County Council Behaving Badly: Horse's Patoot Edition

Cross-posted on the Bethlehem Daily Star.

This week, we have highlights from Northampton County Council's finance and personnel committee meetings Wednesday, as well as the regular council meeting last night (Thursday).

Despite the presence of the always irascible Councilman Ron Angle, Wednesday's back-to-back committee meetings started off pretty calmly. Angle and Council President Ann McHale - who aren't exactly BFFs - were even playing together fairly nicely. Then frequent Angle sparring partner Councilman Lamont McClure showed up, and things got complicated quickly.

When discussion turned to the makeup of the gaming revenue authority, Angle accused McClure, of Bethlehem Township, of setting up the authority so that it's "stacked with Bethlehem people" and composed of "nine political hacks." Angle also repeated his threat, first made a month ago, to sue if council doesn't give his Slate Belt a seat on the authority.

McClure responded by repeatedly and pointedly referring to Angle's "frivolous lawsuit." (Sure, that sounds fairly calm here, written down. But at the time, it was the verbal equivalent of poking a grizzly with a stick.)

Angle, a Republican, stated he was in a hurry to get over to the tea party ("You never struck me as a tea-drinker, Ron," fellow Republican Councilman John Cusick teased), but before leaving he shifted into campaign mode on behalf of Democratic County Executive John Stoffa, praising his fiscal management and pointing to the county's lack of tax increases. McHale, who's running against Stoffa in the Democratic primary, piped up to take credit for herself.

And then, in response to some goading from Angle, McClure (also a Democrat and often a McHale ally) repeated his call for Stoffa to stop keeping two months' worth of taxpayer money in reserves - an "onerous and unfair hoarding of their money," as McClure put it.

Angle retorted: "You are one of the biggest horse's patoots I've ever heard speak."

I also heard Angle add a remark directed at McClure, about "your bull crap talk" - though Angle wasn't near his mic at the time, so it's probably not on the tape of the meeting.

In addition, about McClure: "You probably don't have the brains" to be anything but an asbestos lawyer.

Sparring over the gaming revenue authority resumed Thursday, when a few of Angle's "nine political hacks" showed up to urge council to appoint them to the authority as planned. The most colorful exchange was between Angle and Hellertown Councilwoman Stephanie Hoppes-Kovacs, the Borough Council's nominee for the authority.

In response to Angle's remarks about cramming the authority full of politicians, she shot back: "That's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black."

Things took a turn for the weird when Angle made some sort of remark about whether Hoppes-Kovacs wanted him to move to Hellertown. She responded with an invitation to - I think - come live with her.

"I'm looking for a second home," Angle answered thoughtfully.

"We could have a lot of fun, you and I," Hoppes-Kovacs teased.

"You'd never last," Angle responded.

That was followed by some sparring over the potential appointment of Steve Schmitt, activist and head of the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation LANTA. McHale, a LANTA board member, made it clear she's not a fan of Schmitt - who is, by all accounts, not exactly a shrinking violet.

When Schmitt showed up Thursday to defend himself, Angle - apparently sensing a kindred spirit and fellow iconoclast - forced a vote on Schmitt's appointment, even though he clearly didn't have the votes on council to win.

When the motion failed, Angle lashed out: "You people who voted no, you stink."

Angle followed up with a remark about the "four-flushers" - which I believe was a less-than-flattering poker reference alluding to the informal four-person bloc composed of McHale, McClure, Councilman Charles Dertinger and Councilwoman Diane Neiper (all Democrats).

"You're not very appropriate yourself," Angle shot back.

At 7:30, Angle chomped down on an unlit cigar, pulled a ball cap on his head and quietly slipped out of the meeting.

Later, new Councilman Joseph Capozzolo introduced a bill on Angle's behalf and explained his absence: "Mr. Angle had to go for the meeting of the SPCA ... I mean, the YMCA," he corrected himself.

Angle's bill was in support of the Portland post office. The community and U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent have also rallied to help keep it open, Capozzolo noted.

Dertinger couldn't help chuckling: "I'm sorry, Joe, but I had this image of Charlie chaining himself to the post office."

Notably, everyone on council - Angle enemies and allies alike - went ahead and voted for his bill.

"Thank you, and Ron thanks you," Capozzolo said.

"That means a lot!" Dertinger joked.