May 29, 2015

Weekly Shooting Map In Allentown


Readers of molovinsky on allentown know that I normally don't publish a police blotter, preferring to concentrate on our white collar criminals. One can only wonder what effect a half dozen shootings, on the Gateway to Allentown, has on the Renaissance. While the administration touts another new restaurant in the NIZ, the residents of Allentown cower inside their apartments. Our police chief, recruited by national search consultants, except for defending his son, has been invisible and apparently ineffectual. Ed Pawlowski's campaign to become a senator has garnered no enthusiasm, perhaps he should concentrate on being a mayor.

May 28, 2015

Trial In Mayberry

For famed criminal attorney Jack McMahon, who travels the country "looking forward" to tough murder cases, this must seem like a week in Mayberry. Called Fire and Brimstone by fellow attorneys in Philadelphia, discrediting a couple of Lehigh County detectives, to acquit his client, is child's play for him. This is the same attorney who only a few years ago got Kermit Gosnell, the abortion doctor in Philadelphia, acquitted of most charges. As is his style, he has successfully defended the police chief's son with the media, outside the courtroom. Yesterdays Morning Call headline called the defendant "a good kid." Aren't we glad that Pawlowski hired a national search consultant to bring this chief and his family to Allentown?

ADDENDUM: According to Morning Call reports, Judge Banach had to reprimand the chief for having uniformed officers come into the court room to shake his hand.  Cheesy lawyer orchestrated theatrics, by the self serving chief.

May 27, 2015

Allentown Needs A New Police Chief

The high price Philadelphia lawyer is telling the media that the police chief's son would never pull a gun on a cop. Well, actually, he did, that's why he's on trial. The cops were undercover, and the defense is saying that he didn't point the gun at them, he only displayed it, because he felt threatened. I don't know if the defendant really felt threatened, but the detectives did, and drove in reverse to get out of harm's way. The father, between the lines, suggested that perhaps his son is actually the victim of racial profiling. If Allentown needed a national search to find a police chief was questionable. If Allentown needed to import a former Philadelphia cop from Texas is questionable. If we need a police chief defending his son's aggression with the race card is not questionable.
 
photo from The Morning Call

 UPDATE: "He is not some thug, not some bum," McMahon said. "He is a man of character, a man of integrity, a man of honesty Thus spoke the expensive Philadelphia criminal lawyer today about his client.  However, the defense is mostly referencing the father's supposed character, as if the son must have the same traits.

May 26, 2015

Why Allentown's Monster Eats Its Young

Pawlowski has ordered the Allentown Parking Authority, whose street cleaning revenues were down in 2014, to pony up with more money for the city in 2015. To help meet this demand, the meter rates have been doubled, and the enforcement period extended to 10:00 pm. The Parking Authority, with the knowledge and approval of both the administration and City Council, fabricated a merchant survey endorsing the increase.
As reported to date...guests at the Allentown Brew Works have received parking tickets as late as 9:30pm. Someone is obviously checking meters late at night now. There are no "Arena Nights" at this time of year. There are a few concerts scheduled over the next few months.      Rich Fegley, co-owner Allentown BrewWorks
One would think that a city with a $billion dollars of new development would not have to resort to such tom foolery. One would think that a city, which only two years ago touted leasing its water system as the financial silver bullet, would not have to sabotage its own merchants with punitive parking rates.

thoughts from Rich Fegley and Michael Donovan were gleaned for this post.

May 25, 2015

A Tailor From North Street

The Allentown Housing and Development Corp. recently purchased a home at 421 North St. That block of North Street was destroyed by fire, and the agency has built a block of new houses on the street's south side; it will next develop the other side of the street. The deed transfer caught my attention because Morris Wolf lived in the house in 1903. Wolf signed up with the Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry on July 18, 1861, in Philadelphia, when he was 22 years old. He was a private in Company A, of the 3rd Cavalry. This unit was also known as the 60th Regiment and was later called Young's Kentucky Light Cavalry.It defended Washington, D.C., until March 1862, then participated in many of the war's most famous battles: Williamsburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. Wolf had signed up for three years and was mustered out Aug. 24,1864.

Recently, to commemorate Memorial Day, the local veterans group placed more than 500 flags at Fairview Cemetery. If that wasn't enough of a good deed, the group also set upright more than 300 toppled grave markers. Visiting Fairview recently, I saw they had not overlooked the graves of either Mr. Wolf, or another veteran, Joseph Levine. I have concerned myself with Allentown's Fairview Cemetery for the last few years. I first became interested in the small Jewish section, called Mt. Sinai. This was the first organized Jewish cemetery in Allentown. Currently, all the synagogues have their own cemeteries, and Mt. Sinai has been mostly unused for many decades.

Mr. Wolf lies next to his wife, Julia, who died in 1907. Morris would live on for 30 more years, passing away in 1937, at age 98.
Mr. Levine, a World War II veteran, and his wife, Ethel, were the first and last people to be buried there after almost 25 years of inactivity. When Ethel died at age 93 in 2000, it was the first burial at Mt. Sinai since 1976. Joseph was 103 years old when he passed away in 2006.

The Housing and Development Corp. and North Street are now part of Allentown's new neighborhood initiative called Jordan Heights.Although soon there will be a new house at 421 North St., there is a history that will remain with the parcel. Once a tailor lived there who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.

reprinted from 2011

May 22, 2015

The Allentown Parking Authority Monster

Although the shopping district in Allentown has shrunk down to only Hamilton and 7th Streets, the meter district remains as it did during the heydays of the 1950's. The meters extend from Walnut to Chew, from 5th to 10th, well over 1000 meters in 20 sq. blocks. Parking meters extend out to 10th and Chew Sts, three full blocks beyond the closest store.* These meters are a defacto penalty for the residents, mostly tenants. In essence, it is a back door tax on Allentown's poorest citizens. The apologists claim the tenants can purchase a resident meter pass, however their friends and visitors cannot. To add insult to injury, in 2005, to help finance a new parking deck for the arts district, the Parking Authority doubled the meter rate and fines. Testimony to City Council permitting the rate increase indicated it was favored by the merchants. At that time I documented to the Council that in fact the merchants were not informed, much less in favor. The vote was 5 to 2, with Hershman and Hoover dissenting
* I used the above copy on my posting of October 3, 2007. In the past several weeks the Parking Authority finally removed the meters in the 900 block of Chew St, 50 years beyond their legitimate need.

UPDATE: The post above is reprinted from September 2009. I have published dozens of posts on the Parking Authority. In 2005, I conducted two press conferences on their abuses; One conference was at 10th and Chew Streets, and concerned the oversized meter zone. The second conference, directly in front of their office, concerned the fabricated merchant survey that they  presented to City Council. Old tricks die hard. Forward ahead to 2015, and the Parking Authority will once again penalize both existing merchants and residents.  The new plan is to double the meter parking rate from $1 an hour, to $2, and extend the metering time to 10:00pm.  They claim that the merchants are in favor of this plan. Although I will not conduct my own survey, as I did 2005,  their survey defies logic.  Why would any of the few surviving merchants want their customers submitted to a destination city parking rates in Allentown? Despite the hype,  Allentown is not Miami Beach or N.Y.C.. In reality, just as the taxpayers are subsidizing the arena zone,  now the merchants and residents will be subsidizing the arena plan through punitive parking rates.

UPDATE Memorial Day Weekend 2015: I did end up asking several merchants, and no, they were not surveyed. Eight years from the original date of this post, and the Authority is still up to the same shenanigans.   Reilly's City Center tenants, merchants and customers will get a free pass for the Authority's inconvenient parking lots. Other existing tenants in the NIZ, such as the south side of the 900 block of Walnut Street, will not be eligible for residential parking permits.  Pawlowski's Parking Authority Board Member yes-woman, Candida Afif, is now going to City Council. If you have a problem with any of this, remember, you must now put money in the meter at night, before  complaining to City Council.

May 21, 2015

A Message For Allentown's Pawlowski

I would think that Tuesday's election results may give some pause to Ed Pawlowski's hopes to be a senator. Despite a virtual snow storm of mailers with his endorsement, including both a picture of him and his message of a Renaissance, a quarter to a third of his candidates lost. In terms of his popularity beyond Allentown, his candidate in Whitehall lost; You don't get much closer to Allentown than that. Besides giving Pawlowski pause, his campaign and media manager, Mike Fleck, might need some introspection. The two top vote getters for the school board, Gerlach and Bob Smith, not part of the Pawlowski PAC, were outspent by Fleck tenfold. Even Armstrong, targeted by a separate scare mailer, survived the primary. Here in Allentown, where money was no object for the Pawlowski machine, if he couldn't hit a grandslam, his prospects statewide seem dim. Poor guy might have to settle for being Mayor For Life.

ADDENDUM: I opened today's Morning Call and discovered that reporter Emily Opilo and I were on the same page; We made the same points and used the same examples. Least anyone think I had seen her article prior to posting the above, I must now go one step further. Yesterday, I mentioned to Jeff Glazier, Pawlowski's big winner Tuesday night, that I thought Pawlowski failed by not hitting a grandslam. He thought that winning most of seats was a victory. Maybe Joe Davis would agree with me.

May 20, 2015

Bucking The Pawlowski Machine

Despite Pawlowski's PAC, and it spending $50,000 with a professional staff, CeCe Gerlach dominated the school board race yesterday. She came in first on the Democratic side, second on the Republican ticket, for almost one third more votes than Robert Smith, the second highest vote getter. Both CeCe and Robert Smith were independent of the PAC, Citizens for a Better Allentown. School Board candidates are allowed to cross register with both parties, leaving a total field of 7 candidates for the five slots come November. PAC candidates Charlie Thiel, Elizabeth Martinez and Audrey Mathison will also be on November's ballot, with Thiel being the third highest combined vote getter last night. Also moving forward to the general election are Mark Smith and Scott Armstrong.

CeCe ended her long day yesterday working the poll and phone at West Park. Overall, she had fielded about 60 workers, covering every one of the city's polling stations. Mark Smith also ran an organized campaign, his first foray into elected politics. Scott Armstrong, much to the chagrin of the Teacher's Union, Pawlowski's PAC and card carrying liberals, didn't campaign whatsoever.

May 19, 2015

Say Moo and Vote Pawlowski's PAC

Here in Reillytown, you don't even have to think to vote. Mayor For Life Pawlowski, unless he can get elected to something in Harrisburg or Washington, tells you who to vote for. The Morning Call gets you in the mood this morning by printing two stories glorifying the Renaissance. Women's merchant Sage is moving back to Allentown from the Promenade. They don't tell you that the owners are pushing 70, and looking to wind down their obligations. Second story is about more apartments coming to an old factory at 3th and Gordon. They don't tell you that the developer is cramming in 158 one room studios, which in reality are glorified motel rooms for single mothers and their children. Say moo, while Pawlowski milks your vote.

May 18, 2015

Saving Allentown From Right Wing Extremists

One by one, the oversized slick cards from the Pawlowski Political Machine, Citizens for a Better Allentown, reached the voter's mailboxes. They were sent to all voters, regardless of party affiliation. Each card, separately promoting a candidate for Allentown School Board, also had Pawlowski's picture and message, "We are committed to Allentown's progress. Over the last few years we have achieved so much, safer communities, job creation, and community development. Working together we can continue moving Allentown forward." While Pawlowski tries to associate his chosen slate to J.B. Reilly's new buildings, those living in his Dreamtown know that the community is no safer. If he were more honest, he would have said, "We are committed to now completely dominating Allentown's politics."

The four cards were followed by a fifth, picturing and promoting all four candidates. While the card stated that they would restore fiscal responsibility, the two candidates running for re-election, Martinez and Thiel, grandstanded by voting to hire back 20% more teachers than budgeted for.

If those five mailings were not enough, the sixth was a scare and hit piece against some incumbents. 4 years ago, we were fooled into electing right-wing extremists to the Allentown School Board. Our school board needs true-blue Democrats. The card concludes by saying that our schools should never be used as a political tool... Unless Pawlowski is holding the screw driver.

May 15, 2015

Pandering Politicians And The Pawlowski Effect

The Morning Call reports that last night school board members running for re-election gave the voters more than they expected, or perhaps can really afford. The candidates voted for both a zero tax hike, and adding more positions than sought by the school administration. Also running, but certainly not pandering, Scott Armstrong addresses the decision by his fellow board members.

Pandering politicians and the Pawlowski effect

At tonight’s ASD board meeting politics was on full display. Directors who never saw a tax hike they didn’t like ignored the administration’s recommendation for a 3.6% increase and embraced with full vigor a zero tax increase for next year’s budget. Then with total abandon they engaged in bidding war on how many positions to restore until finally agreeing on the number of 30. So after four years of a fiscal crisis that involved tax increases of $500.00 on the average household and staff reductions of over 20% just to balance budgets, tonight, four days before a primary, prudence was put aside. This evening priorities were more personal. To get their names in the paper as advocates for the taxpayers and the children these directors took the leap of faith that zero tax increases and 30 new hires will not put the ASD right back into the dire position that previous responsible choices had just extricated the district from. In short it was a very depressing night. Can one draw from this that the mayor’s influence is not already being felt ?

Scott Armstrong

May 14, 2015

A Pawlowski School Board Will Have Consequences

Taxpayers should know that a School Board, cherry picked by Ed Pawlowski, will have dire consequences. Presently, he has endorsed a plan to convert a former large factory into 158 apartment. Although the developer states that most will be studio apartments that discourage children, the real market speaks differently. In the real market, studios are less rent, and attract an endless stream of single mothers with children. Allentown has no shortage of that demographic, and the school district suffers from poverty and under parenting. Two years ago, another developer approached the school board seeking a tax free KOZ status, actively represented by the Pawlowski Administration. Those apartments would have resulted in more students with a smaller tax base. The School Board wisely turned down the proposal. What will happen when Pawlowski's Puppets dominate the board? They will be able to approve Pawlowski promoted projects, while separating Pawlowski from the taxpayer cost involved. Mayors always tell you that they have no control over school taxes. The voters would be wise to keep that disclaimer a reality.

May 13, 2015

Zimmerman's Battle With The School Administration

While twelve people battle to get, or stay on, the Allentown School Board, Director David Zimmerman, who isn't up for re-election this term, battles within the school administration. Zimmerman is a statistician and numbers guy, who doesn't abide by the Administrations use of arbitrary figures. Originally disturbed by discrepancies between the preliminary and adopted budget, his frustrations have only grown with the administration's dismissive attitude toward his inquires. He actually filed a Right To Know request with the district, which was denied. In addition to his concerns about the budget, whose fund balance has fluctuated as much as $12 million under different reports, he wants solid revenue projections from redeveloped NIZ parcels. He cannot in good conscience approach a tax increase without knowing how much money is on hand, or how much increased property tax revenue The Pawlowski and Reilly Company Renaissance, is actually producing.

  My concern over these issues arises out of my interpretation of the responsibility imposed upon me by my elected position to fairly and accurately represent the interests of the tax payers and students of the ASD.
David Zimmerman
Allentown School Board

May 12, 2015

Pawlowski Buys Democracy In Allentown

Pawlowski's PAC, Citizens For A Better Allentown, according to pre Primary filings, has raised over $63,000, and spent $43,000 thus far subverting democracy in Allentown. Allentown voters are having their mail boxes filled this week with oversized mailers, promoting Pawlowski's candidates of choice. Most of the contributions are cloaked in separate candidate reports, not yet analyzed by our Harrisburg staff. For instance, Citizens For A Better Allentown received a contribution from Friends of Ed Pawlowski for $23,000, and $10,000 from Friends Of Charlie Thiel. Direct contributions of note include local labor unions for $8,000, and Abe Atiyeh for $2,500. Friends of Schlossberg and Schweyer, combined, contributed $3,500. Please understand that all these Friends Of, are no real friends of democracy in Allentown.

May 11, 2015

School Director Questions Pawlowski's Slate

School Board member Mike Welsh, not up for re-election this year, feels that the candidates not compromised by Pawlowski's PAC money, could best guide the school district.

This year’s Allentown school board race features a large field of candidates and I for one couldn’t be happier that so many have expressed interest and put themselves forward for consideration. Eight candidates have chosen to run independently while 4 have chosen to compete as a slate with the endorsement and fundraising efforts of Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

The Allentown School District has faced many difficult challenges the last few years and I believe better days could be on the horizon. Thanks to real fiscal discipline by our board and the administration of the school district, we are positioned to eliminate the need for layoffs in the coming year and will be offering full day kindergarten in even more of our schools. In the ensuing weeks there will be discussions regarding the possibility of restoring programs previously eliminated in cost savings initiatives by the district, with priorities put on the restoration of arts and music programs, library and physical education. These will be just discussions, however, and it will be important to remember that in possibly rehiring staff in these areas we must we prudent as we do not want to face the challenges of laying staff off again because of rash decisions this year.

Regrettably, while many of us see prospects for a better financial horizon for the school district, Allentown’s economic realities will continue to weigh on our children for years to come. Despite the renaissance that is happening downtown, many of our children live in poverty as demonstrated by the fact that 88% of students receive subsidized breakfast and lunch. Many of our children come from broken and/or disruptive homes and enter school without a basic knowledge of colors and numbers. These are the children we are charged to educate, and the teachers, administrators, and the board itself have maintained a commitment to providing the best education possible under these difficult circumstances. In this election, I want to encourage voters to consider candidates who have a proven track record of fiscal prudence and will be independent in their voting. I am pleased that 8 of our candidates have chosen to seek office independent of any slate out of a concern that those within a slate may be compromised in their voting as a result of monies provided in funding their candidacy. While this may be the standard in most political races, I believe it inappropriate in a school board race.

In my short time on the board I have come to respect the professionals and many volunteers of the Allentown School District. I am humbled by their dedication to the mission of public education. Let there be no doubt that from top to bottom the people of the Allentown School District are here for the right reasons and could make more money in less stressful environments in surrounding wealthier districts. With their continued dedication, and with continued financial progress, I believe there can be better times ahead for the Allentown School District and the children and families it serves.
Mike Welsh 
Allentown School Board Director

May 9, 2015

Allentown School Directors In Dark About Assault

A decade after a student on student indecent assault at Central Elementary School, this past week news broke that another alleged assault occurred at Jefferson Elementary, and parents are again suing the school district. Although I had no intention about posting on this incident, today I received a pertinent comment from a school board member on the lack of communication, between the administration and board members. The comment was submitted to another post, but I made an editorial decision to run it as a separate post.

On Wednesday the board received an email concerning the incident referred to. I know nothing about this event since it seems it did not filter down, to at least this board member, when it occurred. I cannot comment on it. I can comment on ASD administration communications. Often information seems not to make it to the board and when it does, well there is always some logical reason why these issues are never the fault or responsibility of the ASD administration, a statistical impossibility. Personally I find the level of communication and the ability to get information from the administration sadly and woefully inadequate, as a board member and as a parent. Adjust your expectations and be realistic about transparency coming from the ASD administration. At least, to me, they seem to ascribe to the theory legal liability trumps truthfulness. As co-chair of the finance and budget committee they will not discuss $3 million in revenue projections for the current year's budget that never materialized or how they conjure up their doom and gloom projections of the imminent dire depletion of the fund balance of the ASD that has not materialized as well. Maybe they think if they keep silent long enough it will all go away.

David Fehr Zimmerman

May 8, 2015

As Allentown Turns

Allentown's greatly touted NIZ should be named the ROA, Reilly Owns Allentown. While his state house boy recovers in the hospital, and his home boy tries to become a senator, J.B. Reilly said Let There Be Stores. These stores were duly announced this week by the local paper and TV, which will promote them as they open. As he did with the restaurants, J.B. will hand out special J.B. currency to the new office workers, which can be used in the stores. The Plywood Plaza Apartments for the workers, at 7th and Linden, will be completed this fall. The idea of company housing and stores isn't new, cement companies and mines did it back in the early 1900's.

While trying to escape Allentown, first to Harrisburg and now to Washington, Mayor For Life Pawlowski tells us who to elect to City Council and the school board. Meanwhile, the streets beyond the Reilly District are potholed and dirty. Existing residents are being double ding donged at the parking meters. The WPA structures in our parks are crumbling away. Don't despair, buy a ticket for the Classic Geriatric Concert Series at the J.B. Reilly Arena, and enjoy a night out.

May 7, 2015

Courting The Allentown Teachers

Back in my fathers day, students gave the teacher an apple to get in their good graces. In current Allentown, the teachers are courted by the school board candidates, who hope to get into the good graces and recommendation of their teacher's union. One teacher forwarded me this email from Charlie Thiel, which was sent through official school channels.
To All Teachers in the Allentown School District, Thank you for all that you do to change the lives of our students. By creating an attitude of lifelong learning for our students, you are profoundly impacting their lives. I am sure there are some days (perhaps more than you would like to admit) that you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Rest assured that you are changing the lives of young people every day. Do you remember the first time you helped a student have a revelation, where the lightbulb went on? Maybe they finally learned to tie their shoes, or they were able to solve an algebraic problem, or even understand Shakespeare…or you provided a snack when they had not eaten for the last day. The needs of our students are great. But our teachers are greater! Thank you for heeding the calling on your life and choosing the Allentown School District and our students. Happy Teachers Appreciation Week!
Charlie Thiel      School Board Director

 The image below by candidate Mark Smith appears on facebook
Once upon a time, school board candidates appealed to the public and parents, for an opportunity to speak for them on how the school district should be run. Now, it appears that some candidates are appealing directly to the teachers, who are already well represented by their strong union.

ADDENDUM: Mark Smith feels that this post mischaracterized his intent. His reply is contained within the comment section.

ADDENDUM 2: I'm closing comments on this post. Please direct any additional comments on the school board election to the newer school board post,  Allentown School Directors In Dark

May 6, 2015

The $66 Million Dollar Dinner

Yesterday, a couple from Slatington told me that they went to the Allentown Art Museum during the afternoon on Sunday, then walked up to the Hamilton Kitchen, where they ate outside on the terrace. Except for the traffic noise on 7th Street, they had an enjoyable experience, and think that Allentown has changed for the better. Then, he asked what I thought. I told him that his meal cost the taxpayers of Pennsylvania about $66 million last year, most of which was going to the debt service of one private individual. Never the less, he enjoyed his day, and I have heard this story from different people, numerous times. Most people really don't care what the new experience cost, or who is paying for it, or who owns it. Of course, most people don't care how poorly this state is run, and keep electing the same officials, election after election. Then, there are some people who concern themselves with such matters, welcome to molovinsky on allentown.

May 5, 2015

Gilding The Lily, The Allentown Arena

This past Sunday was a usual weekend for The Morning Call, gilding their lily, The Allentown Arena. One feature story told how the perception of center city Allentown has changed, the other dealt with tourism and the higher hotel occupancy in the valley. The center city story mentioned the new restaurants and shops. Although I spend a lot of time downtown, and have frequented many of the new eateries, I have yet to find one of the new shops. Never mentioned  is the arena schedule promoted two years ago; So far this year, by those projections, the venue is about 65 events short. The companion piece on the hotels had even a greater reality void. Neither center city hotel in Allentown was mentioned. The glaring unasked question, which would link both articles, is how is the new arena's Renaissance Hotel doing? Without that question and answer, neither article had any value.

May 4, 2015

Law By Mob Rules In Baltimore

Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore's prosecutor, apparently has decided that her real future is in politics, not the law. On Friday, when announcing charges against the police officers, she told the protestors, "To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America: I heard your call for `No justice, no peace.' In regard to the police, she went on to say that nobody is above the law. It appears however,  that the rioters who looted and torched the buildings, might be above the law in her town.  While she had the mob celebrating in the street, the message for the thugs of Baltimore and elsewhere is that rioting pays. Although the charges against some of the police may prove to be warranted,  their implementation was pure street theater,  not normal legal procedure.

ADDENDUM: Tension broke out again in Baltimore today, as police arrested a  gun carrying suspect.  Such problems will be the cost of that city's appeasement.

May 1, 2015

Lehigh, County Of Hypocrisy

While The Wildlands Conservancy was working (they still are) to destroy the picturesque Wehr's Dam, supposedly to improve Jordan Creek water quality, the Lehigh County Authority was studying their option to dump treated sewage into that same creek. The Authority is under the gun by DEP to address sewage problems in the valley. One problem, as discussed previously on this blog, is that sewage overflows into Lehigh Parkway's Little Lehigh, during heavy storms. The other major problem is that Kline's Island Sewage Plant is at capacity. One horrendous option under study is spraying treated sewage sludge onto open land. All that is the known news, here's the hypocrisy. The Lehigh County Authority leased these facilities from Allentown knowing full well that these long standing problems had never been addressed. Lehigh County's Donny Cunningham induced Ocean Spray and other major waste water producers here, knowing full well that the county had a looming problem treating sewage. Kicking the can down the road is bad government, but when it ends up floating on raw sewage, it gets ugly.