Karma at Northampton County's Jail

" He's got a boner 4 me," says Yedlosky
on her Facebook page

Remember Jason Rosati?  He was a lieutenant at the NorCo jail who got fired. He ran no contraband ring. No one caught him sneaking in drugs or women. His offense was much more serious. A veteran and admitted hard ass, he insisted that the uniform policy be followed. Even female corrections officers reputed to be snitches for Acting Administrator Cathy Allen. He was escorted out of the jail for enforcing the uniform policy against corrections officer Kim Yedlosky. Well guess what? Today, Kim Yedlosky herself was fired, according to sources at the jail. Rosati had been right.

Rosati appealed his termination, and after one night of testimony, the writing was on the wall. He was poised to get his job back. But after a few months away from the jail, he found he was making a lot more money as a plumber, and was a lot happier cleaning shit out of pipes. I'm surprised I haven't seen him since I load the shit into pipes myself. Anyway, he took a cash payout.     

During his testimony, we learned that Rosati is a decorated Navy veteran who served for five years as a Seabee and participated in Desert Storm. He admitted he's a "stickler for details" who holds corrections officers to a "higher standard." He enforces the uniform policy. "It starts there," he explained. "Pride in your uniform. Pride in your job."

Who could possibly think this person
has trouble following rules? 

Who is Kim Yedlosky?

In stark contrast to by-the-book Rosati, there's a corrections officer at the jail named Kim Yedlosky. She's more of a free spirit, is excitable and made Secret Service agents very nervous when Vice President Biden visited The Blue in 2010. She even began to taunt them until a fellow tea partier settled her down.

Over the years, Rosati and Yedlosky had a number of confrontations over her disregard for the uniform policy and Rosati's insistence that it be followed. He has written her up several times.

Who is Cathy Allen?

She sat in on Rosati's hearing and is the Acting Administrator. She is a high school grad who ran a two-person office and has no experience in County government. Though she has no supervisory authority there, she asserted herself at the jail, and even moved between 60 and 80 files to the Executive's Office. She began reviewing old discipline reports and actually wanted to discipline some officers a second time for old offenses until then HR Director Pat Siemiontkowski educated her on this little thing called double jeopardy.

Was Yedlosky a Cathy Allen Snitch? 

That's what Rosati's attorney, Pat Reilly, argued during his termination hearing. . Operations Manager Alfie Crivellaro (since retired) said that Yedlosky let it be known throughout the jail that she has a relationship with Allen. Though he denied ever hearing her referred to as a snitch, he testified that Yedlosky may believe she is protected.

According to Rosati, other supervisors are afraid of her, and call her Teflon Kim because nothing ever sticks. "She makes it known that Miss Allen supports her. They are afraid."

Rosati also testified that Yedlosky approached corrections officer Troy Frey and threatened that unless he provided her with dirt on Rosati, she was going to see that Frey was fired. She was disciplined after that confrontation, according to both Rosati and Crivellaro

Rosati Disciplines Yedlosky

On January 7, 2015, Yedlosky came to work with her top three shirt buttons left open, exposing a V-neck T-shirt and a choker necklace. Those may not be worn while on duty. Rosati told Yedlosky to button her blouse and she ignored him. When he checked later, her shirt was still unbuttoned. As a result, Rosati wrote up the incident and forwarded the matter to Captain David Collins for approval, and he got it.

He explained his reasoning.

"If she can't be counted on to tie her shoes, how can I count on her when she needs to go into a cell to protect another officer?"

Rosati Fired For Enforcing Uniform Policy

Two days later, Al Crivellaro told Rosati that he was withdrawing the discipline because it is not enforced evenly. Things snowballed and Rosati found himself on the outside, looking in.  

Karma

At the time that Rosati was terminated, Corrections Director Dan Keen had just come aboard.  HR Director Amy Trapp was still in the private sector. He was visibly stunned and unhappy after Rosati's hearing. 

Since that time and the arrival of Amy Trapp, he's run a very tight ship, both with jail administrators and correction officers. He fired a corrections officer I call Madame X, who hid her days as a stripper and druggie at the time of her hire. The jail's investigator is under investigation himself. And yesterday, Kim Yedlosky was fired for the same kind of behavior that resulted in Rosati's attempt to discipline her. 

In his letter informing Yedlosky of her termination, Keen makes clear that "it is my intention to maintain the integrity of our code of ethics providing [the jail] and its employees with a means to ensure its efficient and effective operations."  

Yedlosky's termination follows what is known as a Loudermill hearing on July 28, in which she was provided with due process. The Loudermill notice indicates that Yedlosky was insubordinate, refused mandatory overtime, refused to render assistance, refused to do assigned work or was insolent about it, engaged in indecent behavior, treated others in a discourteous and unprofessional manner and engaged in gross misconduct. 

Go figure. 

As an AFSCME union member, Yedlosky can grieve her termination. 

Maybe she can ask Jason Rosati to testify for her. Or the officer she allegedly threatened. 

Lisa Strye Defends Dad

Last week, in "Strye Sez Bye," I told you that embattled Nazareth Mayor Carl Strye had finally resigned. He really had no choice. Strye admitted to an investigating grand jury that he stole $8,000 in gambling proceeds from the Vigilance Hose. He was charged with felony theft. District Attorney John Morganelli insisted that Strye resign as a condition to participation in ARD, a special program for first offenders in which charges are wiped clean after serving a period of probation. The prosecutor also demanded Strye to return the money he skimmed from an illegal gambling operation in which he evidently participated for many years. Strye, who has yet to display an ounce of remorse and was still running the police department, had to be shocked to discover that no one is above the law, not even Nazareth's mayor. The good ol' boys are blowin' oil. So is Strye's daughter, Lisa.

She came on this blog yesterday after one of my readers claimed that Strye's two kids are "embarrassed." She threatened this reader with defamation, called him one of my puppets and added for good measure that I am disbarred. She also made clear that she dislikes having to "dabble with the likes of your kind."

Lisa is someone I would ordinarily consider a civilian. Off limits. I certainly would never visit the sins of the father on son or daughter.

But she came on this blog, and in the course of threatening someone with libel, she smeared me as well.

So I have a message for you, Lisa.

Your father is not just a thief, but a liar. He lied to me. Twice.

In response to a direct question, he denied he had appeared before the investigating grand jury. His email denial was sent to me on the very day he had been there.

Your father also lied to me when he denied he had ever engaged in any skimming. On January 26, 2015, this is what he told me: "You can believe me or not, I did not skim anything. I wasn't brought up that way. I have a very good paying job as a regional Manager of a very large carwash distributorship. But of course, people will say what they want without proving or investigating anything. They only thing I got from the vendor was [sic] baseball, hockey or football tickets. Never any money." A year later, in Grand Jury testimony and under oath, your father admitted to stealing at least $8,000.

When you come on this blog, it is like coming into my house. I understand that you would dislike me and don't blame you. He's your Dad, and I respect your love for him. But on this blog, you are a guest. As a guest, I assume you've been taught it's impolite to insult the host, especially with lies. And like your father, you have lied.

I have no puppets among my readers, as you call them. I'm not like your dad and do not pack meetings or this blog with people who will back me up. Also, this is a small point, but I was never disbarred. I was suspended, damn it! Get it right. By your own definition of libel, I can now sue and collect everything you have. But don't worry. Your definition is incorrect.

I'm sure that Detective Casciano would like to talk to you concerning your college loans and how they were paid. I'm sure he has lots of questions and would love to get to know you. Why not give him a ring? Maybe you can set him straight.

Gerrymandering Reform Bill Now Has 25 CoSponsors

Before the gerrymandering reform forum at Bethlehem's Unitarian Universalist Church, there were 21 cosponsors for State Rep. Daveparker's bill to slay the gerrymander. There are now 25, with all the new cosponsors coming from the Lehigh Valley. The latest State Rep to add his name is Pete Schweyer.

Locally, the state representatives who have failed to endorse redistricting reform are Marcia Hahn, Joe Emrick, Julie Harhart, Ryan Mackenzie and Gary Day.

Julie Harhart is poised to retire and is still unwilling to buck the establishment.

Clinton's Dishonesty Bothers Me, Not her Pneumonia

Over the past few months, I've been disgusted by Trumpions who have tried their level best to portray Hillary Clinton as someone at death's door. But yesterday, when she swooned after getting "overheated" during a 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero, it was very evident that something is wrong. After stonewalling reporters throughout the day, her campaign finally admitted late in the day that she is suffering from pneumonia.

Although pneumonia is nothing to take lightly, it's completely understandable that either she or Trump could come down with that illness. I've gone through it twice myself. What I find completely unfathomable is that a presidential candidate whose honesty is very much an issue, would keep the public in the dark, even though she was first diagnosed on Friday.

It's not her pneumonia, but her complete lack of transparency that makes it impossible for me to vote for her.

And Trump is just as nontransparent. He refuses to release his tax returns. He's also two years older than Clinton and has failed to provide the medical records that a much younger Obama did when he ran.

Candidate's Forum Set in State Auditor General Race

A candidates' forum for the state auditor general race will be held Wednesday, October 5, at Northampton Community College, College Center Building, Room 220. The forum, starting at 7 pm, will be preceded by a 6:30 pm Meet 'n Greet.

The four candidates include Democrat Eugene DePasquale (incumbent), Republican John Brown (NorCo County Exec), Green Party John Sweeney (Wyoming County) and Libertarian Roy Minet.

Candidates Forum_Auditor General by BernieOHare on Scribd

Opinions Online, 9/10/16

Blogger's Note: Opinions Online is a regular Saturday feature. If you'd like to express your opinion on any topic, click on the Opinions Online button on my left sidebar. I prefer local topics, especially concerning topics I miss, as opposed to talking points. You can also call 385-325-2564. In addition to these submissions, I sometimes highlight comments from throughout the week and re-publish them here. Please keep your comments brief, if possible. Anonymous personal attacks will be deleted, especially when aimed at other readers. I refuse to publish anything I consider possibly defamatory.

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Northampton County elected officials should be embarrassed that expense reports are no longer listed online for candidates running for office throughout the County. The last reports are listed for 2013. Where candidates get their money is often key for decisions they make later. The public should know this information, without having to go to Easton to look for it. Why aren't these reports online?

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Maybe it's time for Shiffert to throw in the towel?

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If somebody isn't going to take the time to become an informed voter, that person just shouldn't vote:

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Voting is probably the most important function the County provides. Yet if one wants to review where a candidates' contributions come from that person must go to Easton to find out and ask to review this at the Voters Office. The last year these reports were on line was 2013. When every one else has these reports on line why doesn't Northampton County? County Council should insist that this be done!

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So, Bernie, now that we're into September is the County's "line" that Court Admin Jill Smith was on a "temporary leave of absense" a crock or what? Somethin' don't smell right down there.

Blogger's reply: I have written several stories explaining what has happened.

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As a life long (30 yrs) resident of Bethlehem Twp, I have never seen a pumpkin patch in the township yet there is the cover of the fall 2016 newsletter, showing a family holding hands and walking through a pumpkin patch? Propaganda you say? What else are township officials painting a rosey picture of?

Third Circuit Agrees NorCo Violated Due Process Rights of Ex-Solicitor

Jill Mancini

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. That's pretty basic stuff. It is enshrined in our federal and state Constitution. In a precedential opinion, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals has agreed. In a ruling handed down late today, the Court ruled that the due process rights of a Democratic full-time assistant Northampton County solicitor were violated when she was fired by a newly installed Republican administration. Jill Mancini, who is now in private practice, can look forward to a $94,232 payday. In addition, Allentown Attorney Pat Reilly, who represented her, will collect at least $186,018.60 in attorney’s fees and costs.

Mancini received word that she was being let go on December 23, 2013, just two days before Christmas. Rather than tell her in person, then Solicitor Vic Scomillio dropped this bomb on Mancini from his cell phone, while he was driving.

Mancini had contended all along that hers was a career service position, and that there would need to be "just cause" for her termination. The County countered that her position was never career service because the County failed to follow its own rules in creating this job. The County also argued that, even if she was career service, it could always fire her as a result of a reorganization of the department, even a sham reorganization designed to target her.

Speaking for the Court, Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo rejected these arguments.

"This case requires us to consider whether there is an exception to the ordinary requirements of procedural due process when a government employee with a protected property interest in her job is dismissed as part of a departmental reorganization that results in the elimination of her position. We have not previously considered this so called “reorganization exception.” We hold that a reorganization exception to constitutional procedural due process cannot apply as a matter of law where, as here, there is a genuine factual dispute about whether the reorganization was pretext for an unlawful termination."

Concluding that Mancini was a career service employee, the Court held that she was entitled to a meaningful pretermination hearing.

Judge Restrepo also was also concerned that the reorganization leading to Mancini's dismissal was just a pretext to get her out of the way.

"Evidence of pretext included the following. Scomillio and [Executive John] Brown decided to reorganize the Solicitor’s Office shortly after Brown was elected County Executive in November 2013, even before he took office. Brown testified that when he asked Scomillio to consider a reorganization, Brown did not know what the budget of the Solicitor’s Office was and he did not have any personal knowledge of whether the office was running efficiently. Without any investigation, without asking Human Resources to conduct a desk audit to determine the volume of work, and without looking at solicitors offices in comparable counties, Scomillio recommended, based on his knowledge of who was on the staff of the Solicitor’s Office, that they shift the work of the full-time solicitors to part-time solicitors. Scomillio had experience with the individuals he planned to hire as part-time solicitors and he believed they would work more efficiently than the existing staff."

Solicitor Vic Scomillio would later go on to run for judge ... and lose Executive John Brown, who admitted he wanted to unload Mancini without even looking at the department budget, is currently running for state auditor general.

Colonial Regional Police Wants You

The Colonial Regional Police Department is currently accepting applications for a full-time Records Manager/Police Secretary. Information can be found at www.colonialregionalpd.org.

Green Knights Converting Wind Gap Tire Dump to Industrial Park

Green Knight Economic Development Corp is a private non-profit first formed in 1999 when Pen Argyl Area Concerned Citizens were approached by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Waste Management with a proposal for a gas-to-energy facility at the Grand Central landfill. In addition to generating enough energy to power 8,000 homes, the plant generated something else - money.  That's how Green Knights were able to build a shell building that ultimately attracted Techo-Bloc (landscaping products manufacturer). It's how Green Knights have been able to fund area scholarships and contribute to the Slate Belt YMCA. And next year, it's how Green Knights will be able to build a small industrial park on top of the second largest tire dump in Pennsylvania.

For years, Route 33 commuters have seen this tire dump eyesore at the Wind Gap exit. It's a 55-acre abandoned slate quarry that became both a massive tire dump that at one time included two million tires. Some of the soil has also been contaminated by asbestos.

In March 2015, Green Knights acquired this brownfield, and plan to replace it with a 25-30 acre industrial park with ten lots targeted to small, light manufacturers. The goal is to attract 300 jobs.

Slate spoils and steel slag already on the site will be used to cap what's left of the 2 million tires. In addition to the green from Green Knights, about $740,000 in public grants and loans have been poured into the project for clean-up and remediation.

Project manager Chad Helmer told Northampton County Council last week that the construction will take place next year, and it will be an "all hands on deck" project that pays prevailing wage.

Nazareth Police Ass'n Awards $500 Scholarship to NAHS Grad

Sarah Gross, age 18, has been honored by the Nazareth Borough Police Ass'n (NBPA) with a $500 scholarship. She was the winner of this year's essay contest, focused on education. Officer Stephen Schleig, NBPA President, said this award was made possible by the generosity of the Nazareth community, his fellow officers and the Stockertown Rod and Gun Club.

Gross, who resides with her parents in Upper Nazareth, is a 2016 Honors Graduate of Nazareth Area High School, where she achieved a cumulative four year grade point average of over 3.5. Ranked 28th in a class of 391 students, Gross was a member of the National Honor Society, Student Government Association, the yearbook staff, Blue Eagle Ambassadors, Model United Nations, Chess Club, Spanish Club, and was on the Nazareth Dance Team.

She is now attending The Pennsylvania State University at University Park, PA as a Biology major at the Eberly College of Science. She plans to pursue a career in the medical field.

This is the second year in which the NBPA has awarded a $500 scholarship. Last year, it went to Nicole M. Boylan, another Nazareth Area High School grad.

Jennings: "The Slate Belt Has Been Long Neglected by All of Us"

When we talk about poverty in the Lehigh Valley, most people immediately think of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. But the decaying infrastructure and lack of decent jobs is also a serious problem in our older boroughs, where the rag mills and quarries are extinct. In Pen Argyl (population 3,500), 12.2% of the population lives below the poverty level. It's pretty much the same with the populations in Bangor (10.4% of 5,200), Portland(13.7% of 500) and Wind Gap (9% of 2,700). Alan Jennings, the CACLV ExecutiveDirector who will tell you himself that he's been fighting a losing battle against poverty for decades, wants that to change. He's proposing a Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) that will include all four boroughs.

"The Slate Belt has been long neglected by all of us," Jennings admitted to NorCo Council last week. He thinks that a NPP is the "best tool that's available for economic development in lower income neighborhoods. This is not a traditional economic development tool. This is a neighborhood development tool. It is a tax credit program offered by the [state DCED]."

What prompted Jennings to make this proposal?

Two words.

Alicia Karner, who lives in Bangor. Jennings said that, when she was employed by Northampton County, she badgered him incessantly. "You can't fight her for very long without getting bloodied and bruised." Karner eventually departed the County for greener pastures in Bethlehem, but Jennings continued seeking financial commitments from area businesses.

He finally succeeded.

Here's how it works. A business making a contribution of at least $50,000 per year for five years can get a state tax credit of up to 80%. This, coupled with a federal charitable deduction, means that it only loses 13 cents on every dollar contributed.

The businesses pledging to contribute to a Slate Belt NPP are as follows: Merchants National Bank ($50,000 per year for five years); Waste Management ($50,000 per year for five years), ESSA Bank ($25,000 per year for five years); and Lafayette Ambassador Bank ($10,000 in Year 1, $5000 in Years 2-5).

How will the money be used?

"We are very Main Street-oriented in the sense that we think central business districts are critically important," said Jennings. He added that money would be spent on facades in central business districts. It will also be allocated to housing rehab projects and municipal park improvements. He said the focus in the first year will be Bangor. In the second, it will be Portland. He believes this tiny river town is an excellent venue for eco-tourism by boaters who can take a break from kayaking and stop in a shop or restaurant.

Jennings has experience, too. He already administers three NPPs in Allentown, South Bethlehem and in Easton's West Ward. What's different about this one, if approved by the state, is that it will be the first to cover several municipalities.

The state will decide in November.

Pen Argyl Borough Manager Robin Szmoda was with Jennings as he spoke to Council. She said borough efforts to attract private investment were unsuccessful.   

Bethlehem Tp Hires Stormwater Engineer

TandM's Greg Duncan is Bethlehem
Township's stormwater engineer. 

On June 15, 2015, in the middle of a Bethlehem Township Commissioners' meeting, between four and five inches of rain fell over the course of just three hours. Entire sections of roadway were washed out as the Township ran out of barricades to warn passing motorists. The township spent $140,000 in emergency road repairs.

Manager Melissa Shafer fielded complaints from 37 different areas within the township. In addition, there were 15 sinkholes. "Impervious areas, lack of stormwater infrastructure in our older neighborhoods, undersized existing stormwater facilities and the shrinking capacity of Nancy Run Creek all contribute to the flooding issues," she later reported.

For years, raging stormwaters have been mentioned at nearly every meeting.

After last year's sudden downpour, Commissioners decided to make stormwater management their top priority. They teamed up with Freemansburg for a gaming grant to conduct a stormwater study. They visited Lancaster, which has a model stormwater management program. And at their September 6 meeting, they voted 4-0 to hire TandM Associates as their stormwater engineer.

TandM was the unanimous choice of a committee that reviewed proposals from five different engineering firms. As Shafer explained in a memo to Commissioners, T and M "not only brings experience and understanding of the sophisticated modeling necessary for the long term operations and maintenance of our system, but they have an unsurpassed local and regional knowledge and existing data already compiled on our watersheds. The Committee also felt that TandM rate structure and fee proposal was very competitive."

Greg Duncan, who is with TandM, will serve as the project manager. He will analyze the existing system, create a Stormwater Improvement Plan, develop a Stormwater Operation and Maintenance Plan and identify funding mechanisms to pay for the work.

In other business, Commissioners approved an ordinance establishing new boundary lines for its four wards. These changes will have no impact on this year's Presidential race and will only take effect next year. The new boundaries create four wards that range in population from 5800 to 6037.

They also voted to create an abandoned property register. According to Planning Director Nathan Jones, there are currently about 25 abandoned properties in the Township.  

Finally, they enacted an ordinance to regulate cell tower companies that straddle public rights of way with minpoles to augment cell tower coverage. 

Michael Hudak was absent from the meeting.   

Strye Sez Bye

Carl Strye, Jr., who is facing criminal charges as a result of his admitted theft of $8000 in gambling proceeds from Vigilance Hose, finally resigned as Nazareth's Mayor last night. It's something he should have done in April, when he was first charged.

This resignation was insisted upon by NorCo DA John Morganelli as a condition to Strye's participation in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program. That's a special docket for first offenders in which charges are wiped clean after a successful probationary period. Morganelli also insisted on full restitution,and Strye must agree to stay out of the Mayor's race next year.

The final decision will be made by the courts.      

In his letter of resignation, submitted to the good ol' boys before the meeting, Strye refers to the theft charges as "my issue." Amazingly, he pats himself on the back for making sure that the "police department is moving in the right direction with Commissioner [Randy] Miller in charge."

Top cop Miller was undoubtedly delighted to hear this praise from an admitted thief.

That's what worries me. What direction is the police department headed in when one of its own, Officer Stephen Schleig, has been forced to sue again?

According to The Express Times, Strye was immediately replaced by John "Shame Us" Samus, in an obvious done deal. In April, when I called on Strye to resign and was repeatedly shouted down, Shame Us wanted everyone who owns real estate in Nazareth to raise their hands. Most people did. I did not.

Then he point-blank asked me, "Do you own a home?"

I don't, and he was very pleased with himself.

"Does this mean I'm a second class citizen?" I asked.

"No."

"Are you saying that only the landed gentry may speak?"

"No."

"Then what is your point?"

His only point was to shame me. I am poor. I'm part of the riff raff and need not be taken seriously. He forgot that Lance Colondo, another member of Borough Council, is also a renter.

Strye is unfortunately only one head of a Lernaean Hydra that includes the entire Borough Council. They all need to go.

In April, I called on them to resign, too.

It will take a Hercules to rid Nazareth of these self-important potentates.

Gerrymandering Forum Nets Four New Cosponsors

It was a hot Friday night in August. It's when most people wind down at the end of a hard week. Not exactly the kind of weather or time to encourage political debate. But over 100 people crammed into Unitarian Universalist Church's hot basement to hear perhaps the best political forum I've ever witnessed. It inspired me to produce the four-part series you saw last week. More importantly, it attracted four cosponsors to State Representative Dave Parker's reform bill to establish an independent commission devoid of politicos to draw the boundary lines in legislative and congressional districts.

Two of the cosponsors - Steve Samuelson and Bob Freeman - have supported redistricting reform for sometime. In fact, Samuelson was at the forum. But another two - Mike Schlossberg and Justin Simmons - were totally unexpected.

Kudos to them both.

FairDistrictPa plans to hold additional forums in other parts of the state. I suggested Cumberland or Dauphin County, where many communities have enacted a resolution calling on the state legislature to enact redistricting reform. I would invite State Representatives and State Senators to attend.

To the partisans who argue that they don't want to give up an advantage to the "enemy," that's just dumb thinking. Pennsylvania now has a Democratic Supreme Court, and they can effectively undermine any redistricting plan, for good reason or bad.

Democrats can and most certainly will play the game, too, if given half a chance.

Updated 10:40 am: Make That Five New Cosponsors! - State Rep.Dan McNeill has now signed on to Dave Parker's gerrymander reform bill, bringing the total number of new cosponsors to five since the forum last Friday.

How Do You Rate Your Local Elected Officials?

Someone asked this question at Opinions Online on Saturday, but that question was drowned out in the incessant chatter from people talking at (instead of to) each other concerning the presidential race. I assume that the question relates to municipal elected officials. Who would you want on a five-person Board to lead your town?

Here's my top five. Dave Colver (Palmer Tp - thorough, organized and lets people have their say); Ron Beitler (Lower Macungie - transparent, thoughtful, thinks outside the box); The entire Hanover Tp, Northampton County Board (Yes, they are that good); Jerry Geake (Upper Mount Bethel, understands his township inside and out); and Matt Dees (transparent and has displayed maturity about borough government despite being in office for less than a year).

What these leaders all have in common is that they listen. While you may disagree with their ultimate decision, you will know they have heard you.

In fairness, there are many municipalities I've never visited, and others I've only been at once or twice. My general view is that most of them try hard to do the right thing. I've been very impressed at Lower Nazareth, Upper Nazareth, and East Allen.

Freemansburg throws the best party (National Night Out), hands down.

I should also point out that I love the late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, not because he was good, but was so damn funny. Maybe Nazareth will appoint him.

I did not include City Councils in this evaluation because their functions are a little different from Township boards or borough councils.

Happy Labor Day!

Next time you start complaining about your job, think about this poor bastard. Unless murdered or stricken down by the Almighty, I'll see you tomorrow.

Opinions Online, 9/3/16

Blogger's Note: Opinions Online is a regular Saturday feature. If you'd like to express your opinion on any topic, click on the Opinions Online button on my left sidebar. I prefer local topics, especially concerning topics I miss, as opposed to talking points. You can also call 385-325-2564. In addition to these submissions, I sometimes highlight comments from throughout the week and re-publish them here. Please keep your comments brief, if possible. Anonymous personal attacks will be deleted, especially when aimed at other readers. I refuse to publish anything I consider possibly defamatory.

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I imagine you've witnessed more local elected officials in action than anybody else. If you could pick 5 active ones to represent your town, who would they be?

Blogger's Reply: I'll ask readers to answer fun with that first, and will have my own answers on Tuesday.

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Might want to look into the recently reported story about LVCC "merging" with Spring Garden Children's Center on Easton's South Side. Might have been more of a takeover engineered by the United Way forcing out the former Executive Director who started there as an aide at age 16, eventually got a degree from Moravian, and stayed for 45+ years. Not all peaches and cream as the United Way sold the story to a local reporter.

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I miss Randy Kraft and his reporting for WFMZ. Nobody writes detailed stories like he did.

Since his retirement, the WFMZ online news has gone back to its fires and car crash news.

Blogger's reply: Randy is my favorite meeting reporter. I love his stories. He tried very hard to get it right and tell the whole story. He was also fearless. He was never afraid to ask tough questions, but I thought his writing was very balanced. These day, it's supposed to be a few lines, but Randy always fought to be able to tell the entire story. WFMZ was better because of him, but they have very good reporters. Newspaper reporters used to look down their noses at TV, but that is no longer so. I believe he'll be back. A lot of these guys have different styles. Joe McDonald is the exact reverse. His stories are never more than a few paragraphs, but everything is there. There are some really great journalists out there. Unfortunately, most of them no longer work at the papers, or are severely limited as corporate masters continue to screw everything up.

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Easton football. 0-2 already?

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Gerrymandering: How Our Elections Are Really Rigged - Part Four

Blogger's Note: Part One describes the dramatic increase in the use of both technological advances and hybrid SuperPACs with the goal of controlling Congress. Part Two details a bipartisan legislative fix proposed by State Senator Lisa Boscola and State Rep. David Parker. Part Three details the impact the gerrymander has had on government, and suggests what you can do to help achieve legislative reform. This final story tells you where the legislation stands, particularly in the Lehigh Valley delegation. 

State Senator Lisa Boscola is the prime sponsor of a senate bill (SB484) to eliminate gerrymandering in Pennsylvania by establishing an independent citizens' commission to draw the boundary lines for Congressional and state legislative seats every ten years. Republican Dave Parker, a State Representative from Monroe County, has offered a virtually identical bill in the state house (HB 1835).

A week ago, there were few local sponsors to this legislation. But following the gerrymandering forum at Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethlehem, that has changed dramatically.

The House Bill now has 22 cosponsors (10 Republicans and 12 Democrats). Locally, they include Bob Freeman, Mike Schlossberg and Steve Samuelson. Though Schlossberg is relatively new to the state house, both Samuelson and Freeman have been steadfast advocates of redistricting reform.

The Senate Bill has 12 cosponsors. Only two of them are Republican, but one of those two is Pat Browne, who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee.

Both bills are in their respective state government committees. Boscola stated that a redistricting reform bill was in a government reform committee, but went nowhere because Republican and Democratic leaders used proxies from absent members to kill the bill.

According to Common Cause's Barry Kauffman, Pennsylvania is considered by academics to be "one of the most reform-averse states in the nation." It took him 17 years to get an open records law enacted. "If they see citizens want to lead, they will follow," he said.

Boscola stated that the only real way to effect this change is by both targeting leaders and insisting that your legislator cosponsor the bill.

"Don't just ask a Senator or a Representative, 'Are you for this?' A lot of the time, they're gonna' say Yes. If they say Yes, then say to them, "Cosponsor that bill. I want to know that you're really supportive.'" ... They'll say Yes because they know this bill isn't coming up for a vote. So they can hide. But once you put your name on a bill, you're not hiding anymore. You're supportive, because you're on the record."

The Flisser Factor

Frank Flisser, flanked by wife Mary Beth and son Tom

Gerald E. "Jerry" Seyfried, a Northampton County Council member, who went on to become Executive, claims that the best decision he ever made as a public official was when he voted in 1978 to confirm Frank Flisser as Northampton County's first ever Council Clerk. Frank went on to serve for 36 years. He saw Executives and Council members come and go, but whether they were Democrat or Republican, they all have high opinions of this Muhlenberg College grad. Perhaps it was his humility. Perhaps it was his extensive knowledge of County government, equaled only by people like Jerry or Budget Administrator Doran Hamann. Flisser himself had two rules. First, treat everyone the same. Second, always tell the truth.

An avid and very fast runner who sometimes put in 20 miles a day, Frank was hit by a stroke in the middle of his last run ... and managed to make it home because of his superior physical fitness. No longer able to run, he hits the bike at the gym several times every week. Unable to drive, his wife Mary Beth or son Tom or both would take him to meetings and stay. They are great people, too.

They tricked him into coming to the courthouse before last night's meeting. When he got there he was honored with a plaque and photograph that is now hanging next to Jim Hemstreet. And cake.

Jerry Seyfried was there. So was Ron Angle, Panama hat and all.

When I hear public sector employees get trashed, I think about Frank.

He was the man who kept Council from going completely off the tracks try as hard as they might.

NorCo Council Coming to SteelStacks!

By an 8-0 vote, Northampton County Council voted last night to take their show on the road. Their October 6 meeting will be conducted at Steelstacks. If all goes well, Council will consider meetings in all four corners of the County. Several of them jokingly suggested Detzi's Tavern, a popular sports bar located in Wind Gap.

In County business, Council voted 8-0 to adopt a resolution opposing state legislation that will prohibit County Recorders from charging fees when condominium association amendments are indexed against individual owners.

State Rep. Tom Caltagirone, prime sponsor of this legislation in the state House, decries what he calls the "abusive" practice of assessing recording fees on each unit of a condominium whenever a declaration is amended. He calls it a matter of "consumer protection and good government." He adds that some amendments are recorded in order to comply with federal and state law.

But the County Commissioners Ass'n (CCAP) counters that the indexing fee charged is the same fee that applies to any one making a change to her deed. CCAP adds that it more difficult for title searchers to be certain they "accessed the full set of information related to that property."

Recorder of Deeds Andrea Suter also told Council that this legislation would open the door to special interests who would seek to have other recording requirements relaxed. "Where does it stop?" she asked.

Executive John Brown and Council member Bob Werner were absent.

Barron Delivers Greatest Speech in Career

I often torment Northampton County Controller Steve Barron because he tends to go on and on forever. It's like he's paid by the word! Things are really bad when he starts out with, "I'll be brief." But I have to congratulate him. Last night, Barron delivered the best speech of his career.

"No report!"

If I participated in pre-meeting prayers, I'd say they've finally been answered.  

Muller Proposes No Tax Hike in Lehigh County in 2017

LC Exec Tom Muller

Sent From Lehigh County: Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller today released his administration's proposed 2017 budget at the historic Limeport Stadium--Lehigh County's "Field of Dreams".

The $399.8 million budget features no tax increase and includes a reserve 20% above recommended guidelines. The County's millage rate will remain at 3.68 and the average homeowner will pay $668 in County real estate taxes.

"Proposing a budget with no tax increase has been made possible by the efforts of our employees to every day to serve our citizens effectively and efficiently," said Muller. "We expect to end 2016 with a $5.3 million surplus thanks to their efforts." A focus on employee "wellness" has also helped keep healthcare costs under control.

This is the third consecutive year that Muller's administration has successfully wiped out a budgeted deficit and returned a surplus.

The 2016 surplus and a $2.4 million draw down of reserves is being used to offset a $7.7 million budget deficit for 2017 generated by small tax cuts pushed through by commissioners over the past two years.

After 8 years of personnel reductions, the 2017 count is flat overall with 9 new positions being added--primarily to public safety areas--offset by reductions through attrition. The personnel total of 1,962 is below the 1988 level for the County.

The 2017 Proposed Budget reinstates funding taken away from the Northern Lehigh Community Center by the commissioners last year, provides funding for the 75th anniversary of the naming of MacArthur Road in Whitehall and contributes to the capital campaign for new lights for Limeport Stadium in addition to numerous "Quality of Life" and "Tourism" grants.

The 2017 Proposed Budget also includes the $2 million for farmland preservation that had been proposed by Muller and was recently approved by the Board of Commissioners.

The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners will now begin a series of hearings in September leading up to a final budget vote by the end of October.

The full, detailed Lehigh County 2017 Proposed Budget may be viewed on the County's website:

Stoffa Resigns From Retirement Board: Brown Fails to Appoint Successor

John Stoffa

Northampton County has a seven-person Retirement Board whose chief function is to act as a board of directors for the pension fund.  One must be a retiree recommended by the NorCo Employee Retirement Association. Former Executive John Stoffa had that honor, which explains why the minutes of the Retirement Board are now online. But because he's considering a new career as a blogger, Stoffa resigned from the Board on July 1.

Stoffa asked Executive John Brown "to continue to support the retirees. They are a great group of people."

Brown has demonstrated that support by failing to appoint a successor for two months.

As a result, retirees are receiving no updates, which leads to embarrassing situations when a deceased employee's family is notified of an upcoming meeting.

Since his election as Executive, Brown has also failed to attend a single retiree luncheon, despite receiving invitations.

Now that he is running for state auditor general, he might pop his head in this Fall. If he does, I'd advise against delivering his standard stump speech, bragging about how he straightened out Northampton County.

The retirees know better.

Oh yeah, and with a Tropical Storm headed our way, I thought now might be a good time to point out that Brown has still failed to appoint a county EMS Director to replace Bob Mateff, who has only been gone 15 months.

Why rush?

Gerrymandering: How Our Elections Are Really Rigged - Part Three

Blogger's Note: This is a continuation of my series on the gerrymander, which started on Tuesday. Part One describes the dramatic increase in the use of both technological advances and hybrid SuperPACs with the goal of controlling Congress. Part Two details a bipartisan legislative fix proposed by State Senator Lisa Boscola and State Rep. David Parker. This part of the series details the impact the gerrymander has had on government, and suggests what you can do to help achieve legislative reform.  

Barry Kauffman, an icon of good government, is someone I've always admired. As Executive Director at Common Cause Pa, he never shied away from pointing out the ethical oil slicks in the land of midnight payraises. He was the clean-up hitter at last week's panel discussion about gerrymandering before a full house at Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethlehem. And he hit it out of the park. .

The first thing Kauffman did was recognize two Lehigh Valley warriors who have been fighting to slay the gerrymander - Lehigh County Comm'r Amanda Holt, a Republican, and State Rep. Steve Samuelson, a Democrat. Both were in the audience

The Patriot News named Holt citizen activist of the year in 2012 as a result of her successful challenge to a gerrymandering scheme put forward by the state power structure. Kauffman called Samuelson, first elected in 1999, a “long-time champion of redistricting reform."  This blog reported in 2008 on Samuelson's war on the gerrymander.

Pointing to legislators Lisa Boscola, Dave Parker and Samuelson, Kauffman said he "can pretty much guarantee you they are not getting invited to their leaders' picnics and dinner parties, where the next generation of good ol' boys are being picked and groomed right now."

Barry Kauffman

Gerrymander: The Biggest Election Fix

"We heard a lot from our candidates about elections being fixed," Kauffman observed. "Well, they are right, but for all the wrong reasons. Redistricting abuse is probably the biggest problem, the biggest fix."

Partisans who oppose redistricting reform argue that "only a fool would give up his advantage to the enemy." But to the politicians preparing these distorted maps, the real enemy is not the Democrats. It is the people themselves. So in 2011, while the power structure decided on new Congressional districts, the public was kept in the dark. So were legislators like Samuelson who with no knowledge would be asked to vote for something he had neither seen nor reviewed.

You have to vote for it to see what's in it.  When you finally do, it's too late.

The Gerrymander Guarantees Electoral Success for Incumbents 

Here's how Kauffman explains it:

"Elections are in fact being determined before the first vote is cast. ... The redistricting process has made the voters irrelevant. In fact, in most districts, the battle is not between Democrats and Republicans. The battle has become politicians against the voters. It's now all about allowing lawmakers to pick their voters instead of voters picking their lawmakers.

He goes on.

Gerrymander Leads to Governing Gridlock

Kauffman and Sen.Lisa Boscola

"The current system makes the primary the real election in most area of the state, and if you aren't registered with the majority party in your district, you really do not have a say. That means the most radical wings of each party control the real election and, ultimately, the power structure and agenda of the legislature. It means that a lawmaker's biggest threat is a primary challenge and therefore, they must cater to the most extreme wings of their parties where they really turn out in the primaries. It means governing gridlock and the inability to compromise for the common good. Thus, the ability to govern from the center, where most people's beliefs and aspirations reside, becomes lost."

Thus, you have a nine-month budget gridlock, or a US Senate incapable of performing the basic task of confirming a Justice and other judges while the US House periodically shuts the government down. As Kauffman explains, "They no longer feel accountable to voters. They feel accountable to the power structure. This means the issues you care about - economy, education, government ethics, healthcare, and environment - don't get dealt with because the other issues suck up all the oxygen."

How to Pressure For Redistricting Reform

We now know that the gerrymander is a serious threat to our representative democracy. We know that State Senator Lisa Boscola and State Representative David Parker are sponsoring a bi-cameral, bipartisan legislative fix that effectively removes politicians, if not politics, from redistricting

Kauffman urges citizens to start discussing this matter with their local community leaders. He states that local municipalities are "tired of being chopped up to pieces just to protect the electability of politicians." State Representative Parker adds that, until the last round of redistricting, Monroe County was divided up among six different state senators, none of whom lived there. Kauffman predicts that will happen to Cumberland County next.  "When you redistrict in this way, it really damages a local community's power base, “he observes. "They know it makes it much more difficult to organize support for local initiatives."

So far, resolutions supporting the Boscola-Parker proposal have been approved in Pittsburgh, Cumberland County, West Hanover Township, ​East Pennsboro Township, Upper Allen Township, Lower Paxton Township, Highspire Borough Council and Capital Region Council of Governments. 

Tomorrow: Where the legislation stands. Who supports it? Who doesn't?

Gerrymandering: How Our Elections Are Really Rigged - Part Two

State Sen. Lisa Boscola

Blogger's Note: This is a continuation of a series on gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. Yesterday's story was an explanation of the problem. Today's entry is a review of bipartisan legislation aimed at ending the practice. Tomorrow, Common Cause's Barry Kauffman has some suggestions on what you can do. On Friday, I'll let you where some other local legislators stand on this issue.  

Democrat Lisa Boscola is without question very popular in her state senatorial district. Her constituents may actually love her. The leaders in the state house and senate? Not so much. "I swear, if there was a bridge you could build to New Jersey, they'd put me there," she only half-jokes.  That bridge might be under construction right now. Boscola is the prime sponsor of a senate bill (SB484) that would eliminate gerrymandering in Pennsylvania by establishing an independent citizens' commission to draw the boundary lines for Congressional and state legislative seats every ten years. A companion bill in the state house (HB 1835) has been offered by State Representative Dave Parker, a Republican from Monroe County.

Both Boscola and Parker were among the panelists at Friday's crowded gerrymandering conference at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

State Rep.David Parker

Boscola has first-hand experience with gerrymandering. As a victim. When she was a State Representative, she and two other Democrats rebelled against party leaders to support then Governor Tom Ridge, a Republican, on some matters. Party leaders retaliated by gerrymandering the defectors out of a job, and were aiming at her. Boscola survived only because she ran for the state senate, and won. "They couldn't get me," she laughs.

In addition to being a victim, Boscola has witnessed legislators abandon their principles very quickly when their job security is threatened by party leaders. Though everyone wants to see property tax reform, she watched in amazement as the infamous SB76 property tax relief bill was struck down by just one vote in late 2015.  "If you really represent your district, you should do what you think is right," she argues. But she watched as leaders pulled one Senator aside and sent him home for the day. Another switched his vote when threatened.

Unlike most, Boscola has publicly expressed her disgust for our current redistricting system, right from the Senate floor.

"[O]ur current system has become a tainted, corrupt, disingenuous mess. Gerrymandered and distorted district boundaries have become the rule rather than the exception. If you do not believe me, take a look at the map of some of our State's congressional districts. There is a so-called 1-81 district [Lou Barletta] that stretches from Adams County in the south all of the way to the northern tier in northeastern Pennsylvania. Then there is the 1-78 district [Charlie Dent], which snakes its way through the Easton line all the way to the Harrisburg suburbs. Do not even get me started on the 6th Congressional District.

"Mr. President, we should be embarrassed and ashamed. The blame for this politically polluted system lies squarely at the feet of politicians who have the power to choose their own constituencies. It should not work that way, and all of us know it. Our current system has harmed everything from fairness of our elections to the level of cooperation and compromise between lawmakers." 

The Boscola-Parker bills

Instead of the inherent conflict of interest that exists when politicians are allowed to choose their voters, instead of the other way around, the Boscola-Parker bills establish an 11-person commission to draw the boundaries. It will consist of four members of the largest party, four members of the second largest party and three members who are registered as independent or with another party. Elected officials, staffers, lobbyists and state party officials are ineligible. No politics.

New maps require a super-majority of seven votes and there must be at least one vote from each of the three groups. The newly drawn districts must meet a standard test of compactness, and no district may be drawn to favor a political party or, for that matter, anyone else.

This proposal is based on how redistricting is done in Iowa (since1980), Arizona (2010) and California (2010).

A proposal for a citizens' commission in Illinois has been blocked by its state supreme court, along party lines. But the United States Supreme Court upheld an independent commission in Arizona. Legislators had contended they had the power, but Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg countered "that the people themselves are the originating source of all powers of government."

The Iowa system, which consists mostly of compact rectangles, has never been challenged. "I see a pathway to Republican control. I can also see a pathway to Democrat control," says their Republican House Speaker. 

Boscola also said that a citizens’ commission to end gerrymandering should be part of any attempt to downsize the state legislature. 

"If you're going to downsize the legislature, you better do something about redistricting and how the citizens redistrict because if the leaders get to decide which House and Senate members get to stay, who do you think they are going to want to stay? The leader is going to be able to pick which ones stay. Not the people.

When the legislature voted to reduce its size (it must vote again), Boscola offered an amendment to provide for a citizen redistricting commission, but she said the Senate was able to sidestep it without a vote.