tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post4779450936374550287..comments2024-03-29T00:30:47.101-04:00Comments on Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Cunningham Argues For Regional Approach to Economic DevelopmentBernie O'Harehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-83737993428403175802016-12-08T15:33:46.519-05:002016-12-08T15:33:46.519-05:00IF economic development is so good why do the taxe...IF economic development is so good why do the taxes keep going up, traffic increases, and the general state of the area deteriorates. Who makes out from the. Granted people earn a living but the leaches get to suck more off the cash flow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-26948122419888531422014-03-12T11:50:18.064-04:002014-03-12T11:50:18.064-04:00For the past eight years Northampton County gutted...For the past eight years Northampton County gutted economic development. It gave away over half of the casino revenue it was to receive. yet people are angry at council for trying to protect the county? All the Dem county councilmen are aware of these facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-20745424236783679872014-03-12T08:44:37.855-04:002014-03-12T08:44:37.855-04:00Who gives a shit about the slate belt? You all co...Who gives a shit about the slate belt? You all come down here for recreation, for shopping, for business. Why would they invest in your dead landscape? It's like West Virginia up there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-21957968410374191072014-03-11T18:33:40.684-04:002014-03-11T18:33:40.684-04:00Anon 6:11 is right on. Cunningham needs a GPS to...Anon 6:11 is right on. Cunningham needs a GPS to find the Slate Belt. LVEDC has done absolutely nothing for the Slate Belt. The economic engine in the Slate Belt is the Green Knights. But watch the Slate Belt in 5 to 10 years they will have their own economic development corporation and work with Northampton County. Remember where Brown comes from.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-70404716309190777782014-03-11T10:23:28.875-04:002014-03-11T10:23:28.875-04:00Economic development has been defined as a competi...Economic development has been defined as a competitive war among metropolitan regions in the United States. Cunningham continues to refer to our need to attract businesses over other similarly situated business parks throughout the country. That has been the traditional definition. The frustration of that definition is that economic development is suppose to raise the well being of the total community. It's hard to see successes when there is still widespread poverty in our three major cities and significant differences in income levels when compared to state wide and regional averages. Perhaps, economic development needs to be more about getting people out of poverty. Cunningham knows that coming from Bethlehem. It's not so much about what Lehigh County got over Northampton but a perception that Easton and Bethlehem still house much of the region's poor. That results in the thinking that not much is going towards Northampton. Actually Allentown still leads in maintaining high poverty levels. Despite new businesses, new job creation is not trickling down to the neighborhoods that need them. We need to readjust our thinking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-73537751465446283542014-03-11T01:22:49.880-04:002014-03-11T01:22:49.880-04:00Norco had their Central Booking Center up and runn...Norco had their Central Booking Center up and running two full years before Lehigh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-39202408664451153042014-03-10T21:00:52.917-04:002014-03-10T21:00:52.917-04:00I get the regionalize the expense thing, but will ...I get the regionalize the expense thing, but will the benefit be regionalized or will we be funding the same geographical areas in the same political sub divisions?<br /><br />What are LVEDC top 5 underutilized sites the intend to target?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-79593531556071633202014-03-10T20:47:36.979-04:002014-03-10T20:47:36.979-04:00That is true. Both the Exec and Council had no pro...That is true. Both the Exec and Council had no problem with the arrangement, but the court had concerns. When it comes to the disposition of an offender, I believe there should be great deference given to the courts. I might criticize them when they try to be engineers, but this is a matter in which their views should be dispositive. So though it made no sense to me, I would not fight it. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-51269902736367047072014-03-10T20:42:16.043-04:002014-03-10T20:42:16.043-04:00"North Co needs to look to LEhigh County for ..."North Co needs to look to LEhigh County for examples of regionalism." 1:50<br /><br />correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Lehigh County also offer to also to work with NorCo for a Treatment Center in Salisbury Twp, in which NorCo rejected (though blaming the courts) and then ended up with the West Easton facility??Lighthousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346747286241817118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-28390451046887339052014-03-10T17:42:48.020-04:002014-03-10T17:42:48.020-04:00Comments complaining about my deletion policy will...Comments complaining about my deletion policy will also be deleted. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-42303572860144574502014-03-10T17:19:10.792-04:002014-03-10T17:19:10.792-04:001:50, What got NC irked at LVEDC is not a disdain ...1:50, What got NC irked at LVEDC is not a disdain for regionalism or parochial jealousy. It was a lack of transparency that existed for many years. That has changed, and so are NC attitudes. Aside from Werner, Cunningham was treated well. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-2570151816020634362014-03-10T17:08:00.102-04:002014-03-10T17:08:00.102-04:00"I recall the Don was a critic of the LVEDC w...<em>"I recall the Don was a critic of the LVEDC when he was Mayor and County Exec."</em><br /><br />You recall incorrectly. Cunningham was actually the first city leader to co-join its economic development with LVEDC. He did that when he merged the BEDCO staff in Bethlehem into the LVEDC operations. As County Executive, he funded every year, worked with LVEDC and never saber-rattled or whined about pulling funding. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-75972683417366483822014-03-10T17:05:53.904-04:002014-03-10T17:05:53.904-04:00Werner is not the hand that feeds him. He was arro...Werner is not the hand that feeds him. He was arrogant, uninformed and hopelessly parochial on Thursday, and went on to insult the Exec, the Director of Public Works and a fellow Council member, based on disinformation. Also, I know very few elected officials who do not have a massive ego. how else could they take all the anonymous personal attacks? Speaking of those, I have deleted a few and will continue to delete the cowards who seem to know everything but their name. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-5932286424496075972014-03-10T14:35:18.127-04:002014-03-10T14:35:18.127-04:00Don makes many good points but he needs to be care...Don makes many good points but he needs to be careful not to bite the hand that feeds him. He had a big ego as an elected official himself and still has a very high opinion of himself. he has to remember at some level he works for them now. He needs to be a little less confrontational or it will come back to hurt him Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-42196293692609409692014-03-10T13:50:53.442-04:002014-03-10T13:50:53.442-04:00Northampton County Council has a long history of w...Northampton County Council has a long history of whinning and about economic development is on top of the list. The fact of the matter is that potential companies look at a lot of different things - including the progressive thinking on the regional level. They are making a decision for 20 -30 years not a decision of where to eat dinner that night.<br /><br />When was Werner ever at a LVEDC mtg? or any of the others, other than Peg. Stoffa came in with the same attitude about LVEDC but quickly learned their value and attended meetings regularly. <br /><br />Werner jut has to look in his own neighborhood to see the value that LVEDC has made to the Silk project and many other projects in his own city. Their assistance with te RT 33 interchange will bring thousands of jobs to North Co.<br /><br />North Co needs to look to LEhigh County for examples of regionalism. They supported the regional crime data center. they supported the bi-county health department. they supported the central prison booking. And now they have all of them and NorCo has none of them. They support their Council of Governments - even with regional grants.<br /><br />Maybe Cunningham was vening some of the organzation's frustration when it comes to dealing with that council. Tey try to promote the valley as a region and county council thwarts those efforts with their whinning and petty politics.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-59283386852048008122014-03-10T12:02:01.967-04:002014-03-10T12:02:01.967-04:00"6:11, humble staff role? What, is he appeari..."6:11, humble staff role? What, is he appearing before Xerxes? "<br /><br />Nice. You win the internet today, Bernie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-65548305627492364012014-03-10T11:38:31.885-04:002014-03-10T11:38:31.885-04:00@11:05 is simply a disgruntled ignoramus or a fail...@11:05 is simply a disgruntled ignoramus or a failed cook attempting to stir the pot...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-71870764760456608452014-03-10T11:21:47.894-04:002014-03-10T11:21:47.894-04:00You apparently did not read the story. You apparently did not read the story. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-28712755418533380492014-03-10T11:05:21.626-04:002014-03-10T11:05:21.626-04:00I feel real great that Cunningham wants a 1% sales...I feel real great that Cunningham wants a 1% sales tax to squander as He sees fitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-63022631388033265432014-03-10T09:38:18.982-04:002014-03-10T09:38:18.982-04:00Fred, Cunningham did not state that the great flig...Fred, Cunningham did not state that the great flight is over. He said it is still a little chaper here, but the days of bargain basement farmland are over. Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-46686463042030996742014-03-10T09:34:04.633-04:002014-03-10T09:34:04.633-04:00What's with this 'migration from New Jerse...What's with this 'migration from New Jersey is over' thing?<br /><br />People continue to flee that state, and New York, to escape outrageous TAXES. I think the migration is just beginning and have seen NO decline of this in my part of Northampton County. Much like California and Connecticut, people will continue leaving in search of lower costs of living.<br /><br />Right now, the Lehigh Valley is a RECEIVER of this migration. Soon, with the help of politicians, we will become someone else's SENDER.<br /><br />Fred Windish <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-42157647490325678152014-03-10T09:33:51.661-04:002014-03-10T09:33:51.661-04:006:11, humble staff role? What, is he appearing bef...6:11, humble staff role? What, is he appearing before Xerxes? Werner knew nothing about Fresh Pets and the 200 plus jobs it brought to this county. All he cares about is Easton. But as Cunningham correctly pointed out, Werner is both whining and parochial. If Werner wants to spur economic development in Easton, he should go to their City Council and demand a repeal of the commuter tax.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-4713204017932933252014-03-10T09:30:44.252-04:002014-03-10T09:30:44.252-04:00Northampton County had a great organization that b...Northampton County had a great organization that brought thousands of jobs into Northampton County. Glenn Reibman and his henchman Mike Soloman dissolved the Northampton County Development Corporation and sold the taxpayers down the drain for the Lehigh Valley Development Corporation. All of that for campaign donations. Now we pay the price for these dastardly deeds. Cunningham is right. We are in a global economy and we are competing with the world for jobs. Business'es are whores who sell themselves to the highest bidder. Give me more than the next guy in line and you get my favors. Only the federal government can change that market. Someone has to look out for Northampton County. Thank you Werner for doing your job. Werner is on the right track. Even the great Bernie O'hare agrees that LVEDC needs careful watching.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-5634812626650578272014-03-10T09:02:18.496-04:002014-03-10T09:02:18.496-04:00We should be grateful for the crumbs that fall fro...We should be grateful for the crumbs that fall from the table..right Don? What a horses arse this guy is. I'm sick of Lehigh county leading the parade and using our money to pay for it all. And the jobs he brings are right to work state stuff at best. Build another warehouse Don.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-50604733032908666782014-03-10T08:40:22.804-04:002014-03-10T08:40:22.804-04:00The taxpayer is already funding Lehigh Valley Deve...The taxpayer is already funding Lehigh Valley Development via the NIZ in allentown and the CRIZ in Bethlehem.<br /><br />We do not need another 1% taken out of our pockets to give to the 1% in the name of growthAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com