With all the problems that Pottsville has right now, from rising crime and the heavy influence of drugs seemingly on every street corner to blighted and vacated properties, you’d think that the residents of Schuylkill County’s biggesst city would be able to count on their state representative to be part of the solution. Well, after startling revelations that state Rep. Tim Seip (D-125) received his third citation in seven years yesterday for building code violations on property that he owns within the city, its seems that the democrat politician is part of the problem.
Apparently, neighbors have been complaining about Seip’s property, which he uses as a rental unit, for years. Rotted fences, falling brick, and lack of maintenance on the lawn are the key issues that code officers want fixed. According tot he Pottsville Republican and Herald, which broke the story in Tuesday’s edition, the adjoining property owner called Seip’s lot “a disgrace”. This is not the first time Seip has been cited for neglect on that property. In 2002, the city mandated he repaint the exterior of the home because of flaking, peeling, and chipped paint. Then in 2006, Seip was cited for having rotten wood fascia boards along the second story roof.
And what was Seip’s excuse? He said that he couldn’t afford to make the repairs “because of the economy”.
Hey Seipy, you make $73,613 per year in the state house. You collect $150 per diem for every day you travel to the capital. You drive a state owned vehicle that has its car insurance paid for by the taxpayer and use a state credit card to pay for gas. All together, you enjoy a lifestyle that most Skook’s only dream about, and you’re telling us that you couldn’t fix a stupid fence, thrown some mortar on some loose bricks, mow the lawn, or rake the leaves? Seriously?
In your campaign literature, you make it seem like you fly around your district like Superman, cleaning your constituents drains, putting in new windows, and repairing bridges with your own two hands, but you can’t do the menial work that every man in America does on a regular Saturday afternoon?
Seip is just another example of the disconnect that career politicians have from real Americans. It seems that once they swear that oath, politicians don’t think they are bound by the same rules that govern the rest of us. From Al Gore lecturing us about how we should ride our bikes everywhere in lessen our “carbon footprint”, while he flies around the world in a private jet, to President Obama telling us that we need to tighten our belts during this recession while he spends money faster than the Treasury can print it, most of our “leaders” believe that they are above the law of the common man.
Maybe instead of trotting around the county handing out cardboard checks, Seip will now spend a few afternoons taking care of his personal obligations. Or maybe not. Seip will probably work harder than ever to pass the blighted property legislation that would have the government come in and use taxpayer funds to repair his fence and mow his lawn for him. After three years in the General Assembly, Seip has got mooching off the public coffers down to an art. I wouldn’t put anything past him now.
1 Comment
April 15, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Seip is a disgrace to Schuylkill County! Everyone who was STUPID enough to vote for him should be forced to live in that shack for a couple of days. His neighbor is an 89 year old woman who has been complaining about that eyesore for years. Shame on you Seip for putting that poor woman through life next to your own private ghetto.
How about next time your cruising around town with you union boss friends from Philly trying to swing an election, you stop the ALF bus in front of your slum, roll up all your sleeves and get to work fixing up that shit hole.
Seip, you personally owe that woman an apology, but I’ll bet she doesn’t get one. Instead, it will be twice as much time spent at the Red Lion, local Rod & Gun Clubs, Hose Houses, Block Parties, and Donut Shops doing anything you can to make sure that the STUPID people who voted for you don’t realize that you are a joke as our State Rep. Because you know that without this “gig” as State Rep. you’ll be living right back there in that shit hole.