Delco Council Defends Public Defender Over Turmoil Claim — Delaware County (Pa) Council vigorously defended Public Defender Chris Welsh over a charge that he has his office in turmoil and lacks experience.
John Baldini (sp) of Upper Darby, a former attorney with the office, said Welsh has only handled one trial while his predecessors had handled dozens including murder trials. He also said his predecessors had only fired a handful of attorneys in their long tenure while Welsh has fired 15 in his two years.
Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer praised Welsh and supported his goal of using attorneys who only work for the Public Defender’s Office and are not distracted by a private practice.
Councilman Kevin M. Madden joined in the love saying trial experience wasn’t important for what Welsh did.
Great.
Council, however, has expressed concern about staff shortages regarding CYS and poll workers. We kind of wonder how much they will have to pay to keep the public defender’s office filled if the only attorneys they have are full-time yet skilled enough to thrive in a private practice.
Delco Renews Fort Orange Press Contract; Dismisses Concerns — Delaware County (Pa) Council, Feb. 21, renewed its contract with Fort Orange Press of Albany, N.Y. to print its mail and absentee ballots.
They will be paid $264,000 for the 2024 elections.
Delco is actually fighting an order from the state Office of Open Records to let all be revealed.
Just something to make you go hmmmm.
The county also approved a $117,300 contract with Phoenix Graphics to print election day ballots; a $40,000-max agreement with John C. Barton for services relating to election database preparations; election result reporting and payroll preparations; a $341,096 annual license and support renewal for the Hart Verity voting system; and to accept a $45,000 Help America Vote College Program Grant.
Barton, a retired county employee, created Delco’s election reporting system. Council members asked at the Feb. 20 work session if there were plans to phase him out. The answer was yes.
The college grant is to hire 45 students from the many universities in the county. They will be poll workers if they are county residents or do training if not.
The county suffers a shortage of poll workers.
During public comments, Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby asked why the county can’t find a local printer. She also asked how the ballots were being transported from Albany to Delco.
She asked that the controversial central counting center where mail-in and dropped off ballots are counted be closed and the responsibility returned to the precincts.
Mrs. Schwartz said that this was actually required by the state Election Code.
County solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein said that two state legislatures are suing to return the counting to the precincts but central counting centers have been upheld by the courts. He also said returning the ballots to the precincts would be a logistical nightmare and an added burden for the poll workers many of whom have been working 14 hours when the polls close.
Here’s a thought: Treat the central counting station as a precinct. This would allow poll watchers access now forbidden. It may not end the dispute but it certainly would make fewer go hmmmm.
Paul Rumley of Springfield said more than half of Americans no longer trust our elections and with good reason. He said that the county council members ought to start asking why. He cited the books The Parallel Election by Greg Stenstrom and Leah Hoopes, and Rigged by Mollie Hemmingway as places to start.
Barb Lewis of Radnor said she continues to distrust Delco’s voting machines. She cited a video Delco’s Director of Elections James Allen made while he was communications director for the Chicago Board of Elections, his prior job.
Allen says that election machines are vulnerable, Ms. Lewis said. And that voting by internet is a very bad idea.
Ms. Lewis said that she saw poll pads connected to the internet in the last election.
Poll pads are to replace the paper list of voters used by poll workers.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther said that while the poll pads can be connected to the internet, the files are absolutely secure and you can trust them absolutely completely, and besides, you can’t vote by poll pad.
Carris Kocher of Concord said the Election Return Board is required to review ballots but does not review the mail-in ballots.
Allen took the podium to rebut some of the statements. He said he stands by his claim that voting by the internet is a bad idea. Internet voting is not happening, however, he said. Allen said the county has done many recounts and no problems were found. He seemed to concede that the return board may not be reviewing mail-in ballots.
Prison Again Before Delco Council — Delaware County (Pa.) Council, Feb.21, approved a three-year contract with BSI Construction LLC for construction management services at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
The amount is not to exceed $1,265,000.
Prison maintenance was an issue at the Feb. 7 council meeting. A large contingent of prison personnel — many in uniform — said there were thousands of OSHA violations at the facility. They described a jail where locks didn’t work and prisoners was tasked to fix them. Did they? Apparently not. They did use the materials they were given to make shivs, though, council was told.
At this meeting, former corrections officer Christine Weiss of Glen Mills told council that she was forced to resign after she followed prescribed policy against the wishes of her superiors.
She wanted answers as to why this was allowed to happen. Ms. Weiss said that she emailed Councilman Kevin M. Madden, who chair’s the Jail Oversight Board, but did not get a response.
Kimberly Brown of Colwyn also spoke out about perceived attempts to silence her regarding prison matters. She said that Madden refused to read her email at the previous meeting of the Oversight Board which was held via Zoom due to snow. The reason for the refusal was because she did not include her exact address.
She noted that speakers at the council meeting are not required to state their exact address.
Ms. Brown played a recording of comments Madden made at the meeting. She said she was very mad at him because she had supported him in his election due to his promise of prison oversight.
She said she now thinks he is “protecting certain people at the prison.”
Madden said he doesn’t respond to queries about personnel matters and that those commenting before the Jail Oversight Board are required to give their full address.
Register Of Wills Pick Gets Delco Council Blasted — Delaware County (Pa) Council was blasted, last night, Feb. 21, for its Jan. 2 appointment of Vincent A. Rongione as Register of Wills.
Rongione was sworn in Jan. 26 for a term which will end December 2025.
He replaces Rachel Ezzell Berry who won election in November for judge on county Common Pleas Court.
Joy Schwartz, of Upper Darby, who ran for County Council in November, pointed out to council that Rongione copped a plea deal in 2015 for violations of the election code relating to his unsuccessful 2014 bid to represent the 163rd District in the State House.
Rongione did not live in the district despite claiming otherwise. He pleaded guilty to unlawful voting, and making false statements and signatures on nominating petitions.
Rongione became Upper Darby’s chief administrative office in 2020 but quit in January 2023 in the midst of a firestorm that occurred when the township treasurer told township council that the balance of some bank accounts were lower than they should have been. One of these housed the funds the township received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA.
No charges were filed this time but one can’t call the controversy a resume enhancer.
So why was Rongione picked?
Democrats do get rewarded for loyalty it seems regardless as to how that translates to good governance.
Wonder what Rongione thinks about all the election “conspiracy theories” relating to Delaware County.
Delco Council Concedes Problems With CYS; Stymied How To Solve Them — Delaware County (Pa) Council, last night, Feb. 21, in a break from its routine had a long back-and-forth with the citizens.
Possibly it was productive but we won’t hold our breaths.
The county’s Children and Youth Services department was the big topic.
Rael LaPenta of Upper Chichester questioned the hiring of CAI, a billion-dollar consulting firm, to review and draft new policies for CYS and to provide training.
Ms. LaPenta was among the parents who appeared before council two weeks ago to tell horror stories of taken children and lost jobs due to unfounded actions by CYS.
Last night, she pointed out that among the consultants CAI plans to unleash on Delco is Paula Griffin who will be among those tasked to conduct candidate searches, and complete screening and employment interviews for candidates.
Ms. Griffin directed Lehigh County’s Children and Youth Services until her retirement in October.
That was when a scandal broke alleging CYS was taking children from parents based on false claims of child abuse. The children were given to Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). They were put in extended, unsupervised emergency room stays. The families said the hospital would get state agencies to remove custody.
LVHN is being sued.
Ms. LaPenta also took issue with the council’s standard statement that the members are available for questions via email. She said that she had contacted them all without hearing back.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther, in a break from protocol, interrupted Ms. LaPenta. She had been in contact — it was in a phone call, Feb. 20 — and Ms. Griffin was among the issues discussed.
She said Ms.Griffin was the one from Lehigh County, but that the lawsuit doesn’t disqualify her and that she passed a background check.
It looks like she’s coming to Delco.
Ms. LaPenta conceded that they talked but noted that she had not heard from the others. She had been trying to reach all for some time.
In the second round of public comments, Ms. LaPenta said she did not mean to be antagonistic. She said, though, she followed the appropriate routes and her life remains in turmoil.
“What is the appropriate amount of time for a person who has lost her children to stop being upset,” she said.
She said that many in her group feared retaliation by CYS.
“It is your responsibility not just as council members but as human beings to act,” she said.
Ms. Reuther said that she believes a lot of what Ms. LaPenta told her.
She said CYS has been given “awesome powers” by the state, and that a bill has just passed the state senate which would give CYS agencies even more.
She agreed that a review of the department was necessary but that she was afraid to intervene in specific cases because she lacked expertise.
Ms. Reuther said there is local state agency at which complaints can be filed regarding CYS, albeit Ms. LaPenta had long been aware of it.
Council Chairwoman Dr. Monica Taylor said that Ms. LaPenta had not received responses because it had been assumed that Ms. Reuther was handling the matter.
Two months ago, we reviewedThe Dirty Secrets of Divorce or What Your Lawyer Won’t Tell You by Renee Mazer. The book details horror stories from Chester County concerning her divorce and her involvement with that county’s family courts process. She says collusion between judges, social workers and lawyers was shameless and profitable for them.
She lost access to her son for a very long time.
We suggest that Ms. Reuther not sell herself short. She has the power and expertise to resolve this. Start by considering the incidents where a parent lost lawful custody due to a claim of abuse solely on the word of an angry ex, as opposed to hospital workers or school officials.
Are there commonalities? The same judge? Same lawyers? Could there be money changing hands?
Further, Ms. Reuther can call in those running CYS. She can tell them to make things right with Ms. LaPenta, as well as with Ashley Green of Ridley Park and Sharon Poole of Glenn Mills, who had similar experiences.
She can give directions that special care be made when dealing with accusations involving exes.
It’s your time to shine, Christine. So there you are.
European interferences William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 2-22-24
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Answer to yesterday’s William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit quote puzzle: Peace and abstinence from European interferences are our objects, and so will continue while the present order of things in America remain uninterrupted.
Thomas Jefferson
The question of what would happen if either of the two leading Presidential Contenders left the race keeps coming up. This is due to Biden’s age and the continuing court dramas regarding Donald Trump.
My personal prediction is that neither of those candidates will be there in November. Of course, my prediction was that the Eagles would win the 2023 Super Bowl. This is an article covering the various possibilities: What if Biden or Trump suddenly leaves the 2024 race?
In the “another one bites the dust” section of the Political News, Marianne Williamson has left the Democratic race.
The 71- year old philosophized “I read a quote the other day that said sunsets are proof that endings can be beautiful, too,” the 71-year-old said. She had earlier said that the US “needed a season of repair”, but was unable to convince more than 4 percent of the Democratic voters that she was the person for the job.
In another report, she said “As of today, we are suspending our campaign. While the level of our failure is obvious to all, a level of success is real nonetheless.”
Not sure what that means either.
This lack of clarity may have been the story of her campaign or non-campaign.
Even as she was ending her campaign, she had a running battle with clarity
“As with every other aspect of my career over the last 40 years, I know how ideas float through the air forming ever new designs,” she said.
She finished with only 2 percent of the vote,
The only well-known Democratic candidate remaining is Dean Phillips, a Minnesota congressman, whose star may begin rising now, as it becomes clearer and clearer to the Democratic party that Jospeh Biden should not be running in 2024. This may also help RFK, Jr, notwithstanding whether he runs as a Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, etc.
Content with your failure William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit 2-20-24
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Answer to yesterday’s William Lawrence Sr Cryptowit quote puzzle: My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
Abraham Lincoln
Delco Defamation Defendants Want To Subpoena Stollsteimer
This is getting interesting.
Greg Stenstrom of Glen Mills and Leah Hoopes of Chadds Ford want to subpoena Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer in the defamation case against them in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, and plaintiff James Savage is fighting this.
Savage is the former Delaware County, Pa. Voting Machine Warehouse supervisor. He is accused by Stenstrom, Ms. Hoopes and others of being instrumental in rigging Delco’s votes against Trump in 2020 hence giving Pennsylvania’s electoral votes to Joe Biden.
Savage, represented by J. Conor Corcoran, is also suing President Donald J. Trump and Rudy Giuliani.
Why is Savage fighting the subpoena?
You would think it would only help him. Stollsteimer, after all, is a fellow Democrat who publicly declared that he investigated the claims and that they were unfounded.
Certainly makes one go hmmmm that Savage would be concerned about what a subpoena would reveal.
The defendants also want to subpoena former US Attorney for Eastern Pennsylvania William McSwain who said that he turned over all materials that they had presented to him to then Pennsylvania Attorney General (now Governor) Josh Shapiro on Nov. 9, 2020, as directed by then US Attorney General William Barr.
Shaprio did not investigate.
Shapiro denies receiving the material.
The defendants are asking that he get a subpoena too.
Ms. Hoopes and Stentrom also want a subpoena to compel Delaware County to disgorge all communications between its officials, solicitors and Savage with Factcheck.org, a partisan Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) affiliated with the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
The defendants, who are representing themselves, are making a truth defense. Truth is an absolute defense in all defamation lawsuits albeit for it to work they are going to have basically prove their claims.
Why is the case being heard in Philly when it concerns Delco?
Pennsylvania laws allows the plaintiffs to basically bring their case in the county of their choosing.
