Hanover Tp Supervisor Remembers Long Meetings, Low Pay

Steve Salvesen

Hanover Township's Board of Supervisors breezed through a light agenda during their September 24 meeting, which ended after 13 minutes. The record is 11. But they used to be much longer. Steve Salvesen, a thirty-year veteran of the Board, reminisced about meetings that went past midnight.

Much of this was due to new developments like Pointe North or controversial issues like a gigantic oak tree on what is now Crawford Drive. As a result of a "Save the Tree" movement, the township had to design the road so that it wound around the massive trunk. They also built a retaining wall around it to keep it in place. The next year, the tree was stuck by lightning and promptly died.

In addition to lengthy meetings, the pay was low. $5 a meeting. In his first year as Supervisor, Salvesen voted for a pay hike, but his monthly check went even lower. That's because Township Solicitor Jim Broughal ruled that Supervisors could not give themselves a pay raise. These days, the pay is much higher. $2,500 a year, before taxes.

Salvesen states the most controversial issue Supervisors faced during his time on the Board was the decision to go with a single trash hauler. His car was keyed and someone also spray-painted, "You're a Nazi," on the side panel.

Stoffa: Salvesen Will Return Integrity & Honesty to Controller's Office

Northampton County Executive John Stoffa, gave a strongly worded endorsement to Controller candidate Steve Salvesen yesterday. ”I have known Mr Salvesen for over 30 years," said Stoffa, who resided for many years in Hanover Township, where Salvesen has serves as a Supervisor. "His track record of public service is proven. His election will return integrity and honesty to the controller’s office which has badly eroded under Mr. Barron."

In thanking Stoffa, Salvesen pointed to the only thing that Steve Barron has managed to accomplish since his election as Controller. "My opponent has earned two Turkey awards from a local Lehigh Valley Newspaper, one for his veiled threat against T-Mobile, and another for calling the EPA to investigate the County's handling of the asbestos clean up at its complex. Both Turkey awards are warranted and have caused damage to the Counties reputation and finances. We can not afford four more years of this type of childish behavior. Based on my opponent’s dismal record, one that he can not support to the voters of Northampton County, he has chosen a path of personal attacks and character assassination. On November 8th, we can change the way business is conducted from the Controller's office.”

Salvesen has served Hanover Township for 28 years as a township supervisor as well as its chair. His College education is in finance and accounting and he has worked in both public and private accounting and business management. Salvesen is also experienced as a small business owner and controller for several small businesses.

Salvesen, a Republican, is especially proud of an endorsement from Northampton County's highest-ranking Democratic official. “It is good for the people of Northampton County to have bipartisan cooperation in county government.” said Salvesen.

Stoffa has also endorsed the Northampton County Bulldog, Ron Angle.

Following the Money in Norco Controller Race

Incumbent Steve Barron and challenger Steve Salvesen filed their pre-election campaign finance reports on Friday. Barron is way ahead, but has an unusually small pile of money for a county-wide race.

Barron raised $6,838.57 over this reporting period, giving him a total of $17,573.57. His contributors include former Exec Glenn Reibman ($585), former Council member Charles Dertinger ($300), and of course, lots and lots of unions. This includes $250 from the Asbestos Workers, which must have been pleased when Barron asked for an asbestos investigation at the County, which might cost us $1.1 million. And all unions must have been thrilled when Barron threatened some sort of official retaliation when non-union T-Mobile refused to see him without an appointment.  

Barron has spent $3,571, leaving him with $14,0002.07 for one or two mailers.

Salvesen raised just $1,525 over this reporting period, giving him only $2,135. His biggest contributor so far is Broughal & DeVito ($500), who serve as Solicitors to Hanover Township. Salvesen has been a Supervisor there for 28 years.

After spending $1,310.63, Salvesen had just $824.37, not enough for a mailer.

Barron Defends His T-Mobile Extortion

Sometime last year, Northampton County Controller Steve Barron threatened non-union T-Mobile with repercussions when they refused to meet with him and union organizers.

"Please remind him [T-Mobile VP Brueckman] that if he needs anything from Northampton or Lehigh County, we're going to remember this day and we'll make sure that it will be part of the negotiations."

Later that day, in a video message to T-Mobile, Barron added this remark.

"I'd also like you to think about why you didn't meet with one of the local elected officials here in the Lehigh Valley, and how that can benefit your company. And when you do that, I'd like you to give me a call - my numer is [redacted] - and discuss it with you."

This, of course, is extortion.

During their Debate at the Slate, Barron defended his union thuggery, trying to depict himself as a champion of worker rights. But as opponent Steve Salvesen correctly observed, nobody had a problem with standing up for the worker. What bothers him, and should bother all of us, is a Controller who uses the authority of his office to threaten others.

Barron: "First of all, I was on my personal time when I was at T-Mobile, so I just wanna' be clear about that.

"Second of all, thank you for the question, I've always stood up for workers, working families and the middle class. I'm a grandson and son of a steelworker. When I hear that workers are being abused in the workplace, regardless of what office I hold, regardless of what position I have, regardless what the impact might be or the personal harm to myself, I will speak out."


Salvesen: "What troubles me about T-Mobile is not the fact that Mr. Barron was doing a civic duty and that he was doing it on his own time. I think that's laudable. I really do.

"My problem with it is the veiled threat to T-Mobile from our Controller that says, 'If you don't do what I think you should do, we're gonna' remember it the next time a contract comes due. I don't think that's appropriate for any Controller."

Barron Goes Into The Gutter In Debate at Slate

Moderator Tells Barron His Behavior "Inappropriate"

The undercard at last night's Debate as the Slate was the County Controller position being sought by long-time Hanover Township Steve Salvesen and incumbent Steve Barron. Although Barron was way ahead on substance, he ended up losing the debate when he decided, unnecessarily to go dark on Salvesen. It actually reached the point that the moderator had to step in and tell him his behavior was "inappropriate."

What's this all about?

Steve Salvesen, although retired from Ingersoll Rand, decided to own and operate two gas stations. It's tough for a little guy to compete against juggernauts like WaWa and Scheetz, and Salvesen soon found that both businesses were in trouble and sold them. As you might have guessed, there were some judgments.

Without even attempting to get Salvesen's side of the story, Jonathan Geeting took information supplied to hm by Democratic operatives and proceeded to do a hatchet job on Patch. In one of the poorest journalistic efforts I've ever seen, until he did the same thing to Simao, Geeting plastered Salvesen's financial woes on the Internet with absoltely no attempt to determine if the information was even true.

Amazingly, Patch paid him to do it, with unchecked information supplied by Democratic operatives.

Last night, Barron was ahead on substance. He's the incumbent, and knows how that office functions a little better than Salvesen. But when Salvesen mentioned Barron's "veiled threat" to T-Mobile, a nonunion company, Barron must have been irritated.

On top of that, Salvesen was ahead on style. He is urbane, well-spoken, and has a deep baritone voice that commands attention.

Now that may be unimportant to you, but the debate was a little too close for Barron. So he decided to muddy him up with the same information that had been provided to Geeting, and accused Salvesen of being unable to balance his own checkbook. But unlike what happened on Patch, this time Salvesen was allowed to answer the charges, and he did.

"I'm not sure, but I've heard rumblings that Mr. Barron is out to get me. He's done a lot of research and through that research, he's found out some personal information. I'm sure that will be in a flyer at everybody's doorstep before Election Day.

"One of the things is that I declared bankruptcy in 2000. What a blog has said is that it's a neat way to avoid paying what's due. But the blogger [Geeting] didn't say, and probably what Mr. Barron doesn't know, is that I didn't proceed with the bankruptcy. I paid all of my debts.

"When you have a business, and I don't know if Mr. Barron has ever had a private business, it sometimes gets very sticky. I owned two gas stations. Not a good time to own gas stations when all the big guys are moving in - WaWa, Scheetz, etc., etc. It was time for me to get out.

"I owed taxes to the IRS. I owed taxes to the state. They were all paid, in full.

"I owe no money to anyone, other than current taxes that are due at the end of this year.

"I'm not sure what he means by my checkbook. I don't have any bounced checks.

"That's my answer."

Unsatisfied with Salvesen's explanation, Barron proceeded to insist that Salvesen did have a bounced check to Jaspar Transmissions for $1,600. "I called Jaspar and they still say you owe them money," accused Barron.

At this point, the moderator stopped the debate.

"I'm going to interject here, Mr. Barron. ... I'm in private business also, and I know there can be a lot of reasons why bills may not be aid because of performance issues on one side or the other. ... I really don't think that was appropriate here because we don't know."

Although the moderator had just told him he was out of line, Barron offered to show his documentation to everyone after the debate.

"I have the documentation if anyone would like to look at it."

After the debate, Salvesen told me that the Jaspar check was fraudulently written by an emplyee, who then tried to cover it up by promising to make the payments. He never authorized the check, and no judgment was ever entered against him. In fact, it's a 2001 lawsuit that was never pursued. In other words, it's a bullshit charge.

Another distinguished person who Barron attempted to smear is County Executive John Stoffa. According to Barron, the Executive told him at lunch one day to stay mum on the asbestos problem because it might have an impact on the sale of Gracedale.

Unfortunately, Stoffa was not at the debate. But his first concern has always been the safety and welfare of the people who work for the County, so I find this accusation highly improbable.

Northampton County Needs a New Controller

Steve Salvesen is a Hanover Township Supervisor running for Controller in Northampton County. His campaign slogan says it all.

You can have a dumass like Barron von Footinmouth, who marches on non-union companies like T-Mobile and actually threatens them for not playing ball. Or you can choose someone who  successfully persuaded non-union Wegmans to voluntarily install sidewalks for pedestrians, not with threats but as an appeal to a good neighbor.

You can have a politically ambitious Controller who always has his sites on the next political office and tried to run for Executive almost immediately after being elected as Controller. Or you can have a Controller who has actually served on Hanover Township's board for twenty-eight years.

You can have a Controller with no accounting education and who flunked the bar. Or you can have one with an M.B.A. and a lifetime of business experience, from a small business owner to a stint as COO at Polybac Corporation.

You can have somebody who engages in extortion like this:

"Please remind [T-Mobile VP Brueckman] that if he needs anything from Northampton or Lehigh County, we're going to remember this day and we'll make sure that it will be part of the negotiations." - Barron von Footinmouth

"I'd also like you [T-Mobile VP Brueckman] to think about why you didn't meet with one of the local elected officials here in the Lehigh Valley, and how that can benefit your company. And when you do that, I'd like you to give me a call - my numer is [redacted] - and discuss it with you." - Barron von Footinmouth

(The Barron von Footinmouth videos are here, here, and here.)


Or you can have an independent, nonpartisan Controller:

"A County Controller must not bring partisanship to the position. The job is to be a watchdog for the citizens of the county, not to act with a personal agenda. My promise to you is that I will be that watchdog." - Steve Salvesen

Your choice.

Steve Salvesen To Challenge Barron in Norco Controller Race

Regular readers of this blog know that I at one time admired Northampton County Controller Steve Barron. But when he began popping up at every political event in a 50-mile radius, while leaving the grunt work to his staff, a number of County officials became concerned that he was needlessly politicizing what should be an independent office. I spoke to Steve, and he promised to tone it down. Right after that, he blasted Ron Angle at a Council meeting over Gracedale, with an alphabet soup of unions behind him. "I'd rather stand with the people behind me than the person in front of me," he pandered.

That summer, Barron also tried to inject himself in a union attempt to get inside the door at T-Mobile's LV Call Center, which employs 1,400 workers. He and Allentown City Council Prez Michael D'Amore, another pro-union official, were filmed marching with union brothers and sisters onto the Roble Road property, demanding to see some VP without an appointment. When a befuddled security guard turned them away, Barron gave him this message: "Please remind him [T-Mobile VP Brueckman] that if he needs anything from Northampton or Lehigh County, we're going to remember this day and we'll make sure that it will be part of the negotiations." (You can see it all on YouTube).

This threat of official government retaliation was quickly denounced. Executive John Stoffa fired off a letter apologizing to T-Mobile, stating that Barron "does not represent the Executive Branch of Northampton County government. ... Please accept my apologies for any undue concern or misrepresentation that this visit may have caused." For its part, Northampton County Council adopted a resolution that "condemns and repudiates" Barron's behavior.

To this day, Barron has refused to apologize for what really amounts to extortion. Instead, he's actually expecting you to re-elect him.

Thankfully, you have a choice. Long-time Hanover Township Supervisor Steve Salvesen is running to restore the Controller's office as an independent financial watch dog, not an extension of any political party or union. Below is his curriculum vitae

√ Married, wife Helen. One (1) son, Andrew.

√ Resides in Hanover Township.

√ B.S. in Marketing, Minor in Engineering, Pace University, NYC.

√ M.B.A.&P. Masters in Business Administration & Policy from, C.C.N.Y., Baruch College (City College Of New York).

√ Completed all credits necessary for PhD, except oral dissertation, in Economics.

√ Retired from Ingersoll-Rand.

√ Served four (4) years as Trustee in Bloomingdale, Illinois. Trustee is similar to supervisor.

√ Completing twenty eighth (28) year of service on the Board of Hanover Township. Served seventeen (17) years as Chairman.

√ Served as Executive Director of the Bethlehem Authority.

√ Served as Township Manager in Upper Nazareth Township.

√ Director of the Moravian Historical Society, Finance Committee.

√ Trustee, Advent Moravian Church, Budget Committee.

√ Director, Silver Creek Country Club, Secretary & Chairman of Long Range Planning & Finance.

√ Member of LVIP Board of Directors.

√ Served on the Hanover Township Planning Commission.

√ Served as Slatington's Borough Manager.

Contributions can be made to: Friends to Elect Stephen Salvesen, P.O. Box 20904, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0904.