183rd Update: Judge Sets Aside Grammes Nomination Petition

Judge Hannah Leavitt has sustained a challenge to the nomination petition filed by state house candidate Marc Grammes. He neglected to file a Statement of Financial Interests with the Ethics Commission when he filed his papers, which courts consider a "fatal defect."

Cindy Miller, who is seeking the Republican nomination as an heir apparent to Julie Harhart, has also challenged Zachary Mako, another Republican. That matter is still pending.

There's also a challenge to Democrat Terri Powell challenge, but it does not appear that Miller is involved in that dispute.

Grammes: Republicans Out of Touch

Marc Grammes is a former Republican Lehigh County Commissioner who has a bone to pick with his own party. He's agreed to share it with all of you.

Dear Folks,

Today I went to my mailbox, and there were several pieces of mail which really disturbed me:

1) An invitation to join Representative J. Harhart, D. Reichley, G. Day, Craig Dally and Sen. Pat Browne for an evening of "Cigars, cognac, and fine wine" at the Melt Restaurant at $200 a pop.

2) An invitation to the Grube household (which looks like a castle) for a Pat Browne for minimum $100 a pop, but up to $1000.

These people are out of touch. In this economy, no one should be puffing on cigars and drinking cognac to raise money for a taxpayer funded job. They are supposed to be public servants, not cigar smoking, cognac drinking politicos. So much for a citizen legislature. No wonder we have problems. And let's not forget...80 days late on the budget. While some of the most vulnerable went without services. The invites are posted prominently at a local business for the public to see.

And so it goes....

Tony Phillips & Marc Grammes: Let Lou Speak!

On Monday, I called Allentown Solicitor Frances Fruwirth. I wanted to ask her how she could reconcile Allentown's incumbent protection gag rule with it's Home Rule Charter as well as Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act. I left a message and tried my best to sound very nice.

Allentown City Council member Michael Donovan, who ostentatiously refers to himself as a "City Councilor," apparently has a law degree, too. He publicly defends the city's gag rule, under which candidates are muzzled at council meetings, as a matter of efficiency. He makes all kinds of ridiculous arguments. Here's one of them. "I don't see PA legislators or Congress having citizens, let alone candidates, speaking before their sessions. Do they? I may be wrong, but I don't think so."

Hey Councilor, that's because the Sunshine Act and Home Rule Charter have no application to those legislative bodies. Geez!

Instead of promoting "inclusion," Donovan has argued for the outright exclusion of candidates who might waste 21 minutes of his precious time during public meetings. Is he that afraid of what they might say?

Another member of Allentown City Council, Tony Phillips, believes we should allow ALL candidates to speak. After last week's city council meeting, Tony approached Ms. Fruwirth. Phillips' argument, which is actually quite clever, is that Lou's speech would actually be consistent with the gag rule. You see, under the gag rule, a candidate is only barred from discussing "new issues." Phillips argues that Hershman would be discussing matters that previously had been on the table. According to Phillips, Solicitor Fruwirth then admitted she had screwed up.

Now she might deny this or claim that Tony misunderstood her and that he needs elocution lessons, but she never returned my call. Looks like she's applying that gag rule to herself.

Marc Grammes, a class act former Lehigh County Commissioner who is on the sidelines for now, makes a very eloquent argument in favor of public dialogue.

"It has been my experience that if a candidate has the willingness to appear before a group of elected officials and express his or her opinion, it shows that they have an interest in the the office they seek. It is, after all, a public meeting. As a candidate, I was given the courtesy to speak before the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners. I also spoke before several local municipal bodies while a candidate, if only to introduce myself. While a member of the Board of Commissioners, candidates came before us and they were given the courtesy of the floor just the same as any other citizen. It shows interest in the office. And it shows interest in the people who come before the Board. Elected officials are public servants. Part of public service is listening to the views of your constituents, whether or not you agree with them. Excluding individuals from participation in their government weakens the democratic process."

Marc, I think we might have to start calling you Councilor.

Republican Comm'rs Vulnerable in Lehigh County

Lehigh County's nine-member Board of Commissioners is its legislative branch, empowered by Lehigh County's Home Rule Charter to enact the county equivalent of laws. They also hold the purse strings. With a five to four Republican edge, a swing of just one seat could change the balance of power. Four legislators are elected "at large," i.e. countywide. The rest, elected from a specific geographic area, are called "District Commissioners." This year, voters in each district will decide whether to keep or dump its five district representatives.

Sterling H. Raber (R, District 1). - This is the only real open seat. Lehigh County's quiet man, Raber is one of the most well-respected government officials in the Lehigh Valley. But after twenty-seven years, this New Tripoli pig farmer is packing it in. Another dignified former commissioner, Marc Grammes, is reportedly interested. I am unaware of any Democratic interest in this seat, which would be an uphill battle.

Percy H. Dougherty (R, District 2). - Dr. Dougherty has ably chaired Lehigh County's Board at least six times and is a very large part of the reason why the Commissioners work so well together. His bipartisan approach to government and quirky sense of humor are a refreshing change of pace. I'm used to having Northampton County Council members like Dertinger scream at me during or after meetings, so it's very unusual for me to attend a meeting in which elected officials actually try to get along and in which the chair is very interested in public input.

Incredibly, Dr. Dougherty may be facing a primary challenge from a Republican who thinks Daugherty is just too damn accommodating. Youthful East Penn School Director Mark Prinzinger, incensed that Commissioners actually adopted a budget, has hopefully come to his senses.

David S. Jones Sr. (D, appt.; District 3). - When Kurt Derr suddenly resigned last year, Rev. Jones was appointed in March to replace him. He is the Lehigh Valley's first county-level legislator. Lehigh County's Republican-dominated commissioners selected a strong Democrat who will be hard to beat, and that was their intention. Republican Robert E. Smith, Jr., President of Allentown's school board, is supposedly interested in playing the role of Don Quixote.

Daniel K. McCarthy (D, District 4). - Solicitor to Allentown Parking Authority and regular Pawlowski contributor, McCarthy is finishing his second term in a heavily Democratic district. Mike Welsch is reportedly interested in going after this "pay to play" pol. Last Fall, Welsch embarrassed state rep. Jenn Mann in a televised debate over Allentown's crime problem. He also bluntly but accurately told The Morning Call there was no point in meeting its editorial board for an endorsement. Voters did not hear his message. I doubt they'll hear it now.

Glenn Eckhart (R, District 5). - When Lehigh County Commissioners threw up a temporary roadblock to Don Cunningham's community policing proposal, the normally affable exec was steamed, not over the defeat, but because he felt that Eckhart had gone back on his word. Then Eckhart petulantly mixed it up with Allentown City Council Prez Mike D'Amore, resulting in an Eckhart pledge to boycott all Allentown businesses.

Eckhart, whose district now has a 9% Democratic edge, is in trouble. His seat is vulnerable, and with it the balance of power in Lehigh County.

Lehigh County Comm'r Grammes is Kryptonite to SuperClerk Proposal

On Tuesday, I told you about Lehigh County's proposal to combine three elected row officers into a Superclerk. Proponents claim it will save money and modernize county government. In reality, it will cost money and create inefficiencies.

This Superclerk brainfart is not the result of some feasibility study or report from efficiency experts. It's just politics. Andy Roman, like Cassius, has that lean and hungry look.

Marc Grammes is a Lehigh County Commissioner who has consistently opposed this consolidation. He has given me permission to share his riveting inside story about Lehigh County government. It's Kryptonite to Superclerk!

I write to you tonight concerning the ballot question in Lehigh County pertaining to the consolidation of the row offices of Recorder of Deeds, Clerk of Courts, and Register of Wills. As a commissioner, I have followed this "initiative" by Commissioner Roman through its inception in 2005.

First it was to have all row offices, except the sheriff since Sheriff Rossi is immensely popular, appointed rather than elected, thus taking away the citizens right to choose. Then, the commissioners were faced with three separate bills, one for the sheriff, one for the coroner, and one for the recorder of deeds, register of wills, and clerk of courts. The commissioners shot two of these bills down and when it was clear that some of us were steadfast in knocking these bills down, the last bill was tabled with first reading.

The argument by Mr. Roman, now a proponent of the creation of an elected Clerk of Judicial Records, was that we can't trust the voters to elect a qualified individual. On more than one occasion, the qualifications of the row officers were put to the test. Then, after consultation with President Judge Platt, the bill came to the commissioners which suggested an amendment to the Home Rule Charter which creates an ELECTED position (so where is the logic trail?) which will preside as Clerk of Judicial Records. Three Commissioners saw flaw in this bill, and voted not to send this to the voters as a ballot question. Some commissioners, I feel, just thought fine, let the voters defeat this measure much as they did back in 1996. And a few are lining up thinking that its worth a try and will save money.

I am all for saving money and government efficiency. I stood steadfast behind Don Cunningham as we voted repeatedly to pair down the costs of the courthouse, and told the judges that the climate of government in Lehigh County was like the game of Duck Duck Goose my wife, a first grade teacher, described to me over dinner one evening. The Parkland Press, unlike the Morning Call, covered that meeting very well! The point is, during the courthouse discussions, we had an several alternatives before us, with facts and figures supported by reputable engineering firms. We had supporting information to which we could see credible savings.. and 17 foot ceilings be damned.. we managed to reach a compromise which will result in significant savings and still not impede the judicial branch of government from performing their duties.

This is not the case here. There is no plan... there is no feasibility study... there is no input or discussion, nothing of substance other than we can eliminate two positions and save their salary and benefits.

Does anybody care about the fact that we have never been sued in Lehigh County in these areas, which is something that could wipe out any potential savings in one small mistake? I have sat through three years of budget hearings as a commissioner. One year of tax reduction, and two years of a sustained tax rate. These departments bring in a significant source of revenue to the county. They operate on a very tight budget. Year after year they receive kudos from the commissioner and the executive on the manner in which they serve their constituents within budget. Never is there a suggestion on consolidating or streamlining, or "going into the 21'st Century" (we are already there by the way, believe me)! When Commissioner Jack McHugh asked these row officers to go back and look at their already lean budgets when the county was faced with a 70% tax increase, they agreed to do so.

I was not a commissioner then, but was interested enough as a citizen to attend the budget hearings. It is something which more citizens should do, and it is an obligation of the Commissioners to make every effort to attend these hearings. It's why we get elected! I do not know the reasons, but I can tell you that several members of the committee which favors the ballot question did not attend a single budget session this year. The opportunity for commissioners to reduce spending and make amendments to the budget is to do so through the budget process. I am sorry for Don Cunningham that he was lured into this. He is better than that.

This is simply about the primary election next May. And getting free press. At what expense? At the expense of Lehigh County. That is the travesty. We are not Erie County. We are not Northampton County. I think we are better, and if the voters are smart enough to see through the smokescreen, we will continue with the way we are now, and continue as always to look for ways to make our already efficient system even more efficient...without killing it.

Kindest regards,
Marc Grammes
Lehigh County Commissioner at Large

I feel like Lois Lane. Thanks, Marc, for sharing your views.