Speaking up in Pike County

Abdul Jaludi
Posted 8/21/12

As a long term resident of Pike County, I’m sorry to say that I have been negligent in my duties. While enjoying all the privileges of living in this wonderful community, I left it to others to …

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Speaking up in Pike County

Posted

As a long term resident of Pike County, I’m sorry to say that I have been negligent in my duties. While enjoying all the privileges of living in this wonderful community, I left it to others to take responsibility for keeping the area pristine and attractive, as many others have done. Politics is an area I endeavored to stay as far away from as possible, feeling that my vote would absolve me of any further responsibility to the community.

I’ve been wrong in that regard. A long while ago someone proposed opening a Burger King in Milford Borough. To me, that was very good news, although I had never said so in public. (Letting others know that I frequent fast food joints when no one is looking is a fact I had preferred to keep secret.) However, when the proposal was rejected because it would take away from the historic appeal of Milford Borough, I was equally pleased. While a Burger King would have been nice, it just didn’t fit in with the natural beauty of the area. You can imagine my disappointment when a Duncan Donuts and a smoke shop appeared instead. “What happened?” was my first question. Unfortunately I kept that question to myself.

Next was the Milford Library. As a user of the library, and a previous volunteer, I knew firsthand how desperately they needed larger facilities. As usual I kept my thoughts to myself, trusting in others to do what’s in the area’s best interest. Each time I heard about delays, due to objections for one reason or another, I felt proud. Someone was doing their job, making sure things were being done appropriately. Oh, how wrong I was. When the library was finally completed, my heart sank. The architecture didn’t fit in with the surrounding area, nor was the inside laid out appropriately; there was too much wasted space, the children’s area was adjacent to the reading area and there were other missteps I had relied on others to have prevented.

The Rite Aid drive-thru expansion is another fiasco. Whoever agreed to the layout as it is now must never have realized that you can only get to the drive-thru from one side entrance, not from the main entrance.

Most recently word of the proposed courthouse expansion reached my deaf ears, but now my trust in others isn’t what it used to be. I know the commissioners and other elected officials have our best interests in mind. I hope the others supporting or objecting to the proposal do so as well. But based on past experience, officials rely on what they’re told, and when they hear nothing from the residents of the area, they take that as absent approval. It would be great if everyone could take a step back and talk about what’s needed so the proper solution can be reassessed.

Pike County already has some of the highest taxes in PA, and if the project can be scaled back due to the impact of the economic changes, perhaps the next tax increases can be skipped. The last thing most of us would like to see is another very expensive structure that is out of place. If this turns out to be another mistake, believe me, those we’ve trusted and have forgiven for their previous mistakes will not be around to make any more after the next election cycle. The residents of the area deserve another chance to weigh in on the issues and to have a hand in selecting a proposal that addresses them in a responsible manner.

[Abdul Jaludi is a resident of Milford, PA.]

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