mcmahon

Candidates of good will can have honest debates and disagreements about the issues and candidates' records. But when they step over the line, we'll expose the worst of the lies, distortions and dirty tricks.

Says in a scandal sheet, distributed beginning October 7, that he left a $2 million surplus when he left office.

The public record shows that, at the end of 2003, Reading faced a $3 million deficit. Now we have a $7 million surplus. Mayor McMahon has lead a $10 million turn-around.

Tries to create a scandal by saying Tom received a $150,000 community development loan back in 1994, and asks for proof that the loan has been repaid.

This is a re-hash of a would-be scandal initated in the waning hours of the 2003 campaign. Problem is, they got the wrong McMahon. Again. Tom McMahon received no such loan. Look it up, Joe.

Responds to the Mayor's report of a continuing reduction in crime in the City by saying, "tell that to Mrs. Wise and Mrs. Wertz and their children."

Two police officers gave their lives in the fight against crime in our City; their sacrifice mandates respect -- and must not be the basis for a cheap shot from a politician. Perhaps the newspaper wasn't over-reaching when, on July 31, 2007, it said you are "unprofessional, incompetent, ineffectual, petty, vindictive, spiteful and vengeful."

Attempts to refute the fact that the Mayor personally led the successful fight to save Antietam Lake, saying "City Council saved Antietam Lake."

Ultimately, a NEW City Council did ratify the Mayor's plan, which he implemented months earlier, to save Antietam from development. Here's a link that includes the Mayor's thoughts about that fiasco, which in turn includes a link to the timeline on legal action the Mayor took to save the lake from Vaughn Spencer's and Angel Figueroa's scheme to give the lake to the Mascaro clan.

Calls Mayor McMahon "a racist," and says his 2008 budget, which adds six new codes officers, is an effort to prevent Hispanics from buying houses or renting apartments in Reading.

This is another outright lie. The Mayor is fighting to clean up neighborhoods in every corner of our City, and is targeting slumlords and illegal housing units. Every reasonable person wants to clean up our city and provide quality housing all our citizens deserve.

Now, a new sleaze sheets says "McMahon is a liar!!!" It seems Joe and his thugs just can't believe Mayor McMahon has built a $7 million surplus after Joe managed to rack up a $3 million deficit by the time he left office. (PS this sleaze sheet is illegal because charges are so baseless that no one wants to put their name on it -- as required by laws.)

This is yet another outright lie. Joe cites an early 2006 report in which Management Partners projects a $25.5 million deficit by 2010. The good news is that Mayor McMahon has guided what was a sinking ship into smoother waters. In fact, City Auditor David Cituk reported that Reading had a surplus in excess of $8 million earlier this year ....