Following the Money in NorCo Controller's Race Shows Cusick's Independence

Thanks to NorCo's elections office, campaign finance reports are now available online.  Here's my analysis of the pre-election campaign finance reports filed in the Controller's race for the period between 6/6/23 and 10/23/23. 

Democrat Tara Zrinski raised $17,000 during her primary race against Nadeem Qayyum. This included $1,000 from Executive Lamont McClure and County Council candidates Ken Kraft and Kelly Keegan. These are the very people she's supposed to hold accountable should she be elected. 

She spent nearly all this money in the primary, but was able to raise $27,649 for the general. Once again, she accepted another $1,000 contribution from Executive Lamont McClure, She also took in considerable sums from the trade unions (Insulators - $1,000; IBEW - $6,000; Operating Engineers - $2,500). The rest of her money comes from environmentalists and landfill foes like Greg Zebrowski. 

Zrinski's report fails to reflect the cost of an incredibly bizarre robocall paid for by McClure's campaign. That will likely be shown in her next report.  It starts out by screaming "Danger!" and ends with "You've been warned!" It was so goofy it probably swayed a few undecideds into Cusick's camp. 

Republican John Cusick, in contrast to just about every other politician, declined to form a separate political committee. He self-funded his campaign with $32,000. His finance report indicates he spent $20,000 for two direct mailers. They must be targeted to Republicans because neither I nor my Democratic friends have received anything from him. 

Cusick has campaign signs plastered all over the place. His are the first I've noticed, and they are everywhere. His finance report fails to reflect this expense, but I suspect he is waiting for the bill. I could believe he spent most of his remaining $12,000 on signs and palm cards.   

These finance reports for the independent office of Controller show that Cusick would be independent while Zrinski would be in McClure's pocket, just as she is on County Council. 

Updated 9:30 am: The expense John Cusick's campaign signs was reported in his post-primary report. 

NorCo Controller: Zrinski Gets 60% of the Democratic Vote to Face Cusick In General

Northampton County Council member Tara Zrinski has won the Democratic nomination for Northampton County Controller. She defeated Easton resident Nadeem Qayuum with 60% of the vote, grabbing 13,799 to just 9,086 for Qayuum, 

That race is just beginning. 

Northampton County Council member John Cusick ran unopposed on the Republican side. 

Cusick and Zrinski will face each other ion the Fall. 

Source: Northamptonvotes.com

Cusick Bashes Harrisburg Over Refusal to Fund Voting Machines

John Cusick

John Cusick, who represents District Three on Northampton County Council, is a Republican. He nevertheless bashed Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled state legislature at last night's meeting of County Council over their reluctance to commit any funds to help counties purchase new voting machines. "The most critical thing we do is preserve our democracy," he argued. "Voting machines are part of that."

Last year, in response to a lawsuit, Pennsylvania's Department of State directed all 67 counties to select new voting systems that include a voter verifiable paper trail, making post-election audits more accurate. They must be in place before the 2020 primary. Though the statewide cost of his change is estimated at $125 million to $150 million, the state has yet to provide any of the funding. The federal government has provided a $342,000 grant to Northampton County.

In May, Northampton County Council approved the $2.9 million purchase of a new touchscreen voting system with a voter-verified paper trail. County officials expect to have it in place for November's election.

Governor Tom Wolf has proposed giving counties $15 million a year for the next five years to help them make this purchase. Republicans in the land of midnight payraises, however, claim this is Wolf's problem, not theirs.

"This was a crisis that the governor created, and he needs to resolve it," said Senate Majority leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) in an interview with WITF. "I feel bad for the counties, because he put a huge unfunded mandate on the counties, but that's his responsibility."

In order to stick it to Wolf, Republicans in Harrisburg are perfectly willing to stick it to counties.

"We've acted in good faith, it's time for the legislature to do the same," said the Williams Township algebra teacher.

Angle Plants 50 Mickey Thompson Signs in Williams Township

Ron Angle is waging no campaign for Controller until and unless 250 Republicans give him a write-in vote. But on Monday, he did do some campaigning for Mickey Thompson, who is running for Northampton County Council's Republican nod against John Cusick in District Three. That District is a hodge podge that starts in Williams Township and ends up somewhere in Alaska. Angle planted about 50 signs in Williams Township, mostly because that's where Cusick lives. He even put one right by John's house.

A Cusick neighbor spotted Angle while he was doing his dirty work, and accosted him.

"You're Ron Angle, aren't you?"

"How the hell would you know that?"

"Because you're like horseshit. You're everywhere."

"So what do you think of your neighbor, Cusick?"

"I call him the vampire."

"Why?"

"He only comes out at night. Nobody has ever seen him in daylight."

NorCo Council GOP Candidates Share Views

Lorin Bradley

Last Thursday, while Northampton County Council member Mat Benol was insisting that he knows of no one who is advocating Gracedale's sale and the rest of council was adopting meaningless resolutions to save the nursing home, two Republican council candidates were suggesting the day to sell might have arrived. A third discussed placing the facility in the hands of a nonprofit. These views were made known during a debate for Republican Council candidates at Northampton Community College. (You can see the video here).

There are nine members of Northampton County Council. They are paid $9,500 per year and receive no medical benefits. Considered the "governing body," their primary role is to adopt the budget. They control the purse strings. Five members are at-large, while the remaining four are elected from four different geographical districts. There are currently five Republicans and four Democrats.

The four district seats are up this year. In District One, which includes Bethlehem and Hanover Township, Democrat Ken Kraft is running unopposed. In District Two, which includes the Easton area, Democrat Bib Werner is also running unopposed. But Districts Three and Four are another story. Democrat Lamont McClure announced earlier this year that he had decided against rel-election to District Three, which has become much more Republican since Williams Township was added to its roster.  And District Four, which includes the slate belt and northern tier, is considered a safe Republican stronghold.

Matt Dietz

In District Three, the winner of the primary race between Republicans Mickey Thompson and John Cusick, will go on to face Democrat Lori Vargo Heffner. In District Four Democrat Scott Parsons, the incumbent, will square off against the winner of the battle between Republicans Matt Dietz and Lorin Bradley.

Who are these candidates?   

Mickey Thompson is the CFO and in house counsel at Abe Atiyeh's Pennsylvania Venture Capital, Inc. he claimed his company specializes in taking "unloved, unwanted and unused properties" and turning them into "productive assets." He worked on the DUI center, which ultimately was located in West Easton in one of those "unloved, unwanted and unused properties"..Mickey also helped form three charter schools in the Lehigh Valley, boasting 1,000 students and 100 teachers. His job duties also include Saucon Valley Manor and Whitehall Manor, which are assisted living facilities for seniors. "I just want to help," is what he stated is his reason for running.

John Cusick

John Cusick is a LU grad who went into retail and sold building supplies, but did not like it. He decided on education and has been a high school teacher in New Jersey for the past 19 years. He is a former Williams Township Supervisor, and served for two terms on NorCo Council, including three years as its President. Noting that most Council members are in their first term, Cusick stated he would bring experience back to the Board. He pledged to work with a Republican County Exec.

Lorin Bradley.is Mr. Corporate America, and I mean that in a positive way. He has two Master's degrees and has been involved in human resources and labor relations for 25 years. "What I do as a professional is work with conflict and try to resolve conflict," he stated, His goal in the business world in to Develop solutions that are workable for all parties. He is involved in Boy Scouts, is himself and Eagle Scout, coached, and appears to be a deeply spiritual man.

Mickey Thompson

Matt Dietz. claimed to be the product of a broken home who bounced around in Jersey until moving to Wind Gap at age 14. Right away, he felt like he was at home. A pilot, he worked at it in high school and in community college. He also helped start a catering business, which grew into a coffee shop and deli on Main Street in Bethlehem. "I understand what small businesses go through," he assured everyone. He stated that he is pro-life and that he and his wife are Sunday school teachers.

How do they stand on the issues? 

Gracedale. - Dietz calls it an "emotional question" but states "there's a red line there." He stated the County can't afford to write a check every year. "Privatize as much as we can out of it," he recommends to give the County "better bargaining power to sell the property." Bradley echoed Dietz' remarks, but believes there should be a "top down analysis first."

John Cusick, who supported selling Gracedale while on Council, now favors converting it into a 501c3 non profit similar to what Centre County Commissioners did at their publicly owned nursing home.

Mickey Thompson opposes the sale of Gracedale. He believes the facility can transition to perform medical services for residents and become a profit center. .

Home Rule Charter and Admin Code Overhaul.- All candidates believe it;s time for an overhaul. "You can't have a county exec of any party playing by his own rules," states Mickey Thompson. .

PR consultant. - With the exception of Bradley, all candidates condemned the use of taxpayer money to fund PR consultants. "If  the Executive can't communicate in his own, you need different leaders," stated Thompson. Elected officials should "speak for themselves, not through a mouthpiece," added Cusick. Bradley's argument in favor of a PR consultant is that "[c]hange will fail unless you have an effective communications plan." But Dietz observed it's "not doing very well."

Open Space.- Thompson was highly critical of last year's decision to bail out a financially troubled golf course developer's "bad business decisions." Dietz agreed there should be no spending at a time when the county "is hurting for money." While refusing to condemn open space funding, Cusick stated that Council needs to say no to "bad deals."  Bradley supports open space funding.

One mill tax hike. All candidates save Thompson supported it. Thompson claimed it was based on projections that turned out to be false. But Cusick warned that "[o]perating with little or no reserves is extremely dangerous."

$10,000.Spending limit - With the exception of Cusick, all candidates supported a $10,000 or slightly higher limitation on executive spending. Cusick. called the measure "micromanagement," adding "Council should be involved in purchasing toilet paper." But Thompson.countered that government should be in no rush to make bad decisions. If you have to approve a case of toilet paper, you should be responsible enough to do that."

Residency requirement for county workers.All candidates oppose this proposal Cusick stated that new Jersey, which has imposed such a requirement, is having a hard time finding qualified people.

Brown and Cusick Overheard at Recent GOP Event

This story comes from a die-hard Republican. At a recent event (fundraiser?) attended by both NorCo Council candidate John Cuisck and Exec John Brown, they were both bashing Cusick's opponent, Mickey Thompson. This person is a Mickey Mouseketeer. Thompson was derided as an Abe Atiyeh puppet being installed to protect Abe's interest in the West Easton Treatment Center, which the County is leasing from him

"How can this not be a conflict?" one of them repeatedly asked.

It is. That's why Mickey would recuse himself from any discussion concerning any matter in which Abe Atiyeh is involved.

This is vastly different from Cusick, who got involved in several education issues despite his occupation as a teacher; or Brown, a former consultant who has yet to meet one he does not want to hire.

It's unfortunate that Cusick would do this because I consider him very independent-minded.

Brown apparently regards Mickey with some disdain. That makes Mickey look all that much better to me.

Cusick: Police Presence at All Local Meetings Might Be Impossible

I have asked local and some state government officials for their reaction to the tragedy in Ross Township. Until I hear from everyone, you might want to know that CCAP, the state association of counties, is discussing this matter during their annual convention this week. Northampton County Council president John Cusick, from Erie, tells me that practical considerations might make it impossible to provide police coverage at every local meeting. "I do not think it would be possible for every local municipality in the Commonwealth to maintain a police presence at all public meetings, " he stated. Williams Township, where he served as a Supervisor, relies on state police. "While I do not think that changing our gun laws can always prevent a highly motivated crazed individual from doing great harm, I believe in and did support the proposed Toomey-Manchin legislation that would have improved background checks to prevent the mentally ill from purchasing and possessing firearms."

Cusick Running For Wilson School Board

Northampton County Council President John Cusick, who until not long ago, was thought to be the Republican frontrunner for County Executive. But not only has he ruled that out; he's not even seeking a return to Council. But he has not ruled out government service completely. He's running for Bill Wallace's seat on the Wilson School Board.

That way everyone can hate him.

Personally, I think all school board members have to be insane.

Parsons Foils Cusick Bid to Dump Council Solicitor

Lauer in the dock, awaiting his fate

An effort by Council President John Cusick to dump Phil Lauer as Council Solicitor has blown up in his face, thanks primarily to new Council member Scott Parsons, who smelled a rat. Let me tell you the story.

Last year, when Council President Ron Angle was deposed in favor of John Cusick, it was because Council members John Cusick, Tom Dietrich and Peg Ferraro stabbed Angle in the back. After promising Angle their support, they worked against him.

At Tuesday's reorganization, things went more smoothly. Cusick and Ferraro were both re-elected as President and VP, respectively. Although Phil Lauer was at the meeting, Cusick made no attempt to replace him and gave no indication that he wanted Phil gone.

But later that night, when he would not have to talk to him man-to-man, Cusick sent Lauer an "Dear John:email, advising him he would be replaced. His successor? Michael Gaul, Solicitor to Portland Borough and the LV Health Comm'n. Then Cusick went to work, rounding up the votes. He gave Lauer no indication whether he should even bother to show up at last night's Council meeting.

Though he knew that Cusick wanted him gone, Lauer decided he should be there because he was still Council's lawyer.

Cusick's behind-the-scenes argument for replacing Lauer was that Gaul has bond experience, which would be helpful in dealing with the swaption.

Yeah, Portland Borough must float $100 million bonds every day.

Cusick never bothered to tell the newly elected Council members (Ken Kraft, Scott Parsons and Bob Werner) that a Council Solicitor has little to do with bonds or County finances. Even worse, Cusick misled Scott Parsons into thinking that there was unanimous support for Gaul.

There wasn't.

When Cusick introduced his resolution to can Lauer, Peg Ferraro immediately expressed some doubts, while Barb Thierry slowly shook her head No.

Then, when Cusick called for the vote, he learned the hard way what happens when you try to con someone. Lamont McClure, Ken Kraft and Bob Werner still voted with him. But not Parsons. He broke ranks with fellow Dems and against replacing Lauer.

I suspect Parsons was also troubled by the complete lack of class displayed in forcing one of the County's most distinguished and well-respected lawyers to sit there and endure a vote on his termination.

I was impressed by the civility displayed by Parsons, which was in stark contrast to Cusick's petty maneuver.

"I thought I had five votes!" Cusick complained after the meeting.

"I need a beer," Parsons told me.

Cusick Lays Out Agenda in Second Year as Norco Council Prez

For eighteen minutes, Northampton County Council had no President during their annual reorganization meeting yesterday. Four Republicans had voted for Republican John Cusick, while all four Democrats had voted for Democrat Lamont McClure. Deadlocked, they recessed to wait for a tardy Bruce Gilbert, Council's fifth Republican, to appear and cast his vote for Cusick.

Until that happened, Peg Ferraro briefly took over the reins of County Council as Acting President. After all, she had just been unanimously elected VP. Ironically, after a straight party vote, Ferraro told Council that they should forget about the Rs and Ds behind their names, and focus instead on good government.

Ferraro also claimed the new Council, which consists of newcomers Ken Kraft, Scott Parson and Bob Werner, will bring a "new era of civility and respect for the taxpayers who honored us with their vote." That's a not-so-subtle slam at former Council member Ron Angle, who was defeated at the polls in November on that very issue.

Angle was at home, feeding his cows, when Ferraro unleashed her verbal volley. His only concern was, "Are the Ten Commandments still hanging on the wall?"

They are.

Speaking of the Ten Commandments, County Council apparently has a new Chaplain. Michael Dowd, a real minister, was also swept out of office last November. Too lazy to call area clergy members to lead Council in prayer before meetings, Cusick always relied on Dowd.

With Dowd gone, Cusick called on none other than the Fake Rev to seek Divine Guidance. Yep, Cusick has ushered in a new era of civility by calling a phony who has claimed Jesus told him through a TV set that he sent tornadoes to kill innocent children in Alabama because of President Obama's Israeli policy.

Oh yeah, Angle is Satan, too.

I refused to participate in a phony prayer by a false prophet who must have alienated every Jew in the room with his numerous references to the "glorious name" of Jesus.

Once elected Council Prez, Cusick announced his agenda, something that apparently slipped his mind in his first year as President. First, he wants to deal with the swaption and a possible bond refinance. Second, he wants a lease for the treatment center in West Easton, that can be voted up or down. Third, he wants an advisory board for Gracedale, and claims he's been contacted by several people about it already. Fourth, he wants an archives building, claiming it is an "absurdity" to spend money to lease space. Finally, he wants to consolidate human services.

Cusick Will Try to Reduce Tax Hike

NorCo Council Prez John Cusick plans on introducing amendments that will "substantially reduce" the 9.3% tax hike in Executive John Stoffa's proposed 2012 budget. A spreadsheet listing these cuts will be available today.

At the time of his original proposal, Stoffa estimated the County would need $7.2 million to fund Gracedale next year. Since that time, the private management firm hired to manage the nursing facility has told Council it can trim $1.6 million from that figure.

Stoffa's budget also continues his commitment to open space, setting aside $3.6 million for farmland preservation ($2 million), environmentally sensitive land ($1 million) and County-owned parks ($750,000).

Another big ticket item is $1.8 million for a West Easton DUI facility and treatment center, to be leased from developer Abe Atiyeh. Most of that sum includes start-up costs. As explained by Stoffa, the goal is to reduce recidivism, and the County's bottom line in paying for the back end of crime. "The idea behind West Easton would be more treatment, more drug and alcohol involvement because 80% of the people in the County jail have that problem. The West Easton thing is a philosophical change in how we treat people, and it's an alternative to building very, very expensive jail cells."

Where will Cusick propose cuts? I'll find out today.

NorCo GOP Takes Cusick to the Woodshed

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. I've been waiting to tell you this story for over two months, when Norco's GOP decided to invite Council Prez John Cusick, Council VP Peg Ferraro, and Council member Tom Dietrich to explain why they consorted with Lamont McClure and Ann McHale to depose Ron Angle as Council President. Last night, 37 Republican Committee members finally got together.

At 9 PM, I called Angle to find out what had happened. He laughed and challenged me to find out for myself. So I called around and finally got someone willing to talk to me.

Invitations went out to John Cusick, Peg Ferraro and Tom Dietrich. But only Cusick had the guts to appear, although he sat in the back of the room and ran out the back door as soon as it was over. Ferraro was apparently at a sale for day old doughnuts, while Dietrich was studying for his Mahjong certification.

From what I understand, Cusick was asked to explain what the hell had happened. Cusick admitted conspiring to oust Angle, and blamed it on things like Angle's personality, his changing positions on GEO and even Gracedale. This drove some Committee members nuts. Some asked him to step down. Others pledged they will never support him again.

Cusick was asked to apologize, but refused. Cusick was then instructed that he had to meet with members of Council, one-on-one, and make an effort to restore good relations.

I spoke to only one committee member and did not have a pen and paper on hand to take notes, but believe this account is basically accurate.

I consider Cusick the least culpable of the trio who conspired to stab Angle in the back. But his word is not his bond. The one who tried the hardest to get rid of Angle was Dietrich, and he's already complaining nobody pays enough attention to him.

The person I find most culpable is Peg Ferraro. She threw Angle to the wolves so that she could be VP and sit on some boards and rub elbows with the rich and powerful. Besides, her masters in the Lehigh Valley Partnership don't much like Angle.

Cusick at the Helm

At a political gathering last night, I spoke to a person who recently began attending Northampton County Council meetings. I won't mention his name because I neglected to ask him if I could use it. I had heard him state that he's unhappy with what he sees, and wanted to find out what bothers him.

What this newcomer tells me is that, of all Council members, the one person who makes the most sense and is most prepared is none other than the Northampton County Bulldog, Ron Angle. He also criticized Council President John Cusick, who refused to entertain any discussion about how best to inform the public concerning the Gracedale initiative. Last Thursday night, Cusick talked over Angle when he attempted to arrive at a consensus. Eventually, Angle just let it go.

Now Angle has consistently maintained that Cusick is a lousy Council President because he's never there to attend meetings at the pension board, LVEDC and to perform the daytime duties expected of a Council president. Because Cusick has made arrangements for his VP to be at these functions, I think these criticisms are unfair. I also think it's a bit early to decide whether Cusick is a good or bad Council President. But there are some very bad signs.

* Cusick has abandoned the practice of inviting clerics from different areas of the County to offer the opening prayer. Angle started that last year, and it was amazing to see the diversity. My favorite was Orthodox rabbi Isaac Yagod, who actually blessed each Council member and asked them to find a way to be just.

* Cusick has re-instituted the five-minute limit on speakers during courtesy of the floor, and is clearly repulsed by the notion that he must endure comments from the unwashed masses. Angle regularly engaged these speakers. That may have led to longer meetings, but those people were heard.

* Cusick allowed the Northampton County District Attorney, John Morganelli, to cool his heels for hours at a recent meeting while going through mind-numbing appointments and ordinances. Thanks to an unusually large number of homicides, Morganelli is quite busy these days, and had a matter that would only take thirty seconds of Council's time. I actually passed a note to Cusick, asking him to recognize Morganelli out of order, but he refused. He later told me he was concerned it might irritate other people. What other people?

* Last Thursday night, when the widow of one of Northampton County's most respected jurists, attended to introduce the Easton Area Community Center, Cusick totally failed to recognize her. It was Ron Angle who had to make a point of recognizing and thanking Leonarda Grifo for the many things she still does to make Northampton County a better place.

* Instead of acting like a leader, Cusick has continued to be the same person he was as a regular Council member - evasive and unwilling to take stands. He became President as a result of back-room skullduggery, and has done nothing to enhance his image among his colleagues. Not exactly the kind of person I'd want next to me in a foxhole.

Barron Makes Acusations, But Can't Answer Them

You may think that being a bottom-feeding blogger is easy. Sure, women throw themselves at me all the time. People hound me for autographs, too. But there's a dark side. When I take controversial positions, I really piss people off, sometimes without even trying.

It's a gift.

Over the past five years, I've been called just about everything, from pedophile to cross-dresser to drunken disbarred attorney. I've been impersonated. I've been accused of posting comments under assumed names or anonymously. I've received anonymous letters that depict me in homosexual poses. There's been the occasional death threat, and recently, one of my readers began emailing me pictures of Hermann Göring's corpse.

Wishful thinking, I suppose.

All of this goes with the territory. Besides, some of these attacks are true. I really am a drunken disbarred lawyer. I really did get caught, stark naked, in the men's room by Court Administrator Jim Onembo after going in there to change out of sweaty bike clothing on a hot day. I really did prance through the courthouse in a dress on a dare from a gay friend, who looked really good in drag. I even asked him out, but he shot me down.

But even I was unprepared for last week's assault. In a news conference with Channel 69, Gracedale lawyer Larry Otter claimed I might be going to jail. In emails, he told me I was "collateral damage" and should drop my signature challenge to the Gracedale referendum. Apparently, my contacts with a County lawyer were just like Bonusgate.

In the initial rush to judgment, even Council President John Cusick piled on, telling a Morning Call reporter that "perhaps" Ron Angle and I had misrepresented ourselves as "private citizens."

According to Controller Steve Barron, "It's clear the [Stoffa] administration was working with the people who brought the private petition challenge." Apparently, it was a crime for me to have talked and shared cases with the attorneys who represent the County. Barron's beef is that taxpayers were funding my litigation, which was news to me. He put two and two together and came up with five. He announced his faux audit to a 3' tall reporter who "cornered" him, but never bothered disclosing it to the Stoffa administration.

On Wednesday, Barron was walking the halls, telling employees who would listen to him that "John [Stoffa] is in big trouble." A Channel 69 reporter was claiming that the County had just given me all 507 Gracedale petition copies without payment because the elections office had no record of a receipt. Never mind that I never asked for copies, and just subpoenaed those records.

That was enough for me. On Wednesday afternoon, at a Council Finance meeting attended by Barron, I blasted both him and John Cusick for their irresponsible accusations. "I am really sick and tired of the politics and pandering to unions going on by people who consider their own reelection more important than the best interests of the County." I asked Council President Cusick to hold Barron accountable for his pandering to unions, just as Cusick held Barron responsible last year when our "nonpolitical" controller was caught pandering to unions at T-Mobile.

When it was Barron's turn to talk, he had no audit reports concerning Gracedale, and Cusick had to ask him about what bothered him. Apparently, the mere fact that Eckert spoke to me and Angle, and that they were preparing for their own lawsuit, raised "red flags." But when Ron Angle confronted Barron about his irresponsible statements, all the Controller could do was run from the podium. When asked specifically about telephone calls, all Barron could do was throw his hands in the air.

I videotaped this confrontation, and you can judge it for yourself. In my assessment, it was the Bulldog at his best.

Ironically, neither The Morning Call nor Channel 69 was there.

Open Letter to Norco Council Prez John Cusick

"It just seems to me like perhaps Ron and Bernie misrepresented that they were acting as private citizens," he said, "when it appears they received legal assistance from Eckert Seamans."

That's your statement in today's Morning Call. Let's assume, for a moment, that Ron and I completely misrepresented ourselves and I filed a complaint drafted by Eckert Seamans and did everything they told me to do. So what? Eckert Seamans would have been acting within their County Council mandate "to facilitate and expedite all issues that will result in the alternate ownership (sale/lease) of Gracedale." They would be doing exactly what you hired them to do.

So the question is not whether Ron or I misrepresented ourselves, but whether a complaint about this falls within the scope of duties of a Controller. His job is to audit County agencies to ensure that funds are received or expended in compliance with laws and regulations. In what respect did this firm's work fall outside the scope of the mandate you gave them? They could have carried me into the courthouse and whispered every word I said into my ear and they would still be doing what you hired them to do.

But that's not what happened.

The notion that Ron and I were acting as spear carriers for Eckert Seamans is completely false. I have no idea why you would participate in public and uninformed speculation to that effect.

Before deciding to challenge this initiative, I spent two weeks in the elections office reviewing the petitions. I also spent several days drafting a complaint. When the Court scheduled a Friday hearing with just four day's notice, Ron and I spent two days in an ice storm, delivering subpoenas. I spent the time necessary to draft a hearing memo. Ron and I both put on the case. I spent a weekend preparing a letter brief to Judge Baratta following our hearing.

When I defended Otter's claim for att'y fees, I was put on the stand and explained all of this under oath. You were not there. Neither was Jenna Portnoy or Steve Barron, who is making these allegations for purely political purposes, as I'm sure you know. Morning Call reporter Riley Yates was there, but there was no story. Judge Baratta, in his opinion, described my testimony as "unremarkable." According to his opinion, there was nothing that even hinted that I or Ron acted improperly in any way. Why is this not a part of the story? Why would you reach a conclusion without having any of the facts?

Did I have contact with Eckert Seamans about this litigation? Absolutely. They are lawyers. Good lawyers. They were researching the same issues I was researching. They knew that my action was designed to effectuate Gracedale's sale and it was hence within their mandate. So it would make perfect sense for both of us to talk. I would be nuts not to talk to them and they would be nuts to ignore me.

I also talked to numerous other lawyers, some of whom were just interested in the issues. Does this make them co-conspirators, too?

ALL decisions in this matter, from pleadings to strategy, were mine. My action is based on what I think is right. I have just finished researching, drafting and filing a brief in Commonwealth Court, which took a week of my time. I really resent your uninformed and very public suggestion that I misrepresented what I was doing in any way because I did not.

You, better than most people, should know this. As I have continued in this matter and have sent copies of what I am doing to county officials and Eckert, I have started to include you. My contact with Eckert is only just a little more involved than my own contacts with you.

Before you suggest publicly that someone is misrepresenting himself, I would think a County Council President would at least make some effort to learn the truth. And as someone who has known me for the past six years, I never expected that you, of all people, would participate in a political attack aimed at my integrity.

Bernie O'Hare

Does Mother Know Best About Bi-County Health?

Marge Peterson has a great story about Lehigh County Comm'r candidate Norma Cusick, a Republican, at Salisbury Patch. It takes real guts for a Republican to claim she supports a bi-county health department, especially right before a primary. Although I would never vote for or against a candidate based on a single issue, and actually oppose bi-county health as formulated, Norma's honesty would get my vote.

Interestingly, her son John, the President of Northampton County Council, has steadfastly voted against all bi-county health proposals so far.

Will she send John to his room?

Cusick is Gonna' Need a Bigger Gavel

Tom Tosti is the AFSCME union boss for 13,000 people, from Philly to Northampton County. At last week's County Council meeting, he stepped to the podium, and made a pitch for saving "Gracedale Hospital."

Express Times Editor Joe Owens, who was present for the Tosti tale, was unimpressed. "Those who favor county ownership will have you believe the new owners will roll Aunt Sophie out onto Route 248 the day they take over," he snarks.

Despite Council President John Cusick's best attempts to prevent discussion of the most important issue to face the County in a generation, Ron Angle still confronted Tosti over his union's refusal to negotiate $6 million in givebacks, as well as an unwillingness to allow members to vote on these concessions.

"That wasn't something that we normally would vote on," answered Tosti.

"If you want us to keep it, what are you willing to kick in," asked Angle, who added that benefits for the staff at Gracedale are 68% of their salaries.

Tosti would only say he was willing to sit down.

"I want to know why you did not allow your union members to vote on that proposal," insisted Angle.

Tosti tried to answer that union members wanted no vote, although some in the audience seemed to disagree.

Angle: "I challenge you today. You get me the 6% [he meant $6 million] for two years, and I'll change my vote. Now you go get me the 6% [i.e. $6 million]."

Tosti: "Will you sit back at the table with us?"

(Cusick begins banging his new gavel).

Angle: "I called your boy Justus James three times and he won't return my call."

Between bangs of Cusick's gavel, Tosti explained that sub-union boss Justus James is on leave.

Last time Angle sat at a table with AFSCME, they brought in a giant inflatable rat and walked out.

Cusick is gonna' need a bigger gavel.

John Cusick, Gavel Man

Since having himself anointed Northampton County Council Bossman in a back-room deal that overturned another back-room deal anointing Ron Angle, John Cusick decided he needs just one thing to be the Perfect President.

A gavel.

Now that's something that never's been used in The People's Republic of Northampton County. Cattle prods? Yes. Bullwhips? Of course. But except for member Lamont McClure, no one can remember ever having seen a gavel in a Council meeting.

Executive John Stoffa did bring in a piece of wood from one of his 6,938 birdhouse projects, hoping that Cusick could use that, but it's just not the same thing.

It just goes clop. In a test run, people just laughed.

Now Cusick may not know this, but he's going to find out sooner or later, most likely in the form of a contempt citation or arrest warrant. You see, nobody could find a real gavel, and the inside word is that somebody "borrowed" one from Judge Paula Roscioli, who's not exactly known for her sense of humor. But until he's dragged away by a Deputy, Cusick was having lots of fun with his new toy last night.

Bang!

"This meeting will come to order," Cusick officially announced.

Bang!

"I want silence. I'll have you removed," Cusick somberly warned the Gracedale goons during their usual catcalls.

Bang!

Sometimes he just let it rip for the hell of it.

For gavel-banging lessons, Cusick should really drop in on one or two meetings of Bethlehem City Council. President Bob Donchez has it down pretty good. He bangs a gavel at the start and end of public hearings, bangs a gavel when ordinances are voted on, and bangs a gavel when the audience gets frisky. He's got different volumes, too, depending on the importance of the matter being considered.

Unfortunately, Cusick's VP, Peg Ferraro, missed the gavel-banging. In fact she missed committee hearings today and yesterday, too. She's off on another vacation while the County considers Gracedale's sale and a referendum effort. She's the VP who is supposed to fill in for Cusick, whose teaching job interferes with many of the responsibilities of a Council President.

Absent or not, Ferraro was re-appointed to the General Purpose Authority last night. Now she can continue to miss their meetings, too.

At the start of the meting, right after banging the gavel, Cusick asked Council member to lead everyone in a brief prayer. For some reason, Cusick has also failed to continue a nice tradition started by Angle last year, in which clergymen from throughout the County deliver an Invocation, followed by a brief description of their church.

We Play Hardball in Northampton County

We play hardball in Northampton County.

Ron Angle's re-election as Council President was a foregone conclusion. I was so certain that I posted a blog making the call in advance. Why not? Angle was certain he had the five votes he needed, including one from Peg Ferraro.

Sure, we all knew that Tom Dietrich would be voting against Angle. But Dietrich gets lost in courthouse elevators.

What Ron failed to realize is just how badly Peg wanted to be VP. Ron had already told Mike Dowd that he'd support him for VP, and this enraged top vote-getter Ferraro. Although Ron thought she had given him her word, she made a deal behind Ron's back with a cabal willing to give her something in exchange for her vote. The Vice Presidency.

It apparently made no difference to Peg that under Angle, Council has been more productive than ever. Perhaps she hasn't noticed since she only attended 60% of last year's meetings, due to surgery ... and vacations. In fairness, maybe Ron misunderstood her. Or maybe Peg figures it's OK to break her word to a scoundrel like Ron. He doesn't rate too highly with the blue bloods in the Lehigh Valley Partnership, upon whom she regularly relies for campaign support.

Cusick's vote is a little easier to understand. Ron has been unfairly critical of him at times. But just two weeks ago, John Cusick was singing Angle's praises, calling him a "leader" who was moving forward with Gracedale, unlike Peg Ferraro. "If [Councilwoman] Peg Ferraro was there I don't think we'd be where we are right now with Gracedale." Cusick had no difficulty voting for Peg Ferraro as VP, right after she voted to make him President. Unlike Ferraro, Cusick had never promised Angle his vote. But it's a little weird to see him run for president right after he said he was too busy with his teaching responsibilities to stay on as Council's VP.

Cusick is even-handed, serious-minded, intelligent and a hard worker. But unlike Angle, he's hard to pin down on anything. I asked him about Gracedale yesterday, and had to pose the question about fifteen different ways before he agreed that he still supports moving ahead with the sale.

There was also something heartless about his election. Knowing that he had the five votes he needed, why didn't he approach Angle to tell him, and allow Angle to bow out gracefully? Why did he instead allow him to come to Council festooned in an LBJ hat and political buttons, only to shove him aside?

We play hardball in Northampton County.

Should Northampton County Scale Back Gracedale, Parks & Open Space?

Something very strange happened at yesterday's budget hearing. Northampton County Council actually listened to Ron Angle.

He told them they are wasting time trying to save money on paper clips and should instead be looking at some long range plans that will save real money. "We're gonna' spend four nights worrying about paper clips and rubber bands and whatever we're going to worry about, and we need to be worried about the big picture." Noting problems everywhere, Angle claims "[g]overnment is failing. That's the reality of this. Government is in the beginning throes of failure."

Executive John Stoffa agreed with Angle's assessment that, as bad as things look next year, 2011 and 2012 will probably be worse. That got people's attention.

Angle suggested (1) selling Gracedale and using the money over a number of years to reduce the impactt of taxes; (2) getting rid of county parks by giving them to municipalities or outright auction; and (3) using the half mil ($3.6 million) set aside for open space to reduce the tax burden next year.

In past years, these suggestions have always been met with stony silence. But something strange happened.

Gracedale

Council member Michael Dowd started things off. "Mr. Angle's right. I think we need to look at some of these issues. I frankly plan to introduce in the new year a resolution to ask the administration to review Gracedale and the practicality of privatizing Gracedale. ... We need to look at who might be able to do it better than we can."

Council member John Cusick jumped aboard, too. "This list of capital improvements is not going to get any shorter, and it's not going to get any cheaper."

Council Prez McHale and Lamont McClure both expressed reservations. McHale repeated Wayne Grube's often-made assertion that Gracedale is the "jewel of the County" while McClure called Gracedale a "moral obligation."

Addressing Council, Stoffa told them we spent $11 million on Gracedale this year and will be spending another $7 million next year. He advised a study could be completed at a cost of about $20 thousand. "I monitor the waiting list every week and I can tell you there are fewer and fewer people on that list." In response to questions from McClure, Stoffa stated it has never been this low. As of last week, just one woman was on a waiting list.

But it still costs money. "If you took the total budget to number of patients, it's about $102 thousand per patient," Stoffa said.

"My recommendation would be that we look at downsizing the facility in an economical way rather than just ... I mean that's something we could do now."

Stoffa suggested closing a floor to patients and relocating some human services' offices there. That swayed McClure, who seemed to be concerned about being able to reconvert back to a nursing facility should the need arise.

Parks

Believe it or not, Council Prez McHale told Angle to prepare a resolution for consideration next year. She doubts any municipality will agree to take over a county park, but Angle insisted that the next step would be a sale.

Open Space

County Exec Stoffa indicated that he might relent from open space projects for one year if there was some assurance that Council was not killing his "pay as you go" plan. According to Director of Administration John Conklin, eliminating the open space tax project this year would save the county $3.6 million, which would cut the proposed tax increase in half.