Needed: Candidates Who Can’t Think for Themselves
POTTSTOWN, PA – Can you fog a mirror? Are you comfortable with having someone else making decisions for you – and using your good name – to push their own personal agendas? If so, then Tom Hylton WANTS YOU!
To help curb the atrocious voting decisions made by those “not necessarily the best and the brightest” Pottstown elected officials who can think for themselves (and aren’t afraid to throw dead weight off its various commissions), the Pottstown Citizen for Responsible Government is looking for a few good men and women (and make it snappy folks…he only has two weeks).
At this time of the year four years ago, Tom Hylton was busy funding and managing the election to unseat the five incumbent Pottstown School District school board members who challenged his expensive (and broken!) neighborhood schools system myth. And how did Hylton get his Neighborhood Schools Team elected to office? The tried and true tactic of fear and race baiting. And now Hylton is sweating to the oldies (and we don’t mean Pottstown voters) because he just can’t seem to find enough “critical thinking” Pottstown residents who will insightfully drink his Kool-Aid and believe his cherry-picked facts and figures on why Pottstown is going to hell in a handbasket (and why we need all those half-filled 40+ year old elementary school buildings).
On page A3 in today’s print edition of The Mercury, we find yet another finger-wagging paid advertisement…this time from the political expert…Mr. Karl Rove Junior:
As we discussed here earlier this week, Tuesday marks the first day that nominating petitions can be circulated for those seeking public office for the 2011 elections. And while we hate to admit it, we actually do agree with Hylton that Pottstown needs good decent folks to run for office – folks who can think for themselves and won’t give in to bullies who stomp their feet, hold their breath, kick and pinch, and verbally berate those who don’t agree with them.
We do have one question to ask Mr. Hylton though…what’s worse…bloggers on the Internet who do careful and thorough research to expose the media-ignored backdoor politicking that has stunted Pottstown’s growth over the past 35 years…or relentlessly malicious individuals who use others as tools for their own personal financial gain?
If you’re thinking of running for office, be smart. Visit the Montgomery County Voter Services website or call them at 610-278-3280 and ask for their help. They’ll be happy to provide you with unbiased information and point you in the right direction in helping you make the best decision that will benefit you and your community.
Go for it!
When Thomas Hylton writes:
“Pottstown needs good candidates more than any time in its history.”
We know that he means:
“Pottstown needs candidates who will do what I tell them to when I tell them to without ever questioning my inherent wisdom and infallibility.”
When Thomas Hylton writes:
“As a community, we are becoming poorer.”
We want to scream from the rooftops:
“Thanks to your failed ideas, Tom, and your fighting to protect and maintain the blight-ridden neighborhoods that those who came before you (and whom you destroyed with political histrionics) sought to lift up out of poverty.”
When Thomas Hylton writes:
“About 65 percent of our students come from low income families – triple the percentage of three decades ago.”
We can’t help but note:
“That was right about the time you, Tom Hylton, gave birth to this ludicrous idea that young upwardly mobile families would choose where to live based on the number of elementary schools per square foot instead of the quality of life in a town. After 30 years of failure, can we please try a new plan?”
When Thomas Hylton writes:
“The actions our officials take… will determine… whether we will fall into a downward spiral of steadily increasing taxes and declining property values.”
We are reminded that the former school board members Tom Hylton personally fought so hard to oust from office were desperately trying to rectify this very issue when he was busily attacking them for that very effort. There is no more effective way to improve property values in Pottstown and to expand the tax base than by improving the value of the houses in the center of town. But Tom Hylton personally killed that effort.
When Thomas Hylton writes:
“We need elected officials who can… gather the pertinent facts needed to make good decisions.”
We know from experience that he means:
“Elected officials who will listen only to the facts I choose to share with them and promise to view those facts only within the small pool of light that I choose to shed on them.”
When Thomas Hylton writes that elected officials often indulge in “policy by personality,” we want to remind him that he is the worst culprit when it comes to this practice. He seems to regard his own personality so superior that no intelligent human being would ever question him. If you fail to give your heart, mind, and soul completely over to Tom Hylton, then there must be something hateful and spiteful about you. There’s no other explanation.
When Tom Hylton writes that good people are afraid to get involved because of “relentless negativity and malicious personal attacks” we are reminded of Tom Hylton’s own tactics deployed against some of Pottstown’s smartest, most devoted citizens… people Tom Hylton destroyed for daring to have an idea different from Tom’s own.
And when Thomas Hylton writes that “Pottstown is not necessarily governed by its best and the brightest,” we finally find something with which we can agree. Heck, he need look no further than his own bathroom mirror to confirm that one.
Some googling brought up these two links in response to Mr Hylton’s comments that “The actions our elected officials take…will determine whether Pottstown CAN MAINTAIN AND PERHAPS INCREASE ITS QUALITY OF LIFE, or whether we will FALL INTO A DOWNWARD SPIRAL of steadily increasing taxes and declining property values. Facing these enormous challenges, we need elected officials who can SEE THE BIG PICTURE, ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND GATHER THE PERTINENT FACTS needed to make good decisions”:
http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2007/04/04/today%27s%20stories/18165969.txt
http://www.econsult.com/articles/030309_Pottstown_SD.pdf
silent2long,
that’s a long list of attributes required by our council members in making good decksions. Especially when you consider that some of them have the vocabulary of a 2nd grader, and maybe the FACT FINDING capability of a 5th grader, (or simple laziness is the limiting factor).
We need council members that have command of the English language, including how to structure a sentence, and a vocabulary that enables them to ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. The way that some of the council people struggle to find the right words, if they talk at all, is an embarassment to Pottstown.
Apparently you have been “UpSideDown” way too long! Your post is grossly unfair to the members of council. One cannot expect to agree with all the decisions that are made, but to classify all council members alike is just unfair. If you have a bone to pick with one, then take care of that bone instead of humiliating the entire group with your harsh words. Do you even know any of them on a personal level? One would doubt that you do or you would not be so judgmental of the entire group. They are looking for a candidate for Ward 2, maybe you should run and make it all better. Hylton might even like you for the school board as long as you agree with him and vote as you are directed to do so. In the mean time try to get “UpRight” and let the blood travel freely through your brain. Maybe your thought process will show some improvement. You also might consider using “spell check” when you choose to be so critical of others. Just saying………
Informus, I accept responsibility for the fact that my original comment was not as eloquent as it could have been. I stand by the content. It has never been my MO to cast an all inclusive net over any personal observation and indeed, I have not done so here. I referred to SOME of the council people, not all of the council people.
If you are a council person and you have arrived here, on your white steed, to defend the reputation of all council people, I have to wonder if you are completely at ease and comfortable with the level of discourse at council meetings? It is reasonable to expect that ideas and concepts can and should be freely expressed, bantered about in lively debate, (if necessary), and brought to a satisfying conclusion. Transparency is dependent on communication. What is the difference to you, or how does it impact this discussion that I might or might not know these council people on a personal level? The fact is that they sought and accepted a position of public responsibility. There is no defense that I can find for neglecting to hone their skills at public speaking and their ability to confidently deliver and defend their ideas, along with those of their constituents. Effective leadership calls on their capablities to ask logical and leading questions to expand their understanding of an issue and provide the same opportunity to us. The inability to express one’s thoughts and feelings is limiting in all aspects of life leaving others to wonder if you are adverse to talking openly and honestly when, in reality, it may be a symptom of the inablity to communicate effectively.
Your base comment that I would align myself with Hylton because you disapprove of my comment is…,shall I say, (to coin a new term), so very “BONNIE-ESQUE” of you. You are free to disagree with me but it’s a long stretch of the imagination to imply that I am or could become a crony of Mr. Hylton’s. Shall we chat, another time, about the meaing of dogma and how you define “judgemental”?
I heard thru the Ptown grapevine that Mr. Hylton is sending nasty and threatening letters to people running for office. Can’t you be arrested for making threats in the mail?
The person I heard this from is pretty legit and isn’t the type to make up stories.
If that’s true, then it flies in the face of his ad. He’s looking for insightful candidates, but is ‘secretly’ sending letters trying to scare people off.
It would be nice to post those letters online where all voters can read them – or better yet – send them out to voters in time for the primary elections.
What is this guys problem?? Why can’t he contribute to Ptown’s greater good instead of trying to use fear and intimidation to get his way?
UpSideDown, I extend an apology to you as you did not include all of council. My bad! Maybe we could sign up for a class together on Language/Comprehension skills! I am not a council person and I am not a Hlyton or “Bonnie-Esque” (nice new term, I like it) supporter by any means. I am guilty of not 100% attendance at the council meetings so I cannot speak on the discourse at the meetings although I have listen to some from time-to-time. I do strongly believe more people should attend the meetings so they actually know what is occurring in their borough! It is a shame voters do not spend the time to get to know the people they are voting for instead of just pushing a button which can be very costly to the borough and the taxpayers in the long run. Just for the record, I strongly agree that Mr. Wildrick should not have any or very limited involvement with PAID. He has done next to nothing for our business owners or Pottstown in general. He has been a huge disappointment. Hopefully, once PAID is up and running PDIDA will be a thing of the past.
Apology joyfully accepted, informus!!
I thought, from other posts of yours, that we were pretty much on the same page and we are. Communications are a tricky thing and I need to be more conscientious when posting. Sometimes the mind goes faster than the fingers, trying to keep up is a recipe for disaster.
The “format” of council meetings does not encourage dialogue between council and residents. The 3 minutes afforded is plenty of time to make a statement or a point or ask a question but more often than not there is no meaningful play of ideas or questions answered. The Ward meetings are a good idea, and in some ways perhaps more valuable for the opportunity they provide to engage in conversation with Jason and the council people who attend. I hope these will be ongoing and start up again soon. As an initiative, on Jason’s part, to involve people the boro could also arrive with the intention of getting residents feedback on plans and ideas that are coming before council. I found people to be more outspoken and comfortable at these informal meetings. And, after reading people’s thoughts on the invocation, (Code Blue), I have to agree that a moment of silence is much more respectful to ALL people and might just create a more welcoming atmosphere at council meetings.