Monday, March 19, 2007

My Mission Statement

On May 15, 2007, the voters in Phoenixville will decide the course of our community for the next four years, and the decisions made will affect our borough for many years to come.

After serving for 8 years on Council and a return to private life for several years, I have decided to once again offer myself as a candidate for Phoenixville Borough Council in the East Ward.

There will be those who remember my service to our community due to my viligant and unswerving dedication to my fellow residents, and with the implementation of many of my ideas and suggestions during my tenure.

My mission, my reason for becoming a candidate is simple. I want a return to more effective and accountable local government. I want Phoenixville to meet and exceed it's current potential with a Borough Council which is more mindful of, accessible and responsive to the needs of it's 15,000+ citizens, FIRST!

My experience, my voice on Council will be YOUR voice, demanding commonsense resolutions to problems in our community.

Please consider a vote for me, Karen Johns, on May 17th.

Thank you!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very exciting, Just what Phoenixville needs.

Anonymous said...

That's nice and all, but take a stance on the issues rather than showing off what you have done.

Karen said...

Thank you, Anonymous 3:52 p.m.

I'm hoping to generate some excitement (for you/in you!) during the campaign! ;)

Karen said...

Your comments are appreciated, and I'd like you to know that posting a good portion of my resume` was done for public awareness of some of my areas of service to our community, as well as for indications of my ability to work not only as a leader, but also as a team player.

Karen said...

Poster 9:44 p.m., I would be most interested in responding to any issue, and will attempt to do so right up to the end of the campaign.

Do you have a specific, issue related question for me?

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Karen
I was not around when you were on council. Can you tell me more why you left the political scene? And explain why you feel this is the right time to come back in?
Jeff

Karen said...

Hello, Jeff.

The most honest answer I can give you, Jeff, is the truth.

I've been involved in politics since 1973. I've been a committee woman, the Vice-Chairman of our local committee, as well as Chairman. Over the years, I have worked on the campaigns of Presidents, Governors, Senators, Congressmen, State Senators, State Representatives, County Commissioners and Row Officers, Judges, Mayors, Council, Tax Collectors, and probably more than I recall right now.

In 1993, I finally agreed to be "drafted" for a run for the East Ward Council seat and won. I ran again after the four year term and won. I was prepared to take a hiatus from Council and politics, by choice, at that time. The third run (each time by request from our local Chairman and committee) was, in truth, done only to provide a candidate for the race.

Why I wanted to take some time off from the political arena was simple. I was tired and I wanted to persue other interests. I was tired of politics, I was tired of the manipulations that sometimes occur behind the scenes, I was tired of being marginalized, I was tired of some of the personalites, and I was tired because despite my endless hours of work, my dedication to the job of representing, not only my constituency, but the community at-large, I learned the hard way that there are many people who will use, and then discard someone such as the person I was at that time of my life. No question about it, coming to those realizations carries a toll. I really didn't want the job any longer, and I did absolutely nothing to win it. I lost.

Raw, but the truth. Naked, unbridled truth.

Since then, as we all do, I've evolved, I've grown, and am very aware that this borough is changing, too. Along with the changes we see physically, through the efforts of many good people, we need change in our governmental body, too. We need new ideas, a fresh perspective, and leaders with integrity.

I am standing as a candidate because of the other reasons mentioned elsewhere in this blog, and because I care about my community and most especially the people in it. They deserve the best effort and dedication from those elected to represent them.

This is the right time to help Phoenixville become exactly what we all believe it can be.

Anonymous said...

Karen

Thank you for your answers. Over the years I have heard from people on councils and school boards and many say at times they have to step away becasue of being burned out. For some people do not realize how much time has to be devoted to the position.

To me one problem I see in the downtown area is the lack of parking. I personally feel if we don't resolve the parking situation it could ultimatly be to downfall of the downtown area. It wouldn't matter how many good places you have down there. So I ask 1) Do you think there is a parking shortage downtown? 2) How would go and solve the problem.?

Jeff

Karen said...

You are welcome, Jeff.

Thank you, again, for the opportunity to present my views.

Parking has been a serious problem for Phoenixville, not only downtown, but in many areas of the borough. We have many neighborhoods with insufficient parking, which should no longer be ignored, and for example, more parking is needed at the Post Office or the facility should be relocated.

We need parking, and the best way, other than through developers as sites are redeveloped, a perfect vehicle for such improvments is a Parking Authority.

Coincidentally, I was the last Chairman of the Phoenixville's Authority. It was decommissioned in the early 1980's because the Borough Council had no further work at the time.

Phoenixville needs a Parking Authority with wide ranging powers. This subject is one that I presented to Council during my terms, but it was decided at the time, that an Authority was not warranted.

I disagreed then and today, I still disagree. In fact, it's needed more than ever.

The laws may have changed by now, but I believe Phoenixville may, by ordinance, create a municipal Parking Authority and incorporate it under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the purpose of creating off-street parking facilities.

My understanding in the past was that a Parking Authority was able to defray the costs of construction by the issuance of bonds which were payable out of revenues. In this manner, the taxpayer isn't burded by additional taxes.

Since an Authority would be positioned to address parking problems in other areas of Phoenixville, I'm at a loss to understand why the borough has not addressed this method of creating additional parking for our residents.

With the revitalization underway, and no parking garage under construction on PPG property or elsewhere, the issue of the creation of a Phoenixville Parking Authority should be re-addressed immediately.

Jeff, if Council does not address the situation, I will.

Thank you, again, for your questions.