Athletes demonstrate their abilities in colleges, or the minor leagues, in hopes of making it to "The Big Show". Aspiring actors hoof it in summer stock and road companies in search of their big break. Donald Trump severely tests his group of entrepreneur hopefuls before choosing the best to be The Apprentice. But how do candidates for Quakertown borough council audition?
They likely serve on a volunteer board for a few years, and then use their actual accomplishments as a resume for the future. But voters should judge them on their results, not just a list of their organizations. What have they actually done for Quakertown?
Meet candidate Steve Biddle. He first ran for council back in 1991, and finished last in a seven-man race. And, for the next sixteen years, he became a "professional volunteer" on at least seven organizations, including Quakertown Area Planning Commission, Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce Traffic and Transportation Committee, Quakertown Alive, and Chairman of the Borough Planning Commission.
Give Biddle credit for donating his time. But donated time doth not a good councilman make. As Planning Commission Chairman, he bears significant responsibility for some of the worst decisions - or lack of decisions - made in the borough: While other aging towns have re-invented themselves, our downtown renovation is still just a plan. Qtown was the last major municipality in the county to adopt a historic preservation ordinance. Proposals for senior housing were bungled. Consideration of the rental property inspection ordinance has been delayed, leaving us with no fire inspections, and no fire marshal. And the number one problem in Quakertown today - traffic control - is yet unaddressed.
Biddle told The Free Press back in April "I pledge to take a leadership role on council to develop a new and focused program for traffic congestion management, pedestrian access and bus and train development". Six months later, we have seen nothing. In fact, as PC Chairman, those issues have been his responsibility for 16 years! And we have seen nothing. During that time, as Quakertown's representative on county and area boards, he has had zillions of opportunities to introduce plans, make contacts, and acquire grants. But he has not offered council a single proposal, nor obtained a single dollar, for traffic control or transportation. Not in 16 years!
Train service is being planned for this area, but there are several antiquated railroad crossings in the borough, which have never been modernized. Where was the Chairman of the Planning Commission, the man who pledged to take a leadership role on train development? And when citizens complain of speeders roaring down our streets, or unrestricted parking disrupting intersections, it is Police Chief/Borough Manager Scott McElree who solves the problems, not Steve Biddle.
And Biddle has actually ignored his own Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce Traffic and Transportation Committee's major recommendation for improving conditions along Front Street and Park Avenue: make the rail crossing straight across. This would eliminate several phases of the light. Richland has acted to smooth traffic flow along Station Road, only to have it hit a proverbial brick wall in Quakertown.
But Biddle has been very outspoken in one regard: loyalty to his council buddies. He frequently kisses their mistletoe at borough meetings, and, despite their many problems, criticism was not in his vocabulary. In July, 2006, he co-signed a letter to The Free Press which - incredibly - was intended to show that council was not responsible for the conditions in downtown. And in March, 2007, he wrote again, this time defending Councilman Dave Wilsey when it was revealed that he had missed five out of 11 meetings. Two months later, voters made Wilsey history.
Volunteer Biddle must have expected that his years of cuddling-up would earn him council's support when he decided to run again himself. But that backfired when council's reputation sank from their many indiscretions. Now Candidate Biddle apparently wants to give the illusion of distancing himself from the good 'ol boys who have been so good to him for so long: "The borough has taken a stumble-bum approach to utility management and pricing. They've mishandled supplier agreements and made short-termed decisions that were perhaps shortsighted".
As usual, pretty weak stuff, but not surprising, since Biddle has long been up close and personal with the offenders. Where were his letters to the editor about skyrocketing utility prices? Or those no-bid contracts that cost taxpayers over $1 million? Or the obscene severance package given to his buddy, Dave Woglom? Or the special favors given to his buddy, Councilman Dan Williams? Or all of those "perhaps shortsighted" decisions that he avoids discussing? Maybe, just maybe, Biddle didn't actually object to any of those things until he decided to run for office.
And, maybe, just maybe, he read about four well-qualified candidates for council, Republicans Ed Scholl and Mike Johnson, and Dems John Flynn and Michele Scarborough, who vowed to put party politics aside and work together if elected. Biddle jumped on that bandwagon too, now claiming that he "always checked my partisanship at the door". Oh, really? Like hiring anti-Christian-school Brian Kline as campaign manager?
Year after year after year, Biddle's buddy-buddy council pals rewarded him with those committee appointments. So if he couldn't succeed under those lovey-dovey circumstances, why should we believe that he can magically do any more with new council members - who don't want him? In a poll of six candidates and leaders from both parties, not a single one named Biddle to their "dream team". Since they didn't, perhaps you shouldn't either.
Empty promises could have been enough to elect a candidate here five years ago. But Quakertown's number one priority in 2007 is to revitalize council, eliminating the clubby attitude that led to lazy leadership, special favors, and a million dollars in illegal no-bid contracts. Steve Biddle would be a big step backward.