Last time Bill Leiner sat on Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners, he quit. He stepped down in early 2010 for a job 1800 miles away, in Texas. For whatever reason, he's back and running for the Board of Commissioners again.
Bill would certainly offset some of the strange - cut off my nose to spite my face - conservative politics on display, where Comm'rs seriously considered rejecting grant money for road improvements.
"There is much work to be done," he claims in a mass email. But it's easier to get that work done when the people who are elected actually stay and do the jobs they were elected to do.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, December 31, 2012
37 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
Bizzare comment???
ReplyDeleteWouldn't Leiner's affiliation with He Who Shall Not Be Named disqualify him for any elected post?
ReplyDeleteIt does in my mind.
LC commisioners are beginning to make the norco gang almost look good. scary.............
ReplyDeleteHave a great New Year, BO!!!!!!
These are the same people who voted to deny a large state grant to plant street and park trees.
ReplyDeleteFortunately at the time,a few years ago,they did not constitute a majority
These are the same people who voted to deny a large state grant to plant street and park trees.
ReplyDeleteFortunately at the time,a few years ago,they did not constitute a majority
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
ReplyDeletestate grant to plant street and park trees.
ReplyDeleteYes, park trees! Dare us not oppose park trees
When Government gets its ethical act together, then we can debate whether state grants are appropriate. Til then, we must slaughter those who oppose park trees or those who question the receipt of State grants, including the funding of park tress!
At one time it was appropriate to question authority! My how far we've fallen!
I say, question them til all truth comes out!
Dave, A previous Comm'n took issue with Treevitalize, which required matching money from the municipalities affected. Dean Browning, a Comm'r at that time, said that Allentown should focus a little more attention on crime. Also, it's kinda' goofy to fund tree planting when kids can't get textbooks. So I get that opposition.
ReplyDeleteBlock grant money (CDBG) is completely different. Most is used to support infrastructure projects like road repairs. Rejecting that money because of concerns about the federal deficit, is cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Comm'rs did back off so I think they understand.
I'm OK with your take, but my understanding is that the Board must accept all or none.
ReplyDeleteI tended to weigh governmental purposes, ease of private entry into the field, and fiscal need. No one can say private entities are responsible for public roads. So I agree with you there.
NLV, We ended the year in agreement? No fun in that!
ReplyDeleteNo fun indeed! Tomorrow is another day!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBill is aiming at Creighton .
ReplyDeleteAlso he is no longer under the long arm of LVHN. Bizarre. This guy does not instill one with confidence. But then neither do the Wayne clones.
ReplyDeleteConsistency is important in representation on this board.
ReplyDeleteOnly imagine if this guy was a gal what criticism she'd receive.
ReplyDeleteTrees are infrastructure. That treevitalize grant couldn't be turned into dollars to fight crime or fund education. It was political grandstanding to show-off ideological purity.
ReplyDeleteNothing more. Trees were such an easy target, planning trees is ridiculous and silly and not important, right?
It is hard to say which is more remarkable, the ignorance or the arrogance of Brownings political ideology?
...... and exactly what does Browning know about " fighting crime"? Not a damn thing.
ReplyDeleteGrandstanding right winger-- don't confuse him with the facts when he is pontificafruits about fruit in the area where he doesn't know the apples from the oranges.
It's shameful and it's total bullshit. Lehigh County deserves much better.
NL Vlogic, you would fit right in in Allenyown. You too Bermie.
ReplyDeleteFuck the Parks. Fuck the trees, Let's score ideological points. Perfect.
( The matching funds in Allentown came from Trexler dollars dedicated to Parks.)
PS After Sandy hundreds of trees are destroyed. So what? Fuck the Parks and fuck the trees! " slaughter the people who want park trees".
We are surrounded by barbarians and fools and their apologists on both sides of the aisle!
6:59, 7:07, 7:17, I see you're starting off the new year like a total asshole. LC Comm'rs did change course on the Treevitalize grant.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it's bullshit at a time when school kids can't use the library and funding for pre-school programs is cut. I think it's bullshit that we lay Johnny Appleseed while releasing raving lunatics from state hospitals to fill up our jails. I think it's bullshit when we do have a crime problem that is not being addressed.
Straw men and false economies.
ReplyDeleteNot a good start for you.
This is a huge mistake by Bill. He has a load of personal baggage concerning Texas and LVHN. He is naive if he thinks that those indiscretions aren't publicized.
ReplyDeleteBrowning ( and O'Hare) would have you believe that the choice was between trees and crime. This of course is a cheap political lie and an insult to the citizens of Allentown.
ReplyDeleteYes,the Commissioners came around, Browning did not. But we should overlook this because it's a new year.
It is this kind of contempt for the citizens of Allentown that I hope Alphonso Todd will speak out against.
Apparently the tree proponents did not follow the link in my comment above. Th treevitalize program was wrought with corruption, being administered under a contract with the State by the spouse to the head of DCNR, responsible for the grant program.
ReplyDeleteNL Vlogic, you would fit right in in Allenyown. You too Bermie . . .
ReplyDeleteFuck the Parks and fuck the trees! " slaughter the people who want park trees".
So I guess you feel its OK to divert State grant dollars to family and friends, which according to this court case is exactly what happened.
Bill is a smart guy who uses common sense when making decisions. I'm glad he is back and willing to reengage.
ReplyDeleteNLVLogic, Thanks for that link. I thought I remembered some sort of stink concerning Treevitalize. Let's open the doors of our madhouses bc we can't afford them. Let's cut back on education funding for out mist vital asset, our children. Let's ignore the growing violence in places like Allentown. But by all means, let's drop a load of dough on trees and make struggling municipalities match that money.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan.
For a lunatic.
No municipality was forced to apply for those monies and you know it. All the Lehigh County municipalities who sought these funds did so with vigor and enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you need to mislead, you certainly know better?
Look, any municipality that wanted in had to match the state grant. Allentown could have used that $ for its MMO on its pension legacy. I realize it's a small sum, but when you waste small sum after small sum, you end up doing things like saying we have to unload our water and sewer systems.
ReplyDeleteYou're awful worked up about a minor point. Do you live in one of those trees?
What part of Trexler Trust dedicated park dollars don't you get?
ReplyDeletePlanting trees for a hundred plus years is a waste?
ReplyDeleteAstounding ignorance!
It's a case of misplaced priorities, dude. You want to plant trees and chase butterflies while people are hungry. At least Johnny Appleseed was trying to feed people. But you are spending money earned by someone else that could be used for real problems.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask, what does any of this have to with Bill Leiner? I remember Bill being a professional sort of guy, Highly intelligent, a helluva sense of humor and on the side of the taxpayer. If he made a decision in the middle of his term to accept a position in texas (or wherever) and he changed his mind for what ever reason, why should he be banned from running for Commissioner? As long as he has my best interest at heart as a taxpayer, I will give him every consideration. Unless he did something I am not aware of he still gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteGenerally speaking, Treevitalize had potential to be used to enhance streetscapes in developed areas targeted for revitalization. A concept that could make a business district more inviting if done properly.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I never really understood why Lower Macungie Township received a $100K in Stimulus funds to plant trees in a detention basin. It seems like $100k is a TREEmendous amount of money to be spent to plant trees with no sustained jobs created. I suspect an Eagle Scout project could have completed this for much less.
Hokie, Yeah, it's really a minor criticism, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteIt's "you're," not "your." You can get help with your grammar, but not the hate.
ReplyDeleteTrees are not a inconsequential issue.
ReplyDelete