What does this have to do with Chester County? Up until earlier this year our county had a program in place designed to address drug policy on several fronts. Known as Recovery Court, this was a demanding program that combined punishment (including incarceration), very strict supervision and rehabilitation. Recovery Court brought together law enforcement and the health-care community. It was successful in punishing offenders while rehabilitating them and deterring drug use in our county.

So what happened? The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania stopped funding the program. Recovery Court was well regarded by citizens, the district attorney, health-care professionals, even defense lawyers. It was a model of optimum cooperation among various competing constituencies. It is, for now, extinct. We all realize that Harrisburg is not a bottomless well for funding programs like these. Recovery Court was not glamorous. It wasn’t a job creator, or a revenue generator. What it did do was address the drug problem, head-on, from all the necessary perspectives. It helped clients of mine.

What does this have to do with poppy planting in Afghanistan? Our federal government funds an Afghan government that is, effectively, the world’s largest drug dealer. American men and women die in support of that government. Meanwhile, an effective anti-drug program goes under for lack of money. I know there is a difference between federal and state funding. But couldn’t the two just get together once in a while. It just might save some American lives from the darkness of drug addiction.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was voted out of office today, 59-0, at the conclusion of his impeachment hearing. Another 59-0 vote determined that he cannot hold public office again in Illinois. He was the perfect foil. He talks too much. He’s too arrogant. And he dared to place himself in the pantheon of some of history’s greatest personages. But how different is B-Rod from so many other persons who play in the American political arena? He was caught on tape. And since when did being caught matter?

Clinton lied under oath to the people of this country and is hailed as a great statesman. Bush lead us…well he didn’t lead us, he just rode roughshod over the Constitution, mired us in an illegal war, violated international treaties and promoted policies which have us on the verge of bankruptcy and he gets to go clear brush and maybe try to write a book in Crawford, TX. John Street, that great Philadelphia exemplar of pay-to-play government, is off in what is no doubt a splendid retirement, while the city crumbles behind him and Philadelphians worry over whether libraries will be closed. I lived in Chicago for a couple of years. It has been said that the difference between Chicago and Philadelphia is that in Chicago the corruption actually helps the city work. Anyone who suggests that quid pro quo is not the currency of the political realm is simply not paying attention.

And then there’s Coatesville. Run by the Bloc of Four, with a Police Chief who is not a police officer, it burns in the night. It has taken the plague of arson to get state and county officials to wake up and smell the crime and corruption. Again, only District Attorney Joe Carroll, my erstwhile political opponent, had the courage to take a stand before this latest spate of disasters.  He deserves our support. Hundreds of people attended a meeting in Coatesville, last night, with a combination of both fear and hope. Solutions are still lacking. No arrests made. Perhaps it is finally time for Chester County politicos to put their own political agendas aside to try to save this city. Coatesville is worth saving. Its people are worth saving. Its homes are worth saving. How do we save them? We should borrow a line from the Civil Rights movement: By any means necessary.

Blago may be gone, but his species is far from extinct.

He promises to spend at least 10 hours a week walking the streets of the city to engage its citizens. But he will need to put the ideas of the citizens into action. This must be perceived as more than lip service. His physical presence will be laudable, but will it be enough?

He also has set a goal of increased funding for after school programs. He said his office has done this through the United Way. I don’t know how much money this has generated. Also I am not sure he can loosen the purse-strings of the folks who really control county money: The Commissioners. Since the Commissioners voted two to one to raise taxes (Kathi Cozzone, the lone Democratic Commissioner, voted against the increase) I’m not sure the citizens of the county would be willing to release any more money, especially to target funds to Coatesville.

Perhaps Carroll’s most important goal involves generating increased community activism. Community involvement is essential to any effort to resurrect this city. However, Carroll’s statement notes that financial support will be required for this. Where will the money come from?

He calls for 10 cameras to be placed in crime “hot spots”. A great idea. But, again, how will this be funded?

He also talks about replacing 2 of four Coatesville City Council members. Is this crossing the line from law enforcement into politics? Is that a good thing? Usually I say no and point to the corrupt Bush Department of Justice. But in this case maybe it is a good idea. From what I have observed, it seems Joe Carroll is the only visible County Official who speaks out on the problems of this troubled city. He is also the only one who makes specific proposals. (For the record, I ran against Carroll for DA in the 2007 election.)

On the police personnel side, he wants to increase the size of this weakened police department. Where is the money for that going to come from? Sounds like a good idea for the commonwealth to get involved here, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. State government is looking for things to cut. He also wants a Coatesville Police Chief who is a real police officer. Now there’s an idea.

DA Carroll ends his list of goals with looking to reduce crime in Coatesville by 15%. Frankly, if he can get county and state support–fiscal, technical and political–for some of the other initiatives he proposes, he could just accomplish this Herculean task.

There are still some people who remember Coatesville as a vibrant city of good jobs, good housing and schools. People who remember it as a good place, a safe place to live. My practice brings me to Coatesville quite often. As someone who grew up in New York City, I see all kinds of urban potential here. Maybe no golf courses, but good housing stock, commercial possibilities, continued growth of the city’s nascent cultural scene, and good, decent people who have simply had enough. While Carroll and I usually find ourselves on opposite sides of issues, I wish him well on the Coatesville project. Success here benefits us all. Now where are the rest of the local, county and state government officials?