Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Tredyffrin Township

Chester County DA Candidates Offered Opportunity to Comment . . . Pat Carmody Responds

January 19, 2011
8 Comments

Yesterday, as follow-up to my last post, I sent a joint email to Chester County district attorney candidates Pat Carmody and Tom Hogan. I gave each an opportunity to respond to the post, and stated that I would include their remarks on Community Matters. Because the prior article had focused on Mr. Carmody and Mr. Hogan, I sent the email to only these two candidates. However, there is a third candidate in the district attorney race, Steve Kelly, and he should be afforded the same opportunity for comment. This morning I sent Mr. Kelly an email — if he responds, his comments will be posted on Community Matters.

In my post of yesterday, I spoke of receiving an anonymous email from what I viewed was a concerned citizen. It is not unusual for me to receive anonymous emails from people. There are people who are concerned about an issue but may be unwilling to reveal their identity for many reasons . . . work situation, fear of spouse or children retribution, political reasons, etc. and I protect the person’s right to anonymity. However, it is important that information received from an anonymous source is accurate. Yesterday’s post contained questions concerning Mr. Carmody’s cell phone, whether private or county-issued, and the use of the phone for campaign-related activities.

I am pleased that Mr. Carmody has responded to the questions raised on Community Matters. I believe that in his statement below he answers the questions and I thank him for taking the time to clarify. Tonight is the next GOP district attorney interview – this one for the Phoenixville area. I hope that the committee members attending will focus on the important issues of this race.

Dear Pattye,

An “anonymous email” is not a reliable source. Here are the facts:

  • I have compensated the county for my use of the county cell phone the past two months. I keep that phone with me 24/7 because of my need to respond to all crime scenes.
  • I took off time during the day to make phone calls, so those calls were not made on county time—that was time earned over the last 27 years. I have spent many additional late nights (unpaid hours) back at work.
  • There is no one else in the county who has worked more unpaid hours than I have in my career. I do not receive overtime pay for my work. Every time I go to a crime scene, which I do regularly, I go on my own and at no expense to the County.

The Daily Local News article dealt with Tom’s claim that the DAs office is “in disarray”. Tom made that argument by misstating the facts about 2 cases out of the 9500 we handled last year. He cited a rape case that was thrown out by a Judge, without mentioning that the Judge admitted he made a mistake and these 4 defendants are now ready to go to trial. He cited that a defendant was given immunity for a murder without mentioning that same defendant was convicted of 1st degree murder in that case.

Additionally: We have the lowest crime rate of any suburban Philadelphia county and lower than any similarly sized county in the state; our Drug Court program has been used as a model for programs in Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Lancaster and other counties; Philadelphia is modeling their Recovery Court program after ours and our Child Abuse Unit won a national award last year. I could go on. The bottom line is we have an excellent DA’s office that I am proud to work for.

My concern is Tom only presented part of the story which is misleading and causes false alarm among the public. Also attacking a hardworking group of ADAs is not a way to lead them.

Hopefully, we can get the DA race back to the real issues that concern the public. It is too important a position to “play political games”.

Chester County DA Race is Heating Up . . . Candidates Taking Off the Gloves

January 18, 2011
7 Comments

Following November’s mid-term election, I wrote of news in the Chester County District Attorney’s office . . . District Attorney Joseph Carroll decision to run for Common Pleas Court judge seat and not seek re-election as the county DA. At the time of the announcement, there was speculation about possible DA candidates including Tredyffrin’s solicitor Tom Hogan among others.

Fast forward, a couple of months and the district attorney race is now in full campaign mode. Three candidates, Tom Hogan, former prosecutor and partner in Lamb McErlane law firm; Assistant District Attorney Pat Carmody and Deputy District Attorney Stephen Kelly are vying for the endorsement of Chester County Republican Committee and it appears that the candidates are taking the gloves off for this race!

The GOP is conducting interviews with the district attorney candidates at various locations throughout the county. So far, the organization has held three straw polls and the voting of the committee members is as follows:

West Chester area: Carmody 47 votes; Hogan 24 votes; Kelly 10 votes
Tredyffrin area: Hogan 51 votes; Carmody 16 votes; Kelly none.
Southern Chester County area: Hogan 31 votes; Carmody 30 votes; Kelly 18 votes

If my math is correct, the current vote count has Hogan leading with 106 votes to Carmody’s 93 votes and Kelly’s 28 votes. There are two more straw polls this week leading up to the Chester County Republican Convention on February 15 that decides the candidate endorsement.

I do not typically weigh in on county politics, (there is more than enough going on with Tredyffrin and our neighboring townships to keep me busy) but I will make an exception with the district attorney race. The Sunday Daily Local ran an article on the district attorney race that caught my attention. In the article, the writer claims that during a GOP interview, DA candidate Hogan suggested administrative inconsistencies and the need to ‘clean up’ the district attorney office.

I was surprised by the immediate defensive reaction to Hogan’s criticism of the district attorney office by District Attorney Carroll and Assistant DA Carmody. I believe citizens prefer placing their confidence in a district attorney, like candidate Tom Hogan, who is willing to take a stand to improve the process and to make government better. There is nothing wrong with Hogan suggesting there is room for improvement in the DA office. You set your goals, ever-increasing the level of standard, and then work to achieve that objective. As taxpayers, isn’t that what we should expect and what we want from our elected officials?

We know that change can be difficult for some; people get comfortable with doing things the same way they have always been done; my guess is that the Chester County District Attorney office is no different. From my association with Tom Hogan over the last few years, his approach does not simply accept status quo but rather an approach that seeks to make government more accountable, and more efficient. ‘Raising the bar’ by raising expectations makes for good government.

Yesterday, I received an anonymous email in regards to the district attorney race from a concerned Chester County resident. Attached to the email were several Carmody campaign-related documents, including his campaign business card. The individual who sent the email was concerned that candidate Carmody was using his personal cell phone number on the literature. I did no appreciate the individual’s concern until I opened the attachment containing the official telephone contact list from the DA office. Curiously, the same cell phone number that Carmody uses on campaign materials is also his office contact number in the District Attorney office.

So what does this mean? Is Carmody’s cell phone personally owned or county-issued? Regardless if the phone is county owned property or personally owned by Carmody; it is interesting that he uses the same telephone number in his campaign literature and his county office. Would this imply that Carmody takes campaign calls at the district attorney office? Is this but a small legal campaign detail overlooked by a person running our legal system? Does this suggest that the district attorney’s office doubles as his campaign headquarters? If nothing else, Carmody’s actions make me wonder about what line is drawn between campaigning and working for the people of Chester County. The merging of political activities with the people’s work is a fine line.

Certainly, I lay no claim to understanding the inner-workings of the District Attorney’s office but as a response to Carroll and Carmody over Hogan’s criticism of the DA’s office, I am reminded of a line from Hamlet . . . “you doth protest too much me thinks”. Perhaps, Hogan’s criticisms were hitting a little too close to home.

Martin Luther King . . . His nonviolence preachings as important in 1968 as 2011

January 17, 2011
44 Comments

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

There is something very poignant about honoring the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. today as our country grieves the violent actions of a mentally disturbed young man nine days ago. The reasons behind the gunman’s heinous shooting spree at a ‘Congress on Your Corner” gathering may always remain a mystery. Clearly, the horrific attempt on the life of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the sadness over 6 lives lost and 13 wounded has jarred the American public.

Of course, the assassination of Dr. King on April 4, 1968, also stunned the nation he was trying to change for the better. Nonviolence was the central theme of Dr. King’s work to bring civil rights to all Americans. He understood the power of words and employed a wonderful eloquence to teach the importance of peace and nonviolence. Dr. King passionately inspired us through his words and deeds.

In his 1957 essay on the nonviolence movement, Dr. King wrote, “The end of violence or the aftermath of violence is bitterness. The aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of a beloved community.” Later in that same piece, Dr. King also explained, “I never intend to adjust myself to mob rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic effects of the methods of physical violence.” These words of Dr. King are as meaningful today as they were sixty-four years ago.

We cannot help but worry about the recent aggressive, violent outburst unleashed in a typically innocent public setting, and what the tragedy says for our country’s future. Whether devoted to the community like Martin Luther King or as an elected official like Gabby Giffords, these leaders put themselves and their values before the world and suffered the consequences. From finger-pointing rants at a lectern to the senseless vicious act last weekend, we have been brutally reminded that our leaders can be focal points for physical attacks by irrational motivations.

As we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday today, we remember Rep. Giffords courageous spirit and similar belief in people. In a 2009 commencement speech at Scripps College in California, her alma mater, Giffords told graduates that she ran for office to “put right things that were wrong and represent those who didn’t have a voice.”

If he were still here with us today, Dr. King would join the nation in this time of grief and sadness. The dream of Martin Luther King was to see every person, regardless of the many barriers humans set up to separate us, to walk hand in hand in harmony and love. Recalling Dr. King’s words, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

The memory of King’s courage and commitment to peace should guide our country and national leaders in the coming weeks and months as they address the cause and effect of the senseless violent act in Arizona and the darkness shrouding America. In Dr. Martin Luther King’s memory, as Americans, we cannot afford to simply adjust to violence.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Criminals Opt for Hotel Lodging rather than my Bed & Breakfast!

January 15, 2011
2 Comments

Last week, I had a call from a Lower Providence police detective. The detective gave me a list of five names and explained that the police were working on an ATM banking fraud case. Apparently, one of these individuals had rented a car and had my bed and breakfast, telephone number and address programmed in to the car’s GPS system. Although provided with limited details of the police investigation, (I now understand why) I checked my September – December 2010 guests database and reported that no one using any of those names had stayed at the Great Valley House.

You can imagine my surprise when I was listening to the evening news last night and hear the report that Lower Providence police have busted a robbery ring that relied on hi-tech devices and ATM machines and arrested five men. I went to the network’s website and tracked down the names of the five men arrested — Dimitar Tanchev, Dragomir Lipov, Ismail Misankov, Dimcho Vasilev and Krasimir Uzunov. I knew it was probably more than coincidental and yes, they were the same names.

According to the news, these Bulgarian nationals operated out of a Norristown hotel. The men installed high-tech scanning devices in ATMs throughout Montgomery and Chester Counties, using information on the back of customers’ cards to steal nearly $135,000, from at least 143 victims. During the arrest, police found skimming devices in the hotel. Upon further investigation, they found similar equipment in their rental car, a storage locker and in a Chester County hotel room. Thank goodness for me, the criminals preferred lodging choice was a hotel rather than a reservation at my bed and breakfast!

These men face a laundry list of charges including theft by deception, identity theft and criminal conspiracy

Encouraging Real Estate News in Tredyffrin . . . Average Sales Prices Increased 8.4% in 2010 . . . Is the Quality of our School District a Factor?

January 15, 2011
5 Comments

In discussion of the T/E school district budget, several people referenced real estate sales, prior sale prices, assessment values, etc. and speculated on current real estate values. Discussion also centered on whether the quality of the school district affects the value of our real estate.

Nationally, we hear much negative real estate news so I was curious if there was any current real estate information available for Tredyffrin. I was particularly interested to know our community fared in the year-end 2010 statistics. Some good news to report . . . the township is doing better than just holding its own. In fact, Tredyffrin Township real estate appreciated in 2010, along with the rest of the Main Line.

Prudential Fox Roach realtor John Flanagan (www.mainlinejohn.com) provides information from TReND, the area’s Multiple Listing Service. In 2010, the average sales price in Tredyffrin increased 8.4%, or $35,054, from $412,490 in 2009 to $447,544 in 2010. The numbers used in this analysis included all types of properties — single-family homes, condos, twins and townhouses.

Interesting to note that the number of houses that went to settlement in Tredyffrin was the same in 2010 as 2009 . . . 374 transactions. The total sales volume increased in Tredyffrin in 2010 from approximately $154 Million to $167 Million. What about the average asking price on houses in Tredyffrin, any change? Yes, we find that sellers were asking approximately 7.2% less for their homes in 2010 than they did in 2009. The average asking price by sellers in 2009 was $507,803; where in 2010, the asking price was $470,806. Depending on when the seller purchased the house, the lower asking price may also be more realistic.

As the real estate problems deepened in the country through 2010, I would assume that it takes longer to sell houses in Tredyffrin (as is the case in many parts of the country). However, apparently that is not the case. In our township, there has been little change on that score; in 2009 the average days a house was on the market was 68 days and in 2010, the average time on the market was down by one day to 67 days.

Although the increase in sales prices in Tredyffrin Township for 2010 is a positive indicator, it may be too early to call it a trend. Following on the heels of housing depreciation during the 2006-2009 period, we hope that last year’s encouraging real estate news continues in 2011. So . . . do you think the quality of our school district is factor?

Should Teachers Be Consulted in School Budget Discussion?

January 14, 2011
22 Comments

The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on January 12. While many school districts across the State, including Tredyffrin-Easttown, are facing multi-million dollar budget deficits, this editorial explores the problem from a different angle; through the eyes of a teacher.

There has been much discussion on Community Matters about our school district budget problems. Question, do you think that we (the school board, administration, parents, and taxpayers) give adequate attention to the opinions of those most affected in this process . . . the teachers? Do you think the teacher’s voice is disregarded (or minimized) in budget discussions? Or, is it the teacher unions that are quieting the teacher voices?

If you did not see the editorial, please read it and weigh in on this discussion.

Our least-consulted experts on education
. . . Teachers are rarely given a say on school policy
By Christopher Paslay, a Philadelphia schoolteacher and the author of “The Village Proposal,” to be published this fall.

The Philadelphia School District is facing a projected $430 million budget deficit in the next fiscal year. As a result, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman has asked her administrators to prepare contingency plans for a massive budget cut. There will undoubtedly be a significant impact on students and staff in the city’s schools.

To soften this impact, administrators could ask teachers what support they need in classrooms and what they can do without. Teachers are ultimately held accountable for student learning, so it would make sense if they were consulted on the budget overhaul.

Unfortunately, though, when it comes to matters of budget and education policy, the opinions of schoolteachers aren’t given much credence. In the 21st century, public educators are paid to perform, not talk.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan exhibited this attitude last year in a speech to students at Columbia University. “In our new era of accountability,” Duncan said, “it is not enough for a teacher to say, ‘I taught it, but the students didn’t learn it.’ As [Stanford education professor] Linda Darling-Hammond has pointed out, that is akin to saying, ‘The operation was a success, but the patient died.’ ”

Like a surgeon?
The analogy comparing schoolteachers to surgeons is an interesting one. Surgeons are regarded as experts and treated as specialists. During surgery, they are provided with a complex system of support so they can focus on their area of expertise.

Teachers, on the other hand, are treated as jacks of all trades. They teach, but they also discipline, police, and parent. They write and grade lessons, but they also make phone calls and photocopies. They calculate report-card grades and compose syllabi, but they also chaperone dances, monitor hallways, and break up fights.

Teachers are basically responsible for everything that needs to be done to allow their students to learn. Their instruction is highly scrutinized and held to rigorous standards, but they are not treated as instructional specialists.

Imagine if a surgeon were expected to administer anesthesia, monitor vital signs, and give blood transfusions during a surgery. Imagine if he were required to make all the phone calls to patients to remind them not to eat for 12 hours before the operation. Imagine if he were responsible for maintaining order in the waiting area. How might this affect his performance?

But we regard surgeons as highly skilled, and we respect their opinions. We regard teachers, on the other hand, as educational grunts. Their insights about their own profession are often dismissed by education leaders as uninformed.

Data and power

Education is one of the few professions in America in which policies are written and decisions are made by governing bodies outside the field. Doctors, lawyers, and engineers all govern themselves. Their panels and boards of directors are made up of other doctors, lawyers, and engineers. The same holds true for counselors, carpenters, and electricians. Even professors and researchers are subject to peer review.

Not teachers, though. Politicians make the decisions when it comes to education in K-12 schools. So do researchers, think tanks, and lobbyists. Does it matter that most of these people have little to no experience teaching in a K-12 classroom? No, because they have the data and the power.

And what do the teachers have to offer? Just experience. Just thousands of hours of trial and error, of dealing with children, parents, curriculum, and content. That’s all the teachers bring to the table. Unfortunately, these contributions aren’t “data-driven,” and they lack political backing. As a result, they aren’t accorded much value.

But if education leaders are going to demand that teachers perform with the precision of surgeons, then teachers should be treated as specialists. Their experience and expertise should be used to reform policy and set budgets so they can get the educational support they need to help children succeed.

Tredyffrin’s ‘Personnel Committee’ to Interview Supervisor Candidates

January 13, 2011
7 Comments

Here is the latest installment on the Tredyffrin’s interim supervisor appointment . . . I feel like keeping this interview process transparent has become my life’s work. With so many things going on in the world, why is it so important that this township process work correctly? Because it just is.

So where does the interview process currently stand? Well, here goes. I emailed our township manager Mimi Gleason (and copied township solicitor Tom Hogan and the Board of Supervisors) the link to the specific Community Matters post, along with reader comments. In my email, I addressed the issue of the supervisor’s Personnel Committee conducting the candidate interviews vs. the Board of Supervisors. I suggested “. . . the appointment of an elected official is not a personnel matter.” Further suggested that the “. . . situation could be easily remedied if all the supervisors were in attendance on January 26 and participated in the interview process.”

Here is Mimi’s response to that email:

Pattye,

The full Board must vote on the appointment of the interim Supervisor in a public meeting and will do so.

There is no problem with the Personnel Committee, or any other subcommittee of the Board, interviewing the candidates. The Home Rule Charter does not require the Board of Supervisors to interview the candidates. However, in the interests of full transparency, the Board has chosen to have interviews conducted by the Personnel Committee and has invited the public to the interviews. The Board is going beyond the minimum requirements of the Home Rule Charter and the Sunshine Act in order to provide even greater public access to this process.

I’ll be around all afternoon. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Mimi

After receiving this email, I still had questions for Mimi and sent the following email (copying Tom Hogan and Board of Supervisors):

Mimi –

Thank you for your response, however I do still have a few questions.

(1) You say that the Personnel Committee, or any subcommittee of the Board of Supervisors can interview the candidates, then why the ‘Personnel Committee’ vs. the Finance Committee or any other subcommittee? If appointing an elected official is not a personnel matter, why choose the ‘Personnel’ Committee for the interviews?

(2) Bob Lamina stated at the Board of Supervisors meeting that the candidates would be interviewed by the supervisors. By having a ‘committee’ rather than the Board of Supervisors interview, is this really meeting the objective?

(3) I appreciate that there is no requirement for the Board of Supervisors to interview the candidates in public; however, didn’t that option go away when the township advertised and solicited resumes for the vacancy; which was then followed by Bob Lamina’s statement that the supervisors would interview the candidates. Bob made a commitment to the residents that the supervisors would interview the candidates – there was no caveat from him that the interviews would be conducted by a subcommittee, Personnel Committee, etc. The implication of his words was ‘all the supervisors’ would interview.

(4) If only 3 of the supervisors are going to interview the candidates in the Community Room (without it being televised) how is that the other 3 supervisors (Olson, Richter, DiBuonaventuro) will know the candidates responses to the questions. If this interview process is public, will there be minutes taken of the meeting? How do the 3 supervisors who conduct the interviews discuss the matter with the 3 supervisors who do not attend the interviews, without breaking the Sunshine Law. I understand that the vote will be in public, but how can the supervisors discuss this matter prior to the public vote if 50% of the board does not participate in the interviews?

Mimi, you say that the supervisors are going beyond the requirements to provide transparency. If that is the case, then why not just have a quorum with 4 supervisors present for the interview process and remove doubt and questions about the process. The Board of Supervisors have an opportunity to make this process right.

I will put off posting information related to this topic on Community Matters until after business hours today. It is my hope that all supervisors appreciate the importance of the interview process and will be encouraged to participate . . . or at a minimum, one more supervisor beyond the 3 supervisors currently onboard.

Pattye

Rather than emailing her responses, Mimi called and we talked through my questions/concerns. Here is where we stand . . . the Personnel Committee, consisting of three supervisors (Lamina, Kichline, and Donahue) will conduct the supervisor interviews on Wednesday, January 26 at 7 PM; the public is welcome. Neither Mimi nor any other township staff will be present for the interviews and there will be no minutes of the meeting taken. The three candidates conducting the interview will apparently brief the other three supervisors on the interview process and the candidates.

Mimi explained that it was difficult to find an available date for all supervisors for the interviews. I asked if that was the reason there were only three supervisors instead of all six supervisors attending the interviews and she was not sure why. I suggested that an easy scheduling solution would be for the interviews to be conducted before or after the regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, January 24. Presumably, all supervisors could attend and since it was a public meeting, there would be a record of the meeting with minutes. I was told that this option was considered but not accepted . . . it was thought the interview process would take too long and they wanted the candidates to have sufficient time.

Although I encouraged a fourth supervisor should attend the interview process to have a quorum, at this point that appears unlikely. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one of the other three supervisors, either JD, Paul Olson or Evelyn Richter, stepped up and agreed to participate in the interview process on January 26?

The appointment of an interim supervisor is a serious duty of our elected officials (even if only for a few months) and I do not want to see the process manipulated by politics.

What do I mean manipulated . . . ? Only one of the four supervisor candidates, John Bravacos, has stated that he will not be on the ballot for the Special Election in May. Presumably, the other three candidates, Eamon Brazunas, Mike Heaberg and Kristen Mayock, all intend to participate in the Special Election required to fill the vacancy.

To be clear, I am not questioning the credentials of these three candidates but the only non-political appointment for this interim supervisor position is John Bravacos. Additionally, John Bravacos is a former township supervisor and former chair. To appoint one of the other three candidates would be politically motivated and give an advantage to that individual in May’s Special Election. For the record, a Republican (Warren Kampf) held the vacated seat and John Bravacos is a Republican.

No Breaking the Sunshine Act in Tredyffrin . . . Interim Supervisor Candidates to be Interviewed!

January 13, 2011
9 Comments

I am pleased to report that interim supervisor candidates, John Bravacos, Eamon Brazunas, Mike Heaberg and Kristen Mayock, will be interviewed on Wednesday, January 26, 7 PM. The Board of Supervisor’s Personnel Committee (Bob Lamina, Phil Donahue and Michele Kichline) will conduct the interviews in the Community Meeting Room at the township building. The interview process will be open to the public.

I know some have questioned my need to see the interim supervisor candidate process remain transparent. I am very process-oriented and believe that less problems are created when procedures are followed. I think it’s OK to question the way things are done but unless a process is ‘officially changed’; it is important that the rules are followed. If you don’t like a specific rule, fine . . . work to change it. Just don’t arbitrarily break the rule because you know better. Although some may question my dogged approach to transparency in regards to the supervisor vacancy — for me, it is about encouraging an open public process from our elected officials.

Malvern Power Couple Heading to Harrisburg

January 12, 2011
Comments

Noun 1. power couple – def: a couple both of whom have high-powered careers or are politically influential

Just yesterday, it was announced that Gov-elect Corbett had selected Carol Aichele to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of the Commonwealth. Today we learn that Carol will be able to carpool to Harrisburg with another Aichele family member.

Corbett has selected Carol’s husband, Steve Aichele, to serve as the state’s Chief Counsel. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of major Philadelphia law firm, Saul Ewing, Corbett will oversee the Commonwealth’s legal department which employs 500 attorneys and represents the governor and 32 executive and independent agencies.

Epitomizing the phrase, ‘all in the family’, Carol and Steve Aichele are certainly Malvern’s newest power couple going to Harrisburg.

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