More concerning the Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Coatesville City Council meeting

Read Matt Baker's blog post concerning the Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Coatesville City council meeting:

http://bakerforcoatesville.com/2009/12/timeline/

It adds to the information I posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009:

http://is.gd/5FJrg

No pee fly zones and business flying

Long waits are bad enough; if “Depends” become standard flight wear, alternatives to airline travel will become more desirable. That’s railroad, and business jet travel; something we already have in Coatesville.

Shooting Vicinity of Pennsylvania Ave and Lincoln Hwy Coatesville

There was a report of a shooting on Saturday December 26, 2009 about 8-9pm in the vicinity of Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Highway in Coatesville

The subject was allegedly wounded in leg with shotgun. The subject was transported to a hospital.

Lehr’s gotta go

Andrew Lehr may be competent at Texas hold 'em but we need a good City Solicitor in Coatesville.

Keep checking Karl Marking’s and Matt Baker’s websites

Karl has digitized the entire City of Coatesville Budget and it is online. That is a first ever for the City of Coatesville. Coatesville is moving on up to the 20th Century with a big kick in the behind from Karl Marking.

Matt has a running commentary on the City of Coatesville budget.
Keep going back to them for updates.

http://www.karlmarking.com/


http://bakerforcoatesville.com/

Monday’s RDA meeting, Chetty agreement of sale and tonight’s Coatesville City Council meeting

Below is a link to a recording of the discussion and vote on the agreement of sale of the north portion of the Redevelopment Authority of Coatesville’s land called the flats to Chetty Builders. Chetty Builders townhouse development is on the portion of the former G.O. Carlson Steel Company north of the main line stone railroad bridge.

At the very beginning of the discussion it was noted that Chetty Builders asked for a tax abatement and that the RDA “had no ability to grant; that he needs to go to City Council for”.

The only person to question the proposal was RDA member Harry Colon. Mr. Colon’s questions had to do with the site plan and the reasonable expectation of the completion of the project. Without documents it is difficult to follow.

The recording is about 18 minutes. The discussion of the tax abatement is within the 1st minute.
The recording is here:
http://www.box.net/shared/cv66cnlf58


There was no mention at Monday’s RDA meeting of the Special City Council meeting held at 5:00 pm today.

I believe that there was a quorum of four Coatesville City Council members at this evenings Coatesville City Council meeting. I was told that they were Karen Jorgenson , Patsy Ray, Kareem Johnson and Kurt Schenk. Three Coatesville City Council members were not present. The vote was unanimous with 4 members voting. I do not know what they voted on, but I have a hunch it was tax abatement for Chetty Builders. I believe one more City Council member, Ed Simpson got to the meeting after the vote.

There is a regular scheduled Coatesville City Council meeting next Monday, December 28, 2009. That meeting is usually canceled because of the holidays. That meeting was canceled at December 14, 2009 Coatesville City Council meeting. If the tax abatement requires two City Council meetings to pass, I have a hunch the December 28, 2009 meeting may be reinstated. I'm not sure if the tax abatement includes the County and School taxes.

There was a small note in THE Tuesday December 23rd Daily Local News about the Wednesday December 24th meeting at 5:00 pm:

“PUBLIC NOTICE CITY COUNCIL MEETING The City Council of the City of Coatesville will be holding a Special Meeting. The meeting will be held on Wednesday December 23 2009 commencing at 5:00 p.m. in Council Chambers City Hall One City Hall Place Coatesville PA 19320. By: Harry G. Walker III City Manager”
http://dailylocal.kaango.com/feViewAd/15936375

This is from the Home Rule Charter of the City of Coatesville:

§ 2-211. Council meetings and procedures.
A. The Council shall meet regularly at least once in every month at such time and place within
the city as the Council may prescribe by ordinance or resolution.
B. At its first meeting each year, the Council shall designate and advertise the calendar of
regular monthly meetings for the remainder of the year. Special meetings may be held on
the call of the presiding officer by providing notice to each Council member at least 24
hours in advance of such special meeting, which meeting notice shall be prominently
posted at the City Hall. In the event of an emergency which makes it necessary to convene
a meeting with less than 24 hours’ advance notice, this requirement may be waived. The
Council shall, in the Administrative Code or other ordinance, adopt rules and regulations
for its meeting which shall be designed to assure full and equal participation in the
deliberations of the Council by all of its members and shall not be inconsistent with
specific provisions of this Charter. All regular meetings of the Council and any special
meetings at which official actions are taken shall be open to the public, and public notice of
such meetings shall be given.
206

§ 2-212. Agenda.
The Council shall cause to be prepared for each regular meeting an agenda of matters to be
considered by the Council at such meeting, including pertinent background information, which
agenda shall be distributed to the public in attendance at the start of the meeting. The agenda
shall be available prior to the start of the meeting. No official action may be taken on any
matters not included in the announced agenda for the meeting except by an affirmative vote of a
majority of the total number of the members of the Council. The agenda shall include
opportunity and reasonable time for public participation in the meeting.

THE PENNSYLVANIA CODE
CHAPTER 11. CITY OF COATESVILLE HOME RULE CHARTER
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/315/chapter11/chap11toc.html#11.2-211.

CORRECTION
It looks like Karen Jorgenson and not Robin (Scott) Johnson was the fourth city council member to vote at tonight’s meeting.

Special Coatesville City Council Meeting tonight

I just received word that there is an un-advertised meeting of the Coatesville City Council tonight. I believe it is to approve the Chetty portion of the flats development. I don’t know if Mosaic is involved in this meeting.

If a vote is taken an unadvertised meeting is an illegal meeting.

It will be refreshing to see the law followed

In my opinion the Bush Administration’s handling of the US Department of Justice was heavily grounded in politics and the Bush Cheney doctrine was “screw the Constitution”.
I think that Bush/Cheney flushed Civil Rights down the toilet and allowed White Nationalists to flourish.

washingtonpost.com > Politics
"At Justice Department, Perez vows action on hate crimes
By Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The leader of the Justice Department's civil rights unit has decried a recent spate of hate-crime cases across the United States."
http://is.gd/5xCDd

Long Beach Mortgage Company

I looked through hundreds of property records (from the Chester County Recorder of Deeds) in Coatesville while investigating landlords here. I remember coming across Long Beach Mortgage Company frequently. I can’t say any fraud was involved. Some properties did wind up being sold at Sheriff's Sale.

I wonder if anyone that had a mortgage from Long Beach Mortgage Company here in Coatesville has any comments to send to the Huffington Post. Or the FBI.

At Top Subprime Mortgage Lender, Policies Were An Invitation To Fraud
Huffington Post Investigative Fund | David Heath

“Those who worked inside Long Beach Mortgage echo this sentiment. Kosch, who worked in the same office as Ngo and Blanford as well as the top executives of Long Beach Mortgage, said people on her team - though they couldn't prove anything - were suspicious about the loans executed by some of their colleagues.

'Oh my gosh, they were making a lot of money,' she said.

Sources within the Justice Department have acknowledged that there is a criminal investigation of senior management at Washington Mutual. As of now, however, Ngo and Blanford are the only employees of Long Beach Mortgage or Washington Mutual charged with crimes related to the subprime meltdown.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/21/at-long-beach-mortgage-a_n_399295.html

Puppet Lieberman

It’s not the real Joe Lieberman, the puppet of the Connecticut insurance industry. it’s a puppet with the hand inside kind:

Production Begins On Sikorsky S-76D

“The first S-76D helicopter airframe has entered production on the assembly line at Aero Vodochody (Aero) in the Czech Republic in preparation for the customer deliveries planned to begin in 2011. The first S-76D helicopter airframe - serial number 761004 - had its fuselage joined and then entered final assembly at Aero. The fuselage is scheduled to depart Aero in April 2010 for delivery to Sikorsky Global Helicopters facility in Coatesville, PA, where final assembly and completion of the S-76D helicopters will take place. “

More at:
Aero-News
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?contentBlockId=fcb97d31-33c3-4483-8c7b-9cce8e02dae2

Today’s Daily Local article about abolishing paid firefighters

There is an article in today’s Daily Local News concerning the referendum to abolish the paid firefighters in Coatesville proposed by Miss Patsy Ray and Harry Walker.

City council rejects firefighter referendum
Published: Friday, December 18, 2009
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/18/news/srv0000007110826.txt

I wrote about a proposed referendum to abolish paid firefighters on December 6, 2009:

“Walker wants paid firefighters out…

http://coatesvilledems.blogspot.com/2009/12/walker-wants-paid-firefighters-out.html

We are much safer now that the paid firefighters have some control in Coatesville. But I think that there are still many unanswered questions concerning the volunteer officers in Coatesville and the pandemic of arson fires here.

The Philadelphia Inquirer:
"(Coatesville Fire Chief) 'Johnson reported 295 in 2007, while union records show 733. When the union discovered the difference, it complained to city officials, but nothing was done, Poulson said. 'Fire-suppression services are in complete disarray,' Poulson said of Coatesville, adding, 'It's like the perfect storm for an arsonist.". Richard G. Poulson is the attorney for the city's 13 paid part-time firefighters and four full-time firefighters." From "Hiring practices, management of Coatesville Fire Department criticized" -Philadelphia Inquirer

Walker has a 3 year contract. But where’s the original contract?

There was some confusion as to when Harry Gordon Walker’s contract was up as City Manager of Coatesville. As I said before it is May 11, 2011 NOT May 11, 2010.

Please note that this is Karen Jorgenson’s copy of Mr. Walker’s “proposed” contract “Upon information and belief, the contract executed by me cannot be located”.

Matt Baker asked for a copy of Mr. Walker’s contract. He finally got one, sort of. Apparently all they could find at City Hall was Ms. Jorgenson's copy of the proposed contract. That proposed contract was approved without alteration:

http://bakerforcoatesville.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/200912141134278921.pdf

Two important posts are on Karl Marking's Blog today

One concerns the Norcini junk yard on Elm Street:
A Nightmare on Elm Street
http://www.karlmarking.com/2009/12/15/a-nightmare-on-elm-street/



The other is a post about Karl’s very first official letter from the City of Coatesville:
First contact from City as an Elected
http://www.karlmarking.com/2009/12/15/first-contact-from-city-as-an-elected/

Junk yard on Elm Street Zoning hearing

There is a Zoning Hearing at 6 pm tonight concerning the Norco Auto Salvage across the street from the homes on Elm Street near 6th Avenue in Coatesville.

At the Monday August 24, 2009 Coatesville City Council Meeting Damalier Molina said (as transcribed from my recording of the meeting) that:

“The application submitted was for towing service, salvage and auto repair.” Mr., Molina then read from and quoted the City Code Zoning Ordnance 224-60C(5):

(c)

“All automotive parts, REFUSE and similar articles shall be stored within a building or enclosed area.”\

(d)
All automotive repair or service activities, except those performed at the fuel pumps, shall take place within a completely enclosed building.
(e)
Vehicles shall not be stored outdoors more than five days while waiting for repairs unless such vehicles are completely screened from view; junk vehicles may not be stored in the open at any time.”
Mr. Molina further stated that:
“It is a matter of how the owner has to proceed in his operation. ..If he is going to be dismantling vehicles and selling them for parts then it can be attributed to a salvage yard.”

I think the problem is that a salvage yard and REFUSE from auto repair is not the same thing. They are very different things. Any auto repair shop has discarded parts and sometimes cars that cannot be repaired and those cars and parts are eventually removed to an AUTO SALVAGE COMPANY or JUNKYARD.

Dave Norcini’s letter “to: All concerned citizens (Neighbors) states that:

“I am going to be in the business of buying all scrap metal including aluminum cans, aluminum, batteries, catalytic converters, etc. I will be selling used cars, used and new auto parts including tires and batteries.”

That sounds a lot like a Salvage company or junkyard.

It’s not a problem to have a junkyard within the city limits, just not across the street from residential housing on a property zoned for Light Industrial, not Heavy Industrial.

At the August 24, 2009 meeting, Mr. Walker said, “It did not come to the City as a junkyard.”

Marty Eggleston stated that:

“A message is being clearly sent that their will not be a junkyard there, period.” Marty also said, “The council has a particular procedure and protocol that we must follow… Until we hear from Mr. Molina that a change has to be made right now we will sit as we are until we hear further from him.”

From

"§ 224-20 Heavy Industry (I-2) District.
Junkyard. [Refer to § 224-60D(5).]
(5)
Junkyard. A junkyard is an area of land, with or without buildings, used for the storage of used or discarded materials, including but not limited to wastepaper, rags, metal, building materials, house furnishings, machinery, vehicles or parts thereof, with or without the dismantling, processing, salvage, sale or other use or disposition of the same."

Copy of the letter to neighbors from David Norcini:

http://www.box.net/shared/v3yi89paoz


Norco Auto Salvage
200N. 6th Avenue
Coatesville, PA 19320
610-857-1482
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Norco.Auto.Salvage.610-857-1482


City of Coatesville eCode 360 www.coatesville.org
Chapter 224 Zoning
ARTICLE VII Industrial Districts
Article VII § 224-19 Light Industry (I-1) District.

http://www.ecode360.com/?custId=CO0344&guid=9638160&j=13

Article VII § 224-20 Heavy Industry (I-2) District
http://www.ecode360.com/?custId=CO0344&guid=9638212&j=13


Does this have anything to do with the junkyard on Elm Street?

Biker bar fight
Those involved are not speaking out about a biker brawl that broke out March 5 at a neighborhood bar.
Details of the fight at Quattro Bar and Grille, 2535 S. 13th. St., are vague as gang members and bar patrons have been mum on what happened that night at 11:24 p.m., Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said.
Four men wearing “Road Runner” jackets were taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. One had head trauma, but all were in stable condition. A group of Pagans arrived at the hospital to visit the men, Tolliver said.
Another man, a bar patron, was taken to Methodist Hospital in stable condition, Tolliver said.
To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
http://www.southphillyreview.com/view_article.php?id=8164

It was a very good Christmas for “Shop with a Cop”

85 kids participated in Shop with a Cop this year:

“Coatesville event is in its 7th year. Santa's helpers in blue brighten children's holiday”

By Kathleen Brady Shea Inquirer Staff Writer

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/79150537.html

Violence Policy Center “Concealed Carry Killers” Website.

Due to privacy restrictions protecting gun license holders there is no compilation of gun violations by licensed concealed carry holders. I guess that’s how the NRA can boast that people with a license to carry guns are not involved in gun violence. The only way to determine the number of shooting incidents by people with concealed carry licenses are news reports. The Violence Policy Center was originally going to list all incidents of gun violence by people with concealed carry permits but the sheer volume of incidents made it impossible to follow. They only list murders.

“Because most state systems that allow the carrying of concealed handguns in public by private citizens release little data about crimes committed by permit holders, the VPC reviews and tallies concealed handgun permit holder killings as reported by news outlets. It is likely that the actual number of fatal criminal incidents involving concealed handgun permit holders is far higher.”

The web site, CCW Killers, is updated monthly.
There are five categories.

Law Enforcement Officers Killed by Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
May 2007 to the Present

Private Citizens Killed by Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
May 2007 to the Present

Total People Killed by Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
May 2007 to the Present

Mass Shootings Committed by Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
May 2007 to the Present

Murder-Suicides Committed by Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
May 2007 to the Present

“In 2009, the Violence Policy Center began an ongoing research project to identify killings beginning in May 2007 to the present by individuals with concealed handgun permits. As the result of a massive campaign led by the gun lobby, almost all states maintain a veil of secrecy around those who have been issued permits to carry concealed handguns. Therefore, the VPC is forced to rely primarily on news accounts for reports of killings by concealed handgun permit holders and subsequent legal proceedings.”

“Click on the tally for each category to be linked to vignettes describing the circumstances for each killing, listed by state.”

http://www.vpc.org/ccwkillers.htm

Also see:
NRA Quietly Winning Battles For Looser Gun Laws
ERIK SCHELZIG | 12/12/09 12:10 AM |

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/12/nra-quietly-winning-loose_n_389684.html

If you combine Blackwater Drones and White Nationalists you get something very scary.

The Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation is a major financier of extreme right wing political operations.

Blackwater Guards Tied to Secret Raids by
By JAMES RISEN and MARK MAZZETTI

Published: December 10, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/us/politics/11blackwater.html?_r=1&hp

Remember that a goal of White Nationalist organizations is to establish a separate all white country within the boundaries of the USA by force if necessary.

Think White Nationalist militia groups and their supporters that wear Timothy McVeigh T shirts with the slogan; "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." now add Blackwater pilotless drones; very scary.

"The last time the political scene seemed this overheated was in 1995, when years of antigovernment rhetoric culminated in the bombing carried out by right-wing antigovernment extremists in Oklahoma City. In the days after the deaths of 168 people there, a USA Today poll found that fully 39% of Americans agreed with the proposition that the federal government had become "so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens."

Whether or not today's rage on the right is motivated chiefly by racism, it seems obvious that violent rhetoric leads to violent action. Words have consequences."
Intelligence Report Southern Poverty Law Center

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/intrep.jsp?iid=51

http://www.muckety.com/Elsa-Prince-Broekhuizen/25134.muckety

Erik Prince
AKA Erik D. Prince


http://www.nndb.com/people/926/000117575/

Edgar Prince
AKA Edgar D. Prince

http://www.nndb.com/people/472/000130082/

I had a question about Michael Whitlow

I thought that my answer may clear up some things that I know were being said concerning Leslie Smallwood and Michael Whitlow.

Comment; “I was just told Whitlow passed away; is this true?”

December 10, 2009 3:14 PM Jim Pitcherella said...

Attorney Michael Whitlow of Downingtown passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007.

The “Bloc of Four” took office in January of 2006.

Well before he passed away, Patsy Ray, Linda Lavender, Lisa Johnson, Kareem Johnson and several other people connected to the Coatesville City Council and Walker Administration were allegedly “regulars” at Whitlow’s office.

I had wondered (in print) why Linda Lavender and Whitlow were moving what looked like cases of files (they were the type of cardboard boxes used for files) from Representative Tim Hennessey’s office into a car out front of Hennessey’s office. I still don’t know what was in the boxes. I witnessed if myself. Because of the response from Lisa Johnson and Linda Lavender about Whitlow, Lavender and Hennessey’s office; I think I hit a sore spot. I was a little bit concerned about my safety when the two of them followed me (yelling at me) out of the Coatesville City Hall meeting room to take a phone call.

Whitlow’s office was almost a branch of the Coatesville City Hall. The connection with Mosaic Partners is that Whitlow was a partner of Leslie Smallwood in the case that led to her disbarment in 2002.

The fact that he passed away has no bearing on an alleged connection between Smallwood, Whitlow and the City of Coatesville government. The only thing that matters is they knew each other very well. I am not saying that it happened this way but there would have been plenty of time to hatch a plan to develop the flats in Whitlow’s office and like I said some of Coatesville public officials were seen going in and out of Whitlow’s office many times over. Michael Whitlow may have had nothing to do with Mosaic’s plans for the flats; but he could have introduced Leslie Smallwood to the Coatesville Administration and Coatesville public officials.

I discovered that the power plant, the one that we almost had instead of Smallwood’s development, was allegedly discussed and roughly planned by Walker, Lehr and other Coatesville area residents even before the “Bloc of Four” took office. The real money in the power plant comes through the “Coatesville Power Authority” that would need to be formed to sell electricity on Exelon’s lines. The "Coatesville Power Authority" would have local people and power plant people running it. I’m just guessing but maybe Smallwood’s plan was plan B in case the power plant did not work.

Lehr and Walker seemed to deny knowing each other when Harry Walker started as Coatesville City Manager; but they allegedly were partners along with Ed Scrivens, Pat Sellers and Ernie Campos in a plan to renovate Scott Middle School into a trade school in the late 1990’s. The plans collapsed when in April of 2000 the Coatesville Area School District decided not to sell the property.

None of this would be directly used as evidence by a Federal Prosecutor in a RICO case. But it is what investigators call “good to know” information. Maybe good enough for further investigation.
December 10, 2009 5:31 PM

http://coatesvilledems.blogspot.com/2009/05/was-mosaic-development-partners-llc.html

The Redevelopment of Coatesville has begun.

 

In spite of the Walker Administration’s foot dragging Coatesville is getting a hotel. The earth is moving for the Marriot Hotel land and the Brandywine Riverwalk has begun.

Redeveloping Coatesville will eventually bring a gross reduction of illegal drug sales in Central and Western Chester County.

I believe that we had political resistance to the redevelopment of Coatesville from those who benefited from the drug business here. Political resistance from those on the take from the drug business is fading and the advocates of Coatesville’s redevelopment are beginning to take root.

I don’t know if Mr. Jaramillo’s projects will turn out exactly as proposed but I do think they will be successful. He is at the ground floor of the development of the last large municipality in Chester County that has not had a major redevelopment. And I think Coatesville will soon be the hot spot in development on the RT. 30 corridor.

We are still in the biggest recession since the Great Depression but Chester County and Southeast Pennsylvania did not sink very much into that recession. I think this area will also be one of the first areas in the USA to begin recovering. That recovery may have begun.

Because of its location along the RT 30 corridor between Exton and Lancaster; Coatesville is in the path of development. The transportation options of a major rail line, a business travel airport that will soon have direct international capability an option for a second North to South passenger rail line and short links to interstate highways make Coatesville unique in Chester County.

The Coatesville Police Department has already recovered from the Legree/Matthews days and the streets are safer here.

The new government taking over in January only has to implement the internationally recognized plans and vision for Coatesville set in motion by the Janssen/Krack Administration, Bart Blatstein, Carl Chetty and Don Pulver. And hire a competent City Manager to bring those plans to life.

Once the drag of the drug business stops and the pressure from legal business takes over; Coatesville will be in position to be the business and cultural center of Chester County. Mr. Jaramillo did indeed make a good investment.

Coatesville can be the major international business spot in Chester County. It can be a smaller version of the Manayunk/Conshohocken area with easy access to rail and road transit and office to aircraft 10 minute access to international business jet travel.

Daily Local News
Developer thinks Coatesville is diamond in rough
Published: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/09/business/srv0000006994554.txt

There has to be a better way.

Drugs to stay awake for several days in a row are given to our troops with long missions and then they take drugs so to come down when the mission is finished. We give the combat troops anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication.

When our troops are fully broken they are returned to their families.

The government we are propping up in Afghanistan is allegedly engaged in heroin trafficking. Most of the H probably winds up here; after all the USA uses about ½ of the illegal drugs used worldwide.

The Viet Nam War gave us cheap marijuana and cheap Heroin. Most of the H came in the bottom of soldiers coffins.

Over here on the Wall Street Front, there is a line of coke their next to the secretary on the Wall St. derivative trader’s desk. They do some pot at home to come down from a heavy day of trading.

I think that about ¼ of the US population uses marijuana to deal with stress at the end of the day. A lot of the rest of us use alcohol.

Some of those people may become a statistic on the next USDoJ National Drug Threat Assessment.

At least the Wall St traders can afford health insurance and the combat troops have the VA hospitals. A lot of Americans have no health care for addiction problems; they only have prison time to help with their addiction problems. There are some people in government and nonprofit agencies heroically trying to help with addiction but they are running against the tide.

And the drug dealers and the public officials paid to look the other way keep shoveling in the money.

There has to be a better way.

Op-Ed Columnist
A Fearful Price
By BOB HERBERT
Published: December 7, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

War on Drugs and Reality - A former employee at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Coatesville is the No. 2 US drug control official

I know some of the players that sell drugs here in Chester County, some in law enforcement and some in drug treatment.

I know more about drug users in Montgomery County. I think that if you could somehow do a surprise drug test for everyone in Montgomery County you would find out that about 25% of the population use marijuana on a regular basis.

I’m not talking about kids here; I’m talking about their parents and grandparents. They are what Narcotics Anonymous would call “functioning addicts”. They are mostly professionals, engineers, doctors, lawyers, almost anyone that does not work at a low level job that requires drug testing. They use at home and the only time the majority have contact with the police is when they get a parking ticket.

I don’t think Montgomery County is unusual. When you overlay the “War on Drugs” on this basic reality of USA society; hypocrisy is an understatement.

The “War on Drugs” may have begun as a noble experiment. I think the “War on Drugs” is now primarily a way for drug dealers and law enforcement to profit from addiction.

The drug dealers and drug gangs came out of Prohibition. Until Prohibition gangsters were only local. Prohibition gave them an opportunity go international and when Prohibition finally came down the gangsters made the switch to narcotics.

We are treating a medical problem called addiction by arresting the addicts. Each time we make the penalties higher for addicts we make the profits higher for the international gangsters that sell drugs. Each time we confiscate a big drug shipment we drive the price and profits up. Most of the arms that growers in South America use come from the USA and the South American drug growers are better armed than the police that go after them.

We made OxyContin a priority drug, I think, mostly to frighten MD’s and made high jacking truckloads of drugs coming out of drug manufacturers profitable for drug sellers. Make it illegal and you make it profitable.

And, because of the corrupting influence of the enormous profits some of our public officials play both sides. (Read-Police, Politics, Corruption-the mixture dangerous to freedom and justice by Col Frank McKetta, retired PA State Police.)

It looks like Vice President Joe Biden and the Obama Administration are coming to grips with that reality. A. Thomas McLellan from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and scientific director of the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia was appointed to the government’s No. 2 drug-control official. When he was at the Veteran’s Hospital in Coatesville, PA he developed a universally used measuring stick for identifying alcoholism known as “3-14”:

The New York Times
Addiction on 2 Fronts: Work and Home
By By SARAH KERSHAW

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/science/08prof.html?_r=1&8dpc

Medicare at 55

There are some small businesses that rely on well trained craftsmen. It may take many years to develop a group of employees with the skill level to compete worldwide. Our health insurance industry undermines the profitability of these kinds of companies because of onerous health care insurance coverage for older employees.

NEWS FLASH- There is no such thing as age discrimination; it’s the cost of insuring anyone 55 to 65 years old that throws some older people out of work. A 55 year old man is going to be very costly to have on the payroll even if he never was sick or saw a doctor.

If you are in a business that takes 20 years of training to develop necessary skills, it’s very hard to respond to sudden changes in employees. It’s essential to keep the employees that you have. If it’s a 5 person company with one employee in his 30s and the rest in their 50 and 60 and insurance cost zooms up; the only choice may be to close the business. That is exactly what has happened in many businesses of this type.

Canadian or overseas companies where health insurance is not a cost of doing business have taken up the customers of those former US companies.


Lowering the qualifying age of Medicare to 55 would help to keep the businesses of those type that are left, in business.

"Senate Dems May Open Up Medicare To Pacify Progressives"

First Posted: 12- 7-09 12:37 PM | Updated: 12- 7-09 04:06 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/senate-dems-may-open-up-m_n_382728.html

Progress on the Coatesville Courtyard Marriot Hotel and Brandywine River Walk

 
 
 

Here are three views of the work now in progress at the site of the Marriott Hotel in the City of Coatesville. The truck is moving earth from the Marriot Hotel site to the site of the Brandywine River Walk in Coatesville on the former Carlson Steel Company. The trucks will be moving the earth from the Marriot Hotel site to the Brandywine Riverwalk site for about two weeks. The trucks come down and back First Avenue about every 5 minutes. I couldn't get in a good position for a photo of the Brandywine Riverwalk Site.

"Governor Rendell Breaks Ground on $36 Million Hotel, Office Tower; Says Coatesville's Revitalization Underway"

COATESVILLE, Pa., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Coatesville's ongoing revitalization will be strengthened by the construction of a new hotel and office tower, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today while helping to break ground for the $36 million project.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/governor-rendell-breaks-ground-on-36-million-hotel-office-tower-says-coatesvilles-revitalization-underway-78592602.html

At Saturday’s ceremony Rendell mentioned that there was originally $4.5 Million in grants. It's now $3.5 Million. So we kind of owe you a million, Ha, Ha.
I think this was a dig at Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker for letting about $1 Million in grants expire. Harry looked a little embarrassed at the time.

As far as I could tell the only Councilperson elect invited was Jarrell Brazzle.

Walker wants Paid Firefighters out. The Coatesville Paid Firefighters honored by the Crime Victims' Center

“The Referendum to do away with the paid firefighters; I would be totally against that…” Councilperson elect Joe Hamrick at the Coatesville City Council Budget Workshop on Monday November 30, 2009.

Listen here:

http://www.box.net/shared/ek286i5ru5

“The center selected the Coatesville Professional Firefighters Association Local No. 3790 of the International Association of Firefighters to receive its annual John J. Crane Allied Professional Award.”

City firefighters honored for work during arson crisis

Published: Sunday, December 6, 2009

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/06/news/srv0000006999769.txt

The Walker Administration is proposing a referendum to remove Coatesville paid firefighters.

How much more would homeowners pay for homeowner insurance in Coatesville without a paid firefighters? How much more property would be lost and how many more lives would be taken if Walker’s plan is carried out? Maybe most importantly would it encourage a new round of arson?

There is something concerning the Coatesville arson fires that’ not talked about at Coatesville City Council Meetings:

It’s the record keeping during the period when the volunteers kept records of fires in Coatesville.

Ask how many arson fires there were in Coatesville. The answer that will come back will be something like “more than” or “about” or some kind of vague answer. That’s because the records of fires by the volunteers are allegedly incomplete.

Could any of the arson fires have been prevented if all the arsons had been reported in a timely manner and the ATF brought in sooner?

Did the Governor need to lay down the law to the Walker Administration on one Sunday morning? If so why? Was the Walker Administration reluctant to declare an emergency that would bring in the PA Fire Marshal and ATF?

The Philadelphia Inquirer:
"(Coatesville Fire Chief) 'Johnson reported 295 in 2007, while union records show 733. When the union discovered the difference, it complained to city officials, but nothing was done, Poulson said. 'Fire-suppression services are in complete disarray,' Poulson said of Coatesville, adding, 'It's like the perfect storm for an arsonist.". Richard G. Poulson, is the attorney for the city's 13 paid part-time firefighters and four full-time firefighters."

"Hiring practices, management of Coatesville Fire Department criticized"

Source: Kathleen Brady Shea Inquirer Staff Writer

"On Jan. 17, 2001, police responded to a domestic dispute involving a man in camouflage gear waving a semiautomatic pistol. As two officers approached the Caln Township residence, a shot was fired "in such a manner as to place individuals in danger," court records said. Less than four years later, the person who shot the gun, Kevin Johnson, was hired as an assistant fire chief in Coatesville. His hiring is an example of Coatesville's weakness in screening"
Published on 2009-03-28, Page B01, Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)

See my post:

http://coatesvilledems.blogspot.com/2009/03/perfect-storm-for-arson.html

Lisa Johnson, Tim Hennessy's Legislative Aide and sister of Coatesville City Council Member Kareem Johnson Arraigned on Drug Charges

She is the sister of Coatesville City Councilperson Kareem Johnson. I once called Rep. Hennessey’s office "City Hall East" because of the time Patsy Ray spent there.

Johnson, Lisa Legislative Aide - Hennessey, Tim (Coatesville Office)

Ms. Johnson is a Member of the Chester County Republican Committee in Area 14 (Coatesville)

http://www.republicanccc.com/docs/pages/Area_14.aspx

The charges are related to John Clayton Tinson

Docket Number: CR-0000343-09

Criminal Docket

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
v.
JOHNSON, LISA A

Name: JOHNSON, LISA A
Date Of Birth: 08/01/1963
Address:
Sex: Female
COATESVILLE, PA 19320

Bail Type: Unsecured
Bail Status: Set
Bail Amount: $5,000.00
Bail Percentage:
Status Date: 12/03/2009
Posting Date
O/S Amount: $5,000.00

CHARGES
# Charge Grade Description Disposition
1 18 § 903 §§ A1 CONSPIRACY/POSS CONT SUBS
2 35 § 780-113 §§ A16 POSSESSION CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
3 35 § 780-113 §§ A30 F POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER
4 35 § 780-113 §§ A32 M POSSESSION DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
5 18 § 5111 §§ A1 F1 DEAL IN PROC UNL ACT/INTENT TO PROMOTE

CALENDAR
Schedule Date Event Type Status
12/03/2009 02:45 PM Arraignment
01/06/2010 09:00 AM Preliminary Hearing

http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.aspx?district=MDJ-15-1-03&docketNumber=CR-0000343-09

A little bit more background:

The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA

Aid in murder case lessens sentence for Coatesville man
David 'Science' Johnson to serve time for aggravated assault
Thursday, July 2, 2009
By Michael P. Rellahan, Staff Writer

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/07/02/news/srv0000005741767.prt

The next round of arrests in Coatesville could be a “Bloc Buster” event.

Stay tuned.

How Coatesville can become an Entitlement City

At Monday’s Coatesville City Council Budget Workshop, Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker explained how Coatesville could become an Entitlement city and how the Coatesville could get grants directly instead of depending on the largess of the County and the State.

Coatesville is not an Entitlement City. Cities like Reading, Lancaster, Wilmington and other nearby cities are Entitlement cities. They get grants directly from HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and Brownfield Economic Development.

Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker:

“They (other cities) don’t have to go through the state; they don’t have to go through the county. The primary source of the money is normally Redevelopment block grants. That’s tied to HUD 108 and its tied to the Brownfield Economic District. They (grants) are a major source for redevelopment, economic development, anything. They are very broad purposed. But we don’t have access to it. We go through the County even though it’s based on our demographics. In other words if you’re a rich community you don’t get any of that money. It’s based on low income demographics. Although we have half the low income demographics in the county we get zero access to the money except for the largess of the county.

We have to become an Entitlement City. We are probably about a thousand people shy of the population numbers we need to qualify Coatesville as an Entitlement City. If we were just a little but larger, we would be able to break out and be able to get that money. And your budget problems would frankly go away.”

We need about 13,000 people. The last count was at the 2000 Census. We may already have 13,000 people. There is hope.

“HUD goes by the Census numbers. The 2010 Census will determine our population. We need the cooperation of people during the Census. Some people don’t open doors; there are a lot of problems. We need to cooperate in Coatesville as much as possible and get those (population) numbers bumped up as high as they can be. Because it affects funding not just in being an Entitlement City but is affects your funding across the board.”

You can listen to Mr. Walker here;
The first voice is Robin (Scott) Johnson:
http://www.box.net/shared/l2hrj7lxo6

We are now down to one codes officer plus the Director of the Codes Office

Coatesville really needs about six codes officers. And Magisterial Judges who don't dismiss most of the citations. We might have a Judge like that is more thoughtful now.

Right now Coatesville is slumlord heaven. I wonder which slumlord has most favored slumlord status.

The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA
Codes officer busted for coke
John Clayton Tinson was fired in 2005, rehired in June and arrested Nov. 19
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
By DANIELLE LYNCH, Staff Writer
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/02/news/srv0000006972466.txt

It looks like someone is planning a referendum for the Fire Department

This is Joe Hamrick talking to the Coatesville City Council at the Monday, November 30th Budget Workshop Meeting.

Joe does not like the idea of doing away with the professional fire fighters.

http://www.box.net/shared/no411eofcg

Was Pat Sellers a tea bag hat trend setter?

The first time I saw a hat with tea bags hanging from the brim was on Pat Seller’s head on election day in Coatesville for the “Bloc of Four”. He might have been a trend setter.

Pat Sellers has entered the 2010 the 6th District Congressional Race.

I wonder if Sellers will ask Larry Pratt to support him like Pratt did the last time Pat Sellers ran for Congress in 1996.

From the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal

Lancaster, PA Thursday April 11, 1996

“House hopeful charged in fight with teenager Coatesville school board president scuffled with daughter’s boy friend

Sellers, an electrical worker who trails his opponent in the race, has also come under fire recently for seeking the support of Larry Pratt, a former aide to presidential candidate Pat Buchannan.

Pratt is executive director of Gun Owners of America. He left the Buchanan Campaign after the media reported on his ties to the Ku Klux Klan and the white supremacist group Aryan Nation.

Pratt has indorsed Sellers and will be the keynote speaker at a fund-raising dinner for Sellers next week.

Sellers said the allegations against Pratt are untrue and that he sought Pratt’s support because of his expertise on gun issues.”

The entire article is here:
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/01/news/srv0000006965665.txt

The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA

‘Sellers enters crowded field in 6th District race

GOP candidate's platform champions 'sound money' policies”
Tuesday, December 1, 2009

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/12/01/news/srv0000006965665.txt

Also see:

‘Armed and Dangerous (The NRA, Militias and White Supremacists are fostering a network of right wing warriors)”

Rolling Stone Magazine/November 2, 1995

By Leonard Zeskind

http://www.rickross.com/reference/militia/militia7.html

I have found prejudice here towards Jews.

But it’s mostly insignificant.

There are probably less than 1000 people here in Chester County who think that “Hitler was right”.

Anti-Semitism seems to be elevated among the upper class in Chester County. When they talk about “blood lines” it’s not just horses. It might be significant that many of Chester County’s upper class are Anglophiles; even to the point of dressing up.

The New York Times
Op-Ed Columnist
A Jew in England
By ROGER COHEN
Published: November 30, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/opinion/01iht-edcohen.html?adxnnl=1&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1259661713-o+6udQkPRvohESeqMrlZAg