Unlike Lehigh County, where eight Republicans are clawing at each other for four seats, there's only one contested primary in the Northampton County Council races. Ironically, the one incumbent being challenged in a primary - Rev. J. Michael Dowd - is perhaps the least controversial.I'd argue that Dowd, though a Republican, is perhaps Council's most liberal member. For example, he supports a Bi-County health department. And unlike supporters Peg Farraro and Ann McHale, who are merely doing the bidding of their overseers in the Lehigh Valley Partnership, Dowd sincerely believes that we need a regional public health department.
It is Dowd who pushed McHale to webcast Council meetings.
It is Dowd who began pushing more economic development in Northampton County.
But the day I really became a Dowd fan is when he was one of few who stood up to the mob. On September 18, 2008, when a bright green AFSCME T-shirts poured into a Council meeting, kinda' like puke, to demand the head of the HR Director Connie Sutton Falk, Dowd was one of the few who said No.
Although Falk was sitting right there, she was given no opportunity to defend herself. Unions wanted her head on a pike, and Council Democrats like Lamont McClure were more than willing to oblige them.
Regardless of the merits of the complaints about Sutton-Falk, it was a personnel matter between her and the County Executive, not County Council. Dowd had the basic human decency to recognize that what was being sought was wrong.
Now he's being challenged by Republican Bill Whitman,who opposes Gracedale's sale, but is also against any tax hike to pay for the nursing home.
I prefer the candidate who actually makes sense.
Incidentally, although I see Whitman signs all over the place, I saw no campaign finance report on file at the elections office last week.
By the way, Dowd is a real Reverend! He went to school and everything!
15 comments:
But Martinez walks the walk. Dowd just talks the talk. Big difference. To bad Dowd didn't have this courage when he was Council President and let Ron Angle routinely brutalize people with personal attacks.
Hell of a Holy Man. His time is up, bring in a new guy, with a backbone. Not a Chamber of Commerce talking head who looks like Dr. Evil.
Murray Head
i think he's finished , at least for me i will not give him my vote. he didn't show any moral compass when angle was attacking so many on the gracedale issue.i often thought he prides himself on being a reverend ,but doesn't conduct himself as one.
Done, done, done another Angle puppet!
Dowd a real pussycat.
I don't see any reason to conclude that McHale and Ferraro don't actually believe the Bi-County Health Department is a good idea. Sure, this is not a proposal that originated from elected officials, but elected officials don't have a monopoly on good ideas. There's no reason to doubt that they're convinced on the merits and want to do the right thing.
What's with Kojak?
Dowd always plays two sides of every issue..However, he usually, as is the case with the ridiculously expensive and unnecessary Bi County Health Bureau, ends up on the wrong side..My hope is that Easton are voters reject him in the primary but my guess is he will not survive the fall race...
Dowd is representing the Chamber of Commerce on County Council. they want a Big health Department. That makes him a bit less sincere than McHale and Ferraro.
O'Hare should check these things out before he makes allegations.
How could anyone vote for a person that bo likes? and just what do you mean by like bo. Is this yet another of your man crushes? Give you one thing you do know how to play the slutty field.
"Dowd is representing the Chamber of Commerce on County Council. they want a Big health Department."
That's bullshit.
BO, what is the Chambers position?? Ohm they want a Health Department, like their benefactors the Lehigh Valley Partnership. Case Closed! You lose again.
This is untrue. As near as I can tell, the Chamber has never taken a position, and many of the members I know are opposed. They never spoke in support of the concept before either County. You have provided no link to back up your claim and that's bc, as I said, your claim is bullshit.
Just ask Iannelli O'Hare. It isn't exactly a big secret. Since you Inannelli and Angle are asshole buddies it shouldn't be too hard. When you talk to him you can also ask him why and how much he contributed to Ron Angle's campaign.
Iannelli contributed $500 to Angle. What does that have to do with Bi-County health? You don't even make sense.
Hey Mike your Republican opponent got closer than you thought. In November the Democrat will send you home. So I guess it doesn't matter anymore, you can keep whoring yourself out to Angle.
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