On Thursday, Lehigh County Executive Bill Hansell vetoed budget amendments that Vic had supported. Vic, along with four other Commissioners, slashed $5 million from the budget with the stoke of the pen. And where they did it left me scratching my head. They cut the money out of employee compensation, creating a major jobs cut.
I know what Vic was doing. I'll lay odds it was even his idea. He told me many times, when he was in Northampton County, that it is always possible to cut 10% from a budget, and that it's done in the private sector all the time. But jobs?
On Friday, when I caught up with Vic, he told me that Commissioners stated repeatedly that they just selected a major line item to make the cut, and had no intention ever of seeing anyone lose their jobs. They wanted the Exec to come back with $5 million in cuts in other areas.
In Hansell's veto, he did come back with $3.5 million in non-personnel cuts, calling it a compromise. He has the support of four Commissioners, so you'd think this crisis is over. But it might just be beginning.
Quietly, at times almost inaudible, Mazziotti blasted Hansell, claiming he would fire him if he were a County Manager and not the Executive. Vic denied that he had turned down multiple requests for a meeting, as Hansell had claimed in his Budget Veto message.
But that was mild, compared to his harangue against Brad Osborne, Chairman of the Commissioners. Osborne supported Hansell's veto and appeared at the news conference.
"When he was running, Osborne claimed he was fiercely independent," said Mazziotti. "What I've found is that he is fiercely indecisive, and that is one of his better points."
Mazziotti went on to charge that Osborne, who is not only Chairman of the Board but a fellow Republican, never contacted Vic or any of the four remaining Commissioners who supported the jobs cut. "I find this extremely disloyal to the Republican majority," stated Mazziotti. ""He did not inform the majority. He hasn't called since. Maybe he's planning on changing parties."
Ominously, Mazziotti stated, "This may not get resolved until the next election." He also agreed with Commissioner Percy Dougherty's assessment that he is a "marked man." Percy Dougherty, like Osborne, supported Hansell's veto.
If this is ever resolved, it will be without Mazziotti. He's not running again. He tells me one term is "more than enough." He adds that Osborne had claimed that power issues made it impossible to reach out and contact him, but apparently is having trouble believing it.
I will catch up with Brad Osborne and get his side of the story as soon as I can.
42 comments:
Mazziotti was a mess in Northampton County, why would people think he would be any better in Lehigh.
He saved no millions of dollars but rather used up all the money left to him by the Reibman Administration. So much for competence. The guy was and is a right wing idealoge tool.
You are surprised the budget cuts come at the expense of county employees?
You,Bernie?
That blows my mind!
After you and many of your fav commenters repeated bashing of county employees? Really?
BYW, this is how Romney " created wealth " at many ( most ) of the companies Bane took over.
Besides, Romney says the GOVERMENT can't create jobs anyway. But Vick and the gang of four are proving that they can eliminate jobs, aren't they?
Phlem
Right again Phlem!
Bernie:
Interesting that you run a story about the swaption just above a story about Mazziotti where you claim he saved Northampton County millions. One of his last official acts before he took his pension and left was to advise Council NOT to end the swaption. The cost then was $13 million and the final settlement was $25 million. The minutes from the meeting on March 3, 2011 with Vic's great advice:
In response to Mr. Angle’s question as to what impact
inflation and increasing rates have on the Swaption, Mr.
Mazziotti advised the Swaption itself would come down during an
inflation because the swap was the difference between what the
County had to pay the counter party, which was 4.9%, and what
they had to pay the County, which was based on an index of interest bonds. In answer to Mr. Angle’s question as to whether he would retire the Swaption today or wait, MR. MAZZIOTTI STATED HE WOULD WAIT. (caps added)
Mazziotti speaks with forked tongue.
Percy and osborne are out next election.
union pukes and unqualified hangers on should have been cut. And get rid of that stupid white elephant excuse for a zoo.
" The cost then was $13 million and the final settlement was $25 million. The minutes from the meeting on March 3, 2011 with Vic's great advice:"
It is certainly true that, for a brief period when interest rates were going the other way, Mazziotti did recommend not pulling the trigger. The rest of the time he did. I know. I was there. He was put in the unenviable position of being forced to gamble with taxpayer money, thanks to Glenn Reibman.
2:34 is posting disinformation. Whether you like or dislike him, Mazziotti saved taxpayers $10.1 million annually in NC. I wrote a post about it, detailing how he did it. None of it had anything to do with spending down a Glenn Reibman reserve that was created as a result of 70% in tax hikes over two years.
Bernie,
I am not too good at math. Can you or one of your readers explain how cutting 5 million in taxes and 5 million in expenses addresses the 7.6 million structural deficit?
It does not, and that was the chief flaw in the amendment approved by R Comm'rs.
There they go with the union bashing again.
The LVR faithful never tire of it do they?
Of the ten comments posted here, I saw one union-bashing comment. Since LC's workforce is mostly non-union, I consider that comment out of place, as well as yours.
I was at the first reading of the budget. As Vic was speaking I heard the elected Clerk of Judicial Records tell the elected Commissioner to shut up and that "he had already screwed up Northampton County". I was surprised as to the unprofessionalism but this is what one faces as an elected official who does anything but try to please all. It lessened their input to the debate methinks but it did put the budget rhetoric to scale.
I just love how a guy running with the reform team is all about less government, yet the guy worked and works for the government which taxpayers paid and pay his salary. I am sure he earned a pretty penny as the Fiscal guy in Northampton....Yet, the reform team wants LC Administration to cut 10% from employee line items. Hypocrisy at its finest....and all this hype is for a measly $30 to the average homeowner. How about you do your damn jobs and cut useless services or useless employees or upper managent salary! Thats right, no politician has the guts to do the right things, its always a scheme to benefit themselves and screw the little people....
I assume you mean Andrea Naugle. If you heard her correctly, her comments were completely unprofessional, as well as being inaccurate.
This has the potential to unit center left and center right against a far right tea party agenda. This will be the downfall of the SMOCS. Should we be surprised that during the peak if the recession Scheller's ompany opened a plant in China and workers in the US were laywd off? I get the global market, however, let's not forget it was big bad government in the form of ARRA stimulus and federal trade Adjustment Assistance Act that was there to assist dispalced workers in Tamaqua and Decatur, Ind.
Folks are tired of the tea party rants about big government. When companies cut and run, it is big government who is their to assist displaced workers.
Good point Anon 9:55 and let's not forget Scheller's company took over $300k in stimulus money to put in solar panels. Yet this summer, her boys (Ott and Mazziotti) wanted to turn down block grant money (approved by Senator Toomey no less) to help fund Meals on Wheels. Kind of hypocritical to rant about "borrowing money from China" while a member of the Fab Four took money from Obama's Stimulus program which was all borrowed money.
Bernie:
Ott and Mazziotti missed two deadlines set by the commissioners for submitting amendments. Instead, they turned their's in at the last minute, had Ott go on Gunther's show to announce it and then followed that up with an email press release asking people to come to the meeting to browbeat Percy and Brad into submission. Neither Brad or Percy were consulted on any of that. So the way I see it, Vic has no room to complain that he wasn't consulted on the counter move.
Bernie:
Thanks for pointing out that the amendments did not change the structural deficit. And actually it is worse than that. Nothing in the amendments requires the $5 million in offsetting spending reductions to be recurring (which you need in order to sustain the tax cut). As a matter of fact, nothing in the amendments prohibits the Administration from using existing fund balances to come up with the offset. In either one of those scenarios the structural deficit goes from $7.5 million to $12.5 million. That's why Percy kept saying their approach wouldn't work.
On another note 40% of their payroll cuts were directed at the unions with the bulk of that coming from prison guards. Since union employee pay rates are set by contract the only way to get spending reductions is through layoffs. All of Lehigh County's union contracts will be coming up for renewal within the next 14 months. How much you want to bet that each union will now want to have no layoff/minimum staffing clauses in every future contract?
So Vic, a genuinly bright man, turns out to be a ideological creepy politician.
Too bad. Even tho I don't share his politics I thought a man of his intelligence would make a positive contribution.
A lehigh county Tom Burke perhaps.
Boy, was I wrong about that.
OK, so the reform slates plan has a few lose ends.
Nobody is perfect.
You people are such haters.
It's " a starve the beast" ploy.
Let's bring County Governent to its knees.
I'm privy to behind the scenes talk when the Fab Four gather at their patrons well appointed home. Well, the Fab Three plus their patrons.
Suffice it to say that it would be quite unbelievable if I repeated it.
Just know that the informal staff, caterers, dog walkers, window washers have ears and memories.
Some of this will trickle out soon enough.
Like I said, it will strain creditability.
Slaughter the animals at the zoo and have a one time meat give-a-way to those few deserving unfortunates you can find.
Alan Jennings no doubt is in personal contact with those unfortunates. Then---- back to work laying-off more of those county trough feeders Clem knows about---- them and those blood sucking hall walkers. Yeah. Them too.
So Vic, a genuinly bright man, turns out to be a ideological creepy politician.
Too bad. Even tho I don't share his politics I thought a man of his intelligence would make a positive contribution.
A lehigh county Tom Burke perhaps.
Boy, was I wrong about that.
So Vic, a genuinly bright man, turns out to be a ideological creepy politician.
Too bad. Even tho I don't share his politics I thought a man of his intelligence would make a positive contribution.
A lehigh county Tom Burke perhaps.
Boy, was I wrong about that.
1016 That was $340K for solar panels. You know that green energy stuff that is voodoo for hard core conservatives. I sure love to know where the panels/electronic were made. Generally speaking, Solindra venture never materialized to the level envision because many solar project utilize foreign made products.
Let's not forget this investment was made to help a private company lower energy and overhead costs. Wonder if there was a philosophical on discussion spending big government money in that board room.
Where there any quotes from Thomas Jefferson or Constitutional talk?
This is what tea party has lost credibilty.
Lehigh County owns the Gold and Silver medalists for structurally deficient bridges that are still in use in the entire state. Surely, when rebuilt, 5% of the span can be eliminated. That’s 5% less in labor and material expenses. It must be true if the “pledge” says so.
Fuck the bridges. Close 10% of them!
Hell 20% of them. The mayor of Allentown has already done that. Slash, cut. And give back big tax returns too.
This is what William Penn no doubt had in mind when he envisioned a Commonwealth. Right Vic?
Not one of you has the courage to sign your name. Not one. You are so brave.
Vic Mazziotti
Vic - That's because no one wants to deal with one of the abusive phone calls you are so famous for.
Ahhh Vic, demonstrating your abrasive ego better than any of us could. Just like a Gorilla in a cage.
Vic is right. I disagree with the $5 million jobs cut, but these incessant anonymous personal attacks diminish their authors, not Vic. he has every right to call you what you are - cowards. How hard is it to take personal responsibility for your actions, as he is doing?
Dumb dumb dumb
Mazziotti screwed up Northampton County. Doing business there is the worst it ever been. Now, he is trying to disassemble Lehigh County. Hansel has forgotten more than Mazziotti and Ott combined will ever know about local government. Enough said.
Isn't Victor the guy who challenged Dean Browning to a dual during a debate? Very "reasonable" Bernie...
"gorilla in a cage" more likike a "chimp in a cage"
4:40, That is nonsense. He saved NC taxpayers $10.2 million annually, and I explained how in a post to which I link on this thread. He is a quiet and unassuming man, but unlike most of you, is willing to say something and actually stands behind it. And I say this admiring Dean Browning very much as well. In fact I consider their approaches similar and believe Dean was not treated fairly by this group. But Vic has never been a fire-breathing dragon.
6:01, Do you think you're being clever? What you are really doing is being an anonymous asshole who makes Vic look that much better.
I'll be happy to reinstate your comment the moment you are willing to accept personal responsibility for what you have written. But you won't do that bc you are a coward.
Mazziotti never saved the county $10 million a year. If he did, Northampton wouldn't be broke, as it is today. He just miled the Reibman surplus.
Just more O'Hare fiction for a mancrush.
"His initiatives have saved taxpayers $10.1 million annually. In the past five years, he's changed health care administrators ($7 million per year); made telephone services changes ($250,000 per year); negotiated a new IT contract ($800,000 per year plus 12 additional employees); replaced the County's Payroll/HR system ($250,000 per year); reorganized Assessment Division procedures ($1 million per year); implemented remote deposit capabilities in the Revenue Division; established an OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits) Trust to reduce the required annual contribution for retiree health care by over $500,000 per year; and implemented a new recording fee ($300,000 per year)."
http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2011/02/vic-mazziotti-man-for-all-seasons.html
All those numbers supplied by the Adminstration are not accurate and far from reality. Fiscal office had no choice but to aree. When Stoffa and his henchmen are gone the real numbers will be available.
Please, people in the govenrment know the truth. He saved nothing. The heatlcare change ended up costing more than Colonial. Check the new Adminstrative costs. You are a fraud and untruthful.
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