Tom Dietrich's Petty Jealousy on Display

Two weeks ago, County Council unleashed their Bulldog, Ron Angle, to take on Charlie Chrin and squeeze some concessions for the Route 33 Interchange TIF at Tatamy. Tom Dietrich, who has been on Council for two years now, is one of the persons who agreed with this idea.

Last year, Angle was able to talk Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan into renegotiating an Artsquest TIF, resulting in $5 million in more money for taxpayers than originally planned. And with the help of Executive John Stoffa, he was able to persuade Charles Chrin to agree, in principle, to kick in $2 million for farmland preservation, effectively wiping out any loss in greenspace from both the Interchange and Chrin's planned industrial park.

You might think Angle is the Devil, but this is a "good deal," as Council member Mike Dowd aptly noted. I doubt that any member of that Council, other than Angle, could have pulled it off.

Most of Angle's colleagues on Council detest him, so as good a deal as this was, only two of them could bring themselves to acknowledge his work. That's OK. He does not work for them, but for you. All but one had the good sense to recognize that this is beneficial to the County.

Not Tom Dietrich.

As Angle was telling fellow Council members what had happened on a mission that they themselves had unanimously authorized, Dietrich smugly began scribbling a note to Council member Ann McHale.

"It's a bribe," the note reads.

What Dietrich should have written is this. "I am a petty and mean-spirited little weasel who can't stand the fact that Angle succeeded in doing something that I could never do in a million years, even if it benefits the taxpayer. So I'll stick a knife in his back just like I did last January."

Of course, Dietrich declined to produce the note when asked because he's a coward unable to stand behind his own words. But its content was seen by others.

Later in the meeting, Dietrich demonstrated that, in addition to being a coward, he's an idiot.

Council was considering new digs for District Judge Gay Elwell at 400 Northampton Street. Dietrich suggested that, to save money, the County should stick all of these judges together at some central building. Of course, this completely ignores the fact that a district judge's courtroom MUST by law be in the magisterial district he or she serves. In the world according to Dietrich, if you were stopped for speeding in Roseto, your trial might be in Hellertown in the Castle of Mini-Judges.

After two years as a Council member, this is something he should know, but he doesn't.

Now I can forgive idiocy, but detest cowards who allow petty jealousies to interfere with god government. If I sound irritated, it's because I am, but I sign my name.