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.
Sports Complex Gets Tax Exemption From Delco — Delaware County Council, last night, June 7, unanimously passed a resolution giving the Philadelphia Union soccer team a county property tax exemption for a 31-acre property it is developing next to Subaru Park in Chester.
The for-profit complex will include athletic fields and a structure. Youth leagues are expected to be among its customers especially for tournaments. The fields should be ready by the fall and the building in about a year.
The area will include a river walk which is presumably open to the public.
Council also unanimously amended the administrative code to remove the requirement that employees of Delaware County Conservation District be exempted from the county’s residency requirement.
Controller Joanne Philips objected to the change noting that waivers were already available if necessary.
Ms. Phillips was later cited by Council for her office having received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finances Association for the United States and Canada.
Council announced that summer concert series is starting and that there will be a Juneteenth celebration, June 19, at Rose Tree Park featuring music and food. The food truck will be set up at 4 p.m.
Also it was announced that $1 million in loans was available at 2 percent interest for brownfields cleanup.
Also it was announced that applications for Delco Greenway Grants are being accepted. The program has created 13 miles of walking trails for the county along with 240 acres of open space.
A contract was approved, 4-0, between the Department of Human Services and the Child Guidance Resource Centers for the next fiscal year. Councilwoman Christine Reuther had to recuse her self.
There were 29 agenda items approved unanimously including a six-year $4,273,401.98 contract with Thomas Reuters Court Management Solutions for moving the Civil Case Management System to the Microsoft Azure cloud, upgrading the the Civil Case Management System; and moving the Family Law section to electronic filings.
Also the county will be buying four Scotsman ice machines for Fair Acres for $30,301.08.
Pride Flag Raising Criticism Outrages Delco Councilwoman –Criticism of the raising of the “pride flag” on a pole at the Delaware County (Pa.) Courthouse brought an intense reaction from Councilwoman Christine Reuther almost to the point of a rant at tonight’s (June 7) County Council meeting
Or maybe it was the continued concerns expressed about the integrity of elections in the county that set her off.
Joy Schwartz, who is a Republican candidate for County Council in November, said the only flags that should be displayed at the courthouse are those that unify and are without controversy. She cited the state flag and Old Glory as examples.
But she said that since the Council seems to want to fly a flag for everyone she offered them a Revolutionary War “Appeal To Heaven” flag.
Mrs. Schwartz said the pride flag symbolizes wokeness.
Wokeness is an intense, unmeasurable faith that holds America is inherently unjust hence injustice is warranted against those who feel otherwise.
Mrs. Schwartz said wokeness is a religion.
Scott Thomas of Marple asked the council to dedicate the entire month of Juneto theSacred Heart of Jesus as is traditionally done.
Thomas, who is the judge of elections for his precinct, praised the county and election workers for the training it provided and said their diligence helped in-person voting run smoothly during the May 16 primary.
He echoed the concern of others, however, regarding mail-in ballots. He said observers saw only about 8,000 mail in ballots being counted at the centralized county center while 25,000 were actually tabulated.
Joann Stump of Newtown Square noted that 70 percent of Americans now have doubts about the integrity of our elections. She called out the county on several issues. She said mail-in ballots are printed out of state and shipped to Philadelphia rather than directly to the voter requesting one. She pointed out that Delaware County has half the ballot drop-boxes in the state — yes, more than Philadelphia and Allegheny counties combined — and they are inadequately watched. She noted that the county is strangely fighting several right to know requests regarding election documents. She said that the electronic poll pads that the county is preparing to replace its well-tested and effective ink-and-paper voter lists are internet connectable.
When it came time for council to speak, Ms. Reuther seemed to imply she would ban dissenters from meetings if it wasn’t for state law. She said she wished woke culture was a religion. She said that if it was it would have just as much protection as the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Quick question, does this mean the Sacred Heart of Jesus gets the month, now?
Anyway, Ms. Reuther lashed out at the election integrity people accusing them of causing the doubts.
How Christine? By filing right-to-know requests that the county fights?
Ms. Reuther insisted that the looming poll pads will not be internet accessible. Maybe she’s right about the poll pads. We hope so.
Councilwomen Monica Taylor and Elaine Paul Schaefer, and Councilman Kevin Madden also defended the pride flag raising.
Also speaking in public comments were Michael Straw of Media who said he was happy to see the pride flag was raised; and an Upland woman who said she never received a $2,500 bonus she was due upon her retirement after 35 years with the county Children and Youth Services.
The woman said the county told her she wasn’t entitled to it because of the timing of the signing of the contract.
She said that was wrong.
She said she may never get money but she wanted council to know she was disgusted
Madden, to his credit, offered to talk to her afterwards. She said outside that he did and that they will meet next week.
Beats the pride flag
Pride Flag Raising Criticism Outrages Delco Councilwoman –Criticism of the raising of the “pride flag” on a flagpole at the
Mancini Wants Summary Judgement In Delco Election Right To Know Case –Robert Mancini of Media has requested a summary judgement regarding a right-to-know case heard May 24 before Delaware County (Pa) Common Pleas Court Judge Spiros Angelos.
Mancini wants a written admission from the county that the “trusted build validation records” for the county’s Hart Intercivic used in the November 2022 election do not exist. He also wants attorneys’ fees, a civil penalty and other sanctions as assessed by the court.
The hearing was held to determine whether Delco has to give certain elections records sought by Mancini as per right-to-know requests filed last year.
The county initially refused.
So, Mancini appealed to Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records which ruled in his favor.
While the county reluctantly conceded four cases after arbitration, they appealed four others to Common Pleas Court.
Delco just does not want to give the public a numerical list of voters in a Marple precinct; records associated with election machines; a list of applications for mail-in ballots; and other ballot records such as what was discussed with Fort Orange Press of Albany, N.Y., which prints the county’s election ballots.
Why are Delco’s ballots being printed in New York, anyway?
But leave that aside.
The May 24 hearing was to consolidate the cases.
A dispute arose in which Mancini said the County never created the records that he was seeking.
So County Director of Elections Jim Allen took the stand.
Mancini says the county never verified the “trusted build” of the software which is something is required by the state when software is installed or upgraded on voting machines.
Allen said it was something not required for the November 2022 election.
Mancini citing the Elections Assistance Commission says it was.
And that’s where we leave it.
I actually feel a little sympathy for Allen.
Like myself, he’s not a tech guy and our voting system has become pointlessly complicated.
I saw this as a “machine operator” for my precinct during the May 16 Primary.
My precinct didn’t have any serious issues — albeit there was a power outage –and I’m confident the votes were tallied accurately. I don’t trust those machines, however. Not because I thought they were rigged but rather rickety and overly complex. During set up and take down, I saw way too many possibilities for things causing major delays.
The ones assigned to us even had parts missing. Obviously nothing too serious but the lifespan on these expensive devices cannot be long. What if they fail in the middle of the day? It would likely be an hour delay. Yes, voters would be disenfranchised.
With the analog lever machines used two decades ago, winners were almost always quickly determined, and while that was the case in this low-turnout race, the last few cycles saw the norm as otherwise.
We hear Delco Council is going to vote June 7 to replace the tested and highly efficient ink and paper voter lists with electronic pads.
Why? Because they are neat and new? I suspect it’s because we have highly miseducated and rather stupid people running things.
Sorry to be mean but if humanity hopes to survive it better begin considering digital ancillary to analog. This ZeroHedge story foretells our future if we continue to let those like our present leaders stay in office.
And whenever I want to give Allen et al the benefit of the doubt regarding election integrity, they pull a mind-numbed stunt that quashes whatever benefit I was prepared to give.
Hey Jim, why not just give Mancini what he wants? Your argument is that he has to use a process under the Election Code rather than the Right to Know Law. Why not put the principle of public transparency over kommissar-functionarism?
You have any idea how many people in this county think we no longer live in a democracy?
Transparency is the only answer.
Which gets us to yesterday’s story. Delco’s functionaries fought, in violation of state law, to keep candidates and other citizens from seeing mail-in ballot envelopes.
Why? Because our wee wee is bigger? That actually would be the innocent explanation.
So after threats and a Commonwealth Court filing, Delco, again grudgingly, agreed to let The People see the envelopes but with a lot of pointless rules like no photographing.
The People said no, and Delco conceded allowing the photographing.
Then we learn that the county is taping over signatures, which very well may be spoliation of evidence.
“A public record, is a public record, including the electors signature, which is clearly the intent of Act 77, Section 1309, for the public to examine,” said Greg Stenstrom of Glen Mills, who is one of those seeking access. “It is not up to you, or the Delaware County Solicitors, or even Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth to bureaucratically decide what part of the public record you will allow us to see.”
Stenstrom noted that there are multiple ways to redact signatures from photographic images if that should become a requirement.
It’s disconcerting, though, that Delco election officials really don’t want anyone to see if the envelopes are signed.
And on an unrelated matter, we’d like to congratulate Robert Mancini’s daughter El, a student at La Salle, who finished first in the women’ts 10K at the NCAA East Preliminaries. She will advance to the nationals in Texas. Her time was 33:13.35.
Mancini Wants Summary Judgement In Delco Election Right To Know Case
Councilwoman Implies Delco Didn’t Celebrate Transgenderism; Gets Called Out — Delaware County (Pa) Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther, implied a transgender celebration did not happen at the courthouse and got called out by the citizens.
Joann Stump of Newtown Square and Carris Kocher of Glen Mills both spoke out against the event at this evening’s, April 5, council meeting.
Mrs. Stump noted that on March 31 the county held a ceremony in which the courthouse was lit up in the colors of the transgender movement and transgender flags were displayed.
She, rightfully, pointed out that this movement is a hateful attack on children and that encouraging children not to talk to parents is a technique used by pedophiles.
Mrs. Kocher, who also noted that Delco’s council is the legislative body most opposed to transparency she has ever seen, said that what was once thought to be the most egregious crimes against children are now celebrated. She quoted Patrick Henry and said that a virtuous people will be blessed but a people that rejects virtue will be cursed.
In Council remarks, Ms. Reuther disingenuously claimed a transgender flag was never flown from a flag pole and said she doesn’t want the Bible dictating her health care.
Christine, if you ever want to become a man that is your business but this twisted concept should never be suggested to children. For what it’s worth, encouraging self-mutilation and self-hate for anyone is as bad as encouraging suicide.
Would you yell “jump” to someone standing on a ledge?
After the meeting, Mrs. Kocher confronted her and she confessed that Max Bennet’s story in the Media Patch was correct. The courthouse was lit in pink and blue, and small transgender flags were displayed.
Other Speakers
Also speaking were Scott Thomas of Broomall who thanked county Director of Elections Jim Allen for having a public hashtag testing event; and Elizabeth of Ridley who said the county’s Children and Youth Services is not providing adequate help for children and caregivers and is ignoring complaints, as does council.
Department Updates
In other matters County Controller Joanne Phillips updated Council about her department saying that the number of county employees have increased dramatically. She also said county audits are now available free online. Ms. Phillips also said the county now lists unclaimed property on its website before it is sent to the state the property may be claimed by filling this form. She said Delco has returned $46,618 so far.
Also speaking was Health Director Melissa Lyon, who noted her department had just celebrated its first birthday.
A presentation was made for National Library Week. All were encouraged to get library cards which could be either obtained from one’s local library or online.
Why Fight Open Records Appeal?
Solicitor William Martin said the county received more than 500 open record requests last year and requests this year are on about the same pace. He said the county has the right to refuse certain requests and the the one whose request is refused has the right to appeal. He says if the request is granted upon appeal, the “disappointed party” may appeal that to Common Pleas Court, which is what the county is doing to a request it denied but was granted upon appeal.
Delco Extends Pact With Fort Orange Press For Mail Ballots — Delaware County Council, March 15, approved by consent 38 items including a contract extension with Fort Orange Press of Albany, N.Y., for the printing and mailing of mail-in and absentee ballots for elections during 2023 not exceed $150,000.
Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby objected to the pact during public comments.
“This was the same company that printed ballots last year, some of which were deemed highly suspicious by one of the foremost forensic document analysts in the world during a hand count back in January,” she said.
She noted it wouldn’t be hard to find a local printer, which in fact had been required by ordinance until the county changed the law last summer.
“(Fort Orange) is this company that prints ballots but does not mail them directly to the requester,” she said. “It delievers them from Albany to Philadelphia, across state lines, by who knows who, before they are mailed out to voters.”
She wondered why they didn’t mail them directly from New York, which is a pretty good point.
The system being used hides the final delivery location and allows the opportunity for massive ballot harvesting.
“If we are outsourcing printing of mail-in ballots, why does the Bureau of Elections in Chester need its own huge, expensive Pitney Bowes MEGA printer at the Wharf?” she asked.
She also pointed out that a right-to-know request had been filed regarding Fort Orange Press which the county denied and continues to deny despite the request being upheld in binding arbitration by state adjudicators.
Robert Mancini, of Media, who filed the request brought the issue up in the second round of public comments.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther responded during public comments that the Secretary of State won’t let them release the records despite the arbitration decision and the county has filed a lawsuit to resolve the matter.
Seriously?
There is no innocent reason why these things should not be open to the public.
Other Election Contracts
The County by consent extended its contract with Phoenix Graphics to provide printing of election day ballots for 2023 in an amount not to exceed $116,063.4; and approved a three-year contract with Hughes Relocations Services for voting equipment services for an amount not to exceed $307,020.
Prisoner Program Approved
The County, with Ms. Reuther dissenting, approved proposed changes to the Inmate Health Care Services Contract provided by Wellpath to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility to include a “return to competency” program through December 2024. The cost will be $226,674 for the rest of this year and $457,157 for next.
Return to competency is for inmates with mental issues who would otherwise be sent to Norristown State Hospital.
Ms. Reuther objected to to the use of county general funds saying the state should pay.
Little Flower Park
Council approved the advertising for the construction of Little Flower Park in Darby Borough. The project had been approved by the previous council three years ago. Ms. Reuther blamed the delay on previous council not allocating sufficient funds. So what is the county funding shortfall now, Christine?
Homeless Death
In the second round of public comments, Mrs. Schwartz brought up the death by exposure of a homeless woman in Upper Darby earlier this year. She wondered why there were no beds available at the Breaking Bread Shelter which had recently been opened by the county to much fanfare. In Council comments, Chairwoman Dr. Monica Taylor said there had been beds available but the woman died in remote place not in the path of the teams sent to take homeless to shelter on nights with dangerous weather. She said that if all the beds are full on such nights, homeless are taken to a hotel.
More Comments
Scott Thomas of Broomall and Laura Lewis of Radnor expressed concerns about how the county handles elections. Ms. Lewis noted that audit in Allegheny County showed that tens of thousands of votes were counted twice. She also brought up investigations finding problems in Fulton County, Pa. and Maricopa County, Az. You would think Council would start taking these concerns seriously even if they are convinced their elections are working. There is no reason to have 24/7 outdoor dropboxes dubiously surveilled by solar powered cameras.
Also speaking was Kyle from Upper Darby who expressed anger that the county wouldn’t let him raise a transgender flag at an event. Councilman Richard R. Womack, Jr. said he had no problem with it. Ms. Taylor it was her fault there was a misunderstanding and that she will work with him.
Fair Acres Projects
By consent the County approved a contract for $53,480 with KCBA architects to design a Delaware County Health Department headquarters at Fair Acres Building 1; and a $59,550 contract with USA architects for evaluation services for the placement of the Medical Examiners Office and Delaware County Libraries at Fair Acres Building 7.
Appointments
H. Lynda Kugel was appointed to the Delaware County Workforce Development Board for a term ending Dec. 31; and Al Achert, Damien Warsavage and Nigel David were appointed to the SEPTA Citizens Advisory board for a term ending Feb. 28, 2025.
Other Matters
Ridley will get an $85,000 grant for demotion of a collapsed home at 1250 Mildred Ave.
The County gave final approval for an ordinance putting weight restrictions put weight restrictions on four county bridges. The Mulford Bridge on South Avenue over Muckinpattis Creek in Glenolden will have a weight limit of 13 tons except 24 ton combinations; The Michigan Avenue Bridge over Little Crum Creek in Ridley Township, 12 tons; The Worral Bridge on Paper Mill Road over Darby Creek in Newtown Township, 15 tons except 20 ton cominations; and the Bonemill Bridge on Station Road over Chester Creek in Thornbury Township, 3 tons.
Delco Extends Pact With Fort Orange Press For Mail Ballots
Women Demanding Zabel Quit — A demonstration to demand the resignation of Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Zabel (D-163) is scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 8.
Zabel stands accused of unceasingly groping lobbyist Andi Perez despite her pleas for him to stop. He followed her even after she moved away, she says.
Zabel in a letter last week acknowledge he has a “problem” (LOL) and will seek treatment (LOL) but refuses to step aside.
The 163rd District is the 3rd, 4th and 5th wards of Darby Township; the 3rd and 4th districts of Upper Darby Township, along with divisions, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11 of District 3, and divisions 4,6, 8 and 9 of district 5; and the borough of Aldan, Clifton Heights and Collingdale.
State Rep. Mike Zabel, Delco Council Chairwoman Monica Taylor, and Toastee
Internet Enabled Poll Pads Considered For Delco — Joy Schwartz, March 1, confronted Delaware County Council with its plan to replace the numbered list of voters, which is paper, with electronic poll pads.
The plan had been revealed earlier that day when a representative for KNOWiNK, an election technology firm, made a pitch to the Election Board.
Mrs. Schwartz, who has the Republican endorsement for this year’s county council race, noted that the poll pads are accessible to the internet and the software that runs them is proprietary.
She noted that the cost of elections has quadrupled over the last few years and things are far less efficient.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther responded during council comments that KNOWiNK is offering devices for free and electronic poll pads will soon be required by the state.
Everything offered for free by a for-profit company comes with a price, and proprietary software has no business in elections. Ms. Reuther pats herself on the back for helping de-privatize the county prison and now is just fine with privatizing our elections. Elections should never be privatized and proprietary software is unnecessary on election machines. It would be rather simple for our governments to hire contractors to write election software, which the public would own. We’ve known how to make computers tabulate since the 1940s.
Several other citizens brought up concerns about Delco elections including Kathy Buckley of Edgmont, who responded to an elderly man’s rant about election integrity activists and again described how, while a poll worker, was removed from the Wharf Counting Center the day after the 2022 primary election after she called attention to a unexpected bagful of ballots
Delco Finalizes Deal With Broomall’s Lake County Club; Howard Lazurus To Retire As Executive Director — Delaware County Council, last night, March 1, announced that an agreement has been finalized with Broomall’s Lake Country Club. The county will not rebuild the dam at the club at 3 State Road, Media; will purchase an easement from the club to conserve open space; and has a deal with it to allow for long term parking there.
Several citizens associated with Glen Providence Park just downstream from the club gave high praise to council.
Also Executive Director Howard S. Lazarus announced that he is retiring March 31. Lazarus held the position for two years.
Council Chairwoman Monica Taylor said the Orange Street parking project will be completed by March 2024 and there is still a lot of lead poisoning occurring in the county.
4 Bridges
Council held the first reading of an ordinance to put weight restrictions on four county bridges. The Mulford Bridge on South Avenue over Muckinpattis Creek in Glenolden will have a weight limit of 13 tons except 24 ton combinations; The Michigan Avenue Bridge over Little Crum Creek in Ridley Township, 12 tons; The Worral Bridge on Paper Mill Road over Darby Creek in Newtown Township, 15 tons except 20 ton cominations; and the Bonemill Bridge on Station Road over Chester Creek in Thornbury Township, 3 tons.
Tuberculosis
Council approved 25 items by consent including a contract with Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital to provide outpatient services for the treatment of tuberculosis for uninsured or under-insured clients; a contract with McCormick Taylor Inc. for construction inspection service for the replacement of County Bridge #94 on Manchester Road over Ridlge Creek for an amount not exceed $256,565.57; approval of $1,988,635 from the U.S. Department of Labor to support the development and administration of the Delaware County Prison-to-Community Workforce Development Initiative; and approval to enter into an agreement of sale with Briarcliffe Fire Co. for 767 Beech Ave., Darby Township for a county community resource center at price of $705,000.
Public Comments
During public comments Max Orenstein of Lansdowne congratulated the citizens who fought the Broomall’s Lake dam to save Glen Providence Park then asked council to redirect $45 million from building new juvenile prison to fund food for children. He said the federal government will be cutting funding for food for children.
Council appointed Larry Arata, Marjorie Lehigh, Dina Stonberg, Malcom Yates, Jacqueline Young, Dr. Kevin Caputo, Karen Barnes, Christine Rizzo, Dr. Philip Kim, Mark Lawson and Springfield Police Chief Joseph Daly to the Opioid Task Force with a term ending Feb. 29, 2024.
It appointed G. Alexander Cole to the Delaware County Authority with a term ending Jan. 1, 2024.
It appointed Elizabeth Derickson to the Delaware County Housing authority for a term ending Jan. 1, 2028.
It appointed Leona Torres to the Delaware County Redevelopment Authority to a term ending Oct. 31, 2024.
It appointed Frances Sheehan, Sean McIntosh and James Harper to the Economic Development Oversight Board with a term ending March 31, 2026; and reappointed Elaine Paul Schaefer to the Economic Development Oversight Board to a term ending March 31, 2024.
It appointed Paul Kahan, Twyla Simkins and Alan Derikson to the Heritage Commission with terms ending in September 2023, September 2024 and September 2025 respectively.
It appointed Barron Lacy (1st District) Trish McFarland (2nd District) Parker Snowe (5th District), Bridget O’Donnell (at large) and Kelly Johnson to the Delaware County Parks Board with terms ending March 2026; along with John McMullan to a term ending March 2025.
Delco Finalizes Deal With Broomall’s Lake County Club; Howard Lazurus To Retire As Executive Director
