As someone who has attended hundreds of council meetings over the decades, I can tell you that council doesn't listen, even when topics are on the agenda. Although, I'm also surprised that the public didn't address the issue, they would have been speaking to deaf ears. At most, they would have been told that as of yet there are no specific charges, and that council will therefore not engage in speculation.
I can tell you that the citizens are indeed talking about Pawlowski-Gate. Although, I just coined that phrase, and it will be borrowed by the press. The scandal will play a part in November's election. Candidates, who were joined at the hip with Pswlowski, will be claiming that they were not associated, in any way. Although the incident will affect the election's rhetoric, it won't really affect the ethics. As someone with experience as an independent candidate, I don't see local politics progressing beyond incumbents.
the citizens are indeed to blame- they all voted for him and his puppets on council- and there are probably many hundreds caught in the palowski spiderweb wondering if their name will pop up before the grand jury for some quid pro quo. But, even if several go to jail and council has some new faces, the damage is done unless the NIZ and the water deal can be undone by harrisburg...
ReplyDeletethis is machine politics at it best, call it pay to play, or whatever, strong mayor with a part-time council has been a recipe for failure in every major american city with this form of government.
Palowski joins the long list of machine bosses in american history from Boss Tweed, James Michael Curley and Boss Sr and Jr Daley of Chicago - what an elite bunch. The Daley Crew would be proud of their legacy in Allentown.
The whole episode last night sounds like a real dud. Many possibilities for how far citizen interest in Allentown has fallen. Judging by the list of tweets, not even the Morning Call is seriously motivated to examine current conditions.
ReplyDeleteLet's consider Allentown's 118,000 residents. A huge segment is children, many others too elderly to care, a large number of people not comfortable with the English language and American culture. Probably a substantial number of residents who fear going downtown due to crime, others who avoid parking in decks. Young adults who see their future just in terms of what might happen the following week. Recipients of several forms of government assistance, quietly content. New residents to the city, others planning to move-out soon. Television fanatics. Finally, a SMALL segment who is at a job working for a living.
Maybe, in today's America, attendance last night was EXCELLENT!
Fred Windish
Fred@6:26, steven ramos, republican candidate for controller, reports on facebook that both he and wfmz received parking tickets outside of city hall, while attending the meeting. democracy is not free in allentown.
ReplyDeleteCount me among the many who spent years and years attempting to make this a good place to live and were beaten down, ignored intimidated, excluded or abused for their effort.
ReplyDeleteMany of the best people are too exhausted or too old now to carry on.
Civic and political capital have been systematically and effectively drained out of this sad city. The results are on display for the whole world to see.
Witness the hollow spectacle of the press conference announcing a new high-rise ground breaking---what could be more vacuous?
This place is in sorry shape.
If Allentown wanted better citizen participation it could conduct City Council meetings at rotating sites over several neighborhoods. Each site having plenty of free surface lot parking. The week before each meeting, distribute notices throughout that neighborhood. Imagine council meetings at Dieruff, Trexler, Mountainville Memorial, Ag Hall, etc. Yes, it's more effort for the City. However, easier, less intimidating, more welcoming to citizens.
ReplyDeleteFred Windish
the morning call is in the Zone, has a stake in the game, zero negative coverage of palwoski for 9 years -so much for independent jouralism. The current story is too big to pass by...
ReplyDeletesurprised mcall property has not been sold and redeveloped at taxpayers' expense.
The Foolish Voting Block deserves whatever they have got coming to them- and they don't even care. How can they care, when it is someone else's money that is footing the ponderous tax bill?
ReplyDeleteThey had a chance to vote for another choice for Mayor in 2005. This corruption and slovenly lack of accountability is therefore apparently just fine with them, seeing as hardly a one could drag a carcass to the meeting.
A more pathetic and apathetic lot has rarely been seen- just the way the Billionaire Boys' Club likes it.
Welcome to the real world.
ReplyDelete"Well we're livin' here in Allentown"
It's a shame that there wasn't greater turn out yesterday. As far as comments, I'm not sure there was anything to say being that we still do not know much about the investigation and the solicitor left as soon as she finished her statement. I think we all know council won't have anything to say and the controller won't have anything to report.
ReplyDeleteWe were shocked to have received tickets. It is ridiculous that we have to pay to park in order to attend a council meeting. The streets surrounding city hall should be free for anyone attending a council meeting. It's the sign of a welcoming city.
If you care to not being ticketed all over the city residents need to come to the next few council meetings as they will take up a proposal for city wide parking permits. I would hate to have to pay to park in front of my own house or have to pay to have visitors.
It would be a different concern for me if Allentown was wholly responsible for paying for whatever blunders, even abuse, IT produces. I no longer own properties there but still can't escape its reach. This is a STATE tax matter, too. No matter where you live in Pennsylvania, you have been affected.
ReplyDeleteWe keep hearing how our state budget is stressed. How taxes MUST be increased, fees raised, services reduced. Our local state legislators are not blameless in this matter. Better care in how our dollars are distributed might have avoided all of this before it got out of hand.
Fred Windish
I've got better things to do than bash my head into a wall trying to get through to the loyal Democrat Party hacks who run this town with an iron fist.
ReplyDeleteMichael - this is very much what I just said on Bernie's blog...
ReplyDeleteLast month I was elected Vice President of the President's Council of the Allentown Crime Watch but soon found my self President ... This message shows how I can find myself in interesting positions without really trying.
ReplyDeleteDespite not having done anything I have been advised that there are people out there who would jump on me verbally at today's President's Council meeting should I initiate discussion in regard to the Mayor's current crisis. Well, I believe that nobody is above the secular law and nobody is above the Moral law of God either ... And when I need guidance on what is proper in regard to ethics and morality, the moral law of God always trumps the Secular law.
While the situation confronting the Mayor is a legitimate issue facing the people of Allentown especially if he has indeed broken the secular law which means he might have broken the moral law of God too. Which would be a shame if he did as the Mayor actually went to a religious school and had a ministry in the Chicago area. Fact is, I do not plan to initiate any discussion myself concerning the Mayor's plight at today's President's Council meeting.... The issue that the President's Council must discuss is where do we stand with the Conservatorship Program as advocated by the late Ernie Atiyeh ... And although we are not connected with Ernie's COPS program we need to have information in regard to the status of that organization ... And I don't know if all the information would be available for us tonight. But I do know that the COPS Office that Ernie ran in a building associated with the Sacred Heart Hospital is closed Also, we need follow-up information in regard to the K-9 Fundraiser ..
For the President's Council , it is indeed unfortunate that Ernie Atiyeh died and Richard Wilburn chose not to continue as President ... Therefore, my rise to the Presidency is indeed unexpected ... And unexpected too was Pawlowski's legal problems which were announced almost at the same time I ascended to the Presidency of the President's Council.
It is my hope that tonight our neighborhood leaders stick to the issues that contribute to the mission that the President's Council seeks to advance ... And that mission is neither defending or attacking the actions of our political leaders whether elected or appointed at the detraction of getting our house in order unless the same political leaders have been the cause of our problems . And that mission can not be advanced if individuals wait to pounce on other individuals simply because of their perceptions of what might be discussed.
One should know that in running my neighborhood I never allowed my neighborhood to become a coffee cache or cell for any political party or candidate for office or public official ... Yes public officials and candidates are welcome to come to our meeting to listen and may be given a chance to speak but we don't endorse any one even me when I was a candidate.
Knowing that it is absolutely essential that we recover all the records that were held by Ernie related to the President's Council. Conservatorship program and the COPS program ...
I am experienced to know what my responsibilities are and what obstacles I have to get around to make the President's Council get on even keel again So I will live through interesting times before everything is straightened out ...
Dennis Pearson
Dennis I will pray for you in this new appointment¿ As for counsil, they are all complicit¿
DeleteLike when rebuilding a city the first issue addressed must be the foundation, than there is the top to bottom gutt for the ReBuilding process to begin¿ Like the public and private sector there is mechanics to the process taking place¿ This cannot be like "Whats in the flopp" for allentown pa with a paintbrush in hand with these great expectations in Allentown pa With No Limitations¿
SEE there will be more Federal Supenos going deep into the public sector as deep as Allentowns political corruption¿
Does anyone remember if the ASSphalt on Hanover ave was truely ever corrected by pendot or just givin a pass¿
redd
patent pending
Michael, I only said "Democracy is dead" about 15 times. I gotta' admit, the three-minute on-screen egg timer at these meetings is a nice touch, letting citizens know exactly what they are worth.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteI wrote on Bernie's blog that city council is a group of marionettes with their strings cut now. Un-animated by their former puppeteer they are even more lifeless than usual. I for one think it may be time time for a new master to appear. Us, the residents of the city.
Scott Armstrong
As an indviduals, when something this big goes wrong, it takes time to process. The truth is, I now have a desire to be more informed/involved in our city. However, showing up to a council meeting for the first time, last night, would have been for no other reason than to be a spectator. I suppose that could have been a small step and even the presence of interested bodies might have placed some pressure on the council but I believe, no matter how many loud or subdued attendants, the script would not have changed. Noone was getting answers last night and quite frankly, I'm not sure that any answers (short of personal responsibility) from council would have been satisfactory. What I would have been expecting is an apology to the citizens for having us in this position. A plan for what will be done to avoid such shame to this city and how we will be moving forward after what has been done is done. I find it much more beneficial use of my time to comment on a blog and have constructive conversations then it would have been to waste my breath at a meeting that's outcome was already predetermined.
ReplyDeleteCity employees, not just City Hall staff, are scared stiff. Everyone's afraid to say anything or even smile or chuckle at the wrong moment.
ReplyDeleteThing are going to get worse, way worse, before they get better.
The place is a mess.
ReplyDeleteMike, good post. Thanks for what you do.
Something I'll be sure to say next month: there's still free parking on bridge.
Kidding aside, there will be more to say in time. I think most people understand that it's not just a case of an emperor having no clothes. It's a Mayor with no more relevance.
Next FBI target is 1/2 block east and 1/2 block south of City Hall on Penn St. Who did Atiyeh support in the primary for school board? And what about the finances of ASD? Just listen to the board of bobble-heads as they begin to sound just like their city counterparts.
ReplyDeletetrue.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
If Allentown wanted better citizen participation it could conduct City Council meetings at rotating sites over several neighborhoods. Each site having plenty of free surface lot parking. The week before each meeting, distribute notices throughout that neighborhood. Imagine council meetings at Dieruff, Trexler, Mountainville Memorial, Ag Hall, etc. Yes, it's more effort for the City. However, easier, less intimidating, more welcoming to citizens.
Fred Windish