"Declaration of Democratic Principals(?)" Unveiled by Senate Candidates Today

So around 10 AM today, a bunch of Democratic state senate candidates will solemnly gather at Harrisburg's capitol steps and announce what a news release actually calls a "Declaration of Democratic Principals[sic]."

They claim their Declaration will detail "commitments to jobs, education, reform, transportation and the unalienable rights of every Pennsylvanian citizen."

How about a commitment to learn the difference between "principle" and "principal"?

Democrats are in control of the House. It seems that no matter what the party, the chief commitment of these legislators is to themselves. Pennsylvania's 233 legislators have a support staff of nearly 3,000, although some staffers claim it's really lower. 182 of these employees make more than their bosses ($78,314), and they all get to participate in a defined benefit pension plan.

I'm not seeing much movement from either party to do anything about this bloated staff.

LVPoliblgger Chris Casey Picked Up By HufPo

LVPoliblogger Chris Casey has been picked up by Huffington Post as part of their "citizen journalism unit." His first article, which touches on the ad war in the Carney-Marino Congressional race, can be seen here.

Don't tell the Gatekeepers. Congrats, Chris.

Glenn Eckhart to Discuss LC Budget on WAEB

I stopped listening to WAEB a few years ago, when Bobby Gunther Walsh and John Brinson once stated that they only wanted to hear from people who thought invading Iraq was a terrific idea. Don't tell anybody, but I finally tuned in last week to listen to Allentown watchdog Lou Hershman. He's not in it to help the unions or developers or as a springboard to his next political office. He just cares about the City, and that came across.

Walsh will host Lehigh County Comm'r Glenn Eckhart today.at around 8:45 AM on WAEB 790 AM. (You can livestream it here). Glenn will discuss the 16.!% tax hike looming in Lehigh County.

Northampton County Bulldog Ron Angle has already suggested that Lehigh start some buffalo hunting expeditions at the Trexler Game Preserve,and has offered to be a guide.

John Callahan's Latest "Jobs Plan"

ObamaCare = Unfunded Mandate for Norco Gov't

From last Thursday's Council meeting, an exchange revealing an unfunded mandate to Northampton County as a result of the health care overhaul. Your property taxes will pay for it:

John Stoffa: "I want to alert you to a concern I have, which is 1/1/11, the caps come off, the major medical for our retirees with a new plan., its a $12,500 cap. That comes off. We have roughly 700 [retired] employees. We don't know what that's going to mean but it's going to mean more money. ..."

Ron Angle: "This was part of the Obama health care plan, am I correct?"

Stoffa: "Yes."

Angle: "Is the federal government furnishing money for their plan?"

Ann McHale: "Yeah, yeah, they are."

Stoffa: "Interestingly enough, they do have a piece, and we have people applying for that for a certain age range, but it's not going to cover the full cost in no way, shape or form."

Angle: "Another unfunded mandate."

Washington Street Dangerous

In his report to Northampton County Council last Thursday, Exec John Stoffa stated that 8.000 cars pass by the courthouse along Washington Street every day. One County worker has already been struck by an automobile, although fortunately, there was no serious injury. "We're trying to work with the City of Easton, struggling for grants, so we can get people safely across the street."

Orloski Brings in the Otter

Although Bethlehem has made clear it has no intention of enforcing its zoning ordinance against a huge "Charlie Dent for Congress" sign right across the street from City Hall, South Whitehall Township has already notified state senate candidate Rick Orloski that he needs a permit ... or else.

Now the permit only costs $5, but the ordinance also bans any signs that are out there more than 30 days before the election. Orloski claims he's already received a threatening letter from a zoning officer, who doesn't seem to have noticed the Republican signs in South Whitehall.

Enter Larry Otter, who's already sued all 2500 Pennsylvania municipalities at one time or another over the First Amendment or elections law violations or sometimes, just for the hell of it. He once tried to stick the County with a $2,470.78 bill to represent then Voting Registrar Debbie DePaul, who is now a drama queen somewhere. He even included $36.83 for dinner at Uncle Wesley's.

Larry's already drafted and filed a complaint, motion for preliminary injunction, brief and I'm sure he already has a big bill for South Whitehall. That township has fancier restaurants than Easton. Larry, who really is an otter, likes fish.

Callahan's Bethlehem Record - Deficits

Charlie Dent's latest TV ad focuses on Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan's poor fiscal record in Bethlehem, where he even stiffed its library last year to the tune of $400,000

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan has been contradicted by his city’s auditor, his predecessor and political mentor, and a Democratic Councilman. But candidate Callahan still claims his fiscal management of Bethlehem is mahvelous, simply mahvelous.

More recently, city auditors discovered that Callahan’s budget ended up $2.7 million in deficit in 2008, a figure which grew to a total $8.5 million by the end of 2009.

Callahan has left millions in unpaid bills and moved money from various city accounts illegally, without Council approval, to cover payments. Even a new firetruck had to sit, unused, because the City was unable to pay for it.

And Callahan has increased spending by 54 percent in those six years.

According to a Dent news release, Callahan’s record of fiscal mismanagement is important because he promises to do the same thing in Washington. Help like that we don't need.

"John Callahan needs to come clean about his record in Bethlehem and his plan to increase spending and raise your taxes,” said Congressman Charlie Dent. “If John Callahan can’t be truthful about his own record, he can’t be trusted on his plans for Washington.”

For more about this ad, see Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tony Hanna: "We Believe in the First Amendment in Bethlehem"

"Save the sign!"

That's the battle cry from LV Congressman Charlie Dent's Facebook page. Here's why. Bethlehem is supposedly trying to force a local business owner, who lives above his antiques shop, to remove a huge "Charlie Dent for Congress" sign. His business is right across the street from City Hall.

"Ridiculous!" says one Facebook friend.

"I think I should go buy some antiques from that guy!" says another.

These are all reactions to a Morning Call news account, in which Bethlehem's evil zoning officer, John Lezoche, wakes up one morning and decides to take on the Dent campaign over ... zoning.

It's one helluva' story, resulting in 86 comments online, although it's mostly people calling each other idiots and morons. The story has just one little problem.

It's completely untrue.

"Political campaign signs are a mark of a truly free country," says elections lawyer Larry Otter. Local Dems should know. Back in 2004, with a little help from Otter, they sued practically every Northampton County municipality from here to Kingdom Come over restrictions that many of them place on campaign signs.

I called Zoning Office John Lezoche today. He's a quiet, unassuming man, not exactly the type of person who leaps headfirst into the dark and muddy water of Congressional politics. Lezoche asked me to speak to his boss, DCED Director Tony Hanna.

I had heard stories that the antiques dealer was being cited daily and wanted to know what exactly was going on, and when I was told to contact Hanna, I immediately began to think this really was a political decision from up above.

I was wrong. Hanna told me, "We intend to do nothing about it because it's protected by the First Amendment." He told me that Bethlehem is working on a new zoning ordinance, and feels that the language in the current model is a bit "too restrictive." He insisted nobody has or will take any action on a possible violation. "We believe in the First Amendment in Bethlehem," he added.

So why the big write up in The Morning Call?

Hanna would like an answer to that question, too. He tells me that, whatever Lezoche may or may not have said, reporter Matt Assad was specifically told by Assistant City Solicitor Joe Kelly that there would be no attempt to enforce a zoning ordinance that infringes on free speech. "Matt Assad had a subsequent conversation with Joe Kelly, and Joe Kelly told him they weren't enforcing the zoning ordinance," says Hanna. He offered to put me in touch with Kelly, but I felt the information provided by Hanna was already adequate.

Now Bethlehem's legal team are certainly all in the tank for Callahan, but they're not stupid. They are not going to go against law made by their own party in 2004.

According to Hanna, reporter Matt Assad was also provided with this information before his story appeared in the paper. But in the news account, Assad fails to tell his readers that Bethlehem had already decided the zoning ordinance was unenforceable. Perhaps wires were crossed.

Now just as Joe Kelly and Tony Hanna are in the tank for Callahan, I'm in the tank for Charlie Dent. But neither the candidates nor the public are helped by a false story that places either candidate in a bad light.

Gatekeeper Bill White has warned you that "there may be a good reason why that story you're reading on someone's blog still hasn't appeared in your newspaper." I suspect this is one such story. That's because it reveals that the MSM is not so "fair and accurate" as they pretend.

Bill White, Gatekeeper

Unlike many journalists, Morning Call columnist Bill White has been something of a blog fan over the years. Instead of cringing at us, he's called attention to a number of good local blogs, which actually has helped drive interest. But like Popeye, Bill has his limits. Popeye says, "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!" Being a journalist, Bill is a little more sophisticated in his warning about bottom-feeders like me. "[S]ome of these bloggers are so clearly motivated by their own biases, even obsessions, that their information is seriously tainted. Much as I admire a lot of the reporting I've seen, some of it is driven by such a complicated web of vendettas and bromances that any pretense of consistent standards or credibility, at least on certain topics, is out the window."

Looks like I'm guilty as charged. I'm biased, have no editors and the only people with whom I can discuss story ideas are even nuttier than me or worse, live in Allentown or the slate belt. Sometimes I do get my facts wrong, although I know few bloggers who deliberately mislead readers. I do write stories that never appear in a newspaper. But I try not to dictate their agenda.

According to White, people like me present "challenges" for people like you.

Because of our admitted deficiencies, we're not to be trusted. Fortunately, "gatekeepers" like Bill understand the "importance of accuracy and fairness."

Gatekeeper? I've always thought of Bill as a baseball lovin', taco muchin', animal lovin', pie muchin', Eagles-lovin', grammar enhancer. But gatekeeper? To what, an all-you-can-eat buffet, decorated with Christmas lights from everywhere except East Allentown?

Gatekeeper or not, he certainly has my number. But I don't think he has yours. His column basically presupposes that you're stupid enough to believe everything you read here. But most of my readers are newsies who closely read the papers and are more than willing to take me on, whether it is on the facts or because of my own admitted bias. You see, I believe that an yobjective reporter is an objective impossibility. Plus, This is an interactive venue, unlike newspapers. Here, what you say matters and is read. I often end up learning more from the comments than I do when I research a blog posting. There, a reporter or editor would rather go through root canal than respond to a comment from the unwashed masses.

Bill's column also makes the case that newspapers tend to be more trustworthy. Although we can all recite exceptions to that rule, I'll give him that point, too. Both local papers have excellent reporters who can learn in minutes what takes me days. I admire and respect most of them, including Bill. At our best, I think of us as mere complements to the MSM. At or worst, we can be impediments.

But one of his points is downright laughable. He hints "there may be a good reason why that story you're reading on someone's blog still hasn't appeared in your newspaper ... ." Of course, Bill is trying to tell you that some of our stories are garbage. Once again, I think you're smart enough to decide that for yourself, although I swear green-headed aliens really did stick an 80' antenna up my rectum. Honest!

More often than not, the "good reason" why that story has never appeared in a newspaper is because there's been no reporter there to cover it.

Let me provide an example. Last week, I attended a Hanover Township Supervisors' meeting. In a report from the Township Manager, I learned that Bethlehem had shortchanged its own library around $400,000 last year. Yes, this is the same City that missed its $2 million pension payment last year. It's the same City that finished the year $8.5 million in the red. After the meeting, the Manager showed me all the figures. Now that's a story, but there was no daily print reporter there to get it.

The following day, I called the library's executive director for comment, but she never returned my call. Do you think she would have done that to a daily reporter?

You can read a story about that $400,000 shortage here. If truth be told, it belongs in both papers, where the report would be more "fair and accurate" because, for one thing, the librarian would have answered a reporter's call.

I can name other examples of important stories completely missed by the dailies, most likely because of a shortage of manpower. I can also name several local newspaper stories that first appeared on local blogs, including Controller Steve Barron's threat to T-Mobile. Bill wrote a hilarious column, but that story originated at LVCI's blog.

Increasingly, there has been no gatekeeper and no local stories. That leaves us, with all our warts. It's true that we are unfiltered, but we also tend to be a little more real.

The Jennifer Mann Relationship That Really Bothers Me

My story last week about State Rep. Jennifer Mann and the precise nature of her relationship to fired firefighter and registered lobbyist Richard Gawlick, has raised a few eyebrows. Her personal life is her own business, but her public office is very much open to scrutiny. So I do care when someone trying to see Mann is passed off to a registered lobbyist and possible boyfriend. But all that pales in the face of another relationship that Mann herself freely admits. It's with a big spender, but she won't tell me how much she's paid for her services. She was nice enough to call me on Sunday, so I can tell you her side of the story.

Mann Denies Constituents Passed on to Gawlick

After twelve years, Jennifer occupies powerful leadership positions within the state house. She's Majority Caucus Secretary as well as a member of the Rules Committee, without which midnight sausage-making is impossible. I understand she even has a newer, and bigger, Harrisburg office.

In addition to what I told you last week, I've been told of one other person who had an appointment to see Mann in Harrisburg about two months ago, but was passed on to Richard Gawlick.

Mann, who has a staff of seven people, claims these allegations are "totally false." Noting that these people are unwilling to come forward and identify themselves, she adds, "That's funny, isn't it?"

"I work very hard, and take the respect and trust of other people very seriously," she told me in a Sunday evening telephone call. While acknowledging that she knows Gawlick as the political director of the statewide firefighters' association, she insists she has not seen him in her office for the past six months. She denies that Gawlick is paid by the state for his services, either as a House employee or under some form of contract, and dismisses the anonymous claims as "absolute nonsense." She also claims to have been slandered.

So why did her office give me the bum's rush last week? Her press dude actually hung up on me. "In my opinion, that was not handled very well. Very candidly, it was handled without interaction with me. I've always prided myself on being very direct and open in answering questions. You are right to expect that," says the legislator.

She also insists that the personal accusations about Gawlick are "unfounded." Frankly, I did not pursue it beyond that. She laments that elected leaders already have terrible reputations, being considered little better than a used car salesman.

"Could be worse," I joked. "You could be a blogger."

Frosty silence on the other end.

Maybe the cell reception was bad.

Mann More Reticent About Ties to Architectural and Engineering Firm Vitetta

"I've never been known as a person who dodges a question, and never will be," she told me Sunday night in a conversation that she herself initiated. But when I asked her to tell us how much money she gets from Vitetta, that's exactly what happened. She refused to answer, telling me she has no legal obligation to disclose exact amounts.

I first spoke with Mann about this three years ago, the only time I've ever talked to her. All I knew at that time was that she was doing some kind of consulting, and I incorrectly thought it had something to do with a small business she ran before seeking a seat in the state house.

Well, Vitetta is no mom-and-pop shop. It's a heavy hitter, both with the state and locally. It has offices in seven different states, and its own webpage reveals involvement in construction projects like the Pennsylvania Judicial Center, Pennsylvania Judicial Center Parking Garage, Pennsylvania Capitol, PennDOT Materials Testing Laboratory and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission-Service Plaza Reconstruction.

Many of these jobs are awarded by the state's Department of General Services. Until just a few weeks ago, that office was run by Lehigh Valley native and friend James Creedon. He still implements stimulus projects on a contract basis, and serves with Mann on the Stimulus Oversight Commission. There, they both get a head's up on where the state intends to spend federal stimulus dollars.

In addition to her Creedon ties, Mann actually dated Sean Pressman. He was Chief of Staff in General Services between 2/1/06 and 6/19/09.

Did Vitetta benefit as a result? I'm certain it's one of the reasons they wanted her.

Annual statements of financial interest for the past three years (2009, 2008 , 2007) reveal that Vitetta has been paying Mann, although the amounts are unstated.

In addition to consulting fees, Vitetta principal Allan Hoffman contributed $2,500 to Mann in 2008. Bonus?

Mann states she identifies business opportunities for Vitetta. Isn't she essentially trading on inside knowledge gained as a State Rep.? I've told her I believe she is using her public office improperly. In her defense, Mann did get clearance from the state ethics commission. She was warned against using her official position to solicit business. My concern is that no matter what she says, her elected office in and of itself is a form of pressure.

Mann tells me that precisely because of that "very fair concern," she stays away from all the local governments. "It's just not worth it," she said. She concedes that she may "have reached out to some regional school boards," although she does not make the initial contact.

Gee, how would you like to be an Easton or Bangor school supervisor who gets a call from Vitetta telling you that State Rep. Jennifer Mann would like to talk to you about the engineering firm you hire for your next middle school?

Let's face it. The not-so-subtle pressure of her powerful public office, in and of itself, should rule out this kind of moonlighting job.

Callahan on How to Deceive the Public ... For Their Own Good

When Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan first started touting a 17% increase in sales tax last year, the NRCC slammed him pretty hard in a short video, hinting that he was telling some group how to spin his tax hike. Actually, that's exactly what he was doing. Charlie Dent's congressional campaign has uploaded six videos to its Youtube channel, showing Callahan's cynical presentation to a dubious Lehigh County Council of Governments. In this little lecture, we learn:

(1) Callahan is the Lehigh Valley Partnership's bitch, doing the bidding of a collection of rich old white dudes. I thought that was why God created Republicans.

(2) Callahan is a spinning instructor, telling COG members how to avoid calling this a tax increase. He also explains how a deal with Philly legislators would enable the LV delegation to vote against this proposal, even though they secretly support it, for political cover;

(3) CACLV bossman Alan Jennings, an advocate for the poor, endorses a regressive sales tax hike because it comes from the rich old white dudes in the Lehigh Valley Partnership. They fund him.

From John Callahan:

"Who would be in favor of a 1% tax?"

Alan Jennings raises hand. (Audience laughs).

"Uuup. Alan Jennings. That's good to know"

"Hopefully, the word 'tax' will no longer be part of your description of what this is about."

"This idea, which has now grown to be a statewide idea, was actually born here in the Lehigh Valley. It was born out of the Lehigh Valley Partnership - a group of CEOs and leaders throughout the Valley that have worked towards greater regionalization. They have done that in various forms; they're pushing the bi-county health bureau, they're pushing a lot of greater Lehigh Valley regionalization initiatives. This is one of them."

[Governor Rendell is unwilling to dip into the tax charged at liquor stores to help the cities because it would create a hole in his own budget. But he told Callahan and Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski that if they could come up with something else, he'd support them.]

"So I brought that information back to the Lehigh Valley and I met with the [Lehigh Valley] Partnership and ... I said, 'We have this thing we've been kicking around in the Lehigh Valley that would be a 1% sales tax increase for Lehigh and Northampton County ... .' Maybe we could work this in such a way that it would be - number one - an independent revenue source that the Governor said he needed, but do something that would apply statewide, and not just in the Lehigh Valley.

"When we went to the Governor initially with this proposal about the sales tax - the county optional sales tax - his initial reaction was 'I love it, but you gotta' get the counties. Get the counties on board, then we can start talking.'

"We got the Counties on board. Slowly and surely, once the counties came together, we brought the boroughs association in; we brought the township commissioners in ...

"We've been working very hard collectively - all five local government associations - trying to sell this in Harrisburg, trying to sell it to our local legislators.

"You'll see we no longer refer to it as a 1% local county optional sales tax; we refer to it as the Bill is described in its current form now as The Local Property Tax Relief Act because that's really what the outcome of this legislation will be. Now, if I had started the presentation and said, 'Who's for The Local Property Tax Relief Act?' everyone would probably raise their hands except for maybe Mr. Jennings.

"It's a 1% sales tax. It's collected on the same basis that the current tax is collected ... .

"There's something in there for everyone.

"There's politics here. We all recognize that this is, after all, perceived as a tax. And we're trying to give everybody adequate cover. ... We are trying to give everybody along this chain adequate cover, in a good way, so that everybody does, at the end of the day, the right thing.

What about a small borough or township that opposes an increased sales tax, and refuses to adopt any resolutions seeking it?

"We are asking the counties to enact the taxes, so we think it's appropriate that local governments step up and say, 'We think this is a good thing.' And that's how you become qualified. If you don't pass that, and then the County passes the tax, then you will still be taxed, but you will get none of the proceeds back to your municipality, and you'll be locked out for three years. ... I think that's fair to give the County some cover.

"This is a game changer for local government.

Who would be in favor of The Local Property Tax Relief Act as just described?

"Who would be in favor of a one percent tax?"

Apparently few hands go up except for Alan Jennings. Asked how much he could really expect to get, Callahan acknowledges he only has figures for Allentown and Bethlehem, not all 25 Lehigh County Municipalities.

"There's gonna' be some winners, and there's gonna' be some losers.

"The bottom line is the funds are going to come from somewhere to fund our operations. I think this is, while not perfect, more equitable.

"The idea is that we would potentially link ourselves to Philadelphia either formally or in a negotiated way, with a core of legislators. ... When Philadelphia went from 6 to 7, everybody outside Philly voted for it so they could say, 'I didn't vote for a tax for my constituents,' and all the Philly legislators voted against it and said, 'I didn't vote for a tax for my constituents.' So what we could do is we could get Philadelphia to vote for ours, right, everybody outside Philly could vote for theirs, ... and we get Allegheny voters to come on board with us."

Callahan Sales Tax Part 1 - 7-14-09
Callahan Sales Tax Part 2 - 7-14-2009 Callahan Sales Tax Part 3 - 7-14-2009
Callahan Sales Tax Part 4 - 7-14-2009 Callahan Sales Tax Part 5 - 7-14-2009

Callahan's Negatives Jump From 13 to 29%

... according to The Morning Call's latest poll, which now shows LV Congressman Charlie Dent has a 49-39 lead. Independent Jake Towne is polling at just 3%.

Now I'm no polling expert, but pollster Chris Borick asks this question of Callahan, "Where is he going to make up that ground?"

Updated 9:51 PM: CQPolitics concludes, "Dent in a strong position in a district President Barack Obama won by 16 points in 2008."

Nepotism on Farmland Preservation Board?

You can blame the damn Catholics for nepotism. Popes named nephews as Cardinals, Cardinals gave lucrative parishes to illegitimate sons. The most blatant example in the U.S. is when JFK, another damn Catholic, appointed his brother Attorney General. "I don't see anything wrong with giving him a little legal experience before he goes out to practice law," he said.

Accusations of nepotism were hurled at last night's Northampton County Council meeting. County John Stoffa named Andrew Thierry as a citizen-member to the Farmland Preservation Board, which consists of seven people. Thierry's wife, Barbara, is a member of Council.

"It's called nepotism," snarked Ann McHale. Lamont McClure said there's nothing wrong with a little nepotism, but said Thierry is unqualified. Peg Ferraro stated she was unable to recall any instance in which the spouse of a Council member sat on an authority or board. Neither can I, but I do recall that McHale's husband wrote several insurance policies for the County in years past. And when Marilyn Lieberman sat on Council, she got into a bit of hot water when she inadvertently failed to inform them of a business relationship her husband had with the County.

This is an unpaid position. Board members do pay farmers who agree to preserve their land, and decide how much to pay. Neither Thierry nor his wife owns any farms. There's no conflict of interest I can discern. Neither can Bruce Gilbert. "In this case, I do not see any perception of impropriety, nor do I see that impropriety would occur.

When Easton Mayor Sal Panto lobbied for his wife's appointment to City Council, I thought that was a bad idea. "A decision to put that much power in the hands of one family should be made by the voters, not four city council members." But this is the frickin' Farmland Preservation Board, which is about as exciting as watching laundry dry.

"I wish I could tell you and Mr. Stoffa could tell you that we have people jumping over backwards to go on there. He and I for months have chased every farmer in the County to get one or two farmers to be on there. ... People don't want to serve," said Council Prez Ron Angle.

Council did approve Thierry's appointment. Barb Thierry abstained while McHale and McClure said No.

Windfall Deal Struck on Artsquest TIF

Northampton County Council last night approved a deal that will allow the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority to float $28 million in bonds for the development of the long-awaited "21st Century Town Square," a venue on the Bethlehem Steel brownfield that will host as many as sixty free, family-oriented, concerts every year. In return, Bethlehem, Northampton County and Bethlehem Area School District will get 35 percent of the increased tax revenue generated by new development.

Under the current, 20-year TIF, which was first negotiated in 2000, these taxing bodies only got 15% of the increased tax revenue.

Under a deal brokered by Northampton County Council Prez Ron Angle in August, the Redevelopment Authority agreed to relinquish 30% if taxing bodies agreed not to sue. Bethlehem Area School District, which came late into these negotiations, held out for another 5% and more money up front.

Under this deal, which is still in draft form, Northampton County ($519,000), Bethlehem ($677,000) and the school district ($2 million) will all get a healthy injection of cash.

Lamont McClure and Ann McHale incredibly voted No to this windfall. McClure felt they should wait until the agreement is in final form, even though the Authority intends to float the bonds before the next council meeting. McHale balked at language in the agreement providing for litigation in the event the Authority issues binds without an Agreement in place.

This draft also gives Angle the right to sign off on last minute changes, and McClure objected to that as well.

Northampton County Workforce Drops From 2212 to 2067

"I sometimes feel like a father with twelve hungry children."

That's how Northampton County Executive John Stoffa feels about he job freeze (it's really a frost) imposed earlier this year, in an effort to reduce the cost of government in the face of a looming tax hike next year.

A County workforce of 2,212 in July is now down to just 2,067, or 145 unfilled positions. Nobody has been laid off. All these vacancies are the result of attrition. 96 of these slots are at Gracedale.

Twenty employees costs the County roughly $1 million. But does it necessarily follow that 20 unfilled positions will save the County $1 million? According to County administrators, overtime is up in 24-hour operations like the jail and Gracedale.

In September alone, Stoffa has been asked to fill thirty vacancies. Last night, he advised Council that he intends to fill the follwong positions:

* Two (2) full-time Deputy Sheriff Sergeant positions at pay grade CS-24, with an annual salary of $40,580 - $59,008.

* Two (2) full-time Clerical Technician positions in the Criminal Division at pay grade CR-13, with an annual salary of $23,009 - $31,311.

* One (1) Aging Care Manager III at pay grade PS-37, with an annual salary of $40,173-$63,713.

* 4.75 FTE's - Dietary Aide OR Dietary Utility positions at pay grade GU-01, with an annual salary of $22,489 - $28,613.

* 2.50 FTE's - Therapeutic Recreation Aides at pay grade GU-02, with an annual salary of $23,160 - $29,482.

Allentown: "We Are a Neighborhood Under Siege"

Allentown resident Bill Stauffer, who resides on the 100 bock of S. 16th Street, has a soft-spoken voice, but delivered a powerful message to his City Council last night.

"My wife and I have owned a home on S 16th Street since 1998. There has been more crime in our block and the surrounding blocks than the other 11 years combined. I got off easy. Somebody stole a 70-pound potted plant and some other plants off my porch. You've heard about Bob's [Bob Romancheck] experience. We've found stolen cars in front of our house. We've rousted people as they're buying drugs at a home up on Walnut Street.

"We don't sleep well anymore in our neighborhood. I'm very proud of my neighbors. We're all homeowners, we work together, but I know that the men don't sleep. I don't.

"About three weeks ago, I heard a loud noise out of my home and someone yelling at somebody who was stealing more plants off of someone's porch. By the time I got downstairs, other neighbors were out to find the gentleman walking up the street screaming they were going to come back for the person that was yelling at them, and get their stuff. He said it in a lot more colorful language than I just did.

"We are a neighborhood under siege.

"Now I read the stats that crime is down in our community. It is way up in my particular neighborhood. There's an alarming trend to this. We have a choice. We love our neighborhood. We love our house. We love Allentown. But there's something that happens in this kind of situation, where you wake up every morning, looking 'Are my plants there?', 'Is my furniture there?','Is my car there?', 'Is that sound I hear downstairs someone braking into my home?'

"This is something that happens, and I'm deeply concerned at what's happening in our neighborhood. ...

"I'm not entirely sure what to ask for. I would like to know what the statistics are of crime in my particular neighborhood, in comparison to others or in comparison to the past. That would be something that would be helpful. ...

"I'd also like to talk about something that's a little more fundamental. When you're sitting around, your neighbors are talking about how long they can handle it, how much are they going to take.

"We have a lot invested in Allentown. In fact, we have everything invested in Allentown. Bob [Romancheck] has everything invested in his house. Mike Scware, the guy who had his wheels almost stolen, that's where he lives. Actually, you all know the people in this neighborhood. And there's many more andseveral crimes are happening on a daily basis.

"Not enough is happening. I'm deeply concerned about this issue and I need to take a stand for my home. I need to take a stand for my neighbors. And I'd really like to ask that more be done about the escalating crime situation in our neighborhood because I don't want to be the guy, like my one neighbor, who came downstairs and found someone in my home."

After he was done, Council put him in touch with Assistant Chief Hanna. Stauffer had apparently called Council member Peter Schweyer about this situation, but this Jennifer Mann aide failed to return Stauffer's call. Maybe he thought it was about Gawlick.

Updated 10:50 AM: Actually, I've learned that Stauffer had called about somethng else, so I stand corrected on that point.

Dent Camp Blasts Callahan "Jobs Plan" As Tax Hike

If John Callahan did anything at Monday night's Congressional debate, it was to drive home his 5-point jobs plan. He tried to work it into every answer.

I've been told I'm comparing apples and oranges, but I am amazed that any person who announces a hiring freeze and threatens layoffs, can have the gall to claim he's got a plan to produce jobs. When he finally did get a chance to unveil it, he bungled a "real simple plan" talking about point two and point four then point one or point five. I was beginning to wonder whether he was talking about decimals.

Yesterday, Charlie Dent's campaign blasted Callahan’s “five-point plan” as nothing more than a big tax increase on American manufacturers who export products, to pay for a plan that will be completely ineffective in creating jobs.

Here's their analysis:

1. “Eliminate tax loopholes for corporations that outsource our jobs overseas or use off-shore accounts to avoid paying their fair share.” - In reality, this is a tax on ALL American-based businesses that do business overseas. The National Association of Manufacturers says this tax “will jeopardize the jobs of American manufacturing employees and stifle our fragile economy.”

2. “Provide tax credits for small businesses that hire new employees,” - This $1,000 tax credit is dismissed by small business organizations as being completely useless in creating jobs.

3. “Make college more affordable and job training more available,” - Everyone supports this goal, and thanks to Callahan’s tax increases, more people will be going back to school because they’ll have no job.

4. “Cut wasteful spending and reduce the national debt in order to reassure financial markets,” - Callahan has fully endorsed a Washington agenda that produced an annual deficit of nearly $1.4 trillion this year, triples the deficit in ten years, an $862 Stimulus bill and a $2.6 trillion health care program.

5. “Cut the red tape and bureaucracy that holds small businesses back,” - Callahan endorsed the “1099 provision” of the health care law that the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) calls "another crippling paperwork mandate that unfairly targets small businesses," costing employers an average $74 per hour for tax paperwork.

Callahan’s “jobs plan” last year was to support a failed Stimulus bill that has seen a loss of 3.6 million jobs. Unemployment, which was 7 percent at the time of the Stimulus, has remained above 9 percent for 16 consecutive months. Today, unemployment is at 9.6 percent and nearly 15 million Americans are looking for jobs.

“Talk is cheap – John Callahan’s actions speak louder than his feeble words,” Congressman Dent said. “Callahan’s ‘plan’ is the same failed policy that is coming out of Washington – and it isn’t putting anyone back to work.”

Dissension in Callahan Camp?

Back in February, I told you about John Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall. He's a DCCC journeyman who's worked campaigns in Iowa, San Jose, and New York, losing most of them. I believe he's really here not so much to help Callahan, but to keep an eye on him, very like the old line commissars.

Schall was involved in one winning campaign. In 2008, he helped Eric Massa get elected to Congress. But Massa was forced to resign after being accused of sexually harassing a junior male member of his own staff. He claimed it was just a tickle fight.

That kind of allegation has always swirled around Massa. In his first Congressional race, he accused his campaign manger (not Schall) of luring underage boys into a Corning apartment, plying them with alcohol and inviting one of them to spend the night. Massa later conceded those accusations were unfounded.

In Congress, Massa quickly developed a reputation for hiring lots of young gay guys, but paying them so little that they'd all have to live with him in his Capitol Hill row home. The picture you see is the inside of that row home, shortly after Massa resigned. They must have had lots of tickle fights.

Guess what? Turns out that most of the commissars who worked Massa's race are now working for John Callahan. I received this email yesterday from callahan.info@gmail.com.

"This is an anonymous tip on the Callahan campaign.

"Remember disgraced Congressman Eric Massa? Not only did Callahan hire Eric Massa's campaign manager, but he also hired three of Eric Massa's congressional staffers to work full time on his campaign.

"Jared Smith
Facebook profile
Legistorm infoFacebook photo (inside Callahan campaign office)The "fracking" incident reportedly took place at the wedding party of Massa spokesman Jared Smith.

"Erik BraunFacebook profile (must be within network)
Legistorm infoFacebook photo

"Nicole Hushla
Facebook profile
Legistorm info
Massa's Flickr Facebook photo (with Steve Taylor from Massa's office)

"The first two should be on Callahan's latest FEC disclosure report. The last one should be on Callahan's next FEC disclosure report. You can also call their office (610) 625-3880 and ask for those people. Also, the identity of Callahan's tracker:Christine Smithwww.facebook.com/christine.mary.smith (must be within network)"

Who sent it? The Dent camp? Unlikely. If they wanted to send me something like this, they'd just send it. Also, the links in this email include a photograph taken from inside Callahan's campaign office. That email includes information about people that the Dent camp couldn't possibly know until Callahan's next campaign finance report is filed.

A few weeks ago, Callahan's camp suddenly fired his finance director, Leora Rothenberg, for undisclosed "personnel" reasons. That, combined with this email, makes me wonder whether there is some kind of friction. You'll notice this is no attempt to throw mud at Callahan. Just his staff.

Bethlehem Shortchanges Library $400,000 in 2009

On September 13, while Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan was telling a large and boisterous crowd at Lafayette College that Bethlehem is in great fiscal shape, Hanover Township Manager Jay Finnigan was hearing a much different story in a smaller and quieter venue. He was at a Bethlehem Area Public Library Board meeting. They are concerned about next year's budget, which is apparently filled with more holes than a block of Swiss cheese.

In his report to Supervisors on September 14, Finnigan stated that Lower Saucon Township has served notice of its intention to withdraw from the library, effective at the end of the year. Unless that changes, there's one gaping $168,552 hole.

Worse than that problem, Finnigan learned, is that Bethlehem itself has been shortchanging the library. Last year, the City failed to make approximately $400,000 in budgeted payments. This is in addition to state funding cuts of 9 and 21 percent over the past two years.

During an August 11 Bethlehem Finance Committee meeting, an independent audit revealed that Bethlehem missed its annual $2 million pension payment in 2009, but no mention was made of a missed payment to the library. Council President Bob Donchez did express surprise that the library had taken out a line of credit during 2009, and speculated that it must be the result of state funding cuts. Nobody from the administration informed Donchez that the City itself had failed to pay approximately $400,000 of the money budgeted by City Council.

Bethlehem caught up in February of this year, but still kept $78,000 for a pension fund payment.

"There are two wildcards, Lower Saucon and the City," Finnigan told Supervisors. "The City is seriously re-evaluating its relationship with the library, which will have an effect on neighboring municipalities."

Hanover Township contributed $163,049 to the Bethlehem Area Public Library this year, and expects to pay $167,831 in 2011. Its contract for library services goes back to 1965.

In other news, Hanover Townsip Supervisors listened as Piramal Critical Care, which has a plant located at Sheldon Circle, pitched a proposal to increase its parking from 54 to 84 spots. Hanover's zoning ordinance prohibits blacktops, i.e. "impervious surfaces," on more than 70% of a property without some kind of stormwater management plan.

Piramal's solution? Porous pavements.

A Pirimal engineer, introduced by Attorney Chris Perruci, argued that porous pavements soak up water like a sponge, and should really be considered pervious surfaces. But Supervisors seemed impervious to this argument.

"How do you determine if the surface is still impermeable after a period of time?" asked a dubious Supervisor Stephen R. Salvesen. "Who does the vacuuming? We've got sinkholes here. We're at the back end of a big drainage system. It all goes down to Monocacy Creek."

Township Engineer Jim Birdsall expressed reservations, too. He noted that porous surfaces need periodic vacuuming. "All these best management practices are going to be very difficult to enforce as the years go by. ... Who enforces that? I don't know. Do I go out with my shop vac?"

Piramal will ask the Zoning Hearing Board for relief.

As a final note, Board Chair John N. Diacogiannis stated he was "real pleased" at the large turnout of boy and girl scouts for a flag retirement ceremony on 9/11. He thanked all who participated.