When he was NorCo Executive, John Stoffa instructed elections officials to post all campaign finance reports online. They did so for one or two election cycles, then stopped. It was simply too much work to post the finance reports filed for every municipality in the county. But Northampton County could do what Lehigh has been doing since 2009. It could post the campaign finance reports filed by candidates for county office. This would include County Council, Controller, Executive and District Attorney.
These finance reports can often be the canary in the coalmine, warning of impending corruption.
Northampton County Council actually killed all thoughts of online campaign finance disclosure in 2008. Then Council member Charles Dertinger worried that some "little citizen group" might actually get together and challenge campaign finances, keeping a candidate in court instead of letting him campaign. "This is over the top," he concluded. No "little citizen group" has risen in Lehigh to challenge finance reports since 2009. Hopefully, Dertinger is less suspicious of the people now.
I challenged campaign finance reports filed by disgraced former Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski on three separate occasions. I was correct every time.
The canary in the coalmine was sending an alarm.
Over the past election cycle, I posted the finance reports for some key Lehigh Valley races. A few alarms were sounded over the money poured into Ken Greene's race for Easton City Council as well as the big spenders in Steve Baratta's race for DA. This drew quite a bit of interest, if my blog analytics are any indication. People really do care about who is funding a campaign. It helps them discern where a candidate lands on different issues.
These reports can be a canary in a coal mine or a good sign as well. For example, in the Allentown City Council races, it was nice to know which candidates were financed by the FOP. It's also good to see who gets a lot of grass roots support in the form of smaller contributions.
Bethlehem, Allentown and Lehigh County all post finance reports online as a matter of transparency. Isn't it time that Northampton County do so as wel?
9 comments:
Now that is the Chucky everyone knows and experiences, not the pussycat you describe today.
The three amigos, Lumpy, Chucky and Footinmouth.
Absolutely yes. True transparency unveils the large donors and lobbying type organizations who have agendas rather than just fiscal support. We all know there are few
Controls on dollar amounts. It’s time to do this. Wealthy factions are out using their monetary machines to steer and influence campaign outcomes. It’s time to drop the curtains, put laws to this and curtail opportunists chances of the “buying of offices”. It’s time.
Yes! They should!!
"Now that is the Chucky everyone knows and experiences, not the pussycat you describe today."
Charles is much more mellow now. I think the citizen group he was referring to was the bond opponents, which included me. I agree that citizen groups like the one in which I participated can be a mob. I would later see that first hand with other issues. So I do understand his point about mob rule. But I don't see how online campaign finance disclosure would put candidates in court any more than the current way the county discloses. It would, however, make reports more visible.
When I look at a campaign finance report, I look for names I know and recognize. If they are online, others will be doing that, too. I may recognize names others miss. They may recognize names and trends I miss. If they post their observations, it becomes participatory journalism.
The only concern I have about online disclosure would be whether the office can handle it. I would want to know what elections officials think. It would be limited to county offices.
Yes, of course. I support anything that annoys Dirtinger.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. As should every city, township, borough....they should post the financial disclosures as well.
BernieOHare to 1:14, Good suggestion! Did not think of that!
Now I know the fix is in. If anyone on county council had said that you would have written a dozen p[osts condemning them. You are so in the Tank for McClure and company it is amazing.
At the time Dertinger said that, back in 2008, I was highly critical. It is now 2023.
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