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Monday, April 21, 2008

And This Guy Wants to be Our Next Guv?

Lehigh County Exec Don Cunningham, rated by LVRamblings readers as our second most accountable and responsive area leader, has predicted taxes for Lehigh County residents will remain unchanged through 2011. Some critics complain he's just lucky, but that's still a pretty good trait for an elected leader.

Ask Allegheny County exec Dan Onorato, Cunningham's most likely opponent in the next Pennsylvania governor's race. Onorato was actually booed during a recent speech on his home turf. And for good reason. According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "This year, Mr. Onorato cut 200 jobs from the county payroll to help balance a $727.6 million budget. He also persuaded council members to approve drink and car rental taxes ... ."

A drink tax? Wasn't there a little revolution over something like that just a few years ago? I can't imagine proud Pittsburgh Pirates' fans putting up very long with the indignity of driving to Ohio to get loaded!


Even with his little drink tax and layoffs, Allegheny's Controller predicts Onorato could face a financial crisis by 2012 if he doesn't boost revenues or cut spending.

So do we elect this guy governor or pick the lucky Irishman?

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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 21, 2008 at 8:21 AM

    Alan Prescott said... "Do Pennsylvania voters know that
    Reps. Patrick Murphy took a $18,826.00 "donation" from Barack Obama prior to endorsing him?
    I think that taints his endorsement more than alittle bit and sells out the voters of Pennsyvania that havent even been able to vote yet." And Cunningham had a fundraiser for Murphy at a prominent Republican home (Molewski) in Saucon Valley, March 29th, and than wants to be Governor. He also wants to be a Clinton delegate. Is he a Republican or a Democrat? Which side of the ballot is Cunningham going to be on as he panders on both sides of the political aisle?

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 21, 2008 at 9:31 AM

    Anyone responsible for a drink tax should be drawn and quartered.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bernie O'HareApril 21, 2008 at 9:46 AM

    Anon 8:21, Cunningham is a Dem who takes no orders from locval party bosses. He prefers to listen to the people who've elected him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 21, 2008 at 11:39 AM

    anon 821-hows about Cunningham is that rare breed: an independent, bipartisan elected? i understand party hacks would have a hard time getting their arms around that one.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 21, 2008 at 10:06 PM

    Of course it is your fight but I would go with the politician that was willing to cut the county payroll. That is real leadership; the kind of leadership the taxpayers deserve. To often politicians are more concerned with protecting the bureaucracy rather the serving the better interests of the taxpayers.

    Scott Armstrong

    ReplyDelete

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