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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Friday, September 03, 2010
John Callahan -- Cover
This Charlie Dent ad started airing today. Here's the narrative: "Congressional Candidate John Callahan either raised or voted to raise property taxes 4 times in a row as a politician in Bethlehem. He recently spearheaded an effort to raise the sales tax from 6% to 7%. He was caught on tape offering to provide 'cover' to politicians who would agree with him and vote to raise the sales tax. John Callahan -- a typical politician."
23 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.
Unless this is an example "magical" editing, it will be fairly impossible for Callahan to overcome this ad in the current economic climate.
ReplyDeleteWas this the hotel tax that local Republicans even supported and pushed for?
ReplyDeletecharlie dent's record speaks for itself: job losses, increased deficits, debt, threats to dismantle social security and endless wars. All while his party's standard bearer John McCain and George W. Bush said the vitals of our economy are strong. Charlie would love to have us forget that, wouldn't he. Of course he would. It's how he gets to keep his high paying salary and free health care while unemployment continues to rise.
ReplyDelete--------------
ReplyDeleteQ:Did Callahan vote for bailouts to connected banks?
A: No. Dent did.
Q: are there any lies or misstatements in this ad?
ReplyDeleteA. No, none
This attack ad is effective, in that it is completely truthful. There is no distortion of the facts at all. It's nothing personal, either.
ReplyDeleteCallahan is going to suffer from Obama backlash, and his own record will only solidify his opposition.
While it might be effective, it is edited to the point you do not known what tax he is talking about or context. If it is the hotel tax, you may as well add Pat Browne and Doug Reichley to the mix
ReplyDeleteWhat is the context?
The context is Callahan's proposed increase in our sales tax, a regressive tax that will hurt low and middle income families. It is completely accurate, as noted bu monkey momma.
ReplyDeleteCallahan had nothing to do with the hotel tax, which is imposed on well-t0-do businessman. pRoceeds promote LV tourism. As taxes go, that one is relatively benign.
Just like Obama and Sestak, Callahan is all smoke and mirrors tells you one thing to your face and behind your back he screws you hopefully his loss to Dent will put an end to his political career.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats,
ReplyDeleteThis year it really doesn’t matter who Callahan’s opponent is. The Hope and Change president of 2008 completely reversed the nation’s political dynamic.
Charlie Dent is not only a likable incumbent he has the luxury of not being a Democrat. Callahan chose a very bad time to run.
Scott Armstrong
...and Charlie Dent hasn't raped us enough already. A false war "very costly on so many levels" pointless earmarks - waste of money. I mean were talking about demons here.
ReplyDeleteI not voting for either here. Come on it's a lot easier to swallow John Callahan over Charlie Dent any day. The choice if your going to limit yourself to stupidity, if you have more than two brain cell to rub together it's John Callahan ; otherwise it's Charlie Dent all the way.
Retired ASD teacher here.
ReplyDeleteBernie, a regressive tax that will hurt low and middle income families, as opposed to everyone else? Not so.
Any increase in sales tax effects everyone just the same.
The beauty of using sales taxation is that NO ONE escapes paying. There are no loopholes.
The welfare cheat contributes at the same rate as everyone else. The $150 sneakers, the $75 nail jobs, all contribute their fair share.
Money has no value until it is spent. We both know, it WILL be spent.
Tax SPENDING.
Spending of earned money AND illicit money. It's all the same, all taxed accordingly.
Retired ASD Teacher,
ReplyDeleteYou are a teacher and may be better vesed than I. But let me tell you why I believe that sales tax has a disproportionate impact on low and middle income families. Here's an example that I lifted from the web:
"Let's imagine two frugal traveling salesmen. They each have to buy a new car every four years to (say) keep up appearances, and they need reliable transportation.
One guy makes 20K, the other 300K)
Run the numbers on a the RATE of total income each pays on on 5% sales tax.
Poor Boy buys a $20,000 car pays $1000 or 5.0% of his income.
Rich Boy buys a $60,000 car pays $3000 or 1.0% of his income.
Poor Boy has 5 times the tax bite, or rate of tax on a car. Rich Boy hardly feels sales taxes."
My conclusion? All taxes suck.
Thanks Bernie for sharing this ad with us. Wow. Things are gonna be interesting this fall.
ReplyDeleteBernie, DUDE!
ReplyDeleteSchooling the school teacher.
Don't you know that makes way too much sense and doesn't fit the PSEA/public ed narrative?
Retired ASD is a friend of mine and I really do tend to respect most teachers. His opinion is always welcome and he may be right.
ReplyDeleteCallahan represented the PA League of Cities as its President when those remarks were made and he is right on. Sales tax is a more equitable way to fund our urban cores because it taxes you when you spend not because you happened to have worked all of your life to own a home an now in retirement I can't afford my home anymore. It shares the resources of the have and the have nots and trhe young and the old and the city and the suburbs.
ReplyDeleteCredit Callahan for trying new ideas or ways of making government more equitable. The easiest thing for a politician to do is nothing (Dent) then no one can blame you for mking a mistake. Charlie takes the easy road. Its easy to bash the administration and Callahan but what has he put forth to helpo us seniors and those unemplyed. I would love to see him in the mayor's seat -- he would be horrible because there you have to take a position.
"Credit Callahan for trying new ideas or ways of making government more equitable."
ReplyDeleteLike stealing tax monet due to other municipalities? Stealing money borrowed for a new firetruck and police crusiers? Finishing in the red? Twice? And now, a regressive tax that will be felt most by those who cant afford it?
What a guy!
It's alomost as isiotic as a jobs creation platfrorm from a Mayor who has a hiring freeze in his own City and is threatening layoffs. He sure as hell isn't creating any jobs there.
Next time video it from a flat panel not some crappy 1970's tv!
ReplyDeleteThe largest single tax that has impacted every family in the Commonwealth was a result of Electricity Deregulation of which Charlie Dent supported in the State house. I am sure there are videos of prospective Republican candidates saying how dergulation in all its forms is good for us. Just look at Wall Street, Banking, Credit Cards, Enron, Cable, Off-shore Drilling, etc.
ReplyDeleteCharlie exactly what services would you cut? While we can all gripe about taxes paid, we should ask how much of our taxes paid to Washington came back to the District? Charlie, do you believe we got our fair share? Excluding stimulus, what can you take credit for. It is a fair question.
Stimulus bridged the gap for me and it saved my job. I work for private industry and we are busy. I am very thankful to Dems for that. We just initiated job postings.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine where the Economy would be if Republicans were more supportive in getting the economy moving again. They were quite sucessfull in delaying substaintive jobs gains until after the election.
8:55 AM & 8:59 AM. Today's a Sunday. Holiday weekend. The only people posting comments are trolls, morons (that would be me) and people who are being paid to influence what others think.
ReplyDeleteI know nobody who starts out a conversation by saying, "Stimulus bridged the gap for me and it saved my job. I work for private industry and we are busy. I am very thankful to Dems for that. We just initiated job postings."
This person not only posts anonymously but does not even identify the company for which he supposedly works. That's because it's all in the land of make believe.
see the problem is NO ONE knows the context. The average voting is going to say, "wait what?" What's actually going on here? It's a lame ad.
ReplyDelete