Thode: Voters Disgusted at Government's Misplaced Priorities

Earlier this week, I pointed to the anemic turnout in our Presidential Primary and posited that voters really have pretty much no choice, which is pretty sad on every level of government. I suggest a real need for both open primaries and term limits. Some readers suggest age limits and campaign spending limits as well. Steve Thode, who is only slightly older but a lot smarter than I, sent me an essay that mainly looks at traffic patterns here in the Lehigh. He believes government has misplaced its priorities, and I pretty much agree. Here's his opinion:

Julie and I vote almost every primary and general election - just as we did last week. I think I have missed just two elections in the last 50 years. Both times because I was called out of town unexpectedly just before the election.

However, I am growing increasingly pessimistic.

I have a few suggestions for you. Take a drive across the Valley on US 22. Stay in the right lane and drive at the posted speed limit. See how many vehicles you pass. Not many. And see how many vehicles pass you going 10-20 miles over the posted speed limit. Lots and lots. Some will angrily honk at you for daring to observe the speed limit. Those who pass you cannot all be climate change deniers!

Speed enforcement is largely a joke. PennDOT recently announced it is going to continue to use photo radar in highway construction zones. However, speeders will face no sanctions whatsoever unless they are speeding more than 10 miles over the posted limit. And, those photo radar units are brightly colored and easily seen at a distance. We all pay for speed limit scofflaws through much higher auto insurance premiums as speeding is a primary cause in most accidents. Why should the public take the government seriously when the government doesn't take itself seriously?

While on your drive, note that the last "upgrade" to US 22 was 25 years ago and only covered the area between the Lehigh River and Schoenersville Road. Virtually all other interchanges are nearly identical to their original configurations in 1954. The PA 191 interchange is a hot mess. And, the cloverleaf merges at interchanges are substandard and dangerous. Drive north on Center Street and try to merge on to US 22 or drive north on PA 309 to merge on to US 22 West or drive east on US 22 to merge on to PA 33 North.

I haven't heard one word about widening US 22 to three lanes each direction. Most weekday afternoons, US 22 West is a parking lot from Center Street to Airport Road. Likewise, US 22 East is a parking lot from Cedar Crest Blvd to the Lehigh River.

Next, take a drive at night along US 22. Note how many overhead lights are either burnt out or non-functional at interchanges. For example, if you are heading east on US 22 and exit at Center Street all of the overhead lights along the entire exit are non-functional and have been for more than 18 months.

I-78 in Northampton County is in terrible shape, especially going east from PA 33 to Exit 75. No significant resurfacing has occurred on this section since the highway was built more than 35 years ago. Millions of loaded semis headed to NYC have beaten the crap out of it. Heaven help a person with dentures who gets stuck in the right lane.

Congress passed the laughably named $1 trillion "Infrastructure" bill last year. Billions in subsidies for windmills, EVs, and non-existent (so far) EV charging stations. But, apparently, little for roads and bridges.

Also note the public employee pension funding crisis in so many states. A State of New Jersey pensioner who retired 14 years ago has never received a Cost of Living Adjustment. Using the CPI as a gauge, that pensioner would need a COLA of more than 40% to achieve the same level of purchasing power they had the day they retired. And, there is no expectation that State of NJ pensioners will receive a COLA anytime soon because the legislature deliberately underfunded New Jersey’s pension obligations for decades.

At the national level, neither political party dares to engage in a conversation about the Social Security/Medicare funding crisis that is less than a decade away.

Many of us are cynical about our elected leaders because, although they spend money like drunken sailors, when it comes to making tough choices like adequately funding roads and bridges, public employee pensions, and Social Security and Medicare, they kick the can down the road. Instead, they craft spending bills that reward special interests at the expense of the general public. Interest payments on the federal debt – alone – consume more than 40% of all personal income taxes. The Treasury Department projects that interest on the federal debt will exceed $1 trillion this year. And, it has taken a bipartisan effort to achieve those startling numbers.

Why should voters believe in the government? I'd like to hear someone make that case.

The Apathy of NorCo Exec John Brown

In a news conference last month, Northampton County Executive John Brown blasted the leadership of his two most immediate predecessors. "The challenges we face today are a direct result of the failure of leadership over the last eight years - and certainly the eight before that," he pontificated. But a review of his voting record, obtained yesterday, reveals that Brown is a failed citizen. Though people have fought wars over the right to vote, Brown himself had no interest in local government and was only rarely at the polls.

He was a member of the Apathy Party.

According to County records, Brown registered to vote in Northampton County on March 25, 1997. But he did not vote in the '97 municipal primary or general election. He cast no vote at all until the 1999 municipal primary, after which he skipped voting in the general election.

After that, Brown voted in the 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2008 general election. He did not vote in the primaries those years. He failed to vote at all in the municipal races that took place in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. He also kipped out on a hot 2006 election that pitted Charlie Dent against Charles Dertinger for Congress and Bob Casey against Rick Santorum for the US Senate.

He did not bother voting at all in the race in which John Stoffa was chosen to lead Northampton County.

Brown did not start voting regularly until 2009, when he decided to run for Bangor Mayor.

I asked his public relations consultant, Kim Plyler, to explain how he can claim any sort of leadership skills when it's pretty clear he had no interest in his own government. I'm still waiting for an explanation on the legality of the no-bid contracts. If I hear anything, I will pass it along.

Who's Apathetic - Voters or Mainstream Media?

"I hate municipal elections. I know how important they are, but to vote intelligently, you have to do some real research, and not enough people bother."

"In case you're wondering (and, really, who isn't?) turnout in the Valley is sluggish today."

The former comment comes from Morning Call columnist Bill White: the latter from Morning Call statehouse reporter John Micek. I admire and respect them both. To be fair, Bill made those remarks as the preface to a blog about appellate judge elections, which are confusing. And Micek tells me he actually wishes we had high turnouts like those in Europe.

But I still wish those remarks were never made. They give the impression they don't give a damn about local races. It encourages voter apathy.

Party bosses predicted a 15-17% turnout in yesterday's municipal primary. Lehigh County's registrar of voters stated turnout was "busier than I anticipated." Northampton County's voter registrar claimed 15% of eligible voters had already voted by 1 PM. The Morning Call's headline for this online article? "Lehigh Valley voter turnout slow so far." Doesn't that misleading description also promote voter apathy?

Obviously, the turnout in yesterday's election is much lower than you'll see in a presidential election. It was slow - but not for a municipal primary. If it's between 15-17%, it's a normal turnout. Approximately 30,000 votes were cast in Northampton County, not including absentee ballots. That's about 16% of Northampton County's registered voters. Of course this is too low, but it still met expectations.

During most election cycles, when local candidates strive to have their message heard, the print media hide. Candidates are encouraged to buy ads to get their points across, or have supporters send letters to the editor. This scant coverage makes it impossible for poorly funded candidates to deliver their message. Most citizens have no time to do the "real research." This media policy of paucity promotes incumbents and well-funded candidates.

Bill White acknowledges this himself. "[I]t has to be frustrating to keep trying and trying to get your message out -- in the back rooms of diners, in quiet hotel meeting rooms, on busy street corners -- knowing that in many cases, almost no one will show up, and no one will hear about it."

Many people, who don't really know the candidates or issues, stay away. And then the mainstream media will charge them with voter apathy.

But people really are hungry.

Yesterday, there were 669 visits and 1,643 page views on this very small blog. That's about 200 more than I'm used to seeing on any weekday. People are, in fact, interested in their own government. That's why it's sad to see so little attention from the mainstream. They are the pros. Bloggers lack their credibility. We need them.

Limited resources and space hamstring the mainstream. But the result is fewer votes and declining subscriptions. That's why the Internet is such a useful asset. The Morning Call did post election results online, and Jim Deegan had a terrific post about Mike Fleck's campaign signs in Easton.

Mainstream media could easily use the Internet to make campaign finance reports in local races available. I'll be trying that myself. They establish blogs for Mayfair and Musikfest - why not local races? Increased coverage of these local issues and elections, would both serve the public and might increase circulation.

Now I'll go back to picking my nose.