Do I think this is a bad thing? No. It's good to have choices and to have people who take an interest in their government before their government takes an interest in them. What effect this is going to have on this year's elections is anyone's guess.
At Large
Marty Zaworski, the current President of the Board despite being in his first term, is facing a stiff challenge from two former Commissioners. One of these is Paul Weiss, who is being backed by establishment Republicans like Lee Snover. Despite his loss at the hands of Breslin, Weiss has continued to attend meetings and was recently appointed to serve as the Commissioners' eyes and ears at Housenick Park. You might see him hiding behind a tree. The other challenger is Robert Birk, According to his ethics form, he has worked as a security officer. But he lists his occupation as "unemployed." Birk has from time to time sought an appointment to NorCo Council. I'm not sure whether he has backing from the tea party, but had a slew of signatures.
1st Ward
Tom Nolan, an engineer at Lehigh Heavy Forge, has two Republican opponents as well. One of them is former Commissioner Art Murphy, who works for Selvaggio and Son. The other, Wayne Buller, is definitely a tea party favorite. Regulars like Ben Hedrick, Andy Azan and Melissa Miller (significant other of NorCo Council member Seth Vaughn) are behind this campaign. Buller works in waste water treatment, so he knows all about shit.
3rd Ward
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more likable guy than Phil Barnard, a Manager at Bay Insulation. He listens, too, and has been a moderating influence on the Board. He's got two opponents, Republican Fran Blatz and Democrat Kim Jenkins. Blatz, whom I believe to be the tea-party candidate, is listed as the Pro-life leader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Jenkins is the Secretary of the Bethlehem Township Athletic Association, which Barnard has steadfastly supported during his four years as a Commissioner. .
No surprise, I have opinions on all three races, and 8 of the 9 candidates. One race, I want to learn a little more first and don't already know who I'll vote for.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the dialog. With this many candidates (3 in each Ward), and the fact that a majority of the BOC seats are up, it would be awesome if a LWV type of debate were held at Freedom or NCC instead of a campaign of fliers.
Let me see if a de ate can be arranged.
ReplyDeleteDebate, that is.
ReplyDeleteBe thankful you in BT can do all this. I care because my parents still live in the venue. Be thankful your not like Ferguson Mo. Events of late are proof they don't want lawful activities,they want disorder. They should close up city hall there and let the place collapse on itself and burn down . Then it will be over.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the story with the teabaggers? I mean many Republicans seem to move in and out of their orbit, when convenient. On one hand Ferraro is giving them money, Geissinger claims he is a favorite; then, they supposedly have no involvement with the teaparte, what's up with that?
ReplyDeleteThe baggers pushed hard for every Republican in the county races last time and their work pushed them into office. Their first budget the Republicans raised county taxes 10%. In fact the tea partee poster boy, Hayden Phillips wanted to raise them 20%. What's up with that?
Finally the teabaggers say that its OK because the Democrats would have raised the taxes higher. Yet the last county tax increase went with a majority of Republican votes and this one passed with no Democrats voting for a tax increase. So, in all honesty and in the interest of sanity, what's up with that????
Can we expect the same in Bethlehem Twp???
Peter, you can't justify the actions of the Ferguson police. They are out of control.
ReplyDeletePeter, would you defend the way business has been conducted in Fergason?
ReplyDeletePlenty of blame to go around in MO. While i don't speak for Peter, I believe he's referring to the recent unprovoked gunfire police there recently endured. 2 in the hospital.
ReplyDeleteThe DOJ report makes it pretty clear that the entire black community has been 'provoked' by the police, with the direction and support of their administration in Ferguson.
ReplyDeleteWord has it that BT is the so called laboratory for the RATS. If they can take BT, with Township resident Andy Azan calling the shots behind the scene, they can go on to bigger and better things like Judges, County Exec and so on. Think about it if they can win all three spots plus having incumbent Bresylin they will disassemble that Township in an unprecedented. Bethlehem Township will become a teabagger haven, limited if any government, guns permitted everywhere, a developer free for all, no permits for anything. The place might become like, in a wierd sense, one of those communes out in Arizona where that Warren Jeffs once lived. LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe "teabagger" comments are really getting old. I assume its the civility of the left to use this offensive term?
ReplyDeleteThe term 'teabagger' moved into prominence during the 1983 Republican 'page' scandal, because having underage boys straddle their faces and dunk their testicles in the mouths of members of our congress was the preferred sex act of these mostly GOP representatives.
ReplyDeleteThey coined it, they own it for all of eternity.
7:53 thanks for the "history" lesson. Now explain what that "mostly republican" sexual scandal has to do with a political philosophy other than trying to degrade a belief?
ReplyDeleteProbably because when something like that occurs it makes for better fodder than it would if it was reported as a member of NAMBLA. I also feel when it happens to a Christian conservative it gets reported more often and gets more traction.
ReplyDelete7:53 thanks for the "history" lesson. Now explain what that "mostly republican" sexual scandal has to do with a political philosophy other than trying to degrade a belief?
ReplyDeleteProbably because the "belief" involves religious social conservatism on issues we've move past decades ago (birth control, abortion, same sex equality), attempted armed insurrection (clowns out in Utah or wherever that was last year), morons fighting for the right to carry weapons in parks and schools, austerity actions which have proved to be more harmful than helpful, and an incessant need to cut social services.
In the word, your movement is nuts. Do you think it's just the "liberal media" that paints you this way? No, average working Americans see your positions and laugh at you.
Hopefully....that backstabbing snake doesn't get back in as commissioner. Hasn't he done enough damage????
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who that backstabbing snake is. This thread is about the tea party movement in BT, not other topics.
ReplyDelete"Word has it that BT is the so called laboratory for the RATS."
ReplyDeleteIt's simply a matter of residence.Many tea party members happen to live in BT, and their membership is trying to get control of the board.
OT comments are now being deleted.
ReplyDeleteWhat is confusing about the tea party(Taxed enough already) is that their message is just a sound bite. What is their plan other than bitching about things.
ReplyDeleteI read one of the comments about the 2013 election in the county. The tea party worked hard for the Republican candidates(even though they claim to be non-partisan) and they were all elected. The new conservative Republican county council raises taxes their first year and wanted to raise them even more.
If the tea party wants this low tax government, what's the deal. I know two of the Democrats running were as conservative if not more conservative than the Republican candidates, yet they didn't pass the Party purity test.
The entire tea party movement just comes off as a bunch of angry old boomers who are mad that life has moved past them and are mad they are not at the center of the universe.
1950 was a century ago.
It's funny. I moved to BT over a decade ago and I don't think my taxes have raised at all - at least in any substantial amount. I would actually encourage taxes to go up a bit to make up for lost revenue as development tapered off. The place could need some improvement considering some of the wealth that resides there.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the Tea Partiers complaining about?
Anon 3'03 and 5'47 No I will not give any answers of my opinion as to why.,because I don;t know first hand and media plays games with stories. I will ASK WHY our Asian Indians and Koreans are not protesting Police behavior toward them? ....Just answer the question ,why don't they protest at 0 dark 30 too and have the police in riot gear-Why? Bt your all in good hands there,had some real smart people on the board in past ,relatively.
ReplyDelete8:40, It's not about any issue. The RATs want control.
ReplyDeletePeter the groups you speak of were not brought as slaves to this country and remained so for hundreds of years. Then Jim Crow. Society was conditioned to see them as sub-human and lesser, dangerous beings. The heritage of hate and despair is not something you can change by flipping a switch. You really need to stop and think at a deeper level than just knee-jerking along.
ReplyDeleteThe 21st Century
4'16 Anon"I need to think " deeper? Well you are short here.Slavery was not born here on U.S.soil and Whites have been slaves too. -what is your point ? Nobody in Ferguson or Newark Jersey knew any slaves in this country. Your inference of my demeanor is derogatory as I for one support Afro-American hiring and equality and belong to and have belong to the NAACP for years. My no. is 108116861-M-My fathers Uncle Clarence Darrow helped to form them.
ReplyDeleteConsider 'PRISONERS OF WAR"no body was under the thumb more than this group,yet Italians and Germans chose to stay here after the -Revolutionary War, and The Seconded Great War or WW2 . Why was this? Because this was and is the land of opportunity. We live here in relative safety compared to the rest of the world. We live in a humble neighborhood, we watch out of the other all the time . No body breaks in here -you would take a great risk for being shot if you did. Kids play outside and people help with your snow and life goes on here.It's the American Dream - stick to principles ,help your kids in school and pay your god damn taxes and retire then die. Thats it.
ReplyDelete