Can Northampton County Council Be Saved?

Northampton County's nine-member County Council, widely considered the most dysfunctional legislative branch in the Lehigh Valley, is certainly the worst I've ever seen. The problems actually started four years ago, when John Stoffa, Charles Dertinger and Diane Neiper were first elected.

Stoffa, once elected Executive, immediately got off the sofa and named veteran Council members Michael Corriere, a Democrat, and Mary Ensslin, a Republican, to his cabinet. Corriere was Council's quiet voice of reason, a Democratic Mike Dowd. Nobody could know how deeply his loss would be felt.

In the meantime, newcomers Charles Dertinger and Diane Neiper took office certain they could hit the ground running. They had no idea that, once elections are over, Council has traditionally been nonpartisan, more interested in doing the right thing than pleasing partisans. Dertinger and Neiper changed that dynamic.

As a result of back room meetings with party bosses like Joe Long, they decided to stack Council with Democrats Tony Branco and Lamont McClure, upsetting Republicans. With a 6-3 majority, they then started shooting down any Repulican Stoffa named to his cabinet. When Stoffa resisted their demands for more Democratic appointments, they actively began working against him. Charles Dertinger, who claims to be an open space champion, actually tried to kill Stoffa's "pay as you go" open space plan. At the same time, these partisans encouraged union members to make ridiculous demands in negotiations, encouraged grievances and even attempted to have the Human Resources Director fired during a meeting attended by a lynch mob of unionized county workers. Council member McClure even unilaterally fired the Solicitor, consulting no one, hoping he could install a partisan.

In the midst of all this turmoil, Wayne Grube's health was failing. He had hoped to serve out his term, but it was not to be. This gruff-speaking, but big-hearted, Council member passed away, leaving a gaping vacancy that will take a long time to fill.

Council meetings have often deteriorated into shouting matches and taunts, often involving Dertinger, McClure or Angle. Jerry Seyfried's appointment has been a moderating influence, but he'll be gone in December.

This election is important. Will Council stop being a partisan group of grandstanders? Or will it return to the reflective and classy style I remember in the early days, when council chambers often felt like a church?

It's up to you. You can select up to five from the Democratic (Charles Dertinger, Walt Garvin, Bill Wallace, Deb Hunter and Lorraine Pasquali) and Republican (Peg Ferraro, John Cusick, Bruce Gilbert, Barb Thierry & Tom Dietrich) buffet. Let me give you my take, for what it's worth.

1) Dump Dertinger. - Whatever you do, don't give this faithless politician another four years. He's done enough damage.

2) Vote for Peg Ferraro and John Cusick. - Peg, who has only been on this dysfunctional Council for two years, remembers how that body operated in times past, where she would readily accept advice from Democrats Jerry Seyfried or Carol Cuomo. She is a voice of decency. The same is true of John Cusick, Council's hardest-working member.

3) Lorraine Pasquali and Tom Dietrich are lightweights. - Pasquali is an unemployed political consultant who has attached herself to Dertinger and merely nods agreement to whatever he says. She's never attended a Council meeting and it showed during the slate belt debate, wehre she spent most of the night looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Dietrich is running for the second time. I thought this time around, he'd gain some understanding of county government. He still does not get it, and let's face it, this is not exactly rocket science. He's not going to get it. We should let this stay-at-home dad stay at home.

4) Bruce Gilbert is just too lazy. - Sure, on paper, he's the most qualified of all candidates. In fact, he's the smartest of all council members. But I wonder how many committee hearings he'll just miss. He's the first black person I can remember who ever sought a Council seat, but he failed to show up at the NAACP banquet for candidates. He amazingly has no response to the LWV questionnaire. He was a no show at Pen Argyl's parade. Is he really all that interested?

5) Deb Hunter is independent. - So much so, that Charles Dertinger hates her. That's good enough for me.

6) Bill Wallace will listen. - "I listen to voters. I think that's an important issue that I need to make clear. It isn't a home team, visitor team. We're all on the same team."

7) Walt Garvin, third wheel on the McClure-Dertinger bicycle. - Garvin is closely allied to Bossman Joe Long. His election will result in a perpetuation of the circus we've seen for the last four years.

8) Barb Thierry, Not Ready for Prime Time Player. - I like Barb, who did attend meetings and tried to familiarize with county issues. I am unhappy she allowed herself to be used in a mailer that excluded Peg Ferraro. I doubt she'll make that mistake again.