What Do You Think When You Hear the Word "Easton"?

Lafayette College has a student organization called Pards to People, based on the People to People organization founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to advance international understanding, tolerance, and world peace through direct people-to-people contact.

Yesterday, I received a thoughtful email from its president, sophomore Alan Raisman. Let me share part of it with you.

I founded this with the belief that Lafayette College and the city of Easton can develop a better relationship. ... Last year, I worked hard making an impression in the city and trying to meet the people who make a difference every day in the city of Easton. In the past year, Pards to People has worked with Gary Bertsch and Sal Panto, the two candidates running for Mayor; Penelope Fennell, the vice president of Easton's NAACP; Kim Kmetz from Easton's Main Street Initiative; Anita Mitchell from the Easton Area Community Center; Christina Hagan from the Family YMCA, Debbie Metz from the Easton Area Senior Center; among others. Pards to People has a great list of events for this year, but I want to implement one project early on.

Throughout my freshmen year, I heard different comments about the city made by people throughout Easton. The variety of remarks astonished me, and I wanted to take a simple task of listening one step further. I am compiling a list of words that describe Easton. That list will be compiled of the words given to me by members of the Easton community: students, faculty, business owners, residents, etc. I am asking you to think of one word that comes to mind when you think of Easton. Please email that word to me. If you wish to include a brief explanation on why you chose that word, that would be great. In January, over my winter break, I am going to see how each category of words break down, whether it be by age, by sex, by location, etc.

I want to implement this project throughout the entire city. If you would please ask everyone in your store, committee, group, etc. to send me a word, I would greatly appreciate it. Any other information about themselves that they would like to send would be appreciated as well. I would like to try to classify these words as directly as possible, by age, by gender, by location, etc. This project will hopefully bring a deeper understanding to what the citizens think about their city. After the recent events in Kutztown, I realized that we all need to understand the true meaning of where we live before its too late. Taking a look at the words of hopefully thousands of people will give people a greater appreciate for where they live. Thank you very much. I look forward to reading the various responses, and I would be happy to meet with any of you individually to implement this project in the city.

I asked Alan if he wanted to post his question here, and he agreed. "I am going to look at the words in particular areas, so if you could have them include information about themselves or whatever they would like, I would appreciate that too. I want to classify them by gender, age, job description, and location."

So if you can think of a word that describes Easton, post it here with some information about yourself. or better yet, contact Alan directly at raismana@lafayette.edu.

Portland's "Nonpolitical" Masons Exclude Ron Angle From Event Open to Public

Portland's Masonic Lodge celebrated its 150th birthday yesterday. Festivities included a dinner, dedication of a new slate sign and an Eagle Scout project. The Pocono Record claimed, "Everyone is invited to attend."

Everyone except Ron Angle.

Councilman Ron Angle, represents Northampton County's slate belt district, and decided to attend this public event. He was actually personally invited by some masons. He arrived armed with a plaque, commending this fraternal group, although I frankly don't know what exactly it has done.

While standing in the parking lot and speaking to Portland Mayor Kay Bucci, Angle was approached by "Worshipful Master" Larry Bruen.

"I wish you'd reconsider attending tonight's dinner, Ron."

"Are you telling me I can't go in?"

"I didn't say that. I'm just asking you to reconsider."

Also standing in the parking lot was Pennsylvania's very own Grand Master, Ronald August. He agreed to go in and sort out the problem. After going inside for a time, somber and apologetic faces emerged. Angle was told he was unwelcome.

"Why not?"

"Charles Dertinger claims you don't like masons."

Now let me tell you why Angle was really banished from this public event. Council member Charles Dertinger, himself a long-time mason in Portland, was there with his own commemorative plaque. And Tony Branco was his guest. You see, Tony is running for election to an at large seat on Northampton County Council. And since no one knows Tony outside of Hellertown, Charles is trying to get poor Tony a few votes.

But the last person he wanted to see was Ron Angle, who's also running for reelection. He didn't mind shaking a few hands to help out Tony, but didn't want Angle to benefit in any way. He was afraid Angle, as he usually does, would steal their thunder. So he duped this supposedly nonpolitical group to prevent Angle from attending an event that was supposed to be open to all.

Charles' brother, Sean C. Dertinger, is actually the secretary of his esteemed organization, which refuses to admit women as members.

Why would anyone, on council or not, want to congratulate a group that excludes women as members? Why would Masons, in the presence of their Grand Dragon or whatever they call him, allow themselves to be used by Dertinger for partisan politics? Why would it ask one member of county council to leave a celebration supposedly open to all? Why would it permit two other council members to remain?

Norco's Election Chair, Wally G, Doing Partisan Radio Show ... Again!

Wally G is on the air again!

Last year, between Labor Day and election time, he hosted a highly partisan, weekly radio show that repeatedly slammed Congressman Charlie Dent.

Who is Wally G? Why, he's Northampton County Elections Commission chair Walter R. Garvin. When Republicans found out, they went ballistic. Northampton County Council's solicitor, Leonard Zito, told council an elections commission is a quasi judicial body. It often makes decisions that are essentially judicial. Members must avoid the appearance of impropriety, and conduct themselves with impartiality.

So after getting this advice from a former judge, what does Wally G do? He hosts another talk radio show, which went on all of this week, bashing the Republicans again.

Is this how he avoids the appearance of impropriety? If there is a close election, and Republicans lose, don't you think some of them are going to start pointing fingers?

Garvin branded a helpful elections report as "pure partisan politics." But if he wants a real example of that, he need only look in a mirror.

Dr. Strangelove at Easton's Riverside Festival This Saturday Night

It's coming.

This Saturday, Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, will be shown under the stars, FREE!

Where? Riverside ampitheatre in downtown Easton, along the Delaware River.

Time? Once it gets dark.

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."

PACleanSweep: Get Rid of ALL Incumbent Judges

Joe Owens isn't going to like this. He has praised Northampton County jurist Steve Baratta as "a veteran judge, an accomplished former prosecutor and longtime contributing member of the community. He deserves retention."

I'm not sure that any judge ever deserves retention. And I'm very unhappy with Baratta, primarily because he is part of a judicial branch that has become far too arrogant in Northampton County.

PACleanSweep, a reform movement that rose from the ashes of an illegal legislative payraise, is urging "every Pennsylvanian to go to the polls on November 6 and cast a resounding NO vote in every one of these retention races."

Locally, that includes Northampton County's Steve Baratta and Lehigh County's Bob Steinberg.

Norco Elections Commission Chair: Report "Pure Partisan Politics"

A citizens' advisory panel report of Northampton County's election woes was released to the public on Tuesday. It makes fifteen recommendations, and contains an entire page of notes devoted to the erratic behavior of Registrar, Debbie DePaul.

Express Times reporter Sarah Cassi tells us this task force report has come under attack.

Northampton County Elections Commission Chair Walter R. Garvin - "pure partisan politics."

Northampton County Councilman and Democratic committeeman Charles Dertinger - "flies in the face of an independent elections office."

HRH DePaul - ""I'm sure there are Republicans that want me to leave."

The author of this report, Russ Shade, is a Democrat. So is Dick Benner, a former voting registrar who also served on this committee. Greta Browne? She ran for Congress, twice, as a Green party candidate. Republican Peg Ferarro resigned from the task force long before it got down to the dirty work of preparing a summary.

That leaves panel member L. Jack Bradt. He's so Republican he has elephants on his pajamas, but he was also the task force member kindest to DePaul.

So let's do the math. Two Democrats, one Republican and one Green are accused of producing a highly partisan report designed to drive HRH DePaul from office.

Partisan politics? I'll tell you about that next time.

Morganelli Should Come Clean About Backstabbing Email

John Morganelli's AG campaign camp has been nailed for sending anonymous emails that backstab potential rival Chris Casey as a closet Republican. Another rival, Jim Eisenhower, is praised as "our best choice." Morganelli is dismissed a "2-time loser and non-factor."

Harrisburg Patriot News correspondent Brett Lieberman broke this story, noting that the knucklehead sending these anonymous emails, did so from an email account registered to John Morganelli's family.

Morganelli has since "taken responsibility" for these political hi jinks. He denies anyone from his family is involved. He even denies that supporters Lamont McClure and Tom Severson, who specialize in dirty politics, had anything to do with this backfired smear. But he won't identify the culprit. He just says those responsible are no longer on his campaign team. "ALL persons with access are not working for the campaign anymore."

I know John Morganelli. I believe him. It could very well be that he has no desire to embarrass a young and overzealous volunteer. Perhaps he just rid his campaign of anyone who might have sent such an email.

But those who don't know John so well want answers.

Capitolwire's Pete DeCoursey, whose report appears in PoliticsPA, sagely notes that if there are two words you don't want to see associated with the state's top crime dog, "they are 'over' and 'zealous.'"

Comments at Keystone Politics, a Democratic blog, have also been highly critical. "What is there to lose in revealing the person whose foolishness committed this comedy unless it is Morganelli himself - makes one wonder." ... "Morganelli continues to duck the big question. I am not sure how Morganelli expects to run for top cop if he can’t come clean."

And tenacious Brett Leiberman just won't go away. He asks his readers,"[I]f voters can't trust him to give them a straight answer on who is using his e-mail account, can they trust him to run a nonpartisan and professional department?"

Brett is right. Voters are unlikely to trust Morganelli until he identifies the person responsible for the botched email slur.

Perhaps it's Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli. I sure hope it's not Sam Bennett.

Pennsylvania's Slow Moving State Apparatchiks Ignore Prison Overcrowding

Blue Coyote's at it again. He got to me yesterday with the full text of Chief Justice Ralp Cappy's moving resignation letter. And now he's howling again. This time, it's over a state parole board that allows inmates to rot inside Northampton County's overcrowded prison.

Slow moving state apparatchiks? Not in Pennsylvania. Quelle surprise! And they did such a wonderful job clearing the highways last winter.

PBS 39 Offers Special Programming For Hispanic Heritage Month

PBS 39 has sent me a press release announcing special programming during Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, 2007. let me share it with you.

(Lehigh Valley, PA) September 12, 2007-- From comedian George Lopez to artist Diego Rivera, PBS will present a number of broadcast premieres and encore presentations that recognize the cultural, historical and societal impact of America's growing Hispanic community. The programs air during Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated each year from September 15 - October 15.

AMERICAN MASTERS, which pioneered the television biography genre, continues to offer insightful profiles of important figures in America's artistic and cultural life.

"Orozco: Man of Fire," Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 9 - 10 p.m.
This is the vibrant story of an artist whose dramatic life, iconoclastic personality and dynamic painting changed the way we see art and politics.

"Rivera in America," Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 10 - 11 p.m.
Considered the greatest Mexican painter of the 20th century, Diego Rivera had a profound effect on the international art world. In a series of visits to America from 1930 to 1940, Rivera brought his unique vision to public spaces and galleries, enlightening and inspiring artists and laymen alike.

BROWN IS THE NEW GREEN: GEORGE LOPEZ AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
Friday, September 28, 2007, 10 - 11 p.m.
Latinos, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group, are big business. This smart, fast- paced program examines how efforts to profit from this group are shaping the contemporary Latino identity. The documentary's focal point is George Lopez, an icon and advocate for Latinos' move into the mainstream.

MAYA & MIGUELMonday thru Thursday, continuing series with NEW episodes, 7 - 7:30 a.m. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and the launch of their highly anticipated fourth season, MAYA & MIGUEL and Scholastic Media are declaring the month of October MAYA & MIGUEL'S "Latin Fun Fiesta." Beginning Monday, October 1, a new episode of the returning series will premiere each day through October 10.

Congressman Dent Opposes "Precipitous" Withdrawal From Iraq

Congressman Charlie Dent, who supports the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, has been persuaded by General David Petraeus' argument against a precipitous withdrawal. Here's what he tells Bill Cahir at Newhouse News Service.

"The general and the ambassador made a strong case that an ill-advised withdrawal, or I should say a precipitous withdrawal, would be devastating. They were very clear about that."

"I think they were pretty clear that, if we don't go about the withdrawal properly, the security forces of Iraq would disintegrate, the local security would also fall apart, al Qaeda would also be resurgent, we'd have sectarian violence, and the Iranians, their hand in the country would be strengthened."

As Cahir notes, Dent is cosidered a swing vote on the Iraq issue.

Cappy's Resignation Letter

Blue Coyote has published Chief Justice Ralp Cappy's resignation letter to Governer Rendell. I've been highly critical of Cappy's tenure. But after reading his goodbye, I feel a little ashamed. Cappy is obviously a good and decent man.

Local Campaign Finance Reports Should be Available Online

Candidates running for federal office are required to file quarterly financial reports, and these are available online for inspection. Similarly, pols seeking state office or a judgeship must file campaign finance reports in Harrisburg, and those are eventually accessible over the Internet, too.

But what about candidates seeking local office? Sure, they're required to list their campaign donors and expenses with the local elections office, but who bothers to scrutinize them? Aside from a few reporters and opposing candidates, nobody.

As a result, very few of us know the very deep connection between local pols and money. In a recent Easton city council race, for example, candidate Jeff Warren spent $14.90 for each vote cast in his direction. As State Senator Lisa Boscola's chief legislative assistant, Jeff raised $12,385 between the beginning of the year and the end of April. That's a lot more than mayoral candidates Fleck($8,424) or Panto($7,365). He picked up $3,300 from representatives of Ashley Development, and another $2,000 from other developers. He reports $4,450 in donations between $50 and $250, but only $300 of this sum actually comes from Easton residents. Outsiders and developers just don't give this kind of money unless they're looking for something.

Follow the money, they say.

But that's hard to do when you don't get much of an opportunity to look at finance reports. Most of us are at work when those reports are available.

That's why I'm suggesting that both Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham and Northampton County Executive John Stoffa order their staffs to make these reports available online. Earlier this week, Northampton County began posting bench warrants for deadbeat parents online. Both counties are using the Internet to bring government closer to the people.

Posting finance reports online serves the same goal, and also creates more interest in the local electoral process, enabling the voter to make a more informed decision.

I'm sending a copy of this blog to each exec and I'll let you know what they say.

Norco Citizens' Advisory Panel: Election Report

On Friday, I told you that the citizens' advisory panel studying our election problems would release its final report on Monday. Fifteen rcommendations to improve our electoral system are contained in this narrative. An entire page is devoted to the bizarre antics of our Registrar, Debbie DePaul. I will have more to say about this later. For now, I just want to be able to share the task force suggestions and notes with you.

The committee's recommendations are grouped into categories.

• Election Day & Poll Worker Issues


• Voting Machine Issues


• Voter Reigistration Office Function Issues


• Voter Registrar Issues

Election Day & Poll Worker Issues

1. Poll workers need improved training. A comprehensive manual detailing their tasks and responsibilities would go a long way towards resolving the problems we heard about.


2. Poll workers should have increased pay.


3. Poll workers should be observed carefully in an effort to avoid election law violations such as making disparaging comments about candidates while voters are present.


4. Poll workers should be charged with reporting violations of election laws/procedures that occur on Election Day. These violations should be taken seriously by the Registrar. The Registrar should take reports of violations seriously, take appropriate actions including warnings and, where indicated, legal action, and report the violations to the public.


5. We recommend the creation of an internal document warning "what not to do". Voter Registration information is sometimes used improperly and such use should not be tolerated. Again, the Registrar must take such violations seriously and take the necessary steps to prevent them from recurring.
   
   Voting Machine Issues



6. The Voter Registrat should be tasked with determining that the machines used for an election have been properly certified, no less than 90 days prior to an election.


7. The County should both advocate and prepare for the purchase and use of voting machines that generate a voter-verifiable paper trail. The office should continue to exert strong pressure on the Department of State and the Legislature to enable such trail.


8. The lack of voter privacy during the voting process is a serious issue that must be resolved.
   
   Voter Registration Office Functions



9. Office personnel should be receiving ongoing training in election law issues.


10. Office personnel must reflect a friendly, positive attitude at all times, especially when dealing with the public.


11. The office should prepare a manual to be given to all office seekers detailing procedures, report filing, applicable election law, report deadlines, etc.


12. If the Office communicates information of any kind to the chair of any political party, the same communication must be given to all other party leadership - especially third parties. Strict non-partisanship must be maintained at all times.


13. Election Board should be enlarged and include third-party representatives as well as independent voters.


14. All communications emanating from the office should be on County letterhead and be composed in a professional style. All email communications should be followed up with a formal letter.
    
    Voter Registrar Issues



15. Based on our observations, we recommend that the Administration a) remind the Registrar of the office's primary duties; and b) monitor the Registrar's performance to ensure that the office is functioning smoothly.
    
    Notes
    
    Even though we clearly stated at the outset of our meetings that we were not concerned with people so much as we were with process, the current Registrar, Debbie DePaul, took over our meeting time and our agenda with her defensiveness. She attempted to monitor our activities, to the point of requesting that we follow her lead in our surveys. She attempted to preempt our surveys by running one of her own, which she started in her office after we announced we would do a survey. She displayed poor judgment again and again.

• Handing us the 52-page packet at our first meeting that a) contained numerous undated correspondence; b) was repetitive; c) was full of errors - omitted dates, typographical errors; and d) was disorganized and difficult to follow


• dominating the agenda even before we had a chance to talk among ourselves


• initiating a survey in her office when our committee decided to do a survey, and commenting on how we should do our survey


• bringing a lawyer to our 2/28 meeting as a 'buffer'


• sending a copy of correspondence with Republican committee-person to the Democratic partty while failing to copy other parties - including the Green Party


• referring to her office as 'my reign'


• bringing Voter registration Office employees to speak on her behalf


• taking up excessive amount of meeting time for her personal defense

Has AG Hopeful Morganelli Removed Email Offender? Yes and No.

Two local newspapers, reporting about District Attorney John Morganelli's most recent email faux pas, have contradictory accounts.

The Morning Call claims he's purged his campaign of those responsible for execrable anonymous emails that smear potential AG candidate Chris Casey."Morganelli did not name those responsible, but he did say they're no longer with his campaign."

But The Express Times tells us something completely different. "[Morganelli] said no one on his staff was reprimanded for the recent e-mails. When asked whether he knew who sent the e-mails, he said he took responsibility for what happened."

Which account is accurate? The public should know whether Morganelli removed the person(s) responsible for the sleazemail. Otherwise, the person responsible for this unethical behavior could easily worm his way into the state attorney general's office. Once there, he can do some real damage.

Update - Morganelli: "ALL persons with access are not working for the campiagn anymore." Keystone Politics and Pennsyltucky Politics have both noticed these contradictory accounts, too. Morganelli has been kind enough to respond to my request for a clarification. "I gave the exact same statement to both papers. Rudy Miller [an editor at The Express Times] called me at home very late (around 11:00 pm) on deadline and we were talking really fast -- to get story done in time so his story is not as clear as [The Morning Call] . Both papers were told the same. - ALL persons with access are not working for the campaign anymore. It is like two people seeing an accident and relating different versions. But this isnt unusual-- when the papers cover something each reporter hears and writes sometimes a slightly different account or adds or leaves something out. But both were told same exact thing."

Finally, Liburtie For Freedumb at Bethlehem Area School District!

Last week, about seventy-five parents from both Freedumb and Liburtie, Bethlehem's two high schools, crowded into a school board meeting room. That's no surprise. After all, Bethlehem Area School District's standardized test scores are the lowest in the Lehigh Valley. For the fifth time in five years, little things like math and reading proficiency have dropped.

But parents had something far more important than a lousy education on their minds.

They wanted to talk about home field advantage.

In the NFL, that usually translates to seven points. Math proficiency may be down, but Liburtie and Freedumb parents still know that the team with the most points wins. Unless it's coached by Bob Stem. In PIAA football, down-marker chains must face the press box, which gives the home team a better look at close downfield plays.

But Freedumb High School's football team has a problem. No matter who it plays, it's away. I guess those state scores must be right. Nobody's home. Even when they're home, they're away.

Freedumb's parents would like to rotate with Liburtie as the "home" team every other year, just like Dieruff and Allen high schools in nearby Allentown. But Liburtie likes things just the way they are.

Liburtie Coach Beavis: "We come first, dumb ass."

Freedumb Coach Butthead: "Eh heh, heh. He said 'come'."

Liburtie Coach Beavis: "Shut up Bunghole! I'll kick yer ass!"

Freedumb Coach Butthead: "I peed in the gym once."

So how are school board members going to fix this problem? School board member Judith Dexter, in an email to Freedumb parent Mary Ellen Ingeno, said this: "I am ... considering the suggestion of a press box to solve the problem." Huh? And get this. "I am also worried that the Freedom Liberty game, which is now a joy and a highlight of the seasons, could become a violent time. Rocky thinks that people just won't move, and I tend to worry about that, too. If Freedom and Liberty fans are mixed in with one another, if emotions stay as high as they are, we could have trouble, and possibly even so much that the games won't be able to go on."

Of course, this concern is absurd. The Morning Call editorial board has the best suggestion for Bethlehem's shell-shocked school board: "[I]t must show leadership and produce a true compromise. It can look to the Allentown School District for a solution. ASD, and others in the state with teams that share football fields annually rotate 'home' and 'away' sides. It's simple, it's fair, and it doesn't cost one cent."

But who's counting? Certainly no one from Freedumb or Libertie. And those lousy test scores? "I coudn't do that assignment. I'm dietetic."

Fortunately for us, Superintendent Joseph Lewis decided yesterday that "fairness" demands that the two high schools rotate sides every year.

Morganelli Takes Responsibility For EMail Gaffe

Someone in John Morganelli's attorney general campaign camp has sent an anonymous email, smearing potential rival Chris Casey. This email account was originally set up, years ago, for use by John's son. So Brett Lieberman at Pennsyltucky Politics disputes John's claim that this bulk email is "the sleazy work of an overzealous campaign volunteer, who was now using the account." He labels this expanation "an excuse that seems to defy logic and one we hope he would never use in a courtroom."

I believed this was the work of campaign consultant Tom Severson, who loves to hurl anonymous smears. In May, Severson sent vicious anonymous mailings that attacked a magisterial candidate. Someone also suggested Lamont McClure, a Morganelli backer who managed John's unsuccessful 2000 campaign. McClure, in his May campaign for county council, was called McMud after mailing attack ads that brought up his opponent's dead brother.

But John Morganelli, who knows the facts a little better than the rest of us, has set me straight. He specifically denies that his son, Severson or McClure are involved. Let him tell you in his own words.

Bernie

I would appreciate it if you would rewrite your blog with my corrected information. Severson (and McClure) know nothing about all of this.

This email address was purchased many, many years ago and is one of 5 email addresses we have in our family. It was used by my oldest son UNTIL 2001 when he went to school at Villanova, at which time he began to use his Villanova email address. The address was dormant for 6 years (2001-2007) and accumulated hundreds and hundreds of spam mail. Recently, we cleaned it up and it was made available for use by the campaign to use as another email address for my e mail campaign to various email lists. Since my son did not use it for 6 years, rather than get a new one, we just decided to use this one. Unfortunately, a person sent emails that were misleading in terms of their origin and content. Because it was my son who used this 6 years ago as his email address, people thought it was my son. It was NOT my son. My son had no access to the state dem committee lists nor would he would have any of the information about the candidates' positions on the issues that were in the emails. He doesnt follow politics and has never been involved in any of my campaigns including this one except to drive me to places occasionally.

The press account tried to suggest more recent use of the address by my son because the call letters- IBX21 are used by him on his facebook account and other such accounts used by hs and college students. However, the facebook account and other such websites that my son used do NOT involve the email account at AOL. The screen name IBX21 is NOT an email account-- When my son stopped using the AOL account 6 years ago and changed all his outgoing and incoming mail to his Villanova.edu account, he retained the call letters IBX21 on facebook and other such sites like AIM. This is used ONLY as a screen name for instant messaging-- the 2 are NOT related. The press account attempted to imply that since he uses the screen name that means he is using the AOL account. He has not and is not.

Severson is NOT involved with this stuff. He does direct old fashioned mail. MCClure is not involved with this at all. I take responsibility for this and have said so. I need more control overbulk email operations. I have now decided that we will use ONLY one email address-- this is my personal one and I ALWAYS identify myself. I have personally communicated my regrets and apology to Chris Casey, Jim Eisenhower and members of the state committee and hope they were not in any way inconvenienced. As a final thought, after 2 errant emails in my campaign in a short time, I may resort to only the good ole US post office where I actually sign my name to mail. Thank you, Bernie for always being fair to me -- but I want to make sure others who really had nothing to do with this are not blamed.

Evening Update: The Morning Call's John Micek tells us John Morganelli has done more than apologize. He has fired those responsible for the snarky email. "Morganelli did not name those responsible, but he did say they're no longer with his campaign."

Morganelli Pays Price For Using King of Sleazeball Politics

I like Northampton County DA John Morganelli. I disagree with his stands on illegal immigration and capital punishment, but he's still the best district attorney I've ever seen.

In addition to being a brilliant prosecutor, Morganelli is also a pretty good writer. His D-Day Massacre is a riveting, behind the scenes, account of a Lehigh Valley monster - Martin Appel.

And where John really shines is in the dark, Machiavellian, world of Northampton County politics. He glides with ease between Ron Angle and Lamont McClure, two bitter enemies. Two of his assistants have been elected judge, and his friendly and self-effacing personality deflects those hardballs.

But John does have an Achilles heel. And Brett Leiberman, whose Pennsyltucky Politics is among the mainstream's best, has just sliced it wide open.

In a report published by The Patriot News, and later picked up at Keystone Politics, Leiberman tells us that someone used an AOL email address belonging to Morganelli's son to anonymously snark a potential rival. You see, John would like to be state attorney general. But so would Chris Casey.

No, not that Casey. The other one.

Morganelli explains that at least ten people in his campaign have access to this email address. One of them was obviously spreading this disinformation.

Guess who runs Morganelli's campaigns? None other than Tom Severson, king of sleazeball politics. And Severson is John's Achilles heel. Severson is noted for these stupid anonymous smears. He just used that tactic in May to smear magisterial candidate Brian Monahan. That one blew up in Tom's face. Looks like this one did, too.

Morganelli had previously told me he'd never run into that kind of trouble with that kind of a consultant because he makes sure he controls the messages. Looks like he doesn't. That's the risk you take when you use the king of sleazeball politics. It's not long before you begin to look like a sleazeball, too. John called this anonymous email "cute and stupid." I agree with the "stupid" part.

And that's a shame because John is a decent and fair-minded man who would be a tireless state prosecutor. Unless he dumps the sleazeball tactician, his AG race will be over before it ever got off the ground.

Can LV Health Department Overcome Norco Council Chainsaw Massacre?

If there's any one group that gets the third degree from Northampton County Council, it's the Interim Health Board, established in 2005, to study the feasibility of a regional health department. On March 1, Dr. David Lyon, who chairs this group, tried to make a friendly presentation to council. But when he was done, he must have felt like he had just walked into a chainsaw.

Szzrum-rum-rum!.

Assurances that a regional board could be created without additional tax dollars, were completely dismissed. Claims that Bethlehem residents - who have their own health department - would not suffer, were also ignored.

Lamont McClure suggested that this was being foisted on local governments by hospitals tired of providing emergency room care to indigents. Szzrum. Ron Angle refused to believe it could be done without more county tax dollars. Szzrum-rum. John Cusick believes state services would be better than anything done regionally. Szzrum-rum-rum. Tony Branco complained it would not be fair to have a regional or county health department whose offices are located only in Bethlehem. Szzrum-rum-rum-rum. Ann McHale complained that Bethlehem residents, who already have a health board, would suffer.

Leatherface would be proud!

Although the devil's always in the details, there is much to be said for a regional Lehigh Valley health department, which would be the first of its kind in the state. RenewLV notes these advantages:

Access to a larger pool of state public-health funds;

Greater consistency in public health services across the region--without diminishing services in Allentown and Bethlehem, the two cities currently served by local health bureaus;

Improved regional readiness to response to a natural disaster, epidemic/pandemic or other health emergency;

Increased capacity to address health risks that cut across city and county jurisdictions;

More efficient use of public health dollars through economies of scale and reduced duplication of services; and

Increased ability to obtain major government grants for public health services.

The bi-county workgroup will be meeting publicly on Monday, September 17, 1:00 PM., Bechtel Building (basement conference room), 520 East Broad Street, Bethlehem.

Express Times Editor Owens Defends Judge Baratta

On Tuesday, I told you Express Times editor Joe Owens has been in a foul mood ever since his baseball team's failed, for a second year straight, to beat some brownies in Jersey. Well, now he's found someone to pummel.

Me.

Northampton County extremist? A crazie?

He must have heard about my bathroom antics, too.

You can read Joe's strident defense of poor Judge Baratta here.

McClure Sides With Banks and Lawyers Over Homeowners

Norco Councilman Lamont McClure fills his campaign coffers with lots of contributions from big city lawyers. That's apparent from campaign finance reports filed in his losing bid last year and in his most recent quest.

Last night, he sided with those big city lawyers over property owners facing foreclosures.

When a foreclosing attorney wants to sell your home out from under you, he must first give the sheriff's office a deposit so the sale can be published in local papers. Increasing advertising costs, however, have forced the county to try and collect extra costs from foreclosing attorneys.

Last night, council adopted a straightforward resolution, increasing the deposit by a foreclosing attorney to $2,500. Requiring this sum, in advance, might make a foreclosing attorney think twice about whether he really wants to take someone's home.

McClure was the sole person on council who refused to support this resolution. Looks like he didn't want to offend his real constituents, the people who give him money.