Government should reflect public in Delco

To the Times: On Nov. 7, we have the opportunity to vote for two of five County Council seats and a number of other important county positions. Now’s the time to reflect on what we want from our county government and make a plan to vote.

There has not been a single Democrat on Delaware County Council in over 40 years. Republican politicians have used county posts as stepping stones to state and federal office. The GOP faithful point to the fine character of individual elected officials and praise the efficiency of the one-party state that is Delco.

But is it really efficient? We’re taxed at a higher rate than our neighbors in Montgomery and Chester Counties, yet we have fewer county services to show for it (no health department, for example).

So where is all the money going? It’s not easy to find out. County Council meetings I’ve attended have consisted of one unanimous vote after another, with no discussion. Agendas, minutes and even video of County Council meetings are available with a click on the Montgomery and Chester County websites. In Delco, you must file a written Open Documents Request and wait over a month for a response.

Are our elected officials hiding something? The Democratic candidates for County Council, Brian Zidek and Kevin Madden, have built a convincing case that a GOP pay-to-play system funnels our tax money to contractors who, in turn, donate to Republican candidates’ campaigns. Rather than open the books to prove it isn’t true, the GOP has responded with personal attacks on the challengers and testimonials to the saintly character of their own incumbent.

The single most important fact about our county government is that it does not accurately and fairly represent the citizens who live here. This was demonstrated a year ago, when the local GOP threw its considerable weight behind the Republican presidential candidate. While he won Pennsylvania, Donald Trump lost Delaware County by a wide margin. (Hillary Clinton got more votes in Delco in 2016 than Barack Obama did in 2012.) That’s because Democrats now outnumber Republicans in the county, but also because many Delco Republicans broke with their leadership and voted against Trump.

We deserve a county government that represents all the people of Delaware County – one that is transparent, efficient, responsive and accountable. This Election Day, we can take a major step in that direction and end one-party rule here in Delco. Vote on Nov. 7!