Since Brown has no intention of remaining with the Borough, I asked him whether he feels obligated to return the money spent on his training. "No," was his one word reply.
I also asked whether it is appropriate to seek seven times his annual salary to attend some course (and visit his son) when he's now running for County Executive. "If I thought it was inappropriate, I wouldn't have asked."
He tells me that he's learned that "one of the challenges in government is leadership."
I could have told him that for a quarter.
Brown admitted receiving an email from me some months ago and acknowledged he never bothered to respond to it. I've heard from others that he has a poor opinion of the press and an even poorer opinion of bloggers.
Now he has a reason for that opinion.
Is this the best Republicans can do? Seriously. From Tricia Mezzacappa, who was circulating her petition at Wal-Mart on Saturday night, to this?
This article just convinced me to go to Voter Registration Office very soon and change my party from Republican to Democrat.
ReplyDeleteI hear 'ya, but Democrats are bat-shit crazy, too. I'd switch to Independent again if I could vote in a primary.
ReplyDeleteHow did you get the scoop on Mezzacappa circulating her petition at Wal-Mart on Saturday night? That deserves a full length story, was she in the parking lot? As for Mayor Brown and the leadership course it seems quite dubious, his choice to accept the tax money and attend is indefensible and explains his succinct replies to your questions.
ReplyDeleteI was alerted to Mezzacappa's Saturday night venture at WalMart, whom she approached. I guess he must have looked like a Republican to her. I did not know Rs hang out at WalMart on a Saturday night. She's also been hitting people up at Boscov's, of all places. And of course, I did do a story about the gun store.
ReplyDeleteBangor Borough Council must also be held to blame for this excessive taxpayer paid vacation to see his son. They approved it.
ReplyDeleteJOHN M
Is this guy related to the Brown Hole law writter, sounds like if not related bilking of public funds are a common traite¿
DeletePolitic like a Champion Today
ReplyDeleteGreat article. This guy should run for congress with his penchant for abusing the public trust. These types give all the decent, trustworthy municipal officials a bad name.
ReplyDeleteso that's where she gets her cheap clothes and slutty shoes. I figured her for a VIA girl.
ReplyDeleteNorthampton County Bridges are in a state of disrepair. Maybe we can send the mayor to the Majave desert to study why they never have to repair their bridges.
ReplyDelete$7000.00, that's a lot of road salt, or 1/3 of a police cruiser.
ReplyDeleteTerrible mayor. Bangor will take years to recover from his awful "leadership". And we were just starting to improve before he was elected. Thanks for nothing JB!
ReplyDeletedanthemann
This expenditure is worth scrutiny for a couple reasons. First, the mayor of bangor is not the same as a mayor for a city like easton or bethlehem. The mayor of Bangor does not have executive responsibility. Could this be justified for the mayors of Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem... possibily. But the mayor of Bangor sets the police schedule and works the police chief. Heck, the Borough has a borough manager to fulfill executive functions.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the course was within the College of Business and was very clearly geared toward business leadership and non-profit leadership (note: government is typically considered not-for profit, not non-profit). ND doesn't even appear to have a major in public adminstration. My point in this: the class was not geared toward municipal or even public executive leadership (something Brown didn't even need as stated above): very clearly this looks like it was intended to help him in his business pursuits. The following link shows corporate leader profiles. Not a single public sector leader: http://business.nd.edu/executive_education/executive_integral_leadership/eil_overview/stories/
I can't help but look at this an see personal gain on public dime. It might warrant a review by the pa ethics commission. At the very least, Mr. Brown should disclose some of his course work to refute that this wasn't for personal gain.
After reading this and looking the program, Mr. Brown would be advised not to run for county executive. He's using taxpayer dollars to further his business pursuits. Even if he paid the tuition back in full he can't be trusted.
Leadership is an art form.It is not bestowed upon one as the result of political title or military rank. A real LEADER must -Set example,be a good listener,Set and ENFORCE STANDARDS and treat subordinates with equal respect.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Brown will ask Northampton County Council to pay his tuition for The Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, and then run for something else.
ReplyDeleteA majority of council voted to send the mayor and pay for the ND leadership session in the amount stated. There was discussion and different opinions as to the amount the boro would contribute if at all. It was not a unanimous decision but it was a democratic one. I stand by it.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:55 right on! This was a misuse of public funds. All 4 of the CE candidates seem to have baggage relating to public trust.
ReplyDeleteBangor is the Pot-hole capital of Penn. try driving the streets. How many holes could be filled with $7 grand? The good thing about Brown running for county is we get rid of him! JB turned out to one of the worst mayors in bangor history!!
ReplyDeleteBased on my understanding of borough government, that money would have been better spent sending the Borough Council President or Borough Manager to the leadership training. The Mayor in a Borough has no power over the day to day operations of the borough, since that is left to council under the Borough Code. Most council's hire a manager that reports to council to do the day to day work.
ReplyDelete"elected official" really has his or her head-up-ass! this vote was done at a work-shop meeting, not a regular monthly meeting. There was no public comment because the public wasn't made aware of this. the meeting was not properly advertised, and was a violation of the SUNSHINE LAW!
ReplyDeleteBernie, please do a RTKL for that meeting, and see for yourself if it was properly advertised. Lynn martocci was also "fired" at the meeting, and Mark brown "resigned" because of it. They also voted to disband the police dept, sell all the equipt, and join a unrealistc regional force.
The whole thing stinks!!
11:56...cuckoo.
ReplyDelete11:56
ReplyDeleteIf that was the case, and personnel decisions were made, that would be considered an exectutive session meeting. These are not open to the public. Not so sure making a decision to send an elected official to leadership training would be an executive session matter though.
As a money waster, Brown's right up there with the late Wayne Grube. If we determine Brown's outrageous taxpayer funded boondoggle to visit his kid, "nice," can we name a park after John?
ReplyDeleteThis is why politicians from either major party are held in lower esteem than herpes and anal fissures.
Elected official is..... Wait for it... Scott Parson. He loves mayor brown and as a Bangor resident he said he would help brown get elected at executive of NORCO. I heard him say it, in PUBLIC.
ReplyDeletesorry, you are wrong. Its another turd.
ReplyDeleteHad Scott Parson had any other candidate other than Ron Angle he would have lost. Running against Angle was like Stoffa running against Reibman. No Contest because of their records.
ReplyDeleteWait until the cost of his little indians is revealed. The deeper one digs, the stinkier it gets.
ReplyDeleteTo the Northampton County Republican Party: "Is that all you got" Quote stolen from Ali in the Foreman fight-"Rumble in the Jungle". Ali whispered the statement to Foreman after the 5th round. Foreman could not rattle Ali and ultimately lost the fight. Jump forward almost forty years and Foreman is a gazillionaire selling grills and Ali cannot put two words together. My advice to Miller is to find another vocation.
ReplyDeleteGive Brown credit, he's not the worst mayor Bangor ever had (he is top 5 though). The worst was Bob Janus who sold drugs at the Sportsman bar and tipped off dealers to the cops. If I were the powers in the town, I would be nervous about browns campaign. All the dirty dealings of the past 3 years will be brought to light. Marino?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAnd this place wants to consolidate Police Services, what a laugh....Where is Bangor Dave?
ReplyDeleteDid Bangor Dave approve of this expenditure?
Yes..he voted yes to the expenditure and was among the majority opinion of boro council who also agreed to the expenditure of boro/tax payer funds.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that his son goes to college there so it was a paid vacation to visit his son. While you are at the right to know, ask if he filed any report after he returned or commented at a public meeting about what he learned.
ReplyDeleteJOHN M
I do have a problem with paid training for outgoing elected officials, no payback for taxpayers on both sides of the aisle. so lets see . . .
ReplyDeleteCommissioner Browning sought and received approval for his personal attendance at the 2011 State Conference of County Commissioners in Hershey run from November 19 thru 22, 2011 even though he was defeated in the May 2011 primary and his expiring term was to end December 31, 2011; Even the general election was over. Paid training (some play golf) for nary two remaining meetings of his assuredly outgoing term, with only one month to go, but hey, call me slash and burn. They say there is no fat in the County budget!
His credibility aside, this was not money well spent. I would not have had the balls to accept that reimbursement. He should pay back the County! This is not integrity in my book! It is a small example of what can be cut. I've posted many here.
Source: Commissioner meeting minutes November 9, 2011 available here
-nlvlogic
NLVLogic:
ReplyDeleteThe motion you refer to was perfunctory in nature and was designed to indicate who would be attending, not necessarily who was being reimbursed . It did not cost the County taxpayers a penny for me to attend. I paid for everything out of my own pocket as was my habit. The theory being that there would always be someone who would want to make a campaign issue out of an expense report. So to avoid that, I decided to make it a practice to pay for things like CCAP on my own while in office.
No expense report = no issue.
Dean Browning
Thanks, Dean. I'd add that CCAP is not a bunch of golf outings, and ha made a tremendous difference to Commissioners who want to be Commissioners and not members of Congress.
ReplyDeleteThe timeframe seemed odd given the stage, but
ReplyDeleteI can accept that. -nlv
ReplyDeleteI thought Bangor Dave was looking out for the tax payer.
Who is Banger Dave? Hmmm !
ReplyDelete-nlv
I believe "Bangor Dave" is a reference to a Bangor Boro Council member, not Dave Najarian. He's a good guy. Nothing like you. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhile not going to the integrity of the subject commissioner, Webster's defines Perfunctory as
ReplyDelete1: characterized by routine or superficiality : mechanical, a perfunctory smile,
2 : lacking in interest or enthusiasm
So I must ask this. Why does expense termed as perfunctory get approved unanimously by the Board without clarification by the Board or the subject Commissioner 7 months after the expense is noted as that? This goes to the content of the minutes, but also to the actions of the Board which approved a perfunctory expense, tho admittedly small, without question, while other's criticize questions posed by members on other subjects, as done in Bill White's column on other subjects.
If we cant trust or verify the actions of the Board as to admittedly small stuff, how much the larger stuff, be they block grants or otherwise?
-nlv
not Dave Najarian. He's a good guy. Nothing like you. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm in good company, Bernie! :-)
-nlv
FYI..Bangor Boro Council LOWERED taxes by a half mil this year.
ReplyDeleteLet me put it more simply . . .
ReplyDeleteThe Lehigh County Board should not blindly approve a profunctory expense, admittedly small, while they at the same time espouse the budget was cut to the bone, and while department heads threaten to sue the County if their department is cut by any amount.
I'm particularly troubled by the Board's unanimous approval of this, which goes to all members of the Board, which is an example of the broken status quo. That is why I support those who challenge the status quo. Should they fail in that, they will be the next to go, and I think they're fine with that.
-nlv
Dean Browning, riddle me this . . .
ReplyDeleteBy your own admission, you approved an expense for yourself that you had no intention of receiving by virtue of your habit It may be that no taxpayer expense was ultimately involved but:
Why then did you not move to withdraw your name from the motion? This appears to be another example of where your words did not match your official action no matter the actual outcome, which has caused me to again question your record with your stated intended outcome.
-nlv
Dave, this post is about Brown, not Browning. In one case, a Mayor took $7,000. In the other, a Comm'r paid his own way. You said you can accept that, so please do so.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the post was about paying for a seminar for an outgoing politician, I think my original post was on point, and I responded to a comment. But I will heed your instruction because I did not intentionally attempt to hijack your thread and make it completely off target. I can be a bit anal. I do accept that Browning paid his own way, it beget a tangent from his comment tho. Sorry. -nlv
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBangor Dave knows who he is, the police and Fire consolidation expert!
nlv--your obsession with Browning is unhealthy.
ReplyDelete@ "Bangor is the Pot-hole capital of Penn. try driving the streets. How many holes could be filled with $7 grand? The good thing about Brown running for county is we get rid of him! JB turned out to one of the worst mayors in bangor history!!"
ReplyDeleteRoad Supervisior Gregg DeMinnio answer's to 12 DIFFERENT bosses; was Consolidated into the Bangor Park service, w/ 4 employee's, whom are under CONTRACT to maintain the Bangor Football Field in playable condition. Priorities are why nothing get's done in Bangor. Look @ the Contract!
Bangor lowered taxes 1/2 mill. Am I wrong in misunderstanding that Bangor no longer has 24 police coverage and the fire department took a financial hit. Just wondering,
ReplyDeleteThey raised taxes the year before, they then "fired" several long-time employees to balance the books, and lowered it back to what it was. Without the $7,000.00 of tax payer money given to john brown to visit his son, they could have lowered it another 1/4 mil. Thanks JB, for nothing!
ReplyDeleteThere have been no tax increases lately. The boro has police coverage for 20 hours of the day and some overlap so it is very close to 24/7..better than any other gov't entity in the Slate Belt. Fire protection has not been curbed even if you claim it has been.
ReplyDeleteHis son graduated from ND that spring...before he went..sorry to disappoint you on that insinuation.
ReplyDeleteI did not specifically question Mayor Brown about this, so you may very well be right. I'd like to know for sure that his son was no loger in the area, as a grad student or just someone living there.
ReplyDeleteI think that if asked that specifically..he will give you an honest answer Bernie.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't talk to bloggera, remember? He could have cleared this all up but chose not to.
ReplyDeleteHe did talk to Bernie..pay attention. He answered his question. Some may not like his answer but he did answer..right Bernie?
ReplyDeleteI did talk to him, but neglected to ask him that question. Had I done so, and had he told me his son was a graduate, this still would not have cleared the matter up for me. He received even times his annual salary for "leadership" taining in a job when he is nothing more than a figurehead. Had this money gone to te borough manager, I could see it. But I don't see how this large expense can be justified, especially for a Mayor who is not staying there. Personally, I think he should pay it back.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing to clear up. Bangor council gave him the amount he requested. It was done at a publically advertised offical meeting. It's called transparency..
ReplyDeleteBoro council..by majority..felt it was a good thing to do. John is a leader and he was and is the point man for many fiscally responsible initiatives that helped the boro erase a deficit and helped us get into positive territory and roll taxes back. He did not do it alone but he pointed the way and empowered council to do what was needed. I'm fairly certain council had no idea he was going to leave us. You can ask him when he made his decision to run for county exec. and again I am sure he will give you an honest answer.
ReplyDeleteI think it's wrong to give this guy money when he does not want to stick around. I understand that you gave it to him, thinking he would do that. He took seven times his annual salary, which is unconscionable. His job as Mayor is basically to supervise the police chief and be a figurehead. He needed no $7,000 leadership course to do that. He really should give this money back.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I was able to talk to him was bc he had no choice. He was in the elections office and I cornered him. Prior to that he ignored an email, and he admitted he ignored it. He never notified me he was running. He is not transparent or accountable. That's not leadership.
I understand your feelings on this and respect your opinion. Council did not ask or anticipate that the money would be returned to us under any circumstance. We did not envision him leaving but he is and the training he got will serve him well as the next county exec. It was meant to be an investment in him and our boro and now it will be an investment in him and the county. He is not your average do nothing mayor. He will be a tough act to follow.
ReplyDeleteHindsight is always perfect Bernie. Officals don't have that luxury. You have to make decisions in the moment. None of us have crystal balls or can tell the future or read peoples minds and thoughts. You do what you think is best for the people you represent and let the chips fall where they may. The past only exists on paper and the future is unwritten..All we have is now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on that point. I'm Monday morning quarterbacking, but consider the issue important.
ReplyDeleteanon 8:55
ReplyDeleteIt was not a "publically advertised official meeting"! That is a lie!! It was an unadvertised work-shop meeting with no public attendence. It was done in a secret way which violated the SUNSHINE ACT. The mayor knew No one would attend, and picked that meeting to do his dirty work. Shame on him, the council, and the solicitor!
What about your buddy joe Cap? How much to he get for leadrship training? it didnt owrk!
ReplyDeleteIt was a legal meeting..you sir are the LIAR! Come forward with the evidence or shut your yap!
ReplyDeleteNo amount of training would be of any use to Cap.
ReplyDeleteAnd stop asking/begging Bernie to do your dirty work. You want the facts..go request the minutes of that meeting at boro hall. I'll meet you there..LIAR!
ReplyDeleteJohn Brown is a grown man who can defend his actions just fine. You want to smear the boro council..better get your story straight buster!
ReplyDeleteThe attempted smear job is well under way Bernie. Your blog has become ground zero for gross insinuation and prevarication.
ReplyDeleteBrown is a terrible leader, period. The boro should get a refund. And the council is a group of lackeys who show up half the time. Marino Saveri is the power in town. he runs the council, the president cathy allen is his employee and does what he wants. saveri is also on the boro authority and created his own job managing the authority. talk about a triple-dipper. Saveri and brown split the $$$$ they made dumping contaminated soil on boro property.
ReplyDelete"The attempted smear job is well under way Bernie. Your blog has become ground zero for gross insinuation and prevarication."
ReplyDeleteIs it a smear to report that Brown rec'd seven times his annual salary to attend a training seminar when his only real job as a Borough Mayor is to act as a figurehead? That's the essence of what I reported, and it was admitted by Brown himself.
You would prefer that the public be kept in the dark, knowing that there is almost no coverage of Bangor by the press.
Now, if I really wanted to smear Brown and play politics, I'd wait until late August or early September, when it could do the most damage.
But my primary goal here is informing the public, which has a right to know.
Bernie..it was a public meeting. How many times do I have to state that fact? Nobody hid anything. You are right..nobody covers us and most meetings, the seats are empty. Is that councils fault? You want him to return the money? You can feel that way but there were no strings attached to the payment. If this is all you got..good luck during the title fight.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteEach Council person should be surcharged and this should be reported to the Ethics Commission in Harrisburg.
This was a paid vacation, on the back of working families...
They have a right to know the truth. Whether or not they accept it is another matter. It's your blog and you can spin as you wish. I will continue to tell it like it was/is.
ReplyDeleteThen file a complaint..call them..I'll furnish the phone number.
ReplyDeleteI'm daring you..do it!
ReplyDeleteIs this your thought also Bernie..that an Ethics violation occured and a Sunshine Law violation? Your a former lawyer..you know the rules..what say you to that charge?
ReplyDeleteOr is this just about the money and councils public largess toward the mayor and wanting him to continue his education at a high profile institution of learning among ceo's and other big time business executives?
ReplyDeleteThe smear comment was not directed at you Bernie. The smear is the insinuation that this council did something illegal and thus the mayor is dirty also. That's the smear.
ReplyDelete"Bernie..it was a public meeting. How many times do I have to state that fact? Nobody hid anything. You are right..nobody covers us and most meetings, the seats are empty. Is that councils fault? You want him to return the money? You can feel that way but there were no strings attached to the payment. If this is all you got..good luck during the title fight"
ReplyDeleteNobody hid anything but nobody knew until I wrote about it. And that is a smear? i never sad it was a "secret" meeting or one that failed to comply with the Sunshine Act, and will assume it was duly advertised and the matter was listed on the agenda.
I do feel he should return the money. It was unconscionable for him to accept or even request for that large sum considering that his role as Mayor is extremely limited. I recognize he had no legal obligation to do so.
Ok..but this illegal meeting stuff has to stop right now. Again..hindsight is perfect. Obviously council saw nothing wrong in our generosity and vision and did not envision him leaving us and/or the boro. We're not Indian givers..excuse the wording there. Why would we ask for it back now?
ReplyDeleteAnd you can look at it this way..we saved the county some cash by doing this. He's the best educated executive you could pick. Kind of regifting if you will.
ReplyDeleteI have not said it was an illegal meeting. I have aid he received 7 x his annual salary to attend some program that will help him be a better figurehead. It makes sense for a borough manager, but not a Mayor whose role is almost nonexistent under the Borough Code. I have not said you should ask him to return the money. I have said he should give it back. It is money that never should have been given in the first place.
ReplyDeleteCouncil had every right to do so and you know that. You may be of the opinion that he is merely a figurehead but we know differently. I'm sorry Bernie but you know very little of what has been accomplished in Bangor under his leadership. He is no ordinary mayor and is an integral part of boro government. His salary is not the issue as his true worth is much more than that.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly a team effort in Bangor and every employee works hard to make things go and improve. We will miss John but the hard work will continue as if he was still here..we have the road map he designed.
ReplyDelete"You may be of the opinion that he is merely a figurehead ..."
ReplyDeleteThis is not a matter of opinion, but the Borough Code. He is a figurehead. Dave, you are right to note I am not there and do not know the inner workings of Bangor. But that contributions smells all the way to nazareth.
Why do you say it smells? What is that? What code says and what the person does when on the job are two different things. Code lists only the bare minimum required..job description. That is no indication of what an individual actually brings to work. Really?
ReplyDeleteAnd why refer to this as a contribution? Where did that come from?
ReplyDeleteAre we now being accused of making a political contribution under the table? That's a pretty heavy insinuation..no?
ReplyDelete"Why do you say it smells? What is that?"
ReplyDeleteWhen you stand in a pile of shit long enough, you don't notice it so much. Look at the comments. It smells.
"And why refer to this as a contribution?"
Was it a loan? No. He was given $7,000 to attend some course.
So Bangor is now a pile of shit?
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to call it a political contribution, I would have done so. I did not call it a political contribution. I never alleged anything illegal. But it was totally inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteI never said Bangor is a pile of shit and do not think that. The whole notion of giving this guy $7,000 smells. That's the pile of shit. You don't smell it bc you've been standing in it too long.
ReplyDeleteOk Bernie. I'm just trying to be as rational and truthful as I can be under the circumstances presented and argue the case before us. I like my chances in the court of public opinion...
ReplyDeleteI'm not running from this and neither is anyone else. Time will tell whether you or I are on the right side of this one. Let the voters decide.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when a Mayor and Council has little oversight.
The Mayor and each council-person should repay these funds immediately...what else is occurring that the taxpayer needs to uncover!
ReplyDeleteBernie,
Good work with this story. This doesn't pass the smell test.
Perhaps the DA or Feds should probe this issue.
It was a SUNSHINE LAW VIOLATION> Dave the expert: Please show us the advertisement for this WORK-SHOP meeting. Without proper public notice, it was unlawful!!! You protest too much.
ReplyDeleteAnd it wasn't the only smelly issue decided at this SUNSHINE LAW VIOLATION. Was the solicitor there? He would have told you such, but he wsasn't there. How many council members were there? Give us their votes.
Let'get this straight: There are 8 members of Bangor boro council. You need 5 for a quorum, and the solicitor, and the meeting need to be publically advertised as such (that is a meeting where actual votes take place). Not all members were present. marino Saveri wasnt there ( he skips out evry other month or when the yankees are on tv) He also has his underling pres Allen do his bidding. There was no agenda item about this request. It was NOT unanamously voted on. At least 2 voted against it (Mark Brown was one of them and he QUIT after this ILLEGAL meeting).
ReplyDeleteNow bangor Dave has to constantly defend it (If Brown was a man with leadership qualities, he wouldnt need lackeys and scapegoats to defend him). There was No public comment because it wasnt advertised, again SUNSHINE LAW !!
This $7,000.00 wasnt the only item on the fake agenda. Also discussed and voted on was the police dept disbanding, and closing a fire company. And finally the "firing of a long-time secretary (who was forced to sign an agreement to keep her mouth shut.
Bangor dave can scream and cry and bully all he wants, this is NOT Democracy it is DE Mockery! And Bangor suffers from it for years to come. Where is Saveri when this is happening. Hoem collecting his 3 paychecks from the tax payers. Playing the puppet master. Lackeys!!!
And yes, The DA should look into this violation, as should the State Ethics Commission ( they have been contacted). The can of worms has been opened. Thanks Dave for bringing this to our attention. be prepared to write a big check for the violations.
ReplyDeleteIf he meeting was not advertised, it was a Sunshine Act violation.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBangor Dave Houser needs to immediately repay the taxpayer for his poor judgement and knowledge.
What else has occurred? A secretary is forced to sign an aggreement to to force her silence>
The approved July 2011 regular meeting minutes and the approved July 2011 workshop minutes are available at the Bangor Boro office for public inspection. All you got to do is show up and ask for a copy. Sorry..but both of these meetings were legally advertised. Action was taken by the entire council at the July workshop. Vote was 5 to 3 in favor of the mayors request.
ReplyDeleteBut was the work-shop meeting properly advertised. if it was not specifically advertised as a meeting in which public comments and votes were to taken, then it was not lawful. And a blanket announcement in January isnt enough, especially when the council didnt hold monthly work shop meetings. Was the lawyer there? And what caused one member to quit after this meeting?
ReplyDeleteif I was JB I would tell dave to mind his own business.
The mayors request was tabled from the regular July 2011 council meeting and taken up again in discussion at the July 2011 workshop meeting. Discussion was in the open before the public and not in executive session at either meeting.
ReplyDeletebut was it properly advertised?
ReplyDeleteYES..it was as are all offical boro meetings. I know what the Sunshine Law is and I strive to be as transparent as possible under all circumstances and so does the boro council and our employees. This insinuation that the boro council did something illegal is completely bogus and the offical minutes prove that point. Attempting to smear council and thus the mayor is outrageous. The offical minutes are public documents and are available upon request. You don't have to wait a month to get them or even file a RTK. Just ask.
ReplyDeleteThis happened 8 months ago, but it was first reported by commenters on this site in august. Bernie picked up on it and did a post in March. Now Bangor Dave/sbfan/elected official/ anon coward, defends this as a great thing!
ReplyDeleteDave, If this is a good thing for the boro, county, and country, why didnt you tell us all about it last year? Why did you deny it for 6 months? Why was it at a unadvertised work-shop meeting? Where is the mayors report on what he learned? And lastly, where is this leadership he learned? It is not evident now or in the past.
Again, SHAME on Mayor john brown for stealing from the taxpayers to go on vacation, Shame on the Boro council members who voted for it! And Shame on Dave houser for lamely trying to defend it.
Give the money back to the people John Brown, you scoundrel!
No reason to call Mayor Brown a scumbag, especially when it is done anonymously.
ReplyDeletescoundrel not scumbag. get your anon insults right. Its more fitting
ReplyDeleteAt least I'm not a coward Bernie. Have I not been up front with you at all times?
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteThank you and I appreciate that more than you can know.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of respect for you, Dave. You know that.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI love you Man!!!! lol
Love the attitude that civil servants should not pursue professional development opportunities. Civil servants are performing a job which requires skills and continued education. Not everyone digs holes and comes home to watch Honey Boo Boo every night.
ReplyDeleteOur position..exactly. Past practice with this council..we send people to get more education when they ask to go above and beyond. It's a wise investment and we encourage learning more about how to do the job of government/administration.
ReplyDeleteFor a needed certification or specific aspects of a job, I think publicly funding an employee is great. But not at 7 x his annual salary for some nebulous "leadership" concept.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBangor Council or is it Bangor COMEDY CLUB...
ReplyDeleteBangor Council is placing a SPIN on this incident...right from the OBAMA whitehouse play book!!!
6:33/2:18..you really need to move on with your life. What's done is done..and all of it done legally. You're just making a fool of yourself at this point. Try EST or TM..either could be beneficial to your situation. Peace..
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteGet a Job and Pay the money back-- Bangor Dave....
ReplyDeleteYou have a vast knowledge of Drugs, you were on these when you voted to pay for a $7,000.00 vacation.