Letter to Yenta 05/14/01

I find it amazing. I left the New Hope Borough Police Department 18 years ago. And from what I have read in the paper not much has changed. It appears that the bickering between the mayor and council has left NHPD like a rudderless ship heading for the shoals. Hang onto butts you boys in blue, because no matter what happens (or wins) theres gonna be a hurtin applied
somewhere. Changes have to happen within NHPD whether you like them or not. Its time to bring NHPD into the 21st Century. Most of the guys with the proper VIABLE LEADERSHIP won't mind the changes. Heck I know for a fact that the foundation for most of the changes is already present. All kidding aside the men and women of NHPD enjoy and yes I would venture to say love serving the public. But again there was never anyone there to pat them on the back for a job well done, or to train and/or rectify when something went amiss. This all goes back to VIABLE LEADERSHIP, not just leadership but viable leadership. That which is real and has been dealt with and by one who has actually performed the task which is now begging to be done. It is nice and comforting to know that so and so has received training in this or that particular area. Now what has he or she done with that training. Its tough to coach a sport that you never played in. Getting back to the rudderless ship. If your a resident, merchant, or both you also have a stake in this. You also should hang onto your butts. Where do you think that rudderless ship is going
to run ashore. Whoops could be your own backyard or storefront. As for the meeting attented to by the NHPD. This is a result of the rudder less ship syndrome. Had the proper leadership been in place this never would have happened. But lets face facts it did so you ask now what? Well gang we all know what Section 1190 Para6 states. The other side of the coin is there is volumes of case law granting exceptions to it. Questions have to be asked and
answered. Does this amount to a campaign? Is it a political or election campaign? Are any of the members residents of the borough? Whoa now not so clear and simple is it? That's why the case law is there and believe you me I just scratched the surface. I would address the matter via a positive means rather than a negative means. I would establish guidelines within the
boundarires of the law that would allow department members to attend meetings and yes boys and girls they do exsist. I do believe that everyone up there needs to hear these two words "Grow Up". In closing I would like to remind everyone in the good ole town to get out and vote tomorrow. And for Paul and Janine Witte you asked "If any of us happen to disagree with what
was said, who is going to have the nerve to stand up in the presence of all of those police officers and say so"? To answer your question I would have the nerve and so should everyone else who disagrees with what was said. Thats the purpose of the meeting armed police officers or not. Also the police can only engage the use of their firearms to protect their life or the life of
another. Simply put thet can't shoot you just because you disagree with them. Well gang have fun back to the "big leagues for me" Anon.

Yenta Column 05/13/01

Yenta election action...

It’s really difficult to stay out of politics especially when from a
distance, we all really do look the same. Bet Midler was right. Here
we are again, faced with choices for council and school board and once again, they all look the same. The rhetoric hasn’t changed, the name-calling hasn’t changed, the subject of the police hasn’t changed and what’s even worse the candidates haven’t changed!!! Here’s the Yenta’s thoughts on the primary.

The Republicans are running re-runs and has-beens (Duncan and Swanson) if they didn’t win before, why vote for them now? Of the two, Duncan seems the better choice and he has the time to spend. Excepting of course Jake. But really don’t you think a vote for Jake is basically a non-vote? His contributions and commitment to the street department are substantial and he deserves kudos for that. But, his contributions to council are questionable, including his rude treatment of many members of his constituency who have attended meetings over the years. His lack of comment on and lack of understanding with regard to sewer
and water are appalling in light of the issues currently facing the
borough. There is another newcome to the scene, Chris Brown??? Who for, what for, who ya gonna yell for? First time I ever heard her name around town. That can be good or bad. Then there is the ex-chief, Bob Brobson. That would be an interesting choice. The Yenta can only leave the ramifications of that to your imagination.

Withdrawals!! Now there’s an interesting topic. Burt is finally
stepping down or being nudged out. Hard to tell which. Then there is Elaine McNeely, in or out. I guess, out of the race. Hey, Jake now would be a good time to announce your retirement.

The Dems are running a newcomer to the scene quite refreshing indeed. Ray Valesco is running for a council seat. He seems to not be tied to any of the candidates and tries to research a topic before rendering an opinion. Looks like a breath of fresh air. Could be a good vote.

If Ed Duffy can steer clear of getting tied too closely to any one
person’s opinions he could be a rational, fair council member. Sharon Keiser will probably be a winner again although her need be in control is rivaled only by Richard Hirschfield's.

And to the independent Bob Gerenser ,,,hats off! If you can’t join
them start your own party.

The Yenta’s picks for council... Duffy, Valesco, Keyser and Duncan.

For Mayor--well that’s an interesting one. The big race is in the
primary. Larry Keller has to fend off a challenge from… of all people…a former police officer. Someone who really does understand how a department works. The word has
it that people are switching from Democrat to Republican just to make sure that Larry doesn’t win. Then the next round of excitement will be in the election when the winner has to run against Joe Knox with the power of the media behind him.

The Yenta’s pick for mayor... Joe Knox, it’s time for a change.

Who are your picks? The primary is Tuesday, Speak now or be silent and live with the results.

The Yenta

Letter to Yenta 05/13/01

Dear Yenta:
I was so glad to hear that Mr. Duncan was able to catch his breathe. Mr. Duncan, I have worked in, lived in and fell in love in New Hope. I think that improvements in our town are great.
Why can't we keep the 19th century charm with the 21st century amenities.  I do not know about you, but I myself enjoy the nicer things in life. We don't have to tie up our horses to the pole, or dust off our saddle bags. We drive in, and awaits us is beautifully decorated room. Still with the charm and the slightest feeling that we are not alone. I do thank you for your response to letter.
Please do remember, we who live in the borough have more important issues to deal with, than an inn.

Fondly,
Judy Butler

Letter to Yenta 05/12/01

Dear Yenta,

The primary election is here in New Hope, do you know all the candidates views? For all those who have criticized Dave Fleming, he is highly qualified and at least he has stated his views publicly. Whether you agree or disagree with these views, he not only stated them in print, but he added his signature. There are eight Republican primary candidates, including Mr. Butler and Mr. Hepburn, not five. Committees don’t endorse candidates, primary votes do.

New Hope has changed more in the last few years than in it’s long history, but there are still serious concerns about the direction the community is taking.

We are still missing an official police chief, yet the community is growing and our needs are expanding? Where is our current
Mayor on the issues, and what are his ideas for the next four years? Is our Mayor looking after our needs, is he even aware
of them? Let me refer once again to the hurricane of September 1999. Many people in this town still question the decisions
that were made for our safety on that day. Was the mayor looking out for the townspeople’s well-being or just satisfying a
personal vendetta. We still don’t know.

Referring to last Tuesday’s council meeting, I thought the police in a democracy were supposed to be public servants, working for the good of the community, not for political gain or allegiance. They are our protectors, our neighbours and our friends. Those who came in mass to the meeting were obviously making a strong statement, but about what? This is not about political gain, but about fair and honest government.

Referring to the four officially endorsed Republican primary candidates for council, what do we now about their views on the
issues concerning our town. Everyone has an idea or comment about the police situation, but there are other issues concerning our town such as development, expansion and historical preservation. We want candidates who have nothing to
hide, believe in full disclosure, and have unblemished backgrounds. We have a good town, let’s keep it that way.

Respectfully,
R.Iain Haight-Ashton

Letter to Yenta 05/11/01

Dear Yenta,

Although we were not able to attend the May 8 Borough Council meeting, we understand that the police demonstration was extremely distressing to a lot of attendees. This was not an award ceremony or the swearing-in of a new chief, where officers are encouraged and expected to attend. This was a show of support in support of one public official and against another.

The irony of Tuesday’s event is what is disturbing in light of the fact that, when approached, Mayor Keller claimed he had “no idea” why the officers were there for the meeting. As civilian head of the police department, he didn’t know, or question, why there were several police cars lined up outside the high school that night and why there were so many officers in full uniform (guns included) inside the building? Who was assigned to patrol and protect the borough during that time?

In June of 1999, Mayor Keller ordered then Interim Chief Frank DeLuca to “remove” one part-time uniformed officer from the premises at a Borough Council meeting, because some of the attendees complained about their discomfort with the presence of a uniformed policeman. Even though Cpl. DeLuca explained that the extra officer was assigned there in case of any disturbances (during a particularly volatile political era), Mayor Keller overruled Cpl. DeLuca and insisted that the extra officer be removed. As a result, a shoving incident occurred on the premises, which led to a costly, complicated lawsuit for all parties involved.

Now, in May of 2001, the same mayor claims “no knowledge” of the presence of approximately 10 armed, uniformed officers at a Borough Council meeting. He does not ask for their removal, and he allows them to stand while the officer in charge reads a prepared statement in defense of the mayor’s handling of a recent incident in town!

This smacks of arbitrariness and lack of consistency in enforcing the rules. And how were the citizens served by this demonstration? If any of us happen to disagree with what was said, who is going to have the nerve to stand up in the presence of all of those police officers and say so? Who is going to feel like they will have equal protection under the law if they are of a different mind set than the mayor and have the courage to make it known?

At the very least, the officers should have worn civilian clothes at that meeting. At the very most, we should expect our mayor to warn his officers that this kind of activity will not be tolerated in a public meeting in the future. He owes the citizens an apology, and an explanation as to his selective way of enforcing his rules.

Paul and Janine Witte

Letter to Yenta 05/11/01

Dear Neighbor,

I am a Republican candidate for New Hope Borough Council, and I am asking for your support.

My name is Robert Brobson. Most of you already know me, because in February 1992, I became the Borough Police Chief after being hired by a unanimous vote of Borough Council. I was a Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) at the time. I retired from the PSP, after 26 years of service to accept the position as your Police Chief.

During my PSP career, I performed the duties of a patrol officer, crime investigator (Detective), supervisor of patrol activity, supervisor of crime investigation, Station Commander, Section Commander, and many other duties too numerous to list. Prior to joining the PSP, I served 4 years on active duty in the US Air Force. I have a MS Degree in Criminal Justice and BA Degree in Government and Politics. I have both taught and taken numerous police and administration courses over the years. Having owned and operated two business, I also know what challenges our business community faces.

My wife, Pat, and I will soon be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary; we are the proud parents of 3 grown children, and the grandparents of 3 beautiful granddaughters. I always pay my bills on time, including my taxes and my legal fees. I also always support my family. Contrary to the recent allegations of a mayoral candidate, I paid my attorney in full, as agreed, as soon as he submitted a final bill to me for his services. I have never “stiffed” anyone.

The candidate also wrote that I am “about the money.” That’s just not true. To me, it’s about something much more important than money—it is about honor. Like many people, I value my family name and value the reputation that I have worked so hard to earn in my almost four decades of public service. When challenged, I fight to protect my family, my dignity, and, yes, my honor. Who would not do the same?

I am not surprised that the candidate and his mentor do not understand this concept. However, since I have never met or discussed these matters with the candidate, his approach does concern me. He prides himself on being a former police officer. Police officers, however, learn early in their careers that they must remain neutral when they examine any controversy. They must collect information from all sides of the controversy before rushing to judgment. Obviously, since the candidate never contacted me to discuss my tenure as Chief of Police, he has apparently forgotten this basic lesson and, instead, has relied one side of the story.

With regard to the misstatement that I “invented” my “comp time.” All of the time that I worked for the Borough was accurately reported bi-weekly to the Borough Secretary/Treasurer, who was responsible for maintaining the time reports and keeping the record of accumulated and used comp, vacation, sick and personal time. Over the first six years as your Police Chief, Borough officials never questioned my accumulation or recording of comp time. The Borough has since paid me the maximum allowable 480 hours of comp time, which is all I asked for. Merely recording the overtime that you work does not amount to “taking” comp time. The truth is that I donated over 1400 hours of overtime back to the Borough—time for which I was not compensated in money or in the form of comp time. I should not, nor do I expect to be, commended for the extra time I spent on the job. It was, after all, my job and I took great pride in my service to the Borough. I point this out only to correct the misstatement by the candidate.

As far as reading “the Police Study,” everyone is free to read the document. Everyone should also be free to read my response. A careful reading of the “Police Study” reveals that it is not based on objective fact, contains no references to reliable and verifiable evidence, and relies almost entirely on opinion. But, while some rely on this “Police Study” as if it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, over the past 2½ years only 12 of the 92 recommendations have been implemented, and only six concerned the operation of the police department. Of those, five were already implemented at the time I was Police Chief and a plan was in effect to address the other.

Unfortunately, we have a few people in our community who believe winning an election is the most important thing. In their minds character, honor, integrity, honesty, and fair play have no place in politics. Unsupported allegations, personal attacks, and reliance on the past—that is how they think you win elections in this town. I disagree with them, and I think most of the good citizens of our town agree with me. A political campaign should be about policy and visions for the future, not about personal attacks. The debate must be honest, not misleading.

Friends, we have heard so much about “police department reform” as the mantra for change by some candidates. Some council candidates ran under this banner years ago and were successful. Many hundreds of thousands of dollars later, candidates are still waving the banner. How much of your money will they spend on so-called police reform if you elect them? A dedicated Borough Council, in cooperation with an honest and concerned Mayor can work with a police force to make it better.

This community, however, has many other challenges . . . parking, zoning, traffic, budget, public relations, community development, historic preservation, tourism, retail support and development, and neighbor relations to name only a few. These are the types of issues I intend to address if I am fortunate enough to earn your vote.

My family and I came here because we saw the good in New Hope. Despite recent history, we have enjoyed this town and have forged lasting friendships. The past is behind us . . . a bright future lies ahead for our community if we reject old, tired themes designed to ignite fear and anxiety.

Please vote on Tuesday, May 15th and thank you for your consideration.

Robert Brobson
Republican Candidate for Borough Council

Letter to Yenta 05/10/01

Dearest Yenta, Since I have a New Hope mailing address but technically live in Solebury, I have tried to stay out of New Hope politics since I am not a voter there. I would like to comment though on two recent letters bashing David Fleming.
One letter is signed with a lot of x's and the other is signed
Concerned for New Hope. The one signed Concerned for New Hope ends with the line..."You know what they say about a man who hides behind their rhetoric."
Is that something like what people think of others who take potshots in public forums without even having the guts to sign their own name? What hypocrisy!!!! I always get a kick out of people who are willing to write such strong words and then hide behind the cowardice of anonymity. If I were Mr. Fleming, I wouldn't even respond until the persons who wrote the messages
reveal themselves. What are they so afraid of? Respectfully...Allan P. Duncan

Letter to Yenta 05/10/01

With all the hubla, time and money spent the last few years over police department issues; maybe it's time to turn the focus on developing events, historical preservation and other areas that will enhance a vital tourist economy. Without that, we'll likely end up as a splat of strip malls and Jiffy lubes (servicing the encroaching suburban sprawl). Police departments and lawsuits?
New Hope Boro or New Hope Banana Republic?
VW

Letter to Yenta 05/10/01

Mr. Fleming,

I Read your letter in your chosen public forum of the Yenta. If you
wouldn't mind, I have just a couple of questions regarding your facts.

1. Could you elaborate on the term "comp time" and how Robert Brobson used it to "cost the Borough dearly" since you suggest you know all the issues pertaining to how it was used, we have yet to hear a clear explanation of your understanding of this issue in State and local policies.
2. Could you elaborate on the fact that Brobson's attorney worked "magic". Are we to understand that you believe in "magic" (since this statement was a fact) as a science and that Brobson did not deserve restitution for being falsely accused of something that an unlimited amount of Borough tax payers money and several Borough Attorneys could not prove in Courts of Law. The
other side of the coin is that Brobson should be highly praised for settling and SAVING the taxpayers more money because the Borough did not have a case and the case could of continued without such an action.
3. What source did you here that Brobson "stiffed" his attorney. Are you truly on record that Brobson's Attorney worked for free. I understand that in fact the Attorney made out pretty well in considering that Brobson had to pay most of his limited settlement and personal savings on his attorney who had worked on this case for 2 years plus.

Do you really believe that the settlement covered any personal and family expenses or even helped to recover his 40 years of a stellar reputation in Law Enforcement and Civic Duties that was tarnished by people who simply never asked or seeked direct explanation from him - like yourself.

It's truly unfortunate that you as a "cop" is attacking another "cop" in print without any conversation with the man in person. Is this what you mean by a "Cop's Cop" You know what they say about a man who hides behind their own rhetoric.

Looking forward to a response.

Concerned for New Hope

Back