Hi Michael. I'm 31. A financially struggling single mom. I was born and raised here. Grew up in Salisbury, moved to Emmaus at 10 and now living in Lower Macungie. I know this whole area very well. I waitressed and bartended at different places so I know the people and the issues. I've always seen this area as a place that will one day flourish.... I follow the news and can see what is happening around me. ... I feel people not living in Allentown but living in the Lehigh Valley have no say in Allentown... I've lived in all 3 areas and I don't feel rooted. I want to get involved in local politics but which section is the question??... Where do people like me who want to see a change and want to help fit in? JessShown above is the core of a longer note I received yesterday. Like the young woman above, I currently live just beyond Allentown's border, in South Whitehall. Over the years I attended countless Allentown City Council meetings. There are regulars there who have attended the meetings faithfully for decades. I believe that the problems and solutions of Allentown cross the borders into the townships every day. Although non-residents cannot run for elected office, the decisions made there may affect them more significantly than those made at their township meetings.
photo/The Morning Call
The answer is very simple, move into our lovely city wherein you can dodge bullets on a daily basis, watch live drug sales, enjoy living in urban decay and belong to a failing school district that is projected to have a 28 million deficit. Oh, by the way, you can reelect a mayor who was indicted on 54 counts, [found guilty of 47 felony counts], and live among an uninformed populace who thinks his actions were righteous and he was doing a great job.
ReplyDeleteBut at least we have our own police department; not like Lower Macungie who sponges off the rest of us. However, we do have a merry-go-round for young police chiefs, who serve a little more than year, earn a big pension and leave for a less stressful environment with major money paid for by the city pension system.
It is a good idea to get involved in the municipality where one lives. If you have children in school go to the PTA meetings,get to know your neighbors, and volunteer at local charities. This is a perfect way not only to make friends but to find a route into politics if that is truly ones desire. That said, there are many ways to affect positive change besides politics.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I have been here over two decades and still feel rootless.
Hey, fire the incompetants...it's spelled "incompetent!"
ReplyDeletecreative@3:36, a fellow blogger, with a very overrated sense of self, tries to impugn those he disagrees with by pointing out spelling and grammar mistakes in their comments.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the help MM. However, I do spell it wrong on purpose to expose a person with narcissistic personality disorder. Additionally, I do not change it because I'm not perfect, therefore, my retort is not always perfect. But as a life long resident of Allentown, who has seen the good, the bad and the ugly, I tend to be skeptical on a lot of subjects and if they want to argue about my spelling only, they essentially must agree with me.
ReplyDeleteThe person who wants to get involved in the daily activities of Allentown, but doesn't reside here, should be commended! I only pointed out the obvious problems the city faces. Under the Pawlowski administration, these are only a random sampling of the issues that prevail; not the whole package. I agree that our neighboring communities can help to some extent, however, Allentown officials have a massive job in rebuilding the community and this must occur first.