Saturday, September 22, 2007

Not So Sage Advice

In today's Delco Times, Gina "not so" Sage's Letter to the Editor repeats various Delco GOP talking points, many of which have been debunked here and elsewhere.

However, a little deconstruction should show how desperate they are becoming and how little they have to offer.
  • Gina Sage's letter lacked the disclaimer than she is a Republican on the ALL REPUBLICAN Springfield Planning Commission. Springfield is the home base of Charlie Sexton and GOP Council Candidate Stooge Tom McGarrigle. Gee, no bias there folks!
  • Gina falsely tries to imply that Ann O'Keefe doesn't either live here or pay her taxes by claiming there is no record.... This is a classic political deception. First of all, any of the thousands of Delco residents living in an apartment or renting a house would not have a record of paying property taxes (even though it is part of their rent). Ann O'Keefe lives in a house and shares in the taxes/bills/etc., however the deed to the house is not in her name. So, of course Ann would not be listed in the County records that Gina Sage is misusing to mislead the voters. (Can anyone explain how/why a Springfield Planning Commission can supposedly "search" every property tax record looking for a name, particularly for a Haverford resident? Is this information freely available to the public?)
  • The attacks on David Landau are trite. Landau did some work for the ACLU when he was just out of school. Gina says that Landau opposed mandatory sentencing guidelines. Considering that GOP shills like Gina want to impose a life-sentence on people that support civil rights, Delco voters should be wary of GOP candidates opposed to civil rights, due process and Judges actually using their judgment. The point of a guideline is that is it not mandatory (otherwise it would be called a rule, not a guideline).
  • Landau must really have the GOP worried, because Gina repeats the already debunked claim that: Landau has also received no bid legal work from Nether Providence, where he is a Democrat leader, and the Democrats control the government. The fact of the matter is that Landau won the legal work from a 3-Dem + 3-GOP board, did the work at half his standard rate at the time, the work was paid for by Insurance (not the township) and it was a case on behalf of the township against a GOP developer. Gina deceptively tries to confuse Landau's and the Democrats' current leadership in Nether Providence, with their role in the 1990's.
  • Gina (through the Republican dis-information machine) keeps referring to John Innelli as solicitor in Darby Township. John is NOT the solicitor but rather the "assistant" solicitor (a position specifically recognized and permitted in the Borough Code).
    Gina disengenuously claims that John Innelli has received extensive legal work as a result of a no bid contract. Well, not only did John work at only 1/5 his normal rate, but his bills to Darby Borough averaged $3,000/year, which is less than the minimum dollar amount for any contract bid process in the county. Seems like the only extensive thing here is Gina's exaggerated claims.
  • Finally, Gina claims that The candidates being put forth by the Democratic Party simply do not match the ideals and priorities of Delaware County voters.
    This is simply absurd, because 3 of 5 Delco voters picked Clinton, Gore, Kerry, Rendell, Casey and Sestak. Voters can rest assured that Ann O'Keefe, David Landau and John Innelli support those same candidates and beliefs. Those 3 out of 5 voters deserve 3 out of 5 Council members that will look out for the voters' values and priorities, for a change.


Nowhere is Gina's letter does she actually list a single specific Democratic proposal, but rather makes false/misleading attacks on the Dem Candidates' background or character. As far as the GOP, the attitude seems to be "stay the course", "all is well" and "nothing to see here folks".
Gina did make one statement with which I do agree: an examination of the facts will not allow voters to be misled [misled by the GOP that is]

BTW, a note to my GOP mortal enemies adversaries friends: This is some pretty weak tea you are brewing. You guys are putting me to sleep with these lame/same attacks. I guess if you have no record to run on, it must be hard to come up with topics.

18 comments:

gpontuto said...

David, nice job, glad to check this out. Gail

David Diano said...

Gail-
Thanks.

The GOP machine is pulling out all these tired old tricks. They've gotten so used to having a registration advantage and rampant cronyism that they don't have any real positions on the issues or any plans to improve things.

JohnN. said...

David. Keep up the pressure. David Landau joined me campaigning today and folks here seemed very interested in what he had to say.

David Diano said...

John-
In terms of the corruption and cronyism of the Delco GOP, the Delaware County Democrats have been complaining about this for years, but the voters are finally getting the message.

I think the GOP monopoly power grab under Bush has alerted voters to the same parallels here in Delaware County by the Delco GOP. Voters want checks and balances. They also want officials that share their values.

The Delco GOP leadership backed Bush, Cheney, Santorum and Weldon. They don't represent the values of Delaware County residents.

Concerned Citizen said...

Wow, "no record to run on", I am going to guess you're referring to the Democratic candidates because they're the ones with no record. Fizzan Cannon, McGarrigle and Lewis are the only candidates that have municipal government experiece. A proven record of holding the line on taxes, something the other candidates can't touch because they've never held an elected position at the municipal level.

David Diano said...

Concerned Citizen-

Nope, talking about the GOP. The Democratic candidates have pushed for open government years and fought against the one-party rule and cronyism at the courthouse.

Wasn't Lewis a lobbyist for Delco, but running his company out of Montco and got in trouble?

McGarrigle is an empty suit and a puppet for the powerbase in Springfield.

While Cannon enjoys a more popular reputation, she's just going to maintain the status quo that Andy Reilly has perpetuated.

Holding the line on taxes that are already to high per capita is not that difficult a feat. The Dems are going to LOWER TAXES by cutting out the waste and no-bid contracts.

BTW, the monopoly argument that we haven't held power is merely designed to continue the monopoly power and lock out new (and better) ideas.

The GOP political inbreeding in Delco has gone on long enough.

Unknown said...

Wasn't Lewis a lobbyist for Delco, but running his company out of Montco and got in trouble?
Absolutely not true, and if you repeat this falsehood, I'll encourage Andy to sue your ass for spreading malicious defamation.

Here's the truth: back in the early 80s, Andy worked for a lobbying firm that got a contract from Delco. The work was assigned to Andy. He did it, and he did it well. Then HUD audited the grant, and said that lobbying work, even when connected to a particular project, was not permitted under the terms of the grant. Delco therefore had to return the $50,000 it had paid Andy's employer. In essence, it was an accounting error.

And of course, this all happened a long, long time ago; about the same time that David Landau was working for the ACLU.

David Diano said...

Patricia-

1) I asked a question. So, I didn't make an accusation.

2) Gee, after all the false and malicious accusations you made against John Innelli about townships he [actually didn't] work for, one would think you'd know the difference between that and me asking a question. If the guys at Cozen & Connor read this blog, they might use that as an example of your questionable legal judgment in your lawsuit against them.
BTW, I'm not the only one that has suggested your shoddy "research" calls into question your ability/reliability in the field of law. Maybe, you could find some nice quiet work in real estate?

3) About the only thing you did clarify/correct was Andy's level of involvement. I had heard the phrase "Andy's company" and naturally assumed he might have been in charge. You have clearly explained that Andy was just a flunky. Thanks for clearing that up!
Flunky makes much more sense. If you're also claiming that Andy was completely clueless, I'll be happy to accept that as well.
Wasn't the name of the consulting firm "Lewis, Eckert, Robb & Co."?
Lewis? Lewis? Why does that name seem familiar? Could that be the firm of Andy's daddy?
(It's like shooting fish in a barrel.)

4) So, Delco and the company got caught in a $50,000 violation of a HUD grant (for the work Andy did), claimed it was an accounting error (how convenient), and Delco had to pay back the money? That's the story?
Doesn't that mean that: Andy's employer still got paid its $50,000. But, since the $50,000 couldn't pass through the HUD grant, Delco tax-payers wound up paying for it instead?

5) I think we all know what I think you and Andy can do with my ass. [hint: the verb is not "sue" nor "kick"].

6) Are you sure that you are really working to help Andy? Doesn't seem like it from here. :-)

PSB said...

David, I swore off this stupid blog of yours a couple of weeks ago, and I am sorry I came back, albeit only to correct just one of your many errors.

This election is turning you into a really despicable person. Is it worth losing your soul to get David Landau elected? Your mother is a nice person; what does she think of this? I can't believe she approves of much of it.

Also, I am sure that, as you say, you have heard others question my legal ability. That's what happens when you get involved in controversial things: people attack you from all sides.

You wouldn't know what that's like, since all you do is blog to an audience of three or four regular readers. You've never really taken a stand or opposed powerful people in any meaningful way. (Think about it and you'll have to admit that I am right.) I can tell you from experience that when you stick your neck out, things get ugly.

You haven't gone to court and spent hours of your own time researching, writing, etc., and then spent thousands of your own dollars filing briefs, traveling to Pittsburgh to argue a case before the Commonwealth Court, etc. You’ve never put your own money, your job, your livelihood, your reputation, everything on the line because you couldn't let an injustice stand.

In fact, you've done nothing more than act as a gadfly for Democratic candidates, and if your performance here is any indication, you do not reflect well on them. No one likes mean-spirited jerks.

Another thing I can tell you, from experience, is that you don't want to say things that you'll regret when the election is over. Win or lose, we eventually have to live together again.

You have said many things here that are unfair, unkind, inaccurate, and just plain mean-spirited. And like I said, no one wants to be associated with mean-spirited jerks, at least not anyone I respect.

David Diano said...

Pat-
You came here and trashed John had your "facts" completely wrong. And during the 2006 election you had Joe's voting record wrong, so don't try and act all innocent.

As for "swearing off this blog a few weeks ago", you've been visiting the site a couple times a day the whole time.

I'm hardly "losing my soul" working to get ALL three Democrats elected. Landau's getting more "ink" here because he is getting more "ink" in the Delco Times. When they start covering John and Ann more, you'll see more of their revelations about the GOP here as well.
There are plenty of people that are concerned that the ALL GOP Council is a larger scale version of the Moran/Twardy board in Haverford. The rampant cronyism is not going to get cleaned up by the GOP's Three Stooges. Your pal, Andy Lewis, seems less-suited to ride in on a white horse to clean things up, and more-suited to be cleaning up after the horse.

I've taken my stands in other areas and lost out on lucrative "offers" because my integrity was not for sale. In my very first job out of college I had to stand up to the manager two levels above mine when he threatened my job because I refused to do his homework and take-home tests in a post graduate class. (The guy that wrote his master's thesis got promoted to manager.)

I'm a lot more than a "gadfly", though on the blog that's exactly what I'm trying to be. Thanks for noticing! I get to say all the politically incorrect things people wish they could say, but don't in case they ever decide to run for office someday.

I don't work in any political jobs or hang out with any GOP officials, so "after the election" is not as critical to me as it is to you. Do you "respect" the ALL GOP Delco Council that votes in lock-step? How about your respect for McNichols, Sexton and Tommy Judge behind the scenes?

As for your own level of respect, I think your appearance on the blogs has done more damage to that than anything I've said.

whynotus said...

Pat--Nice to see your back. I missed your interactions wiht David.

David--Leave Pat alone. From reading the papers and the venom with which she posts, I suspect she has lots of other problems and does not need you picking on her personal problems as well. Besides, when Anday goes down, hard, she'll be really in a pickle.

David Diano said...

WhyNotUs-

While I sympathize with her personal problems, they are largely of her own making and Andy is not going to solve them for her.

If Pat's going to come in and jump all over anyone that criticizes St. Andrew., she should prepare by wearing a helmet or other protective gear. Sometimes, it seems more like Pat is Andy's protective gear.

I'm probably doing a public service by preparing her for Andy's defeat.

If Pat were true to her crusading, she would be on my side against the Delco GOP run courthouse. Did the GOP controlled courthouse retaliate against Cozen & O'Connor's business interests in the area because of Pat? Putting the Dems in charge of a more balanced council would remove that kind of monopoly power.

PSB said...

Dear WhyNotUs:

Thank you for your concern. Things are going very well for me now.

David:

There are about ten blogs I review periodically to see what's new. I check yours to see what dreck you're posting now.

Query: since you are paying such close attention to who visits your blog, why don't you tell us how many unique users (IPs) visited this blog in the past week?

David Diano said...

Pat-

Besides Haverford Blog and Spencerblog, what are the other blogs you are haunting? It must be a lot of work spreading Gospel according to Andrew outside (or even inside) of Haverford.

For the past week, I got over 100 unique IP address hits, and many of those multiple times. That's without reciprocal links from more popular sites.
Wait till I roll out the National TV and radio spots and the billboards!

The Courthouse checks me out a couple times a day, too. (Maybe someone is nervous?)

PSB said...

A) I read a lot of legal blogs, not just politics. (I haven't seen your blog linked to any political sites, however. Which sites are you referring to as "reciprocals"?)

B) What do you do for a living that you have so much time not just for blogging but for cataloguing your visitors?

C) I think most of your visitors are just like me: occasionally bored, checking out of habit, looking to see if you said anything intelligent or accurate and being repeatedly disappointed in that regard. Notice how few people post comments. I can assure you, we're not nervous; just annoyed by your predilection for irresponsible comments and speculation.

David Diano said...

Pat-
I link to political sites (check out the right side bar, duh), but they don't link back to me. While I may be politically right, I'm hardly politically correct. :-)
Although, Totally Delco will probably link to me when they get around to it.

I do computer consulting. The computer keeps track of the hits for me. I used to have monkeys doing the counting, but I had to convert the hits to bananas first.

I'll agree that think many of the GOP visitors are like you, but I wouldn't insult the Dem visitors with such a comparison.

As for the number of posters, I don't allow the Anonymous posting that is prevalent on other blogs. If someone can't bother to create a blogger identity (even a fake one), then he/she isn't serious enough to post here.

Besides, the GOP may too scared to post here, after I kicked their Anonymous asses on the PA7Watch blog.

PSB said...

Newsflash: there are lots of local left-wing blogs (and I read many of them). Yet none of them link to you.

Here's another newsflash: since it is so easy to create an identity and post here, anyone who really wanted to post but who wished to remain anonymous could do so. Yet you have maybe five people posting.

Obvious conclusion: no one is much interested in this blog.

Get over yourself.

David Diano said...

Pat-
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm getting new hits of readers all the time. I got the following unsolicited email from someone in Haverford just yesterday: "Keep on wiping up cyberspace with Pat Biswanger. I get a good chuckle out of it every day."

For someone that was all done with this blog, you do post a lot. If you think only a few people are reading this, why are you so worried about them voting against St. Andy and the other Stooges?

Typical GOP tactics. Pretend the opposition doesn't exist. Deny your own conflicts of interest. Divert attention from your own faults with minor, unrelated or fabricated faults of your opponents. Yawn. You guys need a new playbook.