In his quest for world domination, business mogul Abe Atiyeh is starting small in Bethlehem Township. It's a launching pad for an inevitable drone attack on Bethlehem's Zoning Hearing Board.Abe's wife Nimo (who is both very pretty and very smart) failed to unseat Tom Nolan in the last municipal race. She made one mistake. She let her husband run her campaign.
I think she would have been the first ever Commissioner Nimo anywhere.
Abe has recruited his COO, Republican Attorney Mickey Thompson, to challenge incumbent Mike Hudak, a Democrat, in the second ward. Mickey is also Bethlehem's ZHB Solicitor.
Thompson faces an uphill battle. Hudak is a well-known name in Bethlehem Township. His father was a long-tome Commissioner and the second ward is a bastion of blue collar Democrats. By comparison, Mickey is not just a newcomer to politics, but to the township, too. There's no way he wins without union support.
Hudak, a sheet metal worker, is a union member himself.
In the fourth ward, President Paul Weiss is facing two Atiyeh soldiers. First there's a primary challenge by author and motivational speaker Pat Breslin. I'm not entirely sure what Breslin talks about, but he hasn't delivered any motivational speeches to Commissioners. I've never seen him.
Assuming Weiss survives Breslin, he'll face Democrat Raymond Russin in the general election.
Atiyeh occasionally uses Russin to sue the Township. Government by litigation. When Russin, a commodities broker, filed suit the first time, he never returned my calls. Not a good sign for anyone interested in open and transparent government.
I'll have more about these races in the coming weeks. I think Abe is going to hire a plane to drop flyers every day for the two weeks prior to the election.
17 comments:
Is Abe just plain crazy? Does he think he can just run candidates that will support his initiatives?
Putting his COO up for election is one rung lower than running his wife.
Carpetbagging shills. Looks like Bethlehem Township is starting to slip back into the 1980's style of government with developers and builders ruling the roost. Do a little research and see what happened then. Jail.
Is Abe trying to fake his irish heritage with that green shirt and the comming of St. Patricks day approaching¿
Can I motorboat those puppies?
Absolutely not. Put that thing away.
Sincerely,
Association of Men Who Pull Off Mustaches Effectively, Tom Selleck and Rollie Fingers, Chairmen
If you can't get your way the right way, force your wife and now paid staff to run for office, what a plan...
Nimo's "mistake" was having the audacity to speak out against suburban development when her husband is a DEVELOPER!
What a colossal douche.
Sad state of affairs for the township all the way around.
I like Abe. Many of the people with him are class acts, and that includes Mickey. but Abe himself is so unpopular that it hurts the people he supports.
Both families and communities have skeletons. Granted, no one has to follow those mistakes of family or community. Quite honestly, learning vicariously what not to do can be the best teacher, thus I make no implication that anyone with their hat in the ring (incumbent or challenger), or contributes to those who are, has anything but the most noble of civic intentions in mind. I would caution all involved, however, that there are fine lines not to be crossed because eventually no one is above the law. If anyone runs for office, they better be their own person and always honest. Unfortunately for some, in politics perception is reality, accurate or not.
Sticking to community skeletons, Bethlehem Township, you get the government you deserve by who you elect. As many voters (and some running) did not live in the Township in the 1980s, be aware of the past:
“So far, four former township officials and a local businessman have pleaded guilty or no contest to corruption charges, most of them felonies. A half-dozen other businessmen, mostly developers, were named as unindicted co- conspirators by the investigating grand jury …the man who fostered the corruption, they said, using his power and influence to sanction bribes and to create an atmosphere where taking care of friends and family was an accepted practice, even if laws were skirted in the process.” (MCall 3-13-88)
“Former Bethlehem Township commissioner …pleaded no contest in March 1988 to conspiracy to commit bribery and violating the state Ethics Act. Judge Robert A. Freedberg imposed a sentence of two to five years in the county prison and fines totaling $24,000 … former chairman of the board of commissioners, was charged along with five others - including three other former township officials - with engaging in a pattern of misconduct in managing the township's affairs. The charges were filed after a lengthy investigation by a statewide grand jury” (MCall 8-29-89)
Can someone please explain how Thompson can run for Bethlehem Township Supervisor when he is a resident of the City?
He is not. He has resided in BT for over a year.
Lighthouse, Thank you for your insightful comment, as always. You do know BT. I would agree, but let me state that Abe Atiyeh s a citizen of BT who is exercising hs rights as a citizen to see the best people he can elected to office. I do not think for a second that his intentions are dishonorable. He lives there, and wants it run right. In Abe's mind, that means the way he wants it run. The two people he elected last time around have been very good Commissioners who actually turned Abe down when he came to them with a sketch plan for a gas station off of Rte 191. I do not know Russin or Breslin, but do know Mickey, and his integrity is really beyond reproach. But I would say that of Hudak and Weiss as well.
When powerful developers run people for local office, watch out. That is all Lighthouse seems to be saying. Be careful what you wish for you might just get it.
Abe's intentions here are far from honorable. He does not want the "best" people available in office, he wants his minions in place for whatever misguided reason. He is involved with at least two lawsuits with the township and he wants to get his underlings on the board? There is something radically wrong with that picture. He will take BT back to the 80's when all the shit hit the fan. Not good!! Maybe he will get implicated and room with Bubba in one of the prison's he wants to build!!
Abe ,buy the Alpha Bldg. Years ago I brought my Millionaire Developer brother -in- law to the side of this magnificent structure . I told him he could buy it for almost nothing. He asked me "Whats the attraction ?"I said to him Crayola is coming here.He passed a developer from Philadelphia and Camden Maine. Abe, things have changed, This city is on a rebound and rents and demand are on the increase. This building would never burn to the ground or be vacant if you do proper management. The city can not do this and hold up all the other responsibilities they have ,but a good developer can now.
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