Osborne: Cunningham Successor Process Will Be Open

We all know that Lehigh County Exec Don Cunningham is stepping down to take over the reins at the beleaguered Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC). His successor, who must be a Democrat, will be appointed by Commissioners. If they're unable to get five votes for someone, the pick goes to the judges.

Board Chair Brad Osborne will address this process at a news conference on Friday afternoon. He pledges a "transparent and cooperative effort in achieving a seamless transition of government."

Right now, I'd have to say the odds on favorite is Dan McCarthy.

How is Madame and All the Little Commissioners?

In the Pink Panther series, Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau was trying on his hunchback disguise when the Commissioner suddenly called. "Good evening, commissioner," said Clouseau. "How are you, how is madame and all the little commissioners?" I'd like to introduce you to some of the little commissioners.

On one side of the ballot we have the Gang of Three, a trio consisting of Vic Mazziotti, Scott Ott and Lisa Scheller. The refer to themselves as a Reform Team, but strangely think that they establish their independence by walking in lock step with each other.

Brad Osborne is also running for LC Commissioner, but prefers to think for himself.

On the other side of the ballot, four Democrats (including incumbent Gloria Hamm) are in the hunt as well. I have brief interviews with each of them below. I tormented each one of them, of course, but liked them all very much.

The biggest surprise to me was Tim Waitkus, whose philosophy of reaching across the aisle is very much like that of Geoff Brace and me.

Where's Scott Ott These Days?

Lehigh County's Home Rule Charter is pretty clear. If you want to be a Commissioner, you must both have resided and voted there "for at least one year immediately preceding his or her election ... ." If you pack up and move into the People's Republic of Northampton County or, worse yet, Bucks County, you've automatically disqualified yourself. Given these stringent residency requirements, I'd like to know whether Gang of Four candidate Scott Ott still lives in Lehigh County.

According to his post primary report, filed with Voter Registration, Ott was living at 3414 West Union Street in South Whitehall Township. But just like Jonathan Geeting, I've been told the home is vacant and is currently being offered for sale. Before writing about it, I decided to check it out for myself. I stopped by yesterday. The property is vacant, and the owner has listed it for sale with Patt, White Real Estate.

I dove into a few garbage cans, like a good bottom-feeding blogger, but all I saw were a few 8"x10" glossies.

According to Ott's Facebook page, he's a resident of Macungie. And in a July 27 interview at PJTV, where Ott poses as a condescending expert on the debt ceiling, he's identified again as a Macungie resident. He recently had a "surprise" birthday party attended by, among other people, Lehigh County Party Boss Wayne Woodman (he brought ostrich breasts) and former Gang of Four candidate Dave Najarian (llama breasts). If Ott were really living in Bucks County, as Geeting and I have both been told, I am pretty sure that at least Najarian would be bothered.

Since continued residence within the County for a full year is required by the Home Rule Charter, exactly where Ott lives is a fair question. Ott promotes himself -n Facebook two or three times every day, so I messaged him there around noon on Sunday, asking him to "confirm your current address so I can either exonerate you or string you up."

I've heard nothing from Ott as of the time of this post. When I do, I suspect I'll be provided with a Macungie, and not a Palisades, address.

Updated 1:38 P.M. - OTT MOVED to MACUNGIE. - I just heard from Scott Ott, and he confirms that he is in Macungie. "Hi, Bernie. We live in Macungie. The voter registration office knows that, since they sent us a notice recently to the new address."

So now we know Scott Ott is in compliance with the Charter. He has not moved to Bucks County, as thought by some.

President Dennis Pearson??

I know Dennis Pearson is running for Lehigh County Commissioner. He's been waging an intense campaign from Facebook, even though he was unopposed in the primary. In fact, right after the election, Dennis apparently went on a fact-finding mission to Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, New Orleans.

He may be gone longer than I thought. Last night, he sent me this picture. Now I know Jesus is mad at Obama and everything, but is Dennis really ready for the Oval Office?

Was there a coup or something?

Sparks Fly Between Gang of Four and Dean Browning

As a bottom-feeding blogger, I pick up a lot of pointers from dueling news releases. That's what happened yesterday. Miffed by a recent Dean Browning mailer, the Gang of Four took potshots at Browning yesterday. I'll give them both to you, in their entirety.

Gang of Four:

Allentown, PA – Republican Lehigh County Commissioner Dean Browning came under fire this week from a team of GOP candidates who say Browning's claims in four recent mass mailings stand in contrast with his behavior during the budget votes last October.

The team -- Scott Ott, Vic Mazziotti, Lisa Scheller and David Najarian -- noted that Browning's statements "contradict his actions" and "vary substantially" from actual budget figures. [Information to verify the team's statement is available from budgets and meeting minutes at the county website: www.LehighCounty.org ]

Browning's mailer, sent to likely primary-voting Republicans, said he believes "the only way to jump-start our economy" is through "lower taxes" and "less spending." Yet, as the reform team members point out, Browning was the sole Republican to vote with Democrats against a motion to eliminate the 16-percent tax hike. At that same meeting on October 27, 2010, Browning again voted with Democrats against cutting $350,000 from the spending plan. The cuts Browning voted down would have trimmed 3/10ths of one percent of the county-tax-funded portion of the budget, or about 30 cents from every $100 in spending.

As a result of Browning's votes, County Executive Don Cunningham's original budget, with its 16-percent tax hike, passed by default.

The reform team also challenged Browning's claim to have "cut spending."

Vic Mazziotti, a candidate who recently retired as Chief Financial Officer of Northampton County, said, "the spending in the part of the budget the commissioners could control actually grew by just over $11 million from 2008 to 2011, during the time Dean Browning says he was cutting spending."

Candidate David Najarian, a Lynn Township Supervisor with experience rolling back taxes, said, "when politicians say they're cutting spending, they usually mean they're reducing the projected rate of increase. But normal people know that, to actually cut spending, the budget has to be smaller when you're done cutting than it was when you started."

Lisa Scheller, president and CEO of a Tamaqua-based global manufacturing firm, said, "Browning should know better than to say such things to the primary voters; the most committed, knowledgeable Republicans. When we go to home gatherings and other campaign events, people ask us how Dean can say that stuff. I tell them that it is like the tax increase. Dean can say he voted against it, while in fact he guaranteed a 16% tax increase. Their reactions range from laughter to disgust.”

"Dean knew at least as early as 2009 that taxes would jump by double digits in 2011 unless real cuts were made," said candidate Scott Ott, who has praised Browning in public for his knowledge of the budget. "As smart as he is, his behavior on that budget vote makes no sense. I've come to understand that all of the brains in the world are no substitute for a spine. If a Republican can't fight a tax hike during the worst economic times in generations, when will he do it?"

Dean Browning:

Allentown, April 25, 2011 – The handpicked, party-boss-approved slate of Scott Ott, Lisa Scheller, Vic Mazziotti and Dave Najarian like to talk about cutting taxes and reducing spending, but when asked for specifics about what they would cut, all you get are blank stares and typical political pandering in return, charged conservative businessman and proven reformer Dean Browning today.

"The Ott, Scheller, Mazziotti and Najarian team like to talk about being conservatives and they like to talk about cutting taxes and spending in an attempt to win this election,” said Browning. “But the problem is when reporters or average voters ask them what they plan to cut from county government all you get in return are blank stares and typical political pandering.”

Browning said Lehigh County residents deserve specifics, not sound bites.

“The fact of the matter is that Ott, Scheller, Mazziotti and Najarian have consistently refused to offer any specific cuts or release any detailed plan about what they would do if elected,” continued Browning. “Their entire campaign has been making vague references to ‘studying the budget’ and attacking me. Well, it’s put up or shut up time. They’ve allegedly been studying the budget since it was released last summer and have yet to make a single proposal. People are tired of politicians who are willing to say anything to get elected and refuse to be held accountable.”

Browning challenged the slate’s leader, Scott Ott, to be intellectually honest and state publicly what he’s been saying privately all along – that there was no way to avoid a property tax increase in the 2011 County Budget and that the last minute attempt to send the budget back was little more than a political gimmick meant to shift blame for the property tax increase to County Executive Don Cunningham.

"The truth voters need to hear is that Party Boss Wayne Woodman and his former employee, Scott Ott, cooked up this irresponsible scheme hoping to score political points and neither of them had – nor have – any real plan to reduce spending or lower property taxes”, charged Browning. “When I refused to play games with the county budget and give false hope to county taxpayers by going along with their last-minute gimmick, they decided to challenge me in the primary. In reality, this is all about naked political power – nothing more”.

Browning said he’s got a proven record as a fiscal conservative and is proud to run on it.

"I am a local businessman who has real world experience and a proven record of cutting $14 million in county spending, trimming the county workforce by 75 positions, and reducing the size of county government by taking on powerful public employee union bosses,” said Browning. “I haven't just talked the talk on fiscal conservatism, I’ve walked the walk.”

My Take:

1) Scott Ott claims that, unlike Browning, he has a spine. Really? It seems to me that Ott wants to get rid of Browning precisely because he voted his conscience instead of following the whims of a party boss who has bankrupted his own party.

2) By the way, since when does www.lehighcounty.org substantiate anything?

3) I'd like Ott to explain why he left the Lehigh County GOP high and dry, and whether he plans to bankrupt Lehigh County as well.

Scott Ott: One Of Browning's Biggest Supporters

He also thanks those who "mercifully spared" him and did NOT vote for him. Let's spare him again.

Do You Have $500 For the Gang of Four?

"[T]his county belongs to the citizens, not to the government. It belongs to you."

That's what the Gang of Four claims on their disingenuous "My Lehigh County PAC" page, which is actually registered in Harrisburg. They promise to bring you an "open, responsible approach to governing."

Here's what they don't tell you. On April 28, citizens Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC Law Office will host a "Meet & Greet" with four Republicans intent on removing Dean Browning for refusing to follow a party boss's marching orders.

This County may belong to you, but only if you have $500. IF I were meeting God I might fork that over, but Scott Ott only thinks he's God.

Couples get a discount - $1,000.

Funny how these "reform-team" candidates fail to mention this on their site or F/B, where they brag about raking leaves.

The Gang of Four Fails Another Transparency Test

Lehigh County Commissioner Dean Browning has a statewide PAC called Lehigh County Victory PAC, formed several years ago to assist Republicans seeking County office. His latest report, due yesterday, reveals he's got $13,004.11, although only $300 of that came this year.

Dean's report is available online and you can follow the money.

The Gang of Four, running against Dean, have a statewide PAC, too. It's called My Lehigh County and promises "to advance the cause of accountability, transparency and reform in Lehigh County government."

Although the Committee appears on the state website, there is no online report enabling the unwashed masses to see who is funding them.

The Morning Call's Jenna Portnoy claims the report is posted there, and notes contributions from candidates David Najarain and Lisa Scheller. I plugged in those names and see no contributions. I tried searching "My Lehigh County", "My Lehigh County PAC", "mylehighcounty", and "mylehighcounty pac". Nothing.

What the Gang of Four did was post the report on their campaign webpage, and a link is buried at the bottom. Portnoy's claim that it is on the state website is inaccurate. It took several emails to find it.

When I did, I learned that Scheller gave the PAC $5,000 on February 15, nearly a month before a March 8 affidavit stating she intended to spend no more than $250. Najarian gave his PAC $1000 on March 7, the day before this lawyer filed an affidavit stating he had no intention of spending more than $250 to advance his cause.

So much for accountability, transparency and reform.

Do you want to replace one accountable and transparent Commissioner with four who are not?

Updated 10:35 AM: - Error. I Misread Portnoy's piece. - When I read Portnoy's piece, I thought she was referring to the state's website, but have just been informed that her claim refers to the slate's website. So her account is accurate and my eyes continue to fade.

Charlie Dent Endorses Dean Browning For LC Comm'r

Props to Chris Casey, who has all the details.

Welsh & Browning: The Gang of Two

I've told you about the Gang of Four, which is hellbent on ousting LC Comm'r Dean Browning. But Dean does have fans. The Morning Call's Bill White is one of them. And so is LC Commissioner candidate Mike Welsh. In fact, over a breakfast of spam and eggs yesterday, Mike confessed he'd happily form a Gang of Two with Dean.

Welsh's admiration for Dean Browning goes back to February 2009, when Dean voted against a Don Cunningham plan to save the nearly bankrupt LV Zoo by injecting $525,000 in cash that year, followed by $325,000 over each of the next four years. Browning was willing to give the zoo $200,000 to meet its immediate needs while commissioners and zoo officials worked out a business plan.

The final vote? 7 to 1.

A 10 year-old girl named Ashley killed Dean's plea for fiscal sanity.

"I have no animals at home, only a hamster and a fish. At the zoo, I got to watch a lot of happy faces. If someone closes the zoo, it will make me very sad."

The place was packed with LV Zoo advocates, and Commissioners crumbled. Except Browning. There were no tea party people in the audience. Wayne Woodman was lounging on his yacht in Beverly Hills. Scott "Scrappleface" Ott was at that time more concerned about Rush Limbaugh. Neither stepped foot inside Lehigh County's meeting room.

Browning quietly and amiably voted his conscience, notwithstanding the pressure of special interests.

Mike respected Browning's courage.

Later that year, when Lehigh County was preparing its 2010 budget, Dean Browning proposed cutting $100 thousand in "quality of life" grants for the foo-foos. County Exec Cunningham tipped them off, and this time, instead of a 10 year-old girl, Pip the Mouse came and blasted Browning. He even stuck a little mouse bomb in Browning's car. It just went P-f-f-f-t, but it's the thought that counts.

In addition to Pip, Arts Director Robert Metzgar was so mad his false teeth nearly fell out. "What are you, cRaZy?" is how he started from the podium. From there, things went downhill. He told Commissioners they could forget being re-elected if they insisted on these cuts. "You're going to bring the wrath of our community down on you," he roared. When Commissioners nervously laughed at this old dude on his way to cardiac arrest, he yelled even more. "Something funny up there?" Metzgar looked like he wanted to hop over the dais and roll around with both Glenn Eckhart and Dean Browning, but must have had second thoughts. He settled by condemning Browning's proposal as a "draconian insane cut." After being repeatedly condemned, Dean Browning finally said, "I get it. I'm a Visigoth barbarian."

Scott Ott was nowhere to be found that night. Perhaps he was doing voice overs for one of his witty essays. Bossman Wayne Woodman was likely livin' the dream, sipping Margaritas on the French Riviera.

Agree or disagree, Browning stuck to his guns, even though he lost. Mike Welsh could see again that Browning was willing to stand by his convictions.

In addition to Browning's political courage, Welsh admires Dean's loyalty. He told me that Dean and his wife stood on street corners for him when he ran for state rep against Jennifer Mann.

"What were they doing, selling their bodies?"

"No, they were holding signs, Bernie."

"Just asking. I'm a journalist, you know."

Courage, loyalty and honesty are character traits that mean something to Mike Welsh. "Your word is everything," he flatly stated.

He also rejected the Woodman-inspired effort to send the 2011 budget back to County Exec Don Cunningham, with instructions for a do-over. "To throw something back at the County Executive for no purpose whatsoever is just not my way."

Mike is employed with AC Thompson Insurance and Financial Services Co in Allentown, and has spent 23 years in the insurance industry. He ran a very spirited campaign against Jennifer Mann a few years ago, and in my opinion, trounced her in several debates. He has also ran for Commissioner against Dan McCarthy in 2009, but tells me his heart wasn't in it because Dan's a "really good guy."

"You didn't vote for him, did you?"

"No."

"Just asking. I'm a journalist, you know."

Mike is hoping the third time is the charm. "I want to make a difference in the lives of every day people." He said he'd support a return to the core functions of County government, mentioning public safety and human services as his top priorities.

LC GOP's Brad Osborne:Can't We All Just Get Along?

He's President of South Whitehall Township's Board of Commissioners, but still likes pancakes. That's one thing I learned during breakfast with Brad Osborne yesterday. Brad is a Republican candidate for Lehigh County Commissioner, and wanted to introduce himself to you.

Brad has been attending County meetings for the past two years and is a member of the County's GPA. He's running because he perceives a need for a "more effective board" that can work with an administration.

As for this year's 16% tax hike, Brad points out that "everyone knew" it could have been justified in 2009. He finds it "regrettable" that everything came down to the "last night and one vote" and claims the simple reason for this is that too many Commissioners are unwilling to work with each other or the administration.

"Every one of those Commissioners is responsible for that 16% tax hike," Osborne claims, noting that the "undue influence of election-year politics" makes it difficult for politicians to make hard choices.

"Our County Executive and Board of Commissioners are fond of saying we have the lowest taxation rate in the County since 2003. While that's true, what they're not saying is that the tax rate today is 63% higher than it was in 2002. It was 7.31 mils in 2002, and it's 11.9 mils today." Osborne is employed as a plant manger at GEO Specialty Chemicals and claims that, if his company experienced increases like that, they'd be out of business.

As a Commissioner, Brad would attempt to identify "areas of opportunity for efficiency and productivity gains."

A chemical engineer, Osborne indicated that party affiliation should be irrelevant at this level, and the focus should be on public service.

Osborne is running without the blessings of party boss Wayne Woodman or his plank, the Gang of Four. Woodman never offered to circulate petitions on Brad's behalf. He's also running without Dean Browning's blessing, but independently, and with his own committee.

Did he sign an affidavit like Scott Ott and Lisa Scheller? "I did not sign an affidavit for all the reasons it says on there. I intend to form a committee and intend to raise and spend more than $250. This is my first opportunity to make a connection with the voters. I don't know their [Ott, Scheller] circumstances, but for me, I could not sign that affidavit."

Does he support Bi-County health as currently planned? No.

Does he support a regional crime center? Yes.

Will he support a tax hike next year? No.

Why is he skinny while I'm fat? (Tony Iannelli bumped into me at the diner and made me ask that question).

Osborne's web age should be operational this week.

The Gang of Four Aims For Dean Browning

Republican political consultant Tim Perskie sent me a news release yesterday afternoon on behalf of the Gang of Four. They are four LC GOP Comm'r candidates united in an Unholy Alliance to purge the heretic, Dean Browning. I'll get to that, but before I do so, I have to say something about this hired gun. I'm informed his services were sought back in February by none other than LC GOP Party Boss Wayne Woodman. He's the dude who told me he was Switzerland in this primary race. Wayne Woodman not only circulated petitions on behalf of three members of this Gang of Four, and now, his hand-picked consultant enters the fray. Instead of making me think about Switzerland, Woodman's conduct reminds me more of Pearl Harbor.

Another thing about Perskie's appearance that bothers me is that it pretty much establishes that candidates Lisa Scheller, Scott "Scrappleface" Ott and attorney Dave Najarian filed false affidavits at the elections office. At the same time they were claiming they had no intention of forming a committee, and had no intention of spending or raising more than $250, they had already enlisted the services of a paid and well-known consultant.

They had also formed a committee, but Ott apparently screwed it up and filed it in Harrisburg instead of Allentown.

I was very impressed to see campaign promises, sworn to under oath, promising to spend no money. But it was all a lie. They even were untruthful about forming a committee.

In their news release, these candidates proclaim that they stand for transparency and accountability. And they prove that by filing a bogus affidavit with their nomination papers.

On her web page, which was up and running before she filed her phony affidavit, Lisa Scheller makes no bones about asking for money, the way most rich people do. "Consider a contribution of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 or $25...but even $5 helps us buy stamps to let more people know about Lisa."

I'd like more people to know about Lisa, too.

Here's Perskie's "news" release about the Gang of Four.

Team of Four Republicans Mounts Commissioner Run, Sparked by Browning-Enabled 16% Tax Hike

Scott Ott, Lisa Scheller, Vic Mazziotti and David Najarian Call for Transparency, Accountability in Focused Effective Government

(March 21, 2011) -- Four of the Republican candidates for Lehigh County Commissioner announced today that they're running as a team in an effort to change the county's long-term pattern of outspending revenues. They aim to bring transparency and rigorous oversight to a county government which has bled reserves to zero then jacked up taxes 16 percent for 2011, with the threat of higher taxes to come.

The team -- Lisa Scheller, Scott Ott, Vic Mazziotti and David Najarian -- "bring a complementary mix of experience to the commissioner board," according to Ott, an online video news commentator who's developing a show on the U.S. Constitution for PJTV.com. In 2009, Ott narrowly lost his rookie bid to unseat County Executive Don Cunningham by just 862 votes of 41,000 cast.

"County government performs crucial functions," Ott said. "Vic, David, Lisa and I will work to make sure Lehigh County does only what it must do, and does it with efficiency, effectiveness, and ongoing innovation."

The four run as a team because to reform the process and reduce spending requires power to override an executive veto -- in other words, six votes. Republicans now have a 5-4 majority, but they didn't voted [sic] together on the 2011 budget, so County Executive Don Cunningham was able to "divide and conquer," Ott said.

"The problems that spurred me to run 2009 have continued," he said, "and the consequences, sadly, are as I predicted then -- a double-digit tax increase. But when Commissioner Chairman Dean Browning had a chance to do something about it, he voted to reject two lower-tax options, enabling the 16-percent tax hike to pass without a vote. So, he can say he didn't vote for the tax hike, but the truth is, he didn't vote against it. He actually voted with the Democrats to guarantee it."

Lisa Scheller, President and CEO of a global manufacturing firm, Silberline in Tamaqua, expressed shock at the lack of due diligence under Browning's chairmanship which led to the big tax-rate jump.

"Leaders take personal responsibility," said Scheller. "But Chairman Dean Browning blamed his fellow commissioners for failing to do the work, failing to hold important committee meetings to scrutinize the budget. What does it mean to be chairman? Where's the leadership?"

David C. Najarian, a Lynn Township Supervisor who helped to cut spending, restructure government and roll-back taxes, agreed, noting his team has a different perspective on the commissioners' relationship to the executive.

"Dean Browning says his job is to partner with the administration," Najarian said. "If Mr. Browning and the commissioners, and the public-sector union bosses, and the department heads are all partners in this ever-increasing spending, who represents the taxpayer?"

Vic Mazziotti, who just retired as Chief Financial Officer of Northampton County, where he helped to cut millions in spending and to bring in a balanced 2011 budget with no tax increase, said, "Browning's self-proclaimed conservatism is fine, as far as it goes. But voters evaluate behavior, not professed ideology. What he actually did was vote to kill the only two alternatives to the 16-percent tax increase. Browning owns this tax hike."

The May 17 Republican primary, Ott said, will be a referendum on Dean Browning's enabling of the tax hike, and "a definitive statement by GOP voters that the era of Republican excuses is over."

So there you have it. Four Lehigh County Commissioner candidates, three of whom lied under oath, want to replace a Commissioner who follows his conscience.

I contacted Dean Browning, and he has this response.

"I find it interesting that Scott Ott's claim to fame politically is that he LOST an election and it is ironic that Ott wants to run a single-issue campaign on property taxes when he doesn't even pay property taxes in Lehigh County. Republican voters will find it simply unacceptable that Ott, Scheller, Najarian and Mazziotti like to talk about cutting taxes and spending, but when you press them for details about what they would cut, all you get are a bunch of blank stares.

"The fact of the matter is that I am a local small businessman who helped to create jobs in Lehigh County. I took on the public employee union bosses before it became politically popular and I have successfully led the fight to make government more transparent and to responsibly cut spending and to shrink the size of county government. My opponents can try and misrepresent my record but I have the facts on my side and I look forward to running and winning on my record in this year's Republican primary."

Dennis Pearson, Infinite Being

OK, so we all know that Martin Charlie Sheen has Tiger Blood flowing through his veins. But did you know that LC Comm'r candidate Dennis Pearson is an infinite being? That sounds way more cool and downright metaphysical, don't you think?

Here's Dennis' latest mass epistle.

"As you may know only 4 Democrats filed petitions for Lehigh county Commissioners ...Which means my name will appear on the General Election Ballot ... Which means that my uncle and my cousins and their children and my pastor and many church members will be able to vote for me if they wish ... Which means the primary election for Democratic Commissioners only has significance to determine ballot position in the fall .... Friday I heard Dr Bernhard Harris Junior, a former Schuttle and Mir Space Station Astronaut say that he grew up in the subsurbs of Houston believing that he was an infinite being with a infinite purpose .... I too am an infinite being and as an infinite being I have an infinite purpose in life ... With God's guidance I will stay focused for the purposed - driven task I must do ..."

Dennis is a very bright and well-informed citizen activist whom you'll almost always find at Lehigh County or Allentown City meetings, but he should stay off the computer on Saturday nights.

Forgive me, Dennis, but this is what I do. As a bottom feeding blogger, I've got skunk blood flowin' in my veins.

Brad Osborne Will Formally Announce Comm'r Candidacy This Saturday

I'm unable to attend because I'll be watching a knee-high basketball championship game on Saturday, but hey, there's free food! Who can say no to that?
Brad Osborne Formal Announcement

Browning Files Nominating Petitions With 400 Signatures

Dean Browning sent me this message last night: "I am proud to announce that I officially filed my nominating petitions today with almost 400 signatures to run for re-election as County Commissioner. I am humbled by the strong support I received from both members of the Lehigh County Republican Committee and Republicans at-large throughout the county who appreciate my fiscal conservative record of cutting spending, reducing the size of government and leading the fight against public employee union bosses before it became politically popular to do so."

Somebody better check to see how many dogs signed.

LC Comm'r Race Getting Crowded

Last year, when Wayne Woodman was elected Lehigh County GOP Boss, he immediately began to interject himself in Lehigh County's budget. First he led a charge to eliminate some programs, which amounted to about $300,000. Then he seized on a never-used provision of the Home Rule Charter to try and send the budget back to LC Exec Don Cunningham, with a demand to return with a zero-tax increase financial plan. Dean Browning refused to go along, and Woodman's effort failed.

Browning, one of four at-large Commissioners whose terms expire this year, was told by many of his fellow Republicans that his political career is over. Well, Browning is running for re-election anyway, along with Democrat Gloria Hamm.

It's becoming a very crowded Republican field that includes Scott Ott, the recently-resigned Executive Director of the LC GOP; Salisbury Township Commissioner Norma Cusick, mother of Norco Council President John Cusick; Mike Welsh, who ran a strong but losing campaign against Jennifer Mann two years ago; and Brad Obsborne, a South Whitehall Township Commissioner. Dave Najarian, a prominent local attorney, is considering a run. Vic Mazziotti refuses to state his intentions, but petitions are being circulated on his behalf.

You can also add businesswoman Lisa Scheller to the mix. She just happens to be Boss Woodman's wife. Although Woodman apparently decided to skip me in his distribution of Lisa's announcement, I found out anyway. She's president and CEO of Silberline Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Tamaqua, and could easily outspend any candidate.

If Andy Roman decides to seek re-election (and that's by no means clear), that will mean that 8 Republicans are n the hunt for four seats, including two seats already held by Republicans.

On the Democrat side, I only know of incumbent Gloria Hamm, a nurse, and Geoff Brace, a business revitalization expert.

That's 10 people looking for 4 seats.

The post office will need to hire seasonal help for all the mailers.

S Whitehall Patch: Broad Osborne Running For Lehigh County Comm'r

This latest announcement comes from Mary Ellen Alu at S. Whitehall Patch. I will have a post about the latest developments in the LC Commr's race for four at-large seats in an hour or two.

If you'd like to sound off about Brad, you can do it at Patch or my "Lehigh County races" page, which is at my left sidebar.

Geoff Brace Running For Lehigh County Comm'r

Last year, Geoff Brace was one of the dirty dozen, twelve Democrats seeking appointment to Commissioner Bill Leiner's vacant seat. Dean Browning and Dan McCarthy voted for Geoff, but Dean switched to Bill Hansell the second time around, and Bill is now the Commissioner VP.

Geoff told me then that he's decided to run for the job this year. His campaign web page, located here, contains three simple messages: fiscal responsibility; more private sector jobs that pay real wages; and protecting our communities, not just from crime, but special interests.

A center-city Allentown resident, Geoff is a Lehigh County native who has devoted his career to community revitalization. During his days with Pennsylvania's Downtown Center, he crisscrossed the state, making mostly smaller communities aware of and assisting them with programs to improve their communities. Currently, Geoff is helping engineer the revitalization of Weird Kutztown as Executive Director of their Community Partnership.

Brace will formally announce his campaign for Lehigh County Commissioner later this month.

His campaign will be managed by Dean Browning's nemesis, Pip the Mouse.

Who's Running For Lehigh County Comm'r?

"Good evening, Commissioner. How are you, how is madame and all the little Commissioners?"

Would you like to be a Commissioner? Lehigh County has nine of them, making up the legislative branch of county government. Five are in "District" seats from specific geographic areas. The remaining four are "at-large," elected by voters throughout the County. This year, the at-large seats on the Board of Commissioners, are all up for grabs. Chairman Dean Browning, Vice-Chair Bill Hansell, Gloria Hamm and Andy Roman are the incumbents.

Among the incumbents, only appointee Bill Hansell has pledged not to run. But a boatload of Republicans, eager to hop on the tea party express, are testing the water, ready to take the plunge.

As a result of a payraise enacted during good times, Lehigh County Commissioners are entitled to an $7,000 annual salary with an additional $1,000 for the Chair. But when the economy went south, Browning and several other Commissioners (Creighton, Dougherty and Eckhart) refused their increase. So Chairman Browning only accepts $5,500, while Commissioners Hamm and Roman take the full $7,000.

Who else is running? The biggest opportunist is none other than Scrappleface, Scott Ott. He's the erstwhile County Exec candidate who very nearly toppled Don Cunningham, one of the Lehigh Valley's most popular Democrats, from out of nowhere. Ott was quickly rewarded with a do-nothing job as Executive Director of the local GOP. But since he can't hold that job and run for office, he's resigned. He's ostensibly pursuing his acting and modeling career or whatever it is, but he's really after Browning. He'll hone in on the man he called his "wise advisor."

Dawn Berrigan (no relation to Daniel) is another name being tossed around. She's anti-abortion, anti-union, anti-gambling, anti-tax, etc. She might be to the right of the tea party, and she and I have tangled more than once. But to her credit, she makes an effort to remain civil, even with me. That must be pretty hard.

Bob Smith would love to be a LC Comm'r and would win. But he was seriously injured last year at Mount Trexler Manor, when he was pulled from the third story roof by a suicide jumper. She walked away, but his recovery has been slow. Whether he runs depends on his health.

Controversial Emmaus Borough Council member Brent Labenberg and Salisbury Township Commissioner Norma Cusick, are reportedly also interested. Cuisck's son, John, is President of Northampton County Council.

LC Comm'rs: All Hail Marcellus Shale

Don't worry. Lehigh County Commissioners have no authority to enact a severance tax on natural gas extracted from the Marcellus Shale. But it does have the power to ask the General Assembly to restore funding to the local conservation districts and consider using any taxes levied on drilling in Marcellus Shale. In a Resolution sponsored by Dr. Percy Dougherty last night, that's exactly what happened. The vote was 6 -3, which Chairman Dean Browning, Glenn Eckhart and Andy Roman opposed.

I have a "cliff notes" version of last night's meeting in the above, 9-minute, Youtube movie. It includes two tea party members as well as an interesting Marcellus Shale debate.

Dr. Percy Dougherty: "The state has been reneging on its responsibility to give the conservation district, funding. W are having to cut some funding out of the conservation district this year because of budget problems. I think it's only fair that we put pressure on the state to try to restore some of this funding. The state has a big shortage of money, too. ... This particular resolution is not supporting a tax on the Marcellus. .. It is just stating that if a tax is enacted, that we want to see part of this funding go to the conservation district. ... This is an amount, in Lehigh County alone, of over $92,000. ... The conservation district is our main line of defense, safeguarding the environment ..."

"This is just an attempt here to let our legislative delegation know that we want to see them live up to their responsibilities and pay their bills.

Glenn Eckhart: "Let's not give our legislators a chance to say, here is something, where if I vote for this, I can raise revenue, and tax something. So let's not give them the option. This is about ending the dependence on foreign oil, and it shouldn't be taxed."

Andy Roman: "Marcellus Shale is a huge economic boon for Pennsylvania, and I don't know if we should be encouraging additional taxes ... . My view is it's going to produce a lot of jobs, it's going to produce a lot of revenue ... I don't know if you should be taxing an industry that's in its infant stage."

Dan McCarthy: "The conservation issue deals with the environment, our natural waterways, it deals with development and the destruction of our soils and water systems ... . This type of drilling operation is going to impact our waterways, our goundwater, our soil; we're going to have to deal with the consequences of that."

Dean Browning: "I have no problem with us calling them out for the fact that they have put in place a program and then reneged on the funding for that program. I think we should call them out. However, as part of that, I don't think it's incumbent on us to identify a revenue source for them to use to facilitate the commitment they've already made. ... We are taking a tax that has not been enacted and are already spending it."

Bill Hansell: "Those who are opposed to this should be prepared to vote to increase the funding for the conservation district."

Gloria Hamm: "Pennsylvania is the only one of 15 gas producing states that doesn't have any kind of impact fee on the drillers. Part of the impact fee should be used to protect natural resources and repair any collateral damage that the drilling causes."

Dr. Percy Dougherty (Round Two): "The state is in such a financial hole right now that they're going to have to get out of it somehow. If you do multiple choice, what is the state legislature going to do? Are they going to pass the severance tax, or are they going to pass an increase in the state income tax or arr they going to pass an increase in the sales tax? I think it's more likely that they're going to go with the severance tax. That's the way everything is headed."