Although I have my reservations about Pawlowski as a mayor, there is no doubt about him being a first rate performer. As Director of Community Development in 2002 under Afflerbach, they instituted the federal program Weed and Seed as their plan to address Allentown's problems. In addition to a large budget, staff, separate office, professional web site* and even a documentary video, the program has everything except perhaps measurable results. Never the less, Weed and Seed was the pony pawlowski rode during the mayoral campaign of 2005. He would say "Weed and Seed, blah, blah, blah." When I called it a slogan and money pit, he bristled, "At least it's a strategy". I think what he meant was at least it's something to produce a power point presentation about and sell as a solution.
Pawlowski is now making the circuit with a new show. Just as Afflerbach hyped the hot shot police chief theory, Pawlowski has his own Kuhn, hired consultant George Kelling, of "Broken Window" fame, a fading fad in police theory**. According to Pam Varkony***, Kelling tells Pawlowski's supporters in five years "Children will be playing on the sidewalks while their parents converse with friends and neighbors from their front porches". Let's see, five years, that would take us into Pawlowski's second term?
*http://www.allentownweedandseed.org/
**http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4520866
*** http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-varkony6-1.6431595jun01,0,4235803.column
Does Kelling have any kind of a track record of success anywhere else?
ReplyDeleteUmm. let's see; since the children (of the ghetto called Allentown) are currently playing on the sidewalks, in the parks, in the streets AND the parents of today's FAllentown DO converse with friends and neighbors from their front porches, TO WHOM "in five years" does this genius refer? New Urban Hipsters? New Upper Middle Classers? People other than the demographic currently playing on the sidewalks and enjoying friends and neighbors?
ReplyDeleteEd Pawlowski did not develop a plan to prevent the nearby relocation of folks seeking to abandon the weeded and seeded area. For example, since the weed and seed program's inception, the 10th ward has become much more active with regard to drug dealing.
Power Point Pawlowski, aka P3 aka P-Cube rides again! And on the next slide he rides again and on the next slide again, and the next and the next...
Couldn't they come up with a better name than "weed and seed?" The first thing I think of is pot.
ReplyDeleteCan you make your pics a little bigger? I can't see the dog and pony. Congrats on top ten! Now you are ahead of me!
The first and sixth wards have really quited down though, significantly.
ReplyDelete" Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe first and sixth wards have really quited down though, significantly.
June 4, 2008 5:08 PM"
Friends I know in this area would dispute this.
Scott Armstrong