Dear
Friends,
Good morning. There’s a lot to
discuss about last week’s news. The Gospel of Judas promises to engage
Christians from every persuasion. There’s an ugly show brewing in Quakertown
starring Richard Waldow verses David Woglom. Retired mathematics teacher
Lawrence Handy quit the Pennridge school board after only three months on the
job. Charles Murray, the controversial co-author of the “Bell Curve,” has a new
book which [he says] would fix social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the
welfare system in one fell swoop.
But first, I was saddened to learn
of Rudolph Docktor’s passing. He was one of Richland Township’s leading
citizens. Rudy was an active church man and a long term member and former
President of the Paletown Rod and Gun Club. I knew him as the Secretary of
Richland Township for 25 years. Rudy witnessed tremendous changes in his
township…some better, some worse. But he always fought for Richland.
It was fascinating to learn that he was involved in
ultra light and experimental aircraft. Rudy was a very interested, dedicated
resident. He was just 72.
Item.
It’s too bad that Lawrence Handy quit the Pennridge
School Board, although I’d bet that the administration and remaining school
board members are quietly pleased. Handy is a troublemaker. For years, this
retired math teacher has been outspoken about how math is taught. Handy claims
that children can’t add, subtract, multiply or divide unless they have a
calculator. He’s an old-fashioned math teacher who believes in mastering tables
by memory and drill.
Handy beat incumbent school director Terri Yates
last fall. Curiously, the board appointed Yates to serve the remaining two
years of Handy’s term. Handy said that he’d hoped to use his teaching
experience to help students improve but became disillusioned by the emphasis
placed upon school construction and finance. Anyone surprised that Handy
quit…or that the board appointed Yates to complete his term?
Item.
Charles Murray is a fascinating author…a man of
controversy. He co-authored “Bell Curve” which created a storm in academia and
government circles. “Despite decades of fashionable denial, the overriding and
insistent truth about intellectual ability is that it is endowed unequally, for
reasons that government policies can do little to change,” it concludes.
Liberals didn’t like that notion one bit.
Murray’s new book, “In Our Hands,” promises to stir
the pot even more. He claims that the federal welfare system, social security,
Medicare and Medicaid are broken but could be repaired easily. These programs
cost American citizens over a trillion dollars yearly, he says. Murray would
abandon them and substitute the following: at age 21, every citizen would
receive $10,000 per year, $3,000 of which would be invested in a health plan.
Once the individual made more than $50,000 annually,
the $10,000 annual gift would be reduced to $5,000 (although the $3,000 health
premiums would continue). I heard Murray on the radio. He used an interesting
example. “The welfare state encourages young women to have more children,” he
suggested. “My method would give a young woman the choice of paying for diapers
or an education,” Murray said.
Sounds Draconian? Maybe, but I’ve ordered the book.
Item.
As you know, religion fascinates me. Were you
astounded to read about the “Gospel of Judas?”
“An early Christian manuscript, including the only
known text of the Gospel of Judas, has surfaced after 1,700 years, and it
portrays Judas Iscariot not as a betrayer of Jesus but as his favored disciple
and willing collaborator,” the New York Times reported (April 7).
Biblical scholars will be kept very busy. Other
writings like the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene have been
dismissed and discounted by religious scholars, principally the Roman Catholic
Church. I have always wondered why historians could be so positive about the
story of Jesus, his ministry, his betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. The
four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written well after Jesus’
life.
How was the Christian story told and kept alive? I’d
bet that it was circulated by word of mouth, subject to all the possibilities
of error. But history is written by the winners. And the Roman church decided
what was authentic and what was not…what was heretical and what was the
“gospel” truth. That may provide a clue about the world’s fascination with
Donald Brown’s novel, “The Di Vinci Code.”
We’ll have to stay tuned.
Finally, let’s turn to the
fireworks brewing in the Waldow- Woglom case. Like conservative talk show hosts
Bill O’Rilley, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh, Richard Waldow is a bully.
For several years, Waldow has made Quakertown
Borough Council and its Borough Manager, David Woglom, the object of his
disdain and ridicule. Last week, he attempted to steam roller his way into the
borough’s public meeting. Waldow insisted upon arguing that the borough had not
bid the new speed bumps on Mill Street properly and was escorted from the
public meeting by Police Chief Scott McElree.
Woldow has several local causes. And it’s clear that
he wants Woglom’s head. Woldow columns constantly opine that Woglom is
practicing cronyism and fails to put public projects out to bid.
The accusations have become so heated that members
of council are beginning to publicly question whether an independent consultant
should examine whether Woglom and solicitor Charles Fonzone are conducting
borough business properly.
Last week, Councilman David Wilsey moved that an
outside firm examine the Woldow charges. The motion failed 4 to 2.
Within the last two years, Quakertown officials
acknowledge that they violated competitive bidding laws by awarding contracts
totaling $30,000 for supplies used on three municipal projects. The officials
also admit to purchasing office supplies and beverages from two companies that
have ties to council members.
Is Quakertown going to the dogs? Woldow would have
us believe that corruption runs rife so it’s time to get rid of the main
villain…Woglom.
Dave Woglom isn’t perfect. But he’s an excellent manager and it would be a shame to lose him. It seems to me that the best way to put this unpleasantness behind is to have a third party look at the way Quakertown runs its affairs. If there are examples of where improvements can be made, so much for the better. But I doubt that any of Woldow’s accusations will confirm criminal intent. I would be astounded to learn that Woglom has received ill-gotten gain.
Waldow should stick to improving the quality of life
in Richland Township where his investment lies.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith