Free Press – April 3, 2008

Richland Township Police, 145^th District Primary, Terry Madonna, Obama

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Today’s topics are the Democratic candidates in the 145^th legislative district, our friend Terry Madonna and his predictions about the Clinton v. Obama fight in Pennsylvania, and Richland Township’s exploration of a 24/7 police force.

Let’s begin with Richland Township. Its Community-Police Liaison Board is recommending that the 12 full-time officers be increased to 24 in order to provide full time coverage. Presently, the State Police fills in the gaps when Richland has insufficient officers to handle the calls. Last year, that number reached 5,909. In 2005, there were 3,930 calls.

As the township grows, more trouble looms. Presently, Richland’s population is 12,000. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission estimates that Richland will grow to 20,500 by 2030. If true, Richland will have a population that is twice Quakertown’s.

My suggestion is that the three municipalities (Quakertown, Richland Township, and Richlandtown Borough) take this opportunity to consider consolidation. Richlandtown Borough has no police force and depends upon the State Police for coverage. A good way to begin is to merge Quakertown’s and Richland’s police forces. If a joint police force were to work, the three municipalities might think about combining other services.

Item.

Will the Democratic primary in the 145^th district on April 22 prove to be a problem for State Representative Paul Clymer? As a Republican, Paul’s served his

Constituents for nearly 30 years and his attention to Upper Bucks has been exemplary. His philosophy is pro life, anti gambling and fiscally conservative. When he first ran, Paul was the perfect mirror of his district.

Is that true today?

In my opinion, the only way that Paul could lose in November is if the 145^th district remains as opposed to George W. Bush’s record as the rest of the country is…and if Tom Peterson conducts a door-to-door election campaign.

I say Tom Peterson because he’s the odds on favorite to defeat his Democratic opponent, Brian Kline. Kline is from Richland Township; Peterson lives in Milford. When the local Democratic committee people met recently, Peterson attracted 21 of 33 committee people’s votes to his candidacy.

My bet is that Peterson will emerge as Clymer’s opponent because of Peterson’s answer to a question posed at the Democratic candidates’ debate several weeks ago. Kline and Peterson were asked about protecting the local economy. “Peterson said that looking at the next 20 to 50 years via a long-term strategy, is the best way to keep Upper Bucks healthy,” Editor David Anderson reported (Mar. 27).

“Improved education, health care and reducing property tax burdens would be key,” the report continued. “Peterson stressed a lacking education system as a factor in keeping high end jobs away.” He believes that the Quakertown school district is not measuring up.

Final item.

Last Friday, I heard Michael Smerconish interview Dr. Terry Madonna on radio station 1210 AM. Smerconish is a conservative talk show host and writes a column for the Inquirer. You remember that Madonna visited Quakertown at the Anna Neamond lecture series at Quakertown High School.

Madonna is a pollster with an excellent track record and a professor of public affairs at Franklin and Marshall College. Could Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania he wondered?

Yes, it’s possible, he answered in a Morning Call column (Mar. 25). “A strong case can be made for the scenario in which Obama wins the state outright or at least holds down her [Clinton’s] margins so that a nominal win for her will be perceived as a virtual loss,” Madonna wrote.

“Ironically, Obama’s keys to victory were first fashioned by electoral locksmith and current Gov. Ed Rendell, Clinton’s chief surrogate in Pennsylvania, during his own 2002 primary fight for the governorship. That 2002 gubernatorial primary with then state Auditor General Bob Casey presents a blueprint for Obama to run against Clinton.

“The 2002 gubernatorial slugfest pitted the son and heir apparent of the former Gov. Casey against the liberal, urban, upstart Rendell. Casey (Clinton) was the prohibitive favorite with deep roots in state politics, a political brand name second to none in Pennsylvania with widespread party establishment support. Rendell (Obama) was a politician of uncertain outline to a majority of voters, a brash upstart from a city many Pennsylvanians regarded as the citadel of sin and corruption.

“Contrary to expectations, Rendell won impressively, beating Casey by some 150,000 votes.

“Few people in 2002 thought Rendell could lose half the state and more than 85 percent of all counties, run against a political icon, and still win.”

He won Philadelphia by a landslide. In addition, thousands of Republicans in the four Philadelphia suburban counties plus Lehigh and Northampton had re-registered Democratic in order to help Rendell in the Democratic primary. With huge pluralities from those seven municipalities, Rendell swept to victory.

Is that the mirror into which Obama is looking?

“Few think Obama can do it,” Madonna concluded. “But many otherwise astute politicians in 2002 ended up scrubbing abundant amounts of Pennsylvania eggs off their faces when Rendell won. It could happen again.”

Stay tuned. Primary day is only 19 days away.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith