Calling ACORN

So, with all the bad press ACORN has been receiving on the national level I thought I would give our local branch an opportunity to speak out. I went on their Web site and used the e-mail address provided to request an interview. It was returned undeliverable. I then used the telephone number provided to request an interview. No one answered so I left a message. A gentleman returned my call to tell me he was not a member of ACORN, that he has been inundated with calls to his personal phone and also that he had asked them to remove his number from their Web site, obviously to no avail. So, I'll try reaching out here. Does anyone know anyone who works for our local ACORN branch?

Straight talk

Plain and simple, do you think schools should have shown President Obama's speech to students?

History in the making

Time for a little shameless self-promotion. My new book, "Remembering Norristown: Stories from the banks of the Schuylkill River" is here, http://bit.ly/y39kr, or you can come by our offices and I'll sign a copy for you.

Back to basics

That's exactly what the Republican Party must do, get back to basics. We've been running scared since the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006. And just what have they accomplished? Nancy Pelosi was going to fix all our ills in her first 100 hours after being sworn in. Well, times been up for a long while and we're still waiting. We haven't done much to help ourselves since then either, but things are about to change. Republicans have been ashamed of being Republicans for the past four years and we have to stop wallowing in our own self pity. Personally, I'm proud of the fact that I don't like big government. When did that ever become unpopular? It's time for a grass roots, back to basics campaign that will sweep Republicans back into power before we all end up working for the government. Care to join me?

Dirty Dem Politics

I had to extend last week's post because of what happened in state government today.
Listen to this. Dems are touting the bridge budget as a victory, which will allow state workers to get paid early next week. What they're not touting is the fact that they were all issued paychecks Tuesday. That's right, Democratic lawmakers made sure they were paid first. Let me be very clear that I'm talking about Democratic lawmakers here. They've put themselves at the head of the line, once again. Republican lawmakers will get paid next week, just like everybody else.
The audacity is simply astounding. Watch this http://www.wgal.com/video/20290590/index.html and then tell me what you think.

Dirty politics

How is it that Gov. Ed Rendell is able to hold up the budget process every year? And I mean every year. He hasn't passed a single budget on time since he's been in office. This is dirty politics at its best. He's using state workers to get want he wants, which we all know is a tax increase. A tax increase. Really? I guess people who live the kind of life he leads simply don't understand what it is like to even face the prospect of going without a paycheck. The dems want to raise taxes, the Republicans want to hold the line on taxes. How is it again that dems are gaining in numbers?

Black and white

Seriously?
I'm not naive, I know racism still exists, but the incident out at the Huntingdon Valley swim club is so blatant it's absurd. And the fact that it was addressed toward children is twice as appalling. Racism will never cease to exist as long as it is perpetuated by adults, in front of children. For those of you who missed the story, seems an inner city summer camp was looking for their kids to swim. They paid nearly $2,000 for the privilege to swim at the Huntingdon Valley club, but when they showed up the white folks (parents) didn't like what they saw.
I have to say it again. Seriously?
The best golfer in the world is black. OK, mixed race, like our president. I'm pretty sure either of them would have been welcome at the swim club. I understand the club is private, but here's what should happen. Everyone of those black and Hispanic kids should be invited back to the club to swim, everyday, not just on Mondays. Perhaps then the racist white folks at the club would begin to understand that they're just that, kids.

Arc war is lost

Personally, I wanted the ARC a little closer to home. I know that's a little selfish, but the idea of driving into Philadelphia is just not appealing to me. It was a valiant battle waged on those who didn't want it in Lower Providence and my respect goes out to them for sticking to their guns.
I believe, unfortunately, that it will be a loss for our little part of the world.
Now that it is going to be in the city, what do you think will happen to the land?

The man with the plan

All right already with Lower Providence. I think I'm going to have to give you guys your own blog. Try not to hijack this one, please, because I really want to get some good feedback on my plan. So, without further ado, here it is.
The Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown has a gift shop. In the gift shop there could be brochures for a new performing arts center and the old Montgomery County prison, which could be converted into a haunted house ala Eastern State Penitentiary, because, if it’s a good plan there’s something going on at the prison/haunted house nearly year round and they'll need a brochure. The performing arts center will have a ticket booth and a lobby, both of which could have brochures for the zoo and for the prison/haunted house, and, I think you’re following the plan by now, but just for posterity’s sake I’ll keep going, and the prison/haunted house has a ticket booth that could have brochures for the zoo and the performing arts center. With all three cross promoting each other we’ll have people running all over Norristown in no time.
Now I know this doesn't have anything to do with Lower Providence, but humor me, please.
I wrote a lot more about the plan in my column, which you can find in the Monday, June 29 edition.

Election post mortem

What a night. I have to say I was surprised with some of the results and not so much with others. I wasn't surprised at all with the turnout, which was dismal at best. Big shakeups in East Norriton and Lower Providence, and a newcomer to Norristown politics was the highest vote getter. Did your candidate win? I know what I'm thinking, but what are you thinking?

100 days, 100 chances

I hope the next 100 days brings at least some of the change President Obama was talking about when he was running for office. I know, I know, I'm supposed to give him a chance. Well, when you're the most powerful man in the world 100 days is a chance. I remember Pelosi saying she was going to change everything in Washington in her first 100 hours. We're still waiting. Obama has had 100 days to make an impact on the economy, on health care, and in the Middle East. Let's see, what do we have so far, the economy isn't getting any better, the proposed health care plan will put the economy in worse shape than it has ever been in, and Obama's finding out that getting out of Iraq isn't as easy as he thought it was going to be. Hope and change sounds a little hollow right about now.

Valley Forge Free For All

Where to start, folks. It's been a busy day at The Times Herald.
Slots were approved for the Valley Forge Convention Center, http://bit.ly/eq95H, and now we've just heard the judge has dismissed the case against the American Revolution Center.
Stay tuned.

White flag waved in ARC battle

While it certainly isn't a surrender by any stretch of the imagination, the developers of the American Revolution Center have agreed to put off building a convention center at the site for at least 15 years. Now, my first question would be that if you don't need it now, are you going to need it 15 years from now? And of course I'd have to follow that up with, if you agree to not build the convention center at all would that appease the ARC's opponents?
You tell me.

Ethics and politics, an oxymoron?

How can anyone have a problem with ethics reform?
I'll tell you how, when the reform isn't really reform at all.
Montgomery County employees are going to be barred from running for office if the recently tabled ethics reform policy is given new life, which I'm certain it will.
What's the point? I think the point is so county employees will not be involved in politics on county time.
Well, I'm fairly certain that's the law now, isn't it?
What do you think?

What a 'Vision'

Vision Quest is an organization that does a job most of us would rather not talk about, hear about, or quite frankly even see. They want to come into Norristown and set up shop at Norristown State Hospital, and they just might be able to do so, but I'm opposed to the idea. Not because of who they are, but because of where they want to set up shop. An urban setting is just not the place for this type of facility. There would be entirely too many temptations for the juveniles housed there, and entirely too many residents within a stone's throw of where they would be biding their time. While there are dozens of residents coming out in opposition to the move, and rightfully so, I'd like to suggest that some concerted effort be put forth to find an alternative site for Vision Quest so the conversation does not center completely around 'not in my back yard.'

Where's the gander?

County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, who seems to be an all-around good guy, apparently has never heard the saying, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." I'm talking about his recent assertion that County Commissioner Bruce Castor should be investigated for using his then-district attorney's office for political activities. It wasn't so long ago that Hoeffel's once time opponent, and now strange bedfellow, County Commissioner Jim Matthews, used his office for actually taping a political commercial, using staff members as extras, in his bid for reelection.
Come on, Joe, say it ain't so. Seriously, if you're going to take Castor to task for his (admittedly) discussing his run for state attorney general while in office you absolutely have to hold Matthews to at least the same standard. Those with not so short memories will recall Hoeffel actually sending out a letter that was nothing more than a solicitation for new business for his law practice using his then county commissioner seat as the reason new clients should seek him out.
Does that make Joe the new Goose?

The road will be traveled often

OK, my attempt to get you to look through rose colored glasses for a moment or two lasted about, what, a moment or two?
Well, it's back to reality.
Who was caught in the traffic nightmare last Saturday?
I know some of you were because you brought it up on other posts so I thought I would start a new post to consolidate the thread.
Obviously, something has to be done, and I for one appreciate the fact that Mr. Neilson came out to the Upper Providence meeting to let people know he was going to do just that.
The question is, though, just how much can he do? I mean, running a one-way street through a park just isn't the answer. Sure, it will alleviate some of the congestion for the time being, but what about when spring arrives and that park is full?
The only fix is going to be a full interchange off Route 422 at the Pawlings Road overpass. I can vaguely remember former Lower Providence Township Supervisor Tom Borai standing on the overpass in a photograph on the front page of The Times Herald. It must have been at least 10 years ago.
Why was he standing there, you ask? He was calling for a full interchange off Route 422.
Seems he knew then that the road would be traveled often.

New Year, new possibilities

OK, let's start the new year off on the right foot.
We spent the past year complaining about everything under the proverbial sun, and don't get me wrong, we'll get back to that real soon. I just wanted to start off the year with a blog about new possibilities in the new year. I've been working with some really great folks behind the scenes to find a new home for the Montgomery County Cultural Center. We're even going to give it a new name, the Norristown Performing Arts Center. It's going to be a place where you can go see off-Broadway quality theater and musical acts that you can remember from days gone by. Did you know Greg Allman was booked for New Year's Eve at the Keswick?
We're going to start a new feature in paper and online about people in the are who do good deeds, just because. 'Faces' will debut the first week in February. We're going to launch a social networking site to accompany the profile pieces so everyone will have a place to share their stories.
Those are just a couple off the top of my head. How about you? What do you see possible in the new year?

Stackless in West Norriton

Take a look up the next time you're driving down Main Street.
Make sure you're keeping one eye on the road, though, I don't want you to get into an accident.
When you do look up you'll notice that one of the Barbadoes Island smoke stacks is gone.
The other is going to come down soon, I hear.
There are a lot of eyes sores around the area, and while the smoke stacks were not as visible as most, they certainly didn't lend anything positive to the aesthetics of the area.
What other buildings or structures do you know about that need to be no more?

Postal mystery solved, ARC still coveted

Thank you, Mr. Rick Brown.
I thought I was going crazy last week when I saw the Eagleville post office had shut down, especially since my mailing address had recently been changed to Eagleville. Thanks, Rick, for letting everyone know it had simply moved. Unlike you, I don't live in Lower Providence. I live in West Norriton, but that's where I go to pick up my certified mail.

So, every one's tired of talking about the ARC, eh? I could talk about the hospital move, but there's nothing new going on right now.

How about a performing arts center in Norristown?
I'd love to talk about that. How many of you would be interested in helping out with bringing a little culture into the county seat? We already have the state on board to the tune of $500,000, the county on board for some significant funds, and the borough, I mean municipality, is ready to help out any way they can, but we're also going to need some every day folks willing to throw a shilling or two into the pot.
Shoot me an e-mail at shuskey@timesherald.com if you think you want to get involved.