LC GOP's Brad Osborne:Can't We All Just Get Along?

He's President of South Whitehall Township's Board of Commissioners, but still likes pancakes. That's one thing I learned during breakfast with Brad Osborne yesterday. Brad is a Republican candidate for Lehigh County Commissioner, and wanted to introduce himself to you.

Brad has been attending County meetings for the past two years and is a member of the County's GPA. He's running because he perceives a need for a "more effective board" that can work with an administration.

As for this year's 16% tax hike, Brad points out that "everyone knew" it could have been justified in 2009. He finds it "regrettable" that everything came down to the "last night and one vote" and claims the simple reason for this is that too many Commissioners are unwilling to work with each other or the administration.

"Every one of those Commissioners is responsible for that 16% tax hike," Osborne claims, noting that the "undue influence of election-year politics" makes it difficult for politicians to make hard choices.

"Our County Executive and Board of Commissioners are fond of saying we have the lowest taxation rate in the County since 2003. While that's true, what they're not saying is that the tax rate today is 63% higher than it was in 2002. It was 7.31 mils in 2002, and it's 11.9 mils today." Osborne is employed as a plant manger at GEO Specialty Chemicals and claims that, if his company experienced increases like that, they'd be out of business.

As a Commissioner, Brad would attempt to identify "areas of opportunity for efficiency and productivity gains."

A chemical engineer, Osborne indicated that party affiliation should be irrelevant at this level, and the focus should be on public service.

Osborne is running without the blessings of party boss Wayne Woodman or his plank, the Gang of Four. Woodman never offered to circulate petitions on Brad's behalf. He's also running without Dean Browning's blessing, but independently, and with his own committee.

Did he sign an affidavit like Scott Ott and Lisa Scheller? "I did not sign an affidavit for all the reasons it says on there. I intend to form a committee and intend to raise and spend more than $250. This is my first opportunity to make a connection with the voters. I don't know their [Ott, Scheller] circumstances, but for me, I could not sign that affidavit."

Does he support Bi-County health as currently planned? No.

Does he support a regional crime center? Yes.

Will he support a tax hike next year? No.

Why is he skinny while I'm fat? (Tony Iannelli bumped into me at the diner and made me ask that question).

Osborne's web age should be operational this week.