Tooned In

Bringing a Merry Christmas to all

2010-01-06T11:38:00.001-05:00

Despite the frigid cold economy that is holding many back from giving, Mercury readers dug deep into their pockets to help those less fortunate through Operation Holiday. The Mercury this year helped a record number of area residents have a Merry Christmas.

Abandoning ship

2010-01-06T11:33:00.002-05:00

The revolving door through administrators’ offices at the Phoenixville Area School District keeps spinning, leaving more questions than answers. At the end of 2009, two more principals were leaving the district, and it's still not clear why this is happening.

For more on this story, read "Turnover at the top marks 2009 in Phoenixville."

Pottstown's finances are an adventure

2009-12-03T12:24:00.003-05:00

Pottstown's borough finances have experienced more ups and downs than an adventure film as borough officials have discovered missing funds, then realized impending deficits, then learned they'd lost money or forgotten to send out proper bills to area townships for water. In the latest news, the borough realized it would have a large deficit for 2010, which might be made worse by declining property values and reassessments boroughwide.

A lesson in fiscal irresponsibility

2009-12-03T12:21:00.001-05:00

This cartoon was in response to the fiasco involving Owen J. Roberts superintendent decisions. The school board let Myra Forrest go and bought out her contract in the spring, saying it was a financially motivated move, but the decisions they have made since proved more costly than retaining Forrest would have been.

Uncle Sam slammed

2009-11-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Complaining is easy, but standing up and changing government is hard, something The Mercury finds its readers feel when they call Sound Off instead of their elected officials whenever they have an issue. Exhibited in this Halloween-themed cartoon is that attitude in terms of what children choose to where and say at a resident's door while trick-or-treating.

One positive of the state budget

2009-11-06T11:42:00.001-05:00

While the state budget impasse caused a great many problems for state workers and state programs, as well as those who depended upon them, one good thing came out of the negotiations: more funding for disadvantaged school districts, including Pottstown and Daniel Boone.

The Mercury gets a new look

2009-11-06T11:41:00.002-05:00

I created this cartoon to celebrate the Mercury's new look, which premiered Sept. 30, 2009.

Rollar coaster ride

2009-09-22T13:12:00.003-04:00

The state of Pottstown's borough finances may be more a fright than a thrill for the borough's newest finance director who has found unused accounts full of money and past due bills in dire need of it.

For more on this story, check out Sorting out Pottstown's lost and found and Bungled billing could cost Pottstown Authority $2M.

This was an alternative cartoon I developed on this subject.

The Final Product

2009-09-11T11:18:00.001-04:00

Tracktime

2009-09-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

Jumping on onboard with regional rail

2009-08-31T13:27:00.002-04:00

Area politicians are using the regional rail proposal that has stalled for some time in their campaign platforms.

For more, see "Area politicians hopping on board regional rail."

Let's scram!

2009-08-19T14:15:00.002-04:00

The infighting at Pottstown borough hall makes even the Three Stooges look civil these days.

Nothing Ever Changes - final

2009-08-14T11:24:00.002-04:00

This is the finished version of the published cartoon jabbing at Rendell's poor focus on important aspects of state government.

Nothing ever changes

2009-07-30T13:19:00.001-04:00

As the budget impasse heads into another month, many are asking why nothing ever changes in Harrisburg.

State legislators appear to be misguided on what really deserves their time, often not seeing the full forest.

So goes Pottstown

2009-07-27T14:56:00.002-04:00

While some hail the new Upland Square shopping center as a boom for West Pottsgrove, Pottstown is seeing a migration of need businesses.

Roberts' Believe It or Not

2009-07-09T11:23:00.002-04:00

A cartoon in response to the stonewalling Owen J. Roberts residents received when they went before the School Board to question the firing of Superintendent Myra Forrest in June.
For more on the OJR controversy, click here.

Honor to the flag

2009-06-13T22:57:00.001-04:00

Celebrating 232 years of honoring the U.S. Flag on Flag Day.

Spend and run

2009-06-02T10:54:00.001-04:00

The Pennsylvania Legislature is showing little restraint in its current budget development. It will once again leave the taxpayers holding the reins as it tries to push through a budget with an inordinately large deficit.

All the bells and whistles

2009-06-02T10:46:00.002-04:00

Taxpayers will have to cut further as the state keeps up its level of spending in its latest budget proposal.
Pennsylvania is looking at a budget deficit of about $3.2 billion. The state Senate, where Republicans still hold the majority, has proposed a budget of $27.3 billion. Democrats in the state House and Rendell are looking to spend $28.9 billion, according to a recent Mercury editorial.

Choice presentation

2009-04-27T12:02:00.002-04:00

Residents of New Hanover have been fighting for several years against a quarry in their town. Among the concerns are increased asthma among school children due to quarry dust, and sound issues from the blasting. Recently the township came up with a settlement with Gibraltar Rock that would've gotten the township a one-time payment of $3.5 million over 20 years and 1,000 tons of crushed stone, but residents weren't biting, saying the terms were just what had to be met under current law.
For more on this story, click here.

Promised Band-Aid

2009-04-21T17:45:00.002-04:00

The gambling law has seen little in the way of the tax relief promised when Ed Rendell first called for it to be passed. The purpose of this cartoon was to show that the relief it does provide is too little for the damage done to homeowners' financial state. Read more on that view in The Mercury's editorial, Tax relief from slots is like giving a Band-Aid to a dying homeowner.

'Cat fight

2009-03-24T14:37:00.003-04:00

The Owen J. Roberts board has been building a reputation for argumentative sessions, the latest being over the hiring of lacrosse coaches. The above political cartoon was published in the March 22 issue of the Mercury along with the editorial Wildcats' fur flies.

The cartoons below were initial ideas for this topic.

Below is the precursor to the finished cartoon.

Here to stay

2009-03-09T13:49:00.002-04:00

Waffling

2009-02-25T11:46:00.001-05:00

This cartoon shows the numerous concerns the school board is listening to that are pulling it in different directions and causing it to 'waffle.'

Can't please everyone

2009-02-25T11:37:00.003-05:00

The Pottstown school board is finding itself without a plan that pleases everyone.
For more on this topic, see "Schools debate gets personal"