Today's one-liner: “In a republican nation whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance.” T Jefferson
In case you missed it, I'm a big fan of CACLV's Rising Tide Community Loan Fund. It's a federally-certified community development financial institution, created to help entrepreneurs in communities where resources and opportunities for growth are limited. So far, 84 microloans totaling over $1,654,000 have been made. They've led to the creation of at least 132 jobs, and helped keep 109 others. Only 5 loans, totaling $48,000, have been written off as uncollectable.
Since my last report, it's made eight new loans totaling $207,000. In a recession, that money helped create 8 jobs and retain 17 others at small businesses throughout the Lehigh Valley. Here are the lucky winners.
✓ Amber Connection, a fine jewelry and clothing store located in South Whitehall Township, borrowed $5,000, retaining one job. ✓ Priority Dog, LLC, a New Tripoli luxury boarding facility for dogs, borrowed $35,000, creating 2 jobs. ✓ On the Spot Dry Cleaners, Inc., a dry cleaning service in Pen Argyl, borrowed $29,000, creating two jobs and retaining five others. ✓ Biagio Pizza, a restaurant in Palmer Township, borrowed $35,000, creating two jobs. ✓ Kona Girl, LLC, a women’s athletic apparel manufacturer in Lower Macungie Township, borrowed $30,000, creating one job. ✓ AFab Hauling, LLC, a hauling company in Catasauqua, borrowed $23,000, retaining one job. ✓ Amareʼ Hairsalon, a salon in Palmer Township, borrowed $35,000, retaining nine jobs. ✓ Dale & Georgia Boutique and Barkery, an Easton retail store featuring all natural dog treats and pet products, borrowed $15,000, creating one job and retaining one other.
On Friday, RenewLV’s ongoing Brown-Bag Series will look at the impact of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education on the regional economy and innovation.
Who: Steve Melnick, LVEDC; Kelly Rosario, Allentown School District; Troy Thrash, DaVinci Science Center; and Todd Watkins, Lehigh University
What: Free and open to the public, the impact of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education on innovation, entrepreneurship and a vibrant regional economy. You may not even need a brown bag because the Pa. DCED is bringing a "light" lunch.
When: This Friday, November 19th, 2010, 12:00 p.m. (noon) to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Bridgeworks Enterprise Center (AEDC), 905 Harrison St., Allentown, PA (across the street from Fairview Cemetery).
Did you know Upper Milford is facing its first tax hike in thirty years? That the Emmaus police department is down two officers?
You will if you read AOL Patch, an online journalism outlet that emphasizes community reporting. Emmaus Patch has hit the Internet news stands today. Check it out here. I will add a link on my sidebar.
I've long claimed that Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski has taken "pay to play" to unprecedented heights in the Lehigh Valley. When potential city contractors call him, he even schedules their appointments during fundraisers. One hand washes the other. Of course, it's legal bribery. So some nitwit blogger is complaining about King Edwin's ethics, what else is new? Funny you should ask, because someone with a little more credibility than me is asking some interesting questions about King Edwin and his connection with political power broker Marcel Groen. That person? Lehigh County Exec Don Cunningham.
In a riveting report by Morning Call scribe Jarrett Renshaw, we learn that Groen's law firm has been paid over $350,000 by Allentown since 2006. We know that Groen himself is a Pawlowski and Callahan campaign contributor who attracts other donors. But his real strength is his ability to help someone with political aspirations.
Someone like King Edwin.
Don Cunningham bluntly states that with Green, "it's about money and business." He does not stop there, but adds this. "So anyone that wants to run statewide must go through Montgomery County if they want to advance themselves. ... Clearly Pawlowski has developed that type of business and political relationship with Marcel."
What Cunningham is saying, if you read not so closely between the lines, is that Pawlowski is a crook willing to sell out Allentown for a higher office.
No matter how controversial the topic, there was never a police presence at Northampton County Council meetings. Loud and angry people vented in Courtroom One when a 911 Center was the hot-button topic, and nobody needed to call the cops. All that changed after Glenn Reibman became County Executive. Now there are at least two Deputy Sheriffs at every session, sometimes more. In fact, this is part of a growing trend I see in other municipalities throughout the Lehigh Valley. Is it really necessary?
In Lehigh County, where I'm a less frequent visitor, I've always seen at least one Deputy Sheriff. He wanders in and out of the meeting room from time to time. Allentown City Council began using police officers this Summer, and Bethlehem's police just began "babysitting" a few weeks ago. I was surprised to hear the crackle of one officer's radio during a Zoning Hearing Board meeting last week.
One Bethlehem officer took it upon himself to interrupt a public speaker who was getting louder and louder, eventually escorting him out of Town Hall. Tony Simao, who films these meetings as a public service, captured the ejection on video. I believe that call should have come from the Chair, and not from a police officer, but have no quarrel with the removal.
But is it really necessary to send cops to a Zoning Hearing Board meeting? The unspoken message is that the public can't be trusted to behave.
Just two years ago, during a Kirkwood City Council meeting, a regular came in with two guns blazing, shooting a police officer, Public Works Director, two Council members, the Mayor and a reporter. Six people died, including the shooter. It's a tragic story that demonstrates that there are nuts out there who will get violent. But a police presence was no help in that instance.
People have spoken at municipal meetings in their boxers, KKK garb. One wiseass actually used a "fart machine" during a Medina, Ohio Council meeting. That's fine. But when a person interferes with the rights of others (e.g., holding up a sign while someone else speaks, or refusing to leave the podium), Courts get annoyed.
I believe this police presence is unnecessary for three reasons: 1) It has a chilling effect on First Amendment rights; 2) Kirkwood City Council's experience reveals that this presence is largely ineffective against any real danger; and 3) police officers have better things to do than be overpaid babysitters.
I've told you before about my latest, and probably last, trip to WMFZ-TV 69's Business Matters. I was there to do a show pitting one bottom feeding blogger against three "real" journalists. They never had a chance. You see, before my show, I got all fired up watching Ron Angle and Michelle Young as a tag team against Mike Schlossberg and Jude Denis. (See video here). Many people died.
Tonight, if you're interested in an intelligent discussion of the New Media's impact on journalism, you won't find it on Channel 69. But if you tune in at 8 PM, you can see me kick the shit out of Express Times Editor-in-Chief Joe Owens and Morning Call Highbrow Jon Micek about their lousy election coverage.
I also do a Jake Towne impersonation.
Now Owens has deluded himself that he came out on top, and he did make a comeback, but Angle gave me the match on points.
Micek just ran out of there and headed back to the land of midnight payraises, where everyone is in love and he only has to talk to politicians.
Tired of complaining? Thinking of running for local office yourself? Well, you're in luck because The League of Women Voters of Lehigh and Northampton Counties will host 6th biennial “Running for Local Office Workshop” this Saturday.
Where? The Kiva Building, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Time? 8 AM (Are they our of their minds?) to 12:30 PM.
Northampton County Executive John Stoffa really likes this workshop, which gives you the nuts and bolts on running for the municipal offices coming up next year. I understand he flunked ... twice, but got elected anyway. In fact, he broke just about every damn rule out there. He promised a tax increase, planted a few signs here and there and went to the movies on primary night. Some say he sold his soul to the Devil, but Ron Angle denies it.
What do ordinary mortals learn? ✓ How to Start, organize, and manage a campaign ✓ How to Do the legal paperwork, ✓ How to Work with a committee ✓ How to Work with the press ✓ What techniques have worked successfully for others ✓ A whole lot more.
You'll get tagged $45. But you get a workbook to take home as well as their 2011 Calendar Girls. I've got Miss April above, who is posing with some of Ron Angle' sheep. When she was asked whether Angle hit on her, she replied, "Naaaaaaaaaa."
You can get additional, and more factual, information and and an application form at the League website. Or you can call Ken Mohr at 610-282-1921.
During Lehigh County's recent budget hearings, they were a constant and vocal presence. They also took part in the discussion of the bi-county health bureau, and have appeared at several Northampton County Council meetings. Tony Simao, who films and posts Bethlehem City Council meetings on his own YouTube channel, is one of them. Theyre becoming regulars at local school boards. I even spotted one of them at a recent Hellertown Borough Council budget meeting. Last night, they countered union
I'm talking about the local tea party. Nonprofits and unions are regulars before local governments, looking for handouts and higher benefits. When Lehigh County Commissioners considered cutting quality of life grants, museums and artsy-fartsys I never heard of came out of the woodwork, literally screaming. And unions worried about a sale of Northampton County's nursing home, have actually used Gracedale residents as props, carting them at County expense to meetings in their wheelchairs, after scaring these seniors half to death that they'll be thrown into the street.
But these special interests are beginning to encounter something new - the taxpayer. At last night's informational meeting concerning the sale of Gracedale, the usual supporters showed up. But this time, the tea party was there, too.
Special interest groups and lobbyists protect all kinds of hidden agendas, on both left and right. It is refreshing to see one group speaking for the taxpayer. That group should be or elected officials.
Did you know that 15% of the drivers around Bethlehem's South Mountain are going at least 10 mph above the posted speed limit? That Lehigh University visitors, commuters and even school buses use these rural residential roads to avoid traffic jams and construction on the main drags? That stop signs on Creek Road and William Street are routinely ignored? That these roadways tend to ice up in the Winter as a result of poor drainage? All of these concerns were presented to the Bethlehem Planning Commission on November 11 by Community Planner Christine Bartleson.
A "South Mountain Traffic Calming Study," funded with fees imposed on Bethlehem's rural developers, has made several recommendations to reduce traffic.
* Posting the speed limit every half mile. Police officers are unable to enforce speed limits unless they are properly posted.
* Installation of "Share the Road" signs, for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
* Speed humps along William Street, Fire Lane and Creek Road, which forces the driver to slow down.
Other traffic calming measures - including possible road closures and one way streets - will be considered in two years, after PennDOT's Route 412 construction program is complete.
One change, designed to keep drivers on the right road to Lehigh, was to rename Silvex Road to College Drive. City Council killed that idea on November 3, which puzzled planner James Fiorentino.
"Was Silvex named after something like Silver Creek?" he asked.
He was told it was a spark plug.
"Is there still a constituency for spark plugs?" he continued.
Planner Steve Thode told Fiorentino, "It was the spark plug for the Model T" and was manaufactured in Bethlehem.
The spark plug you see was called the "Bethlehem Five Point."
Mike Schware, former Republican candidate for Allentown, just fired off this missive to City Council. Apparently, a bunch of little Pawlowskis are copying Big Ed's habit of distracting everyone with lengthy power point presentations.
"I attended last night’s (11/10) budget sessions and wanted to relay my disgust about what these hearings have deteriorated into.
"The presentations given by each department head would have been better suited for an 'Inside Allentown (government)' course than for a budget hearing. Those in attendance were treated to city administrators reading aloud from lengthy PowerPoint slides. Instead of focusing on the actual budget for each department, the presentations focused on anything but the dollars and cents of running city government.
"At best the budget hearings have become opportunities for political grandstanding by department heads. At worst the lengthy PowerPoint presentations have become ways for the administration to filibuster the meeting and limit public input. These lengthy presentations were certainly not appropriate given the limited amount of time allotted to each department to discuss their budget.
"I freely admit that I left some time after 10:00 pm when the finance director began his presentation of what the finance department does. I was not alone in leaving before the meeting ended.
"In addition to the issue of the presentations, I must question the wisdom of scheduling two budget sessions back-to-back on the same evening. Similarly, I can only wonder about the intent of scheduling the discussion on the “Revenue” section of the budget at the end of the second session. Surely neither decision did anything to promote public input on an area that needs scrutiny.
"As you know, the administration has greatly overstated revenues over the past two years and those overstatements have resulted in deficits. Additionally, the 2011 budget is balanced by a proposal for an earned income tax increase that is directly at odds with the city charter. Given these facts, one would have hoped that the revenue section would be discussed before any other sections of the budget were reviewed.
"As a Certified Public Accountant, I think it makes more sense to first discuss how much money you actually have before you decide how much you will be spending. Last night’s meeting did just the opposite, and is perhaps an indication of why the city is in the financial situation it is in.
"I would hope that City Council shares the concerns of many about the legality of the proposed tax hike; the effects of a tax hike on city businesses; and would like to find ways to avoid the tax increase. If those concerns and the prospect of having the 2011 city budget being balanced on the backs of working families were important to City Council, it was certainly not evident by the low priority it was given on last night’s agenda."
Updated 1:00 PM: I should have checked, but just realized Jarrett Renshaw had already posted Schware's letter at Valley610.
Bethlehem's Zoning Hearing Board was the place to be on November 10. Eighty-three people, including Council members Eric Evans and Gordon Mowrer, were crammed into Town Hall to hear Round Two of the dispute pitting Elias Farmers Market against some of its residential neighbors and City Council. Zoners gave Elias their blessings in Round One, but Judge Edward Smith sent the case back in September to determine whether this busy market is entitled to a special exception for a nonconforming use in a rural residential district. After four hours of testimony, complicated by bickering barristers, Chairman Gus Loupos called it a night. A date for Round Three still under consideration.
Zoning Officer John Lezoche came under heavy fire. He told Elias Attorney Joe Piperato that, prior to the Elias zoning bill, he had never received a complaint about the market. Four residents disputing that, including Yong Hao, who actually accused Lezoche of making false statements. Lezoche sat there stoically, but Chairman Gus Loupos was offended. Banging the gavel, he told Hao, "That's uncalled for," and cautioned him against "character assassination."
Lezoche was even grilled over old zoning records until Zoning Solicitor Mickey Thompson decided that a City lawyer should represent Lezoche, and the zoning officer's testimony was suspended.
Elias engineer Steve cPany testified that an expansion is necessary to address a steeply sloped loading dock and provide for a larger warehouse. He rejected the notion that Elias would be a distribution center, and predicted that the larger warehouse would actually result in fewer deliveries. He repeatedly stressed that the current loading dock is unsafe, calling it an "accident waiting to happen."
Piperato also attempted to introduce a petition in support of the expansion, signed by 1,000 people. "There's been representations here that Attorney Spadoni is here on behalf of the residents of the City of Bethlehem," and Piperato offered the petition to show widespread public support.
An angry Chris Spadoni bellowed, "Mr. Piperato just said - and we'll have the court reporter read it back - that I represented that I represent the citizens of Bethlehem. That has never been said. And I would ask that he stand corrected on the record." Spadoni is Bethlehem City Council Solicitor, and that is how he introduced himself.
Attorney Dave Backenstoe objected to the petition as well. "That is absolutely inadmissible hearsay. ... You don't know how those signatures were obtained. You don't know where they were obtained. You don't even know if those are residents of the City of Bethlehem.
Piperato backed off, withdrew the petition and rested.
Guishu Fang, who lives next door to Elias, contradicted Pany's assertion that there is only one tractor trailer. She presented several pictures showing three different trucks, though she had no pictures of the three trucks together. She complained about constant truck noise, day and night, as well as fumes, adding she cannot even go into her back yard. An expansion to a three-bay loading dock and larger warehouse will only aggravate these problems, she claimed.
Fang indicated she has complained to Elias about garbage that already litters her back yard. "They never call me. They never come. They have my phone number." An expanded operation will just add to the debris. "Can you imagine what will happen when they put this huge warehouse and loading dock there?" she asked. Pany had earlier testified that Elias intends to create a fenced and covered dumpster site, located farther away from Fang's property than the current location.
Growing increasingly emotional, Fang complained about a proposed three-bay loading dock. "They want to move this loading dock to my bedroom side because there's nowhere else to build and because they have a hardship. How much hardship they created for me!"
Some of the audience applauded when she was finished testifying.
Al Bernotas, another voice of opposition, complained of tractor trailers idling at Elias. Although he lives 500' away, he sated closer neighbors will be affected by "dumpsters, trucks, diesel fumes, traffic, unsafe conditions for kids going to school, the whole thing."
At the end of the night, Chairman Gus Loupos thanked everyone, and stated that whatever zoners decide, it will upset 50% of the people. "We don't have a happy medium in what we do," he lamented.
During the hearing, the crackle of a radio could be heard from time to time as a uniformed police officer stood in the back of Town Hall. Asked why he was there, he smiled and said, "Babysitting duty."
Video Highlights:
Gus Loupos Lays Smackdown With His Gavel
Spadoni Does Not Represent the People. He represents City Council, damn it!
Because I was at a marathon meeting of the Bethlehem Zoning Hearing Board last night, I was unable to attend some other important meetings. Allentown is considering a forty per cent hike in earned income tax, and private prison operator GEO was getting an earful from slate belt residents about a proposed detention center for illegal (aka undocumented) immigrants.
On of my regular readers, Dave, lives in the slate belt, and attended last night's meeting. Here's his report.
"Here we go .. GEO called it a night at 8 PM sharp amid howls of complaints yet unanswered by the citizenry present. A lot of rude folk despite the BASD super asking for civility and written questions from the audience. Ron will be on the local news at 10 PM as they were interviewing him as I exited. Sat by Bill White the MCall blogger. I estimated the crowd at 300 or better. The GEO show was glossy and high tech and they did answer the big questions and you can tell they have done this a lot. The ACLU contingent handed out flyers and urged people to call ALL their local gov't rep's and say NO to this project. Gracedale petitions were everywhere but they were polite in asking for signers as well as a guy selling NO PRISON signs for $10 outside the doorway to the parking lot. I want to hear more . .. a lot more before advising anyone how this goes down. Good and bad in any endeavor. Political activism alive and well in the Slate Belt. Hang on ... it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
"Page two. Did not see John Stoffa there and not sure about the Twsp. supers as I only know Ed Nelson on sight. All local construction crews to be used at union scale. 300 officers and another 200 support staff at prevailing community wages, whatever that means? Use local vendors and attempt to hire from the surrounding area where possible and qualified. They admit the abuses do occur and they have paid heavy fines. They have some baggage, in other words, and say they are improving as they grow. They said also that they will be giving the public access to communities that have similar facilities ... phone numbers and contacts for anyone to call and ask about GEO and how they feel about them. Ron took some shots from the crowd at times but did not respond or acknowledge the hecklers."
Thanks, Dave. I understand that Northampton County Exec John Stoffa was there, too, and in fact left with Ron.
An Express Times story is here. The Channel 69 Video Dave mentions is below.
BETHLEHEM, PA – U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (PA-15) issued the following statement in observance of Veterans Day, November 11, 2010:
“Each November, America pauses to pay respect to the men and women who faithfully served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Our nation’s many veterans have bravely risked their lives to ensure the safety and protect the freedom of the American people -- for their sacrifice, we are eternally grateful.
"Veterans Day was originally recognized as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Seven years later, Congress passed a resolution to mark an annual observance to recognize the courage of those serving in armed conflicts. In 1938, November 11th officially became the national holiday that we observe today as Veterans Day.
"When we stop to pay tribute to veterans who have dawned the uniform of one of our military branches, we think of those in the Greatest Generation, who gallantly served in World War II; the young soldiers, including countless Marines, sent to Vietnam in the 1960s and ‘70s; and the men and women who have served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan during the global war against terrorism.
"One of my greatest responsibilities as Representative of the 15th District of Pennsylvania is to ensure veterans and their families have access to the resources and care they need and have earned. Over the last five years, I’ve had the opportunity to vote on measures in Congress that have brought added relief and assistance to local veterans and their loved ones. Since my election to Congress in 2005, federal spending on veterans’ health programs has increased by more than 60%. Additionally, in the last year, over $1 billion in education benefits have been provided to veterans, particularly those who served over the last decade, following the enactment of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which I strongly supported.
"Less than a month ago, the President signed into law the Veterans’ Benefit Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-275) with my support. This measure will increase job training opportunities and other benefits for homeless veterans. It will also protect our troops from some unscrupulous business practices that previously took advantage of enlisted men and women who were given military transfer orders. Additionally, disabled veterans, as well as surviving spouses and children, will now see consistent cost of living adjustments because of this new law.
"Nearly four decades since the end of the Vietnam War, some veterans who fought in the conflict continue to experience health problems resulting from their exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical widely used during the Vietnam theater. Recognizing the impact of Agent Orange on our aging Vietnam veteran population, the Supplemental War Spending bill signed into law on July 29th 2010 provided $13.4 billion for claims in Fiscal Year 2010.
"On a more personal level, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recently updated its testing policy to integrate HIV/AIDS testing as a routine aspect of a medical review with the Veterans Affairs Health Care System. I proposed this modification during consideration of the Veterans Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-387) and fought for its inclusion in the final version of the legislation. My proposal repealed the VHA’s outdated HIV testing policy, allowing quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment.
"When the 112th Congress begins work in January, I anticipate additional opportunities to address the many important issues facing veterans in the 15th District. In the New Year, I will continue to help improve and streamline federal programs that provide assistance to our greatest American heroes and their families.
"On this Veterans Day, I want to call your attention to the Veterans History Project, a remarkable initiative operated by U.S. Library of Congress. The Project collects first hand accounts and stories from veterans of World War I through today’s conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each unique story recorded and preserved through the Project serves as a tool for teaching future generations about the countless Americans who fought in defense of our nation.
"As we remember those who served this week, we must keep the troops currently stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the men and women stationed in other parts of the world, in our thoughts. I have visited our troops in the Middle East and south Asia on several occasions over the last few years. It is always a distinct honor to spend time with Pennsylvanians faithfully serving in the war against al-Qaeda and other terrorists determined to destroy the American way of life. While some may pay the ultimate sacrifice for protecting our nation, others will return to the United States to begin new lives as veterans. Like many Americans, I am grateful and humbled by their sense of duty and will continue to ensure they receive the best possible care.
"This Veterans Day, I encourage all Americans to take a moment to thank a veteran or current member of the Armed Forces for his or her service to our nation."
Over seventy-five people are packed into Bethlehem's Town Hall for a Zoning Hearing Board meeting concerning the expansion of Elias Farmers Market, located on Linden Street. "We just broke the record for a ZHB meeting," joked Chairman Gus Loupos. The good humor turned sour, however, after zoners barred Att'y Dave Backenstoe from questioning engineer Ed Pany about the square footage of the expansion.
"You're a quasi-judicial body, and should be interested in finding the truth," objected Backenstoe.
In 2 1/2 hours, only one witness has been heard, and the hearing is going strong now. I'll have a full report later,
Many municipalities struggle annually with the growing cost of a defined benefit pension plan. But Hanover has been able to reduce that expense by instituting a less expensive pension plan for employees hired after 2006. They contribute portions of their own salary, which is then matched by the Township.
What about raises? They vary between 2 and 4 per cent. Finnigan explained how it works. "We appraise people, we require them to go the extra mile, and if they are doing that, they are rewarded accordingly." He noted that most surrounding communities have union contracts that require pay increases, but "we do it based on performance."
Finnigan's salary next year is set at $102,775, slightly less than the salaries paid to Township Managers in Lower Macungie and South Whitehall.
Finnigan told Supervisors he was able to reduce the interest rate on the Township's long-term loans from 4.25% to 4.00%.
Supervisor Steve Salveson expressed some concern over employees being forced to pay a portion of their family's health care. "That's quite a hit for most of the people with family coverage," he remarked. Finnigan assured Salveson that it's a "wash," but agreed to analyze the differences in take home pay for employees with families.
Hanover resident Al Young complimented Supervisors for posting the proposed budget on the Township web page, but repeated Lehigh County Commissioner Glenn Eckhart's admonition that "government spending is the problem."
Supervisors will tackle the budget again on November 23, 7 PM, at the municipal building.
As a Democrat in downtown Allentown, Magisterial District Judge Maryesther Merlo captured 59% of the vote in last year's municipal race. She handles lots of truancy cases. But last week, the Judicial Conduct Board called her own truancy into question, and instituted formal proceedings, primarily because of a "pattern of absenteeism and tardiness resulting in unnecessary delay and continuance of numerous hearings ... ."
In a detailed, 36-page, Complaint, the Judicial Conduct Board cites numerous examples, including 85 cases in which she had her staff enter judgments in landlord-tenant disputes at which she failed to appear. When she did conduct hearings, she would often group defendants together, and try them all simultaneously.
In one case, she refused to reduce bail for a criminal defendant unless he admitted to her that he was a "scumbag." Once he did, she set him loose.
Her bizarre behavior includes a threat to file perjury charges against a witness who asserted her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. When this woman persisted in her refusal to testify, Judge Merlo called deputies to handcuff this witness and jail her. They declined. She then found this witness in contempt and ordered her to pay a fine or go to jail. Judge Steinberg later vacated that Order.
Without any authority, she also held an Assistant DA in contempt when she objected to Merlo's decision to lower the bail of a Defendant who had pointed a shotgun at someone.
In a speeding case involving a student, the charging officer decided to reduce the offense and the boy appeared in Court with his mother, who had placed the boy on curfew. When he apologized to Judge Merlo and told her it wouldn't happen again, she called him a dog who "needs to be retrained."
The entire complaint, which contains numerous additional examples of bizarre behavior, can be read here.
Updated 12:55 PM: The Mrning Call has a story here.
Yep. Evil Ron Angle is currently embroiled in a Holy War with none other than the Redeemer in that Beemer, the Savior of Misbehavior, Buddy Christ himself! And it's all over Gracedale.
You see, Northampton County Council's Prez has no regard for the residents at our nursing home. Sure, he talks about a continued high level of care with a new employer who will keep many of the same workers currently on the public payroll. Yes, he has stressed that any new owner must agree to give priority to Medicaid (indigent) residents.
The truth? He secretly intends to use residents to plug up the next oil leak. Either that, or he'll sell them to some Arab Shiek, like the ones who are financing the nursing home in Dauphin County.
He has me fooled, but not the Gracedale Goons. In the latest rant from their fearless leader, fake preacher "Reverend" Mario Martinez, we learn the truth. "The end is definitely near, but it is near for Ron, not for Gracedale. Gracedale is destined by the Lord Jesus Christ to continue to serve the Northampton County widows and the orphans until He decides differently. It is His intended purpose...and His will."
So there you have it, folks. God is on their side.
During the Civil War, Yankees and Rebels were both infested by fake preachers and fake generals who claimed God was on their side. After hearing that claim for the gazillionth time, Abraham Lincoln said to one of them, "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”
The Lord Jesus Christ better get off his ass and start collecting signatures. Inside word is that "We, the People" only have about 5,000 of the 20,000 signatures they need to get a Gracedale referendum on the ballot. And time is ticking.
Tonight, at 6 PM, there will be an open forum about a possible Slate Belt detention center for over 2,000 illegal immigrants. This meeting will be hosted by GEO, which calls itself "a leader in the delivery of private correctional and detention management."
At a time when we have 10% unemployment, this proposal will generate 350 union construction jobs and 500 detention workers with salaries equivalent to those of police officers. In the economically depressed Slate Belt. On the other hand, the ACLU's Emma Cleveland has warned that private prisons like GEO generate human rights abuses, and it's net to impossible to track them because the Freedom of Information Act has no application to a private business.
Cleveland has set up a Facebook group, Coalition Against the Prison in Mt. Bethel. It's billed as a "group made up of concerned citizens," but it would be more honest to describe it as an ACLU-led effort.
But there are some very real concerns about private prisons, especially those housing illegal immigrants. They were detailed yesterday on NPR's Talk of the Nation. Because crime has flat-lined in the U.S., private prison corporations look at housing illegals as their new growth industry. They donated heavily to the Arizona legislators who recently enacted their new illegal immigration law.
NAZARETH, Nov. 9 – State Rep. Rich Grucela, D-Northampton, said his constituent service offices will remain open through Nov. 30 to help residents of the 137th Legislative District with state and local issues.
Grucela, who did not seek re-election this year, has offices at 239 S. Broad St. in Nazareth, 610-614-1312; and 5 Mt. Bethel Plaza in Mt. Bethel, 570-897-0401.
"Our offices are open and ready to assist you with forms, applications, and questions about state programs," Grucela said. "If you have any questions, please just call or stop by through the end of the month – even if it's to say goodbye to my stellar staff who has served you, my constituents, for the past 12 years."
The office offers assistance with state programs like LIHEAP, PACE, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and with financial aid programs through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
Grucela, who was elected in 1999, said that along with his long tenure of teaching, public service is an honor and privilege.
"Voters entrusted me with their confidence throughout my tenure in office and I hope I met their expectations," Grucela said. "It will be difficult to say goodbye to the many good people my staff and I have met throughout the years as your state representative. It's been a pleasure to represent the 137th District in Harrisburg and I thank every resident for giving me the opportunity to do so."
In case you missed it, I'm a big fan of CACLV's Rising Tide Community Loan Fund. It's a federally-certified community development financial institution, created to help entrepreneurs in communities where resources and opportunities for growth are limited. So far, 84 microloans totaling over $1,654,000 have been made. They've led to the creation of at least 132 jobs, and helped keep 109 others. Only 5 loans, totaling $48,000, have been written off as uncollectable. 
