That's a question LC Commissioner Andy Roman posed to Chairman Percy Dougherty last night. Roman obviously knew, but wanted to make sure that everyone else (including those of us in the peanut gallery) understood what was being discussed. That's just one reason why it is such a delight to watch Lehigh County's legislative body in action.That question arose because Lehigh County is forging ahead with plans for a new work release facility in Salisbury Township. Glenn Eckhart, who represents that district, felt compelled to oppose it. But even he noted there has been no groundswell of opposition from Salisbury residents. The rest of the commissioners agreed to move ahead. Dougherty noted the current facilities - a collection of trailers from 1989 - are "dilapidated. Someone is really going to get hurt if we don't take care of this."
And that's when the subject of NIMBYs (Not in My Back Yard) came up. Lehigh County is well aware of the opposition that Northampton County officials face when they try to expand their own work release facility, whether it's in Glendon, West Easton or Bethlehem Township.
"My only regret is that Northampton County did not go along with us on this," said Dougherty. "I even reiterated this today in a telephone conversation with Northampton County Executive Stoffa."
NIMBYs are everywhere, even in Lehigh County. Both Dougherty and Eckhart agreed it would be virtually impossible for them to try an expansion anywhere else. Asked to define NIMBYs, Dougherty laughed and said, "You can read about them on the blogs tomorrow."
So what is Northampton County really doing about its new work release facility? Is Bethlehem Township still on the drawing board? Is Lehigh County really out of the picture? Stoffa, having been burned by a member of his own council once, is keeping his cards close to his vest. And at yesterday's finance committee meeting, he refused to show his hand.
Aren’t facilities of this sort (that nobody wants to have in their neighborhood) supposed to be in Allentown with all of the others?
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
Last night, it appeared to me that commissioners felt it would be very difficult to try this in A-town ... or anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteNobody wants one of these things in their backyard. It's understandable.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone look into the neighboring companies that are willing to hire people from the facility? What I'm getting at is that it doesn't seem logical to place the facility in an Industrial Park is nobody would be willing to hire. Has this been researched?
The current location of the work release facility has none (or very few neighbors). Who would complain? The trains?
ReplyDeleteIt sits next to the Lehigh River and railroad tracks. It has one road in and out. I had no idea it was in Salisbury Township, considering the road to get there is in Bethlehem, the Northampton County part.
Northampton County is being ridiculous for not jumping on board with Lehigh County.
1 in 100 Americans are in prison. Maybe we should look at THAT number first.
ReplyDeleteThose of us in Allentown don't have the capacity or IQ to know any better due to the lowering of our IQ's from the poison in the water supply; thanks to our local and state
ReplyDeleterepresentatives. Might as well label a wasteland of dumb asses.
1 in 100 Americans are in prison. Maybe we should look at THAT number first.
ReplyDeleteSo Hayshaker, let's say you're county exec in LC or NC. What do you do? You certainly can't overturn a sentence imposed by a judge, and many of those sentences are mandatory. So what do you do?
Since the LV recidivism rate is pushing 70%, probably the best course of action is to try to reduce that recidivism, as Pike County has done. Both LC and NC are trying that. But if you have any ideas that a county can actually work with, I am sure that both counties will be very hapy to receive them.
The whole point of these new work release centers is they wil include some of the treatment programs being offered in Pike County.
NIMBYS are a lot like LULUs (Locally Unwanted Land Uses). While the prison center is technically in Salisbury, it's isolation makes it a great place for a prison center.. 99% of Salisbury residents probably don't even know the place exists, never mind that it's in their Township.
ReplyDeleteThe facility even has a LANTA Route into Bethlehem for work release. It's a great location for this type of facility.
Our lowly locals can't do a thing. We need to decriminalize drugs and other victimless crimes. We need to reduce the prison population. We are turning drug users and other victimless criminals into real dangerous criminals.
ReplyDeletere: Anon 1:21
ReplyDeleteI just realized that facility was there a few months ago. I stumbled upon it by accident.
We are turning drug users and other victimless criminals into real dangerous criminals. So we actually agree. But our "lowly" local officials are doing their best to reduce recidivism by encouraging more education and treatment. The real answer must come from the land of midnight payraises.
ReplyDeleteThe facility even has a LANTA Route into Bethlehem for work release. It's a great location for this type of facility.
ReplyDeleteThat was mentioned last night. In addition, there is a second access road that the county will consider opening for emergencies.
Maybe they should spend some time lobbying Harrisburg instead of perpetuating outdated and flawed laws? That would mean rocking the political boat and may end their turn at swilling from the trough.
ReplyDeleteThe Allentown ParkingAuthority has 7,000 sq.ft. of raw space that was to be leased by Christie Allen, upscale woman's boutique. Adjoining it is parking deck with enough height to accommodate the trailers. This proposal would save Lanta another route, provide available manpower for the emerging arts district, and put the liberal theories of the Morning Call to the test.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteSo far so good but the real question Ed will ask is whether there is any financial payoff in this deal for the city. If so then why not have the same architects who designed the packing crate style, extra high density townhouses figure out how to squeeze in the most trailers per square foot.
Allentown Democrat Voter
Northampton County will soon be joining this effort. Bank on it. The MC editorial board has spoken. So it is written, so it shall be done.
ReplyDeleteUntil some local officials speak out against the phony drug war, their participation in building more warehouses or pretend prisons is just more of the same from a very large public works industry.
ReplyDeleteWho are we kidding here?
Annon 4:59
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree. Stoffa is a creation of the Editorial Board. Dispite Bernie's constant defending of Stoffa and bashing some Councilmembers, there is another senario. The Judges may have balked at the proposal and Stoffa leaks the idea to the press about Bethlehem Twp., or has one of his designee's. He knows the press will push the Regional plan first and he can do his famous 'what can I do' shrug. He wins either way, either NIMBY's are the problem or County Council and the Courts.
He has always liked to leak to the press over the years. That has always been his MO so I think it is at least possible.
After LULU NIMBY shows up, she goes BANANAS (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyhting)
ReplyDeleteAnd so it goes.
There's just one problem with your hypothesis. On two occasions during public meetings, he told council that one of them leaked this story to the press. The story was leaked to Matt Assad, w reporter with whom Stoffa has no associoation. it did not come from the courthouse beat reporter, but from a person who now works out of Bethlehem and who used to cover Williams Tp. I can think of two members of council who are interested in becoming exec and who would love to make Stoffa look bad, and one way of doing that is to leak plans about a possible new work release facility before anything happens. Now that he's been burned once, Stoffa won't discuss it at all and I can't say I blame him.
ReplyDeleteI see your point BO and you may very well be right. But on the other hand , just saying someone on Council did it doesn't make it so. Also administrations have ways of getting stories to any reporter they want. Assad is a pitbull and loves red meat.
ReplyDeleteWho knows? In politics anything is possible.
NIMBY is a deriding term often used by County officials and others for anyone that oposes any land use initiative. Ervin's clan frequently called me a NIMBY because I started an effort which opposed the relocation of a 24hr detoxification center that was proposed in a conservation district on the blue mountain range near the application trial. Its is a term the County officials should not use. Name calling is not called for. Citizens have a right to oppose or support whatever they want for whatever reason they want without the name calling.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:47,
ReplyDeleteIn politics anything is possible.
You see, you approach things from a political point of view, as most in local government tend to do.. But there are a few, and Stoffa is one of them, weho pretty much ignores the political ramifications of his decisions. he instead does what he things is right. A perfect example of this is his veto of the tax break for Iraqi war vets, which was touted by McClure in campaign brochures with pics of soldiers in their camo gear, holding their rifles, looking pretty damn tough.
Let's all sttand at attention and salute.
This ordinance was illegal and written in a way that it would provide no tax relief. But it sure was popular. McClure never even mentioned that he himself never spent a second in the service.
Stoffa, himself a vet, did the right thing and vetoed this measure. I thought it was political suicide, but he did not care. He felt the ordinance was a good idea but needed more work.
He was right and people caught on. They are not so dumb as many politicians tend to think.
In this instance, I really have no idea what Stoffa is doing. But I do know this much - he's not playing politics. He's governing. There's a difference. That's why he's so hard to understand at times, especially when people are trying to figure out political angles.
In this case, I know he's disgusted by the high recidivism rate. I know the judges share that disgust. Haymaker claims he should be lobbying for changes in Harrisburg and maybe he should, but that does not sdolve the problems he's facing now. It appears to me like he's trying to plan for an expolding prison population and implement programs to prevent repeat offenders. In other words, he's trying to do the right thing.
Most of the inmates now are from drug dealers and gang violence, and it is all about drugs and drug "turf". How can we stop it? Unfortunatly I don't think it is possible. Just look in the newspaper... thugs fron Camden, Newark, New York, all coming here to take over and make easy money. 24 were arrested yesterday. For each one of them another 20 are ready to battle it out for new gang turf.
ReplyDeleteBernie: Heard that the Bethlehem Township site is dying a slow death already. Too many requirements be met.
ReplyDelete8:40 is a step behind or is putting out the new admin buzz. This site and the previous ones were just preludes and misdirections meant to generate opposition and then build a case for going in with LC.
ReplyDeleteIf the BT location is a bad idea just put it in Nazareth in all the farm fields near Gracedale that NC owns. Plenty of space, plenty of parking. If anyone of you have gone to the NC goverment center in Easton, you know that parking is a nightmare at best. There is no room there to do anything and the county was even dumb enough to sell the parking lot to the Gov Wolf building! Built an arcives building at the Gracedale location and build the work release center there if the BT site doesn't work out. There is no room in Easton to do anything.
ReplyDelete