Emergency Medical Services were called to the Renaissance Hotel multiple times Thursday Morning, as viewers of Pawlowski's power point presentation attempted self mutilation. Reportedly, one man tried to blind himself, while another attempted to cut off his ears. According to eye witnesses, Pawlowski delivered the same speech at the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Mayor's Breakfast, as he did to the Rotary Club, in the state of the city speech. Most of the self mutilation involved people who attended both events. Although Tony Iannelli's hinted at regret when introducing Pawlowski, he told an aide afterwards that his apology to the Chamber won't be enough, and that he'll probably have to resign.
When Tony introduced Pawlowski he said that despite everything, the city must go on. Although he is right about that, it doesn't mean that he needed go ahead with the breakfast. Even Allentown City Council, not known as a bastion of courage, voted no confidence and has called for Pawlowski's resignation.
Of course the real news in Allentown is that the NIZ may have run its course. Besides for the poached tenants Reilly already stole from elsewhere in the valley, not one new tenant has come forward. The time has come for Allentown to reevaluate and regroup. It's incumbent upon the Chamber and other organizations to stop encouraging Pawlowski's denial, and also move on.
ADDENDUM: The only portion of the speech that the Morning Call reported on is that Pawlowski wants to give free pre-K and college, at tax payer expense. Since becoming the object of the FBI investigation, Mayor Ed has been courting the little people. He fails to mention that the city's new demographic is very transient. He would be sending many kids to pre-K who would likely not be here for elementary, and likewise, paying for college for many new arrivals. However, as he well knows, since it would be a ballot question involving higher taxes, its chance of passing is near zero.
UPDATE: The Lehigh County Authority is filing suit against Allentown for improperly inflating its sewer expenses so that rates to the municipalities could be raised. Pawlowski counted the water lease among his accomplishments.
photocredit:The Morning Call
Is it true then Iannelli is on 24 hour suicide watch?
ReplyDeleteWe had our INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NIGHT last night at The EPICENTER and we verified that entrepreneurship and business is alive and well in Allentown with almost 100 people showing up to network and speak about their endeavors. If given time, I believe the City would have eventually risen again, organically, but we will never know. All we have now is scandal, propaganda, and denial and the only ones who can save us is US. If only people would stop waiting for the other proverbial "shoe to drop" and move froward to bring tourism to the new infrastructure we have downtown. Because what ever happens to the guilty parties is something that we cannot control, but we can look past them and start infusing the value into the new infrastructure via events and promotion as a community. No, we may not be millionaires or billionaires and our businesses may not make 100k or more a year, but we still have the ability to make a difference in this topsy turvy town, and, in reality, we may be its' last hope.
ReplyDeleteAlfonso Todd
One difference between the Chamber and Rotary presentations appears to be the Mayor's proposal for a ballot initiative for “free” Pre-K and Community College for Allentown residents.
ReplyDeleteThe reports I’ve seen mention a $109.50 “fee”, and Pawlowski estimating that $13 million would be generated annually. Doing the math, that would mean it would almost certainly have to be a “per resident” fee (like the per capita tax) and not a “per household fee” (like the trash fee). So the real annual cost to a family of four or an elderly couple might be far more significant than the Mayor is trying to portray. And that's on top of the 24% tax increase that working families in the city already got with Pawlowski's earned income tax hike.
And by making this a "fee" instead of simply increasing the property tax (which wouldn't need to be on the ballot), all the out-of-town developers and campaign contributors (oops, I mean property owners) wouldn’t be touched.
I’m not sure if I’d characterize the Mayor’s proposal as an example of liberalism or progressivism, but it appears that at least one “ism” remains alive and well in Allentown – cronyism.
They, the useless people, attending useless meetings, are still afraid of his goner. They must invite him to blather and babble or he will rat .Now the bat shit crazy loon is going Bernie Sanders with the free college. Tell you what slick, take a 20 % pay cut for all city employees, that should cover it. If this makes it to ballot, I fear it will pass. Think of all the parents, teachers etc that would vote for pre pre k.
ReplyDeleteI agree witj everything here, including the "cronyism" characterization. I just can't believe the outright shamelessness of Pawlowski, who just seems to go on and on ruining the city without remorse.
ReplyDeletethose in attendance included city employees and administrators of social agencies, which depend on Community Development Block Grants, decided, dispensed and distributed by the the city.
ReplyDeleteFree pre-K through college! Aren't parents responsible for anything any more? When do we start with free pampers? Just another move by liberals to take full control of our kids from the earliest age. Scary!
ReplyDeleteThey're coming to take him away ha ha. Does this fool think he is the school board. Not that I have an affinity for that august group, but would that not be their perview. I believe the teacher full employment board would drop this tax on us in a heartbeat. Come on all you illegal daycare center operators, he's trying to put you out of operation.
ReplyDeleteThe better question is:
ReplyDeleteHas the NIZ run it's course? Or has JB Reilly's vision run it's course?
That's what it really is. ANIZDA didn't say overbuild office space or chose the tenants. That's all on JB.
There comes a time where Reilly has to be held accountable. Tenants are leaving and new ones aren't coming, and he's got 54,000 square feet of empty space with no tenants and the Jaindls are nipping at his heels at the Waterfront with even MORE office space.
The old gents on ANIZDA need to wake up from their nap and get a handle on what's happening.
The NIZ has flaws but a fatal one was pushing all the chips into the middle of the table for just one man's vision that isn't tied to the market.
Who is responsible for dispensing the grants in Allentown? If this group is left behind to carry on Pawlowski's wishes, what is accomplished ? How much money is doled out on an annual basis?
ReplyDelete@11:35, if memory serves me it's about $3.5 million, and it's administered by city employee heidi baer. you can google CDBG for more information. because of allentown's high poverty level, the city could have spent the annual funds on infrastructure for over a decade. however, beside for some internal administrative salaries, they choose to dispense it to various social agencies. i attended the proposal meetings several times. the groups would chirp like baby birds to get those funds. this way pawlowski had (has) the different group administrators on a leash. ms. baer, like other city employees, serves at his pleasure.
ReplyDeleteHow much of the 3.5 million is given to the salaries of these groups and how much is going to the streets.?
ReplyDelete@12:25, i suspect a substantial amount. on another note, please do not submit questions as comments. generally, i will not print or answer them.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteIf people,business, and other entities such as the chamber want to maintain there integrity they should not provide an audience for elected official number 3.
Scott Armstrong
Too bad the Mayor did not have an opportunity to speak about this...
ReplyDeleteLCA initiates legal action against Allentown over water-sewer deal, wastewater services
Gary Strathearn and Pawlowski spun this deal. I have wondered, how is it that the LCA won the bid in the end? Bidding required a "second round" so the LBA could put in the Best Offer, Final Offer.
Why were Strathearn and Pawlowski allowed to eliminate the $4.5 million annual royalty payment from the LCA deal? Did they ever show us how they would make up for that money? None of the City Council members could say anything about this. Shameful. Corruption. The water users of Allentown were ripped off.
Where is the FBI on this LCA deal? Obviously the members of the local Lehigh Valley criminal organization were involved in this deal as the LCA is now showing us.
Why didn't ANYONE discover these "overpayments" during the bidding process?
So Allentown cooked the books...The residents better hope Goldman Sachs doesn't takeover the water-sewer. When will the criminals be brought to trial is what I want to know. Why isn't the morning call asking about the 2.5 billion in revenues over the first 35 years of the lease. They cheer led this whole deal now where are the tough questions. The zombie voters in Allentown will get stuck with this bill which they deserve.
DeleteThe LCA deal was bid rigging, front to back.
ReplyDeleteIf your chamber executive director is on a subpoena list for the investigation of your main speaker, no, you shouldn't be sponsoring the event.
ReplyDeleteSmart people and organizations distance themselves from people under FBI investigation.
If the downtown NIZ has run out of potential tenants one wonders if the Jaindl plan won't be scaled back or changed dramatically.
ReplyDeleteThe river project will at least provide a view . Too much office space now, easily flipped to residential.People will give it a look, I will.
ReplyDelete@5:56, the NIZ, as stated by the law written in pencil, transfers the state taxes to the developer for commercial use, not residential. although, i question how the strata is divided, nobody else does. so , for space to be "easily flipped to residential", and still bestow the NIZ financing benefit, the rules will have to be considerably "bent" . they may well be, certainly pennsylvania doesn't know or care.
ReplyDeleteThe silence is deafening. Even Anonymous is quiet this weekend.
ReplyDeleterich@8:44, although my policy and hours repress shown comments, they do not affect readership.
ReplyDeleteSo how long until the criminals get dragged out of city hall? Do we need to hire lawyers and engineer firms to study this mess? How about a powerpoint presentation on the land, sign, water and all of the bogus studies paid for with taxpayer money. Whats another $500k? Maybe Cynthia Mota will take another $1000 to vote for these studies. That pos is s t ill bragging about her bought vote on her webpage. You cant teach stupid.
ReplyDelete