Since 1919, Americans have known RCA as the Radio Corporation of America. You remember that cute little dog listening quizzically to an old gramophone, with the slogan "His Master's Voice". Well, there's a new RCA in town, the self-proclaimed Richland Citizens Alliance, and they have the slogan "Our Voice is Your Master".
If you have read about "The Mob" in recent chronicles of township meetings, you know about the RCA. Their members, numbering about a dozen, have disrupted the proceedings, demanded to speak at inappropriate times, and generally taken Richland back to the bad old days of the early 1990's. Their main agenda has been opposition to development in the township. And that's where the hypocrisy comes in.
Development in any township is controlled by its Comprehensive Plan. Richland's was created in 1996. In fact, three members of the RCA were the major players in that creation, which leads us to...
Hypocrisy #1 - Those RCA (Resigned from the Commission Angry) members, Jane Steeley, Kathleen Doyle, and Ken Hill were all on the Planning Commission in the 1990's. Both Steeley and Doyle were chairpersons. It was under their leadership that the PC (not the supervisors) created the Richland Comprehensive Plan, which determined how many homes could be built on every tract. Steeley resigned in 1997 after being sued for allegedly misusing her position. Doyle and Hill quit later that year following Doyle's defeat for supervisor by Pat Keller.
The most recent report from Boucher & James, the township engineers, shows that since January 1, 1998, 1023 homes have been approved to be built, 170 per year. But under the Steeley/Doyle/Hill Comprehensive Plan, developers had the legal right to construct 1151 units on those same properties. If these RCA members had their way, there would be 128 MORE houses! So, if you feel that Richland has been overbuilt, be careful whom you blame. The supervisors have allowed LESS than Jane and Kathleen and Ken proposed!
And it appears Steeley used her position to try to protect her mother-in-law's house from new neighbors. The map of the 1996 Comprehensive Plan shows that she created a Primary Development Area in the southern end of the township. But there is also a "donut hole" where there was to be no development. And whose home is in that hole? Dorothy Steeley.
Hypocrisy #2 - Many RCA (Rarely Concerned About others) members have recently moved into the new housing they now staunchly oppose. In other words, they are set, no room for you. Cliff Annis, Susan Cooke, Todd Oxenford, and Pat Murphy all have bought or built new homes in Richland in the past few years. Not one of them protested development BEFORE they moved in. They were happy to take advantage of any zoning changes or variances granted to THEIR new homes, but they are apoplectic about anyone else now getting the same.
Hypocrisy #3 - RCA (Really Concealed Agenda) members Jane and Phil Steeley live on Station Road. They have been long-time opponents of my Quakertown Farmers Market, are currently suing Richland to prevent the YMCA from building in that area, and have been vocal protestors of a nearby proposed senior citizen community. Yet in 1998, Jane and Phil asked the township to subdivide and change the zoning on their property to commercial! Publicly they oppose development on Station Road. Privately, it appears they tried to profit from it. Hypocrisy with a capital H.
Hypocrisy #4 - Let's stay with RCA (Redhanded Caught Again) member Phil Steeley. A man who shows up at meetings to protest development But how does Phil earn his living? Why, he is a real estate agent! His job is to convince buyers that they want to move to Richland Township, to settle in those new homes. The more people he convinces, the more money he makes.
Hypocrisy #5 - It's Jane Steeley, again, and Station Road neighbor David Rhoads, with perhaps the best summation of the RCA (Relocate Construction Away from me) philosophy. See, Jane and David aren't really opposed to development, they are just opposed to development in their own backyards. It's just fine with them if that development is in YOUR backyard. In fact, they WANT it there. They even admitted it, several times:
Last November, fighting the proposed senior housing near her home, Jane said "I think age-qualified is needed, just not here". In January, 2003, Jane said that her lawsuit to prevent the new Y "isn't against the YMCA". She claimed to support a new building. So why is she suing? Because, as her lawsuit states, "the Y's premises will impair, if not preclude, the use of surrounding property". Her property.
Her RCA neighbors sing the same song (and its not "YMCA"). Rhoads stated in September, 2002, that he "was speaking for many of his neighbors" when he said, "None of us are against the Y. But all of us are diametrically opposed to its location". We don't want it, YOU can have it. The height of hypocrisy.
So when you read about the RCA, or the mob, think hard about whether they are really speaking for you, or just themselves.
React Cautiously Always.
Rhetoric Conceals an Ax-to-grind.
Residents Concern Advised.