With three posts written since yesterday, this blog was about to turn off the presses until at least Saturday night, when The Morning Call
broke a new story. Seems as if Mayor Pawlowski has visions of himself in the Governor's Mansion. When asked for clarification by reporter Scott Kraus, he indicated that another run for mayor would come first in 2013. The next opportunity for Governor isn't until 2014. Just when you thought things couldn't get better.
So will Pawlowski leave Allentown with a huge hole in the ground at it's gateway entrance or will he stay to see this project completed?
ReplyDeleteMM -
ReplyDeleteI suspect that this news is merely a way for Pawlowski to fill his campaign coffers with even more cash from outside the City.
Running for statewide office (or even Congress) takes an enormous time commitment, and is not something that can be done effectively while holding the post of Mayor (even if barely showing up for work). I would point to the recent attempts by Callahan for Congress and Cunningham's never-started run for Governor.
If Pawlowski were serious about running for Governor, he'd announce he's not running for Mayor quickly to give his successor some time to ramp up their campaign and build public support, which the next Mayor would certainly need.
My guess is that this is a self-serving story to stroke his ego and garner free publicity for his Mayor run.
Most importantly, the alleged run for higher office will provide convenient cover for all the pay-to-play campaign donations that are coming from the taxpayer-funded arena and NIZ.
PS - I hope your boss is paying you overtime for all the articles over the holiday
He is absolutely serious about this.
ReplyDeleteHe is also promising to make Julio the next mayor.
That is a very kind picture to post of Pawlowski,. I am sure to his family and close friends he is a warm, loving, and generous individual. I have only known him though as the mayor of the city in which I live. In this regard I find him a reprehensible elected official. It is difficult for me to imagine how a person as abrasive, arrogant, self centered, and disrespectful publicly as he, could become the mayor. I see little dignity in his public persona let alone any semblance of humility to be truly concerned about the well being of his fellow man. But he is mayor and we all have to suffer him for now, his second term. I believe the man a bully who is not past scheming to destroy the careers and lives of his detractors. Perhaps as distributing is the long list of once respectable city leaders who are part of his antics and the plethora of nefarious schemes he pawns off as economic and community development. Many of his past projects and plans, as well as his current ones, are simply delusional with little basis in current economic reality let alone sound economic reasoning and accepted financial principles and practices. However it is understandable, in these fearful times, when our city fathers have not the strength or fortitude to develop insight into a new world and take some risk in doing things differently. Pawlowski offers old worn out 1950's textbook city planning principles as his solution. Apparently the city fathers are comfortable with that and lacking the attributes listed above feel they have no other alternative. Hopefully all is not lost and some semblance of economic and community sanity will return to Allentown. The opposing party is nothing to brag about either. Completely oblivious to the needs of Allentown they indulge themselves in back biting and inparty fighting on the county level, simply to appeal to the ego issues of the party chair. Pawlowski for governor? Please. Hopefully the rest of Pennsylvania has not drank as much Kool-Aid as those in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteFor those who fully understand the political,enviromental and economic dimensions of selling off the precious water and sewer capacity, it has always been a regional issue.
ReplyDeleteIf he's serious about running for Governor he wouldn't be talking about running for another term as Mayor. Running for a new position - especially after just running for a different office - shows indecisiveness and never plays well with the voters.
ReplyDeletePawlowski needs to make up his mind, and do it quickly. The minute he files as candidate for Mayor he is sending the signal that he isn't serious about running for Governor.
Also, in a city where so many current elected officials seem interested in doing something else (Pawlowski, Schlossburg, D'Amore, Schweyer), why not a "resign-to-run" law for anyone running for anything other than another city office? Otherwise, residents are shortchanged when their representatives are focused on campaigning for other positions.
I always tell people the Democrats are turning America into Allentown. On a more immediate level Pawlowski could turn PA into Allentown.
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
With all due respect for mr armstrong, what have republicans done in allentown to improve the situation lately?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Armstrong is trying to restore some fiscal sanity to the ASD board, but keeps getting blocked by the democrats. I'd say it's time to give the Republicans a chance - both in ASD and at City Hall.
DeleteLove him or hate him, the last Republican Mayor left the City with a surplus and gave the taxpayers a tax DECREASE on his way out.
The last republican mayor was an autocratic, abrasive fellow who was much better at engaging citizens than this fellow.
ReplyDeleteIf your party has a plan for Allentown please roll it out. This independent is more than willing to listen. All I hear now is carping about the other team.
It's high time to put up or pipe down.
Under that "autocratic, abrasive fellow" (your words, not mine) the city had a surplus AND a tax DECREASE. City Hall is currently discussing another tax increase, has run multi-year DEFICITS, presided over the decline of our once pristine park system, and is contemplating the long-term lease of our water system. I could go on, but you get the point.
DeleteFar from worrying about what the Republicans are proposing, you should be asking why any Democrat should be elected/reelected to any office in the city, much less be promoted to higher office.
How bad do things have to be before you've had enough?
Oops. (-- "........ not much better..)
ReplyDeleteIf Scott wasn't such an angry, critical voice maybe he could sell his message on the ASD Board more effectively. His shrill bashing of everybody who doesn't see the easy answers he does pushes his own party away let alone other possible collaborators.
ReplyDeleteBetween his voice at the city level and the current Lehigh County GOP leadership ( who don't seem to play well together) one does not get the feeling the party is very welcoming. Hell, they seem to spend more time and energy expelling their own,who they deem less than ideologically pure.
Reality is that Scott is among three Republicans on a nine-member board. I would say that the reason he is so frequently attacked is because he is pointing out where the problems are and what needs to be fixed. That doesn't sit well with those who prefer the status quo.
DeleteIn any event, this is a post about Pawlowski, not Armstrong or the ASD board.
Why so eager to distract from PAWLOWSKI's record? Don't bother answering, I think we know why.
@11:13
ReplyDeleteIf MM will indulge me and allow me to skate slightly outside his bounds------ what you think you know is just plain wrong.
This mayors record sucks just as sure as the regional Republican Party offers no reasonable alternative.
May all ideologically driven partisans take their easy answers,assumptions and formulas and procede straight to hell.
Anybody who want to assume they understand this writers motivations-----please join them.
Thanks for the leeway MM.
As always, keep up your fine work and stay healthy. If for no other reason than we need you.
Like their brethren on City Council most of the school board members prefer to agree than disagree. It is their party mantra. Be a bobble-head, in the short run it seems a lot easier, but the gross injustice occurs in the long run when we end up with a lack of fiscal information from the city and backward unions that are mostly interested in their own agenda - $$$. The popular party has worn out its welcome, their time has really come and gone. The republicans are not much better. The county party chair could care less about Allentown and is also very much like Pawlowski, in demanding his allegiances under threat of punishment.
ReplyDelete"Meet the new boss----same as the old boss."
ReplyDelete11:05 .... and the alternative is. Give me an alternative. Don't engage in the snotty pretenshiousness of telling people what they should " worry about".
ReplyDeleteThis isn't Opra, this is real world politics.
Lead, follow, or at the very least shut the fuck up.
"WHAT ME WORRY"
"Why are democrats elected or re-elected?"
ReplyDeleteCause, sad as it is, the other party, the republicans, don't seem capable of presenting an alternative that's even remotely acceptable to an exasperated electorate.
Not a rabid partisan--- sorry, no room in the Inn.
This is a place without reason--- and increasingly without hope.
The gross abuse of Allentown's once magnificent Lehigh Parkway began under William, "It's a Done Deal", Heydt and his lying Lt., Ross, "We Didn't Cut Any Trees Down",Marcus. Coincidentally, Blights, I mean Lights, In the Parkway continues its grand run tonight. Spend $10 and disappoint visiting family with this winter tradition.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, this mayor has heaped new neglect and insult on Allentown's magnificent parks. A new standard has been set.
God save Allentown's extraordinary parks. No one on this mortal plane appears interested.
It's all the Unions fault. All of it. The Unions fault.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget the natural springs that Bill Heydt had torn all to hell to install the electrical transformers for Lights in the Parkway.
ReplyDeleteNone of this is an endorsement of this mayors abuse of the parks. Just terrible.
How bad can it get?? Wait untill a for-profit multi-national corporation cares for the Little Lehigh, give Heydt credit for the right call on this travesty.
I'll say this much for the dude....... He's got balls.
ReplyDeleteMay I announce something political then:
ReplyDeleteEverybody basically knows my favorite saying is, "WHILE OTHERS TALK, I DO....."
And if you have read my information on Facebook then you KNOW years ago I wrote:
" I am eclectic, chameleon-like. I love the streets and the game, but always end up in the corporate business side of things. I like to turn "hustles" into legitimate businesses. I am an independent, creative, event coordinator and a community organizer with no political ambitions what-so-ever. Maybe I should re-think that option.... "
And I have....
DECEMBER 15, 2012 from 3pm - 8pm is the day I want to MEET, TALK, and LISTEN to YOU !!! Se Habla Espanol !!!
I NEED to KNOW the REAL ISSUES that are effecting the PEOPLE of ALLENTOWN, PA and I want to explain why I should be the one to REPRESENT the Residents and find ANSWERS and SOLUTIONS.
REFRESHMENTS will be provided and CONVERSATION is encouraged.
Also, we are looking for VOLUNTEERS who want to accompany me as we take this "Fantastic Voyage" into the land of PEOPLE and POLITICS.
Other topics to be discussed include: how to create a more OPEN Government where topics, opportunities, issues, events, etc are disseminated into the surrounding communities and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT for our City; whereas we are building brand new facilities and structures, the true question we need to answer is HOW do WE keep them at capacity through out the year and how can the ENTIRE City benefit ?
Meet me at the Offices of ALFONSO TODD AND ASSOCIATES / PROLIFICK MEDIA, The Hamilton Business Center, 1101 Hamilton Street, 3rd FLOOR, Allentown, PA 18102
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact alfonso@alfonsotodd.com / 484.619.6541
ALFONSO TODD for ALLENTOWN / "WE CAN DO BETTER....."
You just got to love Allentown politics.
ReplyDeleteFrom whatever perspective some cream is always trying to rise to the top.
Many others do in Allentown they just do not let everyone know about it.
Many others do what?
ReplyDeleteI don't follow.
Allentown politics are sick, and made up of just a bunch of fools. Heydt raided the risk management fund, and did the absolutely stupid arbitrage deal that got the pension fund into trouble in the first place. There was no surplus. It was a charade.
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective, one cannot even say that this place has a government. More like a playground for frat boys.
You've got to love Scott Armstrong for his courage. The ASD board needs someone who is looking for something to expose. Too bad he hasn't found the motherlode over there. Keep looking, Scott. I hear that the "hire from within" policy isn't working.
ReplyDeleteThere is no reason he can't run for mayor and consider running for govenor. The gov race is much more complex in the primary and a long shot to get nominated.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it will propably be the primary that determines who is gov next. Corbett is doing alot of things that need to be done but getting slaughtered in the press. The GOP has essentially conceded Pa to being blue.
Even in Lehigh County there is no real GOP speaking for the party members, but various factions living in idealogical dream worlds.
One thing though. None of the water/sewer consultants, lawyers, bankers etc should be allowed to make political contributions in Lehigh County.
I hope he runs. He will lose both Lehigh and Northampton County after alienating everyone with his attempted EIT tax grab.
ReplyDeletePrediction, Allyson Schwartz runs in the primary in a bid to be penna. first female governor.With that scenario Ed does not have a chance.
ReplyDelete