Stu Roethenberg, in his year-end review of this year's election cycle, rates Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan among the top five most overhyped candidates of 2010. He's right up there with Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink, who was unable to beat a guy "whose company paid a $1.7 billion fine for Medicare fraud." Democrats swore up and down that Callahan was the Democratic Messiah, but he polled just 39%, which is "17 points less than President Barack Obama did in 2008."
As a bonus, Bethlehem citizens are now wise to Callahan's budget tricks, which include borrowing $6 million for capital expenditures, spending the money on salaries, and then seeking Council's permission for another loan.
and now he and others, read his rubber stamp council, want to take his mistakes out on the city workers. Cutting positions, eliminating schedule step increases,. freezing wages. Did the workers cause this mess or did his incompetence, along with councils lack of management cause the problems? Will he cut his own salery? What about those of his inner circle and hidden friends? Will council forgo their pay? Watch dolan and evans take their 3.9% from BASD as they screw the city employees. what we have here is leadership by puppet. overhyped? Lost in space is more like it.
ReplyDeletethe workers did, in part. one of the most over-staffed, underperforming groups in the valley
ReplyDeleteI have to take exception to that remark. I have interacted with numerous City of Bethlehem employees over the years and find that 99% of them are dedicated and hard-working. I have a great deal of respect for most of them and don't understand your claim that they are underperformers or over-staffed. I'd appreciate knowing why you feel as you do.
ReplyDeleteBernie I saw the same roll call article. Rothenberg also goes on to put callahan on his list of 5 people nationwide that you havent heard the last of. I guess you forgot to mention that. Bad overall climate and a tone deaf dem caucus machine made dent look much tougher than he is. this is his career highwater mark. believe that.
ReplyDeleteSeamus
Hey Bernie, why the vendetta? your guy won whoopie...
ReplyDeleteCallahan is a blowhard.
ReplyDeletecallahan should forge a signature. bernie won't touch that.
ReplyDeleteSeamus,
ReplyDeleteCallahan got 39% of the vote. Embarrassing for a district that has 50k more democrats than republicans. I dont care what the national mood was, that was probably one of the worst campaign efforts in the country. That fact that he is on the top 5 most likely to reappear says more about his arrogance and lack of intelligence than his prospects for actually getting elected. 39%!
No vendetta. I am linking to a RollCall account about Callahan.
ReplyDeleteSeamus, If he as overhyped and we haven't heard the last of hi, what should that tell you? Please stop making excuses for a lousy candidate who ran a lousy campaign.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, can you orivde a link to your claim?
ReplyDeleteRothenberg also lists him on his "5 most likely to reappear" list. Can you say County Executive Callahan in 2013?
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