Two years ago today I published the article below after interviewing Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan. I like this guy, he is charismatic, politically adept, and undoubtedly committed to doing whatever is best for the Lehigh Valley. Having said that, I am wondering just what VP Biden, Governor Rendell, and all the other Dem Party powerbrokers promised John to get him to run.
It will not be easy to defeat Charlie Dent. For all his political acumen, Charlie Dent has a pit bull working for him in Shawn Millan. I say that with respect.
My biggest question is the expending of political capital to win this seat. If Dent holds on, what will that say about Republicans?
This is going to be a clash of political Titans, and I am not talking Dent versus Callahan, I am talking National Dems versus National Reps. This is going to be National ground zero, and Lehigh Valley voters will have a front row seat.
Notes from my Conversation with:Bethlehem Mayor John CallahanJohn Callahan will be 38 later this year. He is arguably one of the most dynamic and progressive Democratic party figures in the Lehigh Valley. He is halfway through his first full term as mayor, having previously won election in 2003 to finish Don Cunningham's term when Don joined Ed Rendell's 1st term cabinet, before winning his own full term in 2005.We met in his city hall office after a long day of work for both of us, yet John was as energetic and motivated to talk as if it were 7 AM and we still had the day ahead of us. I don't tape interviews, I take notes. I had a list of questions I gleaned from the many suggested from my other contacts and sources, and I jumped around in asking them, depending on where the conversation went.We started out on John's personal life, because many outside Bethlehem aren't familiar with it.He laughed as I shared questions and comments about his personal appearance, and how one woman has wanted to know if he had a single brother. (He does. sorry, I forgot to ask if he ever wears Speedos. Next Time!)Another had asked under what circumstances John had met his wife, and when did he know that he would marry her. As John relayed the story of how his life had played out, I couldn't help but think that the city of Bethlehem was fortunate to have a native son so committed to leading his community.John detailed his life growing up in Bethlehem and attending area public schools, and how he was bitten by the government bug early on, running and winning many different positions in student government. He met his wife when he was a Freshman in high School, and she was a Sophomore.To hear him tell it, She picked him out in a Liberty High School Hallway, and they never really looked back. When they went to college, she attended Lehigh, and he Moravian, and he told me he knew about a year before graduation that they would be married.When John Callahan speaks, his passion for everything in his life shines through, be it city government, or his family. As he relayed his personal story, I looked around at what he surrounds himself with in his office, and his family is prominently on display in every corner.They are in numerous pictures and mementos, and a prop photo from Disneyworld with his wife and kids with Disney characters sticks in my mind. For John Callahan, it's all about family, and as the conversation turned to the future of Bethlehem and the pending arrival of Casino gambling, the Mayor's passion for doing what he thinks is best for the city never wavered.We started out discussing one of the earliest issues he faced, taking it on barely two weeks after being sworn in as mayor, the John Hirko wrongful death lawsuit. I asked him if he had any personal regrets, or would do anything different, and he said no. He explained to me that he had heard repeatedly from interests wishing to invest in Bethlehem with concerns about the city's uncertain financial status. They were wary of putting money in the city, and the possibility of the city facing bankruptcy and being unable to provide basic infrastructure services was scaring investors off.He had to rely on the experts in the Hirko case, all who were telling him that it didn't look good for Bethlehem. So after conferring and getting the best information he could, he gave the okay for the $7.8 million dollar settlement, paid for by bond over 12 years. He told me they had crunched the numbers and knew going in what the city could afford, and worked from there.He rightfully pointed out that the situation was created because at the time of the shooting, in 1997, the administration had not secured adequate insurance coverage. He also told me that the interim administration of Jim Del Grosso had an opportunity to settle the case for approximately $2.5 million in 2003 before it went to trial, but had decided not to. The Hirko case wasn't John Callahan's creation, but he was the one who had to deal with it, and he did.Some have argued that Mayor Callahan's decisive handling of the Hirko case wasn't the best outcome that could have been had, but I would argue that he took the bull by the horns and dealt with it. That's what true leaders do, they make difficult decisions, when others don't or won't.His action in the Hirko case removed the cloud of doubt hovering over Bethlehem's financial status, and the proof today of that wisdom is that there is currently $1.6 BILLION in new investment taking place in the city. How a different outcome to the Hirko damages phase might have affected that we may not know for sure, but it was a risk the city could not afford, and John Callahan understood that.We moved on to discussing the coming of Casino gambling, and while he did admit that he had some concerns about what effect it could have on Bethlehem's already bustling nightlife, he is confident the overall outcome will be positive. He is excited about the prospect of a "Historical destination corridor" and the prospect of the Lehigh Valley as a Family getaway, with Bethlehem as its hub, and nearby Allentown and Easton colonial historical sites minutes away. He believes the same people who will come to Bethlehem to visit the Steel Museum will want to visit other historical sites in close proximity. Mayor Callahan's first priority is Bethlehem, but he understands that regional cooperation is the key, that the dollars don't stop at the city line.Which segued nicely into a discussion about the agreement between Lehigh and Northampton Counties on a revenue sharing formula. When it became obvious that gambling was coming, and that the Lehigh Valley would get one casino, former county execs Glen Reibman and Jane Ervin were not enthusiastic about working together. An everyman for himself attitude permeated the scene. In 2006, with the election of new leadership in both counties, that changed. Mayor Callahan and Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham were the catalysts for regional cooperation, and Mayor Ed Pawlowski and Northampton County Executive John Stoffa were willing to discuss the issue. The biggest hurdle facing them was that no matter what agreement they reached, each would have to get their own legislative body to pass it. Both Mayors would have to get it through their city council, and both Executives through their commissioners or council also, an admittedly daunting task, knowing the history of Lehigh Valley politics. That would be four bodies of oversight to sell on an agreement, and it was a hurdle that might prove impassable.It wasn't until State Senators Lisa Boscola and Pat Browne got involved that an agreement became possible. Mayor Callahan singled out Pat Browne's number crunching ability and hard work as vital to the agreement. The Senators introduced legislation that was passed by both houses and signed by Governor Rendell that made everything attainable.Mayor Callahan told me he felt very strongly all along that the Bethlehem proposal by the largest gaming company in the world, Las Vegas Sands, would be chosen, because of its location, and the opportunity to reinvigorate a 120+ acre brownfield site. This is all part of the earlier mentioned re-development that is now underway, and the mayor confided that the recent change in managers on the project doesn't trouble him, as most of the infrastructure work is already done.John Callahan made it very clear to me that it is his intention to see the seeds recently planted in Bethlehem through to their fruition. He honestly doesn't want to trust someone else to finish what he has started, and believes that he owes it to the city that elected him to see it through. He plans to run for re-election as Mayor in 2009, and finish that term if he wins.Then and only then, might he seek higher office, and still I think preferably, at the local level (Northampton County Exec, perhaps?) He admitted to me that he was flattered that the National Democratic party had approached him about running for Congress, and that he had thanked them, but turned them down. His actions back that up. He was recently elected 2nd Vice President of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, and is in line to be president in 2009. He joined the league when he was originally elected to a City Council seat back in 1997. His interest is in good local government, it is where he feels most at home. That's not to rule out that someday he wouldn't consider statewide or national office, but he is a homegrown product of Bethlehem, and with its future so potentially bright, who could blame him for wanting to stay and nurture it?I asked John if there was anything that he has seen get accomplished that he is truly proud of, that no one has ever heard about, that flew under the radar. He sighed and thought a moment, then explained to me that he gets a great deal of satisfaction when the details of any issue or problem are quietly ironed out, and people leave his office or a meeting satisfied. I think what he means is that the devil is in the details, and while it is always nice to have a big picture, it's good to know there's somebody looking after the little things, and making sure they get done.John Callahan takes care of the little things, and that's what makes him such a potential political giant.A couple of odds and ends: The Mayor and his wife regularly run a few miles, accompanied by their female Portuguese Water dog, named Scout, who he says thinks she is human. The Mayor considered himself both a bit of a geek and a jock in high school, pointing out he was on the wrestling team for 3 years and was a captain.Love him or hate him, I think we need more leaders like him, who are willing to make decisions whether they will be popular or not. He is not disconnected from his constituents, as many pols are, he's right there in the neighborhood, watching his kids alongside yours.
Readers can draw their own conclusions between what was said in 2007, and what is being said now.
