On Tuesday night, State Rep opponents Charles "Don't Call Me Charlie" Dertinger and Joe "Creatine" Emrick squared off at Nazareth High School. I missed it, but if you were there, let us know what happened. Who won? Why? Did any of the candidates fart or burp or do something stupid?Emrick has sent out negative mailers, attacking Dertinger as a wanton spendthrift who recklessly voted for a tax hike and increased spending during his tenure on County Council. This same charge could also have been hurled at some Republican members of Council. Sure, Dertinger is a bum, but not because he supported one, half mill, open-space tax hike. He's a bum because he had Council's lousiest attendance record, broke his word to slate belt voters, and was needlessly divisive. Amazingly, Emrick ignored legitimate criticism in favor of misleading you.
We have one helluva' choice in that race.
Bernie
ReplyDeleteWould you be able to refresh our memories about Dertinger's Congressional run?
Charles! easily won.
ReplyDeleteBernie, Charles' negative mailer on Joe came out several days before Joe's did. You mustn't be the right demographic to have received one. Just FYI.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. It does not surprise me.
ReplyDeleteno mail delivery in trees
ReplyDeleteCharles will win. He has compiled an impressive record as a public official. He is also a major asset in the community serving as a volunteer on many organizations to help people. We are fortunate to have Charles represent us.
ReplyDeleteAs a candidate myself, I was there and I recorded the entire debate to study and gain some insight. Emrick had many salient points and overall made a better case. Charles came off as a self important type who loved to hear himself talk. He clearly thinks that gov't should control everything and kept citing his time on the Northampton county council (where he was voted off recently) as his big qualifier. Joe mentioned how he had lowered taxes in Nazareth by trimming waste and running things more like a business.
ReplyDeleteCharles contradicted himself more than once about why young people leave here after college and had this comment about traffic congestion - "We can't build our way out of the problem. Rt. 78 was supposed to end traffic on rt. 22 and it has not. The problem with building more roads is that more people will drive on them". He then rambled about a certain dead man's curve that has remained unchanged for 14 years. Apparently he thought it was relevant.
He also seemed very interested in all the things we don't tax. Like helicopters and big ships, not just cigars and chewing tobacco. He also lamented that corporations go to Delaware to avoid paying taxes in PA. Emrick replied that if we made the business environment better here, they would be based here.
I think the two candidates offer very clear alternatives.
Matt Connolly