I was out accomplishing a great deal of things, including helping someone close to me with some serious medical issues, and when I got back home, this letter was at my doorstep. Apparently, the honorable first responders of this town are not only learning some glaring facts about those running this town, but seeing the depths of the corruption and sin within it. As I read this, this verse of Scripture is what went through my mind, and it truly saddened me for this town. I have a feeling that when you read this, you will be rather upset as well. If not, you are either extremely out of touch, or are very much part of the problem.
During our morning monthly get together for breakfast several new members of Bensalem emergency services joined us. They were curious about the history of Parks Casino and how long the township had been receiving revenue from it. They also wanted to know what promises were made to the emergency services and the public regarding the funds received.
1. The township started receiving funding in 2005 ($10,000,000.00 per year). This was changed in 2010 to $11,000,000; per year. Since that time, the township has received $116,000,000.00 in revenue from the casino. These funds were in addition to the township budget. Meaning, if the township already had a balanced budget as claimed by the Mayor and Council, these funds were additional funds on top of the balanced budget!
2. Initially, the Mayor and Council promised to give have the money to the school district to keep property taxes down. That NEVER happened.
3. Each real estate tax payer was receiving $300.00 from the casino money towards “home improvements” for their properties. That was reduced to $100.00. This is a tax increase as the money came from the Casino and was TAKEN by the township.
4. The township reserve fund was diminished to cover budget short falls from $72,000,000.00 to where it stands now at $48,000,000.00. This means our township government expended an additional $25,000,000.00 from the reserve fund JUST to balance an already bloated budget.
5. Now, the Mayor and Council say they need a 1% wage tax to raise an additional $9,000,000.00 to cover a $9,000,000.00 gap in the budget! What happened to managing the money? Where is all the extra revenue going?
6. The township received a SAFER grant in 2009 to fund paid personnel for a “combination” paid, volunteer fire company. THEN, the township created a seventh fire company in violation of Township Code and directly violating the statements made in their SAFER grant application. Almost immediately, the township took additional funds AWAY from the six volunteer fire companies to pay for the paid fire company!
Some additional “fun facts”
1. The township neglected the water and sewer authority for so long by placing political appointees into the water and sewer department that it was becoming completely non-functional. The township sold the water and sewer department. When the new owners took over, they did not even have accurate maps locating water and sewer lines in the township. Soon after the sale, the new owners (BCWSA) immediately had to raise rates to cover much needed repairs. The political employees that were required to be absorbed by the new owners quickly proved to be a big cause of the neglect and damage to the two systems.
2. To date, despite assurances by Council, the township has not recovered the $5,000,000.00 from the state to upgrade the intersection of Mechanicsville and Galloway Roads. This was done at local taxpayer expense so the Mayor did not have to wait to turn left to go to his new home. Interestingly, this was not a concern for the township UNTIL the Mayor moved to his new home.
3. Created a job for the Public Work’s Directors wife who happens to be a committee person in the L & I department when there was no need for the position.
4. Created a Public Relations job for another committee woman who happens to be a ‘close friend’ of the Mayor when we already had someone in that position. Than after a few years, they fired the qualified person for Public Relations and kept the unqualified close friend. This close friend is frequently seen operating a township vehicle during business hours shopping at local retail stores. At least we only observe her in the township shopping!
5. Created an additional position for the relative of another close personal friend /township employee in public works when none was needed.
6. Purchased a new engine and rescue trucks for the paid fire department instead of using the vehicles already in possession of the combination fire department. Also purchased equipment for these two vehicles for a total cost of over $600,000.00!
7. Continue to employee members of the volunteer fire companies as paid fireman in direction violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. When one of the current or former paid firefighters decides to sue, or the Federal government actually does something, this will cost the taxpayers in our township hundreds of thousands of dollars.
8. Increased tax for the rescue squad when than immediately reduced the number of available units provided by the rescue squad by 1/3!
9. Placed politically connected members of the police department in sworn officer assignments that could be staffed by civilian personnel resulting in more than $750,000.00 in police salaries. This does not including the cost of their take home township vehicles which they drive back and forth from home to the police station instead of their personal vehicles. They are also permitted to use these marked and unmarked vehicles for personal use. This includes members of the police commanders being videotaped drinking in bars and golf outings for hours then jumping into their township vehicles and driving away. When the Mayor was contacted about this, he refused to see the videos or talk with the person who took the videos. Instead, he had a township attorney contact the company who made the video and said that the person operating the township vehicle is given unrestricted use of the township vehicle!
These newer members were speechless to say the least! We told them this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Does anyone really believe the “we haven’t raised taxes” crap coming from the Mayor and Council? They were given over a hundred million dollars on top of their “balanced budget” and wasted even more than the bonus revenue from the casino they have received!
WORRIED YET?!!!
Let’s see what we he here, shall we?? First, we have politically connected individuals getting jobs that are nothing more than window dressing/patronage jobs, a PAID ONLY fire service that is CLEARLY violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, (See Section § 553.102 States the Following: Employment by the same public agency.
(a) Section 3(e)(4)(A)(ii) of the FLSA does not permit an individual to perform hours of volunteer service for a public agency when such hours involve the same type of services which the individual is employed to perform for the same public agency.) Worse yet, we have high ranking police officials, allegedly VIOLATING the law by drinking and driving in township issued vehicles!! I don’t know who is specifically doing this one, but let me make this perfectly clear: DUI (Driving Under the Influence) IS a FELONY, and for the township’s attorney to even state (if true) that this is acceptable, by saying that this person has ‘unrestricted use of the township vehicle’, is beyond appalling!! It’s bad enough that Bill ‘DUI’ McCauley committee this act, and got off scot free, but for someone who is supposed to ‘protect and serve’ the people of this town, doing something this illegal, and getting away with this, is absolutely DISGUSTING. Before anyone goes and says I know nothing of what I’m talking about, THINK AGAIN. Over the years, I’ve had personal experience/knowledge of this matter, and to know that there are first responders from ANY town doing this completely ticks me off!!
If I were you, Bensalem Democrats, I WOULD be worried. (BTW… Bensalem Democrats: I AM THROUGH DOING YOUR JOB FOR YOU!! Quit the excuses, get off your collective behinds and start ACTIVELY doing something about this!!) People of Bensalem, get your heads out of the sand, and start DOING SOMETHING!! Just remember…….
EVIL TRIUMPHS WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING!!!
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