Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Tredyffrin Township

Straw Poll Tomorrow in Harrisburg Begins the Short-List Process for Tredyffrin Resident Carol Aichele

January 8, 2010
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Chester County Commissioner and Tredyffrin Township resident Carol Aichele is on the candidate list of Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor hopefuls. She is on a list that includes as many as a dozen Republican candidates who have expressed an interest in Pennsylvania’s second-in-command position. How does a candidate try to position his or herself as a frontrunner as the candidates start to look ahead to the May primary. . . ?

The GOP is holding six non-binding straw polls throughout the commonwealth starting tomorrow in Harrisburg. All meetings will take place before the February 13 state Republican Party Committee when historically an endorsed candidate is announced along with a US Senate and gubernatorial candidate.

There is some talk that with such a long list of candidates the solution could be an open primary on May 18. However, tomorrow the non-binding straw poll will begin to help the State GOP sort out their favorites among the large pool of hopefuls, all jockeying for frontrunner positioning.

Here is the latest list of the top 10 GOP Lieutenant Governor candidates. State Rep Tom Killion of Delaware County was on the Republican candidate list for Lieutenant Governor but dropped out of the race today.

Carol Aichele, Chester County Commissioner
Chet Beiler, Lancaster County
Jim Cawley, Bucks County
Russ Diamond, Lebanon County, reform activist
Nick DiFranceso, Dauphin County Commissioner
Steve Johnson, York; founder/CEO of Homecheck, Inc.
John Kennedy, Cumberland County
Jean Craige Pepper, Erie County
Rick Schenker, Erie County executive
Joe Watkins, Philadelphia political commentator

Mr. Blue Suede Shoes Would have Turned 75 Today!

January 8, 2010
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Maybe it’s because I live across the road from Chubby Checkers and have a love of ‘most’ kinds of music (mainly jazz) but I could not let today pass without a mention what many claim was the true ‘king of rock & roll’ Elvis Presley. Today would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th Birthday. A little walk down memory lane for those of you old enough to remember the ‘King’.

I was trying to figure out the tie-in of Elvis’ birthday with Community Matters and Tredyffrin Township but a friend reminded me of the obvious reason. Each year the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust has held a spring fundraiser In the Mood. The first year it was In the Mood. . . Jazz on the Porch & Dancin’ in the Barn and featured jazz musicians. Last year, the theme was In the Mood . . . Bluegrass, Blue Jeans & Bar-B-Que and featured a real bluegrass band. The decision for 2010’s In the Mood theme is Fabulous Fifties with music from the 50’s — get out your poodle skirts and dust off those blue suede shoes.

Speaking of the Trust’s In the Mood fundraiser, it will be held in June (specific date not yet decided). Judy DiFilippo and I will once again co-chair the event. For all of you faithful volunteers, you will be contacted shortly and for all my new friends who would like to join this fun group, please send me an email, pattye@greatvalleyhouse.com Each year the great evening has been held in a barn. So the next question, are there any barn owners out there who would like to help us this year? Again, contact me and I will give you the details.

What better way to honor Elvis than to announce the Trust’s In the Mood . . . Fabulous Fifties spring fundraiser on his birthday!

Tredyffrin Township Neighbor Raising Taxes for the First Time in 30 Years . . . to Help with Open Land and Historic Preservation Protection

January 8, 2010
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I read an interesting article in yesterday’s Daily Local about one of our neighbors, West Pikeland Township. If you are not sure where West Pikeland is located — this is the location of Chester Springs and historic Yellow Springs in the Rt. 113 area. This is a township that is very protective of open space (West Pikeland Land Trust) and historic preservation (historic Yellow Springs on Art School Road).

West Pikeland Township has increased its land ownership significantly over the last 10 years. The township made a lot of modifications/improvements in the township to satisfy the residents and help the local non-profits, particularly historic preservation. Due to increased open land purchases, a lot of revenue was lost. The township does not have large developments and therefore does not have developers helping with parks and services and no homeowner fees to maintain the parks, etc. This is interesting information because back in November when West Pikeland Township’s Board of Supervisors were discussing the 2010 budget, the community’s residents not only applauded their approval of a motion to increase the property’s taxes but also encouraged the supervisors to raise them higher!

This week the West Pikeland Board of Supervisors voted to reopen the township’s budget in order to increase taxes once again. The board will increase taxes for the first time in approximately 30 years when it moved from 0.125 up to 0.2 mills. But the plan now is to move the tax rate to 0.5 mills, quadrupling the 2009 tax rate. The motion to reopen the budget and increase taxes will be used specifically for maintenance and infrastructure in the township. Although the supervisors recognized that these are difficult times, it was also recognized by supervisors that taxes have not been increased in 30 years. The community residents openly supports continued open land purchases and contributions to preserving historic resources but it is understood that there is also a cost to maintain the township’s infrastructure. Residents currently pay between $30 and $40 per year in property taxes in West Pikeland on the average. Now they will pay between $120 and $160. I know, I know, their property taxes are very low but I am still fascinated that because West Pikeland Board of Supervisors and residents hold open land purchase and historic preservation protection in such high regard, that they will applaud a tax increase that will essentially quadruple the 2009 rate. As an aside, the township cuts its expenses by 10% in the initial budget process.

I offer this as interesting local information on a neighboring municipality. Historic Yellow Springs and the surrounding West Pikeland area offers some of the most beautiful Chester County vistas.

Just in . . . Gerlach Withdraws from Governor's Race

January 7, 2010
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Did you hear that Republican US Rep Jim Gerlach is withdrawing from the PA governor’s race?

In a statement, Rep Gerlach, said “I entered the race for governor in order to continue my public service, put forth new ideas for creating jobs, protecting our taxpayers, families and seniors, and reinvigorating the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania that we all love so much.”

In leaving the governor’s race, Rep Gerlach did not say immediately whether he would now be a candidate for re-election as congressman from the 6th US House District. When he decided to run for governor, he originally said that he would give up that job he has held for 7 years.

Although Rep Gerlach had successfully raised over $1 million to date, he did not think he had enough campaign cash to continue. His feeling was that a successful primary would cost at least $4 million! Rep Gerlach figured that he had 2 choices – (1) he could spent all his time fundraising over the next 4 months until the primary or (2) withdraw from the race and work even harder for the people of his district.

I’m still stuck on the $4 million estimated price tag for a primary governor’s race in Pennsylvania . . . wow!

What is a Leader?

January 7, 2010
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As we close out one year, and begin a new one, we all reflect on our lives. As I watched the last few Board of Supervisor meetings, I reflected on the effect that Judy DiFillipo’s retirement would have on our community. Having served this township as a supervisor for 20 years, I wrote the following ‘As I See It’ article for this week’s edition of Main Line Suburban Life newspaper to honor Judy and her leadership qualities that benefited the residents for 2 decades. And as a means of full disclosure, . . . yes, Judy and I very close friends.

For those who do not receive the paper, here is my article:

As I See It:

Tredyffrin lost something special with DiFilippo’s departure

Published: Wednesday, January 6, 2010

By Pattye Benson

Year’s end is always a time of reflection. We look back over the last 12 months and take measure of where we are now in relation to where we were when the year began. As we begin 2010, the residents of Tredyffrin Township will have the opportunity to reflect on what will now be a “missing link” in our local leadership.

What makes a good leader? Not everyone is made to be a leader … there are leaders and then there are followers. Leaders come from all walks of life and economic backgrounds and from either gender. Leadership does not discriminate. For the last 20 years Tredyffrin Township was fortunate to have a “leader” in retiring Supervisor Judy DiFilippo. For many in the community, Judy represented what can and should be “good” about serving as an elected official. Whether you watched the Board of Supervisors meetings from home or sat in the audience, she possessed the ability to transform and command respect from others on either side of her.

Judy guided the township in an orderly and purposeful manner, even in situations of discontent and uncertainty in the community. As a supervisor she was tolerant of ambiguity and remained calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose… to serve the residents of Tredyffrin Township. We all knew that we could trust Judy; she governed as she lived her life, with honesty, integrity and strong internal guiding principles that she did not compromise. Judy “walked the talk” and in doing so earned our respect and the right to have responsibility for this community. Her “calming of the waters” approach to governing reassured us … we just all knew that it would be OK as long as Judy was guiding the ship.

Judy understood the importance of serving a wider community. We may not have always agreed with her decisions but we could be confident that the community’s best interests were at the core of her decisions. As a supervisor Judy could wade through difficult information, comprehend what is relevant, make a well-considered decision and take action based on that decision. Judy believed her purpose as an elected official was to serve all the community and did so with genuine concern for all of the residents. As a leader Judy inspired others to follow. She led yet people did not feel that they were being led. Judy served as a quiet leader without demanding recognition and praise, a quality that is quite rare among many elected officials.

I understand all too well her many attributes; our friendship goes back nearly as long as she served as a township supervisor. For close to 20 years our lives have been intertwined … standing next to each other as members of the Noteables; co-chairing the Tredyffrin 300 celebration as well as many other events for the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust; together producing the historical documentary, “Tredyffrin … The First 300 Years,” etc. For me Judy has been the one constant friend in my life who would listen first, counsel second and never judge my decisions (even if she did not always agree with them). A true sign of a gifted leader (and close friend) is someone who really listens; the fastest and most effective way to show that you care and that you are competent. Many of us are challenged by the concept of listening but not Judy. I envy this natural talent in my friend and just another quality that sets her apart from many in the world of politics.

A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. Judy not only maintained a high standard for herself but also was proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas. Just her presence makes those around her want to be better people.

How will we feel that the person who “set the bar” for 20 years, who created the real “gold standard” for Tredyffrin Township, is no longer sitting on the dais? Yes, we know that Judy will stay involved in our community, and yes, I know that she and I will remain the best of friends, but I fear that the residents of Tredyffrin Township lost something very special when Judy DiFilippo decided to retire from the Board of Supervisors.

Pattye Benson lives in Malvern.

Local Company Named Best Philadelphia-area Stock for 2009

January 7, 2010
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As our family’s financial planner, I manage our personal portfolio and am always exploring various ways to diversify our holdings and follow Wall Street daily. Although the nation’s economic times have caused me to lean towards international stocks of late, I am equally interested in following local Philadelphia area based companies.

In the review of 2009 US stock markets last week, there is indication that technology stocks are on the rebound and that banking industry stocks underperforming (no surprise on that one). Was there a similar pattern in the Philadelphia area market? This morning, I was thrilled to read online that the Philadelphia region has named Unisys Corp. as the biggest gainer in 2009!

The biggest gainer came as a surprise to me. It was Unisys Corp. of Blue Bell. (Unisys has a very large office location on Swedesford Road in Tredyffrin). Its shares rose 353.7 percent in 2009, a reflection of continuing cost-cutting at the computer-services company and its return to profitability in the second quarter after four years of losses.

As a means of full disclosure . . . the reason for my excitement in this announcement? My husband Jeff has worked for Unisys for 30+ years, and the recent economic climate has terminated in major layoffs of many employees, decrease of benefits and increase of employee costs, etc. So to have some good news on the home front, well, that’s just plain good news!

The third-best performer in the Philadelphia area was Safeguard Scientifics Inc., the Wayne company that invests in and manages software and life-science companies. Its shares rose 149 percent last year.

Maybe we are starting to turn the corner on the economic front (at least locally) . . . here’s hoping it’s true!

Other Side in Tredyffrin

January 6, 2010
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Malvern resident Kathleen Keohane offered her opinion on the Firefighter’s Holiday Drive in this week’s edition of the Main Line Suburban.

Other side in Tredyffrin

To the Editor:

I’d like to respond to a letter in last week’s newspaper by Tredyffrin supervisors Bob Lamina and Paul Olson. It artfully attempts to reframe a series of controversial actions taken by the board over the last month but in my view fails miserably.

Messrs. Lamina and Olson, along with fellow supervisor Warren Kampf, made the evening news several weeks ago when they presented a giant cardboard check representing funds they’d raised for the township’s three fire companies. The facsimile represented pledges from the community to cover the amount they’d voted to cut from the 2010 budget two weeks before.

This effort by these three “citizen-supervisors,” as they called themselves, was an unnecessary exercise because these cuts should never have been made in the first place. In the absence of dire financial circumstances, adequate funding for our fire companies should never have come under the ax – a position held by surrounding communities that also struggled with this year’s budgets but kept fire funding intact.

Also, in an effort to tie the grand gesture of soliciting for contributions to our fire companies to Republican Party politics, our elected township supervisors perverted their roles as public officials. Much was made of the party’s pledge of “matching funds” both in Lamina and Olson’s letter and at the township’s final BOS meeting. But the money came from individuals who are members of the party and not the party. Yet the windy speech given by the chair of the TTRC before Channel 3 cameras made the source of the funds unclear.

The source of the other contributions opens up a can of worms as well. Do they represent funds normally raised by the fire companies that will cause their separate fund-raising projections to be overly optimistic? Will the funds be allocated according to the individual fire-company cuts or according to the location of the donor? Isn’t there some concern that funds were solicited from companies doing business with the township? For example the law firm of Lamb McErlane contributed in December and one of its partners was reappointed township solicitor on Jan. 4. Liberty Property Trust made a contribution and it will bring a matter before the board sometime this year involving the possible condemnation of land to build an access road. Even the slightest whiff of pay-to-play should be avoided.

In my view this face-saving fund-raising activity should never be repeated. While the community’s support for the fire companies in the form of annual contributions should be encouraged, our supervisors’ job is to oversee the safety and proper maintenance of our township and to allocate our tax dollars accordingly. Over 500 residents signed a petition asking that the budget cuts to our fire companies be restored. I believe that given more time and awareness, an overwhelming number of Tredyffrin residents would have signed it. There’s no political divide on this issue. Safety comes first.

Going forward we need to establish a citizen group in Tredyffrin, made up of fire and township officials, community businesspeople and concerned residents to study and recommend a secure and adequate funding stream for our fire companies. The decision should never again be left up to seven supervisors, one of whom is running for higher office on a platform of no tax increases.

Kathleen Keohane, Malvern

Tredyffrin Easttown School District . . . Continuing Discussion on 2010-11 Budget

January 6, 2010
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The posting, Understanding the Tredyffrin Easttown School District Budget Process has generated interesting comments. Please take the time to read these thoughtful remarks from our local residents. In my review of the Tredyffrin Easttown School District (TESD) budget, I admit that I very surprised to learn that 75% of our school district budget is allocation to teacher and administration salaries.

In my attempt to understand the salary range of teachers, I found an interesting online site which details the salaries (2007-08) of the 195,000 Pennsylvania public school teachers and administrators. This link will now only allow you to review the range of TESD teacher and administration salaries but also allows a comparison of TESD salaries other school districts. It is particularly interesting to review the salaries of Radnor, Upper Merion and Great Valley school districts as compared to Tredyffrin-Easttown. There has been much discussion about the teacher unions, teacher salaries and benefits, pension plans, etc. I would like further research on the pension retirement programs.

Firefighter Holiday Drive Update . . . Courtesy of Supervisor Olson

January 6, 2010
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I had a call this morning from Supervisor Olson in regards to the Firefighter’s Holiday Drive. Supervisor Olson explained that he will update me on the Holiday Drive contribution checks — each time they are turned over to the Berwyn Fire Company.

Rip Tilden, president of Berwyn Fire Company will receive the checks on behalf of the 3 fire companies and then make the appropriate distributions to Radnor, Paoli and Berwyn Fire Companies. Currently, Mr. Tilden is on a Wharton-student trip in Africa (Mr. Tilden is a Wharton faculty member) but upon his return, Supervisor Olson intends to turn over the next group of checks. Contribution checks will continue to be turned over to the Berwyn Fire Company on a regular basis and Supervisor Olson has committed to calling me each time with an accounting. Although Supervisor Olson is the point person for delivery of the checks to Berwyn Fire Company, it is my understanding that Supervisors Lamina and Kampf are also doing their follow-up and collections with the local businesses.

Supervisor Olson and I agreed that we would keep a running to-date total on what has been collected to make sure that it reaches the promised $23,200 ‘cardboard check’ amount by March 31, 2010. I will post the information on Community Matters as it becomes available. I would suggest that the Berwyn Fire Company or the Board of Supervisor liaison give an update on the Holiday Drive contributions with their regular fire company reports.

Tredyffrin Township . . . First Board of Supervisor Meeting of the New Year

January 5, 2010
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Last night was the first Board of Supervisors Meeting for 2010. Most of the meeting was about the necessary housekeeping for our local government . . . swearing-in of new supervisors (Kichline, Donohue, Richter) and also the election of the chair and vice chair of the Board. Supervisor Lamina will serve as Chair and Supervisor Olson as Vice Chair of the Board. It was curious to see how the seat assignments of the members of the Board — aside from the chair and vice chair, I wonder how the seating on the board is decided. Can we read anything in to the placement from left to right as follows: Donohue, DiBuonaventuro, Kampf, Lamina, Olson, Richter, Kichline.

The organizational meeting included the resolution to name the emergency services; adoption of the meeting schedule for the various township boards and approval of the consultants and law firms. I wonder if the township reviews the contracts with the various consultants/firms yearly as part of the budget review process. I wonder if these firms just become ‘grandfathered in’ and are status quo year after year. Do you suppose their fees are discussed and whether they are negotiable? Due to the economy, many firms are having to adjust their fee schedules to remain competitive — should there be an expectation on the part of the township to ask for this kind of consideration of the companies doing business with the township. Just a question.

Following the organizational meeting, there was a brief regular meeting. In fact, Chair Lamina asked if any Board member or audience members had any new business. The question was asked so quickly that at least one person I know missed the question and missed the opportunity to give her prepared written remarks. The pace was such last night if you blinked, you missed an opportunity to make comment or ask questions. Supervisors neither offered an update on the contributions to-date nor did residents ask for a status report on the Fire Department contribution; guess it’s a good thing that we have this blog — otherwise, we would not know have a clue on the subject.

A Public Hearing on the Patriots Path Plan followed the Board of Supervisors meeting. The consultants gave a slide presentation of the draft plan. Audience members spoke passionately both in favor of the plan and also some of the residents likewise related their concerns about the project, particularly about the width of the path, privacy, elimination of wildlife and trees and plants. Residents in the Great Valley are in the process of putting together a survey and asked that the supervisors not vote last night. The Board agreed to delay a decision to allow for further review and discussion; the plan will be revisited at the February Board meeting.

I have lived in the Great Valley for 25 years and I have never been to the Warner Spur/Cedar Hollow area to see the old railroad trail, location of the proposed Patriots Path. I suggested to several Great Valley Association Board members that I think it would be a good idea for a field trip for supervisors and interested residents to visit the site. I understand that this is private property owned by the Township so I would suggest perhaps a Sunday afternoon date that everyone could meet at a specific location and review some of the proposed path area. It’s hard for some of us to visualize the path without having seen the area. Perhaps the Sidewalks, Trails & Path Committee and also members of the Open Land Conservancy could be available to show the residents around. Just an idea . . .

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