Out of all the candidates running for Bristol Borough Council, George Ditto, appears to be the biggest of underdogs. Its a position he’s taken on by using social media to get his message out. Specifically, in response to questions by voters on various local political Facebook pages. As we sat in a diner on Rt.13, arriving at the tail end of the breakfast rush, he discussed the thinking behind his ideas and convictions.
The first in Ditto’s list related to term limits, but he said after some consultation he realized a law would have to pass at the legislative level in order for overall term limits to be implemented. His idea now is “to limit the time any one person holds the president and vice president positions in consecutive years.’
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“We can’t have one or two consistently people holding those executive council positions,it creates problems. All you need to do is pick up a history book to see that.”
Sometimes limits have to be imposed for the good of all, he said, then sipping on his coffee, glancing off, thinking more about the idea.
“It’s just the right thing to do.”
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Originally Ditto also had an idea for business incubators linked up to area colleges in Philadelphia. Realizing “here in the area and borough we have something
unique, we can link up to Bucks County College and Bucks County Technical High School, and create a program for people motivated to start their own business
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and or join the work force.”
“Since I kind of shifted gears in my thinking about how to create opportunities for residents I realized it would take a lot of work but this is Bristol and its worth it to me to have ideas that point towards solutions. Isn’t that we we’ve been asked? Where are our ideas? That’s why I thought it about some, then posted it. I want my ideas out there, they are as good as anyone else’s.”
Asked if he thought bringing such a plan to the council, for example, is more than just an idea, he said, of course. If someone wants to add to the idea, improve on it in someway, why not? Everyone agrees on thing, he said, turning Bristol into a bigger attraction for visitors so we can generate tax dollars is something we all want to see.”
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“People seem to think they own the ideas on how to accomplish that. I just think no there is no one single way to get that done. Anybody thinking that way, I’d encourage them to reconsider that path.”
The last of his ideas (nine were posted on Facebook) he wanted to talk about had to do with the boarded up homes on Cherry St in the south ward.
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Ditto would like to see the borough return them to livable conditions, since they own them, he says, then sell them, which would make the money spent on improving them. Investment with a return, holding his coffee up, now that’s something we should do, also noting it would increase the values of homes in the area too.
This is going to be tough. I’ve been out there talking with people, daily, many who never voted before who couldn’t tell you any council members name, there’s a reason for that, he said, shaking his head thinking about the boarded up homes. If we don’t care, people won’t care, and we’ll have a bunch of really good-looking municipal buildings and homes boarded up not just there, but other blocks too. That can’t happen, he says.
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“Yea! I’m the underdog. So what! Everyday though, I meet people, wanting to know what they think… so far the response”, he says smiling,
‘has been pretty dam good.”
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