About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

The NorCo Controller Race - Acta Non Verba

There are two candidates for NorCo Controller, John Cusick and Tara Zrinski. Both are members of County Council. One of them, Cusick, cares deeply about county government and spending. The other, Zrinski, is a political opportunist who has run in five elections over the past six years. She suddenly claims that she really, really, really, really, really cares about county finances. Her actions on County Council tell a much different story. Acta non verba. 

In her five years on County Council, Zrinski has never bothered to introduce a budget amendment. She's simply willing to rubber stamp whatever she's given. 

Let's look at the year 2017. 

At the 2018 Budget meeting, she had little to say about a $450 million spending plan. That's because she considered three environmental resolutions more important. Council member John Cusick voted No to some minor budget amendments. They failed to include the cost of a new, state-mandated voting system, which is a core function of county government. Zrinski was more concerned about a resolution endorsing the use of solar panels, which she just happens to sell. She insisted on reading her solar panel resolution in its entirety.

Cusick was perplexed. "Before we save the planet, we need to provide the voters of Northampton County with a state of the art voting system," he pointedly remarked. 

The difference between Cusick and Zrinski here is that Cusick was focused on core county functions and the county's budget. Zrinski was more interested in her own budget. 

Finally, before the County purchased the Human Services building, County Council was told that it would need to float a $26 Million bond. The county's financial advisor gave Council an excellent presentation explaining all the details of this underwriting.  Zrinski skipped this important financial meeting to attend a political rally. 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The unions should stop sending her money. The people paying their dues don't want it done. They know their money form the top is the money people pay in. Should check on her campaign finances over the years, now that is interesting.

Anonymous said...

Only one of these candidates can describe what a woman is. Choose wisely, not wokely. Tara hasn't more than a couple dozen brain cells rolling around that vacuous head. Stop enabling stupidity. Don't vote for this birdbrain.

Anonymous said...

It's funny how you "trash" Tara about her environmental views and the work she has tried to accomplish on the Council. As if the Council couldn't do two things at once. And when it all comes down to it, the environment is the most important issue since without it we will cease to exist. BUT, keep pushing it off right? Who cares if there are microscopic pieces of plastic in living organisms? Maybe we will evolve to tolerate it. Tara is the only one who is progressive on that board. Shame on the rest of the Democrats. NJ and NY and other states have banned plastic, too bad the Council doesn't have enough guts or energy to do something small that would have a huge impact. Tara has my vote.

Anonymous said...

so what happen to the bethlehem budget thief?

Bernie O'Hare said...

"As if the Council couldn't do two things at once. And when it all comes down to it, the environment is the most important issue since without it we will cease to exist. "

When a municipal government enacts its annual budget, it's a long, drawn out affair. It takes hours even when things are fairly noncontroversial. It's bad night for considering other matters. Of course, the environment is far more important, but NorCo Council is not in charge of the world's environment. It is in charge of the county budget. That is its real power. None of the resolutions Zrinski submitted were binding. There was no tooth. It you want to help preserve our planet, it needs to be done with ordinances, not resolutions. And it has to be something that a county council has the authority to enact. Otherwise you are just tilting at windmills. It was a ridiculous display.

Anonymous said...

The environment is fine. The Ice Age we were promised by 1980 didn't happen. Miami did not go under water by 2000, as Dr. Al Gore and Dr. Leonardo DiCaprio promised. Paul Erlich's predicted human extinction by the 1980s didn't pan out. If these brilliantly smart people got it wrong time after time after time, who thinks Tara has it solved? Only the religiously woke would. Our environmentalism is more about vanity than concern for humanity. We want rechargeable everything, but don't want to strip mine for cobalt in our backyard at sustainable wages. Instead, we strip mine the Third World, exploiting children and slave labor so Tara can signal she's saving the planet. Environmentalists are the nastiest brutal capitalists I've ever known.

And what does any of this have to do with sound fiscal practices? Nothing. That's why Tara should be rejected for this, her latest attempt at gainful employment.

Anonymous said...

Mental health counseling is her mainstay.
Time for smart voters to send her back to what she does best. Enough said.

Anonymous said...

Government on any level cannot be trusted, our system is broken, and politicians will never be able to fix it, 99% are corrupt and 1% are stupid.