There's A Stranger Among Us! By Don P. Hurley - There is, in deed, a stranger among us; and his name is Bob Levy. Bob Levy is a nearly 50 year, life-long Republican masquerading in a Democrat Primary Election for Mayor of Atlantic City. I can not take credit for the term "stranger" for Bob Levy, as Mayor Langford created that appropriate title for Levy at a forum in their home civic group. I say "their home civic group" generously, as Levy only joined the Venice Park Civic Association a few weeks ago for political purposes. Whereas, Mayor Langford has countless years of service and participation with the group. As someone who regularly travels in and around the circles of Atlantic City life, I was struck by a few things as they relate to Bob Levy and his phantom candidacy for Mayor of Atlantic City: 1. For a person who claims to be a life-long resident of Atlantic City, and has a more than 40 year history of working for the city, I was amazed to learn how many people do not even know who Bob Levy is. 2. And, of the people who thought they really knew Bob Levy, (many considered friends), they have all learned together that they did not know him as well as they had originally thought, and are truly disappointed to see the real Bob Levy. 3. The campaign for Levy began with a big lie. Levy tried to purport that he was kicked out of Atlantic City High School by a supposed deceased Principal, for inter-racial dating. Harry Hurley in the Morning blew this lie out of the water, and Levy was forced to retract this false claim within the Press of Atlantic City. 4. Bob Levy claims he has always been a supporter of the Police and Public Safety. This is not true. He claims that Mayor Langford is placing the Police Officers in danger by not having enough of them on the streets of Atlantic City. This is also not true. 5. I asked Levy for his help just a few years ago, when Jim Whelan, (his real friend and former Mayor of AC), was leaving the streets with terribly unsafe numbers of Officers to patrol them properly. Jim Whelan was threatening to lay off Police Officers and Fire Fighters, if they did not accept the insulting offer of a two-year wage freeze. Jim Whelan was attempting to eliminate the position of Chief of Police and also attempting to take away the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health Benefits from the Police and Fire Fighters. 6. This was all at the same time that Whelan and Levy were simultaneously attempting to create 50 plum, do-nothing positions for their political cronies and friends at salaries of $50,000 per year, (a generous salary back then). 7. During all of these events, I asked Bob Levy for help with his maniacal-Mayor-friend. Bob Levy couldn't have cared less about the Police, Fire Fighters or public safety for that matter. He did nothing to help us. 8. Levy also did not ever feel compelled to challenge his friend, Whelan, for Mayor in view of all of this terrible treatment of the Police and Fire Fighters. 9. Now, fast forward to today, and Levy has made the supposed horrible treatment of the Police and Fire Fighters by Mayor Langford as the main plank in his platform to run for Mayor. 10. Mayor Langford offered the Police and Fire Fighters a 21% increase over five years. That's 21% more than Levy's friend and former Mayor Jim Whelan offered. However, Bob Levy thought that was just fine back then to offer the Police and Fire Fighters nothing, and threaten to take away their jobs, too. 11. That's the way things were just a few years ago. Now, the same people are trying to bring those good old days back in disguise. Why else would it be that Levy has not once pictured himself with Jim Whelan or mentioned his good friend and former master Jim Whelan in one of his expensive out of town TV commercials? Levy, instead, has chosen to show himself with former Mayor Usry and others that he had no real association with, in effort to fool the people in a short, dishonest campaign for Mayor. 12. Am I the only one who has noticed that the only white people in any of Bob Levy's phony TV ads are the ones posing as Drug Dealers and other perpetrators? 13. By the way, do you think Jim Whelan is proud of his old friend Bob Levy, who now says he is proud to be friends with Craig Callaway? Wasn't it Callaway and his syndicate whom publicly accused Jim Whelan of being a child molester in the last election? It must be nice to be in such a nice group of friends? 14. Mayor Whelan closed two Fire Companies and also threatened to take away more Fire Fighters jobs just a few years ago. This was also just fine with Bob Levy. 15. Bob Levy claims to be in favor of Community Policing and will put more officers on the streets of Atlantic City. 16. If this were true, than why hasn't Levy ever urged his good personal friend, Chief Arthur Snellbaker, to enact Mayor Langford's policies for Community Policing? And, if Levy was truly so concerned about public safety, then why didn't he accept Mayor Langford's generous offer of a few short years ago to be Director of Public Safety? 17. The answer is quite simple. Bob Levy has been clearly discovered to be a person that has a problem with telling the truth. 18. Bob Levy demonstrated that he was not ready for prime time. He refused to answer any real questions for an entire campaign and merely hid underneath Craig Callaway's skirt, (or was that a burka?). 19. And, in between hugging Callaway at every chance to proclaim his love, Bob Levy was seen consorting with thugs, bullies and intimidators while regularly disrupting community events and public forums. 20. The good news is, this campaign is almost over, and all of Bob Levy's operatives will be moving on to Philadelphia, and all of other places outside of Atlantic City. They will all be on to the next election, that they could really care less about, than for the money they are all in it for. I would conclude by urging the people of Atlantic City to come to the polls and vote, in person, the good old-fashioned American way. No criminal syndicate can steal this election from you, if you participate and permit your real voices to be heard. Bob Levy has proven, he truly is a stranger among us. I think we all have been taught as young people not to talk to strangers. This premise should also extend to not voting for them as well!

By DON P. HURLEY

Contributing Editor

HarryHurley.com

June 5, 2005

There is, in deed, a stranger among us; and his name is Bob Levy.

Bob Levy is a nearly 50 year, life-long Republican masquerading in a Democrat Primary Election for Mayor of Atlantic City.

I can not take credit for the term "stranger" for Bob Levy, as Mayor Langford created that appropriate title for Levy at a forum in their home civic group. I say "their home civic group" generously, as Levy only joined the Venice Park Civic Association a few weeks ago for political purposes. Whereas, Mayor Langford has countless years of service and participation with the group.

As someone who regularly travels in and around the circles of Atlantic City life, I was struck by a few things as they relate to Bob Levy and his phantom candidacy for Mayor of Atlantic City:

1. For a person who claims to be a life-long resident of Atlantic City, and has a more than 40 year history of working for the city, I was amazed to learn how many people do not even know who Bob Levy is.

2. And, of the people who thought they really knew Bob Levy, (many considered friends), they have all learned together that they did not know him as well as they had originally thought, and are truly disappointed to see the real Bob Levy.

3. The campaign for Levy began with a big lie. Levy tried to purport that he was kicked out of Atlantic City High School by a supposed deceased Principal, for inter-racial dating. Harry Hurley in the Morning blew this lie out of the water, and Levy was forced to retract this false claim within the Press of Atlantic City.

4. Bob Levy claims he has always been a supporter of the Police and Public Safety. This is not true. He claims that Mayor Langford is placing the Police Officers in danger by not having enough of them on the streets of Atlantic City. This is also not true.

5. I asked Levy for his help just a few years ago, when Jim Whelan, (his real friend and former Mayor of AC), was leaving the streets with terribly unsafe numbers of Officers to patrol them properly. Jim Whelan was threatening to lay off Police Officers and Fire Fighters, if they did not accept the insulting offer of a two-year wage freeze. Jim Whelan was attempting to eliminate the position of Chief of Police and also attempting to take away the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health Benefits from the Police and Fire Fighters.

6. This was all at the same time that Whelan and Levy were simultaneously attempting to create 50 plum, do-nothing positions for their political cronies and friends at salaries of $50,000 per year, (a generous salary back then).

7. During all of these events, I asked Bob Levy for help with his maniacal-Mayor-friend. Bob Levy couldn't have cared less about the Police, Fire Fighters or public safety for that matter. He did nothing to help us.

8. Levy also did not ever feel compelled to challenge his friend, Whelan, for Mayor in view of all of this terrible treatment of the Police and Fire Fighters.

9. Now, fast forward to today, and Levy has made the supposed horrible treatment of the Police and Fire Fighters by Mayor Langford as the main plank in his platform to run for Mayor.

10. Mayor Langford offered the Police and Fire Fighters a 21% increase over five years. That's 21% more than Levy's friend and former Mayor Jim Whelan offered. However, Bob Levy thought that was just fine back then to offer the Police and Fire Fighters nothing, and threaten to take away their jobs, too.

11. That's the way things were just a few years ago. Now, the same people are trying to bring those good old days back in disguise. Why else would it be that Levy has not once pictured himself with Jim Whelan or mentioned his good friend and former master Jim Whelan in one of his expensive out of town TV commercials? Levy, instead, has chosen to show himself with former Mayor Usry and others that he had no real association with, in effort to fool the people in a short, dishonest campaign for Mayor.

12. Am I the only one who has noticed that the only white people in any of Bob Levy's phony TV ads are the ones posing as Drug Dealers and other perpetrators?

13. By the way, do you think Jim Whelan is proud of his old friend Bob Levy, who now says he is proud to be friends with Craig Callaway? Wasn't it Callaway and his syndicate whom publicly accused Jim Whelan of being a child molester in the last election? It must be nice to be in such a nice group of friends?

14. Mayor Whelan closed two Fire Companies and also threatened to take away more Fire Fighters jobs just a few years ago. This was also just fine with Bob Levy.

15. Bob Levy claims to be in favor of Community Policing and will put more officers on the streets of Atlantic City.

16. If this were true, than why hasn't Levy ever urged his good personal friend, Chief Arthur Snellbaker, to enact Mayor Langford's policies for Community Policing? And, if Levy was truly so concerned about public safety, then why didn't he accept Mayor Langford's generous offer of a few short years ago to be Director of Public Safety?

17. The answer is quite simple. Bob Levy has been clearly discovered to be a person that has a problem with telling the truth.

18. Bob Levy demonstrated that he was not ready for prime time. He refused to answer any real questions for an entire campaign and merely hid underneath Craig Callaway's skirt, (or was that a burka?).

19. And, in between hugging Callaway at every chance to proclaim his love, Bob Levy was seen consorting with thugs, bullies and intimidators while regularly disrupting community events and public forums.

20. The good news is, this campaign is almost over, and all of Bob Levy's operatives will be moving on to Philadelphia, and all of other places outside of Atlantic City. They will all be on to the next election, that they could really care less about, than for the money they are all in it for.

I would conclude by urging the people of Atlantic City to come to the polls and vote, in person, the good old-fashioned American way. No criminal syndicate can steal this election from you, if you participate and permit your real voices to be heard.

Bob Levy has proven, he truly is a stranger among us. I think we all have been taught as young people not to talk to strangers. This premise should also extend to not voting for them as well!

Respectfully,

Don