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Dent targets Callahan on Bethlehem debt, taxes

ALLENTOWN—Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) laced into his Democratic opponent’s mayoral record Wednesday, looking to draw attention to a budget deficit down the road in Bethlehem.

Holding court with reporters in front of his campaign headquarters here, Dent launched his most direct, sustained attack to date against Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, the White House recruit challenging him in the Lehigh Valley district. Over the course of 35 minutes, he excoriated Callahan for what he called mismanagement of the city’s finances, and took the opportunity to criticize his opponent’s positions on national issues, too, calling for him to take clear stands on domestic and foreign policy questions.

Dent’s comments came as he has continued to look for opportunities to play the race on local issues, even in a year when Republicans are more often emphasizing national domestic policy.

“He is trying to hide from his own record, which is… disastrous,” Dent said of Callahan. “Under John Callahan, Bethlehem has had a growing deficit over the past three years that now amounts to at least $8.5 million.”

Congressional challengers in both parties who hold local elected office have found their records attacked, as the weak economy has hurt local government tax revenues across the country. Just miles north in the 11th District, Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) has tried to make Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta’s stewardship of the northeast Pennsylvania town a defining issue in the race.

An independent audit of the city’s 2009 budget that Dent highlighted found a $5 million budget deficit at the end of 2009—a hefty shortfall in a total budget of $65 million. Callahan has attributed the deficit mostly to lower-than-expected tax revenues brought on by the economic downturn, an assertion echoed by a Morning Call analysis. But Dent alleged mismanagement Wednesday, noting that in a 2005 Morning Call article, Callahan said $10 million in host fees from a local casino would allow him to “immediately” lower taxes “and not have to raise them for a time.” It was the second time Dent’s campaign has hit Callahan on the property tax issue, following a roadside billboard in Bethlehem. Callahan has since made it clear several times that it would be irresponsible to immediately lower tax rates, and the city opted instead to pay down debt and increase public safety spending, not planning for a tax break until at least 2011 or 2012.

Dent rejected that premise. “I submit to you that I could actually hire some police officers,” he said, “I could lower some debt, and I could lower some taxes” using the casino host fees.

Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall took issue with Dent’s assertions.

“If Dent thinks he can increase spending while lowering taxes and cutting debt then he knows some special math,” Schall said. “Dent might think he can print more money in Washington and cripple this country with debt but that doesn’t work in the real world. Callahan helped create 5,000 jobs and cut debt by $60 million, while on Dent’s watch the national deficit tripled and debt has sky rocketed by $3 trillion.Callahan won’t be lectured to on budgetary priorities by Dent.  His math isn’t reality, it’s more double talk from Washington.”

August 26, 2010 at 9:00 am

--Donald Hoegg

Tags: Charlie Dent, John Callahan, PA-15

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