Saturday, October 30, 2010

Tuesday Madness

As we all know Tuesday is election day here in our little corner of the country.  There are several heated contests and some that a few people would like to think were heated, but they produce about as much of a temperature rise as lighter in an empty room.  If you have read anything I wrote lately especially then you know my leanings, but with that being said I urge you to get out and vote.  What I caution is that you know who you are voting for.  It's dangerous to go to the polls uninformed and it's also in my eyes irresponsible.  I have never come into an election year without researching a bit about a candidate;both sides of the aisle.  I also make a decision as to what issues are deal breakers for me and what aren't.  Something that is minor for me compared to something that will effect me for years to come is not what I am going to base my vote on.  Also I know that if it comes down to it a fight about the minor issue is easier when you come from common ground in other areas.

Go to the candidates websites, read what they have to say (yes I know some tend to be long winded), check their voting record, look at their experience not only if they have been in a seat of power before but what will they bring if they haven't, and then ask yourself is this person going to represent me the best he/she knows how.  Nothing is full proof and sometimes we make major mistakes when voting individuals in, but that can be rectified next term.

Here is who and what you as Pennsylvanians will be voting for:

US Senator
6 year term
Pat Toomey (R)  http://www.toomeyforsenate.com/
Joe Sestak (D) http://joesestak.com/splash.html

Governor of PA
4 year term
Dan Onorato (D) http://www.voteonorato.com/splash
Tom Corbett (R) http://tomcorbettforgovernor.com/meettomcorbett/

US Representative
2 year term
Jim Gerlach (R) http://jimgerlachforcongress.com/
Manan Trivedi (D) http://www.trivediforcongress.com/


State Representative District 155
2 year term
Barbara Bergeron (D) http://www.barb4pa.com/online/
Curt Schroder (R) http://www.curtschroder.com/


So make the choice for yourself and don't always follow part line rhetoric.  Good luck and GET OUT AND VOTE!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Do You Really Mean That?

This evening has been interesting in the little borough of Downingtown.  The Borough Council had their meeting and during the meeting the subject of Kardon Park was brought up yet again.  The solicitor that, according to my understanding, is handling the legal issues for the borough suggested what the council could do to limit liability if someone should become ill or hurt while visiting the area west of The Ponds.  The suggestions seemed reasonable to even a council member who sided with "Friends of Kardon Park" other than than the woman spearheading the commotion.  The solicitor cited Ms. Feldman specifically and she agreed that she had said that it was not safe to develop on the site because of the contamination.  When called on the point Ms. Feldman said that  that was right, but it was safe to be a park.  If development was to go on then the soil would be disturbed and be dangerous, but if not disturbed then it was fine.  Really?  Have you ever taken a young child anywhere and had them put things in their mouths including dirt Ms. Feldman?  Is this not an act of disturbing the soil?  What are you going to say to the mother whose child is now seriously ill because they happened to have digested some of the soil?  Oops?

The arguments went on with Ms. Feldman pushing nothing more than her agenda.  So I looked up some of the chemicals that were allegedly dumped on this site and I was appalled that Ms. Feldman was fighting the fact that anyone was willing to come in and remediate that area even if it meant more houses in that area.  My reasoning being this......During my formative teen years I lived in an area in Colorado called Unincorporated Jefferson County and I attended Columbine for my high school years.  I still keep in touch with many of my classmates and a strange thing happened one night.  Several alumni had gotten together and were talking about how at our age we should not be suffering from all the maladies that had befallen every one of us.  A few of us took up the banner and ran with it and found out that several companies had dumped toxic waste into an area that fed our water system for many years.  We then reached out to other alumni from other classes and found that the illnesses were in great number and most had lived in a section that had had the contaminated water pumped into their homes.  Now we are not talking about maladies like simple headaches and such, but MS, RSD, severe mental issues, fibromyalgia, unexplained neuropathy and the list went on.  We tried to fight the government, but because there had been a suit brought long ago that had been settled we hit brick walls every which way we turned.  I am here to inform you Ms. Feldman and the "Friends of Kardon Park" that some of the toxicities that reside within your "PARK" are the very ones that were found to be in our water in Colorado oh so long ago.  Therefore, no matter which way this suit finally ends up I hope someday that if it is discovered that many children later become ill because they played in "Kardon Park" find out it was you and your group who helped precipitate their illness and they find a way to win back all the legal fees you have cost the Borough and the citizens of Downingtown.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Kardon Park? Really?

Is it possible for someone to tell me when this tract of land really became a park and not only that, but one with a name?  I have lived in Downingtown for over 15 years and I have never seen anyone make good use of what is being called Kardon Park.  Why is that?  Is it because people still tend to dump their unwanted materials there?  Or is it because it becomes a mud pit when it rains, or how about the fact that it wasn't even close to being an area that was sellable till they tore down the old building and put Rite Aid in?  What possibly could draw a person to this "park" to walk and enjoy nature?  I don't think it's the "wetlands" that were mentioned as we only have two heron that live near and around here....a white one and a blue one and of course a plethora of geese, but I do not think the geese will be too upset if we clean this area up and like anyone can go to another eating establishment or bar down the street if they don't like the one they are in the geese can manage to waddle over to The Ponds where I am sure the atmosphere is much more like "Cheers" in the respect as that's where everyone goes anyway.  The builder was willing to clean up the area and there were plans in the makings for some new traffic patterns and egress so that there would not be the suspected and complained about congestion.  Tax revenue would come into the borough which is sorely needed as many places do not see Downingtown as a mecca of growth and businesses are not first inclined to think of our little spot in the county.

     But it has come down to some judge on some bench that appears to think that this tract is really a park and is beneficial to everyone.....really?  So since that is the case I propose that the "Friends of Kardon Park" (I still have trouble saying that without either snickering or furrowing my brow) foot the cost of the toxic clean up and maintaining of the "park" so that they can stop pretending that something is really there when it's not.  Oh yeah and when you are done with that how about you hot foot it over to Johnsontown Park (one that really does exist by the way) and help us clean up our end of town where people could honestly benefit from someone helping us as we are working to actually raise the quality of life.  How about putting some effort into a worthwhile project?  There really is a park here with running water and residents here not some trumped up image of something you would like it to be.


There is no doubt there is beauty around this area as seen above on an early morning, but just turn around.....