Goldsack criticizes commissioners and quits

She praises the election process under her direction

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA — Quite unexpectedly, the former director of the Pike County Board of Elections, Yolanda Goldsack, appeared before the county commissioners meeting on July 8, delivered sharp criticism of the commissioner’s action in her regard and resigned from any position offered her in the county government.

A month ago, under pressure from many sides, Goldsack resigned her position as director. In accepting her resignation at that time, the commissioners offered her an appointment in the county’s main office. By this action, she turned them down.

Standing before the commissioners, she excoriated them for failing to defend her from the attacks from the leadership of the Pike County Democratic Committee (PCDC), mainly its chairman Julius Lipman and Elizabeth Forrest, the county’s state committeewoman.

“Why the commissioners chose not to respond to the attacks made on my character is one thing,” she said. “But why commissioner Forbes remained silent for so long and would not address distortions and allegations made by the Democratic Committee is another.”

Goldsack accused the Democratic member of the commissioners, Karl Wagner, of remaining silent because of his fear of Lipman and the PCDC, not wanting to fall from grace with them. Goldsack stated that Wagner, in speaking to her, called Lipman a “crazy ideologue” and that the PCDC was run by a few people who cannot be reasoned with. Wagner admitted that he had serious disagreements with Lipman, but had never called him an ideologue or supported him in his criticism of Goldsack.

“Methodically and with Machiavellian scalpel, Mr. Lipman and the Democratic Committee have carved a picture for the last two years that our election process has been corrupted and can no longer be trusted,” she said. “In the coming weeks, I will be writing letters and giving interviews so that the truth may finally be told and the voters of Pike County will see that our election system has checks and balances so that no person, not even the director, can corrupt it.”

Rich Caridi, the chairman of the commissioners, said he was shocked and disappointed by Goldsack’s action and was sorry that conditions between voters and the county staff could reach such a negative state. “We have to get over partisan politics and stop labeling people,” said Caridi, chairman of the commissioners. “This trend is happening all over the country, not just in Pike County.”