At a time when even local candidates are raising over $100 thousand for primary contests, Northampton County Executive John Stoffa is a breath of fresh air. His county exec race cost him just $22,375.91, well below the sum most experts will say is needed. What's even more impressive is that Stoffa accepted no contributions and owes nothing to anyone.
Later this week, I'll be posting some of the campaign finance reports so you can follow the money yourself.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, June 22, 2009
25 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
You’re so patronizing!
ReplyDeleteR U lobbing to be Stoffa’s court jester? UR gonna to get urself one of those funny pointed hats to fit UR pointed head!
Thanks God for Charles Dertinger!
ReplyDeleteNice come back BO, scuse me Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteThat's almost the same amount the Longdems owe Severson.
ReplyDeletebully for john, but it is no blueprint on how to run a campaign. bear in mind that he has benefitted from opponents who ran 3 of the most inept politicala campaigns in recent lehigh valley history.
ReplyDeleteStoffa has had a Press that has always given him a pass. Remember the CYF scandal in Lehigh County? That is just one of many examples of how the papers are in the tank for Stoffa.
ReplyDeleteHe is an incumbent in an off-year election witht no big issue. If McHale had actually run a campaign, blasting his tax increase, blasting him giving half the Casino money to Allentown, etc. She may have had traction.
I agree with 5:39, somehow this guy is able to get people to do nothing when they run against him.
Angles "surprise" gift of an attack negative ad in the newspaper is not considered a Stoffa expenditure, even though he was as aware of that as he was the deal he cut with Roy Shuman.
Problem is you will never read about it because no one will report it. Oh well, to the victors go the spoils, bring on the huge Bond issue and the tax increases.
Hey! That's the voodoo that Joe Long do so well! What are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteThese last tree opponents' campaigns of Stoffa's only look so pathetic becuase you have him to compare. Stoffa is an anomaly in Northampton County - a professional with experience who actually does what is right and best for the people. That's why he gets a majority from both parties. It's never been seen before and probably will never be seen again. We have four years left and then Exec politics will fall into the crapper again and it will be business as usual and those opponents won't look so bad since we'll all be wallowing in the mud again .
ReplyDelete"R U lobbing to be Stoffa’s court jester?"
ReplyDeleteThat job has already been taken by Dertinger, thank God. I'm lobbying for a job as rest room attendant.
Yea right, thats why Stoffa came in 6th out of 10 in 2001. He is an incompetent goof. He is political teflon, I'll give him that.
ReplyDeleteReally?
ReplyDeleteThen all I can say is this.
Thank God for Glenn Reibman.
Thank God for Ann McHale.
Thank God for Ron Heckman.
Thank God for JC Kelleher.
Thank God for Joe Long.
Thank God for Charles Dertinger.
Finally, thank God for political hacks like you.
Is that my cue?
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of the throwing around of The G-man's name.
Are you folks ready for a theocracy, yet? Let me know. I'm almost ready...
And the talking head does NOT look like me!
Peace, ~~Alex
There are two kinds of pols in Norco: a very small group of people that deserve their positions, like Stoffa, and a huge group of losers and n'er do wells that were voted least likely to succeed in their high school class (or juvenile detention center or wherever they got their GED) and don't deserve their positions but have them because they manage to scare away the qualified people that deserve the positions by making the legislative environment as unprofessional and unattractive as possible to the qualified people. (See David Haines). These people that you thank above, Bernie, cannot survive politically unless they continue making laughing stocks of themselves and our County in their efforts to keep the proper candidates at bay. As a lonely representative of the first group representing the educated, civil, ethical, sane citizens of Norco, Stoffa deserves a medal for putting himself in the ring with the mob. Thank God for Stoffa. Why he puts up with it, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why he does it, either. He obviously loves his farm and his wife, and could be sitting in his barn making birdhouses.
ReplyDeleteSo I'll say this, and I mean this one:
Thank God for John Stoffa.
Bernie and anon 10:18, I work for the County and you both attacked Ron Heckman. He was a great boss and cared what happened in the Department. He actually showed up at the diffewrent worksites, more than I can say for some.
ReplyDeleteWhy the hate? I don't recall him pissing on Stoffa. And 10:18, if you think he was a bad elected representastive lay out what his problems were?
No one twisted Stoffa's arm. I realize you are his kid but when you start throwing the hate like O'Hare you may find it bounces back on you and it certainly speaks speaks volumes about Pappa Stoffa.
Who gives a shit whether you work for the county? That doesn't make you a Ron Heckman expert or give you any special insight into what I was saying.
ReplyDeleteHeckman may be all the things you say but is also a shitty candidate. He couldn't make up his mind to run for exec or council and ended up losing an endorsement.
The truth hurts. Too bad. File a grievance. The go to council and try and force them to hear it.
ReplyDelete"These last tree opponents' campaigns of Stoffa's only look so pathetic becuase you have him to compare. Stoffa is an anomaly in Northampton County - a professional with experience who actually does what is right and best for the people. That's why he gets a majority from both parties. It's never been seen before and probably will never be seen again."
ReplyDeleteall that may be true. please understand that i like John, and really have no reason to. but a good, ruthless, and professional campaign could've taken him down in any of those three races.
5:39, Agreed. After all of Reibmans scandals, Angles attacks and the Press constantly raping Reibman and lapping up to Stoffa, he barely won in 2005.
ReplyDeleteDoctor Truth!
Might be true. But under that logic, a real campaign and real candidates would have never given Reibman, McHale, Dertinger or any other Longdems a chance greater than dog catcher. In the land of the blind, a one eyed man is king.
ReplyDeleteAnd a wink is as good as a nod to a blind man, what is this the hokey awh shucks thread?
ReplyDeleteBy the third term try, Reibman was a damaged and vulnerable candidate. People around him suggested he not run but his ego was bigger than his negatives( common with pol's).
Casper the friendly Ghost would have beat him. Remember, Stoffa sent four attack peieces in that primary and the Press kicked in with some bloody Reibman attack stories and glowing Stoffa endorsements.
Your statement lacks as much sense as insight.
I don't think Stoffa sent out a single attack piece, let alone 4. I'm not sure he had the money for more than one or two mailers at the most. I may be mistaken, but my memory is that there was no negativism. But Reibman was damaged. You're right about that.
ReplyDeleteThank God for Bernie O'Hare
ReplyDeleteThank god for Ron Angle
Thank God for John Stoffa
Thank God for Jack Bradt
Thank God for Roy Shuman
Thank God for Abe Atiyah
And especially Thank God for Con men like this. Or has God have nothing to do with these characters.
Stoffa did send negative mail in 05 I kept that "how much does that doggie in window" hit on the Reibman tax hikes. However, Reibman could have beat Stoffa if he ran a real campaign because Stoff is St.Casper. He may have lost in the general because 50%+tax hikes=death in this area.
ReplyDeleteThose including BO who praise Stoffa simply refuse to face reality: Jane Baker wanted him out. Bill Brackbill wouldnt keep him. He tried to get Reibman to hire him. He opposed the redevelopment of Beth Steel. He is just one lucky dude, albeit a disaster policy-wise.
finally he doesnt have to spend money when he is the media's candidates and his opponents can't run effective campaigns.
That tired old dog mailer was like the turtle mailer - funny & quirly, just like Stoffa. It's a stretch to call it an attack piece. And you claim there were 4 of the. Where are they?
ReplyDelete