UPDATED: Two Challenges Filed Against Pa. 7 "Green Party" Candidate Andrew Tupone

Two challenges have been filed against the nomination petition filed by Andrew Tupone as the Green Party candidate in the Pa. 07th Congressional district. Tupone claims to be the choice of 10,000 voters. 

The first set of objections comes from the Green party itself. The second comes from Joyce Moore, Louise Dillensnyder and Susan Baranek. I know that Joyce Moore is a fairly active Democrat, but do not know the others. 

Tupone has called the challenge an attempt by Democrats to silence his voice, but the Green party has filed objections. 

If these challenges succeed, that's very good news for Democratic nominee Bob Brooks. 

UPDATED 1:00 PM: The Green Party's objections can be located here. According to the challenge, Tupone was a Republican who switched to Democrat in February and to Green in April. It claims he is not an "authentic" Green party candidate.

The Greens contend that Tupone misled voters into believing he was a Green, even though he has never received that party's endorsement. 

UPDATED 4:15 PM:  The Commonwealth Court has scheduled a hearing on both challenges, to be heard August 20 at 11 AM in Harrisburg. At this hearing, Objectors will have an opportunity to prove that voters who signed nomination petitions were actually misled. They Green party will also be required to offer legal argument that Tupone's nomination petition is a violation of the free and equal protection clause of the state constitution based on allegations that signatures were obtained as a result of fraud. 

Who Do You Favor for the Democratic Nomination in Pa. 07?

Of the persons running for the Democratic nomination in the Pa. 07 Congressional race, which candidate do you like best and who do you think will win? I've spent the past several months taking shots at pretty much everyone. I've slammed Brooks the most, arguing that his unpaid judgment to family, his MAGA social posts and his willful refusal to list his debt in his Congressional disclosure, makes him simply too shady. I've labeled Ryan Crosswell a recent Republican who only moved here to run. Lamont McClure, the most experienced of the bunch, has also burned a lot of bridges during his 8 years as County Exec, and most recently by calling a Council member's boss in an obvious attempt to pressure her into voting to hand out a tax break for luxury apartments. Finally, Carol Obando-Derstine, the hand-picked choice of former Congressional member Susan Wild, is running on identity politics. 

More objective rundowns of these candidates are in Armchair Lehigh Valley (Obando-Derstine, McClure, Crosswell and Brooks).McClure and Crosswell are both quite knowledgeable about specific issues. Brooks and Obando-Derstine are borderline. Despite his recent defection from the GOP, Crosswell has struck me as the sincerest of the candidates. I believe he tries hardest to be honest. Though I don't know him, Brooks strikes me as the most likable.  McClure is the most experienced and importantly understands national issues as they impact the Lehigh Valley. Obando-Derstine may be a little uninformed but is intelligent and would bring the perspective of both a woman and a Latina. 

I voted last week and my vote was for McClure. But had I waited, as perhaps I should have, I would probably have voted for Crosswell. What McClure did in calling Hellertown's Borough Manager about a TIF in an attempt to pressure a new Council member really soured me. In my view, all candidates can beat Mackenzie now, but the situation will be different in November. I believe Crosswell, as a former Republican and a combat veteran, is a Democrat who would get Republican votes.

Now it's your turn. Who are you voting for and why?  

UPDATED: McClure Sole Congressional Candidate at LV Workers' Memorial

Over the weekend, a group of about 30 people attended the annual Lehigh Valley Workers Memorial at Bethlehem's Rose Garden. It was established to commemorate the Lehigh Valley's working men and women who been killed or injured on the job. Lamont McClure, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Congress in Pa. 07, was there. He's been doing it for over 20 years. None of his Democratic rivals showed, nor incumbent Ryan Mackenzie. Although State Representatives Bob Freeman and Steve Samuelson came, none of Bethlehem's elected officials wished to pay their respects. Their absence is astonishing, especially since Bethlehem's Recycling Center has been named after two employees who were killed on the job. 

It was April 16, 2002. Dana Grubb (then a Bethlehem City employee) received a call telling him to get out to the recycling center immediately. In his own words,

"Our police department was already on site investigating. There was a lot of blood in the area were Ray Theis and Lewis Cornfeld had been hit and crushed against a cardboard compactor and building.

"I was back and forth with the City's police communications center as we tried to locate their families.

"Ray had been medivacked to Lehigh Valley Hospital and Lew to St. Luke's Hospital. There was confusion about who had been sent where. I was asked to go to St. Luke's to provide identification. One had died on the way to Lehigh Valley Hospital, the other was still alive, but they weren't sure who was who.

"When I arrived at St. Luke's I was ushered into the emergency room where I was able to ID Lew. I will never ever forget what the trauma of his injuries had done to his appearance. He was hardly recognizable.

"Afterward I was sent into a room where Lew's family was waiting along with a chaplain. When an emergency room doctor arrived, he told them to prepare for the worst. You could feel the heavy emotions in that room. Lew would pass very shortly after.

"I left and went to Town Hall where a City Council meeting was underway and let Mayor Cunningham know the status of the situation. He made an announcement to Council.

"For years each April 16 a brief remembrance is held on/around April 16 to remember these co-workers. Unfortunately, the current management no longer does anything to remember the two men whose names are honored at the Their-Cornfeld Recycling Center. They're just names these days."

Incumbent Ryan Mackenzie might have shipped this event because it attracts mostly union members, but this could be one way he could have demonstrated that he actually does care about workers and their on-the-job safety. Ryan Crosswell, who appears to have lived everywhere in the United States but the Lehigh Valley, probably knew nothing about this annual tribute. That's what I'd expect from someone who moved here to run. Obando-Derstine was until recently was a systems engineer with rate-greedy PPL, has never had any real connection to the working class. But Bob Brooks is a former Bethlehem City firefighter and a union president. His absence tells me what he really thinks about the working class, not his TV ads. 

Don't get me wrong. I recently watched the Blue Ridge Cable TV of the Dem Congressional candidates who were sparring in Jim Thorpe. All seemed likable. McClure and Crosswell were easily the most polished speakers, which should be expected because that's how they both made a living. But Brooks and Obando-Derstine were fine. 

Of the four candidates, Crosswell is best suited to beat Mackenzie because he might attract GOP votes from disaffected Trump supporters. But the problem with Crosswell is that he will not be representing us, as his finance records reveal. He simply lacks the understanding of local issues and people that McClure has. He's been doing it many years. Along the way, he has made some enemies. But he's been on the frontline, and here in the Lehigh Valley. 

10:55 AM UPDATE: I am informed that Congressman Mackenzie was at a ceremony to honor Lehighton's last surviving WWII veteran at its American Legion and attended a Department of Labor Memorial event in DC on Thursday. 

SpotlightPA Chastises Congressional Candidate Brooks For Hypocrisy Regarding Stocks

In January, I wrote about the personal finances of the candidates who are seeking the Democratic nod in this year's Pa.7 Congressional race. I was really puzzled by the financial disclosure that candidate Robert Brooks filed, and said this: 

Robert Brooks. -  reports assets and unearned income of at least $963,000. This includes a residential rental property valued at between $250,000 and $500,000 and the stocks in multiple mutual funds.  He reports salaries of $20,000 from Bethlehem and $50,000 from the Pa Professional Firefighter's Ass'n, as well as business income of $15,000 from his lawn care business. 

He reports debt of between $380,000 and $850,000 based on a residential mortgage, an investment property mortgage, and outstanding debt to Darrell and Linda Crook. He failed to list a $130,000 judgment owed to Carol Wiley, his former mother-in-law, since 2022. 

A title search of Northampton County records reveal that Brooks owns no real estate under his own name, nor is there any recorded mortgage in which he is listed. 

Something is very fishy about Brooks' disclosure.

I am not the only one confused.  SpotlightPa has published a story that notes that, while Brooks likes to portray himself as a "working-class fighter" who is sick of Congressmen getting rich by trading stocks. But his disclosure reveals that he and his current wife have quite the portfolio. Here's an excerpt:

Of U.S. immigration law enforcement, Brooks writes in his campaign platform: “In America, we don’t send masked men to kidnap people off the street and throw them into unmarked cars. It’s bullshit and un-American.” Brooks’ wife owns up to $1,000 worth of stock in government contractor Palantir, a company co-founded by Republican megadonor Peter Thiel that provides technology to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to find and deport undocumented immigrants.

Regarding Americans staying healthy, Brooks writes: “No more lining the pockets of insurance and drug company bosses. Healthcare should work for people.” Brooks or his wife owns stock in several pharmaceutical and health insurance companies, including drugmaker AbbVie (up to $1,000), pharmaceuticals and medical products distributor Cardinal Health (up to $15,000), insurance company Elevance Health (up to $15,000) and insurance company Humana (up to $1,000), according to his financial disclosure.

In a statement to NOTUS, Brooks’ campaign manager Jenna Kaufman said Brooks has never personally traded stocks — the couple uses a professional investment management firm to steer their stock holdings, according to Brooks’ financial disclosure.

“Once in Congress, neither he nor his wife will own individual stocks,” said Kaufman, who did not answer questions about the couple’s personal investment philosophy or indicate whether Brooks and his wife would divest of their individual stock holdings in the meantime.

Among other stocks owned by Brooks or his wife: shares of Chevron, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla. Brooks and his wife together also own between $2,000 and $30,000 worth of stock in Amazon.com, which has faced accusations of illegal union busting and formal complaints alleging as much.

Brooks’ exact net worth is unclear, as congressional candidates are only required by law to list the values of their assets and liabilities in broad ranges, such as “$1,001 to $15,000” or “$50,001 to $100,000.”

Taken together, Brooks and his wife could be worth as little as about $148,000 and as much as $3.89 million, according to a NOTUS analysis of more than 220 individual assets and liabilities Brooks disclosed on Jan. 28.

Brooks' campaign refused to make him available for a SpotlghtPA interview.

There are three candidates who appear to have no stocks. One is Ryan Croswell, a Republican-turned-Democrat who moved into the Lehigh Valley for the express purpose of running for Congress. A second is Aiden Gonzalez. The third is incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie. 

Lewis Shupe is Seventh Democrat to Announce Candidacy For Pa. 07 Congress

I've known Lewis (Lou) Shupe a long time. He and Robert Trotner are the founders of The Lehigh Valley Coffee Party, which I believe was formed in response to the Lehigh Valley Tea Party. I've always like Lou, who is affable and down-to-earth. I even voted for him (write-in) when he ran for Congress in 2024. But he was never a "qualified" candidate. He failed to obtain the 1,000 signatures needed to run. He also failed to raise or spend $5,000, which is how the FEC determines if someone is qualified. He failed as a Congressional candidate in 2018, too, but never made it on the ballot. Most recently, the Democratic party refused to select him as their candidate in the special election for the Pa. House-22 race. I expect his candidacy this time around, like the last two times, to have absolutely zero impact on this year's primary. 

Lou did send me his announcement on Friday, and I'll post it below.

ALLENTOWN, PA — 1-9-26— Lewis Shupe, a renegade Democrat and longtime local activist, today announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

“I am running for Congress because our democracy has been steadily weakened by moneyed interests, constitutional erosion, and a political class that no longer answers to voters,” said Shupe. “The people of PA-07 deserve representation that puts democratic power back where it belongs—with the registered voter.”

Shupe is campaigning on a platform centered on systemic reform and civil liberties, including:

• Publicly funded elections to end the dominance of special interests

• Reversing the trends of constitutional infringements and restoring civil liberties

• Single-payer, universal healthcare as a human right

• Restoration of the Fairness Doctrine to promote accountability in broadcast media

• Harnessing the power of registered voters to strengthen democratic participation and oversight

A retired and disabled professional with more than 35 years of experience in information technology, Shupe brings a systems-level perspective to public policy. Over his career, he wore many hats—problem-solver, analyst, and advocate—developing a deep understanding of how large, complex systems succeed or fail.

“Congress is broken not only because Americans are divided by all manner of foreign interference, but because the system has been engineered to ignore them,” Shupe added. “This campaign is about structural reform, restoring trust, and building a government that works for everyone—not just those who can afford to buy access.”

Additional policy positions and campaign information can be found at http://www.shupeforcongress.com.

How Much Are Pa. 7's Congressional Candidates Worth?

As I told you yesterday, six Democrats want to be their party's candidate to take on Ryan Mackenzie in November's Pa.7 Congressional election. Candidates who intend to raise or spend more than $5,000 must file a financial disclosure with the Clerk of the US House within 30 days of raising or spending that amount. These disclosures are unrelated to the funds raised or spent on a campaign. They instead identify the assets and income. 

At this point, the "qualified" candidates on the Dem side are Robert Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine and Mark Pinsley. All of these candidates have filed financial disclosure reports, although Pinsley was late with his required report and will be fined. 

What the reports reveal is that all of the candidates, with the exception of Crosswell, participate in mutual funds.

Robert Brooks. -  reports assets and unearned income of at least $963,000. This includes a residential rental property valued at between $250,000 and $500,000 and the stocks in multiple mutual funds.  He reports salaries of $20,000 from Bethlehem and $50,000 from the Pa Professional Firefighter's Ass'n, as well as business income of $15,000 from his lawn care business. 

He reports debt of between $380,000 and $850,000 based on a residential mortgage, an investment property mortgage, and outstanding debt to Darrell and Linda Crook. He failed to list a $130,000 judgment owed to Carol Wiley, his former mother-in-law, since 2022. 

A title search of Northampton County records reveal that Brooks owns no real estate under his own name, nor is there any recorded mortgage in which he is listed. 

Something is very fishy about Brooks' disclosure.

Ryan Croswell. - reports having no assets or unearned income. He apparently participates in no mutual funds or the stock market. He reports a salary of $47,104.62 before he resigned from the Department of Justice. He also has received $13,542.12 from the Department of Defense and has received 1099s from the Singleton Schreiber law firm for $4,394.50. That law firm has no offices in this part of the country. He also lists the Antonin Scalia School of Law as a potential source of wages.  

Crosswell owes between $10,000-50,000 for a car loan. 

Lamont McClure. - reports assets and unearned income of at least $343,000 through his participation in various mutual funds. His income was his $85,000 salary as NorCo Exec. He also lists his wife's salary and pension. 

McClure's debt is between $90,000 and $215,000 for his mortgage, a loan to replace his roof, a third loan to fix his fireplace so Santa could come down and an auto loan. 

Carol Obando-Derstine. - reports assets and unearned income of at least $500,000 through her participation in mutual funds. Her income was a $44,410 salary from PPL. Like McClure, she also lists her spouse's salary. She lists no debts to anyone. 

Mark Pinsley. - His report was just filed on January 5, and though he lists his participation in numerous mutual funds and stocks, I have been unable to do the math at this point. He lists a salary of $79,000 as Lehigh County's Controller. He also lists his wife's salary. 

His debt is between $325,000 and $665,000 for a business loan and lines of credit from three credit card companies. 

What about incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie? I have a report from him for 2025 and am looking to see if there is something more recent. 

Pa 07 Congressional Race Attracts Two New Candidates

Two new candidates - Aiden Alexander Gonzales and Michael Ramon Granados, Jr., - have filed Statements of Candidacy in the crowded race for Pa. 7's Congressional seat. That district includes Lehigh, Northampton and a portion of Carbon County. 

Gonzales is a Democrat while Granados is an independent. 

Incumbent Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican, has no primary challengers. But the number of Democrats who want to go to Washington now stands at six. Other Democrats are Ryan Croswell, Lamont McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine, Robert Brooks and Mark Pinsley. 

Gonzalez already has a website that sticks to bread-and-butter issues like jobs, the economy, housing and healthcare. He supports the American Health Act, which places all US citizens in a single-payer system. He also wants to incentivize real estate development (can you say tax breaks) and make it more difficult for foreign buyers to purchase real estate. 

According to their Statements of Candidacy, Gonzales lives in Bethlehem's Woodmont Mews Apartment complex while Granados lives in the Stata West apartments in downtown Allentown. 

Pinsley Joins Increasingly Crowded Pa. 7 Congressional Race

According to several news outlets, Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley has announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination in the Pa.-7 Congressional race. His Statement of Candidacy was filed with the FEC on July 30. 

He's got company, including NorCo County Exec Lamont McClure, Susan Wild puppet Carol Obando-Derstine, and Republican-turned Democrat Ryan Croswell, who resided in D.C. until he was urged to run. 

Pinsley is a poster boy for what is wrong with Democrats. He's a blatant opportunist. No sooner was he elected South Whitehall Tp Commissioner than he announced he was running against Pat Browne in a State Senate race. Undaunted after losing, he took on Lehigh County Controller Glenn Eckhart in the next election cycle and knocked him off. As Controller, he proposed both an increase in sales tax in Lehigh County as well as an income tax that would hurt low-income families that work multiple jobs just to put food on the table. He called for UN observers in the 2020 presidential election, He also revealed his true feelings about Allentown and Bethlehem when he objected to them being combined as part of redistricting. "We don't need another ghetto," he said. Well, we don't need Pinsley. While running for re-election as Lehigh County Controller, he told donors he was running for state auditor general. He did and he lost  Then he started telling donors he wanted to run for the US Senate, but appears to have put that off for a seat in the House.  

The most offensive thing about him was his use of families accused of child abuse as political props. He paraded them before both Northampton County Council and Lehigh County's Board of Comm's with unproven claims of misdiagnoses of child abuse. His claims were completely contrary to the philosophy of the human services departments in both counties, which will only separate children from their family as a last resort, and with due process.  His actions solved nothing, but he did get a $50,000 campaign donation from the lawyer who filed a class action on behalf of families claiming they were wrongly accused of child abuse. Both LehiCo and NorCo have been dismissed as Defendants in that matter. 

He's never shied away from using his public office to play politics. Most recently, he did that with a thinly disguised political rally disguised as a "town hall" to discuss planned federal cuts to Medicaid on a county level. 

I still believe that of all candidates on the left or the right, the person best suited for Congress was John Morganelli, a true centrist. He's unfortunately done with politics. Lamont McClure has been his protege. 

Trump's Budget Bill Heads Back to the House

I have thus far refrained from writing too much about Trump's budget bill, which he wants on his desk by July 4. I will wait until it is adopted by both houses and then can write about what its actual provisions. 

NorCo Exec Lamont McClure to Run For Pa.7 Congressional Seat

It's official. Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure announced late yesterday afternoon that he's seeking the Democratic nomination to Congress' Pa. 7th District, currently held by Republican Ryan Mackenzie. He did so in an after-hours announcement from the courthouse rotunda before a crowd of at least 100 supporters, including a Who's Who of local Democratic leaders, county staffers and an alphabet soup of trade union leaders. 

Up until this point, McClure has served in county government both as a Council member and as Executive.  He was initially appointed to a County Council vacancy in 2006 and thereafter won and held the seat for two terms. He was elected County Executive in 2017 and is in the final year of his second term. He previously announced he would not be seeking a third term. Now we know why.

As Executive, McClure steered the county through a pandemic and a statewide shutdown. He insisted that county offices remain open and found a way to funnel $25 million to small businesses in the county that were hanging by a thread. He's never proposed a tax increase and actually cut taxes in 2022 while simultaneously reducing the size of county government by nearly a third. He restored medical benefits to employees after they had been cut by the pervious Executive. 

As a member of county council, he was at the forefront of the battle to save the county's nursing home, which he has always called "a moral obligation." As Executive, he made sure it is now also county operated instead of through a private administrator. He has also persuaded Council to start a daycare at the nursing home for the children of employees.

He has had failures, too. Most notably, there were problems in the 2019 and 2023 elections. Though the county purchased the best voting machine available - the ExpressVote XL- the vendor failed to align about a third of the machines before the 2019 election and botched the coding of the machines prior to the 2023 election.  He has also had to deal with a County Council that, unlike many legislative bodies, has been flexing its biceps in a much-needed demonstration that there are actually three, and not one, branch of government. Most of them were no-shows at yesterday's announcement. 

Before Mackenzie's 1% victory last year, the seat had been held by Susan Wild. Whether she herself is running is unclear, but I'm told that she has been beating the bushes to find a woman with a STEM background to take on Mackenzie. She was MIA at yesterday's announcement.

Susan Lawless, who chairs Hanover Township's Board of Supervisors and was one of the introductory speakers, cited McClure's accomplishments but said there was one overriding reason to support him. "He can win," she declared. 

McClure condemned "the chaos that Trump and Elon Musk are causing in Washington, D.C. today. It's completely unnecessary." He said he was able to cut taxes and reduce the growth of county government by 31% over 7 years "without creating chaos. We don't need a bully like Elon Musk to come into the courthouse and fire people. We did this in a sensible manner. And not only did we do it in a sensible manner, we did it without cutting core services. In fact, we expanded core services."

He also discussed what he called Ryan Mackenzie's "values." "Mackenzie has shown us a little bit about what he values ... Let's take his focus on Medicare repeal. That's a value, right? Let's take his vote on Medicaid repeal. That's a value. He's showing his values. His assault on Americans' health care, he's demonstrating his values."

"What has he said to condemn the pardon of the January 6 insurrectionists?" McClure asked. "He's always lecturing me about support of law enforcement. By the way, I support law enforcement. Since I've been county executive, we have funded the police and fire and EMS to the tune of $2 million despite the fact that that is not part of our core responsibilities. So we support law enforcement, but Ryan Mackenzie did not criticize President Trump when he pardoned those insurrectionists. That demonstrates his values.

He also asked why Mackenzie has failed to criticize "Putin's aggressive invasion of Ukraine. I have not. Have you heard him say 'I stand with Ukraine' onto victory. I have not. But I stand with Ukraine onto victory. These are my core values."

McClure said he learned his values from his late father, a former director of Carbon County Housing Authority, "who lives on in my heart every day." From his father, he learned that "one of the most dignifying things in life was to be able to provide a roof over your family's head."  

It's on. 

McClure to Make "Major" Announcement Tomorrow. Is He Running For Congress?

NorCo Exec Lamont McClure is expected to make a "major" announcement tomorrow afternoon, 5 pm, at the courthouse in Easton.  I believe he intends to announce he is running for Congress.

Late last year, McClure decided against seeking a third term. He claimed then that he was bothered that doing so would defy the will of the people as recently expressed in a referendum limiting the county executive to two terms. Under this new Charter provision, McClure could have still legally could sought a third term.

I believe he intends to announce he's running for Congress, which is an open secret at the courthouse. 

First, the email notifying me of McClure's announcement comes from a Madison Plamer, who was spent her young career after graduating from the University of Iowa as a professional campaign worker for Democratic Congressional candidates Will Rollins (California), Katie Hobbs (Arizona) and Cora Neumann (Montana).  

Second, McClure was snubbed by former Congress member Susan Wild at a recent MLK celebration in Easton. Wild has denied this and has suggested that I defamed her, but I stand by what I wrote. I'm told by people who know her that she's furious that any Democrat but her would run for the seat she just lost to Ryan Mackenzie.  

Third, Mackenzie has been critical of the way NorCo handles illegal immigrants who are incarcerated. They always notify ICE and tell them when the inmate will be released and even will hold the inmate an extra 48 hours beyond that time. After that time, a warrant is required. This is consistent with both federal law and the Constitution's requirement of due process, which despite what Trumpers may think, is still the law of the land. Mackenzie is vocal about this matter because he perceives McClure as a threat. Otherwise, he wouldn't care. 

Wild insulted Carbon County, but McClure is one of them. His father Lamont was the Executive Director of Carbon County Housing Authority for nearly 40 years. 

I personally believe it's too soon for McClure to announce. By waiting a bit longer, he would be more effective as Executive. But I laud him for deciding against seeking a third term. Although Pa has no "Resign to Run" law, it would be very difficult for him to simultaneously be a Congressional candidate and the county's top administrator.  

Congress Member Susan Wild Gets Booted For Unpaid Fines, Parks in Handicapped Spot

Let me start by saying that as an election cycle nears its end, it's common to see the mud fly. My brother, an evil Republican, told me that in a meet and greet with Congressional candidate Ryan Mackenzie at someone's home, a Susan Wild spy illegally recorded the private event. But Republicans have spies, too. It appears they've been better in the Pa-07 Cingressional. 

According to The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news source, Congress member Susan Wild recently had her Toyota hybrid SUV booted after she failed to pay $775 in fines for speeding between 11-15 mph over the speed limit in May as well as her failure to secure DC tags. The news account also reports a more recent fine for speeding 11-15 mph over the speed limit in July and yet another citation for failing to get DC tags. 

This comes on the heels of another account about her participation in a zoom call in 2022 while driving. Amazingly, you can actually see her driving, with cars passing by and a small dog moving around inside the car. 

Her bad driving is not just limited to the District of Columbia. In August 2022, she was cited by PSP for running a light. She pled guilty. 

I'm taking a defensive driving course to get a 5% discount on my car insurance, and it's pretty clear to me that she engaged in distracted driving.

Now I'm no saint. Over the years, I've managed to rack up numerous parking tickets. And soon after I got my first smart phone, I was so caught up with it that I was weaving on Rte 248. Fortunately, a Palmer Tp police officer stopped and cited me. I thanked him. I could have killed someone. I can understand why Wild, who must have a busy schedule, might lose sight of how important it is for her to watch her speed and avoid distractions on the road. I would hope she changes how she drives before she hurts herself or someone else. 

Having said that, what really bothers me is something for which she was never cited.  To me, this is far more despicable than speeding. Not long ago, she parked her Toyota SUV, the same one featured in the Washington Beacon story, in a handicapped spot. According to the spy who took the picture, the car displays no handicapped placard. It instead displays "Vote Wild" and "I Voted by Mail" bumper stickers

I can overlook speeding, failure to register DC tags or getting your car booted. But people who park in handicapped parking spaces are the lowest of the low. This selfish and completely inconsiderate behavior betrays her elitism, something she has already demonstrated in condescending comments about Carbon County voters.

The Washington Free Beacon's story states that Wild never responded to requests for comment. So on Wednesday, I sent two emails to Wild's campaign, requesting an explanation. She might answer a Democratic blogger. She might even have a reasonable explanation for her behavior.

Crickets. 

So I am concluding there is no reasonable explanation for why she selfishly parked in a handicapped parking spot. I am also concluding that her refusal to explain demonstrates a lack of transparency and accountability. 

In a few days, I will receive my Mail-In Ballot (MIB). I understand how important it is that Harris supporters would want a Democratic Congress so she can actually get things done. But I am unable to vote for an elitist who is neither transparent nor accountable. I will cast no vote for Mackenzie, her opponent, because I differ with him on most policy issues. I will instead leave that part of my ballot blank or write in Charlie Dent. 

Wild just lost a vote she would otherwise have received. 

Character matters, and she clearly has none. 

GOP Congressional Candidate Kevin Dellicker's Amended Report Indicates He Had Far Less Cash Than Originally Reported

In his last quarterly report, GOP Congressional candidate Kevin Dellicker reported raising $241,827.22 and having $205,692.08 cash on hand, nearly as much money as his Republican opponents combined. This was dutifully noted by both Armchair Lehigh Valley and The Morning Call. But 10 days following his original quarterly report, Dellicker amended it. He still claimed to have $205,692.08 on hand, but that's phantom cash. Why? Because the amended report includes expenses of $105,621.32 ($23,758.23 to Consolidated Mailing and $81,863.09 to Direct Support Services). In addition, Kevin's Amended report shows another $33,390.43 in expenses for a total of $139,011.75 (page 77 of the Amended report) that he did not list in his Original report.

Dellicker contracted with Consolidated Mailing and Direct Support Services to generate small dollar, unitemized donations. Even well known candidates are lucky to break even when they do this as the costs often exceed the amount raised. In Dellicker's case, he lost money. He spent $106k to raise the $79k he listed as unitemized donations.

This is hardly evidence of fiscsal conservatism. 

If you subtract the $139,011.75 from the $205,692.08 available, he really only has $66,680.33 in cash on hand, less than half of what opponent Ryan MacKenzie reported and only slightly more than hopeful Maria Montero. 

.

Congressional Candidate Kevin Dellicker Shares Views on ACP Extension and Broadband Infrastructure

Yesterday, I commended Lehigh Valley Congress person Susan Wild for her support of legislation that will extend the Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives a $30/month reduction in the cost of internet service to 23 million American households.  Because this program is set to expire in a matter of about two months, an extension would have to be in place long before November's election. For that reason, I decided against asking Wild's Republican opponents for their take on this topic. Despite this, GOP Congressional hopeful Kevin Dellicker shared his views on both an ACP extension as well as our broadband infrastructure.  Here's what he has to say:

Broadband is my business. I’ve been helping enterprise customers upgrade their broadband infrastructure for 20 years. Our typical project organizes large groups of buyers, puts their services out to bid, and then sources the most cost-effective solution from the best qualified providers. It maximizes private investment, encourages cooperation among buyers, drives competition among vendors, and puts the consumers in the driver’s seat. Our typical project results in a big service upgrade for the buyers, a more profitable investment for the providers, and better infrastructure for the entire community. If a public organization is involved, we often achieve big taxpayer savings on top of everything else.

Contrast that to the Broadband Infrastructure bill passed by President Biden and Susan Wild. Their program creates a bunch of grant programs around the country that will administer the broadband funds. State and local governments had to hire new people to manage the grant programs, and many of the new hires don’t know anything about the telecom industry. The grants are written to include all kinds of progressive priorities unrelated to broadband, such as environmental factors, labor union requirements, diversity, equity and inclusion plans, and the applications are extraordinarily complicated. Many of the established providers won’t go near them, so the program encourages unproven providers to jockey for the grants. The consumers don’t drive the process. Instead, the providers submit grants that are reviewed by the bureaucrats, who give the money to their chosen providers to build out the services. Often, the new providers with federal money get to compete against established providers who spent their own private capital to build out their own infrastructure. Nobody asks the consumers if they really want the services from the newly selected providers, but it doesn’t matter. The money is spent, and the politicians can claim that they’ve done something to improve broadband access.

This is why we are two years into the broadband infrastructure program and no broadband has been built. And its why even after the grants are delivered, people will be disappointed. Unfortunately, this same grant-based, bureaucrat-driven approach is being used for the CHIPS Act, the cybersecurity funding, and many of the other high-tech initiatives that Susan Wild and Joe Biden tout. Eventually, after tons of overhead and administrative costs, the remaining money goes to companies based on bureaucratic criteria, not to consumers based on market requirements. It’s all corporate welfare, and it’s doomed to failure.

Regarding the $7 billion in additional broadband spending, I won’t support that. Two questions for Susan Wild:

1) Is this really the most important thing that you think the federal government should be spending $7 billion on right now? I choose securing the border, replenishing our military weapons, and fighting fentanyl instead. Or maybe we can just not add to the deficit.

2) If we didn’t solve the broadband problem with the original $65 billion, why does anybody think another $7 billion will do the trick? The truth is, it won’t.

This broadband infrastructure bill is a perfect example of good intentions gone bad by ineffective politicians who know nothing about the industries they are trying to impact. Politicians like Susan Wild are doing more harm than good with this broadband infrastructure bill, and its only a matter of time that people start figuring it out.

LV Congressional Race Update

Three Republicans - Kevin Dellicker, Ryan MacKenzie and Maria Montero - seek the Republican nomination. Incumbent Susan Wild, seeking the Democratic nod, is running unopposed. 

Kevin Dellicker - He's outraised his Republican opponents, but that's only about 10% of the money in Wild's coffers, He also has support from four local police FOPs (Bethlehem, Allentown, local state troopers, township and borough police and Lehigh and NorCo deputy sheriffs).

Ryan MacKenzie. - He has attracted support from heavyweights like State Senator Mario Scavello and Americans for Prosperity, a group "dedicated to economic freedom and individual liberties."

Maria Montero. - She's both Irish and a Latina who complains that too many families struggle to put food on the table, something I rarely hear from Republicans. As the sole woman in the race, I think she has an edge against her male opponents as she can argue she would do better against Wild than either of them. She has an endorsement from Easton's FOP. 

Susan Wild - She's survived one re-election contest and is sitting on a mountain of money. She should be re-elected but recently disparaged Carbon County ("they drank the Trump Kool Aid") Not the smartest thing to do when you need their votes. 

Where Gaetz is Right

Florida GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz has never been my favorite person. He's a polarizing figure, much like his cult hero Donald Trump. But if he's accomplishes nothing else during his stay in Washington, he has peeled back the scab of broken government. 

From the House floor, he spoke of the need for Congressional reform so that it actually adopts budgets instead of endless continuing resolutions. He advocated single subject bills that would prevent legislators from burying pork project in proposed laws that no one has time to read. He argued for open amendments, which would permit any member to offer an amendment from the floor. What struck me most, however, was his response to fellow Republicans after being booed. 

Gaetz: And when it comes to how those raise money. I take no lecture on asking patriotic Americans to weigh in and contribute to this fight from those who would grovel and bend knee for the lobbyists and special interests who own our leadership, who have —

House Republicans: BOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Gaetz: Oh, boo all you want! Who have hollowed out this town and have borrowed against the future of our future generations. I’ll be happy to fund my political operation through the work of hard working Americans ten and twenty and thirty dollars at a time. And you all keep showing up at the lobbyist fundraisers and see how that goes for you.

It goes pretty well. Congress is actually a glorified call center from which members are expected to spend most of their days trying to raise money from those lobbyists. They are highly paid telemarketers. They listen to those who fund their campaigns, not the people.

According to a Princeton study, "The preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.” What matters is money. Congress is no longer a democratic body. It is more of an oligarchy. 

Gaetz is onto something here, but unfortunately, a conservative Supreme Court has pretty much sanctioned the purchase of legislators.  

Dellicker, Montero and MacKenzie Agree on Term Limits

Yesterday, I told you the GOP congressional candidate Ryan MacKenzie supports term limits for members of Congress (3 terms for Congressmen and two terms for Senators). I decided to ask his GOP rivals, Kevin Dellicker and Maria Montero. for their positions. At the suggestion of readers, I also asked the Susan Wild campaign. 

Dellicker agrees with MacKenzie, adding that state officials should be term-limited as well. "I believe that we should have term limits for all Members of Congress and state elected officials too," he said. "I think our representatives should be citizen-legislators: people who live in the community, acquire real-world experience, serve for a few years, and then go back home to live and work under the laws they’ve enacted. That’s how our founders envisioned our government. And that’s what I’m running to do."

Montero agrees as well. "I have signed onto the U.S. Term Limits Pledge," she tells me. "Its backing is fairly bi-partisan, receiving nearly 80 percent support from across the political spectrum. This pledge highlights the importance of electing not career politicians, but a citizen legislature made up of individuals who understand the struggles of real people and who are committed to representing the values of the 7th Congressional District. If elected I will vote for a Constitutional Amendment to establish term limits in the U.S. Congress. I also support a ban on Members of Congress enriching themselves by trading stocks based on inside information and would vote for additional transparency in grant funding."

I have asked Congress member Sue Wild for her stance as well. 

In November, Northampton County voters will decide on term limits for County Council, Controller and Executive. I was initially opposed to term limits for local officials, but was persuaded by readers. 

MacKenzie Campaign Expands on Need For Stock Ban and Transparency in Grant Funding

Yesterday, I told you that GOP Congressional candidate supports term limits, a ban on insider stock trading by Congress members and a need for more transparency in grant funding. I asked for clarification about stock trading and the need for transparency in grant funding. His campaign sent this response: 

• The current laws in place are woefully inadequate to oversee Members of Congress and their influence-peddling.  
• The STOCK Act of 2012, which supposedly banned insider trading for Members of Congress, has clearly not sufficiently addressed the issue. 
• The New York Times highlighted the issue in its 2022 reporting through a series of articles and noted that, “Some members of Congress have strangely good timing when it comes to stock investments…With inside knowledge about forthcoming policy changes or economic developments, the members could buy stocks shortly before they rose in price or sell them shortly before they fell.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/briefing/congress-stock-investments-profits.html)
• To further address this, Congress has introduced a number of good proposals they should pass. Two of those that I would support are the Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act and the Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act. 
• While the media and legislators are talking a lot about possible conflicts with stock trading, which is good, less attention has been paid to grant funding and possible conflicts of interests in that space. 
• In 2022, it came to light that “House Dem [Congresswoman Susan Wild] Lands $1 Million for Former Client Implicated in Child Rape Case.” (https://freebeacon.com/democrats/wild-spending-house-dem-lands-1-million-for-former-client-implicated-in-child-rape-case/)
• Congress should address these types of conflicts as well and Congresswoman Wild should have been required to disclose that she was seeking this funding for a former legal client. Without such a law in place, this particular case only came to light through investigative reporting.

Congressional Candidate Ryan MacKenzie Supports Term Limits, Ban on Stock Trading, Transparency in Grant Funding

State Rep. Ryan MacKenzie, one of three announced Republicans seeking Lehigh Valley's Congressional seat, has announced that he supports "term limits for elected officials as well as bureaucrats. I will also push to ban members of Congress from trading stocks based on their insider information and demand transparency in grant funding to expose their conflicts of interest."

To be specific, he's support term limits of three terms for Congressman and two terms for US Senators. 

MacKenzie also said he would support a ban on insider trading by members of Congress, but that is already illegal. A more important question is whether he supports the Ban Stock Trading Act, which would bar all members of Congress and executive branch from holding or trading in individual stocks, even if they are placed in a so-called blind trust. 

Finally, I'm unclear on his statement concerning transparency in grant funding and have asked for clarification. 

I have also forwarded MacKenzie's statement to his rivals, Maria Montero and Kevin Dellicker, for any insights they may wish to share. 

Montero's Congressional Bid Now Official

FROM MONTERO's Campaign, ALLENTOWN, PA (July 31, 2023) Republican Maria Montero formally announced her candidacy for the U.S. of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District. A mother, attorney, and former Executive Director of both the Pennsylvania Commission for Women and the Pennsylvania Latino Commission, Montero will bring a wide range of experience to Congress.

The daughter of an immigrant and grand-daughter of Carbon County Irish coal miners, Montero was born in Pennsylvania’s coal region. A resident of Easton, Maria was a co-founder of the Lehigh Valley’s Power of Women Networking Initiative and has lived or worked in every county in the 7th Congressional District. An avid outdoorswoman, Montero is on the board of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. Passionate about the transformative impact of a quality education, Maria also serves on the board of directors of her alma mater, Marian Catholic High School.

“Never in my lifetime have I been more concerned about the direction of our country,” said Montero. “We need to right the ship and take action now to restore the American Dream not just for ourselves, but for future generations.”

In announcing her candidacy, Maria said her campaign would be built on four key cornerstones: Safety, Accountability, Family Finances, and Education (SAFE).

“We need to work to improve safety in our communities by cracking down on the brazen crime and flow of dangerous drugs like fentanyl across our porous borders,” said Montero. “Our elected officials need to be held accountable for amassing $33 trillion in national debt, a fiscal and budgetary nightmare that we are leaving for our children and grandchildren.”

“We need to provide relief to families and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet due to rising inflation and a tax burden saddled on them by their own elected officials who refuse to tighten their own belts,” said Montero. “And I am committed to improving our educational system so that our young people are best prepared to pursue their chosen paths after high school, whether it be entering the workforce, learning a trade, or attending college.”

Maria said her own journey and background will provide her with a unique perspective in advocating for local residents. Rising through poverty, Maria came to learn that a strong educational foundation is the great equalizer. After attending Our Lady of the Valley and Marian Catholic, Maria went on to graduate from Saint Joseph’s University and Widener School of Law. She also learned from personal experience the importance of tenacity and hard work. Maria had her only child, a son, while in college and through her own determination – and with the support of her family – she was able to earn her degree and eventually attend law school.

For more information on Maria Montero and her campaign for Congress, please visit her website at www.mariamontero.org.

(Blogger's Note: Two other Republicans - Kevin Dellicker and Ryan MacKenzie - have announced. Incumbent Susan Wild, a Democrat, has filed a Statement of Candidacy, but no official announcement.)