Thursday, May 16, 2013

Chairman of the Troubled Media Business Authority Resigns

This week I learned that the chair of the Media Business Authority, Kevin Schramm has resigned from his position.  I didn't know Kevin well, but I've always heard great things about his vision and leadership he had with the group of volunteers that oversaw the well being of Media's businesses.  Unfortunately, this resignation adds to a long list of concerns that has plagued this committee.
Media Business Auth. board members run for the exits.


It's a well known and openly discussed that members of this group resign due to the over-shawdowing politics of Media Borough Council.  For example, The MBA supports a new Wawa, Borough Council doesn't -  So who do you think will win that one?  This committee barely holds a quorum of operational members because many people who volunteer for this group are typically fed up after only a few months due to lack of results and impact.  It's often referred to as a waste of time.  Let's get real, that's not how you run a committe that's responsible for the vibrancy of Media Businesses and receives over $75,000 yearly in taxpayer money.

Furthermore, it's  been so mismanged by Media Borough Council, that even liason and councilman, Eric Stein failed to show up for half the meetings over a two year span.  Yet he was re-appointed.  At one point he missed 7 consecutive meetings!  If he shows no interest, why should anyone else? What's worse is that partners who once supported this committee with funding, are no longer involved.  Case in point, is the withdraw of the Brandywine Convention and VIsitors Bureau who during 2011 contributed $20,000 to Media State Street events.  That's a $20,000 lost because people feel a lack of confidence in the abilities and execution of this authority.  It's too bad, as that year we had some of the best events I can remember in a long time, one of which was the classic car show.
May 2012 Meeting Minutes: Instead of Media Borough Council addressing this issue, they re-appointed their liaison, Eric Stein
The volunteers on this committee who put forth an effort in good faith for the community are the victims.  They deserve better, the businesses of Media deserve better and the taxpayers of this town are owed a explanation.  It's May, and they've not even posted meeting minutes for 2013!

Either dissolve the Media Business Authority and re-use the funding for other purposes or re-organize this group with a comprehensive top-to-bottom review.  What we have now have is an ineffective bureaucracy that can't manage itself, let alone the economic vibrancy of Media, Pa.

Tedman







13 comments:

  1. Why is the Board link on their website disabled? Do they now want people to know who is in charge of the Media Business Authority? I was under the impression that if you take public funds or are a registered non-profit it was required to list that information.

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    1. Um, it's not disabled

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    2. They're not even required to have a website, silly.

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  2. As long as this regime is in control, they will continue to make excuses for poor performance. This is a direct reflection on the leadership of council who isn't much better. Tomorrow I will tell my employer that I'll miss half the year, but ensure them my heart is into my job. Mrs. Simpson, how on earth do you explain that comment?

    This blogger seems to know more than the average resident, but most of what he says is true.

    A former MBA member - who by the way is one of many.

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  3. Tedman, I think that you bring some very valid observations to the discussion, as you often do. What I, as an independent voter of Media would like to know is what are your ideas to fix this problem, and the many others you have pointed out and continue to discuss (Wawa, 3rd Street dam, Hampton Inn).

    How will you, as Mayor, facilitate progress in fixing the MBA, bringing the Wawa through the zoning process, convincing Hampton Inn to continue with their project?

    How will you influence a divided Council to make decisions that most benefit Media, when there is clear division on how that is defined in the community?

    I truly believe that you have the best interest of Media at heart. Please tell me why I should believe that you have solutions to these problems that you are clearly adept at identifying. Please, go beyond using this blog as a bully pulpit to scream what is wrong in Media, and identify how you would fix it as an elected official. I want to vote for you, but would I be trading one elected official with an agenda that benefits a small few for another elected official with an agenda that simply benefits a different group of select few?

    I hear to much of both sides of the political spectrum in this town, pointing fingers and telling me what's wrong with the other side. I wanna know how each side expects overcome these divisions and get things done in this town. And I don't mean by making backroom deals to ram votes through Council, as was done in 2011.

    You talk often of leadership, or lack thereof. True leadership does not isolate select groups, it unites. How will you unite this town?

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    1. Excellent question!

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    2. Yes, it would be nice to hear a plan to fix things, rather than just a rant about how bad things are.

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    3. But it's just so much easier and fun to rant....

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  4. Tedman,
    I would also like your comment about 3rd Street Bridge ownership and its original deed as it is posted on the Media Dems website.

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    1. Actually, the bridge issue is so messed up that I don't think anyone can bring it to a conclusion of any sort. IMO it's not even worth discussing as a campaign platform due to it's complexity and the shear impossibility that any one candidate or elected official could do anything to resolve it.

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  5. Of course he resigned. I pointed out to you and your readers several blogs ago that the MBA is a standalone public entity, created by Council years ago. While it receives funding from Council, it is responsible for its own activities. Eric's attendance at MBA meetings is irrelevant, insofar as he has no authority to do anything as an individual member of council. Getting back to the resignation.... the illegal nature of the MBAs operations is clearly giving this guy some anxiety. And well it should. There is no record of any official actions in the minutes, not even the payment of bills. This is a clear and unmistakable violation of the Sunshine Act. But I don't blame Council. I blame the MBA Board and, to dome extent, the Executive Director.

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    1. It gets worse. Follow the money, if you can. Council strikes deal for a video. (We'll ignore, for now, the fact that the Mayor illegally negotiated an unauthorized contract.). In an effort to make the cost of the video more politically palatable, Council announces that the MBA has stepped up to fund a portion of the project. So, follow me here, the entity that receives taxpayer dollars is now paying for the unauthorized contract in order to satisfy the political needs of Council. Can you say money laundering? Or, could this have been the backroom deal that was just enough to swing the votes in support of the project? Either way, it's just sad. And both parties are responsible.

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    2. What a stupid statement

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