2016 isn't shaping up as a good year for Allentown. As the top floor of City Hall is being arrested, Pawlowski remains in psychological denial, still putting up inane facebook posts in the early morning. J.B. Reilly could also be more truthful about Shula's closing. He told the Morning Call "We're certainly interested in a more lower-cost concept that has a broader appeal to the community and neighborhoods," Now, we all know that he doesn't really want a neighborhood friendly eatery below his millennials at Strata Flats. He's trying to sell those tenants an image which doesn't include the underclass. Besides, Allentown gave them their own shopping and eating district further out 7th Street, and would prefer to keep them on the north side of Linden Street.
Anyway, even as a dour and misguided blogger who never got with the program, I couldn't have written this script if I had tried. Which donkey will the FBI pin the tail on this week?
MM,
ReplyDeleteNo winners in this whole situation... Even when the smoke clears, on both sides, we the Citizens of Allentown, PA, will be left to pick up the pieces...
- Alfonso Todd
I think this is considerably more simple than many make it out to be. It's the inevitable outcome of any program built on forced redistribution. It's why there is such massive corruption in the welfare industry.
ReplyDeleteSo, millions of dollars of other people's money sluices past backwater, small town politicians who have never made more than a hundred grand a year in their lives. *Of course* they start grabbing some for themselves. One didn't have to be Kreskin to see that one coming.
The big problem isn't that Chicago Eddy Pawlowski is a crook. Left to his own devices, he'd only manage to be the pettiest of petty crooks. But give him access to large amounts of other people's money, and that's when things go catastrophically wrong.
Let's not have any more boondoggles like the NIZ. They don't help anyone. Ever.
- Jeffrey Anthony
Perhaps 2016 will see a new beginning.
ReplyDeleteEd will not be Mayor. The drama will play itself out, one way or another. The question is who will replace him.
With regards to Reillytown wanting to keep out the underclass from the NIZ, I don't expect to see any Dollar Generals or Roy Rogers Steakhouses downtown anytime soon. The charade will continue as long as the river of money from Harrisburg keeps flowing into Allentown. What I suspect will happen is that Mr Reilly will find some chef out of the American Culinary Federation that wants to open a first class bistro. Reilly has the infrastructure of Shula's already there, presumably down to the pots and pans, tablecloths and silverware and let New Chef come in and reopen it. All Reilly has to do is change the sign on the building.
I'm sure the belief is in the upper floors of the Reilly tower is that Shula's was burdened with debt in Saucon Valley and that was the cause of the restraunt's demise. Let Shula's take care of it's own mess and we'll bring in someone new without all that baggage.
Just some thoughts
Dave
Of Illinois' last seven governors, four have ended up in prison.
ReplyDeleteBut I've never heard of 3 or 4 or 5 members of a City Council / Government going to prison. Looks like Allentown is set to break a record.
As for Shulas, open a Noodles and Company or a Ramen joint - that will satisfy the millennials that live in Strata Flats.
It's a bad business strategy to leave out 99% of your potential customers to satisfy the 1%
ReplyDelete@9:10 Allentown, despite being the third biggest city in Pennsylvania is small-time politics, and a one-party town. Boss Ed has City Council in his pocket. They're all in the bag together to one degree or another. Given Ed's education at the Moody Bible Institute, they might all go to the same church together as well.
ReplyDeleteMs Koval won't be the last to be indicted. I suspect the FBI net is wide in City Hall. Ed is just the biggest in the school of fish.
When we finally get new council members will their children get jobs also?
ReplyDeleteI've called the liars out publicly at City Council meetings. Only Eichenwald supported me. The rest of Council remained silent for years now.
ReplyDeleteThe Chamber of Commerce lied to the public.
Council approved buying the useless Atiyeh land for $1.4 million even after I warned them that this was not their money to spend in this way.
Council seems to think that being silent is better than lying. Their silence has been a disservice to the citizens of Allentown.
rich@12:56, allentown park dept. is pushing to put a bike path through it's former atiyeh parcel adjoining schreiber's bridge. as a park advocate i'm opposed. the list of existing park needs is long; the last thing the department needs is more land. it should be put up for sale, albeit at a loss, because pawlowski payed far above market price.
ReplyDeleteThey have completed the bike path section by the road runners house.
ReplyDeleteIt's a scam to justify the Atiye boondoggle.
@6:37
ReplyDeleteYes, replacing the gravel path that was more appropriate in every regard.
What an insult to all the runners.