Our Response to their first letter:

October 15th - They must have caught wind of the overwhelming support we are getting and hearing from all of you.  Instead of focusing on the issues and the facts they are attacking our "secret PAC".  So that we can get back to the issues again, let's clear up the "secret PAC" conspiracy they have cooked up.  Then let's talk about trust.:

  First, we registered with the county pursuant campaign finance laws on September 29th (they must be feeling a little foolish right about now...) ==> REGISTRATION

  Secondly, the whole reason we formed this PAC was to help bring information to the voters.  This has upset many of the township "insiders".  They have not been very happy with us for trying to ask some hard questions and dig for the important facts about this "open space" tax.  This has never been about us.  But, since they are trying to make a secret conspiracy, let's introduce ourselves:

      Robert Jones - Chairman

      H. Ward Albert, jr. - Treasurer

As a landscaper and an electrician we are hardly BIG DEVELOPERS (and they knew this).    This is the typical scare tactics they have used again and again to try and suppress anyone that disagrees with them.

TRUST:

According to their mailing, because we are not part of the township organization, our opinions are not trustworthy.  Since when did all of us who are not on the "inside" of the township become second class citizens who cannot be trusted?  We could sit here and go back and forth, who you should trust more, but all that we are asking is that you look at the facts and make up your own minds.

That's all for tonight.  Starting Monday, check back nightly as we dissect their mailing, point by point!

October 17th - WOSRTF-PAC (Wallace Open Space Referendum Task Force Political Action Committee ) found fault with our proposal that residents voluntarily pool monies to fund open space.  Their problem with this, they say, is people won't consistently donate enough money.  But, wouldn't the truest measure of one's dedication to preserving "open space" be how much they willingly spend to do so?  Or, is the best way to show your support for "open space", to vote to force all of your neighbors to pay from their own paychecks?  If this tax is so popular, why wouldn't a voluntary system work?

check back tomorrow, as we dispel another WOSRTFPAC myth...

October 18th - According to WOSRTF-PAC the township can collect $251,343.00 dollars from homeowners with this new "open space" tax raise.  Last year's Wallace Township Financial Tracking report shows the township collected $258,004.51 in property taxes.  This "small increase", as they call it, could effectively pay off our township property taxes! (wouldn't that be nice)  Imagine that, this tax increase is actually so large it nearly equals the entire revenue brought in from property taxes.

October 20th - WOSRTF-PAC sites "study after study" that show "saving open space will save you money in the long run".  First, we would like some references to these multiple studies they site.  Secondly, school taxes are hardly controlled by Wallace township growth.  If we never built another home in Wallace Township, but all the other townships in the Downingtown School District continue to grow we will have to share the increased tax burden.  Lastly, one only needs to look at the various townships in the county to see there is no direct correlation between development and township taxes.  Some more developed township have low taxes and some have high taxes.  The same with the less developed townships.  Township taxes are more driven by each townships budgeting priorities and management.  One thing is for sure, if we add this "open space" tax we will be one of the highest taxed townships in the county.

October 21st - WOSRTF-PAC claims that land owners "usually accept less for their land than the developers offer".  Usually?  What statistics do they offer to back this one up?  Are we really supposed to believe that this is a proven fact, that MOST land owners like to lose money selling their land to townships and trusts?  This just sounds like wishful thinking to us.

October 22nd - WOSRTF-PAC launched their negative attacks by falsely claiming we are not a registered political action committee and that we might be “Big Developers” hiding behind a “fictitious name” [As you all know we are a Landscaper and an Electrician].  Again, we are surprised they would make these allegations, since they have known who founded Wallace Voters PAC from the beginning.  In fact, while they were accusing us of not being registered by October 7th, they had yet to register as a PAC!  They actually registered on October 10^th, yet they claim to have existed for a year?  We can only imagine how they felt when they realized that Wallace Voters PAC was a registered PAC (September 29^th), before they even existed!  We don’t hold this against them, as their source must have been bad and their judgment perhaps temporarily clouded, when they asked if you should “believe what [WE] say”.

We'll be back with more news on Monday...

October 24th - Our opponents seem to have “hamburgers” on the brain when they keep comparing this tax to fast food.  How about something a little closer to home?  Thinking about starting that savings account for your child or grandchild’s college education?  Well 18 years from now you could have saved $11,526.16 for this child’s college education; if you saved the money you will be sending to the township for the new “open space” tax ($250 a year at 10% interest).