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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Posted on 07/10/2003 2:02:30 PM PDT by FreeperinRATcage
So who was that letter-writer, calling herself Theresa Newbery from Philadelphia, who slammed mayoral candidate Sam Katz in the letters-to-the-editor section of Saturday's Daily News?
It was Theresa Keel - wife of Frank Keel, who is a spokesman for Mayor Street's campaign against Katz. He's also the mayor's former press secretary.
The Keels live in Montgomery County, not Philadelphia.
The Daily News, unaware that "Theresa Newbery" was really Theresa Keel, published her letter.
"Yes, I wrote the letter," Theresa Keel said, in a brief telephone interview from the $263,000, four-bedroom, 2 ½-bath home she and her husband purchased in North Wales in 1999.
Newbery is her maiden name. Asked why she had not used her married name when signing the letter, Theresa Keel said, "I just didn't feel like it."
She said she didn't believe it had been misleading to withhold her married name.
"I use my maiden name quite a lot," she said.
Theresa Keel, 35, ended the interview before she could be asked why she stated on the letter that she lived in Philadelphia.
Her husband, who is deputy communications director of the Street re-election campaign, said the use of the false address resulted from his wife's "naivete."
"It was a mistake," said Frank Keel, 44. "She was writing about Philadelphia issues to a Philadelphia newspaper and she thought having a Philadelphia address would be helpful and be more impactful, if you will."
As for using her maiden name, Keel said if she had used the Keel name, it would have "politicized" the matter.
"She uses her maiden name because the name 'Keel' is a lightning rod for some people," said Keel.
Keel, whose public-relations firm has been paid more than $1 million since 2000 to cover work he has done for the Street administration, defended his wife's right to express her opinions. But his boss said there was a right way and a wrong way to express those opinions.
"The mayor wants to make it clear that this was not a letter written on behalf of the campaign," said Street campaign communications chief Mark Nevins. "He does not condone this type of activity."
Nevins said that Street "encourages" those with strong opinions to write letters to the editor but added that, "There are rules to be followed in getting that letter published."
The Daily News requires that letter-writers supply an address and telephone number for verification purposes, though every letter-writer is not contacted, said Frank Burgos, editor of the Daily News editorial page. He added that the paper's rules were under review.
"I didn't know that Theresa Newbery was married to Frank Keel," Burgos said.
Burgos said he called Frank Keel after learning of his relationship to the letter-writer and received an apology from Keel.
"We have to trust the writers to be both honest in their opinions and in the basic facts they give us," said Burgos.
The letter, which begins by calling the mayor's brother, Milton, a dope, refers to a "litany of failed businesses, outstanding lawsuits and allegations brought by former investors of embezzlement" against Katz.
Katz angrily rebutted the allegations, saying that he's been in business 30 years and that there has been only one case in which a business partner has made such allegations in a lawsuit.
He said the writing of the letter had been "an act of desperation" by the Street campaign.
"We're ahead of them in the polls, in volunteers and money," said Katz, adding that those factors caused the Street campaign to engage in "character assassination."
Said Katz: "This is what a million dollars paid to Frank Keel gets the taxpayers of Philadelphia."
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/6262394.htm
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/columnists/6270330.htm
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Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
FMCDH
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Then as a caveat, the same taxpayers who had to pay for the $290,000 a copy replacement houses that were $25,000 houses before WMD's were unleashed re-elcted the idiot.
One of the many reasons I left my birthplace and that of six generations before me.
Two years prior, our neighbor was fired from the police department for living in his mother's suburban home. That was different. He was of the wrong color. Even the municipal court employees broke the law with this sort of zip code created loophole.
Years after I left, the residents had the zipcode changed by their congressional rep to reflect that of Glenside, showing a definate geographical difference from Philadelphia. Part of the deal brokered was that those city employees who were violating their own residency requirement law were exempted.
Sickening!
"Yes, I wrote the letter," Theresa Keel said, in a brief telephone interview from the $263,000, four-bedroom, 2 ½-bath home she and her husband purchased in North Wales in 1999.
What the hell does it matter what size their house4 is and how much it costs? The $1M paid for PR is understandable, this is not.
"It was a mistake," said Frank Keel, 44. "She was writing about Philadelphia issues to a Philadelphia newspaper and she thought having a Philadelphia address would be helpful and be more impactful, if you will."
In other words she exagerrated and misled with good intentions....in order words intentionally.
As for using her maiden name, Keel said if she had used the Keel name, it would have "politicized" the matter.
Or perhaps they wouldn't have published the letter to the editor without identifying the author, if at all
I understand someone has the right to live where they choose, but not when you are employed by the city.
To be living in North Wales and chairing the campaign of the Mayor is at best out of touch with city rules. To play in Philly, you pay in Philly when politics is concerned.
I am not debating the location per say....it was the reference to size of the home and its price.
Then there is no big deal in making an issue about it, right?
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