Jan 18, 2013

2019 In Allentown

Ed Pawlowski is in the second year of his fourth term, an unprecedented record in Pennsylvania. Although people refer to him as the little Daley, a reference to his Chicago roots, he has never gained support outside of the Democratic stronghold of Allentown, which he rules without debate. The bloom is off the rose at the arena; 2018  showed only twenty three events beside the home hockey games, and most of them were poorly attended. The remaining merchants, in the adjoining blocks, resentfully refer to it as The Dead Zone. Although the new arena complex manager, and the new police chief, promise to work together to better safeguard the patrons upon departing, suburbanites continue to fear the place, and rightfully so. The Reilly Apartment Tower, once conceived as a hotel before being built in 2013, is receiving the national HUD award for providing in house daycare for single mothers. Cynthia Mota, president of City Council, promises to work with Aqua America about the water rates, currently highest in United States. City Center Two, vacant since being constructed in 2014, will become the new City Hall in 2020. In separate studies, prepared by both the Administration and City Council, taxpayers are expected to realize significant savings by the move. The current City Hall will become administrative offices for the Lehigh County Prison, one of the fastest growing correction institutions in the country.

6 comments:

  1. I thought you were writing about stockton ca.

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  2. Michael,

    You could be writing about Philadelphia, Detriot, Reading, Flint, St. Loius, etc. America's golden days are over, we have a President that couldn't be happier. I used to like the history portions of your blog but they seem to have become noting more than harping on the way things used to be and can never go back. You think shops on Hamilton died? Wait another 10 years after Sears, JCP, KMart, Best Buy, and more retailers close up with their inability to compete with Amazon having much lower overhead. You'll be recalling the glory days of Whitehall.

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  3. I would add . . . excuses for every failed decision will be many, however no one takes responsibility for making those choices.

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  4. dystopian fiction at its finest.

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  5. Center City and Old Town Philly are pretty damn great.
    Allentown should be so lucky.
    You really should get out more.

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  6. Mike,

    It is hard to be optimistic about Allentown. Too bad, it didn't have to be that way. But no one can doubt the residents brought it upon themselves.

    Scott Armstrong

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