Last week's debate between Executive candidates Lamont McClure and John Brown was both entertaining and informative. Tonight, we hear from ten Council candidates. Four of them are incumbents seeking re-election. How do they feel about Brown's veto of an ordinance that would ask voters whether they would like to do a home rule study. Is this an exercise of good government or a political stunt? If a stunt,how do they explain an Executive who is increasingly awarding no-bid contracts that are just under the threshold required for Council approval? Will Northampton County Council ignore ethics, which is something that would be addressed in a home rule study?
When are these legislators going to fix the Administrative Code, which has led to litigation several times?
Is Council going to demand that the Executive establish new policies that will prevent the gift card and training abuse that has occurred under John Brown?
The DaVinci Center's Lin Erickson has been a regular at Council meetings. She wants Northampton County Council to kick in $15 million for an aquarium located in a flood plain in downtown Easton, with no independent research on the business plan. Is this a wise use of the taxpayer dollar?
If elected, are they going to do the work and attend the Council and committee meetings? Incumbents seeking re-election have the following attendance record over the past three years: Peg Ferraro -81%; Glenn Geissinger - 74%; Hayden Phillips - 83%; and Seth Vaughn - 67%.
Have you included all of Seth Vaughn's phone-in meetings. This group of county council members were probably some of the most clueless by county insiders tally as ever came along. From their panicked 10% tax increase their first year in office to rubber stamping the disastrous Brown Admisntration decisions on employees and county policy, they should follow him out the door.
ReplyDeleteYes, if a Council member phones in, I count him as being present.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes don't know during the meeting itself, but know at the end of the year when I do my tally. Hayden Phillips was very high last year, over 90%. This is a three year average. Geissinger was terrible last year. His attendance has gone down in each of the last three years.
Poor, poor Bernie O'Hare. Dream on and wish all you want. The incumbents are going to breeze back into office. Polls suggest it won't even be close. This will be a repeat of four year sago. Too bad but that is the way it will be. It is a shame your pal McGee spent all that money. It could have gone to a charity.
ReplyDelete"If elected, are they going to do the work and attend the Council and committee meetings?"
ReplyDeleteWhy is this important? McClure's attendance record was atrocious and you're running his campaign for exec.
No excuses for these rubber stamp incumbents. There inept governance has earned them the distinction of former county council persons. They supported and condoned the most non-transparent County Executive in the history of Northampton County. They approved a tax-cheat and major incompetent as his Director of Administration, rubber stamped his appointment of HR Director Amy "I need a pop corn machine" Trapp, embraced a non-needed 10% tax on the taxpayers and now have tacitly approved a $185 million jail that will require the old one to be torn down, a new parking structure and 50 more correction officers; all above the 185 million ticketed price.
ReplyDeleteThis group needs to be fired on election day, or we'll all will be broke 4-years from now.
Vote all of the incumbents out. They have done nothing. Time for change !
ReplyDeletePolls suggest it won't even be close.
ReplyDeletePolls suggested a moron wouldn't win the Presidency. So much for polls.
"Why is this important? McClure's attendance record was atrocious and you're running his campaign for exec"
ReplyDeleteIf he were running for Council, I would raise it for sure. But he is running to make county exec his full-time job. Also, once Brown was elected, McClure's attendance increased.
Mr. O'Hare do you dispute the poll numbers?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had more information on the School Property Tax Exemption. Does yes mean you are for the exemption and want schools to be funded by means other than taxes on your primary residence, or does no mean you for the exemption?
ReplyDelete2:37 read the plain english version
ReplyDeleteProfessional polling indicates that Mr. Brown and the incumbents will sweep the election next week.
ReplyDeleteIf it was professional polling, the members would not be leaked to you like this. You are simply trying to suppress the vote. What polling firm? What numbers? When done? Who are you?
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what I'd like to know. Who the heck does polling on a lowly county council race?
Deletedid you see the John Brown commercial on TV?
ReplyDeletedid the in kind contribution for this show up on all the candidates campaign finance report?
did The Norco Republicans claim this on their finance statement?
it was obviously done on the cheap but the add times cost $$ and all council candidates are also mentioned
Hayden Phillips will NOT get my vote...I posted a respectful comment regarding the prison at Gracedale on his FB page and he removed such. I have advised others as well to think differently regarding a candidate the censors the public.
ReplyDelete8:25. He started at 2 mills, he mocks bog turtles on bridge projects and doesn’t vote for anything open space
ReplyDelete"School Property Tax Exemption"
ReplyDelete"2:39 PM read the plain english version"
Actually it's tricky, a yes vote kills it. By punting to the local tax authority who have no interest or means to change it, while at the same time precluding a state wide decision.
The word is already out. The republican candidates made the democrats look like ameturers.
ReplyDeleteSorry, this election is over!
Seriously???
ReplyDeleteThe Republicans as a whole came across poor-to-okay but overall under-performed the competition, and 11:12 is likely the same person regularly alluding to a mythical "poll" in hopes of driving down turnout.
ReplyDeleteHow would you poll a 10 person county council race anyway. Think about the logistics. People able to split their ticket etc...
ReplyDeleteThere is no poll they are trying to suppress turn out because they know if Bethlehem now turns out for this write-in and the judicial race the R's are in serious trouble!