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| Cathy Allen |
Council turned Brown down when he wanted to name Allen as his Director of Administration. In response, he gave Allen a secret and possibly illegal payraise from from $57,460 to $65,603, with no authority from Council. He then raised her pay even higher, to $68,554.93, because Allen was performing Human Relations functions. At this point, it's unclear whether her salary is $65,603 or $68,554.93, but it's still two to three times more than many of the County employees working under her.
In addition to these payhikes, Allen and Brown both began charging the County for travel expenses and meals. That ended when both were cited by Controller Steve Barron in 2014 for charging the County approximately $1,500 in expenses to which they were not entitled. The money was paid back, but Brown then rewarded Allen with the use of a county car.
Unknown to most at the time of her hire was that there are two federal tax liens on record against Allen, from 2008 and 2011, for a total of $57,475.00. They are indexed against Allen under the name Catherine Allen Klages, and this would not be seen by a person looking for matters filed against Catherine Allen.
In September, the state Department of Revenue also filed a lien against Allen, indexed as Allen-Klages, for $1,578.00.
When it rains, it pours.In October, the Bank of New York started foreclosure proceedings against Allen, under the name Allen-Klages, for the nonpayment of a $211,000 mortgage placed against her home in Bangor. Records show that she purchased that home in 2002 for $120,000.Between then and now, she has mortgaged the property nine times. In addition to the $211,000 mortgage, she has another open loan with Household Realty for $67,000. She owes $278,000 on a property that, according to County assessment records, is worth $201,474.00.
Allen failed to return a call seeking comment.
63 comments:
Yikes! How in the world did you find this out? Are the tax payers paying for gas for this vehicle? Is it used from home to office? Great reporting.
She •has• to have pictures of Brown in bed with a live boy or a dead woman. After months of reading about this chucklehead, that's the only thing that makes sense.
I don't think she is playing games with the county car, and she apparently does not use it to commute.
Why the intense scrutiny? Did someone put you up to this to further sabotage John Brown? People within the Party think it was Ron Angle. Is that possibly true?
One could do a very long story about his past financial and other dealings with people. It would be a much more fascinating read than this small story. Do you agree?
12:17,
comment of the week!!!!!
John has no choice now but to send her packing. Auditor General, laughable if this is true it shows his ability to make good choices.
Wishing there was a "like" button for 12:17. I literally LOL'd
If only John had 10 more of her . . .
This is why my employer runs a credit check (using their SSN) on any potential hire who would be managing a budget or handling funds in any manner. If they can't successfully manage their own finances, why trust them with company money?
In other news, Bert Daday has passed away.
Rumor has it, the airport board is having a wax dummy of him made to retain his board seat, and will not be considering anyone from the general public.
Take a look at her house. It's a pigsty. It is a nuisance property thats looks like shit! the front porch roof collapsed 2 years ago and still isn't fixed.
What scumbags!!
Obviously she needs another raise.
Interesting that there are "NO" Bangor Borough properties listed on the county website for the Dec 11 sheriff sales?
What a crook! Absolutely no principles and amazingly she holds a high level position in this administration. She knowingly cheated on her travel expense reports and Brown approved them. What should we expect from a person who doesn't pay her mortgage or taxes? Yet Brown the Clown defends her like she is Mother Theresa. Allen is a disgrace and Norco taxpayers, who pay her bloated salary, should demand her removal.
Maybe Madame x could help Allen with a fund raiser
it just goes to show you...it doesn't matter who is in control or what party is in control. they are all crooks, who could care less about the hard earned tax payer dollars they routinely piss away .
Now , I get it, when the People cry, "it is time to take back the country/govt ".
"Interesting that there are "NO" Bangor Borough properties listed on the county website for the Dec 11 sheriff sales?"
This won't go for a few months. The IRS has to be served with the complaint.
4:51, This story has nothing to with Ron Angle or your intense hatred of him and John Stoffa. He is not my source. People like you are what is wrong. Instead of listening to the message, you can't get past the messenger.
"John has no choice now but to send her packing. "
Hopefully, she is considered an exempt employee and NOT career service. If that is the case, we are stuck with her after Brown is gone. Personally, I do not consider her financial plight a basis for firing her. It's a basis from keeping her away from any decisions on how to save money ans make the county more efficient. Because she is essentially Brown's #2, and he actually once designated her as his go-to person in his absence, this story needed to be told. But I know many people who are hard workers and very honest who have financial problems. Many of the best of us have these problems, and Allen may be a victim of her past.
My advice to her would be to find a nice, inexpensive apartment to rent, perhaps closer to the courthouse or in the area of Nazareth or Bethlehem Tp since she spends time at Gracedale and at the Human Services building, too. The drive to and from her home in Bangor is 150 miles per week. Her home is worth less than what she owes and there is no logical reason for her to stay at a place she is unable to afford. She will take a credit hit, but i suspect her credit is bad anyway.
This comes as no surprise at all. Brown and his band of self-appointed adminstration idiots have made one bad move after another. They don't research anything. That Allen can't handle even her own finances - it is no surprise considering her job performance and that of her peers.
12:55, let's not be sexist.
Allen' s position is exempt. If Brown is not re-elected, you can bet that he will find a career service position for her on the way out. She deserves NO sympathy. She is unqualified for he present position and is robbing county taxpayers every day she collects a pay check. She is arrogant and ruthless. Not sure why you are trying to throw her a bone, Bernie. She doesn't deserve any sympathy.
I agree she should have no role beyond that of a clerk. I felt that way from the beginning, and did call for a background check of her several years ago, when abrown first brought her on board, bc there are numerous old judgments in her past.
I guess all of this hate you spew makes you feel good about yourself. In todays political world hate sells.
This is not hate. This is truth. This is something the public needs to know. This is something you would prefer they did not know.
@2:23 What is there to not hate about politics in 2015? Also, it is you that is spewing the hate. Check yourself.
At the local level we can clearly see the corruption. Allentown, Bethlehem, Lehigh and Northampton Counties. We have been sold out!
Bernie, I'm once again shocked that people like this get hired by politicians to do work that they are not qualified to do. Shocked by the quality of people working in government jobs.
Look at the qualifications of the Allentown City Controller, Mary Ellen Koval. Whoa! I guess Pawlowski and Brown know exactly who to hire.
You people are so mesmerized by O'Hare's message you can't see how he manipulates his "news" to protect some officials while spewing hate for others. It is a well known fact for years in Northampton County. He then flips the script to call those who call him out the haters.
Brown knew exactly who he was hiring when he appointed Allen. A tax cheat who bamboozled Bangor voters by electing her to borough council. There, she conived with Brown and their evil axis was formed. He selected her to be his "bad cop" and to intimidate workers in any way possible. She built a network of snirches and toadies to supply her with ways to assassinate opponents of Brown's policies. This is the most corrupt county administration ever.
Snitches...
Bernie, I think you wrote about this several years ago but didn't council vote against a stoffa appointee, Bruce Gilbert, for a few financial concerns that seem to be much less than the quagmire Allen has?
Stiffs withdraw the nomination as it became clear Council would not confirm. I broke that story, but only after giving Bruce ample opportunity to withdraw.
She's lucky if she gets $75k for her house- ITS A DUMP! Front porch collapsed a few years ago, garbage everywhere, no off-street parking, you have to climb many steps to reach the front door, and it overlooks an eyesore- the former blue ridge textile plant.
Darn that spelling checker, Bernie! Stoffa either becomes Stiffs or Stuffy. Either way, not complimentary...
Sounds like Allen is a train wreck. Hardly professional if she leaves her home in that condition. Sounds like she wants to walk away from the house she has neglected and leave the bank holding the bag for her unpaid mortgages. By the time it is auctioned off it will be worth half of what she paid, and owed for it. Just the kind of integrity we can expect from this administration.
I deleted a comment full of misinformation.
Bernie, you're the best reporters,
Bernie, you are the best, transparency is always the best policy, something the Brown administration I clueless
Embarrassing moment for John Brown. Running for Auditor General and you employ a person with severe financial issues?
"Brown's #2" = Good one Bernie. A double negative. LOL
Good point 8:14. His opponent's attack ad could be "Brown would hire 10 tax cheats if he could."
Excess baggage about to be jettisoned?
This is not news to Brown as he knows she is a liability yet he continues to carry her on his back. Why? Something is very amiss here. One of them has the goods on the other and I'll leave it to you to figure out who holds the sword.
Can we see a picture of this house posted?
1.08..that can be arranged..
But not by me. She is entitled to some privacy. I consider her financial troubles fair game bc of her role in the Brown administration, But i have no desire to subject her to ridicule.
You are being too kind, Bernie. But you are right. Her own actions make her subject to ridicule.
2:23 PM wake up your freaking robot. if you are not smart enough to see what is going on in regards to the political corruption, corp cronyism, and faux capitalism, you are a fool and you are exactly what the local, state and federal political criminals love. no matter what, these criminals get your votes , your support and probably your cash.you are part of the problem.
politicians do not represent the people. politicians , represent the lobbyists, special interest groups and big donors, which are all usually one in the same.
A very very wise man once said , "The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money". (You can take out the word Congress and add politicians).
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship, then a monarchy."
Variant: The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money.
Now talk to us about all the hate. Look at the mess on the local, state and federal levels and tell us all how this form of the present day govt is working for the People. CRICKETS..
If you think any of the candidates for President, Senate , House or state and local elections care about your concerns and tax dollars you are a mess or as another dirt bag once put it, you are a useful idiot.
Employee's financial indiscretions can become a matter of public right to know. She is clearly a liability to the county now as her professional credentials are publicly in question and she could make a decision that is in her own best interest but not the county. She can be bought for a price to help her own financial situation. She needs to be dismissed from county employment
2:49 you are spot on. Someone that desperate, with no integrity, is ripe for corruption. It is possible that some of the county's insurance contracts involve some form of kickback. The c3 contract in particular is fishy.
A clear conflict of interest has now been established as to her position in county government decision making. Contracts especially are ripe for corruption under her circumstances.
Thank you for the reporting Bernie. After reading we all had a metaphysical experience.
If you take cash out on equity, Is that not tax free each time , Then if you walk on the house is that taxable income -like unearned income -non-wages.
I've never in my life saw such a bitter lonely little man that wrecked his family name and now just want to wreck everyone else..you are so pathetic Bernie.So sad...
I've never in my life saw such a bitter lonely little man that wrecked his family name and now just want to wreck everyone else..you are so pathetic Bernie.So sad...
I think you've already said that.
Did councilman Kraft lose his house to foreclosure?
Ho hum. Another guilty plea in Allentown.
"Did councilman Kraft lose his house to foreclosure?"
This lie has been posted repeatedly at LVL by Fireball1950, one of the many false identities assumed by Tricia Mezzcappa. It is a blatant lie, and she knows it is a blatant lie, but she posted it in an attempt to divert attention away from Cathy Allen's financial woes.
Fire Balls posted that off topic and malicious lie, and LVL zapped it toot sweet. They have her number too. What a miserable and useless individual.
It was either three or four times. She attacked me, too. I don't want to get distracted by her nonsense. There are real stories to tell.
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