A few weeks ago, CACLV's Alan Jennings hosted what may very well be the best Congressional forum I've ever heard on WDIY. The program is archived, and I would strongly recommend that you give it a listen, especially if you are undecided. What I liked is that, instead of sound bites, each candidate was able to answer well-researched question in detail. Each candidate shined. But what happened yesterday might have been better.
All three candidates were guests at CACLV's annual luncheon, attended by 175 people at the Renaissance Hotel in Allentown. Jennings gave each of them ten minutes "to tell us whether and how they will address the fact 13% of our neighbors in Lehigh County and 9% of our Northampton County neighbors (that's more than 75,000 people) have incomes below the poverty level, which is just $24,600 for a family of four. $24,600! Tens of thousands are just barely above that."
Instead of summarizing the speakers, as Nicole Radzievech has already ably done for The Morning Call, I have videos of each ten-minute speech so you can see and hear the candidates yourself, in the order they appeared at the luncheon.
We are approaching that time of year - silly season - when partisans on both sides come out and bash other candidates. I will allow this under the following conditions: (1) I want you to refer to one thing about the candidate you support that you like, aside from party affiliation. (2) I want to quote at least one sentence from the speech of the candidate you oppose.
Libertarian Tim Silfies:
Republican Marty Nothstein:
Democrat Sue Wild:
(Blogger's Note: I will have separate stories about CACLV's lunch, but those are going to The Bethlehem Press first.)
17 comments:
All three of these candidates have found success in life. Their views on issues are sharply different, however they share one important idea in common.
They are all educated and self-motivated individuals who wanted to be successful.
Something the vast majority of those on the dole are not. You overcome difficulties in life, not surrender to them and live off the generosity of others. It reminds me of years ago when I smoked cigarettes. You buy your own, as people got tired of me asking to bum one... Those on welfare are those who don't buy their own lifestyle, they prefer to bum a lifestyle from others.
And by and large, we're sick of supporting those who fail to support themselves.
Innocent Bystander hs been deleted. Next time you want to post, make sure you are literate. Your comment adds nothing and is mostly unreadable.
4:53, You act as though the poor like being there. They don't. You hate seeing your tax money help feed a child whose only mistake was to have been born, but you don't mind that same tax money going into the pockets of wealthy ceos. You have no empathy for others.
By the way, i don't give a shit what at you think about the poor. You're anonymous and NOT one of the congressional candidates. The topic here is not your hatred of the poor, but your views on the three candidates running.
I recall a time, not so long ago, that successful people were role models. Not ones to be disparaged due to their success in life.
Not all "successful" people are role models. People who gain their wealth by preying on others are not role models. Wealthy people with no morality are no role model. I don't consider those people successful, either.
The worst "successful" people are those who head up the United Way, who earn multiple six figure salaries by shaking down companies to force employees to contribute to their exorbitant salaries, and who give only a small percentage of what they rake in to the agencies they support to support.
Also poverty pimps who claim to represent the "poor" and also make exorbitant amounts of money though donations to their causes.
idealism is great but doesn't pay my bills. However, after listening to all three presentations you have provided us, my mind is now made up. I will support Susan Wild because she spoke without using cliches, spoke from experience and seemed to have real empathy for those in need. I'm sure no candidae will be able to turn the ship of state back on course all by themselves, but at least she will put an oar in the water.
How much money has been poured into the welfare state over the past 50 years already? All it's given society is generational poverty.
A hungry stomach is the best motivator of life.
10 percent of the population has an IQ of less than 83, it's illegal for the military to accept applicants with an IQ of 83 or less.
The military has determined that there is nothing, no training, no job, that can be done by such an individual that would not be counter-productive.
Conservatives seem to think everyone can work.
Progressives seem to think everyone can learn.
That fact is there will always be people that despite their best efforts, will need the help of all of us.
"Conservatives seem to think everyone can work."
Plenty of garbage to be picked up.
Plenty of streets to be swept.
Plenty of roads to pick up litter from.
Plenty of parks which need benches and picnic tables painted.
Everyone can do something. With the possible exception of quadriplegics.
After watching all three candidates, now I know it was Wild that gang raped me in Allentowns city council cloak room. I had thought I seen her last night at the turning point Gayle near the cloak room too!
Wow a Republican actually showed up to a debate.
September 27, 2018 at 12:49 PM
"Everyone can do something. With the possible exception of quadriplegics."
You may not understand what the military means by counter-productive.
I heard a WWII veteran say, "Back then you would be tested, they were called aptitude tests, and if the test showed that you were an absolutely worthless, borderline retard, they'd make you an MP." They've since raise the standard to include "productive" in the metric..
5:56 No one is drafted into the military. However every person can still do meaningful work to earn income, again, with the possible exception of quadriplegics.
Again, basically able to support themselves using their own means. If they find that their income is insufficient for the lifestyle they desire, they can acquire the necessary skills to earn additional income.
An individual can also earn income by being a beggar on the street. They are not reaching into the pockets of others for wealth they did not ear and be a burden to others in our society. Again, if they need motivation, the hunger pains in their stomach should adequately provide that.
It should also be noted that I started my career by volunteering for military service. It gave me the basic job skills and also work ethics which have given me a successful life.
September 27, 2018 at 6:24 PM
Meaningful work can still be counter-productive.
Which is why tax breaks are given to companies that help provide something meaningful for these folks to do. If you see one stacking banana's at the supermarket be sure to say hello and buy some bananas.
I will be supporting Tim Silfies, Tim shows with his awkward yet wonderful word salads his youthful naiveite of the political consortium for which he will be absorbed. Tim is still a believer in the myth, and that reminds me of my own beliefs before experience exposed the reality. I am less concerned about mistakes he'll make that are attributed to his perceived inexperience, than I am the calculated partisan decisions experience has revealed necessary to other two corporate candidates.
Marty Nothstein seems prepared, fairly competent, and well spoken, however I got a gut feeling he has a serious competitive streak which may cause him to look down upon those that can't keep-up. If you get in the ring with this guy, protect yourself at all times.
That leaves what appears to be a lovely woman in every respect, Susan Wild, this one here is a professional! She is rehearsed to perfection. Ms. Wild is the Christmas cookie that looks so good you don't want to eat it. I could not disagree with one thing she said or how it was delivered in the video clip. I've seen and heard her speech in it's precise syntax and format my whole life, if I was under 30 I would have bought it hook-line and sinker. She has the most ideas and is without a doubt the most dangerous, potentially misleading and heartbreaking of the three.
Good luck Tim.
The folks like Anon 12:49 and 6:24 are the ones who scare me. Yes, of course, anyone can work. But in today's world, you cannot support a family merely picking up garbage or cleaning the streets. You can have a professional job, as I do, and then become a single parent through no fault of your own, and suddenly you can't make ends meet. You can cut back the supposed "luxuries" and cut back your heat until your pipes burst but sometimes it just can't be done. Then what?? (And yes, I already got a part-time job, and then another). By the way, I'm also a county employee, if that makes any difference.
Now here’s the problem, there aren’t enough jobs for everyone. Blame the Politicians not the poor.
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