Now that Larry Padora has taken his oath of office and next week will be named Chairman of the Board of Schuylkill County Commissioners, we make this simple appeal.
After several months of dealing with a petty response from the previous board of Commissioners, it’s time to end the madness. It’s a new day and a new era. The caution tape standoff inside the Commissioners Board Room needs to come to an end.
To appeal to the new Commissioners Chairman, we’ve composed a little speech we think he’ll appreciate …
Before us stands a barrier, not of concrete and iron, but of caution tape and restriction, that encircles a crucial part of our community’s heart – the Commissioner’s board room in Schuylkill County. This tape, seemingly insignificant, is part of a larger system of barriers that has divided not just a room, but the very essence of our democratic engagement and transparency.
In the shadow of this caution tape, every citizen is a seeker of truth, separated from the full scope of their civic duty. Every resident is a guardian of freedom, forced to peer through a symbolic divide that mars our community’s spirit of openness. As long as this area is cordoned off, as long as this symbol of separation is allowed to stand, it is not just the question of media access that remains unanswered, but the question of openness and accountability for all our community.
Chairman Padora, if you seek trust, if you seek a strengthened bond between the government and the people of Schuylkill County, if you seek a legacy of openness and transparency, come to this room. Approach this symbol of division.
Mr. Padora, stretch out your hand!
Mr. Padora, tear down this tape!
The Canary’s speech at the segregated Commissioners Board Room at Schuylkill County Courthouse, Dec. 28, 2023.
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PTFloridian
December 29, 2023 at 8:40 am
Well said Canary… this behavior is not only puzzling, there’s no safety or security issues as far as we know…just real people asking real questions, never getting honest and direct answers. Pathetic.
Maria Casey
December 30, 2023 at 7:55 am
Love it, Canary. Without the free Press, we are not free.