On Friday, I posted this picture from a 2005 fishing trip including developer Lou Pektor and Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan. I've filed a Right-to-Know request to see if Callahan reported the trip as a gift, and should get an answer sometime in the next five years.The big fellow in red is Lower Nazareth Township Manager Timm (that's mm, damn it) Tenges. In 2008, he once consumed most of a supervisors' meeting lambasting a blogger. Posing as "FULibs", he continued his tirade at NewsOverCoffee. He detests bottom-feeding bloggers. Who can blame him?
But he loves developers. In fact, he just finished helping Lou Pektor ram through some pesky zoning changes that would allow for 180 townhouses and 140 single homes at Trio Farms. This development started out as an age qualified development back in 2004 and wound up getting approved last week for market rate housing. I'm sure the school district will love all the extra kiddies.
I smell another fishin' trip!
Gifts in excess of $250 must be reported on annual disclosures, but Timm's reports for 2005 and 2006 report no gifts at all.
Who knows, maybe he paid for Pektor. I've asked Tenges to explain the 2005 fishing trip, and will post any response I receive from "FULibs" here.
2005 & 2006 Ethics Statements, Timm Tenges, Lower Nazareth Township Manager
Updated 8:50 AM: Tenges Claims He Paid His Own Way. - From Tenges: "Mr. O’Hare, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I covered my own expenses."
12 comments:
Did you file a right to know or right to be nosey? All you ever do is bitch about people... why don't you look in the mirror once in a while Henry Schaadt
Funny, a guy using the moniker FULibs uses government as he sees fit.
Fucking neo-con, blue haired Snelling republican. I once heard the guy saying he wanted the township to take over garbage collection. Take more than a fishing trip to get that contract, TIIIIIIIIMAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!
Clem, what are you talking about? Incoherent
You think these guys would be smart enough not to get pictures taken with developers and peddlers of influence.
Especially Tenges, being manager and all. You know this had to come back and bite him.
An interesting article, here's my take:
The guy can claim to have paid all his own expenses, but it doesn't seem believable. The fact that an influential municipal official would even consider a trip like this is disappointing. Even if the town manager really did pay his own costs, the town's elected commissioners should be very concerned about the town manager's poor judgement and lack of ethics. The conflict of interest is significant considering that the town commissioners trusted the manager to negotiate with the developer on their behalf during the housing plan reviews. Did the Town Manager disclose to the commissioners that he was on this trip or that he is friends with the developer? Are there other trips? How can we reel in (pardon the pun) state and federal ethics violations, when even the seemingly most accountable local officials appear to abuse the system?
Anon 11:06
You never go on trips with your friends?
If you don't i really feel sorry for you.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with going to Ocean City Maryland on a fishing trip...
Sometimes you people are ridiculous.
Tim Tenges used to be a decent guy. Then he ran for office, created a township position for himself, set the salary very high for the position and then appointed himself to the very job he created. Just goes to show you......Lower Nazareth Township has the best politicians money can buy. You're right on track with your perception of Tenges. Dig a little deeper.
I agree with anonymous, someone should dig a lot deeper into Timm Tenges, they may not like what they find.
This photo confirms what we already know about Tenges and Callahan. What's more interesting here is the agenda of the source of the photo. His agenda is the most transparent of all.
If you are a Lower Nazareth Township supervisor, why aren't you demanding a resignation? Your staff is running around on trips with developers.
Anon 4:26, when you're in a position of leadership, there comes responsibility and some common sense. Taking trips with developers that are impacted by your decisions and influence isn't a bad idea. It's a career-ending, horrible idea.
Who took the photo?
Don't really know who took the picture in 2005, but it just fell out of the sky and into my hands.
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