Council President Defeated by One Vote

Hellertown Borough Council President Phil Weber will not appear on the ballot in November's general election, if unofficial results from Tuesday's Democratic primary are upheld.

It is sometimes said that a single vote doesn't make a difference. So why bother to vote at all? Occasionally, however, a single vote can make all the difference. In Hellertown, for example, a single vote cast in Tuesday's primary election appears to have cost incumbent borough council president Philip Weber a shot at another four-year term on the council. According to unofficial Northampton County election results, with 100 percent of precincts reporting their vote totals, Weber—with 161 votes—had finished in last place among a field of five candidates running on the Democratic ticket. The fourth place finisher, James W. Hill, tallied 162 votes, according to the results. The top four Democratic vote-getters will advance to the general …

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Week in Review

Alleged Garbage Man Assault, School Board Race Top Local News

An alleged assault on a garbage man in Lower Saucon Township and the Saucon Valley School Board race topped the local headlines this week.

Woman Hit Garbage Man, Told Him 'I Drive a Range Rover,' Police Say Lower Saucon Township Police say Sarah Hart, of the 3500 block of North Drive, ordered a garbageman to pick up her trash with his teeth before pulling him from his truck and hitting him. 11 Candidates Running for 4 Saucon Valley School Board Seats The Saucon Valley School Board primary features 11 cross-filed candidates running for four seats. Man Was Drunk, Had Heroin on Rail Trail, Police Say A Lower Saucon Township man has been charged with public drunkenness, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Tell Us: Are Traffic Police Needed on Rt. 412? Many Hellertown Patch readers say police or flagger forces are needed to help direct traffic on Route 412 …

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School Board Candidate Rebuts Pre-Election Opinion Piece

Saucon Valley School Board member Ralph Puerta, who is seeking re-election to the board, submitted the following rebuttal to 'The School Board Election: A Guide for the Perplexed' by Arthur Joel Katz.

It is my belief that over time most of us come to about the same place, hopefully above midpoint, on the Perfection Scale. I make my mistakes, learn, and try to do better. So does Ed Inghrim. Therefore, in response to Arthur Joel Katz's article (published May 15, 2013): I am running with Ed in this election because I have witnessed directly his genuinely valuable contribution to analysis and planning for eight years. We have a long history of talented people serving our board. You may put yourself on that list, and you are entitled to a judgment about Ed from your perspective. However, I have seen it in much closer detail for eight years. Ed is one of those talented contributors, providing a level of expertise in some areas that we have …

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The Katz Meow

Teach Me a Lesson

A substantial number of Americans disagree with raising taxes on rich people. Why?

It may seem to many of my readers that I am some kind of know-it-all. It is true that 84 years give one a lot of time to read, learn, experience and get in trouble, but I confess that lots of things still puzzle me. One of them is this:  Why is it that there is so much resistance to increasing taxes on the very wealthy, especially at a time when the wealthiest Americans, the top 1 percent, own approximately 50 percent of the total wealth in America? I am not here to persuade you one way or the other. As has often been said, a person is entitled to his or her own opinion but not his or her own facts. The facts are that prior to the recent election, the pollsters reported that well over a majority of Americans were in favor of increasing the…

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Live Election Coverage 2012

Long lines at the polls? Problems with Voter ID? Post info and photos here as we elect a president, lawmakers and other statewide officials. We go live at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6.

The Katz Meow

Witches' Brew: Conspiracy Theory

Not every conspiracy theory is wrong, but few are ever right.

Double, double toil and trouble, Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. So sang the three witches as they stirred their brew which contained, among other icky stuff, eye of Newt. When John F. Welch Jr., the former CEO of GE, tweeted that the Obama administration had dealt a card from the bottom of the deck when the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the unemployment rate was now 7.8 percent, right after last week’s presidential debate, he was creating his own witches’ brew--a conspiracy theory.   In this case, Welch’s theory was that the Obama administration had conspired to falsify the unemployment statistics so as to defeat the Republicans in the forthcoming election. Welch cited no evidence whatsoever. To give him the benefit of the …

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Paul Ryan Speaks in West Chester

Paul Ryan has concluded his speech in West Chester. See the blog below to find out what was said and see the crowd, campaign buttons, signs and T-shirts. Because the live part of the blog is over, the blog starts at the beginning, so go to the bottom.

Republican Presidential candidate Paul Ryan spoke to thousands outside the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester Tuesday. What did you think of the speech? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.

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Brunell

11:27 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012

Finally, some facts and common sense!   more ›

Senator Bob Casey Offers Support to Local Democrats

The senator was the keynote speaker for a Democratic fundraising gala in Easton Friday night.

Sen. Bob Casey stopped in Northampton County Friday night to lend fellow local Democrats encouragement in their election campaigns and spread the political party's messages to voters. Giving the keynote speech at the fundraising gala, “Easton in Blue,” held at the Bank Street Annex in the downtown district, Casey focused on employment and the importance of job creation, also offering ideas for creating job growth in Pennsylvania. “The most important thing we can do...is to create jobs,” he said, noting it will take a bipartisan effort to be successful. “There is no Democrat and no Republican way to create jobs. We have to work together....We can't just wake up every day and say we're Democrats and we're not talking to you.” Casey also …

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House Democrats Look into Supporting Independent Primary Election Voting

Republicans say the issue is one leaders are not talking about.

By PA Independent staff Registered independents could vote in future primary elections in Pennsylvania if a bill passes the state House. To vote, the bill--HB 958, introduced by state Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-Beaver--requires independent voters to register with their polling place 30 days before the primary election. The registration deadline helps candidates target these voters with mass media, direct mail or in person and ensures that election booth managers have enough ballots for all voters. Steve Miskin, spokesman for House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, said the primary election is to elect or nominate candidates to run for the parties in the general election. “If people want to participate in that, they do need to join a …

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