When I was a kid, at the end of each episode of The Life Of Riley, William Bendix would say,
What a revoltin development this is. Imagine how poor J.B. Reilly feels, one $Billion dollars worth of development, and everyday the headline reads that the mayor is a crook, although not yet charged with any crime. Worse yet, is the realization of all the shenanigans, and all the willing players. If city hall and the council chamber would be really purged, there wouldn't be enough people left to run the city. Truth be told, this city deserves the scandal. Whoever heard of electing people endorsed by a mayor everybody knew was going to be indicted. Instead of starting off city council meetings with a prayer for good judgement, they should instead apologize, for all their poor decisions.
News sources state that council will finally vote
no confidence in Pawlowski. Each meeting more citizens express no confidence in council. Vicky Kistler will take over Community Development. Although, she has no experience in many aspects of that department, and the head of Building and Code just retired, she should do no damage. In all due respect, beyond everyday city operations, City Hall should be making no major decisions or initiatives; They no longer have the moral authority.
For my skepticism about municipal intentions, several years ago Bill White called me
dour and misguided. In my mind that's much better than
indicted, which will soon describe those he admired.
If Bill White was a man he would offer you a written apology.
ReplyDeleteI hope they all go to jail. Allentown City Council should all be ashamed. Their silence is the reason we are in the situation we are in. They were given permission to not have to speak. Pawlowski empowered these opportunists.
ReplyDeleteI want them all to go to jail now. I warned them.
We were always the Cassandras'. Scott Armstrong
ReplyDeleteThings are starting to become more clear, for sure. Allentown will continue to suffer unless MOST of this cabal is removed. Installing only a new Mayor, in itself, is not enough. There is a taint on City Council that will remain if left intact.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is, Pawlowski is out-of-office very soon. Next, City Council gets all new faces, BUT, there's a twist to what I think best for Allentown.
Ray O'Connell becomes Interim Mayor, then runs for re-election to Mayor. I have worked with Ray on several educational initiatives when we were both ASD employees. Ray has demonstrated abilities and characteristics that will make him an OUTSTANDING mayor. In this, I have no doubt. Ray is a highly versatile leader. He will mesh well with other top administrators, residents, media, and those wanting to do business in Allentown.
Of course, there is some guilt by association Ray needs to overcome, and he has many detractors, but unless Ray is actually proven to have done something illegal, he's a 'keeper.'
The rest of City Council? Best for ALL of them to leave City Hall.
Fred Windish
Touche'......
ReplyDelete- Alfonso Todd
What I find astonishing, is the fact that Ed Pawloski acts as though none of this is happening. What I find even more astonishing is, how many sycophants he has on his Facebook page. Are these people oblivious to the allegations being made against the mayor, or are they just in denial? The mind reels.
ReplyDeleteRob
Never underestimate the fidelity of the uninformed party loyalist---in both parties.
ReplyDeleteFacts are simply not part of the equation.
Allentown municipal government is basically in a holding pattern until the FBI investigation comes to a close and all of the indictments are served. Then we will know whom the accused are. I think most of those who are charged with crimes will resign and probably plead guilty to whatever they are charged with.
ReplyDeleteThis is all white-collar crime and besides losing their jobs, and perhaps their pensions and benefits, I don't think anyone will actually go to jail.
If Mayor Pawlowski is indicted I'm sure he will resign. He will probably have his lawyers talk to the FBI and arrange a reduction of charges in turn for a resignation and I'm sure he will move out of the city somewhere else. He came here for a job in the middle 1990s, but this is not his home. He will probably go back to Chicago where his family is.
I don't know who will replace him, but the next election all of those who supported Mayor Pawlowski will either not run or likely not be elected. Then we will have a clean government.
Allentown will survive all this :)
The problem is this: in order for the degree of corruption Allentown suffers to have occurred, there had to be many many players. There is no possible way to believe that those in City Hall and on Council were oblivious to the illegal machinery of this town. Short of removing everyone in City Hall, I can only assume that the old ways will continue. As long as we have a Strong Mayor form of government, and as long as the NIZ has ZERO oversight, our city will fall victim to the next set of vultures poised to take advantage of a decidedly undemocratic environment.
ReplyDeleteTake for example, Ms. Mota. She was OBVIOUSLY corrupted. I mean...the story of her vote in Delta Thermal Energy is just over the top in its obvious bribery. Since local party leaders witnessed this AND approved of it, I can only assume that local party leaders are IN ON IT. They are part of the problem.
The city needs radical and real reform, and a permanent, impartial babysitter who cannot be swayed by political bribery.
The Delta Thermo Energy deal was corrupt from the beginning. Marcel Groen was looking for a Mayor of a city to invest in his incinerator scam. I was the one who changed Mota's vote to a NO. That is when Pawlowski knew that I was not one of his supporters.
ReplyDeleteMarcel Groen and company then "convinced" Mota to vote YES. This was pointed out to the public at that time on no one cared. It was just considered business-as-usual just like the Schlossberg "ghost voting". LOL. We actually allow this corruption.
Ray O'Connell voted for Gary Strathearn's 50-year water lease deal with the LCA. Was this 50-year lease helpful in "solving" the pension crisis? No, I don't think so and I don't think there is one other person who can show how this was a "solution".
After O'Connell voted NO on the DTE incinerator, Pawlowski did everything he could to get O'Connell to rubber-stamp the next big deal.
Ray O'Connell and the other members of Council voted for a Strathearn/Pawlowski/PFM water lease deal that was totally corrupt.
O'Connell voted to raise the parking meter rates when he knew that there was no official study published showing that meter rates and time needed to be increased.
O'Connell voted to spend $5-million of the water/sewer lease money on Pawlowski projects like the $1.4 million Atiyeh property.
Fred Windish, O'Connell is simply a "keeper" if the FBI does not expose what he has done that is illegal? His poor decisions are not enough to throw him out?
Thank God the FBI came to Allentown.
I don't think the Federal Government can let them off the hook with a simple slap on the wrist. I think they will pay a fine, go to jail - for a token amount - 6 months? 5 years probation. But the Mayor - I'd say 3 to 5. Just a guess.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted to really clean Allentown, you'd need a lot of bleach.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have to get rid of everyone on ANIZDA.
Every Pawlowski appointee anywhere - especially APA.
All of city council.
Brand new solicitors and none from firms on the subpoena list.
All brand new department heads.
Just to start. I think organizations like GLVCC, LVEDC and Trexler Trust all chose to ignore what they saw and in my opinion, that's a big part of the problem. All of them run in the same crowd.
Rich Fegley -
ReplyDeleteAs for Ray O'Connell, I want to see him as Interim Mayor. After that, he can stand for re-election and the voters will decide. Ray might have made decisions that you and I would not have made, but that doesn't make Ray a bad guy.
We don't know what information Ray was privy to. Given that so many others in the Pawlowski administration are deceptive, devious, etc., who knows if the Information Ray reviewed was even complete or truthful?
Ray's prior work experience and his personal qualities are FAR superior to those who surround him on Council. Just do a one to one comparison and it's obvious.
I share your passion in wanting EVERYONE to be let go over there, but that's not realistic. Given time as Interim Mayor, I believe Ray will be seen as a 'keeper' by more citizens.
Keep up the charge, Rich Fegley! You've been effective.
Fred Windish
What benifits will Ed D walk away with? Pension,sick days ,personal days, vacation days, 401campaign funds. I'm sure that every day he remains will add to the total.
ReplyDeleteCan we get Jeannette Eichenwald back? The Iron Lady did her best to fight all of this!!!
ReplyDeleteFred Windish, what makes one a "bad guy"? What would Ray have to do to be considered "bad"? How about "bad" decisions?
ReplyDeleteHow about the c-word? Corruption? At what point would we consider a City Council member's decision making corrupted? When is it considered corruption?
I asked Ray about what information he received. He chose to remain silent and not say anything to me or the public. Why is that?
I would like everyone to define "bad" and "corrupt".
"Illegal" must be when the FBI says it's illegal. Who decides what is "bad" and "corrupt"?
I guess I told you all so when I ran for mayor. Would be nice to have this over
ReplyDeleteRay made some very questionable choices.He is someone who wants to do the right thing but too often doesn't.He could at best be a caretaker until someone with real integrity is elected. Scott Armstrong
ReplyDeleteRay is a decent man, that doesn't vindicate him.
ReplyDeleteIs Ray O'Connell a very classy man like Mary Ellen Koval is a "very classy lady"?
ReplyDeleteThen Ray should follow suit like Koval.
It should read like this...
"Ray O'Connell, despite what he's facing now, is a very old-school, very classy man who got swept up into this," his attorney said. "He realizes that he did wrong, and his last act of devotion to the city of Allentown is resigning ... and accepting his responsibility."
Will O'Connell and the others accept their responsibility in this corruption?