Schaefer fends off ‘lies, smears’
To the Times:
Facing an historic loss in Delco, the Republican Party – and the dark money PACs supporting them – have stooped to a shameful and degrading new low in desperately trying to make child pornography and pedophilia an issue in the County Council campaign. The very premise of this attack is ludicrous and defies all credibility, given the makeup of the Democratic slate – three mothers who have all worked relentlessly to improve the quality of life in our communities.
Well, let me be very clear, these attacks are simply blatant lies and political smears. The fact is, the non-partisan Fraternal Order of Police carefully reviewed the facts and they have publicly and strongly supported our slate and my actions. Do not believe the slanderous Republican attacks.
Truthfully, I am not surprised that this election has come to this. If you’ve lived in Delaware County for any amount of time, you know the GOP machine’s infamous history. Their corruption is rooted in the fabric of our community. When I moved here more than 20 years ago, my new neighbor knocked on my door, welcomed me to the neighborhood, and kindly mentioned that I should register Republican if I wanted my trash picked up. We’ve all heard that story, and sadly, it’s true.
Tomorrow, Delaware County voters will have to make a choice. On one side, you have the Democratic slate, a group of hard-working mothers and fathers who love our community, and want to undo the corruption and oppression of the Delco GOP. On the other, a Republican machine that is willing to do absolutely anything they can do to keep the power they’ve held for more than 140 years.
Don’t be fooled. The impetus behind this ridiculous smear campaign is to steer your attention away from the real issues: The fact that after generations of absolute Republican rule our residents pay far higher taxes than our neighboring counties and receive far less in services. We don’t have a health department; we don’t have an effective economic development program and our employment rate is far lower than our neighbors; we have outsourced our prison system to a for-profit company with an abysmal record; our financial reporting is woeful; and we don’t have a meaningful open space and trails program. These are the real issues, and why we need change. Vote on Nov. 5 for the team that will bring this change – not the party stuck in the mud, whose smear tactics disrespect both the real victims of these crimes and our residents..