ADDENDUM: Two members of council have stated that they will indeed pass their amended version of the budget tomorrow evening.
UPDATE: Fellow local blogger Bernie O'Hare feels that Wild was serving council's interest by notifying them that the budget deadline was December 15th. Pawlowski now claims that the cuts made to his first budget, legally justify a new budget by the administration, and the review processes must start anew. Susan Wild has not opined on Pawlowski's new assertion. The notion of Susan Wild serving any master other than Pawlowski is news to both me and council.
UPDATE DECEMBER 8TH: Last night I asked a council member about solicitor Susan Wild, who replied that she has provided them with excellent counsel.
robert trotner, like you i never left local politics. also, somewhat like you, i have been fascinated with the recent presidential election. while you have been among those outraged at trump, i have been bewildered by the outrage.
ReplyDeleteRobert, Thanks for the heads up. We can all unite on the need to weed the evil from Allentown's garden.
ReplyDeleteThe City solicitors have made several "rulings" in the past that no one has ever really questioned or challenged. Fear. Fear seems to take over and we just move on and pretend it never happened.
ReplyDeleteIt is time for Council to call this bluff. No fear.
The income tax increase is illegal - the solicitor is misinterpreting the law and case history, the assertion that the municipal service tax is steady is false - the charter sets the rate at $52, and council needs to know how much money is being given to Niz developers with the illegal income tax increase.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the surplus promised with the water lease? Council still has not admitted that part of the reason for the unrealized surplus is that with the lease we kept employees that were funded by the water department that are now covered under the general budget and pension costs are still rising. Within a few years we'll be back to what we were paying before the lease.
....and it's healthy to keep an eye on all things government local, state, and national. Thanks for your insights.
Rich, I believe that City Council will not back down. IT is too bad that it is not unanimous because of CAndida Affa's blind support of Fed-Ed.
ReplyDeleteIf I were mayor Pawlowski, I would advise him to go along with Allentown City Council. Yes, he can make a symbolic veto of what they pass, but that will be overridden. He needs to lie low. The FBI investigation has gone on now for well over a year, and the shoe against him hasn't dropped yet, and likely won't as I don't think the FBI has enough evidence for a conviction.
ReplyDeleteMayor Pawlowski needs to focus all of his efforts and resources on the Democratic primary next spring. If he can win that, and I think he might, then he will have a new mandate from the voters to deal with the City Council next year and reverse the changes he doesn't like.
MM,
ReplyDeleteyou seem too have eliminated my last nights statement as to the nice nightcap to a trying day with some of the co-horts of the notorious hamilton street gang o thugs! Than today I redd mr. Fegley's statement as to fear I don't call it fear because there is nothing to fear in the word. Now TERRORIZATION is a more fimiliar word and has left some to be trumatized over and over by the very same people that are but trusted servants? We all redd the cause and effect cause ruling clause again today?
My thoughts are were there any people working with the mayor and police chief as to the criminal activities designed by none other than the CURE?
See ya all tonight for the REpete offences ommited and commited by same actors?