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On November 6, you will decide the future of your town, your county, and your school district, for the next four years - or even beyond. Make your vote an informed one. Bad choices are worse than no choice at all.
This election is unprecedented - four Republicans, and four Democrats, vying for four seats on a council beset by soaring electric and water rates, illegal no-bid contracts, and plunging public confidence. Gone are the former president, manager, and police chief. Borough procedures were revamped, and a finance director hired. But any promise of new vitality will only be realized if the next council embraces open government, ethics, and the community.
Two incumbents were already defeated in the primary, leaving President Dennis Hallman, and VP Jim Roberts, as the only holdovers on the ballot. There are six new faces, but not all are new to local politics. Or to controversy. Consider the candidates as if they were in three categories...
Leadership: A council in transition needs a knowledgeable, hard-working, respected president. Of the three members who are not up for re-election this year - Dave Zaiser, Don Rosenberger, and Dan Williams - none are ready. Williams, and his special favors, is likely finished in 2009. Hallman, who presided over the scandals, and approved those million-dollar no-bid contracts, finished fourth out of five in the Republican primary. His belief that "it's not our job to be involved in day-to-day operations" allowed all of the shenanigans to flourish.
Dutch Uncle Jim Roberts has been on council for almost 30 years. His family has been here for generations, and he seems to know everyone, and everything. Most important, he has the respect of every candidate. He is the clear choice for re-election, and council presidency.
Qualified Newcomers: Here is where the choice gets tough. There are four good people for three seats - Republicans Ed Scholl and Michael Johnson, and Democrats John Flynn and Michele Scarborough. They even endorse each other! Scholl is the well-respected organizer for numerous community and charity events, a youth sports coach, and has a family of 19 cousins in the area. Johnson is a no-nonsense police sergeant in Doylestown, the runner-up to Scott McElree for the police chief job in Quakertown, and a QCHS baseball coach.
Flynn has important business experience, managing more than $4 million in yearly sales, and has been a landlord, an area where the borough will need expertise. Scarborough is the financial administrator of a large medical company, and would provide the much-needed female perspective. All four embody openness, honesty, and community involvement.
Just Say No: Running mates Steve Biddle and Nancy Roberts (no relation to Jim) were closely tied to deposed manager Dave Woglom, and both have spent years currying favor with council. Exactly the good ol' boy mentality that Quakertown needs to reject. Roberts mis-handled funds, and borough personnel, as president of the Historical Society. Biddle, as long-time chairman of the Planning Commission, is majorly responsible for the problems with traffic, historic preservation, and lack of downtown improvements. While the Republican candidates share signs and literature, Flynn and Scarborough chose not to affiliate with Biddle and Roberts.
New Superintendent Dr. Lisa Andrejko has a workable plan to reform spending, budgeting, and curriculum, while maintaining quality instruction, and important programs like special education. No more 50+ percent increases in property taxes, or uncontrolled spending, or secret late-night teacher contracts, or hidden survey results, or questionable experimental programs. Everything open to the community. Exactly what we don't get from the current board.
With two members retiring, and former president Phil Abramson defeated in May, the entire focus is now on the Milford-Trumbauersville voting district. Two seats are open. Dean Wackerman won both the Republican and Democratic primaries, and seems assured of one seat. He is a Navy Commander from a respected Bucks family with a long record of public service. His running mate, Lou-Ellen Renshaw, finished second in the primary. She attended business college, worked in payroll accounting, and, importantly, provided financial oversight of a high school's spending. She personally gathered the information about how QCSD students were performing in college when the board's self-protective majority claimed that it wasn't available. Wackerman and Renshaw both support Andrejko's policies.
Eight-year incumbent Linda Martin, apparently angered by her primary rejection, has run a negative, arguably-unethical campaign, falsely trying to scare residents into believing that her opponents would reduce the quality of teaching, and eliminate programs. Two weeks ago, Martin was so reckless in her criticism that her own campaign manager had to publicly apologize. She was the only candidate out of 11 attempting to evade QCSD's Code of Ethics by having parents distribute her political literature on school grounds. Meanwhile, she is endorsed by her board-majority buddies, those tax-and-spenders who hit you with the 50 percent increases, and got QCSD into its financial bind.
With two seats open, either Wackerman or Renshaw is assured a spot on council. The future of QCSD rides on who gets the second seat. A win by Martin guarantees that the same majority which raised taxes over 50 percent, and was responsible for all of the other problems, will remain in power. A win by both Wackerman and Renshaw will allow Superintendent Andrejko to carry out her plans to put the Community back into Quakertown Community School District.
County Commissioners
Charley Martin and Jim Cawley. They know our area exists. Perhaps we would be able to pronounce the names of their opponents if the challengers had just spent some time in Upper Bucks. When the county's website is a big issue, you know that, overall, things must be pretty darn good. And YES on the Open Space Bond Issue. It has bi-partisan support, which is rare in the county. Preserve land; they're not making any more of it.
This choice is easy. Under incumbent Rick Orloff, a CPA specializing in municipal finance, Richland has preserved over 1200 acres; created the township police department; built the bond rating to A+; secured grants for traffic control; drafted a new Comprehensive Plan to control development; expanded the park system; and created township boards and committees with over 60 resident volunteers... all without increasing township property taxes. Orloff is endorsed by more than 50 state, county, and local officials.
Patrick Murphy (the candidate with the lawsuits, not the congressman) is supported by ethically-challenged supervisor Mike Zowniriw (twice convicted for throwing a rock at his neighbor's son, declared "not credible" by Judge Robert Mellon, rebuked by Judge Mitchell Goldberg for trying to use his elected office to influence a case involving friends, shut off water to elderly neighbors); Vic Stevens (defeated for supervisor and school board, campaigned using fraudulent website, sued 16 people and organizations including the Main Street Theater); Jane Steeley (defeated for supervisor and committeeperson, resigned from Planning Commission after drafting disastrous 1997 Comprehensive Plan that opened Richland to development); and Brian Kline (resigned as supervisor candidate after calling Christian school students "socially inept and overlooked by colleges", became Murphy's campaign manager). Unless you want these kinds of people appointed to key positions in your township, this is a no-brainer.
More than 40 of Orloff's campaign signs were removed on Monday night, within 24 hours of being placed. Who would do such a thing???????