LMT Incumbent strategy: Special interests money and Mislead

The Lower Macungie Township Commissioner race has heated up to the point where special interest money and misleading ROBO calls have now flooded the township.

Two items I want to address head on.

1. Special interest money is a major problem. Finance reports show an astronomical amount of outside the township money being spent on this local primary race. Over 20,000 dollars have flowed into the incumbents coffers from the Alliance for a better Pennsylvania. The group based out of Lemoyne, PA produced and paid for the "fake newsletters", ROBO calls and absolutely unheard of television ads is a front group for the PA Realtor PAC.

Two reasons it's critical to follow the money trail:

(a) For the past 3 years I've questioned various real estate conflicts of interest regarding development decisions. This proves who the incumbents answer to.

(b) The PA association of Realtors is against traffic impact fees. I believe impact fees are an important protection for a community facing continued growth pressure well into the next decade. The levying of impact fees on large-scale greenfield developers is one of the reasons we have avoided a property tax. I do not believe there is any way to maintain a 0% property tax rate without impact fees.

2. ROBO calls from prominent Republicans. No one from the Lehigh County Republican Committee ever offered to interview me, to get to know me or bother to ask what my views on any actual issues are. The most annoying aspect of this campaign can be summed up with this story. I approached an elected official I have a good rapport with. When I told this gentleman I was running for office and I asked if he would like to sit down and hear my ideas about the township he said to me, "Honestly, I've gotten campaign contributions from the incumbents... so I'll be endorsing them". Is that what it's all about? That represents everything wrong with politics.

I've learned quickly it is. I won't lose to money. If voters think the incumbents have better ideas, vision and leadership for LMT I can accept that. I won't accept being beaten by endorsements and money.

Please visit my website at www.ronbeitler.com and learn about the issues. Read my blog, call me. Let's talk about the issues then you judge for yourself. If you disagree with my platform that is fine. But don't vote for the incumbents because you got a robo call, a fake newsletter or a prominent republican made a quid pro quo endorsement.

Ron Beitler

www.RonBeitler.com

Or call me at 610.762.2684