by voting rights activist Dr, Alan Brau.
She has two people to thank for her job.
The first is John Conklin, who learned a lot from the advisory panel and implemented many changes in the elections office during the last primary. He quietly took control, and the office performed very well on May 15. Had Conklin chosen to do nothing, that election would have exploded just like two previous elections and HRH DePaul would be looking for a new kingdom elsewhere.
The second person she must thank is John Stoffa. From the moment he was elected, he was besieged with complaints about that office. Although DePaul has given him every reason to fire her, Stoffa has resisted.
He's more interested in improving our elections system along with its registrar than he is in slamming someone.
If Nyce or Ferarro had been elected county exec, I can guarantee you DePaul would be long gone. They would not have tolerated her baloney.
Now as far as the move is concerned, I understand the elections commission approved this move by a 3 to 2 vote. Stoffa and Conklin are both confident. People criticize Stoffa for being indecisive. Now, when he decides something, then he's criticized for rushing things.
This is Stoffa's call. If it's the disaster you predict, you'll have the right to say I told you so. But if it goes off without a hitch, I expect you to come on this blog and admit you were wrong. :-)
waiting for report like all of you!
My opinion is as follows: registrar office never should have been moved to wolf building in the first place! mechanical machines should never have been replaced!
Dertinger should never have been on election commission. When he came on and was elected Chair during his very first meeting, I resigned as Commissioner shortly thereafter. Don't know DePaul but Benner was the very best, even handed, Registrar anyone could ever want! On the other hand, NC D Party Chair, Joe Long has to be the least effective Party Chair in the history of the world. Anybody pays attention to him needs their head examined. I believe Bernie's version of any story before Longy poo or any of his nonsensical slaves! go figure! Stoffa is "our" Executive, we need to support him and stop the personal stuff! Move Registrar office near Courthouse is good move! larry@kisslinger.com
Larry, I am not now or ever could be a Long slave. Kinky, but no thanks. Long is a fool , always has been. He is a self-important windbag who tears anyone who doesn't kiss the ground he walks on. I love old BO, not in a bathroom sort of way, thats for him and Onembo to work out.
This is just a difference of opinion on the registar issue in particular and Stoffa in general. Bernardo does a great job. I only maintain he has a blindspot when it comes to Stoffa. If she loses her job it will be her fault. If the election goes off great she won't get credit, the credit will go to Stoff and Conk. As a taxpayer I hope things go well with the County regardless of who is Executive.
Bernie said..".Long is irrational when it comes to me. In live radio, he started cursing at me and had to be vut off the air. He erupted in a tirade at the county exec simply because I attended a press conference. And he has threatened at least one othjer blogger, who wrote about it at the time."
That was the time Long called Bernie a "F&@# A&% Hole over live radio. I would hate to hear what Long has to say about people in private.
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