Bennett has a track record of running organizations into the ground

September 17, 2008

Siobhan “Sam” Bennett has once again raised questions about the viability of her Congressional campaign with the departure of her most recent campaign manager, Kathryn Seck.  Seck was either Bennett’s second or third campaign manager. (Walter Ludwig, a Washington DC-based political consultant had been acting as a top Bennett aide in 2007.)

Bennett has a long history of mismanagement, incompetence and of leaving bad feelings among those associated with her,” noted Congressman Dent.

For example, Bennett’s website says that she saved Mayfair in Allentown while serving as the festival’s director.  However, newspaper reports show that by the time she skipped out of that job she left an organization teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, mired in debt and facing numerous lawsuits from vendors Bennett failed to pay. She was also involved in a controversial firing during her time as Director of Mayfair.

Her political campaigns have been no less disorganized. Bennett’s two failed mayoral campaigns were characterized by her constant inaccurate statements, negativity and personal attacks.  A Morning Call columnist on August 23rd of this year wrote that her congressional campaign was “. . . driving down BS Boulevard” with regards to factual accuracy.

Her most recent work with the non-profit group Properties of Merit has created controversy through Bennett’s salary grab – a maneuver so blatant that it would make the corporate CEO’s she rails against blush.

Congressman Dent wished Kathryn Seck well in whatever her new endeavor may be.  “While Bennett and Ms. Seck have parted ways, the truth is that campaign doesn’t need a new manager, it needs a new candidate."

Allentown Morning Call, September 16, 2008:

“With just seven weeks left until voters go to the polls, 15th District congressional challenger Sam Bennett has been forced to reshuffle her campaign staff, replacing her campaign manager for the second time. Kathryn Seck, who took the helm of Bennett's campaign in June, replacing Hannah Miller, has left, citing differences in opinion over the future of the campaign. ‘'Sam and I disagreed on management of the campaign going forward,’ Seck said in an e-mail…This is Bennett's third campaign manager.”

Bennett’s “NO Energy” policy would leave us running on empty

Recent news reports are saying that we could be paying $7 per gallon of gasoline by year’s end.  Congressional candidate Siobhan Bennett doesn’t have the slightest idea how to stop that nightmare from becoming a reality for people in the Lehigh Valley and across America.

The “NO Energy” policy she supports on her webpage focuses solely on alternative and renewable energy.  Of course, everyone supports alternative and renewable energy sources.  However, Bennett failed to do her homework. These sources make up a very small portion of the energy currently being used by Americans.

Bennett flunks the reality test.  She fails to even mention the need for increased oil and natural gas production, clean coal technology and nuclear energy.  Bennett doesn’t grasp the significant positive economic impact that developing clean coal technology would represent to the state.

Only an extreme ideologue like Sam Bennett would refuse to advocate a balanced approach towards meeting our energy needs.

“The truth is Sam Bennett has no plan to address our energy needs,” said Dent’s campaign manger, Shawn Millan.  “The people who have been hurt by rising gas prices will take a pass on ‘Seven Dollar a Gallon Sam’,” added Millan.

Representative Dent has a broad-reaching, realistic plan that can be found at his website:  www.dentforcongress.com.  Dent’s G.R.O.W. plan balances the need for and desirability of alternative and renewable energy sources with the practical realization that we need to increase domestic production in environmentally sensitive ways both offshore and onshore (including Alaska and elsewhere).

Further, Representative Dent’s record shows his strong support for conservation. He has voted to increase the energy efficiency of our appliances and the gas mileage of our vehicles.  The ultimate goal of Represent Dent’s G.R.O.W. plan is to lessen America’s dependence on energy from trouble spots around the World.

Local Contributors, Voters Aren’t Buying Into Bennett

A recent study of campaign finance reports filed by Siobhan “Sam” Bennett’s Congressional campaign show that an amazing 78% of the itemized contributions she has received originate from contributors outside of the Lehigh Valley-centered district.  Amazingly, nearly 30% of her itemized contributions have been made by people who do not even live in Pennsylvania.

An itemized contribution is a contribution made by an individual contributor that exceeds $200.  To date, Bennett has reported receiving $177,823 in itemized contributions.  $138,831 came from people living outside of the 15th District.  $51,285 came from contributors living outside of the state.  The figures do not even include PAC contributions.

“To paraphrase Winston Churchill, never before have so few people from a community, given so little support to a candidate with so many ethical questions surrounding her,” said Shawn Millan, campaign manager for Congressman Charlie Dent.

Allentown Democratic voters have twice voted to defeat Bennett in her mayoral campaigns.  Many still remember the public spectacle she made of herself after the first loss. They know that contrary to her campaign claims, she left the Mayfair Festival saddled with debt. Most tellingly, they know that she used a local non-profit organization, Properties of Merit, to enrich herself by improperly paying herself a hugely inflated salary of $110,000 a year at taxpayer expense.

Amazingly, according to a recent news report, Bennett views her lack of support as a “great sign.” “Folks out of District see the viability here,” said Bennett.

Apparently, Democrats in the District don’t see things the same way.  On Primary Election Day, nearly 40,000 Democrats in Lehigh and Northampton counties, who voted in the Presidential race, didn’t bother to vote for Bennett. An amazing 36% of Democrat voters overlooked or ignored her candidacy.

“These numbers show that Siobhan Bennett is utterly disconnected from the people of our community,” Millan noted. “Is it any wonder that those who know her best are least likely to support her candidacy?” asked Millan.