Next Wednesday evening, August 29,at 6:30pm, citizens will have the opportunity to speak out against the Water System Lease. Mayor Pawlowski refers to this right of expression as
grandstanding. He may be half right, but perhaps the grandstanding is by City Council. Take for example the hearing on the Trash To Energy Plant. Although one environmentalist after another spoke out against it, including those normally supportive of Pawlowski, Council still voted yes. If the water plant is profitable enough to attract buyers, why shouldn't the city retain the asset? Normal Pawlowski sycophants, such as Schweyer and Schlossberg, might want to consider the long term political consequences. Both Councilmen visualize a political career starting in Harrisburg. When a private water company starts raising the rates, which will affect the entire valley, their votes may well provide their future opponents an issue. I must exclude Jeanette Eichenwald from the grandstanding implication. She was sincere in calling for the public meeting. Will her colleagues seize their opportunity for leadership?
UPDATE: The Morning Call announced the meeting on it's website with the following headline:
Public to get say on Allentown water, sewer plan. The public will be allowed to speak, if they get a
"say" remains to be seen.
UPDATE: Jeanette Eichenwald has an
editorial today urging her fellow council persons to vote against the water system lease and explore alternatives. Although her independence is nothing new, I applaud her effort to influence her colleagues.
Oh, they'll just blame the evil private entity that runs the water system. One wonders if Sacred Heart Hospital will send their new government relations ghuru their water bill.
ReplyDeleteShow Trials and Rubber Stamping are good for public morale.
ReplyDeleteGrandstanding promotes chaos and counter-revolution.
Control of the communications is essential for success.
So is backchecking.
Shaibu!
VIKTOR TIKHONOV
I will vote against anyone who supports this sale as long as I live.
ReplyDeleteI am a Dem. "super voter".
Fellow Dems.,join me.
When there is in your opinion no public forums, i.e. the NIZ.. you bitch and complain. When there are public forums you still bitch and complain... It makes you look like that you can't be pleased no matter what happens.
ReplyDelete@10:12, you are referring to two enormous decisions. one involves bonds for 30 years, the other a 50 year lease. both involve about $200 million dollars. they both, imo, should have been put to public referendum. instead, they were virtually unilateral decisions by pawlowski. yes, i complain and bitch about forums where citizens cannot speak, and council's which ignore public pleas.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think that it should be a referendum every time? Is that not why you voted for the elected officials? To make the choice on your behalf?
ReplyDelete@8:18, the municipal water system goes back to before 1905, and has been the backbone of allentown's influence in the valley for the last 40 years. referendums should be used when such major decisions are made that basically change the city's future. if not a referendum for an issue of this magnitude, why have that option? in truth, allentown politics are acting in a vacuum, devoid of an active citizenry. this is the result of the huge sociological changes which has occurred in the last decade. do you work for the public relations firm hired by the mayor?
ReplyDeleteAug 23 7:30 at sacred hart hospital is the next public meeting with the king holding the public hastage. The city calender is blank on aug 29 were is this going to be held?
ReplyDeleteANOTHER FIX IS IN.
ReplyDeleteIt's all a joke in Allentown.
So are you going to vote for the reelection of any of the current council members or the mayor?
ReplyDeleteWhat does the Allentown EAC say about all this ? Surely they have responded?
ReplyDeletethe meeting will be held in the council chambers, 1st floor of city hall
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteALONG WITH FRESH AIR, NOTHING-----NOTHING,
IS MORE FUNDAMENTAL THAN WATER!
HANDS OFF THE PEOPLE'S WATER.
8:18 -
ReplyDeleteHere's the problem. Even the worst politician (and yes, Pawlowski is the worst) will eventually be voted out of office. The contracts he's entering into, however, will last well beyond his time in office.
The tax base will be paying for years after he is gone for the decisions of the king of allentowns economic demise.
Delete@10:52, with the Private For Profit Experimental Trash to Energy plant, we may have already lost the right to fresh air. once they start hauling in extra trash from new jersey to make the plant more profitable, we will be the laughing stock of the northeast. that vote will follow cynthia mota. what will follow schweyer and schlossberg to harrisburg?
ReplyDeleteThis is Pennsylvania :
ReplyDeleteDemocrats = unaccountable and unbeatable
Nothing will be following Cynthia Mota, etc.
There is no longer an EAC in Allentown .
ReplyDeleteHas surrounding communities recieved there money that was stole in this cash grab?
DeleteLeasing the water system is pathetic. More dog and pony shows..err..PowerPoint from Mayor and PR Company.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the root cause of the problem? Ridiculous pensions given to City of Allentown employees by a prior administration.
Just like that administration did, this one is doing the same exact thing...punting the ball further down the line.
Defined benefit plans are hardly ever found in the private sector, most are defined contribution.
The unions and the city are both equally as guilty with the pension debacle.
Unions corrupt the political process by voting for the person who promises them the most. The cycle keeps repeating until someone has the gonads to stop it. The voters will not; as many have become dependent on those in power.
Unions have no place in public service IMHO. They unfairly are able to abuse the system and vote themselves more.
The mayor will get his way, council has demonstrated they are his puppets.
Now dance puppets, dance!
In a few years when the local authority which seemingly may get the water works sells out to Aqua America, watch out. The ones blamed for the rocketing water bills will be Big Water!!!
Ms Jeanette Eichenwald's editorial was quite good and quite well researched.
ReplyDeleteMy questions would be where did this private company come from ? Did the city reach out to them or did they approach the city.
Is the Mayor or any of the other council members friends with or related to it's owners.
Has the company or it's owners donate any money to local political campaigns ?