His pitch:
I wanted you to be among the first to know that I will be a candidate for Mayor of Allentown. This is a decision that has been a long time in the making, and I have not made it lightly. I have had many wonderful opportunities to serve this city since first moving here in 1991. This is a great city in so many ways, but it is also a city with unrealized potential.
While we have made great strides in the past few years, our city’s progress has been bogged down in controversy, corruption, conflict, and too much drama!
It is time for competence and stability in City Hall.
It is time for a new direction and a new vision for Allentown, and that is what I will bring to the office of Mayor.
I am proud to have the support of former State Rep. Jennifer Mann, who is my Campaign Chair. I am honored by her confidence that I will do the best job for all our citizens as Allentown’s next Mayor.
But I need YOUR support to win the Democratic primary on May 16, 2017. That is the first step in my effort to become the next Mayor of Allentown, and I need your help to get there.
We started this campaign on December 1st and need to raise a significant amount of money by December 31st. The year-end campaign report is a public report that will tell the community whether or not I am a credible candidate.
The contributions we receive this month will be used for polling, online media infrastructure and content, mailers, and community outreach.
I will be publicly announcing my candidacy in mid-January. That announcement will be accompanied by a media campaign, also requiring significant funding.
Can I count on you? Your support is critical to my success.
Please act now, as December 31st is coming upon us quickly.
Make your donation online here, or you can mail your check to: Friends of Charlie Thiel, P.O. Box 214, Allentown, PA 18015.
Thank you for your support!
Charlie Thiel
We'll see who Jesus loves more in this battle royal between Charle and Ed.
ReplyDeleteFine. Anyone but Bennett. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo, you have a personal vendetta with Bennett huh? You must be a woman writing this cause your sensitivity came out in a one liner.
DeleteI can't fix the schools so I'll mess up the city instead? - Great
ReplyDeleteCharlie was elected to the Allentown School Board because of Fed-Ed's PAC. Otherwise I do not think he would have made it. He failed to be elected all of the other times he tried.
ReplyDeleteWell, if the choice is between two drama queens (Fed Ed and Sam the Scam Bennett) then I'll vote for Thiel. Allentown needs a mayor who will work with City Council, not be in constant conflict with them. Fed Ed is headed to the Big House, but not without a lot of turmoil first. Bennett is just a serial self-promoter and losing candidate who can't keep a real job, here or in DC, trying to be important and get paid with our taxes. All hat, no horse. Thiel is honest, low key and just wants to do the job. Time for a steady hand.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, she commuted to DC for 5 years...CEO dedicated to raising money for women to run for office. She's been running the Oldest and Only bed and breakfast in Allentown...little men, your resume can't even come close to her.
DeleteWonder how long it will be before Bennett claims that Thiel tried to do something nasty to her and she chains herself to the fire hydrant in front of his house. Gotta play the victim card.
ReplyDeleteSo why don't you run??? Oh wait...I rather be critical of those that have the courage to run. :)
DeleteBernie, what is your take on the Thiel, Mann, Pawlowski tie?
ReplyDeleteBennett got a big endorsement yesterday, the other candidates are already behind.
ReplyDelete@837am, what endorsement?
ReplyDeleteIMHO, Pawlowski doesn't get indicted, he wins. From there, @337am is correct, anyone but Bennett.
Please no more Jenn Mann!!!!
ReplyDeleteJenny Mann is another no good loser. Maybe it's time for her to find a man and have babies and go away.
ReplyDelete"Bernie, what is your take on the Thiel, Mann, Pawlowski tie?"
ReplyDeleteI have insufficient information to reach a conclusion about there being any real tie to Fed Ed. If they were tied so closely to him, Thiehl would not be running for his job. TYhey wee all fed Ed supporters. Bennett, Jones and Thiel.
There are pertinent questions about the Pawlowski/Mann/NIZ connections to Theil. He was the benefactor of the Pawlowski/Schware/Darth Schlossberg political PAC that invaded the political landscape of the Allentown School District. There certainly looks like some collusion between these entities and it really scares me to think we are getting a junior "Fed Ed" here. But I must say, he is the most attractive candidate at this time. It will be interesting to see who the republicans put up for this office. This is the time to do it. Almost everybody, [at least the semi-intelligent people], are tired of the Pawlwoski mess and they are yearning for a change; a big change!
ReplyDeleteI see Bennett is on here promoting herself again. her bed and breakfast is her house. She is the President and CEO of her house. That is too funny.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she can come up with a new victimization story.. maybe she was a Russian sex slave in another life. Or abducted by aliens.
She is playing the victimized woman card. How did that work for Hillary?
3:22, All of the announced or semi-announced candidates have strengths and weaknesses. Jones has legislative experience in LC, executive experience in the clergy and appears to have the quiet backing of Rs. Thiel has great private sector experience and appears to be held in well regard by Allentown's business community. Bennett is extremely knowledgeable about A-town, is a relentless advocate for women and can be very charming in person. Any one of them would be a vast improvement over Fed Ed. We still have some people who might to decide to run. Julio Guridy has been a tireless advocate for Latinos and is very loyal to his friends, is an excellent businessman in his own right and has financial acumen. Ray O'Connell must know everyone in Allentown and has demonstrated an uncanny ability to build coalitions in the face of overwhelming pressure. More than anyone, he has kept the City together throughout this crisis. When you really think about it, these are all good people. Yes, I have hammered each one of them at different times, but Allentown is in many ways lucky to have this talent pool.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Ray runs. He has a proven track record of navigating through storms. He's currently guiding the city through rough waters. Ray is a MUCH stronger pick. Then again, he may not have the NIZ profiteers to fund his "media campaign and research".
ReplyDeleteEnough with the out of towners. Ray for the new day.
A Ray of Sunshine to brush away those dark clouds, eh?
ReplyDeleteHave said this before and challenge you Bernie with maybe your friend Ron Angle to host a mayoral candidates forum/ debate inviting them for both the Allentown and Bethlehem races in 2017. I am serious. Yes they are all flawed but I am convinced the best choices will rise to the top. Interview one on one if you must but if they would choose not to participate then in my view they dont have what it takes to be mayor.
ReplyDeleteGuy, Due to the paucity of news coverage, I am going to arrange something in Allentown and Bethlehem.
ReplyDelete"Have said this before and challenge you Bernie with maybe your friend Ron Angle to host a mayoral candidates forum/"
ReplyDeleteRon Angle? You are seriously joking right?
I would like to discuss this in a reasonable manner. Upfront I am a Bennett supporter. I've watched Sam in action over the years and her commitment to and love of Allentown is admirable. She is smart and a hard worker. Having said that I would like to outline my objections to the other candidates. Thiel needs to do his job on the school board. The district is in disarray, he was elected to help and that's what his focus should be. Pawlowski, if he's not corrupt is too close to the corruption and the power went to his head, although he's done some great things, it's time for him to go. Frankly, I know very little about Jones, which I guess says it all. Siegel by all accounts is a bright young man, but he doesn't have enough personal or professional experience to run a city of this size. As far as anyone from Council running, I feel as if they were asleep at the wheel for too long and I question their abilities because of that. Let's get these conversations out of the gutter please.
ReplyDeleteWho was that guy who always ran for President and lost? I remember the comedian Pat Paulson running but there was another guy, Stasson or something, who was actually a politician who ran but never won. Sam Bennett is like that guy, only far better at self-promotion.
ReplyDeleteIn response to a comment about Charlie Thiel's previous runs for office: Years ago, he ran as a Republican for City Council. That is really really hard to do in Allentown. He then switched to being a Democratic party member. He then was appointed to the School Board, because the other school board members recognized his abilities. He then was elected to the School Board on his own.
ReplyDeleteDoes he even have a job?
ReplyDelete