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Of course, nowhere on my website or in anything I have said at public meetings of the Board of Supervisors or privately to Police Chief Pasqualini suggests anything about taxes being used to pay for this.
So, that’s one lie.
The other lie, which is that I want police to sit 24/7 guarding this box, would be laughable were it not so pathetic. Currently, the box sits in the police station, which is open only between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:00 pm on weekdays, when most people are working. It is located there for security purposes when police are on the premises.
My GOP opponents lack imagination and cannot think of any other means of securing a 24/7 drug drop-off box, so they assume a 24/7 police officer guard is also needed. Not so!
Approximately $38,000 of Newtown taxpayer money was spent recently on installing a state-of-the art security system in the municipal complex. This includes security cameras whose live video stream is or will be available to every police officer on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At a Supervisor’s meeting, I pointed out that this system could be used for securing Craig list exchanges (see minutes of the May 10, 2017, Board of Supervisors meeting; http://bit.ly/BOS051017). This system could also be used to secure a 24/7 drug drop-off box with NO additional taxes being needed!
Of course, we should prevent theft of drugs from these boxes, not merely record it -- although that would be a good way to catch real criminals assuming the video resolution is good enough to identify faces and license tags.
If a bank can have a 24/7 night depository for cash, or operate a 24/7 ATM machine, why couldn’t there be a similar 24/7 depository for drugs?
Yes, that would cost money. I am on record suggesting that the funding for this come from a local pharmaceutical company whose #1 selling products are opioids (see the July 24, 2017 issue of Newtown News Update; http://bit.ly/NNU072417). That company already manufactures and safely stores its opioid products at its Terry Drive location in the center of town. This could be good public relations for the company and would be a good way for it to support the community.
So, my dear Republicans, stop with the lies aimed at tearing down good ideas for solving problems. You are only embarrassing yourselves and demonstrating how little you care for the wellbeing of Newtown’s residents.
P.S. You may have also seen the other GOP negative mailer in which it is claimed I “Refuse[d] to Support Our Police in the Fight Against Crime and Drugs.” That quote referenced the “Newtown Twp Board of Supervisors’ budget minutes, 2008-2016.” Sorry, but the only budget meeting I attended was on October 16, 2017. At that meeting, I listened carefully but did not say a word. This is truly a despicable attempt to falsify my record on the opioid crisis.
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