When I say Doctor Paige, I mean a real Doctor. Not a Juris Doctor. Not a Ph.D. Not a Doctor of Divinity. Not a witch doctor. An honest-to-goodness doctor. The kind who can give me lots of drugs.
Sometimes I think Bethlehem City Council needs lots of drugs. Sometimes I think they've already ODed.
Dr. Wirt apparently agrees with my diagnosis (I'm a Juris Doctor, you know). I had the opportunity to sit down with her this weekend to discuss her campaign.
Here's my takeaway
1) She's an idealist. In a world infested with backroom politicians and a culture of corruption, she's an idealist who strongly believes that a City Council has an obligation to listen and engage the people who address them. If you've ever attended a meeting, you've seen the opposite. The egg-timer goes on as a person approaches the podium, and President Willie Reynolds is either poker-faced or wears a pained expression. Questions go unanswered After the meetings, Council members have little interest in talking to most citizens who speak during courtesy of the floor.
As someone who has covered many municipal bodies over the years, I'd say Bethlehem City Council is among the best. But it really needs to work on public comment. Council members have told me that they want to interact, but are concerned they would be taking time away from the speaker. Also, the citizen should have the floor.
But when they sit there, stone-faced, Council members give every impression that they have no regard for the public and are going to do what they want.
2) She's serious. - When I met her, she had a map and papers spread out in front of her, containing voter addresses. The Democratic party refused to give her VoteBuilder, so she and her husband managed to come up with their own list. It seems to be better. She has been going door-to-door, the most effective campaign technique there is, and gave me one of her door tabs with a magnet. She is running to win, but of she falls short, she'll be back.
3) She has municipal education and experience. - Long before she became a doctor, she had a deep interest in city government. She worked on municipal projects in Boston. There she was taught to harness development so that it results in some tangible good for the city, in addition to jobs and an increased tax base. She then earned a Master's degree in urban planning at NYU and worked in a challenging urban environment.
4) She's a reformer. - Allentown's top officials have been caught up in a political corruption prosecution, and she worries that culture of corruption is pervasive. She points to a link between developers and politicians, a point made during both the Martin Tower and Benner garage debates. She believes stronly that Bethlehem's ethics ordinance is far too weak, and tougher measures are need to prevent the appearance that developers and other vendors can buy politicians.
She pointed to Open Book Pittsburgh, a city website that has three buttons linking to city contracts, campaign finance and lobbyists. "Why can't that happen here?" she asked.
It could. In fact, that web page should be a model for other governments.
5) She's tough. - She recently attended a Bethlehem City Committee meeting, where Clyde Thomas was kind enough to let her speak even though she is not a Democratic nominee. Those meetings usually attract only about 10 people, but 30 showed up when she spoke, including Willie Reynolds.
Willie was miffed that a candidate who is not on the ballot would be allowed to speak, totally missing the fact that he was not on the ballot either. I was not there, but Dr. Van Wirt told me he got a little nasty and demanded she state who she is targeting.
She stood up to Willie and explained she is not targeting anyone. She is running for an office that is open. It's called democracy, Willie.
Dr. Van Wirt sounded like the Democrats I remember. The kind who listened to the people instead of dictating to them.
Though I live in Nazareth, I'm writing her in. She'd be an excellent servant of the people.
33 comments:
Please write in Dr Paige and don’t vote for Olga
Olga is against every project in Bethlehem and should be shown the door
Thank you
Thank you Bernie for capturing what is most exciting about the prospect of Paige serving on city council. Her qualifications especially in the areas of development and municipal finance would make her an asset on council. Bethlehem citizens deserve a choice; incumbents should not expect to be shielded from challengers.
Who would you suggest not receive a vote of the current incumbents?
While I think they all do a decent job, I would have to say Negron will lose my vote. Her ethics ordinance was a mess, and then she proceeded to vote against several ethics ordinances and good governance measures proposed by other council people.
Seems like this Paige could bring some much needed intelligence to City Council. Hopefully her bed side manner could carry over to interactions with the public.
Id vote for her over Negron any day! Negron voted over 13 times last year to not make budget cuts. All she wants to do is raise my taxes.
Bernie, this is Frank Baran from Bethlehem. Usually I find your analyses on point, but here you've been sold a bill of goods. Sure, Ms. Van Wirt has great credentials on paper. But she doesn't know Bethlehem. She arrived in the city in 2012 as an HGTV “House Hunter” celebrity.
She did not vote in the contested 2013 mayoral primary (Donchez versus Reynolds). She did not vote in the contested City Council primaries in 2015. Everyone knows that the action in Bethlehem is in the Democratic primary. (Republicans generally don't run.) Yet she skipped her party's primaries.
I’m an officer in the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee. I was eager to hear what she had to say. Right away I realized she wasn't ready for prime time. She had her facts wrong. She was misleading. She claimed City Council doesn’t have enough information to make decisions. How would she know? To my knowledge, she attended a handful of Council meetings since coming to town; I’ve been a regular at these meetings for the past five years.
Ms. Van Wirt berated Council for not having a project such as Open Data Pittsburgh. In fact, Council adopted a resolution in January authorizing such a program. I’m a citizen member of the committee that is setting up this initiative. It takes awhile to mesh three different computer systems into a single one that can produce readable, comprehensive data for public display of finances, contracts, police arrests, code enforcement actions and the like. We also are working with community nonprofits to include data that will benefit them and the city's residents. Pittsburgh can afford a big IT department. Bethlehem cannot. We do with what we have. And she apparently wasn’t aware that candidates’ financial disclosure forms already are on the city’s website.
I question whether Ms. Van Wirt, as a physician with a busy practice, has the time to spend on City Council business. Council meets at least 35 to 40 times a year in regular meetings, committee meetings, budget meetings, Committee of the Whole meetings and public hearings. In addition, individual Council members meet in the community to learn about issues of purely local concern. Will she have time for that?
Although she touts her record in municipal finance, she did not attend last week’s meeting in which the city’s outside auditor pronounced the city’s finances as sound and improving. The city had a $3.2 million surplus in 2016; four years ago it faced a $17 million five-year cumulative deficit. Has she commented favorably on the fact that the city’s bond rating was increased last week for the third time in four years?
Ms. Van Wirt claims the city’s residents have “pent-up anger and frustration” about Council. If that’s so, you’d expect a bunch of candidates to jump into the the primary election to oust the purported scoundrels. In fact, the only candidates who stepped forward were the incumbents.
Frank, I'd vote for her in a heartbeat. As a physician, Dr. Van Wirt works about 45 hours per week, giving her the time for service on Council. That was my main concern. I am disturbed about her voting record, but it is clear she has a deep and longstanding interest in local government. Not many people I know get master degrees in urban planning. As for her not moving here until 2012, that's a good thing. Bethlehem City Council is infested by insiders, and it would not hurt at all to shake things up a bit. As someone who attends nearly every meeting I've attended, you know that City Council needs to change the way it deals with people during courtesy of the floor. Though I don't think it is their intention, they need to interact a bit more. My impression is that they are responsive, but unfortunately, they do not give that impression.I just had this discussion with Bryan Callahan.He is the nicest guy in the world when you talk to him one-on-one. But in a meeting, he can appear to be hostile.
Your criticism of Dr. Van Wirt has a lot of validity. I'd suggest you help her be better. You have a lot of institutional knowledge and have the best interests of Bethlehem at heart at all times. She will likely lose her write-in campaign, but you can help her for the next time. She is among the most interesting people I've ever met.
My name is Dr. Van Wirt, to be clear. Not Ms. Van Wirt. Mr. Baran has his facts wrong. Usually I don't respond to negative commentary but these facts are wrong. I moved here in July 2015 from just below Hellertown. Thus I was unable to vote in any of the mentioned elections. This is not a fact I am afraid to point out. Involved citizens don't judge a candidate based on their length of residency in Bethlehem but by the strength of their experience, platform and their convictions. I fail to see how House Hunters has anything to do with my platform- is there something shameful in promoting Bethlehem? I was not misleading in my statement to the Bethlehem City committee- and I could have been even more vocal about my concerns, but I held back out of deference to the councilmembers in the room. I have regularly attended council meetings, and since I became concerned over Council's incredibly dismissive treatment of the Comprehensive Ethics Ordinance, frequently spoke at Council meetings. Mr. Baran, how would you even know if I was at a council meeting- you just met me. Authorizing a resolution for a Tranparency program is meaningless without actual work on implementing one, and no data on this progress has been presented to the citizens. I hope there has been progress- impossible for the citizens to tell. Of course I was aware that financial disclosure forms were already on the city's website. It's how I got the data on the donations from Ronca and Benner and all the other developer's and special interest donations to all the members of Council with the exception of Olga Negron and Michael Colon. In regards to my practice- am I to infer from your statement that people with less challenging careers will do a better job? That's very kind of you to determine that I might not have enough time. I own the business. I make my own decisions. I did not attend last week's Council meeting because I thought it was more important to canvass and meet the citizens of Bethlehem rather than attend a council meeting. The 2.2% increase in real estate taxes had something to do with the bond upgrade, to be clear. Finally, I have asked so many involved citizens why they have declined to run. Most comment on the toxic nature of politics. The fact that nobody ran against the incumbents is hardly due to tacit approval- it's apathy and dismay in it's most pure form. It's about not wanting to experience what I am right now, right here. Incumbents should not be shielded from challenges from within their own party, by their own party. Let this be system of merit, not incumbency.
Thank you Frank Barron - I know you to be an open, honest, informed citizen, that has Bethlehem's best interest as your priority. You have helped me make my decision here. Lots of hot gas blowing around here.
If you think the off putting attitude at council meetings is bad, you should try to interact with the staff at City Hall. They are most unhelpful and getting information from them is like pulling teeth. Their antagonistic, defensive attitude tells me that they must also be poorly treated. What a difference when I moved to Forks Township. Staff here are welcoming and genuinely want to answer your questions. They immediately greet you unlike in Bethlehem where I would sometimes be ignored at the offices.
Dr. Van Wirt: Which City Council candidate are you targeting in your write-in campaign? Evans, Waldron or Callahan?
1:03, I ansorry you had negative experiences. I have not seen them.
1:17, that question has been asked and answered. She is targeting no one.
Some people sound scared.
12:48 you have no idea how much hot gas......she is part of the historic district elitists that just moved here and want to tell us what to do with our city. Our city has been doing pretty well without them and the elitist Lehigh professors.
Bernie,
She is running a write in campaign against 4 incumbents. To say she is targeting no one is disingenuous. The only way she can win is to target one of them. Clearly she is not targeting Olga. If she just siphons off votes from all of them, she will still come up short. She needs to siphon off votes from one of them to win.
She has jumped from one profession to another. Sounds like she gets bored easily. Is this just another phase? Quest for recognition?
Fancy speeches and grandiose statements are easy, getting things done at the gritty level are important. There are a few candidates running for different offices that are good at wild speeches and don't seem to even know what it is the government they are running for does? Also just wanting to use it as a platform to run for another office?
2:26, she reiterated several times to me that she is targeting none of the candidates. She is targeting people who vote.
3:32, she has spent a career serving others. Nothing could be more noble. She is not the person who is guilty of grandiose statements and fancy speechs. If that is a fair accusation, it is one to be leveled at the incumbents.
Like I said, some people sound scared and are getting vicious.
Bored easily? Looks to me like a long-term and serious interest, since she is trained in urban planning and has worked in local government in other cities. There are a lot of people on this blog who seem to support the same ole candidates doing the same ole thing. It's like you all just can't believe someone would have the audacity to run without the approval of the good ole Bethlehem boys. And she's not even an athlete with local name recognition. How dare she! Maybe she should just stick to caring for the elderly like a good little girl. And if you can't get her to drop out of the race, pit her against Negron. This is commentary of people who can't take the slightest bit of competition.
Your name is Paige Van Wirt and Ms. Van Wirt was sufficient - no one gives a shit that you’re a doctor. You may live in the elitist historic district where you think titles and designations like that matter, but that shit doesn’t play well in the rest of our blue collar city. The fact that you even felt the need to address that tells me all that I need to know about you. God forbid you’re elected, will you expect your constituents to address you as Dr. Van Wirt?!?!? Should they also bow before Your Higness?!?!?
I give a shit that she's a doctor because it's what qualifies her to run a small business, which has brought a number of jobs to other people who also live in this valley. And all those people she provides services to, they live in places that employ a lot of blue collar workers, so the capacity her business brings, which makes it possible to bring more people in need of health care to this valley, also supports the very people you are saying don't give a shit about her. Maybe you should ask them if they give a shit? How many jobs have you created?
Councilwoman Negron along with Councilman Michael Colon worked very hard on the comprehensive ethics ordinance which was superior to what was passed by the council. The safeguards in their ordinance that are standard and considered best practices in ethics programs in other cities are not present in what Council passed. Ms. Negron's votes were in opposition to the watered-down ethics ordinances that council eventually passed.
My name is Kate McVey. Anytime "anonymous" posts things I have to wonder why he/she was not willing to state who they are and own their comments. I honestly don't think people should be allowed to post statements unless their names are given so we, the reader, knows who they are and connect the dots about their comments. Just saying, own up to your beliefs and thoughts.
The ordinance as presented was a mess. They literally printed out and cut and pasted ordinances from other cities together. They could not even be bothered to retype it into one cohesive document. It also had provisions that could not apply to the City. They should be embarrassed with the presentation of that ordinance. Neither Olga or Colon had any idea what they were doing. They both lost my vote over that fiasco.
Who cares about your anonymous vote? Knock off the crap already.
I allow anonymous attacks and will allow some anonymous personal attacks at people who are running for office. But the people who make them are cowards. I must say that the attempt to slam her bc she decided to become a physician is ridiculously laughable. A
Also, when a person is recognized in his or her field as a Doctor, whether it is Steve Thode or Paige Van Wirt, that person has the right to insist on being referred to that way. I think Dr. Paige resented being called "Mrs". bc she may have felt that Frank Baran was attempting to objectify her. Frank Baran was being respectful, not sexist. But I coukd see how someone might make that interpretation.
Gotta' love the claim of elitism. Listen, I can smell an elitist a mile away. The main reason I met her was to determine if that was so. It was not. She was incredibly down-to-earth. I can tell you that Willie Reynolds, Bryan Callahan and Eric Evans are much higher on the elitist scale than she, and I don't consider them elitists either.
What is her small business that she owns? What kind of Dr. is she? Who does she work for?
The questions you ask can be answered by simply doing a google search. She is an MD who is board certified in two different areas. She and another doctor have a practice that enables them to treat residents at 17 different nursing homes so they do not have to be hospitalized unnecessarily.
From Frank Baran: A major point in this discussion is worth noting. Paige's statement that city government transparency "is meaningless without actual work on implementing one" illustrates a partial understanding of City operations. Since January, when the idea was authorized as part of the "Bethlehem 2017" initiative, a good deal of actual work has been conducted to implement Council's resolution.
First, committee members had to be recruited and selected. Most work in the private sector. The members represent health care and social service organizations and educational institutions. Many have IT backgrounds. These organizations see the Open Data concept as important for research purposes, for better understanding community needs and for understanding how best to allocate resources toward meeting those needs. The essential element, though, is providing greater transparency of Bethlehem City government, including its finances and contracts.
Over the months, members of the committee examined a wide range of programs created by cities across the country. Development and implementation cannot happen at the click of the fingers. Datasets must be organized and added gradually. The city has three in-house computers, acquired at different times for different specific purposes, and data from these will have to be extracted properly to create a seamless, aggregated online operation.
We've had discussions with consultants, City administrators and nonprofits about a wide range of issues, including specific objectives. We've considered the role that the administration will play in staffing and financing the initiative, the priorities for placing different datasets online and the need to balance privacy concerns with the importance of making as much information as accessible as possible to citizens, institutions and businesses. In addition, potential investors will gain the opportunity to make informed judgments about whether to locate new businesses in the City.
Our most recent meeting was conducted last week, when we reviewed a proposed ordinance specifying the details of the initiative. City Council received the ordinance at Tuesday night's meeting. Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal on October 17.
Disclosure: I am a citizen member of the Open Data Policy Committee.
I'm a Dr. not a Mrs., arrogance much? Will fit right in with Bethlehem politics.
Paige states Olga is her idol.
Good for her she stood up to Willie Reynolds!
There is a sense of entitlement and "old Bethlehem boys" network in city council!
We changed party to vote against Willie for mayor! We have to be Democrats to make a difference in Bethlehem elections! She has my vote.
Bernadette Holland
Bernie, I heard through the grapevine that Abe Atiyeh is supporting Paige...true? Rumor has it that she may provide medical services for him at his nursing homes.
Why don't you just ask me directly. Anonymous, 8:51 spreading false rumors this way shows how politics are really done here. I have never worked for Abe Atiyeh, have never spoken to him or his family or his facilities about working there, have no plans on working in any of his facilities, have never spoken to him or any representatives/family for him about my campaign, ever. This is a completely fictionalized rumor being spread by someone who does not like that I am running for Bethlehem City Council. No wonder nobody ran against the incumbents in the primary. This is how you try and defeat people who hold you to account for your voting record?
I happen to like Abe, unlike most people in Bethlehem. I think he does a lot of good. I adore his wife, who is among the best witnesses I've ever seen in a zoning case. But the attempt to connect Dr. Van Wirt to developer Abe Atiyeh is a boldfaced lie. I don't who is behind these smears, but it hurts the candidates on the ballot and explains the write-in.
Paige-why do you keep telling people that Bob Donchez and his administration are corrupt?
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