Editorial

Housing development has been somewhat stagnant over the past 18 months in our region and while few people are happy with the current state of our economy, perhaps this lull in activity is a good opportunity for some local municipalities to get the state of their municipal sewer systems, policies and other related issues in order.

At one time, about fifty years ago, sewer facilities in our rural communities were nothing more than onsite septic systems.  As the communities grew, public sewer services were introduced to the region.  Still, in 2010 nearly 35 percent of the homes in our area still have onsite septic systems. 

As with most anything, onsite septic systems are not designed and constructed to last forever and don’t forget the environmental issues.  People who grew up with these onsite systems learned how to maintain them and keep them offending their neighbors.  But, times have changed and so have the people.

Rural Upper Hanover Township, still a youngster in the business of municipal wastewater treatment systems, wants owners with onsite septic systems to hook up if a sewer line is laid in front of your property.  The fee is $5,000 and the cost of the excavating and plumbing to bring the line from your house to the street.  A cost that could run into the thousands of dollars, depending on how far your home is from the line.

If you have a financial hardship (who doesn’t these days), you can petition the township to delay that hookup for up to five years.

Customers of the Green Lane-Marlborough Authority have seen their rates soar over the past month to help pay corrections to operational deficiencies that occurred over the past years and finally came to a head with the Department of Environmental Protection in 2009.  Officials need to remember that the responsibility of administering a wastewater treatment facility needs to be more than showing up to a meeting once a month.

Meanwhile, Upper Salford officials have planned two meetings in February to discuss sewer planning that will bring public sewer service to sections of the township in the near future.  The meetings are scheduled for February 3 and 11 at 7:30 pm at the Salford Hills Elementary School, 2721 Barndt Road in Upper Salford Township.

Unlike Upper Hanover and Green Lane-Marlborough, the Upper Salford project will be starting from scratch and financial costs to some homeowners could run into the tens of thousands of dollars.  The February meetings will give property owners a chance to hear the plan and ask questions before the official “30-day comment period” begins.  We encourage residents to attend the meetings and ask questions.

In many cases property owners will want to know why they are required to hookup with the municipal sewer system if their own onsite septic system is working properly?  Another question sure to be asked is why is the sewer line going down my street and not the next one?

In all cases there are, or will be, a host of questions that need to be answered. The people deserve to have municipal officials answer them openly and honestly. 

The race to fill Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s Senate seat came and went this past Tuesday in Massachusetts.  Since Democratic voters carry a 3–1 advantage in the Bay State, 100 percent of the federal representation is Democratic and 90 percent of the elected state government representatives are Democratic, it wasn’t supposed to be a defining moment for issues that pertain to the federal government.

                Initially, Democratic State Attorney General Martha Coakley was thought to be the strong front-runner to fill the late Senator’s seat.  After all, her primary opponent was Republican State Senator Sam Brown.  But with last week’s poll results showing Brown with a double-digit lead, the Coakley campaign kicked into overdrive, including a visit from President Obama and former Senator John Kerry.

                Political campaigns in other states don’t usually draw the national attention this one did because the health care bill was at stake.  A Brown win would end the Democrats’ filibuster-proof, super majority in the Senate, and Brown already announced that he would not support the bill as it was presented.

                It was interesting, and somewhat proper, that one of the birthplaces of the United States held such an important card in the future of such an important decision.  And, of course, the last minute heavy-duty politicking on both sides was expected.

                But there was also quite a bit of time spent on putting together a new strategy in case the Republicans won.

                Most people will agree that health care reform is needed and many will agree that getting it done right is more important than getting it done.  Plotting and planning to push it through any way you can just seems to make folks want it less.

                In the event of a GOP win in Massachusetts, one alternative was to ask House Democrats to approve the Senate version as is, rather than continue to seek compromises over issues on which the two houses differ.  To please unhappy House Democrats, the Senate would then be asked to pass separate bills to meet some of their demands, including scaling back a tax on so-called Cadillac health plans.  These Senate votes could be held under special procedural rules that would require only 51 votes to pass.

                Some strategists believe it might be possible to persuade another Republican  senator to cross the aisle at the eleventh hour – but there’s not much confidence in that approach.

                In the event of a Brown victory, the Democrats might opt to rush a compromise health care bill through the House and Senate before the results of the Massachusetts election are certified and a new Republican senator is seated.  The legislation could also be scaled back enough to permit using the “budget-reconciliation process,” which allows the Senate to pass budget-related measures with simple majorities.  But the technical requirements of reconciliation would leave major gaps in the planned overhaul.

                Tuesday has come and gone and  Brown won.  Voters of all persuasions should be concerned about the efforts elected officials are making to use (wink, wink) the democratic process to forward a particular agenda.

                It may be legal, but it’s just wrong.  If elected officials can’t see that, maybe they shouldn’t be elected officials.