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Do you think the Vale Rio would fit inside the Foundry?


Seriously.

The delivery boy is back

Wondering why Councilman Kirkner and his cronies felt such an urgent need to appoint the defeated John Messina to the Planning Commission?

For those with very short memories, I’ve reproduced below an excerpt from a November 2, 2005 article in The Phoenix, followed by an excerpt from the affidavit of PPG’s estimable facilitator John M. MacPhee.

Was the real purpose of the appointment to put Messina back in a position in which his fund-raising potential would be re-vitalized?


Half D’s funds from PPG
By BILL RETTEW JR.
11/02/2005

Employees of the steel site developer, Phoenix Property Group (PPG), made half of all campaign contributions received by the Phoenixville Democratic Party between June 7 and Oct. 24, according to campaign finance reports issued by the Chester County Voter Services.
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John Messina, Democratic Committee Chair, borough council member and chair of the borough planning commission, said that he saw no problem with the PPG contributions and said that he had solicited the builder to donate to local Democrats. “No, I sent out about 40 requests for contributions and that's what I got back,” said Messina.

John MacPhee, of PPG, said that a request was made and in turn Delta/PPG made the contributions.

“I don't believe it gives us favoritism,” said MacPhee.


Affidavit of John M. MacPhee, March 8, 2007

“This can get done. I will deliver.”–John Messina, January 2006, after discussions throughout November and December 2005, as quoted by John MacPhee in MacPhee’s affidavit.

How many sides in a Council President's mouth?

Council President Wagner is quoted in Friday's Phoenix as having been in favor of interviewing planning commission candidates before Council made an appointment.

Please, Mr. Wagner, if that is what you favor, why then did you vote for an appointment before the interviews?

All the Council Members who pretend to favor interviews first but voted anyway to appoint should answer the same question.

If this is the way that Council is going to treat the planning commission, why not just abolish the commission and have Council take over the planning task directly?

PS. What makes Mr. Messina think that a planning commission appointment can be rescinded by Council? Aren't members appointed for a term, not at Council's pleasure (whim)? Messina needs to resign, so Council can fill the vacancy.

For a musical tribute to Council, click here.

"Present" indeed

On the motion to appoint John Messina to the Planning Commission, Councilman Speck voted a decisive "present."

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a time of moral crisis, remain neutral.” -- Dante Alighieri

Semper fry.

Voters -- we don't need no stinking voters

It’s been just months since the North Ward voters wisely decided to dismiss their backroom-dealing secret-memo-writing budget-hiding council representative.

And now, comes Councilman Kirkner, accomplice in last year’s ‘let’s hide the budget till after the election’ fiasco, pressing to put John Messina back on the planning commission.

The prime accomplishment of Mr. Messina’s tenure on the planning commission is right in the middle of the Borough: the steel site wasteland. For years Messina and those who misguidedly followed his lead promoted the PPG/Delta charlatans in their so-called development efforts.

The steel site remains a disaster. There are millions of dollars in judgments against PPG/Delta.

If you doubt Messina’s role in this, just read what John MacFee says in his sworn affidavit.

Kirkner is wrong, dead wrong. We do need voters. And we need to listen to the voters.

What we do not need is to restore the appearance of impropriety to the planning commission. We do not need the ‘services’ of John Messina.