Back in September, I suggested that Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham and Northampton County Executive John Stoffa direct their staffs to make local campaign finance reports available online. Most of us have a difficult time following the money trail because we're at work when those reports are available. Both execs are seriously considering this suggestion, but nothing will happen before Tuesday's municipal election.Early this week, the elections office was kind enough to supply me with copies of the campaign finance reports filed by Northampton County council hopefuls. I managed to scan and upload them here on Tuesday, and you'll see links for each candidate on the left sidebar.
One day after these reports were posted, three wannabes have already amended them.
Peg Ferraro: Her change is minor. She has a new campaign treasurer, who neglected to list the occupations of her contributors.
Lamont McClure: He's amended his report to note an additional $3,500 in his coffers: $1,000 from some dude named Glenn Reibman; $500 from a fellow lawyer in his firm; $500 from another lawyer; and $500 from some guy who works for Vertext.
John Maher: This amendment reflects a $4,888.35 in-kind contribution from the Northampton County Democratic Committee, made on October 20, consisting of design mailing and introductory (robo) phone calls. Maher had previously insisted he had nothing to do with this.
Posting finance reports online will have a continuing positive effect. When this stuff is exposed for all to see, well, now we know what can happen.
5 comments:
maher may not have been lying. he may not have known at the time, but found out he was the "beneficiary" of the calls after the fact. he would then have been obligated to amend his report, which he did.
yeah, yeah, i'm just sayin...
oops. disregard my last. just read the relevent post below.
Sounds like Maher and Branco have a guardian angel looking over their shoulder by making calls that are perceived as "negative" and the halos have slipped around Angle and Ferraro's neck and are now choking them with their past.
BOH are you going to report that Ferraro has filed an amended report and her mail is paid for by the Northampton County Republican Committee. Let's blast Peg for her omission or did she say three hail marys for pennance and you forgave her. Oh that's right, you can't say anything against her because Stoffa is campaigning for her. Doesn't the Express Times or Morning Call monitor this blog? If they do, they only cherry pick their articles also.
Anon 12:47,
You need to learn how to read. if you look at my post, you'll notice Ferraro is one of the three persons I mention. Her finance report is listed like all the others. In a post published yesterday about who is trying to buy NC Council, I criticized the Pa. Future Fund contribution.
I don't know whether Stoffa is campaigning for her or not. If he isn't, he should. Branco attempted to obstruct his budget last year, believes county vendors are more important than taxpayers and is absent more than anyone else. Branco stands for bad government.
Instead of looking at party, you need to start looking at the people.
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