Bucks Repug Patronage At Work

Jenna Portnoy of the Bucks County Courier Times reports here some rather interesting revelations about the awarding of contracts under commissioners Jim Cawley and Charles Martin dating back to 2000 that came to light in their debate with Dem challengers Steve Santarsiero and Diane Marseglia last night. Portnoy also communicates some rather illuminating quotes from GOP campaign manager Mike Walsh that I’ll get to a bit later.

First, though, I want to go back to this story from Portnoy last week and point out the following…

In 2006, when Santarsiero and two other Democrats took control of the Lower Makefield supervisors for the first time ever, they replaced one engineering firm with three new ones. By a 3-2 vote, which fell along party lines, the township hired general engineer Schoor DePalma to replace Pickering, Corts and Summerson of Newtown.

PCS had worked for the township for nearly 20 years and charged $87 per hour. Schoor DePalma, which is based in Manalapan, N.J., but has an office in Falls, charges $90 per hour.

Firm Chairman Stephen DePalma donated $15,500 to the county Democratic committee from May 2003 to May 2005, according to an analysis by county GOP campaign manager Mike Walsh. He also donated $11,800 to the county Republicans from 1998 to 2005, Walsh said.

Santarsiero said the township chose Schoor DePalma because the firm was better qualified than PCS. Since the hire, the company's hydrologist and grant-writing department have benefited the township, he said.

“I don't mean to disparage anyone at [PCS],” he said, “but there's no question that Schoor DePalma is a firm with much greater resources and a much wider breadth of experience.”

So we find out here that Schoor DePalma has contributed to both the Democratic and Republican parties. OK.

Now, I would ask that you compare that to the following from the story about last night’s debate…

The Langhorne firm of Begley, Carlin & Mandio, which gave $142,000 to county Republicans and commissioner campaigns in the past seven years, represents several county agencies, including the community college, the housing authority, the water and sewer authority, the conference and visitor's bureau and the county treasurer's office. The firm also acts as special counsel to the county.

On Dec. 20, 2006, Martin and Cawley decided to pay the firm $200 an hour for legal services. That same day, six of the firm's attorneys contributed $9,000 to the county GOP, according to an analysis by the Democrats.

That’s a $54K contribution to the party in a single day, for those of you keeping score at home. Update 10/3: I think it was $9K total...And was there any donation to the Bucks Democratic Party in the bipartisan manner of Schoor DePalma’s donations? Do you even need to ask?

GOP campaign manager Mike Walsh said the contract renewal raised one Begley attorney's fee from $125 to $200 an hour and represented the first raise in two years.

Wow.

And I would ask that you note the difference of $3 in the rate charged by Schoor DePalma vs. PCS agreed to by Steve and the LMT board of supervisors versus $75 as noted above. And how many billable hours were generated at that suddenly greatly inflated rate, I wonder?

And it gets better…

Democrats went on to say that on May 21, 2003, the firm was hired to prepare loan documents and the next day firm attorney Jeffrey P. Garton gave the party $500. Garton represents the water and sewer authority, the community college and is chairman of the Bucks County Conservation District.

Walsh chalked up the same-day awarding of contracts and acceptance of contributions to pure coincidence.

“It does seem like an odd coincidence,” he said. “So odd that I can't imagine anyone would take it seriously.”

The only quote I can think of that is stupider than that one from Walsh is this one.

And finally…

…Walsh pointed to a January 2003 comment by Marseglia as proof that the Democrat considers party affiliation. In reference to Middletown's retention of a Begley, Carlin and Mandio attorney, she said:

“I'm just uncomfortable with the political underpinnings in that firm. I'd be more comfortable with a firm that was more politically neutral, or maybe contributed equally to both the Republican and Democratic parties.”

Walsh said she's in no position to criticize Republicans.

“This is very tenuous soap box on which she stands,” he said.

I don’t know, Mike. It sounds like this “soap” is solid enough to be impervious to everything (except perhaps your “crocodile tears”).

I think the quote from Diane illustrates perfectly that she and Steve place bipartisan cooperation and representation higher than the gross patronage of the Repugs under Cawley and Martin, and thus need to be elected in November.

And to imply that Cawley and Martin would advocate for us and suddenly empty this pay-to-play trough from which their benefactors have been feeding for all these years is a truly odd notion.

So odd, in fact, that I can’t imagine anyone would take it seriously.