Excuse me Mayor Pawlowski for writing again, I know that you're a busy man. Me and my friend, who also worked at Mack back in the day, walked up and saw where that hockey arena is going to be. It took us a while, between my cane and his oxygen. We could barely believe the size of that hole! I bet that buildings going to cost a million dollars! My friend said that they're using the cigarette tax for the top of the building, but I told him that's nuts; That money's for children without health insurance. He's on oxygen because of those cigarettes, and you wouldn't allow the children's money to be spent that way. Anyway, with the stores gone, there was hardly anybody on Hamilton Street, but I know you know what you're doing. Those hockey games do save cities, don't they? I think my friend with the oxygen may be losing his marbles. He also said that you're going to sell the water works! I told him that he must be taking his medicine wrong. I'm going to mention it to his daughter next time she comes to Allentown. She used to live a few blocks up on Walnut Street, but moved to Catty after you sold the neighborhood parking lot to your house building friend. She got her Dutch up, because they went to meetings at the church about it, but you sold the lot anyway. You know the fancy people never moved there after all, and they had to rent those new houses out. I'm worried about my friend. He even said that you're going to mix the garbage with the poop, and burn it. I know that you're not crazy, so he must be nuts! Maybe you could come over to the senior high rise here on Walnut Street, and tell everybody that these things ain't so. Thank You.
Oh yea, and the taxes have also been jacked up for some reason or other.
ReplyDeleteSo money will be taken from the Chidrens Health Insurance Program to pay for the arena? That is health insurance for children from low income families? Lehigh Valley Hospital is a corporate sponsor of the arena? Isn't that the same hospital that just built a childrens ER? But now in one of the most economically challenged areas of PA they are sponsoring a sports venue that will be financed on the backs of poor children? And then they are going to install an orthopedic sports medicine practice? If I go on their web site and read their mission there seems to be a real disconnect with what they say they are supposed to and what they are doing as a tax free health care provider? Oh BTW wasn't the developer Reilly on the board of LVHN?
ReplyDelete@6:16, some clarification: the cigarette tax will not be used for the arena portion per se, but for the office building and hotel which will be built above the arena. LVHN will indeed be a tenant in that portion financed by that tax.
ReplyDelete"Clarification"...typical Molovinsky. First lie like a rug in the blog post and then "clarify" it in a comment. No wonder the Morning Call gave you an award.
ReplyDelete@8:34, in my blog post I said the "top" of the building. i wrote the "clarification" because I felt the comment was misleading, not my post. what is typical is the attempt to repress any dissent.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the clarification on the LVHN post however that really is a minor detail. In the end it is one and the same. Same package, you would not have one without the other. The diversion of tax dollars to benefit the advantaged at cost to the disadvantaged. A true aberration of the intent of the original law. Particularly repulsive since a tax free health care organization is involved.
ReplyDeleteOdd to have a leading hospital involved in any way in a cigarette tax financed project, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt apparently is not illegal but definitely terribly unattractive.
ReplyDeleteLVHN will indeed be a tenant in that portion financed by that tax."
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the hospital will be or won't be financed by the cigarette tax?
Every time this project is mentioned, a certain hugely successful developer's name probably will be included in the conversation.
ReplyDeleteWill some one kindly explain what is the significance of anybody, The Morning Call included, highlighting the fact that cigarette tax money is, supposedly, NOT to be used for the "arena portion" of the transformative Palace of Sport complex?
ReplyDeleteIt's okay to use cigarette tax money for an office building ... but not for most luxurious minor league hockey rink the world has ever seen?
Aside from the obvious propaganda value, I just don't get it.
The feel-good propaganda really does THAT well with all the Focus Groups?
Almost as astonishing as the fact that TMC recently admitted that Pawlowski's record-smashing ice barn is now expected to cost $ 179.5 million dollars.
(anybody remember the good old days when the hockey rink was originally only being pushed at $ 80.0 million dollars?)
Meanwhile, the NIZ Cheerleaders must be doing cartwheels over their ability to have gained access such massive amounts of Free Money!
@10:41, yes the hospital is benefiting supposedly by rent incentives offered in the NIZ by the tax incentives reaped by reilly, including the cigarette tax. the hospital is now involved in two politically connected schemes by the pawlowski administration; the second one being used a lever to justify selling a portion of queen city airport.
ReplyDeleteMr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteA thought. Sounds like these big bucks guys haven't thought of one thing about this new sports medicine facility...moms.
It's those underrated overworked moms who usually drive kids to sports medicine facilities.
The suggestion that these same moms are going to drive into
downtown Allentown with a load of kids and often a baby too to park somewhere, walk with a stroller lugging a diaper bag, to see a doc when they can just as easily drive to a nice spot in the outskirts with easy parking and easy access to equally qualified sports medicine trained physicians, are these guys sure this will work?
1:04 -
ReplyDeleteNo one is sure this will work. They really don't care. Their risk is primarily on the backs of taxpayers.
If the developers later choose to sell off. THEY, not you, enjoy any equity gained by YOUR investment.
Some deal!
One would question the primary mission of the hospital:
ReplyDeleteOur mission is to heal, comfort and care for the people of our community by providing advanced and compassionate health care of superior quality and value, supported by education and clinical research. (From their website).
The spin meisters can make anything fit as they have for years.
Interim estimate - subject to adjustment upward:
ReplyDelete300,000,000 - Downside 15,000,000, Upside 30,000,000.
Range when done: 270,000,000 to 330,000,000.
That includes all development and infrastructure for ingress and egress.
Impossible to make a profit or meet debt service at that point.
PA Dutch Shaman
Ah yes. The same lehigh valley hospital (oh "health network) that still asks little girls and old ladies to work for free (candy stripers and gift shop types) while docs and executive staff roll in dough and have benefits that would make a Congressman blush.
ReplyDeleteI am getting it now as the great allentown fair is here. After the the arena is complete the fair will be moving downtown. This would be perfect than they can truely bring back the circus side show attractions. Than the king can take his new job as the ringmaster with the rest of the clowns.
ReplyDelete