JULY 27 - JULY 31, 1998
JULY 31, 1998
Mutiny in Pennsylvania
General Anthony Wayne of Waynesboro, PA distinguished himself fighting the
British in Canada during the Revolutionary War. Following his success at Fort
Ticonderoga, he was made a Brigadier General, answering directly to General Washington.
Wayne was thirty years old and became a key weapon Washington used in his running battle
with Cornwallis. It was Wayne and the six regiments under his command that turned a mighty
army at Germantown, forcing the British to retire to New York for the winter.
Wayne and his troops were wintering at Valley Forge in December, 1780.
Three years had passed since the famous Valley Forge winter and our troops were taken for
granted by the Continental Congress and a majority of the General Staff. The British
Armies were confined to the major cities where tory power was still felt. The
Revolutionary forces controlled the country side and with their superior numbers,
did much as they pleased. The Generals were confident that in the spring and summer of
1781 they would finally prevail in their war of independence. They anxiously awaited that
day because they all felt that was when they would find their fortunes.
The soldier was the forgotten man in the war for Independence. Winter
set in early in 1780. All of Pennsylvania was blanketed with a foot of snow on October
31st. The snow continued throughout November and the garrison at Valley Forge was taken by
surprise and was unprepared for the early winter. The Continental Congress was unprepared,
also.
The funds that had been reserved for clothing the army through the winter had
been spent buying cannons for an anticipated siege of New York. While the French
had been faithful allies, they were feeling the crunch of an expensive war with the
British. They were buying cannon from foundries in Barvaria and were not in position to
pass them along to the Americans without payment. The lack of funds meant the army would
have to make do with the clothing that was left over from the prior two winters. Most of
that was a mass of rags that did little to fend off the cold. With December, more snow
came and the temperature dropped to record lows. The winter of 1780 was by far more severe
than the famous winter of 1777.
Even though terms of enlistment had, or were about to expire for most of the
men, they were ordered to remain in uniform. They had not been paid in over a
year and they were feeling the ever increasing burden of caring for their families. The
soldiers garrisoned at Valley Forge were mostly Pennsylvanians and news of home was
plentiful. The men were restless and wanted to either fight the British, or go home to
their wives and families. Things finally came to a head on December 31, 1780.
The officers held a banquet. They ate and drank heavily. The men were
given no special accord and as the music and the festivities were heard around the camp, a
veteran sergeant spoke out and the entire body of enlisted men listened.
Sgt. William Bowser had taken enough. He spoke out against the
conditions and the lack of pay. The rest of the men joined in with him. Nearly two
thousand men were assembled grumbling about their treatment. As an officer stood on the
table to offer a toast, a musket shot rang out. It was then that news of the unruly body
of men reached the officers. Colonel Humpton, the officer who was making the untimely
toast, ordered all officer to their posts. They in turn ordered the men to report
immediately. The men turned their backs on their officers and ignored the orders. As one
officer raised his hand to strike down one of the dissenters, a shot rang out once more
and he fell dead to the ground, shot through the head. Two other officers were wounded
before General Wayne was summoned. By the time he arrived, a full fledged mutiny was in
the makings.
General Wayne rode his horse directly into the center of the assembly of men.
His presence brought a quiet over the men. Taking the opportunity, he demanded to
know the meaning of their actions. He looked down at the slain officer and then to the two
who were wounded. He demanded an explanation.
Sgt. Bowser took the offensive and complained of how they all had been wronged.
"This is no better than what we fight against," he said. "The
British take half. Let them take half of what we have. Half of nothing is still nothing.
Will we fight and win and then find out that what we fought for was another King who cares
nothing for us. While we eat salt pork, your officers dine on the fatted cow and drink
fine French wines. Are we installing another ruling class to hold us down? Things are due
us. Money is owed us and we are no longer under enlistment. That has long passed. We
intend to get what is due us by force of arms, if we must. We will get what is due
us."
"This is a mutiny!" Wayne roared. "Mutiny carries a death
sentence. Are you willing to risk that?"
"So we are," Bowser roared back. "Thirteen hundred of
us are making ready to head for Philadelphia. Don't try and stop us. We are taking along
half a dozen pieces of field artillery. If our demands are not met, we will take the town
and put a torch to it. We are determined to meet with President Reed and the Supreme
Executive Council of the colony. Pennsylvania will give us what is our due. It will pay us
what it has promised."
Wayne understood the gravity of the situation. This was the first time
in history that a general had faced a full scale armed mutiny. He also understood that to
a man, the complaints were fully justified. Wayne also understood that the men had not
threatened him. They had not placed him in jeopardy. They intended him no harm. They
rendered him the respect due him and he understood the difficult situation he faced. He
controlled his temper and allowed the men to begin unhampered. As the men began, Wayne and
a handful of aides followed behind at a distance. While he was not part of the mutineers,
they were aware of his presence. Already, Bowser was seeking his advise on how to deal
with the President of Pennsylvania when they reached the edge of Philadelphia.
Messengers were sent ahead to Philadelphia. They marched for three
days and finally word came that President Reed was coming to personally negotiate a
settlement to the dispute. At that point the men stopped and waited. Bowser, still the
leader, asked Wayne to help him and act as an intermediary. He agreed and meeting face to
face with Reed, Wayne was able to gain concessions for his men, as well as an amnesty for
the killing of the officer and other acts of violence.
Wayne was criticized by his fellow generals. It had been his fear that
these men would not only quit the fight, but defect to the British as they lay siege to
Philadelphia. They were all that stood between the seat of government and Cornwallis in
New York. He later would deal savagely with mutineers and execute all the leaders.
He would crush all opposition and after the war, he would deal with the Indians much the
same way. However, in 1780, General Mad Anthony Wayne, dealt with a problem at hand, and
probably preserved the fragile alliance of colonies against England.
JULY 30, 1998
The State Game Commission and our laws
What does the State Game Commission have to do with taxes? They pay no
taxes yet they are one of the largest land owners in Pennsylvania. They pay no taxes yet
they consume more services than the entire population of Kane, PA. Their power is absolute
and unquestioned and now they are involved in lobbying to hold a House Bill hostage.
Two years ago a new idea was put forth by Representative Jim Lynch (Forest,
Warren, and McKean). He pointed out that various state bureaucracies were
purchasing land and taking it off the tax rolls at an alarming rate. He held public
hearings in 1996 and I testified before the House Committee that was gathering
information. Forest County, it was pointed out, had some type of government ownership over
more than 90% of the land in the county. McKean County has some form of government
ownership over 28% of the land mass and Warren County has 27% in government ownership. The
Counties receive payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) in the amount of about $4.00 per acre.
McKean County received less than $10,000 last year. While Lynch realized that he could do
nothing about the existing land in government hands, he attempted to address future
purchases that would only hurt the counties even more.
Jim Lynch wanted the government to pay real estate taxes like any other
property owner on all future purchases. It made sense. It was a measure that
would preserve our tax base in rural counties. It was a way to force agencies like the
Game Commission to evaluate their purchases and take them out of the business of just
gobbling up lands and removing them from the tax rolls.
Two years ago the County Commissioners' Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP)
endorsed Lynch's idea and added it to our statewide platform. Last year at the
convention in Philadelphia several eastern counties attempted to weaken the language and
modify our stand on the issue. This year, the Resolutions Committee, Chaired by Tony
Moscato of Cameron County, has eliminated the wording. There is no mention of House
Bill 1510 any where in our platform. Instead, without any official action by the total
body of the membership, wording has been substituted that states: "The
Association supports legislation providing for payment in lieu of taxes on state-owned
property."
CCAP is a lobby for the County Commissioners. It carries weight
regarding what happens in Harrisburg and influences what laws are enacted. What appears to
have happened is the bureaucracies (including and especially the Game Commission) have
gotten to our leadership and twisted some arms to eliminate our support for House Bill
1510. There is little doubt that this is a local and very regionalized issue. PILT means
nothing to Philadelphia or Allegheny Counties. It means nothing to Bucks County, or even
Washington County. All of those counties have wealthy and very lucrative tax bases.
Unfortunately, we do not. A continued drain of property switching from taxable land to
government-owned PILT payers means financial disaster.
At the business meeting in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, August 4, I will introduce a
proposed resolution that will once more give support to House Bill 1510.
Bureaucrats are elected by no one. Even at that, they carry an unusual
amount of power and influence over our lives and our financial futures. Bureaucracies are
invisible governments within government. They are seldom, if ever, called on to account
for their actions, yet they are employees of the people, paid for by our tax dollars.
Oversight of their actions is limited. They do as they please and serve themselves. That
is not democracy!
JULY 29, 1998
What's right, and what's wrong
Two weeks ago today I called for the resignation of Cindy Zembryki, Director
of Cameron, Elk, and McKean Counties Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Today, I once
more demand that she resign. I demand it because she acted without Board approval when she
entered into an agreement to move the offices of CEM from an handicap accessible building
to one that is not. I demand it because she spent public funds ($40,000) to facilitate
that unapproved move and she spent them without first putting it out to bids as is
required by law.
The next day in Erie, George Petrisek, Bradford Era reporter, told me
he thought I was wrong. Am I? I don't think so because the CEM Governing Board
meetings are Public Meetings. They must be advertised in accordance with law and all
official actions must be done at the meeting in full view of the public and the press.
When did the approval process for the move and the expenditure of public funds take place?
The answer to that is obvious because it never did. What makes what Cindy Zembryki did
right and me calling for her resignation wrong?
Immediately Larry Stratton and Tony Moscato lined up against me on the issue.
Does that make me wrong? Again, I don't think so. Larry knew that the move wasn't
approved. Larry was there when I came back from signing checks at CEM and asked when the
move was approved. Larry admitted that he had no knowledge of the move being approved. Jim
Weaver concurred, also saying that the move had not been approved. So why am I wrong?
Many hats are hanging on an item known as "past practice."
Tony and Larry both quoted that to me this past Monday. They both claim that in the
past the director has been given a whole lot of latitude in her actions. They support her
actions and because they do, that must make me wrong even though I am right about actions
being required to be taken at Public Meetings. I read the Sunshine Act again and nowhere
did I find any mention of "past practice." If it was legal, or part of the law,
I would imagine that it would have been mentioned. It is not.
Think about it! If "past practice" makes Zembryki's
actions proper, then Bill Clinton could hang his hat on it, too. Lying under oath could be
excused because other Presidents have told bigger lies over more important matters than
having sex with an intern. Richard Nixon could have been excused for his actions because
Lyndon Johnson did a whole lot worse a whole lot more times.
What about me and the case the Attorney General has brought forth? My
case is one of a kind. I have no "past practice" to protect me. I have none
because this is the absolute first time anything this ridiculous has ever happened. I
didn't spend $40,000. The figure involved in my case is $370. I reported my $370. Cindy
Zembryki never reported her $40,000. She just went ahead and spent it.
Zembryki took issue with my attendance at Governing Board meetings. She
also cites a history of animosity between her and me. She claims a battle we had in 1996
is the real reason behind what I am doing. First, she mis-stated the number of
meeting I attended. Even if she was correct, what difference did it make? Obviously I knew
what was going on if I was able to ask the right questions. Second, the dispute we had in
1996 was over the way we were going to spend a check from the Department of Welfare for
$25,000. Zembryki had a place for that money but she was over ridden by the three
"new commissioners" she said did not know what they were doing. She even went as
far as to have the $25,000 check stopped and forced us, the duly elected representative of
the people, to prove that we were going to spend the money as it was intended. Evidently,
Zembryki felt her position as a bureaucrat was more important than ours as County
Commissioners.
We spent that $25,000, over her objections, on a survey that ultimately led to
the creation of three new family centers and the expansion of the Bradford Family Center. Did
we know what we were doing? Considering the success of the program, maybe we did.
Incidentally, many of the times I am not at the CEM meetings, I am somewhere else getting
funding or working on new programs for those four centers. Also, incidentally,
Zembryki sits on the Collaborative Board that oversees the family centers and her
attendance has been less than admirable, but I won't be so bold as to quote numbers even
though mine will be more accurate than hers. Nor will I mention the number of times she
has out right been a no show at state meetings for family centers and related initiatives.
What we have here is a bureaucrat who does as she damn well pleases. We
also have some County Commissioners who do not want to rock the boat. They want this to go
away. It is easier to approve this after the fact and contrary to law. I will not let it
go away. I will file suit under the Sunshine Law over this matter. This is far from over.
JULY 28, 1998
The Smoker
My children bought me a charcoal smoker and grille for my birthday last month. It
was a great gift. I enjoy smoked fish and meats. I knew it was something I would use year
round but I was slow in getting started. The other day I decided that it was high
time I put it to work.
Between Ralph Peterson and my father in law, I have several dozen fish in the
freezer. My first effort will be to smoke them. Even before taking the smoker out
of the box, I had to prepare the fish. A local friend gave me a recipe for brine. He uses
equal parts of salt, brown sugar and water. I used that as my base. I also added a touch
of olive oil and a few secret herbs and spices. They have been soaking in that mixture for
two days. Today I smoke them!
I had to assemble the smoker before I could use it. I used to flat
hate anything to do with assembly and would pay extra to buy a product that was already
put together. That was not the case here. I had no choice. I carefully opened the box and
laid all the parts out on the back deck. Then I picked up the directions.
This is a Brinkman Gourmet Charcoal Smoker. It was also manufactured in China. Brinkman,
the distributor, has an address in Dallas, Texas. The smoker was probably manufactured and
boxed by women just in from the rice patties and are about to have babies at any moment.
The combination of Texan laziness and Chinese coolie labor is interesting to consider.
Also, the fact that these products used to be manufactured here in the United States by
people who have been put out of work by this endeavor is also interesting to consider. The
Dallas, Texas address is very deceptive to an unsuspecting buyer. Anyway.......to the
assembly process.
When you open the book of assembly instructions, you are immediately faced with
two pages of warnings. After thirty five separate and distinct warnings, there is
one simple statement. "Use Caution and Common Sense When Using Your Smoker."
Sounds reasonable enough to me; but the Chinese always were reasonable and very patient. I
was hoping some of that patience came in the book of instructions, too. I didn't see a
warning about throwing screwdrivers or beating the product with hammers as I have been
prone to do in the past. There was no warning to innocent by standers to stand clear. Nor
was there a warning about taking children inside and out of ear shot of any epithets that
might spring forth. No, none of that. Only a warning not to put your hand on hot coals, or
never move it when it is in use, and things like that.
Page three got down to brass tacks. It gave a parts list and a
schematic of the smoker and how the parts fit together. There were even numbers for the
parts and a diagram with the numbers again, showing how and where they went. That was easy
enough to understand.
Page four began the actual assembly. Step one was to attach the wooded
handle halves to the metal brackets using the eight 32x3/4 inch screws and nuts as
illustrated. I had a bag of fifty screws and bolts and frankly, I hadn't the slightest
idea of what a 32x3/4 inch screw and bolt was compared to any other size. I just started
experimenting until I found the screw and bolt that seemed to fit together. This was where
I encountered my first problem.
I had six screws and only five bolts! My wife was dressing for work
and heard me cursing. "What's wrong?" she asked. I immediately told her the
problem and did my best imitation of a Chinaman, or Chinawoman. "Ah so.....watch
this. I will drive some imperialist Yankee dog crazy. I will short him one nut. It is sure
to drive him nuts." I could see it! I could also hear all the pregnant women
laughing; even the one who was in labor over in the corner of the packaging area. They
didn't plan on good old Yankee ingenuity. I had extra parts left over from a prior
assembly and the extra nut fit!
Step by step, I patiently put the smoker together. I installed the
inside brackets and even put the hinge and door on the smoker. I inserted the heat
indicator and examined the sample wood chunk that was sent along with the parts. "A
wood chunk?" I thought to myself. "Don't the Chinese believe we have wood
over here?" It was amusing to me that they would include a sample of wood and
even indicate it on the Parts List. Actually I had three wood chunks. The Chinese thought
of everything!
Finally, I was ready to put the parts together. I put the charcoal pan
inside the base pan. I put the water pan inside the smoker body on top of the lower
support brackets. Then I placed the smoker body on the base pan. I put the cooking grill
on the lower support brackets directly above the water pan; and then I put another cooking
grill on the upper support brackets so that the outer rim is resting securely on the
notched out step of all three support brackets. I put the top on the smoker and then it
was done.
I had fourteen screws and bolts left over! I looked. There were no
unfilled holes in the smoker. There were no extra parts. Oh well! Something I might need
for a future assembly when those pregnant
Chinese women decide to play another trick.
It was my plan to use charcoal because it is a charcoal smoker. However,
my children also bought me Applewood bar-b-que smoke chips. They feel I should not only
smoke food, but smoke food with flavor. The chips also come with directions. I will end
for now and read them and maybe, just maybe, by noon tomorrow after I read the directions
on smoking the food, I might get started.
JULY 27, 1998
John Peterson and the government paying taxes
Government is the largest land owner in this nation. In our area it is
the Allegheny National Forest and State Game Lands. Whether it is the federal government
or the state government, it makes no difference; local government provides the services
and gets little, if anything, in return. The burden of providing services on Government
Owned Lands falls on the property owners of the particular counties that these vast
holdings are located. The government makes only a token payment to help out. It thus
becomes a double tax on the persons whose shoulders this falls upon and it is unfair. John
Peterson, Congressman for Pennsylvania's Fifth District, has had something to say about
that.
Congressman Peterson has recently led a house fight to increase token payments
to counties in this very instance. The token payments are known as Payment In
Lieu of Taxes (PILT). The amount of the payment has remained unchanged for over
twenty years. Congressman Peterson wants that changed.
On July 21st the Congressman spoke on the House floor and stated: "For
the 20 years that PILT has been in existence, rural America has been stiffed because the
federal government has never delivered fair payments." He added, "To those
taxpayers who believe the federal government should own even more land: It is time to pay
up!"
Bravo!
Peterson spoke on the House floor in support of the amendment which increases
PILT funding from $120 million to $140 million. PILT provides public land
counties with payments in lieu of their lost tax base due to federal ownership of land
within its borders. Peterson explained that rural America depend on financial relief from
PILT just to maintain basic services such as police search and rescue, fire fighting, road
maintenance, and quality of education for rural youth. He criticized the federal
government for not paying local counties the amounts that were initially intended when
PILT was instituted.
Peterson said to his colleagues, "If you and I were to skip out
on paying property taxes, we would eventually lose our land. But the federal government,
which is the largest holder of land-owning 40% of our nation; it is the most delinquent in
paying taxes!" He said the impact resulting from the "delinquent payments"
is devastating to rural America. Peterson added, "When the federal government
purchases land from local communities it results in ZERO job creation, and NO money for
vital local services." He suggested the government either "...pay up or return
land back to the states. The current level of PILT funding is inadequate, plain and
simple. The federal government needs to pay its fair share of taxes and stop giving
rural America the short end of the stick!"
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo, John Peterson! It needed to be said and you did
it. Some may criticize you for your involvement with the Western Caucus; but I support you
in that quest. We need the backing from Congressmen from rural area. We need the
alliances you are making. The squeaking wheel gets the grease. Keep on squeaking. It is
about time the Fifth District has a visible Congressman and a vocal one, too
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