William Martin Retires As Delco Solicitor — William Martin, yesterday, Dec. 13, announced his retirement (1:49) as Delaware County, Pa. solicitor effective at the end of the month.
He took some cheap shots at election integrity activist in his farewell speech (1:50.50)
“One thing of which I have been proudest . . . is protecting the right to vote in Delaware County,” he said.
And passing a law weakening traditional minority influence on the Election Board? You are strongly fighting to keep it. How is that protecting the right to vote?
Solicitor William Martin, Dec. 13
Why aren’t you allowing specific precinct recounts as allowed by simple reading of the law? Why aren’t you allowing poll watchers to challenged ballots at the Wharf absentee ballot counting center as they would at any precinct?
By the way, the cite from the German philosopher Karl Jaspers was top-flight gaslighting . You think think skeptics and questioners are unreasonable?
Again, why did you fight right-to-know requests AFTER the state Office of Open Records ruled against you?
And are you going to collect a pension? How long did you work for Delco?
Delco Council Won’t Condemn Hamas — We heard that despite requests from citizens yesterday, Nov. 1, and on Oct. 31, Delaware County Council has refused to issue a proclamation condemning the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas on Israel during which 1,400 of its citizens were killed and unspeakable atrocities committed; nor would it issue a proclamation in support of Israel.
This would be understandable if it had a consistent policy of restraint in expressing opinions but this bunch has declared June to be a month to celebrate homosexuality and has lighted the courthouse in the colors of a movement to convince children they can change their sex.
And yes, we remember Councilwoman Christine Reuther smearing Joy Schwartz for several months as an anti-semite because Mrs. Schwartz called out the Soros money being funneled to Democrats.
Karma happens and now Joy, whose husband is Jewish, is running against her Nov. 7 on the Republican ticket.
And she has a chance at winning.
For what it’s worth Hamas must be destroyed and every decent person must be willing to declare it.
Delco Concedes Election Code Change Is Ambiguous In Hearing Before Judge Bradley — Judge James P. Bradley heard arguments this morning, Nov. 1, for a preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of changes to the election code passed by Delaware County Council, Jan. 18.
The Pennsylvania Election Code requires all county election boards to have a minority party member.
The law passed by the Democrat-controlled council requires the minority party to submit a list of three and allows them reject it if not satisfied with the choices restarting the process.
Attorney Wally Zimolong representing Delaware County GOP and GOP Chairman Frank Agovino, said that the state code says the county legislative body “shall” fill vacancies from a list provided by the chairman of the minority party leaving no ambiguity that the choice is the minority chairman’s.
The attorney representing the county argued that the request should be rejected as Agovino would no longer have standing if the Republicans should take control, Nov. 7.
Zimolong notes that Agovino has standing now which is all that matters and that the legality of the ordinance means it would be required to be addressed even if Agovino should become leader of the majority party.
Bradley asked the defense what would stop council from rejecting the minority lists in perpetuity or until they got someone who would be a true minority watchdog
The defense conceded that the law was ambiguous and maybe didn’t prevent that but council would never do that, well, because.
Judge Bradley did not promise a fast decision.
Democrat politicians and candidates have taken to smearing those concerned about election integrity as “election deniers” but the reason why so many have developed election skepticism is because of stunts like this.
Why change the election code to weaken minority oversight? Really, help us out. Give us an answer as to how that instill trust in government.
Monday, we attended a hearing before Judge John Capuzzi involving a suit by Robert Mancini of Media against Delco.
Mancini says the county is in violation of the state code because it fails to perform hash validation before each election.
The county argued that while it may be best practice to do so the county is only obliged to do so when installing new software.
If the county is right regarding the law, we expect the judge to rule in its favor.
But why isn’t it using best practices?
Mancini filed several right to know requests last year that the county rejected but that Mancini won on appeals to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.
Did the county concede things to put the issue to rest?
No, it appealed the appeal to Common Pleas Court.
Among the things that Mancini wants are the correspondence with Fort Orange Press of Albany, N.Y., which prints the county’s mail-in ballots.
Why the secrets?
Why isn’t Delaware County, Pa. making its elections as transparent as possible and doing everything it can to assuage all fears of fraud?
Man In Dress Mocks Delco Council For Pregnant Person Wokeness — Sam Smith of Chester put on a dress and make-up, tonight, Oct. 18, and told Delaware County (Pa.) Council that he wanted a doula.
A doula is a professional trained in childbirth who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor, or has recently given birth.
Sam was taking issue with agenda item 7L concerning hiring five doulas to provide support to 14 “pregnant persons.”
Yes, they used the phrase “pregnant persons” and that’s what Sam was calling out.
Good for him. The twisted souls who cook up phrases like this are vandals no different than a kid spraying painting crap on the wall of a business. Well, they are far, far, far more destructive of course.
And when those like on Delaware County Council, in a moment of weak-minded thoughtlessness, submit to them, mocking’s necessary.
Sam did a fine job.
See below for the video.
In other matters, Giselle Cosentino made a presentation on behalf of the Garrett Williamson Foundation in Newtown Square. The foundation is seeking $45,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to repair a 200-year-old barn damaged in a tornado in 2019 and to pay for the enrollment of 400 fourth graders from the William Penn School District in the foundation’s school to farm program.
The foundation is on a 250-acre tract on Bishop Hollow Road.
Council unanimously approved the grant.
Helen Kaplonski of the Child Guidance Resource Centers on Old West Chester Pike in Haverford Township sought $87,570 in ARPA money to replace copper window frames installed in 1963.
The grant was approved with Christine A. Reuther abstaining. Ms. Reuther sits on the organization’s board.
The board approved 28 agenda items including 7L and 7k which provided for the training of 18-20 doulas, which is a apparently going to be one per person. The county also want the doulas to be able to overcome language barriers..
Gotta look out for the “pregnant persons”.
Man In Dress Mocks Delco Council For Pregnant Person Wokeness
Council Candidate Calls Out Delco Virtue Signaling; Why Is County Supporting Transitioning Kids? — A camera crew came to Delaware County (Pa) Council’s Sept. 20 meeting which was kind of strange as there was nothing particularly controversial on the agenda.
Well, there was item 7A which was a resolution condemning all forms of hateful behavior based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability or religion.
But is that really controversial today?
Anyway, the weirdness increased when a crew member place their own microphone at the podium. The event was being recorded by the county but it seems this group wanted to make sure they got it for themselves.
Whatever could they have been expecting?
The first speaker was Joy Schwartz, a Republican who is running for County Council, Nov. 7.
Did they know she would speak? How could they?
And did they expect her to rant bile like, well, a Democrat?
“You are absolutely right to condemn racism and bigotry and I join you in condemnation of its various forms,” Joy began. “It is vile to divide people into artificial categories with different standards of privilege and treatment. That is the essence of bigotry.”
She said the county was doing just that. She noted that council happily provided a holiday and raised a flag for a trans-activist but rebuffed her request for the raising of the historic Appeal to Heaven flag.
“Is that fair treatment or is that bigotry?” she asked. “It is interesting that the resolution mentions religion last on its list of protected classes.”
She continued:
There is something else I am puzzled about. You need to define “hateful behavior.” Is that thought, word or deed? Is it on social media?
Joy Schwartz withe her former student Kenesha Gales at the Trainer Baconfest
Did Moses commit hateful behavior when he recorded the story of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Did St. Paul commit hateful behavior when he said that certain actions would prevent people from entering heaven?
Is calling out evil hateful behavior?
Is condemning the grooming of children hateful behavior?
Is acknowledgement of biological facts hateful behavior?
And what d0 you do when you observe hateful behavior? Will you go after the haters? Maybe ban them from making public comments?
And how would you gather examples of hateful behavior in order to do that? Would you be doing that through ZenCity AI software?
I also have a comment about Item 10V. The Rosetree Center for Healthy Sexuality. This LLC is encouraging gender transitions for minors and other practices that some would consider immoral.
Oh my goodness!! Did I say something hateful? Did I just commit hateful behavior? Am I going to be banned from public comments? Is this going to ruin my social credit score? I certainly hope not, because then I would have to say goodbye to the First Amendment and hello to the People’s Republic of Delco!”
If the plot with the extra mike was to make Joy look bad, it fizzled.
Council comments at the end of the meeting were strangely reasonable, even informative.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther discussed a Children and Youth Services caseworker’s five-page report for August.
“I’m not going to read the whole thing,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.
She said he was assigned 11 immediate response cases — which are the highest priority ones. Seven cases involved physical abuse of a child and came from hospitals or other mandated reporters. There was a case of a child fatality. There was a case involving the trafficking of a teenage immigrant from Honduras.
She also said there were three cases of children in high-risk-living conditions involving drugs and violence.
She said August is usually considered a slow month.
Coucilman Kevin M. Madden addressed a comment by Carris Kocher who said the way the American flag was displayed in violation of the flag code. Madden conceded that she was right, and that it be fixed.
A liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal being discussed for construction in Chester had been brought up in public comments by a city resident opposed to it.
This opposition makes as much sense as a Jed Clampett opposing an oil well. The world needs Pennsylvania’s natural gas and is willing to pay for it. Build the thing and make sure the people of Chester — and the rest of Delco — get their cut.
And no, Kevin, the people of Chester have not been subject to a history of “environmental racism.” When those polluting shipyards and factories were booming in the 1940s it was a mostly white city. And, don’t be so sure it’s going to stay majority Black. Check out the migration trends.
Are residents of Marcus Hook victims of “environmental racism?” How about those of Tinicum with all those low flying jetliners?
And in another matter Council approved acquiring by eminent domain three properties from unknown owners for the extension of the Chester Creek Trail. The acquisition would be a little more than a tenth of an acre.
Council Candidate Calls Out Delco Virtue Signaling
$778 Million Climate Bill Looming For Delco — Center for Climate Integrity says Delaware County, Pa. municipalities will have to spend $778 million by 2040 to address climate change.
The threat was made at the center’s July 25 virtual press conference and reported in the Aug. 4The Delaware County Weekly which is the county government’s news letter.
It was attended by Delaware County Council Chairwoman Monica Taylor, Clean Air Council Executive Director Joe Minott, Resilient Analytics Director Paul Chinowsky and Sharpsburg Mayor Brittany Rendo.
Ms. Taylor has completely signed onto the scam.
“The study’s findings on the economic impact of climate change on our communities in Pennsylvania are a wakeup call,” she said. “Climate change will affect all Pennsylvania communities, and some residents more than others. We cannot afford to ignore the consequences of inaction.”
If the climate crisis was real, Barack Obama would not be living in a seaside mansion in Martha’s Vineyard and have other mansions in Washington D.C. and Hawaii. Al Gore, the Clintons and the Kerrys would not have carbon footprints 100 or 200 or 300 times average.
Bruce Springsteen, however, would be performing concerts to protest the lack of nuclear power plants.
In the four years under Democrat control, Delco’s budget went from 40 pages to 421 pages, and county residents can expect a 35-percent permanent property tax hike if the Ds keep council this November.
Plaintiffs Accuse Delco Of Staging Evidence — The plaintiffs in the case regarding access to Delaware County election envelopes from the 2023 primary election are accusing Delaware County officials of “preparing and staging materials” in anticipation of the July 11 hearing before Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.
The plaintiffs are Republican County Council candidate Joy Schwartz; and election integrity activists Gregory Stenstrom, Leah Hoopes and Paul Rumley.
Defendants are Al Schmidt, acting secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Delaware County; Delaware County Park Police Department; Delaware County Director of Elections James Allen; and Delaware County Park Police Chief John S. Diehl.
Allen and Diehl are being sued in their personal capacities.
The plaintiffs say there is a 14,289 ballot disparity between what was observed being counted at the county’s Wharf Centralized Counting Center and the 24,289 recorded the night of the May 16 election.
A request to examine the ballot envelopes was initially fought by the county who then conceded to it just before an expected ruling by Commonwealth Court.
This June 2 examination was called off, however, when the county insisted on covering the envelope signatures, which are not just public record but the only way to determine if the envelope came from a legitimate voter.
The envelope signatures cannot reveal how a vote was cast and the names of those who vote are obviously and necessarily public information.
The plaintiffs again appealed to Commonwealth Court.
In their latest filing, they say:
The BOE has been active in the Wharf Centralized Counting Center setting up plastic barriers on the tables next to the envelope racks, and continuing to stage boxes with unknown contents in the secure storage room with closed door access immediately next to the expended, opened Mail In Ballot (MIB) racks.
Multiple people have access to the back office and side storage room. This room has two access doors to the back office where there are no cameras, and to the main counting room door next to the racks where they are storing expended MIB envelopes.
In 2020, Plaintiff Gregory Stenstrom was told by Delaware County, Clerk of Elections, Laureen Hagan that only she and James Allen had keys to the storage area where there are controlled election results that include primarily ballot bags from the precincts with cast ballots. Multiple people entering and exiting these areas without access control and sign in / out, is a problem by itself, as these are official election records.
On June 21st, 2023, Lauren Hagan, BOE (Bureau of Elections) IT (Information Technology) Director Robert Wright, and an unidentified male BOE employee, were observed entering the back storage room together (Camera 9) with a hand cart and placing brown cardboard boxes, that were on the floor behind stacked precinct ballot bags out of sight of the cameras, onto the cart. The boxes are somewhat heavy based on the effort they exerted lifting them and estimated to be about 20-30 pounds. They were placed on the cart and wheeled next to the door that opens next to the racks of expended MIB envelopes.
On June 23rd, 2023, Robert Wright supervised two BOE employees setting up large clear plastic barriers with a slot on the bottom, placing them on the 8’x4′ card tables set up next to the racks that are lined up along the windows with opaque plastic boxes with blue folding lids that contain expended MIB envelopes.
Also on June 23 , 2023, another unidentified male wheeled in another hand truck with two brown cardboard boxes sealed with red tape and a white shoe box into the room, transferring the boxes to the hand truck staged by the door that opens to the racks with the expended MIB envelopes, and the right rear corner of the main counting room.
The unidentified male returns to the hand car by the door with access to the MIB racks, after wheeling the hand cart he used to wheel the (new) boxes in the room and seems concerned with the logo and label and moves the white shoe box on top of the newly placed brown cardboard boxes.
In the videos of remarkable behavior to date, IT Director Robert Wright appears to be acting in a supervisory role, and is aware of the public access monitoring cameras.
The County BOE seem to be preparing and staging materials in anticipation of the July 11th, 2023, hearing at the Commonwealth Court and a subsequent order from the Court that Plaintiffs be granted their Act 77 rights to inspect the expended MIB envelopes for their declarations.
The entire filing sent is below:
The reason why two-thirds of this country are convinced that our elections have become untrustworthy is behavior like this. The good people in our government have to defend transparency and put an end to the strange games being played by officials in Delaware County and elsewhere.
There is no honest reason to hide those envelopes or their signatures.
Delco GOP Sues County Council Over Election Code Change; Will Their Testicles Drop After All? — The Delaware County (Pa) Republican Party is suing Democrat-controlled County Council over changes made to the Election Code, Jan. 18.
The lawsuit was announced May 21.
The new law allows the board to reject all members on a list of three names submitted by the Republicans for the seat and restart the process. Previously, they had to accept one of the names.
State law requires all counties except Philadelphia to have an election board with a minority member and that the minority member must come from a list submitted by the county chairman of the minority party.
The county law passed by the Democrats lets them reject names unceasingly until they get one that meets with their approval.
Good for the GOP for finally standing up even if it’s just for a little.
Now, how about giving Rob Mancini a hand with his right-to-know case? The Delco Republicans haven’t even made a public statement or issued a press release in support. You’d think it would be good politics to simply ask why the Democrats are fighting so hard to keep the people from seeing correspondence with Fort Orange Press of Albany, N.Y., which prints the county’s election ballots.
Frankly, it would be good politics to ask why Delco’s ballots are not being printed in Delaware County, much less out of state.
Again, it is good and necessary politics to call out strange and suspicious behavior by governments to whom you are the opposition.
All we’ve heard from the Republicans on these matters are crickets.
Also kudos to Bob Small for submitting a tip.
Delco GOP Sues County Council Over Election Code Change; Will Their Testicles Drop After All? — The Delaware County (Pa) Republican Party is suing Democrat-controlled County Council over changes made to the Election Code, Jan. 18.
Montco Threatens Delco With Homeless Invasion; What Will Christine Reuther Do? — Radio host extraordinaire Dom Giordano has a column in today’s, June 13, Delaware Valley Journal concerning a threat made by Norristown Council President Tom LePera to send the borough’s homeless to the Villanova University Campus.
Nova law professor and homeless advocate Stephanie Sena has been doing her best to keep Norristown, which has a poverty rate of 21 percent, from solving the problem.
LePera, a Democrat, noted that Villanova has lots of dorm rooms available with school being out for the summer.
Villanova is in Delaware County’s rich Radnor Township, the Main Line land of limousine liberals.
LePera has since somewhat walked back his statements so Christine Reuther might be able to refrain from ranting at Joy Schwartz about it during the next Delco Council meeting.
Montco Threatens Delco With Homeless Invasion; What Will Christine Reuther Do?
Renaming Binge Looms In Delco? — Delaware County (Pa) Council last night, June 7, voted 5-0 to change the administrative code concerning the process to rename county buildings and other property.
