Democrats for Delaware County Council

PO Box 473, Media, Pennsylvania 19063

PRESS RELEASE

April 19, 2005

Havertown … Speaking to the Haverford Township Democratic Party, John Innelli, one of two endorsed Democratic candidates for Delaware County Council, tonight ripped the Republican Party as "a corrupt machine that uses public money to perpetuate its sole interest - self enrichment at taxpayer expense." Innelli made the charge one day after the Delaware County Daily Times exposed evidence that validates often-repeated allegations of rampant Republican Party patronage.

"Indifference to the needs of ordinary citizens and devotion to their own bank accounts is the hallmark of this inefficient, bloated county government," Innelli told party members gathered at the Haverford Free Library. According to Innelli, the Republican patronage machine amounts to public financing of the Delaware County Republican Party, which "exists solely to serve the financial interests of party bosses."

"Their view of politics is the reason this county has high property taxes, distressed school districts, pockets of persistent and severe poverty, no real plan for dealing with terrorist threats and no county health department. For those named in the article, the art of politics is to operate a government which does what it has to do by law and not one thing more, while enriching family and friends," stated Innelli.

The allegations of vast patronage in Delaware County are nothing new. But the extent to which jobs and contracts are awarded to those who do the bidding of the Republican Party is nearly immeasurable. The very same conditions are what lead to a federal corruption investigation in Philadelphia. According to Innelli, the Republican greed for campaign cash has created a political climate that brings enormous pressure upon people to contribute bigger and bigger sums of money to fund increasingly competitive, and expensive, campaigns. "The climate exists in this county for the same type of corrupting influence that money in politics often creates and which is currently charged in the federal probe in Philadelphia. The only difference is that Republican law enforcement officials at the state and federal level won't investigate their own," said Innelli.

Of all the allegations of patronage, the most abusive is that of double dipping. There are a number of elected and appointed Republican officials in this county who, according to Innelli, have multiple mouths feeding in the public trough. According to the Daily Times, State Senator Dominic Pileggi of Chester earns $35,000 as an assistant county solicitor, in addition to his more than $60,000 salary as a state senator. Upper Darby Republican Boss John McNichol earns $88,707 as data processing director while his son in law rakes in $107,711 as the administrator of Fair Acres Geriatric Center. "Isnt it ironic," asked Innelli, "that of one of the most powerful Republican bosses in the county and his son in law are taking in nearly $200,000 a year in tax payer funded salaries, while the son-in-law runs a geriatric center for the county's poorest senior citizens? This "All in the Family" relationship is greed - pure and simple," said Innelli.

Innelli, speaking on behalf of himself and running mate Nancy Baulis, pledged that if elected one of their top priorities would be reforming a broken system of personnel hiring and contract bidding. "Its clear that the main goal of this patronage system is not to hire the most qualified, but to further entrench the Republican machine," said Innelli. "Do they really expect us to believe that a job application with Tom Judge's seal of approval doesn't get preferential treatment?" asked Innelli.

Innelli maintains there is one thing this county government does well. "The patronage machine otherwise known as the Delaware County Courthouse excels at perpetuating single party domination over a bloated, inefficient, self serving government. Nancy Baulis and I will change that and give the people a government that works for them, not for itself."

For more information contact John Innelli at 215-561-1011.

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