Let's say you live in Lehigh County and want to contact your district commissioner. Every stinkin' one of them has an email address, and they're actually posted on the county's web page.In contrast, Northampton County Council lists no email address for any of its council members. So how do you get in touch? Four of nine members would rather be left alone. They've instructed the clerk's office to refuse to release any information at all. You're supposed to leave a message, and the council member will decide if you're important enough to merit a return call. These fearsome four include John Cusick, Peg Ferraro, Lamont McClure and Diane Neiper.
Of these four, I can understand Peg Ferraro and Diane Neiper's need for caution. Peg is a recent widow who lives in the boonies. Perhaps Ms. Neiper has similar concerns. But Lamont McClure and John Cusick? Who the hell do you guys think you are? Do you realize it's actually easier to reach Congressman Charlie Dent than you? Why are you afraid? Do you realize Council Prez Ann McHale has more cajones than the two of you put together?
Wheeler-dealer Abe Atiyeh tells me he can reach you anytime he wants. His latest scheme is a combination assisted living-recidivism-physical therapy center and miniature golf course on that little island in the Delaware River, but the seagulls are squawking about it.
Let's say I want to give Lamont, who just happens to be my councilman, an earful over his idiotic decision to reject Bob Buesing as an airport authority board member. Bob owns a tourist company and flies everywhere, so he might actually be an asset. But he's a Republican, and that makes him a liability to Democrats with parochial minds.
Unfortunately, I can't call Lamont, and neither can most of you. But I called Scissorhands Severson, and told him a condition of his bail is that he release McClure's email address. It's lmclure@lawpga.com.
Oopsie!
OK. You got that out of me, but you can kill me and I still won't tell you that Cusick's email addy is jcusick@rcn.com.
Oopsie!
If a council member is unavailable to the average voter, why should the voter go out of his way for the councilman?
No council member, including Peg Ferraro and Diane Neiper, have any excuses to block the public from communicating with them.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't want to be bothered, they shouldn't be on council.
i have found peg and diane to be very accessible.
ReplyDeleteand for the record, Ann McHale has more cajones than the 82nd airborne.
and for the record, Ann McHale has more cajones than the 82nd airborne.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is in the 82d Airborne. I was too chicken, myself.
AJ, Maybe I'm being a sexist, but I suspect that a woman unfortunately must think of her personal safety. But no excuse for Lamont or Cusick.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Lamont wants stuff to always discussed in a public forum? A real Sunshine Act Hero!?
ReplyDeleteO_o
Why can't they have county email addresses? There is no concern for anyone's safety, as no personal addresses or phone numbers would have to be given out to the general public.
ReplyDeleteBO, a better solution would be for the county to provide e-mail addresses via their web site for all council members. That's a no-brainer to me. This is the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteI guess more than one of us has some common sense.
ReplyDeleteLady rep, That would be you and Joe Hilliard. I just got done saying I have no common sense.
ReplyDeleteBernster,
ReplyDeleteA while back, you started to research the Lehigh Valley local government web sites and this really should just be an extension of the website evals per say.
My local, Bethlehem Twp (http://www.bethlehemtwp.com/btweb/) has no email addresses for any of the elected officials and the Twp Mgr has a form to fill out to contact him.
The City of Bethlehem has a few here (http://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/about/directory/index.htm) and there, very inconsistant.
I'm guessing that the entire Lehigh Valley Local Governments prefer it this way so that they do not have to respond to their constituents requests.
To bad McHale and some of the other C. Council members didn't use their cajones and not vote for over 70% in Real Estate taxes.
ReplyDeleteI believe Angle and Ferraro were the only two not to support those tax increases.