From the archives, July 31,2007
Allentown has a few icons, such as the PPL Tower, the 8th Street and Tilghman Street Bridges. In Europe many bridges date from the middle ages, there are even Roman bridges still in use. It seems here in Allentown we cannot even keep an 80 year old bridge together. Earlier this year County Executive Cunningham and Mayor Pawlowski had a press conference under the Tilghman Street Bridge, while on the top weeds and saplings were growing out of the road bed. The bushes and weeds are still there, on both bridges, eroding away magnificent irreplaceable structures. Lets hope these great silver tongued planners stop waiting for penn-dot, and get around to buying a bottle of weed begone.
UPDATE: When I was a kid I grew up in Lehigh Parkway South, this was a development of twin homes built for the returning GI's, the streets were named for planes built during the war; Liberator, Catalina, and Coronado.(Queen City Airport was a WW2 plane factory). Getting into the rest of Allentown was a bit inconvenient. To go downtown(Hamilton St. was the Shopping Mecca of Lehigh Valley) you would have to go over the 8th Street Bridge. To get to the east side you would go down the Lehigh Street hill, up to Union and then over the river. Getting to points west required going over the stone arch bridge near Regency Towers. Construction of the 15th Street bridge finally connected the south side with the rest of Allentown. The metal deck, which was annoying from day one, was supposed to be temporary. So here we are, fifty some years later, being told the bridge is ready to be replaced. Is there anyone in authority who remembers how difficult it was to navigate Allentown before the bridge? So now the decaying 8th Street Bridge will absorb the traffic during construction of the new 15th Street Bridge? Allentown meanwhile defers simple maintenance, like rail painting, because of promises from Harrisburg? We truly are slow learners.
UPDATE: Lipstick on a pig; Allentown now has hung banners on the 15th St. bridge lightposts, distracting drivers attention somewhat away from the rusting rails.
UPDATE: Sept. 15, 2009. The railings on the 15th St. Bridge have been painted. The Linden Street Bridge, an iconic stone arch bridge over the Jordan Creek and Historic Rail lines has been torn down. No repairs have been done to either the 8th Street or Tilghman Street Bridges. Both the silver tongues are insured of re-election. We're still slow learners.
REPRINT OF POST FROM JULY 31, 2007
Michael, they're ensured re-election only if we surrender. $700,000 in a campaign war chest from contractors and union PACs statewide does not constitute the will of the people of Lehigh County.
ReplyDeleteDon Cunningham says he's fixing bridges with $20 million in savings from the courthouse project. But there are no such savings. His courthouse project, which he said he would do for $20 million, has cost almost exactly what Jane Ervin originally projected when you include the extra building he bought for the dispatch center. He ridiculed her $73 million 'Taj Mahal', and then spent the same amount. By his own accounting, he's 333 percent over budget for that project. By real world accounting, it's much more.
Don Cunningham's irresponsible spending has forced him to draw from reserves every year as the gap between revenues and expenses grows. At the end of 2010, the Tax Relief Fund will be gone, and a 2011 tax increase looms.
The local media simply regurgitate his talking points, refusing to hold him accountable for his 2005 campaign talking points which they faithfully echoed then. So, it's up to 'new media' people like you to get the truth out there. I'd be glad to sit down with you and review the county budget situation, and the peril we face every additional day Don Cunningham remains in office. You can learn more about me at my campaign website.
Sorry, Mr. Ott.
ReplyDeleteMolovinsky is a Lehigh Valley blog.
Which means he is a mouthpiece for the Morning Call, according to some Authority who posted as much somewhere.
mr. ott, ironpig is referring to bill villa's frequent statement that members of the morning call blogosphere are in unison step with the paper and others. for the record, i have been quite critical of cunningham since his first days in office, when he opened the backdoor of cedarbrook nursing home to the union. i also objected to building half a courthouse for third quarters of the price. although i do not conduct candidate interviews, you are welcome to post a short guest posting here. you may check with dr. romanchek for contact information.
ReplyDeleteCould any of the stimulus money be made available to Allentown's infrastructure? Could it have been attempted? Can we ask our Congressman? Did the Valley get any stimulus money?
ReplyDeletePS: Isn't the 1:54 p.m. posting off topic? What purpose does that comment serve? I thought things were changing and I wouldn't have to deal with or read about that stuff.