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Cunningham--Ott Debate: Part 2
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Item 5: Ott is asked for details on what he would cut.
“Everything I legally can.” Ott also questions why Cunningham has not trimmed headcount more.
Cunningham, in a reversal of his answer to the 2011 question, slams Ott because “The point is there is no detail.”
He calls the county budget process “bipartisan” which is better than dysfunctional! But, Cunningham is correct, the commissioners have not changed his budget by more than ½ of 1%.
Just as Cunningham won’t tell us what he will do WHEN expense exceed revenue in 2011, Ott wants to avoid a tax hike by cutting spending but he can’t identify what he will cut. Browning, Roman and Eckhart couldn’t find more than a million or so.
Item 6: Cunningham is asked about his dual labor policies of unionization and privatization.
Cunningham repeats the mantra that less than 60% of the workforce is unionized. That is far less than Northampton or the 90% that is eligible in Lehigh.
Even Cedarbrook, site of the highly public card check vote to organize, is “actually a profit center for us,” Cunningham notes. They make money on the nursing home.
Privatization and unions can coexist, per Don Cunningham.
Ott his hard at the card check process. He ties Cunningham’s agreement to eschew a secret ballot to his large union PAC contributions.
Cunningham responds that his is the first administration to force unions to contribute to health insurance.
“There are things you can do when you work together,” Cunningham concludes.
Cunningham handles the union issue well. It may be one of his soft spots and he minimizes it well. Ott fails to tie Cunningham’s believed desire for higher office to a need to appease unions—although he raises the PAC donations.
Item 7: For Ott, how will you balance the urban core and the needs of the suburb?
Ott declares the urban core (Allentown) is not in good shape. But, he adds, “I don’t think government should run the community.” Ott sees the private sector as driving revitalization.
Cunningham strikes back “infrastructure creates economic development.”
In a “fundamental disagreement” with Scott Ott, Cunningham declares “there is a role for government.
Item 8: With 70% going to law and order, Cunningham says, how will Ott cut spending on the courts, the District Attorney and the prison?
Ott tries to tie the budget clearly to Cunningham and his campaign announcement “Don’s budget passes” would agree. He says the Home Rule Charter gives Cunningham a monopoly on information that not even the county commissioners have, so he as a candidate cannot give details.
Then things turn as Cunningham notes the irony that Ott does not own property and does not pay property taxes or write tax checks but he is so focused on taxes.
Ott responds, as is true, that it is a myth that renters don’t pay taxes. Now, this will later morph into the fact that Ott also doesn’t pay rent—he gets his home for free as part of his compensation package with the ministry. This then leads to a letter from the campaign, which even copies the IRS, questioning the arrangement.
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- League of Women Voters of Lehigh County
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- Lehigh County Website Campaign Finance Reports
- Lehigh Valley Ramblings (Bernie O'Hare)
- No Kill Lehigh Valley
- Northern Lehigh Valley Logic
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- Thomas (Federal Legislation Search)
- Times On-Line (parent of my papers)
