Lamont McClure calls on NorCo Executive John Brown to "stand with the Minority Democrats and veto the increased tax rate. We stand for the proposition that the elderly couple in Allen Township struggling to stay in their home, owing to crippling increases in real estate property taxes, should keep us awake at night. We stand with the folks in Williams Township, who are trying to figure out how to put their kids through college and deal with their own burgeoning property tax burden." He adds, "[I]f you do not veto the tax increase, it becomes your tax increase."
Brown's lack of leadership in this matter has already resulted in Republicans proposing a tax hike on their own. But it is not veto-proof. Should Brown hang them out to dry even further, they will have to count on one Democrat to vote to over-ride.
It won't be McClure.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
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Monday, December 08, 2014
30 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.
Lamont wants no tax increase but wants to keep Gracedale in county hands and wants the county to do more to help county employees with their health care costs.
ReplyDeleteOn the ambulance chasing circuit, you can make promises and simply count on the next asbestos settlement to pay for them.
In the rest of the world, you must raise taxes or cut spending, or both.
Like you I believe a tax hike is needed. McClure is simply seeing how far Brown will go in hanging out his fellow Rs to twist in the wind. His missive really has nothing to do with the tax hike and everything to do with leadership. Brown called himself a new captain at the drifting ship of Northampton County, but he has let everyone down, with the possible exception of J.B. Reilly.
ReplyDeleteThe teaparty excuses go on. Your boys raised taxes. How proud you must be.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats really, really suck.
ReplyDelete"His missive really has nothing to do with the tax hike ..."
ReplyDeleteNo. Lamont's long called the cash reserve a slush fund. He's being consistent. No tax hike is needed.
This guy is more interested in scoring cheap political points and pandering than actually governing. If he truly supported Gracedale and the employee unions as he claims, then failed Executive candidate Lamont would have done the responsible thing and supported the tax increase. Had Gracedale been sold there would be no need for a tax increase. Instead this non-core function McClure champions will run a $7.8 million deficit and need $10 million in additional capital improvements.
ReplyDelete1:51 you sure do throw out numbers, now back them up.
ReplyDeleteNo problem.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.northamptoncounty.org/northampton/lib/Northampton/depts/fiscalaffairs/2015propbudget.pdf
page 164 and 183.
all is well in Lehigh county
ReplyDelete"1:51 you sure do throw out numbers, now back them up."
ReplyDelete1:51 DID back up the numbers which have been widely available for months.
The problem is Gracedale, a non-core function that most fiscally responsible counties no longer perform. And guess what? Their seniors haven't been thrown onto the street. They're receiving better care at higher rated facilities that receive higher reimbursements.
Again, the problem is Gracedale, stupid. We were warned and didn't heed the warning. Now, we throw county employees onto the street to beg for medical care and raise taxes on the elderly and working poor of the county.
What a pandering, partisan, schmuck of a stance to take.
ReplyDeleteWill we have options in next year's election, primary or General? I really don't care, D or R, I only hope a less partisan responsible candidate willing to take on his money sources throws their hat in the ring.
McClure is normally a maroon. This time he looks pretty damn smart, and it's Brown giving him these opportunities.
ReplyDeleteWhich tells you Brown is a bigger maroon than McClure is, to allow himself to get played this badly.
Ah, politics. Glad I live in Northampton County and Scott Ott no longer does.
The Banker
Sorry I live in Lehigh County.
ReplyDeleteThe Banker
all is well in Lehigh county
ReplyDeleteBaloney. Cedarbrook is losing just as much money (if not more) and even Muller's creative accounting cannot hide that fact. From a capital needs standpoint it's in much worse shape than Gracedale. Enjoy your Happy Meal.
This political banter and testing is getting the county nowhere. If McClure wanted to be a leader then he would have also came out and said a tax increase is needed. He championed keeping Gracedale, well that money has to come from somewhere. Also where is the leadership against the budget? All council members voted unanimously to screw the worker with Brown's health care increase. This will be remembered on Election Day.
ReplyDeletePay as we go or get hit later.UNLESS any entity can unload COSTS. Now some folks will be replaced by software and some will retire and we don't need to replace them. But the BIG PICTURE is that we need to let great employees down with some amount of grace. WE don't need to be redundant in government ,as technology increases the market place for labor will change too. Today we don't need to have as many people on a typewriter per say . EXAMPLE; I want to get a DEADBEAT DADDY on his pay , it should not matter where he is , push the button s and he should pay, don't need to see him ,just take it.
ReplyDeleteYou goo Lamont. The Republican tax increase is unnecessary. Do these people allow themselves to be run by a blog. No backbone. They have betrayed the people who voted for them.
ReplyDeleteOMG you know a tax increase is needed! Were is the money to pay the bills gonna come from? Dont be stupid it is needed, it was needed years ago. Only way to not need it is to cut services. The widow in Cherryville does not want that and neither does the guy in williams township. Please either get rid of services OR PAY FOR THEM!
ReplyDeleteStoffa inherited a $60 million dollar surplus and burned though all of it.
ReplyDelete"The Republican tax increase is unnecessary"
ReplyDeleteIf what you are smoking is legal, please share. The only reason Democrats didn't vote for it is they are up for re-election. Everyone should have voted for it. But that is politics.
The budget was cut over $16m and it wasn't enough. Either hack more services, or pay your way. I prefer the latter. I don't like locked doors and empty desks when I go to the county for help.
Some pudgy guy loiters around in the basement and looks like he owns (or built) the place, but I don't think he works there or could be of much help.
8:16PM Yeah Stoffa went through 60 million that included 19 million poured into Gracedale after voters said they wanted to keep it plus the annual county contribution of 7 million of annual county contribution that will soon go over 10 million. This is where the money went. Get over it and pay for Gracedale.You wanted it. You got it.
ReplyDelete"The only reason Democrats didn't vote for it is they are up for re-election. Everyone should have voted for it. But that is politics" 8:23
ReplyDeleteYes, everyone should have voted for it. However, I agree it was far easier for the GOP to vote for it in this one year of opportunity, but it was also an easy gimmick vote for McC, Kraft, et al, because they knew it would pass...in other words, there was no consequence to voting "no" and only some perceived benefit to appeal to the "don't tax me no matter how much its needed" crowd.
Yet, I could see the political reasons for it--the way the GOP beats them up as "tax and spend Dems". Or should I say, I could have seen it, until McClure opened his mouth. Now it just comes across as insultingly patronizing, not leadership.
With the games McC is playing, one of the GOP councilpersons should have voted no to force the Dems to make responsibility at least partially bipartisan by making at least one Dem vote for the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteOne of the Ds should have voted for it. That encourages a more bipartisan approach.
ReplyDeleteBoy, even though he'd be hanging his fellow GOP out, McClure's brilliance probably just made Brown seriously consider a veto to make Council act in a bipartisan manner for the responsible tax increase, and yet be able to campaign that HE never raised taxes....good job Lamont. Otherwise, if they don't vote for an override all the county personnel he claims to love are going to feel it even more.
ReplyDeleteI hope Brown vetoes it. Not one Democrat will change their vote. They didn't promise no tax increase, the Republicans did and now they broke their promise.
ReplyDeleteIf Brown vetoes there is no reason for any person to change their vote. The Executive manages the county and he has presented his budget. End of story.
That's untrue. Be honest. No R prmises he would not raise taxes. The only one to make that promise was McClure.
ReplyDeleteOh, enough already McClure. You could use that song and dance EVERY time there is a needed tax increase. I personally am pretty tired of the $100 or so increase is going to push someone over the edge into eating cat food. It's not unusual for our elderly parents to sell their properties and live in a more modest arrangement if they didn't properly save for retirement.
ReplyDeleteBO 7:00am You are right McClure promised not to raise taxes but wrong about Brown. He actually said he was "the only candidate you could trust to LOWER taxes!" I have the mailer to prove it. McClure is a hypocritical blowhard who wants his cake and eat it too. He wants Gracedale to remain in County hands, better benefits for employees, no tax increase but never talks about how to do any of it. He is a clown, but the only once worse is Brown. I have come to expect it from McClure but Brown is the Exec and needs to held to a higher standard. Brown is awful and not anything like he put himself out there to be. The voters were duped.
ReplyDelete11:59. Why should he tell you how he planned to do it? Why should anybody give John Brown pointers on how to do his job. People have good ideas all the time but if they don't come from Cathy Allens brain, he doesn't listen
ReplyDelete