I found the Pawlowski campaign financial report very discerning. Although he faces 54 counts of pay to play, he led the pack in campaign contributions. It demonstrates how much self-interest drives so many people, and how little integrity plays into their thinking. Leading the pack for Pawlowski were the labor unions. Although the Hispanic Community are Pawlowski's biggest fans, their shallow pockets couldn't pony up much money. However, the Syrians filled that void. Like the labor unions, the Syrians vote and contribute as a block, betting on keeping their influence.
It's informative to understand the bet on Pawlowski. Although he might win in November, his time in City Hall is limited. At some point the trial will end, and he will be packing his bags for prison. Apparently, those who contribute to him are counting on his appointed replacement to honor historical backroom understandings. It is for that reason that I support Nat Hyman. Allentown really needs a fresh start.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the labor unions are supporting Ed with donations may indicate they put manpower into an election day knock and drag effort. That's is how Ed beat Heydt in 05 dispute Bill's 5 point lead in the polls. Hyman would be wise to remember that.
All the points you raised help explain my lack of patience with those who continue to support Ray or the other spoilers. All these candidate contribute to the race is to increase the likely hood of another term for Ed and a continued Democrat hold on city hall. They apparently want business as usual/influence corruption to continue and for that they deserve no respect.
Not all labor unions or labor councils are supporting Pawlowski. I personally won't support Hyman since his business acumen appears to be par with Trump's.
ReplyDeleteMany are, why? because it works for them. Not so much for the rest of the city's residents. Labor unions have been over time solid supporters of Ed Pawlowski and the other corrupt urban regimes in America. Many of these same areas are the country's poorest as well.
ReplyDeleteNice job MM. Outside labor PAC's have been the bulk of Boss Hogg's support for years. They typically support democrats who will give them union jobs when needed. In the instant case, this was highly evident on the arena project. Their continued support illustrates their distance from Allentown and the chaos this current mayor has put Allentown in. Their interest is jobs, not the citizens of Allentown. They'll support him or his heir apparent when he goes to jail. These union PAC's have no moral background and as long as they can purchase somebody they will! Without their financial commitment, Boss Hogg would have a meager campaign fund only supported by a block of Syrians seeking influence and a small uninformed Latino effort. Even the President of the Hispanic American Organization does not support this corrupt mayor and contributed to the Hyman campaign. What does that state?
ReplyDeleteAs Mike Baker @ 7:55 said, not all unions support Fed-Ed. The local public service unions are not.
ReplyDeleteEd's a crook; Hyman is a snake. Sorry can't support either. Ingram has integrity but can't win as an independent.
ReplyDeleteTake a pass on 2017 and see who the Dems put into city hall after Ed is kicked out. With luck it will be Sam Bennett and she'll really drive the city into the ground. If the GOP can get it's act together, that would insure a win in 2021. Instead of trashing Ingram, the GOP should be talking to and supporting him.
Allentown will survive, no matter what happens in the political arena.
Unions and Democrats are like soup and sandwiches. You can't have one without the other. Now we also know why Ed was so enthusiastic about getting the Syrian Muslims into the area. Bakshish.....
ReplyDelete@d9:13 Ed treats his employees like shit if they don't agree with him. Ed's method of management is my way or no way. Just look how he ram-rodded the PPL Center into downtown. No wonder the government unions don't like him. But he's popular with his constituents, and they vote. That's what really matters.
ReplyDeleteOnce again we see "helful" advice from someone clueless about the Republican Party in the city. In order not to be redundant, Dave, please refer to my posts to Jamie on Mike's previous post. As far as Ingram goes, if he is a Republican that is news to those of us who know every Republican activist and/or any Republican who ever ran for an office or expresses an interest in possibly running in the future. Ingram was never on the radar screen. If Ingram wanted to run for mayor as a Republican he could have picked up the phone and called the LCRC or reached out privately to any Republican elected official who would have steered him to people like me. That never happened. That would be his fault, we are not a secret organisation.While John appears to have been successful in his private life and is obviously well educated and thoughtful he clearly has displayed bad judgement on how to run a successful campaign, that's not surprising for anyone who has never run for office and seeks help from people who have never helped run a campaign.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that any future Democrat would be so bad, that in time the voters would look to Republicans in some future election to save them is pure fantasy. How much worse can it get, we have a Democrat mayor facing a 52 count federal indictment for municipal corruption. 35% of Allentown's Democrat registered voters still support him and people like Ray O'Connell are knowingly helping him get re-elected so that the corrupt local Democratic machine can maintain control of city hall.
If Nat Hyman loses there will not be a Republican running for or elected to any major office in Allentown for a very long time. That fact suits a large majority of Allentown Democrats who willingly accept the incompetence and corruption of of the city's leaders as long as they are Democrats.
That's a special kind of stupid.
If the Republican wanna be Hyman does not win the upcoming general election, at least the local population will be spared from this fast-growing phenomenon of people feeling the need to take a pot shot at the current President of the United States each and every time the name of the City of Allentown's Mayor comes up in public discussion.
ReplyDeleteIt must be pretty bad if the fate of the Republican party in Allentown rests on the effort of a Democratic turncoat who uses the GOP as a way to skirt around his own party's candidates. If that's the best the GOP can do then let it die. The principles of conservatism will survive.
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