Jun 4, 2013

Allentown, Free Market Reject

With all the press conferences and announcements, sometimes it hard to remember that the Free Market passed on Allentown. Not one project, nor one dollar, is coming from private hands. Credit Pat Browne and J.B. Reilly for the mother of all incentives. Credit Mayor Pawlowski for labeling the public money grab as a Transformation, and The Morning Call for their eagerness to disseminate such propaganda. A decade ago, the real marketplace rejected Heydt's attempt at a $14 million dollar arena. Now, working 7 days a week under lights, using public money, we are building a monument to hope, at 20 times the price.

8 comments:

  1. Mike,

    Too many politicians see their role as to directly create jobs rather than create conditions that favor job growth.

    Scot Armstrong

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  2. Exactly how many "new" jobs are not over when the construction ends?

    Exactly how many of the 'new' businesses relocating to the NIZ are actually from out of state, and not just transferred from some other unfortunate Pennsylvania region's tax rolls?

    I talked to two SEIU gentlemen on 7th and Hamilton yesterday at lunch. They were protesting against an unfair state budget. I asked them if they were aware of where all the money being used to build the record-smashing minor league hockey arena just across the street from where they were standing was coming from.

    They conspicuously chose not to answer.

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  3. A good housing stock would more in keeping with the situation, as that was one of campaign speeches by the king¿ This would help more than all the development presently going on a user freindly allentown were the blightable rentals that have three families living in one bedroom apts¿ The only reason these propertie were not targeted by this administration is because of campaign donations paid¿
    redd

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  4. Scotts right, remember when Reagan first talked about giving companies and buisnesses a break in taxes to create jobs. The job creators.What happened? the result was no jobs but stengthining their bottom line to attract buyers,diversify,invest in overseas plants,the great begining of outsourcing.Polititions are a crafty bunch,both parties are to blame for the mess we are in.

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  5. @11:16, no replies to your comment will appear. i only print it as a reminder that off topic comments, especially replies, and general politics, are not welcome.

    ReplyDelete
  6. MM -

    The role of government should be to make sure there is a level playing field for all. Too many politicians forget this.

    It shouldn't be about special deals for a few cronies or income redistribution to buy votes. Both are wrong, and eventually lead to financial train wrecks.

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  7. You know that it is a bold faced lie to say that not one dollar is coming from private funds. Why would you mislead people?

    ReplyDelete
  8. @3:44, to my knowledge all the debt service will be paid for by the state taxes collected, $32 million was tapped in 2012. in reilly's case, penn national loaned
    him $20million before the authority was even formed. if butz fronted money for his addition, it will come back to him from the taxes. fyi, i never intentionally mislead. if you know of money being invested by the approved NIZ beneficiaries, which will not be reimbursed by the taxes, feel free to state details, but don't call my post a lie, without facts, names and figures.

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