today’s news and information gleanings from here and there!
Quote for today… “The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.” – Thomas Jefferson
- Halfway through August and the cool summer continues
- Thank you, Cole Umber … were it not for your report, nobody, but those in attendance at the Monday night council meeting, would know what was discussed. No other reports have surfaced.
- “America Has a Scary Sewage Problem: Let’s Clean It Up and Jumpstart the Economy While We’re At It” – AlterNet.org
- Most of those “elected public servants” undecided on pipeline construction across the county – Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era [see “moneyed interests” quote above.
- Letter to the editor in today’s Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era is “Raising concerns about fire merger” in Columbia; letter writer asks questions. Read the letter online or pick up a copy of the newspaper.
- York begins online parking ticket payment option – The York Dispatch
- Interestingly, Lancaster had a community forum with an “unscripted” agenda and an independent facilitator – Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era
- Uber and Lyft plans get stalled in PA – Harrisburg Patriot-News [See “moneyed interests” quote above.]
- What’s Uber? What’s Lyft? Possibly the future of personal ground transportation in congested places. Lancaster and York are increasingly congested. Moneyed sources in the state will do their darndest to keep these new ideas out.
- Photopinion – While walking across the bridge yesterday, we were struck by the sheer majesty of the river and the unique potential it presents. The new Riverfront Park structure is taking shape and it is an impressive sight. And future generations of residents and visitors will treasure the foresight that town leaders had when they decided to use the land that was given to them to build that riverwalk dappled with eating and drinking places, park benches and unique shops. Columbia’s riverwalk could be like the ones in Naperville, IL or Williamsport, PA or Millersburg, PA. Present generations will question the weeds that welcome Bridge travelers from the West.
- Did you see the new Quick Ticket notice at the Borough’s Website; get your checkbook ready.
Codes DepartmentAt the July 28, 2014 council meeting Council approved a Quick Ticket Ordinance. a $25.00 ticket will be issued immediately for the following items with abatement costs if not corrected:
No Smoke Detectors – $200 plus cost of smoke detector
Illegal Burning – $200
High Grass and Weeds – $75.00
Accumulation of trash – $200
Abandoned Hazardous Vehicle – $180
Infestation of Rodents – $100
Raw Sewage in Basement/Sidewalk – $200
Failure to remove snow from sidewalk – $50
Columbia news, views & reviews 
Methinks it’s about time that our local leadership does a review of what this country was designed to be by our Founding fathers.
This was to be a country of liberty, not a nation …..
Where we are told how many yard sales we are allowed to have each year so that we can sell OUR personal property and items.
Where we can decide if we do, or do not want smoke alarms in our homes.
Where we are told “You WILL move your vehicles, whether or not we decide to run the street cleaner, or you will be fined.”
Where we must have our sidewalks cleared of snow, whether or not we are invalid and don’t have the money to have somebody do it for us.
Where we are ordered to clear our street of our vehicles because we live on a “Snow Emergency Route” (even though we are graciously informed that public parking for those having to do so is provided by the borough on Front Street and the Telephone Company parking lot on N 2nd Street. Try that one when you live on 13th Street). If ncars have to be moved the very night that the “decree” is issued, then the snow should be removed the next day, not a week later. And guess what, before the cars are moved there are two lanes of traffic; the same amount of lanes as before the snow was removed. Why can’t cars be removed one or more blocks at a time? Any body see where that might be an answer?
In short, this is not Nazi Germany!
It’s time that our “public servants” remember who elected them and who they are to be serving before the punishment for crossing our streets in the middle of the block becomes a hanging offense.
Right you are … all goes hand-in-hand with the selective enforcement of codes on the books. Maybe before drafting codes, thought must to be given to who and how the enforcement will be implemented. If there’s no will for consistent application, then don’t enact the code or the law. Every notice the sign in parks about litter? Ever notice the hundreds of cigarette butts? Ever see anyone get cited for littering? Me neither.