These two photos, together showing Allentown center square, were taken on Monday afternoon (March18,2019) at 4:30PM, by John Mortensen. Readers of The Morning Call would never know what a failure the NIZ is. While diverting $70 million dollars a year of taxpayer money to private debt service, nobody has benefited, except one man, who owns most of the new buildings.
Meanwhile, back in Deceptionville, the paper promotes the NIZ district as if it was a humming, teeming success. Meanwhile, back in Deceptionville, they report the ANIZDA meetings as if they are real deliberations.
Mortensen's pictures were posted to a local facebook group. In addition to the paper providing no balance to the NIZ story, neither do the facebook groups, for the most part. This particular group found the pictures misleading and negative. I was actually called a "bitter old man" by the moderator, and muted.
John Mortensen is a write-in candidate for city council.
We called it, but who cares what we think. Great post Mike.
ReplyDeleteBeyond the annual diversion of money into one man's debt service, the even more galling aspect is the property assessment that's been placed on the buildings.
ReplyDeleteThe property owner has argued - successfully - that using the cost of the buildings isn't the proper valuation for the buildings, and the actual assessments should be lower.
Let that sink in for a minute.
So not only is the state (that's us) losing revenue to the NIZ, but the buildings aren't even worth what we - the taxpayers - are paying for them.
For all the bogus things that PA Auditor General Eugene DiPasquale "investigates", this huge piece of low-hanging fruit has somehow escaped his notice.
If you ever want to see money pissed away---just use other people's money. It's always automatic.
ReplyDeleteElectric cars, bird chopping wind turbines, deserts full of solar panels, and ugly ass buildings built in a place that no one wants to go.
Can't wait to see how many new college buildings get built once we have FREE college.
All animals are, indeed, equal but, as everyone knows full well, some animals are simply more equal than others.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the NIZ Powers That Be donate generously to the proper, approved politicians at all levels of Government, be it local, state or Federal, and I have every confidence that, at the end of the day, that IS all that truly matters.
Moreover, well-connected cronies should never be scrutinized and/or challenged under any circumstances, of course.
A most pleasant Forward To Progress to any and all Comrades.
Gotta love the value of photograhps and time stamps. Those two photos are excellent journalism. One might think that the Morning Call would have considered such an 'investigation' into the lack of activite downtown.
ReplyDelete