Yesterday on facebook a Hispanic woman commented that she was glad to hear that Tony Phillips was involved with the local NAACP. Another Hispanic woman responded that although she was here for over a decade, she never heard of him... they're both correct. Tony is a former Allentown policeman who then served on city council. In 2009 he ran against Pawlowski for mayor, as a black Republican no less. Tony has always been his own man. After that election he dropped out of Allentown politics to work as an educator in the Philadelphia area.
In the NAACP demand letter about the South Whitehall shooting, Phillips is described as the vice president of the local chapter. Although I stand by my criticism of the demand letter, I'm glad to see Tony reengaging in Allentown. We worked together on a few issues back in the day, and I hope we can do so again in the future.
photo shows Tony outside my SPEAK OUT meeting in 2009.
Did he ever find "Delores"?
ReplyDeleteTony wasn't liked on APD and had no support because of his racist views. Always pushing the black button he received his stripes because of his skin, not his intelligence. He had NO experience in criminal investigations and his only claim to fame, [except domestic abuse], was shooting out the front window of his cruiser car while showing off his backup piece to a few women.
ReplyDeleteThe NAACP is a perfect fit for him! Despite this, I still voted for him when he ran against the treacherous Ed Pawlowski. Yes, I will admit that he does things his own way. He challenged Pawlowski numerous times when it was not vogue to do so. He made loose assumptions in his alleged investigation of the Santos shooting without the benefit of all the facts; and I seriously doubt PSP gave him any information to assist him in his alleged investigation. Therefore, his conclusions where without merit and fueled by his racist attitude.
I didn't know Tony when he was a police officer, but I supported Tony in his run against Pawlowski. As a councilman he was one of the few that believed in transparency and would tell residents what Pawlowski and others in City Hall wanted to stay hidden. This was at a time when people still were fawning over Pawlowski, so it wasn't an easy position to take.
ReplyDeleteI also never saw him act in a biased manner, which makes his current involvement with the NAACP and the group's "investigation" into the recent shooting all the more disappointing.
He had the last laugh on Pawlowski. Pawlowski will be in federal prison next month and he may be mayor.
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