I spoke to Mike Fleck yesterday. Actually, he called me. He told me he just got back from vacation, played no role in the vicious attacks aimed at Bar Johnston in the Dem chair race and called them completely unnecessary because Walt Felton already had the votes he needed to get elected.
Let me add that Felton was properly nominated by George Speros Maniatty. He was a duly elected committeeman. Though he finished second in his ward, the posts in Lehigh County go to the top two vote getters, male or female. They dropped the boy girl thing.
Finally, there is some question whether Walt Felton can serve as Chair and continue to be a Deputy. He is a union employee, but his contract is silent on political activity, so he would be bound by the provisions in place for what is called a "career service" employee.
Section 809 of the Home Rule Charter is the pertinent provision.
In the Pa. Code, it bans county workers from acting as "the county chairman or county leader of a political party."
So this seems pretty clear, right?
Wrong.
On the county web page, Section 809 bans county workers from acting as "the County chairman or County leader of a political party."
Note that the word County is capitalized and the use of the definite article. That seems to support the conclusion that the prohibition is limited to Northampton County, especially since Section 1201 later states that "the County" is the "County of Northampton."
I tend to think that the prohibition may be limited to just Northampton County, but that is the Solicitor Vic Scomillio's call.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Friday, June 20, 2014
31 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
So what we have here is the biggest political event happening in the lehigh valley shy of the elections. The party reorganizes itself and one of the biggest so called players goes on vacation. Okay.I read mikes statement that he had nothing to do with the attack on Bar that night. Okay, carefully worded. After Rick chose not to run alot of buzz was going on about party business.Cant help to think Pawlowski got his cake and ate it too. More later
ReplyDeleteGuy, Fleck knows Walter had the votes, so he had no reason to go dark. He also had some choice words for Jude Denis and Fran Eddings and said I could quote him, but I chose not to do so. I found him persuasive.
ReplyDeleteI believe Jude Denis is out for herself, and hurt Bar, a good person, simply bc she got in the way of Jude's business interests.
Thanks Bernie, for clarifying the Guy/Gal thing for committee people. I was not the only one who thought it was in effect. But I also haven't found out when it was changed. I know for a fact Celeste Dee was shocked at what Jude and Fran did. She had no prior knowledge, and she is Fleck's right hand person. Bar took the high road, Mike took the high road, while team Felton went low. You don't have to agree with people, but you need to respect them. Felton has yet to publicly disavow the attacks. That says it all to me.
ReplyDeletesimply because she got in the way of Jude's business.....is the key phrase here and im finding out that its basically true. But even with the added information i have believe Bar did not deserve the thrashing she got in public. This was party business that was being conducted. I met Mike a long time ago and found him to be a very hard worker and loyal to the cause. He got a lot of respect for that now he has reached another level.He like all of us has made mistakes and has gotten his flack. Its the vindictiveness thats unacceptable in any organization. Everone tells me Mike is connected at the hip to Pawlowski which brings up the other angle.More on that later. But there is no doubt that this Party situation will cause volunteers to take sides. Guess ya just have to cut the head off the snake to return to solidarity as one party faithfull has told me and he wasnt talking about party chair.
ReplyDeleteI'm also waiting for Walt Felton to disavow what Jude and Fran said.
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing crickets.
Walt, please step up and lead. The more time passes, the worse this gets.
Chris, don't know how recently the guy/gal thing was abandoned in Lehigh, but think it is time to get rid of distinctions based on one's sex. Given recent judicial decision, this could get complicated bc a transgender could step in and say, "What about me?"
ReplyDeleteIf I recall, there is case law that states, "the county government (under home rule) is allowed to perfrom any function necessary unless it is specifically denied by the Constitution, the State Legislature, or the Charter itself". Would that mean that the County Code which is uniform across the Commonwealth and enacted by the Legislature is one of those laws that the Home Rule Counties cannot override? The local governments can enact local legislation that is more restrictive than the State Legislation but may not soften any existing law enacted by the Stae Legislature.
ReplyDeleteThis will be interesting to see if the County Solicitor lets this slide.
Let what slide? The boy girl thing or county worker as a party boss? The boy/girl thing is a party rule, not a matter of state law. The county employee party boss is a matter of interpretation, not conflict with state law.
ReplyDeleteYes Chris you would know about the low road. How are you enjoying those 13 pieces of Silver
ReplyDeleteUm, it took 30 pieces of silver for Judas to betray Jesus. Maybe you got your bible at Wal Mart. Don't know who Casey betrayed, but he'd probably want 31 pieces. 32 for a kiss.
ReplyDeleteChris has much lower standards than Judas
ReplyDelete... says someone who lacks the personal integrity to identify himself or herself. Eh, Judas?
ReplyDeleteno, I'll keep Chris guessing.
ReplyDeleteYou just lack integrity. That's all, Judas.
ReplyDeleteI can't be the only person he slandered, for money this year
ReplyDeleteIf it's written, it's called libel. If you don't know that, I doubt you know whether you were defamed. If you were defamed, the remedy is a civil suit, not an anonymous personal attack. You lack personal integrity, and Chris must have been right about you, even if someone paid him.
ReplyDeleteIf Chris has to guess it could not have been a big deal. I have friends in both Rep and Dem circles. Never heard that about him. Are ya still holding a grudge from childhood.Is vindictiveness somehow in the water here in the LV?
ReplyDeleteRely on the Solicitor's opinion? He just found out there is a thing called the Home Rule Charter a month ago. Granted, he has probably read it cover to cover by now.
ReplyDeleteScomillio is a good lawyer. I disagree with many of Brown's decisions. That is not one of them.
ReplyDeleteBernie, I don't care about the anon coward questioning me. If anyone is a Judas, it was Jude Denis, for stabbing Bar in the back. Disagreeing is one thing, character assassination another.
ReplyDeleteI do research, as you know, sometimes damn good research. Wanna go to war kids? Bring it On. I am still waiting on Felton to disavow the actions of his campaign manager and political adviser. That still has not happened. Team Felton wants to institute a "PURGE of those who did not support him. Dems only had 142 people eligible to vote for Chair. Next meeting they might have less than a dozen. Oh, and I sign my name each and every time, cowards.
I agree that Celeste was visibly suprised when all this went down but I also think Felton was too. I hope he has a response and have emailed him with my opinions. I dont think I'd be too hasty about putting a clock on him quite yet--he just became chair tuesday night and had state committee this weekend. A properly considered response sometime this month would be more important to me than a rapid one.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, one other piece of "evidence" that led me to believe this wasn't Mike: he and his team would have written much better speeches. Instead we got droning run on sentences and references to Webster's dictionary as the key literary device from two speakers but clearly one pen.
Just to be clear, I have not contacted Felton for a response. I have no reason to believe he was behind the smear. I do have reason to believe that people like Denis will try to take advantage of him, especially if she can make a buck. It's pretty clear that is what politics means to her. I have other evidence as well that this is her nature.
ReplyDeleteWho wrote the Pawlowski state of the City address from a couple of years ago that used identical phrases from other speeches given by other City mayors?
ReplyDeleteBy all accounts Jude made a calculated move the other night. She has not been on the local scene long. She also has an outsiders view of politics which may work in NJ but here she will alienate many dems by her vindictiveness.On the other hand Bar has shown her abilities over the course of at least 15 years. Many of us owe her for what she has contributed over the years to the Dem cause and to witness her trashing by a newcommer. Unnaceptable... And whats this crap again about womens qualifications when they never had a so called REAL job.
ReplyDeleteForgot something, Jude may have a personal reason to be pissed at Bar and that may be debatabal but to cut her off at the knees in a public forum sounds like a page out of the Shawn Millan playbook. It might pass in the Rep circle but with dems, No Way.
ReplyDeleteShawn would never do that to a fellow R.
ReplyDeletePolitics has become a bloodsport in the worse degree and guess whose the biggest loser. Well just have to wait and see how this all plays out.
ReplyDeleteFelton should be fired for the excessive use of his personal cell phone while on County time, neglect of duty, and the disregard he has for his fellow workers and inmates he transports. Felton is assigned to transports and spends the majority of the time he is in the County vehicle on his cell phone whether driving or being the passenger. Use of his phone while driving is a violation of County policy, and he is neglecting his duty when not driving by failing to pay attention to the inmate. The Acting Sheriff is well aware of this but refuses to do anything. Nothing will get addressed until an inmate gets injured and sues, and the taxpayers will again pay in the end. Brown needs to look into this and expose the cover-up.
ReplyDeleteNo one mentioned that Bar was to receive the Dave Lockhardt Dem volunteer of the year award.
ReplyDeleteVolunteer of the year. Volunteer of the decade is more like it.
ReplyDeleteDave and Vince Zoppi my buddies were the godfathers of Dem soul. RIP
ReplyDelete