After President Judge Craig Dally appointed Jeff Corpora to the Northampton County Council vacancy on February 1, you'd think that the war between Exec Lamont McClure and Council President Lori Vargo- Heffner would finally be over. Instead of needless squabbling between members of the same party, you'd think they'd finally try to work together. You'd be wrong.
Over the weekend, McClure posted several comments complaining about Council President Vargo-Heffner's appointments to the eight committees that meet in advance of full Council meetings. In one, he refers to Council member Tom Giovanni, who now leads Council's Courts and Corrections Committee, as a "MAGA Chairman of Committees." He also points out that rookie Jeff Warren chairs non committees. In yet another entry, he uploads a picture of Tom Giovanni posing with Republican State Rep. Ann Flood: "And this Fella was just appointed Chair of the Personnel and Courts and Corrections Committees of Northampton County Council by the President. You good with that?"
Yes, I am. As McClure most certainly knows, most of what a county government does has very little, if any, connection to party politics. Tom Giovanni, also known as Council's Quiet Man, is very dedicated to his role and has the time to spend because he's retired. He does his homework and has adopted a bipartisan approach on most issues.
Is he a MAGA? Well, he's a Republican, but he's no cult member and I've never heard him belching any of the goofy conspiracy theories that unfortunately have infected many Republicans.
Why was Jeff Warren excluded as Chair of even one committee? It takes about two years for a newly elected council member to get a handle on what exactly county government does. I personally think it is a mistake to appoint a rookie to head any council committee .
Vargo-Heffner's appointments were actually an olive branch to the Kraft-Keegan-Warren rubber stamps. She appointed Kelly Keegan to chair the Energy Committee and Ken Kraft over Capital Projects. I would have excluded Kraft. At a hearing concerning the council vacancy appointment, he misrepresented the facts to President Judge Craig Dally. As Judge Dally noted, "[t]the County Council minutes belie [Kraft's] assertions." Kraft has actually damaged his credibility and reputation with the courts. If anything, he should be lying low.
Finally, McClure's complaint actually identifies the real problem,. He works hard and does a good job, but wants to control everything, including County Council. He already controls three Council members. Despite his effort to paint this in partisan tones, his complaint has nothing to do with whether Council members are MAGAs or pose for pictures with Ann Flood. It's all about control. He wants to control all nine. That would make his job easier, but he knows that is not how a healthy government works.
He seems rather unhinged. He's in his corner and he ain't coming out. Despite some good decisions on some issues, he has lost credibility as a leader.
ReplyDeleteIt's really neat how the county executive and chief fiscal officer(and self-proclaimed technology expert) can blast other country officers on social media in petty fiefdom battles, but if an hourly employee would do the same thing, that person would get called up to HR the very next day to get chewed out.
ReplyDelete12:18, In fairness, Barron really is computer savvy. I have seen it myself on numerous occasions. He is not a self-proclaimed expert. I'll say so myself. Also, independently elected officials and exempt employees can make statements on social media about other independently elected officials. They can appear petty when they do so, but they do not report to HR like hourly workers. They report to the voters.
ReplyDeleteExempt employees do in fact have to answer to HR. It might not be right but under McClure they most certainly do
DeleteMcClure is a real piece of work. He is the classic Narcissist leader. You are right he wants total control and devotion. He attacks the credibility of Mr. Giovanni and yet it is he McClure that is MAGA. The MAGA's attack any who disagree with them and demand strict allegiance to the leader. They use social media to attack those They hate. McClure is using the same ideology with local brain-dead democrats. McClure is not even a real democrat. He and willie Reynolds are a lot alike.
ReplyDeleteThis is local government, and we don't need a Watanabe Trump in it. He is not fit for public office.
I would put forth that this council could use a MAGA or two. Let's make Northampton County and America Great Again!🇺🇸 Lord knows we're rapidly swirling around and down the toilet. 😥
ReplyDeleteMainly because the Republican Party has lost honest public officials willing to govern for the good of the country.
DeleteMcClure doesn't want to be county executive; he is running for the state senate. This is just a placeholder job in the republic eye.
ReplyDeleteWarren is a twice convicted drunk who has put our families' lives in danger. He shouldn't be in charge of anything. He drove drunk with our family members on the roads. Think about that. He could have killed your loved ones when he was tooling around wasted. Think about that.
ReplyDeleteSo mcclure makes it obvious he hates trump supporters? That's half the county. Resign. Moron..
ReplyDeleteBarron and McClure are behaving like 5th grade girls. You've often lauded those politicians who run hard or not at all. McClure won't stop running, and therefore can't lead - as we've just learned over the last several weeks. Barron is still immature and easily ginned up to flash that immaturity. You say he changed, Bernie. That's a ridiculous lie. He's the same man-boy hack he's always been. Leaders lead. I don't know what you call asshole politicians who spend the weekend sniping on social media. Perhaps that's it: asshole politicians. He's bitter that many of us hold him largely responsible for the horrible isolated, lonely deaths of our loved ones at Gracedale. Your attempts at defending him are as hollow as the empty funeral homes where guests were forbidden. We know what McClure did beside closing sliding boards to children. And so do you. This is why he'll never be a leader and always the worst executive in county and state history.
ReplyDeleteBernie, You are totally right. We need Lori to continue to stop Lamonster from establishing an employee health care office.
ReplyDeleteMcClure should stick to tax cutting and stay off social media.
ReplyDeleteThe Council president gets to make the committee appointments. Taking the criticism public, and insulting elected officials while doing so, seems an odd and very unprofessional response.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair Ohare you are right. I've been around Mr. Giovanni at a number of events. I have not heard the name Trump come from his mouth once. My mouth different story lol.
ReplyDeleteDumbass
Barron is tech savvy. And, he’s good a fiscal affairs too. He’s responsible for like 19 balanced budgets or something.
ReplyDeleteIt’ll be fun to watch Lori wield the gavel Thursday night. Any idea where she got it ?
ReplyDeleteListen BO. Lamont and Stevie aren’t relevant. Lori and John Brown will meet Thursday before the meeting and will decide how things go.
ReplyDeleteLori Vargo Heffner is being manipulated by John Brown. The funny thing is she thinks she has him hypnotized.
ReplyDeleteYour arguments make no sense. Warren isn’t experienced enough to get a Chairmanship, but Keegan’s post our an olive branch. You twist substance and politics into the same post and produce an illogical mess. You’re just a frustrated political operative. And, you’re terrible at it. (See Controller Cusick and DA Houck)
ReplyDeleteLook if Ken Kraft would just stick to scuba diving everything would be fine, but I think he’s determined to cut taxes again.
ReplyDeleteKelly Keegan is an unstoppable force who will be Hefner’s worst nightmare.
ReplyDeleteKen Kraft is an intelligent, hard-working Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteLamont lost my vote when I found out he is one of the grumpy members of the Old Boys Club.
ReplyDeleteKelly Keegan is an R. N. Lori Heffner is a phony shrink, but does she have sticky fingers ?
ReplyDeleteHe needed to go a longgggggggg time ago!
ReplyDeleteMcClure is showing signs of megalomania. His tri-dumber-ite, er, triumvirate of enablers will feed the man.
ReplyDeleteJeff Warren has forgotten more about local government than Lori will ever know.
ReplyDeleteJeff Warren is a thoughtful man who is highly experienced in local government. He worked for Sen. Boscola for more than a decade.
ReplyDeleteThe fact he worked with Boscola and her boy toy Kelly should tell you something.
DeleteSo apparently you can only pose with Lamont McClure approved people if you’re on council? He seems so petty! it’s crap like this that people hate politics these days.
ReplyDeleteJeff Warren served on Easton City Council.
ReplyDeleteJeff Warren served on the Hanover Board of Supervisors.
ReplyDeleteJeff Warren served on the Hanover Board of Supervisors.
ReplyDeleteReasons to be worried, yes.
ReplyDeleteExecutive and his admin. on the ESS voting machines configuring for 2024……let’s hope it goes well.
Council’s inability to work as a functioning council….with an appointed newbie…..tossup
Tension between LVH, and the exec, Kraft, Keegan, and Warren, …unpredictable
Personality conflicts with Brown, Giovanni, Goffredo vs Kraft and Keegan …unpredictable
Election commission functioning and meeting….
Who knows..
Where there’s smoke, there will be fire .
How do I say this in the nicest possible way? Flood is a hottie. I would jump at the chance to get my photo taken with her. Giovanni shouldn't be held in ridicule. He made a great choice.
ReplyDeleteWarren "served" in Easton a century ago. He was only on Hanover's Board for about two years and that is NOT county government. The learning curve is about two years. I'm not saying that's why he got no chairmanships, but I frankly think nobody in their fiorst two years should head any committee.
ReplyDelete"Look if Ken Kraft would just stick to scuba diving everything would be fine, but I think he’s determined to cut taxes again.z"
ReplyDeleteWhen Dutch Springs closed, Kraft and Lott (another diver) were after McClure to have the county take it over or buy it. He resisted. Now that Kraft and a scuba diving business own it, I am very leery that he will be holding out his hand for county money from the various grants that are provided. As I have warned before, Ken Kraft cares about Ken Kraft> he is his favorite person.
I know Jeff Warren Lori Vargo Heffner is no Jeff Warren.
ReplyDeleteWants to control everything? You mean like a dictator? Like someone who would send one of his former employees who is now on county council to a hearing to lie, or at best misrepresent, what occurred at a recorded council meeting in an effort to appoint a preferred candidate who was previously rejected by that same county council the night before? I think you might have the wrong guy here, Bernie.
ReplyDelete"Your arguments make no sense. Warren isn’t experienced enough to get a Chairmanship, but Keegan’s post our an olive branch. You twist substance and politics into the same post and produce an illogical mess. You’re just a frustrated political operative. And, you’re terrible at it. (See Controller Cusick and DA Houck)"
ReplyDeleteYes, there is an inconsistency in excluding Warren while putting Keegan on. I would have put none of the three rubber stamps as the head of any committee. The fact that LVH did so indicated to me that she was not taking their antics personally. As for getting DA Houck wrong, you are correct. As for Cusick, there is no question he was the superior candidate, but I never predicted he would win.
"Warren is a twice convicted drunk "
ReplyDeleteThis is incorrect, as I've noted before. Warren was placed on ARD twice, not convicted, and that was long ago.
"So mcclure makes it obvious he hates trump supporters? That's half the county. Resign. Moron.."
ReplyDeleteNot exactly. There is a difference between those who vote for Trump and his cult followers.
We will see soon how they perform, together, as a council, or a circus for the county.
ReplyDeleteAs a Forks Supervisor Kelly Keegan advocated for Open Space. Imagine all the good she’ll do now.
ReplyDeleteIf her opening salvos are any indication, we are in trouble with her already.
Delete"Bernie, You are totally right. We need Lori to continue to stop Lamonster from establishing an employee health care office"
ReplyDeleteI completely support Lamont's desired employee health center and support his opposition to LERTAs for warehouses. I would also oppose tax incentives for manufacturing on a greenfield. We cannot say we support farmland preservation and at the same time reward developers who wish to destroy them.
Let’s all remember that no matter what happens Jeff Corpora for Kerry Myers is the best thing to happen to County government in a long time. It was all worth it.
ReplyDeleteForks township is failing on open space, just built one new warehouse on farmland and another 200+ houses going in on more farmland. Forks township has not been pro open space it’s been pro money, when majority of its population are from NY/nj this is what you get.. welcome to the Lehigh valley folks
ReplyDeleteYou can thank the current Repub supervisors for that. They will not be happy until Sullivan Trail is like MacArthur Road from Old Mill to Braden Airport.
DeleteSpeaking of Kerry Myers. Dally’s decision not to pick Myers was a harsh rebuke of Jermaine Greene. Greene advocated fiercely for Kerry as he was a reliable rubber stamp for the Courts and DA over the last four years.
ReplyDeleteInstead of LVH embracing her Democratic peers and colleagues, she has ostracized them since day 1. When you belong to a political party the people who supported you expect you to work with others in the same party. Instead LVH has embraced the Republicans on the council and forgot about the Democratic values of those who not only supported her in her elections, but also those who voted for her. She has shoved her Republican allegiance in Democrat’s faces all over the state, and it will ultimately cost her next election.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Kerry Myers. Dally’s decision not to pick Myers was a harsh rebuke of Jermaine Greene. Greene advocated fiercely for Kerry as he was a reliable rubber stamp for the Courts and DA over the last four years.
ReplyDeleteJeff Corpora will not be as easily psychologically manipulated by Lucy Vargo Heffner as say Ron Heckman is.
ReplyDeleteKen Kraft was a great County Council. There was no strife and rancor. Things got done in a civil and efficient manner. It was the best of times.
ReplyDeleteKK was the best county council? Do you even know what you write? There are 9 individuals, councilmen, who are supposed to work together…not one King Kraft who steers the boat..laughable
DeleteWill the Jeff Warren Appreciation Society meet somewhere other than on this blog?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBO 11:29 am said: “ There is a difference between those who vote for Trump and his cult followers.”
ReplyDeleteI hate to break it to you, but the real cult is the anti-Trumpers.
They will take no position too destructive to our country, and elect no politician too senile or mentally incapacitated, as long as those actions are framed in the context of opposition to Trump.
And the democrat party and their allies in the media play those Kool-Aid drinkers like a fiddle each election.
Your use of Democrat Party shows your real Republican partisan self. Wake up. Trump has destroyed your party . He has poisoned the minds of too many and has always been out for himself.
Delete4:59 - Thank you for proving my point. Go stand in the airport and watch CNN with your other cult members
DeleteThe real problem is not Lori Van Haggar and her deal with Mr. Brownstone in his next Administration to be Secretary of Human Services. The problem is that as an elderly man Ron Heckman has come under Lori’s malign influence and does not realize it.
ReplyDeleteSteve Barron is the best ! Not just balanced budgets delivered, but the McClure Administration has even cut the budget 15% over the last 2 years.
ReplyDeleteYes on the back of county employees!!!
DeleteWell, somebody's got to look out for the beleaguered taxpayers. 💲💲💲
Delete"Now that Kraft and a scuba diving business own it, I am very leery that he will be holding out his hand for county money from the various grants that are provided.
ReplyDeleteAnother blatant lie, the quarry is no a Non-profit but you continue to insinuate that I will be seeking grants. Can't do that with a for profit company as you know"
Ken Kraft, I'd be careful about calling people liars after your misrepresentations under oath. You and a diving business are the founding members of the quarry and it is my understanding that it was formed as a nonprofit. If that is not so, I stand corrected.
Kraft and non profit 501C3 don’t get along ..he couldn’t even find one for the county to use for Gracedale.
DeleteHey don't forget about the director of corrections also!!! He is in that bunch!! Funny!
DeleteUsing the term MAGA as a derogatory personal trait has always baffled me. To Make America Great Agaim should be everyone’s goal. Unless, of course, you believe everything is great now under our present administration. If so, I suggest.you do some research using non-mainstream sources. At the very least, try changing your daily news channel. You could be surprised by what’s out there.
ReplyDeleteLocally, look beyond the failing Morning Call.
Word on the Street is another tax cut is coming.
ReplyDeleteI thought Lori specialized in manipulating widows not old men. Is she Svengali reborn ?
ReplyDeleteWatch Lori labor to bang that gavel Thursday night.
ReplyDeleteDoes Lori’s gavel insulate her from criticism on this blog ?
ReplyDeleteThis council is already the most unlikable group of people we've seen in a while. Looks like their churlish disposition is beginning to affect the once affable McClure.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9:10 AM: Keegan is not an R. She's as left-wing as they come; blindingly so, too. Alas, she'll be a reliable rubber stamp but that may not be enough to prevent McClure from having more temper tantrums like this most recent one.
Boss Tweed McClure has put Northampton County in a new low. His handpicked ambassadors on council are flawed to say the least. The fact that Barron comes on every day at the same work time to spin his nonsense is telling. Also, the Barron, Kraft, Keegan and Warren toady machine posts all day long are dumb. Do they realize that their constant attacks on Heffner and Heckman (for some reason) Will ensure they never get five votes for anything. County govenrment needs to go back to the commissioners, it is not as mature as Lehigh County and cannot handle home rule anymore. McClure and his gang have proved that.
ReplyDeleteNorthampton county mis a mess they can't even run a proper election. Or maybe they can.
ReplyDeleteKen Kraft has served Northampton County honorably for many years. When he was Council President business got done and it didn’t take all night. With Lori Vargo Heffner, business is not getting done and it takes all night.
ReplyDeleteKen Kraft has served McClure, the union, and himself well over the years. He doesn’t like not being in charge and hates being told what to do
ReplyDeleteby a woman. Let’s see how he handles Copora.
Please, please stop saying that McClure, Kraft or anyone in the county exclusive panel of friends cares about the union. They care about the union bosses donations they could give two shits about the county union employees. And shows it with every contract offer from the county.
DeleteKraft was a terrible president I have been told. He was just an order taker for McClure. The only business and debate were what McClure authorized.
ReplyDeleteLVH is and will be president and can spank Kraft, Heckboy, and others into following council work.
ReplyDelete