Exec Hopeful McClure & Sidekick Barron Trash ArtsQuest

If the Lehigh Valley has two visionaries, they are CACLV's Alan Jennings and ArtsQuest's Jeff Parks. They're easy to criticize over different issues. Hey, they're low-hanging fruit to bottom-feeding bloggers like me. But, in addition to excelling in their individual fields, they've done more than anyone to transform this region from a collection of self-interested municipalities into one cohesive Lehigh Valley. Along the way, they've made this a better place.

Jennings and Parks are the exceptions, not the rule. Most others in Lehigh Valley public life are short-sighted, ready to promote themselves over what is good for the community. If you want two good examples, look no further than Northampton County Council member Lamont McClure and his sidekick, Controller Steve Barron. It should come as no surprise that these two hacks would attack the visionaries.

After all, there's a County Executive race to win.

McClure Mulling Exec Race

Despite being a genuinely unpleasant man who has barely won in two election against candidates with no money, asbestos lawyer McClure would like to be the next County Executive. Why he would want to run is a good question. His abysmal attendance record - perhaps the all-time worst of any Council member - is evidence of just how little he cares about the County or its issues.

He might not have much choice. Asbestos litigation is down from its 2004 high.

Whatever his reasons, a County Executive poll was done last week. I'm told it was financed by some of  McClure's union pals or his mentor, DA John Morganelli. I know this much. It wasn't done by Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan or Easton Mayor Sal Panto, who are also eyeing up the County Executive position. And Ron Heckman, another potential candidate, lacks the resources.

In the meantime, nobody can say a nice word about Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan or Easton Mayor Sal Panto. Both are savaged on this or any other blog.

Anonymously, of course.

That's another McClure trademark. He has a vicious campaigning style that has even been condemned by State Senator Lisa Boscola, a fellow Democrat.

Can You Say Director of Administration Barron von Footinmouth? 

What about Barron? Unable to keep his mouth shut, he's already bragged to several people that he'll be the County's next Director of Administration or Finance. He'll have a much higher salary than his current $65,000, too. There's no way that Panto or Callahan would ever consider Barron for such a position. But McClure would. In fact, McClure and Barron have worked in tandem on numerous county issues like Gracedale, the Wound Care Team, 2012 budget, the Eckert Seamans legal bill and asbestos.

Like McClure, Barron is only rarely on the job. When he does show, he spends most of his time engaged in courthouse intrigue or studying for a bar exam he can't seem to pass. He's no accountant, not even a public accountant. All of the real work in his office is done by his subordinates, each of whom is more qualified than he.

Barron has never performed a single audit.

Although he's no accountant, Barron is a union organizer. Just two years ago, he marched on non-union T-Mobile and threatened the company. They decided to leave the area.

He's also an asbestos whistleblower. He reported the County to the state DEP for decades-old asbestos violations.

He's even a junior detective. Barron embellished his own credentials to become a Certified Fraud Examiner. In criminal cases, he would somberly testify about this and that "red flag" against this and that hapless defendant. Then defense attorney Phil Lauer raised a few red flags of his own. Turns out Barron is unqualified. He's had to put his red flags away.

Finally, Barron considers himself a nursing home administrator. Not only did he tell Council to keep the wound care team at Gracedale, but actually accused Executive John Stoffa and Nursing Home Manager Premier of colluding to sabotage the nursing home's financial recovery.

To propel themselves into office, Barron and McClure are seizing on whatever they think can get them a few votes here and there. They've pandered over Gracedale, playing on people's emotions. They've pandered to public sector unions, banking on their votes. They've opposed a responsible budget proposed by Executive John Stoffa, forcing him to deplete the reserve to unhealthy levels.

And they despise Jeff Parks. They are counting on all the Musikfest haters, those who can never forgive someone for being a success. In 2008, when Council voted to give $1 million in hotel tax money to ArtsQuest and PBS, spread out over five years, McClure was one of the two No votes. When Parks appeared before Council in January, it is McClure who wanted to know when he's stepping down.

ArtsQuest Seeks Exempt Status

On November 14, 2011, ArtsQuest sued over the assessment of properties at 645 E. 1st Street and 101 Founders Way. This includes the ArtsQuest Center, Air Products Town Square and PNC Plaza. That's $122,000 a year in property taxes. ArtsQuest ended 2011 with a $700,000 operating loss, so it's obviously trying to minimize expenses.

ArtsQuest contends it is entitled to an exemption from real estate taxes under state law because it is a purely public charity. Attorney Jackson Eaton, representing ArtsQuest, contends that it meets the five-prong test for charities: (1) It advances a charitable purpose; (2) Operates entirely free of profit motive; (3) Donates a substantial portion of services; (4) Benefits a class of persons who are legitimate subjects of charity; and (5) Relieves the government of some of its burden.

Neither Bethlehem City nor the school board, who would receive the lion's share of these taxes, had any objection.

The previous month, the Revenue Appeals Board, which obviously felt otherwise, denied the exemption.

Jeff Parks would like to know why. He still has no answer.

Parks Excluded From Deliberations, But Assessors Can Stay?

A former lawyer, Parks told me that when this quasi judicial body went into executive session to deliberate his appeal, he was asked to leave the room. But the assessment office, which was opposed to him, was allowed to remain.

This is an obvious due process violation, something I've witnessed myself in other matters. It's like allowing a District Attorney to sit in the same room with a jury when they decide someone's fate.

In most cases, the assessment offices assumes a neutral role, and are there to plug in numbers when someone wants a lower or higher assessment. But in this case, where Parks was seeking an outright exemption, there would be no reason for that office to remain.

But they did. Someone in that office has an axe to grind.

When ArtsQuest decided to seek judicial relief, County attorneys began working on a settlement. But someone in the assessment office, unhappy with that possibility, threatened to go to the papers. Looks like that has happened.

Barron's "Independent" Opinion

Assessment also decided to get an "independent" opinion. Barron von Footimouth, who is allied with ArtsQuest hater McClure, was the perfect choice. Never mind that he is completely unqualified to audit the records of  mom and pop, to say nothing of a big and complicated operation like ArtsQuest. Forget the fact that this has nothing to do with the job he was elected to perform. Since Barron already considers himself a nursing home administrator, junior detective, asbestos expert and union organizer, what's one more field of expertise?

Not surprisingly, Barron and McClure have decided to go after someone they know is already despised by lots of jealous people. Trial by newspaper. In 25 comments to Lynn Olanoff's excellent story in The Express Times, only one defends ArtsQuest. The rest of them are focused mainly on Parks' salary or some pet peeve with Musikfest.

In addition to playing the press, I'm told Barron has also taken it upon himself to report Parks to the IRS, demanding that its status as a nonprofit be revoked.

That's another little trick he likes to play.

ArtsQuest Appeals to Our Better Selves

To date, ArtsQuest has resulted in 78 direct and 64 indirect jobs on Bethlehem's South Side. It's economic impact over 8 months last year was $29 million. It has been a showcase for music, cinema, festivals and visual arts. It has been made available for other nonprofit organizations and businesses for fund raisers, meetings and special events.

Last year, 500,000 visitors dropped by. In fact, people are still discovering SteelStacks. With the opening of the Bethlehem Visitors Center, PNC Plaza has become fully accessible. ArsQuest also provides many educational and outreach programs for families in visual and performing arts and cultural experiences.

If you visit Bethlehem's South Side, as I do about once every two weeks or so, you can see its ripple effect. There is a real and perceptible buzz. Most local businesses credit ArtsQuest.

Northampton County Council members seem to side with Parks.  Ken Kraft is there just about every weekend, as are his kids. Bob Werner has marveled at Parks' organizational skills and his stable of volunteers. Bruce Gilbert, whose children are entertainers, has credited Parks for attracting younger people and making the Lehigh Valley a competitive place for people seeking entertainment.

ArtsQuest, incidentally, has a real board that actually pays attention to its finances. Chairman Sam Torrence, who actually did pass the bar exam and served as Just Born's Chief Operating Officer, pointed out that all salaries paid are either at or below the midpoint recommended by the Economic Research Institute.

But in the final analysis, this is not about what is right or good for the community. It's about votes. McClure and Barron will appeal to our dark sides, our petty jealousies.

Jeff Parks appeals to the good in us all. Hundreds of free concerts each year. Kids' programming like the Ps and Qs program at SteelStacks.

I'm betting that most of us, despite our pet peeves and occasional grousing, will side with Parks.

McClure should know by now that those on the dark side post venomous (and largely untrue) comments, but they rarely vote.