Horton: Big Mouth, Fat Wallet & Tax Liens

"I live in South Allentown, so you have to have a big mouth to be heard over everybody."

That's how Mike Horton, a Democrat running for the State House in the 131st legislative district, described himself at a recent Northampton Community College candidates' forum. I thought he was being self-deprecatory. But after watching him debate and bully Justin Simmons on Business Matters, I agree. He does have a big mouth. I also wonder how someone with a West Point background, and who also claims to have been a VP for "Fortune 500" companies, would end up as a constable. I question the big wallet he's using to buy this seat. And we all should be concerned about Horton's three property tax liens from no less than three different states. Let me fill you in.

Initially, Horton was considered nothing more than a sacrificial lamb, running against a popular incumbent. Then the strangest thing happened. Justin Simmons, a hard-line conservative, came out of nowhere and upset Karen Beyer. Some say it was because Simmons mounted a vigorous door-to-door campaign. Others say Karen was too busy in Harrisburg and took the race for granted. Some, like me, were concerned that Beyer was being smeared. Whatever the reason, Republicans chose a right-winger as their standard bearer in a relatively moderate district.

Democrats, smelling blood, began having second thoughts about Horton. One Allentown Democratic Committeeman asked me, "Where is he?"

Beats me. I'm a bottom-feeding blogger, not Matlock. But nobody sees the guy. He's missed Lower Milford Community Day, Coopersburg Community Day, Upper Saucon Community Day, Latino fest, Sewyco Fire Company's open house, Upper Saucon Fire Company's open house, Lower Milford's carnival, Coopersburg's carnival, Lions Club meetings, Kiwanas Club meetings and every crime watch meeting in Allentown. He even missed Sunday's Halloween Parade in Coopersburg. Now maybe these are poor ways to get a few votes, but that's what most pols do.

Ironically, both of these guys are reputed "outsiders," a point made by Business Matters' Tony Iannelli. If you haven't seen that show and are undecided about this race, I suggest you take a look at it. Horton blusters and repeatedly interrupts Simmons. At one point, Horton snarks, "I was in Central America back when we had our war on drugs, if you remember what that is. And how old were you when I was doing that?"

Horton also defends defined benefit pensions, claiming that objections to them are a "misnomer" and that "people have no idea what it is they're really talking about." Simmons, on the other hand, states that defined benefit pensions are "bankrupting" this country.

You can see the debate below.



For a supposed "outsider," Horton is raising his money in strange ways. House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans will host a fundraiser in Philadelphia this morning. Tonight, outsiders like LC Exec Don Cunningham and State Rep. Jennifer Mann will try to raise some dough for the constable. Mann can give Horton a few pointers on consulting gigs.

Before either of these fundraisers, Horton has already sent out 8 or 9 mailers. He has also purchased $57,000 worth of TV commercials on WFMZ. I have copies of the orders. The Democratic State Committee is picking up the tab. I can't wait to see this outsider's next campaign finance report.

What's most disturbing are three tax liens. In Lehigh County, a Department of Revenue lien for $1,872 was filed in 2005, and paid in 2007. In California, there's a 2001 lien for $4,759 in back taxes. Another $1278 property tax lien was filed in Rhode Island in 2001. This VP of Fortune 500 companies had a car repossessed in the '90s.

He claims he wants to bring "change" to Harrisburg, but I think it might very well be a change for the worse.

Will Mike Hortom Withdraw For Pete Schweyer?

Incumbents rarely lose an election unless plagued by some sort of scandal, so nobody expected State Rep. Karen Beyer to lose a primary against political newcomer Justin Simmons. But she did. That's why we have elections and horse races.

Democrats, who have fielded another political newcomer, Michael Horton, are surprised, too. Horton, unlike Simmons, had no primary opposition and has been conspicuously absent from summer events like this Summer's Latin Extravaganza, held in Jordan Park. An Allentown Democratic committeeman has asked me, "Where is he?"

What I've heard is that Horton is being pressured by the state party to withdraw in favor of a more formidable candidate. Allentown City Council member and Jennifer Mann legislative aide Pete Schweyer is the Golden Child, but has not committed.

If Horton intends to withdraw, he must do so by August 9.

Congrats to Mike Horton!

I'd like to be among the first to congratulate West Point grad Mike Horton on his election as the next State Rep. for the 131st District. Hard-line conservative Justin Simmons may have managed to sweep moderate Karen Beyer out of the way in the primary, thanks mostly to dirty campaigning. Simmons' extremist views should play very well in the general election.

West Point Grad to Challenge Karen Beyer

State rep. Karen Beyer got her start as an aide to State rep. Doug Reichley. She's impressed many with her hard work and willingness to work across the aisle. Her reward? A Democratic challenger. His name is Mike Horton, age 46, according to a news release he distributed yesterday. He's a South Allentown resident, West Point grad and former corporate executive.

His goals? Local jobs, tax relief, ethics reform and fiscal accountability in Harrisburg.

“We cannot rely on our overburdened taxpayers and seniors to make up for a lack of fiscal responsibility in Harrisburg. We have to reverse the drain of well-paying manufacturing and corporate jobs from the area. We need to better educate our children, protect our seniors, and maintain a safe environment for everyone. And to do this, we need dedicated leaders with substantial business experience outside the current failed government process to bring innovative solutions and build bi-partisan support for change.”

“Beyer and many in Harrisburg don’t seem to get the message,” said Horton. He claims that at a time when many families and businesses are suffering, Beyer has focused on relatively inconsequential issues, like permitting beer distributors to sell six-packs. “That isn’t leadership,” Horton said. “We need principled leaders who are focused on cleaning up Harrisburg and fixing the serious challenges facing us, not on furthering their own careers and playing partisan politics.”

Since 2003, Horton has also been a state constable, which he claims gives him street cred. “To be truly effective, you must understand at the street level how Harrisburg impacts individuals, families and businesses. I have spent the last seven years on our porch steps and at our kitchen tables doing just that. What makes sense in Harrisburg often looks very different when you actually look into the eyes of the people affected.”

The 131st District is a hodgepodge of Lehigh and Northampton Counties: South Allentown (Wards 12, 16, 19 and 14-1), Coopersburg, Lower Milford and Upper Saucon Townships, Salisbury Township (Wards 2, 3 and 4), Upper Milford Township (Western District) and Lower Saucon Township (Seidersville District).

Horton's webpage is here.