It's Wrong To Justify The Riots, Period

Yesterday, Alan Jennings had an editorial that said yes the riots are wrong, BUT, you must understand the racism behind it. Last night, and today, rallies are occurring around the country, in solidarity with the beleaguered of Baltimore. In their politically correct version, the rioters are now protesters. That CVS and Mall that were looted and torched were subsidized to build there, after the riots of 1968 chased away any private investment. The protesters on Monday night went as far as to burn down a new senior housing development, now there's a political statement for sure.  Racism does exist, but so does lawlessness. Rather than riot over the death of a prisoner, it would be more productive for the neighborhood to examine why so many of its males engage in criminal acts. The apologists and professional advocates will reply that the cause is poverty. Fortunately, there is a growing segment of that neighborhood that is too busy working and bettering themselves, for such self-defeating rationalizations.

The IDF In Nepal

By 5:00 PM on Monday evening, the Israel Defense Forces had established a field hospital in Nepal, and deployed its famed search and rescue teams. Wherever there's a disaster, Israel doesn't hesitate to lend its resources.

An Inspection Of Hillary

Multiple sources report that independent Bernie Sanders will enter the presidential race this week. Supposedly, he will fortify his entrance by competing as a Democrat, and employing veteran political advisor Tad Devine to run his campaign. Although Sanders cannot wrestle the nomination away from the Clinton machine, if significantly engaged, he could submit her campaign to much needed scrutiny. With no primary opponent and a doting press, she has thus far enjoyed an undeserved cakewalk.

Obama and The Urban Thug

A segment of this country, and Obama's White House, have been apologizing for the urban thug, riot after riot. After the riots in Ferguson, these apologists blamed the lack of diversity. Time after time, Obama's Justice Department indicted and investigated the police, resulting in a self-imposed restraint. Yesterday, as tension grew in Baltimore, this police restraint had consequences, Baltimore was torched and looted. This resulted not from a lack of justice or diversity in Baltimore, but from a political climate which wants to excuse every urban thug, as being oppressed and lacking in opportunity. Besides those excuses being delusional, they haven't diminished the looting in fifty years.

The Obama Cult

Obama gave a very good performance at the Correspondents Dinner, he did everything but sing and dance. Of course it was an audience that loves him, the press. The ultra liberal Huffington reported each separate quip in a separate article. The left gushed that he bashed the entire Republican field. What a performance, but, unfortunately, he's President. In that role, objectively, things aren't going so well. We  now have a Middle East policy that's only reactive at best. While terrorism is becoming more and more widespread, he still wants to close Guantanamo Bay, and afford our enemies an OJ defense in NYC. While he himself now calls The Affordable Care Act Obama-Care, and considers it his legacy, doctors are retiring in record numbers, because of the paperwork and reduced compensation. His support is based on personality, not on performance; That is his true legacy.

The Pawlowski Polka

Yesterday, we learned that Edwin Pawlowski intends to harvest his Polish background as a fundraising technique. His campaign has brought aboard a Polish-American organizer to promote him as their voice in the U.S. Senate. Pawlowski's activism in that community will be a surprise to local Polish Americans. Today, we learn from Easton's Sal Panto that Pawlowski has kept Allentown clean and safe; That will be news to people living in center city. Essentially, his campaign seems to be based on myths, instead of reality. Allentown, under his watch, did tear down a number of buildings and replace them with new buildings. If that replacement revitalized the city remains to be seen. Pawlowski's role in the NIZ is debatable. When telling the story across the state, he will have to be careful not to mention that all taxpayers, state-wide, are paying for things which they neither own or enjoy.

Your Vote Counts On The Local Level

If you are going to complain about the parking meters, slumlords, trashed neighborhoods, crime, absentee landlords, blight, homeless issue, graffiti, lack of government transparency, lack of city services, illegal dumping, traffic, lack of community engagement, lack of green space, unsafe streets, lack of youth programs, etc then you need to get out and vote on May 19th for the candidates that you feel will do their best to address the issues in the city. It is the local government who makes decisions that can affect your life right here in Allentown. Local elections determine what happens in your neighborhood, from your water to your recyclables, from your public safety to your quality of life. Your vote doesn't matter? Truth is, local elections are where the power of one vote is greatest. Local elections are frequently decided by a handful of votes. This year’s election will be your opportunity to exercise that one vote and have a voice in who represents you in our local government. By Julian Kern, candidate for Allentown City Council

Addendum:  Julian Kern For City Council Website

Pawlowski Manager Makes Honest Man Of Morning Call Reporter

Mike Fleck has made Daryl Nerl an honest man. I don't mean that they got married, but Fleck has hired Nerl to promote Pawlowski for his senate campaign. As a former reporter for the Call, Daryl did that anyway, making him very unobjective as a journalist. After being laid off by the Call during a major downsizing, he landed at a local AOL Patch. Now, at last, he can apply his political bias as a paid spin doctor, for Fleck's political campaign consulting. In addition to managing Pawlowski's senate campaign, Fleck has the entire Pawlowski stable of candidates; The PAC(s) includes the Allentown School Board, Allentown City Council and Lehigh County Commissioners. These campaigns are being financed by the NIZ Barons, bringing us some of the best candidates money can buy.

EMAIL From Ed Pawlowski

Dear Friend, We hope this email finds you doing well. We would like to take a moment of your time to tell you about Allentown School Board candidates Elizabeth Martinez, Audrey Mathison, Charlie Thiel and Marc Telesha and their plans to restore the community’s confidence in the Allentown School District. Allentown is becoming a better place to live and work every day, but the community has lost faith in the city’s school district. The staff has been reduced to less than bare bones, school buildings are not as safe as they should be and the quality of education is suffering. We aim to restore the community’s pride and confidence. With the right leadership, we believe we can make this once-great district the best in the Lehigh Valley. To restore the community’s confidence in the district, Elizabeth, Audrey, Charlie and Marc will do the following: 
Work to restore proper student to staff ratios 
Work to improve the safety and security of our students and staff 
Hire a more diverse staff that reflects the community
Partner with business and other government entities to promote programs in the best interests of our students 
Provide support for school athletics, which drives school pride
For more information on Elizabeth, Audrey, Charlie and Marc and the rest of Citizens for a Better Allentown slate of candidates, please visit www.citizensforabetterallentown.com. Thank you for your time and consideration and please don’t forget to vote for Elizabeth Martinez, Audrey Mathison, Charlie Thiel and Marc Telesha on May 19. Citizens for a Better Allentown

Mayor Pawlowski, your letter begs a few questions. You do realize that two of the four candidates that you're promoting are already on the school board, which you apparently find deficient? How will electing your chosen candidates achieve these goals without significantly increasing taxes? Do you honestly feel that these goals are not shared by the existing board, and the other candidates that are running? Do you understand that democracy and the city is better served if not all candidates, on every board and council, are chosen by you? Please stop confusing Reilly's new buildings with a better city. As mayor, please stop saying that quality education is lacking in Allentown.

Lehigh Valley's Political Lethargy

Political apathy in the valley crosses most sectors of the community. If it's inter-city low income people preoccupied with day to day food and shelter issues, or the well heeled in the suburbs, few elections provide choice at the ballot. Last fall, I observed that the majority of incumbent state representatives were unchallenged. Despite the Wehr's Dam controversy, come November, South Whitehall residents will have three choices for three slots. Uncontested elections have almost become the norm in the Lehigh Valley. There are a few exceptions. The Allentown School Board race this year is highly contested. The local Syrian Community tends to vote, and vote en masse. Although election returns indicate higher turnout in the more affluent areas, that demographic seldom produces candidates on the local level. There will be no waiting in line at the primary election next month.

South Whitehall Clerical Staff Unionizes

molovinsky on allentown was late to press this morning, running down a tip that South Whitehall's clerical staff unionized. Sources verify that this past Thursday the staff voted 9 to 4 to join the Teamsters. Apparently, the idea to organize grew out of a employee dismissal last summer, affiliated with the Tonkin tax embezzlement case. Although no criminality was ever suspected by the affected employee, her competence came into question. This fall the discourse between the employees and commissioners was further heightened by the unanimous vote to change the defined pension system, from benefit to contribution, although only future employees would be affected by the change. The received tip said that the staff unionization resulted from "meddling" by the Commissioners. Although unionizing does indeed seem unusual for a small staff of only 13 employees, it's not clear if "meddling" by the Commissioners is a bad thing. The residents of South Whitehall deserve elected representatives who are engaged, and willing to guard the taxpayers best interests. On a personal note, as an advocate engaged on the Wehr's Dam and other issues, I've had only courteous and helpful responses from all staff members over the years.

The Morning Call's Pawlowski

There used to be a billboard on the New Jersey border that said You have a friend in Pennsylvania. It can be said that want-a-be senator Pawlowski has a friend in The Morning Call. Actually, it's sort a new friend. Neither current reporter on today's Call article really knows that much about Pawlowski. Although Pawlowski has only been in the valley less than twenty years, the reporters have been here only twenty minutes. Their frame of reference is the Morning Call archives, whose stories were as distorted then, as they are now. If historical accuracy and truth are what you're looking for, this blog is one of the few places that you're going to find it. In today's timeline on Pawlowski, they write that in 05 he beat former mayor Heydt in what was then the most expensive mayoral race in Allentown's history. Actually, there was a third candidate then, a self-funded independent. Although I only got a few percentage of the vote, I attended over thirty events with Pawlowski. Night after night, I suffered through his same power point presentation, and heard his well rehearsed feigned sincerity.

Because Pawlowski has been mayor while Browne and Reilly created the greatest state sponsored private windfall in history, his campaign manager has a story to tell. We here in Allentown know the real story. That story involves dirty streets, crime and no improvement in the quality of life. So, plug your $2 into the parking meter, and listen to the Morning Call's version.

UPDATE:  Ed Pawlowski has officially announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate this morning.  From his website :  I intend to spend the majority of my time calling donors and  doing the hard work required to defeat an incumbent senator.  Ok Ed, but who will be running the city for the next  two and half years of your mayoral term?

The Honest Broker, Missing From Lehigh Valley

In a previous post, I told how South Whitehall's Christina Morgan would be coming forward suggesting a referendum on Wehr's Dam. Last night, as if on cue, she made her backdoor suggestion, hoping to help the Wildlands still demolish the icon. Also in a previous post, I mentioned that the Allentown Parking Authority presents contrived surveys, to justify their rate hikes. Also on cue, that claim was made last night, to justify doubling the meter rate in Allentown. We were also told that tickets are only reluctantly given, to enforce rules which benefit everybody. As one who has often seen street sweeping tickets give out en masse, with no meaningful sweeping, I know better than that. We live in an area where bureaucrats can say and do as they please, with no scrutiny from the press. The bureaucrats are imbued with arrogance, thinking they know best, certainly much better than the dirty masses. The press is nine to five, satisfied to report what is said, with no need to know the real motives. The public, for the most part, is content with this diet of abridged news. On the national level, they're so conditioned to spin and attitude, that facts no longer count. Who cares if you have to pay $2 an hour to park on empty Hamilton Street on a Tuesday afternoon?

Benign Neglect, Allentown Park System

Word from East Side warrior Dennis Pearson is that the Allentown Park Department is preparing to tear down the pavilion and other structures at the East Side Reservoir. I don't know if ownership and responsibility has been affected by the lease/sale of the water system to the Lehigh County Authority, but in recent years the park system has adopted a benign neglect policy. A prime example is the Fountain Park Pool. Over a $160,000 filter pump, a pool which would cost $millions to replace was allowed to decay beyond repair. As often documented on this blog, the WPA Structures have received no maintenance, what-so-ever, for decades. Complicating the infrastructure neglect, there has been a secession of out of town park directors with a background in recreation. Unassertive City Council park committees, and cronyism at the Trexler Trust, have also contributed to the demise. Save but for the archives of this blog, the neglect has gone undocumented. Despite the benign neglect of the last decade, our magnificent park system has endured for almost a century. With some care it will serve Allentown residents much longer and better than a minor league hockey arena.

photo courtesy of Dennis Pearson

Wehr's Dam Challenges Integrity Of The Wildlands Conservancy

Chris Kocher, President of Wildands Conservancy, publicly stated on their website and a Morning Call editorial that Wildlands Conservancy will certainly respect whatever decision South Whitehall Township makes about the dam’s future. The same pledge was also repeated by their director, Abigail Pattishall, prior to the vote on March 18th. This blogger has learned that there is a back door plan under way to still demolish the dam. Prior to voting on the dam, Commissioner David Bond suggested that perhaps the issue should be turned over to the voters in form of a referendum, because of the expense involved in keeping the dam. Bond voted to save the dam, but only after the yes votes were already in a majority. My sources reveal that Commissioner Christina Morgan, who voted against the dam, and the Wildlands' Pattishall, are encouraged by the prospect of a referendum. They know that any question to the voters which increases taxes or expenses always loses.

The entire Wehr Dam study lacked integrity. The million dollar price tag assigned to repair the dam was a blatant scare tactic. Realistically, the repair cost would be only a small fraction of that amount. Unfortunately, this inflated figure has been taken at face value by The Morning Call, and repeated article after article. What Christina Morgan and Abigail Pattishall fail to realize is that unlike their inflated dam study, support for the dam is very real. The thousands of people who signed the petition, while visiting the dam, are very real.

The current Explore issue of South Whitehall Park News fails to mention or honor the dam's retention. Likewise, the Wildlands Conservancy has not acknowledged the decision, and a previous pledge to move on to other projects. Randy Cope, South Whitehall's park director, might be a member in good standing with the Wildlands, but he is failing the citizens of South Whitehall, by ignoring the peoples' wishes to celebrate the dam. Any referendum on the dam,  originated by commissioners, will be a vote against the wishes of the townships' residents.

photograph by K Mary Hess

Allentown's Uptown Admission

From the crumbs breaking off the NIZ windfalls, it's apparent that no elected position in Allentown is for the little guy anymore, even election to the school board. This event announcement, sent from the Chamber of Commerce email account, shows that $14,000 is being raised on Charlie Thiel's behalf, before anybody even walks through the door. Among $thousand dollar hosts are developers Reilly and Jaindl. Sponsors at $500 include Pawlowski and our state representatives. Nobody gets a sip of wine or bite of cheese for less than $100. We have candidates who will spend three times more on their election than the district spends educating a student. What's the lesson here?

Whitehall's Hozza Inherits Allentown's Syrians

Back in day, when demolition began to build the arena and Reillytown, Whitehall's Ed Hozza was cutting the ribbons with Ed Pawlowski. At the time, I questioned what he was doing there. Hozza's enthusiasm for Allentown's project quickly waned, as he realized truck after truck was dumping the former ground up buildings into  Whitehall's quarry. If that wasn't insult enough for Hozza's support, within two years Pawlowski would be supporting Hozza's current opponent. Although Hozza may have lost Pawlowski's support, there's a new power broker in Whitehall, the former Allentown Syrian community. The Syrians in Allentown developed their political influence back in the days of District Attorney George Joseph. Voting as a block, the Democratic Club in the ward could be counted on in local elections, and numerous Syrians ended up working in various departments of Allentown City government. Through inter-marriage and relationships, many non-Syrian names became part of the base, even including extended members of my family. Although that power base has shifted north in the last 15 years, it took Pawlowski's refusal to raise the Syrian flag to make the move official. In the future, the flags will be raised in Whitehall.

Incited Allentown School District Race

Someone or something has incited a crowded school district race, and I believe that it's Scott Armstrong. Thirteen candidates are running for five spots in a race that normally barely has enough candidates to cover the spots. To the ire of the Teacher's Union, Armstrong has consistently and loudly identified the pension issue as the financial problem of the school district. Understand that although it is well known that pensions are bankrupting the school districts and the state, Pennsylvania failed to enact any change, even with a previous Republican Governor and both chambers of the State House. Understand that the failed proposals for change protected all previous and existing employees, and only affected future hires. Never the less, the unions are so strong that nothing more than lip service is ever implemented. Pleading children are used as props to protest teacher and program cuts, resulting from budget realities. While Armstrong has the courage to articulate the facts at the meetings and in editorials, he became a scape goat for some operating only on emotion about music and art programing. Ironically, Armstrong himself was schooled in fine arts, and his work is first rate. Truth is a heavy coat to wear in politics, but Armstrong carries the weight well. If the burden isn't heavy enough, Pawlowski is attempting to influence the results. He and the districts two lightweight state representative, Michael Schlossberg and Peter Schweyer, have started a PAC to push their hand chosen candidates. Out of thirteen candidates, Armstrong offers the homeowners the most mettle for their tax dollars.

UPDATE: The last sentence above as been modified since being published early this morning.

The Monster Parking Authority

Back in September, I wrote about a center city homeowner exasperated beyond fairness by the Allentown Parking Authority. Here are a few excepts from his letter in that post.

I am writing to express my surprise and dismay upon receiving yet another citation from the City of Allentown.
This time a street cleaning ticket. THIS ONE IS FOR 50.00!! It states repeat offender.
Is this really how to construct a GOOD neighborhood?
Now I am in the pool for the city to collect fifty dollars at a time?
This policy is unbelievable and unconscionable.
I realize that the city is hurting for money, but this is not the way to raise revenue.
Sweep tickets, APA tickets, all kinds of inspections, fees to visit fish, and what else?
I really wanted to have a good experience living in this city.
You must not allow the city to tax/fine/extort this kind of money from cash strapped intercity residents.
I will not pay 50.00 for a street sweeping ticket.
The insult is further compounded because there is no redress to these matters prior to the escalation of the fine fee.
No good will come from the City of Allentown continually stepping on the very citizens that stabilize our neighborhoods.
Respectfully,

Mark's new letter, to the full City Council

Where did this insult of a program (the "repeat offender designation")originate and who supported it?
I am a stabilizing element in my neighborhood and a twenty year plus resident in center city Allentown.
I pay my taxes and my street cleaning fees.
The Allentown Parking Authority makes a profit from street sweeping. I have now been designated as a "repeat offender".
Am I to be subject to this new tax forever? This is certainly another tax.
How about parking tickets? Will they too have a repeat offender category?
I Have to work different hours, and can't always get back to move a vehicle at noon.
I can't park on the north side of my block because drug dealers punch and otherwise dent my and other citizens cars parked in front of their shops.
The Allentown police are working hard to control this problem - tax money well spent.
The police department does not produce income. Why does the Allentown Parking create wealth?
Hammering low income city folks with this predatory penalty driven program to fill city coffers is just wrong.
Living in the center city should be tolerable and maybe even safe and enjoyable for residents.
One more straw on your camels back.
This is how you cause citizens to say "I'm done".
I would appreciate a response. Please tell me how wrong I am and why.
Thank you,
Mark XXXXX

Mark's reward for his protest? While waiting for his day in district court to appeal his "Repeat Offender" status, the Parking Authority mounted the orange boot on his car. While OAPA holds house tours on 8th Street, and $millions of dollars are spent dressing up 7th Street, the salt of our city is punished for living on 6th Street.

UPDATE: The above post is reprinted from November of 2010. As I wrote yesterday, I have posted often about the Authority. A decade ago, I would go toe to toe with the director at City Council meetings and outside her office. It's somewhat awkward now, because I'm friendly with the current director. However, the same essential flaw exists with the Authority. That flaw is that it allows itself to be periodically used by Pawlowski's Administration, to further some other city agenda, at the direct expense of the residents.

Parking Authority Preys On Poor

Although the shopping district in Allentown has shrunk down to only Hamilton and 7th Streets, the meter district remains as it did during the heydays of the 1950's. The meters extend from Walnut to Chew, from 5th to 10th, well over 1000 meters in 20 sq. blocks. Parking meters extend out to 10th and Chew Sts, three full blocks beyond the closest store.* These meters are a defacto penalty for the residents, mostly tenants. In essence, it is a back door tax on Allentown's poorest citizens. The apologists claim the tenants can purchase a resident meter pass, however their friends and visitors cannot. To add insult to injury, in 2005, to help finance a new parking deck for the arts district, the Parking Authority doubled the meter rate and fines. Testimony to City Council permitting the rate increase indicated it was favored by the merchants. At that time I documented to the Council that in fact the merchants were not informed, much less in favor. The vote was 5 to 2, with Hershman and Hoover dissenting
* I used the above copy on my posting of October 3, 2007. In the past several weeks the Parking Authority finally removed the meters in the 900 block of Chew St, 50 years beyond their legitimate need.

UPDATE: The post above is reprinted from September 2009. I have published dozens of posts on the Parking Authority. In 2005, I conducted two press conferences on their abuses; One conference was at 10th and Chew Streets, and concerned the oversized meter zone. The second conference, directly in front of their office, concerned the fabricated merchant survey that they  presented to City Council. Old tricks die hard. Forward ahead to 2015, and the Parking Authority will once again penalize both existing merchants and residents.  The new plan is to double the meter parking rate from $1 an hour, to $2, and extend the metering time to 10:00pm.  They claim that the merchants are in favor of this plan. Although I will not conduct my own survey, as I did 2005,  their survey defies logic.  Why would any of the few surviving merchants want their customers submitted to a destination city parking rates in Allentown? Despite the hype,  Allentown is not Miami Beach or N.Y.C.. In reality, just as the taxpayers are subsidizing the arena zone,  now the merchants and residents will be subsidizing the arena plan through punitive parking rates.

Gethsemane 1934

Maria Magdalene (Mary Magdalene) is the Russian Orthodox Church located on the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
The church is dedicated to Miryam of Migdal, a follower of Jesus. Maria Magdalene was the first to see Christ after he was resurrected, and was a crucial and important disciple of Jesus, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tzar Alexander III as a commemoration for his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, in the traditional tented roof Russian style, including seven onion shaped golden domes. Photograph dates from 1934

reprinted from April 2014

Allentown's Historic Syrian Community

When my grandfather first arrived in Allentown he lived in the Ward, on 2nd. Street. It was around 1895 and the neighborhood was full of immigrants. Some groups came from the same area in the old country, most noticeably the Syrians, from the village of Amar*. They were Antiochian Orthodox, a minority in a Muslim country. The congregation of St. George's Church on Catasauqua Ave., largely is descended from those immigrants. Well known names in Allentown, such as Atiyeh, Haddad, Hanna, Makoul, Koury and Joseph are among their members. They were among one of the first groups to organize, and those organizations still exist. The photo above was organized by the Syrian American Organization in 1944. Note that Jewish, on the left, is treated as a nationality.

* hopefully my Syrian friends will correct any historical errors I have made.

click on photo to enlarge

UPDATE: The above post is reprinted from March of 2010. I have repeated the post several times since over the years, and have written other posts concerning Allentown's historic Syrian Community as well. Although I didn't grow up in the Ward, I grew up with their children, who had by then also lived in other sections of town. Throughout the 1950's and 60's, the organized Syrian community wielded considerable strength in local Democratic politics. I assure you that Pawlowski went hat in hand to their leadership even in 2005. This week at least a portion of the community came to City Council, hat in hand; Pawlowski had denied their request for a Syrian Flag ceremony at City Hall. The Syrian political influence in Allentown has been somewhat weakened by a large migration of that community to Whitehall. I will also concede on Pawlowski's part that the current politics of Syria is indeed very complicated. That reality aside, the large local Syrian community deserves some public recognition of it's historic role and roots.

Jerusalem

In the city of awe-inspiring sites, the most imposing is The Dome of the Rock. The Dome covers the Rock from which Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven to receive a message from Allah. The Jews believe the rock is the Foundation Stone, from which the world was created. On it, Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac and the Ark of the Covenant stood when the Temple occupied the Mount. The Mount and Temple was enlarged by Herod, during the lifetime of Jesus.

Jews pray at the retaining wall, The Western Wall, which survived the Temple's destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. The bottom four rows of stones date from Herod, below current street level, there are 17 more layers.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is west of the Temple Mount. The first church was built on the site in the 4th century. Christians believe the church encompasses both the sites; where Jesus was crucified, and also buried and rose from the dead.
reprinted from July of 2013

Lehigh Valley Replay and Repay, The Study Of The Studies

Yesterday, The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission announced a new traffic study for Lehigh Valley. In that article they mentioned how much traffic there currently is, how much is expected, and which routes it will be using. With that information already in hand, what do they expect to learn from the new study? Last night, a symposium on the Valley again discussed our future. This blog in the past discussed Renew Lehigh Valley, the $3.4 million dollar study completed last year, which defined our present and future. Has our future changed that much in the last four months? What we really have is a cottage industry of recycled public bureaucrats, who conduct endless studies on the public's dime. Unfortunately, they're not really cottage, but fully funded organizations, costing the taxpayer extra, for those redundant reports. They in turn hire professional journalists, mostly former reporters, to publicize and legitimize their function. It's not easy for Pennsylvania to have a $30 Billion dollar budget and still be broke. That takes many Commissions, which study nothing new, but recommend another study.