Mister Tredyffrin and Friends

I’d like to review a thread of four letters to the editor. It is a story of contrasts.

First, review the “hooray for us” campaign piece printed in both local papers by C.T. Alexander on September 27th. In short, the TTGOP wants you to think that there is nothing wrong in Tredyffrin, nothing that could be improved, everything that is good and mighty is due to Republican leadership, stay the course, and Democrats are all whining jerks. I may have paraphrased a bit. I wasn’t terribly impressed by his letter, and wrote at length about this Republican rah-rah speech.

A far more level-headed Democratic spokesperson, Maria Micolucci, Chair of the Tredyffrin Democrats, responded to C.T. in the next issue of the local papers, October 4th.

To the Editor:

If I were a Republican in Tredyffrin, I would be alarmed by C.T. Alexander’s smug, self-congratulatory letter in this newspaper (Tredyffrin GOP doing the job, Sept. 26 2007). While it is true that there are many things to be proud of about our community, our successes are not simply a product of the Republican leadership. There are a number of challenges and concerns facing our township that the Republican leadership is failing to address. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that some of our Republican officeholders have made partisan politics and special interests a priority,at the expense of residents.

In the next couple of weeks, C.T. Alexander and his leadership will hand out materials and display yard signs that will ultimately boil down to “just vote for us because we’ve done it a long time and we know what to do".

But do they? The fact is, Republican leadership in Tredyffrin long ago stopped listening to residents. Instead they did what anyone too comfortable with their job does - they got lazy. They towed the party line. They are losing public trust.

These are not baseless allegations. You will find on our website(www.ttdems.com) well documented instances of this breach of public trust by Republican leadership.

I must take specific issue with Mr. Alexander’s claim of credit for the Tredyffrin 300 celebration. Like many Democrats and Independents in our area, I volunteered for the celebration. It was everyone who got involved, people that care about our community, that made the celebration a success. I also must object to Mr Alexander’s insistence that our schools are the product of Republican leadership. This assertion is particularly appalling. Mr. Alexander, may I suggest that it is a community of many people, of all political parties, that make our schools what they are - teachers, administrators, students, parents, and employees.

But, by far, the most ridiculous of Mr. Alexander’s comments came at the expense of the City of Philadelphia. Mr. Alexander appears to be trying to scare voters into believing that if you vote for Democrats in Tredyffrin, Tredyffrin will turn into “corrupt” Philadelphia. I find this to be a bizarre comparison, but if he insists on comparing Democrats in Tredyffrin to those in Philadelphia, shall I compare Republicans in Tredyffrin to Republicans in Harrisburg or Washington, DC? Where would I begin?

If you care about our community, please visit the TTDems website, and think hard about who you want making decisions about the future of our township. When it comes to local politics, we believe voters want elected officials who care about the things they care about and listen to their concerns. We are dedicated to helping to elect the best candidates for office, which is why this year we are supporting the historic, joint endorsement of a Republican and Democratic candidate for School Board: Kevin Mahoney & ArtPost in Region 2.

I believe all of our local Democratic candidates this year are committed to serve in the interests of residents, and I ask you to consider voting for all of them: re-elect Paul Drucker, Supervisor District 3, Eamon Brazunas & Jerry Henige for Supervisor at Large, Ellen Brotman-Austin for Supervisor in District 1, Glenda Yu for Township Auditor, Karen Cruickshank for School Board in Region 1, and Art Post for School Board in Region 2.

Maria Micolucci

Chair, Tredyffrin Township Democratic Committee

Clear enough? Of course it is. But the Republicans continue to press their myth onto the people of Tredyffrin. In typical blindered TTGOP fashion, Ed Sweeney contributed this the following week, October 11th:

To the Editor:

I write in response to the letter of Tredyffrin Township Democratic Committee Chair Maria Micolucci.

Boiled down, the Tredyffrin Republican message is simple: Tredyffrin Republicans have delivered an area where a middle class population can take advantage of top flight schools and good services. We put forward leaders who have delivered real and major accomplishments, yet who are extremely mindful of the need to continue to safeguard taxpayer money. These leaders have carried “heavy water” in public life before and have ideas for taking Tredyffrin and our schools to the next level.

The Democratic leader has not put forward one idea to better Tredyffrin in her letter … except, not surprisingly, elect local Democratic candidates to office. Why should we elect local Democrats? According to Ms. Micolucci, we should elect local Democrats because local Republicans are “not listening” and “they are losing the public trust.” These “one size fits all” political spins are probably being used in every southeast county to capitalize on national woes. But as applied to Tredyffrin, I would submit that they are fundamentally way off base. Our Republican leaders follow the successful example of Carole Rubley: unquestionably honest, extremely hard working, and innovative in their attempts to better Tredyffrin while keeping taxes restrained.

How can anyone deny that the one-of-a-kind Republican-led public private initiative to renovate the Strafford library that saved the taxpayers $3.7 million dollars was not an unqualified success? How about the township’s new Model Sound Ordinance? How can one argue with a township that has not raised taxes in six of the last eight years and puts Radnor, Easttown, Upper Merion and Lower Merion to shame in level of taxation? What about our innovative trails and sidewalks initiative? How can anyone say that Wilson Park was not an amazing success? What about our efforts to reduce storm water? What about the fact that our award-winning Conestoga is ranked by Philadelphia Magazine on its Web site as the best high school in the Delaware Valley, yet our level of school taxation in comparably reasonable?

Learn about the success of our township and school district and the accomplishments and ideas of our candidates at our web site. We support extremely competent candidates who are ready now to lead, because they have led before in public life, community service, or business affairs.

Ms. Micolucci says the local Republicans have committed violations of public trust, but has not gotten around to articulating them in her letter, indicating that to learn about them we should “check the Democratic party Web site.” Come on, Ms. Micolucci, everyone knows that Tredyffrin is a model for clean government and is held up as the “gold standard” by other townships and school districts, and our local government employees are honest, efficient, and apolitical. While we read about public scandals endlessly in Democratic controlled Philadelphia everyday, our local governments are top notch. No one has accused the local Democratic candidates of scandal … what Republicans accuse them of is a failure to engage in a real policy debate and to make the case that they can improve on our progressive efforts to improve government and keep taxes affordable for middle class citizens.

Edward C. Sweeney Republican Committeeman, M-3

Ubelievable. There are so many outright fabrications and misdirections in this letter I am amazed that it was published. If only the Republicans in our township would allow themselves to see the truth despite their leaders. If only.

Until then, though, all we can do is provide a rational, almost parental voice for reason in our community. In that calm and patient voice, Kathleen Keohane put Sweeney and his Republican cohorts in their place in a letter run by the Main Line Life last week. Rational, well reasoned, solidly supported, calm, collected - all the opposite of the letters of Alexander and Sweeney.

To the Editor:

In their recent letters to the editor, Tredyffrin GOP Chair John Alexander and Committeeperson Ed Sweeney made sweeping claims to Republican “results” and suggested that no Democrats need apply. Perhaps this partisan rhetoric is to be expected as election day closes in. However, only the most self-deluded believe that we have the local Republican Party and no one else to thank for all that is good in Tredyffrin. As for Sweeney’s account of past accomplishments, here are a few additional facts from the “No-Spin Zone:”

• The sound ordinance was researched and written by a number of people, including Democratic supervisor and attorney, Paul Drucker, and Great Valley Association attorney, Dave Moskowitz – not just Republican officials.
• Keeping taxes low has become an excuse for the township to shift the cost of infrastructure (stormwater improvements, trails, libraries, emergency services, etc.) to the future. As a result, costs will be higher. Democratic candidates have affirmed their commitment to fiscal responsibility and using taxpayer dollars more wisely.
• Wilson Park is a wonderful township asset, but was completed significantly over budget, and is not a unanimously supported use of open space or tax dollars.
• The trails and sidewalks initiative is a plan – a distant vision at this point, not an accomplishment. And it is long overdue.
• Tredyffrin Library is a much-appreciated resource. However, the Republican claim of “saving” the taxpayers $3.7 million is an illusion, as it includes grants from other public (taxpayer-funded) sources. Meanwhile, costs increased and engineering details were compromised in the two years it took to raise private matching funds. Our township should have contributed more and sooner.
• Efforts to reduce stormwater problems in the township have been limited and very recent. Stormwater issues have needed attention for a long, long time.

TTDEMS Chair Maria Micolucci was chided for her claim that Republican officials have violated the public trust. In what ways? (Mr. Sweeney, wondered). Here are just a few:_ Backroom discussion and appointments of Republican cronies to board/commission positions without public notice of openings, discussion of candidate qualifications or reasons given for Supervisors’choices. Democrats believe selection should be made on the basis of qualifications and reflect the demographics of the community.

• 2006 purchase of a virtually unusable piece of land bordering Route 202 for $825, 000 – despite questionable appraisals, and without disclosing the fact that the sellers were major Republican Party contributors.
• Under a Republican-run board of supervisors, no recommendations have been implemented to tighten security and accountability among township employees, even after two separate embezzlement incidents.

The TTGOP has challenged local Democrats to improve on the Republicans’"progressive efforts."We welcome that challenge. When elected, residents of Tredyffrin can expect Democrats to:

• Bring more open debate to public meetings, and work to end backroom decisions made without public knowledge or input. In short, more transparency.
• Take partisan politics out of the board/commission appointment process
• Offer different perspectives to the management and direction of the township and school board, putting more focus on long-range planning and resident input
• Wait until long-term comprehensive planning has been finalized before approving any development that requires zoning changes
• Approve a master development plan that is supported by residents and doesn’t negatively impact their quality of life
• Make decisions in the best interests of residents, not special interests
• Place a higher priority on stormwater management and sidewalk development_ Push hard for sound walls along both sides of the turnpike
• Develop an emergency and fire protection plan that improves safety and response times throughout the township
• Explore options for expanding Paoli Library
• Respect and encourage more resident involvement
• Hold public officials accountable to the highest ethical standards

Reasonable people – no matter what their political affiliation, recognize that we need more openness and accountability from our elected officials. We need public servants who serve in our best interests and no others. It involves a full airing of the facts, open debate, and most often, compromise, in order to come to a consensus in a healthy, two-party system. It is the kind of government we deserve.

In several weeks, voters will have the opportunity to participate in setting the direction of both their local and county government and school board for the next four years. Democratic candidates offer a different way forward – more attuned to residents’concerns, more committed to careful planning for smart growth and development in the future. Go to the local Democratic Web site: www.ttdems.com to find out more about our local candidates and the issues we care about, and to www.chescodems.org for information on the county-level candidates.

Make a difference. Vote on Nov. 6.

Kathleen E. Keohane
Committeeperson, W-1

I love how those bullets stand out. The Tredyffrin Democrats could not have been more clear in their articulation of not only the problems that the Republican leadership has brought to our township, but how they can fix it. It is crystal clear in the white papers on their web site. And yet C.T. called it “vague". Maria responded, clarified, pointed them to the web site. But Ed continued the local mythology by blithely claiming “everyone knows” and “gold standard” and “top notch". Sheesh. Talk about vague. Ever patient, though, Kathy steps up and specifically spells things out for Ed, C.T., and their Republican sheep.

The difference between the visions of our two local political parties is remarkable. Actually, what’s remarkable isn’t so much the difference of those visions, as the amount of eyesight they actually have. Your local Democrats see the problems, see the solutions, and see the path forward. Your local Republicans won’t let themselves see anything at all, even when it is shoved in front of their noses. Don’t let them put the blinders on you, too.