Candidate for 16th lives outside congressional district

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Tom Murse

A Chester County Democrat hoping to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts in the fall lives outside the newly redrawn 16th Congressional District’s boundaries, geographic and legal data show.

Democratic congressional hopeful Aryanna Strader

Aryanna Strader’s home is located in a section of Kennett Township that was moved into the 7th Congressional District, now represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan of Delaware County, during the redistricting process, maps show.

Related: Aryanna Strader resume

That doesn’t exclude her from running for the 16th district seat, though. While the U.S. Constitution requires House members to live in their home states, it does not mandate they live in the districts they represent.

And though running for another district isn’t unprecedented, it is rare.

Strader, a U.S. Army veteran who owns a consulting firm, said she decided to run for the 16th district seat because she considers the Kennett Square community her home. The borough of Kennett Square is in the 16th.

“I live three-quarters of a mile outside the district,” she said. “And prior to December I was in the 16th. It’s my community. My kids go to school in the district. It’s where my life is, essentially. I feel I’m a true representation of the people who live there.”

Strader has lived in Chester County only since July. Prior to that she lived in Albany, N.Y., and Chambersburg.

Strader, 29, is endorsed for the 16th by the Chester County Democratic Committee, and she is expected to pick up the backing of the Lancaster County Democrats Saturday. She said she is exercising her constitution right to run for a district she doesn’t live in.

Reached for a response, Gabe Neville, a spokesman for Pitts, responded: “She’s 100 percent correct. It’s a free country.”

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Meet U.S. Rep. Joe Pitt’s Democratic challenger

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Tom Murse

Democratic congressional hopeful Aryanna Strader

Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts will face a Democratic challenger in the fall after all — and the candidate is running right in the lawmaker’s own backyard. Aryanna Strader, 29, of Kennett Square, is endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee and has been meeting with clubs here in Lancaster County ahead of Saturday’s convention.

She served as a communications encryption specialist in the U.S. Army from October 2001 through October 2004 and is currently the president and chief executive officer of ARYDAN, which provides business consulting services to defense logistics and other firms.

Pitts, of nearby Unionville in Chester County, is seeking a ninth two-year term in the House. Patrick O’Keeffe of Lititz had intended to challenge Pitts but changed his mind. Independent Jim Bednarski, a Manheim Township businessman, is also seeking to challenge Pitts in the fall.

Here’s Strader’s resume:

Aryanna Strader – Resume

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Manheim Twp. commissioner says leaked email about ‘street people’ in library was ‘clumsy,’ well intentioned

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Tom Murse

Manheim Township Commissioner Al Kling

Manheim Township Commissioner Al Kling spoke to me about his email to fellow commissioners and township manager this week, in which he relays unnamed patron complaints that “street people” are riding the bus out of the city to the suburb’s $7.7 million library, which opened in September 2010, to hang out during the day and warm up.

The email, which seeks an avenue for addressing those complaints, was later provided to me.

Here is my interview with Kling, who is in the first year of his first term as a commissioner. You can also read the library’s response and policies here.

Q: You said you’ve been getting “vocal complaints.” How many people have actually complained to you?

A: “So far I’ve heard from five people. I don’t think anybody’s saying that there’s a hoard of people. But there’s apparently something going on and people are noticing it.

“I may have written my inquiry differently had I known it was going to be posted all over the world, but fundamentally I don’t think it was wrong to ask … I would probably have handled it different. I feel betrayed by whoever relayed that.”

Q: But you understand that this is a public library, right?

A: “Nobody’s saying that the public can’t come in the door. There have been problems in other places where — and there are various terms for homeless people — street people, some of whom aren’t real big on personal hygiene, come in to get out of the cold and create a less than desirable atmosphere than you would like for everybody else.

“I don’t think it’s wrong to not want that to occur. I don’t think it’s outrageous. All we’re saying is, ‘OK, you can come in, but you can’t loiter, you can’t use the bathroom to shower and shave if your personal hygene is somewhat lacking.’ We have the right to ask you to leave. That’s all reasonable stuff. The general public has the right to a nice, save, clean environment.”

Q: But the library already has a policy dealing with those issues. And officials there have told me they have not experienced any of the problems in your email.

A: “I wasn’t aware that the policy was there. I’m relatively new to being a commissioner.”

Q: Do you believe library officials when they say they have seen none of those problems?

A: “If they say they’re having no problems, that’s fine with me. It may be, since I’m not an eyewitness to anything, that these people who are inquiring, maybe they misread something. Maybe they’re more sensitive to this. But I think I have a duty to follow up. My heart is in the right place. I was trying to do good.

“Apprently I was clumsy about it. It doesn’t take away from the fact that I was well intentioned. My intention was relatively benign. It was not intended to be disparaging to homeless people from the city. I don’t care where they came from. If they meet this criteria then they should be asked to leave. I didn’t say anyone was sitting there drinking cheap wine. I’m just trying to do my job.

“The library is a nice, safe environment where the public can come and bring their children. The people who are in charge out there will make sure it stays that way.”

Q: Have you been to the library, and have you ever witnesses any problems?

A: “I have not been out there for a while. In the few times that I have been, I haven’t seen anything either.”

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OMG! ‘Street people’ from city are hanging out at Manheim Twp.’s library!

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Tom Murse

Manheim Township Public Library

One of Manheim Township’s newest commissioners, Al Kling, is apparently concerned about the clientele at the affluent suburb’s sparkling new $7.7 million public library. Here’s what he wrote to his fellow officials in an email that was leaked to yours truly:

“Gentleman:

“I have been getting vocal complaints about the type of people hanging out in the Library all day. These people are, let’s be polite, “street people” that ride the bus out of the city and hang out during the day in the library in the warm. Now Twp. residents, are fearful of going to the library because of this crowd, that hogs up the computers and generally creates a bad atmosphere.

“Since we have a director, an assistant director and a manager out there, my question is what are they doing about the situation? I might be wrong, but I thought Jim was the Library liaison, or should I make inquiry to someone else? How about the police? I could use a little guidance on how to approach this one.”

Al

The “Jim” to which Kling is referring is township Commissioner Jim Martin. We have a call in to the library to see how they’re dealing with these awful people who have ridden the bus all the way from the dirty ol’ city out to Manheim Township to get warm in its public library.

UPDATE: The folks at the library say they have not experienced any of the behavior that commissioner Kling described in his email. “I really don’t know where this is coming from,” said library executive director Katrina Anderson. “It kind of threw me.”

Related: Q and A with Al Kling

She said the alleged complaints to Kling about library patrons didn’t come from anyone on staff at the library, and that there’s been only one incident of someone violating the facility’s policies and that person didn’t come back after being confronted.

Lori Dietrich, a library spokeswoman, said staff was aware of Kling’s email and has tried to determine, without much success, the origins of the complaints. “It was not a complaint that came from staff. It was not a complaint that was given to staff from patrons. We do have a policy for incident reports. We have not received any incident reports from any staff or patrons. We have asked that whoever had this complaint, if they could come forward to us so we could have a form, an incident report, so we could look into it further,” Dietrich said.

The library policies ban loitering, among other behavior that can distract patrons. It also allows computer users only one hour if all the other machines are in use. So there’s no issue of patrons waiting to use the Internet, library officials said.

“No one is ever waiting in line, or there for more than an hour,” Anderson told me. “No one’s waiting becuase someone’s using a computer when they shouldn’t be. I’ve not observed a problem, as described.”

She said there are often people who gather by the library’s fireplace to talk about Wall Street Journal articles, but that are mostly elderly residents who enjoy talking politics and economy. They kind of like the serendipitous nature of people coming in to join their conversation,” Anderson said. “I’m thrilled that that’s what our library is becoming. They don’t dress in suits, but they’re certainly clean-cut. I really don’t know where this is coming from.”

UPDATE 1:45 P.M.: Here’s the email from Anderson to the township manager about Kling’s complaint:

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have attached our Code of Conduct, of which I and the staff are very mindful. We also make every attempt to be sure our patrons are in compliance. Since the library opened, I have only had to speak personally to one person and they have not returned. I address issues like this immediately and diplomatically in a non judgemental tone by simply stating the policy, on display in the corridor by the restrooms.

“The staff knows to make admin staff aware of the slightest incidence or suspicion of misconduct. My goldfish bowl office allows me to have view of most of the adult library and I have not observed a problem to the extent that was described by a resident to Commissioner Kling. Sue Funk has made us aware of one person who would frequent the Activity Center, and we have him in our scopes to be sure he does not violate any of the points in our Code of Conduct. So far he has behaved himself and seems to be using library resources appropriately. We monitor the restrooms, before and after use by this particular gentleman, whom I have not seen recently. So far we have not experienced any incident that is noteworthy or worth an incident report.

“As far as using up computer time and space, Logins are limited to one hour if all computers are in use. Although this is often the case, lines are never formed due to this automatic management of computer time.”

Also, to read the library’s full code of conduct policy, continue to the jump.

Continue reading →

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County Commissioner: Planned Parenthood Trying to Make Abortion “Cool”

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Tom Murse
Scott Martin

Lancaster County Commissioner Scott Martin

Republican Lancaster County Commissioner Scott Martin criticized Planned Parenthood for a recent tweet urging supporters to proclaim that being “prochoice is sexy.”

Martin, who is in his second term as a commissioner, told some 90 members of the conservative political action committee Lancaster County ACTION Saturday that Planned Parenthood is “on the defensive” when it comes to abortion rights and is now trying to “make it cool.”

Related: Pitts: Move on the Pipeline

Martin, who spoke at ACTION’s quarterly breakfast near Manheim Saturday morning, was referring to Planned Parenthood’s tweet on Friday that read: “RT if you think being #prochoice is #sexy!” The tweet has drawn a sharp reaction from opponents of abortion rights.

Here’s some of the response:

 

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Candidate for Creighton seat swears off most perks

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Tom Murse

Builder Stephen Black, one of two candidates seeking the Republican Party’s endorsement for retiring Rep. Tom Creighton’s House seat, says he won’t accept most perks if elected to office.

Related: GOP poll shows support for Fee

The Elizabeth Township resident, speaking to members of the conservative political action committee Lancaster County ACTION this morning, said he will not accept a state-leased vehicle, won’t charge taxpayers for mileage between Lancaster County and Harrisburg, and won’t expense his cell phone bills.

He also promised to never vote for a tax increase or an increase in lawmaker pensions. Black’s remarks come amid constituent anger over Creighton’s decision to accept a pension at the end of 2012 even though he promised in his 2000 campaign to turn one down if he ever became eligible.

Black, 58, is the owner of Stephen Black Builders Inc., based on West Brubaker Valley Road in Lititz. He is a Manheim Central graduate and a trustee for the Moravian College theological seminary.

He and Manheim sales executive Mindy Fee are seeking the Lancaster County GOP’s endorsement later this month for the 37th Legislative District seat, held by Creighton for the last 11 years.

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Lawmaker Pensions in Lancaster County

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Tom Murse

In case you missed our story on what retired state legislators from Lancaster County are getting in annual pension annuities, here’s a handy little chart and breakdown.

The breakdown, after the jump.

Continue reading →

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Chris Christie’s Joke

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Tom Murse

What, oh what, could he have meant by this?

If you can’t hear the protesters in the video, they’re chanting: “Christie kills jobs! Christie kills jobs!” according to Philly.com staffer Matt Katz, who was at the rally in Exeter, N.H., for Mitt Romney Sunday.

Christie’s response:

“Really?” he asked. “Something may go down tonight, but it ain’t going to be jobs, sweetheart.”

So what did Christie mean? If it’s not a crude, demeaning remark, what is it?

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Census: Pennsylvania’s population growth among slowest in U.S.

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Tom Murse

Population for States and Puerto Rico: July 1, 2011

New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show Pennsylvania’s population grew by less than a third of 1 percent from 2010 to 2011, ranking it among the slowest growing states in the nation. The state’s population on July 1 was 12,742,886, up 40,507 or 0.32 percent from a year earlier, the estimates show. It remains the sixth most-populous state.

In terms of actual population gain – 40,507 – Pennsylvania’s growth ranked eighteenth, though its rate of growth was among the slowest, 42nd overall. Only Illinois, Connecticut, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Vermont and Ohio grew at slower rates during the one-year period since the Census Bureau’s 2010 decennial head count. Three states lost population: Maine, Michigan and Rhode Island.

The District of Columbia, meantime, experienced the fastest growth; its population climbed by 2.7 percent, the first time it has led the nation in growth since the early 1940s. Washington, D.C., ranked 35th in percent growth between the 2000 and 2010 censuses. The other fastest growing states are Texas, Utah, Alaska, Colorado and North Dakota.

Here are the data:

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New state House and Senate districts in Lancaster County

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Tom Murse

The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission approved newly redrawn maps for Senate and House districts on Monday. Here are maps and details about each district in Lancaster County. The changes will take effect in 2013.

New state House districts in Lancaster County

Newly drawn state House districts in Lancaster County, as approved Monday.

House Districts in Lancaster County:
* Denotes new districts here

*13th Legislative District: Part of Chester County consisting of the townships of East Nottingham, Elk, Franklin, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, New London, Penn, Upper Oxford, West Fallowfield and West Nottingham and the boroughs of Atglen, Oxford and West Grove, and part of Lancaster County consisting of Sadsbury Townships and Christiana Borough. Currently represented by Republican Rep. John A. Lawrence.

Total population: 62,174

37th Legislative District: The townships of Clay, East Hempfield (PART, District Petersburg), Elizabeth, Mount Joy, Penn, Rapho and West Cocalico and the boroughs of Denver, East Petersburg and Manheim. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Tom Creighton.

Total population: 61,166

41th Legislative District: Townships of of Conestoga, East Hempfield (PART, Districts Barrcrest, Centerville, Cherry Hill, Chestnut Ridge, Friendly, Golden Acres, Hempland, Indian Springs, Kings, Landisville, Millcreek, Pleasant View, Rohrerstown and Scotland), Lancaster (PART, Districts 01, 05 and 07), Manheim (PART, District 07), Manor and West Hempfield (PART, Districts Chestnut Hill, Highland Park, Oyster Point, Salunga and Silver Spring) and Mountville borough. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Ryan Aument.

Total population: 62,692

43rd Legislative District: Townships of of East Lampeter, Lancaster (PART, Districts 03, 06 and 08), Strasburg, Upper Leacock, West Earl (PART, District Earlville) and West Lampeter and boroughs of Akron and Strasburg. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Scott Boyd.

Total population: 62,050

96th Legislative District: Lancaster City and the townships of Lancaster (PART,
Districts 02 and 04) and Manheim (PART, District 07). Currently represented by Democratic Rep. Mike Sturla.

Total population: 63,712

97th Legislative District: Townships of Manheim (PART, Districts 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23) and Warwick and the BOROUGH of Lititz. Currently represented by Republican Rep. John Bear.

Total population: 63,829

98th Legislative District: Part of Dauphin County consisting of Londonderry Township and part of Lancaster County consisting of the townships of Conoy, East Donegal, West Donegal and West Hempfield (PART, Districts Farmdale and Ironville) and the boroughs of Columbia, Elizabethtown, Marietta and Mount Joy. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Dave Hickernell.

Total population: 62,313

99th Legislative District: Townships of Caernarvon, Earl, East Earl, Ephrata, Salisbury and West Earl (PART, District Farmersville) and the boroughs of Ephrata, New Holland and Terre Hill. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Gordon Denlinger.

Total population: 61,826

100th Legislative District: Townships of Bart, Colerain, Drumore, East Drumore, Eden, Fulton, Lancaster (PART, District 09), Leacock, Little Britain, Martic, Paradise, Pequea and Providence and the boroughs of Millersville and Quarryville. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Bryan Cutler.

Total population: 63,248

*128th Legislative District: Berks County consisting of the townships of
Brecknock, Caernarvon, Cumru, Exeter (PART, Precincts 02, 04 and 07) and Robeson and the boroughs of Mohnton, New Morgan, Shillington and Wyomissing (PART, Districts 01, 03, 04 and 05) and part of Lancaster County consisting of Brecknock. Currently represented by Republican Rep. Mark Gillen.

Total population: 63,422

*129th Legislative District: Part of Berks County consisting of the townships of Heidelberg, Lower Heidelberg, North Heidelberg, South Heidelberg and Spring and the BOROUGHS of Adamstown (Berks County Portion), Robesonia, Sinking Spring and Wernersville and part of Lancaster County consisting of East Cocalico Township and the borough of Adamstown (Lancaster County Portion). Currently represented by Republican Rep. Jim Cox.

Total population: 63,503

State Senate districts in Lancaster County

Newly drawn state Senate districts in Lancaster County

Senate Districts in Lancaster County:
* Denotes new districts here

13th district: Lancaster City and the townships of Bart, Colerain, Conestoga, Drumore, East Drumore, East Lampeter, Eden, Fulton, Lancaster, Leacock, Little Britain, Manheim, Manor, Martic, Paradise, Pequea, Providence, Sadsbury, Salisbury, Strasburg, Upper Leacock and West Lampeter and the boroughs of Millersville, Quarryville and Strasburg. Currently represented by Republican Sen. Lloyd Smucker.

Total population: 258,922

*15th district: Part of Adams County consisting of the townships of Reading; part of Dauphin County consisting of the townships of Conewago, Derry, Londonderry, Lower Paxton, Lower Swatara, South Hanover and Swatara and the boroughs of Highspire, Hummelstown, Middletown, Paxtang, Royalton and Steelton; part of Lancaster County consisting of the townships of Conoy and part of York County consisting of the Townships of Conewago, Dover, East Manchester, Hellam, Newberry, Springettsbury, Warrington and Washington and the boroughs of Dover, Goldsboro, Hallam, Lewisberry, Manchester, Mount Wolf, Wellsville, Wrightsville and York Haven. Currently represented by Republican Sen. Jeff Piccola.

Total population: 255,883

*19th district: Part of Chester County consisting of the City of Coatesville and the townships of Caln, Charlestown, East Bradford, East Caln, East Fallowfield, East Nottingham, East Whiteland, Elk, Franklin, Highland, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, New London, Penn, Sadsbury, Upper Oxford, Uwchlan, Valley, West Bradford, West Brandywine, West Fallowfield, West Goshen, West Marlborough, West Nottingham, West Pikeland, West Sadsbury and West Whiteland and the Boroughs of Atglen, Avondale, Downingtown, Malvern, Modena, Oxford, Parkesburg, South Coatesville, West Chester and West Grove and part of Lancaster County consisting of the borough of Christiana. Currently represented by Democrat Andrew Dinniman.

Total population: 257,055

36th district: Townships of Brecknock, Caernarvon, Clay, Earl, East Cocalico, East Donegal, East Earl, East Hempfield, Elizabeth, Ephrata, Mount Joy, Penn, Rapho, Warwick, West Cocalico, West Donegal, West Earl and West Hempfield and the boroughs of Adamstown (Lancaster County Portion), Akron, Columbia, Denver, East Petersburg, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Lititz, Manheim, Marietta, Mount Joy, Mountville, New Holland and Terre Hill. Currently represented by Republican Sen. Mike Brubaker.

Total population: 256,161

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