The former mayor of Rahway, New Jersey was the star witness for Pawlowski's scheme to sell the water and sewage systems. Never mind that Rahway is one quarter of the size of Allentown, or that it's water system operated at a loss before privatization. Their former mayor testified that the private company even installed brand new meters. Never mind that Allentown just installed new meters at taxpayer expense, which will benefit a private company. The most viable answer to the mess that Pawlowski helped create, and failed to resolve, the police pension issue, is a Public Water Authority. Although the NIZ hockey arena just completed a sale of bonds backed by a mere hope and promise, water revenue bonds, backed by the public need for a basic of life, were dismissed as unmarketable. By the questions asked last night, or more specifically, by the questions not asked, City Council handed the mayor a pre-approval on the sale. Although Pawlowski dangled the $200 million plus figure last night, and said that he wouldn't sell for just $40 million, what happens with a $100 million offer? There is a good chance that the citizens will lose ownership of the water system, yet not fund the pension liability in a meaningful way. Things like that happen at a yard sale.
It really is just pathetic how useless City Council has become. With the OBVIOUS exception of Mrs. Eichenwald, the rest remain a spineless group of Pawlowski yes-men. The city is about to get what it deserves from a failed mayor and his toady council. I hope for her sake that history ALWAYS remembers her stance against this insanity, but unfortunately there are very few Mrs. Eichenwald's left and certainly none in the city.
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