Free Press – June 21, 2007

Terry Madonna Pt 2, Quakertown Speed Zone, Bucks Floods, Richland Church, Immigration, Term Limits

Dear Friends,

Good morning. As promised last week, I’ll follow up with pollster Terry Madonna’s predictions about the 2008 presidential election and Governor Rendell’s future.

But first, here are a few comments about local and national events:

Quakertown Council has petitioned the state to lower the speed zone on East and West Broad Street from 35 M.P.H. to 25 M.P.H. (as it is from 4^th Street to Hellertown Ave.). Personally, I think speed bumps would be better. The two speed bumps, which the borough installed on Mill Street near the Memorial Park swimming pool, have slowed traffic considerably. There are portions of Park Ave., Juniper St., Ninth St., and Hellertown Ave. that would be much safer if the borough put in speed bumps there as well.

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The Bucks County Commissioners recently convened its 17-member task force to examine every aspect of flooding along the 60-mile length of the Delaware River in Bucks County. The river has flooded three times in the last two years. There are at least two solutions available…one easier than the other.

First, the Delaware River Basin Commission should reduce the water levels in reservoirs before major storms hit. That would provide more reservoir capacity to hold back floodwaters. The second solution is obvious but more difficult. Municipalities should prohibit building in the flood plain. When a flood destroys a home, local governments should prevent the owner from rebuilding.

What are the chances of my suggestions bearing fruit? Don’t hold your breath.

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Richland Township changed its zoning to permit the Harvest Community Fellowship church to hold weekly services in the Strayer Middle School in Quakertown. Zoning laws don’t prohibit groups from holding events at schools, but regular worship services aren’t allowed.

Richland did the right thing. What America needs is another church. The Associated Press reported (June 15) that there are 224,000 Protestant congregations in the U.S. The AP didn’t include Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and other churches. At last count, Quakertown has 25 protestant churches…proving that Quakertown is either the most saintly or most sinful in America.

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Did you notice that a female horse won one of the three jewels in racing’s triple crown? It’s the first time in 100 years that a filly triumphed. “Rags to Riches” won the Belmont Stakes by a nose. I think that the reason why she was victorious was because of Title IX! That’s the law which seeks parity for male and female athletes. It makes perfect sense, don’t you agree?

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John Broder wrote an interesting column for the New York Times (June 10) about the immigration bill and why reshaping policy is so difficult. Broder lists immigration, energy, global warming, health care and social security among the thorniest issues confronting America today. He failed to include education in the list.

“The partisan chasm in Washington is deeper than it has been in 100 years, according to some academic studies, as moderate blocs in both parties have all but vanished,” Broder wrote.

Most Americans have grown frustrated with congressional paralysis. We shouldn’t wonder why nothing happens. Friends, term limits are the answer. If a legislator had a maximum of 12 years to serve (two senate terms and six congressional terms), America would have come to grips with these issues long ago.

For example, the U.S. has not had an energy plan to rid its dependence upon Middle East oil since World War II. Think how different the world would be if America were not dependent upon the Arab world. It makes my head spin.

Now let’s return to Terry Madonna.

I heard Madonna speak at the AAA Pennsylvania Federation meeting a few weeks ago. Madonna directs the Center for Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College and spent a day last fall with the Quakertown Education Foundation.

He’s not a fan of the state legislature. “Pennsylvania has the second largest legislature in the U. S.,” Madonna began, “and it’s the second most expensive with the second largest staff. Only California is bigger. The legislature’s approval rate is just 33 percent. That’s slightly higher than the approval rating of a felon!”

The legislature has failed the public schools, which the state constitution orders it to support. (I’ve never understood why the Pennsylvania Supreme Court hasn’t stepped in.)

“In 1982, the state provided 50 percent of the cost of public education…today its only 38 percent,” he continued. “Maybe, we don’t need a full time legislature,” Madonna suggested, “Maybe we only need a part time, unpaid legislature.”

Good luck Terry…that will happen when Hell freezes over!

He was absolutely correct when he told us that for 40 years, the legislature spent most of its time insuring its incumbency and destroying the competition. Until 2006, half of the legislature ran unopposed for reelection and 98 percent of them won.

But all that changed on July 7, 2005 at two in the morning when the legislature gave itself an illegal pay hike. The voting public went bonkers, causing 17 incumbents to lose in the following primary (the spring of 2006). When the dust settled, the house and senate has 54 new members today…that’s one in every five [legislators].

“Expecting the legislature to raise taxes to support Rendell’s ambitious agenda is like asking for a case of leprosy,” Madonna laughed, saying that lawmakers are too frightened of the voters to raise taxes. “The legislature is skittish. There’s a strong reform movement out there. The legislators are actually considering reducing the size of the legislature, term limits, reapportionment, and the way we elect judges.”

Here’s what Madonna had to say about the Governor. Madonna thinks that Rendell will not seek the presidency (I disagree as you know).

“I have two suggestions for Rendell,” Madonna concluded. “He should get his own television show about politics or sports…or he should become the commissioner of one of the major professional sports. He [Rendell] could charm the venom out of a cobra and not get bitten!”

Space is disappearing so I’ll save Madonna’s predictions about the 2008 Presidential for next week. But, I’ll leave you with my reaction to the possibility of the state legislature reducing its size or adding term limits. Sure, when Hell freezes over!

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith