By Uncle Irvin

The front-page story in the June 19 edition of the Chester County Press confirms what we already know -- that southern Chester County needs more commercial tax ratables.

The Chester County Economic Development Council is heavily promoting the Route 1 corridor as the best opportunity in the county for development. Meanwhile, members of a no-development-at-any-cost group called S.A.V.E. are already thinking up ways to block any development.

S.A.V.E. Stands for Safety, Agriculture, Villages and Environment, but its purpose is to stymie any commercial development in southern Chester County. Unfortunately for the rest of us working stiffs, S.A.V.E.'s millionaires have been successful in halting projects like Route 41 improvement, and blocking the Kaolin Shopping Center in New Garden Township.

The profile of S.A.V.E. members like Upper Oxford Supervisor Charles Fleischmann is one of large land holders with Act 319 tax abatement, who are independently wealthy coupon clippers. They don't want their pristine vistas disturbed.

S.A.V.E. members don't care about oppressive property taxes to fund our public schools, and keep middle-class seniors in their homes. Their land is taxed at virtually zero, so their property taxes are artificially low.

And these are the people hard at work to make sure there is no commercial development and, concomitantly, no commercial tax ratables to shift the burden from resident taxpayers.