My recent experience at Easttown’s special meeting re the Hawkins property and subsequent post has found its way east on the main line. 

In discussing the attitude of some Lower Merion commissioners, which at times places politics and special interest ‘first’  and their residents ‘last’ in the list of priorities, blogger Carla compared Easttown’s civility to Lower Merion’s elected officials  in her recent post, ‘If Only Lower Merion Thought of Residents FIRST Once in a While’.  (Here’s a link to Carla’s post).

Why should appropriate behavior at a township meeting, such as the recent special meeting at Easttown, be heralded as unique and special?  Lately, we have witnessed less than desirable decorum from some elected officials up and down the main line.  Doesn’t matter if it’s Lower Merion, Radnor or  Tredyffrin Townships . . . civility and appropriate decorum is slipping away, replaced with a combative atmosphere. 

Rather than a unique situation, Easttown’s civil discourse this week should be the norm, why has the ‘bar’ of local government now been set so seemingly low?

 How do we encourage change of attitude in our leaders? How do we raise the bar of expectation?  I know it’s possible . . . I saw it this week in Easttown!