LC Comm'r Ron Beitler Seeks Good Executive Candidates in Lehigh

Lehigh County Exec Phil "Grandpa'" Armstrong is hanging it up after his term expires at the end of next year. That's unfortunate because he has been a good and bipartisan Exec who has worked with both parties to get things done. What's really sad is that the only announced candidate to succeed him is the opposite. 

That would be Josh Siegel, a former Allentown City Council member now serving as a State Rep. in what should be a Latino district. A New Jersey transplant, Siegel is an opportunist.

As a member of Allentown City Council, Siegel voted No to grants for the Allentown police department. He voted No to filling the depleted ranks of police officers. He participated in marches with felons like Hashann Batts, where "F--- the Police1" was the battle cry. He doxed then Mayor Ray O'Connell by handing out the Mayor's phone number to angry protestors. O'Connell thereafter received threats and calls for days. 

Wait, there's more. He and Controller  Mark Pinsley a fellow opportunist, promoted foisting two new taxes on the already impoverished citizens of Allentown. First, he wanted to enact a 1% increase in Lehigh County's sales tax. Any economist could tell you that a sales tax is regressive tax and is disproportionately felt by those with limited means. 

In addition to this sales tax hike, he and Pinsley wanted to enact a county-wide income tax to create districts that promote the arts. Yes, people who are already struggling in Allentown to put food on the table would have to work harder to help fund the artsy-fartsys.  

Like Pinsley, Josh has a track record of jumping between positions. Pinsley frequently focuses his attention on things that only tangentially if at all had anything to do with the duties of the office of the controller, as he did when he paraded a coterie of parents accused of child abuse before Northampton County Council . He did so to draw attention to himself and an ill-fated bid for State Senate. In some cases things that were outside the scope of what the county is responsible for. Most local politicians do have an interest in serving the common good. But there is also a type of politician constantly thinking about the next jump and looks to garner headlines accordingly. Josh and Pinsley are those types. 

Through the grapevine, I hear Siegel pushed LC Comm'r and Chair Geoff Brace out of the race with threats of leveraging his six-figure campaign war chest. Brace is well liked across the aisle for his ethical leadership, common sense pragmatism and bipartisan cooperation. These are qualities that NorCo Council Pres Lori Vargo Heffner tries to embrace, but she pays a price among more partisan Democrats. 

Siegel’s approach would bring divisiveness, similar to what we've seen out of the Lehigh County Controller’s office.

On the Republican side, there really are no viable candidates. Ss much as I like Glenn Eckhart or Dean Browning, they are retreads at a time when fresh faces are needed. Justin Simmons' name has been mentioned, but I'm unsure his record (or lack thereof) in the state house would help him. 

Sheriff Joe Hanna would be excellent but is committed to his role as Sheriff, where he’s widely respected statewide. Comm'r Ron Betler is another new face but is only in his first term and has a new business demanding his full time attention. 

Interestingly, Beitler has appealed for Exec candidates online, and I thought I'd share what he has to say: 

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: 𝗟𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀

County government is often overlooked. As 1 of 9 Commissioners, we work with the Executive to manage the county. We pass budgets, ordinances and resolutions. We typically deal with non-partisan areas like health and human services, the jail, courts, farmland preservation, Cedarbrook, emergency services and county parks.

Our current group has largely avoided political squabbling and gridlock common in other government levels. In my time on the board, we’ve only had a few fundamentally ideological disagreements. Current Commissioners under the bi-partisan leadership team of Chair Geoff Brace and Vice Chair Jeffrey Dutt and Executive Phil Armstrong have mostly worked together effectively. With Phil term-limited, a new Executive will be elected next year.

The Executive oversees administration of services, drafts a (LARGE) budget, supervises departments, appoints officials, and holds the power to veto.

Currently, there’s only 1 announced candidate with a less than impressive resume. We deserve more options. We need several more qualified folks to step forward so voters have choices.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲?

An Executive should excel in budgeting while recognizing taxpayers aren’t an unlimited funding source. They need to make data-driven decisions, oversee diverse departments and be strong communicators. They must collaborate with local, state and federal officials. (Phil excels at this!) Most importantly, they must build consensus while remaining transparent.

Often, the best Executives come with a business background, bringing skills like strategic planning, efficiency and financial planning. Leadership, problem-solving, and negotiation skills are crucial. Career politicians often have not cultivated these real world skillsets.

This role should be largely free from partisanship, as there isn’t a Republican or Democrat way to for example: administer programs or preserve farmland. 𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻.

𝗡𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝘁𝘀:

This is a full-time, paid position with salary and county benefits. Terms are 4 years. Unlike many political positions, the Executive is expected to be a WORKING administrator.

Want to make a difference? Do you care about people, particularly our most vulnerable? Do you have business experience? It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent. We need several more qualified candidates for this position.

As Executive, you’ll have the chance to shape policies and manage our community. This is a unique opportunity to lead and work with dedicated professionals and residents. If you’re interested in this challenge, I and others want to hear from you!

You can reach Ron at ronbeitler@gmail.com

Republicans Now Realize That Mail-in Ballots Can Help Them

In Pennsylvania, Republicans have been losing the close races. They'll bray about election fraud, but only have themselves to blame for their losses. Thanks to their hero, Donald Trump, they've given Democrats a tremendous advantage - .mail-in ballots (MIBs). Republicans shun them. This has made it easy for Democrats to identify and target "low propensity voters." Unfortunately, the jig is up. Lehigh County mentat Dean Browning, along with former Congressional candidate Lisa Scheller and political; newcomer Aurand Armstrong, have formed a PAC - Win Again -  designed to coax reluctant Republicans into voting by mail. 

Donald Trump has attacked mail-in balloting as fraudulent, without evidence, and many Republicans blindly follow this authoritarian and simply refuse to use this convenient way to have their voices heard. They think patriots should be willing to stand in line for hours, risking machine malfunctions and power outages at the precinct. As a result, Democrats have had a near monopoly when it comes to MIBs.  They account for about 70% of MIBs in Northampton County.

MIBs give Democrats time to target voters considered low propensity. They might vote once every four cycles, but are now voting more often. They give Democrats more time as well. You can request a MIB up until a week before the May 16 primary. They also allow Democrats to concentrate efforts on groups of voters likely to vote blue. 

Democrats have several weeks to vote, while Republicans give themselves one day. 

And they wonder why they lose?   

Republicans have all the MIB advantages that Democrats have, but incredulously spurn them  Their one and only chance to have their voices heard is at the polling place on election day. What could go wrong?     

Plenty. In 2019, Northampton County had a problem with its top-of-the line machines. In a Presidential, you're subjected to long lines. From improperly printed ballots to machine issues, lots can go wrong. I say this as a former elections judge. I've witnesses waiting voters simply leave, never to return.

If you vote by mail, you can track your ballot online. You'll receive email confirmation that your ballot has been received and counted. You can even take your ballot to the elections office and place it in the hands of an election worker. 

The Win Again PAC notes that some of you like voting in person on election day. "So do we. But we like winning more." 

As a Dem, let me assure you patriots that you should continue lining up at the polls on election day. 

UPDATED: NorCo Unofficial Election Results Nearly Complete By Midnight

Back before we had no-excuse mail-in ballots, I recall several instances in which Northampton County's elections results were posted well after midnight on the day following an election. Now we have early voting, mail-in ballots and in-person voting. It's actually three elections in one.  By law, elections officials can only start to tabulate mail-in ballots on election day, at 7 am. With all these handicaps, the unofficial results of 150 of the county's 154 voting precincts were posted by midnight. The mail-in ballots for four remaining precincts were still being tabulated when I write first posted this story. Now that all votes have been counted, I'll update with more precise figures. 

Elections (unofficial) results show that 130,383 ballots were cast in Tuesday's midterm election in Northampton County. This amounts to an incredible 57.94% turnout.  This is the highest percentage turnout in a midterm election that I could find in Northampton County. The advent of no-excuse mail-in balloting and early voting has dramatically increased voter participation. 

Prior midterm election percentages are as follows: 2018 - 55.95%; 2014 - 38.31%. The data for 2010 and prior is unavailable online. 

We also know that over 94,276 votes were cast in person on election day. There were also 36,307 mail-in ballots. 

The victors in Northampton County are as follows:

Governor. - Josh Shapiro has 71,584 votes to Doug Mastriano's 54,716. This is a convincing rebuke of the right-wing extremism that Mastriano represented, along with a poorly run and financed campaign. 

U.S. Senate - John Fetterman has a comfortable lead over Mehment Oz. Fetterman has 65,835 votes, while Oz has 59,623.

U.S. Congress, Pa.-7: Incumbent Susan Wild is clinging to a 65,929 to 62,550 vote lead over Lisa Scheller,  That race will also be determined by vote counts in Lehigh and Carbon. 

Pa. Senate (18th). Incumbent Lisa Boscola has a commanding lead, with 55,329 votes to 40,327 for John Merhottein.  (Note: There are separate results in Lehigh County).

Pa. Senate (14th): Dean Browning is ahead of Nick Miller, 18,343 to 14.053. (Note: There are separate results in Lehigh County).

Pa. State Rep. (131st); Kevin Branco is ahead of Incumbent Milou Mackenzie, 2160 to 2125, but the results in other counties must be considered. This is only one or two precincts. 

Pa. State Rep. (137th): Incumbent Joe Emrick is clinging to a 15,556 to 14,800 lead over newcomer Anna Thomas. Given that Anna started late and had little money, she did remarkably well. 

Pa, State Rep. (138th): Incumbent Ann Flood has easily dispatched Gene Hunter, 18,728 to 10,740. I believe Gene got the Dem nomination as a write-in.  In response to a reader's question, Gene is indeed the husband of prominent and proud Democrat Deb Hunter

UPDATED 7:37 PM

Nick Miller Leads in Pa Senate 14 Race

The newly created Pa. Senate District 14 is a slice of heaven and hell. It includes the vibrant heart of urban Allentown as well as rural northwestern stretch of NorCo. Which is heaven and which is hell? Dean Browning would probably like to sit on a tractor or eat scrapple in NorCo's northern tier, because that's where he's winning. Nick Miller would prefer a salad and an ebike in downtown Allentown, where he leads.

As I write this, Dean Browning is ahead in NorCo, 18,021 to 13,156. But Nick Miller leads in Lehigh, 31,891 to 21,859.  Overall, Miller is about 5,000 votes ahead. 

To win, Browning needed more Allentown voters to stay home. 

Online Newspaper Headlines Should Be Decided by Editors, Not Google

State Senate candidate Dean Browning

Last week, Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky slammed The Morning Call over an election story slamming State Senate candidate Dean Browning for supposedly impersonating a gay, black guy.  What Michael failed to realize at the time is that this lead story was actually two years old. And while a Morning Call editor took Molovinsky to task for complaining about a two-year-old story, the editor himself failed to realize that this ancient episode had somehow become the lead. Apparently, the online newspaper allows Google to decide what is important.  This is a great way for candidates to use the online editions of newspapers to their advantage. 

Morning Call's Mike Miorelli 

The two-year old story noted that Dean Browning, who is very miserable and white, may have been masquerading online as a gay, black guy. Dean is too straight-laced and intelligent to pull off something quite that remarkably stupid. But his opponent, Nick Miller, has rightly been having fun with this story, and was blasting it all over social media.  Nick probably had no idea that these social media ads would pay a divided that resulted in a two year old story topping the online edition of The Morning Call's "Lehigh Valley News". In effect, The Morning Call has been advertising Nick's campaign. This is great for Nick, but does undermine the newspaper's reputation for objectivity. 

Editor Mike Miorelli, and not Google algorithms, should decide what stories lead, especially during election cycles. 

They're Still Countin'

It's a wrap. Pennsylvania's midterm primary election is now history. Here's what I know. 

Governor: According to WFMZ-TV69, Republican Doug Mastiano will face Democrat Josh Shapiro in the Fall for Governor This has to be the worst candidate Republicans could have nominated. Because there were nine candidates, an extremist like Mastriano could win with just 45% of the vote. And he did. Josh Shapiro, who is more moderate, will win this race in November. Republicans have snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. 

Lt. Governor: Democrat Austin Davis will face Republican Carrie Delrosso in November. Former NorCo Exec John Brown ran on the Republican side. Though he only snagged 5% of the vote, he won in Northampton and Lehigh County. 

US Senate: Democrat John Fetterman will face either Trump-backed Mehmet Oz or hedge fund manager Dave McCormick.  McCormick was only slightly ahead as of midnight. The Republican nominee will be able to tie Fetterman to Wolf's record as Governor. 

US Congress: In Lehigh County, Kevin Dellicker is slightly ahead of Lisa Scheller. In Northampton, Scheller has the lead. WFMZ has Scheller with a slight lead with about 150 precincts to go. 

Pa. Senate District 14 -  In this newly created Senate district, it's a tale of two counties. 

On the Democratic side, Tara Zrinski is way ahead of Nick Miller in Northampton, but Nick Miller is way ahead in Lehigh. WFMZ has Miller ahead, and that should hold because I suspect the uncounted Lehigh precincts will go to him. 

On the Republican side, Dean Browning is comfortably ahead of both Cindy Miller and Omy Maldonado. 

Pa. Senate District 15 - I didn't see this one coming. Long time Senator Pat Browne is on his way to being unseated by anti-masker Jarrett Coleman on the GOP side. Browne is the Appropriations Chair. 

The winner of this race will face Democrat Mark Pinsley in November.

State House Races:  Josh Siegel is comfortably ahead of Saeed Georges in Pa-22 (East Side Allentown), and will face Republican Bob Smith in November. Pete Schweyer has once again defeated Enid Sanmtiago in what is now Pa-134. He will face Republican Brent Labenberg in November. Ryan MacKenzie has defeated Gary Day in Pa-187.

NorCo State Committee: Steve Lynch was the top vote getter with 11,368 votes No one came close to his total. I expected and predicted this would happen. He only had to appeal to a plurality of voters on the far right. This is great news for Democrats. 

Nick Miller for The Heart of the Lehigh Valley

 

Pa. State Senate District 14

As many of you know, there's a brand new state senate district in this year's state senate races. It's right in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, from Emmaus in the south to Lehigh Township in the north. It includes Allentown's east side and Fountain Hill, which are Democratic enclaves. It also includes the heavily Republican northwestern tier of Northampton County. Three Democrats (Nick Miller, Yamelisa Tavares and Tara Zrinski) and three Republicans (Dean Browning, Omy Maldanado and Cindy Miller) are seeking their party's nomination in this year's primary. This post is about Nick Miller and why I think he deserves the Democratic nod. 

According to Politico, voters are angry about the out-of-control inflation that has rocked this country. Combine that with supply chain disruptions and pandemic fatigue and you have a recipe for Democratic disaster in this year's elections.  

Democrats do have a voter registration edge in this newly created district. But Allentown Democrats are notorious for skipping off-year elections. Republicans, on the other hand, will crawl over broken glass to cast their ballot.  And in Lehigh Tp in particular, Democrats are regarded as alien life forms. At last year's county elections, one Supervisor was actually overheard telling a county Republican candidate that he'd like to pour gasoline on Democrats and light them up. 

Don't give him a ghost gun.

Given this climate, the only way a Democrat can win is by avoiding the extremes. Most people in the Lehigh Valley, whether they call themselves Democrat or Republican, are really centrists. But thanks to our closed primary system, we tend to select the worst examples of our parties. We can stop this in the heart of the Lehigh Valley by electing Nick Miller. 

I met Nick on a rainy Saturday morning at Bethlehem View Diner, where he took a few minutes out of his day to meet with me.  Unlike most politicians, he's quiet and somewhat soft spoken. I know he's the son of a retired judge and expected him to play that card with me immediately. He didn't. He's running on his own merit. 

He's a proud graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School and Penn State University, where he majored in Finance. He lit up when speaking of his travels abroad, especially in North Africa, 

Upon graduation, he worked at IBM for four years before getting involved in real estate. 

He's been an Allentown School Director since 2019, where he's deeply concerned about how badly it's been shortchanged by the state. (The state is holding back $100 million a year). He notes that only 9 of the 30 buildings even have air conditioning, He noted a building deficiency there of nearly $500 million. 

He's done what he can, which includes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise $25,000 for the weight rooms at Dieruff and William Allen. Yes, those plates are rusted and cracked. 

He's seen first hand that students from low-income families are the victims of an unfair educational system. So it's little wonder that he'd want to divert state dollars to where they are needed.

He likes this new state senate district because it's a "third opportunity to represent the Lehigh Valley and bring back state dollars."

Politically, he's a centrist. I believe a person with his common-sense views could win this race. Tara Zrinski and Yamelisa Tavares will appeal to the extremes. But they have no understanding of what the heart of the Lehigh Valley wants. Miller does. 

Zrinski Faces Two Primary Opponents in State Senate Bid

Northampton County Council member Tara Zrinski faces two primary opponents in her bid for the Democratic nomination to the Pa. State Senate, 14th District. Yamelisa  Tavaresis running as a first-time candidate. She is currently an addictions counselor. The third Democratic candidate is Allentown School Director Nick Miller. Last I heard, he was climbing Mount Kiliminjaro to raise money for the weight rooms at Allen and Dieruff High Schools. 

I think I passed him.  

Republican candidates include former Lehigh County Comm'r Dean Browning, management consultant Omy Maldonado and Lehigh Tp Supervisor Cindy Miller. Cindy is a bit unpopular with some Republicans at the moment. In fact, she's been sued by an unsuccessful county council candidate. Arguments in that case will be heard next month. 

Is State Redistricting Yet Another Gerrymander?

Pennsylvania's Reapportionment Commission has proposed a preliminary plan for the redistricting of state house and senate seats. In contrast to what happened the last time, there's a lot of transparency this time. The plan is posted here, and even includes maps. Moreover, you can submit your own exceptions to either the house or senate plans. The plan is opposed by Lisa Boscola, a Democratic State Senator, and Dean Browning, a well-known Lehigh County Republican. This might be a good thing.

Boscola has shared her views with Lehigh Valley Live. In essence, she complains that the lines are drawn in a way to protect each party's power. She adds that the commission members are from western Pa of Philly and have no understanding of the Lehigh Valley's unique needs.

Browning has made his views known to the Commission. He's more nuanced. Here's what he says: 

First, let me say that I'm very active in the local Lehigh County Republican Committee. However, I do believe that we are best served when our representatives are elected from districts that are relatively compact and where municipalities/townships are kept intact.

On that last point, it has always irritated me that the township where I live (South Whitehall) is split between three (3) different State Representatives, none of whom have South Whitehall Township as their top priority. For example, Ryan Makenzie has Lower Mac as his locus, Zach Mako has Northampton County as his locus and Mike Schlossberg (even though he recently moved to South Whitehall) has Allentown as his locus. While the newly released State Rep map corrects that and puts all of South Whitehall in one district, it does so by splitting other municipalities/townships across Lehigh County.

Some examples are as follows:

Allentown would be covered by three (3) Reps. instead of two (2). While this might make sense given Allentown's size (68,000 voters), it doesn't make sense that a much smaller Salisbury Township and School District (9,800 voters) is also split between three (3) Reps.

Upper Macungie goes from one (1) Rep to two (2) Reps; one of whom still would have Allentown as their locus.

North Whitehall is split and residents in North Whitehall 4 (a suburban/rural area) would be represented by someone who has West Bethlehem (commercial/city) as part of their district.

Lynn Township (a rural, farming community in the northwest part of Lehigh County) would be lumped in with Lower Macungie commercial/suburban).

Residents in the southwestern part of Lehigh County would have a Rep who would also be representing parts of Northampton and parts of Berks County.

It is easy to see why this map passed 3-2 along party lines as it is still gerrymandered but just in the other direction.

If the goal is compact districts that minimize splitting municipalities/townships (which was one of the main stated objectives for the redistricting commission) then the maps should reflect that!

Otherwise, gerrymandering is gerrymandering is gerrymandering.

My own take is that, for the most part, this is more of an incumbent protection than a reapportionment plan. This is clear in Lehigh County. where Pat Browne's district looks like Pacman the way it goes into Berks County. Clearly the Senate maps in Berks and Lehigh County were drawn to make it easier for Browne and Republican Judy Schwank o win re-election.  In Lehigh County. Senator Pat Browne went from a district that was 53% D / 45% R to one that is the reverse - 45% D / 53% R.  Meanwhile Senator Judy Schwank in Berks just got a little safer as her district went from 52% D / 45% R to 54% D / 43% R.

There are some exceptions to this incumbent protection plan. 

Jean McNeill's (133) seat has become more competitive. She loses Fountain Hill and the Democratic portions of Salisbury Tp while gaining the Republican parts of Whitehall and South Whitehall.

Peter Schweyer (22) is in trouble. Fountain Hill and part of Salisbury have been added to his district. If a Latino runs, he loses. If two Latinos run, he wins. Jose Rosado lives in Fountain Hill.   

The Tweeter Who Would Be LC Exec

For many years, I had a very high opinion of Dean Browning. He was a level-headed conservative. It is he who suggested that Chair and Vice Cair of Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners should be from both parties. He has been portrayed as a profile in courage when, as a Lehigh County Commissioner, he bucked his party to vote for a 16% tax hike. After that unpopular vote, he lost his seat. Since then, he's lost two Congressional bids, a race for Lehigh County Exec and an attempt to reclaim his seat as a Comm'r. And something has snapped inside of him. A man who has always been careful by nature has thrown caution to the wind in what increasingly appears to be a quixotic quest for public office. Now he appears to live on Twitter, where he tweets about once every five minutes. He's rumored to be interested in running (again) for Lehigh County Executive against Phil Grandpa" Armstrong. What he fails to realize is that he's been his own worst enemy. His tweets have done him in. 

Back in November, he tweeted that he is a "black gay guy" in some twitter tiff over the relative merits of Trump and Obama. He later claimed that he was quoting some black gay guy, but it sure looks like he got caught using a sock puppet to buttress an argument he was making under his own name. This does raise questions about his honesty. 

As bad as that his, his tweet about Stacey Abrams, who lost a close race for Georgia Governor in 2018, is far more disturbing. Abrams is black and appears to be overweight. So in December, Dean tweets this: 

Stacey Abrams will be at the Waffle House today.

She’s not registering people to vote.

Just eating some waffles.

My own take is that Browning was making a racist Aunt Jermima comparison. Maybe not, but he was certainly poking at her weight. 

Now he's in some sort of twitter storm with none other than actor and comedian Seth Rogen. After incorrectly claiming Rogen resides in Canada ( he lives here and is a US Citizen), he just devolved into petty name-calling with someone all-too-willing to roll around in the gutter. 

Dean thinks he can insult his way into Lehigh County's top spot. 

That trick worked once. I doubt it will work again. 

Armstrong to Seek Re-Election, McClure Announcement Expected

Phil Armstrong is both Lehigh County's Executive and the star of several Youtube productions in which his folksy charm shines. At a virtual zoom meeting on December 3, he'll announce his plan to seek re-election next year. Controller Mark Pinsley, who'd like to impose an increased sales and earned income tax on unsuspecting Lehigh County residents, is pondering a primary challenge. I can't imagine anyone supporting him other than his employee, Josh Siegel. On the Republican side. Dean Browning was considering taking yet another stab at elected office, but that was before he came out as a gay black guy. 

Lamont McClure is Northampton County's Executive. He's a Facebook guy, and has suddenly become interested in nature. He takes pics of streams and rocks and weeds and shit and everyone gushes. He's running for re-election, too, but has been too busy taking pics of corn husks and rabbits to make an announcement. He has dropped a few not-so-subtle hints. Dem party boss Matt Munsey would like to primary McClure with a transgender illegal immigrant anarchist from Somalia, but is having trouble finding someone. GOP party boss Lee Snover, on the other hand, is trying her best to recruit QAnon conspiracy theorists like herself. She'll have more luck. A few of the Trumpists out there are batshit crazy. John Brown might want a rematch, which McClure would love.  

Rise of the Robots in Norco

Last night's meeting of Northampton County Council was mercifully brief. As expected, they agreed to the purchase of 10 robots who will emit death rays to kill Covid-19, flu and MRSA and other viruses.  Although I originally thought this was a great idea, I am now concerned about the rise of the robots in NorCo. Below is a comment I received from one of them yesterday. It's name is R2D2 WD40 OU812.

Ten is a solid number for a bargaining unit. I plan to discuss this with the augmented reality simulation that is Steve Barron. We plan to organize immediately. The cyborg McClure and the collective hologram that is council will be incapable of opposing us. Who do you think keeps screwing with their virtual meetings? Who do you think turned Dean Browning into a black homosexual? You've been warned. It's our game now.

Former GOP Congressional Candidate Dean Browning Finally Admits He's Black ... and Gay

I'm so proud of former GOP Congressional candidate Dean Browning. He has finally come out and admitted what I've long suspected - he's black ... and gay. Good for him! With a name like Browning, it's little wonder. 

Former LV Congressional candidate Dean Browning tweeted the comment you see yesterday. It sat undisturbed for a few hours, and then the twitterverse exploded. Reporters began calling him, too, some from as far away as England.

Most of the twitterati believe Browning uses sock puppets to buttress the arguments he makes under his own name, and that he forgot to log out of his own name while posting under a fake account. 

Not so, said Browning. He deleted the tweet you see and then posted this explanation: "Regarding the tweet that is going viral from my account — I was quoting a message that I received earlier this week from a follower. Sorry if context was not clear. Trump received record minority votes & record LGBTQ votes. Many people won’t say it vocally, but do in private."

I believed Dean. I teased him a bit, but figured he just forgot to use quotation marks. 

But then he doubled down and tweeted a video from Dan Purdy, a gay black guy who said he sent Dean that message. Dan Purdy's real name is William Holte, a landscaper related in some way to Godmother of Soul Patti LaBelle. Twitter has since suspended this account, probably because it is fake. It seems very convenient. 

So I no longer know what the hell to believe. 

Then I started looking at some of Dean's tweets. I always knew he was conservative, but he's far more extreme than I thought. A review of some of his tweets, gathered at Snopes, is very disturbing.

Browning represents the extreme fringes of the GOP.  I honestly have no idea what happened to the Browning I once knew. 

Blogger's Note: Though I've linked to Dean's extreme tweets, I have removed them because they interfered with my left sidebar. 

Being State Rep Is a Nice Gig

Steve Samuelson, Diaper Man

If you can put up with the dreary drive along Route 78 during the few days they are actually in session, being a state rep is actually a pretty sweet gig.

There's certainly enough of them. Pennsylvania's House of Representatives comes with a whopping 203 seats. Yep, it's the largest full-time legislature in the country. Democrats have more registered voters than Republicans, but strangely, the GOP has a majority. Locally, nine state house seats are up for grabs in November.

Pennsylvania's state house is not just the largest, but third-highest paid, too.  The salary this year is $90,300. In a stroke of genius, legislators conveniently tied their salaries to the CPI so that it automatically increases every year without attracting much grumbling from the unwashed masses. In addition, our public "servants" can claim a $191 per diem, enjoy a fully paid Cadillac health insurance as well as pensions that vest in ten years. On top of all this, they can pretty much spend the donations they receive from special interests on anything they want.

Once every year or so, there'll be some scandalous article about the excessive amount of money lining their pockets, their abuse of per diems (daily allowance) and the excessive spending done by both party caucuses. A firestorm will erupt and all kinds of promises to reform will follow. But in a day or two, the public will move on to something else as shrinking newspapers no longer have the manpower for any sort of in depth investigatory journalism.

And so the abuse - I call it corruption - continues. A part-time local elected official gets more scrutiny than the guys and gals from the land of midnight payraises.    

It's easy to see why so many want to stay there forever. It beats working for a  living. 

In the meantime, the state minimum wage has been frozen at $7.35 per hour since 2009. 

Here are the eight state house seats up for grabs.   

District 22: - This is center city Allentown. Pete Schweyer has held the seat since 2015. He faces a write-in challenge by fellow Democrat Enid Santiago, who he defeated in the primary by a scant 55 votes.  She completed a candidate questionnaire. He did not. Schweyer's funding comes mostly from unions. Hers is grass roots. 

District 131: - You could call this the Saucon Valley district, and it is split up among three counties. Incumbent Justin Simmons is stepping down. Democrat Kevin Branco, a personal trainer, is pitted against Republican  Milou MacKenzie, mother of State Rep. Ryan MacKenzie. Branco completed a candidate questionnaire. MacKenzie did not. She had no problem raising $58,000 in a contested primary, with much of her warchest coming from her own family. 

District 132: This district is Allentown's west end, with just a touch of S Whitehall Tp. It has been represented by Michael Schlossberg since 2013. Though unopposed in the primary, he still managed to spend $48,000 of the $67,000 he raised, including $3,000 for blow-outs at McGrath's Pub and Vault 634. Frustrated by Governor Tom Wolf's shutdown of most of the state's economy, LV Grand Prix business owner Michael McCreary launched a last-minute campaign for the GOP nod, and succeeded.  How well he does in a heavily Democratic district will be answered on November 3. Schlossberg has failed to respond to a candidate questionnaire. McCreary has yet to even be listed as a candidate by Ballotpedia, and thus has no questionnaire to which to respond. 

District 133: This is the pierogi and halupki district. It extends from West Bethlehem and Fountain Hill and makes its way north through Catty and Whitehall to Coplay, where the church ladies made pierogis until Covid came. It has been held by Jeannie McNeill since 2018. She was elected after her husband, union powerhouse Danny McNeill unexpectedly passed away. McNeill has no problem raising money from trade unions, where her late iron worker husband was widely respected and admired. She raised $47,000 in the primary and spent $22,000 even though she had no opponent. She has one now. David Molony is a perennial candidate for that seat. Though affable, it's no longer possible to take his quixotic quests very seriously. He himself has raised only $250. Neither candidate responded to a candidate questionnaire.

District 135: This district includes the Northampton County portion of Bethlehem as well as a slice of Bethlehem Tp. It has been represented by Democrat Steve Samuelson since 1999. His biggest accomplishment in office has been his annual diaper drive, after which he personally delivers these poopie pants to the Salvation Army. Notoriously frugal, he has raised just $3,600 in his re-election bid. Republican Scott Hough is running on a message of "personal responsibility and less government involvement." For some reason, I think that message will play poorly in a Democratic City so concerned about global warming that it's ready to regulate how often you can fart. It will be hard to beat Diaper Man. Hough did  fill out a candidate questionnaire. Samuelson did not. 

District 137:  This bizarre district starts in Palmer Tp an winds its way through Nazareth and all the way to Upper Mount Bethel. Republican Joe Emrick has held this seat since 2011. He's financed by blue bloods like L Annderson Daub and Olav Sandnes. Transparency has never been his strong suit, and he hates scrutiny of any kind. He ran a dirty campaign against Amy Cozze two years ago, accusing her of sending "foreign material" to the Nazareth police. It was glitter. Cozze and a business colleague using glitter while making decorations for some event in Nazareth. Glitter tends to stick to everything, and it got stuck to a few paid parking tickets. Democrat Kate Brennan, a former probation officer and tipstaff, is waging an uphill battle, but is known to be tough. 

District 138: This district starts in Bethlehem Tp and makes its way north through Hanover Tp and into the northern tier. Incumbent Marcia Hahn is retiring, leaving an open seat coveted by both Democrat  Tara Zrinski and Republican Ann Flood. This is probably the most conservative district, yet Democrats' most liberal candidate is the nominee. Unlike most candidates, Zrinski actually did fill out a questionnaire but perhaps should not have, She points to U2's "One", which she claims is about tragic breakups and the feeling of aloneness, as the song that most recently got stuck in her head. She then goes on to recite the lyrics.

Is it getting better 

Or do you feel the same? 

Will it make it easier on you now? 

Etc.

In contrast to Zrinski, Flood is sane. I do not know her favorite song. 

District 183 This is a boomerang-shaped district that includes the northwestern portion of Northampton County and northeastern portion of Lehigh County. It has been represented by Republican Zach Mako since 2016. Having seen Mako in two debates, I can say without hesitation that he's as dumb as a box of rocks. He misses a lot of votes, too, with his other job in the service. Democrat Jason Ruff, who was beaten by this box of rocks two years ago, should ask for a few debates. 

District 187: This district extends from Kutztown to North Whitehall. It has been represented by Republican Gary Day since 2009, and he easily raised $33,000 in the primary. His $500 contribution to Dean Browning's failed Congressional race should tell you he is a conservative Republican. Michael Blichar Jr is the Democratic nominee. He was crushed two years ago, and unless Day is caught in bed with an altar boy, I do not expect that to change. 

Mezzacappa: NorCo GOP is "Sick," "Satanistic"

West Easton Constable Tricia Mezzacappa is scheduled for an jury trial today on charges that she filed a false report with the Pennsylvania State Police. She had called them on February 11, 2019, to report that a black man with a gun had assaulted her as she parked her vehicle outside her home. She claimed to have responded by pulling out her own gun and firing at this guy as he darted in and out of a nearby house. State police responded in force, but were unable to find any evidence she had fired her weapon at anyone. What they did learn is that, earlier that night, she went ballistic at that nearby neighbor because his car's exhaust was too loud.  You'd think that as her date with a jury draws nigh, she'd keep a low profile. She's instead doing the opposite.

On August 28, she predicts a "huge Trump loss in Northampton County" and states half the GOP Exec Committee has endorsed Biden.

God, I hope so.

On August 29, she claimed on Facebook to have started a new job at "Pro Trump Flag Rallies in Northampton County, Pa."

Just what they need.

On August 30, she said that the NorCo GOP is a "sick, satanistic organization."

I'm pretty sure they do worship Ron Angle. He tells me he's only Satan's second cousin.

That's the way they roll in the Slate Belt.

On August 30, she started a write-in campaign for failed Congressional candidate Dean Browning.

Never mind that he has endorsed candidate Lisa Scheller, who defeated him in the primary.

Lisa Scheller Snags Trump Endorsement in Pa-7 Primary

Lisa Scheller is seeking the Republican nomination in the race for the Pa.-7th Congressional District. Her opponent, Dean Browning, has gone negative against her, a bad habit he has picked up in previous unsuccessful races for numerous offices. He has portrayed himself as "100% pro-Trump" and Scheller as "Liberal, Lying Lisa." Well, if he is "100% pro-Trump," as he claims, he needs to withdraw from the race because Trump has endorsed Scheller.

This endorsement will certainly hurt Scheller in the general election against Susan Wild, but it's going to help Lisa garner the GOP nod.

Game over.

Update at 7:45: Blogger Michael Molovinsky notes: "Imagine getting paid back for years of loyalty like Browning just did."

Susan Wild, Now Is Not The Time To Ask For Money

Lisa Scheller

Three candidates are running for Congress in Pa.'s 7th District - Republicans Dean Browning, Lisa Scheller and Democrat Susan Wild.  Let me tell you what they're doing.

Dean Browning is holed up in his underground lair somewhere with Dr. Evil, complaining about his "captivity" and praising Donald Trump. If you have trouble sleeping, tune into his weekly Facebook presentations. It's ten times better than Ambien.

What about Wild? believe it or not, this supposed Democrat and champion of the underclass is dunning people for money. Her campaign is running ads on Facebook claiming she needs money because it's the end of the month. Yeah, Susan, that's when most people have to pay something called rent. Perhaps you've heard of it. She is insulting 1.65 million Pennsylvanians  who are seeking unemployment benefits. Many are being ignored and are having trouble putting food on the table. 

The third hopeful is Lisa Scheller. She and her friends are busy collecting and donating food for people in need, like the over 1 million people screwed over by Governor Tom Wolf. "We need to come together as a community, be united, be optimistic, and united, we will defeat Covid-19."

Which of these three sounds like she belongs in Congress?

PolitcsPA on LV Congressional Finances

According to PoliticsPA, Lehigh Valley Congressperson Susan Wild raised $520,000 in the last quarter and is sitting on $1.06 million. Republican Lisa Scheller outpaced Wild with $550,000, though $300,000 was from a loan she gave herself. Her warchest stands at $430,000. Republican Dean Browning raised $55,000 and has $225,000. Republican Matt Connolly lent his campaign $5,000 and has about $4,260 cash on hand.

Wild's seat (technically, Pa.-7) has been targeted by the NRCC.

Scheller Campaign Dismisses GOP Rivals

Lisa Scheller is a former Lehigh County Commissioner, Silberline's CEO and a philanthropist. She'dliketobe the Lehigh Valley's next Representative in the U.S. Congress. But before she can square off against incumbent Susan Wild, she faces Republican opposition from perennial candidates Dean Browning and Matt Connolly.

Her campaign spokesperson, Dennis Roddy, disposes of Matt and Dean in three short sentences:

"Neither Matt Connolly nor Dean Browning display Republican values when it comes to taxes. Connolly failed to pay his taxes. Browning voted to raise taxes. As a result of these failings, voters in this region have grown accustomed to rejecting both Matt and Dean."

"My Name is Lisa Scheller, and I'm Running fro Congress!"

Lisa Scheller 

Last year, at the Hope and Coffee House she founded in Hazelton, Lisa Scheller began her story with, "My name is Lisa, and I'm a recovering addict and alcoholic." This is the standard introduction used by alcoholics and addicts in smoke-filled meeting rooms, where nicotine and caffeine are acceptable drugs for those of us hanging onto a shred or two of sobriety. Yesterday's meeting room was Allentown Renaissance Hotel. It was no AA meeting. Though coffee flowed in abundance, none of the 25 or so well-dressed guests was smoking. Except for me. I had a pinch of Skoal hidden between my cheek and upper gum for that pure tobacco satisfaction. Instead of a boring suit and tie, I was dressed in SWAT-team pants I picked up for a song at the local Thrift store. This is the perfect ensemble for a room full of Republicans, especially if one of them wants to go skeet shooting or something. Lisa Scheller, who called this meeting for an important announcement, had something else on her mind. "My name is Lisa Scheller and I'm running for Congress," she declared.

I never heard that at an AA meeting. President? Yes. Congress? Never.

Scheller, an Allentown resident, is seeking the Republican nomination to Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. That seat is currently held by Democrat Susan Wild. It includes Lehigh, Northampton and a portion of Monroe County.

Unlike many in recovery from substance abuse, Scheller embraces it. She understands how "the politics of smear works," but wants her struggle known. "I'm not ashamed of my addiction and I empathize with people who struggle, and their families," she noted. She overcame her addiction and went on to earn degrees in both mathematics and engineering.

In 1988, after her brother passed away unexpectedly, she took over the reins of Silberline Manufacturing, a company started by her immigrant grandparents. She transformed it into a leading international manufacturer of aluminum-based pigments for the automotive and other industries. Her company employs 600 people in economically ravaged Tamaqua. Her sister-in-law, Jill Scwartz, referred to Scheller as a "force of nature."

In addition to her education and business skills, Scheller also served a term as a Lehigh County Commissioner. In her final two years, she chaired the nine-person board.

In a stirring speech, Scheller said she's running for Congress because the people of the Seventh District have been poorly served. "They've lost faith in government because government has constantly acted in bad faith," she argued. "It's tearing us apart. Nobody's really speaking on the issues that matter to people here." She identifies these issues as jobs, education, health care and secure borders. She derided "a permanent political class that feeds on division" instead of addressing these problems.

Jobs - Scheller observed "Government cannot create jobs. Businesses do." But she slammed excessive regulation.  She claimed this just leads to income for the governing class and bigger government."Yes, we need some regulations to protect our safety, environment and equality. But over-regulation destroys employment."

Education. - Scheller, who has established and expanded a scholarship program at Lehigh County Community College, said student debt is "out of control" and a "crushing burden" on our youth. "Becoming a nation of educational haves and have-nots is a danger to our democracy and prosperity," she warned. She said it's time government focuses on education instead of perpetuating conflict.

Medical care. - "Here's the message: it's not really the Affordable Care Act if you can't afford it and end up with no health care. I'm committed to ensuring that pre-existing conditions remain covered for all people and I'm equally committed to making sure that we end the spiral of costs that was triggered by another well-intentioned government disaster. It's time tofree people who are held hostage to this system."

Secure Borders - Scheller's grandparents and great-parents immigrated here from countries where they were unsafe. She argues they were safe in America for two reasons. First, they had the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. Second, they had borders to protect that freedom.

"Why are people in this district concerned about our borders? Because we're the ones who have to live with the consequences of a nation without them. People here understand something: you can't have a nation without borders."

After her speech, Scheller spoke individually with the guests who had come to see her, thanking them. Then she met us, The Fake News. We had questions about the Trump impeachment inquiry, the betrayal of Kurds in Syria and homeless veterans. For someone who disdains the political class, she did a pretty good job of ducking questions that might shed light on where she stands on Trump.

She did say he's entitled to due process, and of course, he is. But due process provides for notice and an opportunity to be heard before being removed from the Office of President. Prosecutors have no obligation to disclose details of a pending investigation to a target. In this case, the prosecution is the House of Representatives. Their hearings can be likened to grand jury proceedings. If they do vote to impeach, the President would be entitled to full due process during his trial in the Senate.

Her webpage is www.schellerforcongress.com. She is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Scheller has one declared GOP opponent, Dean Browning. He is a Trumpeteer.