Northampton County has supported Democrats for President since 1988. But in a break from that tradition, it elected Authoritarian Donald Trump as President in 2016. He owes Northampton County. Right after he was elected, he
promised to “rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals.” Despite bipartisan support, he failed to deliver. Republicans balked at taxing corporations for parking their offshore money. So the Lehigh Valley, despite having the highest gas tax in the nation, has lost a badly needed $380 million in transportation funding in the latest 12-year money. Forget funding from Highway Trust Fund. That's broke, like Trump's casinos. Ironically, the County that voted for Trump is getting hosed. It's getting just 29% of the money available, and practically none during the middle years of this plan.
"People will be working nights and weekends to figure out what we can deliver," Lehigh Valley Transportation Study Exec Director Becky Bradley
told The Morning Call when these cuts were first announced. But when push came to shove and there finally
was a meeting showing that NorCo was getting the short end of the stick, she was a no-show. Instead of working nights and weekends, she was having trouble getting a flight from wherever she was spending her summer holiday.
NorCo Executive Lamont McClure has previously threatened to cut funding to the area planning agency. I ordinarily would disagree, favoring regionalism as the best approach. But without doubt, NorCo is getting hosed.
Next time you're stuck on 22 for an hour on a Friday afternoon, be sure to thank Trump.
84 comments:
What the hell have you been smoking? Your hatred of Trump has reached new lows.
Get rid of Becky Bradley she is overpaid.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has outlived it's usefulness. They lay back and rest on their laurels. The director is useless. Time to give them the axe.
Bernie, this is where you and Mr. McClure are dead wrong. The funding is based on what the municipalities submitted. McClure doesn't get it. If there isn't an ask, you don't receive. Lehigh County submitted more projects that were of higher quality and need.
McClure will continue to rant, rave and complain about Becky Bradley however the powers to be at PADOT District 5 control the purse strings.
Lehigh County also has more road miles which weighs heavily in the funding.
Trump and McClure are both screamers that disrespect individuals. 2020 will be the year to vote Trump and Little Trump (McClure) out.
12:14, try a substantive response. Fact is trump broke his promise.
12:48, McClure is not running in 2020. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I get that Lehigh should have more funding, but not that much. What happened to all the nights and weekends Becky Bradley was going to work to prevent precisely what happened?
Bradly is an incompetent or a criminal collaborator.
You chose.
12:14,
As for me, it isn't hate for Trump. It is disgust for him that has reached a new low.
I would think , that it’s not just LV s NorCo. . Maybe contract prices will drop if funding i has been “limited” . Does a contractor have to make a million profit on every job?
Wow, now Trump is even blamed for traffic on 22, that is mostly due to people having more money to spend, and more people working.
Trump is a bum and McClure is too into himself. Unfortunately Northampton County has a terrible Economic development team while Lehigh County has a great team. They help make the case and in that regard Northampton has overpaid do nothings.
Bernie I read your fake news story you are liberal as a result you do not tell the truth. But in the long run TRUMP will win again in 2020 because the American people will see right your lies and fake news. Besides the democratic candidates are all very very weak.
Only 12,915 quotes of misinformation since inauguration day. Another record.
Don't think Lehigh Valley traffic is on Trump's mind. If anything, this situation could be laid at the feet of Pat Toomey.
Sometimes, Bernie, you present this Blog as CNN's Lehigh Valley Edition. Get a grip, man!
The Federal Highway Trust Fund has been broke since 2008 and congress has not raised the federal gas tax since 1993. The Pa Turnpike has stopped making payments to the general fund due to a lawsuit from pa turnpike users. The Turnpike funded $6.6 Billion since 2007. $4.2 Billion has been diverted from the Pa Gas Tax to the State Police since 2007. Every project has to adhere to Bacon Davis wage rates, thus inflating the cost of each project. So yes its definitely the Presidents fault that our roads suck.
8:12 - which President? Your dates don't seem to line up.
The democrats will not support PRESIDENT TRUMP in anything they hate Trump more than they love America they are anti America and you play along with them this is a PERFECT EXAMPLE. President Trump who is not a politician would fix this problem if it was not for the democrats we must vote trump back in and get rid of the democrats on all levels of government.
i can only say WOW there is no reason that Lehigh County gets that much more money than NORCO should and i agree Becky needs to go
> "He owes Northampton County."
ummm... what? Our leaders are not elected to represent only those which voted for them.
Becky Bradley is entitled to vacation time as much as any other human being. I have no idea how hard or not hard she works at other times, but she should not be condemned for taking vacation time off that is granted in her personnel policy. Beyond any issue with Bradley, the problems with LVPC are due to its lack of any real powers of enforcement and control. It is an advisory body that I believe does a decent job of studying issues and commenting but that can do relatively little in a legal sense to either make things happen or prevent things from happening. If anyone really wants to see a strong regional planning effort in the Lehigh Valley a practically possible solution will be difficult, if not impossible, to implement. That is due to the archaic structure of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the far too many local government jurisdictions in our area; not the LVPC itself.
12:46 a.m. hit the nail on the head. You can hear him screaming at the Courthouse now.
It’s easy to complain , insult and point fingers, especially when we don’t know the whole story. Federal & state transportation dollars don’t grow on trees and there’s also greater need in Lehigh County. An example would be the route 22 bridge and generally higher traffic volume on the west side of the valley. It’s never going to be a 50-50 split. Some years it may favor one county or another and since the funding is regional, what happens on both sides of the valley affect the other. Only solution to the problem would be the ability to print money & I don’t think the LVPC, Ms Bradley, the State, or either of the two Counties are able to do that.
Everything Trump Touches Dies
Thanks a lot, Trump voters.
You post this as if the state's transportation woes just popped up in the last two years, and Wolf (highest fuel tax in the US) and Obama ($1 billion in shovel-ready nothingness) never happened.
I don't like Trump at all. But you look silly when regurgitating talking points hit pieces like this. It's why he's going to be re-elected.
When you finally remove your finger from the Trump Derangement socket, you should really consider coding. You seem to possess basic tech skills and some writing ability. A 13-week coding boot camp can deliver a six-digit salary very quickly.
looks like this post and all but a few of the comments has done a good job at stirring up more anger, division and has educated no one.
"Wow, now Trump is even blamed for traffic on 22, that is mostly due to people having more money to spend, and more people working."
Trump is being blamed bc he failed to produce on his one good idea - infrastructure. So when you sit on 22 for an hour, be sure to thank him. I agree there is plenty of blame to go around. Gov. Wolf and the state legislature have cut back, too.
"You post this as if the state's transportation woes just popped up in the last two years, and Wolf (highest fuel tax in the US) and Obama ($1 billion in shovel-ready nothingness) never happened."
Um, the highest gas tax in the nation is courtesy of GOP Gov Corbett and a GOP controlled state legislature. That was supposed to solve it, but money is being diverted for PSP instead of being spent as it should. As for Obama, there was an $800 billion stimulus, and this went to a lot of things. This includes more than 13,000 projects through the Federal Highway Administration, improving more than 42,000 miles of road and more than 2,700 bridges. It also included funding fo rmany other things,from tax cuts to education. So basically, you're full of shit.
I was no fan of Corbett, higher taxes or what they've done with the money, but it may also be the case that we have more old infrastructure per square mile than other states proportionate to population. Revenue (taxes) need to be generated somehow to pay for it unless we prefer complaining about the state of our roads & bridges.
A use or mileage tax may be a more fair way to deal with this. Cars and trucks are more efficient and therefore less taxes per mile driven are generated from the same, albeit high gas tax and if those taxes are being diverted to other things the problem is further exacerbated,
Trump could not get Chucky Shummer or Pelosi to the table to agree with a plan for infrastructure.. oh that was two months ago and I forgot, so let’s blame Trump.
Trump represents all of us, especially the blue collar class. Just released news article shows 65% of his contributions are under $200. Add up all 20-25 Democrats running and they don’t hit that kind of number. Maybe 25% tops. Sad day for dems and a great day for Republicans.
9:56 how can one work with the stupid ideas of o'bama
No, Bernie. When I’m stuck on 22 I’ll just turn on Gunther or Hannity and be reminded that we finally have a real president after 8 years of a complete joke. Thanks though!
We all know Trump is an ass. Looking at you 11:40. Go back to playing with your toys if you think any politician represents you or your best interest. I hear Trump dines with the plumbers and grounds crew once a week. You know to brush up on his Spanish.
Bernie - Is there a project planned for Rt. 22 that is awaiting funding? To the best of my knowledge the issue with 22 was the feasibility of widening and making proper exit and acceleration lanes. If there wasn't something in the works to alleviate congestion its a poor argument Bernie and I think you know it.
let's talk about real news and how we are getting slammed with 16 hrs shifts and how we lost 10 to 20 officers let's talk about that
Little needs to be done to widen 22 between the new bridge and Airport Road because most of the roadway (especially eastbound) is already wide. Where the work is critical is from 7th Street/McArthur Road to 15th.
What concerns me is the Bath Pike/512 interchange where there is no pedestrian undercrossing and the on- and offramps are a crazy quilt, especially with the distribution center truck traffic. Diverging diamond interchange?
How we manage to live with a 1950s expressway system is testament to either the passivity or the resilience of LV residents. Possibly both.
It is not necessary to like Trump"s personality or methods. But, if you don't like his strong record of accomplishments making America and its citizens stronger, you are either ignorant or not being truthful.
Besides, it's our awful CONGRESS that's failing everyone. Trump needs their participation. He says that all the time. Some dictator, huh?
Agree that the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is a complete waste of resources. Divert their budget to road construction!!
With respect to Northampton County it would seem that the 412 widening from I 78 to the Sands was a huge project funded from somewhere? Perhaps now that it has s complete that funds would naturally flow to Lehigh County for a while.
Trump would fund an infrastructure program if Dems would play ball on the immigration mess at our borders that they somehow want to ignore.
It's the Russians fault because they made Trump president...so next time you're stuck on 22 blame the Russians.
No one can say Bernie doesn't have a sense of humor.
This goof made me smile.
Trump is busy exposing child sex rings servicing wealthy world elites.
One just killed himself on suicide watch in a country that force feeds high value detainees for 20 years on suicide watch.
But yea... I did see a pothole.
Trump is a moron, but in all fairness there are those less intelligent than him - Those who think he is a genius and gives a flying fuck at a rolling donut about the working class. Keep drinking his Kool-aid and rest easy as our racist President keeps the brown horde of murderers and rapists from invading our keep-it-white society.
2:31PM
Do you think it's possible, like throughout all of history, countries still export their criminals if they can?
"Next time you're stuck on 22 for an hour on a Friday afternoon, be sure to thank Trump."
Now, I am not a defender of all things Donald Trump. However, the above quote Bernie, is quite the hyperbole. Given that he did not fulfill a promise, which is not a major surprise for any politician or elected official. I remember as a teenager in the late 1970's, the rebuilding of the US 22 bridge over the Lehigh River. Traffic was terrible back then. Decades of growth and a highway originally built in 1954 and bureaucratic, bidding, engineering and construction processes which take many many years to complete, #45 has very little to do with the traffic which exists today on US 22. A comment such as that only shows your dislike of our current president as well as contributes to the lack of civility which exists today. An emotional response such as the hyperbole you ended the article with, does not help to enhance the perception of your intellect. You are smarter than that. Think it through. You may not be a fan of authoritarian Donald Trump, but blaming him because one is sitting in traffic on 22? At least that is not the fault of #45.
Jeff Fox
This story is on suicide watch.
Anon 11:15 said:
"...Revenue (taxes) need to be generated somehow to pay for it unless we prefer complaining about the state of our roads & bridges..."
Why is it that the taxpayers are always the first to get hammered? Politicians almost never look at reducing costs.
Do we really need more taxes? Or would a better response be for the state to concentrate the federal monies on a few projects, and then temporarily suspend the prevailing wage laws for state-funded projects? That would stretch our state and local tax dollars further.
If it's truly a crisis and we don't want to sit on Route 22 blaming anybody, then all options should be on the table.
Good Ole Jeffy Fox. Always with the I am not a republican, I am not a Trump fan BUT....
You Sir are fooling no one.
@2:41
Ask your question to the children who attended grade school, high school, college, got a job paying their taxes, and then were rounded up by ICE and sent back to a country they don't know.
Though I understand that situation isn't a problem for you. They were "illegal" and not white.
When local state officials reallocate monies slated for such projects to there pet projects, "it itis what is." Than we have tax dollars stolen from the entire tax base of PA, "it will be what it is."
This kind of insider trading causes the entire projects purposed to be slashed! Feds can't make up for short falls all the time in this completion connection shoetfalls.
The problem is that Becky Bradley, like the rest of the folks at LVPC, are nothing more than political stooges who could care less about Northampton County and try to funnel the majority of the money to Lehigh County. Its time for NORCO to slash the funding for LVPC resulting in staff layoffs. Maybe the LVPC staff members could get jobs mopping the floor and cleaning
toilets, something they would be better qualified at.
Gather around everyone... Bernies gonna tell us all a wonderful tale about how great things were when Obama was president and all the roads and bridges were paved with gold. And now that Trump is president, everything is falling apart.
The ones who lied to us were our state reps. They passed that horrific gas tax and said great things were on the horizon.
Prevailing wage is bs, period. Leaning on a shovel for $35 an hour is ridiculous. Let the free market decide.
I am reporting, and quite accurately, that Trump failed to follow thru on a Central campaign theme, and this is hurting people ina county that made the mistake of voting for him. Address his failure, not your condemnations of prevailing wage, foreigners, fake news or how terrible things were under Obama. You can only engage in name-calling or diversions. Stick to the issue if you can. Most of you Trump supporters are completely unable to argue intelligently.
"let's talk about real news and how we are getting slammed with 16 hrs shifts and how we lost 10 to 20 officers let's talk about that"
Hare to break this to you, but the sun does not rise and set on you. While what is going on at the jail is news, so is being shortchanged on transportation funding. The less $ the county gets from the state and feds, the more it has to shell out of its pocket. This impacts the taxpayer and workers like you.
Trump's Central campaign theme was to beat the Clinton/Bush crime syndicates and win the presidency. Which is exactly what he did. That lying shit won and the only thing worse is if the other lying shit won.
Be Best!
Bernie, the county credit cards were maxxed out under Noboma administration and now you expect President Trump to fix eight years of maxing credit cards out in four years? This just cant be done with all the revenue of intrest payments only being met by this types of grant boosts in the economy that the money is only on paper not in holdings. Just let those large and in charge create more debt to income ratio in the countys.
Right now the lehighcounty athourity has water below comming above for a month now, creating a road hazard in the making on state route 1002 that just had been resurfaced by state funds? Now the road is fucked up again, do a job five times that could have been done once if coordinated properly with the subteranian utilities first! America as a whole has become a wastful nation just look at the garbage in the streets.
That would be totally counter productive and something I'd expect someone in the McClure administration to say
Listen you prison guards and Gracedale employees you will get no sympathy here. Bernie is in bed with McClunker and his gang. He even tried to stop council members from talking to any employees. He is large and in charge of everything and O'Hare is in his pocket. Better look for help elsewhere.
The money is given out to the region by federal law. The 22 bridge and Tilghman St bridge work only make it look like Lehigh County is getting more. PENNDOT receives most of the money and that is set by federal policy. It has nothing to do with LVPC. Attend the transportation study meetings and you will see that Northampton County is on the board and the votes are weighted in their favor. You will also see that PENNDOT is the Chair. Facts matter.
Bernie must be drinking again that's when his hate comes out so he produces fake news as liberals do. The liberal blame everything possible on the President that all they can do.they do nothing for the American people all they do is hate. Trump will win in 2020 because of the lies and hate from people like Bernie.
Trump was ready to make an infrastructure deal, but wanted the Dems in Congress to support comprehensive immigration reform, including the wall funding. The Dems were not interested in a deal. So poof, goodbye infrastructure. Blame the Dems.
Trump and Toomey's priority was to hand ridiculand unnecessary tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations - instead of having infrastructure week. The expenses of the government for 2019 are already equal to all of 2018 - Trump is leading us straight into the crapper.
Trump is an un-American fraud. He might as well be a foreign agent. He is in it for himself and his family. How dumb must you be to buy into his stupid pretend rants he call speeches'.
Obamas stimulus was mostly used to keep government employees from being laid off, The LVPC is nothing more than representatives of the local deep state who plan all around their real estate holdings to increase their value. This has been going on for decades , buy farm land for 10,000 an acre, rezone it industrial, and sell for millions an acre. If we want to fix roads open up competitive bidding without the union rules and price fixing.
3:51 YOU ARE STUPID - TRUMP IS THE FIRST NON-POLITICIAN IN HIGH OFFICE IN THIS COUNTRRY WHO STANDS UP TOPEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO LISTEN TO THE POLITICAL CLASS OR DEEP STATE PEOPLE -- WHO HAS HURT THIS COUNTRY GREATLY.YOU LEFT WING DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE SHIPPED OUT OF THIS GREAT AND SOON TO BE GREATER COUNYRY WHEN TRUMP WINS IN 2020 IF YOU HAVE ANY BRAINS LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES THEY ARE A PATHETIC GROUP.
I have faith most Americans still see through much of the worthless garbage being tossed around by the anti-Trumpers. It all just unsubstantiated claims and slime. Same stuff as heard on playgrounds across the nation.
Of course, the old standby claims of racism and xenophobia. Those no longer work but they just can't let go.
President Trump's economic and geopolitical moves have been legendary. He is repositioning China and the European Union to a place they don't want to be. Quietly remaking global supply chains to the benefit of American workers.
How do our hardcore, long term Democrats respond to Richard Trumka's recent statements? I was shocked.
"PENNDOT receives most of the money and that is set by federal policy. It has nothing to do with LVPC. Attend the transportation study meetings and you will see that Northampton County is on the board and the votes are weighted in their favor. You will also see that PENNDOT is the Chair. Facts matter."
Yes, they do, and Trump has delivered on none of the infrastructure money he promised when running. Had he done so, the cuts made would not be so dire.
CONGRESS is the problem, Bernie. CONGRESS is still in control, despite what you believe.
Trump is out of control. The deficit increased by 27% (!!!) last year alone with his $3.7 TRILLION budget that doesn't even address infrastructure.
Trump clowns are clueless.
3:51 YOU ARE STUPID - TRUMP IS THE FIRST NON-POLITICIAN IN HIGH OFFICE IN THIS COUNTRRY WHO STANDS UP TOPEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO LISTEN TO THE POLITICAL CLASS OR DEEP STATE PEOPLE -- WHO HAS HURT THIS COUNTRY GREATLY.YOU LEFT WING DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE SHIPPED OUT OF THIS GREAT AND SOON TO BE GREATER COUNYRY WHEN TRUMP WINS IN 2020 IF YOU HAVE ANY BRAINS LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES THEY ARE A PATHETIC GROUP.
The only thing Trump has "stood up to" is the rule of law while un-American idiots like you cheer him on. You despise this country.
I think the Trumpster has screwed Northampton County more than he screwed his wife in the past three years!
Trump is solely responsible for US-22 traffic. Bernie is simply stating facts. Other things for which Trump is responsible:
potato chip bags that don't open neatly
endless rain
Eagles injuries
hangnails
out of service ATMs
WaWa parking lot aggression
salt water softening systems that kill houseplants
declining church attendance
annoying laundry tags
ads for in-app purchases
only 8 episodes of Stranger Things
the stupid robot at Giant
Miss Obama yet?
Back in 2009, former President Barack Obama made some lofty promises about the infrastructure overhaul that his $800 billion economic stimulus plan would provide. Obama used the phrase “shovel-ready projects” in reference to construction projects that could begin right away.
In the end, however, only $98.3 billion of the $800 billion stimulus was dedicated to transportation and infrastructure. Of that $98.3 billion, only about $27.5 billion was actually spent on transportation infrastructure projects.
The economic stimulus package in 2009 was mostly for the auto bailout, and shovel ready infrastructure projects was mostly deferred maintenance projects & remember both sides in Congress need to fund these things. Our national infrastructure easily needs Several Trillion!
Actually, the economic stimulus was for hundreds of things, but very little went to infrastructure that most would see in our day to day.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009
10:48, 11:09 -
Please refrain from injecting evidence and logic into this discussion. You're confusing too many posters!
11:17 - so true
County has been losing money , both federal and from Harrisburg ( PennDOT) for years. It's no wonder we have bridge issues in this county. Neither funding source has ever lived up to its obligations since the early 90's. Hell look at its LFT revenue in the PW budget. It has actually been shrinking over the years.
Actually, the economic stimulus was for hundreds of things, but very little went to infrastructure that most would see in our day to day.
So even with the issues, Obama still accomplished more on infrastructure than Trump.
Trump has done NOTHING.
DOW when Obama took office: 7,949
DOW when Obama left office: 19,827
DOW growth under Obama: 148%
DOW growth under Trump: 29%
Trump has done NOTHING.
"County has been losing money , both federal and from Harrisburg ( PennDOT) for years. It's no wonder we have bridge issues in this county. Neither funding source has ever lived up to its obligations since the early 90's"
True. Trump is by no means the sole culprit. But he is the one who promised infrastructure, and just was unwilling to hit the offshore accounts of corporations or impose a slight increase in the national gas tax.
Trump has done ZERO to inconvenience the rich and powerful. In fact, he did the exact opposite of what he claimed and just fed the swamp. The regular Joes on here supporting the grifter are truly imbecilic.
Mismanagement of transportation $$ in Harrisburg and DC the big issue. Not enough $$ going into construction, but special interest, lawyers and engineers who all keep playing the spin game. The monies are there. Just not going into an end product. All politicians are to blame.
Good Ole Jeffy Fox is neither a republican nor a fan of Trump. I am a conservative. Which is not the same thing as a republican. Because I do not believe that Trump is at fault for the current traffic congestion on US 22 does not make me a "Trump fan". Anytime you'd like to sit down and discuss issues, I'd be up for that.
That robot at Giant is a little scary. Especially with the fake face.
Bernie, like all news , or at least 90% of it, you do not cover the news, either locally or nationally. You agenda is to further your leftist swamp covering agenda. Your constant attack’s on Trump show that. The way you cover local issues show that. Many municipalities you cover you make specific attacks on certain individuals in order to protect the underlying swamp that exist. I have personally seen the swamp and the swamp does live even at the local level. Examine the swamp for a change, show the corruption that exists and grows. I tried fixing the swamp but it is to entrenched.
The swamp in local politics has a stronghold in their positions and need to be rooted out. Government sometimes should be run like a normal business. Maybe then and only then municipalities will shave off costs that plague its bottom line.
Bernie I believe you are smarter than that. Yes Allentown major was corrupt and you helped bring that out but the swamp goes deeper than that and I challenge you to dig - dig a little bit deeper and show your real worth to society.
Says you. I'm calling fake news
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