Politics and Economics

Political gains won during the 1960s and 1970s, neglected to build an economic base for newly empowered political entities. Today in 2019, Politics has continued to capture the attention of the city of Chester residents. Political divisions dominate social issues that can only be resolved by the community interests of community capacity. Entrepreneurs who see themselves as a-political find that their goals and aspirations do not always align with the goals of and aspirations of the political entity in power.

During the early 1960s, when the federal government responded to a need to address growing poverty, Chester city leaders advanced an economic development initiative known as the Greater Chester Movement. Under the leadership of Dr. Clarence Moll, President of PMC College (now Widener University) an advisory committee comprised of various segments of the city organized. The stated purpose of the newly formed organization was to focus attention on the needs and concerns of the social, business, governmental and health segments of the community. In his inaugural official announcement, Dr. Moll acknowledged the significance of the organization when he wrote:

[T] o our knowledge, there has never been a movement to consolidate all of the organized groups and individuals working for the betterment of Chester into a single movement concerned with every phase of the life of the city - economic, social, moral, educational, housing, and political. Delaware County Daily Times (1964: 7).

Dr. Moll and the other co-members had the visionary leadership to see that treating the symptoms without getting to the causes would produce no lasting solution to Chester's problems.

Dr. Moll called for a seven-point program to immediately:

provide training in job skills

daycare centers for preschool age children

adult literacy training

leadership training programs directed by colleges and other agencies.

homemaking instruction

creating a local work corps to give jobs to the unemployed

reducing the number of high school dropout Delaware County Daily Times(1964:1)

Almost the exact problems that were the cause of community strife in 1960 are still manifest today: crime, violence. inadequate resident education and skills training.