Since Congressional wannabe and Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan is so reluctant to talk about federal issues, dismissing them as hypothetical questions, the Charlie Dent campaign has decided to ask Hizzoner about his Bethlehem stewardship.The Christmas City will reel at least $7.5 million from the Sands Casino next year, but the people who bear the burden of paying property taxes will not receive one dime in property tax relief.
They can thank Mayor John Callahan for that. Here's how the Evil Shawn Millan, Dent's campaign manager, puts it.
“For too long, John Callahan has been selling the snake oil that he’s done an exemplary job with the city finances. He promised a property tax cut in exchange for Bethlehem hosting a casino. See Callahan’s State of the City Address 2007 where he stated: '[W]e need to give a direct financial return to all of our taxpayers in the form of a tax cut.'
"There’s a single, simple question that needs to be answered: Since Callahan has piled up a mountain of debt for the City of Bethlehem is that why the casino host fees are not being used to provide property tax relief to its residents, now?”
From what I understand, calls are going out to Bethlehem residents, asking them whether they deserve a break.
31 comments:
Tell Dent we Bethlehemites need to get a financial house in order before we get a tax cut. Too many debts from replacing aging infrastructure and Hirko settlement to give tax cut right now. Additionally, we need more police officers on the street, which is what the money is to pay for, if needed. A tax freeze was a good start in this economy. The casino is barely 6 months old.
The state is suppose to provide the property tax relief by giving the gaming tax revenue to the schools and supposedly lowering our school property taxes.
Callahan has faced the trials and tribulations of running a city facing the loss of it's largest tax payer. While doing that he has improved safety, maintained services and kept taxes at bay. In addition, he has helped stimulate development that most major cities would be overjoyed with. As a result we all can be very happy we are living in the jewel of the Lehigh Valley.
The big question for next fall is do you want a Congressman who has had a 19 year undistinguished legislative career or a Congressman that knows how to handle the very difficult environment that Callahan has handled over the last six years to an undisputed successful result.
Anonymous 1:19 PM said, "The state is suppose to provide the property tax relief by giving the gaming tax revenue to the schools and supposedly lowering our school property taxes"
That's going South after the state finally comes to a final decision on it's money grab for the "table game" revenue. Right now 100% goes into the one arm bandits that these rebates come from. That will soon no longer be the case after "table games".
The homeowner tax relief should not be confused with the "Host City" revenues. Two separate broken promises.
Do you honestly believe the school districts throughout Pa. aren't going to look at those so-called homeowner tax breaks and tax accordingly?
One great big shell game.
Anonymous 1:19 is right on target. The citizens and businesses of Bethlehem didn't support the Casino project because we thought we would get immediate tax relief. Callahan has always said he wanted to get the city's financial situation stabilized before he would think of a tax cut - which is prudent and a very NON-political thing to do.
Bernie, I read you daily and am impressed regularly by many of your posts, but with this Callahan thing, you have simply become another staffer for the Dent campaign - never questioning or investigating what Millan sends you - and just posting what they want you to print. Regardless of your bias in the race, it would be nice if you could show some impartiality. It makes the postings on this race un- interesting.
Lynn
Dent is way off the mark. Bethlehem has done an outstanding, repeat outstanding, job of making this city work with the loss of its major taxpayer, Bethlehem Steel. Look at any steel town in the state and most of them are bankrupt. And, look at the two other cities of the Lehigh Valley: Allentown a model for big budget deficits and Easton where the tax and fee rates are the highest in the state. Count your blessings. Besides what has Dent done? By the way, I am no big fan of Callahan, but we Irish need to stick together particularly when we are the targets of crap.
Lynn and 1:19,
Thank you for such thoughtful analysis. It's much needed on this issue.
According to you, your guy lied about tax relief.
Your forthrightness is admirable.
Callahan has not been forthright, as you've acknowledged, amid some creative finger pointing and excuse making.
Read my lips. It's hard to come back from a big lie about taxes.
"Callahan has faced the trials and tribulations of running a city facing the loss of it's largest tax payer"
Gee, I thought that was Cunningham. They can't both take credit for the same thing, can they?
Lynn, I get this every election cycle. If you read my blog, I'm sure you've ssen it. I'd be delighted to report on the good things Callahan has done and actually like the guy. But he has ducked the issues in this race. I can't even get hm to return a call about the boy scouts. Even if his no tax promise is based on imroving the city's stability, he really should stick around until he keeps his word, don't you think?
So Bethlehem is the jewel of the Lehigh valley. So what does that have to do with whether we need another Democrat team player in Washington? Frankly the thought of sending reinforcements to that squad should scare the socks off of every person who believes “the State” is more often the problem than the solution.
Scott Armstrong
"Callahan has always said he wanted to get the city's financial situation stabilized before he would think of a tax cut - which is prudent and a very NON-political thing to do."
Wait -- I thought, Don Cunningham stabilized Bethlehem's finances? He says so all the time when he campaigns.
John Callahan must have screwed up all of Don's hard work. He's incompetent.
"John Callahan must have screwed up all of Don's hard work. He's incompetent."
Hm. Callahan or Cunningham? Who takes the fall?
Stop lying Bernie.
Yeah. It's Bernie who's lying - not the POS politician that can't live up to his promises.
Good call.
Bernie please keep you are ron's tea bagging politics out of bethlehem. its a slice of paradise here becacase people like you 2 dont have any influence. stay in the scummy conservative slate belt.
7:58,
Yerrrriiight. **Hiccup** **burp**
Blogging under the influence is never pretty.
Alls I know is that Callahan's website says that he's already paid off over $60 million in debt for the city that he inherited.
I do not believe it was the legislative intent for the host fee (aka impact fee) to be used for tax relief. It is to be used to pay for the impact of the casino being in your city.
Judicial rulings have supported that interpretation...See the Erie County court case. While that case involved the money for the county that is being split amount the local municipalities, the proposition is the same.
Dent must be scared to be attacking Callahan so early and so often.
I hear that Callahan is raising good money this quarter again.
Bernie, as Dent's Press Secretary, can you tell me Dent's reaction to Callahan's last quarter fundraising? Also, rumor has it Dent went ballistic when he saw some of old financial supporters giving Callahan money, true?
Gambling was sold on the proposition that it would be used to provide tax relief. The Erie County case deals with municipalities impacted by gambling.
"I do not believe it was the legislative intent for the host fee (aka impact fee) to be used for tax relief. It is to be used to pay for the impact of the casino being in your city."
This argument makes no sense. By this reasoning -- why would you ever want a casino in your community?
This poster is basically stating that a community foolish enough to open its doors to a casino is facing policing and social service costs of approximately $7 to $10 million just from hosting a casino.
What rational community would agree to that premise.
Nice try, but re-examine the logic of your argument.
All we need is your redneck tea-bag ways here in bethlehem. stay awaaaaay.
I think it's pretty obvious why Dent sends his press releases through Bernie - he knows they'll be uncritically passed along, treated with an uncharacteristically deferential style Bernie never seems to use to write about any other politician, except perhaps his favorite rube Ron Angle.
Snake-oil is certainly for sale in Bethlehem, but Dent has the market cornered, and Bernie is shaping up to be his most enterprising retailer. Perhaps Charlie is so ensconced in the Washington bubble that he is unaware that almost 10% of his district is unemployed, and as a result, the city is no longer receiving the same level of income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, or tourism dollars that support the city's budget. His no votes against the Recovery Act and the health care reform bill prove his indifference to regular people's problems. Down in Washington, he's got much bigger worries than helping his constituents, like passing the RNC purity test. (Don't worry, he passes, though it won't stop Jake Towne from teabagging him.) The fact is that John Callahan is presiding over an impressive, nationally-recognized economic development project that, when finished, will serve as an excellent example of how other cities that have lost their major manufacturing industries (and largest taxpayers, as Anonymous 2:42 noted.) can make their 20th century infrastructure work for them in the 21st. Bethlehem should thank its lucky star Dent is their lousy Congressman instead of their lousy mayor, since he doesn't seem to understand the High School Economics-level concept that the way to bring a city out of a recession is to expand the economic pie, and that means reinvesting casino money in continued economic development, and balancing the budget, since state and local governments can't run a deficit like the feds can. It is unsurprising that Dent thinks now, a time of revenue shortfalls, is a good time for a tax cut. Charlie, like all Republicans, is a one trick pony, exalting tax cuts as a magic balm, a solution to every problem, nevermind if you can pay for them. Targeted exclusively at the wealthy, naturally. Tax cuts are so sacrosanct and precious for Republicans that Dent apparently thinks Callahan should honor a tax cut pledge he made based on revenue projections in 2007, before that whole collapse-of-the-global-financial-system situation happened. Come to think of it, the financial crisis hasn't changed Charlie's opinions about anything, really - it certainly hasn't chastened his zeal for the Republican deregulatory orgy one bit, as he's now lining up with Republicans to oppose financial reform too, practically begging the banks to build the same Ponzi scheme all over again. Bernie, since you're so close with Charlie, could you maybe ask him what specific economic positions he would break with Bush on if he could go back and do it again? I would love to know what he's ready to apologize for.
Well, Jonathan, that's the difference between Callahan and Dent. Dent has actually taken positions. Callahan has been in his bunker. You can claim Charlie is a puppet of Big Oil one day and BIG INSURANCE the next. I do not agree with every one of Dent's positions, but know he will approach them thoughtfully and rationally.
Because Callahan is under wraps on the federal gig, studying the names of presidents, Millan thought he'd point to somenthing where Callahan has actually spoken. A few years ago, before he ever thought much of that Congress gig, he made a promise to cut taxes. Now you have 1,000 reasons why Callahan should be forgiven for his delay in keeping that promise, and you may even be right. But Callahan's job in Bethlehem is not finished until he keeps his word. He does not get to run off and leave someone else to hold the bag.
"It is unsurprising that Dent thinks now, a time of revenue shortfalls, is a good time for a tax cut."
Jonathan -- given your logic it is surprising that Mayor Callahan thinks now is the time to increase city spending by 12 percent.
Do you have a response to that view?
Give it up. Bethlehem is thriving.
Yeah. And no one in Bethlehem is having trouble paying their property taxes because everything is so good for each and every single family.
Folks out of work, families struggling -- screw 'em. They don't know how good they have it under John Callahan!
Remember everyone to send him a Happy Holiday card while he decides when you get a little relief.
Callahan Ass-Kiss Team
Senior Member
Of course I'm right. The global financial meltdown is perfectly legitimate reason not to give a tax cut you based on 2007 revenue projections. Dent apparently disagrees, because he doesn't understand economics just like every other Republican. So are you saying that you think every incumbent should have to stay in their current office until the recession is over? What would the new mayor be holding the bag for exactly? Callahan's above-average management in mitigating the unavoidable effects of the national recession on the local economy? Look, I recognize that Charlie's spooked and that's why he's going negative so early, trying to draw Callahan into campaigning before the campaign season actually kicks off. Charlie's only making himself look skittish and desperate because he's target No. 1 for the DCCC, and he knows local Dems are hungry for this seat.
Jonathan, Actually, I suspect the DCCC is going to pull out sometime this summer. instead of playing pickup, they will be more concerned aout keeping the seats they already have.
Bernie, Bethlehem is by far the most amazing community in the LV in which to live, raise a family and work. And I say that living in Allentown and having worked closely with Emmaus. Now, understand that I have voted for Charlie Dent. I am one of those D's that he counts on to win (which probably doesn't endear me to local party types, but whatever), but if his campaign honestly thinks it can convince me that Bethlehem is not a wonderful place to live, then I have lost a TON of respect for him and will probably not vote for him.
Bethlehem lost Bethlehem Steel and managed to not end up in the same situation as cities like Reading and Scranton (a few years ago)... broke and on the verge of bankruptcy. The city managed to foster small business growth on Main Street and the South Side. The south side, where I lived while attending grad school, used to be downright scary. For 20 years, Bethlehem has seen the best results in the state and in some cases the country when it comes to the transition from manufacturing economy to 21st century economy. This doesn't happen by accident. It doesn't happen with a crushing tax burden. It doesn't happen without effective leadership and management.
I seriously hope this isn't an indicator of the tone that will come from Dent's campaign. It is disingenuous to paint Bethlehem as anything but a great place to live. If this is what Dent has planned, he lost this D.
Geoff
I'm cautiously optimistic about the national environment in 2010. Dems' chances rise or fall by what the economy looks like at that point, relative to where it was when they came in. Early signs are looking good. Regardless, this is a Democratic district, and only getting moreso as more youngsters, who identify monolithically as progressives, turn 18, and as the city retains more young professionals thanks to Callahan's leadership in making it a priority to reverse the "brain drain" problem. You can be certain the local OFA group will be out registering high school and Lehigh/Lafayette/Moravian students every week starting this spring. But that's just to pad the margin and rub it in the haters' faces. The only reason Dent didn't lose last time was because of a deeply flawed opponent who ran a pitiful campaign. Now that he has a credible challenger, he's finished.
More gaming money to Bethlehem and Allentown is outrageous. If they cannot fight crime with their existing take, then something is wrong. The majority of new revenue should be dedicated to municipalities that do not already receive a defined benefit.
Mind your own business OHare. DO you live here? Do you care? No and no.
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