Now Bethlehem denies having a police blotter in 2007, but claims this report would have been in some bin. Really? How about if no crime was charged? Where does it go then? Or was Captain Kravatz correct when he told me police keep these accident reports away from prying eyes?
No individual cell phone records? Give me a break. Do you know anyone with a cell phone who is unable to go online and check out his or her exact calls. The City's cell phone carrier undoubtedly has a record of all cell phone calls made on 2/4/07, and that obviously is a basis for its bill. If the City just gets an invoice and never checks the actual calls being made, there is no way it can prevent cell phone abuse. So I will research this to see if I can legally pursue it.
Why did the City wait nearly four months before getting its damaged cruiser repaired?
Why did the City wait for over a year before being paid for the injuries to Officer Kennedy? In the meantime, who footed his bills?
31 comments:
Keep up the good work. At least the area has one good reporter. This story stinks more and more every day.
I call bullshit. When Reibman's hot-tub, wife swapping buddy Vince Domminck used his County phone to set-up wife-swap dates the records were all public. How does the City not have the same standards if the cellphones are taxpayer supported.
I call bullshit. When Reibman's hot-tub, wife swapping buddy Vince Domminck used his County phone to set-up wife-swap dates the records were all public. How does the City not have the same standards if the cellphones are taxpayer supported.
Throughout my review of your blogs on the alleged Callahan cover-up I kept thinking this guy can't have any experience or qualifications as an investigative journalist. Then I got to the Right to Know Request, which you obviously based very closely on an sample from a book, and laughed out loud. Then I eagerly reviewed your about me section and there was not one qualification that would give you any credence. What is your education? Where were you educated? What honors and awards have been bestowed on you in journalism? What experience do you have as an investigative journalist? None. If you did you would have stated it proudly. And you would have been or be employed as one, but your not. Are you bored? Trying to live out a dream of being an investigative reporter. You have no qualifications for what you are doing and are therfore reckless.
The internet has enabled you to do what your qualifications have not.
My husband and I had always thought of Charlie Dent as an upstanding politician above others in his field, but will no longer be supporting him. It is astounding that Charlie Dent, who should be educated and smart enough to know better than to rely on a loose psuedo-investigation based on gossip and speculation with no real sources of a wanna-be investigative journalist, actually publically made a statement. Charlie Dent's image is forever tarnished and changed for us.
What is your education? Where were you educated? What honors and awards have been bestowed on you in journalism?"
I have no training as a journalist and pretty much rely on my good looks.
Bernie O'Hare said...
What is your education? Where were you educated? What honors and awards have been bestowed on you in journalism?"
"I have no training as a journalist and pretty much rely on my good looks."
________________________________
Now there's squeezing lemons to make lemonade
:-D
Anon 1:04 -- Journalism is pretty much dead IMHO. Pretending to be unbiased, impeccable, and independent is a sham. And it all begins with determining what's worthy of being called news. It's very, very, selective and has been that way forever.
Yes, I think we should withhold judgement until all the facts come out. But if there wouldn't be someone curious and willing to investigate we wouldn't know anything now, would we?
BTW - I haven't seen Charlie's public statement but in the mean time the Callahan campaign repeats an untruth a "professional" journalist made... calling Jake Towne the Tea Party candidate in his latest campaign email.
Sounds like they responded in a perfectly good manner. They can't give you what does not exist. I hope they charged you for the copies. As a Bethlehem Taxpayer, I think you wasted tax dollars on some baseless ridiculous witch hunt.
1:04 -
Funny how the untrained one gets the job done, and the pros keep making excuses and throwing darts to deflect attention from their incompetence.
They are too busy with their societies and professional associations, patting each other on the back and earning awards for meaningless work that fewer people than ever will pay for.
The world is passing them by. We no longer have to accept their lazy, lackluster and biased determinations of what is and not news.
Training? Today's journalists are trained, alright. Trained in PR, trained in towing the line for Napoleanic publishers, trained in how to make excuses when they are scooped by Matt Drudge or Andrew Breitbart, or The National Enquirer or even little Bernie O'Hare.
Is it hard to breathe with your head so far up your ass?
Bernie
Not only find out about the cruiser's repairs but who paid the bill. Did Dino's insurance company pay the bill or the city's taxpayers.
The phone records should reveal calls made that day. What you may have accidently uncovered too is how casual the city is about paying individual officer cell phone bills.
I think you wasted tax dollars on some baseless ridiculous witch hunt.
7:16 AM
Thanks Mom.
Bernie
Who do you think will run on the R ticket for mayor? Perhaps they would join your freedom of information search.
Bernie
Why don't you contact the city's independent auditor. Are you allowed to request his/her documents? Wouldn't this individual be required to review all city employee cell phone call records for abuse? This issue has been in the news a lot.
I might do that or appeal. If the City cannot see individual phone #s, there is no way to prevent abuse.
"smart enough to know better than to rely on a loose psuedo-investigation based on gossip and speculation"
You only wish it was gossip.
"Then I got to the Right to Know Request, which you obviously based very closely on an sample from a book, and laughed out loud."
Wait a minute - you got the right to know request yourself? Are you basically revealing your place of employment?
"What is your education? Where were you educated? What honors and awards have been bestowed on you in journalism? What experience do you have as an investigative journalist? None."
This is a classic "shoot the messenger" technique. What you've done is just avoid the issue altogether and throw darts at O'Hare. Which does nothing to erase the real problem at hand: potential corruption in Callahan's government.
What qualifications does one need to reveal the truth? I didn't know you had to have a degree in truthiness to be a valuable voice on the blogosphere or elsewhere. Those with journalism degrees do not hold a monopoly on the truth or on writing the truth. To claim otherwise is absurd. While it makes sense to question O'Hare's believability, it does not make sense to set ridiculous standards on sources.
Perhaps the writer of this "anonymous" post should spend more time worrying about what the BPD and Callahan are up to, instead of writing smack about a blogger who landed the story. Also, blaming Dent for this story is laugh out loud hilarious. This is politics, baby. You can bet your butt that Callahan himself would be putting this story front and center if the roles were reversed.
If there's nothing to hide here, then why the cover-up? I believe folks are innocent until proven guilty, but enough questions have been raised here to warrant an answer from Callahan himself.
" ... or even little Bernie O'Hare"
Little?
(Disclaimer: not to be construed as a personal attack ;-)
Wiseass.
Bernie O'Hare said...
I might do that or appeal. If the City cannot see individual phone #s, there is no way to prevent abuse.
10:21 AM
Can you imagine the possibility for abuse if city workers learned the city did not check their phone records. Doesn't the city have a budget manager.
"Then I got to the Right to Know Request, which you obviously based very closely on an sample from a book, and laughed out loud."
Why haven't you been checking city records for abuse since you are so smart and seem to have an unusual amount of free time most of us can only hope for.
Bernie
And still silence from city council.
"Then I got to the Right to Know Request, which you obviously based very closely on an sample from a book, and laughed out loud."
This seems to be someone who has extensive knowledge about right to know requests. No wonder O'Hare was stonewalled.
Sounds like the dude said they maintain cell phone invoices but do not keep the pages of phone calls and other miscellaneous cell phone company nonsense.
However, I'm sure if the blogger wants to file some sort of suit and subpoena the phone records from their provider, that would be possible.
But I think even he knows there really is nothing here. He just did as he was told.
See, I don't consider the record of calls to be "miscellaneous cell phone company nonsense." Instead, I think those records prevent cell phone abuse, which can and does occur. If the City has failed to keep some kind of check on this, it has really let down the public it serves.
I am certain that the City has online access to its phone bill and can check calls made, both by number and date. So I am a buit mystified by the City's answer and may very well appeal the decision.
Actually, I don't know nothing is there. That's why I want to see the record of actual cell phone calls made on that date. If nothing is there, why not just send me the record? Why stonewall and make me jump thru hoops?
Senator Specter's office should be able to send to you a copy of federal cell phone legislation.
Concerning cell phones. I and all know that the cell phone INVOICES break down the cell phone number and each and every call on that bill. The city should have these bills. If they don't, it should be investigated. The only issue would be is that if the Mayor does NOT have a City issued/paid phone. Then O'Hare is not entitled to those records, IMHO.
"See, I don't consider the record of calls to be "miscellaneous cell phone company nonsense." Instead, I think those records prevent cell phone abuse, which can and does occur."
Cell phone abuse certainly does happen. People drop them on the floor, and leave them in their car in 110 degree heat!!!! Not to mention stuffing them into their pockets for no good reason!!
I call "BULLSHIT" again. Ohare may be an obese hypocritical oft times lying ass but like a broken clock he is occasionally right.
There is no way the City has a cellphone contract that does not break out individual number cost. Even if they didn't request or check the information that is how the cellular provider breaks out the charges. total bullshit by the City.
Wow, Spirk is one slick lawyer.
hey bernie,You really need to look into why the retired Captain Mill was instructed to stay home from the wreck that night and why the Mayor called the then Commissioner Miller out to handle the issue???
As far a Kravatz You really need to take a hard look at how much You believe from Him..Yes the reports go in a bin however isnt it funny that this particular report was put out after the media was in for the day and it was removed before the next day ! Also while Your digging You should look into why Kravatz spends so much time protecting towers that dont pay their bills to the city..the contract with these towers clearly states that if the bills are not paid on time they dont tow, but if Your a friend of Capt. Kravatz You can pay whenever You feel like it and go on towing in the meantime..these towers are charging rediculous fees and on top of that not paying the city...the same city that is crying about being in financial woes..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuA_wmRrWy8
Thanks, Can't wait to get to hi-speed Internet and see if this is what I think it is.
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