Money and mailers may be flowing like manna from heaven in the Lehigh County Commissioner races, but things are a lot different here in the People's Republic of Northampton County. So far, I've received no mailers from any of the ten county council candidates. I have received two robocalls, one of them anonymous, about Charles Dertinger.On Friday, all ten candidates filed their pre-election campaign finance reports. They explain why this has been such a low-key race. There's no money. The biggest fundraiser is union lover Charles Dertinger, and that's only $7,325.00.
Dertinger likes to tell us he's been blessed, but it's not by God. It's the unions. From Parsippany, NJ, to Flushing, NY, they open their wallets for him. Maybe they still think he's running for Congress. Maybe it's because Dertinger is the only Council member dragging his feet during hard financial times about the county paying retirement health care for new hires. Everyone else is ready to end this expensive perk, but Dertinger thinks of it as some sort of entitlement that taxpayers owe the public sector.
I will be scanning and linking to these reports, but want you to have this summary.
John Cusick: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09.
* $500 cash on hand to start.
* $6,500 in contributions, including $5,000 from himself and $1,000 from LV Ass'n of Realtors.
* Spent $501, mostly on signs.
* Left with $5,999.
Charles Dertinger: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09.
* $9,654.11 cash on hand to start.
* $7,325.00 in contributions, mostly from nonlocal PACs and unions, as well as $1,000 from Rodney Applegate.
* spent $4000.92, including $2,278 for signs and $848 for flyers.
* Left with $12,978.19.
Tom Dietrich: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09.
* $81.72 cash on hand to start.
* $875 in contributions, including $500 from auto dealer L. Anderson Daub.
* Spent $931.20, including $661.43 for signs.
* Left with $25.52.
Peg Ferraro: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09.
* $15,589.22 cash on hand to start.
* $1,025 in contributions, including $500 from Donald & Carol Keller.
* Spent $2,618.04, most to Capitol Promotions,
* Left with $13,996.18.
Walter Garvin: 6/8/09 to 10/19/09.
* $1,376.00 cash on hand to start.
* $3,975.00 in contributions, including $1,000 from LV Ass'n of Realtors and $500 from IUPAT. * Spent $3,015.20, including $1,441 for signs and $360 for a party mailer.
* Left with $2,335.80.
Bruce Gilbert: (does not include a reporting period)
* $0 cash on hand to start.
* $1,350 in contributions, most from local businessmen.
* Spent $1,090, mostly for 600 signs.
* Left with $260.00
Deb Hunter: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09
* $1,500 cash on hand to start.
* $850 in contributions, including $500 from the PSEA.
* Spent $1,673.01, including $805.57 for yard signs.
* Left with $676.99.
Lorraine Pasquali: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09.
* $1,160.39 cash on hand to start.
* $590.00 in contributions, including $240 in $50 and under contributions.
* Spent $1,281.84, including $363.84 for yard signs.
* Left with $209.06.
Barb Thierry: 6/9/09 to 10/19/09.
* $72.35 cash on hand to start.
* $300 in contributions, including $250 from Ron Angle.
* Spent $35.38.
* Left with $336.97.
Bill Wallace: 6/13/09 to 10/19/09.
* $1,734.12 cash on hand to start.
* $6,574.00 in contributions. $3,074 is in $50 and under amounts. $1,800 is union money.
* Spent $6,129.27, including $1,310 for a party mailer and $2,323.40 for yard signs.
* Left with $2,178.85.
During this same period, the Northampton County Democratic Party raked in $6,274.76, and is obviously preparing for a joint mailer. Northampton County Republicans' report, if any, is unavailable on the state campaign finance site.
Here's a few interesting tidbits:
1) Ann McHale snubbed Deb Hunter. She gave $100 to each of the Dems running, excepting Hunter. That alone makes me want to vote for Deb.
2) Bill Wallace has a lot of grass roots support. He raked in $3,074 in "$5o or less" contributions.
3) All Democratic candidates chipped in to the county party, suggesting that a joint mailer is in the works.
4) Cusick is largely self-funded, suggesting his independence.
5) Congressman Charlie Dent must like Bruce Gilbert ($250).
4) Cusick is largely self-funded, suggesting his independence.
ReplyDeleteWHAT... you said it yourself: he pulled in $1,000 from local realtors. He owes his campaign to himself and realtors, not to voters or people in the commmunity. The 5k he sunk himself says he probably doesn't like fundraising, but he doesn't mind begging special interests for $1,000 if it is easy to get.
I wonder what they want from him?
Blah, blah, blah, blah. Cusick is largely self-funded. $5,000 of his $6,000 comes out of his own pocket. The LV Asss'n of Realtors gave $1,000 to him, too, but they also gave $1,000 to Walter Garvin. Do you ask the same questions of him?
ReplyDeleteyes I do! When somebody gives a county council candidate $1,000 and isn't a relative helping a relative for the sake of helping a relative, I think it's worth questioning. I also ask what Mr. Applegate wants from Dertinger, and unions want from Mr. Wallace (though he does offset his large list from them with impressive grassroots fundraising... seriously, 3k in donations under $50... that's hard work).
ReplyDelete$1,000 is a lot of money in a county election. I don't care to whom it goes.
Then I commend you.
ReplyDeleteI detest the pernicious influence of money, but am not an absolutist. If 5/6 of Cusick's money is coming from his own pocket, that's an indication he can't be bought. If half of Wallace's money comes from the little guy, that's an indication that he will listen to people with nothing. If almost all money comes from nonlocal unions, as is the case w/ Dertinger, that's an indication he will side with them against taxpayers.
But I will not condemn someone over one $1,000 contribution that the LV Ass'n of Realtors is handing out in both counties.
If you do, and do it consistently, I commend you.
The question is an easy one:'Would you vote for a reasessment ?" If you answered "yes " you get the grand.
ReplyDelete'The question is an easy one:'Would you vote for a reasessment ?" If you answered "yes " you get the grand.'
ReplyDeleteand if that is the case, ladies and gentlemen, we have a quid pro quo.
See what financing 5/6 of somebody's campaign will buy you? it looks like we have two yes votes. any other takers?
Reassessment is badly needede and is why there are so many appeals right now. I do not need donations from the realtors to know that. And I fail to see how that helps their bottom line.
ReplyDelete"And I fail to see how that helps their bottom line."
ReplyDeletethat doesn't matter b/c it's on their political agenda and you of all people should know that it is not in the nature of PACs to do something for the benefit of good gov't. still, for what its worth, it helps to make the most desired homes be reassessed in such a way that it may actually result in their taxes being lower compared to undesired homes. Real estate agents love to sell desired homes b/c it requires less work, so one more benefit (lower taxes) helps them sell more homes, which gets them commission.
when a business association promotes a particular policy, they have a bottom line. you can bet on that.
I'm glad the out of state unions like CHARLES! The Express Times sure doesn't. "Incumbent Charles Dertinger, on the other hand, has given voters all the evidence they need to end his council career..."
ReplyDeleteI got a flyer for a Dem Council candidates' event for all of the candidates that included celebrity bartenders! All checks had to be made out to Friends of Bill Wallace (minimum contribution $35)
ReplyDeleteAre you sure all the grassroots support is for him?
Reassessment under this irresponsible administration would be a county-wide disaster. Let's get through the Stoffa years first. He's done enough damage already.
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean Stoff-er.
ReplyDeleteHey Bernie what does Stoff-er mean?
ReplyDeleteThat's what Dertinger calls the county exec.
ReplyDeleteThat's what Dertinger calls the county exec.
ReplyDeleteTwo syllable six letter last names are tough for Charles Dertinger, even four years later. Give him a break. It's not like he has a pet peeve about the proper pronunciation of the freakin' "G" in his name.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteI wondered what he meant by Judge Panneller.
ReplyDelete