Carroll & Simao Unleash Hell Against Bethlehem Politicians

Now this is one powerful video, definitely worth the time spent watching it. I reminds me of a blockbuster movie preview, and I half expect Russell Crowe to jump out in the end and lop off the head of some decadent Roman Emperor. Instead of Crowe, it's Tony Simao and Tom Carroll, who are running for City Council in Bethlehem. Aside from the Hollwood style, this preview is a very compelling indictment of Mayor John Callahan's mismanagement.

Will it get them elected?

Council President Bob Donchez is unbeatable, and they leave him alone, very wisely. They instead focus on incumbent J. William Reynolds and candidate Mike Recchiuti, both of whom are tied to the Mayor.

I think it will be tough to beat Reynolds. He might be a Callahan cheerleader, but seems to work hard at his job and put in the hours. There's something to be said for that work ethic, which I respect. Also, his skin has to be incredibly thick because he never lashes out at the people who criticize him, even when they do it with silly grades in an open meeting.

Maybe he should start a blog.

I have not quite made up my mind about Reynolds, but agree Recchiuti is a joke who cold not even keep his job in some law firm. His Callahan-financed campaign should be seen as an attempt to stack the deck in favor of the Captain of a sinking ship.

Interestingly, fellow Republican Al Bernotas is absent from this clip. That's probably a good thing. I called Al recently, and he surprised me by telling me he was in the middle of a class on zoning at LVPC. The guy really cares. But he's grown increasingly bitter over the Elias zoning expansion, in which he is a litigant, and has lashed out at many people unnecessarily. At a recent City Council meeting, for example, he actually chided members of Bethlehem's Planning Bureau for not dutifully writing down his pearls of wisdom concerning a new zoning ordinance. If Reynolds or Donchez had done something like that, they'd be strung up in a heartbeat.