Vicious Politics Comes to Newtown Township!

To say that I have made a “fortune” or “pushed” addictive opioids and other pharmaceuticals is preposterous! I am a retired small businessman who published a pharmaceutical newsletter that was well-read and respected for being critical of pharmaceutical marketing practices.

In a February 6, 2018, farewell post on Pharma Marketing Blog I said:

“These days it is especially important that citizens get reliable information from their leaders and get more involved in local government. That is my goal as well as “speaking truth to power,” which is what I have done in the pharmaceutical sector.” I warned of the collusion between the pharmaceutical industry, lawmakers, and government agencies.

I started speaking truth to pharmaceutical industry power even before taking the oath of office as a Newtown Township Supervisor and now the local pharma industry is fighting back to prevent me from continuing my fight against the opioid epidemic.

At the July 6, 2017, Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB), I objected to KVK Tech's request for zoning variances at its Terry Drive location to store more dangerous opioids when it has a location elsewhere that is more appropriate for the manufacture and storage of drugs. According to the DEA, KVK Tech is #7 Among the TOP TEN Biggest Rx Opioid Manufacturers!

Here's some of what I said:

First and foremost, the proposed additions on Terry Drive are unnecessary because of property KVK Tech owns on the Newtown bypass, which the company says it is in the process of refurbishing.
Why must KVK expand capacity at the Terry Drive location -- right in the center of town -- when it has a location elsewhere that is more appropriate for the manufacture and storage of drugs?
Consequently, denying the requested variances would not constitute an "undue hardship.”
Former Chief of Police Henry Pasqualini is on record saying that opioid overdosing is a problem right here in Newtown.
This board's review, therefore, should require higher standards for any variances granted to this company. As previously stated, there are no hardship consequences due to denying the variances requested, but granting them may be seen as a “favor.”
This is an opportunity to do a small part in reducing the over prescribing of opioid painkillers. Shouldn't the community where these pills are manufactured do what it can to reduce the flow by denying expansion of production in the center of town?
At the very least, we should insist KVK Tech do more to help solve the problem. That may not be the jurisdiction of the Zoning Hearing Board, but as community members, you can ask questions and make comments that you are not satisfied with the efforts made by KVK to address this crisis.

Sad to report that KVK Tech's application for several zoning variances at its Terry Drive location was approved by Newtown's ZHB. This allowed the company to expand its production, storage, and distribution of the opioid Oxycodone right in the center of town instead of at the much larger facility it owns on the edge of town on Newtown Bypass.

24/7 Drug Dropoff Box

When I took the oath of office as Newtown Supervisor in January, 2018, I swore to uphold the Pennsylvania Constitution, which affirms that, “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.”
As a citizen and someone with degrees in chemistry and biochemistry, I am concerned about chemicals in our environment whether they are contaminants in our water and air or addictive drugs.

I have made it a goal to do all I can to keep the public informed about these and other issues and, especially, to do whatever is possible to fight the current Opioid epidemic. Through my efforts, for example, the Township now offers a 24/7 drop-off program for unused prescription and other drugs (read "My Case for a 24/7 Drug Drop-Off Box" and "Newtown Has a 24/7 Drug Drop Box")

Newtown Sues Major Opioid Drug Manufacturers

At the December 12, 2018, public meeting, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 (Kyle Davis voted no, I and my 3 fellow Democrats vote yes) in favor of joining a suit against the manufacturers, promoters, and distributors of synthetic prescription Opioid medications on behalf of Newtown Township (read "Newtown Township Joins Suit Against Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors").

There is no single “magic bullet” that will solve this problem, but putting pressure on drug companies through legal suits such as this one can help call attention to some of the bad players, some of whom are mentioned in this lawsuit.

If the Township were to get some money out of this, small as it might be, it is my hope that the funds are used to support opioid anti-addiction programs and implement educational programs for the general public and students.

The following video clip documents the discussion before the vote was taken:

About That Tax Increase

In January 2018, the Newtown Board of Supervisors approved a new budget that included a 0.45 mill tax dedicated to the Newtown Ambulance Squad and a 0.55 mill new tax dedicated to Fire Hydrant Maintenance. These new taxes cannot be spent on anything else. For me, whose house is appraised at $34,000, that 1.0 mill tax works out to be an additional $34 per year in local taxes.

By having dedicated taxes for the ambulance squad and fire hydrant fund, the Township gets back about $300,000 per year into the General Fund to be used for much needed projects and maintenance, such as the purchase of a new dump truck for snow plowing, repair of the Police station roof, upgrading Veterans Park, and other improvements.

One respondent to a recent survey I hosted put fiscal responsibility into perspective: "Of course no one likes paying taxes, but so long as the services they pay for are desirable and clear to see, they are worth it. Progressive Taxes are the basis of a civilized society."

The Democratic-led Board of Supervisors is addressing years of neglect driven by short-sighted devotion to avoiding tax increases. Residents deserve and can afford services that make Newtown a safe and attractive place to live, work and raise a family. After the small tax increase in 2018, Newtown Township’s tax rate remains the sixth lowest out of 54 municipalities in Bucks County, while the community is the county’s fifth wealthiest.

Dennis Fisher and I pledged to run a positive issue-based campaign. We have fulfilled that promise. Now the Republican Party machine of Pennsylvania has resorted to a last-minute attack, which is negative campaigning at its worst.