In addition to his site on World Soccer, Rolf Oeler also produces a blog on World Hockey. Here at molovinsky on allentown he has received penalties for unnecessary rough play, but at his own site, he's the referee. Here's his take on Pawlowski's Palace of Sport.
That's always what I imagined Rolf looked like
ReplyDeletejon, for the record, i didn't mean for the photo to depict rolf.
ReplyDeletei've changed the image to avoid any misunderstanding
ReplyDeleteIs that your "Independent" analysis, Jon Boy?
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE knows YOUR imagination runs more than just a little wild, What-Am-I-Gettings-From-Big-Government.
Meanwhile, my exceptionally beautiful girlfriend says, "Does that annoying Carpet Cleaner guy from New York City know ANYTHING at all about Allentown?"
Outstanding question ... she's is far more than just a pretty face.
RO
Retired ASD teacher here.
ReplyDeleteThe blog helps to point out the absurdity of Allentown's arena project. Problem is, it's much too late to halt such foolishness.
Ed Pawlowski latched-on to what he saw as other peoples' money to create a large focus project to rival positive development happening in Bethlehem.
Had current analytic discussion taken place openly 2 years ago, this unwise investment might have been stopped. I, too, hold the Morning Call's complicity responsible for what will be a massive burden on a poor city for many years to come.
The math on this whole thing (has anyone seen it) is surely unfavorable. Even the main benefactor, the Phantoms, gets away with little, to no, investment of its own money. By giving away naming rights, advertising and concession revenue to the Phantoms, Pawlowski effectively covers what is presented as Brooks Group "private"
investment.
Even with a full season of sold out hockey nights over several years, it will be impossible to cover the carrying costs of this project. The money isn't there from small arenas, in small cities. Never has been.
Pawlowski would serve his taxpayers better by diverting most of his energy (and their monies) to quality of life issues, like public safety, urban cleanliness, open space, and the modernization of household utility delivery. Items that make the lives of EVERY resident better.
Only after Allentown gets it's existing house in order, will arena ideas begin to make sense. Unfortunately, there's no glamor, no bang,for Pawlowski in that. His skybox at the arena can wait, don't you think?
I wonder if a $160-200 million dollar purchase of lottery tickets would prove to be a better return on investment?