Tredyffrin Township Political Notebook

Deconstructing Warren Kampf's latest Press Release on balancing cuts with education

2012-02-02T16:52:00.002-05:00

PA State Rep. Warren Kampf - We Must Balance the Budget While Preserving Education

As far as political stage craft is concerned, it's a well written written piece. On one hand, Kampf appears to be showing some "independence" from the governor, but on the other hand, is not going so far as to bring the Marcellus Shale issue that would be akin to sticking his thumb in Corbett's eye. This is where the political stage craft comes in - make it appear that you are independent while still be a true political loyalist.

The release is very populist. Kampf is leveraging his latest political darling - defined contribution vs. defined benefit pensions for state workers (which would include teachers.) Kampf starts to go down the road in this release by suggesting that education funding could be restored if his legislation were to be adopted. Kampf brings this up in the context of CURRENT budget negotiations. This is where folks have to look beyond the stage craft and ask the difficult question of whether this is really feasible - at least in the short term.

Politicians should not be judged on what they try to do. They should be judged on what they actually get done. While there may be an issue that I agree with, if there is no chance in Hell of the legislation passing, I don't give gold stars to the politico who "fights the good fight." It's important to note that much of what is in Kampf's release is poll driven. Going back to Corbett. The Governor's poll #'s have been down - since last April. That's why Kampf needs to separate himself from teh Governor a bit. BUT - he's not going to go too far. This pension idea that Kampf has, while good in theory, has no shot at passing - at least in the short term. So then, what other funding mechanisms are out there? Specifically, what else does Kampf suggest?

Well...when you read the press release, Kampf is rather vague. He's says things like:

While we do not yet know what he will propose, if the governor wants to save money on education, let’s begin by reforming the extraordinarily burdensome pension system to save tax dollars at every level of government.

Let’s cut the thicket of regulations and mandates that force schools to siphon money from successful educational programs.

Let's identify those programs that work – be they in education or other areas – and those that don't, then budget accordingly.

And, beyond education, let's ensure that social services are provided to those who truly need them while identifying and removing those who are cheating the system.

But let’s make sure education is still a priority when the budget is done.

So then...what is Kampf really saying here? First, to understand that, let's take a look at the predominate theme in his release: EDUCATION. Back to polling, Approx 67% of adults in PA OPPOSE EDUCATION CUTS. When Kampf ran for election, education was not a major factor in his bid for office. As a supervisor, he never weighed in on the debate. He certainly did not do so as a 2010 candidate for the state house. Well - with poll #'s like that, it is no wonder that education funding issue has become Kampf's new best political friend. It gives him the juice to take on and break the unions. More importantly, what Kampf is trying to say in his release is that he has the answers, that he holds the keys to solving the problem.

But alas...he holds no such keys...

For the record, I agree the pension situation has to be addressed. The situation we have right now is unsustainable. We didn't get into this situation overnight and it will not be resolved overnight. For sure, there will be no substantive changes by the time the next budget rolls around. Kampf's pension proposal is not a realistic funding option for the next budget. But something like a well-head tax on Marcellus Shale Drillers would be something that could be addressed in the short term. That would be realistic. And yet, that is something Kampf did not address - and that should tell you a lot. He remained very general in his release, and at the end of the day, really said nothing. The last thing a politician wants is to be pinned down on a specific issue.

Much of this release rings of a guy who is desperately trying to get to the middle of the political spectrum. The last line in his release is evidence of that:

It is my hope that, in the upcoming budget debate, politics can be set aside and we can work together to craft an honest, responsible budget that balances the need for protecting taxpayers with the responsibility the state has to its citizens. If that can happen, I know that our community and our state will be better off.

It took me a few minutes to catch my breath - as I was laughing. Warren Kampf is the last guy in the world that would set politics aside. He's always been a partisan politician. Kampf is not only a state rep (allegedly elected to represent R's, D's, etc) - Kampf is also a GOP Committee Man. That makes him partisan. By definitions, he cannot put politics aside.

So...what did Kampf say? Other than he's running for re-election and is identifying himself with issues that have positive poll #'s - not much. He's not holding himself accountable in case he cannot meeting the objectives he sets forth. What about your own business. What if you hire somebody who does not get the job done? You fire them. Kampf ran on a platform of jobs. Where is that initiative? That has been largely ignored. Let's remember that surrounding legislative districts appear to be fairing better than the 157th. Kampf has not done a single thing to attract business in his district. Then there is the Paoli TS - something that he has largely ignored.

The beauty of his "pension issue" is that it cuts across a number of issues. It has elements of jobs, economy and education.

But the real issue is funding....and while Kampf discusses the need to balance the budget, he's really wishy washy on the funding. Locally, the local taxing authorities (TESD and the BOS) - both raised taxes this year. That's the beauty of being a state rep - you can sidestep those local issues now. You are no longer the bad guy. You see, Kampf will want credit for "trying" - but the bills still have to get paid. And that is where the local taxes come in.

So again I ask...what did Kampf really say? Not much. When you strip the flowery language away, you find that all of these guys speak in sound bytes - without much substance.

The big question - will it work for Kampf? Probably... Former Rep. Paul Drucker is going to take a shot at getting his seat back. Will he succeed? If what we are seeing now is an indication of the the Drucker Campaign Operation - then probably not. Drucker has no website. He has a FaceBook and Twitter account - but those have not been updated in over a year. So Paul - if you are listening, you need to get cracking here. Kampf has effectively taken an issue or two from you. Apparently, Kampf is Education's best friend. His only other best friend is 422.. :-) Let's see if that old chestnut comes back.

That is Kampf's latest press release deconstructed.

Why is an economic developer survey for Coatesville of concern to Tredyffrin?

2012-01-20T16:24:00.003-05:00

From Community Matters

As if we didn't know that quality of life has an effect on home values... < s >....

Still, I'm trying to figure out why we in Tredyffrin would care. Why would our input on a Coatesville Survey by appropriate? I find it interesting that the company who is getting paid by the City of Coatesville asked Community Matters to post their info. Almost like free advertising. Seems like somebody is getting played....

As for economic development, don't we have our own issues here? Isn't there something about the Tredyffrin BOS Economic Development Task Force or something to that effect???

I love this question at the end of the post:

**
Instead of complaining about the situation, and questioning why things are not getting done, why not ask ourselves what ‘we’ can do?
**

Well Pattye, I'll ask YOU the question..what have YOU done? You supported Mike Heaberg - based in part on his support of the Historical Trust. What's he done since he got into office? He has done everything to help kill the Paoli TS Project. As for the Economic Development Task Force - that is a crock of shit. That effort will not achieve a damn thing.

I'll tell you what WE can do... the community can actually engage and vote for change in the voting booth. And for the record, there is nothing wrong with questioning why things don't get done. That missive on Community Matters is about as flawed as the voter id argument.

Why Community Matters is a petri dish for morons

2012-01-18T09:40:00.003-05:00

Check out this comment.

So...according to "Anonymous" - 900 dead people MAY have voted....And then after that, "Anonymous" makes the unreasonable inferential leap that it sounds like voter fraud.

Sadly, this comment is representiative of most comments on the site - void of anything that could be considered rational/sound thinking.

Let's go back to the commment - citing that 900 dead people MAY have voted in the prior election. There are dead people on the voter rolls. Does that constitute fraud? Of course not. The act of somebody impersonating the dead person is the fradulent act. Did that happen? Note how nobody ever cites stats on actual fraud that would allow somebody to conclude that there is widespead voter fraud.

This is however, the kind of discussion CM tolerates.

Why didn't Endo move into Tredyffrin? Could Kampf have helped?

2012-01-18T08:03:00.005-05:00

From Main Line Media News..

Where's Kampf

Interesting video. Noticed Corbett was flanked by Sen. Andy Dinniman and Sec. of State Carol Aichle. Where was Warren Kampf? Indeed, this ground breaking occurred in East Whiteland, Township - which is not in Kampf's district. Nevertheless, where was Kampf? Where was he in attracting Endo to Tredyffrin? We have office space in Tredyffrin. In fact, we have lots of space.

What's different about East Whiteland? For one thing, it has an EIT.

Oh...wait a sec... EIT is supposed to be a job killer...right? And yet...we have Endo moving it's HQ to East Whiteland.

It begs the question of just how good GOP leadership is around here. The Paoli TS project has been effectively killed. The BOS's, in name only "Economic Development Committee" is a fraud.

And again, where is Kampf? About the only thing HE is focused on is saving HIS job.

Why some people should not be blogging

2012-01-17T09:31:00.003-05:00

From Community Matters

This line is priceless:

**
From my pro voter ID viewpoint, I believe that requiring identification to vote sounds logical. Unless we have something to hide, what is the problem with showing an ID whenever we vote? It makes sense that requiring photo identification to vote helps ensure election integrity and protect the rights of voters.
**

Unless we have something to hide??? In that case, why don't we just trash the bill of rights? While we are at, no need for the 4th and 5th Amendments...right? If you have nothing to hide, you don't need a lawyer, right? No need to get court orders for wiretaps.

The logic bust on Community Matters is this reasoning: "If you don't have an ID or refuse to show an ID - you have something to hide and therefore, are not a legitimate voter."

I love it when Community Matters state in effect that there is merit to both sides of the debate. I love the quote from Rep. Metcalf. The problem is - there is no empircal evidence to suggest that there has ever been widespread voter fraud. And yet CM sees this side of the argument.

People should have a clue before they spout off and weigh in on topics. Some people should not be blogging on certain topics.

Total bull shit the way Harrisburg sits on our money but cuts education

2011-06-25T11:49:00.003-04:00

From the Main Line Media News...

Let's see.. they won't tax Marcellus Shale extraction but they will cut programs that help the neediest and will cut education...and at the same.. they sit on a surplus. It's total bull shit.

It's ironic that a GOP controlled house sits on OUR MONEY. What a bunch of assholes..

Note to bloggers, get your facts straight..

2011-06-25T11:28:00.004-04:00

Yet again, from Community Matters..

Seriously...how could anybody rationalize the word "leave" when in fact - Olson lost in 2005????

By the way, as to this statement:

I assume that the TTDEMS have to provide the required number of signatures for Wysocki by the August deadline.

Uhhh no... Political parties are allowed to switch candidates when one has to drop out for personal reasons. Besides, it was an uncontested primary. Had Wysocki been the candidate, he would have won...not that it makes any difference. That is the replacement process. If Wysocki has to go through the regular process, then he needs 10 signature. Not a big deal. The TTDEM committee can provide that in..oh...about 10 seconds. It simply is not a big deal.

I think the bigger issue here, again, is to label Olson's 2 year absense from the board as being "on leave". I suppose yes, he "left" the board. However, it was not voluntary. A semantic difference perhaps...but a difference nevertheless.

Political shortcuts around town?

2011-06-24T13:27:00.003-04:00

From Community Matters....

It's actually quite funny and quite ironic coming from a blog that continually says that there is no place for politics on the blog....Looks like Ray Hoffman may have some competition...;)

All due respect to Paul Drucker, I wouldn't classify his getting a job as one of political concern. I'd also contend that commissioner Costello's support of "Historic Preservation", whatever that support may be, is not a political matter either.... Then again, to some, that is the coin of the realm. Meanwhile, St. Davids continues to be an issue.

Speaking of historic preservation, did anybody else find it odd that NOBODY got up to speak about the exorbitant registration fee. My guess is, an error was committed. Still, I find it astounding that nobody got up to speak on the matter. Sometimes, support is just a matter of convenience.

So..what was the problem with the Sidewalk Subcommittee Report?

2011-06-21T08:14:00.003-04:00

It called for sidewalks along Upper Gulph Road - adjacent to St. David's Golf Club.

And that is why we now see a drastic rollback of the promise that Bob Lamina made some 18 months ago.

To review, when I forced the BOS to reverse its illegal course of action re: St. David's, Lamina announced the formation of a Sidewalk Subcommittee. At that time, I said that best way to kill an idea is to refer it to committee. I believe the hope was that the committee would report findings that said that sidewalks along Upper Gulph Road - adjacent to St. David's Golf Club were not a good idea. In fact, the subcommittee reported just the opposite.

There's a reason why the saying exists - "Two things you don't want to see made...laws and sausage." If there is one thing law school taught me, there are dozens of ways to skin a cat. And in this case, there are dozens of ways to alleviate St. David's of its sidewalk obligations. The key is to delay...delay....delay. Right now, it is safe to say that most folks don't care about the issue. In my opinion, there are more important things. The deal is, the issue is not about sidewalks per se. Rather, it's about the integrity of our government and the public trust. There is none today. And it would appear that all 7 supervisors are aligned on this. Richter, Lamina and Olson are no surprise. Heaberg's position, given that his campaign chair is Tom Colman, chair of the BAWG that was used as a tool to attempt to alleviate St. David's of its sidewalk obligations is not surprising either. What is surprising is the stance by Donahue, Kichline and DiBuounavento. It appears those three are also keen on maintaining the status quo. Why? Is it politics? I suppose so, but I really don't understand the end game. These three took a strong stance against St. David's. I found Kichline's explanation of the review process unconvincing. For one thing, it is going to dramatically add to the cost of land development projects. Then again, I would suspect this review process will only be used for those land development projects that have political ramifications. The whole thing is about as intellectually dishonest as it gets.

And juxtaposed to that drama are the folks on Salem Way. I know a thing or two about stormwater and the lack of concern by our local BOS. If only the BOS worked as hard for its citizens than it does for a private county club.

The fact is, Tredyffrin is ill....quite ill. Some say that the removal of one or two supervisors will make a difference. I doubt it. Tredyffrin suffers from a virus...a very virulent virus. A virus is devoid of intelligence and long on instinct. Viruses adapt and survive. Old virus cells die and new ones take their place - and they often mutate - becoming immune to current anti-biotics.

I feel very sorry for the plight of those who need relief from this government. Then again, they elected these people. Trust me, you'll have to fight...and fight hard. It will take years. And maybe, you will get relief - but it will be a struggle. Your instincts will tell you they will tell the truth. In fact, they will often do just the opposite - and they are quite good at it.

Speaking of the west, I wonder if the Democrats regret not putting up a candidate??? Hearing what I heard last night, it would appear that folks are not getting proper representation from the third district supervisor..the only one who is unopposed. I'd have to say that squaring what he promised to do for those affected by the Turnpike years ago and what he's doing now is at odds. I guess when you get TV time and you appear to care - that is far more important in terms of political capital than actually caring. Maybe there is an independent candidate out there that will engage???

It's over...our local government is irretrievably broken. Riddled with a nasty virus...there is no cure at this point.

Tredyffrin == Potterville

2011-06-20T22:05:00.004-04:00

If you saw tonight's meeting - you know what I mean.

If your St. David's Golf Club, you take comfort that the BOS (ALL OF THEM) work for you..

If you live in the GVA, and in particular, on Salem Way, if you didn't realize it before, you know now...your elected officials don't really care about your situation. Sure, they talk a good game...about their "constituents"...and about doing their "due diligence"... What you all learned is that these folks don't do their homework. But most of all, they don't care. Unless of course...your a private golf club...:)

As to the planning commission matter, I hope you all realize that the vote to keep land development with the planning commission was complete bull shit... The new plan is basically this... the BOS will reserve the right to review land deals on an "as they feel like it" basis. If the words arbitrary and capricious come to mind, your on the right track. at the end of the day, the PA Turnpike Commission is going to do what they want to do. If you believe the Tredyffrin BOS has your back, you would be wrong...unless of course of a private country club... I say that because from my chair, the only group that could have walked away satisfied was the St. David's Club. And in fact, Bruce "Double Bubble" Parkinson, esteemed TTRC exec board member and current St. David's member (and past president of St. David's) was right there up front - no doubt pleased at the results of tonight's proceedings.

As for the historic ordinance, that pretty much got mooted by the exorbitant fees to get on the list. The thing I can't understand is why the BOS went through the time, effort and expense of drafting, approving and enacting an ordinance that has absolutely no efficacy.

I guess the one ironic ironic thing came from Mimi Gleason re: the sewage we convey to outside municipalities. I wonder if she was including the effluent that was conveyed from the Township Building tonight. Doesn't sound like it better find its way to Salem Way as that ground appears to not be in suitable to absorb that waster either... :)

As to the basin that is 27' above homes on Salem Way, did anybody remember their history re: Johnstown in 1889??? Or - 1936 for that matter. Some Folks back then knew the problems that mis-handled and mis-managed water could bring about...

Bottom line is this...we simply do not have a government that works for us... But...this is the government the public elected. So when you complain - be sure to look in the mirror.

Last word...and this one is for certain heads of political parties that spoke tonight.... If you are going to try and sync up the workings of some new process to the General Election - go all the way. Don't beat around the bush. Call them out on it. The fact of the matter is, entire process is being melded around St. Davids - pure and simple... And yes...they will get away with it.

Why St. David's Matters

2011-06-20T09:41:00.002-04:00

It matters because it is a referendum on the integrity of our local government. It's been a while since I've written about this issue. Given that there are no plans to discuss this issue at tonight's BOS meeting, I thought I'd take another crack at the issue.

First, a quick review...

Much has been written on the subject so there is no need to go into the nasty details. That said, in a nutshell, it boils down to this:

- St. David's Golf Club wanted a new club house
- The project was submitted and approved by the Planning Commission
- That project had a sidewalk component along Upper Gulph Road
- The sidewalk was consistent with the township master plan that had a sidewalk component
- Apparently, St. David's had no plans to actually build the sidewalks. Rather, it adopted the strategy of agreeing to building sidewalks for the purpose of getting their land development agreement through the approval process
- To achieve the post-development strategy, St. David's applied a number of political remedies
- The BOS attempted effect those political remedies
- The BOS was stopped by yours truly... :)
- The BOS created a Sidewalk Subcommittee to make a recommendations on where sidewalks should go (with the goal that the subcommittee would recommend that sidewalks WOULD NOT be appropriate along Upper Gulph Road)
- The Sidewalk Subcommittee re-iterated the master plan (the one this very BOS approved) that sidewalks ahould be built along Upper Gulph Road
- The new Sidewalk Ordinance process has stalled

And on and on it goes...

When Tom Hogan reached out to me last year to suspend my lawsuit - it was done with the understanding that the committee would present its report and then go from there... The key is this - St. David's has a prior land development agreement. A deal is a deal. In other, somewhat non-related discussions, people ask what makes 422 unique? I ask - what makes St. David's Golf Club unique?

The subcommittee and the ordinance had NO IMPACT on the obligations of St. David's Golf Club. For the most part, what has occurred up to now have been the stuff of stall tactics and obfuscation...

It's time for the backroom political deals to stop. It's time for our local government to start getting back to work and stop bending everything to working toward a solution that allows St. David's to break its deal with the people.

Tonight, the BOS needs to formally compel St. David's to comply with the terms and conditions of its land development contract from SEVEN YEARS AGO!!!!! The line in the sand is simple... supervisors that remain silent on the matter are essentially ratifying a corrupted government.We know where some supervisors are on the matter? The question is, where do the others stand?

I look forward to seeing what, if anything happens tonight...

Priceless comment on Community Matters

2011-06-14T11:22:00.007-04:00

I love this comment. It's clear to me this person is being sarcastic - for only a mindless person would think this way... :)

Here's an idea for 422...Create an HOV Lane

2011-06-08T11:14:00.002-04:00

Create a HOV lane....

Too bad this kind of simple solution can't come from our elected officials. All they can say is "No tolls"... Fine...then come up with a solution.

Create an HOV lane... One extra lane, in strategic areas... that switches direction based on time of day. This is done in Pittsburgh. With just one lane, you reduce the footprint. 3 one in one direction and 2 the other.

Looks like cracks in GOP unity re: Marcellus Shale Tax

2011-06-06T08:36:00.002-04:00

Just saw this.. In many ways, this is like the 422 issue. I believe as more and more politicos out there realize the stupidity and absurdity in policies that on one hand, cut education by $600MM but gives a free ride to generous political benefactors such as the oil and gas industry that don't keep profits in PA anyway....

Rep. Kampf's flawed position on 422

2011-06-06T07:32:00.003-04:00

In case you have not read yesterday's Philly Inquirer story on 422, you can find it here.

The flaw in Kampf's position is that it ignores reality. You know you are in trouble when you are essentially the only politico out there holding on to a blind promise of "no tolling". If it happened to be that Kampf had a clean record on taxes and fees, I MIGHT give him so cred on this topic. To review, in his 2007 re-election bid to the Tredyffrin BOS, Kampf ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility and almost no tax increases. As soon as he won re-election, he raised taxes for 2008. And - he did it again in 2009. Come 2010, the strategy shifted slightly wherein the Sewer Fee increased substantially. It was at that time that Kampf made the semantic distinction between a "fee" and "tax". Note - the Sewer and Utility Fund helps to fund General Fund expenses. While legal, it is actually a frowned upon accounting practice. The reasoning by Kampf and others for it allowing to continue in Tredyffrin - "That's the way we've always done it." Finally, Kampf continually trumpted the fact in 2010 that under his leadership, the Rainy Day Fund was never hit. That's simply not true. The only way the Tredyffrin Budget was balanced was by drawing on the Rainy Day Fund.

So...when Kampf says things like this:

"Tolling is just another way of taxing people going to work in these hard economic times," he said. "They're already paying a lot of money in gas taxes and other fees. I just don't think this is something they want."

Where is we on abolishing tolls on the PA Turnpike? How about PA Routes 43, 576, 60, or 66???? Where is he on those???

The fact is, regardless of the facts and studies, Kampf has himself boxed into an immovable position. No reasonable person can say that 422 is in good shape, that it's not in need of serious repair. Somehow, someway, those needs have to be paid for. The sad news, its was the 422 issue that got Kampf elected - and that is probably more of an indictment on the voting public. Unfortunately, there are people that will simply vote, in lockstep, on a single issue, regardless of the consequences. A good chunk of these people live in the Phoenixville area along 422 and are not aware of Kampf's history in Tredyffrin Twp. To them, Kampf is taking a principled approach. There is absolutely no principle in his stance. It's about election politics.

422 is a mess - and has been for a very long time. as an area, we have largely ignored the truth. Continued development along the 422 corridor without corresponding improvements in infrastructure.

Tolling is the fairest way to apportion the cost of maintaining the roads. If you use it, pay for it. Yes - Kampf would argue that our tax dollars already paid for it. That's true.. But that is also a sunk cost. This is now about maintenance - a distinctly different part of the infrastructure life cycle. And that is the big part of the flaw in Kampf's position. What he's really telling us is that he does not believe in maintaining or upgrading our infrastructure. All of this is coming under this anti-tax stance that he now has. It's tea-party rhetoric - and it's largely based on fantasy.

Infrastructure costs $'s to build and more $'s to maintain. We need public officials who will look at ALL options. What we don't need are politicians who cling to absurd promises that don't have any intellectual basis behind them. Let's remember, Kampf won by a mere 400 votes. Not exactly a mandate.

We look to our public officials to enact solutions - not act as impediments to them. There are legitimate arguments against tolling. Look at the fact that there is no well-head tax on Marcellus Shale - the kind of tax every other state that has such kind of resources levies. Here we have another flawed campaign promise - by the Governor this time. This is the same Gov. that is open to tolling.

So...what do we really have here.. We have a lot of governance based on promises made to special interests. For Kampf, his special interest is in those that don't want tolling. The ironic thing is that most folks understand that a toll is probably a good idea. Certainly better than a tax increase. Again, that gets back to the equitable principle that if you use it, you help pay for it.

The interesting thing to watch is how long Kampf will be allowed to act opposite of GOP Rep. Tim Hennessey. Hennessey was challenged by an anti-tax person as well. Hennessey won. Further, if the Gov. wants to see the toll plan go forward, I don't see how Kampf is going to be able to stand against them.

Something else to keep in mind... When re-redistricting comes in the latter part of this year, the Montgomery County portions of the 157th will likely go to Rep. Vereb's district. That will take a BIG portion of the 422 sensitivity out of the equation. In other words, with re-distgricting, Kampf might then be able to reverse course on his anti-toll stance. The timing will be interesting to watch.

Regardless, Kampf's stand on this issue is just plain flawed because it is devoid of any intellectual thought.

Suggestion for local blogs

2011-06-06T07:25:00.002-04:00

When taking on a subject, please do more than just regurgitate what is in the newspaper or is from another site. Blogs are supposed to be thought provoking and the author should have an opinion.

Today, we begin our first lesson in what is/is not defamatory

2011-06-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

And you know who you are.... ;)

This may surprise a few folks, but calling people idiots, morons and/or accusing somebody of being the dumbest person alive is not actionable. It may be distasteful, but its not illegal. Rather, it's opinion and its protected by the First Amendment. It also doesn't matter whether the subject of such a comment is a public, quasi-public or private individual. That said, I'll tell you that public officials, when deciding they want to pursue a defamation case have the heaviest burden to carry. Further, folks that wish to press such claims have to substantiate their damages.

To illustrate, let's say there is a local public official who has made a comment (in the course of their official office) and I, in response say something like - "That person is the most clueless, idiotic and moronic official we have.." I can say that. Heck, just listen to what folks in the right wing call President Obama! What I can't say is something like "That public official is taking brides from such and such..." That would be wrong. That would be a knowingly false statement spread for the purpose of inflicting damage on that person (malice). Unless of course, the averment is true.. Truth is an affirmative defense.

Another good example would be if I accused a state official for taking a gift from an organization he/she has direct/indirect over sight of. I can certainly say that the official in question is not acting in a manner that is commensurate with his/her campaign pledge. In a case such as this, which is likely to have already been picked up by the newspaper, I am merely providing added commentary. But in no case would I be spreading a falsehood such that it would be actionable.

Indeed, some in public life don't wish to deal with the scrutiny. Fortunately for the rest of us, there is this thing called the US Constitution and the First Amendment.

Stay tuned... more lessons to follow!! :) And they will follow...

Kampf supports the GOP Budget???? Which one?????

2011-05-31T13:53:00.003-04:00

Back in March, Kampf had this to say.... http://www.repkampf.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=10720

Note..that budget had large cuts to education...

Hold the phone.... with the backlash to education cuts, Kampf changed his story....http://www.repkampf.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=11344

And finally, he is now a friend to education funding... http://www.repkampf.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=11472

Let's review. First, he praised Corbett's budget... Then the oh shit moment happened when the GOP A - saw what is happening in Wisconsin and B - realized that the PSEA has political clout. In true political fashion, Kampf is now taking credit for "restoring educational funding: http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2011/05/31/main_line_suburban_life/opinion/doc4de4fae7ec57d661500200.txt

What Kampf is not really saying is that while some funding was restored, the cuts still amount to $700 Million. AND - the $'s restored to education are being taken out of the Dept. of Public Welfare. Programs like domestic violence protection programs for women are going to get slashed. The Dept. of Public Welfare is the chief oversight arm for day care operations. In addition, they manage and administer many of the social programs that the weakest and least powerful of our citizens require to survive. Unfortunately for them, they don't a powerful to carry political water for them.

And all the while, gas and oil companies who take their marcellus shale profits out of the state (in spite of the environmental damage they inflict) are not assessed a well-head tax. Unlike the poorest and weakest among us, they don't have a powerful lobbying arm. That however, won't stop Kampf from scoring a few political points on their backs. His LIBERAL use of the word restore is also disturbing. They haven't restored anything. They are still cutting education to the tune of over a half billion dollars!!

As to taxes.... :) Well, locally, we are getting hit with at least a 3.77% tax increase. While Kampf can claim he isn't in our pockets, the gap is still going have to be made up by us the taxpaying public. Politicans like Kampf always put blinders on to that fact. Remember, Kampf is the same guy who told you that it was OK to increase the sewer FEE because it's a FEE...not a TAX. And when he cut fire funding....and then took political credit with his big check moment????? Now that he's a state rep, he's doing the same thing...just on a different scale. And to humanize it in his editorial where he takes credit, he has to remind us he's a father... He used his kids and family as political props then...and he's still doing it today.

Warren Kampf cares about one thing...and one thing only...his political future (AKA his job). He told me in an interview that he "Wants to make a living as an elected official."And as he rises higher and higher, the more people just become nameless and faceless statistics on a report.

He's turning out to be precisely the kind of state rep I pegged him to be.

And where is he on the Paoli TS Project?????

A book suggestion for Mike Heaberg and Mike Broadhurst

2011-05-20T14:17:00.004-04:00

Of course, I'm referring to this story on Main Line Media News.

I think Mr. Heaberg and Mr. Broadhurst should check out this volume:

It's somewhat ironic that when appointed to the board, Mr. Heaberg's financial expertise was touted as an advantage to the BOS. It's also ironic that Mr. Heaberg was all over Paul Drucker re: Drucker's labor #'s with the Paoli TS because of a lack of backup. The backup for those #'s was ultimately provided. When I asked Mr. Heaberg for backup over this supposed 8 vote differential, his silence was deafening. The word hypocrisy comes to mind.

As for Broadhurst, it is often said that lawyers are horrible at math. I'm a lawyer... my math skills are pretty good..then again, what we are talking about here are 3rd grade math skills.

For sure, the tallies reported for each precinct may in fact differ as to the # of paper ballots cast. That is precisely what Chester County Voter Services is squaring away right now in its certification process. Regardless, the # of votes reported by each precinct does foot to the cumulative results. Here's a spreadsheet that should help the mathematically impaired.

Request to Broadhurst, Heaberg and the TTRC: please confirm your numbers before you start spouting off to the press... Clearly, the press isn't too bright here either... Both groups look like a bunch of idiots.

Recount....really???

2011-05-19T06:23:00.003-04:00

From The Patch.

Perhaps my biggest problem is that The Patch and the Main Line Media News is reporting this 8 vote margin as if it were fact. The only people citing that the county has an 8 vote margin is Mike Heaberg and Mike Broadhurst. I personally contacted Chester County Voter Services yesterday. They flat out denied there being an 8 vote margin. Rather, Voter Services stated that the only #'s they have right now is what is posted online.

The margin of victory was .11%. It is certainly within a candidate's right to request a recount. I have to say however, the issues reported in the way they are being reported, not surprisingly, is coming from the GOP. No doubt, the process needs to be right as does the count. In every election, machines malfunction. And when the results are certified, the vote differential almost always goes up or down by a few votes. If the margin of victory was 1-2 votes, I could definitely see a scenario that could change the outcome. Right now, we are at 40. At one level, that's a small #. For recount purposes, that's a huge #.

A few other observations:

In W2 where there are a few votes that didn't get tallied, that's Molly Duffy's home precinct. I guarantee you that not all of those votes, assuming they don't represent under votes, went to Heaberg.

Folks, these are mechanical devices. They don't always function properly. HOWEVER, there are backup procedures. In 2009, there were a few serious problems with some machines such that they couldn't be fed into a machine. The GOP swept those races. I don't recall any complaining then...by either side.

I've put a request into Mike Heaberg - asking him to substantiate this 8 vote margin #. So far, he's not responded, and quite frankly, I don't expect him to. The Patch and Main Line Media News should have conducted at least a little due diligence to substantiate the #.

The county's process should be allowed to operate before folks jump to wild accusations. The process and procedures with our polls have been conducted by the same people for a while now. In other words, they know what they are doing. And in the grand scheme of things, any anomalies we know of so far haven't been any worse than what we have seen before.

2011 Special Election Data

2011-05-18T12:13:00.001-04:00

In case anybody is interested, you can find a spreadsheet here.

So...what happened yesterday???

2011-05-18T07:30:00.003-04:00

The weather was definitely the X-factor in yesterday's special election. But there was something more. Around 3:00 PM yesterday, I reported an observation I was making in regards to the GOP taking this election for granted. Across the board, turn out was light. The one notable exception was my precinct - W2 - which is also Molly's home precinct. Molly did extremely well.

So - what happened? In my opinion, the mainstream R's in this township, many of which voted for Molly, were not that motivated to vote with their party.

Township wide, R's cast 300 more ballots than D's...

Let that sink in for a moment............

There were 240 Independent ballots - which made up a little more than 1% of the votes. It's a myth to say that Independents will necessarily side with the Democrats. I think the majority of Independents did go with D's...but the R's received a bunch of those votes as well.

There were three big keys to this race:

1. The R's didn't come come out
2. Of the R's that came out, a bunch cast a D vote.
3. The weather

The weather was not the sole factor. Last year in the May primary where there was a contested committee race between JD and Kampf, 335 R's came out to vote. The weather was not good that day. That tells you when properly motivated, people will come out to vote. In terms of getting the vote out, I don't think either side did well. That said, this is by no means a hollow victory for Molly and the Democrats. For sure, the R's will downplay it, citing the weather, etc. That's complete nonsense.

Looking at the candidates - Molly's message was consistent throughout the race. Further, she drew distinctions between her and her opponent. Some may call that negative campaigning. It's only negative if the differences cited are not true. The fact is - Mike Heaberg dramatically changed his positions re: fire funding and the Paoli Train Station Project. His campaign pieces were short on substance. And as I reported here, he claimed credit for things that simply did not happen (things like the "Supervisor's Business Ambassador Program"). The word was, he was knocking on a lot of doors and was working hard. So was Molly. The key is - a campaign has to have substance and has to stand for something. And as between the candidates, not only will there be differences - those differences as to the issues that affect us should be pointed out.

I believe that a big part of Molly's victory, which could not have occurred without Republicans voting for her - was due in large part to this community being sick and tired of the politics we've seen over the past few years. My faith in this community doing the right thing is getting restored. Yesterday was a big victory for Tredyffrin Township.

On other races...

Had the general election occurred yesterday, It would have been Mike Heaberg and Molly Duffy winning...with Kristen Mayock coming in 3rd. That was a bit of a surprise to me.

On the Magisterial District Judge race, Jeremy Blackburn, for the first time, is going to need to run a general election. Analisa Sondergaard won the D primary and did rather well in the R primary. On a total vote basis, Analisa received more votes. I think Judge Blackburn is in trouble. Speaking of which, who was the older man with the Marine hat working the W2 poll for Jeremy? He was pretty offensive.. He had a real problem with people calling out the fact that Analisa, as an attorney, is more qualified to be Judge. There have continued to be concerns about Blackburn's court. To that man who worked the W2 poll - who cited that Jeremy is more qualified because he took the (judges course). Here's a newsflash for you...attorneys don't have to take that course!! Apparently, it got so bad at W2 that at one point, this man challenged a Sondergaard supporter to a fist fight. Completely out of line. Spirited debate is one thing.. threatening physical harm is another matter altogether.

Glad primary day is behind us. Not to worry, in a few short months, the whole thing gets cranked up again. And before you know it, we are in presidential election mode. It never stops!!

Congrats To Molly Duffy

2011-05-17T23:17:00.005-04:00

Based on the #'s. Molly won by 40 votes!! This is awesome news for Tredyffrin!!

You can find the cumulative results here.

One thing is for sure... the GOP definitely took this one for granted. They had absolutely no get out the vote operation. The #'s from the middle all but confirm that. At the same time, the Democratic GOTV effort was not good either. Molly won her home precinct (W2 - Delaware Valley Friends School) by 64 votes. In the three big GOP strong holds: Middle 3, 4 and 6 - Heaberg won those by a combined amount of about 100 votes. That effort was neutralized by the west. Several precincts in the east were decided by 1 vote. These are areas that have been trending Democratic for quite some time.

It's a good day for Tredyffrin Township...

More on this to follow.

It would appear the GOP is taking this one for granted

2011-05-17T15:00:00.002-04:00

Based on reported #'s as to turnout, particularly from heavy GOP precincts, the GOP #'s are down..way down. AND - it would appear the Democrats are keeping pace. A solid phone-banking/strike sheet operation would appear to be the difference maker. This is going to be a close race...much closer than the GOP would like. I can't wait to see these #'s.

Turnout is WAY down..

2011-05-17T13:25:00.003-04:00

As we would expect with the rain. As of 1:15 @ West-2 - total turnout was 221. Indications are, the combination of D's + I's match the R's. Other reports have the middle precincts (Middle 3 and 4) with better than expected turnout.

Can't wait to see those #'s.

John

The Patch is Here.... Does the bell toll for Main Line Media News?

2011-05-17T09:10:00.002-04:00

In case you have not seen it yet, there is a new online resource for local communities. It's called The Patch. This falls in the category of Hyperlocal News. The idea is simple and the need is apparent. Traditional local newspapers are quickly going the way of the dinosaur. Not because they didn't have the capacity to provide value. Rather, because they didn't keep up with the emerging trends of social media. Tom Murray, long time editor of Main Line Media News and the Suburban jumped ship to the Patch a few months ago. Sam Strike is the editor of the Radnor Patch. Now, there is one dedicated to Tredyffrin Easttown. Pattye Benson, who operates the Community Matters Blog is now a contributor to the TE Patch.

I've long said that one of the major problems we've seen with government is due in part, to a dysfunctional local press. The media has a long and storied history of uncovering governmental mis-deeds. In the past few years, this blog and Community Matters have filled the void. That however, falls way short of what is required. Now, AOL is taking a stab at Hyperlocal Media. A while back, I had written about the San Diego News Network. It appears that effort has fallen flat. Fast Company wrote a great article on the potential of Hyperlocal News. Here's a more recent article from the New York Times.

Will this be a success? I don't know. If anybody can make it work, AOL has the potential to succeed. Given the lack of local press we have today, there definitely needs to be a solid infrastructure to report the news.

Best of luck the Patch.

Rain - the X factor in today's election

2011-05-17T06:36:00.002-04:00

The GOP is probably jumping for joy today. Rain tends to push the overall turnout #'s down. Historically in Tredyffrin Township, the Republicans have been much more disciplined when it comes to voting. Today, we have a special election - which means Independents have the unusual opportunity to vote in May. The last time this happened was in 2007. In that year, the Act 1 question was on the ballot. It does not seem to me that most Independents around here know they can vote. The Republicans haven't done much to encourage their turnout and those that might have come out to the polls today may take a pass because of the issues the bad weather creates. Low Independent voter turnout hurts the Democrats. Even in the best of weather, it seems the Republicans are more inclined to come out to vote. This is after all, an odd-year municipal primary. Most of the time, these elections are not contested and it is rare that a special election coincides with a primary. In sum, the Democrats will have needed to formulate a solid Get Out the Vote (GOtV) effort to blunt the negative effects of the weather. This forecast was out last week. It was a distinct possibility to would rain today.

There is some good news. There are Republicans that won't come out to vote either. If the Democrats can motivate their base, they may very well prevail today. The rain makes that unlikely...but not impossible. Because the rain presents another variable, it may mask the real reason why the #'s may be low. I've been a vocal critic of the Democrats poor GOtV efforts.

Looking forward to the story the #'s tell tonight...

Campaigns and Politics, fact, fiction and character

2011-05-16T07:25:00.005-04:00

A lot has been written on my friend Pattye Benson's Community Matter's Blog re: the special election tomorrow (5/17) between Democrat Molly Duffy and Republican Mike Heaberg. One of the major topics of debate has been the role of what has been generally labeled as "partisan politics." Let's decompose that expression:

par·ti·san 1 (pärt-zn)
n.
1. A fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
2. A member of an organized body of fighters who attack or harass an enemy, especially within occupied territory; a guerrilla.
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan or partisans.
2. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause: partisan politics.

pol·i·tics (pl-tks)
n.
1. (used with a sing. verb)
a. The art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.
b. Political science.
2. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
a. The activities or affairs engaged in by a government, politician, or political party: "All politics is local" (Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.) "Politics have appealed to me since I was at Oxford because they are exciting morning, noon, and night" (Jeffrey Archer).
b. The methods or tactics involved in managing a state or government: The politics of the former regime were rejected by the new government leadership. If the politics of the conservative government now borders on the repressive, what can be expected when the economy falters?
3. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Political life: studied law with a view to going into politics; felt that politics was a worthwhile career.
4. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Intrigue or maneuvering within a political unit or group in order to gain control or power: Partisan politics is often an obstruction to good government. Office politics are often debilitating and counterproductive.
5. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Political attitudes and positions: His politics on that issue is his own business. Your politics are clearly more liberal than mine.
6. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The often internally conflicting interrelationships among people in a society.
Usage Note: Politics, although plural in form, takes a singular verb when used to refer to the art or science of governing or to political science: Politics has been a concern of philosophers since Plato. But in its other senses politics can take either a singular or plural verb. Many other nouns that end in -ics behave similarly, and the user is advised to consult specific entries for precise information.

The politics aspect of things does not seem to be the problem. Clearly, we have a number of partisans (on both sides). There are Democrats who dislike Republicans because they are Republicans (i.e., a bunch of right wing wackos who want low taxes at all costs in spite of the consequences). There are Republicans who dislike Democrats because they are Democrats (i.e., they are a bunch of tax and spend liberals who want to raise taxes to make sure the government is funded to do as much for us as possible.)

Then...there is the rest of us...the other 90% of us who look at the person who is running for office. As a general matter, if you vote for Molly Duffy because she is a Democrat or Mike Heaberg because he is a Republican, you are an idiot.

In marketing, they call it puffing. We see it all of the time where the efficacy of a product or service is extended/exaggerated beyond what it really provides. That is the essence of puffing - and politics is no different.

The decision between Duffy and Heaberg should boil down to a few things: 1 - Their qualifications (prior professional experience, public service, etc.) 2 - general character and 3 - the extent to which the candidate's values comport with the voter.

As a general matter, both Duffy and Heaberg are "qualified". The question is - which candidate is more qualified?

The first one is objective. The second and third are subjective. Regardless of the subjectivity, the reasoning one employs to arrive at a conclusion can be evaluated on objective terms (logic and reason). i.e., we can evaluate the degree of intellectual honesty that is employed when subjectively evaluating a candidate's worthiness to hold office.

As to Molly Duffy - her resume is rather straight forward. Looking at her resume, we see a good balance between professional experience and public service. Fiscally, she is conservative (as his Mike Heaberg). Heaberg does not have much in the way of public service. He's never served on a volunteer board like the planning commission, zoning hearing board, etc.

One thing I look for is consistency. How much does a candidate move in his/her positions. Since announcing her candidacy, Duffy hasn't moved. Heaberg on the other hand has. In his campaign mailers, Heaberg has a new found love and support for the Paoli Train Station. Last year, Heaberg was vocal in his opposition to such a project. Today, Heaberg is all for making sure first responder services are properly funded by the government. Last year, Heaberg was against that too - citing that people should donate instead. Indeed, people should donate - but that cannot be the sole source of revenue for these vital services.

So...why the change in positions for Heaberg? It's simple, he wants to get elected and he knows (or has been told) that these positions will not be part of a winning formula in May and November. In true political form, Heaberg has left his former positions and has embraced new positions. It really is that simple.

So then, what about separating fact from fiction? Molly Duffy has not sent much of anything out. There is one mailer that essentially re-iterates the message on her site and draws a distinction between her and Heaberg. Molly has always been a supporter of the Paoli Train Station Project and for proper funding for our first responder services.

By the way, it should be noted that John JD DiBuonaventuro (Republican) declined to support Heaberg because of his (Heaberg's) stance on these issues. That to me is one of the most telling things out there. More on the endorsements in a moment..

Heaberg's last mailer was very telling. It started with a bold statement - that Heaberg has ALREADY made a positive difference. Heaberg was appointed in March. I believe he's been to 3 meetings as a supervisor. I can tell you from personal experience that there is not much you can accomplish as a new supervisor in that amount of time. And - there hasn't been much that has been addressed. Indeed, the Planning Commission did retain it's land development authority and Heaberg did vote in favor of that. That entire episode was driven by the St. David's Sidewalk Scandal. On one hand, I have to give credit to Heberg for that vote. On the other hand, I have to look at the rest of the picture.

In Heaberg's mailer, he goes on to say that he has "helped" to create "Supervisors Business Ambassador Program" to attract new businesses to Tredyffrin Township. This is simply nothing more than political bull shit. No such entity really exists. There are no members. There is no mission. Anybody can say they "helped". Does it really translate into an accomplishment that translates into real accomplishment? Of course not. Nevertheless, Heaberg is taking credit for something that at best, has perceived benefits. And when you get down to it, it's quite hypocritical of Heaberg to do this.

Why????

Last year, Heaberg pressed Rep. Drucker hard on substantiating the job creation numbers re: the Paoli Train Station Project. Heaberg demanded that there be a quantifiable basis to those #'s. At the end of the day, Heaberg was given the proof he asked for. If we were to apply that same rubric to Heaberg re: his own campaign mailer, he would fail that test. This is pure hypocrisy on Heaberg's part.

This new "business ambassador" program rings of the BAWG...and we all know what happened there. More on that in a moment...

Another thing that has been overblown is Heaberg's financial expertise as it relates to the BOS. Private asset management does not equate to public municipal finance. The two are not related at all.

Heaberg's mailers are composed of more fiction than fact...and at times, represent a gross distortion of the facts. Prior to his candidacy, Heaberg had a lot to say. As a candidate, he's done a fairly good job of running away from his prior statements. That inconsistency troubles me. I can only wonder what he would do as a supervisor.

Then, there is the character issue. It bothers me that Heaberg accepted the endorsement of Lamina, Olson and Richter. Along with Kampf; Lamina, Olson and Richter voted to forgive St. David's Golf Club of its sidewalk obligations (obligations that the club voluntarily agreed to as part of its land development plan). In voting this way, these supervisors violated the very Home Rule Charter they swore to uphold.

Why would Heaberg accept their endorsement? These are the same folks who talk about "keeping taxes stable". These are also the same people who make the distinction between fee and tax. Note: the sewer fee as increased over 25% in the past few years and that fee helps to fund general account expenditures.

Heaberg also claims that essential services have been preserved. Ask the guy who wants to put an addition on his house and has to wait a long time to get a permit....

Let's review.. JD declined to endorse Heaberg. At the same time, Lamina, Olson and Richter endorsed Heaberg... It is said that endorsements have meaning. If you review the last 2 years of local government, this should concern you. I also believe that Heaberg endorsed Warren Kampf for State Rep. It's also said you can be judged by the company you keep. From my vantage point, Heaberg is keeping company with folks that have been bad actors in government.

Finally, there is Heaberg's choice of a campaign chair. Heaberg selected Tom Colman. Colman chaired the BAWG (Budget Advisory Working Group). I don't need to re-hash the sordid history of that group. As we all know, when the BAWG submitted its report, in an apparent act of devine intervention, there was a $50K offer from St David's as a payoff to be relieved from its sidewalk obligation. I had broken the story that Bob Betts, Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee Member and St. David's Golf Club Member was on the BAWG (no disclosure of those facts). This all happened under Tom Colman's watch, knowledge and compliance. Colman was told by the township's lawyer to remove that St. David's item from the report. Colman refused. As it turned out, Supervisor Olson, along with a few others, orchestrated getting that item in the report. There was no way such an item could have been included in the BAWG report without Colman's acquiescence.

Why would Heaberg have a person like Tom Colman as his campaign chair - given the events of the past few years? As it turns out, Heaberg has known Colman for a very long time. Growing up, I sure from Heaberg's standpoint, Colman was Mr. Colman. Not surprising...this is how many decisions get made around here. They are based on relationships. Under normal circumstances Heaberg's relationship with Colman is his business and his business alone. Making Colman his campaign chair however, puts that relationship into controversy. When you seek our vote and the public's trust, you become an open book of sorts.

So.... when evaluating Heaberg's candidacy and the case he makes (and in this case, doesn't make) for his bid to join the BOS, I have to consider these facts:

- Heaberg's campaign claims are grossly exaggerated

- Heaberg has reversed public positions without offering any basis for why the position changed

- Heaberg accepted the endorsement of supervisors who have engaged in ethically questionable behavior

- Heaberg endorsed a state rep candidate who as supervisor, engaged in ethically questionable behavior and has state rep, accepted a $700 freebie from a public utility

- Heaberg selected a campaign chair who engaged in ethically questionable behavior as BAWG Chair

- Heaberg didn't receive the endorsement of the one supervisor who hasn't engaged in ethically questionable behavior

Note...none of this has to do with the fact that Heaberg is a Republican. That said, a vote for Heaberg is a vote for politics as usual.

Quickly turning to Molly Duffy, she clearly represents the best prospect for change. There are no ethical questions with her. Anybody who looks at what has transpired over the past few years and reviews generally observable fact must conclude that politics as usual in Tredyffrin would be a bad thing. Nothing much has been accomplished. About the only thing the Tredyffrin BOS did in 2010 was work to get Kampf elected as state rep. In 2009 - it was focused on St. David's. They didn't do a thing to help the Paoli TS project along. Why? Because the guy championing the project was a Democrat. Far better to see a good project tank if it meant a Democrat getting credit.

For those reasons, I will vote for Molly Duffy tomorrow and in November. If your serious about changing government for the better, you'll do the same thing.

Why mainlinemedianews.com sucks

2011-05-15T11:02:00.002-04:00

For years, mainlinemedianews.com has been in a tailspin. They've recently lost one of their best writers in Sam Strike. There is almost no coverage of local political matters. Sad to say - but Ray Hoffman's Main Line Banter is the high water mark - which isn't saying all that much.

Recently, MLMN started forcing video ads. In other words, when you navigate to their site, the ad plays - and you can't turn it off. Worse yet, they have this obtrusive "Don't Miss the Latest" popup. To their advertisers - take note. If your paying on page views/impressions, your likely getting screwed. Most folks will turn off to this stuff - eventually bypassing the site altogether.

They just don't get it.

Two awesome YouTube Video Cartoons that outline why Molly Duffy is the better candidate

2011-05-11T21:51:00.000-04:00

I love this stuff. It's entertaining...but more importantly, it accurately reflects the substantive differences between these candidates.

By the way, Bill DeHaven endorsed Molly. You can read Bill's letter here.

Something to check out: The Khan Academy

2011-05-05T08:55:00.003-04:00

http://www.khanacademy.org/

The current battle we are seeing between the TESD Board and the TEEA should remind us that what we really need is some revolutionary thinking and action. The battle between these two antiquated entities makes one thing clear - they have long forgotten their primary mission: education. The battle is over tax dollars, political power, etc. Education, and more specifically, the students are an afterthought.

Technology is a wonderful thing - and when properly leveraged - can change the world. Recently, the TESD offered an e-learning component to the curriculum. That effort was blocked by the union as it was held to be a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. Somewhere along the way, the efficacy of such programs was forgotten about.

The current PA administration and GOP lawmakers seek to gut the state's educational budget by 100's of millions of dollars. Education is not a priority for them. Their only priority appears to be cozying up to corporate entities that can help fill campaign coffers.

Technology is a liberating force. Spread the word about the Khan Academy and other online educational sources that actually think education is a worthwhile endeavor.

Warren Kampf gets $700 freebie from Aqua America

2011-05-04T18:27:00.004-04:00

You can find the full story here.

The relevant part as to Kampf is this:

Rep. Warren Kampf, R-Chester, received a $700 donation in the form of a chartered bus paid by Aqua America to take his family and other supporters to the Capitol for his swearing-in. A company employee served as his campaign finance chairman and made the offer, Kampf said.

Candidate Warren Kampf, if asked if he would partake of such a freebie, would have said no. Keep in mind that as a Tredyffrin Supervisor, Kampf was dealing with Aqua America. As a state rep, there is no question that Kampf can provide more value to this public utility. For example, when Aqua has to appear in front of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) - they can surely count on Kampf for political help. It's also disturbing that an Aqua employee served as Kampf's campaign finance chair. It's strange that Kampf would accept such a gift. What does this say that Aqua conferred this freebie to Kampf, his family, and other notables in the TTRC. What have we seen in Kampf's first 100 days. He's voted to gut education. As to the VFMA scholarship review board, he appointed his cronies - including John C.T. Alexander - former TTRC Chair. It should also be noted that Alexander also works in Kampf's Paoli Office in addition to Supervisor EJ Richter and Schuylkill GOP and Tea Party Member Sean Dempsey. About the only people that seem to be profiting from Kampf's ascendancy are other elected officials, and GOP party members.

None of this comes as a big surprise. Kampf after all violated Tredyffrin's Home Rule Charter re: St. Davids. Most recently, I cited how his district office violates PA's anti-spam laws. With this latest revelation re: Aqua America's renting of a bus for inauguration party, I'd have to say this has been an interesting first 100 days.

When you look at what's transpired in this community over the past several years and what we see with both the BOS and the TESD Board - is it any wonder that Kampf is turning out to be the kind of state rep that many of us thought he would be. He claimed to be an "Independent Republican" - but he is anything but.

One of his major campaign mantras was that "The way Harrisburg does business has to change." I'm not sure that him accepting freebies on behalf of companies that he has and continues to deal with in a public capacity is changing the way Harrisburg does business. No doubt, the oil and gas industry has Kampf in their sites. He'll be an easy mark for them. Then again, Kampf will just vote the way his leadership tells him to vote.

When you review the list, you'll see D's and R's. You won't see the other two freshman reps in the area (John Lawrence and Dan Truitt).

Really Warren...You're that cheap that you and your supporters can't pay for your own transportation. I seem to recall when you slammed Rep. Drucker for taking a $250 donation from Peter Monaghan (Paoli TS Developer). Assuming there was malfeasance there (and there wasn't) - why is what you did any different? You were a hypocritical and dishonest Tredyffrin Supervisor. Your turning out to be the same kind of state rep. I called it... It's no surprise to me.

Rep. Kampf's office: habituial offender of PA's anti-spam law

2011-05-02T17:59:00.004-04:00

About a week ago, I made an inquiry to Rep. Kampf's office re: whether there was a law on the books that prevented advertising on athletic uniforms. As it turns out, while there isn't a specific law in the PA Code, there are PIAA (PA Interscholastic Athletic Association) rules that ban such advertisements. My question - which was sent via email - was prompted by the last school board meeting where the topic was brought up for conversation. It was posited that such advertisements where "illegal". However, there was no offer of authority as to what the precise illegalities where.

This was the first time I have sent an email to DO157@pahousegop.com. At no time did I ever opt-in to receive periodic emails from Kampf's office. Nevertheless, a few days later, I received another email from Kampf's office, informing me about traffic alerts in the 157th legislative district. This email was sent using a different email: warrenkampf@pahousenews.com. In that email, there is an option to unsubscribe. The problem is, I NEVER SUBSCRIBED IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!

I've sense learned that others have also been improperly added to Kampf's email distribution list. It's pretty sad when our own lawmakers can't follow the simplest of rules.. :( Oh wait... this is the same Warren Kampf who violated the Tredyffrin Home Rule Charter re: St. David's Sidewalk matter.. I have to say, I'm not surprised that Kampf would run afoul of anti-spam laws.

In PA, I'm referring to the UNSOLICITED TELECOMMUNICATION ADVERTISEMENT ACT
Act of 2002, P.L. 1810, No. 222. Federally, there is the CAN-SPAM Act.

There are no exceptions I see that states the aforementioned statutes don't apply to elected officials.

I have since unsubscribed from Kampf's list. If I decide at some point to subscribe, I know how and where to do that. The key is, it's MY choice whether to opt-in. An constituent inquiry is not the consent you need to be added to an email list.

It's not difficult Rep. Kampf...to follow the rules. Maybe if you do, you can actually be part of the solution...instead of being part of the problem...

Clearly, the Democrats haven't learned a damn thing in Tredyffrin

2011-04-14T15:40:00.002-04:00

For context, read this letter to the editor in support of Molly Duffy,

For the record, I think Molly is qualified and would be a great addition to the Tredyffrin BOS.

The problem here is that Kathleen Keohane, who happens to be a member the Tredyffrin Democratic Committee but does not identify herself as such, waits until the very end to mention the candidate (Molly Duffy) she supports. Instead, she takes most of the article to slam the likes of Kampf, Lamina, Olson and Richter. For the record, I agree with Kathleen's critique and have made numerous statements here and elsewhere regarding the damage they and others in the TTRC have inflicted on this community. The problem is the context. Instead of highlighting Molly's impressive resume, Kathleen bashes the Lamina, Kampf, Olson and Richter. There is a time and place for that. Now is not that time. Now is the time to spread the word about the merits of why your candidate should be elected. Why Molly is preferable to Mike Heaberg. Speaking of Heaberg, let's contrast Kathleen's letter to this letter.

Now...do I think this new "economic initiative" from the BOS is a bona fide effort with a real chance at success? Now. It is no more credible than the BAWG or the sidewalk committee. I have often said that in this climate, it is far more important to create the image that government is doing something good and is responsive than to actually what actually occurs. Mike Heaberg has no more to do with the illusory economic development initiative than I do. Years ago, I remember Lamina lamenting over the fact that at the corner of S. Valley and Lancaster, we had Cowboy's Tattoo Ranch. Lamina continually stated "We can do better." Really Bob??? Can we do better? Have we done better? In the last several years, I've seen things go from bad to worse. As to Mike Heaberg, he is opposed to the Paoli TS Project and does not believe local government should be a funding source of the fire service. On those two counts alone, Heaberg would be a colossally bad choice for the BOS. These are the kinds of distinctions the local Democratic party better concentrate on.

Here we are, approximately a month away from the special election and the word is not out about either of these candidates. The Democrats are in a major deficit. While they like to cite that less than half the township is made up of registered Republicans, they continually ignore the fact that at each general election, straight party R's outvote D's 2:1.

Letter's like Kathleen Keohane's are emblematic of the same failed Democratic strategies that have plagued that group since 2007. Unless there is a dramatic change in strategy and tactics, we are going to see the same type of bad government that Kathleen cites. And while the Democrats will do a good job of whining and complaining about that kind of government, unless and until we see otherwise, they will continue to employ the same ineffective tactics that will pretty much insure another GOP victory.

Warren Kampf thinks he knows how to get 'Pennsylvania family' back on track?

2011-03-23T07:56:00.002-04:00

You can read the story here.

About the only accomplishment Kampf has is the ability to generate press releases and make himself available for interviews. His tenure on the Tredyffrin BOS was marred with ethical questions and Home Rule Charter violations. One of his last acts on the BOS was to vote in favor of granting the wealthy private St. David's Golf Club a break on its land development requirement to build sidewalks. During his 2007 campaign to get re-elected to the BOS, he ran on a no-tax increase pledge. As soon as he won his race, he announced that there would be a tax increase. 2008 wasn't enough...so he did it again in 2009. Then, in 2010, he decided to play politics with fire funding. Today, he praises Gov. Corbett's budget that on one hand, allows rich oil and gas companies to avoid a well head tax and on the other hand, gut the education budget by $350 Million. In his 2010 race for the 157th, Kampf completely misrepresented the 422 toll issue. Finally, where Rep. Drucker made real accomplishments to secure funding for a Paoli Train Station that is in need of repair and improvements, Kampf, by all accounts, will let that project die on the vine. It's a double hit because a new Paoli Train Station was to be the corner stone of economic re-development of downtown Paoli. It would appear that the numerous empty store fronts we see will only increase.

This "metaphorical" family analogy that Kampf has concocted has got to be one of the stupidest things I've heard a politician say. Then again, this is coming from a politician who hires somebody like Sean Dempsey as a chief of staff and EJ Richter as a legislative aide. For those of you that don't know, Dempsey was a Kampf campaign volunteer who acted as the tea party liason to Kampf's campaign. EJ Richter has the distinction of being perhaps, the most uninformed/least intelligent person to have ever served on the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors.

At no time does Kampf ever speak in specifics. While he is good at talking about generalities, he never gets to specifics. For example, on the topic of school vouchers, Kampf gave what could best be classified as a non-answer answer to fellow blogger Pattye Benson. You can read that response here.

What we need are thoughtful leaders that don't speak in sound bytes and generalities. We need leaders that stand for honesty and integrity. We need leaders that are committed to the best interest of the communities they serve. We need leaders that don't subordinate the needs of the community and citizens to their political desires.

Kampf has no more understanding of what is best for PA's families than does Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann have an understanding of what good government is.

I was asked if I was going to attend Rep. Kampf's open house

2011-02-12T19:53:00.003-05:00

You can view the invitation here.

Would a jew be in his/her right mind to accept an open house invitation to the National Socialist Party in 1939?

This pretty much sums up how Mike Heaberg got appointed to the BOS

2011-02-08T07:30:00.005-05:00

It is said that a picture is worth 1000 words. Last night was pure political theater. As between Mike Heaberg and Kristen Mayock, there is no contest. Kristen was the clear choice. And in an effort to somehow assuage last night's outcome, Lamina finally made official what we all knew....he was not going to run in 2012. I guess that is the consolation prize for Kristen.

A few facts. First, Heaberg did not seek this out on his own. Rather, he was approach by TTRC Chair Mike Broadhurst. Presumably, both are of like mind re: St. David's. And giving credit where it's due, word is, they both agree that St. David's should abide by its obligations. They haven't been vocal about that. Rather, they have been "politically careful". Bottom line, Heaberg was approached to do this. He did not seek the opportunity on his own.

Notwithstanding their respective correct stances on St. David's, the ends do not justify the means. And let's also realize that this is not out of disinterested generosity. Mike Broadhurst sits on the planning commission and I suspect that he is none too pleased with having the land development authority taken away from the Planning Commission.

The question last night is this: "Who was the most qualified?" I heard a lot about Mike's financial experience. Michelle Kichline brought up the issue of pensions and labor negotiations. The fact is, the BOS will always bring in special counsel and external consultants. There is also a full time financial director on staff. Is the BOS saying that our finance director is not capable of doing his job?

In reality, it was yet another display of political kabuki theater. Heaberg may in fact be a solid financial professional. However, there is more to being a supervisor than having financial cred. Looking at specific policies, there are two things that concern me:

- Heaberg is 100% opposed to townships funding the fire service
- Heaberg is 100% opposed to the Paoli Train Station Project

On these two issues alone, he is disqualified in my mind. He's also a partisan. Note - Mike Heaberg is Mike from Berwyn on Pattye Benson's Community Matter's Blog. During Paul Drucker's re-election bid, Heaberg kept questioning the job #'s coming from Paul's office. It was very clear those #'s came from Dept. of Labor statistics. When I practiced law and was doing the bond work for a municipal sewer system by Ludwig's Corner, I had to specify the job #'s. It's all rather formulaic. I'm also not aware of Heaberg applying equal scrutiny to his own party.

It seems to me that in order to prop up Heaberg politically, he needs the benefit of this appointment. He's never been vetted politically. I wasn't aware that was the proper calculus for this appointment. I always thought it should go to the most qualified. Had John Bravacos stayed in the running, his experience + his status as being a care taker only made him the hands down choice - even over Mayock. But as between Heaberg and Mayock, looking at the entire resume and body of experience, Mayock was the best choice.

Last word - and this goes to EJ Richter's comments. Did she really cite as a qualification that Heaberg can disagree with people without offending them???? And did she say that he last time she talked with him was in the fall of 2009??? I think she told us last night that during this process, she never spoke to Heaberg. But then again, she didn't have to because her decision was known...she was going to vote how she was told to vote - just like with St. David's. Tredyffrin definitely has its own version of Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman and Christine O'Donnell. In this case, its the voters fault..and the voters get the government they deserve because of the way they vote.

There are a bunch of problems with Tredyffrin Government...The finances are nowhere near the top of the list. 3 months is not enough time to do anything substantively re: the finances, pensions, contract negotiations, etc. In that regard, Heaberg's financial acumen, whatever it may be, cannot and should not be the litmus test for his appointment.

At least JD had the presence of mind to vote the right way.. It seems the dark days of governance in Tredyffrin Township are still with us.

There was one piece of good news...Bob Lamina is not running. But alas...when you go to the dumpster, you may very well find a bigger rat. We'll have to wait and see on that.

New Kampf Campaign Fund Raising Strategy

2010-07-13T18:06:00.001-04:00

A few words on the Tredyffrin Democratic budget proposal

2010-06-23T08:27:00.002-04:00

You can read the TTDC's proposal here.

I think it is well written as it, in the span of a few words, succinctly brings the past and present together. If you were tuned into the 2008, 09, and 10 budget processes, you saw the same mistakes again and again. Common sense dictates the TTDC proposals.

But alas, I fear they will never see the light of day - for the following reasons:

- The ruling majority, in a word, is not competent as to these matters. Between Kampf, Lamina, Olson and Ricther, there is not a shred of competence as to municipal finance, fund accounting and fund accounting operations. Look at how they are trying to cobble together a student rental ordinance. They are putting as much effort into that as a C- student puts into studying for his/her exams. They are cramming, and in the process, a poor effort results.

Those that are incompetent are incapable of implementing smart ideas. You can have the smartest idea - but it cannot make up for implementers that are, for lack of a better word, morons.

- The idea came from the TTDC. Kampf, Lamina, Olson and Richter don't like or respect the Tredyffrin Democratic Party. Politically, the GOP is in a no win situation here:

If they implement the plan, credit goes to the Democrats

If they don't implement the plan, the BOS will be guilty of infecting the budget process with partisan politics. We already know this is happening re: Kampf's bid for the 157th. My guess is, Lamina and co. will do its level best to keep the lid on the 2011 budget until after the 11/2 election. And in case you have not realized it, the entire governmental operation is being driven by Kampf's desire for higher elected office.

The TTDC needs to stay on top of this. They need to keep hammering the BOS on the status of the proposal. The BOS should be forced to vote the matter - up or down. Where do these supervisors stand. If Lamina won't even vote on the matter, what does that say about him? I'll tell you what it says..it says he, along with Kampf, Olson and Richter, are not for transparency in the budget process. The only way this fact can be borne out is through an up/down vote.

Don't let this die on the vine Dariel!! You have started something here that could be very positive for the community at large. See it through!!

Is a AAA Bond rating worth the lives of our fire fighters and first responders?sun

2010-06-21T23:27:00.005-04:00

In a nutshell, Supervisor Kampf saisud exactly that tonight. His extended diatribe on the fact that Tredyffrin still has a AAA bond rating was nothing more than re-iterating his campaign points. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether the township is operating with the minimum amount of acceptable services.

I contend we are not....

Based on JD's talk tonight at the BOS meeting, it is a miracle that nobody was hurt, or worse, killed, at last Friday's fire where, as it turned out, the building had a lot of hazardous material. The problem is, the fire fighters didn't know what they were walking into.

Why?

One simple reason...we don't have inspections in this township. And as a result, we don't have a complete record of which structures house dangerous/hazardous materials. Some places, like Johnson Matthey, have to comply with state/federal guidelines. Then ,there are the others that don't - but nevertheless - have the potential to be very dangerous.

5 years ago, when I was on the board, this very issue was up for discussion. 5 years later, we are arguably in a worse position because in all that time, many of the required inspections have not been performed.

Why?

Because according to guys like Kampf, Lamina and Olson, such inspections are a "luxury" we cannot afford.

You see...to hire an inspector would be tantamount to "big government" - a government that is not living within its means. As a result - the government does not spend the money on what is otherwise, an essential service.

The bean counters at Moodys - a rather tainted institution along with S&P - does not factor that into its calculus when evaluating the credit worthiness of the township.

So...from Kampf's perspective, all is well because we have a AAA bond rating. I contend that we could still have a AAA bond rating and at the same time, provide essential services.

As an example of life imitating art and vice versa, go check out the movie Backdraft. Firefighters were put in danger because an unscrupulous politician implemented cuts for the sake of propping up the balance sheet.

Propping up the balance sheet...where have we seen that before??? Enron???

And in the midst of all of this, the big topic of discussion was an unworkable ordinance vis a vis the student registration ordinance. This block of 4 can barely manage to run what we have now. Does anybody really think that a registration ordinance will have any efficacy?

More evidence to suggest that Kampf, Lamina and Olson simply do not get it.

Should one of our brave first responders meet with a tragedy that could have been avoided by having an inspection process, I can here Kampf now..."Well...we have a AAA bond rating..."

A tale of two housing ordinances

2010-06-21T17:32:00.003-04:00

At tonight's BOS meeting, one of the agenda items is to discuss a public hearing date to discuss a new student housing ordinance.

It would take me too long to go into all of the details - but the ordinance, as written, has a lot of problems. The genesis of the ordinance comes from the problems that have been reported in the Mt. Pleasant section of the township. The problem is, the ordinance, as written, does not address the noise and nuisance issues that have been reported.

One of the chief problems is that the ordinance tries to be narrowly tailored to just "student housing". In reality, the ordinance is so in-artfully drafted, it actually has broad implications. Consider the following:

- Family rents a house and one of the children that lives in the house is now a full time student at a local college. The ordinance, as written, requires this family to register.

- Two people rent a house. Sometime thereafter, one decides to quit his/her job to go to law school full time. These people must now register under the ordinance or face severe consequences.

And at the same time, the ordinance is also very narrow...

- Three people rent a house, all three just graduated. All of the tenants are going to grad school part time. There are numerous loud parties of which there have been many complaints. Per the ordinance, these people DO NOT have to register.

There is also some business about having to forward rental agreements to the township. Not sure what legitimate governmental interest there is there.

For comparison, take a look at Radnor's ordinance. Radnor deals with rentals in general - of which there is a sub-category of student rentals.

Ordinances like these cannot simply be cobbled together. And quite frankly, I would rather the Tredyffrin government concern itself with more important matters - like the 2011 budget. I don't know how much time was spent on this ordinance, but as written, it is not workable.

There are many more issues of concern, but those enumerated here are the highlights...

Paoli Train Station to get $1Million in funding - Thank you Rep. Drucker!

2010-06-21T13:37:00.004-04:00

You can find the official press release here.

Wow!! Can it be that we may actually see more movement on this project? I arrived at the tail end of the press conference. In addition to Rep. Drucker and his staff, Rep. Dwight Evans, members of the Chester County Economic Development Council and our own west district supervisor John JD DiBuonaventuro were in attendance showing their support for the project.

Imagine that...Republicans and Democrats working together for the benefit of the community!!

Thanks to Paul and JD for keeping this project "on track"!!

Again we see how fortunate we are to have the fire and EMS professionals we have

2010-06-19T12:50:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it, there was a potentially dangerous fire/hazmat situation in Devon. You can read out it here. Be sure to watch the video with Capt. Eamon Brazunas.

Just a few months ago, there was a major fire at the Strafford Apartments. Again, the fire service prevented a bad situation from getting worse.

In spite of this, the Tredyffrin BOS (with the exception of JD of course) - keeps jerking the fire service around. These companies have a hard enough time keeping their financial heads above water. Our local governments greatly benefit because of these volunteers didn't step in, the services would nevertheless have to be provided. When you tally-up what these men and women do, you begin to see why the funds cut by the Tredyffrin BOS last year as so petty. Yes, there was the fund raising effort by Kampf, Lamina and Olson. That however, was a political maneuver. Had it not been an election year (2009) with another election on the horizon(Kampf's 2010 run for the 157th) - there would not have been an incentive for Kampf, Lamina and Olson to solve a problem they created so that a political benefit could be gained.

Who knows what the 2011 budget will bring. If Kampf, Lamina and Olson really care about the fire services, they will restore the funding they cut in 2009.

Put it this way, the $'s the BOS have paid special counsel for the protracted police union negotiations and the unnecessary arbitration process Kampf, Lamina and Olson (along with Shimrak) has subjected the township to could have been better used to fund our fire services.

So then, what's the deal on these Neil A. Morris donations to Kampf

2010-06-18T08:29:00.004-04:00

For the record, you can find the donations here. They look innocent enough, but there is a story here....

Over on Pattye Benson's Community Matters Blog, Pattye started a great discussion on the campaign finance reports of 157th candidates Paul Drucker and Warren Kampf.

Getting back to the Morris Donations - if you know the back story, these donations really stick out. As a matter of disclosure, when I was a law student, I clerked at Neil's firm. One of my best friends worked at Neil's firm for close to 15 years. Neil is a well known trial attorney who specializes in labor negotiations. He has a tough reputation, and typically, when municipalities hire him, it's means the negotiations are likely to be "tough". Neil is a bull dog and zealously advocates for his clients. He's a good lawyer. Whether or not his style works well in all situations, no doubt, reasonable people can disagree.

18 months ago, Tredyffrin Township, under the leadership of Warren Kampf, hired Neil Morris to be its labor counsel. Morris' job - to negotiate the new police contract. Morris confirmed his hiring date to me. I had reached out to Kampf - asking him when the donations were made, were they before or after Morris was hired. It was no surprise to not get an answer. As it turned out, Kampf said he was running and Morris offered his support.

A surprise???? In general, no. If yo consider that the township solicitor donated in excess of $5,000 to Kampf's campaign, it is not a surprise. There is certainly nothing illegal here. It just so happens that Kampf believes that those who do work for the township represent a rich source of campaign funds.

But for Morris getting hired by the township, Kampf never sees these donations. Quid Pro Quo? Pay for Play? I don't now that to be the case...but the appearance of it exists. What if there were two equally qualified attorneys where one will give donations and the other won't - but it just so happens that the one who gives donations actually has a slightly higher hourly rate? Which way would Kampf decide? We don't definitely know the answer - and there is our fundamental problem. I'm not saying that he would necessarily decide in favor of his own self interests. However, given the current facts, there is at least, an indication that the appearance of a conflict exists. Go back to the fire funding scandal and look how his campaign is taking advantage of that. In that case, Comcast donated $1,000 and Comcast also happens to be negotiating its cable contract with the township. But for donations like Comcast to the fire fighter fund raising drive, Kampf does not get to add that to his list of "accomplishments". Is that substantively different from direct campaign donations? It is after all, a benefit that accrues to his campaign.

Taking a step back, you have to examine why we needed a special counsel in the first place. Given the choice, Tredyffrin was gearing up for a fight...and expensive fight against the police union. And now, the whole thing is in arbitration. Nevertheless, it's all good for Kampf because another township vendor means another funding source for his campaign... Not much help to the taxpayer - and yet - Kampf claims that he is a friend of the taxpayer....

If that isn't enough...check out the Aqua America donation. When it comes to negotiating rates for township utilities, does anybody really think Kampf will be advocating for lower rates for we, the taxpayers when the Aqua America PAC just gave him $1,000??

Remember this the next time Kampf or somebody from the GOP slams Drucker for accepting donations from unions. I believe Guy Ciarrocchi, in his unsuccessful bid for the 157th in 2008, received several union endorsements and associated $'s.

More evidence to support the notion that Kampf is ethically challenged. Given this conduct, you have to wonder how such a person could be an agent for ethics reform.

Were back....

2010-06-16T22:31:00.002-04:00

After a bit of a hiatus, the TTPN is back. Then again, it hasn't been that much of a hiatus since I have been pretty active over on Community Matters. Eventhough this place is getting cranked-up again, I will still actively comment on Pattye's site.

Well - it's 157th time again and Warren Kampf is deep in campaign mode. There is going to be lots to talk about over the next few months. But for now, I would like focus on Kampf's latest blog post - which you can find here. Having read and re-read Kampf's post several times, I have to chuckle. After all, this is a guy who thinks fees are not taxes and taxes are not fees. On one hand, Kampf justifies expenditures that should be in the general fund while at the same time on the other hand, does not approve of the funding of those expenditures. Of course, what I am referring to here is the fact that expenditures like street lights etc. are funded from the sewer fund. The problem is, those are in reality, general fund expenditures. At the same time, Kampf decided to vote against the sewer fee increase. That's all budget stuff - which in the near future - we will get to. The point is, Kampf has a very warped view of governmental finance and finance in general. So with that, I'll take his opinions on the ills of the current pension system with a grain of salt. Quite frankly, I might be more tempted to get an opinion from the likes of Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachman. In a three way race with those two and Kampf, there is no telling who would win, place or show....

Getting back to Kampf's post - he's is not happy with the vote. Every house Republican voted for the measure. Does Kampf realize that in effect, he said his own party's efforts are too little...too late? Oops... Then again, Kampf may not be far off the mark..

The deal is, the current law is clear - you cannot change a pension plan for existing folks in the system. And who do we have to thank for the current system. Believe it or not, it's the GOP. That's right - some 10 years ago, when the house, senate and the Governor's mansion were all controlled by the GOP - that is when the seeds were sewn on the system we have. That's right - Tom Ridge was a champion of protecting pension rights. Do you see anywhere in Kampf's post where he gives credit where credit is due? Of course not. That would require a level of substance and understand - things Kampf does not have. Instead - about all he is good for now is spitting out blog posts that illustrate his tea-bag like outrage over the current system. He's mad as hell and he is not going to take it any more!

Has he been mad as hell? Well...we have had quite a situation with the current teachers contract and so far, Kampf hasn't said word one about that situation. So it is far from clear just how mad he is...

The deal is - Kampf talks a good game with his whole 401k shtick. He's engaging in the worse form of political pandering. He'll promise the moon and the stars and swears that he would have fought hard for something. The problem is, and he knows it - he could never deliver on the promises. What he proposes to do is in contravention of the law. All Kampf is hoping for is that the voting public is stupid and naive enough to believe him.

In the next post, I want to leave you with this question: When Kampf solicited current township special labor counsel Neil A. Morris for $500 worth of campaign contributions, was that solicitation made before or after the township hired Morris? This little scenario will be the topic of the next post.

Till then...see ya!

My Response...

2010-05-16T22:42:00.000-04:00

Fuck you Mr. Roboto... How's that??

This just in, Sidewalk To Nowhere found in Tredyffrin Township

2010-02-09T23:10:00.004-05:00

It took a bit of work, but I did manage to find one sidewalk to nowhere...

Kampf's campaign strategy

2010-01-29T22:32:00.003-05:00

Your Tredyffrin BOS Block of 4

2010-01-26T07:57:00.001-05:00

Updated with the newest member...

OK...one more posting

2009-12-21T22:43:00.003-05:00

Personal matters kept me from attending tonight's BOS meeting. I did manage to watch the first part and did catch the latter parts via DVR.

The meeting did not disappoint. As reported here, the TTRC managed to create a crisis on one hand and then claim political victory on the other. This all has to do with the 11th. hour fund raising by Olson, Kampf and Lamina. They created the mess after all. Perhaps this was their cross to bear. Perhaps it was there mess to clean up.

Right there to co-opt a public meeting for a political purpose was Chairman Warren Kampf. Very quickly, he was there to give kudos to the TTRC and other GOP friends. And right there, was Warren Kampf, with a big check in the amount of $23K for the fire fighters and the photo op.

It was political theater at its best. And right there was the old man puppet master himself - C.T. Alexander - ready to read the resolution. And all of this was against the backdrop of Christmas and the spirit of giving. Believe me folks, there was no giving here without the prospect of getting a sizable political payback in return.

It was all there tonight folks...About the only thing missing was a kiss on the cheek.

Now...in terms of the sewer fund, the fee, and the increase. Let me be clear on this... Warren Kampf and Bob Lamina are lying to us all. They are lying when they say it is not a tax. They are lying when they say we have a "structurally" balanced budget. And what's most insulting is that they believe the Tredydffrin citizens are stupid enough to believe them.

Let me say this again... Warren Kampf and Bob Lamina are liars. The general fund is subsidized by the sewer fund. In true lawyer fashion, Kampf out solicitor Hogan in the hotseat and asked if it was legal. Hogan replied that it was legal.

Folks.. I am a lawyer and we all know that just because something is "legal" - doesn't make it right. Roll the tape again and look at the pain on Tom Hogan's face. He knows the whole thing isn't right and so does Kampf, Lamina and Olson.

In either a forgetful moment or one for clarity, Olson, not 2 minutes after Kampf's question asked Hogan if the deal was legal. Again, Hogan replied affirmatively.

When Kampf, Lamina or anybody else tells you that this is a balanced budget, one that did not require a tax increase, they are lying. Sewer fees, the broad sense, are taxes. They are called fees because they are earmarked for a specific fund. Nevertheless, they are a tax.

The gentleman who spoke tonight put it well. Whether you pay from the left pocket or the right, it does not matter. As citizens, we pay in currency - regardless of whether you call it a tax or a fee. This is all about election politics. This is all about Kampf's upcoming campaign for the 157th. This is all about laying the ground work for a run that will include campaign rhetoric of not having to raise taxes in 2010 like other municipalities.

Its all bull shit.......

For Kampf, in his mind, the beauty is that by the time November, 2010 rolls around, it will be too late for anybody to piece things together. This all assumes he wins the May, 2010 primary. I think that prospect is far from certain. Clearly, Kampf thinks he has the whole thing in the bag.

As for Lamina and Olson, they are carrying water in exchange for a respective chair and vice chair seat in 2010. By rights, JD should, at the very least, be the vice chair. That however, is not likely to happen given the political climate.

The St. David's deal was forgotten about tonight and the TTRC, based on the promise of #23K to the fire services, bought off the community. Folks should be sure to make sure they pay the bill.

And one last note...for Mark DiFelicantonio... what a disappointment he is. For the last year, he basically quit. On 12/7, he gets up and walks out when Kampf is giving his stump speech. And of course, he was disrespectful to Ray Clark saying that he was not interested in what Ray had to say.

To Mark - look here you little shit... The people of Tredyffrin voted you in 2005. Your actions over the past few years have set the Democratic Party back several years. The only people more pathetic than you are the TT DEMS leaders that did not call for your head a year ago. You were voted in to represent the people. And at times, you have done that well. But in many other situations, you have failed miserably. There are many points I agree with you on. But...your conduct as a supervisor has been, for the most part, dismal. You should have resigned a year ago. Most likely, somebody from the GOP would have won that special election.

Tredyffrin, the town I moved to some 15 years ago, died tonight. The town is run by the TTRC for the interest of the TTRC. To C.T. Alexander and the rest of the TTRC politboro - let me ask you this - in the spirit of bi-partisanship, did you ask the TTDEMS to step up to the plate when it came to fund raising? Of course not... because like everything else, you see the fire service and everything else as a pawn in your political chess match.

About the only thing I saw tonight was a TTRC mutual affirmation circle-jerk - with C.T. Alexander as the pivot man and the troika of Olson, Kampf and Lamina working as the mop crew. They collectively bent the township over and took their respecitve turns. Like I said, the only thing missing was a kiss on the cheek.

Between the Board of Supervisors and the School Board - this community is royally fucked. They only way to get more fucked is for this community to send somebody like Warren Kampf to Harrisburg. Think about it - the dude said on TV tonight that he did not consider a sewer fee a tax because of different way it is accounted for. One of two things is true. A - he is too stupid to go to Harrisburg as he has reached his level of incompetence or B - he is a liar - sticking to his story for dear life. Either way, politicians like him need to be sent to the scrap heap asap. That dude wouldn't be in Harrisburg 10 minutes before he would sell Tredyffrin down the river in the hopes that it would lead to his next political office.

Hopefully, the Tredyffrin citizens will wake up and realize just how much we are getting fucked by these people... And assholes like Warren Kampf actually want to make a living as a political. Here is the real irony - search on him and see what you get in return. At least with the other guy, the world knew what the deal was (although not at first....but Churchill changed that) As far as I am concerned, when it comes to the interplay between the government and the TTRC, the only thing missing are jackboots and armbands. God help you if you don't tow the line...

As I see it, Tredyffrin right now is made up of a bunch of appeasers...ala Neville Chamberlain.

There..I said it.

Merry Christmas...

Pattye Benson has found her calling

2009-12-20T18:42:00.003-05:00

I am happy to say that this blog is no longer required. Pattye's blog has the right mix of content. This blog originally was one of necessity to counteract Mr. Tredyffrin (Earl May as it turned out to be). To be honest, I have never felt all that comfortable with the territory this blog has had to deal with. Quite frankly, it takes a lot of energy. Further, the subject matter has a lot of negative karma. With the close of 2009 brings the hiatus of this blog. I won't go away. Instead, I will contribute to the conversation Pattye is hosting (without the darkness this place tends to bring out.) Pattye has the pulse of the community and we all need to get behind that effort. She is good at what she does and I am happy to call her a friend. For me, its a relief that a good person like Pattye is blogging on our community events.

All that said, tomorrow night, Tredyffrin will either live or die. If the budget goes as is and if a formal renunciation of the St. David's affair does not occur, in my mind, Tredyffrin, as the community I have called home for quite some time, will have died - at the hands of Kampf, Lamina and Olson. On the other hand, if something can change tomorrow night's anticipated vote, than Tredyffrin lives for another day.

See you at tomorrow's budget meeting...

Paoli Business Association supports bid to restore fire funding

2009-12-19T20:20:00.003-05:00

As reported by Pattye Benson.

My question is when will Kampf, Lamina, Olson and Shimrak get a clue.....

Coming soon, to a theatre near you...

2009-12-18T18:41:00.002-05:00

Cmon... Fire Funding petion is at 468. Let's get it to 500 by the weekend.

2009-12-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

Here is the link..

Certainly...we can find 32 signatures. Who knows, maybe BOS members who have not signed will make the 32 signatures needed to get to 500.

Fire Petition - #461 is Michelle Kichline: where is E.J. Richter?

2009-12-18T10:10:00.004-05:00

For the record, Phil Donahue was #393

Actually Phil, you are a bit more than a "concerned resident".

Thanks to Michelle and Phil for signing the petition. For these signatures to have real meaning, assuming the funding cuts stay in place, Phil and Michelle must either make a motion or second/support a motion to restore the funding in 2010.

My question is - where is E.J. Richter on the matter? So far, it would appear she does not support our local fire service? Could that be? Could it really be that she won't sign this petition?

Perhaps E.J. has already made her position known on the matter? Perhaps she is of the opinion that that little to no public funds should be used to support the fire companies? It may be news to her that such funding is required by law. In any case, there may be more to follow on this story.

So E.J. .... Where do you stand? Are you for or against the fire fighters? We already know Kampf, Lamina and Olson are? We also know that Olson donated heavily to your campaign? Are you in their back pocket? Are you that guaranteed 4th vote? Or, are you on the side of the community... a community that supports the fire service.

Whose side are you on E.J.????

Rep. Drucker announces Paoli Train Station contractor

2009-12-17T14:57:00.002-05:00

I had received an email about this earlier today. Pattye Benson gives a nice overview on her blog.

This has a been a slow moving project. I am glad that Rep. Drucker sees this as a priority.

Between this and securing storm water funds, Paul is racking up a number of accomplishments in his first term as our state Rep.

Thanks to Pattye Benson for posting the release.

Fire Funding petion now over 400, #393 claims to be Phil Donahue

2009-12-17T11:09:00.002-05:00

Things are really moving now...

# 393 is signed Phil Donahue. We don't know for sure whether it is supervisor elect Phil Donahue or not. Perhaps he can clarify. I wonder whether new supervisors EJ Richter and Michelle Kichline will sign? At the first meeting in 2010, we will find out quickly where they are on the matter.

Every movement needs its own motivational poster

2009-12-16T13:13:00.004-05:00

To those who endorse the notion of funding fireworks while underfunding the fire service (guys like Kampf, Lamina, Olson and a good portion of the TTRC), I give you your own motivational poster:

# of reponses to restore fire funding exceeds BAWG Survey

2009-12-16T12:36:00.005-05:00

Here you go...

I suspect by the time we get to the budget meeting, there will be many more signatures. As it stands now,345 exceeds the BAWG survey. And quite frankly, this petition concerning fire funding has a bit more credibility than the BAWG survey.

Why can't we have message like this from our elected officials

2009-12-16T11:48:00.005-05:00

From John Fisher, VP Board of Commissioners - Radnor Township: As I See It: Living within our means makes the most sense:

Instead, we get unproductive and unhelpful letters such as the one from Bob Lamina. Yet more evidence to show Tredyffrin is not the gold standard.

By the way, from here on out, I will not link to MLMN stories. I will cite the source - but until MLMN decides to play nice in the web space, this is what I am going to do. If they have a problem with it, they are free to contact me. But their hands won't be clean since they are widely known to ape my content.

From the MLMN...

By John Fisher

On Monday, Dec. 14, the Board of Commissioners voted on and passed the 2010 Operating Budget and Tax Levy in a 6:1 vote. I voted for and supported this budget.

The Board of Commissioners voted to change our side-yard trash service to curbside but agreed to offer the side-yard service to residents for an additional fee of $350 per year. This service will be performed by public-works staff. The change in service is expected to eliminate four full-time and seven part-time sanitation worker positions. This change and the change to single-stream recycling is expected to save tax payers about $543,000 per year. It is envisioned and it is my hope that the new fee-for-service may generate $70,000 to $150,000 in the first year and if it does, we may be able to retain some of the sanitation workers and meet the needs of some residents who rely on this service.

By the end of December, Radnor Township is projected to spend about $3.25 million of our $6.6-million General Fund (GF) balance to fund the 2009 budget year leaving only $3.2 million remaining. The 2010 preliminary budget proposes an 11-percent tax increase and use of $1.5 million of our GF balance to meet our deficit next year. As adopted, the budget is projected to leave only $1.6 million or a 7-percent fund balance remaining by the end of 2010. The budget already assumes a tax increase and includes laying off four full-time and seven part-time public-works employees, making rear-yard trash collection a fee-for-service of $350 per year and going to single-stream recycling. However, our Fund Balance Policy (FBP) mandates that we should cut spending and raise revenues enough to meet our 12-percent minimum fund balance (12 percent of all revenues) but this budget does not achieve that requirement.

To meet our FBP 12-percent minimum, we would have needed to raise property taxes as much as 25 percent to 3.76 mills in 2010 or make substantial cuts in spending and lose services. Adopting a $1.5-million deficit budget with the much lower 11 percent tax increase with the cuts and programmatic changes is a more palatable compromise but it sets up the 2011 Budget to likely run out of cash by March of 2011 due to limits in cash flow – this is the danger of not facing our economic reality and the risk of deficit spending. Sometimes we forget that a deficit is defined as expenses exceeding revenues or living beyond our means and that is not a sustainable economic policy. If these projections hold true, Radnor will need to borrow money using a Tax Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN) to meet our cash-flow needs in 2011.

In the published report “12 Habits of Highly Successful Financial Officers,” Fitch Ratings, Ltd. lists “fund-balance reserve policy,” “policies regarding nonrecurring revenue” and a “pay-as-you-go capital funding policies” as three of the 12 successful habits of municipal borrowers. In 2008 the Board of Commissioners passed Ordinance 2008-5 that does just that. Our FBP requires our General Fund (GF) maintain a minimum 12-percent balance with a target of no less than 15 percent and only under two circumstances can we budget below the 12-percent limit. The only exceptions are in a year in which a state or federally declared natural disaster occurs in Radnor (it has not) or with a minimum 2/3 vote of the entire membership (five of seven in favor) on the preliminary budget. If the fund balance falls below the 12-percent limit in any year, the board must enact a budget within two years to restore the 12-percent minimum.

Why not all cuts? Currently Radnor residents enjoy a safe, clean and recreational community. Cutting our expenses further could mean the loss of important services, loss of many of the amenities we have come to enjoy and a strain on our current staff. We will likely need to cut more costs but we will need to be mindful of the unintended consequences. Radnor is a great place but the quality of life and maintaining our property values come with a cost. Over the coming years we need new policies and programs that are much more efficient and take advantage of new technologies that in turn will drive costs down. We can expect a dramatic increase in eGov services to drive compliance and utilization of our service offerings as one step toward a more efficient government but more can be done.

Why tax increases? The township budget forecast out years are much worse where the fund balance drops to $507,000 (2 percent) in 2011 and out of cash with a $739,000 deficit (-2.9 percent) in 2012. This draft budget is betting on a substantial economic recovery or hefty 10-percent-plus tax increases in 2011 and 2012 if no further programming cuts occur. This makes no sense. Would it have been more prudent to do a single tax increase of 25 percent so we eliminate the risk of running out of cash? In my opinion no. In the past we have raised and, yes, lowered taxes to meet the current cash-flow needs but living within our means would make more sense.

John Fisher is vice president of the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners. He lives in Rosemont.

Have you ever checked out the statement on ttgop.com on "I am a Republican because...."?

2009-12-16T09:15:00.006-05:00

When you read these, you have to chuckle a bit.

I think these principles better describe the GOP and the TTRC:

Deweese finally indicted in bonus gate

2009-12-16T09:09:00.002-05:00

As reported on Philly.com : DeWeese, Stetler indicted on theft charges

Thanks JD

2009-12-15T21:58:00.003-05:00

Photo courtesy of Evan Pioch/The Spoke (note to MLMN, Tom Murray and Jabari Young, this is how you give credit to your sources).

I often paint the BOS with a broad stroke. When it comes to the latest fire service fiasco, it must be noted that BOS member John Dibounaventuro, is a member of the Paoli FD and was at the Main Line-Berwyn Apt Fire tonight. JD has been the one of the few voices of reason on the BOS.

Pictures from tonight's apt fire

2009-12-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

You can find them here.

Note to the Three Stooges, once again, our fire service comes through

2009-12-15T21:08:00.008-05:00

From the Berwyn Fire Department - Firefighters Fight Roof Fire in Berwyn.

Maybe you clowns could explain why you are jamming these guys up.... Read the press release...read what was accomplished in approx 30 min by 60 people from various companies - from Radnor to West Chester.

To the presumptive chair Lamina and vice-chair Olson - you better buckle up for 2010....it is going to be a bumpy ride for you.

Note...your first order of business in 2010 is to invite the fire companies to a financial summit to be held no later than the end of Q1 wherein you will partner with fire service, given them the courtesy and respect they are owed. You will work with them, like you should have in 2009 for the 2010 budget, to come up with a mutually acceptable financial plan. I promise you, until you make such and overture, I will be at every meeting that I can attend and I will make this same request.

And of course, I will be making this request on 12/21....

Seriously... You guys gave more consideration to the St. David's Golf Club than you do the fire service.

The irony... The St. David's Golf Club has annual fireworks that the Radnor Fire Department provides services for. That is the very definition of ironic. I bet a lot of folks didn't know that.

The next move is yours..... How do you want to play this? As Guy Ciarrocchi often said, politics is a contact sport. You two, and Kampf in particular, are about to find out just how true that statement is.

For once...do right by the people. Emergency services are not a political pawn in your chess game. When they help us, they don't ask our party affiliation. Lamina - you can run all of your fair and balanced bull shit up the flag pole you want - nobody is going to salute. But I will give your credit to the extent that you had the balls to put your thoughts in writing. Your chair is still trying to figure out which way is north and what to say. The deal is, you guys put fireworks over fire
service. That is the core issue and it is the point your fail to grasp. And what is more aggravating is that the two of you (Olson and Lamina) are banging pots and pans to drum up $'s for the fire service. This time however, it is for nothing other than political ass covering.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 21st...

If you think folks at the TESD aren't listening, think again

2009-12-15T20:44:00.004-05:00

They are.....

If you have something to say, say it here....

I find it interesting that as soon as content picked up re: the TESD and the union, the hits started to pick up.

This should be fun to see how this plays out....

Next up...why do we pay a superintendent over $200K+ a car allowance...??

Thank you sir, may I have some more....

2009-12-15T18:04:00.003-05:00

As requested, the Oliver Twist reference... And given Lamina's clear negative animus toward Lt. Eamon Brazunas, and the entire fire service as it appears - here you go...

Is this what it has come to?

2009-12-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

Nice synopsis of last night's TESD Finance Committee Meeting

2009-12-15T08:06:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Ray Clarke for his summary.

Friends...this is pretty scary news. What is clear is that the TESD School Board - ala Kevin Mahoney, Liane Davis, Pat Wood, Betsy Fadem, et. al. have not done a good job of holding the line on compensation and benefits. It must be pointed out that this has all occurred under GOP rule. The TTDEMS do a lousy job of holding the TTRC accountable - so the job apparently falls to me to do that. As long as the TTRC continues to repeat, ad nauseum, Tredyffrin represents the "Gold Standard", I will keep beating that drum. With the school district, we do need to bring in Easttown as they are equally accountable.

What is really infuriating is that the T/E Education Association is apparently refusing to open their agreement. Again,the board has been the problem has been the board.

By the way, don't bother looking for the salary schedule. The education association does not publish it. I would appreciate somebody getting that and forwarding it to me.

We are in a lot of trouble folks... and the TTRC has been a big factor in putting us in this position.

In honor of his eminence

2009-12-14T18:06:00.003-05:00

Almost forgot..one of the things I will miss with Bill DeHaven no longer being on the BOS - addressing Chairman Kampf as "Your eminence."

So with that, I give you his eminence, Chairman Kampf:

My message to MLMN

2009-12-14T14:49:00.006-05:00

Looks like the TTRC is attempting to play politics with the fire funding

2009-12-14T10:33:00.004-05:00

Last week, the TTRC met and apparently, not all went well. In the wake of Lamina's comments, it appears the TTRC acknowledges the image problem it has. In fact, Paul Olson, who is not a TTRC member was there, making the plea to pack the house on the 21st for the final budget meeting. You should all keep this in mind the next time Olson states he is not a member. He might as well be one. He is carrying a lot of water for them.

So then... What is the deal with the fire funding? Apparently, there are those in the TTRC that are cooking up the strategy to privately raise the $'s. At a certain level, this is great. But the reality is that this is being contemplated for political purposes. Kampf has a major image problem to begin with and this budget process has not helped. What better way to appear as white knights than by riding to the rescue! The irony of course is that the TTRC has created this mess. They have allowed their party to be co-opted by a small group of people that only care about themselves. By thier actions, it is clear they don't care about the community.

If the TTRC wants to fill the fire funding gap, great. The TTRC should not be able to score a political profit. If they really care about the community, the will follow through with their plan and at the same time, acknowledge responsibility.

Tredyffrin BOS and TESD needs to look at East Whiteland

2009-12-14T09:39:00.005-05:00

From the Daily Local.

So then...how is it that East Whiteland can cope with the same issues that Tredyffrin cannot seem to cope with? For one thing, East Whiteland got on board with an EIT a few years ago (1996). Who can East Whiteland thank, in part for its good fortune? Ironically, they can thank Tredyffrin and her citizens.

You see, for those Tredyffrinites that work in East Whiteland, they pay that municipality an EIT. It is interesting to see that East Whiteland HAS NOT raised property taxes in 12 years. According to their site,they collect .5% from residents and non-residents. Where the millage rate here is over 2%, in East Whiteland, it is less than .5%

The critics will say that people in East Whiteland pay more in tax. I am not sure that is true. Most people in Tredyffrin already pay an EIT. When you couple that with our property taxes, we may in fact, be paying more in tax.

But.....

Because Tredyffrin does not have an EIT, the dollars we pay in EIT don't come home.

I have been waiting for BOS members, TTRC Members, BAWG Members or anybody else to take me on here. So far, nobody has offered a credible rebuttal.

For years, C.T. Alexander and the TTRC preached about Tredyffrin Township being the "Gold Standard". Isn't gold supposed to shine in the bad times as well.

Perhaps the gold here is really fools gold...

More evidence to show how we have been hoodwinked by the the TTRC and the Kampf, Lamina and Olson troika. It is clear that none of them really understand the problem. And that is the issue. In order to be able to be in a position to resolve a problem, you must first understand the problem.

And to that, in order to be fair, I do have to lump Judy DiFilippo in that category of not understanding the problem. She has been on the board for 20 years and because of that, she has to be held accountable for the problems we see today. She, like Kampf, is seeking the GOP nomination. While I think Judy is a better community oriented person than Warren, both have not been up to the task to adequately deal with the problems of the township. Neither is all that well suited to represent us in Harrisburg. Both represent the same problem, but to lesser degrees. And now, Judy, to some extent, is doing her level best to separate herself from Warren. But at the end of the day, both Warren and Judy are responsible for this mess. I single them both out here because they are seeking the 157th.

And yes, BOTH of them agreed to accept the BAWG report - as is. And that my fellow citizens, is a big problem. It was good that Judy answered Pattye Benson's questions. But at the end of day, it may been been too little...to late.

We are still a way off from the 2010 nominating convention. It may be that neither Judy or Warren will be in the mix. Although, it is likely that both will be in the mix.

The damage has been done to the 2010 budget. That mold has been cast. We still have time to make sure our problems don't find their way to Harrisburg. And in the latter days of 2010, perhaps we will then finally resolve to rid the BOS of scurge that has caused a good deal of these problems and start a new...

Update on 202 Project

2009-12-14T09:32:00.001-05:00

You can find the article here.

An open question to Rich Brake and Kevin Buraks

2009-12-13T19:19:00.002-05:00

Kevin and Rich...

First off, congratulations on your recent election to the TESD School Board. As you know, TESD is facing an 8 Million Dollar Budget shortfall. My basic question for both of you is what specific strategies do you plan to employ in your first year on the board that would specifically work to trim this gap?

Please leave your comments here. If you do, please email me separately so that identity can be confirmed. Thanks...

Let's start talking about the school board

2009-12-13T10:19:00.004-05:00

My commitment going forward is that for every post on the BOS, I will also write about the TESD. As a start, take a few moments to read this budget update.

I will comment shortly. Suffice it to say, if we keeping cutting the school programs, like Tredyffrin, our schools will cease to be what they have been in the past.

One thing is for sure, the school board needs to get out of the back pocket of the unions. By its own admission, part of the $8 Million deficit is the result of "contractual expenses". Like the BOS, the TESD Board has not done a good at planning.

There are a few common denominators. One is that that GOP leadership may not, and is likely is not as good as some may have thought.

So with that, stay tuned...

Looks like I am still providing material to Main Line Media News

2009-12-11T22:15:00.003-05:00

What is frustrating with these folks is that they are keen on ripping my material off. But at the same time, when I comment on their site, linking to my blog, they censor my comments. I suppose I just need to chuckle. After all, the MLMN's future is far from certain.

As promised, I will continue to call out Jabari Young and Tom Murray for the journalistic hypocrits they are...

Sign the ePetition to show your support for our fire fighters

2009-12-11T13:54:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Recently, Tredyffrin Township Supervisors passed a preliminary budget that cuts funding to local fire companies by 5%. These fire companies are largely volunteer operations and provide vital fire and ambulance services to our community. It's not too late!

Below is a link to an ePetition to restore 2010 funding to the local fire companies to the 2009 level.

Please take the time to read the petition and sign if you wish. Also, if there are other adults in your household, have them sign, too.

Then forward to all your friends and family in Tredyffrin Township! Thanks!

http://tredto.epetitions.net/

The St. David's Golf Club sidewalks mess - perhaps sleeping dogs should have stayed that way

2009-12-10T14:23:00.004-05:00

It dawned on me that for all of the calories expended by the St. David's Golf Club/TTRC/Paul Olson to circumvent the Planning Commission - there is not much to show for that effort. As I see it, the reputations of more than a few people have been tarnished and a lot of political capital was squandered.

It seems to me that the smart play was to do nothing. Would the Township have enforced the sidewalk provision? Probably not. In fact, our township is pretty bad at enforcing its own rules! Put it this way, things ruled on by the ZHB 5 years ago are still around.

It was a mistake to attempt to strong arm Planning Commission members. Instead, they should have simply kept their powder dry, waiting for a more favorable climate. By acting as they did, they made a not so bad situation much worse.

This blog is not a proxy for any campaign or party

2009-12-10T13:14:00.003-05:00

Just so everyone is clear - this blog represents MY opinion. It is not a tool for any particular party or candidate. I was approached by a politically connected and politically active person who feels that I am not being hard enough on a certain supervisor. Perhaps the thought is that I am either banging-up the preferred candidate too much and/or being too kind on the less preferred candidate. Either way, I don't care. When and if the day comes that I work for a specific candidate, this blog will be moth-balled. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, I don't care. I am about our elected officials doing the right thing by the citizens. I have no vested interest in whether those people are Democrats or Republicans. In my opinion, political parties are bull shit. Parties are more interested in either obtaining or retaining their influence. In our township, the Republicans have the influence but are too arrogant and out of touch. The Democrats want influence but are too incompetent to get their candidates elected. In either case, no party in our township does a particularly good job of representing our interest. For me, it is more about what you believe in.

The fire services are about the only entities I see around here that actually has clue about why it does what it does.

Lamina is out of touch - the budget is whacked

2009-12-09T23:10:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't read Lamina's op-ed, you can find it here.

I have a hard time remembering that Lamina is a financial professional. All I can is that I am glad he is not running my business.

The real simple fact of the matter is that for the past 10 years, the Tredyffrin Township Budget has been mismanaged. It is only now, when real estate transfer revenue is down nearly 100% that the mismanagement has come to light.

Consider this - Tredyffrin is a $30+ Million dollar enterprise that cannot scrape together 20K for our firefighters. We already know that this BOS has made the obtuse decision to endorse the funding of fireworks and to endorse the under-funding of our firefighters. A lot has been said on that. The BOS is on the wrong side of that issue.

What I want to talk about here are some of the underlying issues that hopefully, will shed light on just how bad things are and just how poor a job the BOS has done over the past 10 years managing the store.

As of now, for all intents and purposes, Tredyffrin is practically bankrupt. Indeed, some temporary cuts have been made to put off the inevitable. But given the lack of revenue, at some point, the Tredyffrin Gov't will not be able to fund its operations. We all heard Warren Kampf on Monday night discuss how real estate transfer tax revenue is down to $300K this year. In the good old days, that number was $3 Million.

The question is how on Earth can that revenue shortfall be made-up? Well...if it was momentary slump in the market, then I suppose the prudent thing is to simply tighten up the belts and weather the storm. This situation however, IS NOT a momentary slump. It is going to be a very long time before we see real estate activity of the past. Accordingly, the government, or as Kampf like to call it, the taxing authority, has an obligation to make sure the business of government has proper funding. In a very real sense, these guys are choking the life out of Tredyffrin.

On one hand, they are doing NOTHING about revenue. On the other hand, the cuts made are at the very heart of the township. Look around... The roads are getting worse. As each day goes by, broken windows are piling up.

As many of you know, I have been a proponent of an Earned Income Tax. The TTRC, and the BAWG for that matter, argued against an EIT because it is regressive. In reality, an EIT is not regressive. It is a flat tax. Good examples of regressive taxes are real estate and sales taxes. Sewer fees is another example of a regressive tax.

I find it odd that on one hand, the TTRC opposes "regressive" taxes and on the other hand, has a penchant for favoring regressive taxes.

To illustrate how much the BOS does not understand the concepts, and in particular, Kampf, consider Kampf's stump speech at the conclusion of Monday's meeting. Kampf talked about how we cannot tax people that have lost their jobs. This may be a newsflash for Kampf, but if you are not working, you don't pay the EIT. On the other hand, regardless of your employment status, you will have to pay the real estate and sewer taxes.. That is about as regressive as it gets.

Also, as I have said many times before, currently, Tredyffrin citizens pay about $3 Million to other jurisdictions. That's great for those other communities. Meanwhile, these guys are choking the life out of Tredyffrin. And for what? So they can say they did not impose an EIT?

That gets me to another interesting thing Kampf said on Monday. He mentioned people in "other communities". I think who Kampf was talking to are people in Schuylkill Township and Phoenxiville Borough. Those happen to be areas of the 157th.... Bill DeHaven hit the nail on the head with noting the fact that Kampf is a candidate for the 157th. Of course, Kampf took great offense at that. But the fact is, politics is the only thing that explains why things have gone the way they have gone.

An EIT would make our township solvent. And...it could very well provide property tax relief. But for some reason, the TTRC is not in favor of an EIT. The real fact is, nobody on the BOS or the TTRC has provided a single intellectually defensible reason for not considering an EIT. I can tell you this, if we had one, we would not have to be scraping around for nickels and dimes.

As for that "balanced budget" - it is anything but. There is NO margin for error. If something unexpected happens to hit us, it is going to cause an overage somewhere. Looking at the way the winter is shaping up, our snow removal budget may very well be way above what is expected. We cannot deal with these issues now because the BOS did not plan.

It is also important to note that for some time, street light maintenance has been buried in the sewer fund. The general fund expenses are actually understated by about a million. Judy referenced this on Monday night. If those dollars go back to the general fund, as they should, that may necessitate an 8% real estate tax increase. In other words, an over-tapped source is going to get bled even more.

One of Lamina's favorite slogans is "We can do better." Really? I don't see it Bob. Perhaps if Bob spent less time trashing Upper Merion, Willistown or Cowboy's Tattoo Ranch and instead, focus on the real problems, perhaps we would not be in this mess.
When Lamina stated that they have done the best they could, he is flat out wrong. Too many options were left on the table and were not examined. It is simply too easy to dismantle his argument.

Lamina's justification for the fire cuts is one of moral relativism. With the backdrop of the St. David's affair and the fact that fireworks were left in the budget - it is clear that Lamina and his brethern don't have a clue. They simply don't get it. A big chunk of the problem is that they don't put the time into the job that is necessary to competently manage the affairs of the township. There is simply no preparation - and that has resulted in this mess. I guess you need to be a country club member to warrant attention from these guys....

Nobody likes to pay more in taxes than is necessary. The TTRC would like you to believe that an EIT would result in a bloated, out of control government. Let me ask you this - is the government we have now all that good?

Are we better off today than 2 years ago? In the last 2 years, what has Kampf and company substantively done to deal with the difficult issues. Much of what was pointed out last year was ignored. Clearly, the lessons of 2008 were not remembered in 2009.

Anonymous comments are back

2009-12-09T23:10:00.001-05:00

By popular demand.

Again, I call on Paul Olson, Bob Lamina and Warren Kampf to resign

2009-12-08T09:37:00.003-05:00

Judy's shed a lot of light on matters that we already knew about. Judy's comments, not be totally cliche about it, were the last nails in the coffin.

To review last week's meeting, BAWG Chair Tom Colman gave a very flowery speech about the BAWG Report. When convenient, Colman gave specifics. When inconvenient, Colman became general, vague and elusive.

Unfortunately for some BOS members, Colman was not quite elusive enough....

When questions were posed, Colman was quick to respond in very general fashion that he did not know the precise nature of the "St. David's Sidewalk Deal."

Of course, a lot of us knew where it came from - at least in part. Thanks to Judy Di Filippo, that origin is now part of the record. That origin was Paul Olson - at least in part. We now know that Olson approach Judy about supporting the deal.

Given the events of last year, we know that Lamina was also in favor of cutting the St. David's Golf Club a break. It's clear that Lamina was right there with Olson - shepherding this "deal" through for the benefit of a few political friends. And to help rub some lipstick on the pig, Kampf was there last week, lauding the great works of the BAWG. At no time then or since has Kampf, Lamina and/or Olson dealt squarely with the controversy.

That said, Olson did briefly respond to Judy's comments last night, citing some self-serving stat that people in general, don't want sidewalks. Mr. Olson, that argument does not apply here. What we are talking about is a deal between the St. David's Golf Club and the township vis a vis the approved development plan. The overall sidewalk project has NOTHING to do with the matter. And Olson citing that argument is simply a weak attempt to refute the irrefutable.

The irrefutable fact is that you (Kampf, Lamina and Olson) all got caught - corrupting our system of government to suit their political agenda. To one degree or another, they all share the burden of responsibility. And for that, the three of them should resign.

And to Kampf, there is NO WAY he should consider a run for the state house.

If he does, I can promise swift and severe political political consequences. If he thought his little back and forth with Bill DeHaven was uncomfortable last night, then I dare say he better get a better brand of asbestos underwear because it is going to get a lot hotter. If he wants to be insulted, I will give him something to be insulted about.

The fact is, Kampf is seeking higher office and he is trying to pull the wool over the public. Whether it is the St. David's mess, street lights, or the turnpike matter, well....let's just say Kampf has more skeletons than a cemetery. They will all come out to roost in 2010 should he decide to go forward with his proposed run for the 157th.

By the way, if Mr. Kampf, should actually run for the 157th, we expect him to resign his BOS seat. If he is truly committed to that run, he will not let the distractions of political office distract him from the 157th. After all, he has to start thinking of Schuylkill and Phoenixville. As long as he is a Tredyffrin BOS member, he is politically compromised.

One last word - for Judy... Thank you for your comments. However, I would be remiss if I didn't at least say that when Paul Olson approached her, Judy should have said something then. I am glad she said what she said last night.

But....

Much of this mess could have been avoided. And it appears there are still some messes to clean up.

Perhaps in her last meeting of her Tredyffrin BOS career, Judy can stoke the fire to make sure the rest of these messes can be dealt with now.

A meeting for the record books

2009-12-07T22:02:00.002-05:00

If you were at or saw tonight's meeting, you know what I am talking about. If did not see the meeting, you need to see the re-broadcast.

So then.....what do we know.

As to the St. David's matter, we know that there was no such deal, but to the extent it was in the BAWG Report, we can thank Supervisor Paul Olson for that. Now we know who Tom Colman was protecting last week. In other words, when Tom Colman said he didn't know where the idea came from - based on Judy's comments tonight - we now know that was not the truth. This should put to rest any questions of whether there were political shenanigans re: St. Davids.

As to the budget, it is clear that there has been no planning. When Lamina proclaims that they did the best they could do, that rings hollow. When you factor in the street light issue, it turns out the budget is actually a million dollars in the hole. Doesn't sound like a balanced budget to me.

By the way, I do have to say that Mark DeFelciantonio was completely out of line re: his remarks toward Ray Clarke. You better be interested in what a resident has to say - event if it is the same thing all the time.

More comments to follow...

BOS to consider new janatorial service tonight

2009-12-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

How ironic...

Should we be waiving the residency requirement for the Township Manager?

2009-12-07T16:03:00.002-05:00

I don't think we should. This by the way, goes for all senior staff. If you run a department, you should live in the township.At this point, I would settle for the manager living here. While this is OUR home, for OTHERS, this is just a place to work. I want something more than that from the manager. It has been my experience that when you live some place, you have skin in the game and you tend to have a better perspective. You are definitely more invested in what goes on.

After all, why should somebody really care about our road and stormwater problems when our home is just a place where they collect a check.

And given what the manager makes, she can afford to live in the township.

I think several problems would be resolved if the existing policy was changed...

Berwyn Fire Company responds to Tredyffrin Budget Cuts

2009-12-07T15:57:00.003-05:00

You can find the response here.

What a tremendous value the community gets here. And yet, the BOS sees fit to cut the fire budgets - and at the same time, retain the fireworks budget. Speaking of the fireworks, those $'s are likely to stay put. Since Easttown cut their fireworks 100%, the funds Tredyffrin has committed will likely not be enough to fund them anyway. The fact money has been set aside for fireworks and at the same time, the fire budgets are cut, is unconscionable.

I suppose the fire companies would do better with the township if they were private country clubs that are political benefactors instead. Maybe then, they would register on the BOS's radar screen.......

Will the BOS address the St. David's Golf Club Issue tongiht?

2009-12-07T14:43:00.003-05:00

If you look at tonight's agenda, you will find nothing under old business for the 2010 budget. Accordingly, unless a BOS member decides to bring the matter up under new business, it would not appear the board is inclined to discuss the matter. Of course, a member of the public can bring it up if he/she wants to.

The St. David's matter will hang like a dark cloud over the BOS until it properly deals with the matter. Chairman Kampf can do his best to sweep it under the rug all he wants to. There is however, no broom big enough to do the job.

I eagerly await to see how this matter will be dealt with.

Interesting philly.com article re: the PA House Democratic Campaign Committee

2009-12-07T14:24:00.003-05:00

You can find the article here.

Probably not a surprise that campaign cash could be tight in 2010. Although the article focuses on the Democratic side of the ledger, the GOP is not immune. While the GOP will cite DeWeese, the Democratics can easily counter with Perzel.

I find it interesting that Rep. Geber would publicly concede the point that the 156th is considered competitive. With McIlvaine-Smith out of the picture, I tend to agree. nevertheless, I am not sure somebody in Rep. Gerber's seat should be admitting that point. As I said before, the third time may be the charm for Royer - should he decide to take another crack at the seat.

Not sure any of this has much impact on the 157th....

Campaign contributions - Updated

2009-12-07T07:58:00.003-05:00

What if a sitting supervisor gave 3 separate donations of $250 to one candidate - to the exclusion of other candidates? How would that look? Apparently, that is what has happened. This story is still being worked on. But so far, indications consistiently point to one supervisor and one candidate.

Talk about buying that all important 4th vote.... The optics do not look good.

More to follow.

Here is the rest of the story...

Paul Olson gave $750.00 to EJ Richter's campaign. My facts were a bit off. As the report shows, the donations where in increasing amounts. By the way, you find EJ's post election report here.

As get more reports, I will post them for your review.

$750 is quite a bit of money for a supervisor race. It may very well be that Supervisor Olson may very well be EJ's largest single contributor.

If anybody things this is disinterested generosity, they are kidding themselves. $100 is a reasonable amount. Both JD's and Kampf's committees each gave $100. It should be noted that Kampf personally gave another $100 - for a total of $200.

Between Olson and Kampf, we are talking about nearly $1,000 worth of campaign contributions - for an at-large supervisor race. Seems a little excessive to me.

If that is not buying a 4th vote...I don't know what is.....

2010 will be an interesting year...Let's see how many times EJ votes against Olson or Kampf.....

$100 donations signify support... More than that....you are most definitely expecting something else in return...

Picture is worth 1000 words - Re: C.T. Alexander running Warren Kampf's Campaign

2009-12-04T17:27:00.003-05:00

Any questions....

Apparently, MLMN caved into pressure from the GOP and/or the St. David's Golf Club

2009-12-04T16:35:00.008-05:00

For the record, I tipped the MLMN folks off that this would go public. I gave them the opportunity to make it right. They opted to avail themselves of that offer...

This is in regards to the article: Questions surround golf club's role in Tredyffrin Township budget.

If you notice, there is one comment - from Pattye Benson. There used to be two:

For the second time, MLMN deleted my comment. I received this email from on-line editor Jabari Young:

Clearly...Jabari is not being totally forthcoming because Pattye's comment is still in place. And yes, she mentions her blog as well. Clearly, there is another agenda here. The deal is, it is their site. Ultimately, they can do what they want. But for that, there are consequences and I have the right and the forum to call them on the inconsistent treatment.

The only differences between the comments was the fact that I explicitly pointed out the political and golf club connections. And yes, I have been critical of the MLMN site - with good reason. And the fact is, there was nothing objectionable about the comments. Both of us made mention to our respective blogs. Clearly, Jabari's reasoning is simply a pre-text for something else.

The web medium is supposed to be about encouraging traffic. I certainly have encouraged traffic to the MLMN site. They simply don't understand the on-line space. That said, they do understand it well enough to come on this site to poach material for their articles.

Either they got pressure from the TTRC or the St. David's Golf Club.. I cannot say that they have a bias against me because I have other current comments that have not been deleted.

As to blocking me from commenting...please.. I could easily create another ID and comment again. And for that matter, do I really care that much? To the extent that they are the only local news organization in town, I guess I do care. Jabari needs to re-think his threats. That one was pretty silly.

Yet more evidence to show what a fraud of an organization the Journal Register group is. Clearly, they are rank amateurs playing in professional waters.

Is this the hint?

2009-12-04T16:32:00.003-05:00

Street Light

You know who you are...please respond in the manner you contacted me.

Thanks..

Does Tredyffrin need a group like Lower Merion has?

2009-12-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

Lower Merion Citizens for Responsible Budgeting (CRB)

Just in: C.T. Alexander resigns as TTRC chair to run Kampf's 157th Campaign

2009-12-04T09:59:00.003-05:00

Still developing story...more to follow.

Interesting opinion piece on the relationshp between blogs and the press

2009-12-04T09:10:00.003-05:00

You can find it here. Of course I commented on and agree with the article. In my case, the reverse situation occurs. Here, it turns out the main stream press comes here to poach material.

Just how poor is the decision making on the BOS

2009-12-04T08:57:00.007-05:00

We are now 4 days out from last Monday's BOS meeting wherein the 2010 preliminary budget was approved. At that meeting, the BOS made the somewhat obtuse decision to fund the July 4th. fireworks to the tune of approx $20K and on the other hand, cut funding to the fire companies. JD gave strong arguments for why the funding should not be cut. Here is a summary of his points:

- It's an essential service that has saved 2 lives this year
- State funding has already been cut
- Neighboring townships have not cut their contributions
- Fire departs had little to no notice about the cuts
- We shouldn't be funding firworks on one hand and cutting fire services on the other hand for the simple reason that the fire companies are the ones that have to be on stand-by for the fireworks

Regardless of these air-tight arguments, the BOS shot the measure down. For the record, Judy, JD and Mark supported to restore the funds while Warren, Paul and John voted to not restore the funds.

Let's be clear on this...Warren Kampf, John Shimrak and Paul Olson voted against the fire companies. And if Bob Lamina had been there that night, he would have also voted against the fire companies.

Keep in mind that as far as Olson, Kampf and Lamina are concerned, when campaigning, they campaigned on a platform of protecting the health, safety and welfare of the township and its citizens. Like their other promises, it all rings hollow. It is all simply the stuff of campaigns - not governance.

And one other thing to keep in mind - the BAWG NEVER met with the boards of either the Berwyn or Paoli Fire Companies. I don't recall there being a fire service expert on the BAWG.

Obtuse is the best way to describe BOS's reasoning.

A prime example of why the Main Line Media News website and organization sucks

2009-12-03T17:24:00.006-05:00

Of course - some people may say that I simply have an axe to grind - that I am simply making stuff up here.

I have said for a long time that with some exception - the writing and reporting on on MLMN is weak. A while back, they go rid of Chris Williams who was one of the few bright spots. Apart from Samantha Strike, pickings are pretty thin. It's why I only wrote a few columns in my To The Point Column.

OK..enough opinion. Let's get to some facts...

Which story would you rather read... Keep in mind, these are supposed to be the same story from the AP...

This one...
or
This one...

Reading the MLMN story - which is attributed to the AP - something didn't seem right. It seemed like something was missing.

I was right...

The Pocono Record site has the complete story. And...the AP author is properly cited.

To be clear, both sites are referencing the same story.... But yet...they are different. How can that be?

Hey..even Cheech and Chong at the Vote4Pot Blog managed to get it right. They provide a bit.ly link which in turn, goes to the timesleader.com site.

A note to the MLMN editors - don't edit AP stories... Actually, I don't think you are supposed to do that. And...if you are going to publish the stories, cite the author. And of course, publish the entire article. The full article provides a link to the House Bill # 1393.

Perhaps the old timers at MLMN thing that space is limited on the web.... Perhaps Tom Murray should stop wasting time editing/removing comments and more time on the quality of his news web site.

More to follow on deleted comments....

That organization needs to be flatlined asap. Perhaps then...something else that is capable of working in this space can take its place...

By the way, medical marijuana should absolutely be legal, or at least de-criminalized in this and every other state.

No more anonymous comments

2009-12-03T13:42:00.002-05:00

From here on out, you will need to be registered with some service. If you want to create a bogus account somewhere else, that's your call. Nevertheless, you will need to authenticate through some source.

Main Line Media News needs to start citing their sources

2009-12-03T10:05:00.005-05:00

They say a picture is worth 1000 words...

I am glad MLMN uses this blog as a source for its articles. The Journal Register domain is a fairly regular visitor to the TTPN blog. My only request is that at the very least, they cite their sources. And please, spell my name correctly!!

By the way, the Boeing visitor was probably Bob Lamina... ;)