DEBUNKING THE MYTHS AND LIES

WELL, IT’S ELECTION TIME AGAIN IN BENSALEM, AND THE MAILERS, AS WELL AS EVERY TYPE OF PROPAGANDA IS OUT IN FORCE!! I’M CERTAIN THAT YOU’VE GOTTEN THEM TOO, BUT DO YOU KNOW THE REAL TRUTH BEHIND THEM? HERE ARE SOME OF THE LATEST ‘TALKING POINTS’ THAT THE MAYOR HAS BEEN USING, AND THE REAL FACTS BEHIND THEM.

1 OF THE 50 BEST PLACES TO LIVE & 1 OF THE 100 BEST COMMUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE??

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT ONE YOUR MAJESTY?? MONEY MAGAZINE?? AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT’S NOT REALLY MONEY MAGAZINE. IF YOU READ THE WHOLE THING, IT IS FROM THE "BENSALEM MONEY MAGAZINE".

DID NOT RAISE TAXES FOR 23 YEARS!! YEAH RIGHT! HOW ABOUT THIS LITTLE FACTOID. WE HAPPEN TO BE THE ONLY TOWNSHIP IN THE AREA THAT RESIDENTS PAY FOR THEIR OWN TRASH PICKUP. IT COSTS THE RESIDENTS MORE THAN IF THERE WAS A CONTRACTED SERVICE THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP. HOW ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE COSTS FOR WATER AND SEWER ARE THE DIRECT RESULT OF A LONG-NEGLECTED WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM THAT HAD TO BE SOLD BECAUSE IT WAS IN SUCH BAD SHAPE. THE FUNDS FROM THE SALE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY DIMINISHED DUE TO THE CONSTANT OVER SPENDING BY THE LONG SITTING MAYOR. THE FUND STARTED OUT AT $72,000,000.00 AND IS NOW DOWN BELOW $42,000,000.00!

PUT MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET! WHERE? IN FACT, BENSALEM IS THE ONLY POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE MORE THAN 50% OF ITS SWORN OFFICERS ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO PATROL (THE STREET). WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE THESE INDOOR ONLY COPS?? THEY CAN BE PUT OUT ON PATROL, AND WHATEVER DUTIES THEY’RE DOING CAN BE DONE BY CIVILIANS AT A MUCH CHEAPER LABOR RATE! ALSO, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THEY ONLY SHOW UP AFTER A CRIME HAPPENS AND THEY DO NOTHING TO PREVENT IT??

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION!! THEY HAD TO GO BACK A GET NATIONAL ACCREDITATION AGAIN AFTER LOSING IT IN 1998! WHAT CAUSED IT TO GET TAKEN FROM YOU IN THE 1ST PLACE?? WELL, THIS WAS DUE TO THE MISHANDLING AND DISREGARD FOR POLICIES BY THE FORMER AND CURRENT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AT A COST OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO THE TAXPAYER. IN FACT, WHEN IT WAS LOST IN 1998 THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION WHEN CONFRONTED STATED IT DIDN'T MATTER! THEN WHY DID WE SPEND ALL THAT MONEY TO GET IT BACK?

ESTABLISHED A DAYTIME FIRE SERVICE?? DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH!! I REALLY BET THE PEOPLE OF THIS TOWN WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW SHERRIFF LOBO AND CREW LIED ON THE SAFER GRANT TO GET THE FUNDING FOR THIS. HOW ABOUT HOW YOU HELD ONTO THE GRANT $$ FOR THE 1ST YEAR, WHICH WOULD’VE PAID FOR THE FUNDING 100%, IN ITS 1ST YEAR!! THERE’S LOTS OF OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THIS PAID FIRE SERVICE, THAT WOULD SHOCK THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT IT IS IN VIOLATION OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT, AND THEY’VE BEEN POSTED ON HERE!

FIRE TRAINING CENTER?? WHAT A JOKE!! THEY WASTED $5,300,000.00 ON A TRAINING CENTER FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN CONDUCT LIVE FIRE TRAINING BURNS IN! THEY WERE SO IN A RUSH TO "BEAT THE COUNTY" THEY FORGOT TO INCLUDE HYDRANTS AT THE TRAINING CENTER! THIS WAS YET ANOTHER COST THAT WAS NOT PLANNED FOR! WITH A FULLY FUNCTIONAL COUNTY OWNED AND OPERATED TRAINING CENTER LESS THAN 10 MINUTES FROM OUR TOWNSHIP, THIS WAS A COMPLETE WASTE OF OUR FUNDS. DESPITE WHAT THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY SAID ON THE PROPAGANDA CHANNEL, THIS IS NOT A STATE OF THE ART TRAINING FACILITY. IN FACT, IN THE STATE AND NATIONAL FIRE SERVICE IT IS KNOWN AS THE "GREAT WHITE ELEPHANT AT THE END OF THE TURNPIKE".

INSTITUTED THE HOMEOWNERS ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM?? WHO ARE YOU KIDDING!! YOU WEREN’T EVEN GOING TO HAVE A HOME OWNERS REBATE, UNTIL BRYAN ALLEN STOOD UP AND CALLED YOU ALL OUT ON IT! THE HOMEOWNER’S REBATES GOING FROM $300 TO $100, AND NOW WHAT POSSIBLY NOTHING?? YOU SEE, WE WERE INITIALLY PROMISED $500.00 HOMEOWNER REBATES. BEFORE THE PROGRAM WAS EVEN STARTED IT WAS REDUCED TO $300.00. THEN IT WENT TO $100.00. IT AMAZES US THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE A VOTE FOR LESS THAN $500.00 AND CONTINUE TO SCREW OVER THE PEOPLE VOTING YOU IN!

UPPGRADED MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AND RE-PAVED OVER 116 MILES OF ROADS IN THE PAST 9 YEARS?? TELL THE TRUTH FOR ONCE YOUR MAJESTY! THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS MISHANDLED THE FUNDS RECEIVED BY PARX CASINO, SO THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAD TO FLOAT A BOND OF $60,000,000.00 TO FIX LONG NEGLECTED ROADS IN OUR TOWNSHIP. WHILE WE’RE AT IT, ALLOW ME TO ASK HIS MAJESTY THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO WORK WITH THE STATE TO TAKE THE INTERSECTION OF KNIGHTS ROAD AND STREET ROAD OUT OF THE TOP SPOT FOR MOST DANGEROUS INTERSECTION IN THE COUNTRY? WAIT, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY SAID IT IS NOT SO I GUESS WE SHOULD STOP WORRYING.

INITIALLY, HALF THE CASINO MONEY WAS TO GO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YET IT NEVER DID, RESULTING IN STEADILY INCREASING SCHOOL TAXES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE TOWNSHIP. WHEN CONFRONTED, THE MAYOR STATED HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. YET, IF YOU ARE NOT A REPUBLICAN, OR CONNECTED TO A POWERFUL REPUBLICAN EVEN IF YOU ARE THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE OPEN POSITION, YOU WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR A JOB AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT! WE ALL KNOW WHO CONTROLS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN BENSALEM!

THE CREATION OF THE DELAWARE RIVER WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT? YOU ARE CLAIMING CREDIT FOR WHAT? WHY DON'T YOU CREATE A BENSALEM SPACE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TOO? NOTHING HAPPENING THERE EITHER.

THE NODDING BOBBLE HEADS ON THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED TO SHOW THEIR FACE IN PUBLIC! WHENEVER CONFRONTED ABOUT ISSUES WITH THE TOWNSHIP, THEIR STANDARD RESPONSE IS; "THE MAYOR DOESN'T TELL US ANYTHING". THE SUDDEN NEED FOR THE E.I.T. WAS BEYOND PATHETIC. YOU SUDDENLY DISCOVERED A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT?!!! ALL THE POLITICAL PLAYERS REMAIN! WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY!

EXCUSE ME, BUT WHO APPOINTED DAWN DAVIS AS THE SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE MAYOR! WERE THERE NO OTHER QUALIFIED CANDIDATES CONSIDERED?

FINALLY, LET’S ALSO NOT FORGET GIVING OTHER PLUM JOBS, PERKS, AND POSITIONS TO THE POLITICALLY CONNECTED, AND THEIR FAMILIES. ONE OF WHICH INVOLVES A PERSON NOW ON TRIAL FOR THE MURRDER OF 4 INNOCENT YOUNG MEN.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE MAYOR CLAIMED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW DINARDO AND DID NOT APPOINT HIM TO THE TOWNSHIP DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADVISORY BOARD! EVEN ONE OF HIS OWN PEOPLE STATED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET ON A BOARD IN THE TOWNSHIP IS IF THE MAYOR APPOINTS YOU! EVEN WHEN CONFRONTED WITH HIS OBVIOUS LIE, THE MAYOR CONTINUED TO SAY HE DIDN'T APPOINT HIM!

AND HE’S THE BEST FOR BENSLAEM???