County Executive Endorses Scott Ott

Democratic County Executive Matt Croslis Endorses Scott Ott for Executive ALLENTOWN, PA – Today, Democratic County Executive Matt Croslis endorsed Scott Ott for Lehigh County Executive. This major cross-party endorsement affirms Scott Ott's results-oriented approach to governance. “My goal as County Executive was to be transparent and collaborative in an effort to put people before politics,” said Executive Matt Croslis. “This approach has been successful in large part because of the working relationship I have developed with Scott Ott. I believe Scott will bring a fresh perspective to Lehigh County and that he will work tirelessly to find new and innovative ways to provide the necessary services of County government in the most cost effective manner. It is my hope that my endorsement will promote bipartisanship and continue to put the interests of the County residents before politics.” "I'm honored to have the support of Matt Croslis," Ott said. “During his time as county executive, we haven't always agreed, but I could always count on Matt to tell the truth, which made it easy to work together with him to find solutions for the taxpayers we represent. I'll continue to work to make local government more sustainable, accountable, focused and effective."

UPDATE: The Morning Call reports endorsement

The New Jobs Of Allentown

J.B. Reilly said this week that the downtown development is bringing 3,000 jobs to Allentown's $600 million NIZ. Between the National Penn Bank, and his other prospective tenants, that figure seems high. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, and considering everything else he's gotten, we can easily throw that in, each job will cost the state taxpayers $200,000.00. Now, this is nay-sayer math, but then again, this is a blog. Talking of nay-saying, last night over 200 unemployed  packed into a center city church, hoping for some benefit from the NIZ. I think a church was an appropriate venue, because that will take a lot of prayer. As I had written in a previous blog post, the new jobs, except for the peanut vendors at the arena, will be white collar, college degree required. This brings us to the photograph shown above. As they demolish the former Gallery Building in the 900 block of Hamilton Street, we see that the steel beams were fabricated at the former Lehigh Structural Steel. At one time, the buildings on Hamilton Street were built by entrepreneurs, to accommodate our prosperity.  Now they are funded by taxpayers, hoping to steal another town's employees.

Bernie's Spin Cycle

Many of my readers also read Bernie O'Hare's Ramblings. Yesterday, I was asked if Bernie was on the Democratic payroll, and I replied that he was not; You couldn't pay someone to carry water that enthusiastically. However, Bernie was good at mixing a little fact, some out of context quotes, and old fashion prejudice, to create his recent narrative against Ott. In Bernie's World, the Republican Chairman and his commissioner wife dispense silver shekels to certain candidates, to produce Judas's, who he also refers to as lapdogs. According to Bernie, this chairman is an evil manipulator, who doesn't allow Republican candidates to run in Allentown proper, to control voter turnout for the county. Bernie even has the local conservative talk radio host not believing the Republican candidate. Yes, the party chairman is wealthy, they often are. It takes a person who is pretty financially comfortable to devote so many hours to something which has no salary. No one ran as a Republican candidate in Allentown because it has become a fool's errand, with the Democratic registration advantage and straight lever pulling. The radio host always uses a devil's advocate approach to interviews. He supports the candidate that Bernie portrays he doesn't believe. Don't believe everything you read on the blogs, unless of course, you're at this site.

UPDATE: This post was edited to clarify that any ethic insensitivity by O'Hare was an  isolated incident.

The Truth In Lehigh County

The Executive race in Lehigh County seems to be the hottest item on the November 5th ticket. It seems that it's being waged mostly by mail, with large colors flyers arriving in your mailbox every few days. Tom Muller has both the upper hand in quantity sent, and the lower hand in negative advertising. He has portrayed his opponent as just an unqualified school bus driver and camp counselor. Although Ott and his fellow Commissioners approved all 15 bridge replacements except one, for historical preservation reasons, Muller and the two Democratic Commissioner candidates raced to bridge, and complained that Ott jeopardized public safety. Here in the blogosphere, Bernie O'Hare has been handling Muller's campaign. Shown above is the Truth Machine that O'Hare insists that Ott submit to. Although Bernie cannot guarantee that the human body can survive the current that the machine uses, he now calls Ott a liar for not submitting to the test. It's a tough year to be a candidate.

Lehigh County Business As Usual

I've never been to the Lehigh Country Club, it has always been the bastion of the local blue bloods. My blogging associate from Nazareth is in his final sprint to bloody the waters against Scott Ott. Although I don't have his affinity for promoting candidates, fairness requires some balance in the blogosphere. Tom Muller's fundraiser was held at the country club. His campaign contributor list is a who's who of Business As Usual in the valley. The big contractors/developers are all there; Butz, Boyle, Marcon, and Perucci. The law/accounting firms are there; McCarthy, Sorrentino and Portnoff. In this world, overlooking the golf course, donations are either $2,500 or $5,000. The voters next week will have a choice between accountability to the taxpayer, or business as usual.

Less Than a Thankless Job

Scott Armstrong has become the teacher's target on the Allentown School Board. He's conservative, vocal, articulate, and not afraid to write letters to the editor, or bloggers, for that matter. The budget game every year between the State and the school district was particularly harsh this year. Although the district always ends up with more than initially budgeted, it necessitates teacher layoffs and bad feelings, before some portion of the teachers are reinstated. Added to the mix this year was a schism between board members with teacher backgrounds, and the conservative members. There's even a Facebook page to vilify Armstrong and David Zimmerman. Further adding to the disharmony, that Facebook page was taken over by a couple who were targeting Armstrong on their infamous long enemy list, before he even considered running for the school board.

I was accosted today in a public venue by an acquaintance who happens to be a teacher. I have known this person for years and said hello as he is neighbor who lives around the corner from my home. While trying to remember his name he said it with the words “why do you hate teachers." I asked him to repeat and he complied. Surprised, I said I have many friends who are teachers and dislike none of them, however I do have a problem with the teachers union as its primary mission is that of a labor union. The conversation went south from there and he wouldn't leave me alone as I tried to purchase meat from a stand at the market. I had to explain to them why he was angry at me. I was on the school board and he was a teacher, I had been vocal about the damage defined payment pensions are doing to public schools. They gave him no sympathy. His attempted explanation that was met with only frowns. Seeing this, he retreated. I told the merchants that this happens to me all too often because I dare to speak for the taxpayers at school board meetings. While I completed my transaction he stood off at a distance, as I walked by him on my way to the exit, he said, “Scott, no one in the neighborhood likes you." This is a public school teacher.                                                                                                                                                             ScottArmstrong

I find the teacher's attitude toward Armstrong disturbing.  This first person account by Armstrong is not an isolated incident.  I have read similar sentiments by teachers who should know better.  Putting aside the Facebook page by the cyber/stalkers/Bullies,  some  rank and file teachers have indulged in the personal attacks.  The school board represents the public and taxpayers, who have not demeaned the members who are teachers.  Why should the teachers not extend the same tolerance toward the  conservative members?

Personnel Change Complicates Prediction

Last month, with assistance from my in house psychic, I claimed that Ted Kohuth would be Allentown's next police chief. Recently, it came to my attention that the psychic was also working for another local blogger, in violation of company policy. She has been suspended, pending a full investigation, and temporarily replaced by a well respected telepathist from the old world. Dr. Caligari tells me that Mayor Pawlowski has now been thinking about Joel Fitgerald, the police chief from Texas, with deep roots in Philadelphia. The blog regrets any inconvenience this change has caused the betting establishment in Las Vegas.