Believe it or not, I haven't always been the statesman I am today. Years ago, this post would have probably been titled The Hypocrisy of a Poverty Pimp. Anyway, putting aside my growing diplomacy, Rite Aid had a surprising ally at the zoning hearing Monday evening. According to The Morning Call's Devon Lash, Alan Jennings, executive director of The community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, spoke on behalf of Rite Aid's plan; "... (it) will transform a blighted building...bringing jobs downtown, especially with the clock ticking down to demolition for the arena.. There's too much at stake downtown." Bear in mind this is the same Alan Jennings who turns people into small business owners. He doesn't teach them to fish, he buys them a fish market. He brags that those gifted by his start up business division have a 97% success rate. He even has a division office at 7th and Liberty. Although Jenning's supported Rite Aid (and the Arena) moving forward, this supposed advocate for small business was nowhere to be seen when the former Hamilton Street merchants pleaded to City Council. Where was Alan? Alan was placing his bets. He knows from where the butter on his bread cometh. It doesn't come from the small displaced merchants of Hamilton Street, but from grants distributed by Pawlowski and gifts from large corporations which back his vision for Allentown. So while 34 merchants, who never received a grant or startup from the likes of Jennings, were displaced, their and our tax dollars will be dispensed by Jennings, to make startup Successes, from those who don't have the gumption to do it on their own. How's my diplomacy coming?
MM... not your tax dollars. You dont live in Allentown. Remember?
ReplyDeletems. future, regardless of where i live, i know much more about allentown than you do. most of the grants mr. jennings receives are federally funded; so yes, they are my tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteYou think you know about Allentown. What you are versed on is the faliures that your generation(baby boomers) have created. We are now trying to reverse what you have done. So if you so "ON ALLENTOWN" you would have never left. You dont know shit about Allentown. You only know what you want to see with your self imposed blinders. GET A CLUE!! Oh and please show up to a council meeting sometime I would love to meet you. But since you are so "ON ALLENTOWN" you most likely wont. IDIOT!
ReplyDeleteMs. Future,
ReplyDeleteBear in mind, YOU have not proven yourself to be a resident of the People's Democratic City of Allentown.
You want me to automatically disqualify Mr. Molovinsky from the Palace of Sport discussion ...
... how do I know YOU are not automatically disqualified to comment (let alone be taken seriously) on the (disastrous?) future of the People's Democratic City of Allentown?
VIKTOR TIKHONOV
ms. future, i've attended many council meetings, even this year; the fact that you don't know that makes your claims suspect. at any rate, i'm glad that you could visit here, but frankly, you used up your welcome.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree that Alan was wrong to capitulate to Rite Aid here.
ReplyDeletebernie, i don't care about jennings capitulating to rite aid. jenning's capitulated to the administration, by not supporting the merchants of hamilton street. i personally don't care that much about what style store they built on 7th st., neither does jennings. he urged the zoning board to expedite the case so that the demolition can begin for the arena. what does the arena have to do with the stated mission of his organization? those jobs at rite aid are the same if the store is on hamilton st. or 7th st. the arena will never produce the number of jobs which has been lost with 34 separate properties. he put his own grant stream ahead of true small merchants.
ReplyDeleteHow come I don't see the heroic and righteous "Occupy Allentown" tent city in any of these Palace of Sport renderings The Morning Call has taken so much time and trouble to publish on the front page?
ReplyDeleteI cannot understand why the OA protestors are not questioning any and all Crony Capitalism with respect to Chariman Pawlowski's Transformative Project literally right on their front doorstep?
CONFUSED CITIZEN,
PEOPLE's DEMOCRATIC CITY OF ALLENTOWN