Jim Matthews a Republican?

I'll repeat it...Jim Matthews a Republican? Drumroll, please, let the pigeons loose, and have the trumpeteers let out a resounding "da da da daaaaaaaaaa"!

It finally happened...after over 11 months of voting exclusively with democrat Joe Hoeffel, King James III finally puts on a Republican hat and votes the party line?

Say is isn't so, Ethel...say it isn't so!

Well, sources close to the courthouse have bent my ear and, guess what, folks? James Rex relented, but only after a solid tongue lashing by president judge Richard Hodgson.

Initially, King James said "No" to Republican District Attorney Risa Ferman's request when the salary board vote came up, speaking out against her for not cooperating with the county imposed hiring freeze (Ferman wanted to hire a clerk to replace one that left her office during the past year). The vote was postponed for 2 weeks. Hodgson convinced Matthews, (who was best man at his wedding) that he needed to support Ferman's request, to "keep cases moving through the criminal justice system in a timely fashion."

Initially, Matthews, Hoeffel and Controller Diane Morgan had suggested that the D.A. use confiscatory funds (of which Ferman has sole discretion) and ARD fees to fund hiring employees in her office. Ferman said she would instead be using these discretionary funds to purchase materials for the County Detectives office, such as guns, leased automobiles and equipment for the office.

But, back to the vote...King James' record remains intact, folks. He didn't vote with Republican Commissioner Bruce L. Castor, Jr. as a Republican commissioner...he voted as a member of the salary board (and only after getting squeezed by Hodgson to do so)! El Rey la Mierda has, in fact, an unblemished record when voting as a commissioner and has still voted with Hoeffel 100% of the time.

As for Hoeffel's claim that District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman was "playing politics" when she asked Judge Hodgkins to intervene? State law provided that the county commissioners are required to fund all "necessary expenses" of the D.A.'s office with general fund money.

Ferman, who accused the two Democrats on the salary board (Hoeffel and Controller Diane Morgan) with “playing politics” when it came to her personnel requests, had this to say in a post-meeting interview:

“The legislators, in their wisdom, understood that you can't play with public safety".

Margaret Gibbons, now reporting for The Intelligencer, reports here.

As for the reports on another blog that this was a "party line vote"? Changing one's mind, after an admonishment by the president judge doesn't seem like a "party" to me folks!

B.