Election Day 2023 In Swarthmore Pa
By Bob Small
So we –me and Paula my wife — spent Tuesday, Nov 7, at our polling place on Rutgers Avenue, in the Cades Building in Swarthmore, Pa. We were handing out information on behalf of two Republicans running for Borough Council. Did I really say Republicans? To paraphrase Admiral James Stockdale “Who am I and what am I doing here.?”
This started with there being a special election for Swarthmore Borough Council.
One of the candidates, Rob M. Jordan, had contacted me and I shared my years of expertise, such as it is, from involvement with Green Party Politics. Surprisingly, he followed my guidance, and both GOP Candidates made it on the ballot.
This was the first time in decades that there was a contested election for Swarthmore Borough Council! For some more perspective, see A Republican In Swarthmore.
So we spent the day and night, 8 to 8, asking people to “be part of history, vote in a Swarthmore Borough Council contested election.”
Usually, you could only vote for the Democrat. Or not. Are elections for the Beijing City Council like this?
At any rate, several Democrats engaged with me during the campaigning. They know us from attending almost every Borough Council Meeting –we even received a citation for this — and considered Green and harmless.
When one elected official, as part of his harangue, asked me why I would dare be doing this, I mentioned Swarthmore Council members who promised to vote against the Condo but ended up voting for it.
At least 80 percent of the public comment on this issue was against.
Also mentioned was Council’s inability to prevent PECO doing massive replacement of trees for their new and taller electrical poles..
Swarthmore has boasted about been a “tree city”.
Cell phone tower trees are not a replacement.
My candidates lost getting around 5 percent of the vote.
We consider it both a “new beginning” and a consciousness-raising”.
On Wednesday, I transitioned my voter registration from Green to Republican.
Election Day 2023 In Swarthmore Pa
Wow Bob! Congratulations on taking a fresh and unbiased look at Swarthmore future development and as a result taking real steps to make a real change. I salute you for flying high to see a big picture and for not just talking about issues but making hard decisions and taking unpopular actions. People like you and Paula show us the opportunity of bringing positive changes to our community and our lives. This is an important start of the honest and sincere conversation.
Bravo! Galina.