Walter Garvin is a Democratic candidate for one of five at-large Northampton County Council seats. He and I have a lengthy history that ranges from some pleasant exchanges to a few shouting matches. There's little doubt in my mind that his election will provide little more than a third wheel on the Dertinger-McClure bicycle, which has no brakes. He does have a record as a partisan. Having said that, I admire people who do their homework. Garvin rarely misses a county council meeting, and has even attended some committees. Last night, for example, he was the only council hopeful in the peanut gallery. Aside from the candidates who are not already members of Northampton County Council, he is clearly the best informed about county issues.
He is also divisively partisan and Joe Long is pulling his strings. Well informed, maybe , but a political hack definitley. He was kicked off the election board becasue of the partisan politics he seems to be unable to avoid. Just skip the middle man and put Joe Long on COunty Council.
ReplyDeleteWalter Garvin is an excellent man with an excellent mind and a wonderful demeanor. He will make a great edition to County Council.
ReplyDeleteI think you mean addition. County Council thankfully does not have different editions.
ReplyDeleteI am no Garvin fan and have been highly critical of him in many posts here. On the other hand, I do respect people who do their homework. Walter deserves some recognition for that.
Some years ago a man rang my doorbell and asked me to vote: I don't remember if it was for him or an issue he was promoting.
ReplyDeleteHIs name was Bernard O'Hare.
I appreciated his efforts and cast my vote for him or his cause.
Today I received a robocall from Charles Dertinger. He doesnot get my vote. It's an insult; he should come to my door or call me personally.
That goes for all the robocalls from Rendell Boscola et al. I will vote against your candidates And in the case of Boscola I will vote twice against you.
You owe me personalization. The robocall is just a demonstration of what you really think of me as a person.
No vote for Dertinger. The list will grow as the robocalls increase.
Wow! I'm surprised. What a nice thing to say!
ReplyDeleteI went door to door pretty extensively for Ron Angle (when he ran for exec); Joe DeRaymond (when he ran for council); to argue against the $37 MM open space bond when it was a referendum issue; and to argue against ruining a park for kids in Nazareth.
People were very nice to me, but I lost on three of those four holy crusades.
Given my personal history and my own acerbic personality, I would never seek office. But I'll agree that candidates who go door to door or who call people personally are far more effective than those who rely on robo calls.
Had the opportunity to hear Walter speak the other evening. I was not impressed and neither was the missus. He appears to be a political hack of the Progressive party. He does not support hiring private industry to replace certain groups in county government. He also is a big union supporter and executive John Stoffa offered that the unions are a huge problem for the county. No, neither Walter or Dietrick deserve our votes.
ReplyDeleteBattle Cry,
ReplyDeleteLet me get this straigt. because Walter is pro-union and opposes privatization, he's a political hack?
Sounds more to me like you got honest answers to your questions, even if you don't like them. By the way, the notion of replacing a governemnt function with a business whose allegiance is to its owners or stockholders, instead of the peoople, is instantly suspeicious. it's why privatized jails are not allowed in Pa.
As I reecall from the news account, Garvin was the ony Dem council cnadidate willing to face you. And he gets slammed.
Battle Cry,
ReplyDeleteWalt would be one of the smartest and most honest councilmen you could vote for. he would never go along with an unnecessary 9.5% tax. he would force Departments not to overspend as they now do.
A vote for Walt is a vote for honest, accountable and competent governemnt. it is sorely needed in Northampton county.
Walt Garvin is smart and he is going to be a great council person.
ReplyDeleteNobody would go along with an "unnecessary" tax. But those who claim this is so unnecessary have come up with no solutions, except to raid the rainy day fund. that will just mean another and bigger increase in the next year.
ReplyDeleteThe buget has been posted on the county web page since it was announced. I'm still waiting for one practical and responsible suggestion that will reduce or eliminate the tax hile.
You received quite a few. Many you deleted. You claimed personal attacks or at least the personal attacks you don't agree with. You are a hypocrite, schilling for Stoffa Inc.
ReplyDeleteSee what I mean? No substantive suggestion from someone who is nUtTy enough to post a comment at 3:43 AM on a weekend.
ReplyDeleteI call ohare on, "personal attack, personal attack".
ReplyDeleteWalt Garvin does his homework? Just because he attends meetings regularly doesn't mean he proposes original solutions to ideas. He is a "yes man" for Lamont and Charles. His positions on the bi-county health bureau could be put in quotes "" from Lamont. He is the classic "go along to get along" pol...anyone who has ever spoken to him can smell it from a mile away. He's diggin' for votes any way he can get them, hence his quote in the Call at the teabaggers meeting "I'm here to serve all of Northampton County" and then he casts dispersions left and right on the Republicans who attended calling them "wingnuts". He's not credible.
ReplyDeleteLamont is the only fiscal watchdog on council. Angle is so into Stoffa he is no longert credible.
ReplyDeleteWalt will work with Lamont to ensure taxpayers are protected from a spendthrift Administration.
ReplyDeleteWell Bernie, I see Charles and Lamont are plugging their boy here (anonymously of course). What I don't get is why you are giving him this exposure? If you don't think he's a good candidate, what's the point or have you been drinking their Kool-Aid too???
ReplyDeleteI think I've been fairly clear. I consider him a third wheel on the McClure-Dertinger bicycle and a Joe Long partisan. But in fairness, I have to also note he's worked hard and has prepared himself more than the other candidates. This is unlike Pasquale, another rabid Long-Dertinger partisan, who knows nothing. Basically, I'm trying to be fair.
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to Cusick, Ferraro and the rest of the Stoffa partisans.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer a more independent and cycnical Council.
Not Stoffa-partisans we have now.
Dertingers robo call woke my wife at 9:00 am Friday. He has now lost 2 votes. One by my wife for the phone to ring sooooooo early and one by me as I had a peacefully moring till that phone rang.
ReplyDelete