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.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

NO! Graffiti in Coatesville

 Coatesville resident John Pawlowski is removing a SUR-13 tag.

Former Coatesville Police Chief Matthews had once suggested that Street gang tagging graffiti was just copycat posting by kids. I believe he soon discovered that was not true. Gang members take posting seriously and view unauthorized tags as not just a bunch of kids. MS-13 gangs are said to kill imitators as though they are rival gang members.
Removing gang graffiti does several things:
  • No graffiti makes Coatesville look better.
  • No graffiti makes people feel safer when they're out on Coatesville's streets. Street gang tags provoke a fear response. 
  • And maybe most importantly removing the tags of street gangs makes it difficult for violent street gangs to establish a base in Coatesville, it’s an effective crime fighting tool.

 “Graffiti-free city a welcome oddity"
"A search for graffiti that came up empty in Coatesville was so perplexing that a Downingtown woman reportedly stopped into City Hall to find out why.
She told officials that her son had been doing a school project on street drawings and scrawlings, a study that required her to drive him from Berwyn to Coatesville. The absence of any graffiti in the city prompted her to seek an explanation, and she was referred to Coatesville Police Officer Rodger H. Ollis Jr., a proud member of Coatesville’s premier graffiti-busting team.”
MORE AT:
by kathleen brady shea 
This is part of an email I received from Officer Ollis:
“Funny how a quick thank you and acknowledgement turned into something larger. 

The people originally listed are some of the members of the Community Policing Committee that have given their time to not only discuss quality of life issues such as graffiti, but those that have given much of their time painting and consistently participate in the anti-graffiti initiatives.  There are others within the group and there are others outside of the group that takes time to make Coatesville a better place; for or example, Matt Baker.  I have spent many hours beautifying with Matt.  He is one of the reasons that graffiti cannot be easily located.” 

“As you know, I prefer to take action and not credit.  People like John, Laurie, Matt, Mike, Marie, others (and their families) deserve the credit.  I remove graffiti for many, many reasons.  One reason is crime prevention.  Crime prevention is part of my job.”

Ofc. Rodger H. Ollis, Jr.

The violence of the gangs was demonstrated in Avondale on December 3rd:


“Witnesses to the December double slaying at an Avondale bonfire described a terrifying scene as about a dozen weapon-wielding Surenos encircled two members of the rival Viking gang, police said.”
SEE:



TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012
Posted by kathleen brady shea @ 7:38 AM  

ALSO SEE MY POST:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010

Saturday, January 28, 2012

SEPTA SILVERLINER V

What commuters bound for points east of Coatesville to Philadelphia  can expect to board at the new Coatesville train station in 2015.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Canceling redistricting frees up people for other stuff



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012

FBI Public Corruption Update

"THE FBI RANKS PUBLIC CORRUPTION AS OUR TOP CRIMINAL PRIORITY"

"Currently, the FBI—with our partners—is working more than 2,000 corruption investigations involving public officials around the country. These investigative efforts certainly pay off—during fiscal year 2010, our cases led to more than 1,330 informations/indictments and over 900 convictions (primarily at the federal level but also some at the local level).Our ability to use sophisticated investigative tools and methods—like undercover operations—is one of the reasons why the FBI is in a unique position to investigate allegations of corruption. These tools and methods often give investigators a front-row seat to witness the actual exchange of bribe money or a handshake that seals an illegal deal.Bribery is the most common form of corruption the Bureau investigates. But there are plenty more crimes—including extortion, embezzlement, racketeering, kickbacks, money laundering, and all sorts of fraud. A significant portion of our cases involve border corruption. 
At the end of the day, the majority of public officials are honest, hard-working individuals determined to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. But a small number of elected, appointed, or contracted officials are only focused on their own good. The actions of corrupt officials—often with the help of private sector accomplices—undermine democratic institutions and threaten national security, which is why the FBI ranks public corruption as our top criminal priority." 
FROM: 
FBI Public Corruption Update


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"“Violent crimes like this are a stark reminder of why Coatesville needs a strong and fully staffed police department.”

“Violent crimes like this are a stark reminder of why Coatesville needs a strong and fully staffed police department.”
Tom Hogan
From the Daily Local News

DA: Coatesville shooting death is first county homicide of 2012

Another shooting in Coatesville near Oak St. around midnight Tuesday.


Sometimes I wonder which side some Coatesville City Council members and especially our new city manager is on; the drug dealers or the good people of Coatesville. Rawlings and City Council are busily making the Coatesville PD less effective.
Is Rawlings trying to make Coatesville the Mecca for drug dealers in the Middle Atlantic States?

Update:
I'm hearing its a homicide.
Update:
It's a confirmed homicide

Update from the Daily Local News:

Coatesville shooting leaves man dead

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Take A Survey About Coatesville’s Economic Future.


If you are reading this you are interested in the City of Coatesville. So how about taking a few minutes and letting your thoughts known in a survey about Coatesville's economic future?

From Ken Knickerbocker at Parkesburg Today:

Take A Survey About Coatesville’s Economic Future.

Econsult has been hired by Coatesville to conduct a study to get ideas about Coatesville today and what people would like Coatesville to look in 5 to 10 years.  As part of the study, Econsult will gather citizen and stakeholder input on three main areas:

  • What types of buildings and uses are appropriate downtown;
  • What kind of retail options are most valuable; and
  • What kind of amenities would help make Coatesville a better place to live, work, and play

Friday, January 20, 2012

Did Rawlings can the bio-metric time clocks vs. the “clocking in your buddy” manual time clocks?



Did Stacy Bjorhus resist banning the bio-metric clocks? 
Is this another reason for firing her?
The City allegedly was almost finished implementing the bio-metric time clock when Coatesville City Manager Gary Rawlings allegedly canned the whole idea and went back to manual time cards. Before she was fired, Coatesville Finance Director Stacy Bjorhus allegedly overruled him on this and said that she had the authority to do so via the ordinance in the Coatesville City Charter. 

The Coatesville City Council will vote to change the City’s Finance Director Ordinance at the next meeting on January 23, 2012. 

Keep in mind this quote from the Daily Local News; "However, Rawlings argued the ordinance can hamper his authority. Solicitor John Carnes said one area that could hamstring Rawlings is a provision that allows the finance director to investigate any potential wrongdoings in the department." The moral of that story seems to be, “We don’t want no stinking investigations into stealing the peoples money.”
SEE:

Hmm. Did some city employees pressure Rawlings to can the bio-metric clocks because they messed with their work place “style”? The bio-metric clocks were tied to the ADP payroll system the City uses. Very cost effective and also great with eliminating fraud for the 'clocking in your buddy' syndrome. If these were implemented the data would should exactly reflect the actual hours employees worked which would cut down the overtime and the fraud.


But I believe that a lot more than just “clocking in your buddy” may be happening at city hall.  The city council didn't seem concerned about which City of Coatesville employees pocketed the $162,000 in 2008. After all, they allegedly fired the two people; Stacy Bjorhus and Manny Dechter that discovered that the money that was missing was cash payments at the front desk at city hall and that money never made into the city’s coffers. 

Coatesville's General Ledger Specialist Raj Kalaria suddenly left the USA, SEE; Can the FBI, in India, interview people that worked in the USA? for a recording of Ms. Bjorhus statements concerning Mr. Kalaria at a Coatesville RDA meeting.  

Since Mr. Kalaria left there are 2 people left that received cash payments at the front desk at city hall during 2008. One of those two people also had some control over the city’s finances and city time card records.

It just seems like anyone who messes with City of Coatesville employee’s “style” gets canned. Even if that “style” may include allegedly pocketing cash payments that were supposed to go to the city to the tune of $162,000.

"Biometric time clocks have proven return on investment: 
·         Reduction of payroll preparation time and human error.  
·          Elimination of time card and badge expenses – materials, printing, replacements, etc. 
·         Elimination of conflicts over hours worked and time accrual benefits. 
·          Significant reduction in overtime payments. 
Proven results, strong market growth, and demonstrable bottom line performance continue to drive Mainstream adoption of biometric-based WFM solutions.  Biometric time clocks provide accurate, reliable, and auditable real-time labor data.  Biometric time clocks are the only effective means of directly linking an individual worker to their labor data while providing an irrefutable labor record.  Biometric time clocks increase the integrity and security of labor records while reducing administrative costs of reviewing and updating payroll information."
From the document below:



Monday, January 16, 2012

RED TAILS The Tuskegee Airmen OPENS FRIDAY




"The world needs to know the story."
Anthony Hemingway director, Red Tails
Hemingway was formerly with "The Wire".




When you are a part of history as we are and you think back to what made us a part of history. Tuskegee Institute was an island of hope where we could defeat segregation by our achievement.
Col. Spann L. Watson





In the air there's no black or white or green or whatever, you're a pilot.
Captain Roscoe C. Brown Jr.



"If we are to have no democracy at home, it does not make a great deal of difference what happens abroad.
Victory for democracy abroad means beating the armies of Hitler, Mussolini, and The Mikado.
Victory for democracy at home means beating disfranchisement, racial pollution laws, residential segregation, economic discrimination based on color, Jim-Crowism, social and educational inequalities, and all efforts to curtail or abolish the safeguards of the Bill of Rights."
From:
AMERICAN SOCIAL HISTORY PROJECT ·  CENTER FOR MEDIA AND LEARNING

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011

"RED TAILS" Tuskegee Airmen January 20, 2012

We have at least one “Red Tail” or Tuskegee Airman in Coatesville and lots of people related to Tuskegee Airmen; including Ingrid Jones’ relative Percy Sutton. 

REGAL THEATER DOWNINGTOWN
Red Tails
Opens Friday, January 20, 2012 | Runtime:2 hr. 0 min.

Friday, January 13, 2012

It's an honor to know Joe Carroll

Known for his low profile, Carroll broke that pattern infrequently. The most dramatic example was in late 2008, when he lashed out at officials in Coatesville - Chester County's impoverished crime capital - for ignoring public safety."

From:

High praise in Chesco for retired prosecutor

Former D.A. honored for his decades of public service.



I've spent a lot of time with Joe; he is one of the most laid back, attentive, just plain nicest people I know.
A lot of people came to talk with Joe when he lived in the house on 8th. Avenue in Coatesville. Some people would stay late after most people went home because what they wanted to say was full of very heavy grief and fear. At one of those late nights tears came to  my eyes as I listened to a crime victim's story in Joe's dining room. I told him "I don't know how you do it, listening to so many grief stricken frightened people."


At the Coatesville City Council meeting mentioned by Ms. Brady Shea in the article above Joe was so angry  his hands shook. This is the only time I saw him angry:


.

I came a little bit early to the meeting. I knew that about 200 police officers and public officials were on their way from a staging area and would march two by two into Coatesville City Hall. I spoke briefly to Harry Walker outside city hall on my way in. Harry said it would be a good meeting, he had no idea.
SEE:

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009

Who stole the people's money?


Posted by Picasa
WHO STOLE THE PEOPLE'S MONEY?  T WAS HIM!

Is the Coatesville City Council setting up Mr. Rawlings to be the final resting place of the finger that points to "Who stole the people's money?

Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I think this excerpt from the Daily Local News article above holds the key words. I added bold italic to the key words:
"However, Rawlings argued the ordinance can hamper his authority. Solicitor John Carnes said one area that could hamstring Rawlings is a provision that allows the finance director to investigate any potential wrongdoings in the department."
As the legislation stands right now two people have control over the City of Coatesville’s finances, the city manager and the city finance director.
The proposed legislation, in my view, puts control of the city finances in one person, the city manager.
Right now there are checks and balances between the city manager and the city finance director. Some people might view the new legislation as a LICENSE FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO STEAL. 
I don't believe the city council intended to arouse suspicions about any future dealings of Mr. Rawlings or any future Coatesville City Manager. I believe they did not think things  through. 
This is why I believe some city council members are pushing to give the city manager total control of the city's finances:
The Coatesville City Council cannot very easily fire the Coatesville Finance Director. The City Council can fire the Coatesville City Manager. If some city council members have unpaid tax bills or are otherwise miss-behaving and the city manager finds out; he can keep quiet and keep his job or make it public and pack his bags. 
I  think the new finance director ordinance was conjured up because the former fired Finance Director Stacy Bjorhus carefully did her job and working independently but in tandem with Manny Dechter, the forensic auditor suggested by then District Attorney Joe Carroll, found that $168,000 or $162,000 (I’m not sure which is correct) was missing from cash receipts that were collected at the City’s pay window. 
See:
And:

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

August 22, 2011, I asked “Is it true that Raj from the Finance Department didn’t show up to work today and that he is on his way to India?

Raj went off to India. I believe that for some reason people inside and outside of City of Coatesville government appear to be protecting the 2 individuals that still working at city hall that handled the cash receipts in 2008.
Mr. Dechter found that some Coatesville City Council members did not pay their trash collection bills.  Jarrell Brazzle received benefits as a part time City of Coatesville employee. Allegedly, he was not entitled to those benefits.

I believe all of this vitriol, rage and revenge of certain city council members concerning the former Coatesville Finance Director Stacy Bjorhus and the outing of certain Coatesville City Council members may be miss-directed.  
Below is an excerpt from former Coatesville City Councilperson Karl Marking's blog. I again put what I think are important phrases in bold italic. Read it carefully. I don't believe Ms. Bjorhus publicly revealed the unpaid bills of city council members or the over payments to City Council member Jarrell Brazzle. I think it that information came from Manny Dechter. And that Karl Marking published it:
  • "The 2008 audit highlighted issues with payroll; no changes to the process were made and no checks-and-balances were put in place.
  • The person who audited records the summer of 2010 brought all manner of concerns and irregularities to Council’s attention in October 2010.
  • I overheard this same person tell the Honorable Mr. Brazzle in the hallway of City Hall directly on 10/11/10 that he had received benefits he wasn’t entitled to in 2009 and I watched the honorable Mr. Brazzle’s non-committal reaction.
  • The finance director also notified the city’s management, the then President of council (Ed Simpson) and I (as VP at the time) of payroll irregularities around entitlements for both part-time and full-time staff in October of 2010.
Yet to my knowledge, no one has been reprimanded, no one has offered repayment, and the only employee who seems to be chastised with any regularity in council meetings is the same person who raised the issue of payroll irregularities in the first place; Stacy Bjorhus, the current finance director. I find the details of Ms. Bjorhus’ detractors and supporters very interesting. The question I find myself asking is: Why would anyone have an issue with the person asking for supporting documentation when irregularities are discovered; especially when it is her job to do so? There’s only a handful of reasons I can think of."
FROM:

A penny saved is a penny…not taken out of your pocket in taxes

The person who audited records in the summer of 2010 was Manny Dechter. Mr. Dechter was allegedly fired by the Coatesville City Council members present in a heated argument when the unpaid bills of the city council members were discussed. I do not believe that he was entirely finished with the forensic audit. You might also ask  Mr. Dechter if he thinks that working in the Coatesville City Hall was a bruising experience. 

Sorry guys but the stuff you are doing makes it easy to compare you to Tammany Hall.
The political cartoon is by the great cartoonist Tomas Nast from:

Thursday, January 12, 2012

"La Banca Della Cosa Nostra"


All this news on the Wall Street Journal about Mafia takeover of the Italian banking system is old news; it’s headline news because most of the English language press and virtually all of the press in the USA ignores news about our Mafia/Banking connections. Maybe the press doesn't want to question the Republican anti-regulation ideology. 

The SEC operates mostly as a trade organization for Wall Street companies. The SEC illegally and routinely destroys MUIs (Matters Under Inquiry), preliminary investigations that don't lead to a full blown investigation. See VIDEO below. The FBI is concentrating on terrorism. So there is a perfect vacuum for organized crime to virtually take over our unregulated Investment Banking in the USA and internationally.

Locally Nicky Scarfo tried but I think his boys didn’t have the smarts for Wall Street:

Scarfo's alleged companies: 
121 North Wayne Avenue
Suite 210
Wayne, PA 19087
(DON'T KNOCK NOBODY'S HOME) 
And: 
SEE: 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 
Will FirstPlus Financial Group be part ofPaulson's bailout? 
Posted on Wed, Jun. 18, 2008  
Daidone pleads guilty to probation violation 
By George Anastasia  
"Mob associate Daniel Daidone, who served nearly three years in prison for his role in a Camden City corruption case, pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the terms of his supervised release by associating with convicted felons... 
His illegal contacts surfaced during a multistate FBI financial fraud investigation that has targeted FirstPlus Financial Group, a Texas company with alleged ties to Salvatore Pelullo, an Elkins Park businessman with two fraud convictions, and mobster Nicodemo S. Scarfo."

MarketBeat  
WSJ.com's inside look at the markets 
JANUARY 11, 2012, 11:30 AM 
LaBanca Della Cosa Nostra 
By Paul Vigna 
So, when’s the mob putting in for its bailout? 
One of the ramifications of Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis is playing out in southern Italy, where people who need loans and can’t find them from banks are turning to mob loansharks, which have taken a stranglehold on many small businesses. This has been such a windfall for La Cosa Nostra that it has become in essence Italy’s largest bank, a new report says. 
In fact, according to this report from the Telegraph, This Thing of Ours is the country’s biggest business, period.
But those Italian mobsters in expensive suits with iPhones and iPads have international banking connections.

SEE:
“Drugs money worth billions of dollars kept the financial system afloat at the height of the global crisis, the United Nations' drugs and crime tsar has told the Observer. 
Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said he has seen evidence that the proceeds of organised crime were "the only liquid investment capital" available to some banks on the brink of collapse last year. He said that a majority of the $352bn (£216bn) of drugs profits was absorbed into the economic system as a result. 
This will raise questions about crime's influence on the economic system at times of crisis. It will also prompt further examination of the banking sector as world leaders, including Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, call for new International Monetary Fund regulations. 
Speaking from his office in Vienna, Costa said evidence that illegal money was being absorbed into the financial system was first drawn to his attention by intelligence agencies and prosecutors around 18 months ago. "In many instances, the money from drugs was the only liquid investment capital. In the second half of 2008, liquidity was the banking system's main problem and hence liquid capital became an important factor," he said.Some of the evidence put before his office indicated that gang money was used to save some banks from collapse when lending seized up, he said.‘Inter-bank loans were funded by money that originated from the drugs trade and other illegal activities... There were signs that some banks were rescued that way.’ Costa declined to identify countries or banks that may have received any drugs money, saying that would be inappropriate because his office is supposed to address the problem, not apportion blame. But he said the money is now a part of the official system and had been effectively laundered. 
‘That was the moment [last year] when the system was basically paralysed because of the unwillingness of banks to lend money to one another. The progressive liquidisation to the system and the progressive improvement by some banks of their share values [has meant that] the problem [of illegal money] has become much less serious than it was,' he said."

Drug money saved banks in global crisis,claims UN advisor 
Drugs and crime chief says $352bn in criminal proceeds was effectively laundered by financial institutions  
Rajeev Syal 
The Observer, Saturday 12 December 2009 

Organized Retail Theft


Booster stores are where you can buy goods “boosted” (stolen) from retail stores and then resold at huge discounts. I have heard rumors of booster stores operating in Coatesville.
Some people said that a person once known as a major drug seller in Chester County “moved on”. I think he moved on to something bigger than a local booster store. I think he became a player in a nationwide retail theft ring.
Organized Retail Theft 
A $30 Billion-a-Year Industry 
"It’s a telling case: a few years ago, members of two criminal organizations in California were charged for their role in a large-scale fencing operation to buy and sell over-the-counter health and beauty products—as well as other items like camera film, batteries, and infant formula—that had been stolen from major retail chain stores. The merchandise was then passed off to crooked out-of-state wholesale distributors, who just sold it back to unsuspecting retailers."
SEE:

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Weymouth Securities Limited SureInvestment investment scheme shut down (Crosby Wood)


I'm following the SureInvestment "unauthorized collective investment scheme". It is in now in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, UK awaiting adjudication. I update when more information is available. 

It is of interest to Chester County residents because Crosby Wood, who has an office in Coatesville, PA,  is a "principal of Sure" (SureInvestment, LLC See, "Before the National Futures Association, in the Matter of SureInvestment and Crosby Wood" below. 

Crosby Wood was at one time the developer for the National Velodrome in Coatesville. 
I don't believe the investigation of the "unauthorized collective investment scheme" has any effect on the National Velodrome other than the National Velodrome's need to find new developers. The developers the National Velodrome Center, LP and Velodrome Management Group, LLC  now have look very good. And I think finding new developers of such high caliber on short notice shows the high level of professionalism of the National Velodrome.  SEE:
SureInvestment shut down
BY ANDREW PENMAN ON NOVEMBER 23, 2011 1:00 PM IN INVESTMENTS
Weymouth Securities Limited was shut down in the High Court today for running an unauthorised collective investment scheme.
The firm, run by 32-year-old Benjamin Wilson of Poole of Dorset and trading as SureInvestment, had been ordered to pay the Financial Services Authority £11million in three installments, but the first installment of £3.9 million was paid the late and others not at all.
More At Mirror.com UK  Opinion:

SureInvestment shut down






http://www.nfa.futures.org/basicnet/CaseDocument.aspx?seqnum=2989

Commodities Futures Trading is a high risk endeavor. SEE:

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

We got Gary Rawlings as the Coatesville City Manager.


A 3 person team interviewed potential city manager candidates. They allegedly thought that Gary Rawlings was the kind of nuts and bolts experienced man they wanted.  I think we got a bureaucrat.   
It's my understanding that Barry Cassidy was willing to take a pay cut and work as Coatesville City Manager because he sees the potential of Coatesville and he likes the City.
The three person City Council interviewing team turned down Barry Cassidy for City Manager as not experienced? As I understand it without even giving Barry a chance to talk. Where were their heads living at the time?

Well maybe it worked out better this way. Barry may be able to do more for our entire area as a PA State Legislator.

But I think the Coatesville City Council should dump Rawlings before he lays off 10 Coatesville PD officers and brings a new crime wave to our city. And remember, the last time it was not just a crime wave it was an arson wave too. 


SEE:
http://www.barrycassidy.com/

City of Coatesville Authorities, Board, Commissions, and Committees

 It’s that time again when people for Authorities, Board, Commissions, and Committees in the City of Coatesville’s government are being considered. 


In the past with the fights over "Saving our Farm" and some politically inclined people that I think represented the drug dealer community made it physically dangerous for some people to be part of a City of Coatesville, Authority, Board, Commission or Committee. See:

MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2010


I think, I hope, that the influence of the drug business among Chester County public officials as it pertains to Coatesville is waning. And when the economic development of our long put off revitalization of Coatesville finally begins it will be much harder for street dealers to operate in Coatesville. I think that the "drug community" will do it's damnedest to put people on Coatesville Authorities, Boards, Commissions and Committees in an effort to stop economic development but I think the "drug community" does not have the clout it once had in Chester County politics. And most importantly I think that ordinary non-drug dealer connected people can serve their community without much worry about threats. 


If any person serving Coatesville on an Authority, Board, Commission, or Committee feels threatened call Tom Hogan at the Chester County District Attorney's office right away. Let him decide what to do about it. 


In 2010 former Coatesville City Councilman Karl Marking (wish he was still there) put a thorough accounting of the Authorities, Boards, Commissions, and Committees detailing total number of seats/alternates, term lengths, residency requirements. Most but not all positions require residency within the City of Coatesville. This document is useful for term limits and requirements but it is not up to date.

As to who is currently serving and what positions are open refer to the City of Coatesville website and look through the individual Authorities, Boards, Commissions and Committees. There are a considerable number of vacancies.