Glenn Reibman Wants to Finish What He Started

... and that should scare the hell out of all of us. I don't know how many more $25 million swaptions the County can endure. Or cabinet members jailed for bribery. Or resigning in disgrace for wife-swapping on County time. Or resigning after sexually harassing female County employees. Or 70% tax hikes. Or a re-election plan disguised as a $111 million megabond. Or layoffs and wage freezes that last three years in the middle of a good economy, driving employees into the willing arms of eleven different unions.

That, boys and girls, is Glenn Reibman's record in two terms as Northampton County Executive. It was so pitiful that he lost a primary to John Stoffa, whose idea of campaigning was promising a half mill tax increase and then going to the movies on election night because it only cost $2.

"They elected me anyway," complains Stoffa.

After this upset, Reibman pulled strings to get himself a job on the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Comm'n, which is basically a rest home for elected officials.

Now, he wants to return to the job he lost eight years ago. Last night, at the Grover Cleveland Democratic Club, he announced his candidacy, claiming he was running at the urging of "citizens of all walks of life and all political persuasions."

I wonder if one of these citizens is Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski.

Everyone denies this, but it's no secret that King Edwin was very upset that Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan refused to drink the kool-aid alike Alan Jennings did and embrace a special tax zone for Allentown. Never mind that its location, a stone's throw from Bethlehem, would hurt the Christmas City. Next thing you know, Glenn Reibman is running for County Exec against Callahan. And Pawlowski's Chief of Staff, Ismael Arcelay, is running for Council. And his campaign manager Mike Fleck, just happens to be running Reibman's campaign.

But this is all a coincidence, I'm told.

They never even spoke, I' m told.

My picture of Reibman is negative. But I'm telling you all of this as one of Glenn's old adversaries. We've tangled for over a decade.

What I don't tell you often enough is that, believe it or not, I always respected Reibman. He is and has always been a gentleman. In his own way, he has as much integrity as John Stoffa. His governing and political style, however, are wanting.

Of the three campaign announcements by Executive candidates, his was clearly the best and most well-attended. Instead of freezing my ass off at Gracedale, as I did in sub-arctic temperatures when John Callahan announced, there was a spread fit for a King Edwin. Instead of a religious revival with all kinds of  "Amens", as happened at McClure's announcement, Charlie Brown's Notorious Groove provided the entertainment.

I was feeling so good I nearly danced with Julio Guridy.

He is kinda' cute.

Although I detected no union presence with my union meters, they went off the chart every time I got near former Council member Greg Zebrowski.

Reibman was introduced by Easton Vice Mayor Ken Brown, whom I see everywhere. Pretty soon he'll accuse me of stalking him, too.

Greg Zebrowski, Glenn Reibman and Mike Corriere

Mike Corriere, a former Council member and the current Public Defender, dropped by. He, Zebrowski and Reibman, who all served together, posed for a picture. Zebrowski used to call me all kinds of polite names during the megabond debates. Instead of "asshole," it would be "nattering nabob." Ron Heckman, Reibman's former Director of Human Services and a close Reibman friend, was there. So were Allentown City Council Prez Julio Guridy and Pawlowski Chief of Staff Ismael Arcelay.

Strangely enough, GOP Northampton County Council candidate Tricia Mezzacappa, who is also simultaneously running for West Easton Borough Council, was there, too. So I'll probably get sued for stalking her again.

Mezzacappa gives legal pointers to Chris Spadoni

Above, you can see and hear Glenn Reibman tell you what he'll do in a third term.

Reibman has a website. I do not see one for John Callahan or Lamont McClure.