Category: Hypocrisy

Montco Dems Continue Pandering To Donors

Montco Dems Continue Pandering To Donors

Montco Dems Continue Pandering To Donors
Commissioner Joe Gale

By Joe Gale

As Montgomery County’s watchdog and voice for the forgotten taxpayer, I have on multiple occasions exposed the Democrat Commissioners’ practices of catering to campaign donors, especially in the area of low-income housing.

My hope was that my shining a light on the shaded backroom governing practices of former Commissioner Josh Shapiro would put an end to politics as usual in Montgomery County.

However, since Commissioner (Val) Arkoosh assumed the role of chair of the board in November 2016 the practice of catering to campaign donors continues.

There comes a point where we can no longer dismiss these votes as isolated incidents and must call it what it is: A pattern and practice of raising taxes on county residents while awarding sweetheart deals to campaign donors.

In the past, the awarding of contracts to campaign donors was done mostly through the allocation of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. However recently, Commissioner Arkoosh has been doing most of her catering through Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) which gives local taxing authorities the ability to give special tax provisions to a taxpayer for a limited period of time.

This is particularly concerning because Commissioner Arkoosh, with the help of former Commissioner Josh Shapiro who broke his no-tax pledge, has voted to raise taxes on the average county taxpayer every year she has been in office.

When looking at the most recent occurrence and then tracing back to prior votes, the facts speak for themselves:

  • At the meeting held June 15, 2017, Commissioner Arkoosh voted to award ELON Development Company, a development arm of the Altman Group of Companies, special tax exemptions for a low-income, senior housing project in Norristown.1 The developer, through another arm of the company, Glenside Partners, has made $1,000 in campaign contributions to Commissioner Arkoosh’s campaign committee, 2 $2,500 to the Shapiro/Arkoosh joint campaign account,3 and has given $1,000 to Former Commissioner Josh Shapiro’s campaign committee.4
  • At the meeting held February 2, 2017, Commissioner Arkoosh voted to award Developer Kevin Silverang special tax exemption for a project in the Borough of Hatboro.5 Kevin Silverang’s wife, Claudia Silverang has donated to $2,500 to the joint Shapiro/Arkoosh campaign account6 and a total of $14,500 to former Commissioner Shapiro’s campaign committee.7
    • Silverang is also the beneficiary of a sale/leaseback agreement in which the County sold its Human Services Building to Silverang for $17.5 million and then agreed to leaseback the building for $34.5 million in rent over the course of 15 years.8
  • At the meeting held December 1, 2016, Arkoosh voted to award Westrum Development Co. special tax exemptions as well as a tax forgiveness of $40,000 owed in County taxes (in addition to forgiveness of more than $750,000 in taxes owed to Norristown School District and Municipality).9 At that meeting, Michael Clarke, the Solicitor of the Norristown School Board, urged the Commissioners to vote for the project.10 Michael Clarke has donated $2,500 to Commissioner Arkoosh’s campaign account.11

These most recent examples are in addition to the other deals with donors which I exposed in the past.  Along with this press release, I am including my previous releases that explain the catering to campaign contributors I brought to light last year.

—

1 See page 1, http://www.montcopa.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/751?html=true

2 See Page 14, http://webapp.montcopa.org/voterservices/CampaignExpenseRptFilings/ReportDocs/V20160926_11181157_0870.pdf (5/18/2016, $1,000 Glenside Partners to Friends of Val Arkoosh)

3 See Page 42, http://webapp.montcopa.org/voterservices/CampaignExpenseRptFilings/ReportDocs/V2015071420151023_13344040_0651.pdf(10/06/2015, $2,500 to Shapiro/Arkoosh)

4 See Page , (12/29/2014, $1,000 to Friends of Josh Shapiro)

5 See Page 3-4, http://www.montcopa.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02022017-702

6 See Page 32, http://webapp.montcopa.org/voterservices/CampaignExpenseRptFilings/ReportDocs/V2015071420151023_13344040_0651.pdf(10/05/2015, $2,500 to Shapiro/Arkoosh)

7 Publicly available campaign finance report filings (Claudia Silverang contributions to Friends of Josh Shapiro:

4/05/2016    –  $2,500

2/02/2015    –  $5,000

4/28/2014    –  $1,000

2/25/2013    – $5,000

11/19/2013 –  $1,000)

8 http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140124/sale-of-montgomery-county-human-services-center-norristown-is-closed

9 http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20161207/NEWS/161209868

10 See page 2, http://www.montcopa.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12012016-682 (Mr. Michael Clark, Solicitor for the Norristown Area School District, commented in favor of the Tax Forgiveness resolution proposed for 770 Sandy Street)

11 See Page 17, http://webapp.montcopa.org/voterservices/CampaignExpenseRptFilings/ReportDocs/V20160926_11181157_0870.pdf (2/25/2016 $500 to Friends of Val Arkoosh)

See Page 16,
http://webapp.montcopa.org/voterservices/CampaignExpenseRptFilings/ReportDocs/V20150701_10394687_0599.pdf(5/28/2015 $1,000 to Friends of Val Arkoosh)

See page 31, http://webapp.montcopa.org/voterservices/CampaignExpenseRptFilings/ReportDocs/V2015071420151023_13272960_0649.pdf(9/17/2015 $1,000 to Friends of Val Arkoosh)

Joe Gale is minority member of the Demoract-controlled Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

H8ers Gonna Kill

H8ers Gonna Kill
A screen shot of shooting suspect James Hodgkinson’s Facebook page in which he says “Time to destroy Trump & Co.”

H8ers Gonna Kill — A politically motivated attack on Republican congressmen at a baseball field in Virginia this morning, June 14, shows that those with large platforms better be as careful with what they say as they demand average folk to be with firearms.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA1) was wounded  and is in stable condition. Two Capitol Police officers were also wounded with non-life threatening injuries as was Zack Barth, who is legislative correspondent for Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX25).

Scalise is the third-ranking member of the House of Representatives.

The shooter, who was killed by the Capitol Police security detail,  has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson, 66,  of Belleville, Ill.

Hodgkinson reportedly inquired if those on the field were Republicans before opening fire with a rifle. His Facebook page promiently features Socialist-progressive Bernie Sanders. On March 22, he posted:  Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.

If one does not think that bloody images of our president presented by people praised by our elites don’t give license for violence then they are either delusional fools or employees at establishment media outlets.

The most dangerous person is one who thinks he’s inherently good and that fits the bill for self-proclaimed progressives. This type does not feel any need to try to understand those who disagree and finds himself able to justify any action whether it be slander, theft, vandalism, sexual abuse, and murder.

H8ers Gonna Kill

H8ers Gonna Kill

 

 

 

 

USA Greenest Nation Or In Top 6 Anyway

USA Greenest Nation Or In Top 6 Anyway — The USA is not quite the greenest nation on Earth. It’s 12th according to the World Health Organization. Of course, if one takes out South Pacific island paradises like Vanatu, Fiji, Micronesia and the Solomons, and one discounts non-industrial places like Brunei and Liberia, then we are a solid sixth behind New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Finland and Canada.

We are ahead of the international common scolds that are France and Germany.

Don’t even ask about India, China and Russia.

Point that out the next time a CNN watcher whines about us leaving the Paris Climate Scam.

Or you see Pat Meehan.

Hat tip Thomas Williams.

USA Greenest Nation

USA Greenest Nation Or In Top 6 Anyway

 

Free Speech, Political Correctness And Hate

Free Speech, Political Correctness And Hate — Attention-seeker Kathy Griffin who some call a comedian circulated a photo of herself holding our President’s bloody head.

This isn’t speech to be defended. Speech to be defended concerns telling objective truths i.e. Nigger Jim was a character in Huckleberry Finn, and expressing opinions i.e. the theory of evolution is wrong.

Speech that unambiguously incites violence, much less murder, must not be defended. Note the word “unambiguously”. Certain snowflakes, who are ironically far more likely to be fans of Ms. Griffin than the rest of us, would claim that saying MAGA or that homosexuality is sinful incites violence. That is the Kafkaesque sea in which they swim.

In the 1960s and 1970s, funnymen like Redd Foxx, Don Rickles and Mel Brooks used ethnic humor in ways that would give the children who now set our social standards vapors. There was no hate in what they said, though. One always felt they actually liked the people they teased.

That is not the case for the “edgy” garbage that passes for “humor’ today. Holding the bloody head of a living person can only be construed as hate.

Free Speech, Political Correctness And Hate

Free Speech, Political Correctness And Hate

 

Seth Rich Story Ignored

Seth Rich Story Ignored
Thank you President Trump

Seth Rich Story Ignored — Guess what story did not make the pages establishment media. That’s right, the revelation that murdered Democrat National Committee Voter Data Director Seth Rich was the Wikileaks source regarding dirty deeds by the Hillary Clinton campaign.

In other words, not the Russians.

What story is being pushed by the media minions of the deep state? That President Trump is going to be impeached because he warned Russia that laptop computers can be disguised as bombs to blow up airplanes. It almost deserves an LOL.

And if this is so vitally secret why did the Washington Post expose this? The Russians weren’t going to tell ISIS.

The deep state is a swamp filled with snakes. It must be drained.

Seth Rich Story Ignored

Corrupt Hillary Or How We Really Dodged A Bullet

Corrupt Hillary Or How We Really Dodged A Bullet
We dodged a bullet

Corrupt Hillary Or How We Really Dodged A Bullet — As Democrats become ever more unhinged over President Trump’s glorious swamp draining, another revelation of Hillary Clinton’s unabashed corruption has occurred. Yes, we really dodged a bullet.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says then Secretary of State Clinton made a personal call to to pressure her to keep Muhammed Yunus as chairman of the country’s Grameen Bank.

Bangladesh law prohibits civil servants from working beyond the age of 60. Yunus was 70 in March 2011 when the call was made.

The bank’s nonprofit Grameen America, which Yunus chairs, had given between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Global Initiative.  Grameen Research, also chaired by Yunus, donated between $25,000 and $50,000.

Why would a “nonprofit charity” donate to another “nonprofit charity”? The answer is when the “nonprofit charity” is not a “nonprofit charity” but a means of getting rich. A small bribe here can often garner greater lucre there.

By the way, have you seen where donations to the Clinton Foundation have dropped like a brick?

Corrupt Hillary Or How We Really Dodged A Bullet

Hypocrite James Comey Fired From Swamp

Hypocrite James Comey Fired From Swamp
Thank you, President Trump

Hypocrite James Comey Fired From Swamp — Thank you President Trump. The swamp is being drained. If you really want to sow confusion, now, among the angry swamp dwellers, pardon your foe, Martha Stewart.

She is a convicted felon for doing things far less vile than last year’s Democrat presidential candidate.

And the guy who prosecuted her? That’s right, the same guy who was just peachy with Hillary Clinton’s greed, corruption and treasonous irresponsibility.

What did James Comey say about Martha’s prosecution?

“If it was Jane Doe she would have been prosecuted . . . there were 2,000 cases by the Justice Department that year for providing false statements during an investigation. I thought of my hesitation about the case due to someone being rich and famous, and how it shouldn’t be that way. I decided we had to do it.”

ROTFLMAO.

Good riddance James Comey, you swamp-dwelling hypocrite.

 

Paris Agreement Bad For USA

Paris Agreement Bad For USA — There are some — including reportedly daughter Ivanka — pushing President Trump to keep the USA in the Paris Agreement as committed to by President Obama. The agreement puts restrictions on the use of energy in the guise of stopping “climate change”.

Hopefully, The Donald is strong enough to stand up to the pressure.

The Paris Agreement is not about saving the world. It is about shackling the economy of the United States to weaken her and make her more malleable to the will of international plutocrats.

The biggest polluters like China, India and Russia do not hesitate to ignore the obligations to which they have agreed.

Obviously, pollution is a bad thing and obviously it is desirable to limit greenhouse gases. We do not, however, have to submit to internationalists to achieve these ends and it is unwise to do so.

The globalist plan does not inhibit the lifestyles of the rich and connected. The Obamas (and rich and greedy land-owner Bruce Springsteen) still get to party on Good Friday on $300 million yachts. Leonardo DiCaprio still gets to take charter jets to pick up environmental awards. Al Gore still gets to live in $9 million California mansions.

But working families for whom an extra $200 per year actually means something will have to pay more for energy and food so  these people can feel holy and righteous.

And for Chinese tyrants to get stronger.

Please, Mr. President get us out of this vile pact.

Paris Agreement Bad For USA

Paris Agreement Bad For USA

¿Quién es John Galt? Él es Donald Trump

¿Quién es John Galt? Él es Donald Trump — Forget Nutrisystem, Marie Osmond. Start pushing socialism.

During the last year, 73 percent of Venezuelans have lost weight. That’s because 93 percent of them can’t afford to buy enough food.

That’s how far the once rich country has fallen since the social justice types took it over in 1999.

¿Quién es John Galt?

Él es Donald Trump

¿Quién es John Galt? Él es Donald Trump

¿Quién es John Galt? Él es Donald Trump

Swamp Smears Are SOP

Swamp Smears Are SOP — Erick Prince’s book Civilian Warriors is the story of the Blackwater security firm now called Academi.

He says that when Democrats accuse it is less about revealing truth and solving problems, and more about the acquisition of profit and political power.

He notes, for instance, that lawyers for those suing Blackwater colluded with Congressional Democrats to safely spread maliciously false claims without fear of being sued for defamation.

Which gets us to this week’s circus.

Democrats and their media auxiliaries have been claiming the Russians “hacked” the election which implies that Donald Trump’s victory is illegitimate.

First, they claim the connection was found via “wiretapping”.  When Trump tweeted in agreement, however, it dawned on them that an administration spying on the other party’s candidate is a serious abuse of power, and hence repudiated their original claim.

Yesterday, March 20, FBI Director James Comey and NSA Director Mike Rogers testified before the House Intelligence Committee. There was no evidence that the Russians changed votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina or Ohio, they said.

One kind of wishes someone asked if there was any indication that illegals voted in Nevada, New Hampshire, Virginia, California, New York or Illinois. One also would have like to see Comey answer if the feds investigated whether any dead people voted in Chicago.

Comey, by the way, would not say that Trump’s wiretap claim was false.

Also at the hearing, it was revealed that Obama’s National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Attorney General Loretta Lynch had the power to unmask sources U.S. citizen in data collected by the NSA. This means they could have leaked it to the press.

Another potential source for leaks is James Clapper who was Obama’s Director of National Intelligence. Clapper was reputedly there when Donald Trump was given a since-discredited bizarre dossier presumably showing that Russia had blackmail material on him. The dossier was leaked to friendly press. Comey would neither confirm or deny that Clapper was at the meeting.

Clapper is infamous for his perjury before Congress in March 2013 that the National Security Agency had not collected data on millions of Americans without warrants.

The lie was the final straw for Eric Snowden who then went public with proof that they did.

Quick tip, Mr. President: Pardon Snowden. The enemy of your enemy is your friend.

Clapper, of course, was never charged for his lie. Swamp dwellers protect their own.

Final point, those who are not complete fools agree that it was impossible for the Russians — or anybody — to hack the voting machines and change votes. They claim instead that the Russians released unflattering information about Hillary Clinton via Wikileaks. Among the more damning tidbits were her telling foreign interests at Banco Itau in a private speech that her “dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders”, and telling Goldman Sachs principles that (Chinese) President Xi is doing much more to try to assert his authority, and I think that is also good news.”

Xi, of course, is the guy trying to turn the South China Sea into a personal lake.

Would the FBI have investigated if she had won? LOL. Swamp dwellers protect their own.

Swamp Smears Are SOP

Swamp Smears Are SOP