Saturday, October 26, 2013

Lack of Media Mayor's Leadership Taking Toll on Borough - Make a change Nov 5th!

Septa - Pa Transportation Bill Funding - What has McMahon done?
I found it absolutely appalling that after 22 years as Mayor, Bob McMahon can't come up with anything better than generalizations and not committal statements, but that's been by careful design.  This week on Patch.com he had the opportunity to communicate to Media on the state of Thirds Street Bridge and what his position is on the economic investment a company like Wawa could bring to the borough.  He failed.  He also failed to mention anything about a real, serious issue that could affect 100s of daily commuters traveling to and from Media with the recent Transportation Bill needed for Septa funding.  I've not only called and met with legislatures, I've reported it back to the community.  I'll fight for Media's best interests.  Yet McMahon brings up over used metaphors like "outside the box ideas," as if that's some new whimsical approach.

He would like the community to know he has new ideas on parking, but what exactly are they?  I'd suggest that they do something to fix the Olive Street Parking garage that I've been writing about for two years.  Have you seen the rain water run through it?  Smart parking meters and kiosks?  I've also been writing about that and have shared a lot of ideas that other communities are utilizing the improve their parking situations.  From smartphone apps to analytical reporting.  Speaking of which, it took Mayor McMahon 15 years to implement the $1.5 million CMAQ project that the state provided to upgrade and synchronize traffic signals on Baltimore Ave, Providence Road and Orange Street. 15 YEARS and an additional $200,000 from taxpayer due to the mayor's mishandling!  It took Springfield 2 years to to the same project!

Mayor Bob "No Plan" McMahon
When was the last time anyone heard a statement by Mayor McMahon about Media's Hampton Inn or Fire Company?  How about the recent news on the Granite Run Mall Project, which will affect Media?  What's the future of Trader Joe's?  Youth activities? New businesses? In the time he's been mayor, has he ever given a "State of Media" address?!? How about the $20,000 informercial that I've still never seen on TV as we were told we would.  What was the ROI? Nothing more than a non-bid deal McMahon used taxpayer's money for to star in a video with Terry Bradshaw from a company in Florida fined by the state's attorney general.

Coming up with ideas are only part of the problem, it takes awareness, commitment and a concerted effort to achieve the objective.  Thousands of people come to this site to raise concerns they see with the community.  They come back knowing that I'll raise the awareness to get the problems addressed.  I've been doing it for four years.  What's avid ATM reader Mayor Bob McMahon been doing for the last 22 years? I can't tell, his Patch article says nothing!

Tedman O'Hara
Candidate for Mayor of Media




32 comments:

  1. Tedman, you have some great points, but some of your snarl makes you sound like a typical attack politician. Tell me what you will do, not how bad you perceive your opponent to be. I'm not stupid. I can arrive at my own observations.

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  2. Michael Jordan, MediaOctober 26, 2013 at 8:49 AM

    Tedman is right, and the most courageous and energetic figure to run for Mayor of Media in my lifetime. A force for needed change.

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  3. Sad but true commentary. I know the current mayor has done lots of GREAT things, but if he truly cared about Media Borough he'd step aside and let fresh ideas flourish. Also sad but true? Media Borough is not ready for an R at the helm.

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    1. Alas, yes is true. Many 'R's' who have supported McMahon in the past are not supporting now because he cannot provide concise absolute answers to the issues front and center right now. No definitive statement on Third St, no definitive statement on Wawa. Seems unsupportive of revenue sources which would keep taxes low for the residents, and follows the 'float a bond' mentality which sacrifices positive revenue into the borough. This mayor has sadly fallen into the complacency trap that is the Dem party in the borough. Why do we as a community allow these 'D' lemmings to vote and follow the party and not people?

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  4. Yes solutions and positive energy vs attack, then I might send some respect your way.

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    1. But that might not allow a campaign to manufacture a false crisis out of any and every issue in the borough.

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    2. He is not raising false assertions and certainly not any crisis; instead he is pointing out omissions by the current establishment and bring matters to the attention of the Media residents. Solutions only come when the necessary information has been gathered and he seems to be doing that while Borough Council and its Mayor share little or no information with the residents and business owners. Beyond that he has suggested some solutions and actually sought corrections of small issues like doogie bag can overflowing. A small matter, but a potential health issue and certainly an unsightly mess that SHOULD have been discovered and corrected by those elected to keep the Borough safe, clean and welcoming to residents and visitors. The fact that it took a CONCERNED (there is the important word) resident to call the Manager tells you all you need to know about the current lack of care from the elected officials and the commitment of Mr. O'Hara.
      I no longer live in Media so I can not vote for him but if I were there, I would and living where I do now, I see the way in which a 2 party system can really work for the benefit of the residents; in Media, that effort resulted in the Dems denying two of their own because they were willing to work with the other side to achieve results. Sad that the majority of Media residents just do not get it and the Borough suffers because of that attitude.

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    3. Anonymous...show me just one small bit of evidence that the current elected Council and its do nothing Mayor have exhibited any "POSITIVE ENERGY"! I will not hold my breath waiting for your reply as, simply put, they have had nothing positive to do or say about the Media Communiity for a long, long time other than the tired and now somewhat trite : "Everybody's Hometown" and that was what...20+years ago?

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  5. County Council is where Tedman belongs. Wake up courthouse pols. Tedman is a winner for the R party.

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  6. McMahon is concerned with himself, not Media. It is obvious. He also knows that if he says nothing and does nothing, he will be easily reelected.

    I would suggest that Tedman is not creating a crisis. I guess the D's in the town assume that if you don't talk about a problem, then there is no problem. Let's pretend Granite run mall has no impact. Let's pretend trader joes has a 100 year lease. Let's be sure not to mention all of the vacant space surrounding our gateway. Let's let the current parking strategy remain in place for decades. Maybe we can even raise taxes a little so that we can fund some more feel-good YouTube videos.

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  7. I'm a registered Dem who will be voting for most of the Republicans in Media this November. :D

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  8. Under normal circumstances, the mayor has no real authority in a Pennsylvania borough.

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  9. Why does PA law allow us to elect someone with no qualifications to run the police department??

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  10. Don't hate Tedman. He tells it like it is.

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  11. TM ... you're right, there's no vision . But what's your vision with regard to the police pension crisis and the inevitable need for paid firefighters?

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    1. What's bob's? Continue to read boilerplate proclamations and sleep the rest of meetings? Cause that's a great solution.

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  12. What exactly is it that a mayor of a PA borough is elected to do?

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  13. While I respect your muckracking abilities Ted, I would like to know what are your true plans to fix these issues? How do you plan on funding all of this? It is easy to be a describer, but actually finding the funds and resources and support of your fellow counsel members to buy into your ideas when you hold that position are a completely different ball game.

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  14. MM would have us believe there are no problems

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    1. Interesting dichotomy my friend, but dealing with problems in municipal governance requires more than doing the bidding of moneyed interests and making a rhetorical 911 call for an instant solution every time an issue pops up.

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  15. Are you saying TM will do "the bidding of moneyed interests"?

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    1. I'm saying the platform is pliant to the wishes of BLCC, Wawa/Media Real Estate, non questions asked on a hotel, etc.

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  16. Yes, MM. If you have some knowledge that someone is in TM's pocket, the people of Media deserve to know. Of course, a lack of a response would be an indication that you have no such information and, in that case, TM deserves an apology.

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  17. A libel is a malicious, false statement in written media, a broadcast, or otherwise published words

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  18. MM apparently has some direct experience in dealing with problems in municipal governance...

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  19. For reason my last comment didn't make it up here as of yet, I'm using an a=b, b=c, a=c argument or transitive property of politics.

    a) Media real estate waged an Astroturf campaign on behalf of Media First when they attempted to co-opt the Democratic Primary. Every Media Real Estate Building was plastered with Media First campaign signs in an attempt to create a false picture of how many residents were actually supporting that group and their platform.

    b) Media Frist campaigned on a "build baby build" campaign trying to green light every possible project in town over any objections of residents. These would include a BLCC-centric solution to 3rd street, under-vetted Wawa project, and blind support of the hotel project.

    c) There isn't much daylight between the Media First platform and Tedman's platform.

    That platform, and supporters of it, are placing a private club (BLCC), real estate company (MRE), and two corporations (Wawa and whatever hotel company) over the input of the residents of Media Borough.

    Nobody is in anybody's pocket, but the issues are clear in terms of who benefits most from what decision.

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    1. If (a) I am Media Real Estate tenant and (b) I go in front of District Justice Toni Cavanugh then (c) I am screwed.

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    2. Media Mike has the pulse of borough residents. You can mock all you want but he is the real deal.

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  20. None of this comes under the purview of the mayor.

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  21. Wow, MM you've got the whole thing figured out don't you? How familiar are you with 'every Media RE building' in the borough? I had a Media First sign on my lawn and I am not affiliated in any way with MRE - this leads me to believe you are a borough 'insider'. Let's move on - Media First would not have green-lit EVERY building plan, just the 2 most important ones that would, oh I don't know, bring people and REVENUE into the borough? A bridge connecting a neighboring municipality for benefit of emergency access and school bus transport does not make a 'BLCC-centric' solution. Far from it. That solution benefits each taxpayer and resident. As for the Wawa project being 'under-vetted' - after what, 14, 15 meetings/presentations to various boards and committees, if the almighty council is now claiming 'never heard it' then they are not paying much attention in the first place. Tedman has been on top and on point regarding each level the Wawa project has gone through, and they are still 'talking' over at 3rd and Jackson.
    Lastly, as far as the 'input of the residents of Media Borough' : to whom are you referring? I think you align yourself with a small but very loud group of residents over at Parks Edge Lane who do not represent in numbers the vast majority of residents of this borough who are underwhelmed to say the least with the absence of forward moving and forward thinking on the current slate of boro electeds. Why should or would we vote to have more of the same? Ugh. gets my blood pressure every time.

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  22. The problem with MM ABC logic is the fundamental notion that the voters actually know what is truly going on. Anyone who cares enough to follow and post on this blog knows that isn't true.

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  23. Would MM have us believe that residents somehow deserve more of a voice than one of our largest landowners and taxpayers? Would MM have us believe their freedom of speech and expression should be devalued and compromised?

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