Lehigh Valley Ramblings

IFormer NorCo Exec John Brown has returned from Florida and is announcing a new biz he's calling John Brown Leadership Solutions Llc. His leadership solutions in Northampton County are pretty much why he is no longer Exec. But let him explain his new company in his own words, shall we? He describes himself as a:

Transformative senior executive providing objective leadership expertise that complements vision and execution. Transmutes critical thinking about the organization’s problems and challenges into a dynamic strategic advantage. Systematically disrupts current paradigms to solve problems, reveal root causes and actualize innovative solutions to create outstanding results that transform public and private organizations.

According to papers filed with the Department of State, his corporate address is 515 West Hamilton Street, Suite 502, Allentown, PA 18101.

That just happens to be the address of Norris, McLaughlin and Marcus. That's the law firm that billed the County over $810,000 for its services on the General Purpose Authority over two years.

Maybe Brown and John Lushis will market P3 projects throughout the state.

Four years ago, a little known Mayor from Bangor, John Brown pulled off a major upset. He defeated Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan.  Lamont McClure, who is challenging Brown four years later, may pull off an upset of his own. His campaign has thrown Brown on the defensive This hard-hitting TV ad has been airing the past few days on several local news outlets.

A year ago, when the discussion about a jail at Gracedale was in earnest, Executive John Brown said nothing. He never corrected his Administrator when she said that she had been at a meeting concerning Gracedale and that "some of the people we need to be in our corner will be in our corner." Of course, he was busy at the time, running for statewide office.

Earlier this year, he admitted that he had visited a dozen different sites, including Gracedale, as a new site for a jail. He also told Council that the new jail would never be built in Easton, even after Peg Ferraro told him she opposed a jail at Gracedale.

He represented a $78,000 contract with an architect as a study of jail programming. But the billing shows it as a "master plan" for a new detention center. He awarded this contract even though the National Institute of Corrections would perform an objective study at no cost to the taxpayer.

Last week, when confronted by Nazareth area residents, he still refused to rule out a jail at Gracedale in a long, rambling speech.

Last night, Brown attended the Chairman's Dinner for the county GOP. He was undoubtedly told that his refusal to take a stand may very well cost him the election. So he has finally released a statement on his Facebook campaign page, denying that he has any intention ever of building a jail at Gracedale.

[Lamont] McClure is using "FEAR FACTOR" to incite fear in our seniors, children and families by spreading rumors @ a new jail at Gracedale! Absurd!!
For the past 4 years, I have worked tirelessly to return Gracedale to profitability and guarantee our seniors will always have a safe place to call home.
Unequivocally, as long as I am County Executive there will never be a jail built at Gracedale!

I hate to break this to you, John, but it is you who has incited fear. The concern about a jail at Gracedale is no rumor, and was your creation. You are responsible for the discussions that started over a year ago. Because you lack transparency, you refused to address these concerns..

What you are saying now should have been said a year ago. At this point, you've lost the trust of some people who otherwise might have voted for you. This is not McClure's doing. This is your doing.

John Stoffa never missed elections; John Brown never bothered.

Northampton County Executive John Brown likes to portray himself as Captain Corporate America, a man who devoted his business career to saving failed businesses. He gave all that up for us. But as I explained to you on Friday, the truth is much different. Thanks to a deposition of John Brown himself, taken in 2014, I can tell you that he saved no corporations. He mostly worked in what I would call lower or middle management. He did manage to get fired twice, and actually spent a year in customer service at Majestic Athletic Wear, where the only job requirement is a high school diploma. At the last place he worked, he was laid off in 2008 when the Great Recession hit. He went into the public sector because he needed a job. He had no interest in politics or government, and that is borne out by his very spotty voting record.

In his 2014 deposition, he was asked about his entry into politics.

Q. How did you get involved in politics?
     A. Decided to run for mayor and that was my introduction to politics.
Q. Had you been actively involved in politics previously?
     A. No.
Q. Are you a registered Republican?
     A. Yes.
Q. When did you register as a Republican?
     A. I don't know specifically.
Q. Approximately?
     A. Within the last 10, 15 years.
Q. Prior to that time were you registered?
     A. I believe I was registered independent.

From his deposition, we know that Brown graduated from high school in 1979 and from college in 1983. He should have registered to vote sometime in that period. But Northampton County's voting records show that he waited until October 3, 1995, before doing so. That's 12 years after his college graduation.

Brown said he registered as a Republican 10-15 years ago, and prior to that, was an Independent. The elections records show that he registered 22 years ago, and was always a Republican.

After registering to vote in 1995, he failed to show up at the polls and vote in the municipal races that year. Nor did he vote in the 1996 elections in which incumbent Bill Clinton was re-elected. He also skipped the 1997 municipal race in which Robert Janus was elected Mayor of Bangor. Two years later, Janus was arrested and eventually pleaded guilty in a drug sting in which he was accused of selling cocaine from a bathroom in the Sportsman's Bar and tipping off dealers.

A former Bangor Mayor, Duane Miller, said that "the townspeople abdicated their responsibility" in that election, and Brown was certainly one of them.

After being registered to vote in 1995, Brown cast his first vote in the 1999 municipal primary. But he failed to follow through and vote in the general election that year.

He also skipped the municipal elections completely in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

He only began voting regularly in 2009, when he himself decided to run for Mayor in Bangor.

He needed a job.

The conduct of elections is a county responsibility. He now administers an office he routinely ignored when he was in the private sector.

Prior executives have always taken this responsibility very seriously. One of Gerald "Jerry" Seyfried's proudest moments was when he and his lovely wife were honored for voting for 50 years straight. Glenn Reibman and John Stoffa have both received this honor. When he was Executive, John Stoffa often conducted ceremonies to honor 50-year voters.

Democracy, after all, is no spectator sport.

While I was at it, I checked the voting records of Lamont McClure and the candidates for County Council. All but one are impeccable. Bill McGee, for example, has voted in every election without fail since he first registered in Northampton County in 1996.

One Council candidate, solar panel salesperson and author Tara Zrnski, has a spotty voting record.  She registered to vote in 2000, but has only voted 11 times. She skipped the municipal elections in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. That's right. She never cast a vote in the races in which John Brown was elected over John Callahan.

It is difficult for either Brown or Zrnski to claim they care about county issues when they've missed most of the elections.

John Brown

When John Brown ran for office four years ago, all we knew about his past employment was that he came from the private sector and called himself a "consultant." When asked, he either dodged the question or gave cryptic replies. I now know why. In his business career, John Brown has been fired twice. He was also laid off in 2008. Right after that is when he became a "consultant." He was able to campaign door-to-door in Bethlehem because, for all practical purposes, he was jobless.

How do I know all this?  From John Brown himself. No, he didn't call me up and say, "Bernie, your readers are going to love this!" I know this from reading his deposition, under oath, on October 24, 2014. That was taken after he was sued for violating the due process rights of Jill Mancini, an Assistant Solicitor

He lost the case, both in front of a jury and then on appeal to the Third Circuit.

Brown graduated in 1979 from Bangor High School, and then from Notre Dame University in 1983 with a B.S.degree in microbiology. Not business.Not economics. Later, he did take courses at Moravian, Lehigh and Lafayette with an eye to obtaining an M.BA.. But he never competed his coursework.

His first job after graduation, amazingly, was not in the sciences. He went to work for municipal bond broker J.J. Kenny in NYC. After five years, he was canned. His explanation?" "Basically I wasn't able to -- the time required for the job I couldn't do while I was commuting."

From bond trader, he sunk to the customer service department at Majestic Athletic, then located in the Slate Belt, where he stayed a year.

My grandson's mother worked in customer service at Majestic Athletic for two years.

Maybe she should be Northampton County Executive.

Brown left Majestic Athletic voluntarily in 1989, and went to work for  Columbia Chemical Co., which basically provides the surface finishing for your dining room table. He lasted at this job for eight years, the longest period at any job he'd had. This time, he was in sales and even became a regional sales manager. But in 1997, he was fired again. His explanation? "Essentially I disagreed -- looking for movement within the company that couldn't be done, so they felt it was best if I moved on."

After being fired a second time, Brown found work at Chr. Hansen Co, a Danish bioscience company that develops natural solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. He became a sales manager and a VP in pharmaceuticals. He worked out of worked in Mahwah, NJ. He lasted five years and quit in 2003. Explanation? "They were changing -- I left them."

From Chr. Hansen, Brown went to work for International Specialty Products, which manufactures specialty chemicals and is now owned by Ashland. He worked out of Wayne, NJ. He was let go in 2008, perhaps a victim of the Great Recession. They "downsized the department and I was laid off."

So of necessity, Brown became a consultant known as "John Brown and Associates," working out of his house. He never incorporated. He was unable to explain or identify any of the so-called associates in John Brown and Associates.

Brown claims he made a living, but I doubt it, especially during the Great Recession. So my guess is that a man who had been apolitical his entire life and who rarely voted,  suddenly turned to government for a livelihood.

After two years as Executive, Brown set his sites on higher office - state auditor general.

On his campaign website, he claimed to have "spent most of his career working in the private sector turning around unprofitable businesses by making them more effective, efficient and successful."  He told the GOP faithful that his background was in the private sector, flipping businesses that were failing financially.

As you now know, these statements are untrue. Brown's portrayal of himself as a savior of troubled businesses is simply false. He was a salesman, a bond trader and worked for a rag mill in customer service, a job that any high school grad can do. .

After misrepresenting himself to the entire state of Pennsylvania, Brown thinks you're stupid enough to re-elect him. And he may be right. After all, Northampton County voters went for Trump, and he's a serial liar.

But I'm hoping he's wrong, and gets fired for the third time. This time by the voters.

Last night, Northampton County Executive John Brown held a fundraiser at the posh Blue Grille, located along Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township. Since US Senator Pat Toomey was hosting it, I thought this event might catch the attention of some activists. It did, but it was pretty much the reverse of what I expected.

Instead of  seeing the Tuesday with Toomey, the activists who lined up across the street were Trump supporters. They were waving American and Trump flags. Some carried "Repeal Obamacare" signs, while others held signs saying,"Defend the 2d Amendment."

During the ten minutes or so that I was there, I noticed several cars beep their horns in support of this group. I also saw one woman roll her car window down and shout, "Dump Trump!" The group was friendly and many of them greeted me, even though they know I consider Trump a dangerous demagogue.

Why were they rallying outside the fundraiser for a Republican Executive who supported Trump and unilaterally slashed health benefits for county employees before he realized that he had violated several union contracts in the process? Why were they rallying outside a fundraiser hosted by a US Senator who supported the repeal of Obamacare?.

NorCo GOP chair Lee Snover said she was unable to make this event, but said the rally was basically a reminder.

Rightly or wrongly, US Senator Pat Toomey has been criticized for failing to meet with his own constituents. Facebook group "Tuesdays with Toomey" camps outside Toomey's regional offices office every week. Well, Northampton County Executive knows what it takes to see Toomey. Brown's opponent in the Executive race, Lamont McClure, explains below

Dear Friends,

We have all wondered what it takes to actually get to talk to Senator Pat Toomey. Today, my opponent John Brown shows us it takes a private fundraiser and $200.

Throughout this campaign we have been talking about the Corrupt, Crony Filled and Callous ways my opponent has chosen to lead Northampton County. So today we are dedicating a page on our website to display all of the ways John Brown is Corrupt, Crony Filled and Callous.

The page can be found here:

Corrupt, Crony Filled and Callous

While there, be sure to click on the link to see how Lamont plans to Protect, Preserve and Prosper going forward if elected County Executive.

We also still need donations to make sure we have enough money to compete all the way through November 7th. You can donate online by clicking HERE or mail a check to the address below:

Citizens for McClure
4110 Scherman Blvd.
Bethlehem, PA 18020
Please understand that we are not permitted to accept any corporate contributions.

Thank you in advance for your generous support!  Share this link with your friends and family members when explaining why we need to Elect Lamont McClure County Executive!

Sincerely,

Lamont G. McClure
Democrat for Northampton County Executive
www.lamontmcclure.com

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound? If a politician calls a newxs conference and only a blogger appears, is it still a news conference? Bethlehem Attorney Lamont McClure might be able to weigh in on these philosophical questions. He's the Democratic nominee for Northampton County Executive, and called a presser yesterday to lament Human Services vacancies, particularly in the agencies that are supposed to protect our elderly and children. None of the daily news outlets appeared. After the election, they will piously condemn voter apathy and wonder why no one votes.

I get the idea of a news blackout right before an election, when politicians become desperate and will make outrageous claims about the other side. But in August? McClure's news conference, which went on without them, was intended to inform the voters that there are vacancies in several Human Services departments.

Human Services Director Allison Frantz discussed these vacancies at a committee meeting in July. I was the sole member of the press, if you can call me that, who was there. At that time, she disclosed staff shortages at Area Agency on Aging (17%), Children Youth and Families (CYF) (13 caseworkers) and Information and Referral Emergency Services (IRES) (3 PT caseworkers). McClure's fear, and a warranted one is that Executive John Brown is dragging his feet to fill these vacancies, something he did with corrections officers at the jail and row office workers.

"We're going full tilt and we don't have any down time," CYF Director Kevin Dolan told NorCo Council in June. "'Something bad is gonna' happen,' a fellow CYF Director recently told him. Referrals of possible child abuse have risen in his office from 3,514 in 2014 to an estimated 7,500 this year. Most of these new referrals are a result of what are commonly called the Sandusky laws, which now require more reporting.

The Area Agency on Aging is dealing with a surge in baby boomers while IRES is responding to the opioid epidemic.

So the problem goes beyond a need to fill vacancies. There actually is a need for more staff.

Will Brown fill this need? "We need to get those filled now," said McClure.

This was the point of McClure's news conference. An excerpt is posted above.

"Let me take you to my private beach."

Tuesdays with Toomey is a weekly lunchtime ritual. This began shortly after the Presidential election. Protesters assemble outside US Senator Pat Toomey's various offices throughout the state, including his Cedar Crest Boulevard office, to demand a town hall. What they seek is accountability. Aside from a televised town hall in July, Toomey has yet to meet face-to-face with the people he represents. The cacophony of democracy is a tad too much for this former hedge fund manager. Well, let me tell you all a little secret. If you want to see Toomey, I'll tell you how.  But it's on a Wednesday.  You've been going the wrong damn day.

On Wednesday, August 23, between 5:30 and 7 pm, Toomey will be hosting a $200 a head fundraiser to support the re-election of NorCo Executive John Brown. It's at the exclusive Blue Grillhouse in verdant Bethlehem Tp.

Brown is the man who took last year off at taxpayer expense to run for state auditor general. He lost. For $500, you get to be on the host committee.For $1,000, you get to be on Brown's Finance Committee. Or you can just go there for dinner. Or stand across the street and exercise your First Amendment rights

Like two peas in a pod, Toomey hides from his constituents and Brown has failed to conduct a news conference in two years. The optics of this are lousy.

But Brown and Toomey are kindred souls. Toomey wants to repeal Obamacare while Brown slashed health benefits for county workers. Toomey ducks meetings with his constituents while Brown posted armed guards outside one of his news conferences during his disastrous first year in office.

Brown crows that he has "eliminated all deficit spending," but fails to point out that his Republican Council imposed a 10% tax hike his first year in office. He also brags about his financial success at Gracedale, which has managed to drop from four stars to just one in a federal rating of nursing homes.  He talks about fiscal responsibility, but had to reimburse the county for $1,500 in expenses that he and his Director of Administration improperly claimed.  Just as Toomey has ducked his constituents, Brown has failed to answer Lamont McClure's repeated calls for a debate.

"The consensus is that I have an excellent chance of being re-elected," Brown claims in a letter seeking money.. "Generally, the taxpayers of Northampton County believe I have done a very good job reforming County government."

Really? Take a look at the monstrosity known as the county website, which actually removed important data from the public, like meeting minutes and election results.

But what you don't know won't hurt you. And if it does, at least you won't know.

When he was running for state auditor general last year, NorCo Exec John Brown got to know Trump spin Jedi Kellyane Conway.

He also shared a tender moment with Chris Christie, who could share advice about staying on beaches on the public dime while excluding everyone else.

These are things you should know when you vote for Executive in November.

NorCo County Executive John Brown has an opponent - Lamont McClure. In under a minute, he laid out just some of the problems over the past four years. They include (1) a public relations consultant who was subsidized by taxpayers; (2) an Executive who balanced the budget on the backs of employees by slashing their medical benefits, resulting in morale that is an all-time low; and (3) appointing an Administrator with no experience and no education.

McClure made these remarks at a house party attended by 30 people over the weekend.

This party was hosted by one of Brown's former supporters.

Unfortunately for the county, the three items mentioned by McClure barely scratch the surface.

He jokingly said he would ban hoverboards at the courthouse, and the $800 popcorn machine would be moved from HR Director Amy Trapp's personal fiefdom to the courthouse cafeteria.

Lamont McClure at Bethlehem rally

Though the numbers that matter are the ones registered in the voting booth, it's no secret that money helps get the message out. Right now, Democrat Lamont McClure is way ahead in that category in his bid to become the next county executive. He is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and used his time to focus on raising money. His second Friday Pre-Primary report shows that he has raised $49.5000 so far. His total warchest now stands at $51,778.56.

Incumbent John Brown, running unopposed for the GOP nod, has made no effort to campaign. He skipped a county party meeting last week and also was a no-show at a pizza party thrown by popular Judge Emil Giordano, a Republican running for the Superior Court. His second Friday Pre-Primary report shows just one contribution, $1,500 from landfill owner Charles Chrin. His warchest  has just $2,137.74.

That's hardly enough for one night in Vegas.

Most of McClure's money comes from unions, including AFSCME, the bargaining unit that represents many of the county's unionized workers. That's no surprise, given that Brown has hardly endeared himself to county workers. But what is a surprise is to see that several Bethlehem Democrats who previously supported Brown are now supporting McClure.        

Brown kept things close in Bethlehem, enabling him to win the race countywide. He appears to have lost his Bethlehem advantage.

Brown at State of County Address

Until medical conditions dictated otherwise, Executive John Stoffa refused to accept a special parking place that is coveted by so many other county officials. He marched up the Seventh Street hill daily, trying to set an example. During his eight years in office, he also refused to submit an expense report for the numerous functions a county Executive is expected to attend. John Brown is another story.  He filed expense reports for everything, including political trips. He, along with then Deputy Administrator Cathy Allen, were surcharged $1500 by Controller Steve Barron. To their credit, they both reimbursed the County. But what about Brown's expense reports for 2015 and 2016?  Do any look suspicious?

As part of a Right-to-Know request filed with Northampton County, I sought Brown's expense reports for 2015 and 2016. I am still awaiting some records, and told the County to take its time as I wade through the 500 pages produced. They include Brown's expense reports from 2015 to 3/25/17. During that time, he has been reimbursed $4,378.48.

Here's what I can tell you about Brown's expense reports:

1) In his first two year in office, Brown billed 151 trips. He billed for for 75 trips in 2015, mostly for travel to different functions here in the Lehigh Valley. But in 2016, he only went on 38 trips. That's about half as many as in 2015 or 2014. Why? It's because in 2016, he was too busy running for state auditor general to have much time for the county. Instead of running the county, he was trying to unseat incumbent state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. His absence created a vacuum.

2) Brown billed us $644.46 for six round trips to Philly in his unsuccessful effort to defend his termination of Ass't County Solicitor Jill Mancini without first affording her due process of law. Mancini was awarded $94,232 for the due process violation, along with $217,452 in attorney fees. The decision was affirmed by the Third Circuit, which tacked on an another $31,433.15 in attorney fees. I see no reason why taxpayers should reimburse Brown for a mess he created.

3) During his tenure, Brown has had three overnight stays at hotels, all in connection with County Comm'r Assn of Pa (CCAP) conferences. On November 22, 2015, he stayed at the Hersey Hotel for a room rate of $254.19, even though the Hampton Inn only charged Public Works Director Stan Rugis $130.67. In March 2016, he spent two nights at the Harrisburg Hilton for a CCAP conference, at a room rental rate of $317.48 for both nights. In November 2016, he was back at Hotel Hershey, which dropped its rate to $204.24. Brown was unable to state at the April 20 Council meeting whether the County even attempts to get discounted rates like the state and federal government.

4) Brown never charges for meals, even when he has meetings at restaurants. So either he is paying his own way, which is to his credit, or he is dieting so he can look as svelte as i do.

As much as I criticize NorCo Executive John Brown, he does have a tough job that forces him to make unpleasant choices. It's too bad he never got the chance to see Marty Bechtel or Gene Hartzell, our first two Executives, in action. It was a simpler time, but they still made it look easy. Brown, in contrast, has managed to piss off his most loyal supporters in the northwestern tier of Northampton County in a way that makes him look like a grinch who is insensitive to public safety. Amazingly, it's over the paltry sum of $17,680. He's right, but could have used one of Amy Trapp's staff development courses so that he could explain things better.

Before I tell you what happened, I want to explain a little more about Gene Hartzell. When he was concerned about tardiness, it never crossed his mind to install punch clocks. He instead would occasionally stand at the courthouse entrance and look at his watch as a tardy staffer came in. That took care of the problem. If you needed something and went to see him, he'd say No and give you 1,000 reasons why what you were seeking is impossible. Then in the next day or two, you'd see a news account telling you he was doing exactly what you had suggested. He knew how to listen and how to be flexible.

Northampton County now has a streamlined centralized booking center right outside the jail. Brown is right to be very proud of it. When a person is arrested and charged with a serious offense, he is taken to a central booking station, located next to the jail. Arresting officers at one time had to wait as the accused was processed, which usually took between two and four hours. With 2,000* bookings per year, this was roughly 4,000-8,000 man hours. This is an incredible drain on smaller departments. It often meant that there'd be no police coverage. The changes that Brown and Corrections Director Dan Keen made early last year put those police officers back on the street within 30 minutes.

In addition to the central booking station at the jail, there are two others. One of them is in Bethlehem, and that at one time was the sole booking center. The third and newest one was built in Lehigh Township with grant funds provided by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In addition to Lehigh Township, it serves the police departments in Walnutport, Northampton ,North Catty and Moore Township. It includes a Livescan Fingerprint Computer System, Commonwealth Photo Imaging Network (CPIN) and Videoconferencing Closed Circuit TV Network. It's a 24/7 operation that serves the same purpose as the other two booking centers - getting police officers back on patrol. But the grant commitment only funded operations temporarily, and language in the agreement made that clear.

Somewhere along the line, Lehigh Township got the impression that Northampton County would continue funding operations. Two weeks ago, John Brown made clear they were wrong at a Council meeting attended by Supervisor Cindy Miller, Chief Scott Fogel, Manager Alice Rehrig and Magisterial District Judge Robert Hawke. They wee also lathered up that the County had moved a polling station out of Lehigh Township and into Moore Township.

Brown's attitude was that, if these municipalities want their officers back on the road quickly, they should pay for it. Their position is that the county should pay for it out of funds assessed to defendants when they are processed. Brown made his remarks after Lehigh Township officials had already left, but when they heard about it, they vowed they'd be back.

In the meantime, Council President John Cusick asked Controller Steve Barron to "audit" the Lehigh Township center. All Barron could really do is point out the competing arguments made by both sides.

Yesterday afternoon, Cindy Miller was back before Council's Finance committee. She claimed that Northampton County's central booking unit was a "mess" before her Chief came down to Northampton County and assisted them in streamlining it. She asked why the County would refuse to pay for Lehigh Township but pay for Bethlehem.

Brown previously stated that he agreed to pay an additional year for Bethlehem because of the 911 merger, but it's only for one year.

He told Council that the central booking unit actually operates at a loss. In 2016, it collected $274,578 in fees but spent $418,443 in expenses. He was unwilling to bear the $17,680 bill for Lehigh.

Council President John Cusick put things in perspective. "This is $17,000 for public safety," he observed. "We spent $50,000 for a fish tank at the bottom of the hill," he added, referring to the proposed DaVinci Center.

Gene Hartzell, if he were still Executive, would call Cindy Miller into his office and explain in detail why he's unable to pay that bill, much as he'd like to help. Then he'd send her a check and tell her it's the last time.

The northwestern quadrant of Northampton County is heavily Republican. Why on earth would John Brown want to alienate them in an election year, especially since he already suppressed the vote by moving a precinct that would have voted for him into another township? He may be a good bean counter, but he's a lousy politician who is arguing over a minor matter.

After the meeting, Miller went to Brown's office. Hopefully, the spirit of Gene Hartzell possessed him.

Lamont McClure, a Democrat, and John Brown, a Republican, are the only two candidates running for NorCo Exec. Last week, McClure suggested that he and Brown conduct one debate every month concerning county issues. While there are obviously political motivations, this is something that creates interest in local government. It's good for democracy. But McClure has received no answer, not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement.

This is what McClure tells me: "It's been a week, and we still have not heard from Mr. Brown on our proposal for 8 debates throughout Northampton County. We believe multiple debates are the best way for both sides to put their best foot forward and to call into question the proposals and positions with which we don't agree. We are on the one hand surprised Mr. Brown won't debate. We have made the very strong accusation that his Administration is corrupt, callous and crony-filled. He should want to tell the people, show the people, why we are wrong about that. Although, on the other hand, he doesn't have a great record on transparency.

"Which might be why he has yet to respond."

John Brown

Both Lamont McClure and John Brown are running unopposed for their party's nomination in the NorCo Exec race. There are no contested Council races, either. This means the primary will be a snoozer. Great new for the candidates.Bad news for the people, who already get next to no county news from our dying dailies. With that in mind, McClure has proposed a series of debates. Here's a copy of an email he sent to Brown yesterday.

Dear Mr. Brown,

In this obvious time of political turmoil, I believe that we owe it the Citizens of Northampton County to take our individual cases for election to them directly. The time honored way to do that is through debate.

Lamont McClure

I have a simple proposition. Let's debate once per month leading up to Election Day. (I'm sure we will have no difficultly finding sponsors.)

With 8 debates, the public can become well and truly informed as to whether my plan to Protect, Preserve and Prosper or your notion of using corporation tactics of seeking efficiencies through finding synergies is the best way of moving us forward.

Please let me hear from you on this proposal as April is nearly upon us and we should begin debating as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Lamont G. McClure

In the Executive race, incumbent John Brown filed a nomination petition yesterday afternoon with 498 signatures.Challenger Lamont McClure filed his nomination petition last week,and intends to supplement it tomorrow. He expects to have about 1,100 signatures.

Historic Hotel Bethlehem was the venue for Norco Executive John Brown's State of the County address on a blustery March 2 morning  The event included a free breakfast, which usually means stale croissants and weak coffee. Not at Hotel Bethlehem. Over 150 guests were treated to mountains of scrambled eggs, bacon and homefries, along with a wide variety of juices, coffee and tea. Brown spoke for nearly a full hour, which is the longest speech he's given as County Executive.

As The Morning Call's Tom Shortell observed, Brown never once mentioned his upcoming race for Executive. To do so at a gathering hosted by the nonprofit Lehigh Valley Economic and Development Corporation (LVEDC) would be illegal. But the event still had a political overtone. Those attending this speech had to pass by a John Brown yard sign as well as circulator seeking signatures for Brown's nomination petition. This never happened before at a "State of the County" address.  

In addition to numerous business leaders, Brown's breakfast guest list included Lehigh County Exec Tom Muller, Lehigh County Comm'r Brad Osborne, Judge Craig Dally, Easton Mayor Sal Panto, Controller Steve Barron, NorCo Council member Hayden Phillips, Easton City Councilperson Pete Melan, Palmer Tp Supervisor Dave Colver, Hanover Tp. Supervisor John Diacogiannis, Discover LV's Mike Stershic and Becky Bradley of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Brown's cabinet was there, too, although Administrator Cathy Allen was a half hour late. .LVEDC CEO Don Cunningham did the intros.

Two people who were never introduced were Lamont McClure, who is running against Brown; and Ron Angle, who may be running for Council.

Brown started by stating that the County has an obligation to deliver services, keep taxes as low as possible and grow the community.  He spent his first year stabilizing finances. In his second year, he claims to have introduced accountability to the workforce, which seemed to be a reference to his unilateral reduction of healthcare benefits for the county worker. He called his third year in office a year of innovation, referring a a P3 bridge project to repair 33 bridges and a program at the county jail designed to reduce recidivism. He called this year a year of sustainability.

"What we do is not sexy," he said. "It's like blocking and tackling. It's fundamentals."

Stagnant revenues, rising expenses. - Brown painted a picture of a county with stagnant revenue and rising costs in a 2,200-person work force, 75% of who are unionized through 11 different unions. Revenue increases about $1.7 million per year, while personnel costs rise abut $2.5 million annually. Pension costs have risen from $600,000 in 2008 to $10.8 million this year. Despite his reductions in health care benefits, they still increase $1.5 million annually. "Every year, we're sliding on the wrong side of that equation,"he noted.

Workers' Comp Claims.- Brown credited his administration for changes in the payment of workman's compensation claims. Traditionally,the County paid 100% of the salary of an employee who is injured on the job, but is only required to pay 66 2/3 per cent. He eliminated this practice in 2015, which was actually appreciated by the workforce.He called this 100% pay out an example of "leaking cash" that he stopped.It has resulted in a $2.5 million savings each year.

Gracedale. - Voters decided against privatizing county-owned nursing home in 2010, where 800 county employees work.he noted that, every Sunday, it took four people to add up all the time cards with 300 different pay codes. There was also "casual overtime," in which some employees worked and charged overtime to the county without express authority from a supervisor. By eliminating this practice and streamlining the paycard process, Brown has saved $100,000 per year. Brown also maximized the census, keeping 680 beds filled. he also benefited from something called the"intergovernmental transfer," a federal program that added $2.4 million to Gracedale's coffers in 2016.As a result, Gracedale actually turned a profit that Brown placed at $150,000 in 2016. He had previously projected a profit of $800,000, but later revised it to $200,000. But whether it is $150,000 or $800,000, it is still the first time since 2007 that Gracedale finished in the black.

He also boasted that the Department of Health found no deficiencies at Gracedale in 2015 or 2016, but neglected to mention that, late last year, deficiencies were found at Gracedale.

"We have achieved a four-star rating," he went on to say, referring to the rating given by Medicare. This rating is a factor in determining how a nursing home is reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid for resident care

This part of Brown's speech is inaccurate, a point he conceded when he was finished with his speech The rating at Gracedale has actually dropped from four to three stars. Brown was unsure how that reduction will impact the reimbursement paid to Gracedale.

Even more troubling Gracedale's rating for "quality measures," a gauge of how well it responds to resident needs, is only one star, or "much below average." Of 39 nursing homes within a 25-mile radius of Gracedale, only two other nursing homes are rated that poorly when it comes to "quality measures."

Brown has budgeted a $2.6 million loss at Gracedale this year. He also stated that capital improvements must be made every year.

Open Space. - Brown stated that he has preserved 100% of the farms that applied and were qualified. He said there is no backlog of farms waiting for funding, and that 14 farms are in the pipeline for preservation.. The County also contributes $1 million per year for municipal parks.

911 Merger. - Brown noted that Bethlehem's 911 facility will be merged with the county facility in Nazareth over the next four years."I don't think the City's happy about it," he noted, calling it "one of those government mandates."

CIPP Grants. - Brown noted that his Department of Community and Economic Development is managing a program he calls the Community Investment Partnership Program. This uses table games revenue from Sands Casino to provide grants and  loans to develop business.

Job Growth.- Brown claims that about 7,000 jobs have been created since 2012, and that salaries have increased $4,000 on average over the past four years He acknowledged that is mostly the result of marketing by LVEDC.

Central Booking. - Brown noted that Corrections Director Dan Keen has managed to reduce a three or four hour process of booking a criminal defendant to about 15 minutes, enabling polioce officers to return to their jurusdiction and resume patrols, which maks the community safer.

Problem Solving Courts. - Brown credited Judge Dally for problem solving courts for people with addiction or mental health issues who are better served outside of jail. In the jail itself, Director Keen has begun a program to help inates adjust on release with simple things like securing identification cards.

P3  Rapid bridge replacement program.- Brown is spending $38 million to replace 33 bridges over the next four years. This, he claims, is 20-30% cheaper than dealing with bridges individually.

Calling himself a "proven reformer," and claiming to have eliminated all deficit spending, Executive John Brown has released a statement indicating he plans to seek re-election in Northampton County. "Working together we have overcome deep financial challenges and I am excited about the positive results accomplished over the past three years,” Brown said. “While we have made great strides, I know our county can do even better. I will work to continue what we started by seeking to strengthen, bolster and reform our county’s services to ensure they are both more effective and cost efficient.” He also claims to have tripled the County's reserves.

He takes credit for making Gracedale, the county nursing home, profitable once again. It has gone from a $6.7 million taxpayer operating loss to profitability. A month ago, he reported that the facility made a $800,000 profit in 2016. Two weeks ago, he trimmed that down to $200,000.

He also takes credit for improving the quality of care there, noting there have been no deficiencies at the facility found by the PA Department of Health over the past two years. He claims the facility is now rated by Medicare as a four-star nursing home.

In addition, he claims he is doing something about the county's infrastructure. He is spending $37 million over the next five years on a PennDOT endorsed bridge bundling project that will repair and replace thirty-three (33) of the county’s bridges over the next four years. He said this will save taxpayers 20%-30%.

As for his claim to have eliminated all deficit spending, that's simply untrue. His most recent budget dipped into reserves to the tune of about $8.2 million to balance the budget. That's called deficit spending, and it ultimately leads to tax hikes.

As far as returning Gracedale to profitability, he went from a $800,000 profit to a $200,000 profit in the span of two weeks. And he himself acknowledged that the main reason for this reversal was the injection of $2.4 million of federal funds into the facility under a revived program that allows public nursing homes to pool their money and seek matching grants. Without it, Gracedale would be operating at a loss.

Also his claim that Gracedale is now a four-star facility is also untrue. According To Medicare, Gracedale is a three-star facility. And when it comes to "quality measures," which measures how well the nursing home is doing in caring for resident needs, the nursing home gets just one star, which is "much below average." In fact, this is one reason why Peter Melan decided to run for NorCo Council.

Brown's claim about the absence of deficiencies at Gracedale is also untrue. In September, the nursing was cited for failing to act properly when a resident threatened suicide, which resulted in a suicide attempt.

In essence, it appears that his re-election announcement, which he failed to deliver in person to a group that might have questions, is replete with misinformation.

You'll notice no claim to transparency. This is a guy who posted armed guards outside his office during a news conference,and who crated a new county website that advertised Lehigh County businesses.

Brown graduated from Bangor High School and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Tina, live in Northampton County and have a son, Zachary. He fails to describe where he worked in the private sector.

Brown is opposed in this race by Bethlehem Attorney Lamont McClure, who served on NorCo Council for ten years. He issued a statement of his own. "The Brown Admin. is itself a prime example of waste, fraud and abuse. Instead of fighting it, John Brown practiced corruption, cronyism and callousness. Brown's illegal budgets, misuse of taxpayer money for political purpose and unlawful taking of meals and mileage reimbursement to which he and Ms. Allen were not entitled, is the sad legacy of the Brown Admin."

Barron was at Lamont McClure's side when he announced for Exec on Thursday.

NorCo Controller Steve Barron's access to financial data has been cut off by the Brown administration. Barron is the county official who confirmed that Sara Packer, the ex-adoption supervisor accused of murdering her own adopted daughter was a NorCo employee. At a time when the rest of the county was stonewalling or providing misleading information to reporters, Barron told the truth. And now he appears to be paying the price.

A letter from HR Director Amy Trapp dated Thursday but not delivered until Friday accuses Barron of "intentionally" disclosing the social security number of a county employee to the press.

Though Barron denies deliberately furnishing a social security numbers to anyone, a WFMZ-TV video of Barron at his computer, published on January 10, did reveal reveal Packer's social security number for under a second. There was nothing to identify that number as Packer's social security number or even as a social security number. When Barron became aware of this unintentional disclosure on Friday, he contacted WFMZ-TV69, and the station immediately removed the video.

Brown or Trapp, if they really cared about the privacy of county employees, could and should have done this themselves, as soon as either were aware of this matter. They instead allowed this private information to remain in the public domain for over a week so that they could retaliate. Brown did so at Council's Thursday night meeting, right after Barron said that Brown owes CYF workers an apology for hanging them out to dry. Trapp retaliated when she cut off Barron's access to a menu in the county's system that enables both Barron andhis staff to review payroll.

"This adjustment will in no manner impair your office's or your ability to discharge your duties," Trapp claims. But Baron, who is an independently elected official charged with responsibility for monitoring county finances, disagrees. He said that without the menu, he would never have noticed that employees were being awarded raises without Council approval,or that Brown and Administrator Cathy Allen were improperly seeking reimbursements for expenses.

This is the second time Brown has actively interfered with Barron's access to county systems. In 2014, Barron was briefly barred from blanket emails to county employees that inappropriately referred to Brown as "Dear Leader." Barron's access was subsequently restored.

Barron has asked for a meeting with county officials.