Welcome to the Coatesville Dems Blog

Public Corruption in Chester County, PA

I believe an unlikely mix of alleged drug trafficking related politicos and alleged white nationalist related politicos united to elect the infamous “Bloc of Four” in the abysmal voter turnout election of 2005. During their four year term the drug business was good again and white nationalists used Coatesville as an example on white supremacist websites like “Stormfront”. Strong community organization and support from law enforcement, in particular Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll has begun to turn our community around. The Chester County drug trafficking that I believe centers on Coatesville continues and I believe we still have public officials in place that profit from the drug sales. But the people here are amazing and continue to work against the odds to make Coatesville a good place to live.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

West Chester and Coatesville are different sides of the same drug business. It's enabled in West Chester & carried out in Coatesville

Study, Study, Study
A new study:

City Council considers financial program
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011

By ERIC S. SMITH
Staff Writer

The City of Coatesville is one of the most “studied” municipalities on earth.
Let’s put it this way, if the City could tax, cocaine, marijuana, heroin and the businesses that provide them there would be no revenue problem for the City.
What we need to do is change the primary income producing businesses in the City of Coatesville to legal businesses that pay taxes.
Just as Paul Janssen said we need to bring in new people and legal new businesses and at the same time make the streets safe. SEE:

Richard Legree, Save our Farm and the “Too Big to Fail” Chester County Drug business.

Arresting for “possession with intent to deliver” is an essential part of the illegal drug business in the USA. It guarantees a steady supply of new recruits for the drug business. There is a constant supply of new “college freshmen” arrested for possession with intent to deliver to be educated in the ways of the drug business. Selling drugs or living off of girlfriends is virtually only way they can make a living once they “graduate”.  It’s a well proven system that guarantees a steady supply of new street sellers.
West Chester and Coatesville are different sides of the drug selling business. The selling part of the drug business is here in Coatesville; the part that enables the drug business; the “War on Drugs”, the Prohibition part, is in West Chester. Basically I think the drug business is enabled in West Chester and carried out in Coatesville. 
West Chester needs the illegal drug business for West Chester’s economic viability.  Look at it this way without the “War on Drugs”, there would be no need for a new “Chester County Justice Center” and there would be a lot of unemployed lawyers in West Chester. And I think that some lawyers, judges and other law enforcement people are playing both sides.
In Chester County during Prohibition times of the 1930s, County and municipal government officials profited from Prohibition and the State Police and Feds would try to enforce Prohibition. Local police would warn “rumrunners” if the State Troopers were coming. I beleive the old “rumrunners” just moved into Chester County government when Prohibition ended. The only thing that has changed is the types drugs prohibited.
I am suspicious of “help” that government officials in West Chester offer to Coatesville.
READ:
Police, Politics, Corruption: The Mixture Dangerous to Freedom and Justice
by former Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Frank McKetta

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

In Coatesville the time between 2006 and 2010 was a tough time

It took a toll on everyone that lived here, including the Coatesville City Council Members. I am talking about the Coatesville City Council members that Coatesville resident, or so he refers to himself, Ernie Campos helped to elect to Coatesville City Council.

During the first year of the "Bloc of Four" Ernie appeared to be coaching the new city council from the back of the room. And then there were the accusations of alleged "dress rehearsal" city council meetings at Ernie's business place on Merchant Street on Sunday nights before the Monday meetings.

Later Kurt Schenk recorded a message on Coatesville resident Mike Zemake saying he "got the call" on how to vote at the City Council meeting. 
I believe nearly all the people on City Council “helped” by Ernie Campos regret that they ever let themselves be talked into being Coatesville City Council members. You see no matter what you might think of them they have feelings and feel responsibility and feel hurt.
As I said many times, I enjoyed being around Richard Legree. He was funny and charming. I just didn’t like some of the things he was alleged to have done.
But I never enjoyed being around Ernie Campos. Kind of like most people don’t enjoy the reptile house at the Philly Zoo.
I’m not so sure that Ernie Campos feels hurt, responsibility or any other emotion.
Did you ever come across a person who appeared to mimic the expression on your face? A person who your friends and associates say not to trust? But at the same time he or she seems to share your feelings exactly? He knows just how to make you like him.
Does he have the ability to change his demeanor and facial expression immediately?
This person offers to “help” you but there is always a part of that help that makes him profit the most from that “help”. 
I think you may have come across a sociopath and I think Ernie Campos is at least somewhat a sociopath. Not the kind in a serial killer movie. There are some “stories” about Ernie Campos like the one about a man he allegedly caught with his wife that ends up in a cemetery but he is not a particularly violent person.
I haven’t talked to the City Council members that he helped to elect but I think they might express regret about their city council experiences.
As far as Coatesville characters go Ernie has got to be in the top ten. He sort of does stuff that I think if you wrote it as fiction no one would find believable. Take the:
COATESVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION
May 10, 2006 at 6:00 pm
Harry Walker and Patsy Ray were at this meeting; Kurt Schenk rode in on his Harley and was sitting at the table. Ernie Campos was sitting at the table. Richard Legree remained standing behind Ernie. Richard appeared to be very reluctant to be there. Ernie waited patiently until the regular meeting was over and then addressed the Planning Commission. Saying, “I’m going to sit down and talk like we do in Mexico.”
This is from the Minutes of the meeting:
“Mr. Campos then expressed his feeling that all of the committees, commissions, and council need to work together.  He stated he “wanted to make peace P.E.A.C.E. or P.I.E.C.E. it doesn’t matter to me it is up to you.  This is your last chance and the last time I will say this.”  At this time Mr. Pitcherella asked Mr. Campos if he had brought Mr. Legree with him to try and intimidate the Planning Commission.  Mr. Legree seemed offended by the comment at which point many people started speaking.  Mr. Kahler stopped the arguments by stating he wanted to adjourn the meeting.  Mr. Campos asked if Mr. Kahler meant that he didn’t want to speak to him.  Mr. Kahler stated very clearly he would speak with Mr. Campos on matters concerning Planning Commission business only.  Mr. Campos felt he comments were just that.  Mr. Kahler did not agree and immediately called for a motion to adjourn.
When I SHOUTED “ARE YOU THREATENING US” Harry Walker, Kurt Schenk and Patsy Ray stumbled over each other running out of the room.
I filed a police report and called some prosecutors that I knew.
The Planning Commission Meetings at that time were approximately two weeks apart. When I came into the next Planning Commission Meeting District Attorney Joe Carroll was seated at the table. I found out he arrived about an hour before the meeting started. He was still there after the meeting was over.
I asked Joe why he was at the meeting. He told me that what Campos said was not quite enough to charge him with terroristic threats. But if he so much as came to the next Planning Commission Meeting he would charge Campos.

There was other uniquely Ernie stuff like, “The Patsy Ray Show with Moses Coates” an “Internet Radio Show” with the barely disguised voice of Ernie Campos pretending to be Moses Coates the founder of Coatesville.
In one memorable audio posting interview of “Moses Coates” by Patsy Ray; Patsy said that someone hacked into her website. She said, “We know that you are from Herndon Virginia. When I find your address I am going to come down there and knock on your door.” I would love to see her knock on the door one of the intelligence centers tracking internet sites in Herndon, VA. The "Patsy Ray Show" stayed up about 10 more days, and then shut down.
Here are a few excerpts from the “Patsy Ray Show”.


Read Tiffany Baker’s post

Posted on June 26, 2011 by MattBaker
Guest blog by Tiffany Baker
I think the thing about being “from Coatesville” or living in the City Limits was Richard Legree’s way of stacking the Coatesville PD with people he selected. Although he allegedly told one person; “I’ll make you a Lieutenant in the Coatesville Police Force.” who was not living in Coatesville at the time. 
When the big push to have people “from Coatesville” was heard at the City Council meetings most of the people saying it were Legree’s relatives and cronies. Many of whom are in prison right now.
Maybe the Bryn Mawr Township Manager can live there without his life being threatened but a Coatesville City Manager is sure to have his life and maybe his family members lives threatened at some point.
Committees, authorities, boards and elected officials need to live in Coatesville (or at least say they do) but Coatesville employees and especially police should not live inside Coatesville. It’s too easy to intimidate their families, especially if they have small children. That includes the City Manager. 

The real reason Coatesville and everyone else is having problems with pension plans are:

Bank of America Corporation and the other financial institutions that conjured up a plan to defraud investors into buying trash securities while all the time waiting for the collapse to rake in a fortune on short sales.
I think that after they pay up these Bank of America guys should keep Bernie Madoff company in prison for at least 150 years.

July 4th, Coatesville Cultural Society, 1-3 PM A commemoration of Frederick Douglass and his powerful speech delivered on July 5

How will Coatesville City Manager Gray Rawlings deal with the “Too Big to Fail” Drug Business in Chester County”?

Paul Janssen and Jean Krack were the two visionary Coatesville City Managers that began the process of bringing Coatesville from the drug depot of Chester County into a reasonably good place to live.
Paul and Jean were two people with a “street fighter” background that did not survive the incredible political and social pressure of the “Too Big to Fail” drug business of Chester County.
I think the drug dealers and the public officials that keep them in business couldn’t stand to lose their logistics center in Chester County and had to pull out all the stops to make sure the “Revitalization of Coatesville” did not succeed.
With its easy in and out shipping/delivery position in southeast Pennsylvania, interconnected system of drug dealer, public officials, easily intimated population and churches not disinclined to accept drug money, a drug delivery system, separate drug money based economy and easy to hire trained personnel Coatesville is a one of a kind municipal area in southeast Pennsylvania.
In case you don’t get it, our criminal justice system in Chester County is our higher education training system for drug dealers.
The “Too Big to Fail” drug business of Chester County shut down really tough street fighters like Paul Janssen and Jean Krack.
It’s too early to see how Gary Rawlings will do. One big thing in his favor is that Paul Janssen and Jean Krack began the construction on the road to pave the way to a new kind of city; they did the “seed” work.  
But as former Federal Prosecutor Tom Hogan told me, “Coatesville was ready to turn over and then these new guys (Bloc of Four, Walker, Lehr and Mathews) came in.”
The dedicated work of some of the Coatesville PD Officers, the selfless dedication of Chester County District Attorney Joe Carroll and the hard work of then Federal Prosecutor Tom Hogan helped to change Coatesville for the better.
It seems like one by one the century old “Order” of Legrees, Subers and Trowreys is falling apart.
Tom Hogan got Richard "Fat Boy" Legree Jr.
The Devil got former CCRC Area 14 Chairperson Richard Legree
Joe Carroll and the Coatesville Police got PA 26th Legislative District Representative Tim Hennessey’s office manager Lisa Johnson and Coatesville Codes Officer John Tinson.
And now the “Coatesville police, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force and Caln police” got "Richie's" nephew “The Sequel” producer, Harvey “Bitsy” Legree.
Published: Saturday, June 04, 2011
I think that many eyes have been opened to the potential the City of Coatesville. But will it be enough to overcome the “Too Big to Fail” drug business of Chester County.
A lot has changed since I first came back to Coatesville.
It was really frightening to “know things”, information that sharing with the wrong people could get me or my family members hurt.
I believe that the real control over what goes and what doesn’t go in Chester County was and maybe still is decided in the Machiavellian underbelly of Chester County politics.
Not knowing who to trust was anxiety producing.  To put it in fisherman’s terms, I spent a lot of time “reading the water” before I contacted anyone.
I think that Gary Rawlings might be trying to “read the water” in that Machiavellian drug dealing world just under the surface of the Chester County waters right now.
There is still a lot of very hard work ahead and Mr. Rawlings needs a lot of help.
Lots of people will offer their help. He just needs to be able to sort from among those “helpers” the people that benefit from the “Too Big to Fail” drug business, from the ones who don’t.
It’s not connected to Coatesville politics but it’s one of those “Chester County things” about dogs. In specific at tiny dog that you could hold in one hand:
The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA
FrontPage
NEWLIN -- Common Pleas Judge James P. MacElree II shot and killed a neighbors pet dog while it was on his land, apparently trying to keep the dog from attacking a goose which lives on the judges property.
Thursday, February 1, 2001
By Michael P. Rellahan

Ricky, Ricky, Ricky What an incredible slime ball Rick Santorum is:

Santorum is on the deep end of bottom feeders. 
Ricky Santorum is concerned with the right to life of other people children, right up to birth; that is unless the fetus is inside his wife. Then abortion is OK.
Medicare and Medicaid fraud is good if the money winds up in Rickey's pocket.  
He has good economic reasons to oppose the President's Affordable Health Care Act. 
The health of children or anyone else that’s out of the womb doesn’t ever get between Ricky and his money: 
“Those at the top were well paid. Santorum received roughly half a million dollars in cash and stock options for his services on the UHS board. In 2007, he received $50,412; in 2008, he received $77,958; in 2009, he picked up $45,000. In 2010, Santorum took home a substantial windfall: $168,069. And on Jan. 19, 2011, he received stock options valued at $174,126, Securities and Exchange Commission records show. The company and its CEO have also contributed thousands to Santorum's political action committee and his campaigns over the years.
FROM:
Inside Rick Santorum-Linked Universal Health Services Facility: Herpes, Porn and Drug Dealing
Jason Cherkis
jason.cherkis@huffingtonpost.com
Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS) King of Prussia, Pa”
Executive Offices
Universal Health Services Corporate Center
P.O. Box 61558
367 South Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406


Monday, June 27, 2011

Today there is a memorial for Carron London at Lincoln Highway and Pennsylvania Avenue

Today is the anniversary of the murder of Carron London RIP. He was 16.
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010

“Press policy”, “We don’t have to show you any stinking press policy”

The RDA already has a “press policy” it’s the 1st Amendment to Constitution of the United States of America. Only governments can violate the 1st Amendment, Including local governments.

The RDA members took an “Oath of Office” and swore to support the Constitution of the United States.
Freedom of the press has been solidly worked out in the USA. We don’t need to “Play it again…”
From the June 20, 2011 RDA meeting:
RDA Chairperson Joe Disciullo,“We would ask if the press has questions of the RDA please submit them in writing to the director and there will be a response that will come from the chairman or the director within 48 hours. 
Can I get a motion?”
Matt Baker, “I’ll make a motion to that.”
Joe Disciullo, “Thank you Matt. Could I get a second?”
Jack Burkholder, “I’ll second that.”
Joe Disciullo, “All those in favor”
Unanimous, “Aye”
Did they vote for this also:
 "Please understand we will make every effort to respond in 48 hours. There may be times when vacation, illness or unavailability of a consultant may delay responses.'
And then Disciullo adds that board members or legal counsel are not to make individual comments. In other words, the policy is a gag order."

FROM:
DAILY LOCAL NEWS
Published: Monday, June 27, 2011
The RDA should vote to rescind their unconstitutional “press policy” at the next meeting.
My apologies to Bogey:

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Richard Legree, Save our Farm and the “Too Big to Fail” Chester County Drug business.

When Richard Legree allegedly “ran” Coatesville the alleged threats were more subtle or maybe more Machiavellian and definitely very well backed up.
A prominent Chester County attorney once told me that allegedly Richard Legree was in the room when 4 separate murders happened.
He played very well in the darkened Machiavellian corridors of Chester County politics and I believe he played the bottom feeder public officials of Chester County very well.  Richard allegedly made himself comfortable in any West Chester Courthouse address, including the Chester County Clerk of Courts, that would let him in. As a State Constable he could transport a prisoner of his choosing on sometimes hour’s long rides.  He had clout in the CCRC as the Chairperson of Area 14 of the Chester County Republican Committee. And in Chester County the CCRC has most elected and appointed positions in Chester County locked in. He could also legitimately travel almost anywhere in the USA as “Administrator of the Laborers’-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust.”
Such a charming man with good salesmanship; only I believe that the “closing” was not the end but the beginning.
From my view it was kind of “stick and carrot” approach with the carrot coming first. The stick was somehow cleverly built into the carrot and unsuspecting people only realized the stick was in there after they ate too deeply into the carrot to turn back, and he had you.
And he might have a sort of flanking maneuver lurking as a backup that could make you irrelevant, not needed by him anymore.
Altogether I think they were “smart threats”.
No dead dogs on Richard’s watch.
believe the new guys that are trying to replace Richard Legree are just not capable of subtlety, as in dead dogs and possible arson. And I think Richie is down there just shaking his head.
It’s a little like the murder of Philly Mob Boss Angelo Bruno and later the others who murdered Philip Testa. They believed they could just step in and take over.
 Just a few years before, the century old Republican control over Philadelphia ended with Mayor Joe Clark. Before then it was bad for your health to vote the wrong way (Democratic) in South Philly.
The most obvious change as a result of Bruno’s death was that you could buy a ricotta cheese besides “Maggio’s” and maybe the supermarket hamburger wouldn’t kill you if you cooked it medium rare.
The very public shootings and the breakdown of mob corporate structure was the beginning of the end for the Philly mob. In the end the FBI and US Attorneys moved in and decimated organized crime in the Philadelphia area.
The cheese and everything else in the supermarkets is much better now.
I can remember being in the “Radio 437 Store” in Philly. A guy was shouting for everyone to hear that he wanted the best stereo they had for his girlfriend and he would pay cash. He never got the stereo. When he went to pay his briefcase was gone and he turned white as a sheet. The Daily Number Pennsylvania Lottery killed the numbers racket. But Viet Nam brought high quality smack and grass into Philly and later the guns came in. So maybe Bruno was the lesser evil.
It’s not a perfect analogy to Coatesville. Organized crime is still in Philly.
But what is happening in Coatesville really is different than Philly. Philly has “badlands” but they are several miles away from a very well policed and vibrant downtown, so both can exist in the same City. You can’t hear the gunshots coming from North Philly in downtown Philly.
But Vietnam veterans in Coatesville recognized the sound of an AK-47 from the other end of town.
Violent organized crime here in Coatesville affects the entire City and a vibrant downtown Coatesville cannot coexist with a vibrant drug dealing business. The city is too small for that.
The Revitalization of Coatesville that everyone was talking about in 2004 would have meant the end of the drug business in Coatesville and would have destroyed the easy in and out supply depot that Coatesville is in Chester County. The trickledown effect from the loss of drug business would affect hairdressers, car dealers, furniture stores, churches, restaurants and other local business; but most importantly it would affect the pay off income of corrupt public officials.
Organized crime could feel their drug business in Chester County ending.  And the USDoJ was pushing as hard as it could for Revitalization.
When Paul Janssen said the first thing we have to do is make the streets safe he hit a bull’s eye. Paul Janssen’s problem was that the drug dealers and their corrupt public official enablers put that bull’s eye on his back and began a multifaceted program to get him out and stop the revitalization.
There were others but I think Richard Legree was a leader or maybe a facilitator in bringing Drug Mecca status back to Coatesville in the “Too Big To Fail” Chester County drug business. I believe the calls of “Save our Farm” ringing across Coatesville and even in the Daily Local News masked the real game plan.
For 10 years Coatesville teetered on the brink of becoming a really good place to live. 
Because of what I believe was a cooperative marriage of drug dealers, corrupt public officials and judges and extreme right wing politicos Coatesville fell back into place as the Drug Mecca for Chester County. In the end the reform City Council was quashed. The drug dealers in effect won the election and  a 4 year long nightmare of shootings, violence and murder began, ending in fiery conflagration.
The murder of Angelo Bruno may have brought an end to the Philly Mob. 
I think the extreme violence, multiple bullet holes in homes, shootings, murders and finally a fiery conflagration of arson fires woke up Chester County and could end the “Coatesville Mob”.
Now the more than a century old Order of the Legree, Suber and Trowrey family may be coming to an end. 
Talk about revitalization and the best real estate bargain in Chester County added new Coatesville residents that don’t have scores of relatives known to the organized crime families here. See “Little Sicily
We have a new progressive City Council and the old crime family order is dying off or very sick and either in or on their way to prison. I believe there are more that have not been arrested yet.
The new hotel and the Velodrome and the new people, restaurants and jobs they will bring are bad for business, the drug business.
When he was a Federal Prosecutor Tom Hogan said to me, “Coatesville was ready to turn over and then these new guys came in.” I think Coatesville could really do a complete turn over this time.
More coming in another post

Friday, June 24, 2011

About Dogs, threats and Chester County Politics.

The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA
News > Police
Thursday, June 23, 2011
By ERIC S. SMITH
Staff Writer
Nothing new here in Chester County it’s, “just politics”.
“Just politics” includes loosening front wheel bearings on candidate’s vehicles as allegedly happened to Coatesville resident and now Coatesville City Councilperson Ingrid Jones when she was running for Magistrate Judge.
Throwing a rock with a threatening note through the Chester County Democratic Committee headquarters, stealing files and computers from Democratic Presidential Campaign offices and the credible threats on Obama Staff in Coatesville,” just politics”.
Schenk, in tough guy mode, rode to the Planning Commission on his Harley. Richard Legree was at that Planning Commission Meeting. But he appeared to be reluctant to be there and I think he was peeved with Campos, Walker, Schenk Ray and the rest of them sitting in at the meeting.
Richard shook his head when I shouted out, “ARE YOU THREATENING US?” and Walker, Schenk, Ray fell over each other running out of the room.
Let’s just say that Ernie Campos is the kind of guy that does things that you just can’t make up.
During the “Bloc of Four” campaign there was a “dog threat” with a surprise ending.
 As was told to me, Eric Collins walked across the street from his home to talk to his neighbor. Pat Sellers had just put a campaign sign up for Kurt Schenk who was running for Coatesville City Council. Eric had a Pug dog back then and there was a pug dog beside Eric. Pat Sellers came over and allegedly said something like, “Eric, you better keep an eye on your little dog, something could happen to it.” His neighbor immediately took down the “Kurt Schenk for Coatesville City Council” sign. The pug was her dog.
Now we have a dead dog and maybe an arson fire.
I think it’s that huge vacuum left when Richard Legree passed on.  It’s indiscriminately sucking people into it.
No finesse, no charm, you can’t even make sarcastic comments about dead dogs; it’s just plain disgusting.
Anyone missing Richie Legree yet?
Continued 

Guess it runs in the family

“Ray had hit Margera in the head with a baseball bat or a pipe after Margera had turned to leave”
From:
Published: Wednesday, June 15, 2011
I remember on sunny day outside of the Magisterial Court in Coatesville when John Pawlowski walked by Patsy Ray and she took a blindside swing at the side of John’s head. Elwood Dixon blocked Ray’s swing and said to John, “You better get on home now.”
Guess it runs in the family, Elizabeth "Liz" Ray is Patsy’s sister. 

Patsy Ray is on the November Ballot for Coatesville Area School Board? Didn’t she lose the Primary?


From Voter Services: 

********** (REPUBLICAN) **********
SCHOOL DIRECTOR COATESVILLE REGION I
          VOTE NOT MORE THAN  2
                                              VOTES PERCENT
PAUL L JOHNSON.  .  .  .   .   190   50.26 %
DIANE M BROWNFIELD  .  .182   48.15 %
WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .   .       6    1.59 %
                          
********** (DEMOCRATIC) **********
SCHOOL DIRECTOR COATESVILLE REGION I
          VOTE NOT MORE THAN  2
PATSY RAY  .  .  .  .  .  .   .    191   26.9 %
PAUL L JOHNSON.  .  .  .  .  490   69.11 %
WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .   .  28    3.95 %
 Well it looks like the voters on the Democratic side in Coatesville spoke and they elected Paul L Johnson by a whopping 42.17 % margin. So Paul Johnson is the only person on the November Ballot for School Director Coatesville Region 1 with a D after his name right?

NOPE
Remember, this is Chester County that Machiavellian Shangri-La of Republican politics that makes up its own law in darkened corridors. 
This information is from a phone call I made to Chester County Voter Services today:
Ballot for Tuesday November 8, 2011

SCHOOL DIRECTOR COATESVILLE REGION 1
DIANE BROWNFEILD R
PAUL JOHNSON          R
PAUL JOHNSON          D
PATSY RAY                   D

Vote for 2
Evidently Voter Services decided the Democratic Voters in Coatesville needed a choice and they “elected” Patsy Ray as that choice.
I thought voters decided elections. Guess I was wrong. 

I believe we know about one alleged attempt by Richard Legree Sr. to take control over the Coatesville Police Department:

“During the meeting, Fitzgerald said, Legree tried to negotiate a position for himself in the police department as well as convince Fitzgerald to fire one of the department’s two lieutenants.
Fitzgerald was the search committee’s top choice, but Walker took back a job offer after Fitzgerald said he wanted complete control over hiring and firing in the department, according to Fitzgerald.” 
From:
SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET HURT 
Published: Saturday, December 01, 2007 
By R. JONATHAN TULEYA and JENNIFER MILLER
I liked Richard Legree. He was fun to talk with. I just didn't like what he stood for and the things he allegedy did. He was very, very good at what he did.

I began to advise people in September of 2005 that Richard Legree wanted control of the Coatesville PD as Chief or a new position that I thought might be called “Director of Public Safety”. The actual position that was allegedly to be created for Richard Legree by Richard Legree turned out to be “Deputy Supervisor of Operations”.

The “Deputy Supervisor of Operations” would have control over the Coatesville Fire Department, Coatesville Codes Department and the Coatesville Police Department.

Only one other civilian person that I talked to believed it could happen. Others knew his plans but thought he couldn't possibly achieve them.

They said that Chief Bellizzie would never allow Legree into the Coatesville PD. I said that Chief Bellizzie would be fired.

People said to me that Coatesville City Manager Jean Krack would never fire Chief Bellizzie. I said, “What makes you think that the new City Council will allow Jean Krack to stay on?”
I was just hearing that a new city manager named Walker was coming in. I knew about an alleged connection between Evelyn Walker and Ernie Campos when Ms. Walker was at Brandywine Hospital but she was an unlikely candidate for Coatesville City Manager. 

I think that Mr. Legree didn't quite achieve his goal but he was five yards to a touchdown.


And even then the result was a 4 year long nightmare of shootings ending in fiery conflagration. 
See:
Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2007

I walked up to Coatesville City Hall the evening of October 22, 2007. The  Coatesville City Council Meeting was to begin shortly.

Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker and City Solicitor Andrew Lehr were having a smoke outside the entrance. Mr. Walker said to me, “It’s a very important meeting tonight.”

I said, “Yes it is.”

I knew much, much more about just how important a meeting it would be.

I got an email from District Attorney Joe Carroll a few hours before. Unkown to Mr. Walker, Mr. Lehr and nearly everyone else at City Hall there were about 200 police officers from all around Eastern Pennsylvania assembled and waiting for their moment to march into City Hall 2 by 2.
I took the liberty of reconstructing the Daily Local Article of reconstructing the Daily Local News article of
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
It’s important and at least on my computer barely readable.



Listen to District Attorney Joe Carroll speak at that meeting here:



Was the decision to lay off Coatesville Police Officers Mathews’ decision or was it just a part of Richard Legree’s plan?  
More information about what I believe were former District 14 Chester County Republican Committee Chairman Richard Legree's efforts to control the Coatesville PD are slowly surfacing.  
I believe he tried to construct his own personal Coatesville Police Department, Codes Department and Fire Department.


You might think why is he still writing about Richard Legree?

It’s because his death left a huge vacuum in the dark Machiavellian corridors of Chester County where organized crime and politics mix. And  what is being sucked into that vacuum to replace Richard.

Let's put it this way Richard played in that darkness much better than the new guys. 

Matthews denied that he planned to lay off Coatesville officers but there was this letter:


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Photos of the Coatesville Classic Criterium Cycle Race Course on July 3rd.

I made a quick and dirty round of photographs of the race using the maps from the "Coatesville Classic-Criterium Stage" from the Road Cycling League.

The photos are iPhone photos linked to Google Maps.



MapMyRIDE is from the Road Cycling League website:




Bike Race Course
The Daily Local News has a different course for the race. Several different options for the course were made during the planning stages. 


I put a question mark after the START/FINISH on 1st Avenue near Harmony St. and the START/FINISH in front of the Cultural Center both locations for the START/FINISH were discussed.


The Road Cycling League has 1st Avenue near Harmony Street as the START/FINISH.

Pothole gone!

 
Posted by Picasa
This pothole along with several others around the Coatesville were filled on Tuesday June 21st. 

THANKS to the Coatesville City Council, in particular Councilperson Joe Hamrick. And Don Wilkinson and his crew.

If you see an unfilled pothole within the City limits of Coatesville contact Don Wilkinson at the City of Coatesville Public Works Department: 
EMAIL:
TELEPHONE:
Main -City of Coatesville - 610-384-0300



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

RDA Bike Race Cleanup


A discussion at the City of Coatesville RDA meeting June 20, 2011
Coatesville City Councilperson Joe Hamrick, "We're going to have to take a walk along the race and clean up. We're going to get with Codes and stay on them and let's get this area cleaned up for the race because it's very important now. 
And I'd like to apologize, we were supposed to have a joint meeting and I'd like to apologize that I missed that meeting. Because I feel that Council and the RDA have to get together so we are can work on blighted areas and knock these homes down and clean up the City.”
RDA Chairperson Joe Disciullo, "Joe we discussed that at Executive Session and Gary Rawlings (Coatesville City Manager) happened to sit in at Executive Session this evening. Rob (Barry RDA Executive Director) is going to see if he can get on your Executive Agenda at Council because we would like to come in and discuss it. 
We have a committee that's never met to deal with blighted properties. We would like to come in to discuss it with you. Apparently they were just names picked from the RDA, from… City Council doesn't have anyone, do they? Is Carl's name on the list?
And none of the members have ever met. 
Matt was good enough to tell me that my name is on there.
We have to get that committee functioning."
Joe Hamrick, "We have to get it going."
Joe D, "Yes"
Joe H, "If we want to clean up our city..."
Joe D, "There you go."
Joe H, "We've got to get it done.  If we can't move forward as a unit..."
Joe D, “Give us ten or fifteen minutes to talk at Executive Session please. Thank you Joe.”
RDA member Matt Baker, “Joe, in regards to the City race… walked it. We also followed up with Don Wilkinson (Coatesville Public Works) because there were some potholes that was a major concern as well. We also had a meeting the other night and Dave Collins is here from the Volunteer’s of the RDA. We already talked about two weeks in advance of going out and actually and just reach out to some churches to see if we can get people to come out beforehand to help out and get just not only the weeds.
Not only two weeks before, but the day before of as well. All of that’s got to be cleaned up.”
Joe H, “I know Donny was supposed to start filling the potholes around the neighborhood, so hopefully that got done.”
RDA Solicitor, Vince Mancini, “Matt, how long is the race course?”
Matt Baker, “Its one mile. It’s called an Criterium which is anything under five meters, five kilometers. Basically it’s a track that starts out on Main Street, it will go east up to 3rd, hang another right and then down Harmony and another right. And it’s roughly like 30 laps.
It’s really fast, in different, like you see on TV where it’s like critical each lap.
So it’s more about the speed and the angles.”
Mr. Mancini, “So it’s really critical to make sure that all…”
Absolutely… there’ll just be cameras all over the place and most will be professionals. So we can paint it, sweep it…

What Would Abby Hoffman Do?

Back in Abby Hoffman’s day there was TV, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
The people still basically have the New York Times but all network television and the WaPo have been eaten up by the Republican Ruling Class. Rupert Murdoch, an Australian right wing extremist, owns and controls The Wall Street Journal and Fox News.
The Republican Ruling Class controls Wall Street, nearly every US newspaper, network TV, US Congress, US Senate, US Supreme Court and most State Houses and Governorships. But the Republican Ruling Class is less than 1% of the USA’s population.
There are a lot more of us.
Would Abby Hoffman use the Twitter worldwide broadcasting network, Facebook and WikiLeaks to hound the financiers of that Republican Party that is turning middle class Americans into slaves to be used by wealthy Republicans?
Which brings us to the Koch Brothers.

Non-Profit Organization

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Why does a Coatesville fire truck respond to a call that has nothing to do with a fire? Councilperson Brazzle and response from Acting Fire Chief. Jim Lentz



This is a part of Coatesville City Councilperson’s “Council Comments” at the June 13, 2011 Coatesville City Council Meeting:
Mr. Brazzle, “I’ve got a question for the fire department. When we respond to a call that has nothing to do with a fire; a prime example of, there was a call made, abandoned house, abandoned, made (into) a house that you know was unlivable. We shut it down. The person wanted to come and get their stuff out of the house. Why do we need to take a fire truck so to allow that person into the house to be able to get the stuff?”
Acting Fire Chief Jim Lentz, “If it is the Fire Department’s responsibility to let somebody into a house which quite frankly is really infrequent.
The Fire Department personal on duty is required to staff that piece of equipment 24/7 and are required to be on it 24/7. And the reason is, if there is a fire emergency or a medical emergency that we need to respond to, we’re on it like that, in an instant.
We pride ourselves in making sure we have the most prompt, probably the fastest response in Chester County. That is what keeps so many incidents small. We get a fire in a kitchen, we get a fire in a bedroom we get water on that fire in 2,3, 4 minutes. It makes that much of a difference.
There was a time in this department when personnel were without their fire trucks and it created larger fires, larger incidents and  left personnel by themselves shorthanded for periods of time and created safety issues. That’s why the fire apparatus is always with the on duty firefighter.”
Mr. Brazzle, “Alright, Thank you.
Also there is a pile of dirt, you know that residents keep complaining about… where they are putting the Walgreens up and stuff like that. They want me to complain about that; I’m doing it… Right now, I’m their Councilperson so I had to say something about it.
And that’s really about it. Have a good night. Thanks’ for coming out. 

A simple way to keep things moving along in local government is to move discussion items to action items.

One universal complaint coming from all walks of life about Coatesville’s government is that it moves things along at a snail’s pace.
It’s sometimes called “jumping through hoops”. Projects need approval from separate city commissions, authorities, boards and City Council and then sometimes back to a commission, authority and board for their approval. And then again sometimes back to the City Council for their approval, again.
All the time there are deadlines from grants, state and Federal agencies and investors..
It often takes several months before there is a final approval.
People say that a private industry project does not take as long; but private industry is using their own private money and usually not taxpayer’s money.
People rightly want to see where taxpayer money goes and be assured that taxpayer money is not abused.  So each use of grants and projects needs multiple approvals or “jumps through hoops”.
Several construction projects in Coatesville were killed simply by delays. That’s not unusual in local governments. Sometimes the local government does not want the project and wants the project to die from delays. But I think that in Coatesville’s case some of the projects were wanted but incompetence or bickering delayed them and they withered on the vine.
This is Coatesville Redevelopment Authority Chairman Joe Disciullo at the City of Coatesville Redevelopment Authority Meeting May 16, 2011
“You know it’s just, it’s sad that’s what it is. And we just have to keep trying to moving forward and we’ve got, and we’re discussing right now that we’ve got 4 people that would like to help resolve some of this. This gentleman and this young lady that you’ve got to move some of this stuff forward. 
And yet everybody wants to move very quickly. I love to push projects as fast as I can. But when we start dealing with public money, grant money and so forth. It does not move quickly. It’s a slow process. You know, you’re not building that house you’re building a house with somebody else’s money. Things you’re going to have to get approval for. 
It takes time, it takes time and God knows it took 7 years to get this hotel. OK? Ten? Paul here said it’s going to be near 10 years.”
FROM:
Coatesville demsUNDAY, MAY 29, 2011 
"You know, we’re at the RDA and we’re looking at deals that are millions of dollars for the city. And nobody comes..City Council is arguing over a basketball ring somewhere and the room is full. You know it’s just, it’s sad that’s what it is"
So I think that the Coatesville City Council should continue to move discussion items to action items, regardless of what Councilperson Brazzle thinks.

Councilman Brazzle speaking about his no vote for the YMCA day camp for Coatesville’s children




“And that’s the ONLY REASON I voted against it.” 


But could his vote have anything to do with the Coatesville Community Center?
Published: Monday, March 07, 2011
At the June 13, 2011 Coatesville City Council meeting Marie Hess is speaking about the Park and Recreation Committee, putting another person, Steven King on the Commission.
She also spoke about a “Bike Festival on June 25th in Jeans Park on Coates Street. It will start at 10 AM.
On July 9th there will also be a “Blueberry Festival” in the West End Starting also at 10 AM.
“I want to speak tonight also as Parks and Recreation Chairperson is; I’m not sure what just happened here this evening but, I think that we really need to rethink about what we just did with the Y.
We don’t really have a program here in the City tonight for the kids for summer, just let out for the kids today and we just voted no to start a program for the kids on Monday.
We were going to keep the prices the same as we had last year for the City so it’s affordable for our residents. People are looking forward to the program from the Y.
I mean, we just basically took the only program that we have out of the hands of our residents. I’m not sure why. I’m not sure why our residents…We just had people here for the Parks presentation and they left so they’re not here to speak on it.
I’m not sure what exactly is going on but we needed that program here in the City. So let’s find out why we voted the way we did. And just find out who is going to be held accountable when our kids are being hurt this summer in the City.
People are calling out for programs for kids and we’re telling them we’re not going to have them.”
Councilman Brazzle, “Marie do you want to know the reason why I said no?
The reason why I said no is I complain about every single meeting. Taking something on “Items for Discussion” and just randomly moving it to a “Regular Action Item”.
Now if the item was on “Regular Action Items” I would have voted yes for it. But because there was, you’re doing exactly what I hate to do. That’s the reason why I voted no.  And that’s the only reason why I voted no.  Other than that I would have voted yes.”
Marie Hess, “So how can we get moving?  How can we get our process changed so we can get stuff a little streamlined, a little better, move the information quicker on our agenda?”
Councilperson Brazzle, “People doing their jobs better again.”
Marie Hess, “I mean schools out today, summer started for our kids…”
Councilperson Jorgenson’, There are some things that I can understand why you want to have a discussion about them. It is more than fair that the thing with the YMCA it has already come up through emails to talk about it. “
Councilman Brazzle, “I didn’t get any emails on that issue.”
Councilperson Jorgenson, “I believe that you responded to the email so I think that you did know about it.”
Mr. Brazzle, “I responded to 1, which I didn’t get the other one.”
Ms. Jorgensen, “In that instance it was going to be put on the agenda the YMCA was going forward so…
Mr. Brazzle, “So why wasn’t it put on the agenda? Why was it not on the “Regular Action Items”?
Ms. Jorgenson, “I cannot speak to that…”
Mr. Brazzle, “OK so they can do it right now so why don’t you speak on that? You’re so quick to comment me and say different stuff.”
Ms. Jorgenson, “Excuse me.”
Mr. Brazzle, “Why don’t you speak to on that?”
Ms. Jorgenson, “If you want to listen”
Mr. Brazzle, “If you want to live somewhere…”
Ms. Jorgenson, “Do you want to listen to me?”
Mr. Brazzle, “No, I don’t want to.”
GAVEL
Ms. Jorgenson, “I don’t want to listen to you either.”
City Council Vice President Joe Hamrick’, “Do we have a motion to close “Citizen’s Hearings”?
Council Comments we will start with Mr. Brazzle, “
Mr. Brazzle, “Allright, so like I said, I think that we want to make the motion move. Like I said it will happen. I you know don’t doubt that. I think that we should come together and call a special motion next week. Not just on the day of this and say, you know say, ‘let’s move it’.  I don’t like that. You all already know that. I will vote everything no.  And my answer will never change no matter what it is. It would still stay no.
Now next week, if you come to me and say Monday we want to call a meeting or a phone vote whatever I’ll take it and it will be instant.
I’m all for it, recreation for the kids and that’s my main goal. So… not to worry about that at all, it will be taken care of.
I think that Monday we should make the call, correct? Is everyone OK with that? Alright.”
Ms. Jorgenson, “I’m not so sure that Monday is a very good day for everybody.”
Mr. Brazzle, “A call. We can do a call right?”
Ms. Jorgenson, “No I don’t believe we can do it”
Mr. Brazzle, “We can’t do a call then?”
Ms. Jorgenson, “It has to be an…”
Mr. Brazzle, “Alright then next week we should have a meeting, any day and then we’ll have to…”
Ms. Jorgenson, “Why do we have to wait until next week? Do we have to wait till next week? Can we do it Friday night?”
Mr. Brazzle, “Alright that’s good. Let’s do it this week. There you go.”
City of Coatesville Solicitor John Carnes, “You have to do 24 hours advertisting…”
Mr. Brazzle, “Alright make it this week.”
Ms. Jorgenson, “And I’m going to be gone Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I’ll  be back on Thursday and I’ll be here on Friday.”
Mr. Brazzle, “Friday, we’ll have the meeting, alright? That’s one thing.
Second, The City probably has the worst streets I’ve ever drove on… They are terrible with a capital T. When you drive down the streets and you get a flat tire from just driving on them. That’s really bad.
We need to really go out there and drive up and down each street and fill every single pot hole that we can find. No matter what you talk to we have a obligation to the City and their residents in their vehicle that they not get messed up driving down our streets. So maybe that needs to be a mission for our staff to just really go round and drive down our streets and fill pot holes.
There is more of Councilperson Brazzle’s “Council Comments” coming in a later post.

Friday, June 17, 2011

I received my SUMMER 2011 issue of “on common ground” today.

If you are a public official involved with your community or anyone interested in your community a subscription to “on common ground” is a no-brainer.
On Common Ground is published twice each year by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and is distributed free of charge. The publication presents a wide range of views on Smart Growth issues with the goal of encouraging a dialogue among REALTORS®, elected officials and other interested citizens. The opinions expressed in On Common Ground are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, its members or affiliate organizations. 
On Common Ground: Zoning for Prosperity: Streamlined Regulations and Urban Design Guidelines