Modius Operandi

This is a condensed version of the events that occurred in council this morning.


  After the behavior that was displayed this morning at the "special council meeting" a question cannot even be asked other than What the Heck? Millie Dixon applied for the newly formed Historic Committee and the Parks Committee. In fact she was the first applicant. She was then told that interviews would be scheduled and she notified council that she would need to be out of town to tend to her ill mother. When were the interviews conducted? The week that Ms. Dixon was away. Normally this would not be considered iniquitous, but this council is known for this type of thing. All other applicants were then voted on and approved except for Ms. Dixon. Ms. Dixon then became aggravated and while her attitude was not exactly friendly one would be hard pressed to not understand why. Ms. Dixon then called for a vote on her application. Last Wednesday the 18th of March a vote was cast that ended in a 3-3 tie for which the Mayor is called to break. Mayor Maxwell declined to vote and the meeting was adjourned. When Ms. Dixon did not let this go the mayor then had a private meeting with Ms. Dixon where he told her that she could volunteer and then in 6 months possibly be a voting member, otherwise her application was going to be vetoed. A special meeting had to be called due to the incomplete vote, however, the meeting was called for Friday March 27th at 9am. The meeting did not start at the proper time because the mayor was in NYC and the borough manager was trying to conference call him in. He was not needed at this meeting since the meeting was called when at least one council member that voted FOR Ms. Dixon was not going to be present and council president knew this. Then Council president along with others complained during the meeting that they needed to be at work. President Gazzerro if you had started the meeting promptly at 9am this may not have happened. Council needed to be reminded that this needed to be conducted like other meetings so citizens to be heard needed to happen. Ms. Dixon spoke along with Councilor Feldman. Gazzerro was rude to both ladies and most especially to Ms. Feldman. Councilor Feldman walked out in protest and had Councilor Winkler done the same a quorum would not have existed. Unfortunately Mr. Winkler brought the motion to the floor to have his say. He did make the point that there are many people that he does not like on committees yet he will work with them. The Council dissolved the previous H&P and complained it was due in partly to not having enough volunteers and yet here is someone who was begging to be part of the newly formed committees and they were turning her away was Mr. Winkler's point. The vote was taken and as was expected Ms. Dixon was voted down. Regardless of who the person was that was to be voted on Ms. Dixon was NOT treated fairly in the slightest and that is the M.O for this sitting council in its majority. Shame on you all.

Travesty Of Injustice

It's been a long time since anything has made me mad enough to post things here.  I have become complacent that council and the mayor will do what they want when they want and even if it seems illegal there will be a way for them to sneak it past the residents.  I was taking my morning jaunt around Facebook and what do I see?  This post.  Now, please be aware when you are reading this post that the meeting that is scheduled for tomorrow Friday March 27th was so scheduled so that the 3 voting members of council that voted for Ms. Dixon will not be able to attend......Councilors Winkler, Rakoff and Feldman as these people have jobs that prohibit their attendance.   This is some of the worst backroom political maneuvering I have seen, but not the worst from this council.  From this council it is normal operating procedure.

Do you know that borough council is doing another end run around the rules so that they can get their way? Shortly after council abolished the Historic and Parks Commission they divided the authority and then asked for volunteers. Millie Dixon put in her resume and awaited the vote. If you will refer to the post on Feb 15th it can explain what occurred then. 
 
Last borough council meeting a vote was taken to either accept or decline Ms. Dixon's application. The vote was tied 3-3 for which the Mayor should have cast the deciding vote. Borough Council adjourned the meeting without the Mayor taking a vote. Ms. Dixon filed a complaint with the solicitor. The Mayor then contacted Ms. Dixon to discuss the situation and I was told that the mayor suggested that Ms. Dixon volunteer without being a voting member and then try again next time. Ms. Dixon then filed another complaint. Without contacting Ms. Dixon Borough Council advertised a meeting for tomorrow morning at 9am to finish the vote.

Downingtown Borough Council walks a fine line on a consistent basis just this side of legal. Had it been worth it they could have been brought up on charges for a statement made by Borough Council President that "they talked about it" when dissolving the original commission a year ago which was outside of any council meetings executive or public? Now they are looking to keep a woman who has given back to this community because she dared to call Mayor Maxwell out on his political stances and behavior. Millie Dixon was a staunch supporter of Mayor Maxwell, however when she discovered that Maxwell is not what he purports himself to be and is not above lying to get his way she became a dissenter. 
 
This is how borough council and Mayor Maxwell treat those who do not agree with them. Be it on small issues or big. I imagine that Councilors Winkler and Feldman at times feel like they are trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon when they attempt to listen to their constituents and do what is right and in the best interest of the people instead of their own personal agendas, and I feel for Councilor Rakoff that they are negating his point of view on this vote.




While it is great to have people on commissions and committees that agree with you it is not right to stack the deck with robots who will do your bidding.  I wonder when someone is going to take these people to task for their behavior or when the justice system will catch up with their manipulation of the rules.

Let It Go

I do not seem to have the time nor the inclination to continue writing this blog.  It's not worth the energy anymore.  If you want to know what is going on in Downingtown I urge you to check out this Facebook Page   Do You Know? Downingtown Politics 

I love Downingtown, just wish the people that run it would be more honest and it wouldn't be all about the good old boys club, but about what is best for the residents.

Blood on the Badge

Just the other day I saw the names on this plaque and understood that many more names can and will be added.  My heart began to break because the names that might be added in the very near future would not be there if it were not for those who feel that social justice means open season on law enforcement.

     I cannot begin to fathom the depth of the heart wrenching pain that the families feel when the knock comes at the door and they know before anyone speaks that their son/daughter/husband/wife/mother/father are not coming home.  These men and women know the moment that they walk out the door that they go into a battle with evil.  They do it freely so that we can safely lay our heads down at night and know that if we call they will be there, and yet we are the very ones that are bringing about their demise.

     All those who have participated in "die ins" who have walked around with your hands in the air, have stirred up rancour, the Sharptons, Jacksons, the President and the like, you cannot fan the flames of hatred and not expect the fire to spread.  Your excuses that you do not condone the violence no longer hold water.  We are bombarded with images and told consistently that our words matter; your words incite violence.  Your words caused children to now live without a parent, your words caused a business to flounder and be destroyed, your words have broken hearts and created a hatred far greater than the one you said you were fighting.

     If you want hate to stop you do not fight it with the same, you fight it with kindness.  Officers stand in the cold so that we can be safe at a parade celebrating a holiday, they bring the lost home and the evil to justice.  They stand in a gap that many cannot and yet we treat them with disdain, call them names and work to bring about their extinction.  They are the soldiers here at home and fight an enemy that is sometimes far less defined, yet we treat them with less respect than we do the soldier that fights in a foreign land.

     No one exists under the illusion that all men and women are good and that wickedness does not exist within the ranks, but the safety that is provided by those who care balances the scales.  The actions under the guise of civil disobedience have shown who the true racists and hate mangers are and who are the true villains.

     Make no mistake if you are not part of the real solution you are part of the problem and if you stir the hearts of men to do wrong then those officers who have and will die according to your commands, their blood is on your hands and the stain of evil is forever your legacy.

Opinionated

I will never be called meek and I certainly have strong opinions, but I would like to address one person and the ignorant comments and nasty attitude that I was on the receiving end.

If you live in the borough then you have a right to complain, agree with or have an issue with how things are done, but if you don't live in the borough keep your opinions to yourself.  Show up at a council meeting before an issue becomes a dire situation or keep your mouth shut.

You don't want lights on a field that you live behind, show up and be present.  If you want sidewalks to be taken care of, show up and be present.  If you want borough codes to change or ordinances to be revisited to adjust them, show up and be present.  If you are having an issue with a borough contracted employee, show up and be present.  I could go on with all the other instances that can arise living in a 2 mile square borough, but I think you get the picture.

I can never be accused of not caring what goes on in the place I live whether you agreed with me or not.  However if you don't live in the borough have not been in attendance at council meetings and only read newspapers and transcripts to get your information A) keep your opinions to yourself and B) get over your self importance and learn that unless you have a pony in the race you have no right to be nasty, condescending or even involved in the process of what goes on in a borough that you don't even live in.

What It Costs

What does it really cost to care?  A lot.  Even if you did not agree with me or anyone else that truly tried to change the tide of complacency at least we were willing to step out and try, but at this point the cost is too high.

What is really the worst part of the cost is being lied about and lied to.  I want to address one particularly egregious lie that was told by a prominent employee of the borough.  None of the volunteers of the former Historic and Parks Commission EVER called any council members or the mayor, assholes PERIOD.  First of all I cringed when I typed that word, but it was what was said in a meeting about us and it is simply, unequivocally, a flat out LIE.  Have I said that members of council were BEING buttheads?  Yep sure have, but I have NEVER called them a name as mentioned.

One other thing that has been bothering me is the duplicitous attitude and actions of a certain former member.  This person does not need to be named, but the actions need to be addressed.   Your resignation was nothing more than a smoke screen so that you could wiggle your way back into the good graces of those whom you called names and could not believe that they would "be that way".  YOU were the one who suggested how we approach council and sometimes had to be talked into tempering what was said.  I hope you are happy with how you have betrayed and treated those whom you called friends.  I hope that the new group of people that you will work with are aware that nothing can be done by anyone but those that you deem qualified nor can any money be spent for anything that it was intended for unless the work is done in house by under staffed overworked borough employees.

What is done is done.  Do I care anymore?  Nope not in the slightest.  Are any of us slinking away with our tails between our legs?  Hardly it's just that the cost is too high and most of us are unwilling to pay it anymore.

Prove It

I did not publish a comment here because as I said it's my playground.   You either play nice or leave.  However, I will address it.  The comment was something to the effect that  I was making things up.  So what am I making up?  Do you think the messages from Mayor Maxwell were made up?  I have them and I can show you anytime you like.  You can ask several people about the behavior that Mayor Maxwell displayed in an H&P meeting.  He is the one who lies.  He lied about me, he lied about his involvement in the Ghost Walk issue with the minor and he lied about contacting the solicitor about an ordinance.  But that is ok if you want to believe him.  It's hard to see past smoke and mirrors and I don't blame you.  I wish all the residents well as you will reap what you sow.  I have heard residents complain and groan, but are unwilling to do anything to stop whatever they feel is being done wrong.  I hope one day that those corrupt enough to think that no one is watching get caught and get caught big.  But I will sit back and let it all self destruct because I just don't care anymore.