My resignation speech

Many of you know that I have been wrestling with health issues for the past couple of years. A little over a year ago I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an auto-immune illness. The severity of my symptoms goes up and down. Stress and lack of sleep make my symptoms worse. Early on, it became clear to me that I could not run for a 6th term next year. Towards the end of this summer, it became clear that I should not complete my term. However, I did want to feel a sense of completion. One project I had been working on for 19 years, the Ardsley drainage project, broke ground in September. Another project I worked on for several years, Upper Dublin’s first Comprehensive Plan, was approved this fall. Our budget for next year was completed tonight. This is a good time to start listening to my body.

I am announcing tonight that I will retire as a commissioner as of January 11, 2011, after 19 years.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this office. First, it has been an honor to serve the residents of Upper Dublin, in general, and my constituents, in particular. I have been so honored to have consistently received the support of my constituents, always in an amount that exceeded my party’s registration. And you can never know how wonderful that made me feel.

In addition to being honored to represent my constituents, I want to say how honored I have been to serve with the people sitting up here and their predecessors. After working with them, and interacting with state representatives, our state senator, and members of Congress, I can honestly say that I leave office as more of an idealist and less of a cynic than I was when I was first elected.

I have found elected public officials try to do what they think is best for the public. The number of elected officials I have known who seem to have had a motive other than the public good I can count on one hand with several fingers left over. That is not to say that we always agree on what is best. We have had some pretty heated arguments on this Board. But one thing I could be sure of – commissioners were looking to do what was best for the township.

Let me take a moment to send a message to residents. When Commissioners do not do what you want, often we hear that you think there is some ulterior motive or, as was reported in last week’s Ambler Gazette, fraud. You have to realize, as I have as a commissioner, that when a majority does not agree with you, it means that you have not persuaded them that you are correct. The job of an elected official is to use their judgment to do what they think is best for the township. Their job is not to just follow your opinion if they do not agree that it is best for the township.

I also want to say how honored I have been to have the quality of staff we have had in the township. From the average employee, to the manager, Paul Leonard, and including all of our professional contractors and consultants, they have all served the public with the highest professionalism and integrity.

I would like to make a recommendation on my way out. For 19 years I have served as commissioner at a salary of $275 per month. I suggest that in January this Board consider and approve raising the salary of commissioners to what the state says commissioners of townships of this size should be paid beginning in January of 2014.

My wife tells me this speech is too long, but I would be remiss if I did not also thank Ruth for all of her support for, and, yes, sometimes criticism of, my work as commissioner. I have valued and always listened to her advice, even when I did not follow it.

From Yom Kippur services

Two readings I thought express exactly the sentiments our country needs now -

From Kol Haneshamah: Mahzor Leyamim Nora’im
The Reconstructionist Press, Elkins Park, PA © 1999

On page 579:

Prayer for the Country

Sovereign of the universe, mercifully receive our prayer for our land and its government. Let your blessing pour out on this land and on all officials of this country who are occupied, in good faith, with the public needs. Instruct them from your Torah’s laws, enable them to understand your principles of justice, so that peace and tranquility, happiness and freedom, might never turn away from our land. Please, Wise One, God of the lifebreath of all flesh, waken your spirit within all inhabitants of our land, and plant among the peoples of different nationalities and faiths who dwell here, love and brotherhood, peace and friendship. Uproot from their hearts all hatred and enmity, all jealousy and vying for supremacy. Fulfill the yearning of all the people of our country to speak proudly in its honor. Fulfill their desire to see it become a light to all nations.

Therefore, may it be your will, that our land should be a blessing to all inhabitants of the globe. Cause friendship and freedom to dwell among all peoples. And soon fulfill the vision of your prophet: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Let them learn no longer ways of war.” And let us say: Amen.

On page 580:

What do I desire for my country? How do I vision the land I love?
Let it be a land where knowledge is free,
Where the mind is without fear, and men and women hold their heads high,
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls,
Where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection,
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way in the dreamy desert sand of dead habit,
Where the mind is led forward into ever-widening thought and action,
Into that heaven of freedom let my country awake.
Rabindranath Tagore (Adapted)