Local Government TV

Monday, August 16, 2010

Dent Condemns Callahan's Fiscal Mismanagement

"Where's the Mayor. By the way, where's the Mayor?"

That's the question Democratic City Council member David DiGiacinto asked after being told about Bethlehem's $8.5 million negative fund balance last year. Business Administrator Dennis Reichard defended the fiscal mismanagement by saying, "This isn't stuff that anybody's going to jail on."

LV Congressman Charlie Dent has reacted to Callahan's red ink with this statement:

“Mayor Callahan needs to stop making the false claim he has balanced six city budgets. Mayor Callahan has tried to hide the truth from the people of Bethlehem, and now he’s just in hiding.

“Here’s John Callahan’s record: Bethlehem’s budget deficit was $3.2 million in 2008, $5.3 million in 2009, and is on its way to another deficit this year. To pay bills Callahan has raided funds, such as the Parking Authority and Water Authority, and even borrowed the earned-income tax money being held for other municipalities. Of course he broke his promise to provide an immediate tax cut with Sands Casino host fees. In fact John Callahan has only raised taxes, doing so four times as Councilman and Mayor.

“The same day this disastrous audit was released to the public, Candidate Callahan criticized Congressman Dent for his vote against a permanent tax increase that will kill jobs to fund a six-month bailout. That legislation is exactly the kind of bad fiscal policy Callahan has used in Bethlehem. Council President Bob Donchez correctly criticized Callahan for repeatedly using one-time revenue sources to pay for recurring expenditures, masking structural failures in his fiscal policy.

“Let’s be clear -- Mayor Callahan alone is responsible for deficit spending in the City. Since he’s been mayor, he has increased the city’s annual budget by 54 percent, including a pay raise for himself in four straight years. In the middle of an economic downturn, he authored a 2010 budget that increased spending by 10 percent.

“Ironically, Mayor Callahan blames the economy even as Candidate Callahan supports the policies of the Pelosi Congress that are squeezing taxpayers and squashing job creation. These include an economic stimulus that now costs $862 billion, a $2.6 trillion health care bill, perpetual bailouts, and innumerable job-killing tax increases and punishing mandates on individuals and small businesses.

“So what can we learn from my opponent’s record? That he will continue to support the agenda of more wasteful spending, higher taxes, permanent bailouts, and fewer jobs. This is Callahan’s record in Bethlehem, and it is his plan for Washington.”

14 comments:

  1. johnny should not go to DC. he will only be a puppet. he should be thrown out of office and go back to selling viagra

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  2. Dent's mismanagement in DC from 2005-2009 are well documented. Record deficits each year in budgets that he voted for.

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  3. Dent condemns fiscal mismanagement? That is rich. He and the Republicans practically destroyed the country with fiscal mismanagement. Does he even know we're in a recession>?

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  4. Dent condemns fiscal mismanagement? That is rich. He and the Republicans practically destroyed the country with fiscal mismanagement. Does he even know we're in a recession>?

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  5. I see. Kinda' like Callahan blames those "previous administrations."

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  6. Who has been in charge of Congress since 2006...

    ...the Democrats???

    ha ha suckers

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  7. No need to blame previous administrations. We have Charlie to properly blame right here, right now.

    Charlie Dent voted for bailouts. Charlie Dent voted for bailouts. Charlie Dent voted for bailouts.
    Charlie Dent voted for bailouts. Charlie Dent voted for bailouts. Charlie Dent voted for bailouts.
    Charlie Dent voted for bailouts.

    Thank you.

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  8. You don't sound much like a person ready for logical argument, but I'll try. Obama voted for that bailout. Callahan has said he would have voted for some form of bailout. Without that TARP, Callahan would be standing in front of City Council asking for lots moe money to replenish that pension fund ... again.

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  9. Got it.

    Vote for Charlie because his opponent is politically unable to criticize Charlie for his horrendous vote for what is arguably the worst financial decision the US Congress has ever made.

    Thanks for the clarification, Bernie.

    And thank you, Charlie for going along with the herd on your disastrous decision. That's real leadership.

    What an absolutely shitful choice. Voters have already lost badly here.

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  10. What a choice :

    A PELOSI PUPPET

    or

    Card-carrying RINO

    (Jake Towne and his letters of marque are NOT an option)

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  11. FYI, Bernie:

    It looks like 10:33 used the certainly logical Cabala Seven rhetorical technique. Heady stuff.

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  12. Whatever Callahan's deficiencies are; real or imagined I point out that Charlie is not in a position to criticize. Charlie, nice guy that he is, has never been in a managerial position in private industry or in local government. He has no personal knowledge of the decisions and the balancing act that is sometimes necessary to operate an organization. He does. however, have great experience in setting the rules state and local governments operate under

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  13. Anon 1:35 is right. Charlie is a nice guy, and has frankly been a better member of Congress than his predecessor, Pat Toomey. But Charlie is becoming part of the Republican party machine and that party of "no." He doesn't have any new ideas and was part of creating our huge deficits. He hasn't exercised that moderate streak he has done for years. He faked it well for years.

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  14. Speak all the politcal jargon you want - I want to speak on CHARACTER! Callahan - oh you have gotten into some sticky situations - Character score is a 2. Dent - Your score is a 10. You are a true gentleman of good character. That alone speaks volumes without spelling things out and getting a little down and dirty Mr Callahan - you wouldn't want that I am sure

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