Politics

Montgomery County Commissioners now face a lawsuit in connection with the firing of Voter Services Director,Joe Passarella, who was let go last month. Chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners, Josh Shaprio commented on the situation before the lawsuit was filed on Monday’s edition of Comment Please by Univest WNPV.

“I can’t comment on the reasons why Mr. Passarella no longer works here, suffice to say, there was ample reason.
Going forward, there was a lot of misreporting going on about promises made and political deals. None of that is true. In fact, the day we removed Passarella, formally of his duties, we advertised the position on our website, as we’ve done with every other position here.”

A taxpayer, Nicholas Salamone, from Plymouth meeting, filed the lawsuit, naming commissioners Josh Shapiro, Leslie Richards and Michael Paston, who replaced Passarella. The Montgomery County Republican Committee is named as a plaintiff in the suit. The suit was filed on the grounds that Michael Paston was illegally appointed to the post as Director of Voter Services for the county.

Montgomery County Commissioner Chairman, Josh Shapiro says, the county continues to look for ways to streamline it’s operation.

“We have 19 fewer departments today then when we took office about 15 or 16 months ago, not ask people for more tax revenue, but instead create efficiencies from the back end that don’t have a negative impact on people’s lives.”

Shapiro was a guest on Comment Please By Univest Monday afternoon. He says, the county is now projecting a budget surplus, is making pension contributions for the first time in five years and is addressing long term infrastructure issues that has been neglected for a decade.

Intimidation and threats allegedly carried out by the Internal Revenue Service on Tea Party members is the latest black eye for a federal agency that is known for its harsh behavior. Pennsylvania Senator, Pat Toomey says, someone must be held accountable.

“Somebody needs to be fired there. This is totally beyond anything that’s acceptable.”

Toomey says, This episode certainly doesn’t seem like the kindlier and gentler I.R.S.  

“I would find it disturbing if the I.R.S. were singling out liberal political organizations or any organizations based on what they believe or their political philosophy. Singling them out for extra scrutiny and punishment in the form of delayed recognition of their tax status. This is very, very disturbing.”

Toomey was a guest on the WNPV’s AM-Edition Tuesday morning with Darryl Berger

Human trafficking and the impact it has on its victims is the subject of legislation. State Repn Daylin Leach has crafted bill 915, also known as the “Safe Harbor” bill. Leach says, young girls forced into prostitution need help.

“They deserve protection of the Child Welfare System, not to be re-victimized by incarceration in the juvenile justice system.”

Leach adds, over the last 18 years 12-hundred to 16-hundred children have been arrested per year on prostitution crimes.