Montco Leaders Obsessed With Defeating Joe Gale — The Montgomery County Republican Party and other suburban swamp factions have recruited three candidates in hopes of taking out Joe Gale and his running-mate, Sean Gale, in the May 21 primary. In the process, the Gales are being subjected to vicious social media attacks by the flunky class and one former failed leader.
This is strange because Joe Gale is a very popular incumbent Republican county commissioner.
Montco has three commissioners, one of whom must always be a member of the minority party.
Incumbents are rarely the target for party bosses, who prefer to minimize boat rocking.
Of course, when the incumbent is a boat rocker himself and is threatening to capsize the whole sweet uni-party deal, the establishment cannot help themselves.
Joe is running for reelection with his brother Sean. If both are the Republican nominees on the general election ballot this would give Republicans the best chance to win back control of the county from the spend-happy Democrats considering the Gale Brothers have strong support from not just rank-n-file Republicans, but Independent voters and old-school Democrats.
Winning control of the county should be the goal of the party leadership you would think, but we suspect that is not the case. One can make a lot of money in second place we are learning (i.e. – ‘go along to get along’ wink-wink).
What is drawing the ire of the political class from both parties is Joe’s willingness to call attention to the bald corruption sucking the blood of the county taxpayers.
In his very first budget he pointed out the burden an 11 percent tax hike would impose.
More recently, Commissioner Gale revealed the scandalous and unnecessary cost of new justice center.
What he did most recently — see below — is what really caused the vampire to shriek.
At this month’s meeting (Feb. 7), Joe courageously declared many ugly truths. He said just defeated State Sen. John Rafferty who had represented the 44th District since 2003 had received a half-million dollars in union contributions over the course of his career including from indicted IBEW boss John Dougherty.
He pointed out that Johnny Doc actively lobbied his fellow commissioners for the project labor agreement that is adding so much to the cost of justice center.
He said that Gov. Tom Wolf and Sen. Bob Casey also lobbied for the agreement. What’s up with that? Why is a U.S. senator getting involved in a local project? Joe, of course, gives the ugly answer. Again watch the video.
Then Joe got to the really really ugly truth.
“What I’ve come to learn as commissioner is that many times it’s not about conservatism ideology and liberalism ideology, it’s a business,” he said. “And the Republican Party bosses are the best friends of the Democrat Party bosses and they collude to have power.”
And then he went there. He pointed out the county’s commerce director — a high-paid, do nothing job — when Josh Shapiro was running things was the wife of now state Republican Chairman Val DiGiorgio. At the time Val was merely head of the Chesco GOP but he like Josh who is now the state attorney general and the rising star of the Democrat Party had eyes on bigger things.
He pointed out that the former Montco GOP head, Mike Vereb, now works for Shapiro. Vereb is his Director of Government Affairs. It’s a six-figure job.
“It’s establishment collusion,” Joe said.
And he’s right. Again check the video.
By the way, Johnny Doc has given $180,000 to Shapiro.
Video lays it out for the average citizen. Of course one has to care. That position was created for Vereb by the most radical progressive AG in PA’s history. Also, the current MontCo leaders— which consist of appointed area leaders (some areas which have been gerrymandered) have neither the respect or attention of committeeppl, this is how they keep their power. I witnessed it last night at the 2nd Commissioner forum.
One such “leader” on “executive board” was the former Congressional Candidate last year who lost terribly and has been around barely a year and who is arrogant and condescending to women (I was personally called a derogatory name and told to ‘run along’ by him). Their awful misogyny continues and the row offices don’t matter bc the establishment does not have their back (we saw it in ‘15)—again too focused on taking the Constitutional conservatives like the #GaleBros out. They literally hate grassroots and it’s top-down control. Systemic corruption. Pls do not sign for their Commish candidates, for you can only select 2.
Just heard from Stan Casacio who said the Gales did a great job at last night’s candidates night and that Liz Havey would be delighted to have a sit down with them.
Stan also said the other candidates did well too and that none of them were drafted to stop the Gales.
“We have to stop with the circular firing squad,” he said.
He also said that the old order is out and to ignore Vereb.
You really believe that, B? All indications point to the opposite. Liz already sat down with Joe months ago and dismissed him. Then these other candidates came out of the woodwork— encouraging disunity & a lack of loyalty to the incumbent and who would work best together to take on the Ds (obviously Joe & Sean). Additionally, never let it be forgotten how the rigged County Chair election went down just last May.
Stan also has his hand in the cookie jar running for a row office. Look no further than Area 6 supporting Dem candidates for school board. He couldn’t explain that one last night other than “we can’t find anyone to run as Rs.”
I believe if Stan says it he means it.
Not true about Liz Havey. Havey and her cohorts are against Joe and Sean. I had extensive conversation with Jim Saring, I think his title is Director of the MCRC, at the Blue Bell office. They don’t like Joe and Jim made that abundantly clear. Another MCRC committee member, who I will not name at this time, said the MCRC is holding a grudge against Joe because he ran without their endorsement and that disrupted the “vote straight Republican strategy”, therefore the GOP lost out on other offices.
Not sure I can agree with you here. I’ve seen and heard how these Establishment types will convincingly tell some candidates that there’s no favorite dog in the race, only to stab them in the back when they try to run for office. I think Stan is drinking the Kool-Aid.
If I lived in Montco, I’d vote for the Gales in a heartbeat. Joe is about the only truth teller who holds a major public office in this region. He’s also the only one sounding the alarm concerning the Justice Center Boondoggle which should be the Montco GOP’s sole issue.
More importantly, though, he’s the only one holding public office sounding the alarm about the uni-party’s control of the state. Watch the video again.
Just the same, Stan is one of the good guys. He’s walked the walk and is too old and successful to go along to get along. He’s dead right about circular firing squads albeit we should note this includes those shooting at the Gales too.
And Liz Havey should welcome Susan Goldner back into the fold and give her back her committee seat. Susan’s unfair– it was unfair — removal makes all claims of unity suspect.
Does anyone know who Liz is? She is former, and convicted, Attorney Gen’l Ernie Preate, Jr.’s daughter. She works for Dilworth Paxson, one of the 20 law firms the county uses to outsource legal work. Outsourcing county legal work causes serious conflicts of interest in the county judicial system. Liz is tied in to the corruption in Montgomery County. And she supports it. She benefits from the fact that she works for one of the outsource firms. She does not want Joe and Sean in as commissioners because they will not play the game.