On Wednesday evening, City Council, for the first time in six years that Ed Pawlowski has been mayor, didn't approve one of his proposals. The proposal wasn't actually rejected, but the 3 to 3 tie vote doesn't allow his scheme to proceed. Who voted which way, is the topic of this post. Although the Pawlowski promoted Trash to Energy company was going to charge the city twice as much, for twice as long as a competitor, the RubberStamp Trio once again sang the Yes Song. Worse yet, all three singers, Schweyer, Schlossberg, and Guridy, would like to be State Representatives. Rejecting the non- competitive offer was Jeanette Eichenwald, Ray O'Connell and Cynthia Mota. Jeanette has emerged as an independent voice on Council, but until Wednesday, usually stood alone. Many people had expectations when Ray O'Connell was elected, but it took over two years for him to stand on his own. The great surprise of the evening was new councilwoman Cynthia Mota, who asserted herself at only her second council meeting. I did not attend the meeting. This analysis is from the benefit of phone calls, and two excellent articles by Devon Lash in The Morning Call.
above reprinted from February of 2012
ADDENDUM December 9, 2015: Within a month of writing the post above in February of 2012, Delta Thermos would wine and dine Cynthia Mota, she would change her vote, and never again vote against the mayor. The night of the vote change, the Pawlowski and Groen scheme had the council chamber packed with over 400 union workers, most of them from out of the area. Furthermore, they had bikers outside, trying to intimidate normal citizens from entering. The FBI has requested documents pertaining to this sorry chapter in the Pawlowski story. Schlossberg and Schweyer did go on to become midgets in the State House. Had Delta built the plant, right now truckloads of New Jersey garbage would be using the new American Parkway Bridge, to deliver additional trash to the plant.
UPDATE MARCH 31, 2022: In the fifteen years since I started this blog, nobody can accuse me of playing up to the local politicians. Cynthia Mota is now president of city council. Schlossberg and Schweyer are established incumbents. Allentown and the valley tend to get worse politically, not better. I'm hoping that Schweyer prevails in his upcoming primary. With the new map, I'm now in the same district as Schlossberg. If I were less gray and long in the tooth, I'd love to run against him... but my blogger associate O'Hare tells me that Schlossberg would destroy me. Maybe so, but from this typewriter I can still take cheap shots at him.
Mike, never under estimate how despised Democrats are this year. Many elected Democrats, one's who formerly felt secure are very nervous, they can read the polls. They all have a giant mill stone around their necks, that millstone is Joe Biden and his policies. These policies are unpopular to say the least and often directly harmful to the voters. Do it! Once in the lifetime chance, and at out age, "lifetime" is often worth less than a five year guarantee.
ReplyDelete"Allentown and the valley tend to get worse politically, not better. I'm hoping that Schweyer prevails in his upcoming primary."
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who Schweyer's primary opponents are, but you are far more forgiving than I am and share an attitude that has likely made politics in the Valley "worse...not better".
In addition to votes in favor of the Trash to Steam scheme, Schweyer and Schlossberg voted for numerous earned income tax hikes, as well as rate and fee hikes. They also voted for the LCA water deal despite county commissioners warning that the deal would increase water rates throughout the county (which they have).
The worst part of that deal, and what surprises me most about your attitude towards Schweyer, is that it did tremendous harm to our park system in the city. Once the deal was done and water and sewer workers were transferred to the LCA, residents discovered just how much those workers contributed to maintaining the parks. Surely Schlossberg and Schweyer knew (or should have known) that beforehand. That hole hasn't been filled since, and residents have had to deal with less park funding as a result. That decreased funding and attention shows.
Beyond that, the results of Democrat policies are robbing us of wage gains and stealing our freedom to drive (inflation); defunding our police; and have destroyed or degraded our major cities (Allentown included). The democrat president recently warned of coming food shortages (yikes!), while nudging us closer to war with Russia (double yikes!).
Worst of all, democrat policies kept us from our loved ones and caused businesses to close as they un-necessarily extended lockdowns that went far beyond "flattening the curve" of covid. In short, they stole years from us.
I've seen nothing from Schlossberg or Schweyer that goes beyond toting the democrat party line, which we certainly don't need more of. I have no interest in voting for any of that, and the best way to send a message is to vote all democrat incumbents out of office, whether it's in the primary or the general. If the new democrat office holders don't get the message, repeat it with them next cycle as well.
But democrat voters seem to have a strong tolerance for failure, so I expect to see failed politicians like Schlossberg and Schweyer returned to office.
Pete Schweyer's primary opponent is Enid Santiago. You may not like Schweyer. but Enid is much worse. Her campaign manager is none other than Me-Me Gerlarch. Enough said!
Deleteanon@8:40, nobody with no financial interest, grant or salary has championed more for the park system than me...I've never even received a public thank you. Believe me that Schweyer, compared to his primary opponent, is a conservative and park knowledgeable. As for the general election, and your D vs R premise, as a non-partisan independent, I favor the best option in each election, regardless of party.
ReplyDeleteMM - I certainly don't question your commitment to the parks. But re-electing politicians like Schweyer is the problem.
ReplyDeleteSchweyer is a reliable vote for whatever the democrat party leadership wants, and the democrat party leadership is killing us at all levels of government! I have no doubt he talks a better game than his opponent, but either will be a reliable vote for whatever the democrat leadership wants. As you have chronicled, he has a long track record of supporting bad decisions made from those above him.
Schweyer won't change until he's sent the message. He'll never get that message, however, if he keeps getting re-elected by doing whatever his party masters want him to.
I say vote him out, and if the next person continues to vote the same way, vote them out. Eventually someone will understand the message.
Until that happens, however, politics in the Valley will continue to get worse, not better.