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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, January 13, 2012

Northampton County. Land of Asbestos?

Last week, financial adviser Gary Pulcini reviewed the $25.2 million swaption, which was $24.5 million at budget time, and is growing every day. The bill comes due on October 1, and it has to be paid. About the only thing he could come up with, at least that I could understand, is floating another bond that will cost the County $6.8 million in addition to what he calls the $25.2 million "breakage fee."

Although nobody on Council understood him either, they put on a brave face and tried their best to ask intelligent questions. But the bottom line, after you're done discussing LIBOR and basis points, is that we're screwed. In exchange for a quick $1.9 million in 2004, former Executive Glenn Reibman has sucked us into a growing, $25.2 million, hole.

While Pulcini tried to educate us (and I get an F), you'd think that Northampton County Controller Steve Barron would be glued to his seat. After all, he was making a rare appearance at a Council meeting. But instead of listening to the County's Financial adviser,  Barron huddled in the hallway with a group of Gracedale maintenance workers who had come to complain about asbestos.

You see, Barron injected himself into this issue long ago. In response to a RTKL request, I've learned that this time a year ago, Barron was sending the EPA hazardous material books and internal County correspondence revealing "the problems we've had ongoing with asbestos and lead paint abatement." Barron was being fed information by a maintenance worker from Gracedale, whose name he redacted. When this person complained that somebody was going through his desk and looking at his emails, Barron offered to help. When Barron did not move fast enough to suit this Gracedale maintenance worker, he got this email. "We are no longer going to play a submissive part in this caper. It will be with your help or not."  Barron even offered to intervene with the Personnel Director when this worker received a sub-par evaluation.

Last week, it was Gracedale maintenance worker Ted Harris who told Council they need to conduct an investigation about the the County's failure to address its asbestos problem. Barron has, of course, already filed complaints with the EPA and Attorney General, and fines are likely, so I guess this will be a third investigation. Harris added that people who've been exposed are not being examined.

"Most everyone knows about this, but no one is doing anything about it," complained Harris, who warned that he could fill Courtroom 1 with people who know about the County's asbestos and lead problems, but has advised them to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by Executive John Stoffa. He warned that once it gets into an air filter, asbestos "has no boundary. It affects everyone."

All Stoffa would say at the meeting is that there are two sides to every story. He is currently working on a report for Council, which will detail all the steps he's taken to deal with asbestos and lead paint since he's been in office.

I find it very difficult to believe that anyone would knowingly expose other people to a safety hazard. That's where Harris loses me. Also, the emails to Barron from his anonymous Gracedale maintenance worker reveal someone who deliberately leaves county administrators out of the loop when he has a safety concern. That's just childish. Finally, I know Harris' claim about the County doing nothing is simply untrue.

According to Director of Administration Tom Harp, who has been involved in this issue for several years, the County spent at least $300,000 to remediate asbestos and lead paint in 2011. That's in addition to all the money spent during courthouse renovations.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

It would appear everything Steve Barron does is directly related to votes. The boy seems to be involved in everything except his job.

He can play the "I care oh and vote for me" card all he wants but to0 no avail.

Everybody who is anybody knows it will be Johnny casino Callahan as county executive and not seamus Mc Pleated dress.

Anonymous said...

"I find it very difficult to believe that anyone would knowingly expose other people to a safety hazard"

yeah, but airborne asbestos is serious shit. screw barron, this is a potentially nightmarish situation that needs to be understood.

Anonymous said...

Barron exec - union takes over county

Callahan exec - financial ruin

Issac Touro said...

Northampton - Land of fools elected by even bigger fools

Bernie O'Hare said...

Agreed that airborne asbestos is serious. But to suggest that the admin is doing nothing is just ridiculous. There will be details about this soon.

Anonymous said...

Barron will weaponize asbestos just as he weaponized the senior citizensat Gracedale for his own politcal gain, with one difference, there will be direct profits available when the union sues the county,and the real truth is Lamont McClure is an asbestos atorney. What a coincidence!

Anonymous said...

we breath asbestos everyday in our homes outside etc.... name one place with sterile air if the place exsist0s those guys should live in a plastic bubble.... it's so ridiculous it's pathetic ! looks to me like someone is looking to cash in ... i wonder where these people worked before ?

Anonymous said...

The next executive race is already lost.

It's either bozo the skirted clown or everybody's (except Forks Township's) nice guy who wants to unleash Easton's success (i.e. daytime shootings, police misconduct, incredibly high taxes, even higher fees) to the rest of the county.

The race to the bottom is in full gear.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me once again for stating the obvious..This administration could have gotten us out of the swaption for about 10 million a few years ago but chose not to..Facts are facts..So stop blaming Reibman for the entire swaption bill..

Anonymous said...

Considering county officials failed to test doors that were cut inside Gracedale that blew asbestos all over the maintanence area and just told the worker to throw the doors in bags and into a dumpster is a problem. Right now those areas are being shutdown. This was complained about for years and Stoffa has done nothing. The EPA does not fine you if you do the right thing and follow the rules and clean properly... Stoffa may have done things, but not enough.

Anonymous said...

has the county been fined ? why would anyone cut a door they knew had asbestos in it and knowingly put themselves in harms way... it just doesn't make any sense ...

Bernie O'Hare said...

9:10, Facts are facts. Reibman got us into the swaption mess Reibman put Council in the untenable position of being forced to gamble with our money. Had they paid the swaption when it was $10 MM and it had gone down, you'd be screaming for his head, just as you are now. The point is that gambling belongs in a casino, not government.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"It's either bozo the skirted clown or everybody's (except Forks Township's) nice guy "

Speaking of Bozo, this anonymous comment was obviously posted by a Callahan clown.

Anonymous said...

Can we just demolish Gracedale? I know Barron wants votes but he just seems to make Gracedale seem more and more unattractive as a nursing home, place to work, and an albatross to fund for the taxpayers?

Anonymous said...

The fact is that this administration could have paid it off at 10 million..It was a decision that they had to make and didnt..Therefore it is now at 24 million..It didn't go down, it went up. It might have been a tough decision but it was theirs to make..They didn't make it and now they have no choice..

Anonymous said...

As much as it is glamorous to cite Barron for lingering in the hall of the courthouse, while options were dicussed inside. It is equally glamorous to cite the fact Barron was briefed on the particulars of the swaption options well in advance. You are correct on one point however. You received a well deserved "F".

Bernie O'Hare said...

I freely accept my F, but I was there and tried to understand while Barron huddled in the hallway. It's not glamorous. It just happens to be what happened. By the way, how would you know when or whether Barron was briefed?

Peple are blaming Stoffa for not doing something about the swaption sooner. If this is so, then I would guess that the Controller should be held even more accountable for not warning the County about this sooner. After all, his job does have something to do with finances, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

"Speaking of Bozo, this anonymous comment was obviously posted by a Callahan clown."

Actually, no. Johnny Casino and his crooked car rolling friends would be just as bad. I forgot he seriously thinks he has a shot. I plead guilty to being a clown. I love Ron Angle and am used to taking shots. He should crank it back up and get in the race just to spice it up and guarantee a good debate. Sal's politics are no different than Pawlowski except he deigns to return your calls. Both are bad for government, in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Fortunately Barron and/or Callahan won't be the only choice for Executive.

Anonymous said...

Please enough talk of Barron in briefs, the mere though is lunch retching. Better he stay in his skirts.

Trudie said...

the best thing to do is just give norco to NJ

Anonymous said...

how did this converstaion go from asbestos to swapation? Yes everyone has asbestos, however, if you don't disturb it. It doesn't hurt you. There has been many many complaints to norco about asbestos, especially in the main building at Gracedale, nothing has been done by administration. A few months back, they ripped up floor in the basement. Then the idots that ripped up the floor (outside contractors) didn't clean up for themselves. It was up to our housekeeping dept. They didn't know that it was full of asbestos. Do you think anyone cared? No. It was reported over and over, not one person cared. So now they have a problem... how are they going to take care of it?? Are they going to test everyone that has worked in these depts? Probablly not! once again the county could be up for a huge lawsuit!!!

Bernie O'Hare said...

To suggest that people don't care is where I think you cross the line. I am fully prepared to believe that unremediated asbestos is found from time to time. But I am just as certain that everyone cares about it, if only for reasons of self-preservation.

Anonymous said...

Bernie I beg to differ
I know you're not responsible for the postings in here,
however,
there have been over the last threads a outpouring from
the colossal ass department that you seemingly agree with.
People have posted laughing at the fact workers were exposed
They suggest that there is no problem.
They said they deserved exposure because they fought to keep Gracedale.
WTF???
Your not responsible for their comments
But they are your clown posse

Bernie O'Hare said...

Nobody ever said that people who fought to keep Gracedale should be exposed to asbestos. That's just nonsense, and I would have deleted any such comment.

Also, no one has laughed at the fact that any workers were exposed. I would not have tolerated that kind of comment.

If you want to see real hate and death wishes, go to the Gracedale blog or the one run by the pretend_Gracedale sympathizer, Tricia Mezzacappa.

I will not tolerate the hate here. Yes, I have strong opinions, but I would never wish to see something like that happen to anyone. Nor would Stoffa. The claim made by Harris is just ridiculous.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

If you want to spread lies, you'll have to take responsibility and identify yourself.

Anonymous said...

Look back in your archieves
the comments were made over and over again. You left them ride.

Anonymous said...

YOU LET COMMENTS LIKE THESE RIDE BECAUSE THEY SHOW SO MUCH SYMPATHY?

DISMISS THE WORKERS AS LIARS AND LUNATICS BECAUSE THEY FEAR FOR THEIR LONG TERM HEALTH?

DIMINISH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU, THAT MEANS IT DOESN'T MATTER?

I would love to burry Barron in a pothole on Gracedale drive, then invite 100 sick as hell , hung over , taco bell food poisoned folks to simultaneously squat and shit their brains out for hours, use the kilt as toilet paper.......

hear him screaming sssstthhhoooopp!!!!!!!!!!!!


This seems like an all to familiar stunt when workers know that the axe is falling fast. They start drumming up disabilities, workers comp, slip and falls, and all the rest that follows.

They are looking for a golden parachute on the way out , because they realize that the door is closing on pie in the sky graceland candyland, and the door to the real world is open.

None of these workers will be able to handle private sector employment, because that means they must justify their existence and be indispensable to keep a job, at a fraction of the wages and benes.

When all else fails, find another way to be a parasite on a liberal system that supports "injured" workers.



No one is shaking and no one is scared except the gracedale lunatics who know the end is near, and are crying asbestos.

Now crawl back into your union bed and do what you do best


Wow Gracedale has overpaid unions and asbestos? That 35 million dollar price tag is going to start looking better and better a few months from now. With all the problems, and infrastructure issues, maybe we should close it? I mean, we don't want the employees to get sick. Also, it is funny that rather than asserting that patients or residents could get sick or be put in harms way, the first thing they are worried about is the employees. I think I am starting to see a trend here...


miniscule exposure they MAY have had to encapsulated asbestos isn't worth the expense and aggravation this has already casued the county and in turn the taxpayers who have had to pay the bill

The asbestos issue is a trumped up scare tactic to force the buyer out of the picture

Bernie O'Hare said...

12:39, You fail to cite even one instance that backs you up bc you are full of shit. Like I said, you have the wrong blog. The only ones I read that wish death on other people are the ones maintained by the Gracedale people and Mezzacappa. That is why they are called hate blogs and why I won't link to them. I would never allow a comment suggesting that people deserve asbestos exposure.

Bernie O'Hare said...

12:39, Below are the links to the three other stories I have written about there. There is not one comment, not even one, in which anyone suggests or even hints that Gracedale workers deserve asbestos exposure. Had there been such a comment, I would have deleted it.

http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/05/barron-now-claiming-gracedale-union.html

http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/09/barron-plays-politics-with-asbestos.html

http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/10/stoffa-labels-barrons-asbestos.html

Anonymous said...

Stoffa has avoided the asbestos problem for the last six years. That is the problem.

Bernie O'Hare said...

In the next few days, i will release information proving you are completely full of shit. Your disinformaton is the real problem.

Anonymous said...

It's not just Gracedale. The main Courthouse had it in the basement. They (not sure who) were ripping it out while I worked in the attached office.

They said it wasn't asbestos. I've heard that it was and they knew it. Supposedly they have it in writing that it was in fact asbestos.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yes there is asbestos. I have no idea whether any contractor screwed up, but it does happen. But to suggest that the Stoffa admin would deliberately let us work in it, as some have, is ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

"Methinks thou dost protest too much."

If there is no wrong doing by Stoffa, there shouldn't be this much spin or fear of fines.

Unless you aren't telling the WHOLE story.....????????

Anonymous said...

Yea because ''THE MAN"" never covers up any wrong doing right?! This has been an issue for a while, and a cover up for a while, let the dominoes fall they ain't got control. THIS IS SERIOUS SHIT...peoples lives are at steak, not just political reputations.

Bernie O'Hare said...

That's the point. It is serious. Stoffa would have no reason for "covering" anything up. That would be idiotic. But some people are usuing this to advance themselves politically (Steve Barron), others are using it to help them in their quest for favorable contacts (unions), and still others are just plain nutz (Ted Harris).

Anonymous said...

"Peoples lives are at steak"? Learn how to spell, genius! And stop being such a drama queen. You would have to inhale a gallon of asbestos fibers over 10 years before your life would be threatened. These guys MAY have inhaled a miniscule amount of asbestos fibers and now the personal injury lawyers are circling around like vultures. There is probably more asbestos, lead and othere contaminants in their own homes!! This is a joke that is costing Norco taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ungrateful workers are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Anonymous said...

"Nutz" is spot on to describe Harris and his supporters. Just do your jobs. No one is asking you to work in unsafe condition. Much ado about nothing.

Anonymous said...

When Reibman was in office O'Hare was one of the biggest whiners about the dust and asbestos. He would stir up the employees along with Angle.

Now that Stoffa is in office, he is all for covering up the asbestos problem, claiming all is well keep calm don't worry, old John wouldn't lie.

I mean look how truthful he was about Gracedale.

Bernie, you and John Stoffa have no more credibility to lose.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Actually, when I have complained about dust making people sick, it was John Stoffa who was County Exec. I chronicled what was happening to a PD staffer, and Stoffa moved the entire office next to him on the 3rd floor. It's one of the reasons I respect the guy.

But anons like ou, who comment at 2 AM on Sundays, are just loaded with credibility.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the person was hungrywhen he typed "steak".

You know you can,
"tune" a guitar
but
you can't "tuna" fish

Anonymous said...

MMMMM...STEAK

Anonymous said...

11:14 Thank you English professor for my mistake, now go correct every other comment. It is still a coverup, and it is still a serious issue. QUESTION AUTHORITY!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Nothing wrong with questioning authority. I do it all the time. But there's plenty wrong with making irresponsible accusations, especially when you do it as an anonymous coward.

Anonymous said...

You don't question the Stoffa authority. You prop it up.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I support people I believe. I do not make anonymous accusations of cover-ups when I think something is amiss, especially when the evidence overwhelmingly contradicts that assertion, as it does here.

Anonymous said...

what about the people that got stuck cleaning it up , what about the fact that the ball got dropped when the lead investigator died.

if it wasnt for the whistle blower there would be no asbestos training held once a year so the county can cover there asses.