Phil Mitman Resigns From LVEDC

LVEDC's top dog, Phil Mitman, has stepped down. Mitman came under fire last June for an official tweet announcing, "We start summer hours today. That means most of the staff leave at noon, many to hit the links. Do you observe summer hours? What do you do?" He fired the tweeter, which just got the twitterati all worked up.

He might be headed to Easton Area Industrial Land Development, whose board voted on Phil replacing retiring Executive Director Charles Roseberry last month.

Updated 1:45 PM: The Express Times and Morning Call now have stories confrming this report.

At Least LVEDC's Phil Mitman Can Laugh

On a Friday in early June, I took a shot at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). Despite its grandiose name and the bluebloods on its board of directors, it's actually a nonprofit funded mostly by hotel tax revenue from Lehigh and Northampton County. But some of that aristocratic atmosphere made its way to one of its PR people. She tweeted, on their official tweeterer, "We start summer hours today. That means most of the staff leave at noon, many to hit the links. Do you observe summer hours? What do you do?"

I'll tell you what I did. I slammed LVEDC. It's incredibly tone deaf to brag about hitting the links when many LV residents are on reduced wages or laid off.

LVEDC "Business Relations Manager" Steve Althouse predictably took it upon himself, in a mass email, to accuse me (without naming me) of "sensationalism" for accurately reporting what was said. And he got another blogger to dump all over me, which must have been pretty easy.

In most cases, the story would end there. But not this time, Both newspapers sunk their teeth into this story, and ripples were felt all the way to frickin' India.

So LVEDC CEO Phil MItman decided to fix everything by firing the tweeter. That backfired, too. That got the twitterati all lathered up.

Yesterday, I saw Mitman before Northampton County Council's Finance Committee hearing. I was thinking it might be an unpleasant experience, but we both started to laugh when we saw each other. He even introduced me to one of his muckety mucks, who was receiving all kinds of accolades for having lost 45 lbs.

Probably golfing.

"I'm not saying a word to you. It's safer that way," grumbled Phil, who actually started to laugh himself.

"Shouldn't you be golfing?" I asked.

"It's only Wednesday," he answered.

I have to admit that, arisocratic blueblood or not, Phil has a pretty good sense of humor.

Who Will Replace Mitman at LVEDC?

A Sunday Express Times editorial claims it's time for LVEDC CEO Phil Mitman to say good-bye, not so much for the tweet heard 'round the world (and first reported on this blog), but his lousy attempts at damage control.

"In a clumsy damage-control effort, Mitman was at a loss to say whether Williams was fired for misrepresenting the organization’s 'TGIF' policy — or for leaking the truth. Either way, it created an 'oops' moment for a private tax-supported group with a record of shielding its business from the public."

As it happens, Mitman's contract is set to expire next year. Around that time, two people will be looking for a job. One of them is Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan. The other is Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham.

Phil Mitman Tries to Make a Difference With a New LVEDC

As Easton's mayor, Phil Mitman never had a chance. Easton was deluged by three major floods in a twenty month span, and few will ever forget the tragic, accidental, Good Friday shooting death of a police officer by one of his own. It's no surprise Phil decided against seeking re-election.

But when it comes to personality, there are few people finer than Phil. Before last night's meeting of Northampton County Council, for example, he made it a point to come back into the cheap seats and talk to me. He and I previously did some work on Easton's Bachmann Publick House, which has the dual distinction of being Easton's first bar and courthouse. I'll never forget the look of excitement on his face when we found some old court records.

Since leaving the mayor's office, Phil has been the President and CEO of The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. Historically, this nonprofit has been shrouded in secrecy. It has refused to release records to public officials even though public money makes up a sizable part of its budget. At one point, public officials were even subjected to a broadly drafted gag resolution concerning a $70,000 severance package for a CEO who had abruptly "resigned." Express Times publisher Martin Till reacted to this muzzle by leaving LVEDC himself. "To exclude board members from any discussion involving LVEDC is absurd." In the meantime, Council member Ron Angle was begging to be sent there for just six months. "That's a mongoose you'll set loose in the snake pit. Give me six months in the snake pit."

Phil Mitman wants to change all that, and faced a dubious council last night to proclaim a new "climate of collaboration." He assured them that, aside from personnel files, they are pretty much free to inspect records. And he explained LVEDC's role. "We are the Lehigh Valley's only agency paid to market the Lehigh Valley locally, nationally and internationally. We are a one stop resource, a nonprofit that encourages prosperity and job creation."

He reviewed their annual budget, and noted that much of the nonprofit's financial information is now publicly posted on its web page. He even invited Ron to come down and look at their records himself.

He then noted the following accomplishments:

- Over the past two years, LVEDC has helped forty-four companies obtain more than $52 million in financing. This has led to $102 million in total project costs, 1,300 new jobs and 456 retained jobs.

- Northampton County business attracted more than two dozen loans, $29.6 million in financing, $62 million in total project costs, 851 new jobs and 375 retained jobs.

- Over the past five years, the Lehigh Valley has increased jobs at three times the percentage rate in Pennsylvania.

- The Lehigh Valley accounts for 17% of all new jobs created in Pennsylvania over the past five years.

- The Lehigh Valley has added more jobs than any other metropolitan region in the state - 22,000 new jobs over five years.

When all was said and done, some members of council were still suspicious. Wayne Grube told Mitman, "I'm from Missouri and I want to see some projects here." Ron Angle conceded, "You've made some changes. But the puppeteers are still the same people."

Time will tell whether LVEDC is really moving in the right direction. But Phil Mitman is clearly trying to make a difference. Before he left, he made sure to give me a package of materials listing 11 recent success stories in Northampton County alone.

Easton Mayor: Phil Mitman's Out and BillyBytes is In!

You may have heard that Easton Mayor Phil Mitman has thankfully decided against another mayoral term. No surprise there.

But here's the shocker. The Lehigh Valley's original blogger, Billy Givens, today announced his mayoral aspirations. And he did so in a series of comments posted on my blog!

Billy, a Bill White Hall of Famer, has spent years taking "chunks out of those who hold themselves up as models of probity." His caustic essays have singed pols over the years, but he's better known for taking bolt cutters to free city streets and things like that. He was seriously ill last year, and I'm so happy he's back in the fray. Here's his announcement.

I consider it appropriate, and a privilege, to announce on your blog, and under the posting, "Lehigh Valley Rail Summit: Grassroots or Astroturf," my candidacy as the Republican Party nominee in this year's mayoral contest to succeed Easton Mayor Philip A. Mitman.

Indeed, I credit the publication of my comment on your rail transit blog, criticizing his arrogation of powers exercised legitimately only by Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth's Governor and legislature as one of the major issues leading to Mayor Mitman's not to seek re-election.

That and issues such as his catering to Easton's elitist young professionals, or yuppies and developers of luxury condominiums that are glutting Easton's real-estate market, at the expense of the city's older tax- and fee-strapped citizens who increasingly are being forced from their homes.

Easton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Philip A. Mitman has repeated his wise decision of 1983 when he decided not to seek re-election to his one term as the city's chief executive.

As his second term draws to a close, the finances of Easton, a "fiscally distressed city," are as bleak now, and are still into an indeterminate future, as when he first left office after one term as mayor.

As proof that I am not rabidly partisan, I credit myself with the wise decision by Easton City Council Chairwoman Sandy "Ms. Cabbage Patch Doll" Vulcano not to seek the Democratic Party nomination to succeed Phil Mitman as mayor.

Sandy is also co-chair of the Easton Democratic Party Committee, whose chairman is James Edinger.

Edinger is also chair of the Easton Zoning Hearing Board that "grants" waivers and special exceptions from the city's zoning ordinances as a political favor to developers like Abraham Atiyeh, Lou Pektor, Theordore Kheel, Peter Koehler, Richard Thulin, Lafayette College, and the college's alumni like Jonathan Davis, the developer and real estate partner of Greg Schuyler.

Easton Mayor Phil Mitman: Tax Increase "Bound to Happen"

Last week I told you about WEST 1400 AM's "Voice of the People." I caught the last half this evening only to learn I had just missed Guv. Ed Rendell. He was fielding curveballs from editors Joe Owens and Jim Deegan. I'll look forward to listening at the Express Times website.

Easton Mayor Phil Mitman was guest for the second half, and told listeners another tax hike is "bound to happen." Looks like Easton residents will see both a city and county tax hike next year. With all those homes being swept away by floods, Easton probably has no choice.