Who Will Replace Neiper?

It became official last night. Diane Neiper's resignation letter, dated June 8th, was accepted "with regret" by Northampton County Council. President McHale laid out the now familiar drill for filling the vacancy. The position will be advertised on June 20th, with applications due on June 30th. Council will attempt to fill the vacancy on July 9.

Lamont McClure hinted that the person Council selects should have some "experience." That opens the door for someone like Ron Heckman or Jerry Seyfried, both of whom have a deep understanding of county government.

Whoever is selected will only serve until the end of the year.

Diane Neiper Resigns From Northampton County Council

Back in April, I told you that Northampton County Council member would resign before the end of her term. Neiper confirmed her imminent departure herself at the end of a county council meeting on May 21.

Since that time, Neiper was absent from both a June county council meeting as well as an important meeting of the newly formed Lehigh Valley Health Commission, which consists of the legislative bodies of both counties. An ardent proponent of a regionalized health board, Neiper's absence could only mean that she was already effectively gone.

Inside sources tell me Council Prez Ann McHale already has Neiper's resignation, but as of Friday, it is still unavailable to the public.

Neiper is the sixth member of Northampton County's legislature, perhaps the most erratic in the Lehigh Valley, to have left in the last three years. Under our home rule charter, council members must appoint her successor within thirty days, or the appointment will be made by the court.

Neiper was all too often the third wheel on the Dertinger-McClure bicycle, but she also was one of Council's hardest working members. She's leaving for the best of reasons - to be closer to her grandchildren. I hope she enjoys her new life in Cumberland County.

Diane Neiper Confirms "Imminent" Resignation

A month ago, I told you that Diane Neiper will soon be resigning from Northampton County Council. At the end of last night's meeting, she confirmed she will resign as soon as she can settle on a new home in Camp Hill, closer to her loved ones. "We are feverishly packing."

Neiper will be the sixth member to have departed over the last three years. Council will once again be left with four Democrats and four Republicans. At election time, too!

Whoopee!

Has Neiper Had Enough on Northampton County Council?

An at-large member of Northampton County Council, Diane Neiper has allied herself most often with Charles Dertinger and Lamont McClure. As a result, many of her votes and actions have been inexplicably bizarre.

Examples? She joined Dertinger, McHale and McClure when they very nearly forced the county to spend $1.8 million more for an IT contract than the one that Exec John Stoffa finally signed. She is one of the hangmen who played to the union, demanding that the county's Human Resources Director resign. She is part of a cabal that refused to follow their own lawyer's advice. She was also among those who tried to replace a capable council solicitor with a "pay to play" lawyer who would tell them exactly what they want to hear.

To her credit, she has also been one of council's workhorses, working tirelessly with the county's human services. But she was noticeably upset this January when Democrats chose Republican John Cusick over her as council VP. They really had no choice because it was the only way that Ann McHale could become President, but Neiper was still unhappy.

Neiper's term expires this year. A email being circulated by local Democratic committeemen indicates Neiper has had enough. She will not seek reelection to that dysfunctional body.

Northampton County Council Member Explains Junkets to Exotic York

Dirty politics is the American way. We can trace its history back to the presidential contest of 1828. Andrew Jackson's forces accused John Quincy Adams of pimping for the Russian Czar, while Adams' minions claimed Jackson's wife was a bigamist and his mother a whore. No sooner had Jackson been elected than his wife dropped dead of a heart attack. Today, we'd call that collateral damage.

Northampton County mudslinging certainly follows the distinguished pattern set by The American Lion. We're about to go into an election cycle next year for county executive and council. So it's no surprise that the anonymous attacks are already starting. John Cusick, up for re-election to county council next year, was attacked Monday for his "extensive" county council travelling. Oh yeah, I'm a phony for failing to write about his junkets.

I've found out how much money has been paid to each council member for official travel over the past three years. Only three of its nine members even bothered with exciting trips to places like Harrisburg and York. Ron Angle was reimbursed $103.20 for one trip in 2005. Diane Neiper picked up $362.90 for six trips. John Cusick was paid the most, $2,228.37. But that was for thirteen trips to exotic locations like Sinking Springs. No trips to Cancun. No limos. In Cusick's case, it comes down to a whopping $171 for each trip.

In an email, Cusick explains his attendance.

When I was elected to County Council, I asked to have the budget for travel and conferences restored so that new members could attend CCAP (County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania http://www.pacounties.org/ ) seminars and conferences. As a township supervisor, I had the opportunity to attend PSATS (Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors) seminars and conferences and found that I learned a great deal from both the presenters as well as other township officials.

Over the last three years, I have regularly attended CCAP's spring, summer, and fall meetings. I've used my personal days to attend the meetings in the fall (Hershey) and spring (Harrisburg) and my summer vacation time to attend the annual meetings (York, King of Prussia, and Seven Springs). I am a member of the CCAP Taxation and Assessment Committee which develops policy initiatives and a platform. Attendance at these meetings has afforded me the opportunity to meet and discuss issues facing county governments across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I was able to learn from Commissioners in other counties about their Health Departments (Bucks, Montgomery, Erie), Gaming issues (Erie, Monroe, Bucks), Prison expansions, Open Space programs, Reassessments, Open Records, etc. I certainly believe the subject matter I have been exposed to and the relationships I have developed through CCAP are invaluable and have made me a better County Council member. I would encourage all Commissioners and Councilmembers to attend these meetings. Lehigh County usually has several of their Commissioners at these meetings, but unfortunately, the only other Northampton County official who regularly attends is our County Executive, John Stoffa.

In addition to the CCAP meetings, I have taken classes offered thru the Academy for Excellence in County Government. This would include workshops in County Functions and Responsibilities, Financial Management, Personnel and Labor Relations, Innovative Approaches in County Government, and numerous elective credits offered at regular meetings on various topics related to County Government. Classes were usually in Harrisburg or Penn State and I was reimbursed for mileage and hotels as per county rates and policies. I've never gotten a tan anywhere I've been.

As one lady who regulary follows council said to me, "I wish they'd all go these meetings." I agree.

Last week, I published my annual report about the workhorses and showhorses on Northampton County Council. Republican John Cusick and Democrat Diane Neiper stand out as the council members who attend the most committee meetings, far more than any of their colleagues. It is no surprise to me to see that these two council members are the ones most willing to learn about county issues.

Northampton County Council: 2007's Workers & Slackers

If you want to see who works and who doesn't on Northampton County Council, look no further than their committees. That's where the grunt work gets done. Although Council has eight standing committees, the most active by far are the personnel and finance committees, chaired by Ann McHale and Ron Angle.

Council's standing committees conducted twenty-seven meetings last year. Every member of council is encouraged to participate in every committee. So it's a pretty accurate gauge of the time and effort each councilperson devotes to government service. The committees that meet are also a good indication of what council members think are important.

Council's busy Finance (Angle) and Personnel (McHale) committees, usually combined, met ten times, twice as often as the others. Humans Sevices (Neiper) met five times, and the result is an important baby step towards a bi-county health department. Dertinger's Open Space Committee conducted four meetings, and that means more farmland preservation.

The Intergovernmental (Branco), Judicial (McClure) and Economic Development Committees met just twice. Branco squandered an opportunity to promote regionalism with local municipalities. McClure used his committee as a political tool to bash Controller Schimmel and scream about the importance of a child exploitation unit. Dowd failed to deal with the financially troubled Bachman Publik House, leaving the entire council to deal with it twice during full meetings.

One committee failed to meet at all. Rev. Mike Dowd's Operations and Administration committee might have been helpful in addressing some of the overruns associated with the courthouse expansion, or the windows at Gracedale.

The workers?

Council member John Cusick attended 20 committee meetings last year, making him the hardest working and most dedicated council member in 2007. Nipping at his heels, with 19 meetings to her credit, is VP Diane Neiper. Both Cusick and Neiper are finishing their second year on council, and their attendance record reflects dedication. They are far ahead of their colleagues.

Must be steroids.

Five other council members - Wayne Grube, Ron Angle, Ann McHale, Tony Branco & Charles Dertinger - all have solid committee attendance records this year, ranging between a low of 9 for Dertinger and a high of 12 for McHale.

The slackers?

Rev. J. Michael Dowd attended just six meetings in 2007, very disappointing from a former council president. At the bottom of the heap is Lamont McClure, who was so busy taping robo calls he only attended five committee meetings. His inattention to detail might explain why a candidate who spent no money very nearly beat him. In last year's survey, McClure was dead last, too.

Norco Council Too Busy With Election Year Smears to Worry About Overcrowded Prison

Last night, an unholy triumvirate of Northampton County Council were convinced they had finally caught their nemesis, the evil Ron Angle, in a conflict of interest. Lamont McClure, Charles Dertinger and Diane Neiper ganged up on Ron.

Uh oh.

Prosecutor Charles Dertinger had the goods. He took off his glasses, which he always does when he means business, and launched his attack. "I have information that Angle owns six properties in Portland ... " that will be served by a county-financed sewer project.

"Actually, I own seven," Angle corrected.

Dertinger's conclusion, shared by Neiper and McClure, is that these sewer hook-ups will increase Angle's property values. McClure immediately moved that Angle be barred from any votes concerning that project. He even quoted the Home Rule Charter. Dertinger solemnly seconded the motion. Schoolmarm Neiper sanctimoniously told Angle he should have recused himself from voting about shit in Portland when he had the chance.

None of these three stooges produced anyone to declare Angle's property values actually would increase. Dertinger did claim he spoke with people in the revenue office, but never named them. Angle, a real estate maven, pointed out that each of the seven homes he owns in Portland already has a functioning sewer system. A sewer project is irrelevant to his property values, and could actually end up costing him money with sewer hook up fees.

That wasn't good enough for DA Dertinger, who really just wanted to embarrass Angle in an election year. McClure reluctantly withdrew his motion only when Solicitor Lenny Zito promised to investigate Dertinger's claim.

When Lenny Zito reports back, council will be told that Dertinger, like the Portland sewer project, is full of shit. Under our ethics laws, a public official does not have a "pecuniary interest" when he votes on something that affects the general public or some segment of the general public in which he is merely a part. In this case, the sewer project has an impact, beneficial or detrimental, on all Portland residents. Angle is just part of that group. If it were a conflict of interest for him to vote on this sewer project, he should be barred from voting on tax increases, too. Last night's maneuver was no attempt at good government, but was instead a thinly veiled election smear. Had it succeeded, it would have disenfranchised the voters in Angle's council district. That's who would have been hurt.

As McClure insisted there was a terrible conflict, Angle asked Lamont to justify his votes concerning the DA's office. After all, McClure's wife works there. McClure piously replied, "I abstain from votes involving the DA's office." That's baloney. Last year, McClure actually voted to increase the DA's budget.

Council Prez Wayne Grube considered the whole ordeal "embarrassing," and accused the Unholy Three of having an "agenda." "This is nothing more than vindictive stuff." What's really sad is that, while three inexperienced council members waste time playing political games, everyone is distracted from the real problems facing our county. These include a prison expansion that is over capacity less than a year after it was completed.

Update: The Express Times has a well-written account of last night's meeting. Reprter Sarah Cassi has a few of the good quotations, including Neiper's sanctimonious tripe.

Norco Councilperson Neiper: A Teacher Who Can't Count

I can't resist this.

I told you last week that Northampton County Council's election of Diane Neiper as Vice President, violated the Home Rule Charter. First, Council Prez Grube changed the time of the meeting so that Tony Branco could attend. Only county council, and not its president, has authority to decide the time, date and place of a meeting. Second, Neiper violated the conflict of interest provisions in the charter when she laughingly voted for herself.

She's not laughing now. After a discussion with the council's solicitor, she concedes her vote for herself was improper. But she tells the Morning Call "the point is moot because she still had enough votes to get elected Tuesday."

Excuse me?

Excluding her vote for herself, Neiper had just four votes. That's not enough in a nine person council, even if one of them is absent.

Neiper claims her thirty-four years of teaching gives her all the skills she needs to be council VP. Those skills apparently do not include counting.

Northampton County Council Kicks Off New Year With Sunshine Act & Charter Violations

It didn't work.

Rev. J. Michael Dowd implored the Heavenly Father to give Northampton County Council "new agendas" and "new priorities." He asked God to give council insight and courage to help do what is right.

But when the dust had settled, council was still mired in back room shenanigans. This time, in addition to a blatant Sunshine Act violation, council thumbed its nose at the Home Rule Charter.

The fix was in, bippy. Yesterday afternoon, they were just going through the motions.

As I told you before the meeting ever started, council had already decided to reelect an increasingly unstable Wayne Grube as council president. No surprise there. But the real shocker was its predecision to replace veteran Ann McHale with newcomer Diane Neiper.

The meeting was actually rescheduled to midafternoon just so Tony Branco could attend. You see, his vote was needed to make sure Neiper was elected.

Before the vote occurred, I approached council to tell them I'm an idiot. You see, I recently withdrew Sunshine Act litigation over its preselection of Lamont McClure and Tony Branco as council members. I actually believed council was seriously interested in open government, and that they were reading a manual prepared by Solicitor Zito concerning the Sunshine Act. Silly me.

I also told council neither Grube nor Neiper should be elected. Grube has been a powerful force in Northampton County and certainly works hard. But he's never been able to control a council meeting. Neiper simply has no experience.

During the short meeting, Council Prez Grube actually admitted the deal. He defiantly told a complaining Ron Angle that what they were doing was "no different than the deal you made with the county executive over open space."

Excuse me?

There's a big difference between a commitment from an individual councilman to a county executive and a closed door arrangement by a quorum of legislators. The latter is governed by the Sunshine Act.

Branco, when confronted with the reality that the cat was out of the bag, could only say he's "sick and tired of Angle talking out of his rear end." He then seconded Dertinger's nomination of Diane Neiper, stating sarcastically he may as well do that because the decision has already been made.

So for yet another year, Wayne Grube is council prez. He explained that 2006 was a fiasco and he wants to get rid of all the divisiveness and return to the days when council got things done. In other words, he likes fifteen minute meetings. He then proceeded to excoriate his critics and bumbled his way through the meeting.

Diane Neiper is now VP, and will get Grube's salary if he is forced to step down. In fact, Neiper laughingly voted for herself, violating the conflict of interest provisions of the county's Home Rule Charter in the process. No council member may consider or approve any matter in which she has a direct or indirect financial interest. Neiper really should read that Home Rule Charter. Unlike Neiper, McHale at least had the class to abstain.

Although McHale has shielded Grube from egregious errors as prez, Neiper says it's her turn now. She claims her 34 years in the classroom and her union work qualify her.

Huh?

At council's budget meeting on December 14, I heard a far different Neiper. That one acknowledged her unfamiliarity with the county's Home Rule Charter, saying she was new and this was her first budget. Boy, she sure has learned a lot in two weeks! Too bad she didn't get to the Home Rule Charter's section on conflicts of interest.

One county employee who witnessed this travesty told me he's "embarrassed" to be part of the county.

"Democracy dies behind closed doors." What a way to start off the year!

Update:Both The Morning Call and Express Times have well-written and objective accounts of yesterday's little sideshow.

Northampton County Council: The Workers & Slackers in 2006

If you want to see who works and who doesn't on Northampton County Council, look no further than their committees. That's where the grunt work gets done.

Although Council has eight standing committees, only two were active last year. These are the personnel and finance committees, chaired by Ann McHale and Ron Angle.

Two committees have not bothered to meet at all. Tony Branco's intergovernmental committee is inactive even though a top county priority should be regionalization of services with other counties and communities. Rev. Dowd's Operations and Administration committee has also failed to conduct a single meeting, even though the courthouse project is $3 million over budget and courthouse workers were still getting ill as recently as Friday.

Council's standing committees conducted twenty-two meetings last year. Every member of council is encouraged to participate in every committee. So it's a pretty accurate gauge of the time and effort each councilperson devotes to government service.

Council Prez Wayne Grube attended 19 committee meetings last year, making him the hardest working and most dedicated council member. Running close behind, and in a tie for number two, are Ann McHale and Ron Angle, who attended 16 committee meetings. Nipping at their heels with 15 meetings is newcomer John Cusick, who has been brilliant in his first year on council. Another rookie, Diane Neiper, gets an honorable mention for squeezing 13 committee meetings into her schedule. Rev. J. Michael Dowd attended only nine meetings last year, barely acceptable and very disappointing from a former council president who may have needed a year to get his juices flowing again.

But the real slackers are Tony Branco, Lamont McClure and Charles Dertinger.

Branco has attended just seven committee meetings since his appointment. It's no wonder. He has a daily two hour commute to his township manager job in Douglass Township. Although he quit his position on Hellertown's borough council, where he served for years, he has remained on a county council where he clearly is in way over his head. It's painful to watch him.

McClure, like Branco, is an appointed councilman. He's lost every time he's run for the job. Based on my own experience with the dude, that's no surprise. He once pretended he was an anonymous Express Times reader to make senseless personal attacks against me on this blog. He's also bullied me with libel threats, for correctly reporting he ignored the Sunshine Act. Lamont attended a grand total of four committee meetings. I'd better get ready for the libel threats again.

Joining McClure in the basement is Charles "Don't Call me Charlie" Dertinger, who is still bristling that John Stoffa didn't let him kill the open space initiative. On Sunday, the Express Times reported that Dertinger now compares Stoffa with the Bush administration. That's a stretch, Charlie, I mean Charles. Dertinger must be whiffing too much exhaust in his daily commute to the Big Apple. Like McClure, Dertinger only attended four committee meetings last year. He was too busy running for Congress to engage in mundane tasks like reading the county's Home Rule Charter.

Dertinger, McClure and Branco are furious that Stoffa's open space plan succeeded and their plan to cook the books failed. Dertinger is now calling the Home Rule Charter "yellowcake uranium." McClure is probably drafting an amendment to his code of civility prohibiting references to that nasty Home Rule Charter. Branco is skipping council's reorganization in January so he can attend one in Berks County.

If these three councilmembers made a point of attending a few more committee meetings, they might actually become a little more familiar with the Home Rule Charter. But when they seek reelection, and they will, they'll flood you with mailers telling you what you want to hear. For the truth, look at their committee record. It shows them for what they really are - political hacks who will try to buy your vote.