The LMT “Supes” Sing A Sad Aria Song

(A local item coming up for folks in Bucks County, PA – also, I posted some “odds and ends” stuff over here.)

The last thing in the world I want to do is actually agree with an editorial in the Bucks County Courier Times (their pointless, idiotic slur against Italian-Americans notwithstanding, which you'll read shortly), but they said the following last Tuesday (here)…

Three Lower Makefield supervisors raised suspicion and stretched the law with secret out-of-town meetings.

Here are three rules elected officials should abide by: 1. Don't hold secret meetings. 2. If you do hold secret meetings, don't hold them at out-of-town restaurants. (It looks suspicious.) 3. Most importantly, don't hold secret out-of-town meetings at restaurants named "Guido's." (It looks really suspicious.)

Although it's a bit late, Lower Makefield Supervisors Pete Stainthorpe, Greg Caiola and Dan McLaughlin should stick the aforementioned rules on their refrigerators as a reminder that their secret meetings with Aria Health officials were a bad idea and should not be repeated - with anybody.

The editorial is based on this story in which we learn that a member of the group RAFR (Residents Against Frankford Relocation) discovered that Stainthorpe, Caiola and McLaughlin met with officials of Aria Health (Stainthorpe and Caiola at “Guido’s” on November 17th – McLaughlin isn’t providing details so far), with Aria wanting to move the hospital currently located near Business Route 1 in Middletown (next to Oxford Valley Mall) to Lower Makefield, next to Shady Brook Farm.

The story also tells us that Stainthorpe and Caiola remain opposed to the project, and the two note that they both “paid their checks,” which is nice information, though it hardly goes to the main point here, as noted in the Courier Times editorial (to me, meeting with Aria “on the sly” doesn’t pass the smell test - and in case anyone had any doubt, I personally oppose the relocation to LMT)…

While there's logic to their argument (of Stainthorpe and Caiola in favor of the meeting), it is still a flawed argument. That's because perception is reality and no matter how you view it the meetings look bad.

Not only should anything Aria has to say to the supervisors be aired in public, the manner in which the three supervisors met suggests a cynical effort to circumvent the law. Three supervisors make a quorum, a majority that legally can meet only after public notice - whether in executive session or openly. By dividing, the supervisors conquered the law.

It should be noted, though, that McLaughlin apparently met with Aria prior to his swearing-in as a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor. Would it have been too much to ask to wait for this to take place before he decided to “freelance” here?

As far as I’m concerned, the only LMT supervisor who got this exactly right was Matt Maloney, who said the following (from the news story)…

"I didn't know about this meeting involving Pete and Greg. I'm disappointed in that. It sounds like the meeting was completely innocuous. It doesn't sound like there was anything detrimental or hostile to the township in their conversations, but I think it's important going forward that whatever the board does in terms of real or perceived negotiations with Aria, that it does so in unanimity. I prefer going forward all five of us get on the same page and be aware of any meetings involving any of us ahead of time. I also think we have to be honest with the public as we go through this appeals process."

And the fact that the three supervisors technically constituted a “quorum,” as the Courier Times notes, could have detrimental legal implications as this whole process with Aria unwinds.

Also, while I’m on the subject of local area politics, allow me to go on record as supporting a tax increase to pay for more soccer fields (which, apparently, is going to be voted down, if it hasn’t been already). LMT Supervisor Ron Smith has alleged some kind of a “power play” by those supporting the increase. I don’t know anything about that. What I do know is that we’re friends with families whose sons and daughters play soccer, and they have to play most of their games out of the township because there isn’t enough space in Lower Makefield (if anyone thinks we’re not overcrowded around here, try navigating through the parking lots of Macclesfield Park on a fall afternoon with multiple sporting events taking place).