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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Gracedale Goons Hiding Union Money

Both The Morning Call and Express Times have stories about my complaint to Voting Registrar Dee Rumsey, reporting a union attempt to disguise the money they are ouring into the Gracedale initiative. People have a right to know who funds political campaigns.

Rumsey has apparently kicked the can down the road to DA John Morganelli, where it will die. In his thousand years as Northampton County's chief crime dog, Morganelli has consistently refused to lift a finger at Election Code violations. This has enabled his own political consultant and pal, Tom Severson, to operate with impunity for decades. I would prefer to see the Attorney General review union involvement, especially since unions are among Morganelli's biggest campaign contributors.

Here's the complaint I filed with Voting Registrar Dee Rumsey on Wednesday.

Under the Election Code, 25 P.S. Section 3259, you have the responsibility of making inquiries and conducting field investigations for alleged failures to file any report or statement required. You have the additional responsibility of reporting apparent violations of the Election Code to the District Attorney or Attorney General. The purpose of this email is to make you aware of apparent violations of the Election Code by the Gracedale Initiative Committee, and to ask that you forward this complaint for appropriate review after your own inquiries and field investigation.

1) Failure to register as required by 25 P.S. Section 3244. - Once a political committee receives $250 or more, whether in cash or in-kind contributions, it must register within twenty days. The Gracedale Initiative Committee has received more than $250 in cash or in-kind contributions, more than 20 days ago.

* As early as October 25, 2010, the Gracedale Initiative Committee was using soliciting volunteers for election day, who were asked to call 800-478-4944. That telephone number, a toll-free number, along with a secretary answering at the other end, has an average monthly cost of $100. That toll-free telephone number is still being used as recently as Monday, May 2, 2011, when the Gracedale Initiative Committee again solicited volunteers. That telephone number is maintained by AFSCME District 88. Assuming that the line and secretary's time are worth $100 per month, that would indicate an in-kind contribution by AFSCME to the Gracedale Initiative Committee of $600 through April 25.

See http://savegracedale.blogspot.com/2010/10/volunteers-needed.html and http://savegracedale.blogspot.com/2011/05/please-help.html

* In addition to the use of a toll-free number from AFSCME District 88, the Gracedale Initiative Committee opened an office on May 1, 2011 at 239 S. Broad Street, Nazareth, PA 18064. According to real estate web sites, the monthly rent at that address is $1,200. I have attached a picture of the office, with "Save Gracedale" signs inside the windows.

See http://www.directhomes.com/Property/137810012/239_Broad_Street_Nazareth_Pa_18064

* On April 27, 2010, during a taping of Business Matters, approximately 15 people were dressed in bright green "Save Gracedale" campaign T-shirts. It is obvious that money has been spent to purchase T-shirts in bulk for this campaign.

* Numerous "Save Gracedale" signs are scattered throughout the County

It is obvious that more than $250 has been received by the Gracedale Initiative Committee to influence the outcome of an election. It is equally obvious, from the toll-free phone alone, that these contributions exceeded the $250 level long ago, as early as January. Yet at the close of business yesterday, the Gracedale Initiative Committee had registered no political committee.

2) Failure to 'clearly and conspicuously' identify the person who paid for the campaign signs, in violation of 25 P.S. Section 3258. - The Election Code requires that campaign signs must "clearly and conspicuously disclose the person or committee who paid for them. Yet the numerous "Save Gracedale" signs I have seen, including signs at their campaign HQs at 239 S Broad Street in Nazareth, fail to make the required disclosure. The only identifying marker on them is a union printer label.

I have attached pictures of a "Save Gracedale" sign, taken yesterday at 5 PM at 239 S Broad Street in Nazareth. It contains no disclosure. I have also photographed the union printer label. These photographs are attached to this email. In addition to my own observations, Ralph Stampone of Wind Gap,a former member of the Elections Commission, has seen signs in the Slate Belt that contain no disclosure.

On Saturday, the person I saw with the signs was Gracedale's AFSCME President, Ellen Weiss. Yesterday, when I visited 239 S. Broad Street, a sign at the door directed visitors with inquiries to call her. Ms. Weiss, you may recall, is one of two circulators who submitted 38 false affidavits in connection with the Gracedale initiative. She has demonstrated a disdain for the requirements of the Election Code, and I ask that you take the appropriate action.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bernie, let it go and leave it up to the voters! No, I am not a Union Thug or Gracedale Goon, I just believe that this issue is important enough for the voters to decide.

Anonymous said...

It's basically a Gracedale employee vs. resident issue. If you support the welfare of the residents and future residents of Gracedale, you'll want it to be sold. If you want to protect the antiquated benefits of the employees which will call for a tax increase, then you vote to not sell. So I'm not surprised union money is behind the effort to support the employees against the residents.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 1:22 do you have anyone in Gracedale at the present time? or have you ever been faced with placing someone in a nursing home and have had the displeasure of visiting nursing homes?

Anonymous said...

hey Bernie what stands out most in the picture is your reflection

Anonymous said...

If you expect it to die bernie, why are you wasting your time?
Leave it go bernie..You are peeing in the wind...Nobody but you really gives a damn about whether they spent more than $250.00.

brenda said...

Well, I give a damn. We have election finance laws for a reason.

This group reminds me of a Charlie Manson following, who are going all helter skelter because the giant union slurpee straw is being knocked off the public dole.

GET USED TO IT

Anonymous said...

OK Tricia,Brenda,Bernie,Battle Cry of Freedom aka Chris Miller, the 4 of you take presedence over more than 20,000 residents of Northampton County. GET OVER IT

Anonymous said...

Brenda, or whatever your name is, you remind me of Milli Vanilli,your voice but your hiding.

Anonymous said...

Everytime some person or group starts playing fast and loose with campaign expenditures - and Morganelli goes way out of his way to take no action - things start to escalate until unidentified mailers - commercials - phone calls - are used in an attempt to destroy the reputations of persons involved in the political process. For the twenty years I've lived in the Lehigh Valley I've seen it happen over and over. Bernie is right to make this complaint. But I have as little faith as he does that Morganelli will do anything. His inaction led to the Frankensteins that were M. Solomon and Severson.

Anonymous said...

Dear 3:26,

Couldn't have said it better myself. Brenda, election finance laws are a joke..They are so ridiculous and outdated..So what if they spent $350. instead of $250..What, they get a ten dollar fine? How does that affect the issue...What, it makes them law breakers? Give it up already you crazy people..

Anonymous said...

This all sounds serious, about as serious as Angle running for multiple elected positions.

Anonymous said...

Your right anonymous 4:36pm but don't forget, this is Bernie's blog, he would never say anything bad about Ron Angle

Sparticus said...

Brenda,

Nice going, you just accused the COAF of being gang murderers

I am asking Bernie to delete it.

Think before you post, everyone thinks we are the same person

Anonymous said...

bernie I really can't take your reading of the law seriously since you were disbarred

Anonymous said...

O'Hare is a filthy animal. Even so the good people at the County's nursing home of Gracedale will take care of him when he is old and penniless.

His buddy Angle and Stoffa will be long gone in their publically financed hacienda's.

The Almighty Seer

Bernie O'Hare said...

7:45, I was not disbarred for stupidity.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"If you expect it to die bernie, why are you wasting your time?"

For two reasons. (1) Morganelli may sneer at them, but I take election laws seriously. (2) Writing about it will make at least some people aware that unions and the Gracedale Goons are thumbing their noses at election laws again.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"hey Bernie what stands out most in the picture is your reflection"

The you know I'm not a vampire.

eckville press said...

Bernie,

Your barking up the wrong tree.

Try this number if you want results investigating campaign finance law violations.

1-717-787-5280

Respectfully,
Eckville Press

Bernie O'Hare said...

Eck, I'm following the Election Code. But I thank you for the phone number and will check it out tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Allegations are like assholes O'Hare, everyone has one. some like yours are just bigger and dirtier!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yeah, I guess a picture of a Gracedale campaign sign that plainly shows no disclosure is just an allegation. I leave the assholes to you.

Anonymous said...

Hey Bernie there is a political campaign sign with no disclosure at the corner of Dim Wit and Get A Life......you better go find it and file a complaint against them.

Anonymous said...

all legal now bernie!! almost all signs now have a disclosure, expenditure reports filed! NOW WHAT??? still looking for signs with no disclosures on it, can you help us? want to make it all legal!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Bernie.....quick go to the corner of Dim Wit and Get a Life, I think I see a sign with no disclosure

Anonymous said...

What were you disbarred for Bernie ? Why don't you tell the people ?
Explain to the people how honest you really are.
Iam sure your family is really proud of you.
Whipe your own nose before you smear someone elses.

Anonymous said...

Does Northampton County receive any Casino Revenue? If so how much and what is it used for.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yes, there are several funds. One is a hose fee. I am sorry but I do not remember the exact amount. It is being used to reduce real estate taxes. Other funds are for gambling impacts to surrounding municipalities. Still other money is outright grants, from the local gaming authority.