Mister Tredyffrin and Friends

It’s been on my to-do list for a while to comment about just how little campaigning Paul Olson has done. Perhaps he is simply relying on his name recognition? He was on the board of supervisors for thirty years, after all. I don’t know.

But in the last couple weeks his name has arisen a lot because of that silly library sign business. And he was mentioned in the papers a couple times. Now, though, it is clear that he is getting desperate.

I had some respect for Mr. Olson when Tredyffrin residents voted him off the board. He was given a big farewell party, one that cost many thousands of dollars. It was my impression that he left with class. But my respect for this man has been greatly dented by a horrid attack post card for which he was responsible last week. It targeted his opponent, Ellen Brotman Austin, and claimed, among other things, that people should not like her because she didn’t vote in as many elections as Mr. Olson would have liked; that she didn’t volunteer her time in the way Mr. Olson would have liked; and that she didn’t donate her money to the organizations that Mr. Olson would have liked.

It was a petty, desperate, pitiful, last-minute attack. And, from all the email I have received, it is being perceived as such from the majority of the recipients, Democrats and Republicans alike. It was paid for by the Chester County Republican Committee, of course. Oh, to have so much money.

For the record, it should certainly be the right of a citizen to decide not to vote in mostly uncontested primary elections where her party has no voice. She should certainly be allowed to give to the charities of her choice, not those dictated by anyone else. And our community is very proud of Ellen’s volunteerism. She makes a big difference, even if it isn’t volunteering for the groups Mr. Olson might recommend. The funny thing is, the groups Mr. Olson would recommend have a history of rejecting participation by the minority party.

But here’s the kicker. Mr. Olson and his friends used connections in the library to acquire confidential personal contribution information, to include the exclusion of anonymous donors* Mr. Olson and his friends used library donation lists to disparage their political opponents. These are private charitable donations. What’s next? Are they going to harangue Ellen about some overdue books her kids took out?

By their logic, if you do not donate your money and time exactly as they dictate, you are not worthy of political office. That means that more than 90% of Tredyffrin can’t serve this township because they didn’t donate to that one library campaign.

Their behavior makes the organizers of the fundraising drive and the library itself appear unethical. They want people to contribute and thus be able to take credit for it. And, if they don’t donate, that information can be dispensed to the Republican leadership for use in their attack campaigns. I am sure it is only a small handful of the people involved in the fundraising that are part of this scam. But their behavior sullies the reputation of the institution itself, and that’s not right.

I can only hope there will be real consequences from this colossal breach of trust and ethics. For shame, Paul Olson. Do your conscious a favor and at least call up Ellen to apologize for this affront. Do that, and maybe you’ll have earned back a little of the respect you’ve wasted away.

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* It has just come to my attention that the donor lists were made public by personnel in the library itself. How Mr. Olson, Ms. McCollum, and Mr. Ross came by the information to assure themselves that certain Democratic candidates did not donate anonymously is a separate matter that is still unresolved. I think it needs to be resolved, and quickly. (5 November 2007)