The Only Sign Wanted Would Say “No Signs”

Blog # 3

This blog would be best titled “How to be taken for a ride” or “The Wayfinding signs pointing to The Emperor with No Clothes”.

But first, I must address an issue that has been brought forth recently.  It seems one individual having a business in the valley doesn’t like to appear in my blog. Apparently, providing awareness of the questionable practices that this person could easily provide in this community was not appreciated.

After my second ad appeared in the local Shopper’s Guide advertising the posting of my new blog, the owner of the Shopper’s Guide informed me he could no longer run my ads. He stated to me he was threatened by this individual that if he didn’t stop running my ads, this person would stop advertising in the Shopper’s Guide.  This is so typical of certain individuals in this valley, they hate to have the truth about them, so their usual bullying tactics kick in to silence the truth any way they can.  Isn’t it great, how underhanded individuals can be?  The worst part is many of these individuals are involved in politics.

When I begin to explain to people outside this community the questionable happening going on in this valley, the typical comment is “Well it’s like that most everywhere”. After I continue to describe more of the underhandedness and questionable practices that happen in this small community, these same people change their comment to “Wow, this community is really a lot worse than most other communities”.  The sad part is many of the people of this community allow this to happen by not being well informed or just not caring.  How disconcerting.

The comments I just made can apply in many ways to the next subject “Wayfinding” or “The Signs”. The signs issue is a perfect example of people not paying attention to what is happening in this valley. I and others went around the community with petitions informing people of the sign issue and the cost involved for this senseless endeavor.  We had a phenomenal response with these petitions, practically everyone signing in response to them being against this poorly conceived project.

This sign endeavor was presented to the public some time ago by this enterprise called “Perk Up”, which I think may very well have been the brainchild of Mr. Bob Mensch. It seems the next maneuver was having Mrs. Luanne Stauffer, Director of the local Chamber of Commerce as the cheerleader for the “Perk Up” enterprise.

Cheerleader and Director of The Chamber of Commerce Luanne Stauffer did her cheerleading to various groups in the valley as to how wonderful these signs would be throughout the valley, including to the local Planning Commission.

As you might remember I pointed out at the time how only one member of the commission Mr. Ben Fiorito saw this for what it was and the unmitigated waste of time and money. Mr. Fiorito was so disheartened with this boondoggle that he resigned from the commission, as he could not be part of this ridiculous undertaking.

I wrote a letter to the editor at the time, with others writing as well, pointing out what a questionable waste of effort this was. In my letter I pointed out the bizarre cost this undertaking could be and what a total waste.  I pointed out how the cost would be approximately $50,000 just for the person to do the study for the signs and how that didn’t even include one sign.  Mr. Ben Fiorito pointed out the actual cost of this project was totally open ended. In my article I questioned the cost, and could it be $100,000.00, $200,000.00 or even $300,000.00?

Shortly after the letters appeared in the newspaper, we found two front page articles glorifying this sign undertaking. We once again had the Cheerleader Director of The Chamber of Commerce Luanne Stauffer and Upper Hanover Township Supervisor Steve Rothenberger, who is a much ingrained Chamber of Commerce member and also a partner in Brode and Brooks Real Estate Agency, touting the wonders of the signs. According to these articles the cost of the signs were going to be a bargain as they made it appear they found all sorts of avenues to substantially lower the cost of this whole debacle.

Cheerleader Luanne Stauffer and her other cheerleaders went about the community, in spite of the vast majority of the citizens totally not wanting this waste of signs, promoting the supposed glories of the signs. It is as if the supporters of this inane idea have no real concern for what the citizens of this community feel is really needed. I get the feeling, it’s more what a couple of individuals feel is best for the area than what the citizens of this community feel we need.

I believe a good idea to promote this community, and to entice business to this area and provide what is really needed for this community would be to form a committee of capable citizens. These individuals should be people without any possible questionable connections within the community. Instead of these silly signs one of the first projects this group could tackle which would truly be meaningful to the local citizens would be a centrally located Post Office.

What a pleasure it would be to not worry about being run over exiting your car to mail a letter or having your mirror damaged when your car is parked while you take care of your postal needs. I also believe none of us would mind if it were far easier to use the outside postal boxes to mail letters. This is just one example. I have no doubt if you got a group of citizens together they would come up with many more good ideas.

Now for the really bad news, and it isn’t the fact that as I understand it the specifications given by experts for installing the signs were an abomination and would not have even held the signs up. The really bad news is I have been given information this sign debacle is projected to cost (are you sitting down) $350,000.00.  If someone should try to convince you that it is not going to cost us $350,000.00 don’t believe them.  They may tell you that they are requesting a grant for a portion of the money, which is true what they probably won’t remind you, is that grant money is our tax money.  I realize it is far more important to put up silly signs than giving this tax money to school districts that desperately need money.  We didn’t receive this money; did you notice the substantial school tax increase we had this past year?

At the time of writing this Cheerleader Luanne Stauffer is circling the municipalities and hoping to land $13,000.00 of tax money out of each municipality. Now with Upper Hanover Township Supervisor Steve Rothenberger on the township board along with Supervisor Dottie Diehl and Supervisor Rich Fain they had no problem giving the $13,000.00.  I give credit to three of the municipalities Green Lane, Pennsburg, and Red Hill Boroughs the $13,000.00 has not come forth from these towns at this point.  A comment was made to me that East Greenville Borough can’t afford to supply funds for uniforms for the police force but they can still secure $13,000.00 for signs.  If in fact this is true, what a sad state of affairs.

In the application for this grant I relished the opening comment, and I quote “This gateway and wayfinding sign project will tie together and brand seven individual municipalities in two counties as one community.” I must admit this is true, as citizens are finding out what this sign dilemma is they are becoming very upset with the whole ignorant idea.  Many of these citizens, I am sure would like to thank both Cheerleader Luanne Stauffer and State Senator Bob Mensch.  Remember the bill that Mensch wrote and sponsored, yet could not remember what was in the bill when questioned?  The bill was so bad that he pulled it and if he had any common sense he would support doing the same for this stupid signage being forced on this community.

Once again I would like to state I think it would be a very good idea to form a committee of respectable citizens to entice business into this valley, realizing if Knolls and/ or the former Brown Printing leave the Valley it will be a major tax loss to the tax base of this area. Let this group do what I feel has not been happening in this valley.  It seems the Chamber of Commerce is capable of providing social events as I have   frequently noticed.  I believe it would serve the community well to have the newly created group of citizens do this critical work and have the Chamber of Commerce support them when it would be necessary for social events, such as luncheons and dinners.  This would possibly provide an outlet for the Chamber of Commerce and Perk Up so we would not have to again face a ridiculous issue such as the signs.

On a slightly different note, I have a whole lot of trouble having any respect for Bob Mensch who is running for re-election for state senate. One of his top Republican supporters, who Mr. Mensch has very involved in his campaign, happens to be an x-convict, it’s no wonder we as citizens are so disgusted with our government and those who run it.