BCT Editorial – 10/23/06

This page was last updated on October 23, 2006.

Stacked deck; Editorial; Beaver County Times; October 23, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Pennsylvania’s rulers see state’s residents as subjects, not citizens

[RWC] Isn’t that what the Times does when it supports nanny government?

“Area residents who wanted to question Kilbuck Township officials about the landslide and other problems related to the development of the former Dixmont State Hospital site along Route 65 got a rude lesson in democracy in Pennsylvania last week.

“At the first regularly scheduled supervisors meeting since the Sept. 19 landslide, the township’s elected officials refused to answer questions or listen to people’s concerns about the $28 million development, which will be anchored by a Wal-mart [sic].

“Instead, they were treated to Chairman Tim Frew reading a prepared statement and then shutting up, after, of course, silencing those in attendance by telling them the supervisors weren’t going to discuss the matter or hear what they had to say about it.

“Unfortunately, this attitude is standard operating procedure for government officials at virtually every level in Pennsylvania. In the eyes and minds of far too many elected and appointed local, county and state officials, Pennsylvania doesn’t have citizens who participate in government. It has subjects who are supposed to do what they are told and keep quiet.

“It’s no coincidence that Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation without a law governing lobbying and has a pathetic public records law and an anemic open meetings law.

“In Pennsylvania, the deck is stacked against residents when it comes to their dealings with public officials. What happened to those who attended the Kilbuck meeting last week is just one more reason to keep voting for change.”

[RWC] I’m not supporting how the Kilbuck supervisors handled their meeting, but the editorial failed to note an important fact. The supervisors said they would not discuss the issue at that specific meeting because the investigation into what happened was still in progress and so they couldn’t really answer any questions with authority.