The special section in this weekend's Morning Call is called Great Expectation,The Story of Allentown's Renaissance. In this 36-page special section, The Morning Call will take a closer look at the urban renaissance underway in Allentown, the projects that will bring thousands of workers and hundreds of new residents to the city's downtown... Less than 48 hours ago this blogger wrote that molovinsky on allentown was turning the corner on the arena, but I didn't mean that I would condone unfettered cheerleading by the press. In the first of four sections each Morning Call reporter writes an essay referencing Allentown's past, although none of them have any actual memory or experience of that era, beyond the paper's archives. The second section promotes the new businesses arriving and refers to center city as a boomtown. The article omits the reality that taxpayers across the state are subsidizing Allentown's transformation. Section C is about The People Behind the Transformation. Although the paper writes that they are the engine of change, it can also be said that they are the private beneficiaries of public money. The last section may be the worst. It is supposedly essays by civic leaders. Some of them are bystanders, and some of them had absolutely nothing to do with any of it. All four sections are packed with paid advertisements, with the biggest ads coming from those benefitting the most. Yesterday, I reached out to several current and former members of our political establishment, for their opinion of the paper's special edition. They all agreed that it ranged from unbalanced to outright promotion, dressed up as journalism.
above reprinted from March of 2014
ADDENDUM April 13, 2018: Four years later and the paper is now Reilly's tenant, and pimping the NIZ and his buildings more than ever. Today's paper features that two more tenants are coming to Reilly's new Tower Of Taxpayer Subsidy. The last lines of the article explain that space is still available, and actually provides contact info for Reilly's rental office. Although, The Morning Call has often used Reilly's press releases as news articles, they usually remember to remove the rental contact info.
As the city crumbles and public safety dwindles, The developers in the NIZ are enjoying their taxpayer subsidized money. Its a shame that part of this money can't be used to start rebuilding the crime infested neighborhoods. If this problem is worked on, many more tenants would come into the city. After all, a safer environment generates business. In Allentown, this was totally ignored by the administration {Pawlowski] and developers in the NIZ.
ReplyDeleteBuilding new structures to be filled, without corresponding safety measures, is ludicrous in content. The APD and AFD can use added money to staff its current complement and put in more programs to enhance public safety for all. However, this will never happen as long as incompetent leadership runs these organizations and developers are blind to these facts.
...and BB&T just cut 50 jobs from the city of Renassaince. Maybe it won't matter since most of those poor folks still live in Berks and Montgomery Counties.
ReplyDeleteA note: my 35-year old daughter met friends at the Bar-b-que place on 7th St. a few nights ago. Upon leaving she had to walk through an alley (some call it an arts walk) to the parking deck at the Lanta station, then walk up the stairs (won't be trapped in an elevator) to her car. As she related it there was very little street lighting and not a cop to be seen. Not quite an inviting atmosphere for millennials.