Like Jesus, HRH DePaul "Forgives" Offensive Blogger

For some reason, HRH DePaul forgives me for reporting her resignation yesterday. Looks like I'm going to heaven after all!

"I will remain above all the disparaging comments that you have attempted to bestow upon me. As a Christian I serve, and I am to forgive. You are a challenge. I have received a great deal of positive which far out shines this blog. I do not recall this comment about “reign,” but it is the furthest from any true meaning of holding my position. My staff is, and will be more of a family then just my employees, and they know I didn’t even care for the word boss. Anyone that speaks up or defends themselves when they feel they are being treated unfairly is doing the right thing. The county never paid a bill, and it was never my intention other then having non-partisan representation. We all know that an appointed attorney, although a very supportive one is beholding to his source of income. Your thought process defies logic. Two things, you are not doing a service but a disservice when you keep or frighten good people from running for office or doing a job. The world in general, and most importantly the world of politics NEED good people desperately. Think before you write or post Bernie. Also, remember you may depend upon others someday also; you put my father down for defending me. You now have a daughter in the service, god bless her and keep her safe, but what if something arose negative with regards to her. I would certainly hope that you would be by her side. One other thing, we do watch our parent’s behaviors, and actions, try to think of that in your travels, and made your daughter proud. I have made a choice to try a new venture in my life. Why don’t you just wish me well Bernie, that would be the decent thing to do."

Deborah DePaul

HRH DePaul Resigns as Norco Voting Registrar

Controversial Northampton County voting registrar Deborah DePaul, who once referred to her tenure as her "reign," has resigned. Her departure is slated to take place two weeks from next Monday. I have no details, but expect you will see them soon in The Express Times.

DePaul is best remembered as the county worker who attempted to stick the county with a $2,470 private attorney bill when she once brought legal windbag Larry Otter to a citizens' advisory panel as a "buffer" to protect her "from the falsehoods and basic lies."
Update: Sarah Cassi, reporting for the Express Times, notes the job will be advertised internally. The Morning Call's Joe Nixon adds that DePaul's decision is voluntary.

Northampton County Has Flawless Election With Ol' Faithful

I've been a harsh critic of both touchscreen voting machines and the Northampton County voting registrar Deborah DePaul. Amazingly, with Ol' Faithful lever machines back in action, Tuesday's election was about as flawless as you can get. The county web site, instead of being days behind The Morning Call and WFMZ, was actually ahead of them both. I've been told that even those cranky editors at The Express Times fired off a letter to commend the office.

Here's what the real bossman, Norco exec John Stoffa, told Sarah Cassi. "I was very proud of our elections office. They've taken a lot of abuse, but last night they rose to the top."

Norco Elections Commission Chair: Report "Pure Partisan Politics"

A citizens' advisory panel report of Northampton County's election woes was released to the public on Tuesday. It makes fifteen recommendations, and contains an entire page of notes devoted to the erratic behavior of Registrar, Debbie DePaul.

Express Times reporter Sarah Cassi tells us this task force report has come under attack.

Northampton County Elections Commission Chair Walter R. Garvin - "pure partisan politics."

Northampton County Councilman and Democratic committeeman Charles Dertinger - "flies in the face of an independent elections office."

HRH DePaul - ""I'm sure there are Republicans that want me to leave."

The author of this report, Russ Shade, is a Democrat. So is Dick Benner, a former voting registrar who also served on this committee. Greta Browne? She ran for Congress, twice, as a Green party candidate. Republican Peg Ferarro resigned from the task force long before it got down to the dirty work of preparing a summary.

That leaves panel member L. Jack Bradt. He's so Republican he has elephants on his pajamas, but he was also the task force member kindest to DePaul.

So let's do the math. Two Democrats, one Republican and one Green are accused of producing a highly partisan report designed to drive HRH DePaul from office.

Partisan politics? I'll tell you about that next time.

Norco Elections Office Report Card To Be Released on Monday

Sitting quietly in the peanut gallery at tonight's meeting of Northampton County Council was Russ Shade. He is the mastermind behind John Stoffa's surprisingly successful county exec campaign.

Stoffa thanked poor Russ by appointing him, at no salary, to a five member citizens panel charged with the controversial task of sorting out our elections system. Other draftees included Richard Benner (former registrar who oversaw 45 elections); Jack Bradt (former CEO at SI Handling); Greta Browne (former Green party congressional candidate); and Peg Ferraro (former county councilperson). Ferraro resigned from this task force when she decided to run for council again, but the remaining four members conducted seven meetings in the dead of winter. They also circulated a detailed survey among voters, poll workers and former candidates for public office.

At nearly every gathering, these unpaid citizens were insulted by a very defensive voting Registrar, Debbie DePaul. She incredibly referred to her tenure as her "reign." She brought a hired legal gun to bully volunteers and then tried to stick the county with a $2,700 legal bill. She proved her impartiality by selecting this lawyer from a list given to her by Norco Dem Boss Joe Long. And because I wasn't towing the machine line, Bossman Long threatened me right before one of these meetings.

Tonight, Russ told council members that the panel's final report will be released on Monday. He promised to make a copy available to me, and I will post it in its entirety as soon as I get it.

Norco Elections Office Report Card is Imminent

In early January, Northampton County Exec John Stoffa named a five person "blue ribbon citizens advisory committee" to untangle a Gordian knot in the elections office. Its members were Russ Shade (Stoffa's reform-minded former campaign manager); Richard Benner (former registrar who oversaw 45 elections); Peg Ferraro (former county councilperson); Jack Bradt (former CEO at SI Handling); and Greta Browne (former congressional candidate).

Stoffa's request was very simple - "how can we do better?"

This group conducted seven wild productions between January 23 and April 4. At times, it had all the cacaphony of a three ring circus. I loved it! I thought it was a great opportunity to describe problems, both in the elections office and with those new touchscreen voting machines. But others, including Dem chair Joe "Bossman" Long, condemned these weekly extravaganzas as little more than a witch hunt.

I have a link to the "official" minutes of these meetings on my left sidebar. But let me give you links to my own first hand reports. They're a lot less objective, but also a little more fun:

January 23: "Stoffa's Citizen Committee Deals With NorCo Election Mess" - Stoffa draws first blood with this: "Our elections have been like giving birth to an elephant." Former voter registrar Dick Benner sets the theme of this panel: "[P]eople must be made to understand you're there to help them."

January 31: "Norco Citizens Elections Committee Follow That Paper Trail" - The importance of a voter-verified paper trail is discussed, and co-chair Russ Shade notes it's already required in 27 states, and will soon be coming to a U.S. Congress near you.

February 7: "Citizens' Election Panel Questions Voting Machine Certification" - Elections panel learns we voted with machines that were never certified. Whee! Registrar Debbie DePaul insists "we're doing very well." I wonder if she invented the phrase, "stay the course."

February 13: "Norco Elections Committee Wants Answers From AVS" - Dr. Alan Brau, a passionate voting rights activist, details BlackBox voting's claim that voting machine manufacturer AVS used shoddy parts, manufactured in China, to assemble our touchscreen voting machines. I don't care because I get a fortune cookie every time I vote!

February 21: "Norco Voter Registrar DePaul Discusses Her Kingdom" - DePaul consumes most of the evening saying goofy things like "The people who left under my reign are people I am still close with," and defends letters to state and federal officials urging that the county executive ignore new voting laws. "While it might be criminal, criminals are pardoned."

February 28: There are three posts concerning this fascinating meeting.

Pre-Meeting Post: "In Northampton County, Bloggin' is Dangerous to Your Health!" - Dem bossman Joe Long makes his first appearance at a meeting. The second he sees me, he demands a duel. Sadly, he trips over his sword and castrates himself!

Meeting Post: "Norco Registrar DePaul to Critics: 'Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!'" - Registrar DePaul incredibly brings a goofy lawyer, whom we later learn comes from a list supplied by Bossman Long. Her attorney is a "buffer" to protect her "from the falsehoods and basic lies." This legal eagle manages to insult the panel, press, Republicans, those of us sitting in the peanut gallery and even sticks his tongue out at a custodian. The meeting is adjourned when the accumulated hot air causes the entire building to start floating away.

Post-Meeting Post: "Norco Registrar DePaul Tries to Soak County for $2470 Private Lawyer Bill" - You can't make this stuff up! DePaul's windbag even wanted the county to pay for crabcakes at Uncle Wesley's!

April 4: "Norco Elections Task Force Reviews Positive Survey in Final Public Meeting" - In its last anticlimactic meeting, the elections panel reviews 370 returned survey questionnaires out of 1400 mailed to candidates(300), poll workers(700) and voters(400). A detailed summary, the same one presented to the citizens' task force, is posted here.

After these meetings, the panel met privately to make their findings and submit a report. It did so without Peg Ferraro, who resigned when she decided to seek a seat on county council. A week ago today, The Express Times' Sarah Cassi told us the report is now in, and Stoffa intends to release it to the public once he reads it himself.

Inside word is that the report, like those meetings, is a scorcher. Part of the delay in putting it together was the difficulty in finding asbestos paper.

Norco Elections Task Force Reviews Positive Survey in Final Public Meeting

"You gave one of the most precious things you have, and that is your time. Voting is the most important thing in this country, and I would like to see it stay that way."

Those are the words Northampton County Executive John Stoffa used to thank a "blue ribbon citizens' advisory committee" charged with a single task - making recommendations to improve local elections. Its five panel members originally included Russ Shade (Stoffa's reform-minded former campaign manager); Richard Benner (former registrar who oversaw 45 elections); Peg Ferraro (former county councilperson); Jack Bradt (former CEO at SI Handling); and Greta Browne (former congressional candidate). Peg Ferraro resigned when she decided to seek a seat on county council. The committee has now conducted seven public meetings, and its sole remaining task is to make recommendations.

At last night's small gathering, the panel quietly reviewed survey results. A petulant Joe Long and goofy Bucks County lawyer provided a circus like atmosphere a few weeks ago. But that was gone, and courtly co-chair Russ Shade summarized 370 returned questionnaires. "The good news is that things are better than the perception." A total of 1400 surveys were mailed to candidates(300), poll workers(700) and voters(400). Amazingly, twenty-six percent were completed and returned.

Most candidates claim their interaction with the elections office has been positive. But Greta Browne cautions these candidates are current candidates, not those who went through the last election.

Voters have a high level of confidence in the voter registration office, but not with the touchscreen voting machines. Of the fifty voters who responded, only 27 believe their votes were recorded accurately. Sixteen are not so sure and two are convinced the machines screwed up. Voters also had some interesting ideas, ranging from a proposal to upgrade the entire process to a suggestion that older children be encouraged to accompany adults and learn the process.

Poll workers returned the highest percentage of surveys. They also experienced the most problems, ranging from difficult voting machines to an unresponsive elections office. Even so, most rated their experience with the elections office as "good" or "very good."

After going through the surveys, co-chair Russ Shade concluded, "There's plenty of room for improvement. The way we do things works. But we could do better."

I'll give my assessment, for what it's worth. I don't think things are better than the perception. I agree with the perception. Over the past six meetings, we've learned that we voted with machines the state never certified and are about to do so again. Getting answers from an indifferent state elections office, has been like pulling teeth. AVS disappeared the moment we had questions. We may need a different voting machine, one that's actually certified.

As far as the elections office is concerned, there's always room for improvement. My own experience with the staff has been positive, just like what is reported in the surveys. But elections office employees definitely need a code of ethics. A party chair's daughter should never work there. Our elections commission must be depoliticized. It should become nonpartisan, comprised of members from the major and minor parties. Elections commissioners should be barred from participating in partisan activity. Finally, voter registrar Deborah DePaul must stop being so defensive about every suggestion. She has been her own worst enemy. Last night, she conducted herself professionally, and that is an encouraging sign. In fairness, she was dealt a nightmare in the last two elections and was getting no help from the state. But her decision to hire a lawyer recommended by a party chair, was poor judgment at best. It contradicts her claim of impartiality.

Nearly every meeting was attended by Republican elections commissioner Joan Rosenthal and Democratic elections chair Walt Garvin. They weren't there as partisans but because they want us to do better. They understand Dick Benner's admonition, made in the first meeting. "[P]eople must be made to understand you're there to help them."

Update: The Morning Call and Express Times have well-written accounts of last night's meeting. An aspect of the Morning Call account should be clarified. It claims certification is expected in time for the May primary. But that's certification of a change made before November's election. Now, AVS software must change to permit larger municipal ballots, and that change won't be certified until after the primary. So we'll still be voting on uncertified voting machines. Confused? Welcome to Northampton County.
Second Update: A detailed summary of the survey results, the same one presented to the citizens' task force, is posted here.

State Never Certified NoCo Voting Machines: Too Busy Plowing Snow?

When Northampton County voter registration employee Howie Erney demonstrated the WinVote system to our citizens' election panel on February 7, he smugly told them it's easier than those pesky levers, and is getting "better and better." But then Erney made a mistake. He was willing to answer questions, even from the people like me in the peanut gallery.

Unfortunately for Erney, I had spent that afternoon looking at documentation obtained from BlackBox Voting. I already knew the Pennsylvania Department of State had reluctantly certified WinVote Version 2.0.2 in February, 2006, noting twelve specific problems. But when Howie Erney confidently booted up his system, I was shocked to see that the system we had used was WinVote Version 2.0.3 instead of the certified version. When I started questioning this, the elections office suddenly didn't want any more questions. Fortunately, citizen panel co-chair Russ Shade had the same questions. And he wanted answers both from the state and vendor Advanced Voting Solutions. "They have this nasty habit of not returning phone calls."

In addition to this software problem, there are allegations that what we see is not what we got. According to BlackBox Voting, machines with identical appearances have completely different components "under the hood." Cheap Chinese hardware may have been substituted for what was approved.

When the panel met again on February 13, 21 and 28, there still was no response from our state apparatchiks. I know they weren't busy plowing snow. Astonishingly, HRH DePaul actually insisted at one point that the state would only speak through her. Fed up, the citizens' election panel finally sent a letter to state elections commissioner Harry VanSickle, asking to see "the certification of the specific machines used in the last two elections. The Committee wants documentation that the hardware shipped by Advanced Voting Solutions is, in fact, what was approved."

Instead of speaking through his oracle, HRH DePaul, or just answering the damn questions, the state elections commissioner ran to the Morning Call editorial board in an obvious effort at damage control. It was beginning to appear that we had voted with machines that were never state certified.

Now, thanks the The Express Times, we know that is so. VanSickle has finally answered the county elections panel, and guess what? The machines used in November's election were never certified by the state. For all the state cares, we could have been voting on copy machines. Let's face it. A state bureaucracy willing to strand pregnant women for over twenty hours on a freezing highway could care little about whether our elections are run properly.

The state elections commission couldn't even be bothered to list campaign finance reports for online viewing until well after the election, completely defeating the very reason for online access. Government has no problem posting all kinds of personal information about us on the net, but can't be bothered to let voters know who is funding a candidate until after an election, when it is too late to do any good.

Elections? We don't need no stinkin' elections!

Problems in the land of midnight payraises extend well beyond its legislators. An arrogant and unresponsive bureaucracy, on both state and local level, is increasingly becoming the norm. Our Lehigh Valley delegation to the state house and senate should be all over this. Why, for example, is PennDot Secretary Biehler still on the public payroll? Why is VanSickle still at the public trough after permitting an election to occur with uncertified voting machines? What gives him the right to ignore calls from a county executive? Why can't he get expense reports online until after an election is over?

Attitudes like these are what make Katrinas possible. New Orleans is not the exception.

"Madness? This is Northampton County!"

Before last night's meeting of Northampton County council, I bumped into Express Times reporter extraordinaire Sarah Cassi. I blocked her way into council chambers, regaling her with tales from my blog.

"Did you know my blog is worth $10,518?"

After she escaped, I latched onto county exec John Stoffa. I always dazzle him with my intellectual superiority. Lsat night, it was the details from 300. I saw that five times last weekend with groups of teenage boys who share my love for classic Greek history.

"Those Persian arrows will blot out the sun tonight, John."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, John. We'll fight them in the shade."

"Bernie, what the hell are you talking about? It's night and it's raining."

Stoffa would probably have talked with me all night, but the meeting was starting and deputies were coaxing me away. I found my usual seat in the peanut gallery, and furiously began taking notes of the entire meeting. Citizen journalism! How many members of the public were there? 23. Impressive, huh? I've got loads of stuff like that.

I scribbled six full sheets of paper, covering every detail. I've got Council Prez Grube'e groans about council's decision to transfer Veterans Affairs to Human Services. "At the rate we're going, in another two years we'll be a replica of Lehigh County." And they all moaned over a simple resolution to study the possibility of a bi-county health department. "At the rate we're going, in another two years we'll be a replica of Lehigh County."

Council also approved four union contracts for the judges' slaves. After that, Councilman Lamont McClure wanted to go into secret session to consult the oracle about the residual unit. Solicitor Lenny Zito cautioned against going to the back room. "At the rate you're going, in another two years you'll be a replica of Lehigh County."

Council finally agreed to spend $1.5 million to buy Gus Milides' vacant law office, across the street from the courthouse, for our new archives. Councilman Ron Angle was vehemently opposed. He thinks land is cheaper in upstate New York. "At the rate we're going, in another two years we'll be a replica of Lehigh County."

After council had adjourned, I sat in the back with Al Jordan, our computer geek. I was impressing him with my knowledge of voting machine software when county lawyer Chris Spadoni rudely interrupted.

Spadoni squealed that HRH DePaul's dad, toupee and all, had just ripped into Ron Angle. I had missed the whole frickin' thing! Apparently, King DePaul had to be led away by an 18 foot tall deputy sheriff who would make a great Xerxes in 300 II. I have six pages of frickin' notes, and missed the biggest story of the evening!

I tried to find out what really happened by talking to Angle. That's like asking Dick Cheney to explain why we really invaded Iraq. According to Ron, the Debbie Dad approached the dais and started threatening Angle for giving his daughter a rough time. That much I believe. He apparently also told Angle he was going to kick his ass and would be waiting outside. When Angle started talking about High Noon again, I tuned him out. One thing is certain. Angle was taking no chances. He put on his Persian outfit and left the building with an escort of Immortals, all on their way to Tic Toc Diner.

Geez! Angle only attended one of the six task force meetings. I've been to all of them. And I've been much nastier. Uh oh. Time to go.

Outside, on the way to my jeep, it happened. Some old fart with a lousy looking toupee walked up to me and snarled, "Are you Bernie O'Hare?"

"No, he left. I'm Bernie Long, Joe's good-looking kid brother."

The geezer turned to leave, but then he saw an old Angle bumper sticker on my jeep. Busted! I had tried to rip that off years ago, but it's embedded like a tattoo. Damn! I better get the hell out. I turned the ignition and ... nothing. My battery needs a charge. The dude was moving towards me like one of the Immortals, but wasn't quick enough. I let the clutch out, rolled down the hill and jump-started my jeep. He ran down the hill after me, screaming, "This is madness."

As I rolled away, I shouted to the old dude, "Madness? This is Northampton County!"

Norco Voter Registration Office: Out to Lunch?

Chris Casey, the Buddha of blogging, recently commissioned four friends to do a comparison of the Lehigh and Northampton County voter registration offices. Two men and two women interacted three times with each office. I knew nothing about this survey. The grades are in, and it looks like Northampton County is going to summer school. Here's an excerpt from Chris' report.

Northampton County? The best grade awarded was an A. they got 1 A. One of our "Secret Voters" had an excellent phone experience when she called for information on where and how to register. The young woman who helped her even suggested that our secret voter, who has just moved her from New Jersey, could register to vote when she gets her PA driver's license, and save herself a trip. I know when I renew my license, they always ask the vote question, I think that's a great idea.

The above experience is the good news, because all the other grades are D or lower. 4 D's. and 7 F's. First off, they don't answer the phone at Lunchtime, between 11 AM and 1 PM, the line is busy. Visits to the facility were a nightmare. That's not really their fault, that parking is such a disaster, but thankfully, they are located in the Wolf building, and you aren't subjected to the body cavity search over in the Rotunda. Their attitude about serving voters is best described as "why are you bothering me?" Granted, they got 4 of their F's for not answering the phone, but visits to their facility on subsequent days during lunchtime literally found the staff "out to lunch".

Hey, you guys ever hear of staggering lunch breaks? I really wanted to cut these guys some slack, that's why I had others with open minds execute simple tasks to tests their services.

I had very simple guidelines, make 3 separate contacts on 3 days, 2 by phone to ask questions, and make one visit to the office to request a simple commonplace request (I.E. change parties or register at a new address)

Northampton county failed miserably. I don't know what is going on in their leadership, but if they were a store, and their service that bad, I would replace the management. I'm also sure that there are people who have dealt with the Northampton Voter registration office and had positive things to say, and the fact that one caller had such a good experience belays that.

But one of our visitors asked the staffer if she could tell him where he would be voting, and the woman huffed, told him, "I don't have time for that, you will find out when you get it in the mail." and walked away.

I have to take my survey people on their word they are being truthful, but none of them knew what the others were doing, so unless they ran into each other at the Wolf building, they didn't know. You guys decide.

In fairness to the Northampton County voter registration office, I visited that office myself a few times. My most recent experience was a few weeks ago and at lunch. Everyone was there. Everyone was helpful. I also just called the office myself, at 11:43 AM. The phone was answered on the first ring. Sometimes, people who call the courthouse do wait an inordinate amount of time for the operator to answer. Perhaps the Casey crew was calling the main number instead of the voter registration office. I am highly critical of that office, but have no complaint with its staff. They seem like a dedicated and hard-working group to me.

Norco Voter Registrar Uses Lawyer Recommended by Local Dem Chair

Earlier this week, I suggested a connection between Northampton County Dem boss Joe Long and Larry Otter, the Bucks county goofball claiming to represent voter registrar H.R.H. DePaul at our last citizens' panel discussion of Northampton County's elections woes.

Thanks to Morning Call columnist Bill Rutherford White, we now know the truth. "Long, among others, suggested she contact a lawyer to represent her interests at the meetings. One of the names on his list was (drum roll) – Larry Otter. Otter says DePaul called him."

In choosing a lawyer recommended by the local Dem chair, H.R.H. DePaul proves local Republicans are right. She's too close to local Dems, and that damages public confidence in the electoral process.

Northampton Voting Registrar's Lawyer Also Represented Local Dems

I told you earlier today about Larry Otter, and his representation of Voting Registrar Deborah DePaul. The county never hired him. H.R.H. DePaul denies retaining him as well. So who got this Bucks County lawyer involved?

Ron Angle has an answer. On his WGPA 1100 AM radio talk show this morning, he suggests Larry Otter and Northampton County Democratic chair Joe Long are quite friendly. And Otter did not suddenly call H.R.H. DePaul out of the blue from Doylestown. That would be an unethical direct solicitation.

A few years ago, Joe Long and Northampton County Democrats sued eighteen local communities over campaign sign rules. Guess who represented them? Larry Otter.

Is this how H.R.H. DePaul shows us she's impartial?

Norco Registrar DePaul Tries to Soak County for $2470 Private Lawyer Bill

H.R.H. Deborah DePaul, Northampton County's voting registrar, brought her own mouthpiece to last week's citizen panel studying our election troubles. But that didn't shut her up. No, siree! Hired gun Lawrence Otter and H.R.H. DePaul doubleteamed to drown everyone else out. She justified this paid windbag as a "buffer" to protect her "from the falsehoods and basic lies."

Here's my question. Who's going to protect us from her?

H.R.H. DePaul's attorney has just billed the county $2,470.78 to represent her last Wednesday, according to some county employees I won't name. He even billed the county for a $36.83 din din with DePaul at Uncle Wesley's! Mmmm. H.R.H. DePaul wants the county to pay for her crabcakes. Otter ate fish and frogs.

Otter also billed taxpayers $33.95 for his swim up from Doylestown. No wonder he was hungry.

Why would H.R.H. DePaul direct her shill, who supposedly represents her, to bill the county for his services and even their dinners? This is just unbridled arrogance from an employee who will never understand she's here to serve the people, not to be fed crabcakes by them.

Did someone in the county administration pre-authorize this ridiculous charge? Director of Administration John Conklin, H.R.H. DePaul's boss, tells me he knew nothing about the bill until it came in the mail. I'm sure he'd like crabcakes, too. Hell, he can hire me as a consultant and I'll just bill the county.

Whoopee!

Funny thing. Nothampton County has a seasoned attorney, Chris Spadoni, who is paid to represent H.R.H. DePaul officially. He also attended last Wenesday's meeting, waiting for someone to ask him a question or offer him crabcakes or something. And Chris loves crabcakes. He'll eat just about anything that isn't nailed down. I found that out when I sailed with him many years ago. We had to go without food for several hours, and Spadoni ate a dentist.

Maybe Norco Dem Chair Joe Long will pay the bill. Long already thinks he runs the elections office, anyway. And he is a crab.

Why is H.R.H. DePaul still employed by the county? The Express Times, said it best. "DePaul must accept public criticisms of the office and make it more user-friendly, or step aside for someone who will." It's bad enough she felt an irrational need to bring a lawyer to a meeting of fellow citizens. But now she is trying to stick taxpayers with the bill. It's time for her to step aside. After all, PennDot could use her for our next Valentine's Day storm.

Update: The Express Times and Morning Call both report the latest DePaul dis. Last Wednesday, H.R.H. DePaul claimed to have brought an attorney because "Enough is enough" and "It's time the truth comes out." But her attorney is not her attorney. "I didn't hire him." Confused? Welcome to the bizarro world of Debbie DePaul.

State Elections Official Finally Speaks, But Not to Norco Citizens' Elections Panel

Northampton County voting registrar Deborah DePaul says many things. Just last week, she claimed the Department of State will only speak through her. That's why the state won't return repeated calls from the elections panel or county administrators. I see.

Yet when I looked at the Sunday Morning Call, I learned that the state's election maven, Harry VanSickle, recently spoke to The Morning Call editorial board. "He's got a story to tell, with some details until now untold, it seems, to many in the county." Well, yeah. That's why the panel has formally demanded answers.

One little secret is that, last time we voted, we used a software design the state never approved. Shhh! Another reassuring detail is that, if anyone challenges the voting machine hardware, all bets are off. The editorial incredulously concludes, "Much work lies ahead. But now there is reason to better trust county election results."

Huh? That's like saying that George Bush's disastrous Iraq record is reason to trust him with more troops.

Norco Registrar DePaul to Critics: "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!"

I've told you what happened before last night's citizen's panel review of Northampton County elections. Now let me tell you about the meeting itself. Task force members Peg Ferraro, Greta Browne, Jack Bradt and Dick Benner agreed to send a letter to the Department of State, seeking answers to certification questions about touchscreen voting machines supplied by Advanced Voting Solutions. They also formalized a survey for candidates, elections workers and voters. The fireworks display came from the peanut gallery.

H.R.H. DePaul's Hired Gun

First and foremost was Larry Otter, an attorney retained by voting registrar Deborah DePaul. He ingratiated himself with both the peanut gallery and the task force by insulting everyone. Otter's claim to fame is that he represented Carl Romanelli, who sold his soul to the devil in an attempt to get on the ballot for U.S. Senate. We all know how that turned out. Otter refused to sit in the peanut gallery with the rest of us. He's too important. According to H.R.H. DePaul, Otter was hired as a "buffer" to protect her "from the falsehoods and basic lies."

The panel was warned it must stop making "outlandish" statements about poor H.R.H. DePaul. When asked what he meant, he said the panel had called DePaul "incompetent." When asked to say when the panel had called her that, he could not give an answer. This dude even managed to offend panel member Jack Bradt, who previously had nice things to say about H.R.H. DePaul. Strike One.

After alienating the committee studying problems in the elections office, Otter turned his wrath on The Express Times and Morning Call, claiming that both papers had lied about his client. Once again, he was asked to provide an example. "The local media need to get their facts straight." The one "lie" identified, is an Express Times allegation that eight people have recently left the office. And that statement happens to be true. Eight people have left the office over the past three years. This turnover is one reason DePaul has given for office problems. Steeerike Two.

Otter couldn't stop with the committee and newspapers. He also blasted local Republican chair Roy Shuman, who has complained that H.R.H. DePaul's office is too partisan. Shuman's charges are "unfounded" and "outrageous." And he minimized complaints about our misleading straight party ballot, complaints expressed by both parties. "Got a problem? Take it up with the state legislature." Strike Three. You're outta' here.

Republican Complaints

Roy Shuman, the dude making these "unfounded" and "outrageous" allegations, was next. He thinks we all "should be treated equally," and it's not happening. It was hard for Shuman to make his points. Whenever he offered a criticism, either H.R.H. DePaul or hired gun Otter would interrupt, something they attempted all evening. Shuman nevertheless insisted there is "preferential treatment," and brought committeewoman Mary Barket to prove his point.

Barket explained what happened recently when a county council candidate was only given five copies of a nomination petition.Barket called about making copies, and H.R.H. DePaul blew up. She accused Barket of "setting her up." Amidst H.R.H. DePaul's repeated interruptions last night, Barket finally turned and flatly said, "It became personal and there was no reason for that. You went from 0 to 60 very quickly."

And the flurry of emails that followed this exchange troubled Roy Shuman because no emails were sent to him. He complained Dem chair Joe Long was getting emails about a problem with republicans, but nothing was being sent to Shuman. H.R.H. DePaul, who has said repeatedly she always notifies both parties whenever she interacts with either party, interrupted Shuman to say, "I don't have your email." Huh? But I thought she said .... never mind.

Judges of Elections

Three judges of elections addressed the panel last night. Two out of three like the new machines. But a Moore Township judge complained that, at the end of the evening, it was impossible to transfer data into the master. This is exactly what happened when AVS demonstrated the touchscreens to the state.

Office Staff

About four members of DePaul's staff were on hand to defend their boss. They claim they're very happy. They approach problems as a team, and had a few disparaging remarks about DePaul's predecessor. I have no criticism of DePaul's staff. I think they're hard workers. I think DePaul's a hard worker, too. But they seemed scared to death when I visited the office last week. Maybe it's my nose. They said last night they resented my previous depiction of H.R.H. DePaul as a witch. Hey, it was a queen! She has referred to her "reign" as registrar, so I'm trying to show the appropriate respect. Maybe I should bow when I see her.

Shawn Millan

Millan, Congressman Dent's evil campaign manager, voices two concerns. First, he notes that the Morning Call, which collects data from each precinct, had very accurate results the day after the election. But unofficial results from the elections office were completely different. Thirteen days later, when official results were released, it appeared that the "lying" Morning Call had it right all along. "How do you blame the machines when the results reported in the papers were accurate?" The variation between unofficial and official results in the congressional race was an unacceptable six percent, compared to one percent or less in other counties. And in State Senator Browne's race, it was a whopping twenty-two percent! Shawn, it's unfair of you to use facts to support arguments. That could start a dangerous trend.

Millan's second criticism, a little less factual, was directed at a ballot designed to encourage straight party voting. He called it a "partisan design that doesn't benefit our democracy." Although we nearly all agree that the ballot was badly designed, I don't think there's any evidence it was intentional. But Millan promised, "It's something we'll be looking out for in the future. It won't happen again." I believe him.

Joe Long

Joe Long, when he addressed the panel, first complained no one has sent him invitations. Gee, Joe, I never got an invitation, either. Then he complained couny exec John Stoffa never returns his calls. I thought he'd start singing, "You don't send me flowers anymore," but he stopped himself.

Right after Republicans complained about DePaul's partisanship, Long commended her and droned on about how much Dems love working for her. He should. His daughter worked there until last year. That's a great way to prove she's nonpartisan, Joe.

Now Long tried denying this. "That's not true. She left before I became county chair." Courthouse records reveal Long's daughter was a part-time elections office worker between April 2002 and July 26, 2006, and Long claimed last night he's been the Dem chair for the past six years. Little things like that make republicans suspicious.

But Joe didn't stop there. He called the elections panel a "witch hunt and public whipping post" for H.R.H. DePaul. "We want people to vote." He's concerned this task force might discourage people from voting. Stoffa has asked them, "How can we do better?" That really should deter voters.

Both The Morning Call and Express Times have excellent, and far more objective, accounts of last night's meeting. The citizens' panel will meet again at the courthouse on March 14 at 7 P.M. You can email any concerns to voter.info@northamptoncounty.org. Minutes are posted on the left sidebar.

In Northampton County, Bloggin' is Dangerous to Your Health!

Last night, the Northampton County citizens' task force met a sixth time concerning our election troubles. It should have been a quickie. The only agenda items were approval of a much needed letter to the Department of State and finalization of a survey. But it was a long and rancorous evening before a packed house.

Physical threats. A goofy lawyer. Accusations that our local papers are lying. Complaints and compliments about Registrar DePaul. Political consultant Shawn Millan's compelling indictment of the elections office. This all made for a long night. DePaul and her Bucks County mouthpiece, brought in as a "buffer," spent most of the evening popping up and down like bobbleheads, trying to drown everyone out. The elections panel refused to let that happen. Peg Ferraro and Greta Browne repeatedly had to remind DePaul to let others speak. Finally, an exasperated Jack Bradt told DePaul, "We want to hear from the audience." I'll give you a blow by blow account, but that will have to come later.

Right now, I want to focus on events that occurred before last night's raucous meeting ever started. I knew it was going to be a rough night. The entire right side of the room was filled with DePaul supporters, including mostly the people who work for her. The left side of the room was full of Republicans, the League of Women Voters, voter rights activist Alan Brau and me. Express Times reporter Sarah Cassi shunned the press table, sitting instead in the back of last night's very vocal and rowdy peanut gallery, soaking in the ambiance.

As I picked my way through the crowd to find a seat, I saw something I hadn't seen in previous meetings. Northampton County Democratic chair Joe Long was in the house! He didn't look too happy to be there. And when he saw me, smoke started blowing out his ears.

"Oh, there he is. Hey Bernie, I hear you're gonna' have me for lunch." (Oh shit, he saw my Hannibal Lector post!)

"Actually, I said dinner." (I'm a cocky bastard.)

"You think you're pretty funny, don't you?" (Not amused.)

"It's called humor, Joe. You should try it sometime." (Still cocky.)

"I'll fix your humor. Anytime you're ready, just let me know." (Now the steam is coming out of his moustache, too!)

"Pardon?" (I heard him, but always say that when I'm puzzled.)

"Anytime you're ready." (Idiotically triumphant. I wonder if he's packin'.)

Later in the evening, when I was addressing the committee myself, I mentioned Long's threats.

"That's not true. I have witnesses."

Earlier this week, an unnamed local party boss tried unsuccessfully to muzzle blogger Richard Wilkins. Democratic party bosses are very upset with bloggers for calling public attention to their attempts to fix the primary. Having failed at that, Dem party bossman Joe Long is now resorting to physical threats, and right before a public meeting!

These heavy-handed intimidation tactics might work in the loansharking business or against union scabs. But Joe, goon squads are a just a tad out of place in a democracy.

Besides, they've got the wrong guys. First, they go after Wilkins, who in fairness has been Joe Long's only pal in the blogosphere. Brilliant. Then, the party boss distinguishes himself and his party by physically threatening me. Hey Joe, we're just passing on info we got from LVDem. He's the real rat. So break his legs, damn it.

Maybe I'll challenge Long to a duel or something. I've been practicing with my lightsabre all night.

And so the battle rages.

Norco Voter Registrar DePaul Discusses Her Kingdom

"The people who left under my reign are people I am still close with."

Those are the exact words Northampton County Voter Registrar Deborah DePaul used at last night's meeting of a citizens' advisory committee studying our elections problems. Her Highness revealed the source of our election troubles. It's her.

Retired Registrar Benner expressed dismay over DePaul's numerous letters to state and federal officials concerning HAVA. In one, she actually urged county executive Stoffa to ignore the new federal law. "While it might be criminal, criminals are pardoned." Benner flatly told DePaul those remarks are out of line.

Benner wondered why newspapers still call him with elections questions. The press has told him they can't get the information they need from DePaul's office. He's concerned the office may now be playing favorites, echoing some concerns he heard from Congressman Dent's office. And he noted that eight people have recently jumped ship. He questioned why the office no longer had a notary for affidavits brought in at the last minute. Greta Browne also wanted to know why DePaul couldn't send someone from her office to Nazareth's recent, and very successful, nonpartisan "resident to candidate" forum.

This is when H.R.H. DePaul launched one of her long, rambling defenses. Rarely have I seen someone use so many words to say so little. Maybe she should be a blogger. She blamed everyone but herself.

"Prior to coming here, that office was in major disruption. ... The atmosphere in my staff is wonderful. ... It's very professional and very pleasant."

As professional as her staff may be, she could not trust any of them to go to Nazareth. "That would be a bad situation. You're not going to send a tech to do a surgery." This is not brain surgery. As one of at least forty people attending that forum, I know her employees could easily have handled all questions. Blogger Ross Nunamaker was able to do so rather nicely. DePaul missed a major opportunity to recast her office in a favorable light. Her attitude betrays a distrust, both of her own staff and the public. She just doesn't understand something Benner said at the committee's first meeting. "People must be made to understand you're there to help them."

At last night's meeting, panel members Russ Shade, Peg Ferarro, Dick Benner, Greta Browne and Jack Bradt agreed to ask the Department of State for proof that the AVS WinVote machines are really certified. They also want assurances that the hardware shipped by Advanced Voting Solutions is, in fact, what was approved. Local state legislators will receive copies of this request. They are also working on a survey about problems in the elections office, which will be distributed to candidates, poll workers and voters.

As Benner expressed his displeasure with DePaul, committee members Russ Shade and Peg Ferraro are frustrated by state officials who ignore them. Russ Shade mentioned repeated requests for information concerning state certification. "I'm ready to go to the governor. ... We're not asking for a miracle." And Peg Ferraro complained, "They're not answering the public and they're supposed to be public servants."

Voter activist Alan Brau, a local physician, warned the committee this would happen. He has had to sue the state Department of State over its refusal, without explanation, to re-examine voting machines.

Elections commissioner Joan Rosenthal also recommended that the Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the elections commission become nonpartisan.

The citizens' advisory panel will meet again on February 28 and March 14, at 7 PM, in council chambers on the 3rd floor of the Northampton County courthouse. You can contact them with your views at voter.info@northamptoncounty.org. Minutes for these meetings are on the left side bar of this blog.

Northampton County Democratic Chair Joe Long: Was His Election Legal?

On Monday, Northampton County Democratic Chair Joe Long was elected to a second term without opposition. But was his election legal? He could only be elected by committeemen chosen in our last primary. Yet the results of the primary were not even certified until Monday, the very day of Long's election. How could committeemen be notified of their election and be able to attend another election to select Joe Long as party chair in a matter of a few short hours? Were they beamed over?

According to Chief Registrar Deborah DePaul, certificates of election will not even be mailed to the winning committeemen until today because the law requires a 5 day waiting period in case anyone objects to the results. So how did committeemen assemble and elect Joe Long on Monday night when they won't be notified until today of their election?

And what about write-in candidates for committeemen in precincts that had no candidates? I know a fellow who wrote himself in as committeeman in a precinct with no candidates, and he's heard nothing. Assuming that he was elected, he should have been notified of the election for the county chair.

Politics: Lehigh Valley Style has long questioned Joe Long's leadership in Northampton County. Joe announced that T.J. Rooney was not seeking reelection as state rep. before Rooney could do so himself. Joe also played a major role in the back room deal that resulted in the appointment of Lamont McClure and Anthony Branco to Northampton County Council, snubbing many better qualified candidates, both Democratic and Republican. And he gave little help to John Stoffa who, without PAC money, took on and defeated a powerful and well-funded Republican opponent for County Executive. It is little wonder that PoliticsPA selected Long in 2005 as one of our worst County chairs.

But I do wonder how he managed to get himself elected on Monday, five days before certificates of election could be sent to committeemen. I've asked local party officials to explain. So far, I've heard nothing. Looks like they can only use a time machine when electing their county chair.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: WHAT ABOUT DEM REPUBLICANS?

I guess I'm an equal opportunity offender. The Republican state committee met past Saturday to select Rob Gleason, a popular former Thornburgh aide, to serve as the new state chair. He was elected by state committeemen, including committeemen from Northampton County. How could the Northampton County committeemen vote to elect a new state chair on a Saturday when their own election as committeemen was not certified until the following Monday? Their certificates of election were just mailed today.

Now there could be legitimate reasons, but I sure don't know them. It's possible these elections are pretty much decided in advance and the elections thmselves are mere formalities. But it is precisely that kind of attitude that leads to government behind closed doors.