May 23, 2022

Observations From An Old Allentown Meat Market

Card carrying members of this blog know that in addition to being a son of a bitch, i'm also the son of a butcher. Because my father had a meat market, I was impressed when Wegmans opened about 15 years ago. They raised the bar for local supermarket chains. Getting on their parking lot the day before Thanksgiving was a fool's errand, until this year. On Wednesday there were plenty of spaces, I couldn't even describe the store as very crowded. What happen? The simple answer would be more competition, with Hamilton Crossings and their new offerings. I actually think that  something else was also in play.

For the last several years, Wegmans had indulged in one remodeling project after another. Although new, changing and different might appeal to their clientele in upstate New York, I don't think that they understood local Pennsylvania Dutch thinking. Make it do, wear it out, use it up, do without has been the mentality here for generations. I found the continuous remodeling annoying, and with each improvement there seemed to be less customers.

This blog has received some complaints, mostly from my distressed Democratic readers, about straying too far from the valley with my recent election posts. I wouldn't expect to hear that beef about this entry.  

above reprinted from November of 2016

ADDENDUM MAY 23, 2022: Perhaps the biggest change yet at Wegmans occurred this year, moving the wine and beer department into the store's center. The real disruption of this change was rearranging the food into five less aisles. A growing complaint seems to be less selection as the store keeps pushing more and more of their own store brand.
Politically, this was one of the most interesting primary elections in my memory. Did the Republicans nominate someone for governor who is too far to the right to take advantage of the dissatisfaction with Harrisburg to win? Did they also jeopardize their chance to keep the Senate seat Republican? Back in the family meat market days, I might have worked something in about a ring bologna toss and the election, but now-a-days such references would not be understood.

6 comments:

  1. "Did the Republicans nominate someone for governor who is too far to the right to take advantage of the dissatisfaction with Harrisburg to win? Did they also jeopardize their chance to keep the Senate seat Republican?"

    I love the way the democrats and their allies in the media have made this the narrative, as if Fetterman and Shapiro represent something other than the fringe of THEIR party. And as we know, the democrat POLICIES they support have failed at the local, state and national level.

    I have long ago realized that no matter who the Republican nominee for any office is, they will somehow be mischaracterized as racists or some other lie.

    What democrats seem desperate to avoid at all costs, is a fair and open debate on the failed democrat policies.

    Those policies are what everyone should remember over the next six months, and as they vote in November. Mastriano and Oz (or McCormick) are far better than continuing to vote for the same failed policies that Fetterman and Shapiro are pushing.

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    1. Why would anyone vote for someone who tried to nullify their vote? Whether republican, democrat or independent, Mastriano wanted your 2020 vote thrown out; and, if he wins the governorship, he will likely try to orchestrate the same thing again if it benefits him, as will others who follow. Then, the biggest failed policy will be free and fair elections.

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    2. Funny how you are so sure of your position that you come in anonymously...so much easier to hide. By the way, if you want to talk about failed policies, keep in mind that the state House and Senates are both republican-controlled. Failed policies in PA are a DIRECT RESULT of self-serving republicans. As for me, I don't want the republican version of shari'a law (no women's rights to control their own health, no help for those less fortunate, punish/execute those who express dissent, etc.), and will work hard to make sure you conspiracy crazies never steal power from the people.

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    3. Shapiro is by no means fringe. Check him out. He's been solid law and order. He doesn't bring an accusation forward without doing his homework. He's got this Republican's vote.

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    4. Remember when Shapiro spoke out against the "defund the police" movement and stood up for cops as they were getting gunned down in the streets?

      Remember when he petitioned the courts to remove Philly D.A. Larry Krasner from his job for willfully neglecting his duties?

      Yeah, me neither. But Shapiro isn't fringe, right?

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  2. anon@7:36, my issue with Shapiro is also his silence in regard to Philadelphia's lax criminal justice system. I'm hoping that Mastriano moves a little toward the center so I can support him.

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