About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Monday, November 06, 2017

TV Reporter Disrupts NorCo Public Meeting

I was unable to write about Thursday night's NorCo Council meeting until now.  I had to be in Philly Friday morning, and wanted to get some sleep. Besides that, I was in a very bad mood., and wanted to cool down. Experts warn against writing when sick,angry or tired. I was all three.

Peg Ferraro was very anxious to have a presentation by Da Vinci Center Executive Director Lin Erickson at NorCo Council on Thursday night. She was in such a hurry to hand out public money for a $130 million aquarium that she even interrupted Wednesday night's debate to invite everyone. As I've reported to you before,  Erickson wants $15 million. Ferraro hypocritically complained during the meeting that night  about the pennies that a good government study will cost, but was anxious to promote a rich person's charity with $15 million in money the County does not have.

That's not what made me sick.

Thursday night, Northampton County Council failed to override a John Brown veto of a good government ordinance that would have allowed you, the voter, decide on a government study that could scrap our 40 year-old Home Rule Charter or change it.  Council voted 6-3 for the ordinance, and only needed six votes to override the veto. Lame duck Mat Benol, a Brown sycophant, played Benedict Arnold., proving once and for all that he has no convictions.

But that's not what made me angry.

Thursday night, Northampton County Council soundly rejected a Hayden Phillips and Matt Dietz sponsored resolution that would have asked the National Institute of Corrections, at no cost to taxpayer,, whether we really need a new jail. Amazingly, the chief argument against this is fear that we might be tipping off federal officials that we are violating the constitutional rights of inmates. Such transparency! During this sad debate, Executive John Brown went on and on and on for at least a half hour about a prison study in which he has refused to name the locations considered.

He still refuses.

That's not what made me tired.

What managed to do all three was a new TV news reporter covering the giant fish tank in Easton. When Erickson was done giving her 999th pitch, this reporter decided to interview her. She did it right outside the Council chambers even though Council was still meeting to review other matters.

Things got so loud that I was unable to hear what was going on. I went outside to tell them to "take it down the hall."

"You can close the door," the reporter told me.

That room was near boiling point, so no.

In addition to disrupting a public meeting, this reporter made it impossible for several people who were waiting to get inside Council chambers. This included the Court Administrator, several citizens and a magisterial district judge or two.

Under Pennsylvania law, "A person commits a misdemeanor of the third degree if, with intent to prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting, procession or gathering, he disturbs or interrupts it."

Having been put on notice that she was disturbing a public meeting and preventing the people from participating in their own government, she needs to put the mike away and take it down the hall.

I find it particularly offensive that a reporter who is supposed to be covering the government thinks nothing of preventing it from functioning. .

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Between Ferraro's no vote and leaning on Benol to stop the government review and her desire to spend even more money on the upper crust project, I cannot vote for her. You keep pushing her as this wonderful person. Maybe so but she is not a wonderful elected official. My pocketbook can't handle her champagne tastes.

Bernie O'Hare said...

She is a wonderful person and you are just a partisan trying to pluck away votes. As I have written many times, stop wasting your time with her and go after the weaker candidates. Her behavior was an uncharacteristic display of poor judgment, and most of her votes are both sound and bipartisan.

Anonymous said...

Isn't her daughter being taken care of by the Brown Administration? She moved up the ladder kind of fast for a person who had no experience. Isn't Peg the one who pushed for her friend and campaign contributor to get a piece of the retirement investments while serving as a member of the Retirement Board? Peg has some baggage too Bernie. She is a master politician first and a public servant second. She is very good at what she does and when it comes to the rest of County Council, she is a better Council person and a step above the status quo. BUT she is not without her faults. Taking care of family and friends is a fault.


Anonymous said...

Bernie,you need to take a deep breath and relax, if things go bad for the dems on Tuesday, I am not sure you will be able to survive. At your age you need to have a little diversity of interests.

Anonymous said...

Peg is not so innocent! Besides the aforementioned, [especially 15 million for a fish tank in a flood plain], she approved and voted for a tax cheat to become 2nd in command in NC. Anybody who could vote for this inexperienced, bill padding, tax evader has no moral fiber and is not worth a vote. Yes, I do agree that she is cut above everybody else on council, but that is not saying much! She should be fired with the rest of the bunch.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Isn't her daughter being taken care of by the Brown Administration? She moved up the ladder kind of fast for a person who had no experience. Isn't Peg the one who pushed for her friend and campaign contributor to get a piece of the retirement investments"

Peg actually recused herself from her daughter's well-earned payhike, which I believe was unanimously approved by Council. Her campaign finances this year consist of a $3000 in contributions, and nothing came from any pension fund manager. There is a new pension fund manager just appointed at the last meeting. Quit wasting your breath trying to muddy up someone who is going to win. You are wasting my time.

Anonymous said...

Yet again you hate for women over whelms you

Anonymous said...

Peg is a big time political hack. When push comes to shove she always vote r. Voted for Allen Trapping and everything else Brown wanted. Maybe at one time she was ok but her time has passed. She will win but not with my vote Hope more people see that

Anonymous said...

Bernie said "John Brown went on and on and on for at least a half hour about a prison study in which he has refused to name the locations considered."
Read the prison study and tells you the locations that are being considered !

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

Drop the caps lock butto and I won't delete you.

Bernie O'Hare said...

7:41, I did read the DLR study and it fails to identify the locations. If you refer to an earlier study, that was never released to the public.

Anonymous said...

No law enforcement there to keep things in order?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yes, but they were downstairs, admitting visitors.

sezary said...

Regarding the DLR study:

The tunnels cannot be cheap and that yellow push pin reminds me of that big paint brush and what is supposed to be a blob of paint but looks like a blob of poop, on Broad Street in Philly near the square. I'm not helping to pay for a giant push pin as part of the prison project! Besides, I wouldn't choose yellow and the placement is just wrong. No tunnels and no push pin!

Anonymous said...

Governor recently signed HB 118 which provides, among other things: "implementing alternative contracting procedures for constructing or repurposing of an existing jail facility in third class counties with a population of 280,000 to 298,000 as of the last decennial census." Norco's pop at the last census was 297,735.

Things that make you go Hmmmm.

Anonymous said...

If John Brown use taxpayers money to pay for the prison study instead of a study that could have been for free, the taxpayers that paid for the study should be able to see it.

Anonymous said...

"Take it down the hall" >>> PRICELESS!