Defeated but Defiant!

With a big voter registration disadvantage and an entrenched incumbent, I knew going into this that I was unlikely to win the election for 7th ward commissioner. But I wanted to raise some important issues and shine a light on how things are done in Haverford Township, and I did that. I wanted to give the voters a choice - between a candidate who took no contributions from people who do business with our township and McGarrity, who has accepted many such contributions. (Note: I spent about $4000 on this campaign, and McGarrity spent about $16,000 as of the last report ending Oct 24, likely to be about $20,000 after final expenditures are reported.) It was a choice between someone who would support the anti-discrimination ordinance, and McGarrity, who fought against and voted against it. It was a choice between a new person with new skills and an old-style machine politician who focuses almost entirely on constituent services.

At the end of the day, I understand that McGarrity is a life-long resident who many people call on him to take care of things – and that wins local elections. Unfortunately, with that narrow focus, many “big picture” things are left undone or are done by other commissioners.

McGarrity is quoted by the Haverford Patch saying I made “false accusations”. Let’s remember two things. I didn’t just make stuff up - I did the work to document the statements I made. I got the public records about McGarrity’s expense reports and campaign finance reports and put them online (see http://www.larrychrzan.com/voterinfo and http://www.haverfordblog.com/.) McGarrity had the opportunity to participate in the League of Women Voters debate, where he could have disputed these facts, and he refused. Tax-paying citizens should be concerned that neither the Delaware County District Attorney nor the past or current Township Auditor have looked into the expense issues that I brought to them almost two years ago. When a citizen / taxpayer raises an issue like this and is ignored, we all are disenfranchised.

Accountability, transparency and making information public and easily available is critical to democracy. Never again will a commissioner in Haverford Township file an expense report to request reimbursement money and think it won’t be looked at by the taxpayers. Never again will campaign contributions be left un-scrutinized in the file drawers of the Delaware County Bureau of Elections.

I’m proud of the campaign I ran and accomplished what I set out to do. I thank the many people who volunteered, contributed, put up lawn signs and voted for me - your support is very much appreciated!

Last Chrzan for Change newsletter - the Choice is Clear!

Thanks to the 20 or so volunteers who helped distribute the final 7th Ward Extra newsletter throughout the 7th Ward this past weekend. The flier provides a side by side comparison - Jim McGarrity vs. Larry Chrzan - on the issues, on past actions, and on planning for the future.

There is huge contrast and this flier certainly demonstrates that!

You can download the PDF from http://www.LarryChrzan.com or directly from this link to the PDF.

Thanks to the many volunteers who helped with this lit drop and throughout the campaign.

Remember to get out and VOTE tomorrow, Tuesday Nov 8!

Final Pre-Election Campaign Finance Reports Posted

I filed my report for period ending Oct 24, 2011 last week. I returned on Friday Nov 4 to collect the reports of all the candidates and committees. My reports and McGarrity's are available on http://www.LarryChrzan.com/VoterInfo. The others are posted the Haverford Blog

The report of my opponent Jim McGarrity shows more contributions from people who do business with the township, including $300 from Charles Catania of Catania Engineering, and another $100 from Pat Larkin of Brokerage Professionals, a repeat contributor who provides insurance to the Township. Another $100 comes from another outside PAC, the Upper Darby Republicans committee.

So far in this 2011 campaign, McGarrity has spent almost $16,000. I've spent about $4000. I've run a pretty good campaign on a fraction of what my opponent spent and I'm the ONLY candidate who take no contributions from people who do business with Haverford Township. I think this gives you a good indication on how I can better oversee the finances of the Township than my opponent.

McGarrity Refuses to Debate Chrzan

According to Haverford Township's League of Women Voters, and as reported in the Delco Times, 20 year incumbent Jim McGarrity has refused to participate in this election year's debate between Commissioner candidates.  Voters of the 7th Ward will not get a chance to hear their candidates talk about the issues.

I was available and willing to debate at any time or place. Earlier, I challenged Mr. McGarrity to a 7th-ward-only debate, but he did not reply to my requests.

Why won't McGarrity debate me? I'll tell you why - he is afraid to answer the tough questions on why he has done nothing about taking care of the township assets in 20 years. He doesn't want to answer questions about his exorbitant expenses and campaign finances. He doesn't want to answer questions about the many controversial things he has done and the things he has failed to do.

This is a travesty. McGarrity snubs the LWV and thumbs his nose at the American democratic process. I trust the voters will keep this in mind when they go to the polls!

Taxpayers in Haverford Township Continue to Pay for Decades of Neglect

This Oct 18, 2011 story was in the Haverford-Havertown Patch Broken Sewer Pipe Costs $1.3 Mill To Repair. It says that a "sewer pipe along Naylors Run Creek broke two weeks ago", behind Kohl's department store. In our Township, where the annual budget is just over $30 million, $1.3 M to fix this is HUGE hit!

Why do you care?
Emergency repairs always cost substantially more than preventive maintenance and timely replacement when required. But for decades, our elected officials have let our Township's valuable assets fall apart. The 1988 master plan called for many assets to be replaced, but little has been done to address these problems. Things get fixed when they break. Energy spews out of our buildings. And the taxpayers pay extra because of this neglect.

It's time for a 7th ward commissioner who understands economics and planning, has the skills to work on this stuff and the guts to get it done.

That's what I'll do if I'm elected - work for the taxpayers and take care of our community assets.

Ruling Suburbia Author McLarnon to Speak Oct 30, 2011 at Swarthmore

I mentioned John McLarnon III, Ph.D.'s 2003 book “Ruling Suburbia” in my comments at the October 2011 Haverford Township monthly meeting. (View previous post.) Dr. McLarnon will be speaking at Swarthmore College on Oct 30; see announcement below.

On Sunday October 30 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM John Morrison McLarnon III, associate professor of history at Millersville University, will lecture at Swarthmore College on the fascinating (and little-known) history of Delaware County politics. McLarnon, author of Ruling Suburbia: John J. McLure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, will discuss one of the United States' only suburban political machines and one of the few to survive the New Deal reforms. The intent is not to vilify any particular ideology or party but simply to examine the requirements and implications of one-party rule. McLarnon's lecture will be followed by Q&A and free pizza and salad. The event is open to the entire community: students, faculty and DelCo residents. The event will be held at the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility (headed by Joy Charlton) and is sponsored by Project Pericles and Professor Ben Berger's 'Engaging Democracy Project.'"

McLarnon is along a contributor to The Political Express, run by Franklin & Marshall's G. Terry Madonna.

Haverford Republican Political Machine - Comments at Oct 11, 2011 Commissioners Meeting

In his 2003 book “Ruling Suburbia”, John McLarnon III, Ph.D., describes the stranglehold that the Delaware County Republican machine has had on Delaware County for over 100 years! The Republican machine has also ruled Haverford Township for decades.

The book describes the machine’s recipe for power:

• Contributions
• Contracts
• Jobs
• Controlling Services

Why do you care?
Because the machine exists to feed itself first. And that costs all of us more money.

Contributions and Contracts
To understand the contributions, I’ve recently re-launched the Haverford Blog at www.HaverfordBlog.com to serve as a publicly available source of campaign finance reports. The reports of Republican candidates and the Haverford Republican Party show the records of thousands of dollars in contributions from people who do business with Haverford Township. These include 3 solicitors, the Township’s insurance provider, engineering services providers, and various outside political action committees (PACs). In commissioner races, a few thousand dollars makes a big difference. I’m the only candidate in the 7th Ward race who takes no contributions from people who do business with the Township, and if elected, I never will. Mr. Wecshler has indicated he self-finances his campaign. Everyone else? Check their reports and judge for yourself. Remember that Commissioner candidates and District Judge candidates often get contributions from their local party too.

Jobs
Haverford Township voter registration is almost equally divided; I believe it’s now about 46% Republican, 45% Democrat, 9% Independent or Other. Party affiliation data is public information, though most people not involved in politics don’t know how to access it.

The biggest budget items in the Township are for staffing, but the jobs don’t match the registration split.

I preface my next remarks by saying that I’m not personally identifying any individuals, nor am I blaming any individual employee for the current status quo - that the Republican machine controls the jobs.

As listed on the Township website, the Haverford Police have about 70 officers plus admin staff. Of these, 52 are Republicans, 3 are Democrats, 4 are NP/Other, and the rest, about 23 more, are either common names where registration could not be determined or they are from outside Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

Why is this? The Civil Service Commission is all Republicans and Jim Knapp, the Haverford Republican Party Chairman, is also the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission that recommends police appointments. What kind of message does that send to an applicant? I call on Mr. Knapp to give up his seat when his term expires at the end of this year.

On the Township Admin staff, 41 are Republicans, 6 are Democrats, 1 is NP, and 7 could not be determined.

Further, if you look at the various boards, particularly the powerful Zoning Board and Planning Commission, there is an overwhelming majority of Republicans.

Obviously these lopsided numbers are no coincidence. Jobs feed the Republican machine and help them maintain control.

Services
The Republican strategy is to control the services that the residents receive. They have taught their constituents to call their Commissioner to “get things done”, especially in the 7th ward. Sometimes it’s just an extra step to get the services that taxpayers have coming to them, because they already paid for them. Other times, Commissioners work outside the system to get “free” services for favored residents. Except this stuff isn’t free - we all pay for it. Either way, Commissioners can claim credit for providing services.

I propose a centralized system where all residents are treated equally and fairly and no one gets services that they are not entitled to and the rest of us pay for.

Conclusion

It’s no coincidence that the Haverford Blog logo is a flashlight. It is my sincere hope that by shining a light on the workings of the Republican machine in Haverford Township, the residents will see what’s going on and elect representatives who serve their interests only. The machine cares most about keeping itself in power. Why do you care? Because we all pay for it with our tax dollars that feed the Haverford Republican political machine.

(As written, there may have been slight variations in delivery.)