On Alan Jennings' radio show, they played nice. In fact, it was hard even for me to listen the full hour to the Democratic Northampton County Executive candidates, as they hit away at softball after softball. Tony Iannelli's Business Matters (BM) slugfest was a lot different.
Lots of BMs.
Iannelli, who doesn't have a mean bone in his body, still has an uncanny ability to bring out the worst in people. It's a gift. Don't believe me? Ron Angle and I were fun-lovin' guys until we hooked up with Tony.
And that's what I saw in Monday night's free-for-all. John Callahan and Lamont McClure took shots at each other, and Iannelli tells me a referree came in at the end of the broadcast to eject both of them. They called an undertaker for Glenn Reibman, who appeared to be dead for most of the show and was dropped off by a hearse.
McClure was portraying himself as the Savior of Gracedale. All he needed was a frickin; robe and a halo. At the same time, he branded Callahan an infidel who didn't care enough about the County's nursing home.
Finally, the heathen shot back.
"Gracedale sits up there today needing about $13 million worth of improvements. When we had Hurricane Sandy, the generator that was in place there lasted a day and a half, and then those folks up there, our elderly that are up there struggling, [were] without power. That's unconscionable.
"Everybody knew that it needed to be replaced, but there wasn't the will to tackle the problem. So while Lamont talks about being the Champion of Gracedale in 2010, when it came time to show that will, to put up ... make the vote to make those improvements up there, he didn't do it. So consequently, those folks sat up there, post Sandy, in the dark."
McClure: "It's fine if John wants to attempt to blame me for a generator failure at Gracedale."
Callahan: "Everybody knew it didn't work. It needed to be fixed. It needed to be replaced."
McClure got in a dig, too, over a controversial practice in Bethlehem to "borrow" money from certain City accounts to meet payroll and other expenses, instead of borrowing from a bank.
"Can you explain to us, why in 2010 and 2011, you borrowed money fro federal funds that were not lawfully allowed to be applied to general fund operating expenses. Can you tell us why you did that, and what happened?
Callahan: "You were saying earlier that the County has too much money in the way of a surplus and you wanted to spend that down and increase the structural deficit, which would put the County in fiscal peril. We in the City of Bethlehem have not had a cash balance up until the last couple of years when we've been running surpluses. Rather than go out and borrow that money from a bank to make those certain payments that we needed to make, we moved money from one fund to another fund to meet payroll and pay the bills that we needed to pay. And I'd do it again if I needed to. You learn, and maybe some day you'll learn this, Lamont, that as an Executive, you've got to make some difficult decisions. And at some point, you gotta' keep the lights on, you gotta' make payroll and you've got to keep the City moving forward."
McClure: "If the leadership lesson that you want to teach me is that, during your time in City government, property taxes have risen 43%, and you can't pay your bills and you have to unlawfully take federal funds, that's a lesson I'm not gonna' learn."
Who won?
McClure, who was on the attack most of the thirty minutes and hogged as much time as he could, probably thinks he won. But there's a reason he does so poorly at the polls. He makes points, but also comes across as a panderer. He was also condescending. Reibman has already declared himself the winner in emails to his fans, but that's because nobody really noticed he was there Not even him. He kept referring to himself in the third person, too.
Callahan was wounded by McClure's dig about robbing Peter to pay Paul, but had a surprising amount of knowledge about the County. On substance, he's the only one who really offered any ideas.
30 comments:
You are such a pandering ass kisser with your mancrusshes O'Hare. Order of finnish, McClure, Reibman, Callahan.
McClure needed face time and got it. He needed to hang with the big doigs and did. He had some nice condesending shots at Reibman that were pretty good. He attacked the Callahan myth of leadership. He also showed that other than a few rehearsed soundbites Callahan is as lost about county government as he was trying to get to Gracedale for his campaign announcement. Better get a smarter county issue advisor John, or even Mayor Brown will be licking his chops.
Reibman, second. Reibman let the young dogs go at it and stayed above the fray. He didn't get pulled into controvesry when Fat Toni did one of his famous, "People have told me(he learnend that one from Angle)" lines, Reibman ignored the dig and answered the question. He also ignored the digs from McClure and Callahan, not taking the bait. He stayed calm, focused and on his message. No harm, no foul. Basically a push.
Callahan, third. Callahan came off as slick. This is a guy who has no real local campaign since his run for Mayor ten years ago. He again showed why he was so weak against Dent. Cally is thin-skinned and you could see his Irish at times. He was funbling and bumbling trying to interupt and defend. He isn't good in debates and constantly resorts to canned replies. Or emotional outbursts. This is one of the reasons he is often referred to as "Cunningham lite". As the leader in the polls, he is fourtunate the only one hundred people who watch this poor excuse for a a TV show, have already have made up their minds.
Callahan had the most to lose and did. Reibman had a draw but McClure, love him or hate him, achieved what he neeeded to achieve.
Stop pandering O'Hare!
The Big O
McClure won this one, Reibman second. Callahan was hurt by the federal fund exchange and his tax record and his role as ribbon-cutter in chief. Glenn was bland but hit the nail on the head stating that Callahan benefited from the groundwork of others and took all the credit.
you are not blined by your judgments, are you? Callahan got his Irish??? With a name like 'Mclure' he got his Irish ignorance on.
Mclure won this one. Callahan did not impress me and Riebman did fairly well to.
I think Callahan won this one. McClure 2nd and Reibman should just close the coffin and go away
" As Glenn Reibmann I will be sleeping. As Glenn Reibmann I will be sleeping. As Glenn Reiiiiibbb..
Callagahan in a landslide. McClure second and Reibman turd. Other than his stand on Gracedale what has McClure done for the County. He collects a fat pay check and thinks getting paid $9,000.00 a year means you attend two meetings a month. There is more to being county Executive than Gracedale.
When is someone going to do the Council Candidates? I hear your fair haired boys aren't doing too well in the overall polls. The newcomers are going to kick the geezers butts right into Gracedale. Have you seen or heard any polls lately? This poll was supposedly taken about two weeks ago. I believe Jon Geeting had your boys running out of the winners circle. Heckman and Seyfried are so far down a spelunker couldn't find them.
Callahan danced around issues and McClure is clearly a better candidate. Sorry Bernie
This post is about the County exec debate, not your attempt to trash Council candidates or post false polling information.
So $9,000 a year is a FAT paycheck now?
Spoken like a true republican
None of these candidates is worthy of being Executive. There are so many things they could have talked about to make Northampton County a better place to live and work and not one of them addressed the "future" issues. I don't live in the past. I look to the future. Tell me what are you going to do for me and maybe then you will get my vote. Reibman states he left the job "undone" and wants to finish what he started. I guess he feels we need more Higher Taxes, graft, and corruption. McClure is a one issue candidate. Nice enough guy but address the future and I'm tired of hearing about Gracedale. Callahan should stay off television and he might get elected. Needs to talk about the future. No one is telling me what lies down the road.
If you're attending two meetings a month (for about an hour to an hour and a half) and getting paid $9,000.00 a year, Yes, your damn right that's a lot of money. That's 400 dollars a meeting or about two hundred dollars an hour plus his benefits
9:45 you are so wofully uninformed about what they get paid. They get NO benefits and no retirement.
Where do you get your bogus information from? The side of a cereal box?
Council members in Northampton County don't get benefits. Unlike in Easton.
Regardless of what a council person makes, doesn't make, gets benefits, or doesn't, the issue is attendance. Does McClure attend the meetings? What is his attendance rate? Why did Reibman stop showing at Council meetings? And why has not Callahan shown at ANY meetings?
Bernie,
Please do us all a favor and submit your resume for the vacant mayor's position in your Nazareth's borough. That way as Mayor of Naxareth you can shutdown Gracedale and shut up McClure, Barron, and Fake Moustache.
10:24, actually, yhey do get a pension if they want it.
11:07, would I get a special hat?
Silent Masses, I believe showing up is half the battle, if not more. I will do a post on attendance of them all.
If the other candidates had the decency to awaken Glenn after he nodded off, it would have been a more substantive debate.
Did McMud get a spray tan before the taping?
Bernie, I know you like Callahan but his young rabid dog followers are nuts and just plain mean. You complain about the Gracedale Goons, but the Callahan Clan is as bad, if not worse.
Callahan needs to listen to some peopele who actually know local politics and not the adoring young dem's all wanting to be President one day.
He did poorly in the debate. He needs to get a better grasp on the issues facing the county. He is hot headed and needs to tone it down.
As to trashing the county council candidates, that is an old deflection technique. What they are doing to one of those guys is just wrong and I am sure he will remember once elected, even though he is one Hell of a good guy.
Of course they are trashing the two experienced council candidates. Csllahan wants Jason, Borso and Hunter. They can be controlled. The guys they hate know the county and will do what they think is right. Callahan wants to have another rubberstamp legislature like he had in
Bethlehem.
Sorry Bernie, he may be better than the other two but he is still a bit to slimey and a real nasty prick at the end of the day.
9:06 I doubt it will be a landslide. McClure has a job and still seems to be the most informed member of council. He doesn't need a job like the Mayor. However when he wins this election and becomes the executive I'm sure he'll make every meeting and maybe even stay awake for them.
Anon 5:58, the poster at 1:55 gave a pretty good assessment of the debate. McClure needed to stand out and he did. He sounded more informed and stronger on county issues. I don't even care for McClure and am voting for Callahan but call a spade a spade. Don't jusy drink the koolade. John spent too much time on insider stuff that glazes peoples eyes over.
It won't mean much in the big picture but Callahan does have an issue with his debate style and particularly his temper. As an Old Irishman if anyone is offended by the term ,"getting you Irish up", then you are not a real Irishman.
Reibman was good at being Reibman, his programed responses were perfect, if tha is your cup of tea. He did ignore the jabs at his Administrations problems.
Callahan will win the primary but at what cost. He is offending a Hell of a lot of people without good reason, otther than his outsize ego. His attenmpts to pack county council will be about as successful as his attemnpt to dump Belinski and Leeson in Bethlehem, thtra was a disasdtwer. People know who he is pushing and what he is trying to do and it isn't sitting well. By the way, the oldster he thinks is trumpeting his candidacy, is telling union memebers and others Callahan would make a terrible county execuitve. You may want to reassess your campaig intelligence.
He will win and I am still voting for him but he is disappointing me and others. If there were a more viable alternaitve, he would be in trouble.
A REAL old Irishman!!!
It is called an alcoholic glow.
Didn't see the debate..Don't have cable or direct TV now. So cant say who won. However, 9:12's shot at Seyfried and Heckman was funny..No one will be close to them when the smoke clears. Seriously, if they lose, people have no idea what they are doing and shouldn't vote! Apparently McClure did say he wouldn't raise taxes for a term. Surprising..8
Only watched the first ten minutes of the debate you posted....but tired of McClure's one issue "I" saved Gracedale, and "I" fought to bring in "private management" to "save Gracedale" but doesn't mention (unless he did after the first 10) how "I" voted against the "private management" firm to spend an extra $259,668 dollars for transport services in order to pander to Nazareth voters. A vote that is contrary to "saving Gracedale" in the long run, and a vote that quite honestly should ring hypocritical to the union staff who agreed to give backs.
Who is talking shit about Seyfried and Heckman?
Frankly, I don't give a shit who is county executive, as they are all mentally chllanged but why try and stir shit with Heckman and Seyfried?
Those two guys have known each other for years and we can only hope they are on county council. The people there now don't know there asses from holes in the ground. The candidates so far are another group of panadeirng goofs who don't seem to realize that economic development isn't a major county function and nice new childrens programs don't make sense when you are cutting the ones you already have.
For the sake of righting the badly capsizing ship and sanity, you better hope Heckman and Seyfried are on council. Who Callaahn, McClure or Reibman want is irrelevent as they are irrelevent themselves. Franlkly, I hope the executive candidates do try and screw with one of these guys campaigns. Heckman or Seyfried can make the next executive look like a boob with their knowledge of county government. I have talked to both, and the guys are an amazing library of county history and functions. They also seem to know where the county skeletons are buried. A good thing to know.
And John Brown is a terrible mayor!
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