Black History at Hopewell II

Frances Delmar addresses a crowd of about 30 people Tuesday night.

It had been my hope to cover an event Tuesday at the Schuylkill River Heritage Area HQ in Pottstown, but Mercury responsibilities pulled me to the Pottsgrove School Board meeting.

I wrote a preview of this author's lecture here on Jan. 31.

On Tuesday night, Frances Delmar talked about her book and her area of expertise, "The African American Experience at Hopewell Furnace."

Luckily for you, if this area of local history interests you as much as it does me, someone else covered it for us.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area Blog picked up the slack and wrote about the event. You can read it here.

Forgotten Heroes of History

DAR Regent Marlene Armato, left, with award winners Matthew Souder and Aidan DePietropaolo of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and Ma. Sofia Sosa of Pottstown Middle School.

Blogger's Note: Three local students were recently chosen out of 43 entries in the Mahanatawny Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution's annual essay contest. A story on the students is in today's The Mercury and you can read it by clicking here. However there is no room in the paper to reproduce their full essays. Luckily, there IS room in the Digital Notebook for such things. (Particularly when the author is such a history nut...) Congrats to all three students. The essays are wonderful.

Hercules Mulligan 

By Ma. Sofia Sosa -- Pottstown Middle School

Hercules Mulligan was born in County Antrim, Ireland, the year of 1740. Having had a poor life in Ireland, he and his family moved, in 1756, to the “New World” in search of a better life.

The grave of Hercules Mulligan in NYC.

The family prospered and even opened their own accounting business in New York City. After attending and graduating from King’s College, Hercules worked in the accounting business as a clerk and eventually went on to open his own tailoring and haberdashery business in Lower Manhattan. His customers were important British figures including wealthy British businessmen and high ranking British military officers. This sheer coincidence would render him a valuable piece in the war for liberty and freedom.

One of the first significant things Hercules had done involved one of our nation’s founding fathers: Alexander Hamilton. Back when Hamilton was just a young man, he moved to the American colonies to complete his education. He brought with him a letter of recommendation to Hugh Mulligan, who then introduced Hamilton to his younger brother, Hercules Mulligan. Hamilton lived with Hercules and his family while he attended King’s College. At this time, Hamilton sided with the British, yet as time went on, Hamilton came to support the idea of freedom and liberty, of independence, influenced by Hercules’s passion for America.

Later in his life, Hamilton recommended Mulligan as a “confidential corresponded” in New York City to General George Washington. Working as a spy, Hercules Mulligan became a key asset to Washington, and even gathered information that saved our future first president’s life.

Hercules Mulligan was very conveniently placed. He worked in a shop in New York when it was still under British control, as a tailor for important British figures. Even more, his British customers felt safe around him because he was married to Elizabeth Sanders, niece of Admiral Sanders of the British navy. They did not know that Hercules and his wife were actually secret patriots. One of the valuable pieces of information he collected came about when a British officer came late in the night for a watch coat. When Mulligan asked why this happened so late at night, the officer bragged of soon having “the rebel general in our hands.”

The British had somehow caught wind of the location of a conference between Washington and other American generals. After receiving this valuable piece of information, Washington and the other generals were successfully able to avoid capture.

New York was a strategic port to hold for the British

Another time was when Hugh found out about a plan by the British, when a rush order of supplies came to his import/export firm in February, 1781. The plan was to intercept Washington, on his way to consult with the French General Rochambeau. He told Hercules, who then passed it on to Washington. Again, this information was very helpful to Washington.

Long before the revolution actually started, Hercules Mulligan had already been a patriot. In 1765, Mulligan joined the militia group, the Sons of Liberty, and actively participated in its activities. During the summer in the year 1775, Mulligan and the Sons of Liberty stole a stash of muskets from the city. Also, Mulligan had been one of the patriots that brought down the statue of King George III, chopped the statue to pieces, melted the lead, and turned it into bullets to be fired at the British.

Something interesting about Hercules Mulligan was that he had the gift of “blarney,” meaning he could influence or persuade someone to do something using charm and flattery. This is often what he used to obtain bits of information from his British customers, making full use of his access to British personnel, as their tailor. Sometimes he used whiskey to help him too.

Another interesting fact is that the British never found out that General Washington’s Aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton, was closely acquainted with Mulligan and even recruited him as a spy.

After the war, any Loyalist business or home was in danger of being destroyed. Though Hercules was a patriot and strongly supported the American cause, he was also a spy and had to keep his patriotism a secret, so only a handful of individuals knew of Mulligan’s deeds. Because of this, Washington had breakfast with him, publicly thanked him for his service, and purchased clothing from his shop, tremendously helping his business.

His business prospered and at the age of 80, Hercules finally retired. Hercules and his wife had three sons and five daughters. He died in March during the year of 1825.

What would happen if Hercules Mulligan didn’t do these things? George Washington possibly wouldn’t have been on our dollar bills. America might have still been in the hands of the British. Who knows?

One thing, though, is certain. Had it not been for him, America would certainly not be the great nation it is today. Like our passionate yet unsung patriot, Hercules Mulligan, what other forgotten heroes are out there? What other unknown things had they done that completely changed the course of history? What would America be like if their feats had not been accomplished?

These men and women deserve to be honored, for had it not been for these forgotten patriots, the dream of independence might not have become reality.

James Armistead – The Double Agent 

By Aidan DePietropaolo -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

My essay is on James Armistead Lafayette. He was an African American slave who volunteered to join the American Army in its fight for Independence during the Revolutionary War. I choose to write about James Armistead Lafayette because I believe he was a man of great character. In the recent presidential debates both candidates talked about their opponent’s character. Character is defined as an individual with moral or ethical qualities of honesty and bravery. James Armistead Lafayette chose to join the army because he believed in fighting for America’s freedom. Since he was a slave, he knew how it felt not to be free. Armistead was a man who stood up for what he believed in, and he was willing to fight in the war for his beliefs. I believe that anyone that reads my report will come to the same conclusion. And that conclusion is that James Armistead Lafayette was a man of great character and a true unsung hero of the American Revolutionary war.

James Armistead was born into slavery in Virginia. Historians are unsure of his actual birth date, but it is believed Armistead was born anytime between 1748 and 1760. His family was owned by a man named William Armistead. When the war broke out, James received permission from his owner to join the army in 1781 serving under General Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette was the commander of the French army who were fighting alongside the American Army. Lafayette appointed Armistead the position of a spy rather than a soldier. While working for Lafayette, Armistead infiltrated the British Army camp of General Charles Cornwallis. He did this by pretending to be a runaway slave hired by the British Army to spy on the American Army. Armistead gained the trust of turnout soldier General Benedict Arnold and General Cornwallis. Armistead was so convincing in his role as double agent that the British allowed him to guide British troops though local roads. Armistead was able to travel between camps, spy on British officers who spoke openly in front of him about their war plans. Armistead wrote down what he heard about the British plans, and handed them over to other American spies along local roads. He would then return to General Cornwallis’s headquarters as a double agent to obtain more information.

In the summer of 1781, the American General George Washington sent word to General Lafayette to keep a close watch on Cornwallis’s activities. Lafayette sent several spies to Cornwallis’s headquarters, but it was Armistead’s report dated July 31, 1781 that helped the  American’s trap the British troops at Hampton.

All through the summer of 1781 Armistead sent reports to the Americans. Because of the information provided by Armistead, Generals Lafayette and Washington were able to stop the British from sending 10,000 troops as reinforcements to Yorktown, Virginia. The American and French Army were successful in blockading the British and were able to defeat the British troops at the battle of Yorktown. This victory was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. After their defeat at Yorktown, the British surrendered in October 19, 1781.

After the war ended, Armistead had to return to William Armistead to continue his life as an African American slave. He was not eligible for emancipation under the Act of 1783 because his position in the war was a slave-spy and not a slave-soldier. Only slave-soldiers were granted emancipation. Armistead petitioned the Virginia Legislature for his emancipation. With the help of General Marquis de Lafayette, Armistead was granted emancipation in 1787. James Armistead was so thankful to Lafayette for his help that Armistead adopted Lafayette’s surname. After gaining his freedom, Armistead bought 40 acres of land and began farming not far from where he was born. He married and raised a large family. He continued to work as a farmer until his death on August 9, 1830. For his service during the war, Armistead received a $40 annual pension from the Virginia Legislature.

Contributions of the Spanish Empire

By Matthew Souder -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Throughout the American Revolutionary War, many Spanish and Hispanic men and women made great contributions to the colonial cause. Spain, its colonies, and many other Hispanics helped the American colonies gain the independence that so characterizes the country they became. These men and women sacrificed money, time, and even their lives for the patriot cause.

Spain, an extremely strong force at the time, went above and beyond what was asked of them in aid of the patriots. Spain had much land, and profited greatly from it. This made Spain a powerful ally of the patriots. Spain sided with the patriots after the colonies pleaded for Spain's help. Spain had lost great deals of land to the British in the French and Indian war, and the colonies promised to help get it back, in return for help in their struggle for freedom.

Spain agreed to this deal, but their help was not limited to what they were asked for. Spain officially declared war on Britain June 2, 1779. They helped the struggling patriots in many ways.

One way was by loaning and giving money to the American colonies.; On several occasions, Spain made large financial contributions to the patriot effort. Spain donated 2 million livres in hard currently and war materiel. They also loaned 74 thousand dollars to patriots Oliver Pollock and Thomas Willing, and 175 thousand dollars to John Jay, United States emissary to Spain. King Carlos III even asked Spanish and Indian males in the Americas to donate $2 and $1 in goods for the patriot war effort.

Spain also helped by starting a new military front against the British. They started this front in 1779 when Spain declared war. This second front was very successful and helped the Americans a great deal in their war for independence.

Yet another way Spain contributed to the patriot cause was by opening a world trading company with the colonies. This world trading company was opened to bring supplies and military leaders to the patriots. It was funded b the Bourbon Kinds of Spain and France. It was based in Paris but operated out of St. Eustatius in the lesser Antilles and sent supplies and leaders by ship from there to all over North America.

Bernardo de Galvez

The colonies also received help from many Hispanics in the American Revolution. Several Hispanic individuals made great contributions to the American fight for independence. One of these people was Bernardo de Galvez. He was born in the mountain village of Malaga, Spain, and was a career soldier when, in 1777, he was appointed Govenror of Louisiana, then a territory of Spain.

De Galvez helped the patriots by closing the Mississippi River to the British but let the Americans use the river. He also let the patriot troops use the port of New Orleans. He began helping the patriots before Spain officially declared war on Britain. he helped not only because trouble for Britain would help Spain, but also out of personal conviction. Once Spain officially declared war on Great Britain, Bernardo de Galvez led a crew of Cubans, blacks and Spaniards. This crew won several battles against the British.

Another Hispanic who was influential in the American Revolution was Jorge Farragut. he was born on the island of Minorca. Farragut joined the South Carolina Navy at the start of the American Revolution. He distinguished himself in the battles of Cowpens and Wilmington.

Another Hispanic hero was Francisco de Miranda, born in Venezuela. He participated in Bernardo de Galvez's expeditions. De Miranda also helped get money for the battle of Yorktown. he was also assigned as a Spanish army attache' to George Washington's staff.

Yet another Hispanic person who made great contributions was Juan de Miralles, Spanish born. He was King Carlos III's Royal Commissioner to the Continental Congress. His ship transported supplies to the revolutionaries. He died at George Washington's camp, and because of all Juan had done for the patriot war effort, George Washington himself led the mourners at his funeral.

Hispanic groups from all over the Americas also made huge sacrifices so that the colonies could be free of British rule. One group was the Canary Islanders. Bernardo de Galvez made a plea for soldiers to authorities in Spain, who did a recruiting effort on the Canary Islands. The islanders responded. Over 700 male soldiers joined the patriot cause, including their wives and children, over 2,300 islanders sacrificed for American independence.

Another group of Hispanics who played an influential role in the Revolutionary War were the people of Cuba. Cuba helped in many ways. They gave access to port facilities to patriots; they also offered supplies, the Cuban militia, and helped finance the battle of Pensacola. In 1781 when in Cuba collected money and jewelry to French and American forces could continue their siege of Yorktown. Cuba made great sacrifices for American freedom.

Other groups of Hispanics who helped the patriot cause were the people of the Yucatan Peninsula and the people of Santo Domingo, which is now the Dominican Republic. Soldiers and volunteers from the Yucatan joined Bernardo de Galvez. The people of Santo Domingo gave troops, money and helped protect themselves and their land during the battles of Yorktown and the Chesapeake Bay. These Hispanic groups made huge sacrifices and contributions so that the colonies could be free and independent.

Spain, its colonies and Hispanics all over North America sacrificed so that we can enjoy the many freedoms we enjoy today. Many individuals sacrificed for this cause and should always be remembered.

PHS Pep Rally, Gangham STYLE!

Mercury Photo by Kevin Hoffman

Some of you may have noticed last week that Pottstown High School held it's first-ever Trojan Pride Day, a kind of pep rally to bust the winter blahs.

If you missed it, you can check out The Mercury's coverage here.

At Tuesday night's Pottsgrove School Board meeting, Board President Scott Fulmer noted that Pottstown had copied Pottsgrove's long-standing tradition of "Color Day."

"I hope it works out for them," he said. "But at Pottsgrove, this has been a tradition for years."

And he's right.

Pottsgrove HAS been doing Color Day for a long time.

What I'm wondering though, is if, in all that time, anyone at Pottsgrove High School has ever seen their principal and their teachers do THIS?!?:




My favorite part is at the end, watching the students surge forward to get this once-in-a-lifetime recording on their i-Phones.

Ahh, youth.

Needless to say, I am not the first person to post this and, not surprisingly, I found several versions on you tube.

My thanks to Katie Minger, whose version I used because it includes several perspectives and an interview afterward with PSY, oops, I mean Principal Stephen Rodriguez.

(Camera work, according to the credits, was by Alex Acuna, Tony Cummings, Kristopher Horsey, Christopher Kopack, Harold Means, Bishop Corney, Dyshon Gibson and B.J. Morgan).

My thanks also to my teenage son, who found this for me this morning on his i-Pod, or phone, or some hand-held something or other....

Home Cookin'

Blogger's Note: The following is provided by Lynn Symborski over at Pottsgrove Manor.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit Pottsgrove Manor and enjoy “Backcountry Cooking,” a demonstration of traditional open-hearth cooking.

While the wealthy Potts family could afford to eat fine dishes using imported ingredients, most colonists consumed much simpler fare. 

In this demonstration, see Pottsgrove Manor’s colonial cooks in action as they create dishes that would have been familiar to rural Americans in the eighteenth century.

Guests can visit with the cooks in the manor’s reconstructed colonial kitchen anytime during the program. Regular guided house tours will also be offered on the hour. There is a $2 per person suggested donation for this program.

Pottsgrove Manor, home of John Potts, colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown. 

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department.

Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are given on the hour. 

The last tour of the day begins at 3 p.m. 

Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014. 

For more information and a full calendar of events, please visit the website at http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor or like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PottsgroveManor.    

On Their Honor

Blogger's Note: I had to miss this ceremony this year because it was the same day Digital First folks were meeting with Gov. Corbett. My thanks to John Armato for providing this report.

Recently the Pottstown Middle School held a candle lighting induction ceremony for 44 new members of the National Junior Honor Society. 

Superintendent Jeff Sparagana 

The candle lighting induction ceremony was conducted at a school-wide assembly which was also attended by school district administrators, school board members, and parents of the inductees. Entertainment was provided by the middle school jazz band under the direction of Ben Hayes. The audience heard arrangements of the theme from “James Bond,” “Stand By Me,” and “I Got Rhythm.”

The National Junior Honor Society is sponsored by Lois Sanders who also organized the candle lighting induction program. Jeffrey Sparagana, Superintendent of Schools, was the keynote speaker and encouraged students to strive to their highest potential and never allow anyone to tell them that they cannot achieve.

Eighth grade honor students Dylan Brandt and Khalif Jeter provided the welcome and introduction of the keynote speaker. Students taking part in the candle lighting ceremony included: Yuliza Cruz, Khalif Jeter, Janna Jones, Kyli McKee, Kenny Patel, Emily Iezzi, Heather Swanson, and Nyles Rome.

Ms. Sanders and eighth grader Alivia Lopez led the inductees in the National Honor Society Pledge. 

A student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 91% during their sixth and seventh grade years and maintain that average in order to be a member of the National Junior Honor Society. 

Additionally, they must complete an application that includes obtaining character references from community and staff members. They must also promise to maintain the high standards of National Honor Society and serve their school and community by participating in various service projects throughout the year.

Under the direction of Ms. Sanders, students work to maintain high standards of academic achievement and community service. Their participation helps to keep them focused from an early age on the goal of high academic achievement. Students who actively pursue academic excellence increase their chances of success in adult life.

Soaad Elbahwati recited a poem to close the ceremonies. New inductees and their parents were invited to a reception held in the middle school library.

The Pottstown School District is proud to have a local chapter of a prestigious organization such as the National Honor Society and a coordinator who works tirelessly to provide opportunity for students to develop a value for education. This year’s inductees include:

Jamal Adams, Brooke Beyer, Hailey Christman, Ansela Corney, Alyssa Dlutz, Reilly Dugan, Tiana Dupiche, Gianna Epps, Bryce Ferguson, Claire Fetterman, Dale Groff, Andraya Guy, Kiersten Heverly, Alexandra Hickey, Aniya Jackson, Ceara Jackson, Tavia Jeffcoat, Emily Jerdon, Gianna Kimmell, Sean Lafferty Emilie Lineman, Alondra Magana, Juliet Manley, Peter Marcheskie, Rachel Martin, Martin Metzger, Taylor Mickletz,Trinity Miller, Audrey Morton, Tiffany Myers, Angel Onate, Emma Pargeon, Courteney Parry, Alexus Perez, Abigail Richter, Cole Rulli, Izabelle Shiffler, April Smith, Justine Villamar, Julian Weber, Kimberely Wilkinson, Isaiah Williams, Nicholas Wilson, Nina Yost

Dear Commissioners, Let's Talk Price

Dear Montgomery County Commissioners Josh Shapiro, Leslie Richards and Bruce Castor:

Thanks for coming to Pottstown tomorrow night to hear what we have to say.

Hopefully, some of our more thoughtful residents will show up to greet you and help you understand what ails us.

In case they don't, it seems prudent to jot down a few thoughts for your consideration:

Well just one thought really. You see, as complex as modern life it, the issues here in Pottstown boil down to a pretty simple equation.

Concentration of low-income housing + lack of living wage jobs = high crime, high taxes and low quality of life.

Look, you need not waste too much time Monday night explaining to us why things are done this way.

We get it.

In a lot of ways, it makes sense for Montgomery County to steer its poor to places like Pottstown and Norristown.

After all, it's where all the social service agencies are located already (although that's a chicken-or-the-egg example if ever we saw one); they both have bus systems and people who can't afford cars can walk to places more easily than out in the middle of the cookie-cutter sub-divisions where you need a car to get your mail.

And when it comes to housing vouchers (read Section 8), then you spend less public money in places where the rents are cheaper. After all, those federal subsidies for housing vouchers are tax money as well; best to get the most bang for the public buck.

On the other side of the coin, you could hardly pick worse places to concentrate low-income housing than in places like Pottstown and Norristown, at least not in terms of what's best for those communities.

Those still hanging on by their fingernails to home-ownership and jobs there are doing so under the burden of the highest tax rates in the region,

They're sending their children to schools with more special needs students than the wealthy suburbs that surround them, all under a state aid formula that gives them less funding than those same wealthier neighbors.

Their children walk to those schools through streets with a higher crime rate than their quiet suburban neighbors, whose children ride to school in buses or SUVs.

They're protected by police forces that must feel like they're running to stand still in terms of keeping up with the constant crime that shadows all concentrations of low-income life.

And their classmates are living in sub-standard apartments because the housing authority and the borough both lack the resources to ensure those places are kept up to code.

In case I'm not being clear, here is a good summary of what the impact of the county's policy of sending low-income families here, courtesy of the Brookings Institute's Metropolitan Policy Program:

• Lead to increased crime rates and poor health outcomes. Crime rates, and particularly violent crime rates, tend to be higher in economically distressed inner-city neighborhoods.Faced with high crime rates, dilapidated housing stock, and the stress and marginalization of poverty, residents of very poor neighborhoods demonstrate a higher incidence of poor physical and mental health outcomes, like asthma, depression, diabetes, and heart ailments.
• Limit educational opportunity. Children in high-poverty communities tend to go to neighborhood schools where nearly all the students are poor and at greater risk of failure, as measured by standardized tests, dropout rates, and grade retention.Low performance owes not only to family background, but also to the negative effects high-poverty neighborhoods have on school processes and quality. Teachers in these schools tend to be less experienced, the student body more mobile, and additional systems must often be put in place to deal with the social welfare needs of the student body, creating further demands on limited resources.
• Reduce private-sector investment and increase prices for goods and services. High concentrations of low-income and low-skilled households in a neighborhood can make the community less attractive to private investors and employers, which may limit local job opportunities and ultimately create a “spatial mismatch” between low-income residents and employment centers. In addition, lack of business competition in poor neighborhoods can drive up prices for basic goods and services—like food, car insurance, utilities, and financial services—compared to what families pay in middle-income neighborhoods.
• Raise costs for local government. The concentration of poor individuals and families—which can result in elevated welfare caseloads, high rates of indigent patients at hospitals and clinics, and the need for increased policing—burdens the fiscal capacity of local governments and can divert resources from the provision of other public goods. In turn, these dynamics can lead to higher taxes for local businesses and non-poor residents.
• Hinder wealth building. Many residents in extreme-poverty neighborhoods own their home, yet neighborhood conditions in these areas can lead the market to devalue these assets and deny them the ability to accumulate wealth through the appreciations of house prices.Moreover, the presence of high-poverty neighborhoods can affect residents of the larger metropolitan area generally, depressing values for owner-occupied properties in the region by 13 percent on average.

To Pottstown residents, the Brookings Institute just described conditions in our town.

Pottstown might have absorbed a portion of this county-sponsored burden if it were still a thriving community in which people with high school educations made a living wage at the local plant.

Indeed, wages that could support a middle-class family in Pottstown would solve many problems here simultaneously.

But the days of the labor-intensive factory are gone forever.

This kind of work isn't around here anymore

Those who wish for their return must realize that the manufacturing that remains in America is extremely specialized and high-tech.

A high school education is rarely enough to secure one of those jobs.

Good jobs to have certainly, but those who work there can no longer walk down the street the day after graduation and sign up for a place on the assembly line.

In fact, the people who get those jobs are those best prepared by a superior education system, which brings us right back to the Catch-22 with which we live every day here in Pottstown.

So presuming the county commissioners can do little to bring jobs to Pottstown, what should we ask for, other than their apologies for the decades of neglect at the hands of a flawed housing policy?

So what can Josh Shapiro, Bruce Castor and Leslie Richards do for us?

What can they offer us when they arrive at 7 p.m. Monday at the Montgomery County Community College's West Campus here in town?

They're here on a "listening tour," with no other purpose than to hear what we have to say. So what should we say?

I propose the following:

Let us recognize the reality that any suggestion that more low-income housing be directed toward wealthier communities will never come to pass.

It's a fool's errand folks. That's where the money is, and no politician is going to get campaign donations from a community where they just located a low-income housing project like Bright Hope.

Fair? Sure. Likely? Never.

Further, let's recognize that people who live in low-income housing are people, not statistics. If they're voting on where to live with their vouchers, they are going to live where they feel comfortable and where their dollar goes furthest, just like the rest of us.

How happy is a family living on $30,000 likely to be surrounded by neighbors who all make $250,000?

Also, we must recognize that barring a major structural change in county government, Leslie, Josh and Bruce don't have full control over this issue.

The entity which sends us voucher upon voucher is the Montgomery County Housing Authority, an independent agency not under the control of the county commissioners. It's not a county department.

So even if they agreed to, the commissioners could not stem the flow of vouchers.

What is in their power, is to pay the price for the policy.

So let's look at this like the capitalists we all claim to be.

The truth of the matter is we're providing a service for Montgomery County.

We are taking in their tired, their hungry, their poor, so their wealthier constituents don't have to. There's a dollar value to that service.

The real problem is we just aren't charging enough and we're going out of business as a result.

It's not that hard to document the increased costs Pottstown and Norristown take on with each low-income voucher that crosses the borough line.

So let's demand a better price -- an agreed upon amount of county dollars that go to the borough and school district for each housing voucher that comes this way.

Fortunately for the county, the borough and the school district share the same borders, so the accounting will be easy.

In the schools, that money can ONLY be used to pay for special education costs, or tutors for low-income students in homes using vouchers.

In the borough, that money can ONLY be used for things related to the costs those vouchers bring:

• To pay for increased policing; 
• To pay for more (and better-trained) code inspection officers to ensure the buildings at which these vouchers are being used are kept up and not contributing to the degradation of the neighborhood;
• To pay for increased recreational opportunities for the children in those households, giving them a place to recreate other than the streets. (By happy coincidence, we have a community center located right in the center of town where such programs could be located);
• To pay for adult training programs to help the adults in these households get the jobs that exist today. (By happy coincidence, the previous county commissioners had the foresight to locate a college campus right here in town, which makes for a handy training location.)

Those are just a few suggestions for concrete things the county commissioners could do for this community.

But for Monday's "listening tour" to have any real value, I don't think the commissioners should leave Pottstown without having committed to real help.

Anything else will just be vague promises, happy talk and smoke.

Been there, done that. And we know what it's worth.