Is the MSM Suffering From Obamaphilia?

Noted conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck think the press is under Obama's spell. Right Pundits call it "media malpractice." Republicans previously have claimed there's no such thing as malpractice. I guess it's OK to sue reporters. They also think "competency tests" should be administered before allowing someone to vote, but there's need for that. We already have touchscreen voting machines.

Before you tee off on conservatives, I should note that some liberals have noticed this Obamamania, too. Left-leaning Washington Post, for example, concedes it tilted. "Obama deserved tougher scrutiny than he got, especially of his undergraduate years, his start in Chicago and his relationship with Antoin 'Tony' Rezko, who was convicted this year of influence-peddling in Chicago. The Post did nothing on Obama's acknowledged drug use as a teenager."

Inky columnist John Baer explains this happened because Obama is new, different, a "phenomenon." Huh? Apples the Clown is different, too, but I doubt any media outlet is rushing to cover his mini-judge campaign.

Let's be honest. Things are getting a little goofy. According to a report from the distinguished Allentown Commentator, Obama had a news conference yesterday to introduce his new dog. Obama ran through a series of canine commands . . . roll over, play dead, heal, beg, sit.

The press obediently complied.

They've become Zombies! Except for The Onion, the press is completely infected.

And those zombies are everywhere, too. Look, I voted for the guy and ever since, people with vacant looks on their faces have been following me, chanting "Obamaaaa, Obamaaaaaaa." Last night, after pulling into my Nazareth estate, I found myself saying, "Yes, we can!" I've also been fighting this strange urge to compare Obama with Lincoln because they're both from Illinois. There's a strange pod by my bed, too.

I'm putting on another pot of coffee.

Northampton County Council Gets Wake Up Call

Northampton County Council has been whacking the Stoffa administration like a piñata over next year's "no tax increase" budget. Let me give you an example.

A planned $5 million juvenile center expansion was never included because of uncertainty over the funding mechanism. For that reason, council members on both sides have been calling Stoffa's sparse budget "fraudulent." That's a tad harsh, especially since everyone knows about this project.

Council wants to spend, spend, spend. Prez McHale told the finance committee yesterday that she'd like to give Easton's State Theatre more money than the $25,000 already proposed. She'd also like to throw some dough at Bethlehem's Christkindlemarkt. Dertinger wants to spend millions for a park at Weaversville and Neiper lobbies for an archives building across the street from the courthouse, even though nobody will be able to park there.

Late yesterday afternoon, Fiscal Affairs Director Vic Mazziotti gave council members a wake up call. Like most governments, Northampton County has a defined-benefit pension plan for its workforce, something that has become increasingly rare in the private sector. This kind of retirement package typically guarantees a specific payment for the remainder of the employee’s life after retirement.

When the budget was originally proposed in October, the actuarially determined contribution to the retirement fund increased from $2.4 million to $5.1 million. At that time, the fund had lost $50 million. One month later, it's $60 million, and the administration will be required to contribute $6 million to that fund next year. It already needs to amend the budget.

If the pension fund continues to lose money, it's very possible that the county contribution will skyrocket while real estate tax revenues remain flat or go down.

Heeding council's concerns, the administration is also amending its budget to include an $8 million bond for the juvenile center expansion and repairs to a crumbling parking deck and three county bridges. It will postpone purchasing new county vehicles and power-washing the courthouse. "You don't wash your car when you're three months behind on the payments," notes finance chair Ron Angle.

Instead of spending money, county council has now scheduled two extra budget hearings in December to look for places where they can cut.

They can start with their $500,000 slush fund.

For more details concerning yesterday's finance committee meeting, check out Sarah Cassi's Express Times report.

ET: Appoint Patti Grube to Norco Council

There are those who scoff at the idea of appointing Wayne Grube's wife, Patti, to fill his unexpired term on Northampton County Council. Most who hate this idea do so for two reasons. First, it was proposed by The Northampton County Bulldog, Ron Angle. Second, they'd prefer someone they can control.

Instead of listening to Angle, they can listen to The Express Times, which offers three reasons why Council should appoint Patti Grube.

First, she, more than anyone else, understands her husband's philosophy of and approach to representing the residents of Northampton County. She has an obvious edge on continuing to serve with the same flavor those who elected her husband to his at-large seat.

Second, she represents a glimmer of hope that the four Democrats and four Republicans on council might come to an agreement on a suitable replacement for her husband.

Third, she has said that, if she is chosen, she's not interested in running for the seat. That gives all candidates equal footing in the next election.

Apples the Clown Running for Allentown Mini-Judge

I told you yesterday that double-parking junket lover Gail Hoover, who was tagged by the state ethics commission for ethical improprieties as a member of Allentown City Council, is considering a return appearance. I learned today that the office she's really considering is the downtown Allentown magisterial district (Allentown wards 3, 13, 17 & 18). That hot spot opened up when Michele Varricchio ascended to the stratosphere of Lehigh County Court, where she now floats in the clouds with all the other judges.

Hoover, clearly no relation to J. Edgar, must be gushing at the possibilities.

What is a mini-judge? I've talked about this before, but it's worth repeating. "District Justices have jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, traffic offenses, landlord/tenant matters and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $8000.00. In misdemeanor and felony cases, District Justices have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and set bail. They also have authority to perform marriages, handle protection from abuse matters and issue subpoenas. They also may impose summary punishments for criminal contempt." Although the annual salary for this position is $78,722, most magistrates consider themselves part-time workers.

Alas, Hoover has company. There are a few other contenders for this open seat.

One of them is Nancy Wilt, who happens to work for state Senator Lisa Boscola. Just a few months ago, she was trying to wrangle an appointment to a vacancy on Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners. "My three small children are my biggest inspiration and my reason for being here." I guess now they're telling her to run for magistrate.

Another person interested in donning a black robe is Cindy Mest. All I know about her is that she is active in the Jackson Park area of Allentown.

Assistant Police Chief Ron Manescu is also considering how things might look from the other side of the bench. Can a former cop be fair? I didn't think so, but after interviewing three cops who were running for mini-judge last year, I quickly changed my mind.

I've saved the best candidate for last. Apples the Clown would like to dispense Allentown justice, handing out balloons after every hearing. Apples is actually "Allentown community leader" Everett Bickford, who now and then refers to himself as "Erika" for some reason. Bickford already has experience as a non-denominational independent wedding minister. (His "Sapphire" package is just $100).

Update: In a kinder, gentler post, blogger Pam Varkony has written about this race, too. She's on to Apples the Clown.

Sheriff Jeff Hawbecker: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges

State rep. Craig Dally has introduced legislation to give deputy sheriffs the same powers as municipal police officers to make arrests, without warrants, for all crimes and offenses. But at a Northampton County Council budget hearing yesterday, Sheriff Jeff Hawbecker said that bill is going nowhere.

"I don't have any high hopes for that. I think we will basically be doing the traditional duties of a sheriff's office."

Hawbecker noted many municipalities throughout the state have no police protection and "really do need the support of the sheriff's departments in performing the duties of a police officer."

Do Pa.'s Tough DUI Laws Work?

Are Pennsylvania's strict drunk driving laws working? They sure keep DAs busy. According to Northampton County DA John Morganelli, thirty-six per cent of his caseload last year consisted of alcohol-related arrests. This year, it's forty-four per cent.

"That's a huge increase in a short time," remarked Morganelli. It appears that, instead of deterring people, this lower 0.08 BAC is actually leading to more arrests.

But you can pick up a six-pack at Wegmans.

Why Should Allentown Gay Rights Group Care About California?

According to PaPro, about 250 gay rights activists braved chilly weather in Allentown on Sunday to rally against California's Proposition 8. I spoke to one of them afterwards. When I first heard about this, I smirked to myself that California is nowhere near Renaissance Square, so why the hell should a gay rights group care what happens there?

I had a post ready to go, creating a story in which transgenders are convinced that California is located right by the Top Diner on Allentown's east side. It was my typical swipe, this time at a geographically-challenged gay community.

Then I listened to Rob Hopkins brief speech, and I understood.

"Fifteen years ago, I stood in this same spot in a rally just like this. A lot has changed in fifteen years. Hess' was still up the street, fifteen years ago. It's gone now. A lot of things have changed.

"One thing that hasn't changed is we still don't have rights. We still can't serve in the military. We still can't give blood. We still can't marry the person that we love. That's not right.

"So we need to go out there, we need to reach out to every elected official to make sure they know how important marriage is to us, how important equality is to us, because we need equality for everybody. Not just for straight people, not just for gay people, but for everybody."

Patti Grube for Northampton County Council?

On Sunday afternoon, Northampton County Council member Ron Angle was proposing Express Times Editor Joe Owens and former county execs Jerry Seyfried and Bill Brackbill as replacements for Wayne Grube.

By yesterday afternoon, Angle had another idea. He believes the person best suited to fill Wayne's unexpired term is Grube's widow, Patti. Sarah Cassi, in an Express Times blog, has details. "She's perfect," is what Ron tells me.

But does she want it?

Patti Grube started doing a lot of behind the scenes work when Wayne became ill, and is clearly familiar with county issues and her husband's views. If she wants the job, I can think of no better custodian.

Schlossberg, Hoover Weighing Allentown City Council Races

Affable Mike Schlossberg, a Borough Business Revitalization Coordinator with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, is contemplating his first stab at elective office next year. Rob Hopkins mentioned Mike's possible candidacy at Sunday's Allentown gay rights rally, and Schlossberg confirmed his interest yesterday.

A 2005 Muhlenberg alum, Mike is actually a product of Livingston, New Jersey. Like six of Allentown's seven council members, he's a Democrat. His prior political experience includes managing Michele Varricchio's successful campaign for Lehigh County judge. He was also involved in Jennifer Mann's recent re-election as state rep. He is a member of the Lehigh County Executive Democratic Committee.

Just 25 year old, Mike is quite energetic. He helps Tony Iannelli produce Business Matters, the most provocative and entertaining local issues program in the Lehigh Valley. He also publishes Lehigh Valley Main Streets, a blog dedicated to revitalization of LV Main Streets. His stories there are regularly featured in The Morning Call's Valley Blogosphere. He has even helped his boss start a new blog for the Chamber of Commerce.

Allentown seven-person City Council will have four seats up in next year's election, when the terms of President Mike D’Amore, VP Tony Phillips, Julio A. Guridy and David M. Howells are set to expire. Council's sole Republican, Tony Phillips, plans on challenging Mayor Pawlowski, so I presume his seat will be open. The rest are expected to seek reelection.

I've already sent Mike a host of questions about different Allentown issues.

At the Sunday rally, Hopkins also mentioned Allentown realtor Gail Hoover as a possible contender, and told everyone to encourage her. But that's just cRaZy.

In her last stint on council, Hoover excelled at ethics violations. When cited for double-parking as the result of some new "get tough" policy, she made sure the practice ended that day. She was sanctioned a $1,000 fine by the state ethics commission after she traipsed off to San Francisco for a three-day real estate seminar, failed to file her 2001 statement of financial interest ("I forgot") and failed to include the cost of that seminar, which was waived, as a gift.

Are any Republicans running? Mike Welsh's impressive state house campaign was based on Allentown's rampant crime, so he may be considering a run, but I don't know that. There is another eminently qualified candidate, but that news will have to wait.

Joe Owens For Northampton County Council?

That's Ron Angle's first choice. He thinks Express Times editor Joe Owens, who constantly promotes open and accountable government, would be a perfect fit. When I told Ron most news dudes run from political office like Michael Jackson with his hair on fire, he was unmoved.

"Draft him!" he snarled.

Former county executives Jerry Seyfried and Bill Brackbill are the Bulldog's backups to finish Grube's term. He thinks those two should flip a coin. But Angle told me council would never support them. Brackbill is a Republican. Seyfried, a Democrat, is too damn independent.

In a well-written open letter to Northampton County Council, Forks Township blogger Dave Billings says it best. "This is your chance to appoint a person that is not tied to any political party dogma. Choose a person with an independent spirit who is willing to represent the people of Northampton County - period."

Morganelli Eyeing Judgeship

In his fascinating book, The D-Day Bank Massacre, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli presents a harsh assessment of judges.

"If anyone tries to tell you that judges are apolitical, tell them to call me. In my 26 years as a practicing lawyer, I have learned that judges are probably the most political animals in the political and legal jungle. Not all of them, of course. But many come to their positions with the same prejudices and bias that we all have from our life experience. The donning of the black robe allows them to hide behind the law while forming their own ideas of how things should be."

Ironically, Morganelli is now seriously considering donning that black robe himself.

Narrowly losing his third attempt to become the state's top cop, Morganelli is now eyeing one of three judicial seats that will be available next year. One spot will definitely go to Judge Zito, who was sworn in as judge last month. John will definitely win the second opening, should he choose to run.

And that's a good thing. Morganelli is in a unique position to remove politics from the bench and eliminate at least some of the cronyism, in which ClerkTechIII jobs are awarded to people who are unable to type.

Nazareth Goes to the Dogs

Nazareth's bark park, located in the borough park, is now officially open for business.

I missed all the speeches at Saturday's rainy grand opening, but would like to know just where that black dog has his nose. Bad doggie!

Funds for Nazareth's dog park come from impact fees assessed to developers, not taxes. This must be spent on recreation or returned to the developer. None of it may be spent to maintain existing recreation, even a sports league.

Without Borough Councilman Jack Herbst, who also sponsored the skate park, this would never have happened.

LV Ramblings Wins "Major Award"

Mr. Parker: It's a Major Award!
Swede: Shucks I wouldn't know that. It looks like a lamp.
Mr. Parker: What is a lamp, you nincompoop? It's a Major Award. I won it!
Swede: Damn, hell, you say won it?
Mr. Parker: Yeah, mind power, Swede; mind power.

Just like Mr. Parker in A Christmas Story, I've won a major award.

I've left the 10,000th comment at Kathy Frederick's Junk Drawer humor blog, and for that, I get a Junk Drawer magnet. True, it's no Red Rider Leg Lamp, but it's still pretty nifty.

Mind power, Swede; mind power!

Can't We All Just Get Along?

Ever argue with an engineer? Forget lawyers, these are the real debatemeisters. What bothers me is that, not only are they usually right, but they're so damn smug about it.

I have a friend who happens to be an engineer. He also happens to be a conservative Republican. Whenever he and I argue politics, I lose. It really pisses me off.

After the most recent election, he sent me this poem, suggesting we make an effort to get along.

The election day is over,

The talking is done.

My party lost.

Your party won.

So let us be friends,

Let arguments pass.

I'll hug my elephant,

You kiss your ass.

See what I mean!

Mike Fleck to the Rescue!

I told you yesterday about some possible candidates to fill the vacancy on Northampton County Council created by the loss of one of our best, Wayne Grube.

I missed one - Mike Fleck.

Earlier this year, Easton city council mysteriously refused to appoint him to one of their vacancies. I don't know how the hell that happened. After all, he's nearly a college graduate! He had previously assured Easton blogger and news maven Jim Deegan, "I really, honestly think it should almost be a no-brainer."

When I blogged about this injustice, Fleck popped on this blog to defend pay-to-play because "90% of the pols in the Valley do that." He also attacked Panto's brother with a baseless allegation, prompting an angry response from Hizzoner himself. "As for you Mike Fleck -- you come after me and leave my family alone."

Last night, as I dodged raindrops on the way home, an email came out of the sky and hit me on the Fleckin' head.

"I have applied for the vacancy on Northampton County Council. I was sorry to hear of the passing of Wayne Grube and I do not believe anyone can fill his shoes. He was a legend who gave tirelessly to the residents of Northampton County. He will be sorely missed.

"In addition to my experience in local government, as councilman in the City of Easton, I have no intention of seeking re-election if appointed to Northampton County Council. I believe, that although I am a democrat, that I am non-partisan and fair minded when it comes to running local government. I work well with others but am not afraid to say when I think something is having a negative effect on the residents. The bottom line is that I have the requisite government experience combined with the common sense and compassion to be a valuable steward of this seat on Council.

"Michael P. Fleck"

Fleck intends to run for Easton city council next year. A spot on Northampton County Council will mean name recognition and more money for his campaign coffers. At the same time, he will follow whatever orders he gets from Charles Dertinger and Lamont McClure.

This guy is the perfect addition to a dysfunctional county council. What better way to alienate Easton Mayor Sal Panto than by appointing someone who took cheap shots at his family!

In his failed mayoral run last year, Fleck plastered so many signs over Easton that Jim Deegan saw one on a shad reeled in near the free bridge. After his loss, Fleck was nailed by Palmer's finest for dumping campaign signs and unopened bundles of his newspaper outside Autozone, but beat the rap.

He's a Fleckin' male Sam Bennett. Local Dems are obviously grooming him for a stab at Congress.

Sam Bennett's Bodyguards

"The dodo bird has landed. I repeat, the dodo is in the nest."

That's Secret Service talk, folks. They use codenames for the people they protect.

According to Morning Call reporter extraordinaire Brian Calloway, former LV Congressional candidate Siobhan "Sam" Bennett, showed up at an election night party with two Secret Service-like dudes. One of them was wearing an earpiece and everything! Local banks must have been concerned she might claim they were folding again.

A Moment of Silence for Wayne Grube

This afternoon's Northampton County Council budget hearing was a bit hard to follow because most of the bureaucrats there only speak Governmentese. Amazingly, that language is spoken most frequently in Human Services, where you'd think things would be a little more clear. I had my trusty tape recorder and was prepared to translate what I heard. Like an idiot, I forgot to turn it on. But before everyone started speaking in tongues, something happened that even I understood. Council Prez Ann McHale offered a few words about her colleague, Wayne Grube.

The usually imperious Queen of Hearts, voice quivering, read a statement. It was a moving, yet brief, speech, followed by a moment of silence. I wish I could reproduce it. Summarizing it is an injustice. Peg Ferraro's head was buried in her hands. Ron Angle, believe it or not, wiped tears from his eyes.

Grube's nameplate stood proudly at the front of his vacant seat, draped in black ribbon. Someone will eventually be seated there, but that seat is forever empty.

One Vote to Watch

Is the Lehigh Valley Democratic delegation to the state legislature reform-minded? That question will be answered, at least in my view, when we see how they vote on whether to re-elect House majority leader Bill DeWeese. According to Capitol Ideas, who has a subscription to the too expensive Capitolwire, the DeWeese quest has "more twists and turns than a discarded chapter of a Tom Clancy spy novel." We'll find out November 18.

Who Will Fill Wayne Grube's Shoes?

Nobody. Wayne Grube's death is the end of an era in Northampton County. No one will mount his riderless horse. But talk of his replacement is already in overdrive. The county's constitution, its home rule charter, establishes the procedure for filling Grube's vacancy.

If a vacancy in the office of an elected official occurs during the last two (2) years of the term of office, the County Council within thirty (30) days after the occurrence shall appoint an individual to fill the vacancy by resolution. If the County Council fails to appoint an individual to fill the vacancy within thirty (30) days after the occurrence of the vacancy, the Court, upon the petition of any member of the County Council or any five (5) registered voters of the County, shall appoint an individual to fill the vacancy within fifteen (15) days after the filing of the petition. The individual appointed to fill the vacancy shall take office immediately upon appointment and shall serve the unexpired term of office of the elected official.

Unlike Lehigh County's Home Rule Charter, which requires that the vacancy be filled by a person who belongs to the same political party as the person who vacated the office, a Northampton County Council vacancy can be filled by a Democrat, Republican, Green Party member or Whig. The only requirement is that the person appointed must have been a county resident for at least a year.

That's a problem. Can an evenly-divided Northampton County Council put aside partisan differences to agree on a replacement? Don't hold your breath. Judges will likely make this appointment. Here's a few of the names I've heard.

John Maher - In his race against Ron Angle last November, Maher disingenuously claimed to be running a positive campaign while simultaneously bad-mouthing Angle in debates and at county council. His monstrous anonymous robo-calls and sleaze mailings infuriated most of the slate belt. Maher went down in flames, 5,583 to 4,495. I'd say the people have spoken.

Tony Branco - Unable to run a positive campaign on a nonexistent record, he instead rolled around in the mud in his race against popular Peg Ferraro, hiding behind the skirts of dirty dealer Tom Severson. This dude was so lazy he failed to answer a LWV questionnaire. Peg crushed him, 18,354 to 15,113.

Bill Wallace - A recent arrival in Northampton County, Wallace refrained from the divisive politics encouraged by Branco and Maher, instead running a clean campaign focused on bringing passenger rail to the Lehigh Valley. Mike Dowd, who defeated Bill 5027 to 4082, is ironically the council member who introduced the rail transportation study. Bill is certainly worth a second look.

Bill Hall - Bill briefly toyed with the idea of running for Congress, but backed off. He is an independent-minded Democrat who detests machine politics. "Right now, I believe, that the people who run local politics, or federal politics, they don't really represent the people. They go ahead and they pick the candidates they want and they take those candidates and they promote them. They funnel money to them. They get them publicity. And then they endorse them. And I don't think that's right. I think it should be up to the people." Looks like another Bill that fits the bill.

Tom Dietrich - Tom had the guts to wage a campaign against Northampton County's Queen of Hearts, Ann McHale. He was hammered, 4,733 to 2,293. In fact, I'm surprised he's still alive. Tom, who still maintains a web page, brings youth, a level head and a much needed breath of fresh air.

Ismael Arcelay - A former AT&T employee, Arcelay served as an appointed Bethlehem City Council member for three years and is now working for Ed Pawlowski in Allentown. According to the Center for Progressive Leadership, he's a party machine guy- a member of the Northampton County Democratic executive committee. He brings much needed diversity, but I I doubt any of the Republicans on Council will support a machine Democrat.

Mark Schwartz - Coming out of nowhere, Schwartz very nearly defeated Lamont McClure in November, losing by a scant 91 votes despite spending no money. Party boss Joe Long has demanded an investigation, so I doubt any Democrats will support his bid for appointment. He has a web page and claims he's running. "We need to keep spending as low as possible to provide quality services to taxpayers without an increase in taxes."

Louis Gallucci - A former Bethlehem Township Commissioner, Gallucci was very impressive when he applied for the vacancy filled by McClure. He clearly understands municipal government.

Do you know anyone who is interested? How about one of you?

Local Press Salutes Wayne Grube

I commend both papers, The Express Times in particular, for their coverage concerning Northampton County Council member Wayne Grube, who passed away on Tuesday.

We had a love-hate relationship. I loved him, and he hated me. Before council meetings, he would often walk back to insult me. Or he'd start shaking his head at me in the middle of a meeting. He even left notes on my Jeep, threatening to have it towed.

He could get really angry at me, but always got over it. He cared deeply about the county. He loved Gracedale, revered the judges and always tried to do the right thing for the county workforce. Until he got ill, he was at the courthouse regularly and knew what was going on from the inside.

Precious Petty wrote a terrific biography, including some great pictures of a young Coach Grube. Sarah Cassi, who covered Grube regularly, gives us touching accounts from those who who worked with and loved Wayne. The editorial board notes Grube led an "energetic, overloaded life." But the most revealing stories are from Michael Blouse, a sportswriter who spoke with former players and fellow coaches.

Over at The Morning Call, Bill White tells us he's shocked, just shocked, to learn that Grube could curse as well as Hickey. Bill will devote a column to Grube today.