Why You Need to Vote- The Incompetent John Brown

Two years ago, former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan was supposed to crush then Bangor Mayor John Brown for Executive. On election night, Brown beat Callahan by over a thousand votes, and became Northampton County Executive. Had Bethlehem shown up at the same rate they did in the primary, and had Easton done the same, Callahan might have won that race. He didn't, and the results since have been a disaster. The county is on it's way to losing over a million dollars for it's handling of firing an employee. He's outsourced the communications job that is supposed to be done out of the Director of Administration's office. He's tried to run the entire county government by corporate consultants. He's ignored the four Democrats on County Council as much as possible. He's jacked up taxes to pay for all of his consultants and bad ideas. John Brown isn't capable of running a McDonald's, much less Northampton County. We have him because good people stayed home though.

Now this incompetent is set to run for Pennsylvania's Auditor General's office. This man who is destroying our county's government thinks he deserves a promotion next year. The sad thing is, he's a near coin flip away if the Republicans choose him in their primary in 2016. Again, I wouldn't let this guy run a dog-walking business, but he'd run a statewide office, with staff, that is supposed to keep track of our tax dollars. It's horrifying.

So why do I bring this up? Tomorrow, Brown's former Solicitor Vic Scomilio is seeking a seat on the Court of Common Pleas in Northampton County. He'd be a disaster. If good people don't vote tomorrow for Sam Murray, the next John Brown could be born. Next thing we know, he might be a statewide candidate, perhaps running for Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court and deciding important matters like voter ID. He could be running for the State's Supreme Court, and drawing our Congressional boundaries. This is the guy who gave Brown the advice on who to fire and what he could legally contract out. That is obviously not a good thing.

If you don't vote tomorrow, please don't tell me how bad the government is. When you don't vote, the motivated few do stupid things like vote in John Brown as our county executive. When things like that happen, the government fails to operate efficiently. When it doesn't operate efficiently, well, you get this mess. Go out and vote tomorrow. Obviously vote for Sam Murray against Vic Scomilio. Beyond that though, vote for a competent government. Don't stay home and let these types of people win.