Apparently Bill Hellmann sent out a pack of lies to voters in Morrisville today. A desparate attempt to deceive voters again. Did anyone receive this SOT propaganda?
Update 11/1:
Morrisville Pride has updated their website with a Special Alert to voters
Click the link to check it out...Voter Alert!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
A message from Ron Smith
This was posted as a comment, but it deserves it's own post.
"To all my friends, neighbors, and township residents:
During the last 2 weeks, our mailboxes have been inundated with what can charitably be best described as negative mailers filled with character assassinations, outright lies, falsehoods and distortions. I guess when my opponent is scared of his own reputation and credentials, the only way to proceed is to attack his opponent.
As bad as the libelous negative mailers of my opponent have been, tonight the line of common decency and fair play was crossed. When my wife came home from work, she did what most people did. She went to check the mailbox and was greeted by what appeared to be numerous dead rodents in the mailbox. She was frightened and extremely shaken by this event. Although this may sound like something hilarious to my opponent, the result was an unfortunate terrorizing of my wife Felice. The police have been contacted and a report was taken. In fact, this is the 3rd police report that has been filed for vandalism against my home and my campaign property during the last few weeks, In addition, all of my campaign signs in the rear of my home were stolen this evening.
I am sure that the opposition will deny their involvement, but the tearing down of my big signs, the ongoing theft and destruction of my smaller signs along with the libelous mailers all fits the same pattern of political sabotage. I would hope that we would expect more from an individual who is running for District Judge.
We can all sit back and do nothing or we can send a message on this Tuesday to the Burns campaign. That message is " We are not going to accept such outrageous conduct from the Burns team and we are going to cast our vote for Ron Smith for District Judge". I apologize for this message, but when one threatens innocent family members, such as my wife, the time is here to say enough is enough and we will not tolerate that kind of behavior, let alone politics. Please feel free to send this message to one and all. Thank you. Ron Smith"
"To all my friends, neighbors, and township residents:
During the last 2 weeks, our mailboxes have been inundated with what can charitably be best described as negative mailers filled with character assassinations, outright lies, falsehoods and distortions. I guess when my opponent is scared of his own reputation and credentials, the only way to proceed is to attack his opponent.
As bad as the libelous negative mailers of my opponent have been, tonight the line of common decency and fair play was crossed. When my wife came home from work, she did what most people did. She went to check the mailbox and was greeted by what appeared to be numerous dead rodents in the mailbox. She was frightened and extremely shaken by this event. Although this may sound like something hilarious to my opponent, the result was an unfortunate terrorizing of my wife Felice. The police have been contacted and a report was taken. In fact, this is the 3rd police report that has been filed for vandalism against my home and my campaign property during the last few weeks, In addition, all of my campaign signs in the rear of my home were stolen this evening.
I am sure that the opposition will deny their involvement, but the tearing down of my big signs, the ongoing theft and destruction of my smaller signs along with the libelous mailers all fits the same pattern of political sabotage. I would hope that we would expect more from an individual who is running for District Judge.
We can all sit back and do nothing or we can send a message on this Tuesday to the Burns campaign. That message is " We are not going to accept such outrageous conduct from the Burns team and we are going to cast our vote for Ron Smith for District Judge". I apologize for this message, but when one threatens innocent family members, such as my wife, the time is here to say enough is enough and we will not tolerate that kind of behavior, let alone politics. Please feel free to send this message to one and all. Thank you. Ron Smith"
Crossing the line...yes indeed Stay on Track has crossed the line
We received this email just moments ago and was asked to pass it on for all to read.
Here it is:
Last week, the "Friends of the Morrisville Democrats" folks hand delivered to the residents in the 1st, 3rd and 4th wards a clear bag containing literature from the Democratic candidates. Included in this bag was a golden Democratic sample ballot that lists all the Democrats running for various positions.
I am proud to be a Democrat. I do not begrudge honest, respectful Republicans. Everyone has their own point of view. There is room for every honest, respectful person to work side-by-side, together.
Honesty and respect are the key to all things. Over the past few days the "Stay On Track" folks hand delivered three pieces of literature to the residents, including the Republican sample ballot on GOLD paper. Don't be fooled by this, it is NOT the Democratic sample ballot. More underhanded tactics from people who have campaigned from the beginning on a platform of dishonest behavior. Please be sure to acquire the true golden Democratic sample ballot from the people working at the polls on Tuesday, November 3rd.
All of the Democratic candidates have shown a great ability to work together and will continue to do so as Morrisville progresses. Beginning on November 3rd, we have a real ability to build bridges, not buildings. Please vote straight Democrat on November 3rd.
Here it is:
Last week, the "Friends of the Morrisville Democrats" folks hand delivered to the residents in the 1st, 3rd and 4th wards a clear bag containing literature from the Democratic candidates. Included in this bag was a golden Democratic sample ballot that lists all the Democrats running for various positions.
I am proud to be a Democrat. I do not begrudge honest, respectful Republicans. Everyone has their own point of view. There is room for every honest, respectful person to work side-by-side, together.
Honesty and respect are the key to all things. Over the past few days the "Stay On Track" folks hand delivered three pieces of literature to the residents, including the Republican sample ballot on GOLD paper. Don't be fooled by this, it is NOT the Democratic sample ballot. More underhanded tactics from people who have campaigned from the beginning on a platform of dishonest behavior. Please be sure to acquire the true golden Democratic sample ballot from the people working at the polls on Tuesday, November 3rd.
All of the Democratic candidates have shown a great ability to work together and will continue to do so as Morrisville progresses. Beginning on November 3rd, we have a real ability to build bridges, not buildings. Please vote straight Democrat on November 3rd.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Did you notice?
Did anyone notice that the two pieces supposedly written by Bill Hellmann and Jack Buckman had no supportive comments posted on the BCCT website? There was not one comment from any of their supporters. There was no "way to go Jack", or "Bill your doing a great job". Why not you ask? In our opinion their letters further damaged the stay on trackers credibility, and showed that they are not concerned with students and education at all. It only strengthened the position of the Morrisville Pride candidates.
An open letter to Mr. Buckman
We received this letter from a former student as a response to Mr. Buckman's recent piece in the BCCT. This letter unlike the ones from Mr. Buckman and Mr. Hellmann is full of facts. It is a great summary of how the students and the community feel about what this board has done to the town and district over the past two years.
Mr. Buckman, I went to every school board meeting for almost two years and I heard one of your own colleagues say that "Newspapers are in the business to sell papers." You thanked the BCCT for letting you post your letter. To go with the words of your colleague, I'd say the paper published what you wrote solely because your outlandish comments will prompt more letters and therefore sell more papers. I appreciate the Courier too, but with these comments from you, papers should be flying off the racks.
You stated "But their actions belie their slogan: They are on a mission to undermine what we have accomplished in two years and tarnish the reputation of our school district. To get elected!" Mr. Buckman, Damon Miller is one of the most passionate pro- Morrisville School District men I have ever met. He has joined committees to try to make our district better; he comes to concerts and sporting events because he CARES. Damon Miller and his "noisy band" want people to care again about Morrisville and feel PRIDEFUL when they say "I go to Morrisville." You know what happened when your current majority got elected? My class said "At least we won't get affected by this board." I counted the years and started to feel sorry for the students behind us because I knew that you would hurt their education somehow. This proves that it just happened quicker than I expected.
"To put it simply, they are part of a group that believes great education comes from bricks and mortar. You will recall that two years ago a slate of candidates and their allies on the former school board were on a campaign to build a new school building." Very good, this is a true statement for once. Yes, they wanted a new school because the current ones are FALLING APART! For the last 20 years the budget for maintenance has been too low and important building issues ignored. We need to show that we care about education. Families might actually move in and STAY in Morrisville. Businesses see a rising population and move in to town. Morrisville is back.
"I have heard teachers, parents and administrators and "no breakfast" blamed, but never has anyone said our kids are doing great, or our kids are doing poorly, and it's all because of that "damn old school board." Mr. Buckman, we know you heard the complaints about the “sick” M. R. Reiter building, a building you ignored now during two terms on the board of education. Before the explosion, that school building DID affect the performance of the students. There are a lot of factors that attribute to poor PSSA scores. It's a natural flow of ages and grades and people and there is nothing to change about it. It's neither bad nor good, it simply is. But, I will refer back to "Damon's Group" for a second and refer to Pride. Would you go to work every day and try hard for a boss who doesn't care about you? I didn't think so. But guess what, that is what you are expecting the students to do. We all believe that the school board doesn't care about us. All we hear at MHS is "money, taxes, money," and not "students, students, students." The kids may not be doing well because they feel you don't care: So... why should they?
Let me finish on this last passage: "I know what it takes to be a good school board member. It takes responsibility, common sense, and the ability to listen." Good Mr. Buckman, I agree. So PLEASE start on that and maybe we can get going in the right direction. If you actually felt responsibility, the school would have been maintained right in the first place, OR we wouldn't have only "shiny new windows" as our "renovations." If you had common sense, you would see most of the problems are because of the school board’s disinterest in education and its lack of caring about "Student John" instead of how caring much anonymous Student #123 costs to educate and how that cost can that be lowered.
If you listened, you would know that Damon Miller's "band of noisy politicians" is in this election because they want what is best for the kids and not just their wallets. Pride is something you should probably look up in the dictionary because it is a strong word being used for the purpose of a lot of good. "And we need to be realistic" you say? Here it is Mr. Buckman: Beck, Miller, Jenkins, Stoneburner. Why? Because they genuinely care about the school. And I don't mean the building like your "Stop the School Stay on Track" friends mean...in the bricks and mortar way...but as STUDENTS. Morrisville Pride not only wants there to be a MHS today, but a MHS in the future because they care about Morrisville and they care about the KIDS. They have... what word am I looking for? Oh yes, they have PRIDE in us.
Mr. Buckman, I went to every school board meeting for almost two years and I heard one of your own colleagues say that "Newspapers are in the business to sell papers." You thanked the BCCT for letting you post your letter. To go with the words of your colleague, I'd say the paper published what you wrote solely because your outlandish comments will prompt more letters and therefore sell more papers. I appreciate the Courier too, but with these comments from you, papers should be flying off the racks.
You stated "But their actions belie their slogan: They are on a mission to undermine what we have accomplished in two years and tarnish the reputation of our school district. To get elected!" Mr. Buckman, Damon Miller is one of the most passionate pro- Morrisville School District men I have ever met. He has joined committees to try to make our district better; he comes to concerts and sporting events because he CARES. Damon Miller and his "noisy band" want people to care again about Morrisville and feel PRIDEFUL when they say "I go to Morrisville." You know what happened when your current majority got elected? My class said "At least we won't get affected by this board." I counted the years and started to feel sorry for the students behind us because I knew that you would hurt their education somehow. This proves that it just happened quicker than I expected.
"To put it simply, they are part of a group that believes great education comes from bricks and mortar. You will recall that two years ago a slate of candidates and their allies on the former school board were on a campaign to build a new school building." Very good, this is a true statement for once. Yes, they wanted a new school because the current ones are FALLING APART! For the last 20 years the budget for maintenance has been too low and important building issues ignored. We need to show that we care about education. Families might actually move in and STAY in Morrisville. Businesses see a rising population and move in to town. Morrisville is back.
"I have heard teachers, parents and administrators and "no breakfast" blamed, but never has anyone said our kids are doing great, or our kids are doing poorly, and it's all because of that "damn old school board." Mr. Buckman, we know you heard the complaints about the “sick” M. R. Reiter building, a building you ignored now during two terms on the board of education. Before the explosion, that school building DID affect the performance of the students. There are a lot of factors that attribute to poor PSSA scores. It's a natural flow of ages and grades and people and there is nothing to change about it. It's neither bad nor good, it simply is. But, I will refer back to "Damon's Group" for a second and refer to Pride. Would you go to work every day and try hard for a boss who doesn't care about you? I didn't think so. But guess what, that is what you are expecting the students to do. We all believe that the school board doesn't care about us. All we hear at MHS is "money, taxes, money," and not "students, students, students." The kids may not be doing well because they feel you don't care: So... why should they?
Let me finish on this last passage: "I know what it takes to be a good school board member. It takes responsibility, common sense, and the ability to listen." Good Mr. Buckman, I agree. So PLEASE start on that and maybe we can get going in the right direction. If you actually felt responsibility, the school would have been maintained right in the first place, OR we wouldn't have only "shiny new windows" as our "renovations." If you had common sense, you would see most of the problems are because of the school board’s disinterest in education and its lack of caring about "Student John" instead of how caring much anonymous Student #123 costs to educate and how that cost can that be lowered.
If you listened, you would know that Damon Miller's "band of noisy politicians" is in this election because they want what is best for the kids and not just their wallets. Pride is something you should probably look up in the dictionary because it is a strong word being used for the purpose of a lot of good. "And we need to be realistic" you say? Here it is Mr. Buckman: Beck, Miller, Jenkins, Stoneburner. Why? Because they genuinely care about the school. And I don't mean the building like your "Stop the School Stay on Track" friends mean...in the bricks and mortar way...but as STUDENTS. Morrisville Pride not only wants there to be a MHS today, but a MHS in the future because they care about Morrisville and they care about the KIDS. They have... what word am I looking for? Oh yes, they have PRIDE in us.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
It makes no sense
We find it interesting that the only group talking about a new school is the folks from stay on track. This is a long dead issue and no one from Morrisville Pride has said they want to build a new school. The stay on trackers either aren't listening to anyone, or they are using this as a scare tactic. Most likely its a combination of both.
They also keep claiming that test scores are up. They are NOT up. As a result of aides not being replaced and children being shuffled around and crammed into trailers, test scores are in fact down. Do you hear that Sharon.....test scores are down! They are down under a budget passed by your friends on the board. Please stop they lying and maybe then we can debate the facts. The credibility of the stay on trackers was questionable at best. After the past week or so, it has really taken a further dip.
Both sides...feel free to debate the issues based on the facts you have. Back up your arguments with proof of your claims. The Morrisville Pride guys have been doing this all along.
Get out there and vote on Nov. 3!
They also keep claiming that test scores are up. They are NOT up. As a result of aides not being replaced and children being shuffled around and crammed into trailers, test scores are in fact down. Do you hear that Sharon.....test scores are down! They are down under a budget passed by your friends on the board. Please stop they lying and maybe then we can debate the facts. The credibility of the stay on trackers was questionable at best. After the past week or so, it has really taken a further dip.
Both sides...feel free to debate the issues based on the facts you have. Back up your arguments with proof of your claims. The Morrisville Pride guys have been doing this all along.
Get out there and vote on Nov. 3!
DJ candidates have different plans
From today's BCCT:
DJ candidates have different plans
By: GEORGE MATTAR
Bucks County Courier Times
Sitting District Judge Mike Burns is being challenged by Ron Smith, a Lower Makefield supervisor.
There's only one contested district judge race in Lower Bucks this November, and it's a hard-fought battle taking place in Morrisville, which is one of the busiest courts in Bucks.
The sitting district judge is Mike Burns, 47, who is seeking his second six-year term. In his years on the bench, he has handled more than 50,000 cases, he said.
His opponent, Ron Smith, 58, is a Lower Makefield supervisor and an attorney who works in Philadelphia.
Burns said his court will handle nearly 9,500 cases in 2009, due in part to Lower Makefield's aggressive traffic enforcement. He said most courts in counties as large as Bucks handle about 6,500 cases annually.
Both attended Pennsylvania State University for their undergraduate work. Burns earned a law degree from Widener University and Smith from Villanova University. Both are Lower Makefield residents.
Magisterial district court is the first level of authority in Pennsylvania and is the court where most people experience the judicial system for the first time.
District judges handle all traffic cases and other minor criminal and civil cases involving up to $8,000. District judges also set bail and conduct preliminary hearings in misdemeanor and felony criminal cases to determine if the case should be dismissed or transferred to the Court of Common Pleas for further proceedings. They are state employees and earn about $81,000 annually.
In last May's primary, Burns received 3,005 votes and Smith 2,033. Both were cross-filed and Burns got 1,031 Democratic votes and 1,974 Republican votes. Smith received 1,448 Democratic votes and 585 Republican votes, county voting records show.
Smith said, if elected, he would institute a regular night court schedule.
"In these tough economic times, many people cannot leave work to come in for a traffic ticket or some other case. I believe I should be available at night for the working people," he said. "I want to bring integrity back to the district judge position and put an end to judicial arrogance."
Smith said he is proud of his community service and has two years left on his term as a Lower Makefield supervisor. He has spent 20 years as a soccer coach for Yardley-Makefield Soccer, with seven of those years as president. He and his wife, Felice, raised three children, two sons and a daughter, who are all on their own.
Smith said he is proud he has led the fight against Aria Health bringing a hospital to Lower Makefield and his stand against further cell towers.
Smith also wants to stagger the court's schedule for police officers so they are not sitting around wasting time in court. He said that would save taxpayers in reduced overtime costs.
"It's important they be on the street protecting out citizens, not sitting around waiting for a hearing. That must be addressed," he said.
To do that, he proposes talking to the three police chiefs in the court's district - Yardley, Morrisville and Lower Makefield.
"I will have each officer show up for his or her hearings at certain times. For example, if an officer has four hearings, he or she will come in at 1 p.m., finish all four at once and leave. An officer scheduled for 2 p.m. would come in and do the same. This way we maximize the officer's time on the streets and be responsible to taxpayers by reducing overtime," Smith said.
If elected, he said he would practice law on a limited basis and vows to not represent anyone in Bucks County Court, which he said would be a conflict of interest.
Burns prides himself on what he says is his proven record of being tough on criminals, yet giving juveniles who make first-time mistakes a chance to turn their lives around.
The juveniles are why he has advocated drug courts in Bucks County. He wants first-time offenders to get counseling and help, rather than being dumped in a prison cell with no help.
Burns cites his work on two county-wide domestic violence boards as another reason he advocates intervention, rather than sending people to prison.
When a student is truant from school, he gets the parents to come in and discuss what the underlying problem could be, such as drug and alcohol abuse at home, or even parental abuse.
"Truancy is not about just not going to school. It is an indication there could be other problems at home," he said.
Burns said many kids make first-time mistakes, but with the proper guidance and showing someone cares, "we can work together and succeed."
One of the abuse committees he sits on is called "Intervention Batterers Oversight Committee." This committee's goal is to work with local police and ensure they notify groups like NOVA, so the groups that can help know there is a particular problem in a home," Burns said.
He said the victim's name is confidential and the batterer doesn't know she has contacted anyone. Burns said he also would continue his fight for drug courts, which he says will work.
He also plans to continue advocating more Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs and to suggest flex time for county employees, who would volunteer for the cause.
Burns and his wife, Karen Saraco Burns, have no children. He was named 2007-08 Lion of the Year by the Yardley-Makefield Lions Club. He also said he would be a full-time district judge and not devote much time to his law practice, which he shares with his father.
DJ candidates have different plans
By: GEORGE MATTAR
Bucks County Courier Times
Sitting District Judge Mike Burns is being challenged by Ron Smith, a Lower Makefield supervisor.
There's only one contested district judge race in Lower Bucks this November, and it's a hard-fought battle taking place in Morrisville, which is one of the busiest courts in Bucks.
The sitting district judge is Mike Burns, 47, who is seeking his second six-year term. In his years on the bench, he has handled more than 50,000 cases, he said.
His opponent, Ron Smith, 58, is a Lower Makefield supervisor and an attorney who works in Philadelphia.
Burns said his court will handle nearly 9,500 cases in 2009, due in part to Lower Makefield's aggressive traffic enforcement. He said most courts in counties as large as Bucks handle about 6,500 cases annually.
Both attended Pennsylvania State University for their undergraduate work. Burns earned a law degree from Widener University and Smith from Villanova University. Both are Lower Makefield residents.
Magisterial district court is the first level of authority in Pennsylvania and is the court where most people experience the judicial system for the first time.
District judges handle all traffic cases and other minor criminal and civil cases involving up to $8,000. District judges also set bail and conduct preliminary hearings in misdemeanor and felony criminal cases to determine if the case should be dismissed or transferred to the Court of Common Pleas for further proceedings. They are state employees and earn about $81,000 annually.
In last May's primary, Burns received 3,005 votes and Smith 2,033. Both were cross-filed and Burns got 1,031 Democratic votes and 1,974 Republican votes. Smith received 1,448 Democratic votes and 585 Republican votes, county voting records show.
Smith said, if elected, he would institute a regular night court schedule.
"In these tough economic times, many people cannot leave work to come in for a traffic ticket or some other case. I believe I should be available at night for the working people," he said. "I want to bring integrity back to the district judge position and put an end to judicial arrogance."
Smith said he is proud of his community service and has two years left on his term as a Lower Makefield supervisor. He has spent 20 years as a soccer coach for Yardley-Makefield Soccer, with seven of those years as president. He and his wife, Felice, raised three children, two sons and a daughter, who are all on their own.
Smith said he is proud he has led the fight against Aria Health bringing a hospital to Lower Makefield and his stand against further cell towers.
Smith also wants to stagger the court's schedule for police officers so they are not sitting around wasting time in court. He said that would save taxpayers in reduced overtime costs.
"It's important they be on the street protecting out citizens, not sitting around waiting for a hearing. That must be addressed," he said.
To do that, he proposes talking to the three police chiefs in the court's district - Yardley, Morrisville and Lower Makefield.
"I will have each officer show up for his or her hearings at certain times. For example, if an officer has four hearings, he or she will come in at 1 p.m., finish all four at once and leave. An officer scheduled for 2 p.m. would come in and do the same. This way we maximize the officer's time on the streets and be responsible to taxpayers by reducing overtime," Smith said.
If elected, he said he would practice law on a limited basis and vows to not represent anyone in Bucks County Court, which he said would be a conflict of interest.
Burns prides himself on what he says is his proven record of being tough on criminals, yet giving juveniles who make first-time mistakes a chance to turn their lives around.
The juveniles are why he has advocated drug courts in Bucks County. He wants first-time offenders to get counseling and help, rather than being dumped in a prison cell with no help.
Burns cites his work on two county-wide domestic violence boards as another reason he advocates intervention, rather than sending people to prison.
When a student is truant from school, he gets the parents to come in and discuss what the underlying problem could be, such as drug and alcohol abuse at home, or even parental abuse.
"Truancy is not about just not going to school. It is an indication there could be other problems at home," he said.
Burns said many kids make first-time mistakes, but with the proper guidance and showing someone cares, "we can work together and succeed."
One of the abuse committees he sits on is called "Intervention Batterers Oversight Committee." This committee's goal is to work with local police and ensure they notify groups like NOVA, so the groups that can help know there is a particular problem in a home," Burns said.
He said the victim's name is confidential and the batterer doesn't know she has contacted anyone. Burns said he also would continue his fight for drug courts, which he says will work.
He also plans to continue advocating more Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs and to suggest flex time for county employees, who would volunteer for the cause.
Burns and his wife, Karen Saraco Burns, have no children. He was named 2007-08 Lion of the Year by the Yardley-Makefield Lions Club. He also said he would be a full-time district judge and not devote much time to his law practice, which he shares with his father.
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