About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, September 07, 2007

Stoffa Veto Stands: Council Prez Grube Calls Veterans' Rebate a "Half Baked Deal"

Two weeks ago, Northampton County Council was in no mood to listen. It defied its own solicitor, former judge Leonard Zito, when he told them their tax break for Iraqi veterans needed a little work.

Rather than listen to their own consigliere and do the work suggested, Team Dertinger decided to shove this premature legislation down our throats. Charles Dertinger argued that council could simply amend the language later. "We can do that after the fact," he mistakenly assured everyone. If an ordinance is legally flawed, a legal challenge will kill it. It makes no difference how much tweaking is done once the cows have left the barn.

After a motion to table narrowly failed, Council unanimously adopted the American Heroes Grant - a property tax rebate for veterans deployed this or next year.

End of story, right?

Wrong.

That's because county executive John Stoffa, in perhaps his most courageous move yet as the top elected Northampton County official, vetoed this politically popular, if meaningless, ordinance. For any normal pol, this is tantamount to political suicide. But Stoffa pays no attention to the political winds.

"When I ran for county executive, I promised voters I'd raise their taxes, and they elected me anyway."

And he did, with a comprehensive "pay as you go" open space plan. Who gets elected by promising a tax increase? John Stoffa.

In his veto message to council on August 28th, Stoffa actually praised their intentions.

While I applaud the attempt on the part of Council to recognize those who have participated in the military, I nonetheless intend to veto the Ordinance at this time. I have consulted at length with the County Solicitor and have reviewed the opinion of the Council's own Solicitor. It is my belief that the Ordinance as currently drafted will invite litigation and that the better course would be to introduce a new ordinance consistent in intent that addresses the stated legal concerns. Frankly, I see no difference among someone who served in Iwo Jima, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan or Iraq: all are deserving.

Council members Dertinger and McClure both told Morning Call reporter Joe Nixon they had intended to introduce an amendment at the very next council meeting to address legal pitfalls.

That meeting occurred last night. And neither Dertinger nor McClure made any attempt to introduce a new ordinance that addressed their own lawyer's concerns. Instead, they played power politics and tried to override Stoffa's veto.

For his part, Dertinger scoffed at the notion of listening to county lawyers. "If you have four lawyers in a room, you can have five different opinions." He also complained that Stoffa failed to warn him he intended to veto the grant. At least three times, he bemoaned the "lack of communication" with the administration. "Rather than talking to anyone involved, it was simply vetoed. It's just another example of the lack of communication." After being prodded by Ron Angle, Dertinger conceded that he himself never communicated his intention to introduce the ordinance. "I had a hard time, sitting back [and] waiting."

After finishing his speech, Dertinger introduced a Bethlehemite who had come to complain about the veto. Vanessa Santiago, accompanied by her two adorable children, told council that her husband is on his second tour in Iraq, and that an absent husband means she must hire someone to cut her grass. More importantly, there is also a loss in income.

After she made her plea, Lamont McClure chimed in to say that the ordinance may not be perfect, but it is good. "People who oppose it oppose it on other grounds, but won't say so. Let's vote with the Santiagos tonight."

Whether McClure knows it or not, and he probably doesn't, Santiago actually proved that the ordinance is a bad law. Here's why. She owns title jointly with her husband. But the way the ordinance is drafted, her husband gets a rebate only if he owns that property individually.

So if Stoffa had done the popular thing and signed that ordinance, Santiago would get diddly. But McClure would still be able to give election speeches about our "brave warriors" overseas and take credit for meaningless legislation.

Only four members of council - Charles Dertinger, Lamont McClure, Diane Neiper and Tony Branco - voted to override the veto. The magic number is six. So the attempt to override Stoffa's veto failed.

And that's good news for Ms. Santiago. Now, Council can draft an ordinance that defines ownership to include jointly held property.

Council Prez Wayne Grube, himself a vet, said it best. "I want something more solid, more concrete. We have no idea how many deserving veterans would qualify. Nobody's ever talked about that. This is something that can't be done on short notice. I don't want a half-baked deal ... ."

So is council willing to sit down and do the hard work of drafting a comprehensive ordinance that really helps families like the Santiago family? Or was it just political grandstanding after all? Grube and Angle both expressed a willingness to sit down and work out the details. It would be nice to see Dertinger and McClure overcome their bitter partisan feelings and work for the good of the county.

But I'm not holding my breath.
For an excellent and objective account of last night's meeting, Joe Nixon's Morning Call report is here. In Lamont McClure's strange little world, county council and county lawyers have conspired with Stoffa to do a "favor" for Ron Angle. What McClure still is unable to figure out is that some foks, especially Stoffa, are more interested in doing the right thing than in partisan politics. He should try it sometime.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I propose a poll that selects the "Top Ten Groups To Which NorCo Should Arbitrarily Grant Tax Relief".

I nominate any group that contains me.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I's a good idea. It just needs work, not political posturing, so that it becomes meaningful ans less susceptible to attack.

Tom Foolery said...

Didn't Grube and McHale vote for this two weeks ago?? I imagine Dertinger won't be supporting Stoffa or McHale for County Exec..

Bernie O'Hare said...

Grube, McHale, Cusick & Dowd voted to table this two weeks ago. Angle was stuck in Jellystone Park.

When the motion to table failed, they all voted to support the ordinance. In other words, they all knew the ordinance needed work, but they did not want to be tagged as being against Iraq war vets.

Anonymous said...

After reading your glowing account of this episode, I am impressed. Stoffa should hire you as his press secretary. The third Reich would still be in business if you were propaganda minister. Love ya BO but when you write about Stoffa its like the pinning of an eight year old girl in Teen Magazine.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Stoffa should hire you as his press secretary."

He has! Joe Long gave me a letter of recommendation earlier this week.

Anonymous said...

To Anon 4:34

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. The one's that need intervention is County Council. This Council is the most dysfunctional one I have ever seen. They are all bright, articulate and have a passion. But their energy is misplaced.

Democrat against Democrat, Democrat against Republican, Council against Council Solicitor, Council against Administration. It's no wonder Rev. Dowd says a prayer every time they start.

Even the unflapable Frank Flisser has been exasperated the past couple of times. Just yesterday, he threw an ordinance at Ann McHale to make the umteen changes she requested. It just doesn't get any worse than this. And that's saying alot.

No, I say County Council needs a good spin meister. All the while, good veterans are wondering if they are going to be helped.

Dear Maddy said...

I propose the Blogger rebate. all bloggers get their property taxes back!

Anonymous said...

Stoffa and Angle screwed the veterans. If it only affects a handful of vets, why do we need all the rhetoric. Stoffa wi;; appoint another committe to do his work again, and then hide behind them.

Anonymous said...

The REV. Dowd needs to pray for himself. He is the biggest hypocrite on Council. He would open with his lets all love one another nonsense then sit back and let meetings get out of control. The things he allowed to be said as the Pres. of council were awful. As a self-described man of God, his day before the Creator will be an interseting affair.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 3:25,

Actually, Team Dertinger screwed the veterans, including Mr. & Ms. Santiago. She told council she could use the help, and Lamont implored council to "vote with the Santiagos."

If they had, the Santiagos would get nothing while McClure sends out campaign mailers claiming he brough relief to our veterans. I checked her deed.

As I've explained several times, the way the ordinance is drafted, a vet gets relief only if he owns realty individually. Since most vets own realty with a spouse or significant other, they'd be stuck with nothing. Luis, the vet in question, owns his title jointly.

Angle picked up on this, and proposed an amendment 4 weeks ago, but was ignored. The county council solicitor picked up on this, too, and he was ignored as well.

Stoffa's veto recognizes that ordinance is nothing more than window dressing. Now is Team Dertinger willing to put its partisan sentment aside and work with everyone to adopt meaningful legislation?

I think not. They are a mean-spirited bunch interesed only in their own self-enhancement.