About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Easton City Council Candidates Speak at Shiloh Chapel

Last night, a pod of politicos docked at Shiloh Chapel on Easton's south side for a candidates' night hosted by the South Side Civic Association. The room is adorned with a large sign saying "No Perfect People Allowed." With the exception of myself, that was largely the case. It was certainly true of the 12 candidates there to make five-minute pitches. It was also true of the event organizers. That's why no Republicans were there. Neither Controller candidate John Cusick nor judicial candidate Nancy Aaroe were at this forum. They are just as imperfect as the Democratic candidates, but received no invitation. Was this a slight? No. Democratic candidates received no invitations either. Like the shad who swim up the Delaware this time of year, they just knew.  This event could have been better publicized. Including candidates and organizers, I counted only 34 people. That was disappointing. From my own event in Nazareth a few weeks ago, I know people are hungry for democracy.  And although I'll admit I get the most reactions when I write about national issues, local government is the one that has the biggest impact on our daily lives. It is where one person truly can make a difference. 

Today's story is limited to the five candidates seeking three seats on Easton City Council candidates. I'll have separate posts about the Easton Mayoral, DA, and County Controller races, 

Kurt Carlson:  A College Hill resident, Kurt was a Fulbright fellow who claims to have developed the "most comprehensive affordable housing plan the Lehigh Valley has ever seen." He states he hears "a lot of rhetoric about who does and does not belong" when what Easton really needs are people "who are deep into the data. That's where I come in." He stated he brings a "perspective." "I think outside the box." 

He certainly has impressive credentials and talks about things like "arterial development" and "Main Street 2.0," so he's obviously fluent in bureaucratese in addition to French and an assortment of foreign languages. 

What he fails to bring is any sense of humility  

Ken Brown: I'm more used to seeing "downtown Kenny Brown" on the basketball court, where he was a referee at my grandson's high school basketball games.  He is currently VP of Easton City Council and Director of NorCo's Court Services. But he grew up in the throes of poverty, first in Philly and then in Easton public housing. Ken's brother Carl went down a different path, committing numerous armed robberies and even a prison escape. Eventually, he was killed by Easton police, who informed young Ken that "we killed your n----r brother." 

Ken would later work at the Police Athletic League with the very officers who had killed his brother (in self-defense). One day, the officer who made the racist remark about Ken's brother apologized, and Ken forgave him. 

There's a lot of quiet wisdom in this man, who acknowledged "we could always do better."

That's how he's lived his life.  

People throw around words like "affordable housing" and homelessness all the time. Ken, who came up hard, knows what it's like. "We're all one paycheck away." 

He describes Easton as "one city, one community and we ought to be proud of it."

Easton is lucky to have a civic leader like Brown, and he will win easily. 

Frank Pintabone: A 4th generation Eastonian, Pintabone is the quintessence of its south side. Since he was 19, he's been involved in community service. Whether it is a "Stop the Violence" march or Thanksgiving turkeys, he's been doing it for years. He believes the best way to build Easton is by "strengthening our neighborhoods." To that end, he'd like to revive the Easton Trolley (it's actually a bus) that would transport people to all four corners of the city. Noting the hilly terrain, he explained that many people find it difficult to walk. He'd also like to bring a full service grocer to the West Ward and crack down on absentee landlords. As he explains on his website and repeated last night, he's "from the neighborhood and for the neighborhood." 

Pintabone, who knows everyone in the city, is a ball of energy who understands the city's problems better than just about anyone. He excelled as Easton School Board President. It was in disarray when he arrived. When he left, a deficit had been wiped out, teachers were brought back and schools for the neighborhoods were being built. 

Lance Wheeler: Wheeler, a lifelong resident of the West Ward and its fiercest advocate, pledged he'd give up is $9,300 salary if elected. "When there's shots fired, I'm there," he said, without mentioning that he's a constable. He talked about racism in Easton, noting that as a kid, he was unable to use the pool at Eddyside. He and Mayor Sal Panto got into a nasty exchange over Lance's use of a park for a pumpkin patch, the sale of Christmas trees and a Superbowl party. He also made strange statements that black kids don't do heroin or fentanyl and don't think they can swim. He was clearly off his game and his unusually unpleasant demeanor turned people off.  

"I'm not here to win a vote," he said during his rather bizarre speech. If that was his goal, he succeeded. 

Crystal Rose: Like Pintabone, she's a 4th generation Eastonian. Her campaign page spells out her priorities of affordable housing, creating home ownership opportunities and giving everyone a voice at the table. She spoke about fighting blight, absentee landlords. She said that "fixing the small things will have a big impact." 

I know she's responsive. She provided a detailed response to a question I had about her race. 

She's a banker who has served on the City's Civil Service Board, Grow-a-Row and has participated in fundraisers for Third Street Alliance. 

She was quite impressive.

Ken Greene: A retired educator, Greene states Easton can "move from good to great" by building up the community. He claims to have visited 2,500 homes and has learned that residents want a community that is "clean, safe and accessible. 

What I dislike about Greene is that he is attempting to buy his seat, just like he bought a home on center square.  He might be able to dine at Ocean and Maxim 22, and live at the Grand Eastonian Hotel for two years, but I doubt he has a clue what really bothers ordinary city residents, no matter how many homes he visits or TV ads he buys.  

He did try to tone it down a bit last night, wearing jeans instead of dress pants. But to him, this is just a little hobby.  To the other candidates, this is their life.

Maybe he should try polo. 

Dave O'Connell: Two-term Council member Dave O'Connell does have a Facebook page, but his entries there are rare. No webpage. He said his campaign consists of "just walking and knocking on doors." That's probably the most effective way to campaign in Easton if you can survive the hills. He's pushing 80, but I'm told he's been everywhere.  Of all the city council candidates who spoke last night, I found him to be the most sincere. He was also humble. He never talked about his own accomplishments and only called himself "part of a team that has made Easton a more desirable place to live, to work and to visit." He described Easton as safe, stable, financially secure and well-managed. He touted the strides Easton has made to secure affordable housing at Black Diamond and Shiloh. Questioned about Lafayette College's expansion, he noted (almost apologetically) that he was the sole Council member to vote No. Then he credited Lafayette for its recent efforts to reach out to the community. 

My picks? If I lived in Easton, I'd go with Pintabone, Brown and O'Connell. If I had a 4th vote, I'd cast it for Rose. Carlson is a little too full of himself, Greene is trying to buy his office and Lance needs a nap. 

11 comments:

peterjcochran said...

Excellent reporting , Bernie. I’m happy we have a couple of new prospective candidates for council that are apparently very intelligent. I’m not at all familiar with some of these fine people. We need smart people ,not more hacks! There is too much riding on the proper decision making process. David is indeed a thoughtful respected person. Ms. Rose is a real smart peach, and should get considered by voters, Lance , is a real neighborhood guy, he is able to perceive things differently than than most of us , and has done lots of good in his neighborhood proactively. Don’t discount him. We like to use “clean and safe” - but bullets were flying down town again as politicians talk the talk. “We win “ -with intel,Tech, code, cross reference parking with tenants registration against tax returns. Too many people still not sending it in and getting away with stuff. All this was explained to Steckman . Good day all.

Anonymous said...

"They just knew."

The plantation likes to keep things down low and inside. It's a safe place for the sheep, who have been well conditioned to strictly follow their betters.

Thurston said...

Were there any nominating petitions for Kerry Myers being circulated? Oh wait, that was last month.

Anonymous said...

I love Frank. But wow. C'mon man. We need you around for a long time, brother.

John said...

I’ve had quite a few candidates knock on my door this year. Most of them seem to be hustling. I live in Easton and have been familiar with some of the candidates through their involvement in the city. Some of them are more involved than others. Many leave more to be desired. Some have no business running.

Brown & O’Connell - While I believe they are decent people, I’m a fan of term limits - two terms is plenty. I will likely vote for Brown for lack of a better South Side candidate. They’ll probably win because they’re incumbents and people don’t do their research. O’Connell seems exhausted and I’m not surprised since I’m close to his age. Time to retire.

Pintabone - Concerned about his school board record - yikes. He was aggressive in person and is quick to offer a solution for everything at your door. His responses on the fly lead me to believe he doesn’t have the level of intellect or experience to bring the city to the next phase of revitalization. He seems concerned with bottom barrel issues.

Carlson - His background is in music history. When he speaks, he twists his resume and is misleading. Honestly, it would be more refreshing if he was honest as I feel it would come off more genuine and impressive. He talks above people and is frankly exhausting. His “consulting business” sounds like an HR/training business and I’m unclear how he qualified for any affordable housing committee. The city should do a better job vetting committee members. He’s probably my biggest pass.

Rose - Very involved in the community. She seems a bit soft spoken but you don’t get that far in your career without being effective. Strikes me as someone who quietly gets things done. Chatted with me for quite some time and really listened. She’s intellectual without being aloof. Impressive young woman.

Wheeler - This guy has done a lot for the West Ward. I don’t really get the animosity towards this candidate. I think he might be a little rough around the edges but the West Ward could use a voice. There is regular gun violence, gang issues, and drug problems in the neighborhood. Wouldn’t you be angry if you lived there? He would offer a good balance to the current council. Edinger is a do nothing disgrace.

Greene - This guy knocked on my door. Nice guy but very stiff. I think would be better suited for a school board position since he talks about his district experience. I suspect this $$$$$ campaign was a test run for a future mayoral run. No thanks.

Bernie O'Hare said...

John, I happen to like Lance quite a bit. I've known him forever. But his performance at South Side was intended to turn people off for some reason. He even said so. He's hadsome tough breaks of late.

David O'Connell said...

Thanks for the comments John. I’m glad you’re paying attention but I’ve still got plenty of gas left in the tank which is why I’m running for another term. I hope you’ll reconsider and vote for me. With multiple terms comes good experience.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this summary, Bernie. I've talked to a few of the candidates as well and think you should give Carlson more credit. He spent a lot of time talking with me and is actually working on affordable housing solutions in the region where some of the others seem to be just paying lip service. His experience is real and would be helpful for Easton.

I agree with John too about Pintabone - I've heard he can be quite the bully. My interaction with him was also aggressive and I don't like how he seems to parrot everything the Mayor says. Not sure I want someone like that representing Easton.

I think right now I'm leaning toward Carlson and Rose, and still deciding on my third selection. Both David and Ken Brown are so old, they feel out of touch to me as a younger voter. It would be nice to have a more balanced group representing the city's residents. I'd like to talk more with Lance and Ken Greene before making my decision.

Bernie O'Hare said...

12:38, Thanks for your perspective. A few points.

First, I've known Frank a long time and consider him head and shoulders above all others. It's not even close. He's a big boy, so what you perceive as bullying may just be a result of his size. I have never seen or heard of him bullying anyone and wonder where this attack line comes from. I know he has a big heart and will go out of his way to help anyone. At the same time, he does not miss a trick. He knows what's going on and generally knows not just what is happening, but why. I love his platform and, iof even one of his ideas succeeds, it will be worth having him in office. And he is no rubber stamp for Panto. I have watched those two tangle at times over the years.

Second, I'll stand by my assessment of Carlson. He is way too full of himself and needs to come down to earth. I do consider him very knowledgeable, but there's little wisdom.

Third, for wisdom, Ken Brown is the man. He is exactly the kind of person Easton needs. He understands what it's like to be poor and is far from full of himself.

Fourth, let me get this straight. O'Connell has been marching up and down the hills of Easton, knocking on doors. He is probably far more fit than you, and you attack his age? Of all the candidates who spoke, he was by far the most humble.

Finally, Lance? Are you out of your mind. I love Lance, but he's not himself these days. At the forum, he did nothing but pick fights and say he did not care if he was elected.

Anonymous said...

"Edinger is a do nothing disgrace" 100%

Anonymous said...

Michael Fleck running ??