I had my FlipCam with me last night and was prowling all over Northampton County, looking for trouble. I found it, too, at a meet 'n greet for magisterial candidate Tony Sortino. But I'll have to tell you about that later. The BIG STORY last night was in a church.Last night, the NAACP sponsored a candidates' night in Shiloh Baptist Church. Ann McHale, who wants John Stoffa's job, must realize it's increasingly unlikely she's going to get it. So she spent most of the night shooting arrow after arrow at the incumbent Northampton County Executive, in the vain hope that one of them might find a target. She missed.
I was scarfing down hot dogs and bahklava at Tony Sortino's shindig while all this was happening, but latecomers were quick to provide first hand accounts of McHale's ugly display. From what I'm told, Stoffa calmly deflected her arrows and then asked her why her company had three insurance contracts with the county when he took office. "Did you compete for them?" McHale went ballistic.
After the fracas was over, Stoffa was approached by several people who told him they came in undecided but now were definitely voting for him. He was also approached by a reporter who told him McHale said she had the dirt on Stoffa and was going to start telling everyone ... like her goons haven't been doing that here. The reality is that this campaign is over.
McHale is obviously desperate, and for good reason. Within hours of meeting with The Express Times editorial board, they endorsed Stoffa over McHale. This comes on the heels of The Morning Call's Sunday endorsement.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteYou're wrong. The big story regarding all of this is: Who made the bahklava? Hopefully, that was reported on the proper financial disclosures?
Peace, ~~Alex
desperate? where you there holding his hand again bernie? someone should've asked him what roll you and angle play in this administration.
ReplyDeleteDid McHale's insurance co win those contracts w/ fair bidding or what? Sounds questionable.
ReplyDeleteThere was no bidding or competition. Riebman gave them to her.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could tally how many municipalities McHale's insurance co. handles?
ReplyDeletegood for her.no criminal acts here.
ReplyDeleteRe: Municipal Insurance Policies. Unfortunately, this type of allocation affords inappropriate trade-offs. Not saying that happened anywhere. But the very concept of one insurance co., winning bid upon bid over competitors raises eyebrows.
ReplyDeleteShe asked Reibman for the contracts, he gave them to her, bilking the taxpayers in the process. When the contracts expired, Stoffa didnt' renew them.
ReplyDelete"professional services" do not necessarily need bid out. That said, if true, and if she were on Council and her family received financial gain, even if the call was the Executive's, then that at minimum raises ethical eyebrows. It also creates a perception of a weakening of the "separation of powers".
ReplyDeleteis it possible those were long standing contracts simply carried over from before she was on council? or were they awarded after she was on council? There is a difference.
ReplyDeleteStoffa, instead of renewing the McHale's business went with a five-year property and casualty insurance contract, valued at $4.8 million, with the County Commissioners Association of Pa. (CCAP) which 46 of the 67 counties in PA use and is much more affordable. At the council meeting to bless the contract, McHale repeatedly attacked him. She was definitely on the Council when Reibman gave them to her because she's been there for 11 years.
ReplyDeletemaybe he just doesn't like her.
ReplyDeleteMcHale still has an insurance contract with the County that hasn't expired. To me, that's a conflict of interest.
ReplyDeleteYuck. It's time to take yet another shower from the sleazy Reibman years. The stink will never come off. Can't we find a comfy home for Ann with the rest of her ilk on the bridge commission? It's the local version of Freddie and Fannie (e.g. hammock for connected Ds. She'll fit right in. With Chicago-style politics being all the rage lately, it's no surprise Joe Long is confident in calling the shots to neutralize softies like Stoffa. This is not a time for compromise in a very blue county. Long wants Ds to impose their will and Stoffa has had only half a stomach to do it. Ann will do exactly as she's told. Her moronic political statements indicate very little independent political thought.
ReplyDeletebernie,
ReplyDeleteyou must be beside yourself.
Queen Ann is losing her mind.Her desparation is embarrassing. She is an incompetent Council President who cannot even run a meeting. How in anyone's mind could she ever run counthy government??? After she is smacked down in the primary she should announce her resignation from council and return to selling insurance. She, and the tazpayers of NorCo would be much happier.
ReplyDeleteCalling out Stoffa on his lies should be done by his buddies in the Press. Good for Ann to expose the bullshit.
ReplyDeleteReibman bid all contracts for professional services. If she got them she bid for them. But other than keeping them, what is the rationale for her running?
ReplyDeleteWhere can you pickup Stoffa Signs?
ReplyDeletethey deliver straight to your door
ReplyDeletethis is just the usual bull shit throw dirt hope it sticks. it's easy to attack someone when there not around to defend themselves .i'm voting for mchale.
ReplyDeleteThe person wanting signs can drop me an email at bohare5948@aol.com.
ReplyDeleteI'll bring one right to your house.
Bring me another 6000.
ReplyDeleteAbe