There are at least a couple of facebook groups devoted to Allentown politics. It is on these groups where one finds opinions about Allentown from those who care most about local politics, besides just at election time. Over and over I keep seeing people post that Allentown needs a clean broom sweeping. Although I wouldn't argue with that notion longterm, they must remember that city council is picking the next mayor.
Some people are even suggesting that the chosen candidate should ask all the department heads to tender their resignations, and that each person in each position should go through an reevaluation. In all due respect, let us keep a working city government. There are buildings to inspect. There are streets to repair. There are taxes to collect.
Roger MacLean, the acting mayor, is an experienced administrator. I expect that whoever gets appointed as interim mayor will also have experience. There are many competent people working at city hall.
The opinion by acting solicitor Dan McCarthy that O'Connell and MacLean are ineligible to be appointed interim mayor on April 6 seems to be gaining steam, especially with council retaining McCatrhy at least through that date. Ironically, Candida Affa has been calling for a new face that isn't tainted for the top spot. Nobody is more tainted than her, having been Pawlowski's last diehard supporter. She is throwing the last hand grenade in Pawlowski's behalf.
It is my hope that council and the city avoid a purge mentality, and we can benefit from their existing institutional knowledge.
1962 postcard of Allentown City Hall
I guess the purge mentality is over since Acting Solicitor McCarthy is staying on until the new Interim Mayor assumes the position. This is fundamentally flawed already. This politician who supported "The Mayor for Life" already recommends that the mayor pool be limited. I believe any taxpaying citizen or bonafide resident should be able to throw their hat into the ring. McCarthy advocates a limited number so that he can have input on a another Pawlowski supporter for the job. This is all subterfuge and I hate to say that the Acting Mayor MacLean is part of this farce.
ReplyDeleteTo get out of the clutches of Edwin Pawlowski all acting personnel [this includes Muller and McCarthy] must be removed. As a proponent of sanitizing city hall, I don't recommend all cabinet personnel resign, but do recommend that they reapply for their position, with extreme vetting attached. After this, the interim mayor may keep or jettison Pawlowski clones. After all, who wants to be saddled with Pawlowski appointments working against you with clandestine allegiance to the disgraced one.
I am concerned that there are at least few directors and assistant directors who are obbiously either incompetent - a product of the Pawlowski political patronage machine - or actuallay corrupt in the Pawlowski mode, essentially bought and paid for, with neither desire nor ability to do their job. People in the community are suffering precisely because the govenment ISN'T working. Bureaucrats are either not doing thear jobs or doing it only for the rich and powerful. We now have a good picture of how Pawlowski consistently misused and abused the levers of power. That circustance cannot continue.
ReplyDelete'I could have known, I should have known but I did not know even though I was a high ranking official in the national government and this is why I must acknowledge and accept my share of collective guilt'
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteInstitutional Knowledge? The institution most of them will be familiar with is federal. Ed cleansed city hall of anyone with ethics. The rest were willing collaborators, some to save their jobs, others brought in from the outside to go through the motions, like all the park directors.
NO! I have so feeling of sympathy for anyone down there! And the sooner the Pawlowski carpetbaggers hit the road the better for the city.
Pawlowski was at the head of the class when it came to corruption. In a country where many politicians cut corners to raise money, he was one of the worst. It's no coincidence that the FBI gave a free pass to many but chose to prosecute him. There is a movement to praise him for his so called good work and feel sorry for his family. I'm sorry but I think that's clearly misguided.
ReplyDelete