Frank Farry: The real reason I haven't done anything in Harrisburg

In a March 5 blog, I chided Frank Farry for the excuses he made in a meeting with the editorial board at the Courier Times. Basically, he complained that he couldn’t get anything done because he was in the minority party.

Today he had a guest opinion in the Courier that is one of the most excuse-ridden, whiney pieces I have ever read. Frankly, I was embarrassed for him.

I was going to write a comment on it until I saw the first blog attached to Farry’s piece. I usually ignore these as they too often appear to be the work of cretins. But in this case, no one could have put it more succinctly. So my hat is off to the blogger who wrote:

“Just what constituents want to hear...a detailed explanation from their representative as to why he has been toothless. Doesn't Mr. Farry know that as soon as a politician starts a sentence with ‘These are not excuses,’ that every voter knows to get ready for the excuses to start flying?

“You know what the ‘reality of some of the things wrong in Harrisburg,’ is? Someone who gets elected, then campaigns on why he wasn't able to get anything done.

“In the ‘Maybe no one will realize I've done nothing’ department, Frank Farry decides that only now that everyone does know he has not been part of the solution, he ‘will voluntarily match the mandatory Senate contribution for his health benefits by sending a personal check to the state monthly.’ Others have been doing it all along. Retroactively sending the money back after you've been exposed only shows just how stupid you think the voter is.

“You might want to consider returning your entire 14 months salary. Maybe the voters won't notice the ‘reality’ of you not doing your job.”

Farry's Excuses Ring Hollow

In the “Thumbs Down” section of the Courier Times criticizes Frank Farry, who by “citing his minority party status over and over again, seems to have thrown in the towel.”

The emphasis is mine since it confirms what many of us already know – Farry is much better at whining than he is at acting. It leads one to wonder if Farry has done anything at all for the residents he is supposed to represent.

The editorial further states: “For example, Farry said he won't initiate a bill calling for state House members to contribute to their health benefits – even though he said he'd be ‘the first one to sign on to it’ – because the bill would be blocked. Glad to hear the representative would sign on. But actions speak louder than words.”

So I have a suggestion: Let’s show Farry what it means to act and send him back to his beloved fire company, where I believe he is still the chief, and send John Toth to Harrisburg who will be a full-time legislator for all the people he represents.

We need someone who acts, not someone who makes excuses.

What was he running for?

Now that we have gone through the fourth snow storm of this winter season, I learned from a source that Supervisors Chairman Tom Gallagher isn’t too happy about the number of telephone calls he has been getting from constituents. Can’t imagine what he thought he was running for.

Another friend of mine bumped into him in the Tax Collector’s office. Knowing he was new to the office, she introduced herself to him. In a rather gruff manner, he told her that if she had any problems, don’t call him. That’s what the Township Manager is for, he reportedly said.

Apparently Mr. Gallagher is so upset over the telephone calls he said he wishes his number weren’t in the book. So, in case he does decide to pull it next year, it is 215-752-3557. Pass it on. Trust me, it is his job to listen to you and, when possible, try to solve your problems.

Calling out incivility for what it is

Dick Polman, cited by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the nation's top political reporters, writes a regular column in the Philadelphia Inquirer called the American Debate.

On Sunday, his column was titled The incivility death spiral. In it he notes that “millions now seem to assume that an Internet connection is a license to indulge their most sociopathic impulses.”

No where is that more apparent than in the responses to articles in the Courier Times. Things the worst of us may have merely thought 10 years ago are now considered worthy discourse on the Courier blog posts.

Polman was using as his example of incivility the way people on the right were rooting for the death of Ted Kennedy while those on the left were doing the same for Dick Cheney when he entered the hospital with chest pains. This behavior is only the tip of the incivility ice berg.

He is correct when he states “Part of the problem, of course, is that our brave new digital world allows people to root for death from the safe confines of anonymity. I bet they would spare us their most toxic thoughts if they were required to put their names to the words, and take some measure of responsibility.”

That’s the problem with these people – responsibility is not a part of their lexicon. As Polman sates, “incivility extremism can’t be stopped. All we can do is call it out, in the name of civility. I've just done that. You should do the same.”

Well, now I have as well.

Move Over Bristol!

I never thought I would see the day that the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors meetings would challenge Bristol Township for its supremacy as the antithesis of representative democracy.

Sadly, that day has come.

Last night, in the limited 30-minute public comment on non-agenda items section at the beginning of the meeting, Supervisors Chairman Tom Gallagher spent, by my watch, 20 minutes grand-standing on cell tower placement. He doesn’t realize that just because he almost never attended a meeting last year that issues such as the cell tower policy were thoroughly aired. He should, however, realize that this period is for public comment, not dissertations from the chair.

Anyone else who wanted to speak had to wait until well after 10 p.m.

Then there is the cheering section. Mr. Gallagher doesn’t’ seem to realize that these are public meetings with serious issues that need to be soberly debated – not a public rally for his early re-election campaign. One has to assume he enjoys the circus atmosphere because not once did he bang the gavel and caution the audience about cheering, clapping and other outbursts.

Don’t take my word, watch for yourself on Comcast channel 22 and Verizon channel 30. Meetings are re-broadcast Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 10 a.m., 7 p.m. and 2 a.m., and Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

There were some positive developments, if one cared to listen through all the hyperbole. Unfortunately, my time is up.

It would be laughable if it weren’t so sad.

Truly Unbelievable

Unbelievable!

That’s about all I can say each time I read a new round of the unabashed love Mike Fitzpatrick enjoys from the editorial staff at the Courier Times.

Last Wednesday, I listed the startling number of times they ran banner stories about a statement from Mr. Fitzpatrick and then followed them up with editorials of high praise. And they don’t miss a beat when they see an opportunity to slam U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy.

I know when I worked at the Philadelphia Bulletin, we reporters were often embarrassed when we read editorials that were clearly biased or showed the writer didn’t have a clue about what he or she was examining. But I don’t remember anything so slanted as what I am reading in the Courier. It is almost as if they are running Mr. Fitzpatrick’s campaign.

So, I was surprised today when I read a Thumbs Up for Rep. Murphy “for his vote against raising the federal government's debt limit another $1.9 trillion.” That is, until I read the last paragraph: “While Murphy deserves credit for bucking the president and his party, Republican congressional candidate Mike Fitzpatrick asks a good question: "Why was (Murphy) willing to vote for all the bills that piled up the debt but not to cut the check to pay for them?" Does Mr. Fitzpatrick actually sit on the Courier editorial board so he is readily available to provide his slant?

The writer of this editorial didn’t even comprehend the utter hypocrisy of Mr. Fitzpatrick’s “good question.” Check Mr. Fitzpatrick’s record during his four-year stint in Congress and see how many bills he voted for that ran up the debt because they were unfunded.

I can only repeat what I stated in a post on Friday: This lack of professionalism and transparent bias is beyond comprehension.

Career Mike on YouTube

From a friend of mine:

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is up to the same dirty tricks that we've seen for two decades - and he'll stop at nothing to get re-elected so he can implement the failed Bush-Cheney policies that got us into this mess in the first place. It's hard to believe, but Congressman Fitzpatrick, a guy who has been running for political office for 20 years, claimed that he has "no interest in becoming a professional politician".

Problem is, Fitzpatrick already is one. In fact, that's all he's ever been. [Italics mine.]

He must be hoping that the people of Bucks County have forgotten his long political record - full of property tax increases, $23,668 in pay increases for himself, and big-spending ways.

I hope that after watching this video, you'll send it around to your friends, family, and colleagues. We need to make sure as many folks as possible know about the real Mike Fitzpatrick- and we need to make sure they know that our country can't afford to go backwards.

I hope you'll help us get the word out and thanks in advance for your help in this fight.

Click Here Career Mike on YouTube to watch Mike's 20 year political career in under one minute.