The following statement is being made during tonight's Northampton County Council meeting by LV Tea Party Chairman Mat Benol. I honestly don't know how County officials will respond to kind words. I know they're not used to them."Dear County Executive Stoffa & the Northampton County Council:
"The Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/Tea Party Group commends you for developing a budget that includes some true cost cutting measures including the politically bold, but very necessary step, of privatizing Gracedale. The current hiring freeze has worked well to reduce the number of government workers, without resorting to many layoffs. These are wise management practices that will result in further cost reductions in the future. It is imperative during these challenging times that government limit the scope of its involvement, and reduce its stranglehold on the taxpayers and the economy. This 2011 budget is an excellent first step in reducing the cost of government in Northampton County.
"It is your task to continue to discover additional efficiencies and programs that can be either privatized or eliminated outright. One possibility is the millions of dollars that are spent on “Open Space” initiatives, which are clear violations of governmental jurisdiction, and should be eliminated. The free marketplace should determine the value of land, and it is not government’s role to subsidize some landowners with taxpayer money.
"We hope that the Council and the County Executive continue to adhere to fiscal responsible practices and further reduce the size of county government."
18 comments:
Who cares what the Tea Party thinks?
Okay, so when will they ask County Council to quit kissing the Stoffa Administration's ass and end the huge over budget money spent in the rest of Human Services and General Government. What about Stoffa's pal, the assistant Director of Administration, people still don't know what the guy does.
This crowd has inflated union contracts out of control with 8-9% annual increases being common. They are spending millions of County dollars they don't have to, where the Hell is Angle. Why aren't you pushing this Tea Party, not as sexy as Gracedale?
Let's see if the Council is wiling to do more than sell Gracedale to curry favor.
"This crowd has inflated union contracts out of control with 8-9% annual increases being common."
Can you show me those increases? I would love to see them!!
There's something I just don't trust about that Mat Benol.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just get a gut feeling that he's up to something and it's not good.
""This crowd has inflated union contracts out of control with 8-9% annual increases being common."
Cuckoo.
"I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just get a gut feeling that he's up to something and it's not good."
So you slime him in an anonymous attack? I would think that people like Mat Benol, who is a decent and honorable man, would be upsetting to someone like you.
Balanced Budget?
No layoffs?
800 Layoffs at Gracedale
Fuzzy Math
The truth of the matter is.....Northampton County is good at fudging numbers. No one has done their "real Homework" on Gracedale and what it means to the community. Northampton County has repeatedly (year after year) taken millions of dollars from the Retirement Account to offset their employees retirement costs and used those funds to delay tax increases year after year. Tens of millions of dollars were diverted from the "pension fund" and used to offset County expenses. Now because of a poor economic climate and extremely poor investments which resulted in losses for the Retirement Account, the County must make up those losses(BY LAW) and repay some of those dollars to the pension fund.
More than half those dollars (6million) that the county needs for Gracedale is because they had their fingers in the cookie jar and now it caught up with them. Instead of admitting what they did, it is easier to point the finger at the union and blame soneone else.
The truth is, Northampton County will inherit almost 5 million dollars of liabilities because they sell Gracedale and will have no possible way to offset those costs. After the sale of Gracedale, No. Co. must pay into the reitrement account, approximately 5 million dollars a year. The cost for the medical benefits and the make up losses for the retiree will not change.
Watch the noses of the administration as they grow after telling lie after lie.
Selling Gracedale is a quick fix to offset tax increases. After you spend that money we have the same obligations and committments and as taxpayers will be hit with the largest tax increase ever. Please, please, just tell the public the truth now. Tax increases are coming whether we sell the facility or keep it.
Anon 12:39, you make excellent points and for the most part are right. problem is the Administration and County Council have the ear of the media.
Remember that the Press wants the place to be sold because a deal ha been cut to use some of the money to start a Public Health Department.
I hope the Tea party fights that as much as they have fought Gracedale.
Lets continue to cut.. how about the LVPC, LVEDC, Discover Lehigh Valley and on and on? Make these functions of County Government using EXISTING county staff.
Anon 8:23, based on both election results and ongoing communication with elected officials at all levels, a LOT of people care what the "tea party thinks."
Of course, you seem to assume that the tea party is a single monolithic entity, espousing a single position.
While you'll find a lot of similarity between positions taken by individual grassroots tea party groups across the nation, don't make the mistake of lumping us all together. We don't march to a single drummer - although we DO all support constitutionally limited government.
For the anonymous posters in the room who aren't very brave OR smart, that means government which carries out only the duties enumerated by the constitution - or whatever governing document applies, depending on the level of government.
The public - which identifies itself far more with the values and principles of the tea party movement than it does with the "San Francisco values" of the Pelosi-Reid crowd - will see a level of consistency from the tea party movement that it's unaccustomed to seeing in the majority of its elected officials.
To wit: smaller government focused on carrying out the duties enumerated by the governing documents of that level of government; lower government spending and subsequently, lower taxes; greater transparency in what government is doing, at all levels; greater accountability for all elected officials - if they
don't do what they promised, they're gone; less unwarranted government intrusion into our lives and more personal liberty, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
It's not hard to believe that most Americans agree with those positions - after all, who, other than Rosie O'Donnell and Keith Olberman would admit to supporting bigger and more intrusive government, higher government spending (i.e., greater debt), higher taxes (OK, they'll admit that one, but only on evil RICH people, got it?); less transparency and accountability (which means more sneaky, secret back room deals - they'll DO that, but won't admit it); and more government instrusion into our lives and bodies (parents, don't you DARE buy a Happy Meal for your children, and by the way, stand by quietly while a 40 year old man gropes your three year old son's "junk" at the airport because he's likely to be a terrorist.)
Anon. 10:40, there's something about YOU I just don't trust...can't put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling you're up to no good....oh, WAIT, it's because you're too pathetic to sign your name when you attack a decent person you probably don't even know.
Bernie, thanks for sticking up for Mat Benol, who most assuredly IS up to something - and it's ALL good.
Anon 8:23, based on both election results and ongoing communication with elected officials at all levels, a LOT of people care what the "tea party thinks."
Of course, you seem to assume that the tea party is a single monolithic entity, espousing a single position.
While you'll find a lot of similarity between positions taken by individual grassroots tea party groups across the nation, don't make the mistake of lumping us all together. We don't march to a single drummer - although we DO all support constitutionally limited government.
For the anonymous posters in the room who aren't very brave OR smart, that means government which carries out only the duties enumerated by the constitution - or whatever governing document applies, depending on the level of government.
The public - which identifies itself far more with the values and principles of the tea party movement than it does with the "San Francisco values" of the Pelosi-Reid crowd - will see a level of consistency from the tea party movement that it's unaccustomed to seeing in the majority of its elected officials.
To wit: smaller government focused on carrying out the duties enumerated by the governing documents of that level of government; lower government spending and subsequently, lower taxes; greater transparency in what government is doing, at all levels; greater accountability for all elected officials - if they
don't do what they promised, they're gone; less unwarranted government intrusion into our lives and more personal liberty, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
It's not hard to believe that most Americans agree with those positions - after all, who, other than Rosie O'Donnell and Keith Olberman would admit to supporting bigger and more intrusive government, higher government spending (i.e., greater debt), higher taxes (OK, they'll admit that one, but only on evil RICH people, got it?); less transparency and accountability (which means more sneaky, secret back room deals - they'll DO that, but won't admit it); and more government instrusion into our lives and bodies (parents, don't you DARE buy a Happy Meal for your children, and by the way, stand by quietly while a 40 year old man gropes your three year old son's "junk" at the airport because he's likely to be a terrorist.)
Anon. 10:40, there's something about YOU I just don't trust...can't put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling you're up to no good....oh, WAIT, it's because you're too pathetic to sign your name when you attack a decent person you probably don't even know.
Bernie, thanks for sticking up for Mat Benol, who most assuredly IS up to something - and it's ALL good.
Donna
1 month salary
is the wager
the conditions
the "Tea Party"
falls in line with the
DC mainstream
wanna bet
thats about $4700 for me
Let's see... a wager with an anonymous poster on an ill defined bet with an open-ended time frame?
First everybody thinks we're a 3rd party, then we're just spoilers supporting independents, radicals with unrealistic expectations, now we're Republican lackeys.
So really... what's up, what's your beef? Upset about people that want limited government living within its means?
Anyway, you speak of falling "in line with the DC mainstream"... how does that jive with going to county council, city meetings, & school board meetings? We'd like to see financial responsibility at all levels of government. You are aware of the billion dollar local debt, right?
Funny, I haven't seen you at a meeting (nobody has written "anon" on a name tag yet!). Sorry to see you have this impression of us.
What can we do to correct it? What are these ideas that are the ideas of corporations? I've read Nader's article meant to challenge the Tea Party -- the accusations of being corporate tools seemed to be the most lame IMHO.
Meeting = Klonvocation
Nader = Whack
Tea Party = co-opted
I attended 3 Berks County Patriot Meetings and was thoroughly disgusted by the leaders speeches and the guest speakers
end of debate
Who coined "Tea Party" for your club?
9/12 is Glen Becks Tea Party
the original leader of the TeaParty speaks out against the "new" Tea Party
Tea Party was coined on the stock exchange floor by Rick Santelli
corporation highjacked
now end of debate
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