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, July 27, 2010

While we are occupied with Fox News fake scandals, incredible destruction in the Gulf of Mexico, cutting funds for unemployed Americans and Trillion dollar wars, China’s “tarp” money is building China’s incredible future.

When I was at the Chamber of Commerce meeting with Don Pulver at the Brandywine Health Center in Coatesville I had a question for Don Pulver about the Chester County Airport runway extension and the airports connection to the hotel. Mr. Pulver said that Sikorsky sends a plane from Connecticut to Coatesville twice a week. Sikorsky is a major employer and possibly the major employer in Western Chester County. Sikorsky would be a sort of anchor customer of the hotel.

I asked about the airport because right now many of the jets flying over Coatesville are transcendental capable jets. But in order to fly to Europe they need to stop at Philadelphia International Airport to top off their tanks. The runway is not yet long enough for a full fuel load.

Coatesville City Manager Ted Reed said that there is a roadblock between Sadsbury and Valley Township. Sadsbury Township is, at this time, not supportive of a runway extension.
Mr. Reed said that Valley Township where the runway extension is located is generally in favor of the runway extension. Mr. Reed said that the Chester County Airport Authority is leading the way and moving forward with the effort to extend the runway. Noise is an issue but extending the runway would make takeoff noise lower because the aircraft could use a lower rate of climb, less power and less noise. I believe the main local issue is the closing of Washington Lane for the runway extension.

 Mr. Pulver said that he feels local opposition to the runway extension is bad for his company.
 

I think it’s bad for the region.


I think that our local businesses need to look forward to more international connections and an international capable airport would be an asset for Chester County.

The Republican Party with massive monitary help from non taxpaying corporations like Exxon and killer companies like BP and Massey Energy  have killed the energy bill that would have made our future secure.  Instead our Federal Government, thorough tax incentives is funding oil, gas and coal companies. Exxon actually got a tax refund. In the process the energy companies and their Republican lackeys are helping to fund our enemies such as Iran. The Republican actions of course also accelerate global climate change, air and water pollution. It’s a short term gain for the already wealthy energy companies but it’s a long term loss for the USA. By killing the energy bill the GOP has decided to just let market forces work here. So our businesses are left to sink or swim. The Chinese Government has fully funded and still is funding their version of the “TARP”. China is also the world leader in renewable energy and importantly the world leader in government funding of renewable energy. Investing our tax dollars through massive tax cuts to a dying mining and drilling industries is also very damaging to the economic future of our country.


There is still a possibility that President Obama could kick start green energy in the USA. He only has to demand by Executive Order that US Government Agencies use renewable non-carbon producing energy sources only.Think Postal Service trucks using battery powered electric vehicles. It’s a perfect fit for the Postal Service vehicles. They make short trips and go back to the same lot every day. 


Think energy saving government buildings. Besides lowering our countries carbon footprint, the economies of scale due to massive production to meet the demand would result in lowering the cost of “alternative” energy. I believe that in many cases government agencies are encouraged to buy from US based businesses. Doing that would give the USA a chance of competing internationally with what China is already doing.


But so far President Obama has not exactly stepped up to the plate and seems to not know where the playing field of renewable energy is. So maybe we shouldn't wait for him to act.
Governor Rendell has helped Pennsylvania move into the non-fossil fuel future by promoting Green Business in Pennsylvania.


Back to the hotel and the airport:

All of our local businesses are competing in some way on an international basis. Someone who could be a customer of a local business can buy from a business in another country with just a few clicks of a mouse.


The Marriot Courtyard in Coatesville will probably have mostly domestic business persons occupying the rooms. But with a runway extension some of the businessmen could be flying in from China.


Republicans and their Guru Karl Rove are just hoping the President McKinley days to magically re-appear and wipe out the accomplishments of the Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt. They somehow miss that the world has changed since 1900 and China has moved on from manufacturing cups and plates and that most Americans liked the prosperity the New Deal gave us in the 1950s and 1960s. Republicans have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that they don't care about our actual future. They pine for their imagined Republican Party of 110 years ago with no unions or Social Security and a GOP ruling class. 


The Obama Administration seems to be afraid of the Republicans and their Fox News spokespersons. Democrats and President Obama seem to be scared to try anything because it might fail.


It’s kind of like China is taking off and the rest of us can just sit back and watch or try to keep up. While China's government is helping Chinese enterprise on a gargantuan scale governments here do almost nothing.  I believe our local businesses are competing with China even though we are thousands of miles away.  that It looks more and more like we have to decide our own future and maybe we can do that locally in Chester County. Maybe a Chester County Airport with direct transcontinental flight capability will help our local area compete on the worldwide field. 


My daughter has visited Shanghai twice. It’s an amazing city. She said that any evening on the streets of downtown Shanghai is like Time’s Square on New Year’s Eve. In terms of energy some amazing things are happening in China and there is almost no news about it here:






Up close and personal with SAIC's Yez Concept Car
By Mike Hanlon


05:03 July 27, 2010



Preserving “chasing the hounds” and preserving “open space”

Some people say what the Chester County Republicans really are doing with land conservation efforts is preserving fox hunting for their wealthy benefactors. Maybe that’s what it is; but as long as the land is preserved as open space, especially the land surrounding waterways, its fine with me. Just remember that everybody living in Chester County benefits.

Even if the only people that actually use it are billionaire horse people living on endowments from their ancestors us “commoners” have a real “trickle down” benefit from cleaner air and water.

The recreations of 18th Century bucolic English countryside are very nice to look while driving through the Chester County countryside.  You might even catch the billionaire endowmenteers accompanied by their social climber groupies “chasing the hounds” in red jackets.  

If watching billionaires playing let’s pretend we’re  English Lords and Ladies makes you feel like a member of the “great unwashed” keep in mind that the alternative is watching suburban tract housing.

Daily Local News
Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2010
By ANNE PICKERING, Staff Writer

Monday, July 26, 2010

Article about Hotel

From the Daily Local News

The view from the ground up

Hopes remain high as Marriot Hotel project marches on

Monday, July 26, 2010
By BRIAN McCULLOUGH, Staff Writer

The entire program at the Brandywine Health Foundation last Wednesday is here:

Friday, July 23, 2010

After all Obama could have pardoned Cheney and Bush

It was stupid for the Obama Administration not to prosecute Bush/Cheney for war crimes and Cheney for outing a non-official cover CIA officer. Now the Republicans are putting Shrub up for sainthood:
 Addicted to Bush
By PAUL KRUGMAN
President Obama could have graciously pardoned them later, after the 2010 elections.  

Actually I think Ma Bush could have prevented it all if she put down her whiskey bottle long enough to tell Jr. it’s wrong to torture small animals.

However there is hope. We might not have the will to prosecute our leaders here but in the UK it's different. The United Kingdom is inquiring into the Iraq War, torture and all.  It will be tough for the GOP to Canonize W. Bush if he is a war criminal in the UK.  
Iraq war inquiry

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Major investigation of Latin Kings gang in Lehigh Valley

Don't assume graffiti in Coatesville is "just local kids". If the graffiti is from a known street gang it's most likely put there by gang members. Most street gangs do not tolerate "lookalikes" or "wannabes". Sort of a "copyright infringement", only they don't go to court to enforce it. 
“Hundreds of police officers, federal drug agents and SWAT teams armed with federal indictments invaded Bethlehem before dawn Wednesday to take down an army of Kings.”
From The Morning Call:
"34 alleged Latin Kings captured, drugs and guns seized in raids. 3-year investigation leads to murder, kidnapping, assault charges."

From:
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Eastern District of Pennsylvania


Separate indictments charge 23 more with drug and gun offenses

Major investigation of Latin Kings gang in Lehigh Valley

Don't assume graffiti in Coatesville is "just local kids". If the graffiti is from a known street gang it's most likely put there by gang members. Most street gangs do not tolerate "lookalikes" or "wannabes". Sort of a "copyright infringement", only they don't go to court to enforce it. 
“Hundreds of police officers, federal drug agents and SWAT teams armed with federal indictments invaded Bethlehem before dawn Wednesday to take down an army of Kings.”
From The Morning Call:
34 alleged Latin Kings captured, drugs and guns seized in raids. 3-year investigation leads to murder, kidnapping, assault charges.

From:
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Eastern District of Pennsylvania


Separate indictments charge 23 more with drug and gun offenses

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

“The goal is to make a spark, a spark that continues”- Don Pulver at Brandywine Health Foundation

I can remember the locals that thought Don Pulver’s plans for tall buildings in Conshohocken were foolish. Those first buildings in Conshohocken were the spark that transformed Conshohocken from a decaying area to a thriving metropolis.

I think he is doing something similar in the City of Coatesville.

Mr. Pulver has invested in and kept the hotel/office project in Coatesville alive for about six or seven years through good economic and bad economic times. When the Pulver team comes up against obstacles it finds ways to surmount them. 

Comparing the Coatesville project to all of his other projects in Conshohocken, Pittsburgh and Chicago; Mr. Pulver said that “this is the hardest one we’ve ever done". 

I think they are here for the long haul and the project is close to the finish line.

The entire session at the Brandywine Health Foundation that was held this morning is recorded below. It is divided into 4 parts. 




First is Frances M. Sheehan, President and CEO of the Brandywine Health Foundation
Second in Nancy Keefer Nancy Keefer, CCE President & CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry.
Third is Don Pulver of the Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corp. 
Fourth is a Question and Answer Session