Berks Democrats

Candidate Filings

Now that the filing extension by the Governor has passed it's time to look at who has filed for local seats in Harrisburg.

The first surprise was Reading Councilman Steve Fuhs running against Mike O'Pake for the 11th District Senate seat.  It was widely believed he would run against Tom Caltagirone for the state House.  I hear he was upset over the rough treatment accorded Caltagirone's primary challenger and didn't want to have the Chair of the Judiciary Committee come after his job or source of income too.  Therefore he is running against O'Pake hoping to increase his name recognition for a Mayoral run three years from now.

Fuhs' ambition for a legislative seat in Harrisburg is interesting.  Still somewhat fresh on the local scene he rarely participates on his assigned committees with City Council.  Considering how most of the work in Harrisburg is done in committees I doubt he'll have any effectiveness since he refuses to do his work.

Bill Mackey is running against Dave Argall in the 124th in a replay of their 2006 race.  John Ritter and Rich Stine have both filed as Democrats in the open race for the 187th.  Two Republicans are running to succeed Carl Mantz, Gary Day and Allen Cerullo.

Tim Seip is defending his 125th seat against Republicans Gary Hornberger, whom he defeated in 2006 and James McGovern.  Dante Santoni Jr. (126th) is unopposed this year as is Thomas Caltagirone (127th) after forcing his primary challenger out of the race.  Nothing like threatening those on your opponent's campaign committee to chill their challenge.

In the 128th John Woodward has changed his registration to run against incumbent Republican Sam Rohrer.   Jim Cox is unopposed in the 129th and Dave Kessler has three Republicans challenging him in the 130th:  Billy Reed, whom he beat two years ago, Aaron Durso and  Richard Gokey.  Doug Reichley is unopposed. 

Sheeler Wins, Garipoli Loses/Recap

The two close county wide races wound up splitting between Democrats and Republicans with Fred Sheeler winning the Recorder of Deeds contest and Eric Weaknecht becoming the new Sheriff.  I was surprised Fred's victory was so narrow due to the fact John Fielding was sued for default on his credit cards two weeks before election day.  Still, Democrats have to thank the public defender for taking out one GOP row officer after the next and handing these seats to Democrats.

The problems in the Sheriff's office continue not be held accountable by Berks voters.   It doesn't seem to matter how many times they screw up and get the county sued, the electorate votes Jozwiak and Weaknecht back into office.  Are people so jaded by incompetence that the most qualified candidate, by far, can't win even after 25,000 Berks Countians had their identities stolen by these two Republicans' ineptitude?

Now that all the races are final a bit of perspective is in order before Tom Herman takes credit for all the successes.  Let's remember he didn't recruit any candidates.  We all know who got Kevin Barnhardt to run and John Adams ran because a group from the legal community and organized by Mike Morrill got him on the ballot.  Theresa Johnson wanted to run in the primary but Mr. Herman refused to return her telephone calls so she dropped out.

Mike Garipoli ran because he'd seen the problems in the Sheriff's Department first hand and was fired for doing so.  I think his lawsuit was his undoing.  That was bad strategy.  I cringed every time another story appeared in the paper reminding voters he'd been fired.   Four races remained unchallenged by Democrats.  This allowed Republicans to concentrate their efforts on the Commissioners races.  They took control back and this will bode very badly for Democrats next year.  Now Mark Scott, who openly engaged in voter intimidation in 2004, with Christian Leinbach, control the Board of Elections.  I remind everyone 2008 is a presidential election year.  All those Democrats who bullet voted for Barnhardt will pay dearly for it next year.

Channel 69 kept playing up the fact all the Dems were together at the Riveredge last night.  Tom Herman took credit, again, for something that wasn't his doing.  The candidates had organized this themselves until Boyd got wind of it.  Then he and Herman took over, raised the cost substantially to the candidates (the original contribution for each campaign was to be $200, not $500), and kept any balance.

This year, as usual, the County Committee used the candidates and campaigns instead of supporting them.  They did their normal scam, printing materials without permission from the candidates then making them pay for it.  Sometime we need another John Boccabella to stand up and tell them they refuse to pay for something they didn't authorize or allow.

One of these days we'll have a County Committee dedicated to finding, developing, recruiting and supporting candidates.  Leadership who thinks the Party exists to help the candidates, not vice versa.  We cannot continue to bleed these campaigns for money when we should be giving to them.  If we had gotten rid of the office on Walnut Street or even had a serious discussion about the merits of keeping it open all the time, we might have to engage in such behavior.

That office costs us between $1,200 and $1,400 per month.  We just signed a new five year lease with no discussion and o debate because Tom Herman didn't bring the matter to the Executive Committee until the day before it had to be signed.  This behavior is inexcusable.  There should have been a vigorous debate about the merits of keeping the office open year round in relation to its cost.  For example, how many people actually even come into it and why does it still not have any heat as required by the lease?  Why not look for something better and in a more convenient location?  I've often stopped there to find it closed during posted hours.

But there's no debate on these issues, no opportunity for anyone on the Committee to address these concerns.  Instead the time is spent going after me for presenting these issues.  What does the Exec Board expect when they fail to address them, neglects to inform the Committee people of their actions, and takes illegal action against me for bringing them up?  I suppose this is one more article for Tom Herman to use to show I'm a "bad Democrat."  One more thing for him to take false credit for.  Make sure you take credit for the lawsuit too Tom.  Committee people are going to lose their homes and I want them to know who is responsible.

GOP Retakes Commissioners

Mark Scott and Christian Leinbach have won a majority control of the County Commissioners with Kevin Barnhardt defeating Tom Gajewski for the remaining position.  Ironically the Republican mismanagement and smoke and mirrors budgeting which necessitated a 34% tax increase is what rode Leinbach into office.  It shows how ill informed voters can be.

With two avowed racists now in control of the County the future may be bleak for economic development.  Leinbach ran a very negative campaign targeting Gajewski from the start.  I have a lot more to say about this race and the effect some Democratic Committee people had on the outcome but that story will wait for now.  Suffice it to say Gajewski was done in by some of his fellow Democrats as much as by Christian Leinbach.

Rowley, Adams Win

Tim Rowley appears to have won a big victory for Common Pleas Court Judge and John Adams has won the race for District Attorney.  Tom Herman is taking credit for organizing a successful coordinated campaign (which didn't exist) when the absolute failure of the County Committee to do anything but undermine their campaigns forced all the candidates to work together on their own.  Herman has a strange habit of taking credit for things he had nothing to do with.  Last Saturday he took credit for the coordinated candidate's canvass which he had NOTHING to do with.  One of the speakers there called him out on his lie.  I got three phone calls from people who did who were outraged that he took credit for their work.

McMahon Wins Second Term

Reading Mayor Tom McMahon easily won a second term today in an election which wasn't close.  Joe Eppihimer's negative smear campaign tactics backfired, as they should, ad he came in fourth.  Recent polls had shown a potential close contest.

Turnout

I drove by or visited about 20 precincts today and turnout seems light to medium.  In fact it seems it may be behind that of last spring's primary.  I also have to say I saw more campaign activity outside polling places last spring than today.  Many places only had two people and I saw only ONE County Committee person at all the polling places I visited.

This mirrors the traffic I'm seeing on my two blogs.  People tend to Google the candidates and I see spikes the day before and of the elections.  Traffic yesterday and today has been well below previous levels.  This makes me suspect less interest in today's elections.   What search terms and pages I do see being visited have to do with judicial campaigns.

I've had regular traffic to the various profiles I wrote on the statewide Judge candidates, especially of Judge John Musmanno because he didn't have a website.  The local Judge race has created considerable interest but the other contests little.

What does this mean?  My initial reaction is that it means Berks Countians are content with their government and aren't seeking change.  Their failure to vote, however, may insure change.  If turnout is lower than expected those candidates able to turn out their voters will win.  Since the Berserk Democratic Committee went insane and imploded it isn't likely that Democrats have done so.  We'll find out as returns come in tonight.

Vote Today...or Not

Today is election day, one of two times each year when you get to voice your opinion.  Silence also says something.  I'm still mulling over what I'm going to do at the poll.  Considering the fact Tom Herman and the Berks County Democratic Committee still is threatening to sue me over the name of this blog even though they admit they have no legal basis for doing so, I may not vote for any Democratic candidate today.  I may vote for Tom Gajewski and Fred Sheeler since they supported me, maybe I'll simply vote in judge retention questions.

I'm undecided.  Why should I support a Party I'm about to sue for violating my right to support the Democrat of my choice?  Why should I vote for candidates representing a Committee which doesn't believe in free speech and freedom of the press?

Why should I support this Party when the Chair, with absolutely no legal basis, has suspended me from my elected position?

Why?  I have no answer to these questions except that which I'll exercise at the poll.

Election Results Certified

The Board of Elections met today and certified the results of the May 15th election.  I was expecting a contentious event with several people from the city appearing to discuss irregularities and controversies but none appeared.  It wound up being a very regular, whiz, whiz, bang, bang meeting.  Agenda items were announced, moved, seconded and voted upon rat-a-tat-tat.  If I'd spent a minute longer out front talking to people I'd have missed the entire meeting instead of just part.

Attorney John T. Adams is on the ballot as the Democratic candidate for District Attorney with 557 certified write-in votes.  There were quite a few more in various permutations of his name, "John Adams" (103 votes), "John T. Adam" (24), or "John T. Adams, Esquire" (9).  Other voters cast his write-ins for various other offices than DA.  This is why it can be difficult to gain the ballot in this manner.  At any rate 557 is the official, certified number of votes secured.  He needed 250.  Mark Baldwin received 35 write-ins on the Democratic side per his full name (as required under election law so as not to be challengable) and another 66 as "Mark Baldwin," arguably his votes.  He would have had to obtain more than Adams as a write-in to have knocked him off the ballot and secure an automatic additional term.

Figueroa Won't Challenge Election

Reading Mayoral candidate Angel Figueroa has decided not to challenge the results of May 15th primary in which he ran second to incumbent Tom McMahon.    I'm glad to see this decision as I didn't think there was a basis for such a challenge.  Where such evidence exists challenges keep the system honest.  I also am quite familiar with how Elections Services is managed and know how well they do their jobs.  Of course there's also the slight problem that it's impossible to do recounts with our voting machines.  Impossible.

Angel ran a good, positive campaign even though he was the subject of smears by a third candidate's campaign.   Now though is the time for all the candidates to come together and unite behind the Mayor.  Tom faces two challengers in November from Keith Stamm (Republican) and Jennaro Pullano (Green) an dmuch work has to be done to hold City Hall. 

Angel's Election Challenge

Mayoral candidate Angel Figueroa announced yesterday he will challenge Tom McMahon's victory.  Rather than be the classy guy I've known, he's going to embark on a quixotic quest to undo something which can't be undone.  That's the bad job of voter registrations conducted in Reading's Hispanic community the last several years.

Angel's upset because hundreds of his supporters were turned away from the polls because they weren't registered Democrats.  They couldn't vote for him because Pennsylvania is a closed primary state.  You must belong to a particular Party to vote for that Party's nominees in a primary election.  I'm sorry Angel but for the last several years many, many, many voter registration forms were filled out by independent groups canvassing your neighborhoods and no one filled out their Party allegiances.  It was unbelievable how many of these forms were turned into Election Services as non affiliated voters. 

We've noticed this on our voter registration databases since 2004.  The canvassers registering people simply ignored getting voters to declare for any political party.  This is often a problem when non affiliated people or those being paid to get registrations do the canvassing.  All they care about is getting people registered and ignore the box for Party affiliation.  Therefore hundreds of Hispanics registered to vote but never declared themselves members of the Democratic Party.  That meant they couldn't vote in a Democratic primary election.

What Figueroa's campaign should have done was analyze the voter registration database and discover this problem.  As they identified their voters they should have checked them against the database to ascertain whether they were PROPERLY registered to vote in this election.  It appears his campaign failed to do this and lost a lot of their supporters because of the legal requirements.

This is basic campaigning:  setting up a database of your voters, identifying them then insuring they're properly registered.  Then you make sure they get to the polls.  It's Campaigning 101.  The only people I see at fault here were those canvassers who were getting paid for each new registration and, thusly, in too much of a hurry to get all the boxes on the forms filled out, and the campaign workers who didn't search the database and discover the problems, and those who didn't match their voters with the database so they'd know if they could even vote.

None of these problems originated in Election Services.  None of these problems are their fault or their concern.  They process the information provided.  I bet when Angel checks the voter registration forms submitted by those turned away he'll find they're all declared as non affiliated voters.  It's a shame he didn't have the class to simply concede the election and congratulate the winner.  It's a shame people let him down but that's reality.  He has no basis for contesting this election.