Dear Editor,
I am through excoriating La Mayor and the cohorts of her chamber. They will do what they will do, as any politician will do — strive for the implementation of their own vision, bound to leave behind evidence that they have “been there”. Cheops had his pyramid, La Mayor has her corner hotel… both of them monuments to the past.
The reason politicians will do as they will do is the lethargy of the ordinary citizen who lay back like sleepy cats until somebody steps on their tail and they squawk — too late.
Case in point, the Snyder Township citizens who are now protesting the school for problem kids set down in their midst. Too Late! Where were you when your supervisors were discussing and voting on the decision during months of open meetings?
Case in point, La Mayor and her cohorts ae shifting Community Development Block Grant Funds into Phase II of the borough’s streetscape program. These funds are meant to aid the entire community but the streetscape program — La Mayor’s monument to herself — is going to gobble up another $310,000 iniatially meant for the ENTIRE community, not just the small community of property-rich landlords. Good for her. The excellent politician that she is has put another star in her crown. How does she do it? Nobody says to her, “NO!”, that’s how. And now it is too late.
Too late for the 75 persons who have qualified to have some of that $310,000 put into sorely needed electrical, plumbing and heating improvements to their homes, homes that need sewer laterals, repairs to windows, roofs and accessories for the handicapped. Where were you, you 75 qualifiers, when La Mayor and her Chamber of Royal Garter discussed and decided to keep feeding the portly landlords without even tossing you a crumb? Didn’t their “Let them eat cake” attitude move you off your posteriors? You had thousands to gain and nothing to lose except the time it took to sit through deliberately boring council meetings. Now its TOO LATE.
Whu don’t you 75 homeowners find out who you are and collectively attend the next council meeting? Would that be too much to ask of you — to simply demand your share of hundreds of thousands of dollars La Mayor and her court have showered upon the downtown landlords? I guarantee you that had 75 of you crowded into La Mayor’s playpen you would’ve shaken her resolve — perhaps even returned her to reality. Tyrone is not a playground for the rich. Tyrone is a town fill of people struggling to stay afloat in the dissolving economy that surrounds us and the last thing it needs is another Marie Antionette.
If you had bullied La Mayor as she bullies her way with the town, maybe La Mayor might recall what happened to Sweet Marie and take note, rather than blithely dismiss dissenters as “three or four letter writers who like to see their names in the paper.”
You 75 homeowners and the rest of you Tyroners should be aware that politicians have one fatal flaw. Their ego blinds them to everything but their own vision and deafens them to everything but the sound of their own voice.
Of course you 75 pilfered homeowners could collectively hire a lawyer and hit La Mayor and her court with a misappropriation of State funds suit. Now there’s a thought. That would get their attention.
Election is coming up again. Potential candidates are taking out petitions. Another chance to oust the royals, another opportunity for the common man to have representation is upon us. Royalty can be toppled. It’s time to roll out the tumbrels.
And we don’t need the guilliotine, only the ballot box.
Vive Le Revolution!
Dan Meckes
Tyrone
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Dear Sir,
Title IX in athletics. In 1972 the idea of equal opportunity for female athletes was a much needed and honorable idea. Title IX in athletics in 2003 is anything but honorable. It has become a law that has been twisted, turned and manipulated into a litigation sledge hammer that is used by certain womens organizations to extort more money from college administrations. More times than not anymore, the extra money comes from the termination of men’s sports teams. This law tht was once simply about equal opportunity is now about control of money, more and more money/
This once honorable law now legally forces college administrations to discriminate against male athletes that compete in traditionally non profit making sports, i.e. wrestling, gymnastics, track and field, swimming, golf, even baseball and many others.
Proportionality is the magic word (because quota does not sound as polite) the women’s sports organizations use to defend their position of more MONEY. Their definition of proportionality has caused the demise of hundreds of men’s college sports teams. Proportionality has led to this fact, there are more than 600 NCAA women’s teams than men’s teams. Yet, this is not good enough, the drive is continuing for more and more money. At this pace I guess what will make these groups happy is if Division I football and men’s basketball continue to make more and more money, eliminate the scholarships with these programs and all other men’s sports programs and give all the money to female athletes.
Title IX must be refined — now, not later!
Edward Yarger
Philipsburg
