Last week, I told you that over the last two years, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski has raised a whopping $108,588. Most of this dough - raised amazingly during nonelection years - comes from city workers, developers, contractors, consultants and lawyers who do business with the city. Over the same two years, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan raised only $16,000, considerably less than Pawlowski.Callahan apparently thinks governing is a little more important than fundraising.
Thanks to a tip, I decided to pull last year's finance report for Northampton County Executive John Stoffa. Although his personal report shows that Stoffa is $14,500 in the hole and has every incentive to do some fundraising, his committee report shows he neither raised nor spent a dime. He's sitting on about $181.
Stoffa apparently considers integrity more important than fundraising.
We folks in the boonies appreciate guys like that. I'll bet city slickers in Allentown do, too.
14 comments:
It's nice to know honesty does exist. I think someone like him is needed in Nazareth....if what is posted on the Express Times nazareth Forum is true.
Is that address on his file the same as the new county prison? Did Stoffa file the in kind contributions from Angle? Didn't he get any in kind contributions from the Dems? Did he get any in kind contributions from the Republicans, because the Dems didn't support him? Did he have any friends that gave him any any in kind contributions? These are questions that need to be answered because I don't think he could have run his campaign without outside help.
anon 8:04 - Stoffa did not have a political campaign in 2007.
I don't think he could have run his campaign without outside help.
It is always a big mistake to underestimate an opponent. Looks like you're about to do it again.
Stoffa's election was an overwhelming rejection of the "pay to play" culture personified by Reibman and the machine politics of Joe Long. McClure, with all his money, barely hung on.
It could just mean that he is not running again. Or, it could mean he is and he doesn't want to win. Or he could just be waiting until 2009 to have jack Bradt fund his whole campaign again. We really won't know until 2009, will we?
We know that Stoffa made campaign telephone calls for Ron Angle. Yet, I don't see these calls on either of their campaign finance reports. Also, did Stoffa make these phone calls from County property ? If so, was his activity a violation of the Home Rule Charter or State law ?
Did the Pen Argyl Concerned Citizens send a piece of mail for Ron Angle's campaign ? If so, did they report it ? Did Angle report it ? Is this a violation ?
We know that Stoffa made campaign telephone calls for Ron Angle. Yet, I don't see these calls on either of their campaign finance reports. Also, did Stoffa make these phone calls from County property ? If so, was his activity a violation of the Home Rule Charter or State law ? Did the Pen Argyl Concerned Citizens send a piece of mail for Ron Angle's campaign ? If so, did they report it ? Did Angle report it ? Is this a violation ?
Stoffa did make a few, person to person, calls on behalf of Angle on his own time with no county resources. His volunteer work was no more an in kind contribution than DA Morganelli's robo calls on behalf of Branco.
The Pen Argyl Area Concerened Citizens is impartial and sent no mailer on behalf of anyone.
Anon 7:43 -
What value might you ascribe to a person-to-person telephone call? If you know PA campaign finance law, you know why I am asking this -- not because it applies to county elections, of course.
I don't want to argue with you - I think that once you quantify these horrid political crimes you allude to (ok, so I hyped it a bit) - you might realize how ridiculous they really are.
I don't know who you are - Joe Long, B'B'B' Daday, Glenn -- but please face the facts. In the primary, people voted for Stoffa because he had the guts to stand up, and because they were sick of what the previous four year administration had done to them.
The general was a toss-up - with the advantage that Northampton Country was sure to be better off no matter who won the election.
How lucky we all were!
anon 1:54 -
What percentage of Stoffa's 2005 campaign fund came from Jack Bradt? It's public record.
As far as running for a 2nd term, I wouldn't rule Stoffa out until I see his 2nd Friday pre-primary report.
My money says he runs, and wins.
People voted for Stoffa because he and the MSM ran a good negative campaign against Reibman. Reibman put a freeze on wages(or a frost)in todays PC terminology. Reibman ran an inept no-campaign, as did Nyce.
Stoffa had help from angry employees, angry Ferraro Republicans and angry gadflys. He won, give him his props. Of course the County has been on Auto-pilot drift ever since.
Please, I know BO worships at his feet but he was more a reaction against, than something for. Behind the scences help has always been out there and Stoffa got a ton of it. If he decides to run the money and the help will be there.
dispite that , I hope he runs but I think the fix is in and he will bow out for a Dem who helped him in 05.
Reibman's own 4 year record in office was the negative that caused him to lose to Stoffa. If Stoffa did not run Reibman would have lost to another candidate anyway.
Bernie- pull your head out of Stoffa's butt so you can see the light of day. Damn what are you interviewing for JS's next campaign manager? People hated Reibman because of the pay freeze. That is the only thing that did him in, other then that he actually cared about his employees, and accomplished many huge undertakings. Not just hiring one f'ing committee after another wasting time and taxpayers dollars. Along with stupid sayings like "People die everyday,” Stoffa is VERY unpopular amongst county employees. THAT IS A FACT - say what ever you want but if you dispute it you are full of crap!!! BLA BLA BLA!
Annon 8:37
You make a good point. I think Reibman was probably going to lose no matter what he did. In the primary , I think the layoffs and freeze killed him in the general it was the 70% tax hike.
The enire scandal thing was more an insider thing and msm deal. Voters get very into TAX issues and Reibman like Jane Ervin would have been hammered. In fact anyone who votes for taxes that high will have a tough time.
The MSM protected Jane but she still went down.
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