Tuesday, July 21, 2009

I Know there Are Two Sides To Every Story

But certainly the Borough administration of East Berlin, PA doesn't seem very bright.

Tucker's "patriotic" banner might violate borough zoning ordinance.
By TIM STONESIFER
For The Evening Sun
Posted: 07/16/2009 01:00:00 AM EDT
Bernie Tucker of Tucker Industrial Liquid Coatings, 407 North Ave., said Tuesday a letter he received from East Berlin zoning officer Robert Thaeler dated June 16 instructing him to remove a large, patriotic banner will go unanswered and unheeded - as will all similar future correspondence.

Thaeler's letter said Tucker had 30 days to remove the banner, which shows an American soldier posed in front of a military vehicle in Iraq. And though his 30 days expires today, Tucker said his sign isn't going anywhere.

"That sign was given as an award to my staff for getting vehicles ready to go to Iraq," he said. "You'll have to drag me away in handcuffs, because that sign will never come down."

The Borough's response?

But Borough Council President David Richards said the borough's past complaints about Tucker's business have been legitimate, and the sign is another example of Tucker's unwillingness to follow the rules.

It goes on to cite a DEP problem that was legit, but never a health hazard.

Now one of two things is true here -

Either, the Borough is pestering this guy and they've taken it one step too far since apparently the sign isn't visible from the road and the citizens support Tucker's banner (the Mayor says he supports it & he is receiving favorable phone calls).

Or, they have a legit beef with Tucker and he is a wily business man who skirts the rules and flouts regulations. If that is the case, they have just handed Tucker a cudgel to beat them with. No one ever looks good when they go the "Take that oversize flag/patriotic banner or sign down". Anytime a ruling body goes that route they look petty and power hungry.

Either way, it appears that the Borough's elected/appointed leaders aren't very smart. They either are petty and small-minded or they gave Tucker the means to make them look petty and small-minded.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What if, just spitballing here, what if thus guy really IS a bad actor and he throws this sign up to get some media and public "support"?

BostonMaggie said...

Then the Borough officials played right into his hands, didn't they? That was the point of my post. I said one or the other was true. But either way, those officials handled it incorrectly.

BostonMaggie said...

Although, I think from the original article he has had the sign a while. He didn't just go buy it, it was a gift from BAE. At one point in the original article, they tell Tucker he should have come in months ago and applied for a variance. So it's not new.