Actually, the mayor is in the Dominican Republic to understand the place that shapes the culture of thousands of our Allentown residents. The mayor bragged that despite that relationship to the island, he was paying for his own trip himself. That's nice, but how about the other fifteen or twenty people with you? Who is paying for them? Among them is council president Cynthia Mota and Promise Neighborhood crime entrepreneur Hasshan Batts. Also on the trip is Genesis Ortega, city communication manager. In my forty years of scrutinizing city government, I cannot recall such a junket.
Mayor Tuerk, to even think that the taxpayers should be paying for your trip is mind-boggling. Frankly, the Dominicans, and anyone else here, should be learning more about our culture, we do have one you know. But, more important than these cultural fine points, let's get back to the dirt bike issue. Let's get back to quality of life issues here in Allentown.
On Friday, before I learned of this island visit, I messaged the mayor and city council, asking them to consider more budgeting for the WPA structures. Maybe I'd be more successful with that request, if I'd keep my mouth shut about this trip and other realities here in Allentown.... But that's not my way.
Enjoy your vacation, delegation or whatever you call it, but remember, you were elected mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
ADDENDUM 1:00PM: I have been informed that everybody on the trip is paying their own way. The larger issue remains...what are they going to learn there, that justifies their absence from problems here in Allentown?
ADDENDUM 1:30PM: The Tuerk administration states that Genesis Ortega (Communications Manager) is not on the trip.
Surprised they didn't wait until winter sets in up here to do this trip. The ASD pulled off a similar trip at least 15 years ago to Puerto Rico. Results? You tell me. Matt needs to spend more time talking to average residents in the neighborhoods if he want to get a clue about the city and how to make it livable.
ReplyDeleteWell said slot of people agree with what you said
DeleteWell, once again I'm reading something on your blog that our local paper has chosen not to cover. I suppose that's a whole other story, but your story brings up many important questions such as:
ReplyDelete1. Who is actually paying for the trip? You mention that Tuerk is supposedly "paying for his own trip himself." Does that mean that he specifically is paying for it, or that taxpayers are not. Could Promise Neighborhoods be paying for the trip?
2. Who is paying for Batts to be on the trip?
3. Who is paying for Mota and Ortega?
4. Are there any others from the city government on the trip?
5. Are any family members of Tuerk, Mota, Ortega and anyone else from the city along for the trip? If so, who is paying for them?
6. Will the mayor be providing detailed receipts for his, Ortega, and Mota's bills to provide proof that he and others from the city paid for all expenses personally while on the trip?
7. Who booked the reservations for the trip? Were there separately made reservations or did the city or Promise Neighborhoods make the reservations for all?
8. How is the trip related to official city business (as it surely must be for other city personnel to be along)?
9. Prior to the trip did the Mayor present an itinerary (for him and all city officials/employees accompanying him) to City Council for input from members of council and the public?
10. Did that itinerary specifically state a) the official purpose of the trip; and b) the times that were to be spent on the official business of the trip vs. personal time?
11. Did the mayor seek an ethics opinion from his solicitor about the appropriateness of having high-ranking members of organizations receiving funding through the city accompanying (Batts/Promise Neighborhoods) accompany city officials on official business (if a city-originated trip); or for the appropriateness of city officials to accompany members of an organization the city provides funding to on a trip that the organization organizes (if a Promise Neighborhoods-initiated trip)?
12. Does the city have a policy for city officials going on trips with city vendors, or groups that receive grant and other funding through the city? That would be groups like, well…Promise Neighborhoods.
13. If not, will City Council propose and pass one?
My suspicion is that most of these questions never crossed the minds of anyone on the trip, and very few (if any) in City Hall. That's because I don't believe that ethics are a high priority there, and pretty much nothing has changed in that regard from the days of Pawlowski.
Separately, I'm sure the paid staff of our professional local newspaper are already working on getting the answers to these questions and will be writing about this in detail over the days and weeks to come.
Excellent questions
DeleteWhoever you are you hit the nail on the head! But as always nothing will be done.
DeleteI think it’s very obvious this is a thinly-disguised vacation, and it infuriates me that whatever excuse for the trip they’re making is taking time away from very real problems in the city.
ReplyDeleteYou note the dirt bike/ATV problem that continues, but didn’t we just have a Dieruff High School staff member killed by a car while walking in the crosswalk, and another student injured in a separate incident? Does anyone believe that issue is isolated to the Dieruff area or that it’s been solved across the city?
How about the student bringing the gun into Allen? That incident originated in West Park. You could drive by the park today and find vagrants, drug users, and (oh yeah) truant students hanging out in the park.
Why isn’t the city’s police force cleaning that problem up? As we just found out, thankfully without tragedy, problems in the neighborhoods can spill over into the schools (and vice-versa).
I can think of no real reason to justify this trip. The Dominican population in Allentown isn’t large enough to warrant a fact-finding mission to the island, and city officials ought to be back here finding solutions that raise the standard of living for EVERYONE in the city. As an aside, when was the last time City Hall actually talked about raising standards (and expectations) from ALL instead of lowering them?
If there’s a legitimate purpose to this trip, I’m ready for the Mayor to explain it to us. When he ran for office, we were promised more transparency, right? If the Mayor doesn't want to give a real reason himself, maybe his Communications Director can put out a press release from her hotel room when she gets back from the beach.
Well Folks.....You are getting what you voted for....Enjoy it !! and God help us...HA !.....PJF
ReplyDeleteWe voted for something that appeared to be good
Deleteanon@10:49AM, I believe that the mayor is sincere about the trip, but terribly misguided. He is obsessed with diversity and inclusion. He claims that there are about 18,000 Dominicans in Allentown... There might be, Puerto Rico is the backdoor to the United States. He might consider how many Allentonians choose to move to the Dominican Republic? Puerto Ricans are now expecting a similar trip to their island. On Sunday a young man was shot by Steven's Park, which has a large playground attracting many young children. I suggested on his facebook page that he return early from his trip.
ReplyDeleteWhat did it cost taxpayers? And why a sister city there?
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at generations of contributions to the growth of Allentown by immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Italy, Syria, the various Eastern European nations, the various Asian Nations, India, etc, why don't we have a sister city in any of those nations? As so much of the pandering Matt does, it seems despicably non-inclusive, doesn't it?
Matt? Matt? Do you have an intelligent response? Do you have any response to any taxpayer on any topic?
#IsMattStillMayor
Anthony@10:02, I wrestled with posting your comment, because it ends somewhat harsher than I prefer. However, I give signed comments much more leeway.
ReplyDeleteTHE FOLLOWING ANONYMOUS COMMENT WAS SUBMITTED TO NEXT POST ON LOCAL DAMS...I'M RELOCATING HERE, TO THE APPROPRIATE POST.
ReplyDeleteI just read in the Morning Call that the police have apprehended the shooter in the murder of the 15-year-old boy in Stevens Park. Not surprisingly, the shooter is a 16-year old city resident. No details were given as to where the shooter went to school (if he went to school), his prior arrests, or if he was affiliated with any gang. The article did mention he "was taken into custody on an unrelated matter", so he likely has a less-than-admirable background.
Mayor Tuerk, caring as always, went the extra mile and put out a Facebook post pleading with the community to come together. "I'm asking you to join me in continuing to work toward peace, building positive relationships with youth at home and in the streets," Tuerk said in the post. "And please speak with them. Let them know that they are loved and that YOU value them"
That is perhaps the most pathetic response to a serious crime that I have ever heard from an elected official at any level of government. First, you're the Mayor of Allentown and you care so much you put out a Facebook post? And which youth are we to speak with and let them know that they are loved and valued? Is it a youth like the 16-year-old Stevens Park shooter or the 14-year old who was just arrested for bringing a gun into Allen?
Or is it our own kids, who are forced to go to city schools and live in city neighborhoods with thugs and juvenile delinquents? Instead of posting on Facebook, how about taking some action? Drive around downtown and note all the gang tags on street signs and traffic signals.
Tragedies such as this shooting are nothing new at Stevens Park over the past two decades, and I'm sure we'll get the more of the same. Our politicians will attend candlelight vigils and make some speeches, and in a few months they will have moved on to something else.
They really don't care, and they won't take the steps necessary to clean up the city.
I don't know if the Mayor is back from his fact-finding vacation yet, but people elected him to be here working on the city's problems, not traveling abroad after just 8 months in office.
The similarities between the Tuerk and Pawlowski administrations in terms of technology are stunning. Pawlowski had an over-reliance on PowerPoint, believing if things were on a PowerPoint slide, they couldn't be wrong. Tuerk apparently thinks he can govern by social media, never mind that many (or most) city residents aren't using FaceBook.
ReplyDeleteThe methods are different, the disconnect is similar.