Congressman Joe Sestak has found a way to slow down–and possibly halt–the FAA’s plan to send low-flying planes over Delaware County. Sestak, along with Robert Andrews (D-1, NJ) have persuaded the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) that there was sufficent cause to launch an investiagtion of the cost effetiveness and unadressed impacts of the FAA plan.

While the GAO’s investigation will only result in a non-binding report, a finding of serious flaws would give Sestak and other legislators much better leverage in withholding funds from the FAA for the project.

Sestak was quoted in the DelcoTimes:

“Without question, if the GAO’s report shows a flawed outcome, Congress can go over it and decide to stop the project or begin an entirely new process,” Sestak said.

“Our studies have shown that the FAA’s plan was poorly thought out and has little results, and I think that’s exactly what the GAO is going to find.”

Additional reporting on the GAO investigation can also be found on nj.com from the Gloucester County Times.

Nether Providence’s Democratic Committee proudly notes the success of David Landau’s primary campaign for Delaware County Council. Landau, who is also the chair of the Democratic Party in Nether Providence, was the leading vote-getter in Nether Providence and across the entire county.

Candidate	Nether Providence	County-wide
David Landau	809	12487
Ann O’Keefe	242	11098
John Innelli	381	8317
Rocco Polidoro	130	7793
Patricia Lewis-West	201	7195
Bob Dimond	454	6665

The Delco Times had a story today sizing up the next stages in the campaign leading up to November’s general election.

As reported in the Delco Times, Magisterial District Judge Stephanie Klein, won both the Democratic and Republican primaries to retain her seat. (Klein’s district includes all of Nether Providence, Swarthmore, and Media.) Stephanie ran unopposed on the Democratic side. On the Republican ballot, she was challenged by Nether Providence Township Commissioner Bob Firkser. Klein is reported to have beaten Firkser by 66 votes.

Judge Klein’s victory is a tribute to her outstanding reputation for fairness. We congratulate her on her successful campaign and thank her for her continued service to the community.

Unofficial results for yesterday’s contested school board primaries are in. (Vince Marriott and Bryan Cullen ran unopposed and endorsed by both parties for two other open seats.) All candidates were cross-filed in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. Carr Everbach, Michael Reilly, and Jennifer Parker were endorsed by the Nether Providence Democrats. Based on Tuesday’s election returns, all three will appear on the November ballot. All three also received excellent bi-partisan support; Michael Reilly, in particular, won his slot on the November ballot in both parties.

	Democrat	Republican
Region 1
Much	200	506
Everbach	456	350
Region 2
Rinaldi	153	536
Reiger	114	395
Reilly	306	412
Parker	300	381

Our congratulations to our endorsed candidates on their wins.

House Bill 906, sponsored by Bryan Lentz (D-161), seeks to renew the Volunteer Fire Company and the Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant program through 2012. The direct state grant program provides grants to volunteer fire, rescue and emergency medical services organizations for upgrading equipment, training volunteers, renovating buildings, or reducing debt from qualified purchases.

The grant program had expired in 2006. It was a critical source of funding for communities like Nether Providence. In the previous grant cycle, volunteer fire companies and EMS units in Delaware County received over $640,000 in grants. Among them were Nether Providence’s own Garden City Fire Co. ($12,654) and South Media Fire Co. ($10,761).

Failure to renew the program in 2007 would leave almost every Delaware County community scrambling to keep their emergency services funded appropriately.

State Rep. Bryan Lentz (PA-161) has added his name to the growing list of prominent local officials who are endorsing David Landau for County Council in the May 15 primary. At a press conference in the Nether Providence Township building on Sykes Lane, Lentz asserted that David Landau was the most qualified candidate in the field. He also cited Landau’s role in his own successful campaign in 2006, and the compatible approach the two wished to take on major issues of the day, especially open government initiatives and a strategic, comprehensive approach to transportation issues in the region.