On Friday afternoon there was a collision between political spin and reality in downtown Allentown. As Governor Corbett and Mayor Pawlowski toasted
The miracle that is Allentown, a police cruiser crashed right outside their gilded tent, while chasing a drug suspect. Pawlowski had said "I want to thank the state, this unique tool has created unprecedented investment in the City of Allentown." What he should have said is that he wanted to thank the taxpayers of surrounding communities, who are subsidizing Allentown's miracle. Although the state income tax rate may not increase, that money is being made up one way or another. If it's more tax on gasoline, or higher fees on renewing their driver's license, the state budget reaches out in many ways to make up for this
unprecedented investment in Allentown. Allentown's State Representative wasted no time spinning the fiasco by restricting his comment to the Allentown police. Although the police acted heroically, the representative should have also thought about the residents in his district. While they were not invited to the banquet tent, every day they live with the drug violence. If I'm fortunate enough to be elected to represent the citizens of the 183rd District, I will not be attending such banquets of self praise, but will be out in the district, fighting for a better everyday quality of life.
photocredit:The Morning Call
MM,
ReplyDeleteI am not seeing it and still am not seeing any differences in the city? The representitive should have been saying this is are party favors arriving? Because I am not seeing the same thing or my vision is clouded?
This was a history lesson in real time colurful shit in the black tie event?
redd
patent pending
MM,
ReplyDeleteThis situation is going to call for the "powers that be" to do some serious cultivation of positive components that exist in Allentown. In fact, I would advise
them to reach out to the actual residents they believed they would push out with gentrification. Why? Because it is the people
and the attitudes that will actually transform this city, not bricks and mortar. Billions have
been spent and we still have car chases and police with guns drawn running up the streets. I could have stayed in Miami for this.
Again, it is not too late, but the thought process has to change before we make any true progress with the city and not just have a transformation of the skyline and landscape.
Alfonso Todd
Totally agree with Alfonso Todd. We can build all the buildings we want but if the city does not get a control on the drug and gang problem we have in the city the arena and the rest of the buildings are not going to bring Allentown back. Well let's face it Allentown will never ever be the city it once was but I believe it can be a great city to live in again. We just have the wrong people making the wrong decisions in city hall. They need to focus on the drug and gang issues instead of trying to hide the problem by saying crime is down. I have spoke to a few police officers and people close to the police department and their reaction to the crime is down is a totally different story. Also there is the problem with the blight in the city. The city recently held an event to get citizen input on their plan to revitalize Allentown but I feel the event was a joke and just propaganda from the city administration.
ReplyDeleteThey go to great lengths to try to hide the truth.
ReplyDeleteEarly reports had Pawlowski and Mota spinning that it was unfortunate that the chase spoiled the day in Allentown, but that the incident STARTED in Whitehall. Of course it was later found that the chase had indeed started in Allentown.
Only self-serving politicians would try to spin the truth like that, and only truly arrogant politicians would expect the people they serve to be dumb enough to believe it. And such politicians can only exist with the help and cover of willing accomplices in the media.
I listened to the news reports last night on 69 about this grand alfresco soirée. Mutual pats on the a$$ and party fueled "ata" boys seemed to be the ultimate point of the evening. I found it ironic that members of the police force were risking their lives fighting the thugs that now seem to frequent Allentown more than the attendees, and right outside the tent "door". In fact I passed by about that time. I had spent the previous two hours in a meeting with two detectives while my son gave a statement about the criminal acts committed against him the day before at WAHS. It seems violence and crime happen everyday in Allentown, at least the one's we HEAR about. Man-up and get used to it folks. Crime is down! Right! I here of fairly serious crime occurring often in the City.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, livin' in the delusion that all is well in Pleasentville, USA.
David Fehr Zimmerman
PS. redd - call me, lost my directory!
julian @4:55, allentown has a long tradition of dog and pony show public input venues, but they really can barely tolerate advice from the peanut gallery. public input has become a revenue stream, one only look at renew implementing a $3.5 million dollar vision grant.
ReplyDeleteanon@6:22, although no one will ever accuse me of complimenting the morning call, i have been impressed of late with emily opilo. her report on the fiasco yesterday was no music to the administration's ears.
How true MM, Emily should have written these same articles when the water sewer lease was going on,or waste to cash adventure that still hasn't been talked about.
ReplyDeleteanon@5:22, they come and go at the mornig call, you have her confused with her predecessor, devon lash.
ReplyDelete