Montco resident not buying Hoeffel patronage excuses

Montgomery County Democratic Commissioner Joe Hoeffel has been on the defensive lately, attempting to explain why hiring a half-dozen political cronies to lucrative county jobs isn't patronage. He hasn't won over this Montgomery County resident, who sent this letter to The Mercury in response to Hoeffel's op-ed explaining the hirings.

Dear Editor:

In response to Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel's letter to The Mercury regarding the exposition of "feather bedding" in Montgomery County government, Hoeffel stated that the practice of hiring cronies with political connections should be a thing of the past.

Hoeffel "created positions" for the losers, Amuso, Carolina, and Cheri in the November 2007 election. This means the voters did not want them. The fact that they were all on the Democrat slate would qualify them as having political connections. The fact that the jobs were created for them were being done by the current staff would qualify them as cronies. Joe, in your own words, what have you hired?

If they walk like ducks, quack like ducks, they are patronage appointments. Their salaries are coming out of the treasury and the citizens are paying for your rewarding gift.

I didn’t have the opportunity to attend Harvard (yes another one). Over the course of life I learned when someone is stealing whether it be legalized or not. I do know that I don’t need Harvard graduates, Amuso and Albert, who have no sense of shame, to put their hands in my pocket to collect a salary.

If Amuso, Albert and Maza are invaluable, why were they let go from their past positions? Good help like a politician is hard to find. Instead of hiring Harvard graduates you should have hired ten stable hands to shovel out the Courthouse because you are filling it up fast.

As far as the bi-partisan ba-ba, everyone knows that the Republican party is sinking in Montco and the next event will be Jim Matthews' epiphany. He will abandon the sinking ship that he floated on for the past 30 years plus and align himself with the Democratic Party with your endorsement. Then he will cover his rear with two options: one, he can move into a juicy federal position when brother Chris runs for U.S. senator — or — God help us, return to Montco government as a Democrat. Was this the deal for his endorsement of you?

Joe, it is bad enough that business remains the same but stop trying to convince us we should have a smile on our faces as you do it to us.

Congratulations to The Mercury for having the fortitude to expose yourself serving policies.

BILL MADARA
Gilbertsville