Several resolutions proposed by Council member Kelly Keegan at recent meetings of Northampton County Council have nothing to do with county government and have accomplished little more than further divide an already divided body. But just as a broken clock is right twice a day, a resolution she proposed at the July 18 meeting has everything to do with county government. The administration of elections is a core county function in Pennsylvania. Public confidence in Northampton County elections has been shaken as a result of design errors in the Express Vote XL during the 2019 and 2023 elections. The county administrator was forced to resign after the most recent debacle. It's important that citizens who choose to vote know that their votes are counted. But at the July 18 meeting of Northampton County Council, a resolution endorsing election integrity was rejected by a 6-3 vote.
Voting No were John Brown, John Goffredo, Tom Giovanni, Jeff Corpora, Ron Heckman and Lori Vargo Heffner. Voting Yes were Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan and Jeff Warren.
Whether you lean right or left, chances are you think our American democracy is in peril. Some of us fear the emergence of autocracy while others worry that our institutions are being abused to persecute political enemies and suppress free speech. This concern is even expressed in the way we vote. Some of us worry that the right to vote is being compromised, while others earnestly believe that we have set in place so many ways to vote (in person, on demand mail-in ballots) that it's become difficult to prevent voter fraud.
With this in mind, a nonpartisan group called Keep Our Republic has been formed to "strengthen trust in our electoral system." It supports three basic principles: (1) Let every eligible voter vote; (2) Let every vote be counted; and (3) Let the electoral vote stand. Executive Lamont McClure drafted a resolution expressing these three basic tenets and Kelly Keegan sponsored it.
Here's what Council members said at the meeting and in a previous committee hearing:
John Goffredo: "If you take it at its word, I agree, it's not controversial at all. The problem is that I think over the last four years our elections systems have changed dramatically and there have been problems. ... I think it's full of holes and problems. ... We do have problems. I think we've experienced them. And we're going to continue to experience them until we fix them."
John Brown: "A resolution like this ... is kinda' like fluff."
Ron Heckman: "I don't really need to bend a knee to some out-of-state group asking me to reaffirm what I've said 100 times."
Lori Vargo Heffner: "Whay are we saying something we already do? ...
Kelly Keegan: "Why wouldn't everybody support this?"
Jeff Warren: "This county has done a very good job of making sure that every single vote regardless of hiccups, every single vote is the right vote ... . We have had some hiccups [Warren's term for the election disasters in 2019 and 2023] and there have been hiccuops since the time our country has started."
you said a broken clock is right twice a day. I agree, John Brown was right, just 'fluff'. Stop pandering for votes and just do your jobs and have a mistake free election. Don't tell voters to go home and come back later. That would be refreshing.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone said they agree with Goffredo? Keegan says goofy things too, so.
ReplyDeleteNorCo has no election integrity and 100 commissions won't improve what the dishonest purposely broke. Remember, those who benefitted from the last couple of farce elections .... wait for it .... got elected. They have no interest in fixing what got them their jobs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you complain about a result before the winners take their oaths, you are a threat to democracy and should probably be jailed. This is what I heard for four years from the guys who just nullified 50 state primaries.
There is no redress for crooked elections. None. NorCo will never have a secure election. The dump boxes and faulty machines, and blue administration: we're as crooked as Philly and Chicago and most realize this now.
I’m not sure why anyone would oppose this Resolution unless you are preparing to deny the outcome of the Election.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone asked Lori Heffner Vargo why she’s always voting with the Council Republicans ?
ReplyDeleteSo how does this statement do anything to assure voters that the system is able to allow anyone "eligible" to vote, have that vote recorded correctly though out the process and reported correctly to the public in a timely manner? Can't someone rein her in? What a disappointment. Maybe Reegan was right?
ReplyDeleteLori Heffner is the weakest County Council President in history. Her failure to get consensus for a replacement for Tara demonstrated her inability to get stuff done.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if DPRKK is drafting these resolutions while on the clock at EAHS; violating several districts policies (and, thus, stealing money from taxpayers). She's done that before but, sadly, the man who found those past violations of district policies has since passed.
ReplyDelete@Vlad if you want to talk about a waste of taxpayer’s money, it was Reagan’s request for all those RTKs which were not intended for political transparency, but for his own personal vendetta against Keegan. Nothing ever came of it and he utilized a tremendous amount of taxpayer money on the time spent by the Forks Twp Solicitor, IT Dept, and Manager. If only all those who ever listened to him knew what a waste of money that was!! lol!!!
Delete@747 Reagan contributed to why the right to know legislation at the state level is being looked at and hopefully going to be changed because of his abuse of it, and look at the township that just had to pay $150,000 in Right to Know requests in this county?! Reagan did a huge disservice and you’re going to support that?? Shameful waste of my money!!!
DeleteOh yes, poor Reagan. He was a monster who told a mother looking for help around the holidays for her family on social media to return her kid’s Christmas presents. Hope the heat is as bad as they say it is!
DeleteLori only gets away with this nonsense because Ron Heckman is giving her cover. Heckman has a unique opportunity to break away from LVH and finish his career as a giant in County government alongside Gene Hartzell and John Stoffa.
ReplyDeleteDon’t give up Ron Heckman quite yet. He’s a wise old Sage, and if he can refrain from being cranky and yelling at everyone who’s standing in front of him, everything will be just fine. Patience is a virtue.
ReplyDeleteWe need to Keep Our Republic ! Bring the Res back up and pass it now !
ReplyDeleteNo one believes that the voting process is correct or fair. Too many excuseless mail in votes, no mandatory ID and Norco's handling of the process has been and will probably always be a joke. The only thing norco council can agree on is not to agree on anything. Then you have an exec who is lost in his own ego.
ReplyDeleteGo to YouTube. Watch the meeting and make up your own mind.
ReplyDeleteGoffredo’s an election denier and he’s working himself up to deny the next one if Trump doesn’t win.
ReplyDeleteAlways look at what your elected officials bring forward and how they vote. It’s the only way you can be sure that your values align with there’s.
ReplyDelete"you said a broken clock is right twice a day. I agree, John Brown was right, just 'fluff'. Stop pandering for votes and just do your jobs and have a mistake free election. Don't tell voters to go home and come back later. That would be refreshing."
ReplyDeleteI agree the resolution is fluff. but that is why a resolution exits in the HRC. Under 604(a), it is for "any act on which it intends to express its consensus or for any act required by law to be a resolution."
In other words, the HRC specifically provides for fluff.
Council still doesn’t have a Clerk. Despite the enormous and ridiculous salary Lori Vargo Heffner has failed to get the position filled. She’s lazy and can’t lead. She should resign.
ReplyDeleteThere are six democrats and three republicans on council. Why can't McClure get a consensus? Do they all hate McClure? Sounds like a psychological problem. Rather have three democrats that take their jobs seriously and can work with others, than three democrats that just do what they are told. LVH makes more sense than the three rubber stamps put together. She knows McClure's games, even if you don't O'Hare.
ReplyDeleteShe knows McClure‘s games?? What does that even mean? So far since the three supposed rubber stamps have been elected she has obstructed McClure from providing a healthcare center for the county employees which would make their healthcare so much better for them and by decreasing the taxpayer burden, the Dixie renovation, the bond that would provide a safer parking deck and more space for the county employees with a new building, she abstained for supporting the Roe resolution and also the election resolution. So what exactly does Lori Vargo Heffner support I wonder?
DeleteKelly has entered the chat
DeleteWell, well. well. We have the Kelly Keegan Contingent chiming in. Your numbers are noted but you have some way to go to reach the numbers of the Sultana Brigade. Bernie must be pleased to be expanding his readership!
ReplyDeleteReagan was just exercising his rights; frankly, everyone should know how to submit RTK requests and do so following Ed's lead. Personal vendetta or sincere concern is of no matter and one's reason for RTK requests may not be questioned. Any accusation of a vendetta by Reagan towards Keegan is solely speculative unless he gave a deathbed confession. Love him or hate him, he was informed, methodical, and did things by the book; something we need more of in the citizenry.
Waste and theft are not interchangeable terms. Being on the clock and not doing your job or tending to the affairs of another job is a choice, thus, intentional; theft is intentional. Waste is a by-product and not always intentional. But, the real thief isn't Keegan or Reagan, but the township and county and school district solicitors who bill extra for work that they should be doing as part of their job; but, I suppose they aren't dumb enough to include that part of their job in their retainer contracts.
It is fluff, or just more political grandstanding. It’s certainly meaningless.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s not fluff? Introducing a bill that actually achieves those goals.
As you note, the administration of elections is a core county function. They have the power to do specifics in this area. The “fluff” is not needed.
This post is about agreeing to accept the outcome of an election. How hard is that ?
ReplyDeleteIt’s clear Lori is bent on working with the Republican to obstruct McClure. The question is is why Jeff Corpora wants to be labeled with the obstructionist tag.
ReplyDeleteWe know if MAGA loses the General Election they will contest it. It’s not speculation, Trump has already said it. It’s good to know, that that’s where the local MAGATs are too now. Lori VH’s efforts to give them aide and comfort not withstanding.
ReplyDeleteOk, they’re wasting time on “fluff” , but they’re not spending any time on substance, so what is County Council accomplishing ?
ReplyDeleteFluff is what you write about the county executive.
ReplyDeleteRobert’s Rules and the council solicitor should be the fluff guardrails, but neither seem to be relevant
ReplyDeleteLazy Lori can’t Lead
ReplyDelete