Duane Lee: A Vote for Linder

At the corner of Providence Roard and 14th Street, around the corner from Chester Fire Company No. 2, Duane Lee and James Bell are handing campaign literature for John Linder. Dressed in bright blue Linder-for-Mayor sweatshirts and caps, the two call out to passing cars.

"No choice. No say. Gotta' Vote," shouts Lee.

Why Linder, I ask him.

"He's the educated choice. John is for the people. He's for education. He knows education."

But he's running for mayor, not the school board, I point out.

Doesn't matter, says Lee.

"We need more schools in Chester. If we have to open up another high school that's what we're going to do... John's done that with his own charter school."

"The city's been stagnant for many years," says Lee. Part of the city's problem stems from bad schools and a lack of education.

Lee, 36, was born and bred in Chester. He graduated from Chester High in 1993. Played football and basketball too, on a team that lost to Hazelton in the state finals.

He went to Millersville University. Got a degree in sociology and minored in political science. After graduating he moved to Lancaster.

"I became an entrepreneur."

He opened a clothing store and ran a basketball league.

Making a go of a clothing store is extremely hard. And running basketball leagues doesn't pay anything. Evenutally, he came back to Chester.

"What brought me back here was my love for Chester and my family."

He got a job working for the Chester Housing Authority.

"They gave me an opportunity to help people," he said. "I think that's what God blessed me to be able to do."

He's been a Linder man for months, a Democrat for longer. Being a Republican in the city, "you might have a good opportunity for job. But if you're a Democrat you have a little cloud over your head."

He doesn't have any real problem with Wendell Butler. He didn't even have a problem with Butler using President Obama in his campaign billboards.

"He's a good man," Lee said of Butler, "but it's time for a change."

Lee recently quit his job at the CHA and has been working as a chef for Aramark/Boeing. He's applied to become a city police officer. He thinks being from Chester, knowing the city, will make him a good cop. Too few Chester cops were born here, he says. He's passed the written exam. Now he needs to ace the oral.

"I'll be the best police officer they've ever seen."