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| Brad Osborne |
Two media outlets reported on Friday, April 2 that South Whitehall Township Commissioner Matthew Mobilio resigned abruptly after just 15 months into his 4-year term. Supposedly, Matthew Mobilio was frustrated with what he called “unprecedented obstruction” of a “citizen-focused agenda.” But the bare truth is, Matthew Mobilio was in the majority of every 3-2 vote, so there is nothing he and Commissioners Morgan and Setton couldn’t accomplish together!
Despite this fact, board president Tori Morgan quickly came to his defense saying she will “support him in his future focus.” Really? His future focus, in his words, is to “dedicate my energies to ensuring those same individuals (“current, former and prospective commissioners”) will be denied election and/or re-election.”
As reported by the Morning Call, “In a statement responding to Mobilio’s resignation letter, (Commissioners) Wolk and Kelly said the notion that Mobilio’s agenda faced “unprecedented obstruction” is “misleading and ironic,” seeing as he is often part of the majority in those successful votes. Kelly and Wolk “often provided their differing, fact-based opinions, but have been constantly ridiculed and outnumbered 3-2.” Most notably, they wrote, “Differences of opinion are not a form of obstruction. They are essential for good government and fair representation of the change South Whitehall citizens voted for in 2019.”
Did Matthew Mobilio, the self-aggrandizing attorney who has gone on a high-profile offense in the media against the Lehigh County District Attorney and filed a federal lawsuit against local police departments, resign from an elected position because he was frustrated with discussions about South Whitehall’s withdrawal of financial support for porta-potties for youth sports and details about meeting minutes? Does this seem like a plausible reason? Would he quit after serving less than a third of his term just to help his friend get re-elected after she has served on the board for the last 13 years??
I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye. What do you think?
Blogger's Note: I thank Brad for his perspective. He and blogger Michael Molovinsky both hail from South Whitehall. Molovinsky notes that Mad Matty Mobilio gave an "overly long resignation speech" in which he blamed everyone and everything but himself.
20 comments:
As someone who's not a resident of SWT, this post is very confusing to me.
Mobilio is a radical democrat. Yet you say "there is nothing he and Commissioners Morgan and Setton couldn’t accomplish together!"
I'm not sure about Setton, but isn't Morgan a Republican? If so, why would she be voting - on a regular basis - with a radical democrat?
I'm probably missing something, but it would help if you would put an (R) or (D) behind their names so I could understand it better.
He is a D and she is an R. On a local level, you often see these kinds of alliances, depending on the agendas of the individuals involved.
Obviously Mr.Mobilo didn't realize that a Commissioners seat is not a political platform to spread His radical ideas.
Bernie -
I've seen politicians align with members of opposite parties, but rarely with the EXTREME members of opposite parties on a consistent basis.
I also can't remember a politician being installed as the Chair of the board while their party has numerical advantage on the board but then voting against their own party on most of the issues. Don't republicans outnumber democrats on the board 3-2? I could have that wrong, but if that's the case was she voted Chair by the two democrats and herself?
Maybe I'm misinterpreting the little I've read about Morgan and SWT, but I'm curious for Brad's take on all that since he's Republican voter and is living there.
Tori Morgan is a manipulative and controlling individual who clearly sees that her 13-year dynasty in South Whitehall is about to come to an end. I'm willing to bet that she will control this process (just how she micromanages everything else herself) and will try to fill this vacancy now with one of her cronies. Who knows, she might have forced Mad Matty out in a desperate attempt to save her own political career.
The last time we had a vacancy (Mark Pinsley resigned to keep climbing the political ladder), she appointed Joe Setton (who never misses an opportunity to profess his love of massive developments like Ridge Farm) at midnight without any public advertising of the position and no public discussion. If she does the same thing with the Mobilio vacancy, we need to hold her accountable for it!
Under the leadership of self-appointed monarch Tori Morgan, South Whitehall has become the laughingstock of the Lehigh Valley. She's got to go - let's vote her out on May 18th!
Commissioners Setton and Mobilio (both registered Democrats) voted for Commissioner Morgan for president of the board for a 2-year term in January 2020, and Commissioner Morgan (a registered Republican) voted for herself. As it turns out, it was a foreboding of many 3-2 votes on various issues with this same breakdown since then.
I don’t know the national or social politics of any of the commissioners, except for Commissioner Mobilio who is pretty vocal about his beliefs. Some of the significant issues in SW include development (especially the granting of waivers from SALDO and lack of land preservation efforts), lack of transparency and the alarming fact that no financial audits have been completed in the last 10 years. I don’t see these as typical D/R issues on the local level, but rather more of an issue of leadership.
The voters will have a chance on May 18th to decide how best to bring leadership, functionality and civility back to South Whitehall.
Did I answer well enough?
I agree with Bernie. Whatever the reason(s) is/are, there is an obvious alliance among Commissioners Morgan, Setton & Mobilio, to the, also obvious, exclusion of their fellow Commissioners Kelly & Wolk.
Brad,
Tori Morgan recruited her neighbor Mad Matty to run for Commissioner in 2019. As a Republican, she also shamelessly supported this radical Democrat in his election campaign.
Does Morgan believe that American citizens should be hanged for their political beliefs as her recruit does?
Mad Matty's rise and fall seems like its all done by the puppet-master Tori Morgan. Something rotten is going on here.
Is this the same Mobilio from last June who said he was never resigning after posting on Facebook that all Trump Supporters should be hung for treason?
The same Matt that lives next door to Tori Morgan?
She refused to hold him accountable for his violent statement! She used the excuse that she would not censor him because it’s his problem to fix? Did he ever fix that Tori?
And now she still supports him as he resigns and he plans to go after past, current and future commissioners.
Is this the type of leadership this township wants ?
Must be time for her to build another park.
That will make south whitehall all pretty on the outside.
Seems like that’s all that matters to Tori Morgan anymore.
#morganhastogo #draintheswtseamp
What is Miss Morgan going to do her attack dog resigned .She won’t have anyone to attack Residents or Commissioners that she considerers enemy of Her Township!!
Morgan is a RINO and surrounds herself with puppets regardless of political party
A little off topic so please indulge me . So why is Morgan a Republican have her sign aside of Setton everywhere a Democratic are they running together in the Primary? Can’t Morgan find a Republican that will run with her ?
Can't we just get past the letter that appears next to a locally elected Commisioner? At the local level, who cares if the person has a D or an R next to their name? Surely people serving as Township Commissioners do not need to be polarized by political party. So what, a Democrat and a Republican are allies on the board, shouldn't that be viewed as a good thing?
It seems that Ms Morgan has a lap dog that’s not a commissioner . I guess she can’t defend her position without side kick or attack dog . Hum makes you wonder how she can continue her job without some help of others ..
Y'all think Mad Matty Mobilio resigned so Morgan can run for a two year term during the November special election in case she loses the Republican Primary in May? Protect the Queen and sacrifice yourself seems like something Mad Matty Mobilio would do to appease the Queen Morgan
All obey the Queen!
April 7, 2021 at 6:58 AM < Morgan needs Puppets, notice that the signs are located on large development parcels or land/buildings owned by David Jaindl! or the Ridge Farm owned by Kay Builders! I did get a chuckle out of this https://www.mcall.com/opinion/readers-react/mc-opi-let-simons-reelect-tori-morgan-20210408-xrxza6qgffhjzfoqkriytkubm4-story.html << Guy has lived in South Whitehall 2 Years and is smitten with Morgan, happens to be a neighbor, talks about her 12 years of service when only knowing her for 2 years. I wonder if this is the same Scott Simons who had a nasty car accident while DUI that resulted in Homicide by Vehicle in 2007 in Abington PA....not sure but the name and age fits....
Either way awesome endorsement Morgan, You go Girl!
I don’t know Tori’s political beliefs, but I do know she supported her neighbor Mathew Mobilio’s First Amendment right to say Trump supporters should be hung for treason, and voted against a motion to censure him in his official capacity as a township commissioner.
Interesting you used the word “hanged”, as that is the correct use of the word in this context, whereas the former commissioner used the verb “hung” which is not only grammatically incorrect, but also just the thought of the ugliness of this inhuman action is intensely offensive to most Americans.
I have heard from many residents who expressed their disappointment that Tori gave her full-throated support for Matthew Mobilio as he abruptly resigned after serving only 15 months of his 4-year term. I will not judge what his real reason may be, but am inclined to agree that his stated reason of being “frustrated” is not one a board president should champion.
Comment here ok, new blog not so much????!
Rumor around the town is that the audits are coming in soon and they aren’t looking good so maybe that’s why Mad Matty got out when he did ?.
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