Matthews: He pushed new Montco ethics law to hurt Castor…
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24 Comments
Matthews should leave the Republican Party now. What Matthews did was prevent Todd Stephens from raising money for a year and help entrench Bonusgate beneficiary Rick Taylor even further. Way to go Jimbo. Please switch parties now and save us an (un)civil war.
This whole article just ignores the fact that the courthouse is a house of patronage for both parties. It beats around the bush, but goes no further. Ethics are a principle that cannot be forced, but must be bred. To live an ethical life is to make a personal decision. I think it is very hard for any politician, as a matter of the state of campaign financing, to maintain this. Certainly I believe that some public officers, including a row officer or two, have not, and will not, be corrupted. I'm just not sure I can say that about any of the commissioners, and certainly not the DAs office.
Matthews makes every decision using the same litmus test: can this policy be made to "hurt" Castor? The so-called ethics debacle is just the most obvious one. Rather than following through on his conservative campaign, Matthews has made certain that none of his (and Castor's) positions from 2007 advance so as to keep Castor from being able to point to a"victory" that could be used by Castor to further Castor's political career. Instead, he sold to Hoeffel all of the Democrat campaign "planks" in exchange for the title of "Chairman" and making his best friend the solicitor (Barry Miller) and his secretary (Eleanor Schnieder) as the HR Director.
(continued)…The result? Hoeffel's political career soars (when it should have been over) and Castor's remains stagnant. Of course the party has reacted by killing Matthews as a Republican. So the GOP winners of a tough election go no where and Hoeffel takes center stage thanks to Matthews' spite. Wonder if Matthews will ever figure out that his revival as a political leader can only go through Castor who has the power to if he chooses to allow Matthews to come back. There is no down side to Matthews dumping Hoeffel and switching back (blame Hoeffel for duping him as part of the guv run) except, of course, pride. A great opportunity to cut a deal with Castor to resurrect himself. Matthews really has himself in a box with this one. He won't switch parties. He'll try to go it alone when he should be thinking how to get himself out of this mess. Lots of people would have an interest him helping Matthews save face, but whether Matthews avails himself of that is doubtful.
Matthews should be impeached simply for being so stupid as to actually confirm what insiders have known for two years: that he cares nothing for what is the right government action and only for attacking Castor out of envy that he needed Castor to get his sorry a** elected. Matthews fancies (fancied?) himself as "Lord Protector and Beneficient Ruler" of Montco after two elections and an LG run just the year before. Then he barely squeeks by on the coat-tails of the vastly more popular Castor needing alast minute TV ad to pull him over the top. Is he grateful to Castor and the party for making it so he got to keep his job (a job he needs to avoid starvation)? Nope. He's embarrassed and looked for a way to "bring Castor Cown a few pegs" (an exact quote). Problem is that while trying to cover Castor in sh*t, he burried himself and left only the defeated Democrat standing. Was this his idea? No way. He was manipulated by Bob Asher and Ken Davis who are now laughing at his inability to extricate himself from the mess they helped him create.
Isn't there anybody out there who can get Matthews to step back and re-evaluate? The guy is self-destructing. Clearly, forces within the County GOP have systematically worked to destroy him. He failed to realize that Castor has a ton of residual credibility from when he was DA and with the party chair as his ally can do much to undermine him. Matthews also failed to realize that he has no leverage to keep Castor "in line." Overtly and covertly, Castor can undermine Matthews at every opportunity and there is nothing Matthews can do about it especially with the party machinery behind Castor. Stupid to totally cut Castor out and thus give him nothing to lose in going after Matthews. Matthews simply doesn think and is surrounded by others with the same failing.
To Montcoresident: You miss the point. Castor ran to end the patronage debacle in the court house. So did Hoeffel. Castor got stuck with Matthews. Hoeffel could have been a true reformer. But instead the minute he got a seat at the table he dealt himself all in on the patronage game instead of ending it. He knew he'd have a second vote with Castor to truly take the politics out of the court house. Instead he teams up with Matthews and they gorge themselves on the taxpayer dime.
Cynics may not be surprised, but voters shouldn't be fooled again. Castor is the only one they should return to office.
Matthews doesn't even disguise it anymore. All he cares about is his title (and what prestige the thinks, incorrectly, goes with that), and giving his friend Barry Miller a job. Miller is a lawyer who would starve were it not for the welfare given him by Matthews and their friend on the court, Miller's old partner, Dick Hodgson. And Matthews wanted to give a plum to his secretary so he put her in charge of personnel for the whole county! It doesn't take much to make Matthews happy: a title and helping a few friends. Against this he sold his honor and integrity plus his place in the party. Hoeffel knows what's important to Matthews. He gave him those few triffles to get back in the game and load up on patronage and cash to spread around. Remember Hoeffel was going to be the big swinging di*k and take back Montco, but Castor showed who's boss at the ballot box. Enter Jim Matthews to be the savior of Joe Hoeffel over their shared envy/loathing of Bruce Castor. Guv Joe, anyone?
"Jimmy" (Smirkonish for Jim) Matthews? Ethics? Where's the correlation? More an oxymoron? No, just moron.
Abington Tom: Which Asher toad are you? So you favor all Matthews is doing to ruin the party and the county government? Rail on Castor all you want, that is supposed to justify the lies Matthews told the committee, the donors and the voters? Don't you get it? MATTHEWS IS A LIAR. He used Castor and the party to get elected and has adopted the Democrats platform totally. He voted to hire all those failed Democrats candidates, he voted to give Hoeffel $105 million slush fund to enhance his run for governor, he voted to put Hoeffel in charge of a BILLION dollars in patronage money throught the DVRPC, he put the Dem Chariman on the Community College Board. The list is endless. Are you saying that Matthews hatred of Castor is justified so his selling out of the GOP is too? How about the article where Matthews admits that he went after the current DA to try to "hurt" Castor? Are you defending that too? Crawl back up Asher's a** and leave this game to those people with two brain cells to rub together.
For Heaven's sake! It has nothing to do with Castor or what you think of him. It has to do with what is right, keeping your work, advancing principles. Matthews has let his animous toward Castor overwelm his obligation to those who elected him. He is using his position to retaliate against everyone who he perceives slighted him in the past. He is a man with no character, no integrity, no understanding of duty. In short, Jim Matthews is a bad man.
I have to agree here. There is simply no excuse for Matthews' behavior. If anything, Matthews has boosted Castor's standing within the party. Bruce was never all that popular with the party before. But now Castor will forever be the guy who predicted that Matthews would defect. Back in '07, people thought he was nuts. They don't think so now. As I recall, Ed (I mean Abington Tom), you were one of the big Matthews guys at the time. Now Matthews admits trying to hurt Castor's friends (DA Ferman, Sheriff Durante). How do you excuse him for that? Just how has Matthews helped the Republican Party with his deal with Hoeffel? What have we gotten out of it? A boatload of Democrat operatives making fat salaries in county government, Hoeffel in a commanding role with a huge wad of cash to spread around (courtesy of Matthews)while he runs for governor. Oh, and as a result, the county is broke. Nice going Jimbo.
Castor is his own worst enemy. He has stabbed friends in the back, racked up his own share of cronyism in the courthouse, made ethics violations, harbored petty grudges and made calculated political decisions around them, and so on. Don't cry any tears for Bruce. He is as ambitious and as cunning as any of them. He was fully in bed with Asher, then when Asher turned on him, all of the sudden Bruce assumed a fake "We can't have felons running the party" posture. But felons running the party was ok with Brucey as long as they were playing for Team Brucey. And Brucey has that amateur Miles advising him to stay pissing in the MontCo sandbox rather than going for higher office like Congress or Lt. Gov. Bruce will NEVER go higher than county commissioner.
Ken: Which Castor sycophant are you? In case you missed it, Abington Tom wasn't even defending Matthews. Jim's behavior isn't really defensible. But to sit here and act like Bruce hasn't engaged in his own attempted patronage time and time again is a ridiculous claim that only a boot-licker could believe. He tried numerous times to put many of his own people in county positions. Sometimes those people weren't qualified, and sometimes they were, much the same as Jim and Joe's people. Some of them probably would have been good fits. Bruce couldn't make it happen most of the time because Jim or Joe prevented it. That doesn't make it acceptable, but its the truth. Though to claim that Bruce wouldn't or hasn't engaged in patronage is just disingenuous. Abington Tom is correct. Bruce is his own worst enemy, and he won't go any further than County Commissioner. He had great opportunities in the past but his extreme arrogance sunk his own ship.
Matthews himself said Castor never proposed anyone to hire for the county government on Abington TV last year . It's a bold faced lie to claim Castor tried to put scores of unqualified people into county positions. It's an invention borne of 0 facts or truth.
But if you have evidence to support your patronage claim, please present names and positions.
You can't because he hasn't.
Frederick is right. The response from Matthews fans is to ignore the damage he's done across the spectrum to the party and just respond with what a jerk they think Castor is.
and to be absolutely clear: He has proposed ZERO people to hire in this government. Not a single one. But if you can name a single one, please do so.
My guess is Castor proposed his secretary. That’s it. Castor is much to saavy to ask for anything that could be taken away if he refuses to play ball with the other commissioners. Funny to see the lunatics here say the opposite. They have no names to point to. Just a deflection game to distract people from the incalcuable harm Matthews has caused. You know Matthews the guy the Asher/Davis people backed. The guy they defended until he became indefensible. Remember guys and gals who backed Marthews: this is your fault. You know it. And you will do anything to avoid taking the blame.
Of course Castor hasn't proposed anyone for a job. That would be like putting a big target on the person. It is laughable that people here are trying to make folks take their eye off the real problem. It is Matthews and his systematic destruction of the county government and the Republican Party. The sleezy way in which he took our money, our work, and our votes and handed control over to the defeated Joe Hoeffel. If that isn't bad enough, he is so stupid that he doesn't realize that he has been played as a fool by Hoeffel who simply has to propose something which would be "bad for Castor" and Matthews drools all over himself to comply. Hence the "Ethics Policy" which Matthews even admits was all about political retribution and had nothing to do with Ethics. Thus confirming what Castor (and the Philly Inquirer) has been saying all along. Jim: Hoeffel is making a fool out of you!!! He is playing on your insecurity and hatred of Castor to accomplish his own ends while appearing to kiss up to you. Please stop before it is too late (if it isn't already).
Think Matthews reads any of this? He is too far gone with Hoeffel to ever admit he screwed up. Even when it is evident to everyone. He needs a way out. Start trying to figure that before the county is finished.
For the Bruce lovers: True or false: Bruce Castor courted Bob Asher for support for his run for Atty Gen., knowing full well Asher was a convicted felon. TRUE OR FALSE. Come on Bruce droolers, a simple question.
Another wonderful attempt to get the focus off of Jim Matthews and his betrayal of the voters and the party that elected him to office three times.
Your question is irrelevant. The issue isn't whether Castor is a good or bad person or whether he has always been consistent in his assessment of convicted felon Bob Asher.
The issue is Jim Matthews running as a fiscally responsible Republican against Joe Hoeffel and then making a deal with Joe Hoeffel to hire the Montco Democrats top political operatives, use their positions to raise money to defeat Republican candidates, use their control of the county to load up our boards and commissions and county jobs with former and future Democrat candidates and aid and abet the growth and prosperity of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. Add in there a scheme to prevent Republicans from running for office or raising money.
These are all things Jim Matthews is presently doing or has done.
I don't care if Castor and Asher used to skip together hand in hand to the chocolate factory it does not make what Jim Matthews is doing acceptable, defensible or forgivable.
Give it up. Reason means nothing to the Matthews crowd. They cannot defend the guy and that drives them nuts to the point of near insanity.
Where are all the Matthews defenders out there? Surely you have a spin to put on Matthews statements that he voted for the so-called ethics policy to "hurt" Castor. Nevermind that it actually hurt Risa Ferman and the DA's Staff. Matthews position was he wanted to "hurt" Castor's friend the DA to "hurt" Castor. He went after another GOP row officer to advance the aim of his BFF Hoeffel. Please Matthews people, please tell us how this conduct is justified? Please tell us how Matthews conduct has not propelled Hoeffel's political career forward? Please tell us how Matthews' "deal" with Hoeffel has helped the Republican Party? We got to hire Matthews secretary as the Human Recource person and his buddy as solicitor, not to mention every defeated Democrat under the sun. Tell us oh worshipers of Jim Matthews, why he shouldn;t be horsewhipped, tared and feathered, and run out of the county on a rail? Don't tell us about Castor. Tell us about Matthews and why he isn't worse than Arlen Specter?
When will we be rid of Jim Matthews? The truth and good government are foreign concepts to him. Vindictivnes and spite are his guideposts. Very insecure man.