Another Firefighter Speaks Out!!

We hope this gets to you. We as members of the Bensalem Township Fire Service have sat by and watched what is happening to the fire service in Bensalem at the hands of PSD Harran and members of the Fire Marshal's office. The false information coming out of the Fire Marshal's office since the dismissal of FM Scanlon is embarrassing to the fire service in Bensalem. We watched as our own fire department was lead down the wrong path so one of our members could get a paid position with the Fire Marshal's office. This position was not offered to anyone else or even advertised. When someone raised concerns about the location of the "fire school" in the township, they were told they were against the project. Instead of listening to the concerns, they called that fire chief a trouble maker. Now, we are stuck with a useless facility. Well, that is not completely true; we can do all the things there that we use to do in our local response area. When concerns were raised about the paid fire company, PSD Harran said the people raising the issues were against the paid fire service. That was not true. Some of the questions were regarding how we were going to pay for the service once the grant ran out. To this day, we still don't know the answers! Despite the council of Bensalem (see the budget hearing council meeting video) and the fire service repeatedly asking how this was to be paid for, PSD Harran has offered no plan. When members of the fire service went to the Mayor about their concerns he referred us to PSD Harran. At a meeting at the end of 2010, PSD Harran was supposed to address all of our concerns regarding issues with the fire service in Bensalem and provide us with a copy of the SAFER grant that the township was awarded. PSD Harran refused to give us a copy of the SAFER grant or discuss it with us. PSD Harran refused to explain a funding plan for the paid fire service. PSD Harran told us to wait until the December 6^th, council meeting and we would find out. We waited…at that meeting NONE OF OUR ISSUES WERE MENTIONED OR ADDRESSED. When PSD Harran and his group from the Fire Marshal's office began harassing station 37 we thought it was strange. But because it didn't involve us, we did nothing. Even though we knew it was wrong. One of our past chief's told us we should be ashamed of ourselves. He told us that sooner or later it would be our turn. Sure enough it is our turn. Our former chief was given a township job after supporting PSD Harran and his group. Now, we are in debt like we never were before and were sold down the drain by our former chief. Instead of dispatching the closest fire companies to calls in our area, we dispatched the "politically favored" company. When the Mayor was advised of this, he referred us to PSD Harran who said he would look into it. The practice continues today! Station 37 stood alone, now we are paying the price for not supporting them.

By the way, we have learned that there WAS NO EVIDENCE that Chief Troisi refused to give water to E-222. In fact, E-37 immediately gave water to E-222 when it arrived at the fire on State road. The police investigation found nothing. They trashed Station 37's reputation in the media. Now that it was found out to be false. We have seen nothing in the media from PSD Harran stating that his police investigation found nothing. They have threatened the Chief of station 37 with arrest, repeatedly harassed them after they were awarded a grant for a new marine unit (which will cost the township nothing). Provided false and damaging information about them and threatened their members. SOONER OR LATER WE AS THE FIRE SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC NEED TO CONTACT STATION 37 AND SUPPORT THEM. The Mayor should be embarrassed that he has permitted this to go on so long. Shame on you for turning your back on dedicated firefighters while supporting a program that has been dishonest, deceitful and corrupt from the beginning.

From a Concerned Citizen In Linconia

I found this on the Patch, and had to share:

"We on Independence Ct can verify to the arrogance of the council by placing themselves above the common folk. The Mayor also gets credit here too for lying to people early on in a process whereby a 2 acre parcel of land was purchased by Bensalem's own Director of Public Works, James Ryan. Three zoning changes later along with numerous variances passed enabled the building of 16 townhomes on a two acre site. The standing zoning calls for no more than 4 townhomes per acre. This building project has been going on for over 2 1/2 years and only recently did they finally put roofs and shingles on. The ties to this project ran deep in township government. For me, Pilieri and Szafran need to go. I agree that the other two guys voted just for the purpose of coming up roses on Election Day. They need to go also. Years ago, a friend of mine in the Bensalem Post Office confessed he heard the Mayor make a statement that he would build on every open piece of property in the township where possible. It seems that statement is all too accurate."

All of a Sudden, I am VERY Afraid!!!!

Be Sure YOUR Sin Will Find YOU Out!!

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/05/16/bensalem-school-board-member-facing-drug-charges/

I first learned of this last week, but I guess CBS 3 beat me to it. I wonder if they would like to know more of the Corruption in this town??

Some interesting information for the voters

After watching the Council meeting on Monday, we thought the people in the audience, as well as this town, might want a little more information.

If anyone remembers…when Walmart was moving into the township they were told they needed to give the township $1,000,000.00 towards open space. Did they use that money to purchase, improve and protect the land now in dispute in the Linconia section of the township? Of course not, they purchased the land behind the Mayor's house and a member (and Mayor's realtor) of the Zone Board for open space.

What about the $5,000,000.00 the township spent on the state owned intersection of Galloway and Mechanicsville Roads. When they spent it, the Council told us we would get the money back from the state. I guess someone forgot to tell the state.

Where is the $10,000,000.00 plus a year we get from the race track going? At the end of last year, the township reported a $6,500,000.00 deficit. They laid off the fire marshal (still a mystery), the head of public relations, the head of the domestic violence program in the police department and two union workers. They must have made a lot of money if the council thinks that will close the budget gap!

The members of the fire service not employed by the township expressed concerns about the location and capabilities of the training center located on Street road between the turnpike and Route 1. Now we have a facility that cost OVER $5,000,000.00 that has limited capabilities requiring our firefighters to go outside the township facilities for live fire training. This does not include the SAFER grant the township received for the paid firefighters which the township REFUSES to show the firefighters of the township. Now we hear that the grant contains inflated and inaccurate (that is putting it politely) information. The township also paid for a survey of the fire companies in Bensalem. Now they refuse to share the information with the fire companies.

We are learning that the police department is being used to harass political opponents of the current administration while covering for friends of the current administration. This includes the refusal to investigate the theft of political signs of the opponents of the current administration (see the Bucks County Courier Times article where former Public Safety Director Steve Moran states;" the police have more important things to do then investigate the theft of political signs"), then in 2009 Fred Harran arrests an opponent of the current administration for putting a sticker on a political sign.

Mary Jeffery, Democrat running for Council, and past candidate for Mayor of Bensalem with over 40% of the vote has said concerning this, "It's apparent that the current Republican Party doesn't actually believe in all of their community slogans like No Place for Hate, 100 Best Communities for Kids, and No Bullying. I hope these criminals didn't let their children know what they did, and the community should be ashamed. There are fine folks registered Republican living in Bensalem and I know that most of them have no idea how vicious, and now even criminal their local Republican Party is. All the Republican officials and candidates deny any knowledge of who committed this crime, yet not one of them has shown any real public outrage. My guess is that any Republican public outrage would be taken for what it is; phony."

Mrs. Jeffery went on to say that "the Bensalem Republicans are fond of scaring voters into voting Republican by indicating that the Democrats will run the township like Philadelphia. I think it would be fairer to say that the local Republicans are running the township like Bush is running the country."

All I can say, is this:

If you don't condemn the bullies in Benaslem, you support them.

VOTE TO RESTORE HONOR AND INTEGRITY TO BENSALEM!

One Very Brave Pastor

http://bensalem.patch.com/articles/council-oks-175-unit-townhome-development?ncid=M255

I want to applaud those at the recent council meeting, who bravely stood up to the corrupt members of council, and let them know that they are on thin ice with them. I especially want to thank Pastor Gregory Holston of St. Matthew United Methodist Church on Somerton Road, who made it very clear with this statement:

"(They) are galvanized more than they have ever been galvanized before," he said. "Their community is going to stand together…even if you vote for this development, it is not going to be an end."

"It's not going to be just this year, they are going to remember every year," he added. "So all of you guys are going to come up for election at some point."

Trust me, ALL 5 of you are on your way out, and it starts with the two "fakers" who made the fake token votes to make themselves look good. I am very certain that the residents would be interested in seeing your true colors, especially when it comes to how you have been dishonest to the volunteer fire department.

Introducing: Linconia-Gate!!

http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/bensalem/video-bensalem-residents-protest-townhouse-plan/article_fd5803b0-7b34-11e0-8fae-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=story

I watched this last night, and wasn't really shocked at how it went. Even though Kisselback and Knowles voted "against" it, it was only for show to get elected again, but I have news for you two: IT WON'T WORK!!! I am going to expose you two for the RATS you truly are!! As for Bellfield, Pilleri, and "Rude Boy" Szafran: Its just like the Pastor of Linconia Tabernacle Christian Center said that this was not just a political issue, but a moral one. This is absolutely reprehensible, and its all to shove out the people of this community. Just as Linconia is going to remember all of you on Election Day, I am going to make sure the rest of Bensalem knows the real persons you all truly are. I am sure the whole of this town knows, that you sold this community out, but I bet they will be very interested to know that ALL FIVE OF YOU violated your own township ordinances, in establishing the paid Fire Department, and have done NOTHING to defend or assist the volunteers with their concerns over Harran, Ponticelli and their evil.

Starting this November, all council members better get used to hearing the words made famous by Donald Trump............................



YOU'RE FIRED!!

A Small Suggestion to the Dems and the Volunteer Firefighters...........

IF I were you guys, I would get my butt to this council meeting, and during Public Comment (#11) I would DEMAND to know why Harran refuses to give the Volunteer Firefighters ANY answers concerning the Safers Grant, the Five Million Dollar disaster along Street Road for a training center, the shady way in which the paid fire service was started, and why there is an "investigation" of an honorable Battalion Chief, over something that NEVER happened.

http://bensalemtwp.org/newscouncil.html

OR DOES THE COUNCIL HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE TOO???