“Willie, you have accepted a $4000 donation and a $2000 donation from folk related to developers. Can you explain this and assure the people that it would not be a conflict of interest for you when discussing developments within the City?”
Candidate Reynolds:
- I can tell you one of the things I want to start with is if you look at 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, I literally raised zero dollars.
- For a while my opponents here were talking about contributions I received 9, 10, 11 years ago.
- They dropped talking about that, it was a decade ago, because they realized it didn’t sound as good.
- I can also tell you that in politics I’ve learned that at some point you need to raise money.
- And everybody remembers campaigns where my opponents sent out campaign mailers when I was 19 years old with my backwards hats on.
- Those campaigns were run by a lot of the people currently making comments in the chat box and by my opponent right here.
- But I can tell you that I’m proud of every vote that I ever made.
- And a lot of the conversation here is about the fact that people are frustrated that Bethlehem is moving forward.
- There’s a lot of hypocrisy here, and I can tell you that we need investment in our city.
- And I think if you take a look at the economic development projects that have occurred in Bethlehem over the past 25 years, it is what has allowed Bethlehem to build back an economy that was struggling after Bethlehem Steel went down.
- So I am very proud of my voting record.
- In the last several years you’re going to look at the fact that, in the last 4-5 years I didn’t raise a dollar.
- The best that my opponent has as far as a vision is complaining about something that happened in 2011.
- I would say look at my colleagues, and if you take a look at Dr. Van Wirt and Councilman Colon and Counvilwoman Negron, they are all supporters of mine.
- And they are also people my opponent went to for support and they said no because of his negativity and his vision.
- So I am proud of who is supporting my campaign.
- I am proud that we have support in the community, and I look forward to serving the residents.
Moderator to Grubb:
- I’ll give you a 30-second rebuttal.
Candidate Grubb:
- Just one point, I did not go to any elected officials looking for endorsements, at all.
Candidate Reynolds:
- That’s a lie. But I’m going to let that go.