There's a fight at the Allentown School District, but it isn't students, rather it's the school board members. As reported in The Morning Call, Charlie Thiel has challenged fellow board member Bob Smith's petition signatures. Smith posted his reaction on his Facebook page.
I received a call from fellow board member Charlie Thiel, former friend and a gutless coward Charlie stated he is challenging my petitions .Charlie wants to get rid of the last Republican on the board, and is very scared I will get more votes then him. Charlie does not understand I love doing this job, but do not need it as a stepping stone for mayor, like Charlie does. As a Catholic I know how Jesus felt when betrayed by Judas, Charlie is a Judas. I know how Charlie has lost the respect of myself, my wife, children, and grandchildren and any real friend I have.I have lost elections, and i have won them, but never attacked or challenged the will of the people.That is what Charlie does not understand,.... I am not going away and plan to work and expose the many mismanagements of his tenure as President, and his not do anything but stay down middle that he never makes a decision. I fight for our students staff, and taxpayers, not fighting for my next political job like Charlie...
To continue posting from Facebook, here is Scott Armstrong's take on the challenge. Scott served on the board for four years.
Charlie Thiel Challenges the filing petitions of a real hero! Bob Smith has been selflessly serving on the Allentown School Board for many years, he has at times been elected by fellow board members to be board president. All have praised dedication to duty. What many people may not know is that several years ago Bob risked his life to save someone and in the process he nearly lost his own. The woman he saved was relatively uninjured, but Bob was hospitalized for an extended period and needed many surgeries to recover. Bob's comeback is a testament to his fortitude.It is also worth mentioning that while hospitalized Bob made every effort to stay current on school board duties.This said, the truth is no one completely recovers form a thirty foot fall onto concrete, and Bob's mobility is limited. Therefore one can rightly be disgusted and shocked that able bodied Charlie Thiel would challenge Bob Smith's petitions. Has this self proclaimed man of God any scruples? Apparently not. What he does have is an ugly and competitive partisanship that has no place on the school board.
Although Bob and Scott both use unflattering religious imagery against Charlie, Thiel is entitled to challenge the petition. Although such challenges are unusual in a school race, they are common place in other elections. Regardless of the legal outcome, nobody can ever question Bob Smith's dedication to Allentown Schools.
I'm not an ASD parent, so I'm merely an observer to this kerfuffle. But, Smith's comments are ridiculous. Comparing himself to Jesus?? Really? And Armstrong may well be reprsenting Smith's character and fortitude accurately, but that does not have anything at all to do with the actual challenge itself. "Trust, but verify" should be the rule of thumb for all cautious & reasonable people, and certainly for candidates of public office. The burden is on Smith to prove that the signatures are valid. In no way is a petition challenge a personal affront - it's standard operating procedure. A more appropriate response from Smith would have been something like, "I intend to fully comply with this challenge and demonstrate my compliance with the signature requirements." He also would have been well advised to obtain a larger number of signatures - the thin buffer here left him wide open for such a challenge. Armstrong and I agree that partisanship is ugly, but...for "Christ's sake," this is an election.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteWhat religious imagery do I use? I merely point out that Thiel has worn his Christianity on his sleeves then does something that is less than charitable to his fellow man, a man who unlike himself demonstrated selfless sacrifice to save someones life. This act has left it's mark on Bob and this is something people like monkey momma should have the sensitivity to understand. Bob's rhetoric is at times over the top, but after what he has been through who can blame him? As the longest serving school board member be feels betrayed by a fellow member who has put partisanship over mutual respect. Bob is not the small minded, mean partisan Charlie Thiel is, he has never acted as a partisan on the board and and has a reputation for reaching out to all sides. For this and after all these years of service, Thiel goes after a man who clearly has challenges doing what the rest of us do without a thought. How righteous of him, how brave...
So Monkey momma go after his signatures with a fine tooth comb,because this is that important right? Bob may end up a few signatures short on the D side because some of the signers may not have been aware they weren't properly registered. This kind of oversight is exactly what is needed in Allentown isn't it? It's truly laugh or cry time isn't it?
Don't ever let me hear one more complaint that the Republicans don't file candidates in the city. When they go after a soul as good as Bob why should we? Allentown's voters have hung out the sign, "No Republicans Need Apply". We can read. Good luck with your one party town folks. You've done such a bang up job so far.
Honestly, when you look at all levels of elected positions in the City of Allentown, it is pretty much a bunch of self aggrandizing delusional fools who are oblivious to the fiscal disaster they live in. They can't even get their act together concerning the State Hospital property, and they are about to give it away to someone who donates to the right pockets. Perfect spot for a school, but the school board, Council, and Mayor all follow the Pawlowski method
ReplyDeleteCharlie Thiel is following the Jenn Mann mode of operation to eliminate the competition. HE is nothing more the one of Mann's puppets. Charlie knew better than to run for Mayor because the FBI would be back in City Hall. He barely missed being charged by his fellow "minister" Fed-Ed.
ReplyDeleteAll political candidates should know by know their nominating petitions will be challenged. Many candidates have failed by having improper names on their paperwork
ReplyDeleteAll 'truly qualified' political candidates here in the one-party city that is Allentown know full well, of course, that IF they have the approved, proper letter of the alphabet listed after their name, then all comparatively irrelevant and unimportant details such as "improper paperwork" can and will be straightened out soon enough.
ReplyDeleteJust ask those highly trained professionals down at The Morning Call. YOU think you have some kind of problem? Well, hey, if you can 'check all the right boxes' as well as demonstrate just a smidgen of party loyalty (i.e., kick a respectable amount of cash to the powers that be upstairs), then, hell, there just might be a entire squadron of educated, accredited 'journalists' hailing from Syracuse University here on hand to do a tremendous job of effectively explaining anything and everything on YOUR behalf!
No fooling - they make B.A. Baracus' world-renowned A-Team look like a bunch of rank amateurs, let me tell you.
Hallelujah!!!
A most pleasant Forward To Progress to any and all Comrades, as per usual.