Do Felons Deserve Second Chance?

I know a woman who was madly in love with her boyfriend and was out for a ride with him one day when they were pulled over by the New Jersey State Police.He had hidden a gun in the car, and when police asked him about it, he said it belonged to his girlfriend. Like an idiot, she took the fall for him and was charged with felony possession of a firearm without the required license to carry. The guy is long since gone, but her felony conviction has followed her since that day, and as a result, she's never been able to get a decent job.

I know a guy who, due to some deep irresistible impulse in his earlier years, was a chronic shoplifter. He never stole more than $10-20 worth of merchandise. But after so many offenses, this becomes a felony. After so many offenses, you go to jail. And he did. Like his sister, he has never been able to hold a decent job.

Is this fair?

Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez, himself the son of a police detective, wants to give a second chance to people who made a mistake in their past. Starting on March 14, the only applicants who will be asked about criminal records in their initial application will be prospective police officers, firefighters, paramedics and 911 workers.

Fore remaining employees, criminal background checks will only be performed on finalists. Those with records will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on the following factors:

· The nature of the offense and how it relates to the requirements and duties of the position applied for.
· The time elapsed since the offense.
· The age of the applicant at the time of the offense.
· The facts surrounding the offense.

Allentown was the first Lehigh Valley municipality to adopt this policy, which is referred to as "Ban the Box."

Mayor Donchez argues that, "By eliminating the requirement that one disclose a criminal conviction on the initial application, we can now attract the broadest group of applicants for each vacant position.”

Thanks in large part to mandatory minimum sentences, the United States has the largest prison population in the world. In addition, as of 2013, one in every 35 people was under some form of probation or parole. According to Bethlehem NAACP President Esther Lee, her group has been lobbying for some form of "ban the box" since John Callahan was Mayor.

"Finally!" she declared.

Nationwide, over 100 cities and counties and 21 states have one form or another of  "ban the box." Governor Wolf has also recently signed legislation that will enable an ex-offender with a second or third degree misdemeanor conviction to get his record expunged if he has stayed out of trouble for ten years.

DA: Bethlehem Contractor Fraudulently Lists Employees as Subcontractors

Kevin Lott, Carpenters Union

In what he believes to be the first ever criminal prosecution on a county level, District Attorney John Morganelli announced on Monday that he intends to charge Bethlehem construction firm Salukas and White with a scheme to defraud workers of decent wages and the government of taxes by deliberately misclassifying employees as subcontractors. He also plans to charge Mark White, a principal in that firm, with perjury and false swearing before a Northampton County Investigating Grand Jury.

Marganelli is acting on a recommendation of that Grand Jury, which heard testimony from employees and subcontractors who say that the firm paid close to a million dollars to two middlemen who would recruit day laborers and pay them in cash. Between 2001 and 2013, Salukas and White paid Tony's Drywall and Leauber Drywall  $884,254 to recruit and pay workers, in cash, far below the minimum wage standard in the construction industry. The middlemen took a ten per cent cut. According to Morganelli, this practice allows companies like Salukas and White "to compete unfairly against firms who play by the rules." It deprives the government of tax revenue. Even worse, it harms workers.

"This practice is going on right now with the same company,"  said Kevin Lott, business agent for LV Carpenters Union Local 600. "It's so refreshing to see somebody do something about it." Lott accused Salukas of "exploiting people" who will end up on welfare when they turn 65 because they will be unable to collect social security. "It's a shame on every level."

Morganelli also plans to make the Grand Jury's findings known to the IRS, Northampton County members of the state legislature, Governor Tom Wolf and Pa. Executive Deputy Secretary of Labor Robert V. O'Brien. .

Dent Reacts to Dismal June Jobs Report

If this is a recovery, I sure as hell would hate to see what a recession looks like. June's jobs report is in, and the 9.2% unemployment rate is being described with phrases like "no redeeming features whatsoever," "a shocker," and "universally weak."

Although Obama's top political adviser says there's nothing to see here, his GOP rivals have a much different view. Michele Bachman, for example, calls it "bad news for the President politically, but it's even worse news for the American people."

LV Congressman Charlie Dent notes that we're at an 8-month high. In a statement, he names the enemies. "Excessive spending and over regulation have contributed to 29 consecutive months of an unemployment rate above 8 percent and an overwhelming burden of national debt. These anti-business policies must end; I encourage the Administration to keep its focus on job creation and our economy in order to get the American people back to work."

“The first step we must take to create an environment that encourages productive and sustained job growth is fundamentally addressing our nation’s unsustainable spending habits and crushing debt burden. From there, we must provide certainty and predictability to small business so the private sector takes the lead in job creation. Adopting pro-growth policies like domestic energy production, regulatory relief, tax reform, fiscal restraint and leadership rather than hostile, anti-job creator rhetoric will set us on that path.”

A Brief History of "Food Stamps"

From LV History: "[I]n 2009, there was a 40% increase in use of food stamps by the residents of Northampton County and a 23% increase in Lehigh County. In 2010 12% of the population in Lehigh County received food stamps and 9.2% in Northampton County. This is a direct result of more people suffering from unemployment. In Northampton County unemployment rose 63% affecting 9.0% of the residents and in Lehigh County it rose 57% leaving 9.2% out of work in 2010. Second Harvest formed a partnership with Bethlehem food banks such as New Bethany Ministries, Holy Bethlel Pentecostal, Concordia Lutheran, Trinity Episcopal, Moravian Food Bank and many others to feed thousands of our neighbors each day. The Animal Food Bank Services in Hellertown takes care of the pets during hard times for their owners."

Dent: Obama Can't Be Pro-Jobs and Anti-Employer

Unemployment crept back up to 9.1% last week. In fact, you can thank Ronald McDonald for half of the new jobs created. These jobs are going to adults, incidentally. Teen unemployment is 24%.

LV Congressman Charlie Dent lashed out at President Obama:

“Certainly, I am disappointed the May employment figures reveal the economy is still struggling to recover. Sadly, I am not surprised by this news. Employers are naturally reluctant to hire new workers while the President continues to call for tax increases, stands in the way of domestic energy production and turns a blind eye to a growing list of onerous federal regulations.

“It is long past time to unleash the private sector, get serious about tax reform, open markets for American producers and stop bureaucrats from stifling job creation across the country. The anti-business agenda of this Administration must end. The President can no longer be both pro-jobs and anti-employer.”

Is Dent right? According to Politico, there may very well be "than $1 trillion in new compliance costs [tacked] onto a wide range of industries, from health care to the financial markets and energy." But early this year, Obama did sign an executive order asking federal agencies to throw out rules that just cost business. So far, there are preliminary plans for about a billion in savings.

Have We Turned a Corner in the Search For Jobs?

Now that the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.9 percent, can we breathe a sigh of relief?

LV Congressman Charlie Dent is encouraged, and has issued this statement on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) February Employment Report:

“The February Employment Report reveals unemployment has fallen below 9% for the first time since April 2009, providing Americans a long awaited opportunity to feel optimistic about the nation’s economic recovery. Most promising is news that this improvement was driven by the private sector, which added 222,000 jobs in February, including 33,000 vital manufacturing positions. While the report indicates our economy is beginning the long process of recovery, my colleagues in Washington and I cannot become complacent. We must continue to advance rational policies that encourage further economic growth and job creation, modernize our nation’s onerous tax code, reign in excessive federal spending and open markets for American producers.”

What bothers me is that the real estate industry - a canary in the mine of our economy - is still dead. And according to The New York Times, the average length of unemployment is the highest it's ever been.

Merry Xmas: Essroc Laying Off 10% Of Its Workforce

That's the bad news from Nazareth Patch. In October, Congressman Charlie Dent had warned that a Staten Island stimulus project was paving the way for Cementos Lima, a Peruvian cement manufacturer, to take away jobs here in the Lehigh Valley.

Unemployment Extension Refusal: GOP's Turn To Play Scrooge

People like me voted for Obama precisely because he promised a more balanced, moderate and bipartisan approach. He also pledged to be accountable and transparent. Tired by eight years of the Madness of King George, we were dazzled by a candidate who could actually inspire us, kinda' like a rock star. He appealed to our better nature, and we elected him.

I still think it was the right thing. On election night, my half black grandson asked his mom for an Obama campaign sign and proudly planted it in his front yard. Thanks to some help from LV Congressman Charlie Dent, a nine-year old boy and his mother were able to attend Obama's inauguration.

Pelosicrats interpreted 2008's election results differently. They deluded themselves into believing they had a green light to shove their agenda, from health care reform to stimulus to cap-and-trade, right down our throats. For our own good, of course. We'd eventually thank them.

What they instead managed to do is to turn public sentiment against them. Instead of negotiating health care reform on C-Span, as promised, the President did it behind closed doors. For our own good, of course. We'd eventually thank him.

What happened instead is the rise of tea party movement, derided by liberal pundits as the Know Nothings of the 1840s. I've attended some of the monthly meetings of this 1300-member movement in the Lehigh Valley, and heard nobody speak about riots. Not even once.

But they vote.

An early indication of their populist appeal is the 2009 municipal elections. Don Cunningham, arguably the most powerful Democratic politician in the Lehigh Valley, was very nearly defeated by ultraconservative Scott Ott, winning by just 862 votes. In Northampton County, all five Republicans running for County Council were elected, something that had never happened since the inception of Home Rule in 1978.

I'm a Democrat who has little in common with the tea party movement, except for their emphasis on transparency, accountability and sound fiscal policy. Unlike them, I believe "limited government" pledges are essentially unworkable. But I voted for four of the five Republicans running for County Council last year. I did so because I hoped that, despite their conservative views, they would work better with Executive John Stoffa than members of his own party.

For the most part, that has happened. Instead of the usual County gridlock, we've had an unusual Council that has worked well together, even with bombastic Ron Angle at the helm. They've accomplished more in their first year than I've seen from any Council since 2001. Despite being extremely conservative, even on social issues, this Council has been accountable and transparent.

Moving from 2009 to the most recent Congressional elections, an energized tea party helped Republicans seized control of the House, and John "Hell No!" Boehner is Speaker-elect. Unlike Pelosi, Boehner has shown a willingness to reach across the aisles, and just yesterday, met with President Obama.

So far, so good. But what concerns me is that, just like the Pelosicrats, some within the GOP now think they have a mandate to be assholes. Nowhere is that more evident than in their refusal to extend employment benefits. A coalition of the nation's leading economists has argued in support of an extension because the money is spent, helping the nation recover from a dark recession.

But that's contrary to conservative theology. So they'll refuse money to people who need it the most. For their own good. At Christmas. We'll thank them eventually.

With idiotic moves like that, Democrats will be back in control of Congress within the next two years. Our job vacuum is our leading problem, and the GOP has just managed to look just like Scrooge.

By the way, Allentown Afterthought's Jeff Pooley has promised to provide a "Dent Watch," but has already dropped the ball by not telling us how Dent voted on this obviously crucial legislation. Dent did the reasonable thing, and voted to extend unemployment.

That's why he gets re-elected. We might have our own extreme views, but what we want are people willing to listen to each other and be reasonable.

Unemployment Comp a Hidden Cost of Gracedale

Yesterday's meeting of Northampton County Council's Personnel and Finance Committees, their first of the year, got off to an impressive start. For one thing, seven members of Council attended. The only absentees were Peg Ferraro and Lamont McClure. For another, they spent two hours going over a number of items, from appointments to swaptions top the Retirement Board. But what interested everyone the most was a review of the Unemployment Compensation Process, based on an audit originally prepared by Controller Steve Barron.

Northampton County is self-insured, meaning that real estate tax dollars pay unemployment compensation claims. Compensation claims have steadily risen from what used to be $51,000 per quarter to much larger sums. In 2009, the quarter-by-quarter breakdown is as follows: 1st quarter - $91,000; 2d Quarter - $90,000; 3rd Quarter - $106,000; 4th Quarter - $64,000.

Benefits Administrator Bob Lasko told Council members that most of these claims are granted, even when an employee is terminated for patient abuse or a corrections officer loses his job for improper contact with inmates. Council President Ron Angle noted that the state would rather have the County pay unemployment than be put in a position where the state must pay welfare.

Personnel Analyst Chris Moakley told Council members that 2/3 of the people on unemployment are former Gracedale employees. This is one of our nursing home's hidden costs.