Pattye Benson

Community Matters

TTRC

Chester County Democrat and Republican Nominating Conventions Being Held Today . . . Who Will Face Paul Drucker in the State House Race?

February 20, 2010
6 Comments

The Chester County Democrat Committee Nominating Convention is being held today in West Chester, 10 AM – 1 PM. Petitions will be signed for senate, congressional, gubernatorial and legislative candidates.

Also today is the endorsement process for the Chester County Republican Committee. The outcome of today’s vote will determine if there is a primary for the Republicans in the State House 157 race. The was a straw poll held a couple of weeks ago between Warren Kampf, Judy DiFilippo and Ken Buckwalter. As a result of the straw poll, Judy made the decision to leave the race, leaving committee people today to make a choice between Kampf and Buckwalter. Although the outcome of the straw poll has historically given good indication of who will get the GOP endorsement, the results are unofficial and nonbinding. It will be curious to see if Kampf, the frontrunner after the straw poll receives the GOP endorsement or if Phoenixville resident Buckwalter receives it. If a 60-40 margin is not reached among committee people, there will be no endorsement. The next question will be whether the committee people decide to recommend one (or both) of the candidates. If one of the candidates doesn’t receive an endorsement or recommendation, it would appear unlikely that the candidate would remain in the race.

Paul Drucker (D), the incumbent State House 157 Representative kicked off his reelection campaign this week with the opening of his Paoli Campaign office. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of this community over the past year, and I am proud of my work on issues important to residents here, from our successful efforts to increase education funding to progress on job creation and transportation, as well as the urgent need for reform in Harrisburg,” Drucker said. “While we have done some very good things together, there is much more to be done to make Harrisburg reflect the priorities of the people, and that is why I will ask the voters to give me the opportunity to continue to serve them.”

The Chester County Democrat and Republican committee process is important today for Tredyffrin residents. By the end of the day we will know the opponent(s) for Paul Drucker in the State House 157 legislative race. Just so everyone understands, the 157th legislative district encompasses Tredyffrin. Schuylkill, Phoenixville, and in Montgomery County – 4 precincts in Lower Providence and 1 precinct in West Norriton

Will the May Primary have both Warren Kampf and Ken Buckwalter on the ballot? Will one of them be endorsed by the Republican Committee? Look for an announcement later today; as soon as I know something, I will post.

Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors Meeting, 2-8-10 . . . YouTube Video Part IV: Residents Speak Out

February 15, 2010
12 Comments

Residents continue to offer their opinion on the St. Davids escrow return at the February 8 Board of Supervisors Meeting. Please note that the community members who attended the meeting and offered their remarks where not ‘arranged’ in advance.

If you recall, there was a small group of St. Davids neighbors contacted for the January 25 BOS meeting. It was at that meeting that St. Davids Golf Club did not appear on the agenda, no public notification and yet some of Supervisor Olson’s constituents in the St. Davids area somehow knew to show up (some even had written comments) and support Olson’s motion. Supervisor Olson was absent for the February 8 meeting. Interestingly the small Olson support group also did not attend that meeting.

At the February 8 meeting, one after another resident offered commentary and asked questions of the supervisors. For the most part, their questions were unanswered, citing legal reasons. Chesterbrook Jim Bailey did not expect to speak but was so troubled by the treatment of Supervisors Lamina and Kampf towards resident John Petersen, Jim was compelled to speak. He also offered that he was a Tredyffrin Republican committeeman; highlighting that the issues/concerns with certain elected officials was not about one political party vs. another.

Please watch this video clip, Part IV: Part IV: Residents Continue to Speak Out

Does Age and Respect Guide Our Decisions?

January 17, 2010
4 Comments

There have been many comments posted over the last few days in regards to TTRC Chair CT Alexander’s Letter to the Editor in this week’s local newspaper. The letter, its words and Mr. Alexander’s behavior over the last few weeks have caused much discussion. At times, Mr. Alexander seemingly acts on behalf of the organization he heads but at other times, much to the chagrin of some of his members, he acts on his own (but under the umbrella of the local Republican Committee).

I found the following comment from someone close to Mr. Alexander very interesting and it got me thinking. I grew up in an era that expected (and demanded) respect from any of those who were older. I never called my parents’ friends by their first name, but instead they all became ‘Aunt’ or ’Uncle’ (I was probably at least 12 before I realized that these people were not actually blood relatives!) Growing up, there was unquestioning respect for police officers, teachers, and clergy. In fact, when my brothers and I started school, my folks never questioned the decisions of the teacher or principal . . . the school was always right, and us kids were wrong, no matter what. Although times have certainly changed, I do think your childhood very much determines who you are and how you live your life. For me, that surfaces in the respect that I still have for those who are older. I often make excuses for their behavior, at times much more forgiving of attitudes and remarks than I would ever be from my peers.

Do you agree with Anonymous remarks concerning Mr. Alexander’s behavior? Should someone that is close to him just step in and take over? Or did they grow up in a world that demanded respect for their elders and therefore, there can be no intervention?
Do you filter your own criticisms if the person is older?
Does it make a difference if the older person represents a group?

Anonymous, on January 17th, 2010

Jim and John
I have known John Alexander probably longer then both of you. In watching his behavoir lately, I hope you never get old. It is clear he is losing his faculties and out of respect no one around him is doing anything about it. As a life long republican I think that it may be time to let him go enjoy retirement and let someone else lead the charge before he totally ruins the reputation of the committee. He’s a good guy at heart but he is doing the party damage.

What I can’t understand is why those close to him aren’t looking out for him and checking these confused rants of his before they get out. That I think is a worse indicator of what’s going on internally. You wouldn’t let a drunk get behind the wheel… would you?

Berwyn, Paoli & Radnor Fire Departments . . . Where's the Money? (Or, . . . How Do You Cash a Cardboard Check?)

December 29, 2009
16 Comments

The dust has settled on the December 21 Board of Supervisor meeting and now its reality time for the Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor fire departments and their promised contribution. Following the unveiling of the oversize cardboard check in the amount of $23,200 from local businesses and individuals (including Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee’s $5K in matching funds), I posted a list of questions that I had concerning the contributions, the time line, and the process for distribution of funds to the fire departments. Click here to read the posting, Is it OK to Fund Township Budget with Political Party Contributions? (Make sure to read the 24 comments that followed that posting). Also, click here to read my follow-up posting, Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee Contribution Not Political? along with the accompanying comments which include a list of questions that I have surrounding the $23,200 gift to the fire departments.

Township Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson were responsible for the fire department fundraising whose efforts produced $23,200. I was not certain if these supervisors read the Community Matters blog, so I sent the posted list of questions to each of them with a personal note asking for their comments and updates. As of today, there has been no response from the three fundraising supervisors.

On behalf of the fire departments, and as my attempt to see that their financial commitments are honored, I continue to have concerns and questions surrounding the contribution. It is my understanding that the fire departments have not yet received any of this money nor any promise as to when it will be received. (Fire Company representatives please confirm or correct me if I’m wrong.) Channel 3 News had multiple showings of the infamous $23,200 cardboard check being turned over to the fire companies at the last Board of Supervisor Meeting. The Main Line Suburban newspaper ran an article (and photo of the cardboard check) along with the details of the generous contribution with leading statements indicating how this contribution helped save the Tredyffrin Township budget. However, the news reporting and hype is all meaningless unless the check is real and that the money actually exists.

Personally, I don’t know of any bank that is willing to accept a cardboard check deposit. When exactly does the cardboard $23,200 check become a currency that the fire companies can use? Who is doing the follow-up collection? In my past fundraising efforts, it is generally the responsibility of the fundraising committee to follow-up and make sure that gift from the donor is delivered to the recipient. Will Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson being doing that legwork? I also asked for the complete list of donors to be made public. I think that once this $23,200 donation became public information at the Board of Supervisor meeting, it becomes a ‘right to know’ issue and therefore should be public information. Much in the same way, that once the BAWG report was accepted as a public report, the $50K suggested St. Davids Golf Club offer could be available for public discussion.

One of the questions that I am still struggling with is in regards to the appropriateness of a political party contribution to a fire company? What is unclear to me is the ‘legalities’ of Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee (TTRC) giving money to the fire company. If the $5K in matching funds, which TTRC Chair C.T. Alexander committed to the fire companies was made up of individual donation checks that would be one thing. But Mr. Alexander stated that the money was coming from the TTRC which implies to me that a check is to be written by the TTRC. And exactly what ‘matching funds’ was Mr. Alexander referring to? This sets off a bell in my head . . . is it OK for a volunteer fire company to accept a contribution directly from a political party? Does the individual charter of the fire company allow for the acceptance of such a gift from a political party? I am confident that members of the TTRC who are lawyers (including Supervisor Kampf) would have counseled their organization on the legalities of such a gift, right? Again, I have the questions but so far I’m coming up empty handed with the answers.

With just a few days remaining in 2009, I think all outstanding issues surrounding the fire company and the 2010 budget need to be answered. In fairness to the Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor Fire Departments, let’s make sure that these volunteer nonprofit organizations receive the $23,200 that was promised on December 21, 2009. In less than a week, on Monday, January 4, 2010 the first Board of Supervisors meeting for the new year will take place. Now is the time for all unfinished 2009 business to be completed.

Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee Contribution Not Political?

December 22, 2009
2 Comments

I have kept busy with the moderation of many comments to my earlier posting, Question – Is it OK to Fund Township Budget With Political Party Contribution? This posting has opened a firestorm of dialogue which I think is really useful for the community. I thank the many readers for their comments and also thank local political committee members for offering their insights. In further review of last night’s Board of Supervisor meeting, I do have a few additional questions; any clarification from supervisors, fire company representatives, political committee members, residents, would be greatly appreciated.

  • Is the $23,200 check that was presented last night to the fire companies, an actual check that represents funds received to date?
  • Or does the check represent pledges made by individuals/businesses?
  • If the check represents pledges, what is the timeline for the fire companies to receive the money?
  • How does the individual/business know which fire company to make their check payable to?
  • Or is one fire company acting as the central clearing house and will in turn make the distribution of funds to the other 2 fire companies?
  • Will the distribution of funds be proportionate to each of the fire companies based on their individual budget requirements?
  • Do you think that the contributions from individuals/business for this Holiday Contribution Drive may affect what these donors will regularly give to the fire companies in 2010?
  • CT Alexander stated that he was Chair of the Tredyffrin Twp Republican Committee (TTRC) and that his party was giving $5K in ‘matching funds’; by attaching this statement to his organization’s gift, is this not viewed as a political contribution?
  • I would suggest that if the contribution from TTRC had not been a public TTRC contribution but rather given annonymously, than it would not be a political contribution.
  • Mr. Alexander stated that the TTRC contribution was in matching funds; what exactly does that mean? Matching to another contribution? If so, which one?
  • Supervisor Kampf read some of the names of businesses and individuals as public record. For clarification purposes, will he be providing the public with a complete list of all contributors and the amount of each contribution?
  • Based on last night’s meeting, is it an accurate statement to say that Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson raised $18,200 in additional funds to the $5K contribution from the TTRC?

Sorry for so many questions. I’m one of those people who is a stickler for policy and procedure. I wrote my Masters of Public Administration thesis on government organizational theory so I am just trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together from last night’s amazing financial offer to our local fire companies. Maybe the three supervisors who are responsible for arranging this generous fire company gift can shed some light on my questions. Supervisors Kampf, Lamina, Olson can you help me understand how this Holiday Contribution Drive is to work?

Question – Is it OK to Fund Township Budget With Political Party Contribution?

December 22, 2009
19 Comments

Originally, I was not going to write about a contribution that was received last night at the Board of Supervisor meeting. But the more I think about it, the more uneasy I’m feeling about what kind of message we are sending. As Supervisor Chair Kampf read the list of contributors to the $23,200 which will fund the reinstatement of the fire company’s budget cut, I was impressed by the varied list of area businesses and individuals on the list. He read a contribution from the Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee (TTRC) – I remember thinking this seemed an interesting contributor, but there were no dollar amounts attached and I let it go. Following the reading of contributions, the current chair of the TTRC, Mr. CT Alexander stepped up to read a statement from his organization which qualified their contribution, stating it was $5K in matching funds.

I think we can all agree that I am about as non-partisan as they come, and I actually am a bit of a Pollyanna when it comes to how our leaders should govern our community. I believe that government should be for all the people and not based on which party you may belong. So, here we go in to the new year with (1) a complete Republican Board of Supervisors; (2) our current Board of Supervisor Chair (who is a member of the Republican Party) deciding to run for State House 157; and (3) the local Republican Party donates $5K to the township budget.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great that organizations (Republican Party Committee or otherwise) want to contribute directly to the fire companies, I am just questioning what this says about our local government taking political contributions for the budget? Oh, I’m sure that this TTRC contribution is legal . . . so why does this offer somehow just not seem right? Why do I feel a real uneasiness about the message (political party control?) that this may be sending to the community? I would welcome comments – if fact, I’d be relieved if I could discover that this kind of political party contribution made directly to local government is routinely done in other municipalities. I’m looking for some thoughts on the subject . . .

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