For the second time in one month, there was a fatal shooting in front of young children. Last night's crime happen during the trick and treat hours, creating a real life horror for kids being robbed of an Allentown tradition. The shooting on 9TH St., under a flashing blue surveillance camera and a near a identified landlord of shame, appeared on the local news page of the Morning Call. Above the slaying article, columnist Bill White praises the Pawlowski initiative against landlords. Allentown should not be so conditioned to murder and violence, that it has become B section news. We should not tolerate an administration which blames its inability to deal with crime on tavern owners and landlords. You don't have to be a brain surgeon....
Reporting inaccuracies again MM.
ReplyDeleteThere are no cameras or blue lights at 9th & Turner, . . . yet.
The closest ones to date are nearly two blocks two blocks away at 9th & Hamilton and at 7th & Turner.
So what would you do stop stop the slaughter of drug dealers who don't pay their bills in Allentown?
anon 2:31 if you think more flashing blue lights will deter the violence, or that it's victims are all drug dealers, you must believe allentown is moving forward. like pawlowski, your statement dismisses the seriousness of the problem. we need less white collars on the 5th floor, and more officers on the street.
ReplyDeleteIf only we taxed the rich just a little bit more all this violence would stop.
ReplyDeleteThe murders continue, in spite of blue lights, and little is effective so far in stemming this tide.
ReplyDeleteThere still seems to be a lack of understanding of the underpinnings of the community.
With challenging economic times I fear it will only intensify. Will we be counting even more bodies a year from now?
So sad that the different players in the community can not or will not come together to find a common solution.
The victim in the case has priors. He's no innocent. I'd bet he wasn't a homeowner either!
ReplyDeleteI've said for some time, I believe the key to the solution lies in the rental zoning statutes. This issue is coming front and center downtown shortly. I truly believe the fastest track to resolving many of these crimes and the quickest way possible is to reduce rentals and future conversations (even requiring rolling them back upon sale) to a defined number based on neighborhood density.
Repeat offenders account for much of our problems. How to rid ourselves? Well since they obviously are irresponsible, if they had no place to stay they wouldn't. Rentals give them that opportunity in many ways.
It is of utmost importance that we dig into these upcoming rental changes and let city councilmen know if you feel strongly about this issue in light of the 'FELS' report.
Waiting for real positive change under Pawlowski is both unreasonable and foolhardy.
ReplyDeleteDoing door to door today I noticed the one hundred block of 11th street remains deplorable, that area is just on the other side of Linden street from Ed’s home. Uncollected garbage adorned the sidewalk amid the usual litter and blight. I also noted that the area south of Hamilton between 12th and 15th has deteriorated significantly since I last walked the neighborhood. The woman who was with me commented that it reminded her of the worst sections of Philly, her hometown. Now we’re getting somewhere, major league slums in our little town.
Am I being too negative?
Scott Armstrong
Scott Armstrong.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously are misleading MMs readers or you have never been to Philadelphia.
It is no secret that the area of the city that has suffered most in recent years is generally from 12th to 15th Streets. That being said, in no way does the area come close to being a slum.
At the same time, many parts of town have improved dramatically including the East Side and the Wards. Much of Old Allentown can also be included from an aesthetic point of view.
What is the difference in my mind? 12th to 15th is where people recently left during the latest housing bubble and the dust is now settling.
Relax.
Anon 8:48 -
ReplyDeleteWhat dream world are you living in?
I lived in Old Allentown for a number of years. While the area has many well-cared for homes, the deterioration there is evident as well. Litter, graffiti, crime have all increased over the past six years.
As to the East Side and the Wards, I suggest you get out and actually talk to some of the long-time residents there. Their numbers (long-time residents) are dwindling. They will be happy to tell you why and what's actually happening there.
As to the area between 12th and 15th, please do not even try to blame what has happened there on the "housing bubble". First off, the deterioration in that neighborhood has not just occured in the last year. Secondly, it's beyond imagination to believe that the effects of a national event would target a 3 block square area in this or any city.
"There still seems to be a lack of understanding of the underpinnings of the community.
ReplyDeleteWith challenging economic times I fear it will only intensify. Will we be counting even more bodies a year from now?
So sad that the different players in the community can not or will not come together to find a common solution.'
Truer words have never been spoken.
Everyone seems to have their OWN understanding of the problem and what they consider to be the TRUE solutions; I have said it before and I will say it again, we need to speak to the COMMUNITY and not just COMMUNITY Leaders because it seems EVERYONE has their OWN agenda.
As for me, I welcome everyone to my event called STOP THE VIOLENCE/START THE HEALING on November 15 at the Caring Place, 931 Hamilton Street. Let's network, socialize, and come up with ideas that get us into the hearts and minds of ALL the people who live in Allentown.
www.lehighvalleyflavor.piczo.com
Alfonso Todd
P.S. Sorry about the shameless plug MM
alfonso, i don't mind your plugs; i do mind having to employ comment moderation because of bill villa. although he now claims his snarks and highjackings are parody because of the troll blog, in truth the troll blog was started because of his previous highjackings. because he moderates his blog, he is determined to force that imposition on other bloggers in the valley.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:10 AM,
ReplyDeleteI am a long time East Side resident. Sorry to burst your bubble but things are better over here than the were 5 or ten years ago.
Almost all the city's murders were over here or in the ward in the 90's (7-10 a year at that time in Allentown), now there is none, or almost none.
I'm not sure what you consider "life long" but most East Siders are just that. Granted there are fewer seniors but so what, people pass.
Why the "plug" for Bill Villa?
ReplyDeleteWhy provoke me, Mike?
I wasn't bothering you today.
You should be plugging for a deletion of the Troll Parade blog.
villa, you think because you haven't sent aggressive comments for one day your a peacemaker? 75% of the comments on the troll blog were posted by you! you justified your highjacking 3 months ago because of blogger tuesday, now you justify yourself because of the troll blog which was started because of your previous highjackings, and consists mostly of your own comments. you have done more to suppress the free exchange of idea's in the valley than the Morning Call could ever
ReplyDeleteNo name,
ReplyDeleteYour rose colored writing won’t change the facts on the ground. I quoted the woman who was with me and frankly I have to agree, this area and other parts of the city are blighted.
“At the same time, many parts of town have improved dramatically including the East Side and the Wards. Much of Old Allentown can also be included from an aesthetic point of view.”
Do you really believe this?
Scott Armstrong
My neighborhood is horrendous. It is because of the thugs who have risen to prominence with the increasing pervasiveness of the urban culture.
ReplyDeleteThere is little respect for anything decent anymore. People are scared. They do not want to go out after dark nor do people want to come into Allentown for any reason.
In a challenged economy it will only get worse. It really is only a small group of individuals. We however either cannot or will not address this issue.
When the life of Allentown is sucked dry by these virulent bottom feeders they will move on to more "fertile" ground, I pray.
Hopefully we can survive and rebuild. Since it seems too difficult to stand up to and address today.
The deterioration in morale and character of many, not all, seems to have it's genesis in the youth culture, especially the thugs in Allentown.
It is best described by a man who died in 1953. His name was Joseph Stalin. Eerily what he said then seems to apply sadly today.
"If we can effectively kill the national pride and patriotism of just one generation, we have won that country. By making readily available drugs of various kinds, by giving a teenager alcohol, by praising his wildness. by strangling him with sex literature, and by advertising to his and her psycho-political preparation, we create the necessary attitude of chaos, idleness and worthlessness."
Sounds as if the man knew what he was saying. Scares me. How about you?
Squirrel,
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should follow the advice of the Pawlowski apologist and just “relax”. Perhaps at the same time if we all believe Allentown is really getting better perhaps just by will power alone it will happen. Actually isn’t this their exact plan for the city?
Scott Armstrong