Wednesday Evening, 8:40PM
This evening, hundreds of out of area union workers packed City Hall Chambers, forcing police and fire marshals to deny access to dozens of local opponents of the Trash to Energy project. Among those who had to push through the hallway crowd to reach the council chamber, were the Morning Call reporter and Frank Concannon; I presume he was summoned by the Mayor as a safety vote. In the hallway, a former high ranking city employee explained to me how the project jeopardizes all the City's previous investments, in both trash removal and sewage system. The Trash to Energy Plant would burn both trash and sewage, in an unproven technology. Adding irony to this attack on our air quality, many of the most informed opponents work for non-profits, dependent upon the City, for both funds and contracts. Those opponents not intimidated by the union workers, must then worry about the Mayor. How many will be unable to speak this evening because of the union maneuver to jam and close the room? A proper reaction by Council would have been to postpone the meeting, and move it to a larger venue. Experience tells me that it will be a long meeting, with the yes vote coming about 11:30.
UPDATE: The Trash to Energy plan passed about 1:00 am. The vote was 4 to 2, with Cynthia Mota's compliance. Frank Concannon left before the vote. When he arrived about 7:40pm, he had to go through a group of bikers in front of city hall.
Rubber stampin' ain't easy.
ReplyDeleteThey let us in. I spoke around 11 PM. Still no vote as of 1 PM.
ReplyDeleteYou were off by an hour.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteNever think that it can’t get worse in Allentown because every day the Pawlowski Administration and his cohorts insure it will. The only thing missing last night were the signs labeling opponents of the trash burning plant as racist.
What we have now is the A-Town Democratic Machine moving forward on a plan that one professional assessment and many residents fear will further compromise the environment and fiscal future of the city.
Scott Armstrong
Scott, the dynamics in the hallway were unbelievable; from the hell angel type bikers there to intimidate, to the liberals and supporters of pawlowski, wondering if they should follow their conscience, and testify against the incinerator. hispanics i spoke with could only shake their head about cynthia mota.
ReplyDeleteRetired ASD teacher here.
ReplyDeleteAllentown is firmly on its way to municipal bankruptcy.
Between this and the arena boondoggle, its citizens have been stretched "without limits." A microcosm of what's happened to America on the national level.
Gee, I hate Chicago.
The two "no" votes were probably staged for appearances sake.
ReplyDeleteLike I am supposed to believe there is any genuine and sincere "Balance of Power" on this all-Democrat Rubber Stamp Council of Apparatchiks.
Not even sure why Mr. Concannon even bothered to show up --- he could have better spent his time at home preparing for the impending arrival of the magnificent $ 160.0 million dollar Palace of Sport.
JUST SHOOT ME, PLEASE
O'Connell and Eichenwald are opposed to the project. what benefits it can possibly provide for the citizens are hard to fathom. Cynthia Mota's reversal, especially after saying she was concerned about environmental factors the first vote, is a sad reflection upon her. the science fair demo she saw didn't even burn the sewage coal in a combustion chamber to demonstrate or verify emissions. she was more concerned with the company's investment, than the citizen's air quality.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, Mr. Molovinsky ...
ReplyDelete... after all the garbage that has gone down previously in the People's Democratic City of Allentown ...
... I just have an incredibly hard time believing that the two no votes were not staged just for appearances sake.
And that's the way it is.
The Democrats have only themselves to blame for their credibility being in absolute shambles.
(Needless to say, Cynthia Mota's reversal did not do much to rectify this most unfortunate situation)
JUST SHOOT ME