Two of the choices - Ken Brown and Frank Pintabone - are no-brainers. Brown works at the courthouse as Director of Court Services, and he might very well be among Executive Lamont McClure's best appointments. Although he's unassuming, he sees everything that's happening. He understands local government and frankly, I wish he was running for Mayor. He was mentored by the late Pastor Fred Davis, and told me he learned that should listen far more than we speak.
My second pick is Frank Pintabone. He really is from the neighborhood and for the neighborhood. A South Sider, he has the same humility I see in Brown. I was surprised to learn that Brown was actually his mentor. This is a guy who loads his pickup with turkeys every Thanksgiving, and hands them out in Easton and Allentown. He'd like to revive Easton's trolley and recruit a grocer to the west ward. Most importantly, he wants to track down on absentee landlords.
I can also rule out Ken Greene. He is walking around town bragging about how much money he's spending on a City Council race. Some say it's $90,000, including TV. I hope that's untrue, but he leaves people with the impression he's trying to buy his seat. This is a rank class domination in which those who have the money have the power. This should be resisted.
I'll revisit this race after the candidates' night.
29 comments:
Crystal Rose! She is fantastic!
Mayor Panto specifically endorsed three council candidates at his own announcement event: Incumbents Ken Brown and me and first time candidate Frank Pintabone.
Hi Bernie, no-brainer? Pintabone? Really?! Did you forgot that the Northampton County Grand Jury recommended that Pintabone resign from the Easton School Board for creating a “negative culture in the Easton Area School District involving severe mistrust between administrators and members of the school board that bordered on paranoia." Do the citizens of Easton need that kind of adolescent mindset in a decision-making, leadership role? No, they deserve much better than that. I disagree on your assessment as I feel it lacks depth and I’m generally curious why you’ve selected him as a ‘no-brainer’ pick.
Here’s one article, but there are more about this guy floating around. The residents of Easton have not forgotten about Pintabone’s past: https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/2014/11/northampton_county_district_at_3.html
Dave, I understand he endorsed you three, endorsed Ken Greene, endorsed Zrinski, signed Nadeem's petition twice, etc.
"Signed Nadeem's petition twice" lolololololololol
You should read the full report, not the paper. Pintabone's ONLY infraction was cursing. Maybe the reason he was reelected 3 months later
My understanding is Panto only endorsed Green because of his money and connections downtown. Pintabone posted a video, watch what Panto says at the end about people moving in. Green is not from Easton.
5:44, Yeah, I never understand that hatchet job. Here's the other side of the story. https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/2014/11/easton_area_school_district_cr_1.html
Hey Anonymous people use your real names. Frank is the best candidate in my opinion, he is not adolescent as you speak of. Frank does more in a day than any other candidate. He is in all the neighborhoods not just Southside, I don't see many other candidates on Southside no even our own City Council person Sultana!!!
Take a look around, why didn’t you run? We need Council members that are willing and want to do the job and make things happen. If your going to talk the talk then you need to walk the walk.
As for the school board, that is in the past you need to see the action taking place now.
Easton needs council persons who can speak English fluently and do not live in a home that looks like it could be featured in a remake of the TV series "Sanford and Son". I also agree that Ken Brown is a good guy and I will vote for him. Pintabone comes across as a wack job. A trolley? Really. Who is going to pay for it? Our taxes are already too high. I would be afraid to ride a trolley in Easton so as to not get hit by stray gunfire.
It’s time we put people in these seats that are going to actually do for the people and show up and make changes to benefit all residents and areas of the city. I agree Frank is showing to be the best pick for doing that at this point. Unlike most candidates/elected officials in the past that will show face prior to election and promise to be out here for the people and the community, than when elected are no where to be seen until election or a photo op to remind voters of who they are. But not keeping up those promises. Frank has shown his dedication to the residents and fellow neighbors that he does care and wants change and a better future for this city. I believe that the city can truly win with a vote for Frank knowing that by not just getting him a seat in office but by knowing that we as a whole community working together can make great things happen in Easton. That is what we need in the people we put in these positions. Frank is just that. Here for Easton to make it better for all of us.
Frank is a power-hungry bully and a fake person. That’s the last thing we need on the council. His social media posts are lies. He goes to events, takes pictures, and leaves as early as possible.
He went to the Easton mosque with one of his volunteers, costumed her as a Muslim woman, and faked, hey, look, a Muslim woman volunteer for my campaign.
He asked the mosque's president if he could speak on the mic. The president refused to host him. He had his friend take a picture of him with the president and posted it on his social media, captioning that he “was invited to speak at the Easton mosque.” WTH
He showed up at the Third Street Alliance Bistro for 15 minutes (didn’t buy a ticket, didn’t sponsor the event), took pictures, and shared on social media, captioning, “A great event, to support 3rd St. Alliance Women and Children shelter”. These are just a few examples of his lies.
These attacks at Frank tell me he's ahead. I have known him many years and is far from a bully. In fact, getting him to say something negative about anyone, which is what I do, is like pulling teeth. He loves his community and the people in it. He is perfect for Easton. He is not an elitist who walks around with his nose up in the air, but is a warm-hearted regular person who understands the meaning of service.
Bernie
If i may speak to the liar above
#1 i was invited to the Mosque on Lehigh St. Beyyah Abdul Kabir, and Bro Aziz connected me to the president who called me and invited me to service. The woman that you mention was Tonya Ruiz of the Weat Ward neighborhood partnership, I asked if i could bring her so she could meet the mosque president, since she works FOR the West Ward and the Mosque was in the WestWard. Beyyah told us she MUST be coverd up and provided her with a hijab to wear, to be respectful..
#2 I was invited to the Bistro by board member John Callahan who bought a ticket for me, I was there for 1hr and 15 min before leaving as I had plans to babysit my granddaughter that night.
#3 I ve been volunteering in the City of Easton since 19 yrs old. From organizing "Stop the Violence" rallies, to coaching youth.
There is only 1 person in Easton who shows up late to everyrhing and asks for pictures. And the city knows who that is
I wont comment on anymore unless you use your name. State your name and lets have a face to face discussion and bernie can come moderate
Well it seem obvious to me that the person who wrote this is not there long enough to see how long Frank stays at events. Frank is sincere and speaks to each neighborhood unlike many of the other candidates and also ones who are on council.
I support ETHICS AND ACTION and Frank has that along with a little few candidates I see at events.
Yes he does take pictures when permitted and not fake like other council member who come last minute take photo ops and leave...Sultana who does nothing for Southside!!!
Frank takes action pictures or others take them and post with permission not to look like support because he is already supported.
Frank keep pushing, you make things happen and your not even elected yet. I am grateful to you for the introduction you have made to other community members and persons running for the same and other positions in our government.
t’s truly a shame that people can’t come out and support someone that they feel will make a true difference for not only the city THEY grew up in but have been dedicated to supporting the community in multiple ways without some throwing mud and trying to go to levels of hurtful and disrespectful things that are well beyond what the community knows about Frank Pintabone both as a person and his character. He has both come out and showed not only that he is more than willing to come out within the communities to support changes that we as a city need and ask how he can assist with getting this done, he is doing this with consistency. He is a constant reminder of exactly what we need to work in making the city better.
As for showing up for photos…there have been a few times I can mention that as soon as a council person is named and not present that suddenly they appear and photos have been taken and representing a photo op of pure coincidence by nature not cause of action. Yet are MIA within the neighborhood until election time comes back around. These are the people that the residents have need to remember come election. And remember who actually WILL make a difference for this city! What has happened to people respectfully accepting that someone else may be better without so much hate for the person or the people who choose to support them. This is exactly why we need change!
Frank is a wack job. Sal and David are using him to campaign for them, and Frank is using them to gain a few votes.
All three of them are doing ugly politics for their gain. “You scratch my back; I scratch yours.”
Sal and David must go, and Frank must not be elected.
Frank, that's another lie. The Easton mosque did NOT allow you to speak.
He is ahead of lying, and that tells a lot about his personality.
This is Easton. And Easton folks will win. Get over it
Frank’s living a recurring nightmare. Several times recently, voters asked for signs. Sometimes they went out of their way to find him. They let him place the signs in their yards, but when he drove by the next day, his signs were gone. When asked why, they said, "I heard something about you” or a similar remark. Frank's sign was the only one they removed from their lawns. Who’s following Frank’s signs around? I'm not asking anyone else to connect the dots, but these episodes convinced me that I’m not voting for that other candidate on the lawns. This is too coincidental.
Hmmmmm Sal supports Zrinski, Dave left Taiba and now supports zrinski , Frank refused to join taiba and her husband. Now those 3 are doing ugly politics toooooo funny
It’s election time, Panto will speak out of every side of his mouth, forgets who he tells what to and will probably be “hacked” with sock puppets. Good thing for sal that the papers eliminated reader comments. He wouldn’t be able to resist using those sock puppets again
Frank
I never asked to speak. Never wantee to speak. Bernie was just on the phn with the gentleman that invited me, he told bernie everything.
I decline to host anonymous comments that attack readers who do identify themselves, with the exception of candidates and public officials.
Frank, did you just admit to accepting a ticket from an Easton developer to the Third Street event? That's called a 'conflict of interest'. Will you accept things like that if you get elected? Do you think it's acceptable as a member of Easton’s City Council to accept gifts like that? If yes, why? If no, why did you take the ticket?
Bernie, I am aware of the LVL article you posted above, as I am now aware that your critique of the article was a ‘hatchet job’. But regardless of the reporting, a Grand Jury still recommended that Pintabone resign his position due to the alleged violations of trust with respect to the administration and other members of the school board.
I am also aware of your feelings for Pintabone, so I understand your position: https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2018/02/mcclure-nominates-pintabone-anthony-to.html
I realize you’ve been down this road before so you’re well versed in the eight or nine additional incidents involving Pintabone that poorly reflect his tenure holding public office. Do you cognitive dissonance much? Assuming you bow to the archetype of the ‘working class democrat' (garnered from your blog) pointing out Frank's ineptitude to adequately govern and gross infractions (as mild as some may be) must stir up some level of derision inside you.
A no-brain decision is exactly that. And in the case of Frank Pintabone, struggle, grit and fight may get him the job, but executing the role with conviction has proven to be too difficult a task for him. His track record is a perfect example of this. It's littered with potholes and needs to be repaved. How many more chances do we need to give him? Seriously, one? Two more?
I have no faith in Frank’s decision making abilities since most of those ‘abilities’ are issued by Sal himself. Give him a call Frank, since you two are so close, ask him if it's ok to answer the questions I asked you above.
Brown, O’Connell and Pintabone should win fairly easily.
Nobody is interested in smug candidates who throw money around, and honestly most people haven’t seen (any but Pintabone) or heard much from the rest of the candidates either.
That goes a long way
Admittedly I don’t do much on Facebook and I don’t have a website yet but I have been walking my ass off in all the neighborhoods knocking on doors hoping to speak with voters. So if you haven’t heard from me, I just haven’t reached your door yet.
Easton should have term limits on all offices, especially Mayor…. Panto has been in to long he needs to go
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