Dec 9, 2015

Allentown City Council Awoke (For Five Minutes)

On Wednesday evening, City Council, for the first time in six years that Ed Pawlowski has been mayor, didn't approve one of his proposals. The proposal wasn't actually rejected, but the 3 to 3 tie vote doesn't allow his scheme to proceed. Who voted which way, is the topic of this post. Although the Pawlowski promoted Trash to Energy company was going to charge the city twice as much, for twice as long as a competitor, the RubberStamp Trio once again sang the Yes Song. Worse yet, all three singers, Schweyer, Schlossberg, and Guridy, would like to be State Representatives. Rejecting the non- competitive offer was Jeanette Eichenwald, Ray O'Connell and Cynthia Mota. Jeanette has emerged as an independent voice on Council, but until Wednesday, usually stood alone. Many people had expectations when Ray O'Connell was elected, but it took over two years for him to stand on his own. The great surprise of the evening was new councilwoman Cynthia Mota, who asserted herself at only her second council meeting. I did not attend the meeting. This analysis is from the benefit of phone calls, and two excellent articles by Devon Lash in The Morning Call.
reprinted from February of 2012
ADDENDUM: Within a month of writing the post above in February of 2012, Delta Thermos would wine and dine Cynthia Mota,  she would change her vote, and never again vote against the mayor.  The night of the vote change, the Pawlowski and Groen scheme had the council chamber packed with over 400 union workers, most of them from out of the area. Furthermore, they had bikers outside, trying to intimidate normal citizens from entering. The FBI has requested documents pertaining to this sorry chapter in the Pawlowski story. Schlossberg and Schweyer did go on to become midgets in the State House.  Had Delta built the plant, right now truckloads of New Jersey garbage would be using the new American Parkway Bridge, to deliver additional trash to the plant.

7 comments:

  1. and none of this matters to the straight D voters in Allentown. Scott Armstrong

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  2. If you watch Mota vote, she actually looks at Guridy before she does, which implies to me she just votes the way he wants her (in turn the way Pawlowski wants her to vote). I wouldn't be surprised if she originally voted NO on the trash to cash deal because she misinterpreted what Guridy said to her!

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  3. As long as Allentown is a one-party town (and I suspect that won't change for decades), what difference does it make?

    After all, it's difficult to wake up to reality when you're dead from the neck up.

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  4. Mota For Mayor!
    If Not Now, When?

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  5. Rich Fegley and the DTE Contract

    I feel that this "deal" between the Mayor, City Council and Marcel Groen will be a major part of the FBI investigation. Delta Thermo Energy spent a lot of money to stop a Clean Air Ordinance that myself and others attempted to get on the ballot.

    The ordinance was shot down by Allentown City Council, Lehigh County Commissioners, Lehigh County Board of Elections and a Lehigh County Judge. Ballard Spahr and Fox Rothschild sent FIVE attorneys to the Board of Elections meeting and also the hearing in front of a Lehigh County Judge.

    Dude, I gave up after countless hours of work and thousands of dollars and arguments about who was going to pay for the legal fees to fight this corruption.

    There are MANY PA Public Officials that had a hand in the corruption surrounding this incinerator scheme.

    Marcel Groen was involved in this Incinerator project. Marcel Groen was also very involved in the LCA water/sewer deal.

    God help the Citizens of Allentown. Or at least the FBI may be able to help now.

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  6. You get the government that is elected.

    For some of us here in Allentown, you never get the government you voted for.

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  7. It's not who votes, it who counts the votes.

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