When you grow up in a twin or rowhouse, you can tell whose been good or bad. One neighbor would spank his kids every night when he got home from work, saving his wife from the daily chore of discipline. He wouldn't spank too hard, just enough to cover any possible infractions they may have committed. Several weeks ago Jarrett Renshaw outlined Pawlowski's aggressive campaign funding solicitations. This week, both an editorial and another article, give Pawlowski another little spanking. The editors recommend a state law addressing "Pay to Play" conflicts. In Renshaw's new article he tells us City Council will form yet another Ad-hoc committee, this one to study campaign limits. Who will scrutinize the contributions they receive? D'Amore and Donovan want to fashion the new committee after the one which evaluated the Pre-Sale Home Inspection Law, aka After the Horse left the Barn. D'Amore's election was financed largely by the unions, and he returned the favor last week requiring all clothes dryer vents be union installed.* Donovan noted, that despite a $2000 contribution by the contractor, he voted against the Parking Authority selling the Verizon lot** to townhouse producer Nic Zawarski. Donovan forgets to mention I was sitting behind him with a stick in his back, and that he knew the one no vote wouldn't affect the sale. He did not advocate that his fellow directors vote no. I appreciate that D'Amore and Donovan again wax philosophical about due diligence and policy, but would appreciate them doing it occasionally before the fact.
ADDENDUM: Although I reprimand the Mayor for his solicitation of contributions, I do not believe he partakes in pay to play. Likewise, I do not believe D'Amore or Donovan base their votes upon contributions. D'Amore, Donovan and Hoffman (controller) are to be credited for recognizing a policy shift, in regard to contributions, is in order.
*law pertains to HVAC ductwork
** lot used by second shift women workers at Verizon, 7th and Linden Sts. who need safe parking
the ultimate gotcha... vote no and be accused of doing something that doesn't matter.
ReplyDeletehow about taking a no vote as a no vote.
Dear Michael:
ReplyDeleteFunny, I never felt a stick at my back. I can think for myself, and if you do remember, I offered my reasoning to the board.
Plus, I offered my reasoning privately.
Your characterization of my vote is rather surprising and inaccurate.
Oh well, I love politics. In this complex world, we never seem to make anyone happy.
Best regards,
Michael Donovan
michael, as you may recall i attended and spoke against the sale three times. you are rather a soft-talker (low volume), although you may have explained your vote(i couldn't hear what you said), i think it's fair to say you didn't advocate for the verizon workers with any passion. i do appreciate your deliberation, especially compared to some of your associates on council. for zawarski to have donated $2000 to a freshman council candidate doesn't seem appropriate, i'd like to know his total investment in city hall.
ReplyDeleteSomeone like Zawarski does not offer a sum that large to a freshman city council candidate unless he expects something in return. I dont fault Zawarski, who is just doing what businessmen do. But Michael (Donovan), there was no reason for you to accept a sum that large for as race that small when you know you would be deciding matters that affect him. I respect your personal integrity and believe you are not influenced, but it's high time this practice ends. It's legal bribery.
ReplyDeleteMM - do you really flatter yourself to think that a council person would vote a certain way just because you were sitting behind them!? Can you even vote in Allentown elections!?
ReplyDeleteanon 3:37, no, currently i can not vote in allentown elections, but i was the only member of the public who attended multiple meetings concerning selling this parking lot to zawarski. because of me pointing out there was no proper request for proposals, the parking authority postponed the sale. frankly the sale was a charade, unfortunately the reporter who covered all the meetings, didn't attend the final one in which the sale was approved. that meeting was covered by sarah fulton, who did a good job covering, but didn't have all the background. suffice to say we sold the lots to zawarski, at the peril of the verizon women who would now have to walk 1.5 blocks to their cars at 10;30 at night up linden st., from 7th till past ninth., WHY???? zawarski hasn't even finished the townhouses he started three years ago. The mayor even had karen pooley come to testify how wonderful these new townhouses would be, pathetic!!! having a stick in michael's back was a figure of speech, representing my time and effort on the citizens behalf. please remember the parking authority bought these lots years ago, and we have been paying for them with our parking tickets.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteThe members of council and the mayor are all born of the same birth canal, the state Democrat committee and its associates. The idea that any good government could come from these siblings is a forlorn one.
Scott Armstrong
Michael, I have attended several City Council meetings and I agree
ReplyDeletethat Mr. Donovan is hard to hear.
Maybe it is those ridiculous eyeglass holders and his holier than thou attitude that impair my hearing. Bottom line, if you want something done in Allentown, kyou had better contribute to the right people's campaign. Someone, anyone, please prove me wrong. I didn't think so.
I CAN, contrary to any implication in my posting, I do NOT agree that donovan's vote is influenced by contributions. i do believe that the allentown democrats have become so entrenched and arrogant, that they failed to guard against this sort of perception.
ReplyDeleteSecretary of the Parking Authority Board, a postion appointed by the Mayor.
ReplyDeleteA member of City Council.
Now you add in a $2,000 donation from a major political crony of his honor.
Who does a City Councilman "serve" anyway?
No wonder it is complex.
Now Armstrong, this is why you get pigeon holed as a nutbag with O'hare, when you make broad, sweeping statements concerning birth canals and all democrats being of one mind.
ReplyDeleteYou want respect, but you never give any.
Mike Donovan should not be surprised that the wolves are nipping at his heels, because that's what you and O'Hare are, wolves who cry "baa baa" and try to play the victim sheep. "Woe is us in Allentown" you cry.
Grow the hell up. 2009 is your opportunity to do something. Mobilize voters for the alternative. Don't cry about how mean and bad Ed P is, get off your ass and sell Tony Phillips.
You can cry or you can do. I think you would rather sit in the back row and cry. it is safe there.
I'll count to ten now, and wait for your patent, "you are an anon coward" response.
What I can't comprehend is why you have to comment anon and write your name at the bottom of it. Haven't you figured out how to create a google ID yet, or maybe you are one of those folks barred from having one for not so nice comments? That's one explanation.
The other is you don't know how to do it. Probably the latter
he accepted a contribution and voted against his contributor's intentions. the perception i get is that he bites the hand that feeds him, not that he's engaged in any kind of quid pro quo.
ReplyDeleteneutral, the parking board is completely packed with pawlowski supporters; rosenfield, mccarthy, gross, etc.. the reasons to retain the lot were compelling, the reason to sell it embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteanon7:07, few people contribute more, especially in the west park neighborhood, to allentown, than scott armstrong. you if don't know he's a doer, you don't know much about allentown
anon 7:55, although donovan was the single no vote, i would have preferred him to advocate for the verizon workers and taxpayers with his fellow board members before the vote, there were three meetings. the vote was postponed at the first meeting when i questioned the time given the request for proposals. the vote was postponed at the second meeting because they wanted more members present to spread out the guilt. although not all members were present at the third meeting, they had kept mr. zawarski waiting too long already, and voted, a real dog and pony show.
so your beef is that he wasn't shrill enough for your liking. Not everybody is nasty in local politics. It can be civil you know.
ReplyDeleteanon 9:56, but many people are nasty on the blogs, especially anonymous antagonizers. as the only citizen who bothered to attend the meetings and try to defend both the verizon workers and taxpayers, i'm entitled to express my observations, you're not.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a pattern here. After 8 years of bashing Heydt on a regular basis (though he did leave us with $8 million in the bank) the Morning Call has harmed Allentown.
They endorsed Afflerbach, endorsed his bad policies and ignored critics who raised alarm bells. Then, 3 1/2 years later, it became so obvious that this guy was a horrible Mayor, then the Morning Call starts pointing out all the mistakes after the fact. If they had listened to critics before the decisions though...
Now we have Pawlowski. Same thing. The Morning Call endorses his horrible ideas and makes excuses for him. And they, once again, ignore the critics who pointed out the facts. Now, it seems that it is quickly becoming apparent that Pawlowski is a horrible Mayor. In fact, he is WORSE than Afflerbach. More to come...
and they wonder why their circulation numbers are down. This paper deserves its fait, they have been the problem in Allentown for too long.
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous-you are of course still a coward.
Scott Armstrong
Hey Scott Armstrong:
ReplyDeleteThat you are incapable of creating a screen identity that links back to your propaganda blog says more about your intellectually shortcomings than anything you might post.
I'm not the same anon, I'm a neighbor, and mostly, many of us wish you would move, far, far, far away. The Moon would be good.
There you could continue to look down on all of us, much as you do now.
You aren't our leader. you just think you are.
dear anon 10:49, it's hard for me to believe your scott's neighbor. regardless of the political persuasion of everybody around west park, they appreciate the time and effort scott puts into that neighborhood.
ReplyDelete