At the meeting last month between the City and Hamilton Street merchants, the new Community Development Director, Sarah Hailstone, was a case study in evasion. I asked how come Pawlowski said the previous week that he didn't know anything about the offers to buy the buildings, but now we're sitting there with her and the agent from Summit Reality? Hailstone said that previously it was being handled by AEDC,(Allentown Economic Development Corporation) but now it was in the City's court, and that eventually it would be passed on to a new Authority. The AEDC has always been a handmaiden of convenience for the City. I remember years ago reading an article that they overseer seven empty buildings, had a staff of four, and a budget of $millions. I know plenty of guys who overseer more empty buildings than that, with a used pickup truck and cell phone. During a gathering several years ago, then City Development Director Joyce Marin asked if anybody knew what the inside of the Schoen Building looked like? What struck me was months before Marin was head of AEDC, and the Schoen building was one of the seven she got big money to manage. Joyce was recently hired by the School District to promote before and after school activities by outside agencies. Gotta love the bureaucrats; Oh well, back to the adorable.
The AEDC has announced an innovative program at the Bridgework Building on S. 10th and Harrison Streets. They will operate the Hive, where people who normally work at home on the computer, can work together in a common space, with wifi and a coffee machine. Unknown to AEDC, their innovative Hive was done years ago, in two locations on Hamilton Street. Of course on Hamilton Street the participants could actually see other human beings and patronize a lunch spot or store. Did I mention that AEDC also operates a blog called Allentown Good News. Maybe I could operate molovinsky on allentown from the Hive....
The Hive sounds like total joke!
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with the library!
It sounds like the city got grant money, hardly ever acknowledged by its more accurate name, taxpayer dollars, and someone said to someone, "Oh, let's find a way to use this up before we have to return it."
Of course, S. 10th Street with its now major highway appointed status with the elimination of the 15th St. Bridge for the next three years is a perfect spot for more traffic! As usualy, you really hit it on the nail, opps, lemon peel, Molovinsky, I'm setten up a juice stand at the corner!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTry to improve your prejudiced comments, MM.
ReplyDeleteMay 4, 2011 11:13 AM
Ah, NO.
This is not prejudice.
It is acute observation.
The city is rife with this behavior.
At least some one is telling it.
Thanks again MM.
gary, i found your comment too offensive to retain. i have put it aside, and will reinsert it, if i decide that i'm overreacting.
ReplyDeleteI guess it all comes down to who is the subject of the prejudice. It OK to mock public servants but not other groups!
ReplyDeleteThe Hive is the Jive.
ReplyDeleteI am respectfully afraid the problem is, Mr. Molovinsky, you are just not Hip.
(perhaps you have Hop, but that would be neither here nor there)
Meanwhile, I sure do hope the Hive will host a blog to bolster the impending arrival of PAWLOWSKI's PUCKSTERS at the City With No Limits' soon-to-be spectacular PALACE of SPORT...
...and that some Progressive Bureaucrat is on the ball to ensure that these two cute little Big Oil Executives-in-Training are, indeed, paying their fair share of tax monies on the income being generated in the picture posted.
gary, this is essentially a local political blog, with a few other themes for variety. when you write that you know some jews like bernie madoff and think it's on par with gotta love bureaucrats you're over the top with your defense of "public servants" yesterday you wrote that zahorchak's administration, even with his new hires, is only a small percentage of the school budget. you don't seem to get it. just because someone is elected or appointed, doesn't mean he can create whimsical positions on the taxpayer's dime. this political blog will continue to address bureaucratic excess.
ReplyDeleteThe Hive? I see that at Dunkin' Donuts for free almost every day!
ReplyDeleteCan I get a grant to organize a Hive on Hamilton Boulevard at Cedar Crest?!
"Hive"! The term is so junior high school.
ReplyDeleteBut then what can we expect when everyone under 40 who worked on this concept is on the list of who is who in the Lehigh Valley.
So now friends and suck ups of AEDC can bump and mingle and talk about who is hipper than the next hipster.
Love the comment - what about the Library. So true.
Perhaps they fear the crime in downtown Allentown or they do not care for the local cuisine.
Great post MM
"...and that eventually it would be passed on to a new Authority."
ReplyDeleteYou indicated in a previous post that a new Hamilton Street Authority might be put in place. Have you heard any news on this subject? Isn't this what ADIDA did years ago?
I couldn't agree more with Casey - Dunkin Donuts offers HIVE benefits for free, as does Panera, Starbucks, Wegmans, etc. HIVES are very popular right now - it must be the latest trend in blowing taxpayer money.
the authority would be equivalent to the parking authority. under heydt's proposed hockey arena, it would have been the actual parking authority. this hockey arena plan, encompassing the major downtown square block of allentown, is receiving a major pass on scrutiny by transitions occurring at the morning call. the city reporter, chris baxter, who replaced jarrett renshaw, has also moved on. who will be the city reporter remains to be seen. i felt matt assad's story, although accurate, didn't reveal the evasiveness of the city, or hold pawlowski responsible for saying just days earlier, that he knew nothing about the pressure being asserted on the merchants.
ReplyDeleteI guess in your mind it is OK to lump together all public servants and belittle and make fun of them but it is "over the top" to mention Jewish financiers. You would think that a group of folks who has experienced the most heinous form of prejudice would refrain from this practice. There are thousands of public officials, or in your word, bureaucrats, that are going to work today to improve our communities. They deserve better from you.
ReplyDeleteMM-
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't the city's new economic director concentrate her efforts more on finding a new corporate owner for the
once award-winning Allentown Metal Works facility rather than some stupid duplication of the Starbucks mojo.
Monkey Momma said...
"...and that eventually it would be passed on to a new Authority."
You indicated in a previous post that a new Hamilton Street Authority might be put in place. Have you heard any news on this subject? Isn't this what ADIDA did years ago?
I couldn't agree more with Casey - Dunkin Donuts offers HIVE benefits for free, as does Panera, Starbucks, Wegmans, etc. HIVES are very popular right now - it must be the latest trend in blowing taxpayer money.
May 5, 2011 6:56 AM
anon 7:55 let me clarify something. The AEDC is a separate organization from the city, and it's development director. the hive was started by matthew tuerk, who is current director of AEDC. sara hailstone is current director of community development for the city, and excused pawlowski's involvement in pressuring the merchants on AEDC. if it sounds confusing consider this; the former director of AEDC, joyce marin, was appointed community development director of allentown. that post is now held by hailstone, and zahorchak hired marin. tuerk was marin's assistance when she was at AEDC... in reality, in my opinion, the AEDC has never been anything more than a separate entity to facilitate and shield occasional city hall shenanigans.
ReplyDeletegary, others have told me before that a jew like me should know better than to be so critical; i've even been critical of some jewish bureaucrats. i didn't know that most jewish financiers have common traits with bernie madoff. i don't know that much about all the bureaucrats in the world, but i know quite a few in allentown. i know in allentown there are those who are not necessary. i will mention it when appropriate.
ReplyDeleteLet me expand on my comments on MMs opprobrious connotation of bureaucrats. I have never read any blog of his that has anything positive to say about civil servants and their work. Nevertheless I am sure he will find one in the archives somewhere.
ReplyDeletePublic service is an important calling. My son works in the "bureaucracy." My wife works in the "bureaucracy." I have worked many years in the "bureaucracy." Hundreds of MM's neighbors work in the "bureaucracy." Lumping all these folks under the pejorative term "bureaucrats" is simply prejudice, i.e. judging a group by one's experiences with several individuals. If Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and the United States are to prosper and make our communities better, we need the best public servants we can find. Meanly and consistently lumping them all together is no different than labeling religious, sexual or ethnic groups as one. If one reads MM's blog one would never consider public service as a vocation. The best and brightest of our young people would never opt for these positions. If that happens he and his fellow prejudiced friends and supporters are, in part, responsible for the decline in our communities.
I again find it interesting that MM considers any mention of religion is off limits (except Islam) and is regarded as prejudice. If a prejudiced comment hits his home, strike it right away. Yes it is always easier to condemn others. This is why we have wars, terrorism and jihad. Prejudice is wrong no matter where is occurs. When it occurs in our neighborhoods and among our friends, it is particularly loathsome.
Gary, IMHO the point you seem to be missing is that no amount of government will "fix" allentown, it's best to put up at 12' electrified fence and let the place self-clean for a few months.
ReplyDeleteWishing for a comeback for Allentown is like wishing for a comeback of Camden - IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!
The government will waste tax dollars on scheme after scheme to no avail.
Camden has some nice waterfront facilities with main drags to get you on and off the Ben Franklin ASAP - to avoid the real town.
Michael longs for an Allentown with a bustling main drag with trolley cars humming up and down while shoppers from the suburbs sing Christmas Carols. Gary looks for Utopia created by the government since government is the answer.
Both of you are wrong - Allentown is simply a lost cause - time to move on.
gary, with your degree of sensitivity, it's fortunate that you were not born into a minority. i don't even think that there is a word for anti-bureaucratism, but at any rate, suggesting that my statements equate to prejudice as against jews, is absurd. on the contrary, the right to criticize (freedom on speech) bureaucrats as individuals or as a group (government), is what america is about.
ReplyDeleteI have to be at work at one, but I'm willing to make an offer to the AEDC.
ReplyDeleteGive me $52 K and I will organize a "HIVE" at the Allentown Dunkin' Donuts of your choice. I guarantee at least twelve people working on their computers each workday between 8 AM and 5 PM.
Whaddaya Say?
MM: Now we are hiding behind the flag. Come on. You are prejudiced against civil servants. You lump them all together and demean the lot. I would love to see you run a complex organization with jackals like you biting at every move.
ReplyDeleteI am not questioning your rights. Criticism of our government is important in a democracy.
ReplyDeleteI am questioning your judgment, attitude and opinion. I will refrain from speculating on your motives but it would be real fun so to do.
Gary -
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that there are many dedicated people who work in the government. There are also many who we could not do without.
However, the "solutions" brought forward by those in government are (too often) to simply create more government (in the form of more laws and more regulations), which of course lead to more of our hard-earned money being confiscated.
In Allentown, we've seen MILLIONS (perhaps BILLIONS) in taxpayer money go toward revitalizing downtown and other areas of the city. Yet we have little or nothing to show for it.
The current Mayor has been tinkering with our tax dollars for over 10 years (including his time as Community and Economic Development Director) and we yet we've fallen far behind the Valley's two other major cities.
Despite these failures, it is never even thought of by those within the government that their actions might be the problem. No program or agency EVER seems to get cut because of its ineffectiveness.
You also mention public service as a "calling" or a "vocation". Yet we've seen too many examples of public servants (and their unions) using this calling as a trough to gorge themselves at the taxpayers expense.
In some cases, they have demanded salaries and benefits far beyond their worth, and certainly not based on their results. The poor performers in the bureaucracy are protected, and seem to remain no matter how badly they "serve" the public.
Trust me, this does not generate any admiration from the public they are supposed to be serving. Until some of those things change within the bureaucracy, the public will continue to hold a negative view of those working in it.
Patrick: I agree with your general point that government officials often are not effective. My diatribe was with the way MM and his fellow travelers throw invective and generalized complaints against all who work for the public. One can criticize specific policies and procedures of specific administrations. I certainly have criticized our current governor. MM's raison d'etre seem to be attack, attack and attack some more. There are many public servants in Allentown who do not deserve his bigoted and prejudiced posts condemning all civil servants!
ReplyDeleteMM and his fellow travelers throw invective and generalized complaints against all who work for the public. May 5, 2011 3:31 PM
ReplyDeleteAgain.
I believe that we "MM and his fellow travelers" are all being fairly specific with our criticisms.
When some thing - or many things are wrong, we tax paying citizens living here and adversly affected by these same things not only have the right to speak out - we are obligated to do so.
yes, perhaps I overstated. I apologize.
ReplyDeleteI try to get young folks interested in public service and I get discouraged by many of the posts, mostly by people starting with the statement, "as a taxpayer....." and then using the term "bureaucrats" as a catch all for incompetents.
Ledebur, I gotta say, you've totally lost any high ground here. Your comparison is ridiculous and offensive. Can't you just say, "some bureaucrats are good" and offer examples? If it's so horrible to paint in such broad strokes, as you accuse MM of doing, then why on earth would you do it yoursef, and in such revolting fashion? I didn't read your original comment that was removed, but from what you have said about it in subsequent posts, there could be no reasonable excuse for putting antisemitic remarks on any blog, let alone this blog. It's a deliberate attempt to offend and offers no value to the argument (regarding ALLENTOWN and its loser leaders and awful policy) at hand.
ReplyDeletemonkey momma, thank you for your support, but i must say that i know gary, and he never intended an anti-semitic remark, nor is he one. on the other hand, although i did make an offhand comment about bureaucrats, this blog deals with specifics. there has never been a post, in close to 750, about bureaucrats per se. i know the city, i know the cast of characters, and i write about it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot that the Mayor probably does not know that is going on. HOWEVER, #1 it is his job to know what his minions are doing and #2 there is a lot that he "doesn't want to know about",if you know what I mean. I believe on the movie Independence Day, the one with Will Smith, it is "plausible deniability. This is what our Mayor is all about. He tells his underlings to handle a problem and they do, but he doesn't want to know the specifics, he just wants to know it is done.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone for one second think that he doesn't know what kind of tactics people are using to procure the properties for the arena?
I still think the hockey arena in Center City is a really poor idea.
Those of you that know me well enough will be surprised to hear this one. I think the hockey arena should be done on the old Neuweiler Brewery site. They own the land already and the thing is they can always just keep the historic facade and build the arena into it. It can be done.
And as far as the AEDC overseeing only 7 vacant properties, that is crap. I personally have had to handle 7 OCCUPIED properies and steward their renovations at the same time. The AEDC is a joke.
How can the Hive be a bad thing? This is prefect for a start up company with very little money for office space. This can help more entrepreneurs succeed in business. Why would anyone belittle this initiative? It would be nice if some of you complainers could come up with a good idea for bringing more businesses into Allentown. What a bunch of grumpy whiners! Would you rather see more empty vacant buildings lining the streets of Allentown?
ReplyDelete"Hive 4A is an entrepreneurial development initiative of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation. In 2011, we are building a coworking space and a hackerspace to help reduce the cost and risk of starting a new business in the Lehigh Valley."
The Hive (Business incubation) has been identified as a means of meeting a variety of economic and socioeconomic policy needs, which may include
ReplyDelete• Creating jobs and wealth
• Fostering a community's entrepreneurial climate
• Technology commercialization
• Diversifying local economies
• Building or accelerating growth of local industry clusters
• Business creation and retention
• Encouraging women or minority entrepreneurship
• Identifying potential spin-in or spin-out business opportunities
• Community revitalization
anon 11:42, thanks for that cut and paste. when i was in kindergarden, after cookies and milk, we would take a nap. it was adorable.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:33 & 11:42 -
ReplyDeleteI think you've shown MM to be wrong in one respect - that of the puppy photo.
From your comments it is obvious the photo should have been of much younger pups, whose eyes have not yet opened.
Well it is self-evident why I used cut and paste...
ReplyDeleteThe kindergarden mentality called for it! Just kidding guys.
There was a big meeting in Allentown last night Michael (the one Zimmerman invited us to attend on your post "School District on Front Burner"). Zimmerman was there looking a little pained and discombobulated. Why don't you have a new post in reference to that meeting? Wasn't it your turn on watch? There wasn't any mention of it in the Morning Call either so I guess it must have went well and full of only good news!
Sara Hailstone lacks the basic education, experience and credibility to be in her position. Period. Until the City places a real, accomplished professional in that position with the basic education and experience, its not even worth while to listen to what the City has to say about planning and community development.
ReplyDeletehttp://dohertydeceit.com/id81.html
likewise, the previous director had no real experience or talent. it's apparent from such hires that pawlowski prefers to handle development himself.
ReplyDelete