Have you ever heard of the American Planning Association, Pennsylvania Chapter. Neither have I, but that's besides the point. Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham received a major award from them on Tuesday. It's called the Planning Leadership Award for an Elected Official. Sounds very official.Don was at the APA'a annual conference in King of Prussia, Pa., which was attended by more than 500 people. Apparently, some bus drivers thought it was the casino.
“Cunningham has been a strong leader in the Lehigh Valley, particularly in encouraging regionalism by creating a Congress of Governments for Lehigh County,” where municipal officials meet to discuss urban sprawl, transportation and other common issues, said Brian O’Leary, chairman of the awards committee. “He has consistently championed smart growth, urban revitalization, and open space preservation. Through a long career, Donald Cunningham has proved that he is a passionate advocate for good, effective planning.”
Lehigh is the third-ranking county in the state for farmland preservation, protecting more than 19,000 acres or 277 farms from being developed as strip malls or housing projects. Cunningham also directed nearly $2 million to expand the 19-mile trail system and open more than 1,100 acres at Trexler Nature Preserve in Schnecksville to hikers, bikers, horseback riders and fishermen. He’s launched a major initiative to slash energy consumption by 20 percent at nine county buildings and joined with his counterpart in Northampton County to create a bi-county affordable housing task force.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the APA is a non-profit, non-partisan, independent organization for appointed and elected officials and professionals with an interest in planning.
Cunningham plans on displaying his major award right outside the government center, and will turn it on himself every night. Scott Ott has called that wasteful spending.
Cunningham is so far removed from fiscal reality. Giving him any award for his mismanagement is insulting to those who have to pay for his incompetence.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty tight budget. Believe me, the proposed cuts, even if they had all passed, would not make a difference. Is it really smart to lay people off? This will reduce county services when they are needed most and will drive the nonunion workforce right into the arms of the union.
ReplyDeleteI think you should identify why you consider Cunningham incompetent instead of just making the claim. My view is quite the opposite.
Awards are all nice and everything, but not very practical.
ReplyDeleteNow if you wire em' up and stick a light bulb in them, now there you have something functional.
eBay?
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to commend you on the Christmas Story reference. I thought it was obvious, but maybe not so much..
I would conside Cunningham incompetent. Any executive that has a $20,000,000 deficit two years running surely can't be considered competent. Also, he is allowing some of his "economic development activities" to destroy the Little Lehigh. Allentown, it is time to deal with Cunningham's Little Lehigh faux pas activities. We need an executive that does more than just smile. (Be Happy. Sounds like a song.)
ReplyDeleteBob Romancheck
Read about what O'Hare is doing to that family here > Why is Bernie O'Hare Defiling Sheena Villa?
ReplyDeleteWith apologies to Zevon -
Yes, that O'hare is an Excitable Boy they all said.
After 10 long years they left him out of the home.
Excitable boy, they all said
Then he dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones
Excitable boy they all said
Well he's just an excitable boy.
That the defiling you're talking about, 10:43? The sad thing is that Bernie will still somewhat defend you and tell us to lay off and ignore you, and delete to preserve the peace.
I personally think you're a girly puke. If you were truly wronged, settle up with the ones what done it. Man up, don't just hang out and talk shit on blogs. But you won't, cuz you are an internet terrorist, not a seeker of undone justice.
Anon 2:16, I am deleteing all Villa-related commentary, but don't have the heart to delete Zevon, so you stay.
ReplyDeleteYou deleted a post that called you on your own bullshit. The truth hurts.
ReplyDeleteI welcome your thoughts and love to argue. Feel free to disagree. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks.
ReplyDeleteThat's my policy. If you don't like it, start your own blog.
A privledge reserved for the "right", comments.
ReplyDeleteCunningham and demos feathering his nest with statewide recognition for statewide run, probably LT GOV
ReplyDeleteBoth cunningham and paloswer are accountable to no one with dorment GOP and HUGE war chests. Both have thier realms in fiscal ruin and both win by a landslide!!
ReplyDeleteDoes the Lehigh Valley Congress of Governments have a website? Who exactly is on the COG and when do they meet. Earlier this year the only COG to meet to discuss how to leverage Stimulus money was Allenton, Bethlehem and Easton. Where was the COG? I think the COG is a great thing. I just haven't heard much about it.
ReplyDelete