In his first year as Northampton County Executive, John Stoffa wanted to consolidate its human services under one roof. He was rebuffed by a Council more interested in scoring political points than good government. That seems to have changed. Now that Stoffa can at least count on a fair shake from Council, he is trying again with a proposed human services facility at 2081 Emrick Boulevard.
Although I've written about it before, Stoffa has prepared a detailed Q and A that outlines the proposal in a fairly objective manner.I think it is going to boil down to whether the County has ready, willing and able buyers for the Bechtel and Governor olf Buildings.
44 comments:
What growth? Anyone notice the deficit? Where do you think the Federal and State will cut, where do they always cut?
This is absolutley unnecessary and will be a lodestone around the neck of stagnant Human Service funding for decades to come.
If county council isn't famniliar with the facts, why don't they ask people who are and not beholding to the Adminstration.
Good God. After Gracedale you would think these guys would buy a clue.
Most of these anonymous rants are coming from Jim Gregory. But his fellow workers have another view.
I'm not in favor of inflaming passions with an attempt to compare this to Gracedale (it's actually the opposite) or talk of a deficit (which will be much larger if the human services are left as they are).
Ia ma assuming that the usual attacks on John Stoffa will follow.
I am interested in facts. Let this proposal succeed or fail on its merits, not vitriol.
The fact is this lease will take money away from services and put into bricks.
One day he's a fiscal conserative. The next, he's advocating debt spending for $186,000 parking spaces.
Every move John makes should be closely examined. He has no grasp of fiscal affairs. This project has not been vetted.
I know several nice guys who can't balance their checkbooks. Doesn't make John a bad guy, just a bad steward.
Once again Bernie, I was out like a light by 11:00 last night and once again, I have someone who can attest to that..These so called anonymous rants are not coming from me nor have they before..if I want to say something I'll use my name..It's that simple..Grow up..
Jim Gregory, Once again, I don't believe you. Too many comments have been made on this blog anonymously, pushing your agenda, for me to believe that was not you. It is very difficult for me to accept the word of someone who chases after a Rendell bus and hops fences outside City Halls.
Jim, what is his name, yunno, the guy who can attest that you were in bed by 11?
plenty of ready, able and willing buyers for bechtell. getting it on the tax role is a great idead. Wolfe will be a harder sell.
i applaud john for the lease idea: it keeps the building on the tax roles. i do question whether the lease might need more flexibility, given the uncertainty surrounding DHS funding going forward.
Again Bernie, I dont give a damn what you believe..This blog would not be used to push my agenda when i have many more reasonable outlets to do so if I cared..Even though you have been disbarred for , what was it , forgery, you should even be able to understand that I dont need your blog to do anything, for any reason..If I wanted to express my opposition to this building I'd probably do what most people opposed would do, they'd write letters, call their councilpersons, and come to the meeting and speak out against it..I certainly wouldnt use this blog for any reason what so ever. Absolutely no reason to express anything here dealing with this issue..None..Please tell me, oh wise one, why I would want to comment on your blog when i have many, many other outlets to do so..Please tell me .
Jim Gregory, The fact that you respond so quickly, whenever your name is mentioned, demonstrates that you use and are on this blog all the time. Thanks for your support.
Bernie,
You are Hilarious! When your buddy Trish attacks you on her blog you responded with a defamation suit, no? When someone libels you generally respond, no? I used to listen to Angle on the radio also..That didnt make me a fan, I just listened to see what outrageous or ignorant thing he had to say. If it referred to me, I'd respond..I generally do..
That was me Bernie..Dont want to confuse you..I realize that's easy to do..
Anon 7:06. I am not so certain that John is a bad steward, I happen to believe that he is very foreward thinking. He doesn't always do what is popular but what he believes is right. History will judge I suppose.
Jim Gregory, You are used to commenting anonymously so it's no surprise that you would do so at 9:18. And no, Trish din't attack me, she defamed me, and she is not my buddy. The simple reality is that you read and comment on this blog regularly. My sitemeter does not give a shit whether you agree with me. Thanks for your support.
You are so pathetic OHare..Why dont you just get a life already..It must be so frustratingly lonely being you..Again. the best you can ever do is take personal shots at someone who disagrees with you..Why he wastes his time even arguing with you is beyond me..
Ahhh now it's time for the anonymous attempts to shout me down. Thanks for your support.
With the facility being developed in Bethlehem township, how will people who don't drive (a good many of them) get to these facilities? Consolidating may be good, but this isn't easily accessible.
A LANTA bus currently goes along Emrick Blvd every hour in an easterly and westerly direction. That service will have to be expanded, you are right, for the north and south.
That's a substantial issue. Once an hour on the east/west neglects the impact of transfers to get on that line. These services should be located near the heaviest traveled line, not in the suburbs where you can't even walk to get there. Counting on LANTA to re-do their routes isn't right. There's an access issue here that can't be ignored. Consolidate, yes, but the location is terrible for those who need the services.
You are absolutely right and bus service will have to be expanded. This has been mentioned.
I can vouch for Jim Gregory's whereabouts last night.
John Geeting
Hey Jim!
Maybe you should take a look at this along with some of you other folks ...
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf/2013/01/phillipsburg_high_school_hosts_2.html#incart_river_default
Jon,
Were you giving or receiving?
You guys are funny..
Frankly, most of the Bechtel employees dpn't want to leave. Mpost of the Wolf building employees want to get out of Wolf but stay in Easton.
The most accurate statements made have been abvout Human
Service dollars. The building is an idea that came amd went. Human Sevices doesn't bring people to a building it gores to the people. The nature of the busines has changed.
The idea of a single use building in the middle of Bethlehem twp is bad. It should be in Easton and used as a general governemnt center. If you really want to please the taxpayers use Gracedale space.
My God! Do we need another county executive wanting even more new buildings. Stoffa got a warehouse, name that after him. Better yet, county council should pass a resolution forbiding naming any buildings after any more politicans.
Bottom line Bernie, this is not a good idea from a money and servcie standpoint. It is not a knock on John Stoffa just bad policy.
Crying about money,money ,money so lets all go out and lease another building!
Good point..Where the the tea nuts? Their Republican friends on council are apparently on board. Crazy!
Yeah the tea Party screams about too much needless governemnt spending. This project is a poster child for tha,t and they are suddenly quiet.
I guess it isn't the money but the person doing the spending with the tea party Republicans. Sort of like Bush asnd Obama. What a bunch of hypocrites. They will all sit there and nod their heads to a bad 25year open-endesd lease. Then they will damn the next group that has to raise taxes to pay for all this stuff.
The Rs are as R as Stoffa is D, although Mr. $186,000 Parking Spaces checks lots of D boxes from time to time. this is his legacy boondoggle. It's his version of Reibman's idiotic and tragic bond disaster that we're hung with for years.
Look on the bright side, they'll probably name some nice government funded thing after John. In fact, why not all the government center johns?
There's nothing fiscally responsible about this proposal. These bums can't show half the time. They'll never properly vet this.
I read the Q&A that Bernie posted. Nice propaganda, one would expect. If any other pol handed Bernie this, Bernie would throw it back at him. Short on anything specific and long on self-agrandizing words from Stoffa.
I would love to know how much Mr. Mohr has made over the past seven years from Northampton County. Very incestuous relationship.
By the way, Jane Baker did the Fahrs building and had a contractor and consultant. Ken Mohr and Stoffa were peripheral tot he project. In fract go ask Jane today what her opinion of
Stoffa wasd after she hirted him. Why do you think he was in charge of going to the Reading Phillies.
This new deal reeks of cronyism.
Dan the man!
The connection between Mohr and Stoffa was laid out in black and white. If I were a Stoffa crony, I'd want a bit more than what is being paid to Mohr. I considered the Q & A a good introduction to the project, and would rather see that people are informed than inflamed.
Aren't both the current buildings now accessible by bus and on foot to people who need to use them? I do not think there is any bus service to the Emrick Blvd. site, shiny and new and consolidated as it may be. I suppose the county could petition LANTA to add bus service, to what is beconing a very big destination for a number of uses.
I have now mentioned three times that there IS bus service on Emrick Blved. This topic was discussed at the last Council meeting, and LANTA will be asked to expand its operations.
Everyone is waithng for Controller Barron's report on how much Mr. Mohr has made off of Northampton County during his pal Stoffa's years as Executive.
You go ahead and wait. That question has already been answered in this Q&A.
You didn't tell us how much he has made over the past seven years and neither has Stoffa. The guy has had multiple contracts, just under what has to be reported to county council.
Also other than just another former appoiinted hack, what are his credentials bedsies being John Stoffa's buddy.
You see what you want to see.
It is all right there in the Q&A, last question. There is no cure for stupid.
Neihter you nor Stoffa have given the total amount Mr. Mohr has mnade off of Northmapton County while Stoffa as been Executive
Does your little head hurt?
DEo you feel bad for not being truthful?
Gerry Seyfried had the right idea years ago sell these buildings and build and/or add on to useable space at Gracedale. Put human services where they belong at the most human service building in the county. It's centraly located and the LANTA bus goes there.
Still no total amount of money made by Mr. Mohr over eight years, either on here or in the infamous last question.
Dump the scam! Vote to table this thing.
I looked for the lease agreement on the county website and couldn't find it. Is it there?
The articlle in the Express Times online, has excellent reader comments that make more sense than our county leaders.
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