Mister Tredyffrin and Friends

Folks in Tredyffrin may have noticed these silly little yellow signs popping up all over town.

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Cute, aren’t they? Of course, they represent two of the three parts of the typical Republican campaign plan: Claim credit for all that is well and good in the world and Lie through your teeth, your base wants to believe you. Combine these with the already discussed Scare them to death about all that is bad in the world, and you’ve got yourself a won election! We’ll tear apart these silly claims in a bit, but first let’s talk about these latest two Republican tactics themselves.

Claim credit for all that is well and good in the world

We live in a terrific part of Pennsylvania. We all work hard. We work together. And when we gather to celebrate our wonderful town, we do that together, as well. In spite of all that hard work and community, our lives would be miserable without our trusty Republican leaders, and they’re here to tell us how. Let’s take a look at what else they have done for us.

When was the last time you’ve felt an earthquake? Our Republican leadership has been working day and night to make sure your dishes never shake out of your cabinets! And, what about when you walk outside?

That’s right, the weather is great around here, and the Republicans will claim credit for that. In fact, they’ll claim credit for everything under the sun! Oh, wait…

I spoke too soon. Is there anything they won’t take credit for?

Okay, now maybe they’re going too far.

What if the signs actually told the truth?

Wouldn’t that be something? We’re all used to their Lie through your teeth, your base wants to believe you tactic - so used to it that we’re not even phased when it’s rubbed in our faces, as has been done so many times in the local newspapers recently. But let’s just play a little bit. What if the signs actually reported some of the “Real Results” our Republican leadership has delivered?

To date, our Republican-led Board of Supervisors has yet to recognize their own partisan cronyism, in spite of well-documented and published evidence to that effect. I’ve written about it, too.

Have you seen the TTDems white paper on Pocopson Home? Excellent reading…

That’s right. Two embezzlements in recent years. And all those promises that were made afterwards? To make sure it didn’t happen again? There’s plenty left undone, and no explanations as to why. And they put “Fiscal Responsibility” on their sign? That takes some serious gumption.

The people of Tredyffrin have been complaining about the problems with storm water for years. Strike that - for decades. The Republican-controlled Board of Supervisors has repeatedly ignored these cries for help, and instead approved further development, compounding the problems. When will they start listening?

Truth in advertising

Top Ranked Schools

No question we have some great schools in our township. But can the Republican leadership really claim all the credit for that? Of course not. Maria Micolucci stated it best in her October 4th letter to Main Line Life:

…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.

Fiscal Responsibility

They’ve got to be kidding. This is the board responsible for some really shady land deals. “Afterwards, several meeting attendees heard one of our Republican supervisors express his hope that the land would be worth what they paid for it someday.” In addition to that most excellent white paper, don’t forget to read an account of the issue by a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser.

Stable taxes

By their own accounts, in their own literature, the Republican leadership says that they haven’t raised taxes in six of the last eight years. Okay, do the arithmetic. That means that in at least three of the last nine years they’ve raised our already high taxes. A third of the time they’re raising your taxes, folks. That’s stable? No. That’s a lie. Ask them about it. Ask how they can raise your taxes a third of the time, and yet it’s stable. Go on. Ask them.

And now, the library, too?

These are real signs this time. (I know it’s getting increasingly hard to tell…) Now they’re claiming all the credit for the libraries. This is a recent development, and I don’t have the whole story, yet. So it will have to wait for a later post. This one’s getting long, anyway.

EDIT: But wait, here is a salient comment on those library signs from moderate:

The save the Library signs are a new level of Chutzpah. For those who don’t know the definition of “Chutzpah” it is nerve, Gall. The comic definition of Chutzpah is the boy who kills his mother and father and then throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan. That is the Library sign. The implication is that Olsen Kampf and Lamina saved the Library for Strafford from the hated Democrats. Nothing could be falser. No Democrat was even on the board when moving the Library was raised at an ALL REPUBLICAN SUPERVISOR BOARD. Please get the information out to your neighbors how disingenuous the signs are and what it says about Olsen Kampf and Lamina.

Remember all this when you get to the polls

The Republican campaign strategy:

• Claim credit for all that is well and good in the world
• Lie through your teeth, your base wants to believe you
• Scare them to death about all that is bad in the world

Is this the method you want to reward? Vote these bozos out, already.