It’s very true that the Teabagger candidates like Sharron Angle or Joe Miller win their elections the Teabagger activists will get none of what they are hoping for from the Teabagger Republican Candidates. See:
The Grand Old Plot Against the Tea Party
By FRANK RICH
There is something missing from Frank Rich’s column. Maybe he intends to write about it later. The 2% of Americans that really are Teabaggers have guns. Many of them don’t just have guns but are part of small militia armies that in effect are light infantry.
And they Teabaggers have said over and over that if they don’t get what they want, they will start killing pubic officials. In a small way that’s already begun with groups like the Hutaree Militia.
The Teabagger movement looks enormous only when it’s sensationalized and goaded on by Fox News. Fox News has gotten up the hopes of the White Nationalists that I think make up a majority of what is actually a tiny Teabagger movement.
When those White Nationalist extremists don’t get what they want and they certainly will not, I think the violence will begin. And the violence is sure to cross political party lines.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Republican Party has been overrun by the White Nationalist movement.
It takes a news organization outside the popular media to recognize what is actually happening to American politics. The Republican Party has been overrun by the White Nationalist movement.
Old white men on Social Security and Medicare holding signs that say “we don’t want government run health care” appear to be irrational if not downright loony. But in this article the Christian Science Monitor reveals that the “loony” old white men really are sane; because they see a direct link between government run health care and a black President taking away their guns.
I have found nothing else in the press outside of the loony tune White Nationalist, White Supremacist and gun lover’s websites that link a belief that the Federal Government is using “government run healthcare” primarily as a means to take guns away from white people. In the sane press, I can only find it in the Christian Science Monitor article.
The Christian Science Monitor has the true story on the right wing extremists that have overrun the Republican Party. The extreme opposition to “Obamacare” is crystal clear when you understand the gun rights advocates’ position.
The rest of United States news organizations have totally failed us.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Health care vs. gun ownership
The outcry from Teabaggers over “Obamacare” isn’t about healthcare at all its entirely about gun control.
“If I’d seen a dozen guys with guns all holding signs that say, ‘Socialized medicine equals gun control,’ I would’ve died and gone to heaven,”… “If this becomes law, there’s no place to escape” if the government wanted to use federal medical records to deem citizens “medically unfit” to carry a gun, says Mr. Pratt. “No trial, no due process, just gone.”
Larry Pratt, "Gun Owners of America".
Larry Pratt, "Gun Owners of America".
See:
Is there a connection between healthcare reform and gun rights? Christian Science Monitor August 21, 2009
That seems like a crazy and illogical statement. But that is Larry Pratt-see "Eight Lanes Out", the extremists, extremist and "father of the militia movement"; the man who gave the keynote speech at Coatesville’s own Pat Sellers fundraiser when he ran for Congress in 1996.
People on Social Security and Medicare seeming irrational rants about socialized medicine and government run health care make sense when you add gun ownership.
Even though there has not been a peep about restricting gun ownership from the Obama Administration the NRA and in particular Larry Pratt’s "Gun Owners of America" intensely believe that government healthcare is really a back door way for a black President to take guns away from white people.
Linking “Obamacare” with taking guns away from white people seems insane but in the world of right wing extremist Republicans it makes perfect sense.
Friday, October 29, 2010
To my Republican friends
I first became aware of politics in 1949 or 1950 mostly from adults talking. People that worked in the “mill” were Democrats. People like doctors and bankers were Republicans.
And I learned that people associated with illegal gambling and former “rum runners” were also Republicans. As a kid I understood that to those Republicans the Coatesville Police were OK but they were constantly on the lookout for State Police.
Until fairly recently Richard Legree dominated the Republican Party in Coatesville. Lisa Johnson has always worked in Republican Tim Hennessey’s Coatesville office as Hennessey’s business manager, that is up until she plead guilty to her part in a Coatesville drug business.
But there is something that did not exist among Chester County Republicans in the 1950s. The Republican Party nationwide and GOP leaders here are not just people like doctors and bankers. They are, I think extremely dangerous extremists like West Chester’s own Colin Hanna and Sara Palin, Joe Miller and Sharon Angle.
I just can’t see how anyone here who calls himself a Republican can hold his head high.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Let’s face up to it; this election is entirely about race.
No matter in what part of this country you look to; deep down, the foundation the GOP candidates stand on is racism. This election is about old white racist Republicans against all people of color, all immigrants and Democrats.
In order to win the old white man vote the Republicans have become the new KKK Party of America. The so called “Teabaggers” are just KKK without the white sheets.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Comments Concerning possible Police Department layoffs at East Fallowfield Township Supervisors Meeting
The rumor is that East Fallowfield Township is contemplating layoffs of 4 full time police officers. According to the East Fallowfield Township Website there are currently, including Chief Chris Porter, nine full time officers and one part time officer. The Supervisor’s meeting was held at the South Brandywine Middle School in order to accommodate the audience of more than 200 people.
Here in Coatesville just a few years ago, Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker and Coatesville Police Chief Matthews’s had made a decision to lay off Coatesville Police officers and furlough an important narcotics investigator. That decision caused a mass exodus of Coatesville Officers. The direct result here was a massive increase in violent crime and a harrowing year of arson. During that dark period investigations were curtailed and we had a mostly reactionary police force.
The officers that remained on duty did so at a greatly increased risk for their safety. We lost many officers with an intimate knowledge of our community. We have good officers now, but it will take several more years for the new officers to become familiar with Coatesville.
The officers that remained on duty did so at a greatly increased risk for their safety. We lost many officers with an intimate knowledge of our community. We have good officers now, but it will take several more years for the new officers to become familiar with Coatesville.
Chester County District Attorney Joe Carroll:
“I’m here tonight because part of my responsibility as District Attorney is to make sure that East Fallowfield Township is safe just as any other township in the County. And I think that has been stated very eloquently by a lot of the previous speakers, one of the primary duties of government is to provide for the public safety. And you generally do that by finding some brave men and women who are willing to risk their lives to keep everybody else safe. And I think East Fallowfield Township is has done an excellent job of doing exactly that.
You have gotten officers who are dedicated, who are trained and who are doing an excellent job for you and for me, for my office when we have to work together.
You have a very difficult job. I have to live within a budget but I don’t have to make some of the decisions you do. When you do decide though whether or not it’s safe to cut your police officers, I do think that you think of a couple of things. One is the value of that patrol activity, of having people driving by, where people know that they're in the area. That’s going to not only going to lead to situations where the police officers interrupt some crimes, but it’s going to deter others who might be thinking about where they might go to commit their offences.
We do have that deterrent value from having the officers around and you’ve got some investigators here who are capable of doing the after work. After the burglary occurs and you’ve gone away from the scene they’re going to take with them the evidence that they need and they’re going to make some follow-ups. That’s not necessarily going to happen if you cut your police force.
The number I heard is that you might be cutting as many as four full time officers which would give you less than one officer on duty during every hour that you have… You’re not going to get the patrol opportunities, you’re not going to get the follow-up investigations that you’re going to need in order to keep your residents safe.
And here’s the one thing that I think I can add to the discussion tonight; If you are to make a decision to cut the police department right now, even when things get better it’s going to take you and awful long time to recover the police department that you currently have. The officers that are already familiar with your community, who you’ve already trained aren’t going to be here anymore, once they get laid off.
East Fallowfield will not be a target destination for people who want to get involved in law enforcement if they know that at any given time that four supervisors may not support the police department and they may not have a future here. So it would take longer than your budget problem to return the police department to its current level of service to the community.
I can’t remember ever going to another meeting and hearing tax payers who expressed the opinion that they are willing to pay a little bit more it that’s necessary to keep their department. I think that those are very well thought out ideas that are coming. That people recognize that they may want their park to be safe and they want it to be clean, but what it comes down to is they want, in the middle of the night to be safe, that they are going to be secure in their homes and that when they leave their property is going to be safe because of the police department that you have protecting them.
So, I know that you have a very difficult job to do but I urge you not to sacrifice public safety when you make your decisions. Thank you for your time.”
Listen to Joe Carroll here:
East Fallowfield resident Dick Vermeil:
“Hi there, I’m Dick Vermeil; I’ve been a member of this community twenty three years. I’ve been in front of you guys. I respect you. I know how you go about making decisions and I know the pressures that are on you.
But really this is simple. You really don’t have a choice. I don’t think you do and that’s not trying to take pressure off you but you were elected to do what the people want. And I’ve never been in a situation where people want their taxes raised to get something done the way it ought to be done. So I trust you to do the right thing, Thank you.”
Listen to Dick Vermeil here:
Listen to Dick Vermeil here:
Wives of East Fallowfield Police Officers:
“It’s hard to follow up Coach Vermeil but we represent two of the wives of the police officers in question.
I have a two year old and a three year old at home who may not have a father come home one day due to a tax increase problem. Will you, the five of you come to my house and say to my children, ‘I’m sorry we didn’t put a tax in, your daddy was killed.
My children are home with me a resident of East Fallowfield by ourselves while my husband is out protecting you and your family. I expect the same respect to give them support that they need.
Cutting numbers will result in poor officer safety. You and we as a community deserve the support to give them what they need. We’re home by ourselves worrying about our husband’s lives on an hourly basis. Please, please, please don’t make me tell my children that their father didn’t make it home. Thank you.”
Listen to wives of police officers here:
No decision was made at last night's meeting regarding police layoffs or a tax increase.
Listen to wives of police officers here:
No decision was made at last night's meeting regarding police layoffs or a tax increase.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
If the police layoffs go as planned it would devastate the East Fallowfield PD
The East Fallowfield Township Supervisors Meeting has been moved to the South Brandywine Middle School to accommodate the expected turnout.
Your attendance is requested on Tuesday, October 26th at 6:00pm at the South Brandywine Middle School. Support their officers who are being threatened with layoffs by the township supervisors. Please pass this onto your friends in law enforcement and police supporters.
Attorney General Holder Unveils Valor Initiative to Protect Law Enforcement Officers
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Addresses IACP, Announces Smart Policing Grants
WASHINGTON – Addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in Orlando, Fla., Attorney General Eric Holder today unveiled the Department of Justice’s new Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) initiative. The VALOR initiative was created to reduce and prevent law enforcement officer line of duty injuries and deaths by training officers in techniques for approaching violence encounters.
Under the VALOR initiative, the department allocated $800,000 for the initial development of a nationwide training and technical assistance program. A key aspect of the VALOR training will include how to anticipate and survive a violent encounter, with training based on the “The Deadly Mix” framework (officer, offender, and circumstances that brought them together). In addition, officers will learn techniques for identifying concealed weapons and armed gunmen, and be trained for high-risk tactical situations that may involve active shooters or hostages. Officers will also learn techniques to confront specific threat groups, including domestic and international terrorists and other violent criminals and extremists.
“Since last October, 163 officers have been killed in the line of duty nationwide , with more than a third of them killed by gunfire,” Attorney General Holder said. “These losses of mothers and fathers, spouses and siblings, children and colleagues represent an alarming increase in police officer fatalities. The Justice Department is committed to turning back this rising tide; to meeting increased violence with renewed vigilance; and to doing everything within our power – and using every tool at our disposal – to keep law enforcement officers safe.”
In addition to the VALOR initiative grant, the Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded $467,312 to IACP to launch the Center for the Prevention of Violence Against the Police, which is designed to serve as a clearinghouse for information and analysis about injury and violence against law enforcement officers in order to reduce the number of felonious assaults on officers, reduce costs to governments, and increase community safety. All together, the Department of Justice has committed more than $40 million for officer safety programs in Fiscal Year 2010. This includes more than $30 million to reimburse law enforcement agencies for the purchase of body armor, respond to line of duty deaths, enhance deconfliction efforts and boost technology development.
Attorney General Holder also announced the expansion of the Smart Policing program to six new sites. The Smart Policing program, which started in 2009, is focused on evidence-based practices that target a specific crime problem that can be replicated by law enforcement agencies across the country. Each agency receiving a grant enlists the assistance of a research partner to analyze data, test interventions, and measure the results. The six new Fiscal Year 2010 grants bring to 16 the number of law enforcement agencies participating in this program. The six grantees in Baltimore; Cincinnati; Indio, Calif.; Joliet, Ill.; Lowell, Mass. and San Diego will focus on gun crime, street gangs, drug markets and robberies, among other crime issues.
10-1201
Attorney General
A petition of 400 plus signatures was submitted to Coatesville City Council asking that Mr. Reed be placed on administrative leave
There were smaller issues but, as I see it, the water rate increase is what prompted the petition.
The Petition:
I don’t believe Coatesville Interim City Manager Ted Reed had much influence over the water rates. I do believe that he successfully argued for Coatesville homeowners at the PUC hearings.
The City of Coatesville already had the water and sewer infrastructure including the old sewage treatment plant for about 20,000 residents. We now have about 12,000.
The new sewage treatment was not needed for the City of Coatesville. It was built to supply the surrounding of townships.
If the citizens of Coatesville want to be angry at anyone it would be the surrounding communities that asked for the Sewer hookups. But they were acting on the information given them by developers who intended to bring many thousands additional people into their municipalities.
The investment banks including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley's massive Ponzi scheme of mortgage derivatives collapsed. Not just the investment banks but the entire world banking system was on the verge of collapse. The housing market did collapse. We are slowly climbing back from nearly going over the precipice of a second Great Depression and the additional homes may never be built.
We now have a sewage treatment plant that is 300 to 1,000 percent larger than necessary. The intended increased population of Parkesburg, and the townships of East Fallowfield, Caln, West Caln, Valley, Sadsbury, West Sadsbury, Highland and West Brandywine was supposed to pay for the sewage treatment plant. That might happen but it’s at least a decade in the future. Coatesville has the largest amount of water and sewer customers.
The property owners of Coatesville are stuck with most of the bill for a sewage treatment plant that is several thousand percent larger we will ever use.
The property owners of Coatesville are stuck with most of the bill for a sewage treatment plant that is several thousand percent larger we will ever use.
At last night’s meeting Coatesville City Council president Ed Simpson said, “What surprised me is that from 2006 through 2009 we went through, in my opinion, the worst 4 years…that this City has experienced in a long time. And during that 4 year period there was never any petition. So now we have some stability we are working through trying to get rid of some of the problems that were created during the 4 year period and it just seems like… we can’t operate unless there is crisis and ciaos. It’s surprising because we’ve been trying to stay out of the headlines. We feel that this council is doing a lot of the right things.” A recording is here:
I agree with Ed Simpson.
This City Council is bringing Coatesville back from the City Council that I believe gave us a tremendous increase in violent crime, almost a year of arson fires and successfully hindered every developer of the flats except for the Lehr and Walker approved power plant and Mosaic developers.
I did call for Harry Walker to keep on walking right out of Coatesville and asked for the resignations of all four of the “Bloc of Four”.
The missing $162,000 plus found by both the forensic auditor and Barbacane Thornton that was talked about at tonight’s meeting was from the 2008 budget when Harry Walker was City Manager and the “Bloc of Four” controlled City Council.
You have to understand that people who supported Coatesville’s redevelopment were regularly harassed and shouted down by the Saha supporters that filled up Coatesville City Council meetings. A lot of people grew tired and frightened by harassment and threats from Saha supporters. They just stopped coming to Coatesville City Council meetings.
Take a look at the “Bloc of Four” campaign manager, Pat Sellers’ “politics” here:
Were any White Nationalists involved in the “Bloc of Four’s” campaign?
I believe that because of the “bloc of four” and people that I believe are anti-government extremists who helped them in their election Coatesville has a reputation of being quietly friendly to drug dealers and openly hostile to developers, a small town for developers to absolutely avoid.
This new City Council is fighting to change that reputation and I think they can do it.
In early 2006 former US Prosecutor Tom Hogan told me that Coatesville was ready to flip over and then these new guys came in. He was talking about the “bloc of four”.
I think this new Coatesville City Council and Administration are turning Coatesville around. Let’s give them a little support.
Ed Simpson’s comments when the rate increase made it’s first appearance at the Coatesville City Council meeting:
Monday, October 25, 2010
Morgantown West Virginia is a town much like Coatesville, PA.
Morgantown West Virginia is a town much like Coatesville, PA. The major differences are; it's about 2 times the population, it's on a larger waterway, the Monongahela River and it has a University.
The mills along the river have been transformed into a river park.
http://www.morgantown.com/
Saturday, October 23, 2010
SUPPORT EAST FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP POLICE OFFICERS - POSSIBLE LAYOFFS
The Chester County FOP Lodge #11 received information that the East Fallowfield Supervisors intend to lay off all of the East Fallowfield part-time officers and two full-time officers as well. Please show your support for these officers and attend this meeting.
The agenda is below Keep in mind that agendas can change at the last minute:
When police left the City of Coatesville because of threatened layoffs we paid dearly with grossly increased drug gang violence and arson. East Fallowfield Police did what they could to help the City of Coatesville. Let's return the favor.
Thank you
Friday, October 22, 2010
SUPPORT OFFICERS THREATENED BY LAYOFFS AT EAST FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP
Your attendance is requested on Tuesday, October 26th at 6:00pm at the East Fallowfield township building. Support their officers who are being threatened with layoffs by the township supervisors. Please pass this onto your friends in law enforcement and police supporters.
Keep in mind that agendas can change at the last minute:
When police left the City of Coatesville because of threatened layoffs we paid dearly with grossly increased drug gang violence and arson. East Fallowfield Police did what they could to help the City of Coatesville. Let's return the favor.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
PA 26th Rep. Tim Hennessey’s business manager will be sentenced after the election.
Sentencing 11/22/2010 1:30 pm Courtroom 12 Judge Anthony A. Sarcione Scheduled
v.
Lisa A. Johnson
Ms. Johnson was allegedly working in Representative Hennessey's office in Coatesville at her job as Tim Hennessey's office manager until she plead guilty to an Felony 1 a few weeks ago.
Ms. Johnson is allegedly receiving her full pay and benefits until her sentencing date.
Her boyfriend and partner in crime City of Coatesville Codes Officer John Tinson allegedly was on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until August. Mr. Harry Walker told the City Administration they needed to pay Tinson's salary because of his union contract. When the City Administration found that they did not need to pay his salary he was taken off the payroll.
Mr. Tinson was sentenced 5 to 10 years in prison. He began his sentence on September 29, 2010
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CHESTER COUNTY Docket Number CP-15-CR-0000112-2010
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
v.
John Clayton Tinson
Her boyfriend and partner in crime City of Coatesville Codes Officer John Tinson allegedly was on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until August. Mr. Harry Walker told the City Administration they needed to pay Tinson's salary because of his union contract. When the City Administration found that they did not need to pay his salary he was taken off the payroll.
Mr. Tinson was sentenced 5 to 10 years in prison. He began his sentence on September 29, 2010
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CHESTER COUNTY Docket Number CP-15-CR-0000112-2010
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
v.
John Clayton Tinson
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
“Gunmen Dead After Attack on Chechen Parliament”-2nd Amendment Solution?
You can read about the deadly attack on the Chechen Parliament in today’s New York Times. You also can read about the links between the Alaskan Independence Party and the Chechen Rebels in the La Times article below. Sara Palin and her husband Todd are linked to the Alaskan Independence Party.
I think the attack on the Chechen Parliament is exactly what Sara Palin, Sharon Angle, and other Republicans have in mind when they say “lock and load” and talk about “2nd Amendment Solutions.”
New York Times October 19, 2010
By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
MOSCOW — Heavily armed gunmen burst into the Parliament building of Chechnya, in southern Russia, on Tuesday morning, killing at least three people and wounding more than a dozen before the assailants were killed by police officers or by their own explosives, officials said."
From the LA Times:
“Over the years, Palin has actively courted the Alaska Independence Party, or AIP, an organization that supports Alaskan secession from the U.S. To be clear, we're not necessarily talking about friendly secession either: As the AIP's founder, Joe Vogler, told an interviewer in 1991: ‘The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. ... And I won't be buried under their damn flag.’…
The AIP's website also provides helpful links to other secessionist groups, including the Southern Independence Party of Tennessee (which boasts of going after "these Politically Correct Liberal Communist[s]"), Ulster nationalists and Chechen separatists.”
From:
latimes.com
Opinion
Palin's secession flirtation By Rosa Brooks September 4, 2008
"For years she has courted the Alaska Independence Party, which wants to split the state from the U.S."
There is a shortage of ammunition in the USA in large part because of militia groups stocking up in anticipation of a “2nd Amendment solution. Whether the wing nut Republicans win or lose we will have to deal with the violence that extremist Republicans and their backers at Fox News have brought about.
See:
SPL
Evidence Grows of Far-Right Militia Resurgence
See:
SPL
About Monday October 18, 2010 RDA meeting
See Matt Baker’s blog:
One thing to keep in mind when reading about or going to meetings in Coatesville is that the investigation that began in January of 2010 is not yet complete. No one has been read their rights yet.
See:
And:
FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Were any White Nationalists involved in the “Bloc of Four’s” campaign?
Just in case that there are some people left in Coatesville who don’t know where the “Bloc of Four’s” campaign manager Patrick Henry Sellers was coming from; Check out Pat Sellers’ letter to the editor in the American Renaissance July 2000 issue:
It’s not so much what he wrote but the magazine the letter to the editor was written to:
Look on page two of the PDF of American Renaissance July 2000 issue:
Evidently American Renaissance is on Pat Sellers’ reading list.
ADL
Extremism in America
Jared Taylor (also known as Samuel Jared Taylor) founded The New Century Foundation, a self-styled think tank known primarily for American Renaissance, a white supremacist journal and companion Website. The journal, which Taylor edits, promotes pseudoscientific studies that attempt to demonstrate the intellectual and cultural superiority of whites and publishes articles on the supposed decline of American society because of integrationist social policies.American Renaissance generally avoids the crude bigotry and stereotyping characteristic of many other racist publications and Taylor himself personally refrains from anti-Semitism."
Pat Sellers ran for congress in Pennsylvania 6th District in 1996
and again in 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Is Toomey pro USA or pro China?
"Everyone has an opinion and, true enough, the most radical right extremists, like DeMint and Armey, hold Toomey in high regard. So, apparently, do the Chinese. They LOVE his trade policies-- which would send entire industries off to Asia to never been seen on these shores again."
FROM:
Whose Side Is Pat Toomey On? Hint: Not Children's, Not Moderates', Not Americans...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Monday October 18th City of Coatesville RDA Agenda
http://www.coatesville.org/minutes/rdaagenda/2010/RDA101810.pdf
Take notice that there is no "Blue Sky" presentation.
There is a rumor here in Coatesville that someone’s dad is allegedly saying “We won”
“We won” could be interpreted to mean that an accused cocaine dealer got a light sentence.
I think “We won” has a much deeper meaning here in Coatesville.
I think that “We won” could be interpreted to say; with our political influence we beat the Commonwealth Criminal Justice System.
I think that it sends a powerful message to Coatesville residents that says; don’t be going to the police or the DA, that won’t stop us, we control the politics here and politics controls the courthouse.
I think it brings former Area 14 Republican Chairman Richard Legree’s nephew Harvey "Bitsy" Legree’s don’t snitch video "The Sequel" into a much clearer focus.
And I think it reinforces the climate of fear among Coatesville residents.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
PA State Rep’s long time business manager pleads guilty to cocaine business.
You would think that it would be all over the country on AP and Reuters.
But State Representative PA 26 District Tim Hennessey’s long time business manager Lisa Johnson’s guilty plea didn’t make the local news.
Her partner in Crime Coatesville Codes Officer John Tinson was sentenced to 5 to 10 years. Johnson has not been sentenced yet.
Her guilty plea was on September 29th.
John Tinson was sentenced on September 29th.
AND here is nothing about John Tinson’s sentence in the local news. It is well known that Tinson and Johnson were “partners in crime” and people would be asking about his girlfriend Lisa Johnson.
It is also well known that Tinson was allegedly in and out of Hennessey’s office on an almost daily basis. He had a legitimate reason, to see his girlfriend Hennessey’s Business Manager Lisa Johnson. Tinson, being a City of Coatesville Codes Officer had a legal reason to drive all over the City of Coatesville.
I think this is national news.
Is there a news blackout because Tim Hennessey is up for re-election?
Is the GOP “Good old Boy” network protecting him?
See
Court Case
CRIMINAL DOCKET
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
v.
John Clayton Tinson
And
Court Case
CRIMINAL DOCKET
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
v.
Lisa A. Johnson
Friday, October 15, 2010
Former Coatesville City Codes Officer John Clayton Tinson sentenced 5 to 10 years. State Rep, Hennessey’s Office Manager Lisa Johnson pleads guilty
Two counts-"3 35 § 780-113 F Manuf/Del/Poss/W Int Manuf Min: 5 Year(s) Max: 10 Year(s)"
His girlfriend and partner in crime, Lisa Johnson plead guilty “Deal In Proc Unl Act/Intent To Promote 4 18 § 5111 F1 Guilty Plea” and is awaiting sentencing.
Ms. Johnson is State Representative Tim Hennessy’s Business Manager in his Coatesville office.
She is also Judge of Elections in Coatesville’s Fifth Ward and an Area 14 Chester County Republican Committeeperson.
Coatesville woman who works in State Rep. Tim Hennessey's office accused of conspiring to sell drugs
Friday, December 4, 2009
By DANIELLE LYNCH and DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writers
Pair accused of cocaine possession, related offenses
Saturday, January 9, 2010
By DANIELLE LYNCH, Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Why didn’t it happen 5 years ago? National Velodrome, Coatesville, PA part C, Questions
At the Coatesville City Council meeting, Monday October 11, 2010:
City C Velod Dave Questions.mp3
Dave Chauner, ”Questions?”
Coatesville City Councilperson Jarrell Brazzle, “When do you theorize you can start this project?”
Dave Chauner, “Our first step is to spend at least 90 days or so really analyzing the site. It’s really how quickly we can get control of the site just how quickly we can get financing in place. Our ideal goal would be to open in the early spring of 2012."
Coatesville City Councilperson Marty Eggleston, “Would you give me numbers on the total cost of the project”
Dave Chauner, “We’re looking at about $15 Million."
Coatesville City Councilperson Karen Jorgenson, “What kind of revenue do you think it would bring in?”
Dave Chauner, “We’re projecting first year revenue of about $3 and a half to $4 Million dollars, primarily through gate receipts, (intelligible) programs, corporate sponsorships; which I’m very familiar with having existed on corporate sponsorships for the Philadelphia race for years, group rentals, training camps and then non-cycling events as well.”
Mr. Eggleston, “I have been fortunate enough to be here during the first presentation a number of years ago and then you said this was the time and today you’re saying it. What makes this time any better? (unintelligible) “I’m curious to know what the difference is.”
Mr. Chauner, “I think, first of all the timing was good 5 years ago, but I think it’s even better now because indoor track cycling has matured a lot since then. The numbers in the United States have grown. There is a tremendous local interest in cycling that’s grown over the last 5 or 6 years. And from my standpoint we’ve found a better team; we’ve found a good investment partner to get behind us.
I’m not sure Coatesville was ready for it when we were here the last time. They sort of dropped off the agenda there after that first presentation. Since then I will tell you that at 3 or 4 different sites, been very close in a couple but then are coming back to Chester County because we really do feel that this is a great place to locate."
Mr. Eggleston, “Where did the Velodrome management (unintelligible) going since that last presentation (unintelligible)?”
Mr. Chauner, “I spent a lot of time in Lower Providence Township over in Montgomery County. We had full support for a Velodrome in the Valley Forge Corporate Park. Joe Dunbar who was the County Executive over there was behind the program. We had a 14 acre brownfield site at 950 Rittenhouse property there. We had an investor partner from Atlanta who was ready to put up $22 Million dollars to build the Velodrome in conjunction with an exhibition center. It was predicated on a $5 Million dollar RCAP grant which we got support from Governor Rendell for. However our financial partners were in desperate need of opening the Expo Center in time for a show that they had in January of 2009. I can’t remember the name of the show; but they used to be in the…Fort Washington (Expo Center). So they were on a tight time frame to get things done and the facility built. The $5 Million dollar grant was crucial for them to put it over the top. The grant came in the Brownfield due diligence on the site was not complete in time and they were lured over to Oaks by the guy Neilson who started the Oaks Center back then. So we lost the opportunity to incorporate the Velodrome with that project.
I next came over here. I spent about 6 months with Ted Van Beuren United Sports Training Center, (unintelligible). We thought it would be a great complement to what he was doing, however West Bradford you know the traffic situation getting up to United Sports Training Center… It couldn’t take any more traffic and our facility was definitely going to be driving more traffic than they wanted to handle there in West Bradford.
So then with talking with Gary and Bob Grabus we started looking for the appropriate sites here in Chester County."
Mr. Brazzle, “I have 2 questions, first do you have a dollar amount that you are proposing for the “Flats”?
Mr. Chauner, “We do not yet. That’s what we need the 90 days for. We’re going to sit down and work out the best arrangement for both us and the City. We’re looking for obviously, we want to do this as economically as we can to get it off the ground. We also want to make sure that the needs and the interests of the City are factored in the deal. So I would be remiss in naming a number because we just don’t know yet…That’s what the 90 day period is for.”
Mr. Brazzle, “Do you truly believe that that it will be acceptable to sign after 90 days because, this amount, the City says we’re OK we’re wrong to sell it to you for this amount? Do you really think that’s going to this is going to move this time or is it going to hold us up and then get shot down again?"
Mr. Chauner, “I absolutely think it’s going to go through I think. I can’t say that we’re 100 percent certain because we have to look at all the different financing options. We do have some strong private equity that’s behind the project that we think we can increase if we need to. We also will be talking to banks, Gary and Bob can answer more directly what sources of other funding might be available. But the signs are very encouraging and we don’t feel like its $100 Million dollar project it’s a $15 Million dollar project. We know that the economy has been tight the last few years and so we loosen up a little bit. And I believe if we get the green light and secure the property we’re going to make this happen for sure."
Mr. Eggleston, “Two more questions, will you give me a footprint of that building, Square footage, idea, guesstimate?”
Mr. Chauner, “It’s about a 100,000 square feet."
Mr. Eggleston, “How does it compare to the World Training Center that you spoke of?”…
Mr. Chauner, “It’s probably a little bit smaller, that’s the world headquarters for the UCI which is the world governing body of the sport so it’s all cashed in a big complex. But the Velodrome itself…”
Mr. Eggleston, “I’m talking about the whole place.”
Mr. Chauner, “That’s a lot bigger, because it’s a complex of offices and so on for the World Governing…"
Mr. Eggleston, “I understand that’s why I’m asking.” So how would you, could you make a comparison?”
Mr. Chauner, “Well I think from our standpoint the building that we will operate will have the Velodrome for all cycling activities and related stuff. We also are planning about 10 or 12 thousand square feet of retail space that would be for synergistic businesses like cycling bike shop, performance center and so on and so forth. We’d like to include a restaurant beyond just a concession stand so that there will be a good place for you to eat before and after the races. And we also want to make sure that in talking with the City that we target other areas either right on the “Flats” site or adjacent to it where other businesses could locate that want to be near the Velodrome."
City Council President Ed Simpson, “I could tell you 5 years ago when I you were here I was really excited about it and I’m just as excited now and I think it would be a really good asset to the City. We’ve struggled for a long time to come up and do something about it and we see there’s definitely some promise here. I was excited about it 5 years ago.”
Mr. Chauner, “Thank you. This is a bit of a visionary leap of faith. I can remember 30 years ago when Bob Rodale built the Velodrome up in Lehigh County in Trexlertown on a farm field that he owned. When he said we were going to build a world class velodrome and put it in this farm field and my partner at the time were young guys that were just finishing our racing careers and Bob Rodale invited us, ‘I want you guys to run up and install the velodrome, I don’t know what to do. We came into our office and sitting on our desk was a huge spread in the paper that said, ‘Rodale’s Velodrome a White Elephant’ and he said ‘I’m going to get crucified; you got to make this thing work.’
And so within 3 years we made it the best outdoor velodrome in the world and it caused, now to this day, Lehigh County points to it as one of their best attractions. It’s in all their brochures. They talk about how it’s produced Olympic cyclists and so on and so forth.
“And it’ll happen, it’ll definitely happen in the City”
Mr. Simpson, “So, If you build it, they will come.”
City C Velod Dave Questions.mp3
Mr. Chauner did not mention it but they were also at Caln Township:
I was at the Coatesville City Council meeting of February 27, 2006 the first time the Velodrome was presented also. The new “Bloc of Four” City Council had not yet tried to fire City Manager Jean Krack. Mr. Krack was still the Coatesville City Manager.
But I believe Mr. Harry G. Walker was waiting in the wings. I think he was waiting in the wings for at least a year before he actually became Coatesville City Manager.
Mr. Walker had a long time association with Coatesville. He had been a business partner of Andrew Lehr in their proposal to buy what is now the Scott Middle School from the Coatesville School District. It was an organization called the “Coatesville Renaissance Committee” it included Andrew Lehr, Patrick Sellers, Ernie Campos and Harry Walker. When they couldn’t come up with a down payment the plan was scrapped.
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From the City of Coatesville Redevelopment Authority RDA meeting of February 19, 2008:
Coatesville RDA Joe DiSciullo, “I will say this, as far as the negotiations with the power company; I WAS STUNNED TO FIND OUT THAT THE CITY SOLICITOR AND MR. WALKER HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE POWER COMPANY AND MR. O’DONNELL WAS NOT INVITED TO TAKE PART. THAT WAS EYE OPENING TO ME!”
Mr. Ed Simpson, “I will take that up with Council because as far as I’m concerned I don’t think the City,
Mr. Andrew Lehr, “That’s not factual.”
Mr. Simpson, “I don’t think that the City”
Mr. DiSciullo, “EXCUSE ME MR. LEHR; IT IS FACTUAL BECAUSE YOU SAID IT. I GOT IT RIGHT FROM YOU.”
Mr. Harry Walker, “I never talked to anybody from any power company, in my office.”
Mr. Joe DiSciullo, “MR. LEHR TOLD ME, TOLD ME, THAT YOU AND HE HAD SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE POWER COMPANY.”
See-“What could have been”
Were Andrew Lehr and Harry Walker and another Chester County resident talking to power company officials before the “Bloc of Four” took office in 2006? If they were it may help to explain why the City dropped the ball on the Velodrome back then.
I can only find one instance of the Velodrome in 2006 after the Coatesville City Council Meeting Monday, February 27, 2006 when the Velodrome was presented to City Council:
"John Karmilowicz, 1132 Oak Street
Mr. Karmilowicz inquired about the status of the Velodrome and the initial funding of the project. Mr. Walker replied that he spoke to the developer who started the phases of the Velodrome. The initial second phase of the grant was not awarded. He is currently looking to find a different site and then reapply for the available grants. Mr. Karmilowicz inquired on the whether the presenters of the project were initially misled on the sight availability. Mr. Johnson replied that no one told them that was a viable sight. They acted in their own will in presenting their ideas."
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Published: Thursday, February 05, 2009