Bethlehem Police Chief DiLuzio: Musikfest Arrests Lowest in a Decade

Bethlehem police Chief Mark DiLuzio: "This year there were 22 arrests at Musikfest, the lowest in more than a decade. I believe this was a direct result of the planning and additional measures taken by ArtsQuest and the City along the Main Street area. This year, with additional lighting, additional surveillance cameras, a tactical re-deployment of Officers on foot, Police Bikes, Motorcycles, in Vehicles, Plainclothes Officers, and on Horseback, we saw a huge decrease in incidents and arrests in this area. A social media publication from BPD detailing what is acceptable behavior at Musikfest also assisted in delivering this message to many young People in a humorous and direct way. Overall Citizen cooperation and a positive social media response all played a large role."

You can read his full Musikfest report here.

LV Cop Block Founder Uses Alias, Has Criminal Past

Severin Johnson outside Allentown City Hall

LV Cop Block organizer Severin Freeman told Allentown City council last night that police officers are "out of control," and to prove his point, claimed to be in possession of a police brutality video shot just 20 minutes before the meeting. He claimed it shows about 10 officers rough housing a pregnant woman. "It will be the next viral video," he promised. But a reader alerted me this morning that Freeman has a reason for his animosity towards police. His real name is Severin Johnson, and he has a criminal history. This includes an aggravated assault in which he permanently damaged someone's eye socket, drug sales and even shoplifting. He's been "out of control" himself.

When confronted about why he uses the name Freeman, Johnson responded that "for my families [sic] protection I must not answer that. There is good reason for any discrepancy in my information. I will admit to a number of aliases for my work though." He also told me that all prominent members of Cop Block use the last name Freeman to prevent them from being targeted by police.

When I asked Johnson about his criminal history, he responded with a question. "So a person can not turn their [sic] life around? did I mention I was a church leader before this? "

Like many, Johnson found Jesus in jail.

When I pressed him on the latest video that is supposed to show a pregnant woman being assaulted, Johnson responded with, "I have work to do. videos will post when they post. I am a very busy person. Thank you for your interest in copblock. I suggest you direct any further questions to our NATIONAL site Copblock.org. Have a good day. God bless."

He later added, "You wanna blog about something, how about my charity here? I have made ZERO money on this Allentown reporting." He then added he does not have the video of the pregnant woman being roughed up because the person who took it is fearful of retaliation.

While there is no doubt in my mind that there are instances in which police officers over-react and use excessive force, Johnson is in no position to cast stones.

Updated 1 PM: Johnson comes clean ... at least a little: "I just made a public statement on my page to clear things up. I also spoke with my family and decided to include my real name in my profile along with the surname "freeman" so both are listed. In retrospect I can see how people may think it was deceiving. It truly was not intended to cover anything up."

A Homeless Woman Wants to Help Allentown's Homeless Women

Michelle Collazo

Two weeks ago, Allentown City Council was approached by a woman and her two children.  She needed a place to stay for the night. She and a Good Samaritan had spent the day looking for something, but there are far fewer facilities available for women and children than for men. Fortunately for her, the citizens of Allentown opened up their hearts and their wallets. Last night, another homeless woman visited city Council. But instead of looking for a hand out, she is looking for a hand up.

Her name is Michelle Collazo. You'd never guess that this well-spoken and polite young lady has a felony record, or that she has spent much of her short life in jail  She never had a chance. At age 7, she began using drugs and alcohol. By he time she was 12, she was dealing. At age 14, she advanced into heavier drugs and bigger problems. Prostitution. Gangs. A mule. She had been through 25 rehabs, but nothing worked. She finally was sent to state prison, where she got some help, and has been clean for two years. She works for a temp agency and is paid $8 an hour.

Collazo is part of the Helping Hands Ministry, which recently acquired a property on Utica Street for single women who are homeless. This is sorely needed. There are only two programs for homeless women in Allentown, compared to 25 for men.

Her organization is planning a fundraiser in October, and is also looking for volunteers and donations. I have asked her to provide me with more information about a banquet being planned, and when I get it, I'll pass it along.

This strong woman has no education, but is planning on getting a college degree and getting certified as a drug counselor.

Jeanette Eichenwald's Pay-to-Play Bill Inroduced

Joe Davis (left) and Daryl Hendricks (right)

A bill aimed at curbing pay-to-play in Allentown City Hall has been introduced by Jeanette Eichenwald and seconded by Ray O'Connell. As she did at her joint news conference with Vic Mazziotti, Eichenwald justified the legislation as a win for vendors, elected officials and the public. Vendors would win because they no longer will fell obligated to make contributions as a cost of doing business. Citizens will win because they will see better goods and services. Elected officials will win because they can concentrate on good government.

Though O'Connell provided the second needed for this legislation to move forward, and called it "absolutely, positively the right thing to do," he cautioned that in the seven weeks that have followed the raid on City hall, there have been no charges filed in Allentown. Julio Guridy also pointed out that no one has been charged, and he wants the FBI to conclude its investigation to remove the "dark cloud hanging over the City."

Guridy failed to note that this investigation may very well end with an indictment or two.

Daryl Hendricks corrected a citizen who misquoted some of his previous remarks to the press, and appeared to support the legislation.

Other Council members were silent.

Vic Mazziotti, who fashioned this bill and proposed it in Lehigh County, arrived fashionably late. I told him to go home because the bill had already been defeated.

"Corruption Ahead" at Allentown City Council?

"Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here," the inscription on the gate to Hell in Dante's Inferno, should be probably be required at the entrance of every government building. Until the next rainstorm, there is a warning outside of Allentown City Hall. Scrawled in chalk, "Corruption Ahead" was the message I saw as I danced between the raindrops on my way to a City Council meeting. That message was the remnant of a brief protest before the meeting, choreographed by LV Cop Block organizer Severin Freeman..

"Corruption Ahead" was the warning, scrawled in chalk, outside the entrance to Allentown City Hall last night. I was there to watch Jeanette Eichenwald introduce legislation aimed at limiting pay-to-play, but the place was packed with about 60 people. Many of them were there to complain about what LV Cop Block organizer Severin Freeman calls an out-of-control police department. "Something horrible is going to happen," he warned, as three officers quietly sat in the meeting room. Police had their defenders, too, including a woman who stated that officers are routinely taunted to provoke a reaction that can be filmed on ubiquitous cell phones.

Tensions between police and at least some citizens have escalated, especially after police arrested James Ochse, age 61, for singing The Beach Boys' Barbara Ann outside of Shula's restaurant in downtown Allentown on Friday night. A video of that encounter (viewed nearly 6,000 times on my Youtube page) shows Officer Robert Busch body slam Ochse to the ground, after which he digs a knee into Ochse' kidney.

Just days before that arrest, a lawsuit was filed against an Allentown police officer who allegedly assaulted someone for videotaping an arrest in which a stun gun was used. Officer Jason Ammary also apparently smashed the cellphone.

Ammary is the subject of another civil rights lawsuit over his use of a stun gun to the groin area of a 15 year-old Dieruff High School student.

Since 2013, Allentown police officers have been defendants in 15 federal civil rights suits.

According to Freeman, just minutes before last night's meeting, a resident was able to capture a video of police using excessive force against a pregnant woman who had previously been fighting with her boyfriend. According to the woman who shot the video, police ignored this pregnant woman when she revealed her condition. But this pregnant woman is also alleged to have tried to kick out the windows of a cruiser. Freeman indicated he will upload that video today.

Complaints to the police have become so frequent that the department has begun blocking some commenters from its Facebook page, while warning the rest, "Filing of a law suit is only a fact that a law suit was indeed filed. It does not mean any party is guilty simply because suit was filed. The facts of any allegation will be brought to light, and dealt with accordingly."

Clearly, police are feeling a bit defensive. One of the protesters admitted that some people do taunt officers. But it's hard to justify grabbing a 61 year old man from behind and then throwing him to the ground.

Bowning Takes Balanced Budget Proposal to NorCo Council

Browning pitches balanced budget

Former Lehigh County Commissioner Dean Browning made an unlikely trip west east of Route 33 on August 19. He was invited to Northampton County's Finance Committee to explain his proposal for a balanced budget amendment to the Home Rule Charter. Browning made a similar presentation to Lehigh County Commissioners earlier this year, and was politely ignored. The Republican majority blames him for everything, including gypsy moths and the flu. His reception in Northampton County was much warmer.

In both counties, spending almost always exceeds revenue, so they dip into cash reserves to make up the difference. "That's the path of least resistance and works extremely well until you run out of reserves," noted Browning. That's what Ron Angle likes to call the seed corn. Eventually, you run out of it. Over the past dozen years, Lehigh County has had two unpopular tax increases. Northampton County has had three.

"Families don't budget that way, at least not if they want to stay out of bankruptcy," observed Browning earlier this year. "Businesses don't budget that way, at least not successful ones."

Northampton County's Home Rule Charter considers the budget balanced so long as the proposed expenditures do not exceed the amount of funds available. [Section 703(b)]. Similarly, Lehigh County's Home Rule Charter allows the "balancing" to be accomplished by using "the total of estimated income AND cash reserves."

Brown insists this has to change. He is suggesting a "balanced budget amendment" to the Home Rule Charter in Lehigh "that would prohibit the use of cash reserves as a means to balance the budget." There would be exceptions for emergencies or to give a credit to taxpayers when the underlying budget is still balanced, but that would need six votes.

"Everybody buys into the theory, the problem is with the mechanics," noted Hayden Phillips.He suggested that they all need to "noodle" this idea a bit more.

The Colonel is Running for Controller

(Incumbent Controller Steve Barron, far left; challenger Hayden Phillips, far right; and referee Dean Browning in the middle. Though Barron and Phillips oppose each other, they were kind enough to pose for a picture together.)

As expected, Northampton County Council member Hayden Phillips, filed the paperwork on August 19 to make official his candidacy as the Republican nominee for County Controller. Ron Angle, who won the primary election on the basis of a write-in vote, withdrew from the race on August 7 for personal reasons. Phillips was the unanimous choice of the County GOP Executive Committee. In fact, Angle nominated Phillips as his successor.

Phillips, who refers to himself with some pride as a tea party conservative, has established a reputation for thoughtfulness and independence in his two years on Council. His capital improvements committee has focused on establishing maintenance plans for long-neglected county property. "Say what you're going to do, do it, and prove that you did it," has been his simple but effective mantra.

He sided with Democrats over contracts proposed by Executive John Brown for both business and press relations consultants.

He also spearheaded the one-mill tax hike narrowly approved by Council last year.

Phillips is held in high regard by his fellow Council members. In fact, Democrat Ken Kraft is the one who gave Phillips his nickname as The Colonel. Phillips wears no white suits, but served in the U.S, Marine Corps, and retired as a Colonel in 2003.

Phillips has a bachelor's degree from Mansfield University and a master's in Business Administration from Lehigh. He recently retired as a project manager in the information technology industry.

Incumbent Steve Barron is the Democratic nominee. He is seeking a third term. He is a graduate of Widener University and its School of Law. He is also a certified fraud examiner who occasionally assists the District Attorney in white collar crime.

Barron has the distinction of drawing the ire of both Republican Executive John Brown as well as his predecessor, Democratic Executive John Stoffa. His recent audit of a treatment program at the jail refuted boasts that it was ending recidivism,.One of his audit findings showed that two persons who were supposedly free of new offenses were in fact residents at the jail. This led to the termination of a $5 million contract.

You can read more about this race in a story written by Tom Shortell for The Morning Call.

KK Has Primary Challenger

Embattled Attorney General has a primary challenger, and it's not John Morganelli. At least not yet. Jack Stollsteimer, a former federal and Delaware County prosecutor,claims he is running to restore integrity and experience to the office. In the meantime, flamboyant activist Gene Stilp, who once used a pink pig bus to convey his messages of government waste, questions how she was able to use the Capitol Media Center or her publicly paid spokesperson to address the criminal case against her, which really is a personal matter. Last week, he also filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Board, seeking Kane's disbarment.

In the meantime, a new website - The Truth About Kathleen Kane - has emerged, and defends her as "the victim of angry men who targeted her after she exposed their pornography habits."

Tom Hahn Challenges Allentown City Council's Ethics

Jeanette Eichenwald and Vic Mazziotti

Democrat Jeanette Eichenwald and Republican Vic Mazziotti came together last week to urge the adoption of pay-to-play rules in Allentown and Lehigh County. I was encouraged to see that Vic's colleague, Mike Schware, as well as and Lower Macungie Commissioner Ron Beitler, were also present. But despite an invitation from Eichenwald, no other Allentown City Council member came. This was an insult, not just to Eichenwald, but to the people of Allentown. City Council is required to represent their interests, not those of Mayor Ed "Fed Ed" Pawlowski, political and business consultant Miked Fleck or entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh.  Instead of serving the people, these elected officials rubber stamped a deal to pay Abe Atiyeh almost three times what its own appraiser recommended to buy property it never needed.

It was a pay-off, to put it bluntly. City Council never bothered to ask for the appraisals or even seek the identity of the seller. Clearly, they deprived the citizens they represent of their right to honest services. The only person who had the integrity to say No was Eichenwald

Tom Hahn is an Allentown City Council critic who castigated them two weeks ago. They said nothing. Maybe he should sing to them, like Tom Ochse. What hes done instead is send them a "communication" to be noted during the meeting, challenging their ethics.

The time is now at the next meeting to start the change. All members of council must face the public on Moral ground with an ethical challenge to protect the public from future actions that have jobs, deals, charter rule changes, and no oversight on issues. As was admitted by Julio in his last press release, "I did not research the issue" is what was reported. The public did and the information was not used or believed? Again the misleading information that was giving to council was flawed coming from the administration consultants and never compared to the public's information. Never a debate in a public meeting, only the 3 minute rule. Sit down, your time is up. The questions became a moot item. We know how proud the council is of this fact, because the no answer was the only answer.

The first issue is the vote to correct the pay to play issue . If you and the other members are not ready to change, and restore the charter rules back to their original intent, then Ccouncil is the reason we have this issue in the first place .

The letter to council will not change one thing I was told, but I had to try to find Moral ground and end this issue on a positive note. That honesty and good government still resides in Allentown by the way council will change the rules, charter and preserve the city from complete ruin . Protect all the citizens - rich, poor, any color, religion, and even the ones who disagree with Council - without reprisal from the Mayor or Council's vote. We all know that pay to play is not dead yet, but could be if the vote is right.

History will be the judge. Which Council was the worst to bring shame to Allentown and cost the tax payers the highest amount of money in fees and water rates. The list is growing.

The responsibility is on Council's shoulders to correct the situation ASAP to give hope to all residents of our city that a new beginning has started.

Opinions Online Feature Picking Up Steam

Starting this Saturday, I will publish a new feature called Opinions Online, based on a regular feature in the Huntington Daily News. It's your chance to sound off on just about anything, including topics I don't cover. You can complain about the papers. You can complain about me. I ask only that you keep it short and refrain from personal attacks aimed at people who do not handle taxpayer dollars. It's basically an open mike, except that your comments will appear in the body of the post. To participate, all you need to do is post a comment on the Opinions Online feature on my left sidebar.

Things started slowly, but I now have five opinions to share on Saturday.

New Saturday Feature: Opinions Online

If it's good enough for Huntington's Daily News, it's good enough for me. According to The Wall Street Journal, that newspaper hosted a feature called Opinions Online for many years. They are published every Saturday. But it's so controversial that community leaders convinced the newspaper to suspend it for a few months.

Starting this Saturday, I'll be introducing an Opinions Online here. It's an opportunity for you to sound off on any topic. You will have an Open Mike to sound off on topics that I miss or areas that need better coverage.

Here's how it works. All you need do is post a comment on the Opinions Online feature on my left sidebar. I am allowing anonymous commentary, but comments containing vulgarity or sexual language will not be published. I will allow comments that take aim at elected and public officials and public figures. But personal attacks aimed at private individuals will not be permitted.

Throughout the week, send me your opinions. On Saturday at midnight, they will be posted. This feature will only be as good as the comments received. I want to try it, and if it works, it will be a regular feature.

Bernie O'Hare is a Grade School Level Hack

Author and owner of a serious publication

I'm a grade school level hack.

That's what the "author and owner of a serious publication / media outlet in the Lehigh Valley" writes, so it must be true.

I always thought I was more of a high school level hack.

Michael Phoenix is the publisher of an online magazine that seems to be mostly focused on getting advertisers. He means business, too. His GoFundMe page has drawn $65 in just three months!.

Good for him!

He's upset by my blog about a gentleman singing Barbara Ann outside of Shula's on Friday. An Allentown cop not only body slammed the poor soul, but then dug a knee into his kidney. Apparently, I'm a coward for being among those who published the video.

This Walter Cronkite of the Lehigh Valley has decided, on Facebook, that "it is time to officially state this:"

"Recently, with all the events happening in the city of Allentown, I have read a few posts in the Lehigh Valley Ramblings blog.

"Officially going on record and saying NEVER pay attention to a single word in Lehigh Valley Ramblings. Bernie O'Hare is nothing but a grade school level hack. I have been white hot with anger and did posts that made more sense and had more credibility than this blog.

"I admit to not using all the rules of proper English and journalism in the magazine. It takes a conversational tone. The posts in Ramblings contain phrases like "Fed Ed" that any serious and respectable journalist would never use. How many people even know what that term means. I live in Allentown and only know by reading articles in credible media.

"If I would do a serious and honest review of this blog (done several blog reviews in the past), I would give this a rating of complete joke. Mr. O'Hare attempts to cover his witch hunts and flat out laziness by adding in a few links to each article. This is a very poor attempt.

"I do have to congratulate Ramblings on one thing: succeeding at the only thing this blog is trying to achieve. Making people question all the media in the Lehigh Valley, especially the independents."

I called fellow blogger Michael Molovinsky to complain about this asshole, and he agreed with the asshole. In fact, the two of them got together for dinner at Shula's.

"Perhaps you could come and sing a song for us, while standing in the alley way," Molovinsky texted me, as I demonstrated my "flat out laziness" by attending a meeting in Bethlehem Township. I was about to reply when I got this: "Alright, we're at Shula's. I'd invite you, but tonight's just for serious writers. When you come by to sing, please sing loud, because our table is back a ways. Do you know Barbara Ann?

Bar-Bar-Bar-Bar-Barbara-Ann.

Hudak Offended By Apology

Tom Coombs complained about weekly paper,
now gets two of them. 

In July, when Sean Delonas asked Bethlehem Townships's Board of Commissioners to do something about invasive bamboo, he was repeatedly interrupted by Michael Hudak. He disputed nearly every point made before declaring, "I'm done," and leaving. At their next meeting, in the absence of Hudak, the other four commissioners voted to prepare and advertise an ordinance that restricts this fast-growing grass. President Marty Zawarski did something else, too. He apologized to Delonas for the way he had been treated by Hudak, calling it "inappropriate on so many levels." But not to Hudak.

At the August 17 meeting, Hudak justified his repeated interruptions, followed by walking out, as "good government." He indicated he "takes offense" to Zawarski's apology and accused him of "stifling opinions."

Commissioners made no response to Hudak.

Without interruption, resident Thomas Coombs complained to Commissioners about a weekly paper being delivered to his property by courier Morning Call vans. Despite getting up early and talking to the van's driver between five and 11 times, a weekly paper is still dropped off. In fact, he now gets two of them.

"Why can't I package my garbage in little bags and take them out and throw them on the lawns?" he asked. Commissioners had no solution.

In other business, Commissioners voted 4-0 in favor of assigning a school resource officer to the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School. The school will pay half of the officer's salary and benefits, or $40,724.92.

Commissioners also decided to accept the Planning Commission's July recommendation that the Township call in deferrals for streetscape improvements previously granted to CVS and St. Luke's along Freemansburg Avenue. These will include sidewalks, brick piers, decorative streetlights, wrought iron fences and landscaping. A third business, Wolfe Dental will be spared because if its location at the corner of Freemansburg Avenue and  Farmersville Road. Solicitor Jim Broughal warned Commissioners that this intersection is slated for improvements.

In Manager Melissa Shafer's report, she advised that the consultant hired by the Township to study the PennEast Pipeline will reveal his findings at a meeting in September. The Township has forwarded an access agreement to PennEast, demanding $15,000 as an entry fee upon township-owned land, along with and additional $5,000 to be held in escrow.

Township police report that they are doing background checks on the final candidates for a new patrol officer. One new hire has already arrived. K-9 Hugo is training with his partner, Officer Bryan Tollinger.

Police investigated 72 accidents involving 145 vehicles and 169 injuries in July. They issued 113 traffic citations, 164 warnings and 29 parking tickets. There were 16 misdemeanor and felony arrests, as well as 11 summary charges. There were also three DUI cases filed.

McNeill Withdraws Pay Suspension Proposal

On June 17, State Rep. Dan McNeill proposed a suspension of all pay and per diems to members of both the state legislature and Wolf cabinet if they were unable to cobble together a budget by June 30. He claimed it "is our basic fiduciary duty and a core function of state government to carry out this obligation." Well, there's still no budget, and legislators like Mike Schlossberg took their Summer vacations despite the impasse.

McNeill received exactly Dan received ONE co-sponsor response. Republican Duane Milne, from Chester County. Not ONE Democrat would support the bill, but he did received a ton of negative comments from his colleagues in the land of midnight payraises.

As a result, McNeill has withdrawn his bill.

McNeill to Host Budget Rally on Wednesday

WHITEHALL: - State Rep. Daniel McNeill, D-Lehigh, will host a rally on Wednesday to call for a responsible state budget and to address a few key issues that must be part of any proposed budget.  His event will be held 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the Westgate Mall, 2285 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem.

McNeill will be joined by teachers, labor members, local officials and seniors who are concerned about the lack of progress in passing a responsible budget.

He beliefves the core issues facing Pennsylvania are a structural budget deficit; a drastically underfunded school system; and rising property taxes for seniors and middle-class families.

While there, he'll also be collecting school supplies which will be handed out to students in need in his district.

Why The Morning Call Delayed Atiyeh Story

On July 31, in a story entitled "Fed Ed and Miked Fleck Funneled $1 Million to Honest Abe Atiyeh", I broke the story that entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh, Fed Ed and Miked Fleck cooked up a scheme that would enable him to buy the billboard company he always wanted. Fed Ed simply had his bobbleheads on City Council pay Atiyeh $1.4 million for land it does not need. They ignored their own appraiser in doing so. He had warned them the land was only worth $580,000. This story was picked up by WFMZ-TV69 pretty quickly, adding a few details that I missed. But The Morning Call downplayed the Atiyeh story until August 15, even though it was brought up during a City Council. I think I know why.

Toward the end of its account, The Morning Call parenthetically notes, "(Under an agreement with Digiview this spring, The Morning Call became the exclusive sales agent for Atiyeh's billboard network.)"

It did not want to bite the hand that feeds it.

Atiyeh is no longer discussing the matter, which seems like a smart thing for him. It is thanks to him that we know he used Miked Fleck as a consultant.

Allentown Crooner's First Amendment Rights Were Violated

Over the weekend, I told you about James Ochse, who was body slammed by one of Allentown's finest for crooning outside of Shula's, inside the Neighborhood Millionaire Improvement Zone. Ochs has apparently been at this for several weeks.

Though he refused to accept money, what Ochse is doing is referred to as busking. According to Wikipedia, "Busking cannot be prohibited in an area where other forms of free speech are not prohibited. For example, if busking is regulated or banned but people are allowed to conduct free speech behavior for pickets, protests, religious, political, educational, sports, commercial or other purposes, then the law is illegal."

Since other forms of speech are permitted along the Arts Walk and Hamilton Street, Ochs' civil rights were violated.

Bumstead Has Some Questions For AG KK

Investigative journalist Brad Bumstead has a number of interesting questions he would have like to have asked embattled AG Kathleen Kane during her surreal news conference last week. The most interesting of these, at least to me, is this: "Is holding a press conference in a public media center typically reserved for policy appropriate for what amounts to a personal matter, the opening round of your criminal defense?"

Don't we prosecute people who use public resources for personal purposes? Her seventh spokesperson, Chuck Ardo, also seems to be spending an awful lot of time answering what really are personal questions.

NorCo Dems Are in Trouble

Ron Angle's departure from the NorCo Controller's race, followed by the likely entry of Council member Hayden Phillips, may very well change the outcome of several races, and not in a good way if you happen to be a Democrat. It is entirely possible that this time next year, there will be a seven-person Republican majority on Council, along with Controller Phillips and Judge Vic Scomillio. This is in spite of a Democratic edge in Northampton County. In Presidential races, Democrats flock to the polls. But they tend to stay home in municipal races. Why does this happen, and how does it portend victory for the GOP in Northampton County this year?

There are no contested city races in Northampton County this year. Sal Panto had no opponent, Democrat or Republican, in Easton's Mayoral primary. Bethlehem's City Council race was decided in the primary, where only Democrats ran. To many who live in these urban cores, and they are heavily Democratic, the election is over. Though county government is vital and has a big impact on their lives, most people have less interest than they do in a city government, where parking meters or garbage can become hot-button items.

When Ron Angle was in the race, that generated interest among Democrats. He's the Republican they love to hate, more than anyone. But now that he's out, and it's likely that Hayden Phillips is in, some Democrats will go back to sleep.

When Hayden Phillips first ran for Northampton County Council, I took him lightly. After all, he's a tea party conservative, and some of his ideas on the campaign trail sounded a tad extreme, like his concern about the UN and Agenda 21. But he worked tirelessly, had a good organization and won. As a member of Council, he's often been the only one from his own party willing to challenge Executive John Brown. So he's independent. And he has done nothing as a member of Council that I consider irresponsible. In fact, his focus on capital projects has been sorely needed. Even the Democrats on council refer to him as the "Colonel," in homage to his service as a Marine. If the party names him as their Controller candidate, I expect to see Phillips give it everything he has.

Democrats in Bethlehem will likely be split over Steve Barron. His suit against Bethlehem City Council is no way to gain votes in what should be his base. He has sparred with Easton Mayor Sal Panto over the commuter tax, and Panto has grown increasingly thin-skinned about criticism. Barron can count on the Northampton County workforce to back him strongly. I am sure they will, but question whether it is enough. One third of the NorCo workforce does not even live in the County. Of those that do, I know for a fact that many of them fail to register. This is a big problem, and though there was one rally to register voters before the primary, it was mostly for show with no real effort.

Barron is the Democrat that Republicans love to hate. He has matured and has actually managed to look like a voice of reason next to Executive John Brown. His audits probably have saved millions. But his side-show antics have earned him their enduring animosity. A controller really should think twice about marching on a call center like T-Mobile, and threatening them with some kind of official retaliatory action because they are non-union. His part-time teaching job was a mistake, too. He is vulnerable, unless Democrats come out in force.

Scott Parsons, who is running in the Slate Belt, has deluded himself into thinking that he will be re-elected because he does a good job and is the NorCo workhorse. When he defeated Ron Angle four years ago, he made no attempt to contact voters. When he did make voter contact in his race for the state senate, he was defeated. So Parsons is running next to no campaign in a heavily Republican District, which is insane.

Parsons' opponent, Matt Dietz, appears to me to have a lot to learn. His knowledge of county government is so flawed as to be laughable. But he's learning, he's everywhere and is extremely affable. People like to be asked, and Dietz is asking while Parsons is not.  

In the district race that includes Republican strongholds like Williams, Lower Saucon and Bethlehem townships, John Cusick is largely unknown despite his two terms on council. But because an R follows his name, he will draw a lot of votes from Republicans. He also knows how to run a campaign, and has hired Cheryl Corsa and Kathy Roberts. Democrat Lori Vargo Heffner is a psychotherapist and I've seen her smiling face at several Council meetings. She has no experience running for anything, but may turn out to be a pleasant surprise.

The most important of the races is the judicial contest between Sam Murray, son of a steelworker, and Vic Scomillio, who as Solicitor fired a county employee just two days before Christmas with no due process. So far, the County has been assessed nearly $300,000 for that mistake. Scomillio also advised Executive John Brown that he could hire a media consultant. He even told Brown it's legal to balance the budget with borrowed money.

This is more than a race between Democrat and Republican. It's more like the forces of light and darkness.

Sam Murray is the one Democrat who is actually out there, campaigning. He is going to events and knocking on doors. He is clearly the better candidate, especially if you believe in goofy things like the Constitution. But how many Republicans will split their ticket and vote for him? Not many. How many Democrats care enough about their country and county to come out to vote?

That's the big question. I rarely believe in voting straight Democrat, but this is one of those times. John Brown is hurting this country and county in a big way. By reducing staff sizes at the jail and in other departments like children and youth, he is putting human lives at risk in the name of the Almighty Dollar.

Just last week, the Republicans on Council stuck it to 14 Magisterial District judge workers who simply wanted Brown to honor his word and give them a raise he proposed and Council accepted. They went back on their own word simply because that is what their Republican Executive wanted.

Democrats need to get their act together. They need to forget past differences with Barron. They need to encourage Lori Heffner and hammer Scott Parsons until he starts reaching out to the voters. Sam Murray's promise of due process and fairness needs to be heard.

Unless they do, it will be a seven-person Republican majority, a Republican Controller and a Republican judge.

NIZ Squad Arrests Man Singing Outside Shula's

Sarah Varjassy, a bartender at Bethlehem's Bayou, shot the video you see above, of Allentown police, accompanied by either Mormons or the Men in Black, arresting a man who was singing outside Shula's on Friday. On the bright side, he was not tased.

He's collateral damage in FedEd's war on Allentown's poor and homeless.

The Men in Black are actually security guards for the Strata Condos above Shula's. The fellow who was hauled away apparently walks by there everyday, singing. He is regarded as harmless and is the kind of phenomenon who makes urban life interesting.

But the MIZ (Millionaire Improvement Zone) was never intended to create a vibrant downtown. It is just another artificial Promenade.

It is certainly possible police had a reason to arrest this man, but nothing he was doing in that video is a justification for what happened, or the force used.

Varjassy's video surfaced at Lehigh Valley With Love. Blogger Michael Molovinsky comments, "mr. reilly's business interests must be protected at all costs. perhaps the art's walk should be renamed, taser alley."

Scott, the restaurant manager at Shula's, denied that he made a call to complain. But he added, "It's not right that he does what he does. The police asked him to leave and he resisted," Scott claims, though the video seems to tell a different tale. He added that this man interferes with the "dining experience."

I could imagine patrons looking out Shula's window with their mouths full of dead cows and blurting, "Ugh, poor people!"

"I think the police do a very good job down here," Scott concluded.

August 16, 2015

Updated 10:40 am: - The crooner who appears to have been assaulted by Allentown police is James Ochse. In February 2014, he was arrested by Allentown police after a disturbance inside their 10th Street station in which re reportedly yelled obscenities and then ran off. Officers followed him and pushed him into a snpow bank, where a struggle ensued and he allegedly bit an officer's finger. His attorney filed a motion to preserve the video of that incident, but Ochse ultimately entered a guilty plea to resisting arrest. Other charges were dropped. Judge Kelly Banach imposed a sentence of six months probation.

In 2013, he was charged with trespass after breaking into his ex-wife's house while she was away and sleeping in the house. He spent some time in jail after that incident.

So he has a history, but that's no justification for a police assault.

Updated 5:10 pm.: - A second video shot by restaurant patron Louisa Rans Soos shows pretty much the same thing as Varjassy's video. This one is a bit closer and you can see that the officer is not wearing gloves, as I originally thought, and that his sunglasses are perched. According to Soos, "Beautiful night and a nice serenade until the cops show up at minute 2:15. The guards said he touched the officer but I don't see that on my video and neither did the other 15 or so witnesses. Was it really necessary to throw him to the ground especially since he was walking away?! Some heard his head hit the pavement. 3 cop cars, 1 police van, and a bike cop later, he was taken away. Apparently a grumpy elder called the cops because he didn't like the noise of his singing. Seriously?