Comm'r David Jones Snubs Fellow Dems ... and the Public

"We're talking about something that's not a core function of county government. There's not a huge demand, beating on the door, for this. ... I'll be frank here. My biggest concern is what that camera will do, in terms of the integrity of our proceedings. And I don't have the confidence that we will conduct ourselves in a way that's unbiased."

That's how Lehigh County Comm'r David Jones, a preacher, explained his opposition to a Dean Browning initiative to webcast meetings last year. Later, in what he called a "stroke of conscience," he proposed filming a budget hearing or two to see "what the public appetite might be." He would bring teenagers from Life Church to do the filming.

But that never happened. You see, he thinks the public has no interest in local government because he himself gives it a low priority. Among the workhorses on Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners, Jones was 2009's "no show" horse. His 47.4% committee attendance record puts him at the bottom of the heap.

Perhaps Jones is also concerned that a public webcast might reveal his all-too-often empty seat.

I know, I know. He's a "behind the scenes" kind of guy, he'll say. But if the recent Commission vacancy is any indication, he has abdicated his responsibility as an elected official. He has also insulted a distinguished group of Democrats who presented themselves for a public interview. If he has any respect for his fellow Democrats or the public who elected him, he will recuse himself from participating in the appointment.

Last Wednesday, all Commissioners but Jones took the time to participate in a lengthy public hearing for the twelve applicants to the Commission vacancy. Jones missed their opening and closing statements, as well as the opportunity to question them. Not being present in person, he really has no way of judging for himself how they looked or sounded. You really had to be there.

Unlike his colleagues, who shared their preferences at the meeting, Jones was MIA. In fact, prior to this interview, Jones had ignored several phone calls from applicants who had reached out to him.

After the meeting, I asked around to see if illness or some pressing matter had detained Jones, which would make his absence understandable. Nope. So I decided to call him, and find out for myself why he missed a meeting that would go a long way toward deciding who will be replacing Commissioner Bill Leiner. When I got Jones' voicemail on Thursday morning, I expressed those concerns.

Just as he ignored the actual applicants, Jones never returned my call.

What's most amazing about all this is that Jones himself was originally an appointed Commissioner. As an applicant, he was treated with much more respect than he is showing to others.

Allentown resident Bob Romancheck has asked, "[W]hy doesn't Jones just quit the commission? The way he treats it is simply disgraceful."

At the very least, he should disqualify himself from voting in this matter, in which he failed to do anything approaching due diligence. But he won't. And I'll tell you why in the post below.

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