Alan Jennings has declared that because of Judge Anthony's prejudicial rant, he should resign. Jennings seems to have personified Anthony's comment about Allentown being a cesspool, to the people who appear before his bench. Earlier this week I read on social media that Anthony singled out Puerto Ricans in his rant. He did not, his admonition was directed against the increasing shootings, not a particular person, and certainly not any particular ethnicity.
It pains me to write this post. Although Jennings and myself are on different ends of the liberal/conservative spectrum, I appreciated our rapport over the years... I even had appeared on his NPR show twice.
Coincidentally this week, I wrote about Allentown first having a poverty industry, and now a violence industry. Alan was the main force behind the poverty industry. I once wrote that his organization doesn't just give out fishing poles, that they give out fish markets. He's disappointed in the judge, and I'm disappointed that Alan wrote this letter to the editor.
photo:The Morning Call
I knew Alan when he had integrity and we were friends. I am friendly with him now if we happen to meet but as he is a public person, I have made my opinion of him clear far and wide. He no longer has credibility after his long , cozy, self serving, compromising association with the mayor who destroyed Allentown. Alan betrayed those he is charged to serve, the city's poor by abandoning rental inspections. When you drive around the city and see the blight you can thank Alan for the part he played in it's continued presence and spread. Nice job Alan.
ReplyDeleteIf Alan had integrity, really cared about the living conditions of the poor he would have taken his pal/associate on over Ed's destruction of the rental inspections program. Alan likes to say he spoke privately to Ed about it, really Alan? That was the best you could do to preserve a program that was designed to discover and remediate dangerous, illegal and substandards rental units in Allentown? Apparently it was and because of that no one should give you an once of respect for your opinions on anything related to poverty. Judge Anthony is correct, Allentown is a cesspool. a pool you swam in.
I believe that I'm an objective observer. Born in 1949, graduate of Lehigh and Penn State. It was my good fortune (unknown to me at the time) to get a job offer 350 miles away from Allentown and Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteOver the years, we would return to A-Town to visit family. As outsiders, we witnessed 'the turning'. Spiraling downward from what it once was. On phone conversations, parents would comment about the next downturn events.
What's the difference between 1960 and today? The obvious answer is the people. But what hope do you folks have for replacing the people? Some new apartments in center city?
Community Action is a euphemism for more money, more 'programs'. Long time ago LBJ created the Great Society. These welfare programs were meant to 'lift the people out of poverty.' Instead, they made welfare a career choice.
Judge Anthony's prejudicial rant? As you have pointed out, nothing could be further from the truth.
ReplyDeleteBut Jennings is a Leftist and ANY deviation from the party-line needs to be squashed, and an appropriate example made of the person who dared to speak the truth. You can't let others even think about following Anthony's lead.
If anything, Jennings should resign. He (and his organization) has done nothing to reduce poverty in the city, and has actually done the opposite just to keep his government-funded gravy train going.
Perhaps it's time for Jennings to produce a score card showing his progress. If he won't, the government entities funding his groups should demand it.