Look Who's Calling Someone an Amateur Hack

Gil "The Shill" Spencer defense of GOP corruption, cronyism and misdeeds has not only extended itself to tax delinquents like Tom McGarrigle, but also to going after Democratic campaign staffers.

First, Spencer twists the revelations (from his own paper) about McGarrigle's past failures to pay taxes into an attack on Democrats. Spencer: Democrats desperate attempt is laughable. While Spencer accepts McGarrigle's weak explanation with praise, Spencer accuses the Democrats of accusing McGarrigle of corruption when the ACTUAL complaint from Democrats is that McGarrigle was fiscally irresponsible in managing his own businesses.

Clearly, Spencer thinks McGarrigle's eventual repayment with penalties absolves him of the original willful decision to avoid taxes. In particular, over $15,000 was in school taxes. Did McGarrigle think it was okay to put his business over Springfield's kids. McGarrigle "claims" it was to keep paying his employees, but I don't hear anything about McGarrigle taking a pay cut himself or getting a business loan to cover the $15,000. What is not clear about this story is whether McGarrigle volunteered to pay his taxes or just got caught red-handed.

Spencer then decides to follow the wishes of Pete Peterson and go after Landau staffer: George Matysik. It seems that the GOP is so desperate, they have to send their attack dog after campaign staffers.

When called about the story before it ran, Landau campaign spokesman George Matysik indicated to the Daily Times he had not seen the tax documents in question. But he did offer this:
“We’ll have to take some time to review the documents, but considering Mr. McGarrigle’s platform of fiscal responsibility, this does not bode well.”

It appears however, when Mr. Matysik suggested to us he had not seen the documents, he was not telling the truth.

For it was Mr. Matysik himself who sought out and asked for the public records. He signed for copies of them Oct. 1
The documents then made their way to a third party, who provided them to the Daily Times.
Now using a “cut-out” to provide negative information about opponents to the press is an old political trick.[Yeah: Spencer you should know as you are the biggest "cut-out" in Delaware County using your column as an extension of the Delco GOP.]

The simple truth of the matter is that Matysik signed out this and many other documents from the court house. The McGarrigle tax documents, like many others, were sent off to appropriate tax/legal experts (not Matysik) to examine. When questioned about the story, Matysik had not reviewed the documents himself and said so, clearly. He also asked the further questions be directly addressed to Landau himself. This seems to have mystified Spencer, who is used to GOP candidates that don't/can't speak for themselves and need their puppet-masters to speak for them.

Matysik has a whole wall lined with information requests he had to extract like pulled teeth from the GOP run Delco courthouse. He has actually gone through and counted the GOP staffers in key departments and documented his findings. It's called research, Gil. But, you of all people have the audacity to call him "amateur hack"? Get real. There's only one "hack" around here Gil, and a "professional" hack at that. Just look in the mirror.

Gil, ends with: "In the meantime, if the Landau campaign needs to be led by his nose to pay dirt let me suggest...."

Gil, how about YOU "investigate" and "let me suggest": tell us what friends or family members of yours work at the GOP courthouse. Are you beholden to the Delco GOP for any reason that the your readers ought to know about to evaluate your biases? Are you going after George because his investigations of courthouse employees might reveal connections too close to home?

BTW, does Peterson write your columns for you or just send you an outline?

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.