Local Government TV

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Can You Contribute to The Bernie O'Hare Legal Defense Fund?

I'm opening a Legal Defense Fund today. Who knows? If I get enough money, I might be able to hire Eckert Seamans, the law firm that supposedly is already secretly representing me. Let me tell you the story.

In a series of emails Tuesday night, Gracedale legal gunslinger Larry Otter told me to withdraw my appeal. He claimed "taxpayer funds where [sic] used for partisan political purposes in mounting the petition challenges by O'Hare / Angle and Stoffa." I had no idea that the Gracedale initiative was a "partisan" political matter, but Larry the Otter says so. I had no idea that taxpayer money funded my petition challenge, but Larry the Otter says so.

He claims this is just like Bonusgate.

"I am referring this to District Attorney Morganelli for further action," he warns me. "I also plan to file a motion to reconsider the fee question in light of this news. You may want to consider WITHDRAWING YOUR APPEAL forthwith."

Apparently, Northampton County Exec John Stoffa, Council member Ron Angle and I are hardened criminals. I'm not quite as evil as Stoffa and Angle, but I'm still pretty bad. "You may be collateral damage," he tells me.

Yesterday, the Otter engaged in a bit of litigation by news conference, telling Channel 69, that he's calling on the DA, Attorney General and even the frickin' Spanish Inquisition to break out the thumbscrews.

That's bad news for Stoffa, who already is missing a finger or two.

"This is the same case. People went to jail. I think the same thing might happen here."

There 'ya have it.

Reporter Bo Koldcrow dutifully laps it all up, too, claiming that Bonusgate "set a legal precedence [sic] that taxpayer dollars couldn't be spent on petition challenges." Of course, that's nonsense. The County most certainly has every right to spend taxpayer dollars to defend the Home Rule Charter, even from an initiative petition. It also has every right to spend its resources in a nonpartisan matter like the Gracedale initiative that directly affects the County, especially when there's pervasive election fraud.

There's another little hole in Otter's theory. Not one cent of taxpayer money ever funded my petition challenge. That litigation actually saved taxpayers many thousands of dollars because it spared the County the need to file its own signature challenge.

But the hounds are loose, howling away. Yesterday, 69's hound dog Bo Koldcock barged into Stoffa's office, cameras whirring, demanding to know why the County had given me copies of the Initiative Petition for free. Fortunately, he had a cameraman with him to tell him which way to go. Taxpayer money must have been used to finance my litigation, Bo charged, claiming that the elections office was unable to produce a single receipt to me for copies of all those nomination petitions.

This sounds damning, doncha' think? Believe it or not, the Chief Exec of a $300 million operation was unable to answer Bo's charge about receipts for what would have amounted to $126.75.

The reason Bo was unable to get those receipts is because I never asked for copies. I spent 2 weeks scouring the originals, which are easier to read, and when it was time to file suit, I subpoenaed the records.

Sorry, Bo. By the way, who the hell names their kids Bo, anyway? He sounds like he's a Shih Tzu.

Larry Otter's motive is pretty clear. He wants me to drop the Gracedale appeal. My brief must have him concerned. He also seems to have forgotten that threatening criminal prosecution to gain advantage in a civil matter, is a violation of the Pa. Rules of Professional Responsibility. It's also funny how investigative reporter Bo never asked Election Law Expert Otter about a Commonwealth Court finding that Larry the Otter was "disingenuous." In an election case. He was ordered to pay attorney fees, too.

Marlin Perkisn, Esq., reminds me that otters are part of the weasel family.

Speaking of unethical behavior, Northampton County Controller Steve Barron, censured by County Council last year for his threats to nonunion T-Mobile, must be worried as all hell about Steve Salveson's challenge. In addition to his usual union pandering, he's now doing audits by news conference. Instead of disclosing his findings to the administration or County Council, he's going right to the press with ridiculous and unfounded complaints.

He did that with The Morning Call's Jenna Portnoy earlier this week, insinuating that my litigation was funded, directly or indirectly, by taxpayers.

Late yesterday afternoon, there was a Finance Committee meeting and I demanded that Barron produce his findings. When the Northampton County Bulldog sunk his teeth into him, Barron ran away from the podium with his tail between his legs. Funny how all these accusations can be made when our backs are turned, but when we face our accuser, he runs away like a girly boy.

You can read about that in the post below.

45 comments:

  1. Otter makes very good points. Bernie, you Stoffa and Angle may have overstepped the law on this one.

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  2. The Otter still craves his clams.

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  3. Bernie was your name on the bill ?Hmmm!

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  4. Oh wow! My name is mentioned on a bill. Get the pitchforks. It is this lynch mob mentality that demonstrates exactly why initiative and referenda are frowned upon by the courts.

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  5. Where do I send my check?????

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  6. I don’t understand what exactly is Otter claiming you received from Eckert Seamans? What did they give you?

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  7. This is an absurd comparison. If I understand it right, he is saying that the county may not spend county funds in relation to a challenge to a public referendum regarding the sale of a county asset to gain money that the county needs to pay county bills?

    How on earth does that relate to bonusgate...and anyway....bonusgate didn't end with people being imprisoned because they used lawyers provided by the commonwealth to defend that case, it was because of campaign activity.

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  8. Marlin Perkins, Esq.March 17, 2011 at 12:55 PM

    I love the smell of spraint in the morning. It smells like victory.

    I'm asking Mutual of Omaha to send you a check. Good luck.

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  9. No

    However I'll bake you a cake with a dull file in it.

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  10. Keep laughing wise guy

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  11. If the esteemed Mr. Otter can't win a case based on the facts, I guess he's willing to try intimidation, insinuation, outright bullying, or simply changing the venue to the court of public opinion. I heard that he ran for judge several years ago and received a rating of "unqualified" from the bar association. I don't have any firsthand knowledge of that situation, but it would not surprise me.

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  12. Otter should be disbarred. He's corrupt!

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  13. otter has been winning .... thats the problem... this new information is very distrubing. bernie ohare should not be doing the county lawyers job and saving the taxpayers anything as a private citizen.

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  14. Bo the news repoter is just doing his job now all of a sudden he is no good, and you have to make fun of his name. You are just rutten to the core. Like I said before everybody is wrong but you 3. And look who's talking about acting like a girly boy , From what I hear you were going to a party last week to tell Barron off and they told me you didn't say or do a thing except flip the bird in front of kids. Tuff guy you are.
    Just watch out for that otter he's going to get you 3.............

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  15. Bo is a lousy reporter whose report of the first hearing was so bad and biased that 69 had to take it down. His reporting is influence by someone from the outside, and I have confronted both him and the news director about that. The news director actually admits that he allows this person to pitch story ideas, as though the news is an ad campaign.

    At the last Council meeting, I refused toi answer any of Bo's questions, so he's doing what he can to hurt me bc, as I said, he is a lousy and biased reporter.

    What he does not realize is that I don't give a shit what he or anyone thinks of me.

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  16. isn't that why you demanded an apology ? because it matters what people think of you ?

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  17. I demanded and got an apology, but i don't really give a shit what anonymous cowards think.

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  18. "What did they give you?"

    Beats me. I keep looking in my mailbox. Maybe I got a black Mercedes like Not-so-Sharpe.

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  19. so it's just john cusick who matters , i see.

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  20. they collabarated at taxpayers expense thats what he got.(information )

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  21. Certainly not anonymous cowards. And so long as I am doing what I think is right, not even Cusick, but he retracted his statements when confronted, just as you would if you had to face me.

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  22. no way , he didn't retract his statements he only said it doesn't appear you collabarted with eckert seamans. he's still on the fence like many of us he's not sure.

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  23. Channel 69 is not a legitimate news organization. The station ownership is wacky in the Westboro Baptist Church sort of way. Anyone who's watched Cathy Crane stammer through another weather forecast she doesn't understand, knows Channel 69 is closer to a Saturday Night Live skit than real news. They're really not to be taken seriously.

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  24. "bonusgate didn't end with people being imprisoned because they used lawyers provided by the commonwealth to defend that case, it was because of campaign activity."

    Exactly, it's an absurd comparison. Bonusgate involved state employees who engaged in all kinds of partisan political activity on behalf of their bosses and party, and they were later rewarded with bonuses. It was a complete and total theft of public services.

    This is not even a partisan matter. It's an initiative relating to the sale of a county-owned asset. Eckert was hired to handle all issues related to the sale, and one of those issues involves a possible signature challenge. Another involves the Home Rule Charter. Eckert was preparing, as special counsel to the County, to file actions related to both. The use of taxpayer resources to defend the Home Rule Charter is entirely appropriate. So is the use of taxpayer resources to enable the County to sell one of its own assets.

    So at no time can anyone claim that taxpayer resources were used inappropriately in connection with the work being done by Eckert.

    Would it be inappropriate for Eckert to represent me, even secretly? No. They would still be acting within the ambit of a County Counciol resolution. And no taxpayer resources would be devoted to a partisan political effort.

    But as it happens, Eckert did not represent me secretly. My litigation is entirely independent and is my own work product. Any allegation to the contrary is simply wrong.

    OK. What about the $11,000 bill for reviewing signatures? At the time that expense was incurred, the Countyt had no idea I would be suing. I decided to do that sometime in january. Had I not filed suit, Eckert would likely have done so.

    OK, but was it a mistake for the County to stand by as a private citizen challenges the signatures? The County had no choice. As a registered voter, I have standing under the Election Code to file suit.

    Was the bill too high? Maybe, but that was not Barron's concern. Barron claimed that Angle and I were being secretly represented or that there was some heavy duty collaboration. And as explained, that means nothing.

    What this all amounts to is a lot of smoke with absolutely no fire.

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  25. 4:17

    because a weather person stammers it is not a news source?

    If you want to get into it here are the facts

    It is as rightwing as FOX

    tune in at 10:25 PM weeknights
    for the rightwing hatefest as presented by Dick Dean and Donald Barnhouse
    Tony Ianelli CHAMBER
    perpetual guest ANGLE
    COMIC RELIEF GUEST OHARE

    I actually think they had to change their ID to the Chamber because of all the lunatic ideas the CHAMBER OF COMMERCE has proposed
    The latest is allowing minors in school to work unlimited hours
    This sounds harmless doesn't it?
    The underlying theme isn't
    It is an effort to take jobs from adults and pay lesser wages to child workers through the circumvention of child labor laws
    The Chamber has only the corporations and business owners in mind. The workers can should and will make as little possible or move your company off shore.

    Ed Hanna> State Theater> Shelly Brown > Bobby Gunther Walsh

    Hanna Hosts the Freddies
    The Freddies are a very good event for the young adults no question
    Shelly Brown has become fast friends with
    Bill O'Really< not a typo
    Brown has also become friends with and guests repeatedly on Walshs' show
    Brown allowed Walsh a spot to make a presentation at the Freddies, he used his time to spew rightwing lunatic fringe venom at the largely high school aged audience.
    Walsh is a accused child abuser
    see Morning call article archieves on his arrest from 2002

    He should not have a forum at a youth event and his show is offensive and childish.

    So once you get by the stammers we have our very own FOX like dog and pony show
    Pay attention when they "read" you the news

    Oh and least we forget

    The "Real" Reverend Jack Van Impe
    piece of work that one

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  26. Yawn. You lost me by your 7th run-on sentence. The answer to your question is yes. No station that puts Cathy Crane on TV is a legitimate news organization. Most of their on air personalities look like they've lived a bit too close to a Japanese nuke plant. High school AV clubs deliver a better product.

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  27. What is there to retract or apologize for? O'Hare collaborated with the County hired lawyers. That is a fact O'Hare admits. He claims he helped the people by reducing cost. Problem is the public did not elect him to do squat.

    There isn't much we can do at this point if people were dumb enough to put Angle puppet Stoffa in charge, so Angle can run things. But O'Hare has no standing with anyone but Angle/Stoffa. That is why county staff feel they must be deferential to O'Hare or be harassed out of a job.

    As to partisan politics, of course it is. This is about getting rid of 35% of the county employees and busting two unions. The Republicans are all for this. Stoffa doesn't count as a Dem because he is just a Republican plant, financed and endorsed by the local Republican leadership.

    So at the end of the day this partisan political move to dump Gracedale and its employees is being disguised as some humanitarian relief effort.

    I am sure the Gracedale residents are as thrilled with this gangs "relief" effort as much as the Afghan's were when the Russians invaded their land to offer "relief".

    This has been a lie all the way through by the Angle/
    stoffa crowd. The numbers given are wrong. Angles alleged tax increase numbers are wrong and these clowns don't give a damn about the elderly poor of this county. Most Of the Gracedale residents are hard working residents that though they would always have a decent place if all hell broke loose.

    Now even that is being denied due to Republican(read teabagger) greed and bullshit from the likes of Angle, Stoffa and O'Hare. To be sure most Republican citizens in the 50 and over age range find the dumping of Gracedale disgusting and will let their displeasure with those who made this rush to judgement, known at the polls.

    Tears Of God!!

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  28. Yawn.

    I like being graded on my opinions
    When all else fails point out words not spelled correctly grammar errors, dangling participles...etc...
    thanks
    that was another of those run on Centancis you like

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  29. So at the end of the day this partisan political move to dump Gracedale and its employees is being disguised as some humanitarian relief effort.

    You should include the statement by Ohare

    "I'm doing this because I care about Gracedale"

    I have to go now there is a little vomit in the back of my mouth

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  30. Just listened to Stoffa tonight. he rambled on about a third term and using tombstones. The old guy lost it some years back and it proves it every time he opens his mouth.

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  31. Tell me the answer to this question.

    If a 20% tax increase translates to 17 million dollars.
    Gracedale needs 6 million to break even. (that is questionable closer to 4.5)
    Why do we need a 20% increase?
    6.6% should cover it.
    Or was McClure lying and 20% translates to 6 million?
    Or was Angle lying and it is really 6%.
    Or are you feeding us a heaping helping of GD bullshit everytime you type.
    Which is it?

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  32. Stoffa deserves a third term if he wants it---best executive ever .No tax increase in 7 years except for a small one for open space. He is my hero.

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  33. 12:22
    He is my hero.

    Did your parents set the bar that low for you during your school years?

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  34. The math is simple. The county collects around 82 million dollars a year in property taxes as of 2009, over 7 million more than four years previous. A 20% tax increase would be an additional 16.4 million dollars a year in revenue. This is over and above what is already iin the budget for Gracedale and not considering the large increases in the pension fund through County investments. The lawyer consultants Stoffa hired claimed you need 6 million a year at Gracedale.

    There is so much more but in a nutshell if the newspapers just did a little math, they would have questioned this months ago.

    The entire Gracedale debate from the Angle/Stoffa perspective has been built on a foundation of lies and half-truths.

    The above was but a small sample of the nonsense these charlatans are selling.

    Give Truth A Chance

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  35. Hey todays MCall
    Stoffa in pandering to the elderly that the proceeds of the sale will be proreated to the Aging over 3 years. THATS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!
    Do you think those dimentia ridden old folks are capable of asking
    how much do we get in year 4?
    Obviously not thought out completly by the dimentia ridden authors.

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  36. Do you think those dimentia ridden old folks are capable of asking how much do we get in year 4?"

    And these are the people who would have you believe they "care" about the residents at Gracedale.

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  37. A Hell of a lot more than you, Stoffa, Angle and the rest of the baggers.

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  38. Bernie you started commenting in here with the "new" list of places Gracedale monies would go a day before Stoffa's comments last night. This leads me to believe out of frustration you and your partners in the crime of the century are brainstorming to find something that the public will find more appealing than keeping the place. You know throw it at the wall and see what sticks. Since last year you have changed your reasoning for selling more than Bush changed his story on Iraq. Now the latest is we will give old people some up front money for a couple years. What happens when that money is gone? And isn't it strange that the Stoffa version has money being given to the old people right up to the very end of his term. Then what he's gone, Angles gone, you're gone. No one to answer WHAT HAPPENED?
    You and your buddies tricks and ploys are way passed the expiration date. You do know even if they keep the place Angles history this time. And those other cardboard cutouts posing as council people when they come due too.

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  39. True. Worst Administration and Council in Northampton County's history. Someone want to wake that Thiery woman up.

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  40. It's been a full moon for the past five years in Northampton County. One day the sun will shine again, when Angle/Stoffa and some of the bobbleheads go back to reading conspiracy novels.

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