Down and Out in Bethlehem

Boscola v. PPL (Part II)

2008-04-09T20:25:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I told you about State Senator Lisa Boscola's flip-flop on electricity deregulation. Back in 1996 then-State Rep. Boscola voted for for the bill which allowed electricity deregulation and the rate caps which are set to expire in the next few years. Now, State Senator Boscola is the head cheerleader leading the opposition to the expiration of these rate caps.

Today I am going to tell you how PPL contributes to the campaigns of state reps and senators, including Boscola

PPL has a PAC. It is called the PPL Good Government Committee (aka PPL for Good Government).

Since 2001, they have given $4,600 to Boscola, which is really nothing for this PAC. Although, I am not sure what that money got them except a public hearing with the PUC in south Bethlehem last week. Not really money well spent. (Note: Campaign Finance records are not online for the time period of 1995-1996, I would have liked to see what kind of money PPL gave Boscola during the time the deregulation bill was pending.)

In their latest filing with the Department of State, PPL had $136,239.71 available to them, and gave away $49,224.57.

They get their money from their employees. Their contributions are deducted from their paychecks. That is why the majority of the contributions are number like $13.46 and $20.67.

In the most recent filing, the following local representatives and senators received money from this PAC.
(Push or scroll over to see the contribution amount)

CITIZENS FOR BROWNE ALLENTOWN,&nbspPA &nbsp18105
Description:	PATRICK BROWNE, STATE SENATE 16TH PA

3/3/2008

$8,000.00

BRENNAN FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE BETHLEHEM,&nbspPA &nbsp18015
Description:	JOSEPH BRENNAN, STATE HOUSE 133 PA

2/19/2008

$5,000.00

CITIZENS FOR CLYMER SELLERSVILLE,&nbspPA &nbsp18960
Description:	PAUL CLYMER, STATE HOUSE 145 PA

2/14/2008

$256.00

BRENNAN FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE BETHLEHEM,&nbspPA &nbsp18015
Description:	JOSEPH BRENNAN, STATE HOUSE 133 PA

2/13/2008

$500.00

FRIENDS OF DOUG REICHLEY BREININGSVILLE,&nbspPA &nbsp18031
Description:	DOUGLAS REICHLEY, STATE HOUSE 134 PA

2/12/2008

$500.00

FRIENDS OF DOUG REICHLEY BREININGSVILLE,&nbspPA &nbsp18031
Description:	DOUGLAS REICHLEY, STATE HOUSE 134TH PA

1/9/2008

$1,000.00

CITIZENS FOR CARL MANTZ KUTZTOWN,&nbspPA &nbsp19530
Description:	CARL MANTZ, STATE HOUSE 187TH PA

1/7/2008

$250.00

CITIZENS FOR CLYMER SELLERSVILLE,&nbspPA &nbsp18960
Description:	PAUL CLYMER STATE HOUSE 145TH PA

1/7/2008

$500.00

CITIZENS TO ELECT CRAIG DALLY HARRISBURG,&nbspPA &nbsp17108
Description:	CRAIG DALLY, STATE HOUSE 138TH PA

1/7/2008

$1,600.00

The complete list of the PPL PAC's contributions for the latest reporting period can be found here.

Now, I am a busy man and do not have time to research voting records and additional contributions(I barely have time to write a blog), however I am going to watch to see how the above legislators vote on bills concerning PPL in the future.

If any one wants to look at PPL's People for Good Government's other finance reports, they are linked here.

I am not trying to cause trouble for any of these elected officials. I like some of these guys. I am just trying to shed light on this problem. Regular people do not have this type of influence on their elected officials. Companies like PPL all have PACs donating to campaigns and all have expensive lobbyists working for them.. One thing we citizens cannot forget is that elected officials work for us. The little guy still has a voice on election day! I am not saying all these officials are engaging in pay to play, I just want to raise awareness. A well-informed electorate is a dangerous thing!

Boscola v. PPL.

2008-04-08T16:42:00.005-04:00

I am admittedly a bad blogger. I go months without updates and really stink at this. I am no Bernie O'Hare...few are.

However, sometimes I get information passed to me, for some reason some Democratic Committee person likes me.

This person sent me an email telling me that Boscola is a hypocrite. Apparently, when she was a State Representative from Bethlehem, the seat currently held by Steve Samuelson, she voted for Bill 1509 back in 1996. Bill 1509 was the bill that allowed for the deregulation of electricity. It has been in the news recently since the rate caps it created are set to expire in 2010 and PPL wants to get a jump start on charging people more later this year.

I am cannot offer confirmation that Boscola voted for the bill. Two sources have told me she did. However, I cannot find her voting record online.

While I agree with Boscola and think the rate caps should be extended, I believe Boscola should have thought about the impact on her constituents back in 1996. Now she is being trumpeted as a saint who is standing up to a big bad corporation and will be re-elected in a landslide in a few years. The truth is that she is really an opportunistic hypocrite who takes opposing sides of the same issue when it is convenient for her. Boscola helped cause this problem, now she wants to offer solutions to it, sounds hypocritical to me.

(Next time I will explore PPL's PAC's contributions to local politicians....Boscola is on that list!)

Bethlehem City Council Update

2008-04-04T14:42:00.005-04:00

1. City Council approved the Five Points traffic plan at Tuesday's meeting with 5-1 vote. This is not a surprise. The only opposition it faced on council was Mike Schweder, who ended up voting for it, Jean Belinski, who voted against it, and Jay Leeson, who was absent from the meeting.

You can read about it here.

My take: Something needed to be done about the traffic in that area. This plan of one-way roads seems to be the best plan suggested. I am not sure why it will take from April 2009 through December 2009 to turn some roads from two-way to one-way, but that is the timetable.

2. The City Council Recreation Committee, which consists of council members Belinski, Schweder and William Reynolds, had meeting this week. They are changing the use permits for the city's little league teams to use the city's fields. The permits were all terminated in December, so the city could make changes. As you may recall, Lehigh Little League and the Bethlehem Blue Mountain League team were involved in a few tussles regarding the use of a field at the City's Monocacy fields. One of the proposed changes include the city collecting fees from teams to use fields, instead of the local little league. A little league will have use of the field for $1 per year. A team wanting to use the field would pay the City $150.00, who would give that money to the Little League to pay for maintenance and lights.

Another change, proposed by Reynolds, would be to have the organizations submit their financial statements to the city earlier. Currently little league and other organizations submit their financial statements by March 31st, the change would move that to the middle of February. The change would allow more time for the city to make sure the fees, collected by the City and given to the little leagues, are being properly spent once they get to the little league.

You can read more about it here.

My take: It is about time that City Council steps in a regulates these little leagues and the control they have over the public fields. These leagues were profiting from charging other teams huge fees to use the fields, and the little leagues get to use the fields for nothing. I will admit that the little leagues do maintenance and pay for the electricity for the fields, but the profits they were making were ridiculous.

3. Council Meetings will now begin at 7:00 pm, instead of 7:30 pm.

Politics As Usual In Bethlehem

2007-11-21T11:16:00.000-05:00

Last evening the City Finance Committee approved by a 2-1, to send Council President Michael Schweder's plan how to spend the casino host fee to full Council at their December 4th meeting. The finance committee consists of Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., Chairman, Jean Belinksi and Robert J. Donchez.

The Morning Call has an account here, and Express Times here.

Schweder's plan includes using 0ne-half the host fee of 8.7 million to cut property taxes, the other half would be used to hire 20 police officers, 10 firemen, 6 paramedics and 2 inspectors. The remaining money, estimated by Schweder at around 2 million, would be placed in a restricted fund only to be spent as authorized by Council.

The problems with Schweder's plan:

1. The City will not get the money until after the casino opens, estimated to be July, 2009, so how can he decide how to spend it now.
2. Schweder's numbers were not based on anything but his own imagination. He never spoke with the Department heads and never conducted a study. He arbitrarily chose the number of police, fire, paramedics and inspectors.
3. It is foolish for a City that is admittedly in debt and has to borrow from itself to pay bills, to cut property taxes. That is just asking for trouble down the road.

The real story:

Schweder is trying get his plan through council while he still has the votes to get it passed. Currently, Schweder has the four votes needed to pass the bill with Szabo, Leeson and Belinski. In January, William Reynolds joins council and voiced concerns over spending the money prematurely and using to cut taxes. He urged a wait and see approach that was similar to what Mowrer and Donchez said. They are not against cutting taxes but those decisions can not be made now.

As someone posted on the mcall.com forums, if Schweder is successful in getting his legislation passed, which he probably will be, he will force Callahan to veto it. Schweder does not have enough votes to override the veto, and by that time Reynolds will be on Council, so Schweder will not even have the votes to get the legislation passed again.

Then if Schweder decides to run for Mayor, he can attack Callahan for vetoing a tax cut resolution.

This whole mess is just some Dem on Dem Politics, and gets J. Michael Schweder into the DINO Club!

Post-Election Thoughts

2007-11-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

Some Post-Election Thoughts:

The Bethlehem City Controller Race: Republican Meg Holland defeating Democrat Dave DiGiacinto may be the most shocking result. I thought Meg would lose. I am glad the voters looked at more than R and D behind their names and looked at the substance of the candidate. Once they did that, it was a clear choice. Some may try to spin this race as a referendum on the Old Guard losing their grip in Bethlehem. It may be, but I would not go that far yet. I think Schweder just picked the wrong guy to run for Controller.

The Bethlehem City Council Race: The voters gave Bob Donchez and Gordon Mowrer another term, which was a good thing. They are the most rational and steady individuals on council. J. William Reynolds joins them as the voters elected him to be the youngest councilman in the history of Bethlehem. Reynolds worked hard in the primary to unseat incumbent Maggie Szabo, which was another blow to the Old Guard in the City. Reynolds is the aide to popular State Rep. Steve Samuelson and we the voters can only hope that Reynolds will follow the example his boss has set. Note to Reynolds: We are watching young man, do not screw up!

Lehigh County Commissioners: The voters elected 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The Republicans will still hold control of the board. Andy Roman was the lone incumbent seeking to keep his seat and was re-elected. Fellow GOPer Dean Browning joins him. Gloria Hamm and Bill Leiner are the two Democrats who will join the board. While the Republicans maintain control, it is not as bad as it appears. Cunningham has been able to work with the Republicans in the past and I am sure that he will in the future.

Northampton County Council: Unfortunately for Joe Long, the Republicans gained a seat, which may be fortunate for the taxpayers. Voters rejected more of Tony Branco in the changed Council at large seat.

Northampton County Controller: Voter’s showed their desire of having a full-time Controller by narrowly electing Stephen Barron. Hopefully, Stephen lives up to the expectations. Time will tell if the County needs a full-time Controller, if it does hopefully the Charter can be changed to pay him like a full-timer.

Lehigh County Row Offices: Democrats sweep. No real surprises except in the Controller race where the incumbent Peter Shaffer lost to Tom Slonaker in a close one.

Local Judges: Barrata and Steinberg were retained in landslide votes. Republican Jim Anthony took third in the Lehigh County Judicial Race over Dan McCarthy. Personally, I thought McCarthy would win, since Anthony had previously lost when he ran a few years ago. Anthony joins fellow winners District Judge Michelle Varrichio, who gets a seat on the big bench, and Maria Dantos, who is already sitting on the big bench.

UPDATE: Slonaker has apparently lost his bid to unseat Shaffer as Lehigh County Controller. I relied on http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1-5clerk.6127061nov07,0,3412390.story for my information...but it is now wrong. The mcall.com has Shaffer with a 99 vote lead and wfmz.com has a 78 vote lead for Shaffer. I thought both men were well-qualified for the post and thought both would do a good job.

Controller Race Update

2007-11-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

The Bethlehem Controller race is winding down.

Here is the latest:

1. Maureen Holland-Schaeffer, Meg Holland's daughter, has posted a comment on a previous post, which I feel deserves some attention. Her comment is her mother's response to a letter to the editor which was published in the Express-Times on November 3, 2007. The letter questions Holland's mailer which states the budget in the City is $121 million. The writer states the correct amount is $58 million. Holland's explanation is as follows:

"In Mr. Horwath’s letter to the editor on November 3, 2007 he stated that the city budget of $121 million as reported in my campaign mailers was off by $63 million. The City of Bethlehem budget is $121 million, which I detail below.

Operating Budget (in millions)
General Fund 58.523
Water 18.000
Sewer 11.931
Golf 1.400
911 1.898
Total Operating Budget 91.752

Capital Budget (in millions)
Non-utility 13.650
Water 4.392
Sewer 3.211
Community 6.930
Liquid Fuels 1.417
Total Capital Budget 29.600

Total City Budget = $121.352

Unfortunately Mr. Horwath was only informed of the General Fund budget. The Controller’s job is the “watchdog” of all city accounts, therefore, only considering the General Fund budget would be incorrect.

Meg Holland CPA/ABV, CIA, CVA, CFE"

Fortunately, for the people of the City of Bethlehem someone with an expertise in accounting and the knowledge of the City's budget is running for Controller. The choice is clear, Meg Holland is the best candidate for City controller.

2. I saw this article on the Bethlehem Daily Start blog on The Morning Call website. Instead of raising taxes, Mayor Callahan tapped into the Sewer Hook Up fee payment that Bethworks/Sands paid early. It is $1.7 million. He moved the money to the General Fund to cover payroll, medical expenses and worker's compensation. The fee, which was instituted by Callahan 2 years, is paid by developers. So the City is using money that was paid early and is not needed now, and will be repaid before it is needed.

Dave DiGiacinto's, the Democratic candidate for controller, endorser Republican Alan Blair, the interim Controller, does not think it is legal and says it is a bad idea.

Apparently Blair would rather layoff workers and raise taxes, than have the City borrow from itself and pay itself back with interest after the beginning of the year.

I think there may be a better way to take care of the City's year end cash flow problem but do not think layoffs and raising taxes is the answer and until a better solution comes around borrowing from itself is the best solution.

An interesting discussion on the Controller race follows the Daily Star article in the reader comments.

I hope the City residents do the right thing tomorrow and elect Meg Holland to be City Controller. She is the only candidate who is ethically bound to be impartial because she is the only candidate who is a CPA.

Bethlehem City Republican Committee Gets Active; City Council Candidate fails to disclose contribution

2007-11-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

This evening I received an email from a person who wishes to remain anonymous. I will respect this person's wishes. I am allowed to tell you that this person is a Democratic Committeeperson from Bethlehem.

This person passed along two tidbits of information to me.

1. Meg Holland, the Republican candidate for City Controller, was asked by the Bethlehem City Republican Committee to remove signs from her yard showing her support for Democratic candidates. I was informed that one of the signs was a J. William Reynolds for City Council sign. Bernie O'hare acknowledged in a post earlier this week that Meg was also supporting Democratic NorCo Controller Candidate Stephen Barron with a sign in her front yard.

Meg Holland complied with the request. The signs were removed as of this evening.

2. Earlier this week, the Morning Call reported that little money is being spent in the City Council race. Republican Candidate Esther Lee reported on her expense report that she had a campaign budget on zero dollars. If you drive around the city, you will notice that Esther Lee has campaign signs scattered throughout the city. My anonymous emailer tells me that "if you look closely, her signs are paid for by the Bethlehem City Republican Committee."
My anonymous emailer states "this is an in-kind contribution that must be reported by the candidate or the candidate's authorized committee."
I verified that the signs are paid for by the City Republican Committee tonight when I took my dog for a walk, and I believe the Morning Call's reporting is accurate. I would think that Esther Lee would know about campaign finance reports requirements after all the attempts at office she made in the past.

It is nice to see the Republican Committee active in the City. I would hope that they would have their candidates worry about the accuracy of their finance reports, rather than concern themselves with which signs are in one of their candidates yards.

Will Bethlehem Voter's Make a Mistake on Election Day?

2007-10-30T19:15:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, November 6, 2007 Bethlehem voters will elect a new City Controller...and they are going to make a mistake.

In Bethlehem, Democrats have a registration advantage of around 2 to 3. It increases when you look at likely voters. Democrats rarely face real challenges from Republicans in general elections in Bethlehem, the real races happen in the Democratic primary.

This year is different, at least in the race for Bethlehem Controller.

The Democratic nominee is David DiGiacinto (and he is going to win).

The Republican nominee is Meg Holland (and she is going to lose).

The real losers will be the people of the City of Bethlehem. The voters will be making a huge mistake by electing David DiGiacinto.

If DiGiacinto is elected, the City will be subjected to turmoil and controversy. If you have read my blog you already know that DiGiacinto is part of the Schweder-Rooney faction of the Democratic party. There is a fear that DiGiacinto will hold personal grudges against Mayor Callahan and will go out of his way to cause trouble for him. This is something that the City cannot afford to go through with the impending development of the Steel land and BethWorks.

DiGiacinto has already shown that he will spare no expense to get elected to the $42,000.00 per year job. The Morning Call reports that he has raised over $30,000.00 (mostly from out of town) and has given $20,000.00 of his own money. And he is scheduled to have another fundraiser in New York City with his CEO buddies.

My question is why spend this much money for this position, unless you have ulterior motives.

The good news is that today is October 30th, and the voters did not vote yet.

There is still a chance to stop DiGiacinto, Schweder and their New York CEO buddies.

Vote for Meg Holland for Bethlehem City Controller.

Meg's campaign has touted that she is qualified and her opponent is not. The truth is they both are qualified. Meg should be touting that she is good at what she does and she has more experience doing it than her opponent. Read this post on the Morning Call's Bethlehem Daily Star Blog about her experience at Bethlehem Steel.

Bethlehem will be lucky to have this experienced professional as its Controller.

Meg will not be a rubber stamp for the Callahan administration, she will make sure the money is spent on what it is supposed to be spent on, will conduct audits and institute fraud prevention controls. However, she will not use personal grudges to cause unnecessary problems and needlessly waste taxpayer money.

On Tuesday November 6th, this Democrat will be voting for the best person for the job-Meg Holland.

Lehigh County Row Offices

2007-10-25T21:26:00.000-04:00

Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records

The race for the newly created Row Office is between current Clerk of Court and Democrat Andrea Naugle and current Recorder of Deeds and Republican Marie Dean. The new office will be a combination of the Clerk of Courts, Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills. I voted against the creation of this office last fall, and still think it will be a mistake.

There has not been too much campaigning in this race.

The Morning Call ran an article in today's paper regarding all of the row offices up for election in Lehigh County.

I feel that Andrea Naugle is better situated to handle the new responsibilities that this office will create. Currently, the Clerk of Courts office handles both the Civil Division/Family Divison and the Criminal Division, which is going to be the bulk of the new office.

For Clerk of Judicial Records I recommend Andrea Naugle.

Lehigh County Sheriff

Sheriff Ron "Trooper" Rossi is the Democratic Nominee and incumbant.
Republican Joseph C. Vargo is the opponent and currently a Sargent in the Allentown Police Department.

Rossi has been a good and decent public servant. He is a popular figure in Lehigh County and will be hard to beat. He claims staying within his budget as one of his achievements.

Vargo believes the Sheriff's department needs better and more adequate training. He also believes the deputies need to be more visible in the community and out there tracking fugitives.

While I think Vargo has some good ideas, Rossi has an understanding of what running this office entails. He understands that the Sheriff's office involves more than protecting judges and running the x-ray machine. Deputies serve process in civil and criminal matters, execute on judgments and handle gun permits, in addition to many other jobs.

For Lehigh County Sheriff I recommend Ron "Trooper" Rossi.

Lehigh County Controller

Thomas Slonaker, the Democratic nominee, is running against incumbent and Republican Peter Shaffer.

Slonaker is the former Treasurer of Whitehall and has degrees in business, including his MBA, and would be willing to be more than a part-time Controller.

Shaffer is a CPA and is the two term incumbent. In addition, he runs his own accounting firm. Shaffer claims he spends approximately 35 hours per week as the Controller.

Slonaker wants the Controller to help forecast the County's financial future.

Both men are well qualified and would be fine choices.

I recommend Thomas Slonaker for Lehigh County Controller.

Dirty Tricks in NorCo Council At-Large Race

2007-10-25T18:21:00.000-04:00

So I am sitting at home, relaxing after dinner with my wife, when my phone rings.

I look at the Caller-Id before answering.

It reads: "Easton PA, 484-548-6400."

So I answer. I say "Hello." No response. I say "Hello", again. No answer

Then, as I am about to hang up, I hear a voice.

The voice tells me. Do not vote for Peg Ferraro. Peg Ferraro is bad. Peg Ferraro did nothing on her previous term on council. (Note: I am paraphrasing, I did not have time to write it down)

Now I know that Tony Branco is the Democrat running against Republican Peg Ferraro for the Northampton County Council At-Large Seat.

I say to my wife, that is weird, and proceed to explain the call to her. She says that is very weird...considering we live in Lehigh County. (Note: We did live in Northampton County until 2 years ago when we moved to a nice place on the West Side, within walking distance to downtown)

Curious as to the origin of this call, since the voice left no clue as to who was responsible, I google the phone number.

My search reveals that this number has been used in other races. Including a local district justice race and a Bucks County election.

I also found out the number is registered to a ATX Communications.

Calling the number just led to a message saying I reached a disconnected number. I am guessing the number is an outgoing number only.

I hope that Tony Branco is not behind this. I would hope that he is above this. He seems like a nice guy.

Dirty politics is one thing. But anonymous dirty politics has no place in a county council race.

Controller Race Update

2007-10-24T09:33:00.000-04:00

The race to be Bethlehem's next Controller is on fire.

Meg Holland struck early with some press conferences and some attacks on her opponent's perceived lack of accounting experience.

Now, David DiGiacinto is fighting back.

First, the Morning Call ran a nice article highlighting his career and his background, and allowed him and Holland to trade some jabs about his accounting experience.

Second, DiGiacinto started off the campaign mailer season in Bethlehem with a nicely done mailer highlighting his career, his Bethlehem roots and his experience in business.

Third, DiGiacinto has launched his campaign website. http://digiacintoforcontroller.com/home/

In a year when most thought the races in Bethlehem would lack excitement, the race for Controller appears to have changed that.

Campaign finance reports are due by Friday. It will be interesting to follow the money in this race.

Who is David T. DiGiacinto?

2007-10-04T10:20:00.000-04:00

David T. DiGiacinto is the Democratic Candidate for Controller in the City of Bethlehem. He is a 1975 graduate of United States Military Academy at West Point.

He spent 6 years as a Captain in the U.S Air Force as a Pilot-In Command, resigning his commission in 1981. After which he spent 18 years with Pfizer in various positions including Sales, Marketing, Business Development and General Management in the Chemical/Food Science and Consumer Health Care Groups.

He joined Spencer Trask Specialty Group LLC, a leading private equity firm which helps start-up companies develop their products, in 2000 and is currently a Senior Managing Director.

He serves on the Board of Directors of several companies, including Minrad International, Inc., a pain management company that focuses on anesthesia and analgesia, where he is an Independent Director, Member of Compensation Committee, Member of Nominating Committee and Director of Minrad Inc; and Vyteris, the maker of a drug delivery patch, where he is Secretary, Director, Chairman of Audit Committee, Member of Compensation Committee and Member of Nominating Committee

He is also the owner of BETHNY Enterprise, Inc., which I have no idea what it does.

He expressed his interest to fill the vacancy on City Council created by John Callahan's election to the office of mayor in 2004. He was nominated to be a finalist by Councilman Schweder. The appointment eventually went to Joseph Leeson.

He was a member of the Bethlehem Authority, at one point he was the vice-chairman of the authority, which is the oversight committee for the City's water department and the watershed. He was not renominated to the board earlier this year by Mayor Callahan.

As you can see, Mr. DiGiacinto has a very impressive business background. His experience at Pfizer and in his current positions with Spencer Trask and serving on the board of directors of publicly traded companies make him qualified to be the City Controller.

The politics behind this election are quite interesting. The following account is mostly hearsay and has not been verified, however from the facts I stated above I believe it is true.

DiGiacinto was supportive of James Delgrosso in the 2003 special election for Mayor. Delgrosso was the candidate backed by Schweder and TJ Rooney. DiGiacinto, as I mentioned above, was nominated by Schweder to fill Callahan's seat on Council. Just connect the dots.

DiGiacinto's political donations also support his allegiances.

( Note: The politics going on in Bethlehem politics at this time were crazy, to say the least. There were secret meetings, back room deals and unreturned phone calls. For those of who do not know the whole story, please read this May 30, 2004 article from the Morning Call, which is reprinted here. It is a great article that explains the different factions in the Democratic party in Bethlehem.)

When DiGiacinto's term on the Authority was up, Callahan did not re-nominate him due to his allegiance to Schweder and Rooney.

Now DiGiacinto is the Democratic nominee for City Controller.

How will Callahan deal with DiGiacinto? Will he support the Republican Candidate Meg Holland? Rumors have it he may already be supporting Holland.

City Controller Candidate Comes Out Swinging

2007-09-19T12:57:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I previewed the contested elections in the city. The City Controller race was one in which I knew little about about each candidate. Well thanks Republican Candidate Meg Holland, that has changed.

Holland held a news conference in front of her business on Broad St. yesterday. You can read the Morning Call's coverage here and the Express Times coverage here.

Among the issues Holland discussed, were the casino host fee and development of the Steel land. She feels that money that these projects will bring in are too important to leave the controller job to someone with no accounting experience. She wants to make the sure the host fee is spent on what it is supposed to be spent on.

Holland's opponent is Democrat David DiGiacinto. He is currently a manager at Spencer Trask Group in New York City and was a former member of the Bethlehem Authority. He tells the Morning Call that he has financial oversight experience and there is no requirement that the Controller be a CPA.

DiGiacinto also feels that the Controller position is more than just oversight and that the immediate goals should be to manage the City's cash flow and pay the City's debts.

This is the first time since 1964 that the City will elect a new controller. The $47,000.00 year job is considered part-time. Holland said she plans to devote 10-20 hours per week if elected.

Well I did want to know more about each candidate and now I do. I feel that this race will be very interesting. Democrats have a registration advantage in Bethlehem, so DiGiacinto clearly has an advantage. Holland is very qualified and makes compelling reasons to be elected. I am just not convinced that enough Republicans will vote in this election and enough Democrats will vote for her.

Bennett Calls On Baker Knoll To Help Raise Cash

2007-09-18T22:23:00.000-04:00

Lt. Governor Catherine Baker-Knoll will be attending a fundraising event for Congressional Candidate Sam Bennett on September 30th in Allentown. You can join them and the hosts for the low price of $100.00. Or you can be a host for $1000, $500 or $250.

Here is the text of the invitation email:

Please join:
Hosts
Peter Buttenwieser, Esq.

Jeanette & Eduardo Eichenwald

Milton and Ronnie Sheftel

Stanley Fidrych Barbara Friedenheim

Julio Guridy Lois Herr

Jim Fiorentino, Esq. & Janet Jackson, Esq.

Merry Landis, George Martin, Esq.

Jose Molina Arthur Rubin

David Vaida, Esq.

International Association of Painters and Allied Trades

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers-COPE

Teamsters Local 773

And Special Guest
Lt. Gov Catherine Baker Knoll
In support of
SAM BENNETT
Democratic Candidate for Congress, PA-15

Sunday, September 30th The Home of Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald2401 W. Greenleaf Street Allentown, PA 18104
2:00pm - 4:00pm

Host Levels: $1000, $500, $250

Tickets: $100
RSVP: Katie Haymaker, 610-770-3280,

khaymake@bennett2008.com

I am sure CBK will have them lining up for tickets. Maybe she will introduce Bennett as Beckett or Bradley like she once introduced Rendell as Governor Edward Robinson.

At least CBK is invited to this event and won't have to crash it, then leave early while handing out her business cards.

Is this the first sign of a campaign desperate for money?

Celebrity Bartending in Bethlehem

2007-09-05T14:07:00.000-04:00

Diane and Tom Herstich have organized a unique fundraiser that will feature Mayor John Callahan, Dennis Reichard-City Business Administrator, and J. William Reynolds-city council candidate serving drinks at Starter's Riverport to benefit the American Cancer Society.

The event will take place on Monday, September 17th from 7-9 p.m. at Starter's Riverport.

The tips that Callahan, Reichard and Reynolds receive will go to benefit the ACS Relay for Life.

The Eagles-Redskins game immediately follows the event.

Come out and support a great cause!

City Election Update

2007-09-04T15:16:00.000-04:00

The fall election season is upon us, finally!

Voters in the City of Bethlehem will be electing a new council person and a new controller.

The City Council are as follows:
Democractic Ticket: Robert Donchez, J. William Reynolds and Gordon Mowrer
Republican Ticket: Esther Lee

Reynolds is the 26-year old legislative aide to State Rep. Steve Samuelson. He pulled off his major victory in spring when he came in second in a crowded Democratic primary that included an incumbent councilwoman, a former councilman and a former county councilman.

Lee is the party hopping head of the local chapter of NAACP. She was a Democrat in the past and has been a Republican for the past few years. Earlier this summer she led the protest against the Ludacris performance at Musikfest. She was also a member of the Bethlehem Defense Fund, a group which unsuccessfully attempted to stop the Sands-Bethworks project.

Donchez, the recently retired Allen High School teacher and winner of the Democratic primary, will be running for his 4th term on Council. He has recently joined State Rep. Joe Brennan's office as a Legislative Aide.

Mowrer, who finished third in the primary, will be seeking his 2nd consective term, after previously serving as Mayor and on City Council in the 1960s and 1970s. He is currently a local Moravian minister and was a strong anti-casino voice on Council.

Analysis: Are there any Republicans in Bethlehem to vote for Esther Lee? I will go out on a limb here and predict that the Democrats sweep. Reynolds will become the youngest council person in Bethlehem history.

City Controller Race:

The City will have a new controller for the first in a long time. Wallace DeCrosta was the long time controller passed away last year. The remainder of his term was filled by Alan Blair, who was the assistant controller. I think people forget the importance of this position until something happens like it did in NorCo's Clerk of Courts office or with Marge Szulborski in Upper Macungie. People need to make informed decisions when voting a controller.

The candidates for Bethlehem Controller are:
Democrat David Digiacinto, a former member of the Bethlehem Authority; and
Republican Meg Holland, who owns Meg Holland & Associates, a local accounting company.

I admittedly know little about either candidate. Ms. Holland's resume is quite impressive, though.

I think I will need to pass on the analyis of this race until I can look at each candidate more closely. Look for a post in the future.

City and Moravian Dispute Land Ownership

2007-08-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Bethlehem City Council and Moravian College officials will hope to settle an on-going dispute over ownership of a parcel of land where the college hopes to build new dorms at tonight's City Council meeting. The agenda is here.

The land is situated north of Lehigh St., west of City Hall, south of Church St. and east of Main St. It is currently home to the Moravian College Band Shell and is the former Kuntsplatz site during Musikfest.

Moravian wants to tear down the band shell and build a dorm there.

Councilman Joseph Leeson has other ideas. He correctly believes that a deed is erroneously recorded in the Northampton County recorder of deeds office and that the City actually owns the land. City Solicitor Chris Spandoni and Moravian Attorney Bill Matz agree.

The Express-Times has the rest of the story here.

Here is my take:

First, I enjoy seeing open green space in downtown Bethlehem. I hope that the City does in fact own the land and decides not to sell it or transfer it to Moravian.

Second, Moravian has had a history of being greedy with respect to the land in question, and even forced Musikfest off the land. So I am glad that they had a wrinkle in their plan.

Third, I do not want a dorm in downtown Bethlehem. I think it would eventually ruin the uniqueness of the downtown area.

Fourth, I believe most of the deeds for downtown Bethlehem go back to two or three deeds, which are handwritten grants of land from the Moravian Church. So I can easily believe that something is recorded erroneously. ( I am sure Bernie O'Hare can comment on the deed issue.)

Finally, I applaud City Councilman Leeson for his efforts to find out the true ownership of the land and not to just hand it over to Moravian College. If they want it, make 'em earn it.

Blogger's Note: Reports of my demise have greatly been exagerreted. Sorry I have not posted in a while. I have been on vacation and had to deal with Musikfest for 10 days.

State Rep. Karen Beyer Against Education

2007-07-31T09:25:00.000-04:00

Back in May, State Rep. Karen Beyer introduced HB446, a bill that would cut funding and cap enrollment at Pennsylvania cyber schools, among other things. A biased summary can be read here.

The House Education Committee has scheduled hearings in the Pittsburgh area today and tomorrow to discuss this bill.

Pennsylvania Families for Cyber Schools has stated that this bill will close cyber schools in Pennsylvania. They have even taken a full page ad in this mornings The Morning Call, directed at Karen Beyer, urging her to really listen to the people at the hearings.

Cyber schools are a great alternative for many students who want a better education and for those who have trouble in the brick and mortar schools. The scores of these schools are amongst the highest in the state.

Letting these schools go would be a terrible idea.

Who is behind this: Rep. Karen Beyer is the sponser of the bill. There are many co-sponsors, including two local democrats, State Rep. Jennifer Mann and State Rep. Rich Grucela. They are just representing their special interests, however. The real culprit here is the PSEA and the PSBA. A simple search of the campaign contribution records indicates that Beyer received $3,500 in a single period last year from PSEA-PACE and over $4,500 in the last year! They have also made contributions to Mann.

Seems to me that Rep. Karen Beyer's real interest is in serving the special interests that contribute to her campaign.

City Council Meeting Reminder

2007-07-30T13:40:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder to those 8 people who attend City Council meetings (Dana Grubb and friends I am looking in your direction) that the first Council meeting of August has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening at the usual time and place. Council did not want their crowds to have to worry about parking next week with Musikfest going on.

It is a hot agenda, too. Those amendments to SALDO will have that placed packed.

State Senator Lisa Boscola a DINO?

2007-07-20T09:43:00.000-04:00

If you read my blog long enough, you will find out sooner or later I am not a Lisa Boscola fan.

I have always thought of her as a DINO (Democrat In Name Only).

Recently she has more than admitted it.

During the Kieklak fiasco, Boscola took to the airwaves as a caller to Ken Matthews radio show on WGPA. During her flustered call, she claimed she was more conservative than most Republicans. A commenter (Anon 11:25) to Bernie O'hare's blog gave a fairly good summary of the call.

Then last week, during the budget debate, Boscola gave a speech on the Senate floor calling out the administration for furloughing workers and not passing the budget. During her speech, she said it was a sham and a disgrace that welfare recipients will continue to get checks and workers won't. John Micek's Capitol Ideas blog had the quote and a comment. Boscola is so proud of her comments, that she has posted the video on her website. It is viewable here.

Now last time I checked, Democrats did not brag about being more conservative than Republicans and did not criticize people for receiving welfare.

So today I will be starting a new feature here at Down and Out in Bethlehem, the DINO Club.

Congratulations State Senator Lisa Boscola you are a charter member of the DINO club.

Please feel free to email me or leave a comment for nominations for future members.

Lehigh Little League Not Being Good Sports, Again!

2007-07-18T10:09:00.001-04:00

At Tuesday's Bethlehem City Council Meeting, Council was addressed by Shawn Bogert, an announcer from the Bethlehem Cardinals, an adults baseball team in the Blue Mountain League. Mr. Bogert wanted council to enforce its lease with Lehigh Little League. Apparently Lehigh Little League President Eugene Ashner and Bogert were in a pushing match on Sunday at the field over the use of the PA system.

Councilwoman Karen Dolan stated that she had recieved numerous complaints about Lehigh Little League and it not allowing other teams to use the leased fields.

The Morning Call and Express Times each have account of the meeting.

Dolan continued that she was not even sure if Lehigh Little League was a non-profit organization. A check of the PA Department of States records indicate it is a registered non-profit organization. The record can be viewed here.

Dolan's error aside. I agree with her that something needs to be done with Lehigh Little League.

I have a problem with a non-profit making money off of city public property when it is in violation of the lease. I especially have a problem when that non-profit is a little league with the majority of its members being residents of Hanover Township, Northampton County. This league is so connected with Hanover Township that it had a parade to honor one of its teams in Hanover Township.

It is time for the City to terminate its lease with Lehigh Little League and take back control of the fields.

Sam Bennett's Spin Machine in Action

2007-07-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

I know this topic is a little off my focus, however I could not resist after I read this email today. It was forwarded to me from a Democratic Committee person. The email is actually 2 emails. The first is from Walter Ludwig, a former Howard Dean campaign member and executive director of Project 90, a PAC. The second email from Vincent J Zoppi, secretary of the Allentown City Democratic Committee, who forwarded the email from Ludwig to the Committee person.

"Sam has made the ultra sacrifice by cutting her Salary in half. This take a
very big person and lot of courage--
Let start by reading the e.mail from Walter and going out and telling
everyone what in the body of this message
-----Original Message-------
From: Walter Ludwig
Date: 07/13/07 7:25:35 PM
To: @teamblue.org,
Subject: Pushing Back on Dent
Forward to your lists as you see fit.
It is already clear that Charlie Dent is running scared this time, because
he faces a formidable opponent who will be well-funded and articulate. His
political people are trying hard already to get Sam Bennett out of the race,
so he can get a free pass. These efforts will include using the press to
plant embarassing and misleading stories, such as the one last week. (And
whatever the reporter's motivations in writing the story, the quick
involvement of Sen. Pat Browne shows there was a political component.)
It is important for us to remember, and to remind others, that this is
politics-as-usual for Republicans in general and Charlie Dent in particular,
a so-called "nice guy" who nevertheless doesn't vote "nice" and is
surrounded by some pretty nasty political advisors. We only have to go back
to the last election to recall that Dent and Shawn Millen spent over a
million dollars bludgeoning Charles Dertinger.
We have to be prepared to defend against these tactics whenever and however
they occur. All of you have significant "spheres of influence," both in and
out of politics. We ask that you take every opportunity to remind them of
the following:
Dent is scared; Karl Rove and he both know he is one of the most vulnerable
Republicans in the House. He will do anything, say anything to win
re-election.
He may be a "nice guy," but his people are nasty politcal hacks.
He may be a "nice guy," but his votes on the war, on health care, on the
environment and almost ever other issue are straight down the line with
Bush.
The national Republican party has already promised Dent millions in extra
help with his race; we need to make sure our side has the financial
resources to fight back."

Quick Hits for Wednesday

2007-07-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

Back from a few days at the beach with a few quick hits for Wednesday.

1. The July 5th Morning Call tells us Council quietly enacted the new recreation fee at the July 3rd meeting.

2. The July 5th Morning Call also tells us that Council President Schweder and Councilman Leeson criticized Mayor Callahan for swapping his older Chevy Impala for the a new one that was approved in the budget, but was designated for the city inspector. The problem, according to Leeson, was that City Council did not authorize the Mayor to get a new car.

My view: City Council authorized a new car, after that it is up to the director of public property to decide who gets it. Who knows who needs a new car better than the man in charge of the cars. This is just overly critical of Leeson and Schweder.

3. District Attorney John Morganelli prematurely announced his intention to run for Attorney General, again.

My view: He is running for Attorney General, again. Move over Lou Barletta, Morganelli will be running on the immigration reform platform.

4. I hate getting into school board business, but the Bethlehem Area SD School Board has decided to continue a policy of not allowing students at Freedom and Liberty receive credit for volunteering at Musikfest.

My View: This stinks. The whole idea of mandatory community service stinks. Bethlehem needs to reevaluate the whole program and establish better definitions, according to Director Charlene Koch. I agree. I also think that volunteering at a community festival that brings lots to the city is community service.

5. Councilman Leeson already has a plan to spend the new recreation fee money. He wants to keep one of the City's pools open year round. I like the idea, but think the money should first be used to modernize and clean up the parks and pools in the city currently. This idea coming from the fiscally conservative Leeson surprises me, I guess someone in the Leeson household likes to swim.

6. Finally, new Morning Call Blog, Bethlehem Daily Star, informs us today that Councilman Robert Donchez has retired from the Allentown School District and is working in State Rep. Steve Samuelson's office, alongside council candidate J. William Reynolds. Word on the street is that Donchez is actually working in State Rep. Joe Brennan's southside office.
UPDATE: The article has been corrected to state that Donchez is working for Brennan and not Samuelson.

My view: Donchez is a good public servant and his working for one of the State Reps can only help Bethlehem and the surrounding communities.

First Look: 2009 Mayoral Race

2007-07-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

Is it ever too early to look ahead to the 2009 Bethlehem Mayoral Election? I did not think so.

Yes, believe it or not, Mayor John Callahan is able to run for another term as mayor of Bethlehem. Callahan was elected in a special election to serve the remainder of Don Cunningham's 2nd term, and was later elected to serve his first term, the current term of his adminsitration.

This blogger believes that Callahan will seek re-election and will face a challenge in the primary.

Here are the list of potential primary challengers:

J. Michael Schweder- rumor has it that he will be retiring from his post at AT&T soon, and is looking at a 2009 run. Schweder is the current council president and one of the strongest critics of the Callahan administration. Mr. Schweder could receive the backing of some very influential Democrats like TJ Rooney.

Joseph Leeson, Esquire- current member of City Council, local attorney and puppet of Schweder. If Schweder does not run, expect that Leeson will, with Schweder's strong support. Leeson was the top vote getter as a candidate for council in 2005 and could a tough opponent for Callahan.

Dana Grubb- former city employee and candidate for city council. Frequent critic of the current administration. Probably does not have the support to win, but may run just to cause trouble for Callahan. Probabaly would not run if Schweder or Leeson ran.

Anthony Rybak, Esq.- local attorney and former mayoral candidate. He does not like Callahan and that may be motivation enough for him to run, again.

There it is folks, my short list of challengers to Callahan in the 2009 Mayoral Election.

Second Vote On New Recreation Fee Set for Tuesday

2007-07-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

Bethlehem City Council is set to vote on the second reading of the Recreation Fee Ordinance on Tuesday evening at Town Hall. Council previously voted 5-0 in favor of the ordinance, which increases the current recreation fees that developers pay when building in the city as much at 650%.

Why it is good- With the development of the Steel on the horizon and other residential developments in the works, developers will be paying a fee that will ensure that parks and recreation facilities in the City will be maintained and expanded upon.

Why it is bad- Council rushed this ordinance to the agenda at its last meeting, so that the changes in the fees would include the Martin Tower Redevelopment. Since it was rushed, the council failed to get public input on the new ordinance, and even failed to consult the Bethlehem Recreation Commission.

While I understand the need for the fee change, I am disappointed that Council failed to get public input before voting on the ordinance.

Charlie Brown to be Honored.

2007-06-25T22:14:00.000-04:00

The Bethlehem Ice House will be renamed to honor Charles A. Brown tomorrow evening (Tuesday, June 26, 2007) at 6:00 p.m. at a ceremony at the Ice House.

For those who do not know, Charlie Brown was the long time Director of Parks and Public Property for the City of Bethlehem. Charlie retired earlier this year and City Council voted to honor him by renaming the Ice House. It will be named the "Charles A. Brown Ice House."

Every honor the City gives Charlie is well-deserved and will never repay all that Charlie has given the City.

Bethlehem's Political Landscape

2007-06-24T18:47:00.000-04:00

The City of Bethlehem's poltical landscape is interesting, to say the least. All elected officials in the city goverment are Democrats. That would make one think that the city government runs smoothly and politics in the city is boring. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

The City Council is comprised of Jean Belinski, Karen D. Dolan, Robert J. Donchez, Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., Esq, Gordon B. Mowrer, J. Michael Schweder and Magdalena F. Szabo. Mr. Schweder is the President of City Council. Ms. Szabo recently lost a bid for re-election, and will be replaced on City Council by J. William Reynolds in January 2008. (Blogger's Note: Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Donchez and Mr. Mowrer will have to run against Esther Lee, a republican, in November 2007. However this blogger feels that Ms. Lee has no chance, due to the registration edge that the Dems hold in the city.)

The Mayor is John Callahan.

There are two factions among the elected Democrats, those who side with Mayor Callahan and those who side with Mr. Schweder. Ms. Belinski and Mr. Leeson have consistently sided with Mr. Schweder on key issues. Ms. Dolan has consistently been supportive of the Mayor's agenda. Mr. Donchez and Mr. Mowrer have also been supportive of the Mayor's agenda but have been independant on some key issues. Ms. Szabo has supported Mr. Schweder's agenda, but was very supportive of the BethWorks project and the casino gaming.

The last election showcases this division. Mr. Callahan supported Mr. Donchez, Mr. Mowrer and Ron Heckman in the election. Mr. Schweder supported Ms. Szabo, Mr. Donchez and Dana Grubb. The other candidates were Mr. Reynolds and Ismael Arcelay. The order of finish was Mr. Donchez, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Mowrer, Mr. Grubb, Ms. Szabo, Mr. Heckman and Mr. Arcelay.

It is unknown where Mr. Reynolds, an aide to State Rep. Steve Samuelson, stands. He seems to be in the middle, with a slight lean to the Callahan faction.

Who needs Republicans with Democrats like this?

Recreation Fee Change: Too Little, Too Late?

2007-06-21T12:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's Morning Call tells us that Bethlehem City Council voted 5-0 to adopt a new recreation lands and fees ordinance that would impose a 650 percent fee increase on new-home developers and, for the first time, would require developers of commercial and industrial properties to contribute to the development of parks and recreation in the city.

This is a step in the right direction, however I must ask "What took so long?" It seems to me that the City has lost a lot of money over the past few years. I can think of 4 or 5 developments that have been built in the City in the past few years, including the Riverport project.

My other criticism over this ordinance change is that they failed to get public input and failed to consult the Bethlehem Recreation Commission. I understand that this ordinance change was rushed so that Pektor's Martin Tower Redevelopment would be included, but public input should be a requirement for any ordinance change. And what is the use of having a Recreation Commission, which includes members of the public, if it is not going to be consulted.

Finally, why does City Council have a solicitor? Attorney Chris Spadoni is the solicitor for the City Council, he is paid $17,450.00 per year for his work. I have always found him to be a skilled attorney. However, I often read that Councilman Leeson is offering legal opinions during council meetings. Mr. Leeson is a fine attorney and former city solicitor, but should he be offering legal opinions when the city already pays someone to do that?

Blogger's Note: This is my first post. This is the type of information and opinions you will get here. I have been reading the Lehigh Valley blogs for the past 18 months or so and realized that Bethlehem has not been covered very well in the blogosphere, so I thought I would try to change that. Your comments are appreciated.

Welcome!

2007-06-20T19:25:00.000-04:00

Hi, and welcome to Down and Out in Bethlehem.

I plan on blogging periodically about current events from the Bethlehem area.

I will primarily focus on politics and city government.

Look for my first post soon!