Like we didn't know this would happen.
Our clueless leaders, Jim Matthews and Joe Hoeffel, took their "Ethics Clause" case to the Commonwealth court to once again, try to block any and everybody employed by Montgomery County from "being political"
The so-called "Ethics Clause" was struck down in Montgomery County Municipal Court as being unenforceable, as the Commissioners can't tell the individually elected row officers who can or can't work for them...or what they can or can't do during their free time. According to Judge Nicholas, the commissioners “do not have statutory authority to regulate the hiring, firing or supervision of employees of row officers.”
Well...just to waste taxpayer money a bit more, Jimbo and J-Huff decided to argue the case a bit further, and got their asses handed to them. According to the Times Herald:
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania dealt a fatal blow to Montgomery County’s ethics ordinance by affirming a prior decision that invalidated a law barring row officers and their employees from participating in political activities.With this ruling coming from the Commonwealth court, it is now binding statewide. By tipping at windmills, both Jimbo (Don Quixote) and J-Huff (his faithful servant, Sancho), both incomprehensible egomaniacs, have actually created policy statewide that they never intended.
The opinion Tuesday by a seven-judge panel was unanimous. And although the opinion by President Judge Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter affirmed Section 1 of the ordinance applying specifically to lawsuits brought by two row officers, Montgomery County DA Risa Vetri Ferman and the late Sheriff John P. Durante, and remanded the rest of the law for further consideration, a concurring opinion by Mary Hannah Judge Leavitt characterized any further legal challenge as “an exercise in futility.”
According to Republican Commissioner, Bruce L. Castor, Jr., “...what Matthews and Hoeffel had done was meant to hurt me and my friends (in DA’s Office), but they effectively made a law binding the entire state (opposite of what was intended).”
Matthews has redefined "The Peter Principle" in a whole new way. It should be renamed "The Jimbo Principle".
You can read the Times Herald report here.
3 comments:
And now Hoeffel wants to appeal to the next level, the PA Supreme Court. Again, and as in Lower Providence, we can have a budget stretched thin, but there always seems to be $$ for lawyers to chase ridiculous legal theories in support of special interests, generated by egomaniacal chuckleheads, at taxpayer expense. And taxpayer money will be spent statewide, too, to conduct the appellate review.
These guys have singlehandedly expanded their craziness outside county borders (even more frightening when you consider that Hoeffel fancied himself fit for the governor's office) and will continue to do so unless voted out of office, or somehow impeached. How is it possible that there is nothing that can be done to remove them from office? Honestly almost anyone else could certainly not do a worse job.
the election is but a year away, and at least Jimbo will lose in the primary.
expect for you ofcourse Janice because YOU would Do a worse job.!! Say all you want about Matthews.. If someone does not know Who you are....Then YOU are not important!
no wonder Bill is not doing a lot of blogging anymore It is just the two of you swaping comments back and forth... HA Ha Ha...
JPJSJB
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