About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

The Case Against NorCo Exec John Brown

Tomorrow, you decide whether to keep Northampton County Executive John Brown in office for four more years or replace him with Lamont McClure. Brown needs to go.

On his webpage, McClure lays out what essentially is an indictment of Brown as corrupt, crony-filled and callous. He backs it up, too, with numerous examples of each these three Cs. Yes, Brown really did use your money to hire a PR consultant. He really did appoint an Administrator with no education, no experience and who was shackled by tax liens and a foreclosure. He endangered his own workforce by refusing to fill vacancies at the jail, resulting in mandatory overtime. He blew $72,000 of your money on a jail study that he could have obtained at no cost to taxpayers. After getting this report, he refuses to disclose the sites that had been considered. He wasted your money without talking to the major stakeholders, i.e. the judges and the DA. He posted armed guards outside his office during a news conference to keep Council members out. He spent his third year in office running for state auditor general, while collecting a salary. He tried to balance his first budget with an illegal $20 million line of credit. He appointed a voice over artist as his Director of Community and Economic Development. He still refuses to do anything about a toxic Human Resourced Director. In fact, he accepted a contribution from her husband. He referred to the county workers as "entitled spoiled brat government employees who need to get with the program." He misrepresented himself as some sort of rescuer of failed businesses. The truth is that he was a middle level business manager who was fired from two jobs and laid off at a third.

When he was elected four years ago, I really wanted to give him a chance. So did John Stoffa, his predecessor. Stoffa went out of his way to make things easy for Brown. Stoffa even provided an office to Brown, and wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible.

Brown thanked Stoffa in his very first news conference by attacking him.

The late Elmer Gates, who really was a captain of industry, said that Brown "violated the first rule of leadership: 'Don’t criticize your predecessor to try to make yourself look good.' It diminishes your stature as a leader!"

Gates is right, but Brown has never been a leader. Rather than relying on his workforce for ideas that could save money, he leaned on consultants with no institutional knowledge. He ignored the county's many centurions because he knew better.

The day he demeaned John Stoffa is the day he lost me. That man has the most integrity of anyone I ever saw in office.

Vote McClure!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even for folks who claim neither is a good choice, Brown is a lair and has really messed up the county. Don't fall for his nonsense. He has raised your taxes and has a multi-million dollar spending plan on tap. The guy is just that bad!

A conservative republican he is not. He is probably the biggest tax and spender we have had in years.

Anonymous said...

John Stoffa was a terrible Executive and should not be used as an example of what a good County Executive should be.

Anonymous said...

John Brown is an empty suit. His statements are wildly inaccurate. The county council people praising him should be ashamed of themselves. They put Party loyalty over honesty and the citizens of the county. Drain his swamp.


Even Ron Angle has called out Brown and his running mates on their nonsense.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"John Stoffa was a terrible Executive and should not be used as an example of what a good County Executive should be."

He's terrible to anonymous cowards who obviously have no integrity.

Anonymous said...

Im sorry but as a TEA Party Member i am going to Vote for McClure

He is the only one who is a true non Tax politician, he tried to give us money back and was never for any tax raises the entire time he was on County Council.

Brown, Whom i voted for along with council, RAISED MY TAXES and I had a big bill because i have a nice Place and the assessment is high, I'm tired of paying for those who don't work and i'm tired of John Brown, Hayden Phillips, Glenn Geisenger and yes even Peg Ferraro must go they need to know they can't give me a huge tax bill and get away with it!

Anonymous said...

Sure you’re a TEA Party member. Sure you are.

Anonymous said...

This we can agree on. Time for Brownie to go !!

Anonymous said...

Not 100% sure but wasn't the tax increase a Hayden motion that Council passed. Not sure the tax increase was Brown's idea.

Anonymous said...

I don't like McClure whatsoever, and I voted for him over Brown. I wouldn't vote to reelect anyone that tried out for another job while in office (the same reason I didn't vote for Geissinger), but with Brown's bungles in office and his negative attack pieces I received every other day, no thank you.

I'm hoping for good things for Emil today. He's worked really hard and is deserving.

Anonymous said...

5:07 is laughable. A big tax bill because you have a nice place. Not sure 1 mill tax increase is going to put anyone in the poor house. Reality is all costs go up every year and to expect government to continue to provide services without raising taxes is unrealistic.

Anonymous said...

Taxed Enough Already (TEA), is meaningless, if after an unnecessary 10% tax increase on your home by republicans at the county results in you voting them back into office.

They also have already praised well over $600 million in new spending.

Anonymous said...

9:08am Brown could have vetoed the increase, the democrats gave him a veto proof number instead he took the increase and now claims he saved you money, and you fell for it, you are either ignorant or really really stupid

Anonymous said...

I am so excited. 84% in and mcclure is ahead by 8 points. Time to clean house. Start with trapp. Just make sure she clocks out before she goes.

Unknown said...

Thank you Bernie for your salute to John Stoffa- he made me believe that the County executive truly cared and would work to do the best for his community. I miss him.