Down, But Are We Out ?

What an indictment, made by observers of the worst towns in southeastern Pennsylvania to live in, was verified by a set of figures they compiled. Overall, Pottstown named second worst, although we led them all in crime by a large margin, worst in home value, and lowest in household income.

Living here over eighty years the last forty in the same house, caught up in the scourge of property taxation, income stagnant on social security; yes, I can understand the ranking. Even though I lived through Pottstown's greatest heydays the post WW 2 ones, the days when Pottstown supplied the economic muscle for the whole of Montgomery County, the vitality of stature does not go on forever. What made us once an envy of Philadelphian suburbs now makes us the doormat of the area because of a shift in economic muscle.

I'll not outlive our degrade ! I hope I can die with dignity and without becoming destitute. But, young people will arrive with new energy and fresh ideas, they'll grab the reins of government and steer our ship of state toward calmer waters. Pottstown's one saving grace comes by way of MCCC, Montgomery County Community College, which is on the threshold of a major expansion in our town. ( I do not know this as a fact but it sounds really good ) We should always acknowledge that Pottstown is a college town when we refer to ourselves in writing or in verbal communication.

Ronald C. Downie
Pottstown, A College Town