The NorCo Bulldog: "I Have Returned!"

When NorCo Council last met two weeks ago, Ken Kraft asked when Charlie Chrin was going to start kicking in money for farmland preservation.That was a promise made to Ron Angle when Council agreed to go along with a TIF that was supposed to produce at least 5,000 jobs at the Route 33-Tatamy Interchange. Whenever he sold a big box, he was supposed to kick in part of the profit until the county had $2 million to preserve working farms. Nobody seemed to know whether Chrin had kicked in anything. "Where's Ron Angle when we need him?" complained Kraft. He got his wish last night. After an absence of several years, the Northampton County Bulldog has returned, as full of fire and fury as ever.

"People of Northampton County, I have returned," said Angle, with a cigar in one hand and an old copy of Lehigh Valley Business in the other. An amateur historian, Angle was quoting the words that Douglas MacArthur uttered on his return to the Phillipines. The only difference is that, instead of the trademark corncob pipe fancied by the Gaijin Shogun, the Bulldog prefers a stogie and suspenders.

Angle came bearing gifts. He brought a few small bags of Class A sludge pellets, which he handed out before the meeting as Valentine's Day presents. Unfortunately, a Deputy Sheriff thought they were candy, and began eating them.

Her memorial service is on Tuesday.

As deadly as Angle could be in his three terms on Council, he is much more dangerous in the audience. Ask Upper Mount Bethel Township.Or Lower Mount Bethel Township. Or Bangor School Board. When they saw him, NorCo council members hoping for the usual twenty-minute meeting suddenly became quite uneasy. Administrator Cathy Allen scowled. Executive John Brown looked as though he had indigestion, and turned green when Angle plopped his yellow farm hat right next to this wannabe blue blood and former Notre Dame cheerleader, nattily attired like Mr Corporate America.

What made Ron leave his cows?

It was the story he read in Lehigh Valley Business about how John Brown and Council are addressing their crumbling infrastructure with a so-called public-private partnership.Under this program, called P3, 33 of the County's 119 bridges have been conveyed to the General Purpose Authority (GPA) for repairs at 20-30% less than would be paid if the County were to do the work itself. In addition to being cheaper, Executive John Brown has said that the work will be done more quickly. This sailed through Council 7 to 1, with Ken Kraft being the sole No vote, and I thought he was nuts st the time. What's not to like?

The Bulldog doesn't like it, either.

"The story started out saying this was 'innovative,' and ends up by saying they've been doing this for 17 years in California,"  Ron started. "I don't know how 'innovative' it could be if they've been doing it in California for 17 years" He added that he'd hate to see California's finances copied in NorCo. .

He then ticked off the following, more, specific criticisms.

• If there are utility easements on a bridge, as is often the case, the County is going to have to pay extra. 
• The project is already $1.5 million over budget and a year behind schedule, without a spade hitting the ground.
• Kriger Construction, the low bidder on this deal, was well below the others. "The first thing you ought to ask yourself is why?"
• Though Kriger has some PennDOT bridge qualifications, it's for minor repairs and to mow grass around bridges.
• Kriger has zero P3 experience. "They've never done a P3, which is an RFP requirement. So again, you ignored that, and they had no experience. They actually have never, ever performed a fixed price contract. And I think all of you would agree this is a major project." 
• Kriger had to get three lines of credit from three different banks (one of them owned by Louis DeNaples)to come up with the money. It is at best a $4-5 million company. 
• Most of the work will be done by people from the coal regions. "Why did you not have in your requirement that a percentage - at least 50% - would come from Northampton County?"
• Love him or hate him, Donald Trump has pledged to provide stimulus money for infrastructure projects, so it would make sense to wait and see what he plans to do.

"You people have gave this contract to someone with literally no money, with three banks on the hook, with no experience doing this kind of stuff, they never met the requirements of your RFP, the only thing they did do is give you the low bid. Well, I think you would learned in history that the low bid is not necessarily the best bid."

"When I hear the term 'public private partnership,' I cringe. In my lifetime of being around the world of public office, I've always understood what that meant. The public will be on the hook for the bill. The private sector will make the money.  It's like the NIZ in Allentown. What has the NIZ done for the citizens of Allentown? Nothing, but there's a couple of individuals who have made hundreds of millions and pretty well will make billions 'till it's over."

When Angle was done, he got 12 yard stares in a two-yard room.

Ron Angle is a husband, father, farmer, entrepreneur, antiques aficionado, cigar lover and is the greatest storyteller I have ever heard. Though he claims his heritage is Dutch and German, he is in reality Irish, a Slate Belt seanchaí, a valued keeper of the oral tradition. As a Druid, I know these things

He's also my best friend.

His appearance at Council tonight tells me he might run for one of the five at-large seats on Council, especially now that incumbent Mat Benol has decided to take a break. But Ron also enjoys private life and communing with the cows at his farm. He is a cow whisperer, and even understands the language. Don't reach any conclusions.

He's also the Republican that Democrats love to hate. They will come out in droves just to vote against him. Come to think of it, a lot of Republicans hate him, too. Especially the bluebloods. But Ron has enough supporters to win a county-wide race for one of five seats.

He makes government better. People have told me they took extra time to prepare if they knew they would be facing the Bulldog. If Lamont McClure wins the Exec race, which looks more likely as he raises money and chips away at Brown, Angle will hold him accountable. Lamont knows this. If John Brown prevails, Angle will be just as critical. He proved that last night.

Psychotherapist Continues NorCo Council Quest

For those of you who feel like the sane in an insane asylum, a psychotherapist is coming. Lori Vargo Heffner is expected to announce her candidacy for Northampton County Council and is currently circulating petitions. She ran in District 3 two years ago, but lost to John Cusick by 741 votes.

She will announce her candidacy at the courthouse steps today at noon.

A psychotherapist at Affiliated Clinical Services, she's a graduate of Moravian College who went on to obtain Master's degrees at Kutztown (psychology) and Temple (education). Her background is obviously an asset to a County charged with the responsibility of delivering human services.

Dietz Gets Answers About NorCo CYF Caseworkers

In the wake of the alleged murder of a 15 year-old girl by NorCo's former adoption supervisor, Human Services Chair Seth Vaughn originally vowed he would ask Human Services and Children and Youth to come to a meeting and explain in detail how child protective services works. But he eventually decided to play the same stonewall game that Executive John Brown was playing, and looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he was eventually confronted by NBC10's Deanna Durante last month.

Later, I submitted a series of questions that could be asked, but Vaughn refused to submit them. He toldKenKraft that it was out of animus for me.

Matt Dietz, another member of the Committee, is a person I opposed when he ran for election. But he posed those questions, especially since some of his constituents were asking them, too. He got answers from Allison Frantz, the Director of Human Services. Though she failed to appear at the meeting, he made her remarks part of the record. Here is their exchange.

Northampton County Department of Human Services

Children, Youth and Families - Questions/Answers

February 13, 2017

1.                   1.           How many CYF caseworkers are employed by Northampton County? 

There are 75 Caseworker (CW) positions approved and budgeted by the state and County Council.

Total staff complement is 128.  This includes case-aides, secretaries, and attorneys.

2.             How many positions are vacant and how long have they been vacant?

61 caseworker positions are filled, 16 are vacant.  Three (3) of the 16 are newly created positions attached to a new unit called Family Group Decision Making [FGDM], which was approved by Council in December 2016.

The oldest CW vacancy is from July 2016.  The hiring process was delayed due to the 90 day right of return per PA Civil Service regulation.

3.             What is the turnover rate and do we know what the industry average is?

               

                CYF has a continuous vacancy rate and is always engaged in the hiring process.

In 2015, 22 departed = 29% turnover rate.

In 2016, 16 departed = 21% turnover rate.

On the National level, the caseworker turnover rate is between 30% & 40%.The state rate is not available.

There are a variety of factors that affect turnover.  The typical reasons for turnover in a given entry level position [poor working conditions, salary, potential advancement into management] don’t apply here.

As an entry level position, some employees use the position as an entry point to county employment and transfer to other county agencies.  Some employees are at a mobile stage in their life and not rooted to a geographical area and move based on a variety of factors.  Some employees view the casework position as an entry point in the field of child welfare services.  They may leave county employment to focus on foster care work with a nonprofit organization.  They may find their calling in behavioral therapy or psychological services.  It’s a position that requires a great deal of training and certification after hire, and not all people prefer the intensity of the work or training involved.  

4.             What is their caseload like? 

Caseload size is between 12 and 25.       

The CYF caseload does not exceed the state maximum caseload limit of 30 cases.

Child Welfare League of America recommends 12-15 cases

5.             How many hours do they work daily/weekly? 

Caseworkers put in an eight hour day with a forty hour work week.

Overtime hours average 2 hours per week.

6.             Does this caseload exceed the state recommendation? 

Caseload size is between 12 and 25.       

The CYF caseload does not exceed the state maximum caseload limit of 30 cases.

Child Welfare League of America recommends 12-15 cases.

7.             Do we have safeguards to follow up with families and/or youth when a CYF worker has contact with a child? 

The job description for a caseworker illustrates that a substantial part of their duties requires field work with families and contact with children.

Cases are tightly monitored for caseworker professionalism, thoroughness, and respectfulness as well as, regulatory requirements. 

During the probationary period workers go in the field with a seasoned worker.  During the course of a case, a caseworker can be accompanied by a seasoned worker or supervisor.

Every two years, existing employees must successfully obtain the PA State Police, ChildLine and FBI clearances.  At the DHS Director’s discretion, an employee may need to submit to clearance checks during the two year period.

Outline, generally and specifically, of case monitoring which provides for all manner of review of caseworker interaction.

Generally:

Cases are reviewed by a supervisor.  The supervisor reviews cases with the CYF Admin team.  Policy dictates cases are to be staffed /reviewed with CYF administration when direction is needed and if custody of a child is recommended.  Placement reviews occur on an ongoing basis; decisions are made as a team and are not solely resting on any one caseworker's shoulders. 

The Courts also monitor all dependent and Court ordered placement of children.

CYF has an annual licensing review/certification by the PA office of Children, Youth and Families.

Families with a concern call the supervisor and/or program director.  Families can also call the State Office of CYF.

Specifically:

A supervisor must review the cases, initially, every 10 days with the caseworker.  When the case is accepted for services, the identified risk level mandates the frequency of contact ranging from weekly face to face contact to monthly face to face contact.  Risk level determination is a state requirement and the minimum frequency is monthly face to face contact.

Northampton CYF also engages in quarterly reviews whereby every supervisor must submit current details of each case.  The caseworkers provide to the supervisors such details as:  the current status of the situation, paperwork completion status, court proceedings status and verification that all regulatory requirements and timelines are met.

8.             How are complaints against a CYF caseworker handled? 

Complaints are investigated by the administrator, assistant administrator, program director, supervisor or the Regional offices.

If a complaint is verified, discipline of different levels or dismissal may occur.

9.             How many complaints have been made against CYF caseworkers, year by year?

The last complaint against a CYF worker was in 2012.  The individual’s county employment was severed.

In 2016, Northeast Regional OCYF reported 44 duplicated complaints/calls attributed to the Northampton County Children Youth and Families Division.

Majority of complaints are in two categories:  unsatisfied with the outcome, unsatisfied with the issued court order.  There have been no specific caseworker complaints.

The Director of the Northeast Regional Office indicates the number of calls is not high for a 3^rd class county.

In addition, the CYF Administrator receives approximately 35 general complaints a year.  These calls are in the same categories as received by the regional office. There have been no specific caseworker complaints.

10.          What are the ongoing requirements/certifications for a CYF worker?

A candidate must first submit application and complete testing with the PA State Civil Service Commission (SCSC) to be considered for employment.

Prior to employment, references are contacted.  Potential hires must provide PA State Police, ChildLine and FBI clearances prior to date of employment.

When hired, the worker must complete a 6-month probationary period and attain Child Welfare Direct Service Worker Certification inclusive of Human Resources, DHS and CYF orientations and completion of “Charting the Course.”  “Charting the Course” is a 120-hour (10-module) course provided by the PA Child Welfare Resource Center, under the auspices of the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.

All caseworkers, once certified, are required to have a minimum of 20 hours annual training in Social work related fields.  There are additional annual training requirements for staff that have attained licensure. 

Every two years, existing employees must successfully obtain the PA State Police, ChildLine and FBI clearances.  At the DHS Director’s discretion, an employee may need to submit to clearance checks during the two year period. 

Fred Williams On LANTA Board for 30 Years

Northampton County Council enthusiastically and unanimously voted last night to give affable Fred Williams another four years on the LANTA Board. Though Williams at one time owned an Exxon distributorship, he prefers walking or taking the bus to driving. In 1987, he saw then Executive Gene Hartzell soliciting voters one day as he he waited for a bus to take him to his home at College Hill. Hartzell was a bit confused to see a prominent local businessman using public transit, but Williams told Hartzell he loved riding in buses. Two days later, Williams received word he was on LANTA's board. He is currently their Treasurer.

Brown to Seek Re-Election in NorCo

Calling himself a "proven reformer," and claiming to have eliminated all deficit spending, Executive John Brown has released a statement indicating he plans to seek re-election in Northampton County. "Working together we have overcome deep financial challenges and I am excited about the positive results accomplished over the past three years,” Brown said. “While we have made great strides, I know our county can do even better. I will work to continue what we started by seeking to strengthen, bolster and reform our county’s services to ensure they are both more effective and cost efficient.” He also claims to have tripled the County's reserves.

He takes credit for making Gracedale, the county nursing home, profitable once again. It has gone from a $6.7 million taxpayer operating loss to profitability. A month ago, he reported that the facility made a $800,000 profit in 2016. Two weeks ago, he trimmed that down to $200,000.

He also takes credit for improving the quality of care there, noting there have been no deficiencies at the facility found by the PA Department of Health over the past two years. He claims the facility is now rated by Medicare as a four-star nursing home.

In addition, he claims he is doing something about the county's infrastructure. He is spending $37 million over the next five years on a PennDOT endorsed bridge bundling project that will repair and replace thirty-three (33) of the county’s bridges over the next four years. He said this will save taxpayers 20%-30%.

As for his claim to have eliminated all deficit spending, that's simply untrue. His most recent budget dipped into reserves to the tune of about $8.2 million to balance the budget. That's called deficit spending, and it ultimately leads to tax hikes.

As far as returning Gracedale to profitability, he went from a $800,000 profit to a $200,000 profit in the span of two weeks. And he himself acknowledged that the main reason for this reversal was the injection of $2.4 million of federal funds into the facility under a revived program that allows public nursing homes to pool their money and seek matching grants. Without it, Gracedale would be operating at a loss.

Also his claim that Gracedale is now a four-star facility is also untrue. According To Medicare, Gracedale is a three-star facility. And when it comes to "quality measures," which measures how well the nursing home is doing in caring for resident needs, the nursing home gets just one star, which is "much below average." In fact, this is one reason why Peter Melan decided to run for NorCo Council.

Brown's claim about the absence of deficiencies at Gracedale is also untrue. In September, the nursing was cited for failing to act properly when a resident threatened suicide, which resulted in a suicide attempt.

In essence, it appears that his re-election announcement, which he failed to deliver in person to a group that might have questions, is replete with misinformation.

You'll notice no claim to transparency. This is a guy who posted armed guards outside his office during a news conference,and who crated a new county website that advertised Lehigh County businesses.

Brown graduated from Bangor High School and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Tina, live in Northampton County and have a son, Zachary. He fails to describe where he worked in the private sector.

Brown is opposed in this race by Bethlehem Attorney Lamont McClure, who served on NorCo Council for ten years. He issued a statement of his own. "The Brown Admin. is itself a prime example of waste, fraud and abuse. Instead of fighting it, John Brown practiced corruption, cronyism and callousness. Brown's illegal budgets, misuse of taxpayer money for political purpose and unlawful taking of meals and mileage reimbursement to which he and Ms. Allen were not entitled, is the sad legacy of the Brown Admin."

NorCo: Personnel Appeals Board Back in Action

One of the biggest drawbacks to being a NorCo career service employee (nonunion) is that it takes forever to have a grievance heard. As I've documented here, hearings are scheduled and then re-scheduled ad infinitum in what really amounts to a denial of due process. Ralph Stampone, who served on that board for ten years, quit in disgust in April after driving to Easton for a hearing, only to learn it had been postponed. Bethlehem Attorney Christian Perrucci, who served as the Board's Solicitor, submitted his resignation at that time as well. According to HR Director Amy Trapp, things are about to change.

Trapp told NorCo Council's Personnel Committee yesterday that the Personnel Appeals Board will have a set meeting day on the fourth Thursday of every month at 5 pm. A hearing has been scheduled then as well. If there is no business on a given month, Appeals Board members simply will have the night off.

In addition to losing Stampone and their lawyer, the Board lost Dave "Lump" Sanders, who like Stampone had long argued there should be a set meeting night. Dave unfortunately passed away.

When the Board convenes in March, it will have a new lawyer - Allentown Attorney Juan Camacho. He is also an assistant Solicitor in Allentown.

Council is being asked tonight to reappoint Bill Alexander, a former corrections officer, and John Dally, a licensed Pen Argyl realtor. A third member, former HR Director Pat Siemiontkowski, has asked not to be re-appointed to the Board because it conflicts with other activities.

Executive John Brown has also nominated Thomas Foster, a recent Citizens' Academy graduate, to the Board.

Cedar Beach Pool GC Worked on Four Pools Simultaneously in 2016

Yesterday, I told you about  Allentown's Cedar Beach pool, which is now a year behind schedule and $681,000 over budget. This pool was designed by Bethlehem architectural firm Spillman-Farmer. Partner Dan Harrigan knows a little bit about swimming pools  He won the 1975 Pan American games in the 200m backstroke. He also took a bronze medal for the same event in the 1976 Olympics. But Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski is pushing a prestigious and local architectural firm away to coddle with MidAtlantic, a General Contractor from Trenton, New Jersey. He also hired the General Contractor's engineer, Frank Clark, to act as an "independent" intermediary while receiving paychecks both from the General Contractor and from the City.

Whitehall Mayor Ed Hozza attempted to defend MidAtlantic and Clark yesterday. He points out that last year, MidAtlantic worked on at least four pool projects in Pennsylvania. The Cranberry Township Water Park addition (North of Pittsburgh), the Fleetwood Borough Pool, The City of Allentown Cedar Beach Pool and the Whitehall Township Parkview Hokendauqua pool. Hozza unwittingly explains what was wrong. MidAtlantic was behind everywhere because it was tying to do too much at once. In addition to being behind schedule in Whitehall, I know Fleetwood was very upset by the delays.

According to Fleetwood's Borough Council minutes, "The contractor is in breach of contract." The Borough had to pay Topton so that residents with passes could use their pool. Their pool did open in late June.

Allentown was upset, too..

On 4/11/16, Parks Director Lindsay Taylor emailed MidAtlantic to say, "I have seen no activity at either pool and that is not what I expected. I expected the project to be moving forward and do not see it as my role as having to oversee this. If you believe this to be my role, at this point, nobody will like it. Please provide us with a project schedule with milestones that will take this project through to completion. If you need anything yet from the City, please tell me ASAP. If there is activity going on behind the scenes and you will be at the sites Monday, please let us know so that we can feel as though we are finally moving forward."

I see no answer to this email, and no schedule.

On May 25, 2016, Allentown was notified by Superior Pool Products that it had a claim against MidAtlantic for services and materials at the site, and it threatened to file a mechanic's lien. "We need to resolve this ASAP," said Purchasing Agent Beth Ann Strohl in an email to interested parties. "If MidAtlantic is not paying their subs, then we need to call on their bonds."

So far as I know, no lien was ever filed.

This is the outfit working on Cedar Beach pool.

Brace's Baloney

I often criticize politicians for feeding their constituents baloney. But I never had one ask me to tell my readers he's doing it. ... Until now.

Lehigh County Commissioner Geoff Brace is launching his re-election campaign tonight at Zion “Liberty Bell” United Church of Christ (620 West Hamilton Street, Allentown), 6 pm., in the church basement.  He's asked me to tell you that he's bringing ring balogna. Then he started quoting Beyoncé's "Put a Ring On It."

Feds Still Have Questions About Cedar Beach Pool

Six Allentown City employees will be re-interviewed by the FBI in the next week or so concerning the long-delayed reconstruction of Cedar Beach pool. What's going on? I'll tell you what I've learned.

Fleck and Spillman-Farmer.

Spillman-Farmer is a very well regarded architectural firm based in Bethlehem. Though it does business development, it was getting none of the action in all of the shiny new buildings going up in Allentown. It was around that time that a very positive Morning Call story about political and business consultant Mike Fleck appeared. He was portrayed as a one-stop shop.Ifyou wanted to get elected, you give him money. If you wanted to do business in Allentown, you hire him as a consultant.

That's what Spillman-Farmer did. This is a firm that makes no political contributions. But faster than you can say "Wiretap!" Spillman-Farmer has a $149,500 with Allentown to do the design work for all of the city's pools. This firm had just finished Nazareth's pool, under budget and ahead of schedule, with no change orders. Though Nazareth Public Works Director Bob Reimer gave Spillman a bad recommendation, that's how Nazareth rolls. There is some suspicion that the RFP was rigged by Fleck in favor of Spillman, but this firm clearly had the best of three proposals.

In the course of preparing its new design, the old plans, dated January 1951, were reviewed.They showed a pool shell with between 3 1/2" and 5 1/2" of concrete.

MidAtlantic hired as General Contractor.

Despite having no experience in pool construction, MidAtlantic was the low bidder for construction at Cedar Beach and Mack pools for the princely sum of $1,872,465.93.

Did MidAtlantic lowball its bid?

All I can tell you is that MidAtlantic also was awarded the contract to do $130,000 in renovations at Whitehall's Parkview Pool, which ended up costing $337,875 last year. Mayor Ed Hozza considered himself lucky to get away at that price.

MidAtlantic was required to obtain the necessary permits for the job, but started work without doing so.

When it finally began construction in Spring 2016, it cracked the pool shell in the course of doing its demo work. Although this appears to be MidAtlantic's fault, it blamed who ever installed the shell in the '50s.  

Pennoni Engineering, which is hired by the City precisely to review these kinds of matters, concluded that the pool thickness was between 5.5-6". Spillman Farmer was willing to resolve this with a $48,000 change order that would increase the cost of the contract slightly, but strengthen the shell beyond what was built.

Frank Clark, Senior Engineer.  

By this time, MidAtlantic was trying to squeeze Spillman-Farmer out of the deal. Frank Clark and Keystone Consulting, who were already working for MidAtlantic, were ready to step in. In fact, they are the team that did the Whiitehall pool at nearly three times the original estimate. But I doubt they dared dream what Fed Ed would do next.

On July 7, exercising his emergency purchases power, Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski hired Keystone Consulting Engineers (Frank Clark) as an independent intermediary between Spillman-Farmer and MidAtlantic, even though it was already being paid by MidAtlantic and is hardly independent.. Now it could collect money from the City, too.

In his memo, Fed Ed offers a very strange justification:

"Keystone Consulting Engineers (KCE) of Wescoesville was engaged by Whitehall Township for their recent pool renovation,and is a very well respected engineering firm in the Lehigh Valley. Frank Clark, the Senior Engineer at KCE, is currently the appointed engineer for Whitehall Township.He has been working with MidAtlantic on their Parkview Pool renovation. He was not familiar with MidAtlantic prior to Whitehall's project, but has been able to develop a respectful relationship with the firm's owner, Joe Ramirez.".

While most of us would run from a duo that jacks up a bid on a public project, Fed Ed embraced them. He calls Clark a senior engineer, a term that Clark also uses on LinkedIn. Clark does have a degree in civil engineering, but has no certification as a Professional Engineer. Using him for engineering work on a public project is like using a biology major to remove your appendix.

Far from being an intermediary or an independent, Clark worked with MidAtlantic while keeping Spillman-Farmer in the dark. Three separate requests for meetings with City officials went unanswered.

Contract Goes From $1.87MM to $2.55MM  

While cutting Spillman-Farmer out of the loop, Clark and MidAtlantic concocted $681,945.48 in change orders that would increase the MidAtlantic contract to $2.55 million. They claimed that the pool shell was below the thickness it should be, despite evidence to the contrary from the City's own engineer.

Amazingly, part of this change order - $76,000 worth - involves the removal of a structural wall around the pool's perimeter, designed in the '50s precisely because the pool is in a flood plain. Now there is nothing, but the deck "sits cleanly," whatever the hell that means.  

Another change order adds a whopping $270,000 for steel rebar, even though that is part of the original contract.

These change orders were reviewed by City Council on December 21. Controller Jeff Glazier claimed he did a "serious walk through" with Clark. "I believe it's justified because we're going to get a pool out of this that will last a long time," he reasoned. He claimed this is just one of the "unsung things that the Controller does."

Julio Guridy was a tad more skeptical than the City Controller. "It is not unusual to do a change order, but it is unusual to be so high,." he said, and decided to abstain from voting.

With a gun to their head, and worried that Cedar Beach Pool may never open at all, the rest of City Council approved the change orders. Even as they did so, Clark warned them, "I know you are going to see other change orders."

Brace Yourself!

Geoff and his family

On Monday, Lehigh County Exec Tom Muller announced his non-election campaign inside the hallowed halls of Brookside Country Club, where my chief concern was being tossed by the waitstaff. But Thursday night, things will be a little different for Comm's Geoff Brace. He promises he really, really, really will be running for re-election. Instead of supplying food and booze at his announcement, Geoff is asking supporters to bring canned juice, bread and jelly for the Jubilee Ministry of Zion UCC. That's a ministry to the homeless Brace and his family support with time, energy and finances. And that's where he will take his stand. Technically, it's at Zion “Liberty Bell” United Church of Christ (620 West Hamilton Street, Allentown), 6 pm., in the church basement. You can park in the rear for free. That's where Pip the Mouse lives. Whether he shows up depends on whether anyone is bringing cheese. He doesn't do juice.

Echoing some of the remarks made by Muller on Monday night, Brace claims "[w]e’ve ended pay to play politics in Lehigh County and strengthened the safety net for citizens of Lehigh County by re-committing to Cedarbrook nursing home by supporting the work for children and youth, providing stronger services for mental health, the homeless, intellectual disabilities and rehabilitation. We’ve also managed to find addition resources for farmland preservation.”

Brace's district includes Allentown's west end, which is no different than Nazareth or Bethlehem. But it also includes Center City. That's NIZ Island. But it's surrounded by a sea of poverty. And that's where Geoff, his wife Sara Jane, and his son Isaac, reside. He walks the walk. I've known him since I started blogging about 11 years ago. Over that time, I've grown to know him as a person who has deeply held religious beliefs, and who tries to put them into practice.

Unfortunately, none of his good qualities ever rubbed off on me.

He's a graduate of Ursinus College, after which he obtained a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Lehigh University in 2004. He began his career in public service by working for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, visiting the Main Streets in small communities statewide. Then he went to work as the Executive Director at Kutztown Community Partnership. Currently, he is a legislative assistant to State Rep. Michael "Darth Voter" Schlossberg.

I can only hope that his ethics and integrity are contagious.

He may be running unopposed.

Fr more information about Brace’s re-election, visit www.geoffbrace.com.

Updated: Tom Muller Sez No to Second Term

A thorn between two roses. Muller is flanked by his
beautiful wife and daughter, MJ (left) and Joy (right).
MJ is a volunteer with St. Thomas More, while
Joy is a standout field hockey player. 

Lehigh County Exec Tom Muller surprised and disappointed a group of over 50 supporters at Brookside Country Club last night when he announced he's decided against seeking re-election this year. This included three state representatives, a former state representative, two Lehigh County Commissioners and DA Jim Martin. Also on hand were most of Muller's cabinet. "I did not order them to be here, it's the free drinks that got them," he quipped.

He also introduced several Commissioner candidates running for District seats this year. In District One, it's Robert Elbich. He's a LU grad, after which he worked for Air Products and a cryogenics firm, and then launched two companies of his own based on patents that he secured. .He lives in Weisenberg Tp, where he serves on the Zoning Hearing Board. In District Two Three, he introduced Amy Zanelli. She is a Rutgers grad and lives in West Bethlehem. If elected, she will be Bethlehem's first second Commissioner in Lehigh County (Nick Englesson also served a term). She worked in child protective services in New Jersey and is now a realtor. She is also a former rollerblade announcer. In District Five, it's Coopersburg resident Mary Ann Nord, a James Madison and San Diego University grad who works in  intellectual property and national security for Leidos.

Noting that Democrats have a 31,000 voter edge in Lehigh, Muller said they gave both presidential and statewide candidates a clean sweep in the 2016 election. "It's time to bring that same broom to the Board of Commissioners," said Muller, referring to the nine persons who make up the county's legislative branch.

Muller said he's fortunate to have had his wife at his side for the past 30 years. After 40 years in the private sector, he never expected to serve as Director of Administration for another eight years for Don Cunningham and two interim county executives. He also had no idea he'd become a "full-fledged politician" and serve for four years as Executive. "The politics of the other side opened this door for me," he said. He enjoyed those four years "despite the political battling, the 30% pay cut, the frequent nights out, and the part I love, the endless chicken dinners."

In his four years as Executive, Muller tried to be accessible and get as much first hand knowledge from citizens as he could. He attended 20 municipal meetings a year, travelling to as many different communities as he could.

"Public safety is our top priority. Hamilton Crossings with a Costco is a reality. The County is significantly recommitted to farmland preservation. Good Shepherd is finally managing our Cedarbrook Nursing Home.Most of these accomplishments required overcoming the objections of a substantial block on the Board of Commissioners.

"We've also balanced the budget without tax increases despite the veto-proof Republican majority on the Board insisting on providing those "Happy Meal" tax cuts on the taxpayer's credit card. They did it just to adhere to what they thought was a campaign promise they made, but it was on the taxpayer's credit card because we had a budget deficit each time.

"As great as this chapter of my life has been and continues to be, it will come to an end this year, and I know this will come as a surprise to most of you."

Muller explained why he's decided to bow out. He has three sons in the Carolinas. He has two grandsons there "who I see too infrequently." When his daughter Joy graduates from Emmaus High School in 2019, he knows she will want to attend college outside of this area. "MJ and I then intend to close the Lehigh Valley section of our book and head south into retirement."

He's been encouraged to run anyway and then resign when he's ready to retire."I cannot in good conscience do that.What that would mean is going out and collecting contributions and collecting votes from people who think I'm running for four years, and I cannot serve for four years. I personally cannot do that."

Muller said he was unwilling to leave without finding someone who will represent the people as opposed to the "whims of a few wealthy contributors."

That someone is Phillips Armstrong, who was chairing a Whitehall Township meeting as Muller spoke, attempting to persuade his colleagues to adopt a resolution in support of gerrymander reform. Armstrong is a retired teacher and coach who ran unsuccessfully against Zach Mako for the state house. I thought then he was the best Democrat running in the Lehigh Valley.

Armstrong was also working on a proposal to impose campaign contribution limits on township candidates  Muller said that Commissioner Geoff Brace is working on a similar resolution in Lehigh,"which will probably be blocked by our Republican majority for painfully obvious reasons."

Muller said by not running, he can focus on Cedarbrook, which he claimed Commissioners have been kicking down the road for about three years. he said JB Reilly started digging a hole for the arena around the same time he started pushing Commissioners to do something about the Cedarbrook building.

Muller never strayed from the Way. He is giving up his public life but is keeping his honor. His absence will be keenly felt.  

Blogger's Note: Originally published 2/13/17 at 8:36 pm

Updated 10:30 am: A reader points out that Nick Englesson, who at that time was a resident of West Bethlehem, served as a Lehigh County Commissioner. 

Updated 4:12: I incorrectly stated one candidate is running in District Two when she is actually running in District Three.

Bryan Callahan Seeks Second Term in Bethlehem

Two years ago, Bryan Callahan managed to alienate most downtown Bethlehem merchants during the Martin Tower rezoning debate. After they were all done speaking during courtesy of the floor and were unable to rebut him, he'd tick off concessions that the City made to them, often erroneously. At the end of one meeting, he actually accused one critical merchant of paying all of his Bethlehem employees from an Allentown-based business to be able to take advantage of Allentown tax incentives. Callahan claimed that he obtained this confidential information from Keystone Collections, the City's taxing authority. Disclosure of this information to the public is unlawful. What's even worse, Callahan got it wrong. No Allentown tax incentive was being used by this merchant to pay its Bethlehem employees. Despite this clear abuse of his office, Callahan announced yesterday that he's seeking a second term on Bethlehem City Council.

In 2015, I told you that a review of Bryan's campaign finances showed that 31% of his contributions between 2013 and 20015 came from unions, developers, engineers and others with a vested interest in the Bethlehem’s CRIZ, TIF or other city-sponsored projects. In 2016, an off-election year, he raised another $18,325.00, and this time, 74% of his funding came from the same crony capitalists.

Last year, he said he was "proud" to vote for a new parking garage in South Bethlehem, which did have widespread support.  What he failed to say is that he also accepted $1,000 from the Benners, who are developing the office building next door. He also took $9,000 from the trade unions who will build that garage.

At a time when the Bethlehem citizenry is acutely sensitive of pay-to-play in local politics, and two Council members have actually proposed reforms, Callahan's campaign finance is disappointing, to say the least.  

Today, I am proud to announce that I am seeking re-election to Bethlehem City Council. Four Years ago, I chose to run on a simple platform; Keep our City growing, Keep our neighborhoods clean and safe and Keep our taxes low. While we have made great strides in each of these areas, I believe there is more work to do. “I am passionate about Bethlehem. I look forward to working for the residents of Bethlehem and keeping Bethlehem a great place to live, work and visit.”

Callahan portrays himself as a financial watchdog. He points out he was the lone no vote for a property tax increase in 2016. In 2017, he claims that he fought for a tax decrease. What he fails to say is that he failed.  Once again, he was the sole No vote. "I supported additional transparency efforts on the way we spend your tax dollars and ways to reduce and streamline our city government," he claims. What transparency efforts? I wish he were a bit more transparent about what exactly he did.  Whatever they are, he claims his efforts "helped the City’s Bond rating rise from BBB+ to AAA- with a positive outlook."

He said that he will "continue to push for the redevelopment of the old Bethlehem Steel property, the Martin Tower site and infill development throughout our City. By growing our tax base, we all win."

And he collects more campaign dollars.

He claims he was "most proud to spearhead the effort to create an Italian Festival as a tribute to my late wife."

He lives in downtown Bethlehem. "Living in the heart of the downtown has allowed me to experience the vibrancy of our City from a unique point of view," he says."Bethlehem really is a special place." I agree.

I've been highly critical here of many of things Bryan says and has done. I really wish he would tone down the money from groups and people who are looking for something.. I wish they' all tone it down. But if truth be told, he is at heart a very gentle soul who wants what is best for Bethlehem.

I know he really pissed off merchants during the Martin Tower debate, but it's hard to stay mad at him.

Callahan has largely been ineffectual in his first term. He sometimes seems to forget why he's there. But I'd vote for him. He reminds me of an athlete who can't seem to get anything right.You begin to wonder why the coach is even playing him. Then all of a sudden, everything clicks. I think Bryan has great potential, and on his own merit.

He's a starter.

Callahan is a teacher at Freedom High School and is the older brother of former Mayor John Callahan.

He's currently on the bench, but should be a starter, too.

According to The Express Times, Eric Evans also announced today that he is seeking re-election, too. Though I received a notice from Callahan, I received nothing from Eric. After he reads what i write about Bryan, I doubt I'll get one.

I'm unaware of anyone else seeking these offices, which is bad for democracy.

How Trump Can Fix His Travel Ban

Locally, an assortment if bigots and xenophobes at Molovinsky Tabernacle Choir has been trying its best to justify just about everything Trump does, even when he's dead wrong. That's pretty much what has been happening nationally, too. Instead of telling him that his assertions about voter fraud are demonstrably false, sycophant Stephen Miller cascaded upon the Sunday shows and pretty much made an idiot out of himself, repeating whoppers about dead people and noncitizens voting.

His supporters let him down and let the country down when they spout this nonsense. It is precisely this attitude that led to a poorly prepared travel ban that will even fail in the Supreme Court because it denied due process to legal permanent residents.

According to Politico,

If there is a single issue where the president feels his aides have let him down, it was the controversial executive order on immigration. The president has complained to at least one person about "how his people didn't give him good advice" on rolling out the travel ban and that he should have waited to sign it instead of "rushing it like they wanted me to." Trump has also wondered why he didn’t have a legal team in place to defend it from challenges.

He's absolutely right, for once. His inner circle actually kept numerous government agencies out of the loop.

A revised travel ban is his best option. Legally, he has nearly unfettered authority to deny refugee status. He went wrong when he attempted to interfere with the rights of legal permanent residents and others with lesser visa statuses. This can be corrected and will withstand judicial scrutiny.

Desert Storm, Desert Shield Marine To Seek BT Comm'r Slot

John Merhottein is a Marine who served his country during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He then became a computer programmer, loss prevention manager and project manager. He married, has a family and has live in Bethlehem Township for the past ten years. Now he would like to be a Commissioner representing the fourth word. That ward is currently represented by Pat Breslin, who has apparently decided to call it quits after one term.

John is a Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and an elected Northampton County Republican Committee member.

His campaign will focus on the following issues that include fiscal conservatism, government transparency, the inclusion of public input on all matters, expenses cut when and where possible, as well as insisting the Bethlehem Area Library increase its services to the township.

On his webpage, he gives a pretty good explanation of what prompted him to run.

"When I heard our taxes were going to go up 37% in 2016, I thought I should go to the budget meetings and find out why. It was interesting to see what budget items residents supported and the ones they were against.

"I wanted to continue to go to the Board of Commissioners meetings, so I had an understanding of what was going on in our township. I found myself enjoying the workings of the township & I liked sharing that information with my neighbors.

"In July of 2016, the Board was presented with a vote to repair the community center for 2.7 million dollars. How could this be? A 10-year-old building that needed almost 3 million dollars of repairs? I wanted answers! I asked my questions to the board and didn't get my answers. Needless to say, I was upset leaving that meeting.

"The more I thought about it and realized that screaming at the board wasn't going to be very productive, and I thought 'What could I do to make a difference?' Thinking about the passionate debate during both the budget and community center meetings, I reached out to Commissioner Malissa Davis with an idea. Could we break down the budget and community center statistics into snapshots? Could we see the number of people that used the community center and library? Anything that a resident wanted, could we get is added to a dashboard? During my first meeting with Commissioner Davis, she asked Melissa Shafer the township Manager to join us. I could not believe how open to suggestions they were. Thanks to Melissa and her staff, the first dashboard was published in October of 2016. It is a work in progress and one I will continue to help grow.

"My goal with the dashboard was to get the information in the hands of the residents and Commissioners, so they could see where their tax dollars and township resources were being spent and as a township have an intelligent discussion.

"Transparency in government is great for the residents and the Board. It allows them and us to make informed decisions. Hopefully, the dashboard will mature into something that has everything a resident could want. I would be honored to take the lead and have a transparent Bethlehem Township. My first task would be to keep working on that dashboard and get the facts and figures to the township residents, Commissioners and township employees.

"Attending the Commissioners meetings has also enlightened me to other issues in the township such as storm water, traffic, and development.

"I have no special interests. I will always put residents concerns first. I will be accessible via email, Facebook, my website, phone or in person. If you have a question, concern or problem, I promise to get you an answer as soon as possible.

"I'm not a politician. I'm like the majority of you, a guy with a family who plans to live in the township for a significant number of years. I love our town and my neighborhood and want it to be the best it could be."

Congrats to Dennis Pearson on His Wedding

Steelworker. Teacher. Historian. Umpire. Block Watch President. Astronaut. Bill White Hall of Famer. Lehigh County Commissioner candidate. And now, at age 70, a married man. Congratulations to Eleanor Mae Hinkle and Dennis Pearson, who exchanged wedding vows yesterday at Lehigh's Packer Chapel. This is Dennis' first marriage. Eleanor is a widow, with two (grown) children, four grandchildren and two cats.

Dennis is running for Comm's in District Three, where Rev. David Jones has ruled the roost through two terms. But David is now running for Allentown Mayor, and apparently has decided against running for two offices simultaneously. Very classy on his part.

Another District 3 candidate is former Bethlehem School Director Basilio Bonilla. He has no job, no experience and was divisive and unprepared during his tenure in Bethlehem. In contrast to Bonilla,, you'll never find a better prepared person that Dennis. I'd love to see the public recognize all the efforts he has made on their behalf over decades.  He's a Democrat with a nonpartisan view of local government. Just don't ask him a question unless you have three hours to listen to his answer.

Dennis really is a very good guy. As a wedding present, The Morning Call's Bill White should remove him from his Hall of Fame.

I sent a cub reporter to cover this ceremony. Churches are off limits to me unless I've been to confession. recently. I've already had enough thunderbolts going up my ass. Unfortunately, only one priest is willing to hear my confession, Father Alex. But after the last time, he had himself transferred hundreds of miles away and is not answering his phone.

Tom Muller To Seek Re-Election as LC Exec

Tom Muller and his much better half, MJ 

Four years ago, when Tom Muller announced his candidacy for Lehigh County Executive in the Emmaus Circle, I froze my ass off. Tom went on to win, and has been fairly successful there. You could say it's because of his Republican Board of Commissioners. You could also say it's despite them.

I am happy to tell you that Muller will be announcing for re-election tonight I'm especially happy to tell you that, this time, it will be indoors. He'll be announcing at the Brookside Country Club Pub, located in Macungie, between 6 and 8 pm.

Cashing In

The Obamas, our former first family, are ready to start cashing in. They've signed with the Harry Walker Agency for speaking gigs, and will soon be collecting fees between $100,000 and $175,000 for their pearls of wisdom. Ex Presidents Clinton and both Bushes are on this gravy train. Jimmy Carter seldom accepts a fee, but if he does, the proceeds go to charity.

Harry Truman is one ex-president who could have used the dough. When he left the Presidency, his sole source of government income was his $112.56 army pension. He had numerous opportunities to cash in, but said No. "I could never lend myself to any transaction, however respectable, that would commercialize on the prestige and dignity of the office of the presidency," he said.

Congress passed the Former President's Act in 1958 to "maintain the dignity" of the office. Under this law, former presidents are paid the same salary as a cabinet level official, about $205,000. They also receive office funding that usually is more than double their pension, as well as secret service protection.

I'm all for maintaining the dignity of the office, but Presidents who prostitute themselves as speakers defeat the purpose. I think the law should be modified to reduce the annual pension paid to an ex-President by any sum he receives from other sources.

Eventually, We All Get Off in Portland

Bangor School Director Bob Cartwright calls Portland the Cancun of the Lehigh Valley, and reminds me the rest of us need to be nice to Northampton County's most northern community because we're all downstream. It's where Ron Angle grew up.

A bus used to come through everyday from Scranton and points north on its way to Philly.

One day, a fellow who got on the bus in Scranton died. The bus driver had no idea what he should do.

"Drop him off in Portland," suggested passengers. "Everyone gets off in Portland."

And that's what they did.

As a boy, Ron watched as passengers carried the deceased out and lean him against a bench, after which they continued their trip.

Eventually, we all get off in Portland.

DA John Morganelli Rejects Politically Inspired Complaint Against Controller

Hayden Phillips

A mid-week snowstorm resulted in a large number of absences at the NorCo courthouse on Thursday. But DA John Morganelli was at his office as usual. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays his couriers of criminal justice from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Morganelli is pretty busy right now with a homicide in Bethlehem and another in Palmer Township. But he had to drop those matters to respond to the latest political vendetta against Controller Steve Barron.

Northampton County Council is embarrassed, as it should be, over its head-in-the sand reaction to the senseless rape and murder of a 15 year old girl named Grace Packer. The woman accused of hatching this plot and then getting off as her boyfriend raped this 15-year old girl was the girl's adopting mother, Sara Packer. She was employed by NorCo between 2003 and 2010 and was amazingly an adoption supervisor. This raises all kinds of questions about NorCo's Children Youth and families (CYF) division, especially since a caseworker there was sentenced to 12 years behind bars in 2010 for sexually abusing a child. Rather than answer those questions, which would reassure the public and provide some solace to CYF workers, both Council and Executive John Brown hung that department out to dry while ignoring the press.

Brown, whose last updated the county website with "News" on November 7, has never understood the importance of being transparent and keeping the public informed. His Council is just as bad. Instead of addressing the jail, reassessment, or the low morale in the county workforce, meetings have deteriorated into 20-minute sessions in which Council members pat themselves on the back.

The Brown administration both ignored press inquiries from NBC10 and WFMZ-TV69 concerning Grace Packer, or actively misled them by saying that Sara Packer is not a current employee. NBC-10's Deanna Durante was ignored by all Council members, too,save for Ken Kraft. He put her in touch with Barron.

Barron, whose career started in group homes, was unwilling to circle the wagons like Council and Brown. He reviewed Packer's records and determined she had been employed by the County CYF as an adoption supervisor for seven years, between 2003 and 2010, when she was fired over, believe it or not, the sexual abuse of Grace Packer by her the husband. Instead of stonewalling, Barron released this public information to the media. He did the job that the Brown administration refused to do.

And he paid for it.

During one session with WFMZ-TV69, a camera zoomed in on his computer screen, and for less than a second, showed a number that might be Packer's social security number. Executive John Brown was made aware of this error.But instead of notifying WFMZ so they could correct this error, he tucked this information away so he could blast Barron at a Council meeting that occurred over a week after his discovery. He also had Barron's access to computer records cut off.

Council wanted to make political hay, too. Hayden Phillips was as quiet as a church mouse when NBC-10's Deanna Durante came to Council to demand answers. But once she was gone and out of the way, he decided to exact revenge against the man who defeated him in the last Controller race. He asked Council Solicitor Phil Lauer to draft a memo indicating what laws were broken and laying out Council's options.

Lauer told him what I had said here. Because the disclosure was unintentional, there is no criminal liability. Unsatisfied with that answer, Phillips then referred Lauer's opinion to DA John Morganelli,and without authority from the rest of Council.

Morganelli reached the same conclusion that Lauer did before him, and that I did before both of them. There is no criminal liability. Barron's disclosure was unintentional. The DA also refused to refer this matter to the US Attorney, so Barron can stow his rubber underwear for the time being. You can read the District Attorney's opinion below.

Speaking of criminal liability, if anyone acted intentionally, it is John Brown. He was aware of a continuing disclosure of an employee's social security number and did nothing to stop it. If he really cared about employee privacy, he would have reacted immediately. Also, when you prevent a government official from doing his job, that's called obstruction.

In the meantime, Council's Human Services Chair Seth Vaughn has refused to invite CYF and Human Services officials to a hearing to answer some questions that would violate no one's privacy, would reassure the public, and would give the CYF division a much-needed boost in the arm. He has refused to convene a hearing because the questions come from me,just as Council has failed to lest their county emailadresses on the county website.

They are afraid someone might ask them a question.

Instead of burying their heads in the sand or playing vindictive political games against the person who beat him in the Controller's race, Hayden Phillips and Seth Vaughn needs to get answers concerning the following:

1) How a CYF caseworker is hired;
2) What training a certifications and continuing education are required;
3) How complaints against a CYF caseworker are handled;
4) How many complaints have been made against CYF caseworkers, year by year;
5) What is the caseload of each caseworker;
6) Does this caseload exceed the state recommendation:
7) How are caseworkers supervized,and how are supervisors themselves supervized;
8) How are foster parents selected;
9) How many foster parents are there in NC?
10) How are foster parents paid?
11) Are caseworkers allowed to be foster parents?
12) How are complaints against foster parents handled?

DA: Accidental Disclosure of SS Number Not Criminal by BernieOHare on Scribd

Allentown Central Catholic Qualifies For Playoffs in Final Season Game

Allentown Central Catholic boys' basketball needed just one win to qualify for District playoffs, but had a tough time getting it. They were blown out by Emmaus, and then lost to Stroudsburg with a buzzer beater. It came down to their final game of the season. The team rose to the occasion with a convincing 75-57 drubbing of Nazareth last night.

It was a team victory. Many teams rely on one or two players to carry the offense, but Central is at its best when everyone contributes. Chris Ocasio was king of the layup, scoring 15 points. Jordan McChristian was right behind him with 14, and was everywhere on the court. Dat Lambert and Nick Filchner each had 12. Jay Vaughan, the heart of the team, scored 10. He also defended against Nazareth's most dangerous weapon, 1,000-point scorer Kevin Wagner, holding him to a scant 10 points. Kevin Kern connected for 6, and also delivered clutch rebounds and assists.

Central will likely face Whitehall once the division playoffs start. They played twice during the regular season. Whitehall won the first game, and Central won the second.

Dat's post-game meal was Girl Scout cookies. Some enterprising young ladies were selling them outside the gym. I bought a box from a girl for $4 and she told me she would make me a deal. Five boxes for $20. I did not realize until later that five boxes for $20 is still $4 a box.

When I saw her later, I pointed this out and she laughed, "That's how I trick people into buying more cookies."

She got me.