Is Willie Reynolds Pushing Too Hard For LGBT Rights?

Let me tell you a little bit about my brother. He has the brains, while I'm just another pretty face. He can take a car apart and put it back together, while I still haven't figured out how to pop the hood. He goes to church twice a week, while I don't go at all, figuring he has me covered. His religious convictions tell him that same sex relationships are immoral, while I have no convictions at all and don't mind if three guys and one parakeet want to go to space mountain. I know my brother, who lives in Bethlehem, would be opposed to Mayoral candidate Willie Reynolds' stands on marriage equality and same sex benefits. I have reservations myself, although for different reasons.

At a news conference last week that I unfortunately missed, Willie Reynolds chose to make "equal rights for our LGBT brothers and sisters" a major theme of his campaign. He pledged that, as Mayor, he would insist on "diversity training for City employees, particularly our public safety personnel." Same sex domestic partners "would be provided with the same health care benefits as all other city employees." Finally, he vowed he would perform no marriages at all until he could do so for same sex as well as heterosexual couples.

Although Willie's stand should just about lock up the gay vote (and they contribute), this is not exactly what I would call a high priority in a City afflicted by a revenue-sucking pension crisis. In fact, as gay employees add their domestic partners for health benefits and pensions, this can only make that problem worse. It will cost the City money at a time when it should be trying to trim costs.

If Willie had proposed benefits for prospective city workers in same sex relationships, this pill would be easier (and cheaper) to swallow. Those pension agreements are much more reasonable, thanks to negotiations by the Callahan administration. But under Willie's plan, he will add significantly to the City's pension crisis.

I could understand diversity training, so long as it can be done at no municipal expense. But why did Willie add that public safety personnel need it more than most? I would think police officers and firefighters, who see same sex unions night and day, could probably give Willie some diversity training.

Another point, and I one I find unnecessarily divisive, is Willie's pledge to refuse to perform any marriages at all until he can marry same sex couples. That is insulting to numerous innocent heterosexual couples who have nothing to do with the state's marriage laws. It is also insulting to many people like my brother, who for religious reasons, are offended by same sex couples. Who's to say my brother is wrong? Willie Reynolds? LGBT activist Adrian Shanker?

Worst of all is that, in the name of political correctness, Willie is diminishing the sanctity of the special relationship between man and woman. That is the only relationship that can actually produce new life. It deserves a special place and name for that if for no other reason. No same sex couple can produce children. To call their union a marriage diminishes the miracle of new life that is often produced by a real marriage. My objection here is mostly definitional. I would agree that same sex partners should have the same rights (and obligations) as heterosexual couples, but the union of man and woman deserves its own special word in our lexicon.

Willie is a progressive candidate with many good ideas, including district seats on City Council. Same sex couples certainly should have the same rights and protections as everyone else. But in a City with many other real problems, this should be a back burner item that needs to be approached with a little more sensitivity than Willie has displayed. You can't just force people to accept gay rights. You need to persuade them. And that takes time, not mandatory diversity training for cops.

I know I have several gay readers. Please tell me if you thing I'm wrong. It would not be the first time.

Bob Donchez Unveils Plan For Fiscal Responsibility

Bob Donchez 

As people darted in and out of the Bethlehem Public Library, Mayoral candidate Bob Donchez unveiled a ten-point plan to address City finances during a news conference late yesterday morning. This includes reducing the number of take-home vehicles to less than a dozen. Donchez said he's even consider using his own car if he can still get liability coverage from his insurance carrier. "I would have to set the example," he said. "The Mayor sets the example."

Does he have a secret union-bustin' plan, as claimed by Johnathan Schadenfreude in a recent blog entry? In a word, No. Donchez has no plan to privatize city services. What he does plan to do is replace some grant-funded positions with contract workers, which will enable him to reduce legacy costs like pensions. Some City staff, like the Fair Labor Compliance Officer, is a contract worker.


Donchez likens his budget proposals to "families who brown-bag it instead of eating out" or who "rent videos instead of going to the movies."

Below is an abbreviated version of his 10-point proposal:

1. Assemble a taskforce of financial and business experts from the public and private sectors to review all aspects of the city budget.

2. Protect or improve the city’s bond rating by scheduling only necessary projects, and only after the most economical financing is in place to pay for them.

3. Reduce employee use of city vehicles for commuting.

4. Implement alternative methods of budgeting in order to save money, such as performance-based or zero-based methods.

5. Convert city positions that are funded with grant monies to service contract positions, thereby eliminating additional budget costs and legacy pension costs.

6. Limit the use of outside consultants and rely more on in-house expertise.

7. Initiation of a two-year budget planning process so that the administration and City Council can better plan how limited resources can be allocated longer term.

8. Periodic review of revenue and expenditures with City Council's Finance Committee.

9. Build a “rainy day” fund, which would give the City more flexibility to meet fluctuating cash flow demands and/or unforeseen emergency needs.

10. Limit travel to conferences and meetings to what is required to maintain professional certifications and credentials.

Donchez' opponent, J. Willie Reynolds had no immediate reaction to Donchez' fiscal plan. He suspended his campaign yesterday to reflect on the Boston Massacre, which he called an "American tragedy."

Willie Reynolds Does Some Trash Talkin'

Bethlehem Mayoral Candidate J. William Reynolds and Bob Donchez both appear to be on the same page with respect to a single trash hauler. They're both opposed, which is also the stance they have taken with Mayor John Callahan's most recent proposal.

In my view, they're both wrong.  But they're the ones running.

Since this campaign began, I have been walking through neighborhoods in every corner of our city. Every day I hear from residents about the issues in Bethlehem that concern them the most. One of the most important of these has been City Hall’s recent discussions about our trash removal system.

As part of my Winning Our Neighborhoods initiative, I promised to be a Mayor that listens and leads on the issues that matter most to our citizens. For this reason, I know that it is critical to address this issue head on and provide residents with a clear understanding of my position.

I am committed to the private hauler system that provides Bethlehem with an effective service that many people have known their whole lives. As Mayor, I will work with the private haulers to ensure that we can continue to provide residents with a high quality service.

While knocking on doors over the past couple of months, some residents have raised concerns about certain aspects of our trash removal system in the city of Bethlehem. I believe there are some common sense steps we can take to address some of these neighborhood concerns that will improve upon the current system of trash pick-up.

By exploring a zoned hauling system, by which private haulers continue to stay in business and serve their customers, we can find ways to improve the system.

By breaking the city down in to zones in which neighborhoods would have a specific day for garbage pick-up, it will be easier to keep our neighborhoods clean and identify residents who are non-compliant.

Additionally, we must work with each neighborhood to address their specific realities. We know that there are unique needs in different corners of the city, and the neighborhood committees of my Winning our Neighborhood initiative will provide the perfect platform for finding workable solutions for each.

We also must increase efforts to enforce our municipal waste ordinances. We must make further headway into cleaning up our streets that currently have problems with trash violations. In cities across the country (including Allentown), alternative methods of enforcing trash cleanup are utilized with much success. Many of these programs provide a combination of education and enforcement with field officers who issue warnings, tickets and citations for non-compliance. Programs such as these are worthy of additional review and consideration to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of such a program for our City.

By combining the continuation of private hauling with these additional improvements that make sense for Bethlehem, we can achieve the best possible outcomes for residents of the City of Bethlehem.

Donchez Touts His Public Safety Cred

Flanked by current and former police officers, including former Commissioners John Yerk, Eugene (Gene) Learn and Randy Miller, Bethlehem Mayoral candidate Bob Donchez played his strong card yesterday - public safety. At a news conference outside of West Bethlehem's satellite police station, he made very clear that "maintaining a safe city with secure neighborhoods and business districts will be my primary responsibility as Mayor."

Donchez, the son of the late and still remembered city detective John Donchez, was introduced by District Attorney John Morganelli and FOP President Wade Haubert.

DA John Morganelli is Donchez' childhood friend

In February, the FOP unanimously endorsed Donchez because "you have shown an ability to not only advocate for public safety but do so in a manner that focuses on the best interest of the taxpayer."

Below is the text of Donchez' remarks concerning public safety.

As a lifelong resident of Bethlehem, and the son of the late city detective John J. Donchez, I know that maintaining a safe city with secure neighborhoods and business districts will be my primary responsibility as Mayor.

As I look at our great city and the promise that it continues to hold for our citizens, I am very aware of the vital role that public safety has played in our past success and growth and the significant role it will continue to play in the years to come. The services provided by our police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel are the key to public safety. By keeping our community safe, families are encouraged to stay, and new families are encouraged to move to Bethlehem. By maintaining a safe and clean city, old businesses remain and new ones are attracted to our community.

Public safety is a key component of economic development. A safe community encourages businesses to invest in your community which provides jobs and expands the city’s tax base.

The area of public safety is one which cannot be compromised as the health and well being of our citizens is of the utmost importance. To that end I would like to state my intention to maintain a strong and consistent approach where matters of public safety are concerned.

* An evaluation of staffing levels within all areas of public safety will be undertaken to ensure the full protection of our citizenry.

* I will also immediately evaluate if personnel are being adequately deployed throughout the city among the various shifts.

* I will explore the possibility of making the Dewberry facility a joint EMS/Fire facility in order to provide additional public safety to the citizens in that area of the city.

Lots of current and former police

* An evaluation of police, fire and EMS training programs and equipment needs will be undertaken immediately following my election in order to maintain professional skills and equipment at the highest levels.

* It is important to increase the staffing and visibility of our police resources in our residential neighborhoods and business districts. I will examine the use of foot and bike patrols in various areas of the city.

* To facilitate effectiveness I will support the establishment of EMS as a separate department.

* I will continue to support the maintenance of Bethlehem’s separate 911 Communications Center, as it has proven its effectiveness in serving the citizens of our community.

* It is important to foster a cooperative relationship among the city police force and campus security at both Lehigh University and Moravian College. At all of the campuses, including Northampton Community College and East Stroudsburg University-Bethlehem Campus we must utilize today’s changing technology to promote the safety of the students who attend these schools and the citizens who live proximate to them.

* In order to provide the widest base of community support and to encourage the broadest range of ideas, I will consult with community and business leaders to explore public and private partnerships in the area of public safety.

* The city website will be revamped and interactive capabilities which will allow residents to receive public safety, and other alerts, will be a priority.

I have consistently supported a community noted for its approach to maintaining law and order. As Mayor, I will continue to work to provide the citizens of Bethlehem with a safe and secure community in which to live and work.

Reynolds and Donchez Are Killing Me

You know, I'm getting a little fed up with Bethlehem politics.

City Council candidate Adam Waldron goofs and forgets to file circulator affidavits with his nomination petitions, and nobody even says boo. In Allentown, he'd already be hanging from his toes, swaying in the wind.

Now, to make matters even worse, Willie Reynolds and Bob Donchez are actually running an issue-oriented campaign and being nice to each other. What fun is that?

Throw me a frickin' bone, will 'ya?

Instead of talking about government, Donchez should attack Reynolds as a teacher, a favorite target of anonymous trolls everywhere. When someone points out that Donchez was a teacher himself, he can indignantly say, "I quit."

Then Reynolds can attack Donchez as a legislative aide, which is actually one of my pet peeves. When someone points out that Reynolds was a legislative aide himself, he can indignantly say, "I quit."

In the meantime, controversial developer Abe Atiyeh is so pissed at Mayor John Callahan that he is underwriting much of Lamont McClure's Exec race. He's doing helpful things like plastering McClure's mugshot on a billboard that Palmer Township residents and The Express Times hate. Abe, if you really wanted to get Callahan, you'd put his puss on that billboard.

With rabbit ears.

J. Willie Reynolds Unveils "Winning Our Neighborhoods" Platform

Before a small but enthusiastic crowd at West Bethlehem's Clearview Park, Mayoral candidate J. Willie Reynolds unveiled his "Winning Our Neighborhoods" platform yesterday afternoon. Reynolds and his opponent, Bob Donchez, are focused on an issues oriented campaign, following the example set by the City's first Mayor, Archibald Johnston.

"Winning our Neighborhoods" is a detailed program that proposes (1) a committee outreach to supplement existing neighborhood associations; (2) City Council district seats that will make government more democratic; (3) a battle against fracking, which Reynolds contends will endanger the City's drinking water; (4) "Serve Bethlehem", a promotion of volunteerism and community service; and (5) An "Our Streets/ Our Home" plan to improve the quality of housing stock. You can read the text of reynolds' speech below.

Reynolds conducted is news conference at Clearview Park to draw attention to the kinds of neighborhoods that work in Bethlehem and also to stress that West Bethlehem, like the Southside, has no representation on City Council. Districted Council seats could solve that problem and make government more representative. A continuation of at-large seats should prevent the parochialism that often comes with a district seat.

City Council candidate Adam Waldron, who was at Reynolds' new conference, is from West Bethlehem and tells me he's the only candidate from that area of the City.

Reynolds' final prong of his platform, relating to housing stock, should prove controversial. He wants all rental units inspected every 3-5 years, even if the same tenant is there. He wants to be able to force problem tenants out of rental units with a three strikes policy for criminal citations. This could make a wife being abused by her husband reluctant to call police, especially if she has children.

But I have to commend Reynolds. Instead of pious platitudes or vague generalities, he's throwing out some very specific ideas. It might be bad politics, but it's good government.

Here's his speech.

Winning Our Neighborhoods (W.O.N.)

Introduction:

I would first like to thank everyone for coming out and joining us today. The City of Bethlehem is a special place. When my parents bought our house on Linden Street as a young couple, they did so because it was a neighborhood you wanted to raise a family in. They raised their five children there because our neighborhood had everything a family could want. Safe streets to ride your bike on. Clean parks to walk to with your friends. And good schools within walking distance of our half of a double on Linden Street in which they still call home. It was the type of middle class neighborhood that makes Bethlehem the city want to grow up in. As I have gotten older, I have realized the little things that add up to make our neighborhoods what they are. It is the little things that matter when it comes to quality of life in our City. When I ran for City Council, I did so because I believed in our neighborhoods. I believed that we had to invest in our neighborhoods as they faced new challenges and obstacles. I am proud to say that during my time on City Council, I have fought for our neighborhoods.

It is with that backdrop that I am proud to stand here in Clearview Park and announce what is the cornerstone of my Mayoral campaign, a comprehensive neighborhood strategy called Winning Our Neighborhoods. I have developed this plan from years of knocking on doors, talking to residents, and thinking about what makes Bethlehem special. It is time for a new kind of economic development in Bethlehem that gives city residents the ability to increase the well-being of their own neighborhood with the full support of the office of the Mayor and City government. This is the core of the Winning Our Neighborhoods Strategy; the development of sustainable grass roots infrastructure on the neighborhood level which can give citizens the resources to make a difference on their own block.

Winning Our Neighborhoods is centered on five key areas in which to protect and build our neighborhoods.

1. Creation of Winning Our Neighborhood Committees

WON looks to build a committee of invested partners in a neighborhood that will work towards maintaining and building those connections that make neighborhoods livable and attractive. The WON Committees, to meet on a regular basis, would include

Community stakeholders:

1. Residents of the neighborhood
2. Business owners in the neighborhood
3. Representatives from neighborhood elementary school (PTA members, teachers, principal, etc.)
4. Community leaders, activists

Representatives and department heads from City Hall

5. Mayor
6. Police Chief (and other Community Police officers serving the neighborhoods)
7. Public Works Director
8. Community and Economic Development Director

What would be the goals of the WON Committees?

1. Helping to establish connections between neighborhoods and schools (e.g. planning “neighborhood” events a year)
2. Dealing with public safety issues (traffic, pedestrian, problem areas)
3. Code violations and problem properties
4. Leaf, snow, and trash removal concerns
5. Beautification efforts (trees, lights, etc.)
6. Neighborhood recreation opportunities
7. Unwanted neighborhood development (recent examples in Bethlehem include ongoing litigation over drug rehab centers and the efforts by Holy Family Manor to demolish historic buildings)

In 2004, the Elm Street Program was created to bolster the older historic neighborhoods located within walking distance from our revitalized Main Streets. The idea here is that a full development plan, and the most successful kind, addresses our downtowns and the surrounding neighborhoods with equal levels of planning and support. As Pennsylvanians, we have seen Governor Corbett cut Elm Street funding in cities such as ours. While the funding has disappeared, the needs of our neighborhoods have not. WON Committees hopefully can help to fill the needs left by the reduction in support from the state of Pennsylvania. It is also important to note that the Committees are not looking to replace any existing neighborhood organizations but rather supplement the current work that is being done with increased involvement and support from City Hall and the Office of the Mayor.

The boundaries for WON Committees would be based loosely along the boundaries of the elementary schools in the City of Bethlehem. This is advantageous to the program for several reasons

1. Elementary school boundaries are smaller and more manageable than simply breaking up the City into north Bethlehem, west Bethlehem, etc.
2. Many of our older and most at risk neighborhoods surround some of our elementary schools (Thomas Jefferson, Calypso, William Penn, Buchanan, etc.)
3. The importance of tying one’s neighborhood into the neighborhood public school

One of the biggest challenges we face is finding ways to attract and retain young middle class families to Bethlehem. The WON Committees create a strategy for improving our neighborhoods and providing residents with support over the issues that affect their daily lives while also pro-actively encouraging citizen participation at the grassroots community level.

2. Creation of City Council Districted Seats

The City of Bethlehem has long elected its seven City Council members through an at-large process. This has traditionally led to the majority of Council members being elected from only a few areas of the City. For example, west Bethlehem has not a Councilman in 16 years and South Bethlehem has only had one Councilmember in the last 16 years and none in the past six years. The City of Bethlehem, however, is a unique collection of neighborhoods with distinct qualities, concerns, and issues. A new system of electing Council members is necessary in order to reflect the unique nature of each area of Bethlehem.

Winning Our Neighborhoods calls for the creation of a hybrid system of electing Council candidates from a combination of at large and districted seats. This would not only guarantee representation from every area of Bethlehem but would also remove several barriers to the democratic process. Importantly, creating districted seats would allow candidates to focus less time on the financial side of running for office. Running a serious campaign for City Council often costs in excess of $10,000 and breaking the City into sections would substantially reduce the amount of money that a candidate would have to raise in order to get their message out. This would also increase the time in which candidates could visit their local small businesses and talk with their neighbors about important issues facing Bethlehem. Several local municipalities and school districts already utilize such a system including the City of Easton and the Bethlehem Area School District.

3. Increased efforts to battle potential impacts of fracking on Bethlehem’s drinking water

One of Bethlehem’s most prized assets has always been our drinking water. Our drinking water reservoirs are located approximately 40 miles away from the City of Bethlehem in Penn Forest Township and Tunkhannock Township. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Gas and Oil Management, the Marcellus Formation covers approximately 64 percent of Pennsylvania. This includes much of Carbon County where the Penn Forest Reservoir (our water supply) is located. In the past several years, more and more attempts at natural gas extraction have occurred in Pennsylvania. While there have been no Marcellus Shale wells drilled in Carbon County as of now (even though the extent of the Marcellus Shale covers much of Carbon County), there have been multiple wells drilled in the bordering county of Luzerne. These wells, of course, use the process called “fracking” to remove the natural gas from the Marcellus Shale. While there has been much debate about the effects of fracking on our environment and our drinking water, it is reckless to continue to potentially damage our environment without knowing the long terms effects of the process on our state and our water supply.

As a City, we must step up and help lead the fight to stop this destructive technique. Part of being an elected official on any level of government is lobbying for governmental changes that affect one’s citizens and constituents. As a City Councilman, I authored a letter to our state leaders in Harrisburg in an effort to repeal Act 13 which took away local zoning rights from municipalities as it concerns fracking and the extraction of natural gas. We need to join the fight statewide and in Pennsylvania municipalities to suspend all fracking operations until further studies can be completed that can accurately take into account the environmental damage to Pennsylvania. We also need to lobby at the state and federal level to change fracking’s current exemption from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act which currently does not mandate public disclosure of chemicals used in the fracking process.

The reality is that the fracking process is new to Pennsylvania. Too much about the long term consequences of fracking is unknown. It is for that reason that we can not sit back and allow the potential damaging of one of our most important and basic City services to occur. The issue of fracking may not only damage our drinking water but also our environment in a way that could affect generations of current and future Bethlehem residents.

4. Creation of “Serve Bethlehem”

A comprehensive plan for our City and our neighborhoods not only finds ways to fix problems, but also actively encourages positive contributions to our neighborhoods from invested residents. Similarly, we can foster a sense of community and build community based around positive actions to move us forward.

Bethlehem has a long history of community service and volunteerism in our community. One of the hallmarks of our community has always been that people in Bethlehem, no matter their age, have always been willing to give back. It is that sense of service that has allowed the seventh largest City in Bethlehem to feel like a small town. It is not unusual for children, parents, grandparents, and great grandparents to be involved in the same community organizations. Serve Bethlehem looks to build on that idea.

Serve Bethlehem is a volunteer based program (modeled after a similar successful program ServePittsburgh in the city of Pittsburgh, PA) that attempts to recruit volunteers and community partners to participate in service initiatives designed to combat neighborhood issues. The program looks to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods on a daily basis through service projects and volunteer efforts. Several highlights include mini grants for neighborhood beautification projects, an elderly/disabled snow removal volunteer program, increase in community food gardens (and support of Bethlehem Food Co-op and similar efforts), and expanded Adopt a Park/Streets programs. Serve Bethlehem would not look to replace any current efforts in our community but rather strengthen, support, and unify existing efforts in Bethlehem.

5. “Our Streets/Our Homes” Program

One of the aspects of Bethlehem that makes our City unique is the quality of the housing stock in our neighborhoods. Every city must develop and maintain a delicate balance of low, medium, and high density housing in order to possess a high quality of life. Bethlehem residents have always been known for the pride that they have taken in their homes and properties. Unfortunately, there are neighborhoods in our City that occasionally experience “problem” properties or a somewhat declining quality of life. Currently, our Community and Economic Development department does an excellent job of responding to these complaints and holding people accountable for failing to follow our codes and ordinances. It is, however, through my experience on City Council and knocking on our residents’ doors on a regular basis that I am proposing looking at several changes that will increase our ability to say that every neighborhood in our cities have a quality of life that we can all be proud of.

1. Examining a change in our definition of a “regulated rental”.
2. Updating our City’s housing database in an effort to stop illegal conversions of single family homes
3. Requiring all rental properties to be inspected once every three years rather than the current standard of only when the rental property finds a new owner or is sold
4. Examine the “3 strikes and you’re out” rule as it relates to tenants convicted of a crime
5. Developing and encouraging home ownership programs including employee assistance housing programs for Bethlehem area businesses

Many residents in Bethlehem have lived in their homes for 30, 40, or even fifty years. These residents form the backbone of our neighborhoods and our City. The City must improve its efforts to stabilize and build our neighborhoods if we are going to continue to experience the quality of life generations of Bethlehem residents have enjoyed.

Conclusion:

Being Mayor isn’t just about listening. Its about leading. Its about coming up with and fighting for ideas that will make Bethlehem better. Its about representing your citizens on issues that mean something to them. Its about leaving City Hall sometimes as the bad guy. Its about recognizing that Bethlehem has changed. We are a more diverse, younger city that has reinvented itself only because of bold decision making that understood that the best way to respect our past is to build a better future. This proposal does that. We are building for the future by focusing on what makes Bethlehem special and unique, our neighborhoods. We are giving a voice to our neighborhoods, encouraging and supporting participation in city government, and building lasting relationships within communities and between communities and city hall. That is truly good government.  My campaign and Winning Our Neighborhoods isn’t just about who we are. It is about who we can be. As a city. As neighborhoods. And as families. Thank you for coming out today and I will now answer any questions you may have.

Willie Reynolds Wants District Seats on City Council

Part of his "Winning Our Neighborhoods" package, which Bethlehem Mayoral candidate J. Willie Reynolds will unveil tomorrow, is a proposal for districted seats on Bethlehem City Council. Currently, all council members are elected through an at large system. Under Reynolds’ plan, City Council would be made up of a combination of at-large seats and seats designated to represent certain districts within the City. The Bethlehem Area School District, Easton City Council and both counties already use this system.

Reynolds plans to discuss this and other ideas in West Bethlehem's Clearview Park on Tuesday, 4 PM.

"I will be presenting my plan for Bethlehem’s neighborhoods in the West Side of our City partly because there has not been a City Council member from the West Side since Don Cunningham left council and became Mayor in 1998," explains Reynolds. "The South side of the City has also been traditionally underrepresented despite the unique needs and economic growth in that part of the City. The path to continuing to be one city is that each neighborhood and section of the city has its own voice and has the mechanisms in place to have that voice heard in City Hall.”

Reynolds believes this kind of increased citizen participation is good for democracy, and it is. In a district race, money doe not matter as much as knowing people and being responsive to them. In a district race, a Republican or even an Independent can be elected in a predominately Democratic town. An at-large race can be affected by the national mood.

Reynolds will also discuss severe cuts in Elm Street funding by the Corbett Administration, which he calls a "slow building drag on Bethlehem's homeowners and renters alike."

Willie's opponent in this race is fellow Council member Bob Donchez. I will ask him to share his own thoughts.

Donchez Ahead Of Reynolds in Money Race, 5 to 1

Bethlehem Mayoral candidate Bob Donchez is way ahead of rival Willie Reynolds in the money race.  In reports filed last Thursday, Donchez was sitting on $111,987.47, compared to Willie Reynolds having just $20,274.95.

Both campaigns are funded by all kinds of special interest money, to be sure. But what I found astonishing about Donchez' report is the large number of small donations between $50 and $250. Page after page of grass root support, totaling $17,909.00, makes up a large proportion of the $85,664.46 Donchez raised in 2012. It is bipartisan support, too.

Although I intend to look more closely at Donchez report next week, I believe Bob's largest contributors are Bethlehem law firm Broughal and DeVito ($5,000), which represents the Bethlehem Parking Authority and Bethlehem Housing Authority, and Bethlehem lawyer Dennis Benner ($5,000).

Donchez is a Paul Marcincin Democrat and much of his support also comes from that wing of the Democrat party in Bethlehem.

Updated 4:35 PM, to indicate that Broughal and DeVito represent the Bethlehem Authority, not the Bethlehem Housing Authority.

Obama Organizer To Run Reynolds' Campaign

Laura Collins

Are there any idealists left? If there are, would you ever expect to see them running a political campaign? Those who put in long and hard hours on political campaigns are true believers. But only a few retain their ideals. One of them is Laura Collins, who is working for Willie Reynolds' Mayoral campaign in Bethlehem.

Even though I'm a bottom-feeding blogger whose idea of a good time is looking through Willie Reynolds' garbage cans, Laura met me last week at Panera Bread.

"You do know I'm a stalker, don't you?" I asked her.

She just laughed at me.

A little nervously.

Laura is a Bethlehem-area product. Freedom High School. Villanova. Taught English in Argentina and Uganda. But during last year's presidential race, she was a field organizer in the Bethlehem area for the Obama campaign.

Laura met Willie Reynolds during that campaign, and he spent a lot of his time volunteering, going door to door. She said Willie would show up, even when the office was empty.

With the campaign over, Laura was preparing for another trip overseas when the phone rang. Willie asked her to work his Mayoral race, and she agreed.

"I found her to be a tireless campaigner who understands the important issues facing Bethlehem," explained Willie. "In 2012, President Obama won 66 percent of the vote in Bethlehem and Laura’s work in our neighborhoods was a big part of that.”

Ironically, Laura used that same language to describe Willie. She stayed because he is committed and willing to work.

"He's everywhere," she told me.

I know. Maybe he should start a blog, too.

I told Laura that Willie's opponent, Bob Donchez, is admired and respected in Bethlehem. I think even the Pope is preparing to endorse him. She agreed. She thinks Willie works hard and has good ideas and is the best person to move Bethlehem forward. She told me the campaign will be based on his ideas, not slurs.

She's an idealist. You can even see it in her eyes. It's very refreshing for a bottom-feeder like me.

Obviously, Willie's commitment to Obama is what inspired her. I had to ask. Were there any other Bethlehem politicians out there, knocking on doors for Obama?

Two. One of them is State Rep. Steve Samuelson, who would stop by if he had time to kill. Another is Mayor John Callahan, who would come to an empty office and work the phones, sometimes bringing his daughter with him.

Donchez Packs Hotel Bethlehem For Mayoral Bid

Bob Donchez makes it official

Before a "Who's Who" of nearly two hundred political leaders at the Hotel Bethlehem, City Council member Bob Donchez has made it official. He's running for Mayor of the Christmas City, which he calls the "jewel of the Lehigh Valley."

Son of an admired police detective, Donchez grew up on the South Side and became best friends with someone a block away who, like him, always had an interest in local sports and ... politics. That best friend, District Attorney John Morganelli, introduced Donchez at his Saturday morning announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Morganelli joked, when addressing Donchez' supporters. "I'm so excited I feel like I'm running myself."

Another supporter, State Senator Lisa Boscola, told the crowd that she, Morganelli and Donchez were mentored and called the "three amigos" by former Mayor Paul Marcincin. She complimented Donchez' "gentleman approach" to issues. "Our City is going to thrive and be great under your leadership," she told Donchez.

Donchez, a retired American Government and Social Studies teacher, has been a member of City Council since 1996, including two 4-year stints as Council President. He credits his father for "setting an example of service I will always carry with me."

Calling Bethlehem a "special place," Donchez pledged to form a task force of knowledgeable community leaders to ensure transparency, especially with the City Budget. He promised to continue to be a strong advocate for public safety. He also wants to foster an atmosphere that encourages more mom-and-pop business development.

Donchez supporters Loretta and Jay Leeson

"What is required now is strong, experienced and mature leadership that puts a premium on service first," he said, in an oblique reference to his primary opponent, J. William Reynolds. Reynolds is in his second term on City Council and has already announced his candidacy.

City Council members Jean Belinski, Dave DiGiacinto, Eric Evans and Mike Recchiutti were all on hand for the announcement. So was Mayor John Callahan, who is expected to announce his own candidacy for Northampton County Executive this week. Although neutral in the Mayor's race, Callahan was unable to resist the charms of the Hotel Bethlehem and its very political crowd.

Two other potential Northampton County Executives, Glenn Reibman and Lamont McClure, were also there, along with a myriad of current and former elected officials, as well as police officers and Sheriff Randy Miller.

When former Northampton County Council member Ron Heckman spotted fellow old-timer Greg Zebrowski in the crowd, he joked that the next thing they'll do is "drag in the coffin of [former NorCo Executive] Gene Hartzell."

Bethlehem's Mayoral primary will be on May 21.

Reynolds Expected to Announce Mayoral Bid Tuesday

Willie at Firecracker 4-miler. I think I beat him

Bethlehem City Council member J. William Reynolds, a lifelong resident of the city, will announce his intention to run for Mayor on Tuesday afternoon. Instead of doing it at some social hall or eatery, he's announcing outside of his home, in front of a small group of his neighbors, family members and campaign volunteers.

According to Reynolds, this is to emphasize the importance of Bethlehem’s neighborhoods while also recognizing his strong grassroots support.

It's also cheaper.

Reynolds, who grew up just a block from Liberty High School, has walked to every school he's ever attended. He's like Bethlehem to remain a City with strong neighborhoods in which kids can walk to school.

A Moravian College grad, he's in his second term as a Council member and teaches in the Allentown School District.

Reynolds was a stand out basketball player at Liberty and Moravian. He's also an avid runner who regularly competes and excels in road races throughout the Lehigh Valley.

But this is no road race. Willie is up against affable Bob Donchez, a retired Allentown teacher who has served on City Council since 1996. Currently a legislative aide to State Rep. Dan McNeil, Donchez was top vote getter in the 2011 City Council races. He pulled in 5,176 votes. Reynolds came in second, with 4,466.

This announcement is good news for Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, who should soon be announcing his own race for Northampton County Executive. A contested Bethlehem Mayoral race will increase Bethlehem's turnout, and that in turn should increase the number of votes being cast for Callahan.

But Reynolds is in this race to win, not to drive up turnout for someone else.

I will make every effort to attend Reynold's announcement on Tuesday, although one of Bethlehem's independent haulers might mistake me for a piece of garbage and take me away.

It happens.

Blogger's Note: I was going to embargo this until Tuesday, but The Express Times went with this story and Reynolds' web page is live.

J. Willie Reynolds Does The Hat-Trick!

J. Willie Reynolds After Firecracker 4-Miler in July

Any baseball player who can manage to hit three home runs in one game is said to have performed a hat-trick. Obviously, it's pretty rare. For Runner's World, it's completing a 5k, 10k and half-marathon over the course of a weekend. I think that doing three races like that, back-to-back, is tougher than a marathon. And just as nutz. But that's exactly what Bethlehem City Council member J. Willie Reynolds did late last month in Bethlehem.

Believe it or not, 700 people managed to complete this feat. Willie placed 46th among them.

"I survived," he tells me. He did better than that. But if you see his legs anywhere in Bethlehem, give him a call.

Simao's "Letter to Bethlehem Politicians" Catching Fire

Tony Simao might be fighting an uphill battle for a seat on Bethlehem City Council, but his career in Hollywood is assured. His riveting video, Open Letter to Bethlehem Politicians, is going viral, at least by Bethlehem standards. When I first saw it late Monday night, there were just 4 hits. Less than 24 hours later, there were 241 views.

Simao tells me he put it together using video editing software called Nero. Its score reminded me of the beginning scenes of Gladiator, while others thought it was more like The Omen.

No matter what movie it reminds you of, it's a very telling indictment of Mayor John Callahan's mismanagement at the helm of Bethlehem. It comes fast on the heels of an independent audit showing that Bethlehem finished 2010 with a jaw-dropping $14.2 million deficit.

Amazingly, Bethlehem again made a late pension payment again, incurring a fine, despite assurances last year that it would never, ever, ever, ever, ever happen again. t continues to play games with EIT money collected for other municipalities. And most disturbing of all, it took a cool million out of federal CDBG money, without even bothering to inform Council.

Unfortunately, the video is very accurate.

"There'll be more," Simao told me last night.

Dent Gives Early Endorsement to Bernotas, Carroll and Simao

Although it's by no means unusual for LV Congressman Charlie Dent to endorse a candidate for local office, he had to take some personal satisfaction in seeing a full slate of Republicans - Al Bernotas, Tom Carroll and Tony Simao - willing to take on "one party rule" in Bethlehem. Dent left Washington, D.C. at 5:30 AM Saturday just so he could publicly give them his good government stamp of approval following a Lincoln Day breakfast at Hotel Bethlehem.

Dent, who became intimately familiar with Bethlehem's mismanaged city government during his most recent Congressional race against Mayor John Callahan, stated Bethlehem "deserves better that what it's getting right now from the current administration." Noting that Bethlehem's bond rating has been downgraded, Dent said it's time for some "meaningful oversight." He called on City Council to be "watchdogs for this administration, not lapdogs."

"You will have better City government because of these guys," he said.

Dent did recognize some "voices in the wilderness," people like Jean Belinski, Mike Schweder and Dave DiGiacinto.

Below are excerpts from the candidates.

Al Bernotas on YouTube: "I'm not waiting until we get elected to City Council. We've already started to make a difference by going out for the past year and a half, two years, just listening in. We're going to do a few Right-to-Knows, we're not going to allow only City Council to see the budget, P&L and what's going on. I'd like to see the check register posted to a website. A little bit of sunshine never hurt anyone. ... I know how to balance my checkbook and take out loans and pay them back. I'd like to help the City administration learn to do that, and I'd like to make sure that City Council watches everything that's going on, and communicates with the people."

Tom Carroll on YouTube: "The City is already $300 million in debt. That means that for every adult over 18 in the City of Bethlehem, we all owe, just for the debt of this City, $5,000 a person. ... The administration says, 'We have a revenue problem. They do not. They have had a 150% increase in revenue since 2000. They do not have a revenue problem. They do not have a tax problem. They have a spending problem and they have a borrowing problem."

Tony Simao on YouTube: "There comes a point in time when the tough choices have to be made. ... Ron Angle comes to mind, the Northampton County Bulldog, as he's known in some circles. I believe that that's my type of character as well. I don't like incompetence. I don't like waste. It seems like there is a lot of it going on in the City of Bethlehem to the point where now, at a national level, Wall Street is taking notice and lowering bond ratings."

On the Democrats' side of the ticket, City Council Prez Bob Donchez and J. Willie Reynolds are seeking reelection. Mike Recchiuti, a lawyer and member of the City's Parking Authority, is also seeking your approval.

(Blogger's Note: I was unable to attend this endorsement due to a family commitment.)

At Least Willie Reynolds Has a Hot Girlfriend

Sometime this summer, when I dropped in on a Bethlehem City Council meeting, a dude who looks like a skinny Santa Claus shoved this form in front of me and told me to fill it out. Believe it or not, it was an evaluation form for City Council members.

Despite what you may think, I gave everyone but Karen Dolan very high marks. Karen was absent that night, or I'm sure she would have scored just as well or better than everyone else.

Hey, I'm easy.

Well, The Morning Call's Matt Assad has run a story about this rating system. It's not administered by a skinny Santa Claus, but by activist Stephen Antalics. Looks like Willie Reynolds finished dead last with a D.

That could be because he's been a rubber stamp who asks probing questions of Mayor John Callahan like "How great are you?"

But you gotta' love Wee Willie's reaction to his grade: "“I’m sure I’ll lose lots of sleep tonight next to my hot girlfriend.”

Here's my question. How the hell does this





















end up with this?














Maybe she's a registered lobbyist.

Updated 1:55 PM: Oh Shit!!! The hot babe with Wee Willie is actually his sister!!

Fortunatley, I've been sent a picture of his hot girlfriend.

Ready?

Eat your hearts out.