Get Ready For President Trump

 After last night's Presidential debate, my conclusion is that Donald Trump is going to be handily elected in November. Biden delivered perhaps the worst possible performance you could possibly see. He frankly looked like a walking corpse. He had bizarre meltdowns, including the claim that he "finally beat Medicare." He meandered and spent much of his time with his mouth agape and staring as though he failed to understand what was being said.  By contrast, Trump was assertive and was sure of himself, even though he played fast and loose with the facts. 

I'm currently recovering from a nasty bout of bronchitis, and my voice is still very weak. Biden sounded worse. 

If he was auditioning for a role as a zombie in some horror flick, Biden would easily get the part. But President? No way. 

Ousted Norco Custody Master: Judges Sletvold and Roscioli Place Incumbency Protection Over Safety of Children

In 2018, the decision of a Bucks County jurist led to tragic and fatal consequences for seven-year old Kayden Mancuso. Her father had a history of violence. He once bit off part of a man's ear, threw a beer bottle in a woman's face, abused the family dog and even would hit himself. He harassed Kayden's teachers until the school district ordered him to stay away. Judge Jeffrey Trauger nevertheless granted him unsupervised visitation with his daughter, after which he promptly killed her and then himself. 

This case caught the attention of  NorCo Judges Jennifer Sletvold and Paula Roscioli. But instead of being concerned about the lives of children that were in their hands, they focused on insulating themselves from information that could raise red flags, giving themselves plausible deniability in the even a child was abused.

Such is the contention of NorCo's former custody master, in a beefed-up federal complaint filed yesterday. She now specifically names Sletvold and Roscioli as Defendants and adds President Judge Craig Dally and Court Administrator Jermaine Greene to her rogues' gallery as well.  

According to Tresslar's complaint, she advised the Court "that they had a valuable tool to help them search out evidence of danger to children, specifically, her practice of referring custody litigants to family counselors who could then testify in court about psychological evaluations and statements made by parties and their children during the counseling." This would enable judges to craft custody orders that actually kept children out of harm's way. But Judges Sletvold and Roscioli were mor interested in protecting themselves. 

Tresslar asserts "After the Kayden Mancuso case, instead of searching out stronger and more extensive evidence about danger to children, Defendants Sletvold and Roscioli did the opposite, i.e., they (1) tried to discourage, and sometimes prevent, parties and attorneys from presenting evidence about danger to children; (2) unreasonably pressured custody litigants to settle so that the judges would not hear evidence or make decisions about danger to children; (3) unreasonably pressured custody litigants to agree that statements made to family counselors would be forever excluded from evidence before them or any other judge in any type of case, which would include not only custody cases but juvenile dependency cases, protection-from-abuse cases, and criminal cases."

As bad as this is, things got worse. Judges Sletvold and Roscioli, using Court Administrator Jermaine Greene as their patsy, presented changes in custody procedures that ostensibly came from the bar association that would insulate them from any situation like what happened to Kayden Mancuso. But when then Judge Steve Baratta questioned the bar association, lawyers vehemently denied having anything to do with these changes, noting they had come "from the court." Greene was forced to apologize.

Tresslar continued to advocate for children but paid a price. Harassment by Judges Roscioli and Sletvold started in 2018 and continued until her constructive termination in 2023. As their power grew, Tresslar's role in custody was diminished until she was reduced to little more than a clerk. 

You can read her amended complaint below. It is important to remember that we are hearing only one side of the story. Neither Tresslar nor the court will speak outside the pages of the pleadings. 

Tresslar Amended Complaint by BernieOHare on Scribd

Should NorCo Council Decline Consideration of Matters Unrelated to County Business

Lately, Northampton County Council is being assailed at nearly every meeting with toothless resolutions concerning hot button issues totally unrelated to what county government actually does. These are coming from Jeff  Warren and Kelly Keegan, the two newest members of County Council. While they mean well, they are actually preventing County Council from exercising its oversight over proposed county contracts or other important issues like a new county building or parking deck. Meeting are prolonged, and debates on some county matters are minimal because everyone is tired and cranky.

Although you might think these resolutions are a product of our polarized times, it's just what inexperienced Council members tend to do. When he was starting out on County Council, John Cusick was famous for proposing meaningless resolutions. Ron Angle used to joke that Cusick was a "paper hanger."

Ron Angle was guilty of this himself when he first came on County Council, with numerous attempts to plaster the Ten Commandments nearly everywhere.  

I think it's time that Northampton County Council should take a stand against issuing statements on public matters unless directly related to county government. This is a position recently taken by Harvard University, and it appears to be the sensible approach. 

Below is a proposed resolution, which I believe is consistent with the public's rights to speak and the Home Rule Charter. What improvements would you make? 

RESOLUTION CONCERNING PUBLIC ISSUES 

UNRELATED TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

WHEREAS, under both the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and Home Rule Charter, the public has a right to address County Council on matters of public concern; and 

WHEREAS, Northampton County welcomes diverse points of view on numerous topics of public concern, considering this essential to a healthy democracy; and 

WHEREAS, while Northampton County considers these diverse views essential to a healthy democracy, its own jurisdiction is limited to county government; and 

WHEREAS, in recent months, several Lehigh Valley municipalities have been assailed with demands from a portion of the public to take public stands on controversial issues, making it impossible for the governing bodies to conduct the public's business; and 

WHEREAS. Northampton County Council has been asked during several meetings to take positions on issues wholly unrelated to county government; and

WHEREAS, while any member of County Council has the right to propose a proposed resolution; County Council should limit its participation on controversial public issues unless directly related to county government; and 

WHEREAS, when the County Council speaks outside its own area of expertise, its public statements tend to undermine its own integrity and credibility; and 

WHEREAS, if County Council routinely takes public positions on controversial issues unrelated to county government, it will inevitably come under intense pressure to do so from multiple, competing sides on nearly every imaginable issue of the day. This is the reality of contemporary public life in an era of social media and political polarization; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,

1) Northampton County Council shall henceforth refuse consideration of resolutions that are unrelated to county government unless a majority of County Council agrees to cosponsor such a resolution. 

2) Any debate on resolutions unrelated to county government shall be limited to one round of argument by Council members. 

Susan Wild and the Veteran

Yesterday, I reported that Ryan Mackenzie, the GOP Congressional nominee in Pa.-07. understated his age on a dating app, presumably to attract younger women.  This happened several years ago before he became engaged or married. 

Some of you thought he should apologize. Others that his dishonesty is a character flaw we should eschew in an elected official. But just as many of you believe this was no biggie and that I was ridiculous for pointing at the puffery that is somewhat common on romance sites. A few of you played the "What about?" card concerning incumbent Congress member Susan Wild. She is alleged to have recently insulted a veteran.

I did some research and found numerous articles that appear to be heavy on opinion but somewhat bereft of actual facts. The most credible appears in the New York Post under the headline "Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild continues trend of disparaging constituents by branding veteran a homophobic bigot".

According to the story, Wild reacted to a friend's Facebook page containing a picture of a home with both the American and a LGBTQ+ flag with this comment: "I suspect that the vet who refused to shake my hand today at a Memorial Day event would not approve of your second flag.”

The Facebook friend is not identified. Moreover, we lack context. All we know is that some person who represented himself as a veteran refused to shake Wild's hand. We do not know the identity of this person, nor do we know what he said that led Wild to conclude he would oppose a LGBTQ+ flag. Nor is there any indication that Wild called this person, whomever he or she might be, a homophobe. 

Last time I checked, veterans are just as capable of being bigoted as anyone else. One's status as a former member of the military deserves respect but is no excuse for bad behavior. 

Susan Wild, incidentally, is a military brat who grew up on military posts here and abroad. As a member of Congress, she has consistently voted for veterans to improve access to medical care and better GI Bill benefit payments. 

She can be attacked with some justification for insulting constituents in Carbon County. But the context-free smear appears to be missing some important details. These are called facts. 

NorCo Awards $649,343 For Trails, Parks

At their June 20 meeting, Northampton County Council voted to approve Executive Lamont McClure's 2024 Livable Landscape Grant plan by a 9-0 vote.  The total grant awards amount to $649,343. It's increasingly rare, but there are times when Council and the Exec work together.

According to a county statement, Northampton County has invested $21 million of Livable Landscapes since 2006 in grant awards for land conservation, ecological restoration, streambank stabilization, regional trails, parks, recreation, open space plans, and municipal park development and rehabilitation.

Dixie Deed on Record With Mortgage to Former Owner for $11 Million

The Deed transferring title of Wilson Borough's vacant Dixie Cup factory was recorded today along with an $11 million mortgage to the former owner. 

WilsonPark, Ltd (a collection of five estates in which Joe Reibman has an interest) conveyed title of the plant and an adjoining parking lot to Skyline Investment Group Easton, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The purchase price? $10. But the $110,000 state transfer tax indicates that the actual purchase price is $11 million.

Interestingly, none of this $11 million has gone to Reibman;s WilsonPark, Ltd. Instead, he has accepted an $11 million open-ended mortgage from Skyline. It is due when Skyline gets its $29 million tax break known as a TIF as well as loan proceeds from a "third party lender." If unsuccessful, it's due in 33 months. 

Brian Bartee has executed the mortgage as manager for Skyline Investment Group Easton, LLC. 

Basically, Bartee has acquired title for nothing, and is hoping to leverage the $29 million in taxpayer funding to pay off Reibman. 

NorCo Council Commemorates LGBTQ+ Pride Month In 7-2 Vote

At their June 20 meeting, NorCo Council voted 7-2 to commemorate June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The resolution notes, in pertinent part, "We must commit to supporting and accepting LGBTQ+ individuals, in particular our youth, who compared to their peers are far more likely to experience violence and bullying at school, to suffer from depression, to struggle with substance use; and to have attempted suicide ... ."

Though it's toothless, I would support this resolution because many of the human services provided by the county involve children whose sexual orientation makes them easy prey for bullies, which leads to depression, substance abuse and suicide. It is directly related to county services. 

The resolution was introduced by Council member Kelly Keagan. 

Council member John Goffredo complained "we are sexualizing everything," although I don't quite see it that way. I believe it instead attempts to remove the stigma attached to people whose orientations make them different. He called the resolution divisive, though I believe the intent is to bring people together. 

In the end, the only dissenting votes came from Goffredo and Council member John Brown. 

Though Council member Tom Giovanni argued that the resolution is not county business, he would support it. 

DailyMail Claims GOP Congressional Candidate Ryan Mackenzie Lied About Age in Dating App

According to conservative British tabloid DailyMail, the Republican nominee in the Pa.-07 Congressional district, Ryan Mackenzie, understated his age by eight years on dating app Tinder. His campaign notes he was neither married nor engaged at the time. 

Now, on the 2d anniversary of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, the DailyMail reports that over 100 women in the Pa.-7 Congressional are demanding an apology from Mackenzie, something he failed to do when initially confronted. 

The letter claims, "We worry, if you cannot take accountability for your actions on something as small as a dating app, that you will not be able to honorably conduct yourself as our representative in Washington."

I get that lying about your age to pick up younger women is wrong. But what really bothers me about Mackenzie is his smile. They blind me like the hi-beams on a late model truck,. 

Did Ken Kraft Actually Act Like a Statesman?

On Friday, I told you NorCo Council voted 6-3 to table an ordinance authorizing $63 million in new debt for a new parking garage and office building at the courthouse campus. Voting to table were Council members Lori Vargo Heffner, Ron Heckman, Jeff Corpora, Tom Giovanni, John Goffredo and Ken Kraft. Voting against tabling were John Brown, Kelly Keegan and Jeff Warren.

I want to present remarks made by Council members. That job was more difficult because I was unable to hear them at times, despite watching the video twice.

Earlier this year, Ken Kraft was in the County Council doghouse and for good reason. Council had asked the court to fill a Council vacancy and Kraft took it upon himself to appear in front of our President Judge and misrepresent what had happened. I personally do not think he intended to mislead the court, and in any event, he failed. 

But Thursday night, Kent Kraft the partisan rubber stamp was more of a statesman than at any time I ever saw him in his long career on Council. He gave a lengthy speech to explain why he thinks a new parking deck and county building are necessary, imbued with all kinds of anecdotes from our history and our unfortunate tendency to kick things down the road. He made no personal attacks and spoke in an open and friendly way that put others at ease. His speech was so impressive that Council members Ron Heckman, Lori Vargo Heffner, John Brown and even John Goffredo acknowledged his points

Two weeks ago, Council member John Goffredo was on fire, effectively making points on nearly every issue that came up. But Thursday, he was completely ineffective and unpersuasive. He attempted to turn a county request to fund a county project into an attack on federal debt, and also complained about voter ID and Mail-in Ballots, even though these are both beyond county jurisdiction. Even worse, he seemed to think we'd believe his walk-around of a problem parking deck was somehow superior to the findings of a licensed civil engineer and several Professional Engineers who preceded him. 

Here's my summary.  

Jeff Warren. (He often makes his points from scripts prepared in advance). He argued that some employees in human services are "working out of closets" and that the elections office should be able to work from a central location instead of the current hodge podge arrangement. The garage is a public safety hazard. "The last thing we all need is a huge chunk of rock coming down [and] hitting somebody." Given that the county credit rating is A1, now is the fiscally responsible time to make this move. 

John Goffredo. "I don't know how we can say this is fiscally responsible with the information that we have." He's seen no budget for the $63 million borrowing plan, There are no architectural drawings, just conceptual. (There is a cost estimate, which was presented to Council's finance committee, without which no bond could be floated). "Cutting a check for $63 million is a little premature." He suggested the county should first study how to use the space it does have more efficiently and then determine more realistically what is needed. "This is a Cadillac and I think we need to be able to be looking at the financial interests of the taxpayer as well, not just the people who work in this building." He then leapfrogged to claim we are borrowing from a government (we're not) that is trillions of dollars in debt and not fiscally responsible. He denied that the parking garage is unsafe. "Our parking deck is absolutely fine. I literally walked all around it before I came here, looked all over, and I do have expertise in that, and I do not think it's structurally deficient. ... It is not falling down. That is a structurally sound parking deck and it'll be structurally sound for at least 10, 20 more years if you keep maintaining the way it has been maintained ... . I will provide a structural engineer to come give a second opinion if they're saying it's dilapidated or falling down because it's just not the case, especially after the repairs." 

Kelly Keegan: "We need this election integrity committee because we're all worried about elections, on this hand. But then when you hear we're disjointed and it could be safer on this hand, you don't want to give them the money." (Translation, the elections office needs one location to conduct more secure elections and other offices need more space as well). "Either you want to set them [elections office] up for failure or you just want to obstruct this.... Let's stop being pennywise and dollar foolish. Let's be fiscally responsible. We have the money. Let's do what's right. ... You [addressing Goffredo] walk around the parking lot and make these assumptions that it's sound for 10-20 years .... -

Goffredo: "That's what I do for a living." (Then he digressed to condemn voter ID and Mail-in Ballots as the real election integrity problems. Both of those are outside the county realm, something he should know by now), 

Keegan then went on to challenge Goffredo's expertise despite being admonished to make her points to the chair. The two began to bicker until Vargo-Heffner shut both down.

Ken Kraft: "This is like deja vu for me all over again. I've been at that parking deck since God knows when. It is falling down. It's been repaired by every Executive - I think even John [Brown] had part of trying to fix it. It's a mess. ... I've been around a long time. We've had Councils that would do things and we have Councils that put it in park and don't do anything and talk all the time. Mr. Heckman remembers when we used to have the Milides Building, the Wolf building, we had everybody all over the place. We built a human services building. I heard the same exact arguments. 'Oh my God, we're spending this much money on a human services building. How dare we? How can we do that? We're going to waste all this money. Oh my God, blah, blah, blah.' So we did it. All my life I wanted to build a new morgue (we don't call it a morgue ... I still call it a morgue). We finally got that done. .... They don't spend the entire bond. .... I've also been in construction for years. I don't know if you [Goffredo] actually went to college for that kind of stuff. That garage has wrecked a lot of my cars over the years. Mr. Heckman might be able to speak as to how long that garage has been a mess. We've been through many executives, many fixes. 

"We are out of space. It was supposed to be for human services only and the veterans administration. ... Now we have other people from the county in there. It's crowded. ... [We] need to build this stinkin' building and get rid of that garage. ... We need to be a Council that does something for once and not just talk about it and say No to everything. [The morgue] was working out of a farmhouse and [the Coroner] was dialing for refrigerators to put our bodies because we had no place to put our bodies when people died and we did that for 30 years. It just kept going and going and no one would get the money together to build a morgue. But we did on [a previous] Council. I think Mr Heckman voted for it, Lori [Vargo-Heffner] voted for it. We saw things that needed to be done. This projecting down the road .... we keep band-aiding stuff, we keep trying to find other space. ... We were going to keep the Milides building. Finally, it got condemned by the City of Easton. That's how we work here. ... We're going to get the actual bids. This is the bonding.  

Lori Vargo Heffner: "That was 10 minutes, and I think you took a breath at 8, so that diving [Kraft is a scuba diver] is really .... I need to sigh on. If that's a violation of whatever act we have, I don't care. That was pretty impressive." 

John Brown: "I think $63 million s a lot of money. I don't think I have enough information to really vet this project and all its moving parts. The parking garage has been an issue for a long, long time." He agreed that the parking deck could be rehabbed in a "significant way if not replaced completely." But he believes the market for commercial office space is "cratering," so he rejects McClure's claim that it would cost $2.7 million to lease office space. He indicated the county should explore remote work opportunities and accused the McClure administration of "hoarding cash" that could easily be used for a new parking deck. He suggested retrofitting part of Gracedale for the additional office space needed.

Brown did agree with Kraft's assertion that Council does have a tendency to kick things down the road. 

After this several Council members spoke but either failed to use their mikes or there was a system failure. . 

Tom Giovanni: He said we are now in the era of remote work. "We're looking at making a building just like Guardian did. They made this new building, and half the people work remotely ... and the building's half empty." He needs more information before he can support a $63 million bond. 

Ron Heckman: Made the point that the legislative branch is a separate branch of government, a point he has made numerous times in the past. He cautioned against knocking down and shaming Council members, saying it us unhelpful. "I think we could get a little more specificity for these people who have concerns." "We need to work with each other a little more as opposed to yelling at each other. ... I support this but don't think it's unfair to give more information to people who ask for it." 

After everyone had spoken once, several Council members decided to speak again, doing little more than repeating what they previously said. 

Lori Vargo Heffner: "I'm not opposed but I'm not in favor." 

The can got kicked down the road. But council does seem open. 

 

Observations From Saturday Visit to Phillies at Citizen's Bank Park

On Saturday, my grandson and his girlfriend picked me up and took me to watch the Philadelphia Phillies pound the Arizona Diamondbacks in what turned out to be a 12-1 shellacking littered with home runs from Bryce Harper (of course), Alec Bohm (of course), Nick Castellanos (of course) and David Dahl (his third this year). Here are some random observations.

You ever notice that it's a lot harder to get into Philly than it is to get out?  The high heat disabled a number of vehicles, especially along the Surekill Expressway. 

Despite purposely avoiding liquids for two hours before leaving, we had to pull over along the Surekill, not because the car was disabled, but for a disabled passenger. Me. I had to go, and go I went. I waved as a large number of cars greeted me with their horns. Shit happens. So does piss. 

As hard as it was to get to Philly, we got into the stadium quite easily. No security checks or wanding, perhaps a concession to the heat.

I told my grandson and his girlfriend that there was no way the stadium would fill up because of the heat. By the end of the first inning, the house was packed, a sea of blue and red despite 97-degree temperatures. To make things even hotter, the sadists running the stadium flipped the lights on right before the game started. 

Usually raucous Philly fans were tamed by a scorching sun that converted seats everywhere into saunas. They were more like the burners on a stove running on low, burning bare flesh when people sat down. None of this bothered me because I already spend lots of time with Lucifer. 

Alcohol flowed freely. People chose to hydrate with hard lemonade and Budweiser as opposed to water.

Seated in front of us was a guy I'll call Mafia Man. His Rudy Giuliani hair dye began bleeding out onto his sweat-soaked blue Hawaiian shirt as the game progressed. He had two quite attractive women, each of whom spoke different languages, draped on each arm. They talked through the national anthem. He and his doll collection did not last long, but they were great fodder for conversation on the way home as we tried to solve Mafia Man Mystery. I think they were due at Bada Bing. 

Two rows in front were a young couple with a young son whose face got more and more flushed with each inning. They eventually left, looking very unhappy. I asked a woman seated near them if the young man was ill, but she said they were in the wrong seats and she apparently ejected them. I thought that was a little mean-spirited since no one ever sat there. 

Behind us were a group of young men who came, not for the game, but the frickin' Riley Green post-game concert. He's waiting for the second return of Jesus and wrangler jeans. Country western music apparently has a following in Philly.

Periodically, a Bryce Harper foul ball zinged a few feet to our left. When they came, they were at such a velocity that I'd never try to bare hand it. I value my hand too much. His hits that day seemed to be sprinkled with magic dust. 

When the bombs came, the sound of the Liberty Bell was ominous. I expected the Undertaker and Paul Bearer to pop out each time. 

After the game, we went to a pho restaurant in the Vietnamese section of the city. (Washington Street). The pho at Bethlehem's Pho Bowl is far better. They let their broth simmer 12-15 hours, and it explodes in your mouth. 

We stopped by a bubble house for dessert. My grandson and KT got avocado smoothies. I opted for a  taro waffle. Probably the only thing healthy about it was the name taro, but it tasted great. 

The game and trip to Philly were a wonderful gift from my grandson and his girlfriend. Might be the best time I ever had at a game, excepting those in which Dat himself played. 

NorCo Council Tables Ordinance For New Parking Garage and County Building

Following a lengthy discussion, Northampton County Council voted last night to table an ordinance authorizing over $63 million in new debt for a new parking deck and adjoining office building at the county campus. 

Voting to table were Council members Lori Vargo Heffner, Ron Heckman, Jeff Corpora, Tom Giovanni, John Goffredo and Ken Kraft. Voting against tabling were John Brown, Kelly Keegan and Jeff Warren.

In my original synopsis, I had this count wrong. (It was very difficult hearing Council members speak) On Monday, I'll summarize the remarks made by Council members to explain why they voted the way they did. 

(On a personal matter, I am still recovering from bronchitis. I'm on a regimen of antibiotics and hope to be fully recovered by Monday.)

NorCo Council Member Warren Wants to Abolish Election Oversight Committee

Like it or not, the administration of elections is a core county function. The state legislature decides things voter ID, mail-in ballots and early voting. The county has no say in those matters but is in complete control of the selection of voting systems used. The county recruits, trains and pays a small army of poll workers before each election. It staffs the polls on election day, accepts the returns on election night and conducts the official canvass. Unfortunately, a dark cloud was cast over the elections in 2019 and 2023 because of issues with machine configuration (2019) and coding (2023). In response to these human errors, Council member John Goffredo suggested the formation of an election oversight committee late year. All nine Council members agreed. But when it met on June 18, Council member Jeff Warren suggested that it be abolished. 

Warren fears that the committee could be weaponized by members who dislike the results, even if an election is fair. He also claims the term "election integrity" is some sort of MAGA code for rolling back many of the reforms (mail-ins, drop boxes, etc.) that our then GOP legislature endorsed. That probably is true in some instances. Council member John Goffredo betrayed some of these views at the County Council meeting the very next day, even though county government has no say in these matters. But in my view, the term "election integrity" is a Socratic ideal that we may never completely achieve, but which we should all strive to find. I care very little about the debunked arguments advanced by election deniers but care very much that the public have complete and utter confidence that its county is doing all it can to ensure that you can vote and that it is counted. Until the Dawn of Donald, The Democracy Denier, both Democrats and Republicans held that belief.

Warren who incidentally has less than six months of experience on County Council, was reminded of two botched elections in the sport span of four years. "We're not necessarily creating committees every time there is a slight mishap in county government." he pontificated. 

Warren is completely wrong on several counts. These were no slight mishaps. They were major errors that could have been far worse, and what did happen was bad enough. He did not sit through the meetings that followed, in which members of the public made very clear that they had lost all respect for the county and our system. Warren's dishonest attempt to minimize these problems is a slap across the faces of the public. It sullies the reputation of Executive McClure, who admitted to and took steps to prevent these problems from recurring. It betrays his own complete lack of understanding of County Council's role. It is there to provide oversight of everything done by the county, even the county courts. Most county committees are oversight committees.  

Ironically, the need for better election security was demonstrated the very next night when Executive McClure pointed out that the office is scattered over five locations.

Possible Strike By NorCo's Human Services Union Averted With Tentative Deal

I previously told you that SEIU Local 688, the bargaining unit for NorCo's unionized Human services workers, was pondering a strike to commence on June 21. That strike has been averted by a potential deal.

According to a highly placed county source, "we have a tentative agreement to settle the contract pending approval of the bargaining unit." 

No additional details were provided. 

Human Services union workers recently rejected a new three-year contract that addresses salary more aggressively than I've seen before. 

Year one is a 2.75% step increase plus cash equal to 4.5% rolled into the base. Year two is a repeat of year one. Year three is a 4% COLA.

Those already at the top of their pay scales would get $1,750 cash bonuses in years one and two, along with the 4% COLA in Year 3. 

Basically, the proposal amounts to a 13% payhike over three years. 

The county even sweetened this deal by offering a $500 retention cash bonus on July 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025. 

Whatever the merits of the complaints that Human Services workers might or might not have, it is good to see that they placed the children and elderly they serve over their own financial interests. 

No Vote on Dixie TIF Until September 5 at Earliest

Despite numerous official social media posts from Northampton County demanding to "GetDixieDone," it's increasingly clear that, whatever happens, it won't be anytime soon. 

Jonathan Cox a bond counsel with Eckert Seamans and has been retained by the "Skyline Team" to assist with the TIF process, and explained what is going on at a Council Committee hearing yesterday. He pointed out that there are three taxing districts - school board, borough and county. The county is creating the taxing district into which bond proceeds for the $29 million in increased assessments will flow. The school district and borough must adopt resolutions to participate. Just as the county is slated to get $1 million for affordable housing anywhere within the county the school district and borough are themselves seeking cash. It's less enthusiastic than was originally thought. "We believed we had the support of the borough and the school district," said Cox. Executed copies of the resolutions from the borough and school district had to be available at the public hearing. They weren't, and that's because neither the school district nor Wilson Borough had even begun. Stan Margle, Wilson Borough's lawyer, admitted this at the public hearing. So technically, that public hearing was illegal. 

Cox is now recommending that the county wait until both the school district (the largest taxing authority) and Wilson Borough (the taxing authority most detrimentally impacted) have acted. He believes that, even if all goes well, the soonest the county can schedule a TIF hearing is August 15, with a final vote on September 5. He acknowledged that the wait could be longer.

For those of you interested in how tax incentives like a TIF works, this is how. All properties, even the blighted Dixie Plant is assessed as having a certain value, and taxes are based on that assessment.

A developer who does not hold his hand out to the government for every penny he can grab, will see the assessment of the property increase as he develops and puts up apartments. The borough, school district and county will see increased tax revenue immediately, and that will continue for so long as apartments or other improvements are made.  

A developer with a TIF is able to float a bond (tax-free, of course) based on the increased assessment anticipated. At the DIXIE, it's $29 million. When apartments are put up, the increased assessment is collected by all three taxing authorities, but it is not kept by them. They must fork the money over the county General Purpose Authority (GPA) which will conveniently be administering the bond and no doubt for a tidy commission. The GPA will use this money to pay down the debt on the bond, and for 20 years.

Basically, the government is financing and paying the debt service on a $29 million construction loan. I don't fault Skyline for taking advantage. I do fault the government for using your tax dollars.

Blogger's Note: Eckert Seamans represents the County on union issues, but the County executed a formal waiver of any conflict. 

Elected Officials Exclude Public in Back Room Meeting About Dixie

The final speaker during public comment at the lengthy June 6 meeting of NorCo Council, was Wilson Borough Mayor Donald R. Barrett Jr. During his allotted time, he invited elected officials to attend a back room meeting the following week concerning the Dixie TIF. I checked and this meeting was never advertised. It never appeared on aby municipal web page. Barrett can claim that no quorums were present, which would violate the state Sunshine Act. But how do we know that? 

These back-room meetings do nothing more than plant seeds of distrust in local government. I have heard numerous rumors. One is that Wilson has been bought off with a $800,000 (legal bribe and that the school district sold out for $200,000.

Another is that the school district has raised numerous objections and might kill this.  

What's the truth? Who knows? This is what happens when your local government meets being closed doors. On an issue this important, every meeting should be in public

Down But Not Out

Following my rather cryptic post on Friday, I thought I should give you a more detailed explanation of my illness. A few weeks ago, I had a summer cold with the usual symptoms. I thought it was gone but it wasn't. It reared its ugly head during more intense bouts of cardiovascular exercise with lots of coughing and a little trouble breathing. Thursday night, it let me know that it, and not I was in charge.

I had just finished a hard ride on the Tatamy Trail (14.4 miles) with my grandson. I actually finished slightly ahead of him and was quite pleased with myself. But after dinner, I began experiencing more than the usual body aches that an old geezer like me suffers. I figured that the best remedy for that was a 2-mile cooldown walk with Mason, a seeing eye dog with the kind soul of a saint. Unfortunately, I now began experiencing chills, fever and fatigues in addition to the body aches. I finally realized I was sick. 

After finishing the walk, I decided to sleep. I slept all night Thursday, although I was interrupted by frequent bouts of coughing. Ditto Friday, Friday night and Saturday. On Saturday night, the fever finally broke. For some reason, I was certain it was Covid. After the fever broke, I took the COVID test several times, and it was negative. It is just a summer cold. But it's the summer cold that refuses to go away. 

This is likely my own fault. Instead of resting when I first realized I was sick, I continued pushing. This sounds silly, but I had burned at least 500 calories a day with exercise over the past 355 days. I often doubled that goal, which is easy to do on a hard bike ride combined with walking and a little running here and there. 

I believe my reward for my efforts is bronchitis. Since this is usually viral, antibiotics are ineffective, and I've been avoiding them for years anyway. 

I know I am still sick but feel much better than I did on Thursday night and am on the mend. I expect to be walking in a day or two and riding again a few days after that. 

I admit that I am the main cause of my most recent illness. I would much prefer to go tets up on a trail than in my bed, but I don't get to choose how I die. As my brother sagely observed, "We all have expiration dates." 

I loved the comments on Friday.

"Swine flu?" asked one reader. Another was rooting for COVID.  A third called it "Skyline's Revenge" for my posts critical of the TIF for Wilson Borough's Dixie Cup. Someone joked I got sick because I rode with a Republican on Wednesday. 

I plan to return to where I was before I was rudely interrupted on Thursday night with yet another Dixie story on Tuesday. 

No Story Today

 Early this evening, I became quite ill. I'm sorry but I need to rest. 

Tax Break Will Line Pockets of Dixie Developer, Consultant and Architect With a Cool $15 Million

Last week, I published Allentown developer Nat Hyman's warnings to Northampton County Council at their June 6 meeting concerning a $29 million tax break known as a TIF proposed for the long vacant Dixie Cup factory in Wilson Borough. "Put simply, folks, you are being scammed," he cautioned. His remarks drew 65 comments from my readers, many of whom agreed with him. But he was also subjected to several attacks, which began almost immediately after he left the building. Many of them come from people who have a major financial interest in this project, thanks to taxpayer largesse. Developer Bill Bartee has put himself down for a $4 million "developer's fee." Consultant Claudia Robinson, who specializes in getting tax credits and public subsidies, is slated to pull down even more, $4.25 million. And Bartee's "exclusive" architect, CHASM, will collect a $6.75 million fee.  So, $15 million of the $29 million in increased assessment will be lining the pockets of a developer, a consultant who specializes in public cash grabs and an inflated architectural fee. The Borough, County and School District will just have to wait 20 years. 

Where did I get this outlandish information? Did I just make it up? Unfortunately, no. It is part of the TIF application attached to the Ordinance introduced on May 6. (Page 5).

The Hyman criticism began with Stan Margle, Solicitor to Wilson Boro. His borough has not formally acted on the TIF request. "I would preliminarily support it," he told Council, seeming to forget that his role is to provide legal advice, not opine on public policy. "This is a real developer," he added, although Skyline has never developed anything other than the Louix, a building that does not even exist. 

"I can tell you Nat Hyman is wrong," proclaimed Margle. "The developer is not getting $29 million out of that [TIF] if you pass it." Margle was unable, however, to tell Council member John Goffredo how much the tax benefit actually is. 

Despite Margle's claim, Hyman happens to be correct. He told County Council that they would be awarding a $29 million tax break, and that's precisely what it is. He did not guess at this figure. It is on page 9 of the TIF application    

Margle also claimed that Hyman was wrong when he asserted that Wilson Borough has been far too lax at enforcing code violations. He told Council member Ron Heckman that Wilson has cited Dixie 10 times for code violations and has fined the maximum $300 each time. I checked. It's true that Dixie was cited 10 times in 2018 and 2019, but not since then. Of these 10 citations, Dixie was fined only three times. They were $100 fines for snow and ice removal (once) and broken windows (twice). If Wilson was really interested in code enforcement, it could cite Dixie for every broken window, and on a daily basis. That would encourage a sale. Instead, it has allowed the property to languish for the past 40 years. 

Margle added that Hyman's $7 million offer to buy the property was rejected "because the product he proposed was substandard." Margle later conceded that Hyman "does good things, but it would not be appropriate for this building in this place." This was all news to Hyman, who told me he had prepared no plans for the property.

Rather than stick around through all the speeches about abortion and a SEIU union contract, Hyman left when he had finished his speech. Council member Jeff Warren waited until then to attack him. "Is Mr. Hyman still here?" asked the increasingly sanctimonious Warren. "I'd like to ask him a question. He came in here pretty bombastic about his project seeming as though he somehow wanted to destroy this project." He later added, "I was going to ask him about labor, but he's gone." 

That explains why Warren and Executive Lamont McClure are so gung ho over an out-of-state developer with zero experience. You see, this project is expected to create about 150 temporary construction jobs. Warren and McClure are so intent on seeing them go to their campaign contributors in the trade unions that they are willing to hand out $29 million of your hard-earned money to someone they do not know for apartments that most of us could never afford. This is no way to govern. 

Another black mark against Hyman, at least to Warren, is that he is from Allentown and not a Northampton County resident. Well, that's a helluva' lot better than a developer who uses a virtual address in NYC as his office. 

Hyman was slammed by Warren for leaving after he made his points, but developer Bill Bartee was completely MIA. Consultant Claudia Robinson, a specialist in corporate welfare, was physically absent and participated via a phone held up to the mike by the "Project Manager." Instead of outlining the advantages of this project, she of course attacked Hyman for a "very unfair" speech. She never stated how Hyman was wrong, but then launched this ad hominem. "Mr. Hyman has his own skeletons and it's really not appropriate for me to start discussing them now ..." Really? Then why mention that there are skeletons?    

Council President Lori Vargo-Heffner eventually stepped in and admonished Robinson. "With all due respect to Mr. Hyman, he came, he left a note, he's not the point of reference here. We are. So it's our turn to ask questions and get the answers. He had an opinion, but that's not what we're basing our questions on." Robinson then apologized.

Council member John Goffredo also defended Hyman. He pointed out that they were conducting a public hearing.  Hyman, unlike Robinson, was actually there, even if he did leave.  

Goffredo asked Robinson of the TIF was really needed. "Without this TIF, this project will not happen," she declared for the first time. Up until now, she had been saying it would be harder to attract private equity investors. Now it's impossible. 

Hyman was also defended by former Council President Ron Angle, who had come to the meeting to say good-bye to outgoing clerk Linda Zembo. "I don't know Nat Hyman, but I do know his reputation is very good," said His Eminence. "Whatever he builds is done right ... . Do you know who Skyline is? One guy. He'll give you all kinds of locations around the country ... That guy should be here. Nat Hyman did come here. He left, maybe he had another appointment, but he did come. ... "

Several people ridiculed the $1 million bribe for affordable housing as a drop in the bucket. Chuck Weiss, the Associate Exec Director of Housing for CACLV, noted that $1 million gets you maybe four apartments. "It would be nice to see a little more money coming out of this for affordable housing." Alyssa Baratta, Exec Director of Third Street Alliance, said that 2,203 LV households are homeless "A million dollars means nothing to housing these people." Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen, a Wilson Borough activist, looked at the gap between the $1,800 in rent to be charged for a 1 BR apartment and the fair market rent of $1,137. He concluded that a much fairer contribution to affordable housing would be $6.3 million. 

The final speaker was Wilson Borough Mayor Donald R. Barrett Jr. Unfortunately, he wasted a lot of his five minutes by needlessly criticizing Wilson Borough activist Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen. "It just needs to get done." he said.  

Warren, who never is at a loss for words, made this final pitch. "Sometimes, you take what you can get."

That's a ridiculous excuse for throwing away $29 million in taxpayer money. 

SEIU Must Seek Mediation and Fact Finding Before Strike

Earlier this week, I reported on SEIU's recent appearance before Northampton County Council on behalf of unionized human services workers. Several comments suggested that the union is pondering a strike as soon as June 21. Lehigh Valley News also reports they are "set to strike." 

Northampton County has responded with a letter warning the union that they are required to seek mediation and fact finding before declaring an impasse and calling for a strike. You can read it below. 

Northampton County Warns SEIU Against Strike by BernieOHare on Scribd

$274,525 Mechanic's Lien Filed Against Dixie Cup Property

Last week, I told you that Skyline Investment Group, the private equity developer that is reputedly buying the vacant Dixie Cup factory in Wilson Borough, is being sued in federal court for failing to pay a $274,525 bill for environmental cleanup. I have since learned that a mechanic's lien has been filed against the property in state court as well. (2024-ML-3394). This lien was first placed on the property on April 17. Before doing so, a notice of intent to file the lien was provided on February 27. 

A mechanic's lien is a cloud on title that can interfere with an owner's ability to sell or finance his property. This may explain why the deed transfer has yet to occur of record. 

WilsonPark, the LP that owns Dixie Cup, has filed a motion to strike the lien. Argument on that matter is scheduled for June 18.