The Tara Zrinski Story

Earlier this week, I shared the Tom Giovanni Story with you. He and Tara Zrinski are the two candidates seeking your vote for NorCo Exec on November 4. Both have appeared, in 12-minute segments, on  Tony Iannelli's Business Matters program. They've also responded to five questions posed by The Morning Call. I've decided to take a different approach and try to understand what makes them tick. They both have strikingly different personalities. Tom is quiet and unassuming, perhaps too quiet at times. Tara is loud and assertive, perhaps too loud at times. As different as their personalities might be, they both want to make things better for people. 

Tara is from Bethlehem and graduated from Freedom High School before attending Drew College and Moravian's Theological Seminary. She has a gay brother about 10 years older than her. He taught in Bethlehem's schools, and at a time when being gay was far from popular. She was alienated by her classmates, who would assume she must be gay, too, or must have AIDs. 

This never stopped her. She played in numerous sports, from soccer to field hockey to softball. And like many student athletes who must learn to manage their time, she got into the habit of being very disciplined in her personal approach. Even today, she often gets by with only a few hours of sleep. She starts the day walking her dog, works out, goes through her emails and is "out the door." 

She played soccer at Drew University as well, where she majored in Philosophy. And to those of you who think this is a useless major, you ought to read Plato's Republic. In addition to being a student athlete, she worked at a nearby cafe and was actually taking graduate classes in her senior year. 

She had an unhappy marriage. I chose against discussing that topic with her in any detail though she was willing to do so. 

Her attitude was influenced by time spent abroad, both as a student and after graduating. In Costa Rica, she witnessed the impact that deforestation had, not just on the environment, but on people who lived there. In Germany, she experienced what it's like to receive free medical car after she injured her hand, even though she was not a citizen. In Hungary, she actually spent a month at a train station after per backpack and passport were stolen. There she met numerous refugees escaping the genocide in war torn Bosnia.  She met people from Poland and East Germany who were returning to their countries after the wall had been torn down. She considers that month "just an amazing education for me. And the resilience of people, what they've been through, what somebody will do to survive, you know?" That experience is what led her to want people to have better lives, "to thrive."

"I want them to have opportunities, and I want them to have dignity and justice and equity, and all those all those lofty things that we talk about in politics, but it seems like they never happen. At Moravian Theological Seminary, she considered becoming an ordained minister and got degrees both in Theology and Pastoral Counseling but was non-denominational and by then she was a single mother of three children whose first priority was putting food on the table. This included trips to the local food banks. 

Her interest in local government began with her participation as a local coordinator for Food and Water Watch, where she was opposed to the PennEast Pipeline. She recalled having a meeting set up with a township supervisor, who refused to speak to her but was willing to speak with a male who accompanied her. He actually told her he was unwilling to speak to her because she is female. "This is insane," she said. "And I thought more women have to get into politics."

And so she shifted gears from activism to politics with a whirlwind approach to campaigning that is hard to match. 

She condemns the partisan and adversarial approach she's seen in county government by both sides. She said she can talk to John Brown, John Goffredo and Tom Giovanni, the County Council Republicans. The only problem she has is when she sees personal attacks. "I don't think that's helpful, because now you're not talking about the issues anymore. You're sidestepping the issues and making personal attacks. I want to address what it is that is going on in the room, and I don't want my integrity or judgment questioned because we're all supposed to be there to make solutions"

She said this toxicity just makes people angrier. "People are dissatisfied with the way government is going, and they're dissatisfied with this dysfunction that doesn't allow anything to happen. Trump does get things done. Whether you believe that he is effective or whether he is doing what you want him to do, he's doing stuff every day."

She said that by listening to voters, she knows we have to recognize that "both Republicans and Democrats come here so that we could find what's best for everybody." 

Like Tom Giovanni, she listens. Like Tom Giovanni, she wants people to have better lives. So on a personal level, I think both would be fine as Executive. 

NorCo County Festival to Continue?

As a result of the gridlock over the state budget, Northampton County has "postponed" its annual luncheon for centenarians, has paused payments to human services vendors and has notified the union representing human services caseworkers that furloughs are on the horizon. What about the county's fall festival, planned for this Saturday at Louise Moore Park?  Last week, when Executive Lamont McClure announced his proposed 2026 budget, he indicated that the fall festival would likely continue. 

"It isn't costing us anything," said McClure. He added that the event has sponsors and that vendors have already paid to reserve spots. 

NorCo Seeks Pollworkers For Nov. 4 Election

As election day approaches, Northampton County is seeking poll workers. It's a long but important day that includes checking in voters, operating the voting machines and delivering results to Easton's courthouse. The pay is $175-200, the most a county can pay by state statute.If you are a registered voter and interested in becoming a poll workers in your community, email the Northampton County Elections Office at election@norcopa.gov or call 610-829-6260.

What Would We Do Without Landfills?

Landfills located in both Lower Saucon and Plainfield Townships want to expand. The owners dangle financial carrots in the form of host fees, taxes and other financial incentives that make it hard to say No. But many residents wish they would. They are unsightly, smell and no matter how hard landfills try, pollutants always leech into the surrounding groundwater. But what's the alternative? Incineration is said to be worse. Dumping garbage in the ocean destroys our ecosystem. I'd really like to know. Until we can find a reasonable alternative, attempts at expansion will continue, and opposition will be fierce. The battle for Grand Central's expansion is just getting started, but the fight over the expansion of Lower Saucon's landfill is in full swing. Standing in one corner is Easton attorney Gary Asteak, representing the Citizens for Responsible Development. In the opposite corner are Bethlehem Landfill's corporate lawyers, being cheered on by two Trumpion Council members who pride themselves in disrupting meeting after meeting in what has become the most dysfunctional local government in the Lehigh Valley. And that's saying something. 

Asteak has sued to stop the expansion. At one time, the City of Bethlehem owned and operated the Bethlehem landfill. It also owned surrounding tracts. In 1994, it adopted two conservation easements and a woodland easement. The conservation easements preserve 208 acres of landfill property for scenic and conservation purposes and specifically exclude landfills. The woodland easement, which applies to 8 acres, is intended to preserve undisturbed woodland. It was binding on both the City and future owners to preserve the Delaware and Lehigh Canal Heritage corridor as well as "the original character and scenic nature of the land." 

In 2023, Lower Saucon Tp voted to release these easements, but did so without the approval of the Orphans’ Court under the Donated or Dedicated Property Act (DDPA). Because the Township failed to take this step, and admits it never sought approval. Attorney Asteak contends the releases are invalid.

He has filed what is known as a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. Based on his assertions and the Township's admission, he contends the releases must be set aside as a matter of law. 

Good argument, but the question still remains - what would we do without landfills? 

The Tom Giovanni Story

Late last month, in 12-minute segments, Northampton County Exec candidates Tara Zrinski and Tom Giovanni had the opportunity to make their case at Tony Iannelli's Business Matters program. Tara, who has far more experience on these shows than Tom, was definitely more poised and less nervous. But does this mean she should be the next Executive? Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Tom for more than a few minutes and learn a lot more about him. I want to share his story with you. Maybe it will make you want to vote for him. Maybe not. But at least you'll know why he's running and what he hopes to accomplish.

Giovanni is known as Northampton County's Quiet Man. He rarely speaks at meetings. Some of you consider this a negative. One of you has actually reviewed the minutes of several meetings to note how little he has spoken in comparison to others, as though this somehow disqualifies him. Quite the contrary. In my 74 years on this planet, I have learned that those who speak the most tend to know the least. They fail to listen. They already think they know everything. The reality is that we have one mouth and two ears for a reason. We need people in government who actually listen. Giovanni does that.

Though he is only a part-time employee of the county as a member of county council, I often see Giovanni at the courthouse when I'm there to search a title or plead insanity. What's he doing? He's listening. He listens to county employees when they have gripes. He's met with corrections officers, deputy sheriffs, 911 workers, Gracedale staffers and even human services caseworkers. He knows that there are far too many steps for most positions. He sees the turnover. He probably hears some things that are just not true, as things do tend to get twisted a lot, but he's listening.

As Executive, he told me his door would always be open to people who want to talk to him. If he heard gripes from employees, he'd arrange a meeting between them and their managers to see if the problem could be worked out as a team. "We're all on the same team," he told me. 

This, unfortunately, is far from the way things are right now. The relationship between the workforce and administration has increasingly become adversarial, with some employees who rightly or wrongly feel they will face retaliation if they speak out. This is a far cry from the way things were under Gene Hartzell, Marty Bechtel or Jerry Seyfried. 

In addition to the adversarial relation between employer and employee, there is also a very unfortunate partisan edge to many things. It was pretty clear in a news release from the county about the "postponed" centenarian luncheon. McClure made that matter worse when he referred to Senate Republicans who refuse to pass a state budget as "deadbeats." But more alarming, at least to me, was what has happened to State Rep. Ann Flood's Senior fests. They usually attract about 300 people from her district. She has asked the county to send someone from the Area Agency on Aging on each occasion, but her correspondence has gone unanswered. The county does respond to other state agencies. She believes she is ignored because she criticized McClure's handling of an election a few years ago, when the voting machines were improperly tested. If that's true, the only persons being hurt are the seniors in her district. 

Giovanni told me he would be neither adversarial nor partisan in his dealings with others. Contrary to one of the rumors being propagated by readers of this blog, he has no intention of asking former Exec John Brown to serve in his administration. He is more interested in governing than in politics and told me his only interest is county government. He has no intention of going anywhere else. 

On Business Matters, Giovanni stumbled when explaining why he's running for executive. But when I heard his story, I know why he's running, and it's for all the right reasons. 

He's a product of Bangor, as many of you know. Many of you know that he's a product of Pius X High School, Lincoln Tech and Northampton Community College, after which he launched a successful career in IT with 15 employees. Most of you probably don't know that, although he had no obligation to do so, he provided medical benefits for his staff. Only few of you know what made him as interested in human services as he actually is.

Tom's father served in the Korean War. When he returned, he "wasn't right. I don't know what he saw, but he wasn't there. He ended up in Allentown State Hospital." His Dad would later be sent to Norristown State Hospital.

This left his mother, on her own, to raise two boys with a house and a mortgage. She struggled.  She worked at three different blouse mills to keep the bills paid and food on the table, but it wasn't enough. One day, "I remember it like yesterday," the "town fathers (and bank) met with his mom in the living room to say they would take over the house and build a parking lot. The family would move from a home to a small apartment next to a news stand. "I was five years old, and my brother was two, and I vowed in my mind I will never let this happen to me." 

Tom grew up poor, had a father whose combat experience mentally crippled him, and knows first-hand what it's like to have nothing.

Given his life experience and his Italian heritage, I asked him why he's a Republican and not a Democrat. "I was a Democrat," he answered. He told me Sundays included trips to his uncle's house, where portraits of FDR and JFK adorned the walls. There were so many that he wondered whether they were relations. "No, no, no, they're Kennedy and FDR and the Democrats. So I grew up like that."

Tom eventually changed parties at the request of (now Judge) Craig Dally, who was then running for State Rep.  

(I remember tormenting Dally myself once over switching parties when he ran for State Rep., and he responded, "I didn't leave the Democratic party. It left me." 

I told Craig he'd lose the election. He won. 

That was the first in a long line of unsuccessful election predictions I've made over the years.)

Giovanni also told me that governing requires compromise. "Nobody wants to compromise," he said, noting Council's complete inability to appoint a person to take over Tara's job on County Council after her election.  

In conclusion, Giovanni brings a nonpartisan and non-adversarial approach to government that includes compromise and a team approach. He'd listen instead of pontificating. He has a deep understanding of the immense importance of human services, which the county is state-mandated to provide. This is regardless of whether it is technically a core county function. 

Tara is a more polished and experienced campaigner who can probably raise more money than Giovanni. She'll probably win. But a Democrat or Independent might want to consider voting for him.  Zrinski has been a very good controller and has matured from her experience as a member of county council. I would not be unhappy to see her elected. But she might be more driven by state and federal issues, as her record attests.  Giovanni is focused solely on county government.  

McClure and State Republicans Trade Blows Over Budget Impasse

In the face of a state budget impasse that has existed since July 1, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure has given the SEIU bargaining unit that represents caseworkers a required 30-day notice of furlough. Before this, McClure postponed an annual luncheon for the county's centenarians, some of whom may no longer be here if and when the county ever gets around to rescheduling it. A supposedly nonpartisan county news release called the delay a "direct result of the Republican-led State Senate’s ongoing refusal to pass a state budget. McClure is directly quoted as saying this: “Republicans in the State Senate have failed the people of Pennsylvania by refusing to pass a budget. ... For three months, their dysfunction has left counties like Northampton footing the bill, costing us millions of dollars just to keep essential services going. And now, their failure means we must cancel a celebration for residents who have given more than a century of service and spirit to their community. This is unacceptable. They must do their job, pass a budget, and stop punishing taxpayers and seniors alike. Once a budget is passed, we will move quickly to reschedule this important event.” State House Republicans Ann Flood, Zach Mako and Milou Mackenzie have responded to this news release with some harsh words of their own, and McClure has fired back at them. 

Flood, Mako and Mackenzie to McClure:

Our offices have been made aware of your administration's efforts to blame Pennsylvania's budget impasse on Senate Republicans. Since you appear to have a misunderstanding of the facts surrounding the impasse, we, as elected officials in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, feel compelled to set the record straight. 

The first and most egregious misleading allegation you continue to make is that we are facing a budget impasse due to Senate Republicans. This claim is a shameful and deliberate obfuscation of the facts for cheap political points. 

Senate Republicans passed a stopgap budget on Aug. 12,2025. The stopgap was intended to release some funding while negotiations on spending increases continued. Less than 24 hours after its passage, House Democrats called a House Appropriations Committee meeting to vote it down. In fact, it was Senate Republicans, supported by House Republicans, who advanced the plan. 

Our offices recently obtained a letter from Susan Wandalowski, director of the Department of Human Services, dated Sept. 19,2025, regarding the current budget impasse' The letter contained multiple inaccuracies and omitted the stopgap budget entirely. 

Further demonstrating a misunderstanding of the state budget process is the claim that the impasse is due to an "equitable funding formula." Pennsylvania's budget is not based on a single formula. It comprises hundreds of line items distributed to agencies, the public, school districts, counties, contractors, and nonprofits through various methods, including block grants, direct payments, and, in some cases, formulas. There is no "funding formula" blocking the budget. 

What is preventing a finalized budget is the unwillingness of House Democrats and the governor to compromise. The governor's proposal spends roughly $5.5 billion more than projected revenues. The problem is not Republican opposition; the math does not add up in the proposals advanced by the governor and House Democrats. While compromise is challenging when initial proposals are unrealistic, we still have a responsibility to try. 

Unfortunately, House Democrats and the governor have rejected reasonable Republican offers that could have resolved the impasse. 

It is also important to note that the Sept. 19 letter contains misleading equivalencies. The county is not in danger of losing 9l1 center funding. As you know, 911 services are funded through the 9l1fee and the funding is distributed to counties entirely separate from the General Fund budget.

We recognize that County Human Services programs are not receiving funding. Solving this requires the governor and House Democrats to face reality and act swiftly, not play political games. In the meantime, our Republican state treasurer, Stacy Garrity, is offering short-term loans to counties needing assistance with payments. We recommend exploring this program. 

When you announced the cancellation of the Centenarian Luncheon, you again blamed Senate Republicans while pledging not to raise taxes on Northampton residents. Passing the governor's budget, however, would deplete reserves and likely lead to tax increases. Just as you are unwilling to raise taxes at the county level, raising taxes at the state level is equally untenable. 

We urge you to stop playing politics with people's lives. Canceling events and sending letters intended to alarm constituents is not good government. We have already seen the deadly consequences of political rhetoric taken too far this month. 

Finally, we encourage you to urge House Democratic leadership and Speaker Joanna McClinton to convene the House promptly to, at a minimum, pass a stopgap budget.

McClure fires back: (His letter to state reps is unfortunately in a format that I am unable to load in a more readable format):

On Thursday, when announcing his budget he called Senate Republicans "deadbeats." In my view, this divisive rhetoric does nothing but guarantee that the impasse will continue.