UPDATED: How Did LV Delegation Vote on House Bill Opening Up Primary Elections

The Pa/ State House voted on Tuesday to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in primary elections for candidates for public office. They would still be barred from voting for internal state party offices like committee members. The bill passed 115-88 and goes on to the state senate. 

How did members of the Lehigh Valley delegation vote?

Voting Yes were Bob Freeman (D - Pa. 136), Steve Samuelson (D - Pa. 135), Mike Schlossberg (D - Pa. 132), Pete Schweyer (D. Pa. 134), Ana Tiburcio (D - Pa. 22), and Joe Emrick (R - Pa.137)

Voting No were Ann Flood (R- Pa. 138), Milou Mackenzie (R - Pa. 131) and Zach Mako (R- Pa. 183) and Gary Day (R- Pa. 187)

Opening primaries is one way to assure that everyone has a say. Currently, 44% of voters nationwide consider themselves independents. It will also result in more moderate party nominees. 

Currently, 20 states have open primaries in which members of one party can choose to vote in another party's primary. Pennsylvania's proposed law would only allow unaffiliated voters to choose to vote as a Democrat or Republican. 

UPDATED 11:12 AM - In the original version, I had Gary Day as a Yes and was mistaken. 

UPDATED: Brooks Wins Pa. 07 Congressional Race

Over the past few weeks, you could feel the momentum moving towards Bob Brooks in the four-way race for the Democratic nomination to the Pa. 07's Congressional District. While the dust is still settling as I write this, it's clear that he is going to be the Democratic nominee against incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie. 

Brooks, who branded himself as an Everyman, easily defeated three other contenders. He had help. Lots of money. Lots of endorsements, including the Governor and the DCCC. Stories about his MAGA social posts and his refusal to pay a judgment obtained by his mother-in-law for the home in which he lives, did manage to make numerous mainstream news outlets. They weren't enough to overcome the momentum. 

At the same time, former NorCo Exec Lamont McClure was unable to gather the funds he needed to be competitive. He lent his campaign $200,000, but that was far from enough. He could usually rely on lots of money from the trade unions, but some of that money went to Brooks, who is President of the Pa. Firefighters' Association. His decision to force Administrator Charles Dertinger to resign over a botched election, hurt him. Dertinger could usually be counted on to raise money for McClure, but I doubt there there was much desire to help in this race. McClure burned a lot of bridges as Executive and was extremely unpopular with county employees. That alone probably cost him about 5,000 votes, to say nothing of 1,600 retirees.  Just recently, he called a County Council member's boss in an attempt to encourage her to vote for a tax break to a developer who wanted to build luxury apartments. Though he adamantly denies pressuring this Council member through her boss, he exhibited very poor judgment. 

McClure actually came in 4th in Lehigh and Monroe County

Had this race gone on a bit longer (thankfully it did not), I believe Crosseell would have won. He had a terrific ground game and came across as both knowledgeable and sincere to voters suspicious of a former Republican who moved here to run. 

Carol Obando-Derstine, the sole woman in the race, should have garnered 17% of the vote simply because she's a woman, and she did. There are some Democrats who are very much into identity politics. According to WFMZ-TV69, she finished with 17% of the vote. In Lehigh County, thanks mostly to Victor Martinez and his Spanish-speaking radio station, she finished with 21.85% of the vote. She even finished second in Monroe County, though the number of voters there was small. 

Brooks will go on to face Ryan Mackenzie in November. While I certainly have no intention of voting for Mackenzie, I will NOT be voting for Brooks. 

In another closely watched primary for State Rep in Allentown's 22d Legislative District, Ce-Ce Gerlach easily defeated Ana Tiburcio. All the King's horses and all the King's men, from Mike Schlossberg to Peter Schweyer, were unable to overcome Gerlach's campaign hustle. 

Northampton County, as usual, had problems. This time, some voters who had received mail-in ballots were incorrectly listed as eligible to vote in e-pollbooks. Perhaps NorCo needs to focus less on pop-up elections and satellite offices and more on ensuring that it can actually do what it is statutorily required to do. 

UPDATED 11:00 AM: Incumbent Ryan Mackenzie had this reaction to Brooks' nomination to Pa. 07:

Allentown, PA — The Mackenzie for Congress campaign issued the following statement in response to Democrats nominating Bob Brooks in PA-07.

“Tonight, after spending millions of dollars in dark money on his behalf, the Democratic establishment got their hand-picked candidate: con-man and fraudster Bob Brooks. These groups steamrolled local Democrats and hijacked the democratic process in order to nominate a corrupt political insider, a wealthy lobbyist with a vast stock portfolio, and someone who has a record of stealing from his own family. The establishment Democrat machine has done this for one reason: they know that Bob Brooks will follow orders from his political bosses, just like he did as a union boss. The people of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos will reject this dumpster fire of a candidate," said Mackenzie for Congress spokesman Arnaud Armstrong. 

“As a result of Brooks’ history of scams and schemes that we heard about throughout the primary, the Mackenzie for Congress campaign is also announcing the launch of the Bob Brooks Hotline. Residents of the community who have been ripped off or targeted by conman and fraudster Bob Brooks - or have other information about his checkered past - can report their experiences by calling (484) 272-4215.”

Check the Facts:

• Bob Brooks takes orders from Shapiro on union endorsements
• Registered lobbyist
• “Working-class” millionaire and stock trader
• Democrat machine runs interference for Brooks
• National Democrats steamroll local activists
• Scamming his in-laws

Following the Money: Who is Backing the NorCo Exec Candidates?

The pre-primary campaign finance reports for all three NorCo Exec candidates are in. Tom Giovanni and Tara Zrinski filed timely reports, which shows they are trying to be transparent. Cozze's report was late and is marked as late. She will be fined. Who is financially supporting these candidates? Let's go over each report.

Tom Giovanni, Republican. (report here) - He's running unopposed and hence has no need to raise money now. But he's managed to raise $7,450, which enables him to purchase campaign signs and increase his name recognition. 

Nearly half of his money ($3.054.67) comes in the form of small contributions ($250 or less) from local Republicans who live in the slate belt, evincing his grass roots support in the northern tier.

He received another $1,750 from political action committees. These include $1500 from Council member John Goffredo's campaign, $250 from former Council candidate Annamarie Robertone and $500 from the McNees PAC. That is a law firm that supports mostly Republican candidates. 

His larger contributions are from Nat Hyman ($500) and Lou Pektor ($1,000). Ironically, Hyman opposes government handouts for commercial development like Dixie while Pektor supports them for a project in Upper Mount Bethel Tp. 

Amy Cozze, Democrat. (report here) - Between the beginning of the year and May 4, Cozze reports having received $59,766 and spending $48,245.97, leaving her with $11,520.03 to spend before the election. She actually has $1,000 more, thanks to a last-minute contribution from Murat Guzel. 

About a quarter of her treasury ($15,810) is in the form of 103 small contributions under $250. But only 30 of them are actually from the county. The rest are from all over, from California to Colorado to D.C. to Myrtle Beach.  I suspect most of these nonlocal donors would not know Cozze if they tripped over her.   

She reports $9,000 in PAC money, the largest being a $5,000 contribution from the Sheetmetal Workers.

She also raked in $33,525 in donations over $250. 

Her biggest contributor is herself. She sunk $7,000 of her own money into the campaign. The biggest donor, outside of herself, is Murat Guzel. He's a Turkish businessman who imports products like figs and sells them here. If you include his $1,000 last-minute contribution, he has donated $5,000 to her. This is no doubt the result of influence from former US Congress member Susan Wild, who has brought him to several SOTU addresses. The Wild influence is also manifested in contributions from State Reps. Mike Schlossberg and Pete Schweyer, each of whom gave $500. 

The most disturbing donations are those from the Pektor empire. Lou Pektor has contributed $3,000 and daughter Lisa followed that up with another $1,000. That's a small price to pay for warehouses in Upper Mount Bethel Tp. She also accepted $1,000 from Plaune Ayazov, CEO of Monocacy Builders. His outfit builds luxury apartments, not exactly affordable housing. 

Given her affinity for these developers, it should come as no surprise that Cozze stated in her debate with Tara Zrinski that "conserving open space as a way to combat warehouse development is just lazy policy."  

It's safe to conclude that her commitment to open space, which has been very important in Northampton County, is very suspect. 

Tara Zrinski, Democrat (report here) - From the beginning of the year through May 4, Zrinski raised $68,088.29. Of this sum, $13.075, or about 19% of her total, is in the form of 76 donations of $250 or less. But unlike Cozze and like Tom Giovanni, these donations are mostly from within the county and from people who know her. Sixty-four of her small donors live here. Many are long-time environmentalists like Zrinski.

She reports far more in PAC money - $32,300.29 - than either Giovanni or Cozze. Most of them are from trade unions. IBEW Local #375 gave her $10,000, and she also received contributions from Laborers Local ($1,000), Plumbers ($2,500), IUPAT ($1,000), Operating Engineers ($5,000) and IBEW Voluntary Fund ($500). 

In Cozze's report, Murat Guzal's contributions, combined with those coming from the Bobbsey twins known as Mike Schlossberg and Pete Schweyer, betray the influence of former Congress member Susan Wild. 

In Zrinski's case, the massive trade union donations reveal the influence of Executive Lamont McClure, a Congressional hopeful, in what appears to be something of a proxy war between these two. 

McClure donated himself as well. He contributed $5,000 from his own warchest to Zrinski. So did two other former county executives. Glenn Reibman kicked in $1,000 and Gerald E "Jerry" Seyfried added $600 from his own pocket. They did more than endorse. They also parted with their own money. 

Zrinski also received a number of donations from county employees. most of them cabinet members. While they have a first amendment right to do so, I get concerned when I see these donations because it looks like these employees are buying their job or might even be victims of macing. So, in that respect, I dislike her report. 

Blogger's Note: I invite you to check out these finance reports yourselves because you may see things I've missed or might have a different interpretation. I consider the review of finance reports an exercise in participatory journalism. Tomorrow, I will get to the Bethlehem Mayoral and NorCo Council races. 

Nomination Petitions Filed in Lehigh Valley State House Races (UPDATED)

Yesterday was the final day for state house candidates to file their nomination petitions in Harrisburg. You can view actual nominating petitions at the Dep't of State webpage.  Below is a listing of those who've filed in the Lehigh Valley's state house districts. In five of the 11 legislative districts, the incumbent is running unopposed. 

Pa House 22: (parts of Allentown and Salisbury Tp). - Joshua M Siegel (incumbent Democrat) is running unopposed for a second term

Pa House 131: (parts of Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton Counties). - Journalist Meriam M Sabih (Upper Saucon) and Paralegal Jayharon Santos (Lower Saucon) seek the Democratic nod. Milou MacKenzie (Lower Saucon (incumbent Republican) seeks her party's nod. 

Pa House 132: (S Whitehall Tp and parts of Allentown and Upper Macungie).  -  Michael Schossberg (incumbent Democrat) is running unopposed. He's been there 10 years. 

Pa House 133: (Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem, Catasauqua, Coplay, Fountain Hill, Hanover Tp (Lehigh) and Whitehall Tp) -  Jeanne McNeall (incumbent Democrat) is running unopposed.  She has been in office since 2018. 

Pa House 134: (Emmaus and parts of Allentown and Salisbury Tp) - Peter Schweyer (incumbent Democrat) is running unopposed. He's been in office since 2014. 

Pa House 135: (NorCo portion of Bethlehem and part of Hanover Tp) - Steve Samuelson (incumbent Democrat) is running unopposed. He was first elected in 1998. 

Pa House 136: (Easton, West Easton, Glendon, Freemansburg, Hellertown, Wilson Borough, Williams Tp, parts of Palmer and Lower Saucon Tps) . -  Easton City Council member Taiba Sultana and incumbent Bob Freeman both seek the Democratic nomination. No Republican has filed.  Freeman is seeking a 20th or 21st term. 

Pa. House 137: (Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth Tps, parts of Palmer and Hanover Tps, Nazareth, Tatamy, - Anna Thomas seeks the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Republican Joe Emrick. This is Thomas' second campaign against Emrick. 

Pa. House 138: (Bangor, Chapman, East Bangor, Pen Argyl, Portland, Roseto, Stockertown and Wind Gap Boroughs; Bushkill, Forks, Lower Mount Bethel, Plainfield, Upper Mount Bethel and Washington Tps; part of Moore Tp) -  Jared Peter Bitting, a teacher in Berks County, seeks the Democratic nod to challenge incumbent Republican Ann Flood. She's been in office since 2021. 

Pa House 183:  (Slatington, Lowhill and N Whitehall in Lehigh County; Bath, Northampton, North Catasauqua and Walnutport Boroughs, Allen, East Allen and Lehigh Tps, parts of Moore Tp, in NorCo. Incumbent Zack Mako, who has held office since 2016, is being challenged by fellow Republican Zachari Halkias, who is a 19 yo member of Slatington Borough Council. Seeking the Democratic nomination is Joseph Lenzi, a sales manager for Coopersburg Kenworth, . 

Pa. House 187:  (Alburtis and Macungie Boroughs; Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lynn, Washington and Weisenberg Tps as well as a portion of Upper Macungie Tp) - Democrat Stephanie Rafes, a physician's assistant, will challenge Republican Gary Day,

Pa. State House Votes For Increase in Minimum Wage, 103-100

A divided state house voted 103-100 to increase the state minimum wage yesterday.

This legislation would increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to:

$11.00 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2024.
$13.00 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2025.
$15.00 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2026.

There would be annual cost-of-living increases beginning in 2027. The bill would also set the minimum wage for tipped workers at 60% of the hourly minimum wage – which has been stuck at $2.83 per hour since the 20th century.

Locally, the legislation was supported by Democrats Bob Freeman, Jeanne McNeill, Steve Samuelson, Mike Schlossberg, Joshua Siegel and Pete Schweyer. It was opposed by Republicans Ryan MacKenzie, Milou MacKenzie, Zach Mako, Ann Flood and Joe Emrick. 

Will the Republican-controlled state senate follow suit?

Unlikely.

Sheila Alvarado Tops Dems in Race For Four Lehigh County Comm'r Seats

Sheila Alvarado, a legislative aide to State Rep. Peter Schweyer, was the top vote getter among seven candidates for four seats on Lehigh County's Board of Comm'rs. She pulled in 13,364 votes, followed by Danny Hartzell (13,115), April Riddick (10,472) and Jon Irons (10.327).

Democrats Victor Martinez, Michael Blichar and Joe Setton fell short. 

Four Republicans - Paul Moat, Rita Sisselberger, Gary S Fedorcha and Jackie Rivera - ran unopposed for the Republican nod. They will face the top for Democrats in November. 

UPDATED: Following the Money in Lehigh County Comm'r Race

Seven Democrats and four Republicans are running for four at-large Lehigh County Comm'r seats. The Republican candidates are running unopposed, but Tuesday's election will narrow the Democratic candidates down to four. The purpose of this story is to tell you about the campaign finance reports that candidates are required to file before the election. This way you know who is financing them and how they are spending campaign funds. 

The seven Democrats in this hunt are Sheila Alvarado, 37, a legislative aide to State Rep. Pet Schweyer; Michael Blichar Jr., 28, an administrator at Northampton Community College; incumbent Dan Hartzell, 72, a retired Morning Call reporter and columnist; Jon Irons, 36, data manager at Communities in Schools of Eastern Pa.; Victor VJ Martinez, owner of the popular La Mega radio station;  April Riddick; 55, a community activist and project manager; and realtor Joe Setton, who briefly served as an appointed South Whitehall Township Commissioner. A more detailed biography of all seven Democrats can be found at Pennsylvania Capital Star. 

Sheila Alvarado raised $2,285, all of it was in the form of small contributions of $250 or less. This included a $150 contribution from fellow candidate Danny Hartzell. She did accept an in-kind from her boss, Peter Schweyer for printing expenses. Other than that, she garnered none of the usual PAC contributions that litter campaign finance reports. She spent $915.91, mostly for yard signs. 

Michael Blichar raised $942.19, including an amazing $150 from fellow candidate Dan Hartzell. Like Alavarado, he relied on small contributions He spent $383.19, mostly for yard signs. 

Dan Hartzell  apparently has a distaste for money in politics. He started this race with $1,365.84, and only raised $150 from Lehigh Connty Exec Phil Armstrong ($100) and South Whitehall Tp Comm'r Brad Osborne ($50). As you can see, he gave $150 contributions to two of the candidates running against him. He did not use his PAC, but gave out of his own pocket. 

Hartzell spent $503.50 for palm cards, and has $1,012.34 going into the closing days of the campaign. 

Let's see. This guy gave to people running against him and only raised $150. It's almost like he wants to lose. That's exactly the kind of person you want to keep in office. 

Jon Irons raised $9,702 and in-kind contributions of $2,716.51. Over $4,000 came in the form of small contributions of $250 or less, including donations from Controller Mark Pinsley ($150) and Comm'r Dave Harrington ($100). His larger contributions are from St. Lukes' Dr. Michael Pipestone ($2,500), Elaine Mickel ($1,000, Illinois), Jonetta Irons ($1,000, Illinois), Joseph Irons ($500, Illinois) and Randall Bongarten ($300, NY),  His in-kinds are from Lehigh Valley Stands Up ($1,500, vote builder access) and $1,000 from photographer Adam Hoff for head shots. (He must have a very big head).

Irons spent $7585.20 for three mailers, palm cards and yard signs. 

He has $2,100 going into the closing days of this race. 

Victor Martinez self-funded his campaign with $4,300.  He spent $4,187.80, and most of that went for yard signs and campaign T-shirts.  Victor Martinez  spoke out against a proposal to have social workers, and not cops, respond to 9-1-1 calls. He is also a relentless supporter of diversity in  government. 

April Riddick missed the reporting deadline. She told me she was a little under the weather, has only $100, and it totally slipped her mind. I appreciate her honesty. During the course of our conversation, I learned that she has coached T-ball for the past 30 years. She's an exceptional person, even if her views and mine differ. 

I was unable to locate an expense report for Joe Setton. He has a campaign website and signs, so he obviously has spent money. I called the number listed on his campaign page as well as his realtor office. I also emailed him. I've received no reply. It's possible he filed and his report just never made it to  the county web page. It's also possible that he failed to file.

The four Republican candidates are Jacqueline Rivera, Rita Sisselberger, Gary S. Fedorcha and Paul Moat. They are running unopposed.  I will wait to delve into their backgrounds and finances until the general election. 

Updated 1;10 pm: Setton filed! Joe Setton adevised me this morning that he did, in fact, filedhjis campaign finance report on May 3. I was unable to locate it yesterday but found it now. Setton spent $1310 out of his own pocket. He fails to indicated how the money was spent, butit was obviously on signs and a webpage. 

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. 

Allentown's Pa-22 Gets 2d Latin Candidate

Pennsylvania House District 22, located in parts of Allentown's east side and center city, is no longer a home to the Pennsylvania Dutch. It is now dominated by the Latin community. But it has still retained a Dutchy as State Rep. Peter Schweyer, a former Allentown City Council member, has held the seat since 2015. A career politician, he certainly will seek re-election. 

While I'd love to see a Spanish-speaking Latin or Hispanic get elected, I've been terribly disappointed by Enid Santiago. She appears to have no real grasp of the issues, and was just as quick as Donald Trump to claim election fraud when she lost her last try. 

Fortunately, there's a second Latin candidate entering the fray. Norberto Dominguez will be announcing his candidacy on March 25, 5:30 pm, at the Arts Pocket Park. That's fitting. He''s one of the founders of the Guild of Creative Citizens,a nonprofit intended to bring artistic people together. 

According to a news release, his family is one of the first Dominican families to arrive in Allentown back in the 70s. 

His father was a steelworker and union man at Allentown’s Gulf Western for 38 years. His mom was a seamstress. Hehas said that the hard-working people in his district remind him of his parents.

Norberto considered running a few years ago, but was forced to withdraw when his nomination petition was challenged.

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.   

Geoff Brace Seeks Re-Election in Lehigh County

Geoff Brace, who incidentally is the Lehigh Valley's first ever blogger, is seeking re-election to his seat on Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners. He represents District Four, which consists of portions of both center city and the west end. 

I have very high regard for Geoff, who has attempted to approach governing in a nonpartisan manner. Although he's a card-carrying member of the Jenn Mann Mob (Schlossberg, Schweyer, Thiel, Tuerk, Robinson), he has managed to maintain his personal integrity. 

Here's part of his announcement: 

“The year 2020 was an earthquake that shook our nation,” said Brace. “In a dramatic way, it exposed the inequities and injustices we need to acknowledge and face.” 

Throughout 2020, Brace introduced legislation to deliver aid to small businesses and community groups throughout Lehigh County slammed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As a result, millions of dollars of relief found their way into the hands of people directly affected by the largest public health crisis in more than a century.  Additionally, Brace led efforts to advance criminal justice reform in Lehigh County by redirecting nearly $500,000 to bolster youth violence prevention efforts, re-entry services, homelessness prevention programs and make more resources available to the public defender's office.  This was all done without raising property taxes or laying off any county employees during an economic crisis. 

“The year 2021 is the year we begin to rebuild our communities, stronger than they ever were before,” Brace remarked. “We need to do so equitably. We need to do it responsibly. We need to do it with an eye on what Lehigh County will be in in the year 2121, a century from today. None of us will be here then, but the decisions we make now can build a legacy that our grandchildren and great-great grandchildren will enjoy.”

First elected in 2013, Brace is currently in his second term.  He was unanimously elected Chair of the Board of Commissioners at the January 4, 2021 reorganization meeting.  In 2020, he was Chair of the Development & Planning Committee and Vice Chair of the Governance Committee.  In 2018, he served as Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners.  When taking office in 2014, Brace was one of two Democrats on a Republican-dominated board.  Since then, he has worked tirelessly to build a stronger progressive majority, grounded in common sense, independent of special interests and focused on serving the best interests of Lehigh County. 

Since taking office, Brace’s legislative efforts have included efforts to protect Lehigh County’s environment through a sustainable energy investment program for businesses and clean water through the Lehigh County Conservation District.  He has focused on strengthening the safety net that provides for seniors at Cedarbrook nursing home, human services for children and youth, mental health, intellectual disabilities and the homeless.  He worked with other Commissioners to eliminate pay-to-play politics and supports campaign fiancé reform which ends the influence of big campaign dollars and special interests. 

“I am eager to tackle the challenges we face and hope the voters of District 4 will be too,” Brace added.  “I look forward to fulfilling the mission of rebuilding our region in a way that reflects our shared values, where Liberty and Justice for All are more than the concluding part of the pledge we say at the beginning of our meetings. By focusing on a strong economic recovery, strong democracy and safe environment, we can achieve this mission in Lehigh County.”

Brace lives in Center City Allentown with his wife Sara, who is the Administrative Director at the Volunteers of America Children’s Center and their son Isaac, who attends the Allentown School District.  His brother Doug is also a Center City resident.  His parents, Dale and Maria, live on Allentown’s West End. 

In the community, Geoff has been active as a volunteer on the Allentown Zoning Hearing Board, Old Allentown Preservation Association, Board of Governors at St. Luke’s Hospital Allentown, Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce (Downtown Allentown Business Alliance).  He is an ordained Deacon at the Zion Liberty Bell UCC in Allentown where he was instrumental in starting a homeless breakfast ministry.

Brace is currently Legislative Assistant to State Representative Mike Schlossberg, where he oversees legislation, policy and communication for the 132nd legislative district. Geoff has developed extensive experience in community and economic development, having worked for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, Kutztown Community Partnership, Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the West Chester Business Improvement District. He uses these experiences to benefit Lehigh County and promote vibrant communities.

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. 

Enid Santiago Now Wants Election She Lost Decertified

State House candidate Enid Santiago lost her bid to unseat incumbent Pete Schweyer in the June 2 primary by a mere 55 votes. On election day, she was quite upset when she discovered an election judge who was darkening ballots so they could be read by a scanner. In another precinct, the election judge got off to a late start because of unfamiliarity with the equipment. At yet a third polling place, pollworkers mistakenly used the wrong provisional ballot. She ranted on Facebook and held press conferences, but failed to complain where it mattered most - she never requested a recount or recanvass. Results were officially certified on June 22. The Elections Board did agree, on July 29, to refer her complaints about an election judge to the District Attorney and Attorney General. Though the election is final, she's now claiming the results must be decertified.

Good luck with that.

This "formal request" comes from JustLaws (no office address) Steve Masters. He contends that the number of voters reported in Lehigh County's canvass (4339) is less than the number of voters reported by the Department of State (4440). He goes on to note that, in two precincts, there were actually 29 more voters than the state reported. Because of this discrepancy, he immediately claims there is fraud and demands the results be decertified.

His argument has several flaws.

The biggest of these is that he has no direct evidence of fraud. None

In addition, he is relying on Vote Builder, a Democratic tool, and not the Department of State.

Third, he asserts that the Elections Board has already found fraud. That's untrue. It has instead referred the matter to prosecutors, and it is up to them to make that determination, and only with respect to one election judge.

Fourth, he cites a 29 vote difference. In one precinct with two extras voters, they are likely voters who cast no vote in that specific race. This is common and is called an undervote. In the precinct with a 27 vote differential, those are Republicans.

Stevens' four-page demand is frivolous. His letter copies his client but there's no indication he bothered to notify Schweyer, the candidate who actually won. Talk about fairness.

Updated 8:10 am: Blogger Chris Casey has also weighed in with more detail. .

Chris Casey Notes Irregularities in HB 22 Race

Blogger Chris Casey has picked up on what certainly seems like an irregularity in the HB22 race that pitted challenger Enid Santiago against incumbent Pete Schweyer. The Elections Board has already referred a Santiago complaint about an elections judge to DA Jim Martin. Casey reports that a voter who lives in that district was surprised to get a ballot in the mail, especially since that person has no Internet and has no recollection of requesting one. According to this voter, someone actually appeared at the residence in late May to ask if a ballot had been received. This voter also told Casey that the same thing happened to a neighbor who clammed up when Casey approached this person.

These voters reside in Overlook, a government-subsidized housing project where Enif=d Santiago is employed.

I called Santiago to ask what she knows, if anything, about these claims. I have yet to hear back from her, but when I do, I'll tell you what she knows.

LC Elections Board Refers State's First Transsexual Elections Judge For Criminal Investigation

Erika Bickford, wearing skirt, blue blouse with Roman collar,
baseball cap decorated with flowers and lipstick

It's too late to contest the election results in which incumbent State Rep. Peter Schweyer barely beat back newcomer Enid Santiago's attempt to unseat him in the June 2 primary. He won by a scant 55 votes amidst loud complaints of rampant election fraud and voter suppression. Unfortunately for Santiago, she failed to complain where it mattered most  - in court. Absent a challenge, election results were officially certified on June 22. Gringo Peter Schweyer will continue to represent a state house district created specifically for Latinos, at least until November. Santiago can claim a victory of sorts as well. On Wednesday, Lehigh County's Election Board referred her complaints about election judge Erika Bickford to both Lehigh County DA Jim Martin and State AG Josh Shapiro. I'd agree there's a villain in this story, but it's not Bickford. It's a pandemic under which Voting Registrar Tim Benyo lost 40 polling places and half his pollworkers. In the midst of a shutdown, he was forced to hope replacements would watch training videos. Many, including Bickford, missed them. Given what Lehigh County faced, it's actually a miracle that the presidential primary went as well as it did. 

LC Voting Registrar Tim Benyo
is an avid cyclist. His team is
called "The Jim Thorpers."  

The Election Board heard more than five hours of testimony, starting at the unholy hour of 8 am. Whomever decided on that as a starting time should be taken out and shot. Seriously. It's a three person panel made up of Executive Phil Armstrong, Doris Glaesmann and Jane Irwin. They were advised by Attorney Emil Giordano, who pretty much ran the show.

And what a show it was! A parade of 13 witnesses was called by Philadelphia-area Attorney Steve Masters, who represented Santiago. His lawfirm is named JustLaws, "an innovative social impact law firm in Philadelphia combining traditional legal services with strategic consulting around political and community engagement." When speaking about Latinos, he made sure to use the word "Latinx." He was very politically correct and is certainly woke. But as a lawyer, he could have been better. You don't call Spanish witnesses without having arranged in advance for an independent interpreter. I've seen lawyers get beheaded for that kind of mistake. Fortunately for him, Armstrong was able to wrangle one. Masters also called witnesses like the GOP Vice Chair, who was just there to express opinions about how stupid Democrats are. We already knew that. I'm a Democrat myself.

Enid Santiago: "This is not over." 

Rather than summing up each witness, let me point out the problems noted:

* Bickford was Judge of Elections (JOE) at the government center. She has been an elections judge for nine years and testified she is the state's first ever transsexual elections judge. Registrar Tim Benyo noted she's "not the best election judge that we have and not the worst." Bickford readily conceded that she darkened some of the markings on ballots, and fed a few ballots into the scanners for seniors. She admitted there were Peter Schweyer pens at her polling place, but they were brought in by voters, not her. She acknowledged telling Santiago outside the immediate polling area that she supports Schweyer and considers him extended family. "His kids call me Aunt Erika." She made these statements as other voters walked by. "I altered no ballots," she insisted. "Had I altered ballots, [Enid] would not have won [my precinct] two to one. Benyo believes Bickford. "Her work isn't that great, but I never found her to be malicious," said the county's chief election clerk. "I don't think she thought she was doing anything wrong."

* The Fearless Fire polling place opened about 45 minutes late. JOE Sharon Smith said she was completely unaware of the training videos until the day prior to the election. Because of this lack of training, she experienced technical issues when trying to open the polls. Jose Rosado, who was volunteering there, said voters streamed out complaining "They don't know what they're doing; they're not ready; we weren't able to vote."

* Anthony Kyzer, JOE at LANTA Bus, said his precinct received the wrong provisional ballots. This was not noticed until around 5 pm. He said he received a total of nine provisional ballots, seven of them from Democrats. Once it was known he had the wrong provisional ballots, voters were told to use the write-in option. During the canvass, Benyo indicated those write-ins were counted.

* Several witnesses, including Santiago, testified that most Latinx have two surnames. This makes it difficult for pollworkers to find them in the epollbooks. Attorney Masters was quick to brand this a form of voter suppression aimed at Latinx voters. I disagree. Since this problem affects everyone with a hyphenated surname, regardless of ethnic persuasion, I believe it's a question of data entry. I have experienced this issue both as a JOE and as a title searcher. We get confused by hyphenated or double surnames.

* Tim Benyo, Lehigh County's Voting Registrar, said that as a result of the pandemic, the county lost 40 polling places. This resulted in some confusion among voters. In addition to losing polling places, about half of the election workers opted to sit out this election. This forced the county to scramble for new pollworkers. Since the county was in the red zone and county offices were closed, it was impossible to train them. Training videos were emailed, but many pollworkers never saw them.

* Benyo insisted there was no fraud evident in Bickford's district because the number of voters who signed in corresponded with the ballots cast.

* Benyo added that JOEs and other election officials are often elected, and not appointed. Even if an elected official is incompetent, he has no authority to replace that person.

After the hearing, Santiago claimed from home that the state AG had someone viewing the entire proceedings in a separate room.  "We are making history," she contended. "This is not over."

Of course not. She will now wage a write-in campaign and Allentown voters will face another three months of histrionics.

One example is her complete turnaround on Benyo. On election day, he was her "angel in disguise." Now, he's a devil. She is quoted in The Morning Call as saying "he failed the voters, he failed me, he failed the city and he failed the county."

Updated 8 am: Blogger Michael Molovinsky has weighed in as well. He warns that the Election Board's political decision to appease Santiago by throwing Bickford under the buss will backfire. "If Chief Election Clerk Tim Benyo thought he had a problem getting people to work the polls for the primary, wait until November."

Emil Giordano To Advise LC Election Board Today in Santiago Dispute

Many criminal defense lawyers believe that, if you have a good legal argument, you're best shot is with a Democratic judge. Of course, if you lose the motion, your client is toast. When you have nothing going for you at all, it's best to plead guilty in front of a Republican jurist. There are notable exceptions to this rule, but they tend to have more empathy for criminals. They tend to be fair-minded and level-headed. One of my favorites was Judge Emil Giordano. He could sentence someone to 1,000 years in the electric chair, and as deputies dragged the poor bastard away, he'd be thanking Giordano. Unfortunately, Judge Giordano left the bench to return to private practice. This is a great loss to Northampton County, especially to bottom-feeding bloggers like me. I'm running out of Republicans with whom I can seek sanctuary after pissing everyone off. But our loss is Lehigh County's gain. Today, at 8 am, Giordano will be acting as Solicitor to Lehigh County's Election Board when it hears state house candidate Enid Santiago's complaint concerning irregularities in her race against incumbent Peter Schweyer. 

As I told you yesterday, she's upset that an election judge at Lehigh County Gov't Center was darkening ballots. She has claimed both fraud and voter suppression. 

From what I've been able to gather, there was voter suppression. But it was coming from Enid Santiago. Inside the polling place, she was telling voters not to vote for Schweyer.  She was making such a scene inside that Lehigh County deputies asked her twice to leave the precinct, and she refused twice.  

She is going against a strong public interest in the finality of an election. A hearing on July 29 concerning an election on June 2 is ridiculous.

Updated 8:25 am: Santiago's hearing is being broadcast on her Facebook page. 

Republicans Ask DA to Investigate Schweyer-Santiago Primary

Erika Lynn in hot seat

Say what you will about Everett Bickford, but no one can deny he's colorful. Years ago his alter ego was Apples The Clown. He also was a nondenominational wedding minister whose "Sapphire" package cost $100. In recent years, he or she often wears a dress and prefers to be called Erika. Occasionally, when the mood strikes him, he wears pants and becomes Everett again. Everett, or if you prefer, Erika, is also an election judge. During the June 2 primary, he was caught darkening some pale circles on the recent paper primary ballots. Bickford contended that he was only darkening those circles already inadequately filled in by voters. But some say he was darkening them for just one of the candidates, incumbent State Rep. Pete Schweyer. Enid Santiago, his opponent, lost the race by 55 votes and wants a new election. And now, the county Republican party wants Lehigh County DA Jim Martin to investigate.

I have known Everett (Erika) a long time. He was one of those who stood up for minority merchants on Hamilton Street in 2007 when LANTA summarily eliminated several stops that essentially ruined their businesses.

Republicans claim their sole motivation is to insure voter integrity, regardless of who the candidates are, or even to what party they belong. I suppose a cynic might wonder if they feel that Santiago would be a weaker opponent against their candidate come November, except that there is none.

No Republican is running in the race.

It is my impression that Election Chief Clerk Tim Benyo runs a tight office in Lehigh County. However, I suppose that the process can never suffer from too much scrutiny.

But be careful what you wish for. I've been hearing ugly rumors about this race. The parties spreading these stories are unwilling to speak on the record, so I am unwilling to repeat them. But they have nothing to do with Everett or Erika. If the rumors are true, this story will continue.

Blogger's Note: This story was a co-written by fellow blogger Michael Molovinsky.

Where is Governor Wolf's Executive Order

Governor Tom Wolf has done it again. In 2018, to settle a frivolous lawsuit brought by failed Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein, he imposed an unfunded mandate on all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties to purchase brand new voting systems with voter verifiable paper trails. Now it's worse - an unfunded mandate on the working poor. With absolutely no consideration to the hardship he is causing, he yesterday commanded all "nonessential" businesses to shutter their doors for the next two weeks. He never bothers to define exactly what makes a business "nonessential." He does make clear that his "order," which really is no order at all, applies to restaurants, nail and hair salons, gyms, community centers and the mall. Some of these people will be able to collect unemployment. Many more will suffer. Servers and nail techs who rely heavily on tips, will see no income at all. But this is for their own good, says Wolf.

I'm sure they'd appreciate a paid holiday, but what Wolf has done is going to hurt the very people who can least afford the sacrifice.

I searched high and low for Wolf's Executive Order and see nothing. I believe there is none. During his news conference, he actually admitted he had no intention of enforcing his edict. But that's small consolation to many people who will see no income. Wolf discussed unemployment and loans, completely oblivious to the reality that many people in this gig economy rely heavily on tips for most of their income. In some cases, they are independent contractors, very much a part of the working poor that caters to the middle class.

I heard some government workers express joy at being shut down because they know they will be getting a paid vacation. But for many people who work hard for what little they earn, this means rents will be late and there will be a little less food in the fridge. In some cases, a lot less food.

Although Wolf has made clear he considers waitresses and hairdressers nonessential, he really has failed to define precisely what he means by a nonessential business. How about a warehouse? Law office? Landscaper?

In a news release, he claims to have offered guidance on what constitutes a nonessential businesses, but that is simply untrue. This supposed guidance lists examples, but provides no definition.

Wolf is a millionaire who drives a Jeep to pretend he is an everyman. But he's really an elitist with no clue what harm he has just done to many hard-working people who break no laws and just struggle to get by.

Now there are those who say these closures are necessary in the war against the cornavirus. The countries that have experienced the best outcomes did nothing like this, but instead relied on quarantines. But let's assume the public health warriors are right. Before closing a place down, a good Governor would take care of those who are negatively impacted. He would also explain more clearly what exactly needs to close. But Wolf has proven repeatedly that he's a bad Governor.

I tried calling in to a townhall conducted by Congressman Susan Wild last night to ask about these nonessential businesses. She had Sate Rep. Peter Schweyer there and perhaps he could explain (1) whether there is an Executive Order; (2) whether it contains a definition of nonessential businesses; and (3) whether the state intends to reimburse the people it has hurt.

The screener was unfortunately unable to hear me, so my questions went unanswered.

If any of you have a link to an Exec Order from Wolf, please post it. It certainly is within his power to do so, but I do not think he has actually entered an order.

Wolf's Politically Inspired Veto Punishes Counties

Governor Tom Wolf  may pretend he's a regular guy driving a Jeep Wrangler, but the reality is that he's a partisan hack. He just proved it, too. Let me tell you the story.

Last year, in an effort to settle a lawsuit about election security, Wolf ordered all 67 counties to use voting systems with voter-verifiable paper trails in time for next year's Presidential election.  This was an unfunded mandate that cost both Lehigh and Northampton County around $5 million. But we had no reason to fear. Wolf promised to visit the money tree in Harrisburg at budget time.

After some initial reluctance by the GOP, the state legislature finally groaned and agreed to give counties up to $90 million to help reimburse this cost. At last week's NorCo Council meeting, member John Cusick thanked State Senators Lisa Boscola and Mario Scavello for their support. He urged Governor Wolf to sign it.

Guess what? On Friday, Governor Wolf vetoed it. .

Governor Wolf's veto is the result of a provision that also eliminates straight-party voting. This allows a voter to select one political party's complete slate of candidates with a single mark. In his veto message, Wolf reasoned "the isolated removal of a convenient voting option (the straight-party button) would increase waiting times and could discourage participation."

Elimination of the straight-party option made it unacceptable to partisan hacks who happen to be Democrats. In the House, only four Democrats voted for the bill. In the Senate, Boscola was one of only three Democrats to vote Yes.

Locally, all Democratic State Representatives voted against the measure. The last thing Mike Schlossberg, Pete Schweyer, Steve Samuelson or Bob Freeman wants is an informed voter. They want lever pullers. This leads to one-party rule, and the result is political corruption.

Like Fed Ed.

Or Reading's Mayor.

Or Scranton's Mayor.

Ironically, in states where Democrats are a minority, elimination of straight-party voting is favored. In Oklahoma, for example, State Democratic Chair Anna Langthorn decries the practice in her state, saying it enables "uneducated voting."

Here in Pennsylvania, African American lawmakers blasted the elimination of the straight-ticket as a racist attempt to suppress voting by those with limited literacy or access to information.

In defending this arcane and outdated practice, these so-called representatives have slurred the intelligence of the voiceless they pretend to champion

Pennsylvania is one of only eight states that still allow straight-party voting.

What kills me is that this is a pretty good compromise bill.  Counties get some badly needed money to comply with Wolf's imperial decree. In addition, the vetoed bill would expanded absentee-voting deadlines. In other words, it would make voting more inclusive. Under current law, absentee ballots must be received by the elections office no later than the Friday before an election. Ballots received after that date, no matter when postmarked, are rejected.

Under the vetoed changes, elections officials would be required to accept absentee ballots received as long as a week after the election, so long as they were post-marked the Friday before the election.

Since this was a close vote, I doubt there's any ability to override Wolf's political veto. Besides, there are partisan hacks in the GOP, too, and they love the idea of blaming Wolf and Democrats for screwing counties.

NorCo Council member John Cusick said he is disappointed at Wolf's veto of compromise legislation, saying it has created a "massive unfunded mandate on local property taxpayers across the Commonwealth." Executive Lamont McClure echoed the disappointment, but he adds, "[W]e remain convinced Governor Wolf will make good on his promise to the counties."

And my rent check's in the mail.

NorCo Council Prez Ron Heckman and Peg Ferraro want the state legislature and Governor Wolf to do the right  thing and resolve their differences.

Why start now?

My own view is that counties will never see a dime from the state.

Allentown: 10 People Shot, 7 Cops Added

As you may have heard, 10 people were shot and injured early Thursday outside the Deja Vu nightclub in Allentown. This is a sure indication that summer has arrived. Fortunately, no one was killed in what is being called the worst mass shooting in Queen City history. There will be those who will use this incident to clamor for more gun control despite knowing nothing about this shooting. State Representatives Pete Schweyer and his Bobbsy Twin, Mike Schlossberg, have already beat their chests and pointed to a need for more anti-violence programs. Do we really all need to learn it's wrong to shoot each other? Of course, everyone's hearts go out to the poor victims. Everyone except me. They refuse to cooperate and could end up being tomorrow's shooters.

No one has a magic wand he can wave to solve this problem. I do know this. The more cops there are, the less shootings. On the very morning of this shooting, Allentown swore in seven new police officers.

There are now 216 police officers.