Blogger's Note:Opinions Online is a regular Saturday feature. If you'd like to express your opinion on any topic, click on the Opinions Online button on my left sidebar. You can also call 385-325-2564. In addition to these submissions, I sometimes highlight comments from throughout the week and re-publish them here.
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What's the plan for re-use of the Allentown State Hospital property? I recall 3 years ago there was talk of the state wanting to sell it, but if it hasn't sold by now, they want too much money? Will it sit and rot for the rest of eternity? That property has a lot of potential uses, if it can be bought at a price reasonable enough. It is very rare to find a property of that size in a city that isn't an industrial brownfield.
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Regarding the "Medical Marijuana bill"...
Just what we need. Another bloated government bureaucracy. What is this new bureaucracy going to cost us? We don't need to keep finding new ways to increase revenue streams. We need to look for ways to decrease and cut bloated, overreaching, out of control government spending. The government should not be in the drug dispensing business; just like it should not be in the alcohol business. Even though the state control of alcohol is different than the medical marijuana legislation, it still creates a new bureaucracy surrounding the dispensing and sale of a product. Determining a medicine is appropriate for certain conditions is not a proper function of government. It is an issue the medical community should address. It's not about being "compassionate" to those who may anecdotally benefit medically from the use of "medical marijuana". It is really all about the money. - Jeff
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Does anyone know why the Bethlehem police has stopped putting it's crime logs online? There have been no posts from 11/6/2015 except for one on 11/20 saying they were transitioning to a new system. Was the department unable to get the new system working, or are they just trying to keep us in the dark?
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The Bethlehem PD hasn't put the police "blotters" on their blog since sometime last fall. I recall at the time they said this was due to a computer system "upgrade". It takes 6+ months to upgrade a computer system? What gives?
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Blogger's reply: In response to the above two comments, I spoke with Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio last week. He told me the reason the blotter has not published is because there's been no crime. "I'm doing pretty good, aren't I?" he joked. He told me the software changes, which will catch private information like social security numbers, are the reason for the delay. He expects things will be back to normal within 30 days.
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I don't trust Hillary Clinton because of the allegations that have come out against her. I voted against her. She should not be elected. I don't trust her to be in The White House. I wouldn't even trust her to be the mayor of my town.
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Are the efforts of Bethlehem Area Schools and their individual PTA non profit fund raising dollars, worthy of spending those locally earned wages on a borderline Morman religious program called "Leader In Me"? Thousands of dollars have already been spent by the Bethlehem Area School District via questionable grants and PTA dollars. It's scary what this kool-aid is doing to some staffers.
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There is no question in my mind, Donald Trump, if Republican nominee, has the best chance to defeat Hillary Clinton. Keeping the Clintons out of the White House remains a top priority. That's Obama, Part 2.
If we get back to having three, co-equal branches of government, with honest, untainted people in Congress, anyone elected new President can be managed and limited to just one term. But, therein lies the problem. We don't!
Our legislative branch has been corrupted. Over the past eight years, those who supposedly serve us in the House and Senate have FAILED. They've lost focus.
Remaining IN office is what guides them, not you and I.
No matter who you prefer as new President, it is essential to clean out all incumbent politicians in the House and Senate. At least, most of them.
Doesn't matter if you choose a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or other. All that matters is, someone NEW gets a chance.
American democracy, liberty, and freedom are in decline. Those now in office, through their actions and in-actions have placed our futures in jeopardy.
Now that President Obama has said there is no difference between Communism and Capitalism, we need to build a better team . . . . quickly!
Fred Windish
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56 comments:
Thanks for the follow-up on my comment regarding the Bethlehem police blotters.
To Fred Windish: I support Trump but am very fearful of what the establishment (who I would love to see get crushed) will do in order to keep their status quo and prevent an "outsider" from getting the nomination. I see some last-minute funny business happening, which will only serve to throw the win to Hillary.
No crime in Bethlehem! My Goodness. We all need to move there.
Saturday's front page news story highlights state's involvement in marijuana. The above writer makes good points about one more state agency and all the expenses that go along with it not to mention the mess with liquor sales.
Get used to hearing Hillary's shrill voice and barking for the next four years. The R's are handing her the nomination on a sliver platter. The only thing that can stop Hillary is her indictment.
Don't worry ! Mrs. Clinton will not be indicted with this Administration.
I can't stand Hillary. But only one poll in ten months shows her losing to Trump. In fact, all but that one show her crushing Trump in the general. In fairness, Reagan trailed Carter by 20 points in most polls this far out from the general. But right now, it looks like a walk for Hillary.
All you Hillary haters are going to have to get used to her as President. All your hate, spewing of lies and conspiracy theories, prejudices and just plain lunacy won't matter. By nominating one of the crazy people running for the Republican nomination you will go from a hated, black President to a more hated woman President. How's that feel? The best part is that all of your hateful rhetoric gave rise to the likes of Trump and Cruz and now you have to live with the failures you created. Nice job angry old white people.
7:49 AM -
You are indeed correct! The politicians currently IN office will gladly accept a Hillary as President just to keep their own privilege and influence intact. Best reason to vote them out.
I am on record predicting the Republican Party slimeballs WILL be successful in defeating Trump at their national convention. Both Kasich and Cruz are remaining in the Primaries just to shave delegates from Trump. As it is, Trump will just barely reach the 1237 required. The delegate process has already been engineered away from him.
The stage is set, I think, for Paul Ryan to enter as a White Knight and be the party's nominee. This will ensure a Hillary victory because Trump's large and dedicated voting block will stay home, choose a Libertarian, or simply write in Trump's name. If incumbent politicians used their heads, they'd realize it's safer for them to stay out of the way, be re-elected as part of the Trump wave, then deal with him later.
This is a fascinating election cycle. Honestly, I can see this being the LAST election in which average citizens have a voice. Too complex to discuss here, but America is in serious trouble.
Fred Windish
The Leader in Me program is excellent. Our children benefit from this type of life skills training. More schools should "sharpen the saw" by including this type of endeavor.
Man all these Hillary haters crack me up.The republicans put us in the dumps and try to stop anything from helping the people recover all they care about is taking care of their rich buddies.
9:20's ugly and inappropriate comments are all too common in the discourse of today's Democrats. Real anger issues here, and this after seven years of having their guy in charge.
Scott Armstrong
It will truly delicious to see the heads of conservatives spin totally off when Hillary Clinton, a Clinton AND a woman, is elected president. Will they continue for the next 8 years with the steady diet of obstruction that they insisted on for the previous 8 years? The Republican Party made its bed and can rot in it, in my view.
12:36 Scott Armstrong: The victimization routine you Republicans do whenever your best laid plans go off the tracks is beyond amusing. The years, and even decades, of Republican attacks against "liberals", "progressives", "secular humanists", "socialists", etc are OK with you. But let someone call out the Republican hate machine and all of a sudden you are wounded? Cut me a break!
You Republicans made the mess you are in and you have to deal with the consequences. Stop whining, grow a pair and man up. The Republican establishment armed the peasants with pitch forks, stirred them up about phony issues and turned them loose on society with their tri-cornered hats hung with tea bags. It's your problem. You fix it. I'm just going to watch and laugh.
Oh, and Scott Armstrong? Fecal matter happens!
I am not going to allow religious intolerance. Make your point without bigotry.
Hate radio+ Fox News+ decades= Tea party=Trump.
No surprise!
Trump has been winning in open primary states where Democrats are switching parties by the thousands to vote for Trump. In closed primary states, he loses. The mainstream of the Republican party is working to defeat him. Trump is a product of the same racist Democratic Party tradition from slavery through Woodrow Wilson to George Wallace and Robert Byrd. Trump had been a lifelong Democrat. In the political game, Democrats have bested the Republican establishment and mainstream. From a moral standpoint, always racist Dems have nominated their bigot on the Republican ticket.
Are you serious? It is hard to believe that anybody could spout such stupid stuff. Can't expect much more from a party that denies science I guess.
Ano9n 4:54 I never thought the teabaggers could rationalize Trump as well as you just did. Thank you for your verification of the "hate media" theory of Trump.
You guys create your narrative and are happy to live there regardless of reality. Amazing.
Bill K.
By the way all the racist Dem's form the south became Republicans over fifty years ago. So sorry, you own them and have done nothing to dissuade them form their views. You got them in your southern strategy and love their votes.
Much like the mess in Iraq, you own them.
If some Dems are crossing over to vote for Trump my guess is that they are outnumbered, by far, by ignorant, hate filled Republicans who haven't gotten over the fact that a black guy was elected President -- twice -- and now a woman is likely to win. It doesn't compute so, go to default line of reasoning-- all Dems are bad! The fact is that millions more Republicans than crossover Dems are voting for Trump because they want a white, authoritarian leader to put the "others" (like me) back in their place. That has been a Republican goal for decades and now they can't control the candidate they crafted. Release the Kracken!
Interesting that the stop Trump super pack put out the add with trumps wife, with vote Cruz added, national inquirer story was from an ex Rubio strategist, probably part of the Bush boys attempt to kill off both Cruz and Trump, they tried that early in the campaign, why they took http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/ted-cruz-sex-scandal-mistresses-cheating-claims/ the bait now, I cannot tell. Most of the people working in the Stop trump campaign are former bush and Romney people. They will stop at nothing to put them both down.
"Trump has been winning in open primary states where Democrats are switching parties by the thousands to vote for Trump"
Trump HAS been winning open primary states and smug Dems who sneer at someone for pointing it out aren't helping themselves. Dems and, more importantly, independents, have been voting for him while idiots think they can prevent it by denying it.
Right now, Trump is the odds on favorite, not for the R nomination, but the presidency. I despise his politics, but I believe in democracy and that's the way it works. The only way he can lose no, in my view, is if he loses more women. That might happen as hea lienates just about all of them.
I never believe polls. Odds makers in London and Vegas are far more accurate, historically. They all like Hillary's chances.
About 10 years ago, the Legislature passed a law allowing the State Hospital to be used for age-restricted housing. However, the land was not transferred from the State at that time, and the law expired. Some people have looked at it, but few of the empty buildings are reusable (they were not in great shape decades ago), and much of the land is very steep.
If the Brussels bombers had been Palestinian, committing their murders in Israel, there would probably have been a statement issued from the White House; something about "both sides needing to show restraint" before adding that "all terrorism is horrendous."
The victims of Islamic terror are not given any of Obama's time because they do not fit his overall plan. The same is true for the jailed freedom fighters in Cuba or the Iranian poets who have been condemned to death.
For Obama, these are not good victims because they were not killed or jailed at the hands of Israel or America. They were not persecuted by the West, so Obama cannot afford to let them matter.
Imagine Winston Churchill refusing to say "Hitler." And then think how Hitler would interpret Churchill's silence.
If our national defenders are not allowed to say "Muslim" or "jihad," all completely accurate words, we have already surrendered in the mind of the enemy.
This is why Obama and the Democrats will never, never say the word "jihad." They have the childlike superstitious belief that not saying the bad word will make the threat disappear.
It is not surprising that President Obama has trouble choosing between communism and capitalism.
After all, he was an admirer of Cuba’s universal health care system and education model. And he obviously enjoys the company of Raoul Castro, smiling, and joining him for the wave at the ballgame, and posing with him in front of a Che Guevara monument, all while Belgians are picking up the debris of massacred humans including several Americans.
6:27, I've seen two oddsmakers giving it to Clinton and two others betting on Trump. I'm following betfair.
2:17, man up, grow a pair and sign your name. Otherwise you are just another sniveling liberal coward. Scott. Armstrong
Scott, Look at the comment. The comment at 2:17 just attacks your position and Republicans in general. So I allowed it. But I understand your sensitivity bc many comments do go after you personally and i deleted one or two.
I am pleased to read so many comments on the year's "Trump Effect." Unfortunately, some posters need to get up to speed on the problems America is facing. The present challenge facing our nation has nothing to do with being a Democrat, Republican, or member of any other group. It's also not about racism or the fear of having a woman as President.
This election is about maintaining NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY. Determining if America remains it OWN country, guided by its OWN leaders, as elected by its OWN citizens.
There is an emerging philosophy being promoted to combine separate nations into larger groupings. A larger grouping NOT controlled by individual electorates, but rather, multi-national panels. Such has already been achieved with the present European Union (EU). In just a few short years, that EU grouping is already starting to come apart. The next grouping being attempted involves Canada, America, Mexico, all joined as one into a new North American Union.
There is a REASON our borders have been left wide open for the past four years. There is a REASON for the Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement, the existing NAFTA, the loss of jobs to immigrants. There is a REASON for the Climate Change regulations and new carbon taxes on what we do. A REASON why our nation's Constitution is being softened. A plan is being carried out, piece by piece. Those in government leadership positions want to please the banking and technology conglomerates who hope to profit without the bounds of nation-based laws, currencies, and wages.
No, fellow readers, this election is NOT about being a Democrat or a Republican. It's about keeping America as it always was. Choose wisely. Especially if you or a family member is age 50 and younger.
Fred Windish
If you can't comment without insulting someone, don't bother at all.
Watching the news and I'm seeing that Hillary Clinton is being slaughtered by Bernie Sanders and Trump is beating Cruz everywhere without a caucus or a lot of Mormons.
And I'm supposed to believe Trump can't beat Hillary? Not making sense.
I think the only Dixiecrat to switch parties was Thurman. There may have been another. Byrd and Gore and the bunch held on. This Dem switching thing is born of historic ignorance, like the Big Lie about Jews.
I am aware of the talking points to proclaim this is a myth. The reality is that Southern Dems became Southern Republicans, starting in the 1990s. There were several prominent Ds who switched to R or became independents prior to this switch. You completely missed George Wallace.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Democrats
The historical connotation is with the 1980 election, where Ronald Reagan attracted many disollusioned Democrats away from President Carter. Also the 1984 election where Reagan did the same against Senator Mondale. These were the so-called "Reagan Democrats". Today Donald Trump is doing the same with many Democrats who are disillusioned with Hillary Clinton. However, the analogy is not identical.
In 1980, Governor Reagan was an "outsider", as George H.W. Bush was the GOP Establishment's favorite for it's presidential nominee. Reagan a majority of delegates at the convention, and by choosing Bush as his VP selection, united the party against Carter. Along with the "Reagan Democrats", this was more than sufficient to win the fall 1980 election.
In 2016, Trump has not yet united the GOP, so even if there are "Trump Democrats", as of now, they may not be sufficient to win the fall election.
Bernie, when someone writes grow a pair and man up they need to be man enough to sign their name to it,otherwise they are just run of the mill cowards. Scott Armstrong
Amazing how the teabaggers live in their own reality. Devoid of logic and reason, they just live on hate and paranoia.
That is the result of comfort zone history and ala carte facts.
Sad for the future.
Trump is wild but he actually shields the right-wing religious fanatic Ted Cruz, who in some ways is more bizzare than Trump.
Reduced to its base level, this election comes down to choosing Hillary Clinton or someone from the remaining list. That means picking 1 from 4 alternatives.
If your choice IS Hillary, you're all set. But, if your choice is NOT Hillary, who among the four others has the best chance to beat Hillary AND win a national election?
Because I surely don't want to see Hillary & Bill in the White House again, if Trump is the eventual nominee, he'll get my vote in November, either as a write-in or third party option. Anyone else loses in November.
Fred Windish
The Leader in Me (you) is a marketing fraud / pyramid scheme, sucking up local tax dollars for an out of state religious scam:
http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/problems-with-leader-in-me
Unless she is indicted, Hillary Clinton probably has the muscle to win the Democratic nomination. The question is how many Bernie Sanders supporters will be disgusted and stay home.
Sanders almost certainly is positioning himself to take the nomination if Mrs Clinton is indicted, and will have a strong argument that the party must turn to him, not Joe Biden or some other hasty substitution.
So thousands of Republicans are pettioning to be allowed to take their guns to the Republcan Convention and Trump is saying if he isn't given the nomination there will be riots. Interesting recipe for a "lively" convention, no?
The latest revelation in what must be called a mass security email catastrophe is that Defense Secretary Ash Carter used his personal email account for government business for nearly a year.
This sort of nonsense implies rot at the top. I believe that Obama himself put up a stink when he first entered office about having to give up his Blackberry. With such lax communications security, is it any surprise the Russians and Chinese are running rings around the Obama Administration ?
After all the best way to find out what the Obama minions are thinking is to read their email.
Please people! Enough with the right wing conspiracy theories about how Hillary is going to be indicted for emails. Read this: http://reverbpress.com/extra/republicans-angry-about-what-fbi-found-clinton-email/
It sure looks like a lot of you are progressing (or regressing)from Obama derangement syndrome to Hillary derangement syndrome. It must be exhausting to be steeping in a marinade of hate all the time.
When the truth is inconvenient the right wing tea baggers just ignore it and create their own reality.
@1:15 The Justice Department will never indict Hillary Clinton as Obama has thoroughly politicized it.
However, as more details emerge, it seems that Hillary Clinton has already been indicted, possibly convicted, in many voters minds.
Bernie's supporters are freeloading lemmings. If he loses to Hillary, he will graciously throw his support behind her and urge his blind followers to do the same. They won't be disgruntled since Hillary has already moved left with her viewpoint on economic equality (rob from the rich), free college tuition (don't worry about finding a job after college, just move back home) and single payer health care (let's bankrupt Medicare for the seniors who earned it). She is "Bernie Light" now, but will be a socialist champion by November.
As a parent of two girls who attend a BASD Leader in Me school I want to defend the program. First and foremost the PTA is not directed by the district and can and does spend its money how it chooses based on the needs of the students. The parents at my child's school are generous and work to incorporate what they learn into enrichment and other program for families.
The Leader in Me program is wonderful. My children use the skills they learn from the program in school and in life. People who know me know my daughters do Irish Dance, those skills have made my daughters confident, courteous and responsible. They use the habits to balance school work and their extra curricular activities. It is what we should all want for our children.
Because Stephen Covey has developed a great set of lessons and rules that I and several other successful people use does not make make for a Mormon endoctrination conspiracy in our schools. I have read all the books and nowhere does religion play a roll. I would be the first person to stand up and question it as I believe firmly in separation of church and state.
That said, stating that Stephen Covey's books create Mormons because he is one would be like saying because I read and article by Stephen Schwartz (Muslim columnist) in the Wall Street Journal I am somehow being converted away from my catholic faith.
I welcome people to look at the programs in the BASD before casting anonymous dispersions on them. One might be surprised.
I had to delete the first comment in this matter, which was a direct attack on the Mormon faith. I allowed the second comment, but given your reaction, probably should have deleted that as well.
Congrats on what your daughters do. I love to cover sports, but dance and other extracurricular activities are equally important. I credit you and your wife for all the time (and money) you have spent so your daughters can follow their dreams. It's like AAU basketball, with competitions all over the country.
What a bunch of angry, angry Democrats here
How much money has been spent on the program in your school Stephen? Is your school spreading the word for other schools to pay the fee?
Does anyone remember Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol(worse possible singer)?
Vote for Sanjaya, vote for the worst possible person in order to bring down the show. Expose it for what it is, a sham.
That's the Trump vote, I only wish I could vote twice.
Although Trump has been floating the idea of running for decades, I believe this was the catalyst this time.
Trump got into a spat with Bill Maher over something Bill had said about Trump's father being an orangutan. Trump of course sued Bill Maher and at the end of one of Bill's shows "Real-time with Bill Maher", Bill scolded Trump saying the legal system is not a toy for rich people to play with.
In response, Trump is not only showing Bill Maher, and the rest of us, that the legal system is a toy for the rich to play with, but so is the political system as well, and Trump is doing it, using Bill Maher's schtick, about being "Politically Incorrect" the name of Bill's first show.
It's all a show folks....vote for the worst.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/18/the-devil-and-hillary-clinton/
Excellent essay! Rob Urie's "The devil and Hillary Clinton".
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