While the three supervisors make up the elected governing body, everyone knows that supervisors don't get elected in Chadds Ford Township unless they receive a stamp of approval from the local shogunate -- the ruling power behind those who govern. In Chadds Ford, the shogunate is the Chadds Ford Republican Party executive committee.
What is interesting to note is that of the eight members of the executive committee, seven hold elected positions and three have appointed positions. Of the 22 members of the party's advisory board, 13 are or were appointed to various positions or have other elected positions. Party officers and advisory board members also comprise seven of the 11 board of director positions on the Civic Association. (That should change since one advisory board member has recently come off the Civic Association board.) A simple check of the various Web sites will reveal many overlapping names.
Whether these people have an ink stamp on their hips reading "CFRPEC Choice" is a matter of speculation. But suffice to say it is not totally unheard of, regardless of what political party is in power. Loyal party members are frequently given positions in any government. Sometimes that's an honor bestowed for service while at other times it's referred to as patronage. It's a matter of whose ox is being gored.
It is also true that in any given population, about 20 percent of people do 80 percent of the work. But the problem, especially in a small municipality such as Chadds Ford Township is that so much of the population is prevented from serving within the decision making process.
There are 2,463 registered voters in the township according to recent figures. Of that, 62 percent is registered Republican. That means 38 percent of the voting population is left out from being able to serve the community simply because of their party registration.
Think of the talent and possible new ideas that are lying fallow because they belong to people who are not registered Republicans. By limiting and restricting the talent pool to only those of the perceived correct political stripes, the township as a whole is diminished. Problem solving abilities become stale. And as a recent letter writer, a member of the Republican Party Advisory Board said, the political climate will change.
That change has already begun. Consider the general election this past November where even with the wide margin in Republican registration only one GOP office holder, state Rep. Stephen Barrar, won re-election. U.S. Rep Curt Weldon and U.S. Sen, Rick Santorum were defeated even in a township with such a huge imbalance between Republican and Democratic Party registration.
It is time to loosen the reins of political control, to bring in new ideas and blood into the township, to end the political incest of perennial one-party domination.