Democratic Candidate Challenges Township Commissioners

with his fellow Democrats, Larry Chrzan did not waste any time as he challenged Haverford Township commissioners to not take contributions from “people who do business with the township.”

“I would like to challenge all commissioner candidates to refuse both direct and indirect campaign contributions from people who do business with the township and from outside political action committees. While these contributions are not illegal, I believe they undermine the spirit of fair elections and good government, especially on the local level,” the 7th Ward Democratic candidate told the audience and the commissioners at Monday night’s meeting.

Chrzan said that one of the problems with America is the possible influence that campaign contributions may have on elections and politicians.

He also pledged that he would not take any money from contributors and if he unseats his Republican incumbent challenger Jim McGarrity, he never will.

“Commissioner candidates — will you accept my challenge?” he demanded.

He also challenged the contributors to stop making donations to candidates, saying that “… if you are the best provider of goods and services to the township, you don’t need to make that contribution.”

He stated that this would eliminate any possibility of a pay-to-play scenario in the township.

Chrzan said that he will post Republican commissioner candidates’ and the Haverford Township Republican Party committees’ campaign finance reports on his Web site. He said that he hoped that his GOP counterparts would do the same for their Democratic challengers.

When Chrzan was finished speaking, 9th Ward Commissioner and President of the township board William F. Wechsler told him that, “My records is pretty clear that no one has given me a nickel in the last four years. It always has been and always will be.”

This election season the odd-number of ward commissioner seats are up for grabs.

At the end of the meeting, McGarrity said that he would not comment on Chrzan’s speech but did say that he can beat his opponent, as he did before in the last election.

“I can beat him if I follow my goal and knock on every door,” he said. “He can badmouth me all he wants, but that won’t win elections.

While Chrzan did not mention McGarrity at Monday night’s meeting, he did address him during last month’s meeting regarding the , where he thanked McGarrity for helping him decide to run for election again because the Republican commissioner was trying to “derail” ordinance.