Category: Montco

Stan Casacio Peace Offering To Gales

Stan Casacio Peace Offering — Just heard from the great and influential Stan Casacio, who is seeking to bring peace and unity to Montco after a bitter primary battle for county commissioner.

Stan says he would like to reach out to incumbent Joe Gale who remains angry at the county GOP for dirty deeds done nine days ago.

Gale, as per election-night tallies, was the top Republican vote-getter for the two seats on the Nov. 5 ballot. He ran as a ticket, however, with his brother Sean who finished third behind Fred Conner.

The county GOP claimed it would not make an endorsement but a “green ballot” with a strong resemblance to the official one was distributed at polling places with only Conner’s name. The ballot had been paid for by paid by “Citizens for Conner.”

The Gales think that’s what led to Conner’s victory over Sean.

Stan, who had nothing to do with the ballot and holds no official position with the county party other than committeeman, notes that politics are dirty.

“Jeff (Salvino) is upset because he didn’t think of it first,” Stan says regarding the Gales’ hard-nosed campaign manager.

The three-person board now controlled by Democrats Valerie A. Arkoosh and Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. is mandated to have one member be of the minority party.

It is a fear that Gale and Conner factions will “bullet-vote” rather than work as a team and go for all the marbles.

“A certain part of the deal has to be trust,” says Stan.

Stan is running for county controller with the party endorsement.

Stan, like Joe, is a proven corruption fighter. Stan took on the Republican establishment at much aggravation and cost to himself when it wasn’t cool to do so. He was instrumental in starting Joe’s campaign four years ago.

Stan says he will back Joe for board chairman and even further, which will become a very real possibility as Joe will get much of the credit if the GOP flips the county.

The Democrat incumbents are beatable. Stan says rank and file members of that party are telling him they are very unhappy with Arkoosh and will not be voting for her, while Lawrence is being dogged by allegations of having committed rape. Yes, we believe Pauline.

Stan Casacio Peace Offering To Gales
Stan Casacio Peace Offering To Gales

Joe Gale Smears Show Establishment Fears

Joe Gale Smears Show Establishment Fears — Maybe the greatest service provided Donald Trump is exposing the mind-blowing political corruption that has been impoverishing us for decades and the extent of which we have been blissfully unaware.

Joe Gale Smears Show Establishment Fears
Joe Gale is feared by the swamp

The corruption is the same regardless of the party in power.

Montgomery County residents have been getting flyers attacking incumbent county Commissioner Joe Gale as the Republican Party primary approaches May 21.

Gale is accused of of such vile deeds as “Voting With Democrats 96 Percent Of The Time”.

Really? Montco is run by three commissioners, one of whom is required by law to be of the minority party.

The vast majority of votes concern mundane matters such as filling county jobs, allocating funds, and honoring community groups.

Joe can either be a partisan jerk and nay every vote turning himself into a joke, or he can save his ammunition for the important stuff.

Joe, a true corruption fighter, wisely chooses the latter, and does so with great effect. A case in point is the Montco Justice Center scandal.

That the team he plays for is the citizen taxpayer and not the Montgomery County Republican Committee has caused fear and panic among the party leadership.

The flyers, we understand, are being produced by something called Hometown Freedom Action Network, a political action committee dwelling deep in the Washington swamp. What’s up with that?

Also a little birdy told us that some of the trash being thrown at Joe is being fed to the GOP swampers by fellow commissioner Ken Lawrence.

Joe Gale Smears Show Establishment Fears

Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990

Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990 — A Montgomery County woman is accusing county commissioner Vice Chairman Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. and another man, of drugging and raping her in 1990, while they were students at Montgomery County Community College. Pauline Braccio of  Towamencin Township says the rape occurred while they were on a student government retreat in Pike County in the Poconos.

Lawrence would have been 18 at the time.

She accused Lawrence to his face at the Sept. 9 Montco Commissioners meeting, video below.

Ms. Braccio signed an affidavit, published below, notarized by Joseph Ronald Ceccola on Oct. 10.

We have redacted the last name and home town of the other man as he is a private citizen, has not been charged with anything, and was not mentioned in Ms. Braccio’s public comments.

Ms. Braccio says she was inspired to come forth by the MeToo Movement.

She says she reported the matter to State Police in Pike County last June 25, speaking to Trooper Cabets. She also said she was interviewed by the FBI on Nov. 2. She said the FBI and Pike County District Attorney Raymond J. Tonkin told her the matter couldn’t be prosecuted because the statute of limitations had passed.

She says she plans on attending these meetings until Lawrence resigns.

“I will go to every meeting because I want him to look at my face,” she said.

As of 3 p.m., Lawrence did not respond to a morning email for a comment.

Here is Ms. Braccio’s affidavit:

Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990
Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990
Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990
Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990

Here is Ms. Braccio’s appearance before the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9.

Montco Commissioner Faces Rape Accusation From 1990

Montco Leaders Obsessed With Defeating Joe Gale

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.

Montco Leaders Obsessed With Defeating Joe Gale
Joe Gale

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.

Montco Leaders Obsessed With Defeating Joe Gale

GOP Misogyny Is My Experience In Montco

GOP Misogyny Is My Experience In Montco

By Susan Jane Goldner

GOP Misogyny Is My Experience In Montco
GOP Misogyny Is My Experience In Montco

So, let me get this straight . . .

The former MontCo Chair Vereb, who resigned to take a cushy position created for him under our very progressive liberal state Attorney General Josh Shapiro in ‘15 (year we lost every row office) is allowed to get away with slander and libel against a sitting incumbent Republican Joe Gale running for re-election for County Commissioner and I’m not allowed to critique candidates up for office as a Committeewoman? Got it. But I suppose I’m not allowed to screenshot THEIR posts…

See what’s going on, folks?

The “protection of women” statement by Vereb is remarkable considering I was physically assaulted by one top party leader at the last party convention in May ‘18, called derogatory names as well by the same sleazebag, then five months later told to “shut my stupid mouth” by my State Rep’s husband who also sat on my committee for questioning legislation. Both of these men are in their late years and are why we’re in the God-awful situation we’re in. There is no such thing as protection of women in PA politics that I’ve ever known of.

Vote Joe Gale is certainly not the problem.

The greasy old men in the GOP are the problem, along with the fact that the swamp can’t simply disagree and agree to let the people decide. They have to resort to blackmail, intimidation, and extortion to remove candidates and committeepeople they don’t want. And the women who do not stand up for other women when they witness verbal, sexual, physical assaults are right there beside them.

GOP Misogyny Is My Experience In Montco

Fresh New Montco Republican Party Looms

Fresh New Montco Republican Party Looms — Stan Cascio has let us know that 100 persons of varying political identities attended a soiree at his home to create a fresh new Republican Party of Montgomery County.

He says there were Tea Party conservatives, establishmentarians, two independents and one Democrat, whom he declined to name.

Among those in attendance were official GOP county head LIz Preate Harvey; the wonderful and influential Dom Giordano of WPHT; and county commissioner candidate Sean Gale, the brother of county commissioner and running mate Joe Gale .

Stan says everyone in the room agreed on 80 percent of things.

Stan says like-minded people — those who love freedom, hate corruption and lies, and recognize that rights are God-given — must unite else the neo-feudalists i.e. the New Democrat Socialist Party that holds that some animals are more equal than others will prevail.

Stan, who is running for county controller, said the county GOP has agreed to refrain from making endorsements this primary election.

Stan expressed disappointment about ads being run by the Gale brothers attacking the establishment.

“We must stop forming circular firing squads,” he said.

Stan had a great observation about border security and immigration vs illegal immigration.

“What if one one of the Democrats waiting to see Hamilton in Puerto Rico had someone butt in front of them in line?” he asked. “What would they do about it?”

Of course, we know the answer. Rules for thee but not for me.

Fresh New Montco Republican Party Looms
Fresh New Montco Republican Party Looms

Montco Justice Center Cost Wildly Out Of Control

Montco Justice Center Cost Wildly Out Of Control — Joe Gale noted at the Dec. 13 meeting of the Montgomery County Commissioners that the cost for the new justice center will likely hit $406 million when an expected project-labor agreement is approved by the Democrat majority.

Montco Justice Center Cost Wildly Out Of Control
Commissioner Joe Gale

The cost is now estimated at $364 million. It was estimated at $220 million last year.

Gale, who is the mandated Republican minority representative, noted that neighboring Bucks County is building a nine-story justice center that was initially budgeted for $94 million albeit cost overrides increased it by $20 million.

He noted that new state-of-the-art Einstein Medical Center was built for $350 million.

He said he is not voting for the county budget because of this.

Thank God people like Gale have gotten involved in politics. In a sane world, $219 million would be more than enough to fix things. Way more than enough. See Bucks County.

When people don’t have to spend their own money there is never a reason to say no, especially when those upon who the money is being spent are friends and contributors to those voting to do the spending.

The video below includes Gale’s comments along with a rebuttal from President Judge Thomas M. Del Ricci defending the increased spending.

For some reason, though the judge does not explain the need for a project labor agreement that adds $40 million to the already inflated cost.

Montco Justice Center Cost Wildly Out Of Control

Susan Jane Goldner Removed From Lower Gwynedd Post

Susan Jane Goldner Removed From Lower Gwynedd Post — Susan Jane Goldner had her hearing, Dec. 8 before the Montgomery County Republican Party’s Ministry of Justice. It lasted 20 minutes and, as expected, ended with her being kangarooed from her post as Lower Gwynedd committeewoman.  

Susan Jane Goldner Removed From Lower Gwynedd Post
Susan Jane’s labor will be lost.

Committeewoman is an elected position and she has held her post for five years. That means voters picked her twice.

“It is a sad day when a committeeperson like me gets removed in such a manner,” she said. “I will never apologize for being a hardline conservative and to think anyone can cast blame on me for why the moderate candidates lost so badly in this County is absurd.”

Ms. Goldner’s sins were Facebook posts criticizing — mildly, even constructively — Republican candidates last summer, and agreeing with a position held by a Libertarian candidate.

What she was saying was no different than what many (most) of the regular Republican voters were saying about this year’s  Pennsylvania GOP field — and the strange lack of support for them by the party establishment.

Ms. Goldner said she was not allowed to present a complete defense and the tribunal rejected a request for continuances made by two different lawyers.

Still, she says it may all be for the best.

“(I’m) glad I stood up to them after five years of watching shenanigans go down in this God-forsaken local GOP defunct party. They are why decent people stay out of politics.”

Questions for the geniuses that run the Montco Republican Party: Do you have someone to replace her? Do you understand that political parties depend on popularity which means the broadest base possible? What exactly has Ms. Goldner wrote that is not different than what is expressed by  many (most) of the voters whose support you seek  each November?

Joe Gale Interview Podcast With John Haenn

Joe Gale Interview Podcast With John Haenn — John Haenn’s interview with Montgomery County, Pa.‘s excellent commissioner Joe Gale is now online as a podcast.

Check it out:

Joe Gale Interview Podcast With John Haenn

Joe Gale Interview Podcast With John Haenn