Coyle did answer some of the questions I had previously posed.
During the program, Coyle claimed he spoke with State Rep. Harry Lewis, Jr, who is Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee, and Lewis claimed he did not know who Simmons was.
This is untrue.
Lewis fired off this email to WAEB yesterday, after the show.
It was brought to my attention today that you had a guest on one of your radio talk shows who is running against Representative Simmons. This gentleman apparently made representations that I commented on Representative Simmon’s attendance at the Urban Affairs Committee meetings. I’m very disappointed in such a gross misrepresentation of my brief conversation with this gentleman. Representative Simmons has served his constituents well in his participation on the Urban Affairs Committee.
Sincerely,
Representative Harry Lewis, Jr.
28 comments:
I'm sure Coyle may have had good intentions in wanting to run, but when you lay down with the devil you are doomed. There's one huge difference between Rep. Simmons and Coyle.... Rep. Simmons has passion and drive. He's a political science major, he was a paid intern and then a legislative staffer, Ofc Mgr, in fact. He knew what the constituents needs were, and he knew what his boss, a state senator, did on a day to day basis. My point, he was well prepared and could talk issues from the get-go. Sadly, Coyle is being lead by a guy who has not clue, a state rep who not only lost to Simmons while she was in office, but has attempted to assist 2 other candidates...including her son... who ran as a Dem, BTW! When you don't have the passion and are unprepared for what is ahead, you get yourself caught up in lies. This isn't the first, and it won't be the last.
Coyle knocked Simmons for being for small government but expanded his own budget for constituent service by opening more offices. An obvious question for Coyle would be what offices would he close? The question never got asked by Gunther.
what happened to the 3 term limit that this man ran on? why is he not being held to his word? Toomey kept his word on 3 terms why is Justin and different?
This is the story not Coyle Foible
Since you blogged the other day and referenced the laundry list of questions that Coyle hadn't answered for you, are you going to cover the answers you've received Bernie? Have you looked into Simmons voting record, or do you not have time because you are too busy doing your "research" on Simmons propaganda loaded facebook page? Are you planning to take Simmons to task for mischaracterizing what Coyle discussed in his interview?
Why would anyone make such a claim when it can be authenticated?
Simmons is a bully who won't keep his word, and now he wants to be a career politician, too? Why are you enabling him Bernie? Self promoting politicians like Simmons (and yes,others too including Dems) are the reason we are in such a mess in Harrisburg. Even if Coyle is not the most polished candidate running at least he is genuine and willing to learn and do the job. That's a change I can support.
He has a primary opponent, I would say that he IS being challenged on breaking his term limit pledge. What do you want a tar and feathering?
We will find out on April 27th if people care about that or not.
7:10 Um, because it is true and Rep. Lewis, as a career politician in a leadership position, is doing what career politicians always do. He is following the orders of his Harrisburg leadership, just like Justin does, and closing ranks to support a fellow career politician. It's what they do and why Justin Simmons needs to be defeated.
"Since you blogged the other day and referenced the laundry list of questions that Coyle hadn't answered for you, are you going to cover the answers you've received Bernie?"
I received no answers. Some of my questions were posed by Gunther yesterday, and I linked to his broadcast.
7:22, Lewis flatly contradicted Coyle. If he is such a party man as you claim, he would have never have trashed Simmons in the first place. Coyle heard what he wanted to hear, and Lewis is contradicting him.
Whoever you people are, let me make some things clear. You can remain anonymous, but comments that anonymously trash each other will not stay long. Simmons' voting record and Coyle's failure to vote in elections are fair game. Their positions on issues are fair game. But I am not going to allow this to deteriorate the way this happened last time.
If you listen to the tape from Gunther, what Coyle said was that Simmons missed many of the Urban Affairs Committee meetings run by Mr. Lewis. Can't remember if he said Simmons missed 30% or only attended 30% of those meetings in 2015. Either is terrible and this public information. It can be confirmed easily. I don't read the email from Mr. Lewis as saying Simmons didn't miss that many meetings, I read that he says Simmons provides good constituent services. Two different issues.
Mr. Coyle not only misrepresented the truth with regard to Representative Lewis he also misrepresented the issue of Representative Simmons and his not taking the pension. Once again Mr. Coyle is misinformed. Representative Simmons qualified for the pension after working for the state for five years and still refused to accept it. Yesterday Mr. Coyle said on the Gunther radio show that Rep. Simmons won't qualify for ten years. He went on to say that because of this Rep. Simmons is not telling the truth about not taking the pension. I think Mr. Coyle needs to be researching his facts before he tells untruths to the public. The ten year rule for the pension is Pennsylvania was enacted well after Rep. Simmons began working for the State of Pennsylvania.
My taxes pay Simmons to vote on behalf of D131. Coyle's taxes allow him to vote in D131.
7:59, What Lewis said is that Coyle grossly misrepresented his conversation with Coyle.
"My taxes pay Simmons to vote on behalf of D131. Coyle's taxes allow him to vote in D131"
When Coyle cares so little about his party that he does not vote in primaries, it is legitimate to ask whether he should be a standard bearer. If Simmons is not present for committee hearings, that is a fair criticism, too.
Do you plan to validate Simmons attendance or lack of attendance? Easy to do.
It is not so easy to do, a point Coyle made himself yesterday. But i was unaware of this site until yesterday. i will be using it to document the attendance of EVERY Lehigh Valley State Rep. I also need to discuss the important of attendance at state house committees. This is a big deal in county seats, but i need to know whether it is something so important in the state house. I know that in Congress, most Committee members are absent from most of their hearings.
Did you read what I wrote? I am not going to tolerate the usual venom that comes with every story about this race. Grow up.
Maybe Coyle, as a responsible and rational Republican, was not presented with candidates in Republican primaries that he could support? It happens to a lot of us. Many of us see the Republican Party being diminished by the emphasis on bitter partisanship like that exercised by elected officials like Justin Simmons. I think Republicans need to throw out all incumbants and so do Democrats. Cleaning house entirely may be the only hope for our nation.
As far as I'm concerned Bill Coyle has a RIGHT to vote, or not, in any election he wants -- as a private citizen. Justin Simmons, as an elected representative paid with our tax dollars has a DUTY to attend committee meetings, legislative sessions and other requirements of the job he was elected to do. He shoulkd not be AWOL, for any reason. My taxes pay him to show up and do his job, not make excuses for himself and, like many career politicians do, have his supporters and paid political operatives attack anyone who would dare call him out or, God forbid!, run against him.
Every citizen in this country has a "right" to run for an elected office. That being said when you do run you need to have your facts straight and not run on lies and innuendoes just to try and win an election. I think that voters deserve more from a candidate.
Like Justin Simmons is not "running on lies and innuendoes"? He even admitted doing it on Gunther's show and had to take back his accusation that Coyle had been fired from his job. It wasn't true and he knew it. A rookie mistake by Coyle vs a calculated attempt to deceive by Simmons, a career politician. I'll take the rookie thank you very much.
So Mr. Coyle is above not telling the truth and not apologizing when he misrepresents facts? Since Mr. Coyle is not pledging to term limit himself and said on Gunther he didn't know how long it would take to change things in Harrisburg, at what time would you label him a "career politician"? Once you take office you are labeled part of the establishment. Apparently Mr. Coyle has decided that he now wants to be a "career politician" and part of the establishment. I see no difference between him and any other candidate for elected office.
Don't only documents attendance of the LV politicians document their voting records too. It would be a valuable comparison.
I see Republican politics in the 131st district has become a bloodsport. Maybe Bernie should set up a concussion protocol to cover all of the head banging that is happening. Love watching them eat their own. An amused Democrat.
OK, that'sit. For the third time, I am shutting down comments in a story about the Simmons-Coyle primary. And that is because BOTH sides are unable to avoid the urge to anonymously attack each other, and supporters from BOTH camps lack the personal integrity to sign their comments. The only think you are succeeding in doing is making me glad I am a Democrat.
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