Our friend the Golden Cockroach has a few things to say about what’s happening in Pottstown. Very eye-opening commentary. History has a way of continually repeating itself in the borough. Perhaps because of political inbreeding. Time for some new blood and fresh air.
Tag Archives: Golden Cockroach
Pottstown Borough Council President Toroney Won’t Seek A 5th Term
Editor’s note: We hope this leadership change will usher in a new era of reduced crime and economic prosperity for Pottstown. The taxpayers have waited long enough to see their tax burden lessened and to feel safe in their homes.
POTTSTOWN, PA – Borough Council President Stephen Toroney announced Monday night that he will not seek election to a fifth term in the November election.
Toroney read from a prepared statement, saying “the decision not to run was easy.”
He did not elaborate.
However, he did choke up slightly when he said “what will be difficult is not serving this borough which I love.”
Dog Fighting In Pottstown: A Tragic Result Of Government Negligence…
EDITORIAL
Pottstown Borough Hall
Our scuz-busting friend, the Golden Cockroach, has more horrific news about the results of the absentee extractive investors who have taken over large numbers of properties in Pottstown. These folks buy up homes for “cents on the dollar” and rent them to anybody who will pay their rent in “cash”, **wink, wink. The properties are not maintained and the tenants are left to run wild and terrorize their neighbors.
The typical absentee extractive investor lives in a large suburban home, in a township where mostly upper middle class white folk congregate. They take their wads of “rental cash” and do “fun stuff” like take vacations to tropical locations with municipal employees (who also make wads of cash thanks to the overburdened taxpayers in Pottstown). While these folks are sunbathing, and having drinks with little umbrellas in them, back at the ranch all hell is breaking loose. OR when they aren’t sunbathing and having funky beverages south of the border, they are at home in their virtually crime-free suburban communities reading about Pottstown’s ills in the Mercury.
Meanwhile, Pottstown is falling apart and these rental properties are crumbling off their foundations. HOWEVER, unless “I” live next to a problem rental property it’s not my problem. These properties somehow pass inspection, they are somehow issued occupancy permits and everybody is happy. Well, except for the people who live in Pottstown and are being terrorized by these tenants who aren’t properly vetted before being allowed to occupy said rental properties. But again, unless it directly impacts me, it’s not my problem. RIGHT?
Apparently, this is the attitude emanating from Pottstown Borough Hall. This attitude comes across loud and clear when you read the latest post from the Golden Cockroach. You should be utterly incensed by the complete disregard for the residents of Pottstown. This stunning information confirms what we have always thought. The fact that it was said out loud by a municipal employee makes us sick.
The result of this blatant contempt for Pottstown is crime. Evidently, we can now add dog fighting to the list of heinous crimes being perpetrated in Pottstown and ignored by the very folks who are paid to look after the interests of the taxpayers. Why? Because many municipal employees do not live in Pottstown and these problems do not impact their quality of life. Ergo, it’s not my problem. They can read the Mercury on their iPad while they sip their morning latte from the safety of their suburb. After reading about “life in Pottstown” they can head into the office for another fun-filled day of work “screw over the taxpayer” behind bullet-proof glass. We think that’s a game like “pin the tail on the donkey” but we aren’t 100 percent sure. Can you hear them cackling as they drive over the borough line with their big fat paychecks?
So we have people with virtually no interest in seeing Pottstown revitalize running the show. These same people are allowing absentee extractive investors to make large profits at the expense of the fine folks who do live in Pottstown (and who pay very high taxes for these stellar municipal services brought to you by people who don’t give a shit crap).
Crime is running rampant and no matter now many miniature golf courses you build, you are still putting lipstick on a pig. Don’t get us wrong, miniature golf is fun and we expect to try it out soon, however there are far more important issues that need to be addressed. CRIME and JOBS should be the TOP priority of the municipal government. The job market should be high and crime should be low! It’s ass-backwards in Pottstown! It’s time for the taxpayers to say “enough” and hold these co-perpetrators accountable for Pottstown’s ruination.
Please take a few minutes to read Golden Cockroach’s latest post. Please watch the video about the animal abuse and dog fighting if you haven’t already seen it. The video is included in the post for your convenience.
A Must See Video About A Rental Unit In Pottstown – Contains Adult Language
The Suburbs: Pottstown Is Worried Over Tax Credit Housing Developer Who Answers Few Questions
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor’s note: It appears others are closely watching what Pottstown Borough Council decides regarding this low-income tax credit project and we are pleased!
Up in Pottstown (that’s in MontCo for you folks who don’t know what lies beyond the City’s limits) is a blightfighter who runs Golden Cockroach, an activist fighting against substandard rental living conditions in rental apartments, vacancy and urban (yes, urban!) blight up in Pottstown.
A boro of only 22,000 people, Pottstown occupies a small 5 square mile area of the western corner of Montgomery County, bested by Norristown and Conshohocken in urban density. Most of the town is middle income at the high end and lower end working class. As an older PA boro with an industrial past, it has its share of rusty buildings and older housing stock. Ranchers on large plots are few. Twin porchfront rowhomes with postage stamp front yards, many.
Since the housing bubble burst 5 years ago Pottstown has seen an increase in cash buyer investors seeking to grab deeds and insert renters into properties as has happened in other PA towns like Bensalem where subprime mortgages existed. Many of those investors are absentee, maintenance is less than spectacular, and residents are worried that if left unchecked, and combined with urban-industrial decay within the town, that could put Pottstown’s viability as a desirable place to live under fire if quality of life worsens. No one wants to see Pottstown decay into Chester or see its tax base erode or flee.
Read more: http://www.philadelinquency.com/?p=2866
Pottstown PA Crisis Born Of Greed And Neglect
Please watch this informative video about housing conditions in Pottstown. It is very educational and eye-opening.
The Montgomery County Housing authority will holds its monthly meeting in Pottstown on Thursday, June 13. It will be at 4:30 p.m. in Bright Hope, 467 West King St.
Call 610-275-5720, Ext. 315 on that day for info and possible cancellations. Public is invited.
Activist Invites Pottstown Council To See Poor Living Conditions In Permitted Rental
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor’s note: We can not stress enough the importance of Mr. Toroney and his fellow Councilors taking an hour out of their day to see this in person. This is the tip of the iceberg and we think it is HIGH TIME that Pottstown Borough Council starts walking the talk and demonstrating in a tangible way that they have some inkling of interest in the citizens they respresent! You all could use some street cred!
Thank you to Katy Jackson for continuing to stand vigilant and taking on a job that nobody else is willing to tackle!
POTTSTOWN — It’s supposed to be a warm Saturday afternoon, how about taking in a nice open house?
Well you might find it interesting, but it seems unlikely anyone would use the word “nice” to describe it.
From 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, activist Katy Jackson is inviting anyone interested — and the members of borough council specifically — to come and see the conditions in which a resident of Pottstown has been living at 501 King St.
“Monday I was invited to see the living conditions that a couple have endured for several months,” Jackson wrote in her invitation to council members, which was copied to The Mercury.
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