Toomey To Host $200 a Head Fundraiser For NorCo Exec John Brown

"Let me take you to
my private beach."

Tuesdays with Toomey is a weekly lunchtime ritual. This began shortly after the Presidential election. Protesters assemble outside US Senator Pat Toomey's various offices throughout the state, including his Cedar Crest Boulevard office, to demand a town hall. What they seek is accountability. Aside from a televised town hall in July, Toomey has yet to meet face-to-face with the people he represents. The cacophony of democracy is a tad too much for this former hedge fund manager. Well, let me tell you all a little secret. If you want to see Toomey, I'll tell you how.  But it's on a Wednesday.  You've been going the wrong damn day.

On Wednesday, August 23, between 5:30 and 7 pm, Toomey will be hosting a $200 a head fundraiser to support the re-election of NorCo Executive John Brown. It's at the exclusive Blue Grillhouse in verdant Bethlehem Tp.

Brown is the man who took last year off at taxpayer expense to run for state auditor general. He lost. For $500, you get to be on the host committee.For $1,000, you get to be on Brown's Finance Committee. Or you can just go there for dinner. Or stand across the street and exercise your First Amendment rights

Like two peas in a pod, Toomey hides from his constituents and Brown has failed to conduct a news conference in two years. The optics of this are lousy.

But Brown and Toomey are kindred souls. Toomey wants to repeal Obamacare while Brown slashed health benefits for county workers. Toomey ducks meetings with his constituents while Brown posted armed guards outside one of his news conferences during his disastrous first year in office.

Brown crows that he has "eliminated all deficit spending," but fails to point out that his Republican Council imposed a 10% tax hike his first year in office. He also brags about his financial success at Gracedale, which has managed to drop from four stars to just one in a federal rating of nursing homes.  He talks about fiscal responsibility, but had to reimburse the county for $1,500 in expenses that he and his Director of Administration improperly claimed.  Just as Toomey has ducked his constituents, Brown has failed to answer Lamont McClure's repeated calls for a debate.

"The consensus is that I have an excellent chance of being re-elected," Brown claims in a letter seeking money.. "Generally, the taxpayers of Northampton County believe I have done a very good job reforming County government."

Really? Take a look at the monstrosity known as the county website, which actually removed important data from the public, like meeting minutes and election results.

But what you don't know won't hurt you. And if it does, at least you won't know.