Yesterday, I told you that Northampton County Council member Tom Dietrich is slinking around, behind everyone's back, looking for ways to spend $50,000 of your money for some volunteer fire company. He's doing this at the last meeting of the year, too, when he thinks no one will notice. He wants to pulls the dough out of a little known slush fund that County Council keeps on hand so they can play big shot from time to time. On his Facebook profile, Dietrich stands next to sign demanding the end of corporate welfare. But he thinks it's perfectly acceptable to spend your money in order to make himself look good with his base. He complains he's not quoted enough in the newspaper, even though he has such brilliant things to say. He complains nobody comes to his exciting Human Services Committee meetings. Maybe this will help him.
Unfortunately for Dietrich, today's meeting should be very well attended. And like me, the Council members I've spoken to are convinced Dietrich wants to use taxpayer money to draw votes from volunteer firefighters.
The vote on this $50,000 request will reveal whether this Council is really interested in making a difference, or whether it's just politics as usual.
21 comments:
Tom Dietrich is the most honest conservative on Northampton County Council. He is not a "paper" conservative like some of the others.
He pushed for a tax cut and was smacked down by the "liberal" conservatives.
You go Tom, don't let Angle or Bernie intimidate you. There is an old saying in Northampton County politics. If Ron Angle is attacking you you must be doing something right.
Ride on!
well said, Tom (or is it Mrs. Tom?)
No, Dietrich has established himself as a feckless politician more than willing to piss away the County's money to look good to his voting base.
If he were responsible - to say nothing of conservative or liberal - he would not spend a dime of that mney. He knows there are major overruns on the parking deck. He knows the Sheriff needs bullet proof vests. The County has a number of important needs and he wants to piss the money away on bullshit to help himself get re-elected.
This is just another reason why we need to do away with the contingency fund.
unfortunately Tom is a puppet for Angel. He professes to be an expert in areas where he is not. He can no more evaluate the quality of a nursing home than he can select a good role model. He's proven himself to be a huge disappointment!!!!
Tom Dietrich is a decent and honest man. He does his homework and approaches issues with an open mind. I do not know why he is being vilified for asking for money for emergency services providers. Just say NO , but he has every right to ask. He is actually training for EMT position right now and is I am sure acting to try to improve services in our area.
Deny him the money, but do not use the request as a platform for an attack for politcal reasons. That is exactly what this is.
He is being attacked bc his request has nothing to do with saving lives, unless you're talking about his political life. It's incumbent protection, and Dietrich wants to abuse the contingency fund for that purpose. If McClure or McHale had done this, I'd be all over them. I will not make excuses for Dietrich just because he is a Republican.
No one can accuse you of having a double standard on this issue. You were as I recall all over Ann when she earmarked money to Shiloh for their rehab house project not that long ago. Call them as you see them.
Thanks, Dave. I am pretty much opposed to the contingency fund for any reason, largely as a result of the abuse I've seen over the years. But if it has to be used, then let it be used for a County project. And the Council member pushing for it better have no connections to the group seeking the money. What particularly irks me about Dietrich is that he ran on a good government platform and then played the game.
Anybody else asking for money from that fund?
No. You see, it's not like a regular grant fund where people know about it, fill out forms, and have them objectively reviewed. It's not really supposed to be for grants at all. But Council members in recent years have turned it into a grant machine for their pals and pet projects. It looks like the gravy train may be finally coming to an end. We'll see.
I think that Stephen's House got $5,000 and a $50,000 request for Butterfly House was tabled, all related to that fund.
Yes, I wrote about it.
Wow, funny how you forgot to mention them when you singled out deitrich.
Not funny at all. Unlike Dietrich, I saw no evidence that they were attempting to build up their power base. Dietrich was and should have been singled out.
"Not funny at all.".... is right....yellow journalism never is.
I make no apology for exposing exactly what Dietrich was doing, or for casting a public spot light on an abused slush fund. If that bothers you, too bad.
Bernie said, "The identity of the boy standing next to Dietrich was irrelevant and never mentioned until now. "
Actually it is, you admit it was a 'boy' (as in a minor). Did you have permission of the parents to use the under-aged subject?
No, and I don't need it. Dietrich put the picture out into the public domain himself when he published it on F/B.
Stay Classy Bernie!
And stay assy , anon
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