Bethlehem Mayoral candidate Willie Reynolds has filed his primary pre-election report, and has raised $57,447.16 during the period between January 1 and May 6. This eclipses the $55,839.76 raised by frontrunner Bob Donchez. Much of this - $12,910 - is in the form of small donations of $250 or less.
This recent surge of contributions going Reynolds' way is evidence that momentum is on his side.
Donchez' strength has always been his affability, his "do no harm" approach. But in this campaign, he uncharacteristically and inexplicably went on the attack, and in more than the two mailers claimed. This strategy appears to have backfired, at least if the finance reports are any indication.
It also does not help that Donchez is using a political consultant who was just convicted in 2010 for filing fraudulent campaign expense reports and submitting deceptive invoices to clients.
I prefer Bob's moderate style to Willie, whom I think needs more seasoning. But in this campaign, it is Donchez who has acted brashly.
28 comments:
Amazing how all these politicians raise so much money yet when they get into office, nothing ever gets done...
What makes you think seasoning is needed or useful? There is something to be said for freshness and or youthful idealism. Not too scarred by things. Forward thinking rather than looking back wistfully remembering the good old days.
Donald, My impression of Willie is a good one. I believe he is much more mature now than he was when he first took office. People who call for "forward thinking", not you, sometimes want everyone in lock step with them. I'll give Geeting, a young urbanista, as an example of someone with many good ideas but who is completely intolerant of any ideas outside of his own. That bothers me in many of these so-called forward thinkers.
I also sense some unwillingness to be realistic, especially regarding Bethlehem finances. It also appears to me that Willie needs to pay more attention to public safety.
Finally, and this goes for them all, I don't really understand why pols - all of them - think they have anything to do with economic development. That's not really their function. That's why we have businesses. Callahan did not create 5500 jobs. Businesses did. He might have helped create the environment, but it is the businesses that supply the jobs. I think he'd agree with that. I am not crazy about NIZ, KOZ and TIFs as a way of attracting business. I am leery of competing with other cities.
I support Bob, but his use of Severson is just wrong, and the negative campaigning is completely uncharacteristic. I don't live in Bethlehem, so I don't get the ads. But I am told one of them has Willie's head explode. That's just wrong. He is a teacher. Doesn't Bob realize that Willie's students will see that?
booby donchez doesn't care as long as he can get himself elected.
I keep telling you that under the plastic face there is not a nice person. the truth is coming out quickly. he's beginning to make adolf h evans look good.
either way bethlum loses
Bernie, you're walking a thin line, attempting to stay on the gay line?
Seems as though you go both ways? Politics that is.
Reynolds is a sleaze in his own way and has been fostering false rumors. sorry but the boy ins't that sharp.
When one lacks experience or knowledge the new war cry is, "freshness, and youthful". My three year od is youthful and fresh, maybe he should run the city. You new Dems are the Democrats version of the "teabaggers". Like the McClure gang, claiming that the county has changed "so much" in ten years, only he and his new buddies understand it. Not really Lamont, the county still has the same responsibilities but when you have no real answers like you and Willie, you claim, "hey I am fresh and new".
Ask who you would rather trust to operate on your mothers heart. The fresh, youthful and idealistic Doc or the experienced, mature Doc, who has learned through the experience of success and failure.
This youth thing is a smokescreen for, "we got nothing to offer".
anon 2:34,
donchez has been in the operating room for 17 years as an nurse's aide. still has to be told what to do
either way bethlum loses
Bob's focus on the girlfriend stuff backfired and painted him as a creepy old dude. The guy who directed Creepy Bob toward this plan of action should not have to be threatened with a knife to repay any consulting fees obtained for making his client look just creepy and weird.
Bernie - I originally intended to vote for Willie because he was not Donchez and do little else - Bob Donchez is the last gasp of the Old Bethlehem run by it's favorite sons network. Donchez saying Paul Marcincin was his role model for being a Mayor shows that he is living in that old school past.
This campaign by the "nice guy" Donchez is typical of that crew. It was this campaign that made me get involved. Bob's benefactors (Leeson and Morganelli) have decided they can't win on the 25 year old ideas about how Bethlehem should be managed by them so they have to destroy the reputation of Mr. Reynolds
Donchez is not the guy to take this city into the future - he is the guy to say let's stop here and take a breath - Communities like Bethlehem can't stop and take a breath they have to continue to move forward and push - Bethlehem needs a Mayor like Cunningham like Callahan that knows how to work DC and Harrisburg for all the money and all the incentives they can get for the city - Donchez by all accounts is not that guy. My understanding is that he is frustrating to his peers because he is unable to make a decision quickly.
As Mayor if there is a lack of decisive leadership the growth and the moving forward stops and the status quo takes over and men like Jay Leeson come in and take control from the shadows. We can't go backwards Bernie and that is what a Donchez Mayoralty will do
7:58,
Actually Donald is quite right.
stale and molded would best describe booby and his ilk.
combine them with the puppet council pres Adolf H Evans and the city will grind to a sickening halt.
Lessen just want the solicitor's job back after JC canned him 10 years ago. It's an easy $50,000 for letting young assistants do all the work
Anonymous 7:58 - Pretty bold words from someone who comments as you do. Actually my hair was red before it turned gray and I am pretty regular so I am only full of the confidence of my ideas which is why I use my name.
Bernie - 2 more weeks and I can return to my usual navel gazing posts on my blog - Why oh why do I keep getting sucked back in.
Donald I do not consider Donchez, Morganelli or Leeson to be regressive the way you do. I also don't think there is anything wrong about guys who have been close friends since childhood in helping each other. I think Bob probably more capable, in many levels, of moving the City forwards than is Willie.
I do not like Bob's negative campaign style. I've made that clear.
But I have not made something else clear. I don't like Willie's pandering. He pandered for the LGBT vote. That's the only reason he had a news conference about that issue, to get support from your active group. He pandered to environmentalists by talking about fracking when the City does not have a damn thing to do with fracking. It was pretty obvious to me.
I don't live in the City so i can't cast a vote.
Bernie, I do live in Bethlehem and have gotten all the Donchez mailers - almost daily. The offensive attacks on Reynolds in them, based on inuendo and fact-twisting, are more than just "wrong" and "uncharacteristic" as you claimed. What a candidate does to get elected is not just style but is indicative of his/her character and likely behavior in office. Reynolds has not responded in kind, which tells us something about his character.
Wanting the job more than wanting to behave fairly tells us something about Donchez's character, not his style.
Why is Reynolds "pandering" to the gay community or environmentalists but Donchez is just campaigning when he harps on how he cares so much about the police? You need to shed your view based on past interactions with the candidates and focus on what they're each doing to get elected -- which helps tell us who they are.
Our city water supply is surrounded by shale which contains gas. Caring about our water is important. You think peoplein Bethlehem care about trash, wait to see what would happen if the city ever tried to sell or lease our water system. This issue is something we in Bethlehem care deeply about.
Willie Reynolds is touting his "Bethlehem roots" background just as much as Donchez. In fact Willie will go on an don and in about his Liberty, Moravian, all Bethlehem, all the time, life. Talk about being part of the Bethlehem "network".
He is a poor city councilman. s He Barron, McClure and many other are trying to fly this "new and exciting" banner. Problem is they have nothing to go with it. They sure aren't exciting. They have accomplished nothing, they talk a lot but do little.
Actually, they hurt the cause of young people in politics.
Don Miles, Did you get the "exploding head" ad? I do not want to post it but am curious if it is as bad as some claim. I have not seen it.
I think Willie is a great guy and am very impressed at how he has conducted himself. He is a true gentleman. I like Bob just a little more. If the negativity continues, that will change.
The exploding head is the tv ad Donchez is running.
Bernie -Publicly supporting my right to full citizenship is not pandering it is leadership. He is including all segments of the community in his conversation about the future of this city. You need to catch up on this Bernie - Gay people are an important segment of the Democratic Coalition and an important segment of city life and economic development. It has been "The Gays" who usually ride the first wave of gentrification and neighborhood building
From this point on I am going to leave the DA and Mr. Leeson out of my conversations about this campaign - it is after all Mr. Donchez campaign and at the end of the day it is Mr. Donchez who will have to look at himself in the mirror
Bernie, yesterday's daily 8 x 10 in. full-color Donchez mailing may have offended me the most: the front in big yellow capital letters: "IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT YOUR TRASH COLLECTION". Obviously meant to grab folks attention by implying its an official notice of some sort. But when you turn it over it's only another Donchez ad erroneously implying that Reynolds supports a single-hauler trash collection system for Bethlehem. I attended the Moravian College mayoral candidate debate last week and heard Reynolds clearly state he supports the current multi-private-hauler system. The quote Donchez prints from the E-T in which Reynolds said he'd "consider" a single-hauler system if City financial distress required it is taken out of context. It would have been irresponsible of Reynolds, who chairs city council's Finance committee, to say he'd never consider a single-hauler system no matter what the city's financial straits. I suspect Donchez would in those circumstances have the same position.
Donchez in yesterday's mailer not only fraudulently implies it is an official notice but attempts to create a difference in views between the candidates that doesn't exist.
I'm still waiting for Donchez to mail me the reasons why I should vote for him, what he plans to do as mayor beyond forming a "committee" to come up with new ideas that he apparently doesn't have himself. Donchez' sleazy Severson-crafted daily mailers are torpedoing his campaign, from what I hear around Bethlehem. Dumb strategy from a smart but flawed candidate.
Donald, As I mentioned to you in a private email, it is wise to leave John Morganelli and Leeson out of this. Basically, you have been attacking them bc they happen to be close friends to Bob. In John's case, it's been that way since they've been kids growing up on the south side. I don't think your comments there were fair or kind, and I am glad you saw that yourself.
This is an election and the candidates are trying to get votes. What I call pandering, someone else might call electioneering. I see your point.
Bernie -You ignored the main point of my last public comment here.
And yet
You rehashed a personal email conversation here on your site.
I should have listened to the little voices in my head telling me "Don't do it - Don't read or comment"
You were attacking them publicly, so I certainly betrayed no confidence. But I agree you should not read here if you are afraid of being told that you are full of shit when you are.
Bernie - I know what I said was in a public forum and I accept the reaction to it and I own my poor judgment and the reaction to that but you referenced what I thought was a private conversation and that I thought had a different set of rules, Perhaps I do not understand those rules.
Donald, It was a publicly discussed subject. You were saying numerous things here and on F/B. I responded and casually mentioned that I was stating the same thing I said to you privately. I betrayed no confidence,nothing that you said, and only revealed the fact that we do sometimes communicate back channel. I don't consider that a breach of confidence either. In addition to being holier than thou and thinking you're better than everyone, let me add that you are being histrionic and imagining slights and betrayals that did not occur. Your attitude, especially your superiority complex, really pisses me off. When I lost my law license, I met a whole new set of people, those you would call the dregs. I'd rather hang with them any day of the week than with most people.
Donald is being the sissy bitchy that he is...
Let's stop the homophobic remarks. I am pissed at Donald bc he has basically snarked what i do, and has also implied that I breached a confidence, which I would never do. But I am not going to tolerate any more anonymous comments that attack him personally.
As a young progressive professional living in Bethlehem, I believe that both Willie and Bob have good heads on their shoulders, and both will uphold the status quo of the progress Bethlehem has been making regardless of next week's outcome. I lean in support of Willie, because I look up to him as a leader that I can better relate to because of his age, and I think many young professionals in Bethlehem feel the same. But I haven't met anyone in my age bracket who has any particular ire for Donchez either. I don't see either of them as regressive.
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