City Controller Candidate Comes Out Swinging

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.