This weekend, the political fliers were flying all over town. The one that confused me the most was the Begley and Thompson flier saying they are ‘fighting for positive change.’
While Kevin Begley has been on Council, here are some of the following things have happened:
• Housing values in Eddystone have dropped by more than 50%
• Increased Borough administrators’ pays, in some cases, by more than 10%.
• No increase in recreational activities for our children
• Ignored the voice of over 400 residents who signed a petition asking for industry to be regulated. No change in Borough Code resulted from residents’ request to be protected
• Overspending by millions; money borrowed for development when there is no current source for funding, which almost guarantees a tax increase for residents
• Exclusionary leadership practices-‘firing’ volunteers and leaving seats on Boards vacant. The Recreation Board has had a vacant seat for more than two years, even though there have been willing volunteers to serve
• Invitation only rallies-what were once community building gatherings have become exclusive events for a small group of people
I can see why these candidates would want to preach change. However, Begley has been part of the problem for the last six years. All of the things listed above have happened while he has been on Council and in charge of Recreation. Although Thompson has only lived here for about a year, her allegiances demonstrate that she is ‘more of the same’ not change.
The ‘positive change’ reference is aimed to ride on the coattails of Dave Paterson and Matthew Stone, both members of Eddystone Residents for Positive Change. While they are candidates from differing political parties, Paterson and Stone have not allowed their political persuasion to get in the way of doing what is best for Eddystone.
The positive change effort made by the likes of Paterson and Stone came in direct response to the current Council’s complacent leadership. Paterson’s and Stone’s efforts continue to protect our community, position Eddystone for future growth, and serve as an example of how transformative and inclusive leadership does work. Consider what the ER4PC residents have accomplished, despite all of the roadblocks put in the way by Begley and his group:
• Stricter regulations from the DEP for heavy industry to keep residents safe
• Open dialogue with industrial executives, including representatives from Camden Iron, to further grow the partnerships between industry and residents
• Bipartisan support at the state level for positive growth potential in the Borough.
• Advocates of fiscal responsibility, they successfully challenged the potential for wasteful spending by the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority in 2010.
• Building collaborative partnerships with neighboring communities.
Some important decisions will be made at the polls on Tuesday. In such a small community, all of the candidates are our neighbors, so voting for or against any of them can be difficult. While those neighborly experiences may make it tough to vote against any one candidate, losing $50K or more on your home investment might make it hard to support them, too. The polls are the only real way that change can happen in Eddystone, so Tuesday is an important day.
Actions speak louder than Election Day promises. One set of candidates stands for the status quo thinking where residents are ignored, tax money is spent irresponsibly, alternative thinking is silenced, and a plummeting housing market exists. On the other hand, only Paterson and Stone stand for positive change because they are the only two candidates who have actually stood up and made changes for the better in our Borough.