Bethlehem Establishes Small Business Emergency Relief Fund

Just before Governor Tom Wolf's decision to shut down Pennsylvania's economy, I visited The Old Library Bookshop in Bethlehem. I was looking for stories penned by Victor Hugo, whom I consider the greatest storyteller who ever lived. The two ladies who run that store hooked me up with a nice copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and at a price that even I could afford. As I reflect on it, that's really what I like most about The Christmas City. Some of you might like the casino or Musikfest, but what has always charmed me are the numerous small and locally owned businesses dotting the city's streets. It's sad to see them victimized by the Covid-19 crisis. Fortunately, Mayor Bob Donchez in Bethlehem has set up a "Small Business Emergency Relief Fund" to help them.

Seeded with $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, Bethlehem will provide one time grants of $2,000 for rental assistance, payroll and utilities. Obviously, businesses must be located in the City of Bethlehem, and comply with low to moderate income (LMI) funding requirements outlined in CDBG guidelines. Priorityon will be given to those businesses in the retail, food, and beverage, and personal service industries within the Central Business Districts and Limited Commercial zoning districts. All businesses, however, are encouraged to apply.

"These are unprecedented times, businesses are struggling and in need of support," said Mayor Dinchez. "We are fortunate to have funding available to be used toward this program and will continue to craft programs to provide support to our business community.”

Applications for the program will be available on the city’s website at www.bethlehem-pa.gov. on April 22. They will be reviewed by a committee for eligibility and evaluated based on funding priorities.

Pa. Legislature Can Terminate Wolf's Emergency Powers After He Vetoes Law to Re-Open Business

Yesterday, people from the land of midnight payraises voted to re-open Pa. businesses so long as they follow federal guidelines from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Those are less stringent than the ones currently in place. Unfortunately, the vote went largely along party lines. Governor Tom Wolf has vowed to veto the measure, and I doubt the legislature has the votes to override. So what can the legislature do? The answer is quite simple. End Wolf's emergency powers.

No less an authority than the Pa. Supreme Court noted this possibility when it rejected a challenge to Wolf's authority on Monday.

The Governor may, by proclamation or executive order, declare a state of disaster emergency, 35 Pa.C.S. § 3701(b), “upon finding that a disaster has occurred or that the occurrence or the threat of a disaster is imminent.” 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c). This state of disaster emergency shall continue until the Governor finds that the threat or danger has passed or that emergency conditions no longer exist, but may not continue for longer than ninety days unless renewed by the Governor. Id. As a counterbalance to the exercise of the broad powers granted to the Governor, the Emergency Code provides that the General Assembly by concurrent resolution may terminate a state of disaster emergency at any time. Id.

The Court also notes that Pa. is one of only five states that allow a Governor to exercise emergency powers beyond 60 days.

The real answer is to end Wolf's authority, not pass a bill we all know will never survive a veto.

NorCo: Should Council Extend Exec's Emergency Powers?

Northampton County Council is set up in the Home Rule Charter to be the most powerful branch of government. For one thing, it is described first, before the Executive or the courts. For another, the County's Constitution specifically states that this governing body possesses the "residual powers" of the County. Things have never worked out that way, primarily because the Executive is full-time and controls a rather large administration. Council, in contrast, is part-time and controls about three employees. Though it flexes its muscles from time to time, it has more often than not been been the third wheel on the bicycle of County government. Tonight, it is poised to vote on two measures that will make this body largely irrelevant. After seeing what the concentration of emergency power in the hands of our Governor has produced, it should think long and hard.

The first of these measures is a request to extend Executive Lamont McClure's emergency powers to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. His powers are currently set to expire on April 19, but McClure wants these powers extended until May 19.

Under these emergency powers, McClure can hire temporary workers and enter into contracts without following the usual cumbersome bidding requirements that ensure honesty, but take time. He also can redirect employees to where they are needed most without objections that might otherwise come from unions.

During the 30 days in which McClure has had emergency powers, he's made every effort to be as transparent as possible. On some days, I've received as many as five news releases concerning Covid-19. He's been up front about infections at the jail and at Gracedale instead of hiding details. He's actually gone above and beyond what the state Department of Health was initially doing when he began breaking down the ages, sex and races of coronavirus victims. His Human Services department has been collecting donations for the homeless, while his economic development office has started a zero interest loan pool for small businesses. His mapping department is not only graphing the daily tally, but offers a comparison to other counties. In fact, I can think of no LV municipality that has been as up front or as responsive as McClure's administration, with the possible exceptions of Bethlehem and Hanover Tp. McClure has done all this without being intrusive or acting like Big Brother. So I'd give him another 30 days.

The second matter Council is going to consider is a bit more troublesome. It's an "emergency" ordinance under which Council essentially abdicates its powers for the months of April, May and June. Instead of meeting twice a month, as required by the Home Rule Charter, they will only be meeting once a month. I suspect they will be remote meetings, too.

I realize these are part-time officials, but when they have broadened the powers of the Executive, they need to be even more vigilant against possible abuses. They can meet remotely, but should be doing so twice a month. For one thing, they should be pushing Governor Tom Wolf, as other counties have done, to make the June 2 primary a mail-in primary only. Ballots that go out should be franked to encourage voter turnout by mail. They should be doing more, not less.

Did You Get Your Stimulus Payment Yet?

The IRS has already sent out payments to 60 million people who filed tax returns in 2018 or 2019. If you'd like to track the status of your payment, the IRS set up a portal here. Because of the large number of people who have been using this site, it has been inoperable most of the day. Also, if you are a social security recipient, the IRS is going to pay you the way you're paid now, but lacks sufficient data at this point to track your payment. It will have this data soon.

Though Curve Is Flattening, Pa Imposes More Onerous Restrictions on Workers and Customers

This is the face of Pa. health?

The number of new Covid-19 cases has been dropping across the state for the past several days. Resentment is growing among the public over Governor Tom Wolf's business shutdown. His unemployment office has been as slow as a glacier in processing 1.3 million unemployment compensation claims. To date, his bureaucracy has failed to even establish an application process for the self-employed and gig workers. But instead of devoting resources to helping people who have been negatively impacted, Governor Wolf has doubled down. His Health Secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, has just issued an edict that will make it even more difficult for life-sustaining businesses to operate. Of course, this is all for our own good.

Now businesses must do the following:

1) Stagger start and quit times to keep employees apart;
2) Provide break spaces for employees in which they are 6' apart;
3) Stagger those break times, too;
4) Limit the number of employees allowed in a break or locker room;
5) Training must be done virtually as much as possible;
6) Employees must be masked unless they are trying to eat something;
7) Have employees on hand to enforce all the frickin' rules;
8) All "nonessential" visitors banned (no word on whether they can be shot on sight);
9) Make sure these rules are all communicated in several languages (I recommend Russian);
10) Business with the unwashed masses by appointment only, unless impractical, in which case you are required to do everything you can to make them feel unwelcome. It's their fault for not being wealthy enough to afford Doordash and other delivery services;
11) Set aside a specific time for the Boomers to shop so they can scarf up all the frickin' toilet paper.
12) Make the unwashed masses wear masks, too.
13) Everyone has to wash their hands once an hour.

This is simply nuts. This order becomes effective April 19. It's time to rein Dr. Levine and Governor Wolf in.

NorCo Covid-19 Death Toll Hits 30; McClure Suggests We Are Peaking

As it has been doing daily, Northampton County has continued to track Covid-19 related deaths occurring within the county's borders, based on information provided by Coroner Zach Lysek. As of today, the death toll is 30. Executive Lamont McClure suggests, as I have been doing for the past several days, that we are finally peaking. " We are very near the time when our infections are supposed to peak. This is not a time to be complacent."

Deaeh Details: The municipalities in which the 30 deceased lived are as follows: Forks Twp. (1); Lower Nazareth Twp. (2): Bangor Boro (1); Palmer Twp. (8); Upper Nazareth Twp. (4); Williams Twp. (1); Nazareth Boro (1); Bethlehem Twp (7); City of Bethlehem (1); Washington Twp (1); Phillipsburg, NJ (1); and Bronx, NY (1).

Their average age was 79.3.

Gender of the Deceased: 60% Female/40% Male

Race of the Deceased: 73% White, 16% African American, 3% Asian or Pacific Islander, 10% Hispanic.

Northampton County Graph located here.

Pa. GSA Wants to Buy Two Souped-Up Ford Expeditions ... From Out-of-State

Governor Tom Wolf, when he shut down Pa.'s economy, also shut down car dealers. But that's no reason for his administration to stop buying high-end cars. On April 10, the General Services Administration posted a solicitation on the state's e-Marketplace, seeking proposals for two 2020 Ford Expedition Ltd Max, complete with heated seats, leather-trimmed captain's seats and a snazzy sound system. These are $64,000 cars, and according to a State Representative, sound suspiciously like the cars used for Governor Wolf's police detail. I guess he's parked his Jeep Wrangler until his next campaign.

Since the state's car dealers have been put out of business, he's obviously trying to make a deal with an out-of-state supplier.

State Rep. Andrew Lewis, who exposed this hypocrisy, had this comment: "An auto dealer in Ohio can submit a bid to supply these PA government vehicles because Ohio is operating by federal CISA guidelines for essential businesses and allows auto sales. An auto dealer in Maryland can, because Maryland is operating by federal CISA guidelines as well. An auto dealer from VA can..... you get my point. There’s something perverse about a state government buying vehicles, paid for by PA taxpayers, from out of state dealers when that same government has shut down all PA dealerships. This hurts the employees at family-owned dealerships more than anyone else, as they are struggling to hang on by a thread. Yet another example of arbitrarily holding Pennsylvanians back while giving opportunities to other states who will be so far ahead of us when this shut down ends."

Divided Supreme Court Upholds Challenge to Wolf's Business Shutdown

On Monday, a divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday rejected a statutory and constitutional challenge to Governor Tom Wolf's March 19 Executive Order that has effectively put Pennsylvania out of business. It was a 4-3 decision, with Justice Christine Donohue writing a 51-page opinion endorsed by fellow Democrats Max Baer, Debra Todd and David Wecht. A concurring and dissenting opinion was penned by Chief Justice Thomas Saylor. He was joined by fellow Republican Sallie Updyke Mundy and Democrat Kevin Dougherty.

Governor Tom Wolf is a Democrat.

Justice Dougherty, the sole Democrat to side against Governor Wolf, is the brother of prominent trades union leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty. He and the trade unions have been critical of the construction shutdown. Wolf's order has resulted in 1.3 million unemployment compensation claims, and the phone hotline has failed. Gig workers and the self employed may be eligible for benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, but the state has yet to set up an application portal for them. They are in limbo.

Monday's decision marks the second time the Court has upheld Governor Wolf's March 19 Executive Order. On March 23, in another 4-3 decision, it rejected a challenge mounted by gun rights advocate Joshua Prince. He argued that the Order closing gun shops made the Second Amendment meaningless. Though the Court sided with Governor Wolf, he quickly reversed himself on gun shops, and allowed them to re-open.

This second challenge was brought by a political candidate for the state house, along with several businesses. They include Kathy Gregory, a realtor from Northampton County. In an interview, she stated realtors can show homes while following CDC guidelines, and that Governor Wolf's "logic makes no sense to me." Another Plaintiff is a golf course owner who will be unable to meet its financial obligations unless permitted to operate. This owner noted that golf course are open in other states. The political candidate argued that an incumbent state representative can still meet constituents at her office, giving her an unfair advantage.

The statutory challenge was based on the language of  the Emergency Code, under which the Governor has the authority to declare a "state of disaster emergency." The Court concluded that a pandemic qualifies as a disaster under the terms of the statute. It notes, significantly, that the Governor's emergency authority only lasts for 90 days, and that the state legislature can terminate this emergency at any time.

The constitutional argument that most troubled the Democratic majority was that Governor Wolf's shutdown order, which came with no notice or opportunity to be heard, is a violation of the procedural due process clauses embedded in both the state and federal constitution. The Court concluded there was no need for what it called pre-deprivation notice and opportunity to be heard because such a process would take too long in the face of an emergency. The Court reasoned that procedural due process is required, even in an emergency. But it was satisfied that this constitutional requirement was satisfied by a process under which affected negatively-impacted businesses could seek a waiver.

Chief Justice Saylor, however, refused to accept this procedural due process argument. He scoffed at the notion that the closure is only temporary.  "[T]he majority allocates too much weight to temporariness to defeat developed allegations of a lack of due process in the executive branch’s determination of which businesses must close and which must remain closed," he reasoned. "While the majority repeatedly stresses that such closure is temporary, this may in fact not be so for businesses that are unable to endure the associated revenue losses. Additionally, the damage to surviving businesses may be vast."

While the majority cited Politico and New York Times to establish facts, Chief Justice Saylor felt that there were sufficient allegations of inconsistencies and arbitrariness in the waiver process to justify a factual hearing before the Commonwealth Court. He preferred a record based on actual evidence.

The challengers in this case were represented by Harrisburg Attorney Marc Scaringi, who is also a columnist and right-wing talk-radio host. Marc Scaringi. I was unable to get in touch with him before publishing this story.

Thanks to all these shutdowns, the IMF has predicted the global economy will experience its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

An Open Letter to Governor Tom Wolf From One of His Neighbors

Governor Tom Wolf
While I only live 35 minutes from you I feel a world away. You asked us to help you, we did. You asked us to close our business, we did. You asked us to stay home, we did. You asked us to continue to stay at home, we are. So here I am, at home, waiting. You told us don’t worry unemployment will come, it hasn’t. You told us don’t worry grants are coming, they haven’t. You told us don’t worry forgivable loans are coming, they haven’t. You told us don’t worry stimulus money is coming, it hasn’t. So here I am, at home waiting. I wait alongside most of my fellow small business owners, those self-employed and independent contractors. A massive number of PA residents who are waiting for the Unemployment portal to open for us, waiting for loan approvals, waiting for stimulus checks. All of these programs, we are at the back of the line for. So here we wait. While bills come daily, savings continuously dwindling and still doing our part. It is time you do yours. It is an inconceivable expectation to close unessential business halting all income and expect us to survive. We need to pay our bills and put food on the table. Without immediate action, you are leaving us no options. How are we to survive? We deserve an answer. Coming soon is no longer acceptable!

Feel free to share as I hope this reaches the Governor.

NorCo Creates Its Own Covid-19 Graph

Hat's off to Northampton County's excellent GIS department, which has always done an outstanding job at creating maps. It is now tracking Covid-19 with a logarithmic scale, day by day, located here. There are also charts showing demographic information as well as hospital availability. Here's how we stack up in comparison to surrounding counties, as of yesterday.

Covid-19: PSU Graph Shows Curve Flattening in NorCo and Lehigh

At its worst, this blog is a troll farm. At its best, it's a great exercise in participatory journalism. I told you yesterday that the only coronavirus curve I've been able to find is one at Pennlive.com.  It shows a steady rise, statewide, in the number of Covid-19 cases, on a logarithmic scale, not an ordinal scale. Cases are still increasing on an absolute scale (we might not have peaked yet in terms of new daily cases), but appear to be decreasing on a day-over-day percentage basis (the number of new cases today compared to the total number of cases yesterday). I lamented that I wished there was a similar graph for Lehigh and Northampton County, and one of my readers found one, which is maintained by Penn State University.

Here's the logarithmic scale through April 13, which also shows the percentage of new cases appears to be declining.

In addition to this statewide scale, here's how things look in Northampton County on an ordinal scale.

As you can see, Northampton County may have already peaked. The scale shows a high of 122 new cases on April 4, but the number of new cases dropped after that date. For the past four days, the number of new cases has hovered between 43 and 48.

Lehigh County may have peaked as well. The ordinal scale reports 220 new cases on April 4, but the number of new cases has since dropped. For the past three days, the number of new cases has hovered between 58 and 64.

Now this drop in new cases might simply mean that fewer tests were conducted. But more test kits have become available in recent weeks, so the most logical explanation could be that the worst is over for the Lehigh Valley.

Obviously,  I will be paying close attention to these ordinal scales over the next few days to see if this decreasing trend continues.

Bethlehem: Ask the Mayor

Mayor Bob Donchez and Department Heads will respond to written questions submitted by the public on Thursday, April 16, 2020. The video response will be available on the City’s website at www.bethlehem-pa.gov and other social media sites at noon on Friday April 17, 2020. The public can submit questions through email at askthemayor@bethlehem-pa.gov until noon April 15, 2020.

Northampton County Operations - 24 Residents Infected at Gracedale, 2 Dead

This morning alone, I have received four news releases from Northampton County. This local government is doing its best to keep local citizens informed about the impact of Covid-19. Based on these recent news releases, let me update you on Northampton County operations.

COUNTY COUNCIL: Starting April 16 at 6:30 PM, Northampton County Council will conduct its meetings by Skype. The meetings will continue to be livestreamed at Northampton County's Youtube channel. The public may participate in these meetings by phoning 610-829-6605, and then entering Conference ID No. 2055694. The public is able to participate in these meetings by sending questions or comments to the Council Clerk, Linda Zembo, at LZembo@northamptoncounty.org. You will be able to review the agenda for each meeting on Council's webpage.

Skype will show Council members when they are speaking.

Northampton County Council last met on March 19.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE: You can reach him online at the Northampton County web page under County Executive. His office has issued numerous statements, sometimes several in one day, as the County deals with the pandemic.

TESTING: Executive Lamont McClure is requesting the PA Department of Health to establish a Covid-19 testing site in Northampton County. Geographically, Northampton County is adjacent or near to three major Coronavirus hot spots in the United States.

COUNTY COURTS: Currently operating under a judicial emergency in which all courts, including Magisterial District Judges, are closed to the public except for "essential" judicial functions like the protection of victims of domestic violence. Courthouse personnel are still working, though some are doing so remotely for social distancing reasons. Those with judicial emergencies can call ahead to Court Administration at 610-829-6700.

COUNTY TAXES: You can pay online, and the two per cent discount period has been extended from March 31 until May 31. The base rate applies from June 1 to August 31, 2020. After that, there's a 10% penalty. Dog licenses and fishing licenses may be still be obtained online. (Statewide Opening Day of trout season was scheduled to open April 18, but the Fish and Boat Comm'n opened it on Tuesday, April 7, with no advance notice to the public.)

LOAN RELIEF: Northampton County has established a $250,000 emergency relief loan program for small businesses, with a maximum $15,000 loan payable over 12 months with no interest. Contact Community and Economic Development for details at (610) 829-6306.

COUNTY COURTHOUSE: Remains closed to the public until at least April 30.

HUMAN SERVICES: Accepting donations of tents, sleeping bags and non-perishable food to assist the homeless. Donations may be dropped off at the Human Services Building, located at 2801 Emrick Blvd, Bethlehem, Pa. 18020.

RECORDER OF DEEDS: Though the courthouse is closed to the public, documents can still be e-recorded.

CIVIL DIVISION: Because the Courthouse is closed to the public, the civil division is unable to process passport applications. Moreover, the office has no e-filing capability

ELECTIONS: Though the Elections Office is closed to the public, you can still register to vote, change your registration or request a mail-in ballot at www.votespa.com. The Presidential Primary has been delayed from April 28 until June 2.

OTHER COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS and BOARDS: No meetings scheduled.

JAIL: Covid-19 has infected five inmates. They've been quarantined since they first showing symptoms, and are being treated by PrimeCare Medical. Four staffers have also been infected. These include corrections officers and a PrimeCare employee. One employee is expected to return to work today.

Employees, volunteers, visitors and tours were banned at the jail on March 10th. Inmates may still contact their loved ones via phone, tablets or mail.

Thirty-three nonviolent offenders have been released from the jail since March 31. As of today, there are 556 inmates at the jail.

GRACEDALE: Twenty-four residents have tested positive for Covid-19, and two have passed away.

Out of the 700 employees which work at Gracedale, 18 have tested positive for the Coronavirus. All are at home in self-quarantine.

The facility has been closed to visitors and volunteers since March 11. Employees have temperature checked before being admitted and when they leave. Resident vital signs, including oxygen saturation, are measured at least once a day. Tablets are provided for residents who desire to speak with family. Exceptions to "no visitor" policy are made for compassionate reasons. Gracedale is accepting donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) like surgical masks and gowns. Please contact the Gracedale Volunteer Coordinator first at 610-829-3686 to see if your donation can be accepted. No resident has tested positive for Covid-19.

SENIOR CENTERS: Closed pursuant to Governor Tom Wolf's directive. Referrals for Meals on Wheels will be made for seniors who require that service.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:  Has been  distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from PEMA and other organizations to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The shipment including face shields, N-95 and surgical masks and gloves. These items have been distributed to the twelve EMS organizations in the county as well as to municipal police and those fire departments which respond to EMS calls.

UNEMPLOYMENT: Workforce Lehigh Valley reports 21,453 unemployment compensation claims between March 29 and April 4.

COUNTY PARKS: Closed as of April 7 until further notice.

RECYCLING EVENTS: All events scheduled through April have been canceled.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY FESTIVAL: Rescheduled for October 10, Louise Moore Park.

MUNICIPAL COOPERATION: County officials are working closely with local, state and federal officials.

CORONER: As of  today, Covid-19 has claimed 25 lives within Northampton County. The municipalities in which they lived are as follows: Forks Twp. (1); Lower Nazareth Twp. (2): Bangor Boro (1); Palmer Twp. (7); Upper Nazareth Twp. (2); Williams Twp. (1); Nazareth Boro (1); Bethlehem Twp (5); City of Bethlehem (1); Washington Twp (1); Phillipsburg, NJ (1); and Bronx, NY (1).

Their average age was 78.7.

Gender of the Deceased: 56% Female/44% Male

Race of the Deceased: 72% White, 16% African American, 4% Asian or Pacific Islander, 8% Hispanic

Philly Police Stop Making Arrests for "Minor" Offenses, But Yank Unmasked Man Off Bus

In an effort to keep jail populations at low levels during the coronavirus crisis, Philadelphia police have stopped making arrests for what they consider minor offenses. This includes burglary and car theft, which are hardly minor matters to the victims. With all this extra time on their hands, at least ten of them dragged some rider off a SEPTA bus because he had no face mask. He had refused to get off when instructed to get off by the bus driver, who himself was wearing no face mask.

Looks like they have their priorities straight.

Covid-19 Three Times More Lethal Than Common Flu in Greater Lehigh Valley

Someone smarter than me did some numbers crunching if Sunday's coronavirus numbers as they appear on the state Department of Health and CDC websites. One out of 262 persons in the greater Lehigh Valley area has contracted Covid-19 thus far, and so far, one out of 13,662 people has died. The common flu kills 2 out of every 100,000 people, according to CDC. Covid-19 appears to be killing 7.32 per 100,000 here in the Lehigh Valley. This makes it a little more than three times as lethal as the common flu. Dr. Anthony Fauci has said Covid-19 is 10 times more lethal than the common flu, but it remains to be seen whether this coronavirus is actually as deadly as projected.

What's more interesting is an examination of the data from the New York and New Jersey The total population is around 21 million. Covid-19 has hit that dense population hard, infecting 825 people per 100,000. It has killed 6.28 per 100,000, making it about three times as lethal as the common flu.

In the rest of the country, the infection (97 out of 100,000) and mortality rates (3 out of 100,000) are much lower. This could mean things are about to get worse in those areas. It could also mean that, because the population is less dense, fewer people will get ill.

Time will tell. At this moment, however, the data show different stories for the New York area and the rest of the country. In New York, the disease is more prevalent and more fatal. Outside the northeast, it is much less prevalent.

If you are unfortunate enough to contract either the flu or Covid-19, the risk of contracting pneumonia increases. Here's an interesting piece of information. Fifteen out of 100,000 people who die every year do so from a flu-pneumonia combination. It has always been one of the top ten causes of death here in the US.

No one has ever shut down the economy over this concern.

I believe it's important to listen to public health officials and err on the side of listening to them. But just as the military should play no role in actual decisions concerning foreign policy, public health official should have no role in deciding our actual domestic policy.

That's why we have elections.

Well, at least we once did.

Interestingly, it appears that a group of experts and government officials are finally urging the Iceland approach, one which I have repeatedly advocated. As explained in The Washington Post, it "relies on the three pillars of disease control: Ramp up testing to identify people who are infected. Find everyone they interact with by deploying contact tracing on a scale America has never attempted before. And focus restrictions more narrowly on the infected and their contacts so the rest of society doesn’t have to stay in permanent lockdown."

Instead of limiting tests to those who are already at death's door, a concerted effort should be made to test everyone as quickly as possible. Thus far, just one per cent of Pa. has been tested.

Below is the latest coronavirus curve from Pennlive. It clearly demonstrates that the number of new cases is dropping every day.

Covid-19 Infects Three NorCo Inmates

Northampton County reported yesterday that Covid-19 has infected three inmates. They've been quarantined since they first showing symptoms, and are being treated by , PrimeCare Medical. It has previously been reported that four staffers have been infected. These include corrections officers and a PrimeCare employee.

Employees, volunteers, visitors and tours were banned at the jail on March 10th. Inmates may still contact their loved ones via phone, tablets or mail.

Thirty-three nonviolent offenders have been released from the jail since March 31.

Lisa Pawlowski Seeks Isolation or Home Confinement For Her Husband

It's easy to kick someone when he's down, and a lot of people do that these days to former Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski. These include many of the same people who fawned all over him when he was high and mighty. You know who you are. Fellow blogger Michael Molovinsky and I have probably been his harshest critics, and were on to him early. I won't speak for Molovinsky. He can do that himself with no help from me. But as someone who believes Fed Ed committed numerous felonies and deserves the harsh sentence he received, I have nevertheless always been opposed to the death penalty.  The former Mayor's continued incarceration could kill him. You see, he's high-risk for this respiratory coronavirus because, as I pointed out last week, he has only one lung. He broke the law, but his transgressions were nonviolent. He also made no attempt to flee. In my view, justice demands that someone in his situation should be either isolated or released to home confinement until the crisis has passed.

Some of you agreed with my story last week. Some not. But I was a bit surprised when Lisa Pawlowski not only read my story, but posted a comment. She and I are not exactly friends. A few years ago, she told Facebook readers that the best way to get me is by boycotting my blog. During her husband's trial, she and I had a rather terse exchange in which I told her she should consider herself lucky that she herself escaped being charged. But she's got guts, and came here - right into the rattlesnake's den - to explain why her husband is entitled to consideration. I'll share what she said:

Greetings Everyone,

Lisa Pawlowski here. I wanted to respond to your comments.

It is true that Ed only has one lung. His closest friends know this. And he bears a 9" scar on his back. When he was a child his parents thought he had asthma. As he got older, the 'asthma' got worse. When in college at UW Whitewater, he got so bad that he was coughing 24 hours a day, and couldn't walk across the campus without being worn out. X-Rays didn't show anything, so they did exploratory surgery. There was a golf ball size tumor, and they removed the whole lung. He was 20 years old at the time. Ever since he has had to be very careful when getting the flu or bronchitis. The common cold knocks him out.

As for the prison situation, Danbury FCI, in Connecticut, has consistently been in the top 3 Federal prisons to have the highest case number of Covid 19 cases. Fairfield County, CT, is the hotspot of the outbreak in Connecticut. As of today there are 34 confirmed inmate cases, and 12 guards according to the BOP's official count. According to Ed, there are many more. Each unit is 70 guys. All together in one big room. They sleep in bunk beds, about 4' away from each other. He says people are coughing and in bed all through the unit. They have stopped separating people with symptoms because there is no where else to isolate them. That includes solitary confinement, and the medical ward. Only 3 days ago did they pass out masks and soap. Before that they were forbidden to wear makeshift masks, and inmates had to buy their own soap. They share the same 2 telephones, computer terminals, and bathrooms. I'm not saying this for sympathy that he is in prison. I'm saying there is no social isolation in there. The virus is in there, and it's just a matter of time before Ed gets it. The local hospital is small, and at capacity.

Attorney General Barr, on April 3rd, singled out Danbury, Oakdale, and Elkton as being the highest priority facilities that he wanted to see early release and home confinement due to their high numbers of the virus. They have been directed, by the Attorney General, to evaluate those at high risk according to the CDC, and try to get them out of there with early release (if they are close to an exit date anyway) or home confinement until the crisis is over and it is safe to go back. They eliminated those who are sex offenders, violent criminals, or flight risks. Ed is neither of these.

If you believe that a 54 year old man with one lung should be able to isolate in order to avoid getting this virus, then send an email to the Warden at Danbury FCI, and ask for consideration for isolation or home confinement for him. Just Google Danbury FCI. If you wish him dead, then that is some bad karma.

Although I have no email address for the warden, I do have an email address for the Executive Assistant. It's DAN/ExecAssistant@bop.gov. I will send an email with a link to this story.

NorCo Council To Conduct E-Meetings, Starting April 16

Starting April 16 at 6:30 PM, Northampton County Council will conduct its meetings by Skype. The meetings will continue to be livestreamed at Morthampton County's Youtube channel. The public may participate in these meetings by phoning 610-829-6605, and then entering Conference ID No. 2055694. The public is able to participate in these meetings by sending questions or comments to the Council Clerk, Linda Zembo, at LZembo@northamptoncounty.org. You will be able to review the agenda for each meeting on Council's webpage.

That webpage should contain the phone number and Conference ID Number, but does not. Hopefully, that oversight will be remedied.

Skype will show Council members when they are speaking.

Northampton County Council last met on March 19.

NorCo Jail Update - Four Covid-19 Cases; 23 Offenders Furloughed

Northampton County reported late yesterday afternoon that there are now four Covid-19 cases among staffers at the jail. They have all been quarantined. To datye, no inmate has contracted this contagious virus. But 23 non-violent offenders have been granted furloughs.

Most of these non-violent offenders are already in work-release, so being placed on furlough just means they can report home at the end of their shifts. They still must check in regularly with Department of Corrections officers.

The County, in conjunction with the District Attorney and Public Defender, is also examining the release of some Defendants unable to meet bail as well as those who have been picked up for probation violations.

As of yesterday, there were 583 inmates at the jail.

Two NorCo Capital Projects Moving Forward Despite Shutdown

Forensic Center

Governor Tom Wolf has ordered a statewide shutdown of all non-life-sustaining businesses, and that includes construction. As a result, most contractors have been idled during some of the mildest weather in recent history. Even those who wish to make small improvements to their homes are unable to obtain the necessary permits. So it's no surprise that the 104-car Wolf Avenue Parking Lot at the former Milides Building, along with a life-sustaining crosswalk, has been delayed. So has a roof replacement for the lower section of the new courthouse. All the materials sit along the eastern side of the building. It remains to be seen whether these delays will result in cost overruns.

Grist Mill

I know of two county projects that are moving forward. The new forensic center, located at the Gracedale campus, is well underway. The steel beams are going up, and this project actually looks like it will be finished well before September.

The other project is the bridge at the Grist Mill in Tatamy. The poor business owner there has basically been unable to function, but it appears that her nightmare may soon be over.

The contractors doing these work likely sought and obtained waivers

I do see road and utility repairs here and there, which are obviously life-sustaining. But that's about it.