"Approachable, warm, family, kid friendly, pro." That's how Lehigh County GOP Commissioner candidate Scott Ott describes himself at Voice123, where he promotes himself as a voice over artist for commercials, documentaries and even answering machine messages. You can listen to his riveting rendition if "The Land Before Time" here. But is Ott really all that approachable, warm and kid friendly, especially when nobody is looking?I called him once with a question during his County Exec race against Don Cunningham, and he nearly took my head off. Then, last September, he nearly threw me into the lion's den at The Great Allentown Fair for not calling him about a story questioning the amount of money being paid to him as the GOP's brand new Executive Director. After he lost to Cunningham, this new position was created just for him. Grateful Lehigh Republicans were paying him a nice salary, but couldn't afford the $900 fee for a stand at the Allentown Fair, something that both Democrats and even the tea party managed.
I may be a Democrat and I read every day that I'm lower than whale shit, but I thought the decision to hire Ott was fiscally irresponsible. As I said at the time, "It's a total waste of money that should be used to promote candidates and drive up registration."
Now the Lehigh County GOP may be broke. It's unable to meet payroll and may be unable to pay taxes or rent. And the reason is because it wasted its money on Scott Ott.
During his brief tenure as Executive Director (he was paid from 12/22/09 to 12/29/10), Lehigh County Republicans paid Ott $37,635 for "professional services." Once he bled the party dry, Scrappleface was out the door.
Bossman Wayne Woodman, elected to chair Lehigh Republicans precisely because of his prodigious fundraising abilities, has suddenly decided that's not his job. He now thinks new Exec Director Steve Ramos, who comes from Chester County, can raise the money. But when Woodman announced Ramos' appointment, he claimed Ramos would recruit and "expand our outreach to demonstrate the Republican Party represents common-sense ideals for people in every community." Translated, what that means is that Ramos might draw some of Allentown's Hispanic vote.
Scott Ott's appeal was basically to the religious right, the hard line and intolerant Republicans. He and Woodman have actually managed to drive people away at a time when Republicans were on the rise everywhere else. They managed to drive Dr. Bob Romancheck out as Chair of the Allentown GOP. Another party stalwart, Scott Armstrong, has resigned as an area captain.
In addition to losing leaders, the party has lost numbers, too. In November 2009, there were 76,803 registered Republicans under former Chair Bill Platt. But in November 2010, that number has already dropped to 75,457 with Woodman and Ott at the helm.
Exactly what did Ott do as Executive Director? Nobody really knows. He did re-design the web page, a job that should cost $2 or 3 thousand. It appears that he spent the rest of his time building up contacts and networking for his own Commissioner race against Dean Browning.
Given this financial disarray, you'd think that Lehigh Republicans would be massing for their April 26 meeting. But guess what? That meeting has been canceled. It happens to be the same night as a $500 per person fundraiser being hosted for the Gang of Four by Buddy Lesavoy.
The Gang of Four - Scott Ott, Dave Najarian, Lisa Scheller (Woodman's wife) and Vic Mazziotti - are essentially running against Dean Browning. They've circulated an email, supposedly signed by Buddy Lesavoy, claiming that both Browning and Don Cunningham have lost touch with the people. I see. A lawyer hosting a $500 per person fundraiser knows all about the people.
It turns out Lesavoy never even sent that part of the email. He ended up calling Cunningham to "apologize to him for forwarding the propagandized portion of my email. ... . I also told Don that I respect his fiscal management and the hard work he has done especially under these most challenging economic circumstances."
Apparently, the transparent Gang of Four is not above distorting another person's words, even when that person is a supporter.
Scott Ott took a fiscally stable organization, ran it into the ground, then walked away. We also know that someone among the Gang of Four distorted what Buddy Lesavoy had written. Does this "advance the cause of accountability, transparency and reform in Lehigh County government?"
The Gang of Four complains that "spending has outstripped revenues for years" in Lehigh County, "leading to painful tax hikes." Looks like that's exactly what has happened to the Lehigh County GOP, thanks to Scott Ott and Wayne Woodman.
Woodman has the resources to write a check bailing the party out, and perhaps he should.
Ott vote getting power has been proven. He will win!
ReplyDeleteBernie -
ReplyDeleteA few points:
1) To characterize the LCRC as "fiscally stable" is a bit of an exaggeration. It has typically been thinly-funded, with minimal receipts being used to pay the minimal expenses of the organziation. There was never a large cash reserve sitting around.
2) Ott left the LCRC in January. I hardly think it's fair to blame him for running the organization "into the ground".
3) The "fiscally irresponsible" decision to create the position of Executive Director was enabled by a handful of local politicians (primarily Congressman Dent and State Senator Browne) who pledged to fund the position. Perhaps something has changed there that has created the current situation.
Bernie-
ReplyDeleteJust talking about this Gang of Four not having one political sign anywhere in Allentown, at least not as of Easter Saturday. What gives?
Still on topic:
Noticing a certain candidate has cleverly color-coded her campaign to include a beautiful color-theme campaign sign combination that at times matches her attractive campaign wardrobe. It works for us!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteOtt vote getting power has been proven. He will win!
3:36 AM
Not this time. Ott hasn't mailed one campaign flyer nor knocked on any of our neighborhood doors. He won't win this time. He's lowered his standards and folks realize it.
"Ott left the LCRC in January. I hardly think it's fair to blame him for running the organization 'into the ground'."
ReplyDeleteI do. It's precisely what I said would happen last August. But supposed conservatives like Scott Ott not only told me I was wrong, but lashed out at me for writing about it.
He sucked over $37k from the organization, providing nothing of value in return. Four short months later, there's no dough.
"The 'fiscally irresponsible' decision to create the position of Executive Director was enabled by a handful of local politicians (primarily Congressman Dent and State Senator Browne) who pledged to fund the position. Perhaps something has changed there that has created the current situation."
That's ridiculous. The person who was supposed to bring the bacon home was Wayne Woodman. That's why many Rs held their nose and voted for him. But now he wants others to do it.
"He won't win this time. He's lowered his standards and folks realize it."
ReplyDeleteI suspect he'll win the primary bc of name recognition. He will NOT win the general, especially when people see he preaches the politics of division and intolerance.
Gota agree with you. Ott has driven folks away. Met him two years ago. All sorts of promises. None delivered.
ReplyDelete"To characterize the LCRC as "fiscally stable" is a bit of an exaggeration. It has typically been thinly-funded, with minimal receipts being used to pay the minimal expenses of the organziation. There was never a large cash reserve sitting around."
ReplyDeleteLet's put it this way. It could never sustain a FT and paid Exec Director. This was pointed out last August, and ignored by those who claim they are experts at watching money.
If this is how Ott and Woodman handle the finances of Lehigh Rs, imagine what they'll do to the County.
I suppose Woodman can write a check and bail the party out. He won't be able to bail out the County.
The LCRC was and still is a mess. Their candidates and elected officials have been largely invisible as the Pawlowskis and Cunninghams of the world ran roughshod over a gang that could screw up sleeves on a vest. The only time an LC R gets applauded is when he acts like a D and raises taxes in a recession.
ReplyDeleteI love that Scott Ott occupies so much of your time and energy. He wrecked Cunningham's ambitions with no money. Don was already measuring Linolium for the governor's mansion.
The LCRC has little to lose except a bunch of do-nothings who seem to have accepted their fate and do whatever the majority wants. Charlie Dent gets elected by Democrats and doesn't need them, either.
Um, since Scott Ott was the Exec Director there, and for a year, I presume you'll agree he'd do nothing to improve LC. He was the Exec Director of "do nothings", and now you want to elect him Comm'r? He demonstrated how lousy he is with finances, and you want to install him in government? Why? Because he wrote a book claiming that he hates Obama? Because he mocks Muslims?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly has nothing to do with Ott's financial ability bc he's demonstrated he has none.
Bernie -
ReplyDeleteI have been trying my damnedest to get an accurate resume of Scott Ott. I even went back into your election 2009 posts checking links to try and find one. Scott has removed every piece of evidence that said anything about his past. All links now go to his present campaign, which tells you NOTHING. EVEN PJTV.COM has very little of informative value.
But now I know where he was born, and I will start there. The adventure begins!
Political commenting should not cause one to lose his or her sense of humor. I agree with your criticism, but you should lighten up on the mocking Muslim humor crap. Your kind also want cartoonists who draw Mohammed beheaded.
ReplyDeleteOtt has not held a "real" job in over a decade. Plus, Ott ran for Rep. State Committee and won, and never attends meetings there either. He wants titles and money to do no work!
ReplyDeleteWhile Ott often states he does not want to pay higher proerty taxes, he doesn't even pay property taxes in Lehigh County! He pays rent for a home in South Whitehall Township. It is owned by a private family trust.
ReplyDeleteHe also said he attended college, but there is no proof of it! Show the diploma!
Bernie O'Hare said...
ReplyDeleteHe sucked over $37k from the organization, providing nothing of value in return. Four short months later, there's no dough.
**********************************
Bernie -
The point is that there was never any "dough" at the LCRC. It wasn't like the decision was made to hire an Executive Director with $37k in the bank.
The position was to be covered primarily with contributions from local politicians (mostly Dent & Browne).
If you want to be fair (which I suspect you don't) you could check the LCRC cash balances before and after Ott was hired, and again after he left. I suspect the balances are fairly similar.
You're either getting bad information or making an incorrect conclusion.
"He pays rent for a home in South Whitehall Township."
ReplyDeleteYes. Only property owners may take a position on taxes. They would never think of passing tax increases on to renters in the form of higher rent. Renters should have no say.
Jaysus Kay Riste. Macy's parade is waiting for you, Bernie. You must have eaten the Easter bunny and all the candy.
ReplyDelete"If you want to be fair (which I suspect you don't) you could check the LCRC cash balances before and after Ott was hired, and again after he left. I suspect the balances are fairly similar."
ReplyDeleteI do want to be fair. My point all along has been that this is a foolish exercise. And it is not Dent and Browne, but Woodman, who pledged to bring in the dough. Ott & Woodman combined to make a wreck of LC Republicans, and now want to do the same to Lehigh County.
"Yes. Only property owners may take a position on taxes."
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this argument against Ott, but do find it strange that he has bounced all over so many different places. Don't you?
As a Republican and former committee member, I am NOT impressed with Woodman or Ott....at all! I saw OTT quite often during last years campaign, and found it quite interesting that for a guy who ran against Cunningham for County Exec. at times has no idea about various Lehigh County events, locations, businesses, etc. He was clueless. It amazes me that he came close to being the no. one leader in LC, and yet.......so clueless. As for Woodie.... ship him back to California. He's useless here. He's doing a great job of destroying the LCRC. You are spot on about the Allentown Fair. They should have had a booth!
ReplyDelete