Retired, not yet says former Lehigh County Executive

00:00:00:01 – 00:00:03:32
David Martin
This is the good government show.

00:00:03:37 – 00:00:28:25
Phil Armstrong
I’ve been working with people all my life and I love it. There’s not a day I’m not smiling. What we did not do is we didn’t take billboards out and say, look, this is what we did. You know, we just go to work, we get our job done. I can’t say to somebody, you have a crisis. We’re not going to help you.

00:00:28:30 – 00:00:57:47
Phil Armstrong
Good government is one that is not a political party. People sometimes love to be lied to. You know, vote for me and I will. And you know, they’re not going to you know, they can’t. Did you do your homework? Did you vote according to who is the best person that you think would do the best job?

00:00:57:52 – 00:01:16:11
David Martin
Some people just don’t know the meaning of the word retirement. Phil Armstrong is one of those guys. Upon leaving his county executive role. He moved on to lead the County Executive Board of America. His work in public service is far from over. Welcome to the good government show. I’m Dave Martin. First, help us share the message of good government by liking us and sharing us where we are.

00:01:16:11 – 00:01:34:08
David Martin
On all your favorite social media. Be sure to review us and send our show everywhere. We all need to talk about good government. Phil and I talked about his eight years as county executive of Lehigh County. I asked, was Lehigh Valley better after his eight years? It was, he said. What impressed me about the conversation was this. He went back to the same theme.

00:01:34:20 – 00:02:00:32
David Martin
Government is not about party politics. It’s about getting the work done. And he did the work. Listen to what he says about what he calls pothole politics. Oh, and I failed my citizenship test. You’ll hear. Anyway, coming up. Former Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong. We have a new partner here in the Good Government Show. Hello, nation. This is a new digital magazine that showcases the best of cities across the nation.

00:02:00:34 – 00:02:27:42
David Martin
We’d all prefer if good news traveled faster. And hello, nation. Positive stories don’t just get told, they get amplified. Hello nation helps businesses, leaders, and communities share positive stories that matter building trust, credibility, and meaningful connection. Through professionally produced podcast, digital features and targeted distribution. Hello nation positions you is the answer regular folks are looking for while expanding and scaling your digital footprint across the platforms that people trust.

00:02:27:46 – 00:02:52:49
David Martin
Good news deserves momentum. Your city or your business can help spread the word of good news across the nation and hello nation! They don’t just have advertisers, they have advertisers. Editorial content from trusted community leaders and cities that are helping spread the good news. Let Hello Nation lift you up and lead the conversation. Visit Hello nation.com to learn more.

00:02:52:53 – 00:03:17:12
David Martin
Once you wrap up this episode of The Good Government Show, give a listen to our friends over at Good News for lefties. This daily podcast highlights news stories that show there’s more good news out there. Other people in government are really trying to do the right thing. That’s good news for lefties. Listen, we’re listening now. Welcome back to Phil Armstrong, the former county executive for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

00:03:17:17 – 00:03:22:50
David Martin
And now you’re the executive director of the County Executives of America. Phil, my friend, welcome back.

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Phil Armstrong
Well, I thank you. It’s great being back. I didn’t know I’d end up being back here.

00:03:27:54 – 00:03:32:43
David Martin
You’re another guy. I saw that in public service who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word retirement.

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Phil Armstrong
Absolutely not.

00:03:33:56 – 00:03:35:11
David Martin
But what happens to you people?

00:03:35:12 – 00:03:48:29
Phil Armstrong
Well, you know what? What is something that I think, you know, I. I was a teacher for 40 years, right? I’ve been working with people all my life, and I love it. There’s not a day I’m not smiling because.

00:03:48:29 – 00:03:51:13
David Martin
I can attest to that. Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve never not seen you smile.

00:03:51:13 – 00:03:58:57
Phil Armstrong
Well. And that’s it. When you’re doing what you love and I want to keep doing it. That’s why I’m still doing it now. Just with some other things.

00:03:58:58 – 00:04:03:32
David Martin
All right. And as is everybody, your family okay with you? Continuing. Good public service.

00:04:03:33 – 00:04:06:32
Phil Armstrong
Absolutely. Very supportive.

00:04:06:37 – 00:04:07:25
David Martin
Get out of the house.

00:04:07:27 – 00:04:11:53
Phil Armstrong
Yeah. Well, my wife, she’s with me. All right? Yes. She comes to our lovely woman.

00:04:11:53 – 00:04:12:19
David Martin
We’ve met.

00:04:12:20 – 00:04:16:59
Phil Armstrong
Yes. Yeah. And she definitely is my my companion and my better half.

00:04:17:01 – 00:04:26:18
David Martin
Yes, I agree. So, let’s just first talk a little bit about you were eight years as county executive. Did you leave Lehigh County? Better than you than you was when you got there?

00:04:26:20 – 00:04:32:17
Phil Armstrong
Well, I you know what? It was a tough eight years. We had Covid. Yeah. You know, we had.

00:04:32:22 – 00:04:34:42
David Martin
Nothing to worry about, right? Everything was civil.

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Phil Armstrong
But the thing is, yes, we left with a $25 million rainy day fund.

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David Martin
And that’s like nothing. Okay?

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Phil Armstrong
And we left with a balanced budget. We got the job done. We worked very, very well. You know, when I first got in, the board was the other party. We worked very well together. And I think it’s been on Facebook lately. There’s some fighting going on now with the new guy, but we were very collaborative with what we did.

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David Martin
Democrats and Republicans working together about Pennsylvania.

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Phil Armstrong
My first objective was to get away from Democrats and Republicans. Okay. And is that hard to do? It is. It took that two years. Really? Yes, it did, because there was some bad feelings, I guess, between before the the administration, before me and the board was in our he was a D and they followed that fighting when I got in and I just kept saying, well what do you want?

00:05:34:58 – 00:05:41:23
Phil Armstrong
And if we do what you want we can compromise. And we did. There were a number of compromises, but that’s what hurt.

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David Martin
Did it hurt?

00:05:42:19 – 00:06:04:35
Phil Armstrong
Not really. Okay. You know, as long as you have an objective and you’re getting toward that objective, that’s what counts. What counts is the citizens of the county and my huge thing is don’t sit on a board and have 12 people come to a meeting and yell at you and change everything. The county has a couple of hundred thousand people.

00:06:04:36 – 00:06:14:07
Phil Armstrong
Okay. You always need to have that as your number one priority. What’s the best for all the people? And it has nothing to do with party.

00:06:14:08 – 00:06:22:59
David Martin
Well, I’ve heard this from many, many a county commissioner or city mayor. I don’t care whether there is an R next year, your name or a D next to your name. I want the pothole on my streets.

00:06:23:13 – 00:06:34:04
Phil Armstrong
Absolutely. We call it pothole politics, but my feeling was definitely. Politics is local. You know, I know where I live. You know, they go to church with me.

00:06:34:06 – 00:06:35:29
David Martin
You probably taught half the kids.

00:06:35:34 – 00:06:46:46
Phil Armstrong
Well, and that pretty much is the correct answer. Yes. That means that you’re facing these people, and you better do what’s right, or you’re not going to be around for that second term.

00:06:46:48 – 00:07:01:56
David Martin
There was a movie out called Mr. Holland’s Opus. Richard Dreyfuss plays a music teacher for 40 years, and he said he’s at a city commission meeting. And he looked at him and he says, one of the one of the county commissioners, a city city councilman, he goes, well, like I told you, in class. Do it again. Get it again.

00:07:02:11 – 00:07:03:38
David Martin
Make it right.

00:07:03:42 – 00:07:30:37
Phil Armstrong
Yeah. And it is. It’s it is so rewarding, though, when you get these things accomplished. You know, we went into senior homes in the state being closed that are owned by counties, right? Instead of closing mine or privatizing it, I put on a new four story addition. Sad. Parted quite, not open yet, but we expanded it in a time when everybody else was getting out of the business.

00:07:30:37 – 00:07:43:38
Phil Armstrong
I think there’s only 13 counties now was 67, but that was a priority. And how do we get that accomplished and how do we get that across the finish line? Well, we did, and it should be open by this summer now.

00:07:43:39 – 00:07:47:13
David Martin
What’s your proudest accomplishment in your eight years as county commissioner for Lehigh County?

00:07:47:19 – 00:08:09:55
Phil Armstrong
You know, I was very, very proud of the senior home expansion. I was very proud that we saved the Iron Pigs because Major League Baseball hit us with a, we’re leaving unless you spend this much money and do these things for your stadium. And that’s where you really see cooperation in Lehigh Valley. I got the Chamber of Commerce.

00:08:10:04 – 00:08:36:20
Phil Armstrong
Tony Ainley was outstanding. He stepped up to help us. I got the County of Northampton to step in with the donation. I got Lehigh County. Pat Brown was with the state at the time as a state senator. He stepped up and got us millions of dollars. And when we put that package together, we saved the pigs, which three years in a row is the number one attendance team in that minor league?

00:08:36:25 – 00:08:37:12
Phil Armstrong
Really? Yeah.

00:08:37:13 – 00:08:38:53
David Martin
And this year internationally, triple AA.

00:08:38:54 – 00:08:43:39
Phil Armstrong
Yeah. And that’s our market is not quite the size of some of the others.

00:08:43:41 – 00:08:45:35
David Martin
Everybody above your what you’re hitting above your weight.

00:08:45:36 – 00:08:54:03
Phil Armstrong
So for us to say well you know and I had some people to say to hell with them, you know, let them go. Well, we own the stadium.

00:08:54:08 – 00:09:00:40
David Martin
And I just want to add. It is a beautiful stadium, the Iron Pigs games. It is. It is fantastic. No seat is bad.

00:09:00:41 – 00:09:03:35
Phil Armstrong
No. And they’re upgrading every year. They don’t.

00:09:03:35 – 00:09:08:36
David Martin
The ticket prices are reasonable and half these players are going to play in the major leagues and have been.

00:09:08:37 – 00:09:13:54
Phil Armstrong
Yes. And even the owners stepped up and helped us. So it was quite a.

00:09:13:54 – 00:09:16:55
David Martin
And you got it. You got a little outfield for families to run around in the back. Yeah.

00:09:16:55 – 00:09:21:18
Phil Armstrong
And now we have cabanas out there which will be new for this.

00:09:21:18 – 00:09:22:34
David Martin
So we got to catch a game this summer.

00:09:22:35 – 00:09:24:14
Phil Armstrong
Oh yeah. All right. Definitely.

00:09:24:14 – 00:09:28:23
David Martin
We all will have our good government show our company out of you. Get it? Added iron pig’s name.

00:09:28:31 – 00:09:52:07
Phil Armstrong
But see your day to day things. You know, we have a new mental health facility up in the northern part of the county, something that was never there before. You know, there’s so many things that you’re not patting yourself on the back. Well, this is what we did today. This is what we’re going to do tomorrow. But the fact is, every day we try to do something that makes our country a better place to live.

00:09:52:08 – 00:10:13:38
David Martin
One of the challenges that you had as county executive and I know from being in Allentown, so awesome, is this is a huge growth market. How do you responsibly manage growth and how did you responsibly manage growth? Well, because there’s somebody right now in traffic. God, I hate this place. There’s too much traffic. This is terrible. It’s somebody right now listening who’s stuck in traffic and believe you.

00:10:13:43 – 00:10:19:50
Phil Armstrong
And you know they’re right there on route 22 and I understand I’ve been there myself. Okay. Well, again.

00:10:19:50 – 00:10:22:17
David Martin
You’ve been the county executive has said. Oh, yeah. Everybody else.

00:10:22:17 – 00:10:47:40
Phil Armstrong
Yeah. All right. But this is why I’m now senior vice president of the National Association of Regional Councils. That’s where the highway money comes to your area. Okay. That’s where the bridge money, the safe streets money come when the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission announces that they’ve gotten this 5 million grant or this 11 million grant. This is where it comes from.

00:10:47:46 – 00:11:05:41
Phil Armstrong
One of the last things I did with two weeks left in my office, I got together with Senator Miller, and we came up with enough funding to go to phase two to the rail study. If you want a rail line someday. Yes, you’ve got a first two. Step one we’ve done well.

00:11:05:41 – 00:11:08:23
David Martin
Our Fred Christian line back, I’m sure, can kind of tell us all.

00:11:08:23 – 00:11:32:02
Phil Armstrong
About that again. Well, we’ve done step one. Yes. And now here’s the financial this needed to be for step two. Lehigh County stepped up. We stepped up to do a regional housing study was $400,000, but we stepped up to do it. And it’s going to be out pretty soon. Published in. It’s going to be a fantastic thing for people who are moving to the area.

00:11:32:07 – 00:11:35:14
Phil Armstrong
Where are the houses needed, what kind of houses? You know.

00:11:35:17 – 00:11:43:09
David Martin
Even what kind of houses. Let’s talk about that for a minute, because that’s really maybe the biggest issue in housing is what kind of housing we’re building, right?

00:11:43:13 – 00:12:07:27
Phil Armstrong
Yes. And we have partnered with a developer who specializes in low income housing. And we have number one, I’ve sold him a parking lot on seventh and Walnut for him to build a new one up the street in Walnut. He’s in the process of building another one, and we started it. And they just finished. They’re going to do low income housing up in the sliding to an area.

00:12:07:31 – 00:12:09:44
David Martin
And how does this help long term Allentown resident.

00:12:09:46 – 00:12:33:42
Phil Armstrong
It helps the entire valley because what happens you know a you have a homeless problem. You have a homeless problem. You have a crime problem. You have all kinds of things. You have to get them into a resident. This is what we’ve been concentrating on and I’m sure the new administration will continue. But what we did not do is we didn’t take billboards out and say, look, this is what we did.

00:12:33:42 – 00:12:53:29
Phil Armstrong
You know, we just go to work, we get our job done. We don’t need to pat ourselves on the back for it. But there’s a shortage of it. And you have to look, you know, we’ve also we are number three in the state for percentage of farmland preservation versus the size of our county. So again they this is the important thing.

00:12:53:36 – 00:13:05:54
Phil Armstrong
Balance our rails to trail. They got a $22 million grant to extend the trail from Allentown up through to Whitehall. That took three years of begging.

00:13:06:06 – 00:13:23:04
David Martin
Going to I want to ask you about that because, you know, that’s a that’s another issue. Citizens see these, you know, plans like $2 million, $3 million for a long term strategy plan. And they look at this. Why is that? Why is the county paying $3 million? Why is the city paying $2 million to get a strategic plan?

00:13:23:11 – 00:13:24:38
David Martin
And I never see the results.

00:13:24:43 – 00:13:25:45
Phil Armstrong
Well.

00:13:25:50 – 00:13:26:58
David Martin
You’ve had you’ve heard that argument.

00:13:26:58 – 00:13:36:50
Phil Armstrong
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Anybody. And it is something once you’re in government, government moves at the speed of. And that’s just where I’ll stop at the speed.

00:13:36:57 – 00:13:37:25
David Martin
Yeah.

00:13:37:30 – 00:14:00:56
Phil Armstrong
Of yeah. You know what it just Wiley Coyote. It took us basically three years for that grant. Now that trail is still not open because even after you get the grant now, the environmental studies. Now, where’s the sewer lines? Now, how do you and I was open to be on that trail and cutting it is county exact. It just doesn’t happen.

00:14:01:01 – 00:14:09:58
Phil Armstrong
You know, if somebody thinks the government, hey, I want this done tomorrow. I’m sorry. I’d love to do it tomorrow, but that rarely, rarely happens.

00:14:10:05 – 00:14:12:10
David Martin
It just doesn’t move as fast as you’d like.

00:14:12:10 – 00:14:15:00
Phil Armstrong
You have to go through these steps. I mean.

00:14:15:00 – 00:14:16:45
David Martin
That are the important steps. Are they viable?

00:14:16:52 – 00:14:22:08
Phil Armstrong
Oh, no. They’re steps that the federal government, the state government mostly put in your path.

00:14:22:08 – 00:14:36:11
David Martin
When I keep hearing from different people I’ve talked to at different levels of government, is that if you don’t have a plan, you’re making a mistake. That’s not the word he would use, but we’ll go with that. How important is something like the National Association of Regional Councils.

00:14:36:12 – 00:15:08:36
Phil Armstrong
What you have to do, Dave, and this is the important thing, having a plan, you must have the data to go with the plan. Okay. To prove this is why you need this. Now we just got the new grant for widening 22, which from airport Road to Whitehall. Now obviously everybody knows who said on 22 we needed. But unless we did traffic studies, unless we put a plan together, unless we show the date of this, you don’t get the money.

00:15:08:50 – 00:15:11:43
Phil Armstrong
You have to do all of this work to get this.

00:15:11:53 – 00:15:25:08
David Martin
Now you have step down as the, county executive. Eight years, two terms term. Limit it out. And you’re now the executive director of the county Executives of America. A lofty title, if I may say so. What the heck does that mean?

00:15:25:21 – 00:15:55:32
Phil Armstrong
Well, there are almost 700 and some counties that have executives in the United States and Naco as great as Naco is, it really is. It’s everybody. It’s controllers, treasurers and the whole bit. Right. And back in the 1990s, county executives and we get along great, great with Naco. But we are just county executives now in some states they’re called judges, they’re called mayors, a name or a title, but it’s saying.

00:15:55:32 – 00:15:57:00
David Martin
What are they calling Kentucky? It’s a great.

00:15:57:00 – 00:15:58:51
Phil Armstrong
Name. I think they’re the judge.

00:15:58:51 – 00:16:00:26
David Martin
Judges and judge federal.

00:16:00:26 – 00:16:02:56
Phil Armstrong
Or something. Yeah. I think that you should try. Oh, I know who the.

00:16:03:05 – 00:16:04:38
David Martin
Police jurors are. The easy. Yes.

00:16:04:38 – 00:16:28:46
Phil Armstrong
Yeah. And we have members from all over the United States, and we meet because basically we had just had a meeting yesterday at the University of Maryland for the new people who just got elected. Okay. For example, Jeff and Larry, both county executive, is in Tennessee. Between the two of them, 98 years is county executives. Obviously, no term limits.

00:16:28:51 – 00:16:51:50
Phil Armstrong
But for you to be able to sit down with them, they’ve gone through everything, just those kind of relationships to have that helping hand the problems for just people who were in county executive. We all have jails. A lot of us have nursing homes and airports and things like that. We have a lot of things in common. When the federal government cuts funding.

00:16:51:50 – 00:17:15:29
Phil Armstrong
I was in the white House two weeks ago meeting with their intergovernmental relations person as a county executive director, saying, look, here’s what counties need. And again, no party know whether you like this president or not. Here are the facts. You’re the person that determines this money that goes. We’re the ones that have to handle these programs.

00:17:15:29 – 00:17:18:19
David Martin
How is the county executive role different than just being a county commissioner?

00:17:18:20 – 00:17:42:47
Phil Armstrong
Well, again, only for council. Basically four counties have an elected county executive. Okay. The counties that have county commissioners, there’s just 3 to 1 party and one in the other where I have a board of nine. I had a board of nine commissioners. It’s kind of like a mayor city council, okay. It’s a home rule. I think it’s a better way of doing it because it’s got checks and balances.

00:17:42:49 – 00:17:52:21
David Martin
Okay. What do you do it. What slack are county Executive having to pick up now? Especially in light of where things stand with the federal government and their cooperation with local government.

00:17:52:25 – 00:18:09:46
Phil Armstrong
Well, let’s put it this way. Before we met with the intergovernmental relations guy a couple weeks ago, the counties were set to get 35% of funding for our mental health programs. Yes, we ended up getting 60%. So that’s the meeting successful?

00:18:09:46 – 00:18:10:55
David Martin
I would say so, yeah.

00:18:10:59 – 00:18:32:07
Phil Armstrong
But did we get exactly what we’d like know now? Where is that other coming from? Well, we can’t you know, I can’t say to somebody, you have a crisis. We’re not going to help you. That’s the bottom line. We’re counties are. You know, when the Arpa funds went out, they went right to counties because that administration kind of knew the counties were on the front lines.

00:18:32:11 – 00:18:53:29
David Martin
All right. Well, that was the easy part. We’re going to get to the hard questions just so that. The Good Government Show is sponsored by our. That’s oh, you are for our community. Get involved. We hear that all the time from government leaders. Our co-branding with your government’s name and logo, your staff and the people you serve are connected and part of your community.

00:18:53:44 – 00:19:13:56
David Martin
From any device your members provide reliable data and meaningful feedback. Ask a question like do we want more parkland or better homeless services? More engaged conversations come through the our app. Visit our Co that’s ou rco.com and book a demonstration.

00:19:14:01 – 00:19:37:30
David Martin
After you get done with this episode, hear more good government stories with our friends at How to Really Run a City for mayors. Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, and their co-host, journalist and author Larry Platt talk with guests and other mayors about how to really get stuff done in cities around the nation. Check them out where you’re listening now or through their nonprofit news site, The Philadelphia Citizen.

00:19:37:34 – 00:20:00:05
David Martin
Dot org slash podcasts. We’ve asked you these questions before, but we have a few new ones. Okay. And, well, I have a feeling we’re going to talk about one thing we talked about the last time. So eight years, as Lehigh County executive, currently executive director of the County Executives of America. I’m sure you can do this easily to find good government.

00:20:00:05 – 00:20:25:54
Phil Armstrong
Good government is one that is not a political party. Good government is one that listens to what is the best for the people they represent, not for a small group or not to the person who gave them the money to run. You know, I don’t like the fact I think good is getting spoiled by campaign contributions. You take a lot of money to get in.

00:20:26:02 – 00:20:48:24
Phil Armstrong
You’re going to be asked to do favors, and that might not be the best thing for your area. I think I only had like 30,000 when I ran, and I didn’t spend 18 of it. I have left over. I just don’t think that’s the way government should work. But I do think it means that you’re listening to your people doesn’t mean you.

00:20:48:24 – 00:21:05:38
Phil Armstrong
You say okay to everything. Be honest with them. Which people sometimes love to be lied to, you know, vote for me and I will. And you know, they’re not going to, you know, they can’t let you vote for them thinking that. And it doesn’t happen.

00:21:05:41 – 00:21:08:59
David Martin
Good government is not Democrat or Republican. Is that what you said?

00:21:08:59 – 00:21:09:57
Phil Armstrong
Absolutely.

00:21:10:05 – 00:21:15:54
David Martin
Good government is not. That is the best answer I’ve heard in 180 episodes of a good government show.

00:21:15:54 – 00:21:21:00
Phil Armstrong
Thank you. It’s been my mantra since I’ve been in public office.

00:21:21:13 – 00:21:32:35
David Martin
What would you like? The people of Allentown and Lehigh Valley to do, if they don’t like what they see from government, from the city hall, from the county offices, what should they do?

00:21:32:40 – 00:22:00:44
Phil Armstrong
Vote and the trouble is, just don’t go in and vote because, well, this party must be the best party again. I’m anti that. Yep. Know who you’re voting for. You know, I taught government for 40 years. I would tell my students, number one, if you don’t know who to vote for, don’t vote. I don’t want somebody elected that you put in office not even knowing who they were.

00:22:00:53 – 00:22:23:42
Phil Armstrong
No it research it becoming. This is this is what we fight for. This is what democracy is about. But it’s the fact that you’ve got to know if you’re putting somebody in office and then you’re saying, oh my God, well, did you do your homework? Did you vote according to who is the best person that you think would do the best job?

00:22:23:54 – 00:22:34:41
David Martin
You said you taught government for 40 years. One of the things I hear across the nation from lots of people, both in office and out of office, is a lack of civics education in schools. How do you bring that back?

00:22:34:42 – 00:23:09:01
Phil Armstrong
Well, in 2010, I was a lobbyist in Washington, DC for one week for social studies education because everything is being Stem, you know, all of these standardized tests that students have to take now to get out of high school. There is no one social studies desk in 2010. In the spring, the state of Pennsylvania paid me and a superintendent and a college professor to write a an exam for social studies to be taken by every 10th grader.

00:23:09:01 – 00:23:24:38
Phil Armstrong
So if they didn’t pass it, they could take it again. And and then we spent three days in Harrisburg. They put wined and dined us. But we worked. Yeah, we wrote that exam. Guess where that is right now? I it’s in some filing cabinet. Never.

00:23:24:43 – 00:23:31:04
David Martin
Ever give me two questions. Come on. Well, I always take the citizenship test where it’s the papers. You see how I do? I usually do.

00:23:31:04 – 00:23:33:32
Phil Armstrong
Okay. How many amendments are there in the Constitution?

00:23:33:33 – 00:23:34:24
David Martin
How many amendments?

00:23:34:24 – 00:23:34:47
Phil Armstrong
Yes.

00:23:34:54 – 00:23:36:48
David Martin
Total today? Yes, I don’t know.

00:23:36:49 – 00:23:41:54
Phil Armstrong
Oh, there you go. You flunked. Okay. 34. No, it would be a multiple choice. I don’t know.

00:23:41:59 – 00:23:45:09
David Martin
How many are there. 27, 34. I was I was in the ballpark.

00:23:45:09 – 00:23:45:33
Phil Armstrong
Yeah, a.

00:23:45:33 – 00:23:47:03
David Martin
Little high, but I was, I was there.

00:23:47:12 – 00:23:55:39
Phil Armstrong
But the idea of understanding how does an amendment happen, you know, I don’t know if people even know what a county executive is. No. It didn’t

00:23:55:44 – 00:24:03:08
David Martin
Somebody said once there’s some kid out there dreaming of being president or governor or senator, nobody’s dreaming of being a county commissioner. So. Yeah.

00:24:03:08 – 00:24:27:16
Phil Armstrong
Well, and you know what? And that’s what I kind of loved about the job. When I went into it, I knew it was not going to be a stepping stone. Okay. I didn’t do three years and then run for this or five years and run for that. I said, look, this is a great job. Pat Brown, former state senator from Allentown, once said to me, the most important job in the county is the county executive.

00:24:27:19 – 00:24:30:32
Phil Armstrong
Sure. And it really is. And I thought that’s what I wanted to do.

00:24:30:35 – 00:24:38:18
David Martin
What would you like people in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley and across the nation to know about government that they probably don’t know?

00:24:38:21 – 00:25:08:43
Phil Armstrong
Well, you know what? It’s their local government that is taxing them. The probably the most they’re school board for running the schools, their towns, their townships, for their garbage collections and for the things. And yet the worst voter turnout is on local elections. Everybody turns out when a president’s right, but the people that are going to affect your life the most, those are your local people, and those are the people that you stay home for.

00:25:08:48 – 00:25:10:13
Phil Armstrong
You know, if you get.

00:25:10:18 – 00:25:12:02
David Martin
An executive, an on your off your election.

00:25:12:02 – 00:25:12:19
Phil Armstrong
Off.

00:25:12:19 – 00:25:16:35
David Martin
Year. So it is so between the presidential elections. Yeah. Any effort to change it.

00:25:16:39 – 00:25:23:19
Phil Armstrong
That has to go through Harrisburg. Let me know. Last time Harrisburg changed, you want to take a lot of things, too. Don’t move quick.

00:25:23:19 – 00:25:35:38
David Martin
All right. So okay, so I move on this summer, I we’re coming to an Iron Pigs game. I’m getting the gang together. Where are you taking us? What do we have? What’s the what’s the Lehigh dish? And you can’t say scrapple.

00:25:35:44 – 00:26:04:15
Phil Armstrong
Okay, well, you know, pretzels and soft pretzels are Philadelphia, right through the Allentown with some mustard on the side. But at the Iron Pigs, it has to be some kind of a hot dog and pork sandwich. You know, that’s that’s pretty much what they’re famous for there. They do have a great menu. And you know what? This summer, Pennsylvania 250, which I’m on that committee to I will be John Adams at the Iron Pig Stadium on July 3rd.

00:26:04:27 – 00:26:15:13
Phil Armstrong
And we’re going to have a $75,000 fireworks drone show. Okay. That night, Pennsylvania. 250. So you might want to come to see that.

00:26:15:15 – 00:26:16:52
David Martin
All right. Where do you get your news?

00:26:17:04 – 00:26:28:03
Phil Armstrong
Where do I get my news podcast, local radio? Morning call. I’m. I’ve got a subscription to Morning Call. Good. Very disappointed. It’s less and less and less. And.

00:26:28:10 – 00:26:33:23
David Martin
Hey, listen, you’re still get the paper delivered at home. Says I get half of newspaper reporters, everybody.

00:26:33:24 – 00:26:39:31
Phil Armstrong
That’s, I, you know, and I have the East Penn Press. I also get all right, weekly press.

00:26:39:39 – 00:26:52:46
David Martin
All right. So this is the good government show. We always bring it back to good government. Tell me about a good government project in your town and your city and your county that you’ve had a hand and you’re excited about. Oh, wow. Or something you got coming up that you’re. Well, you’re looking forward to it.

00:26:52:46 – 00:27:18:22
Phil Armstrong
I’m, I was very, very excited about I used to bring kids in from all of the school districts and have a student government day to get civics ready to get let them introduce bills and see things like that that I was proud of doing. But, what I was really proud of doing is Dave, every year for my ears, even when I was a lame duck, I went to every.

00:27:18:33 – 00:27:40:59
Phil Armstrong
We have 25 municipalities in Lehigh County, okay. And I went to their public meeting at least once a year. And, you know, Alberta’s to slating to in the wise and Burg township. And you know what that meant a lot when they see me and I went there just to basically tell them what’s going on, but mostly answer their questions.

00:27:40:59 – 00:27:49:40
Phil Armstrong
And, hey, we need a stoplight. Here is your bridge. But at the other time is I got a stop sign for them, you know, and in need that.

00:27:49:41 – 00:27:54:05
David Martin
Matters when they when people see government like being responsive to little things like a stop sign.

00:27:54:07 – 00:28:08:28
Phil Armstrong
Yeah. And when you show up at a small little rural township meeting and they love it. Albertus, you know, I love going over there and all of the and you made connections with those people. And that was.

00:28:08:28 – 00:28:24:45
David Martin
Important. Phil Armstrong, the former eight year county executive for Lehigh County, the current executive director for County Executives of America, leading the charge for county executives across the nation and through the National Association of Regional Councils, helping other people plan better.

00:28:24:45 – 00:28:26:42
Phil Armstrong
That’s and that’s very important.

00:28:26:45 – 00:28:37:13
David Martin
You have to we have to talk about what retirement’s all about. But I have a feeling it won’t be anytime soon. Hey, Phil, a friend of the show. It’s always a pleasure to talk to you. Great to have you back. See you in Allentown.

00:28:37:13 – 00:28:44:52
Phil Armstrong
Thank you very much. And I’m always going to be around if you need me. Good. Okay. Thank you.

00:28:44:57 – 00:29:02:49
David Martin
Want to hear more about good government? Check out another show I host leading Iowa good government in Iowa cities. I host the show with Brad Cavanaugh, mayor of Dubuque, Iowa, and the immediate past president of the Iowa League of Cities. Together, we talk to leaders in Iowa cities. We talk about what works and what good government looks like in Iowa.

00:29:02:54 – 00:29:23:51
David Martin
Join us right here. We listening now that’s leading Iowa. Good government in Iowa. Cities. It was called the War to End All Wars. But it didn’t. Three royal cousins, all kings, one from England, one from Germany and one from Russia blundered their way into a war. I completely avoided the war that left millions dead in the trenches across Europe.

00:29:23:56 – 00:29:47:05
David Martin
Good government show executive producer Jim Ludlow details the blunders, mistakes and bluster that started World War One that didn’t end all wars. The book The Royal Cousins details the events and creates an alternative history. Imagine a World War one never happened. It didn’t have to just read it yourself. Download the book today on Amazon. It’s just $0.99 and a timely look at history.

00:29:47:10 – 00:30:05:35
David Martin
Vote, but do your homework. Know who you’re voting for. Phil Armstrong said. Don’t just vote for the guy because of the deer the next to his name. And if you haven’t studied up on the candidates, well, don’t vote. This is an excellent lesson in citizenship. Local elections matter. They certainly affect you more directly. So listeners, make sure you vote.

00:30:05:39 – 00:30:21:47
David Martin
It’s the only way to get the people you want in office and remove the people you don’t want. Phil Armstrong is John Adams. Now that’s the site where saying go get your iron pigs tickets. Grab a pretzel, don’t forget the mustard, and then pick up a pork sandwich. That sounds like a great way to catch a baseball game this summer at Coca-Cola Park.

00:30:21:58 – 00:30:40:37
David Martin
Hey, it’s baseball season. Well, that’s our show. Thanks for listening. Please like us and share with your friends around us right here real estate. And check out our website. Good government show.com for extras. Help us keep telling stories of good government in action everywhere. Join us again for another episode right here. I’m Dave Martin and this is the good Government show.

00:30:40:41 – 00:31:05:39
David Martin
Batter up. The Good Government show is a Valley Park production. Jim Budd though Dave Martin, that’s me and David Snyder are the executive producers. Our show is edited and produced by Jason Sterling. Please subscribe, then share and like us and review us. That’s the best way to make sure we’re able to keep telling these stories of our government working for all of us.

00:31:05:52 – 00:31:21:02
David Martin
Then listen to the next episode of The Good Government Show.

00:31:21:07 – 00:31:23:47
Narrator
This podcast is part of the democracy Group.

**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.