Mar 27, 2023

School Board Graduates To Harrisburg

Our new state senators have something in common, both were former school board members. However, they apparently took different courses...While new state senator Jarrett Coleman wants to submit the NIZ to some very overdue scrutiny, senator Nick Miller wants Reilly to continue his windfall, without much accountability.  Miller brags about all the new office tenants on Hamilton Street, ignoring the reality that they were poached from surrounding office parks, creating few, if any, new net jobs for the area. That poach job transferred the state taxes from the state budget, to instead service Reilly's mortgage debt.

What brings me to this topic today is Miller's assertion that Coleman doesn't have the best interests of Allentown in mind with his inquires. On the contrary, in my opinion, Miller doesn't have the best interest of taxpayers in mind with his position.

Miller complains that the NIZ is in his district, and that Coleman should visit there to learn about Allentown's commercial success. Coleman could response that the businesses were previously in his district, and now with the NIZ allowing parcel swaps,  it can be anywhere the chosen find opportunity, like  at a former state hospital.

At any rate,  I believe that we are better served with our elected officials not being on the same page all the time.  For too long there has been too much back scratching in Harrisburg.

Shown above Tony Iannelli conducts debates between Miller/Browning and Coleman/Pinsley.  Photo by Donna Fisher for LehighValleyLive.Com

10 comments:

  1. Miller - Another up and coming immature and unseasoned butt kissing politician laying the ground work for a long and personally profitable career in politics.

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  2. Within the first 5 years of the start of the NIZ scheme it was obvious it could never work as portrayed. It’s been a financial loser for taxpayers and will continue to be one. No additional dollars to this state were created beyond what was already coming in.

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  3. Jarret Coleman could also tell the rest of the state that the district he represents has 5 precincts in Allentown, these five precincts and every other Allentown precinct are redirecting tax dollars from state coffees into a special tax free zone that seems to benefit just a few well connected people, people who by the way seem to be well connected to Former state senator and now Shapiro's state treasurer in waiting Pat Browne. This demands scrutiny, but scrutiny cannot be applied because Pat Browne as a powerful senate leader, wrote into the law a special exemption for the NIZ from the Freedom Of Information Act. If a law is passed that appears designed to facilitate a cover up, the public has the right to demand transparency and demand the law be repealed, and who's pockets our tax dollars are going. Frankly transparency is in Allentown's and the state's best interest's isn't it? It appears Nick Miller's and even Shapiro's interests may be to serve the special few rather than the greater good. Anyone surprised? I know I'm not, it was all very predictable. By the way, investigate whom J.P. supported in the contest to replace Pat as the new state senator from Allentown. It wasn't Browning.

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  4. When the media starts throwing around recent tax revenue numbers from the NIZ, keep in mind the effect high inflation has had on those numbers. State taxes rise with the increasing prices of goods and taxable wages.

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  5. Miller sat on the Allentown School board for I believe one term, 4 years. During that time it's spending increased, results decreased, and disorder reigned from top to bottom. During this period Miller was just another bump on the log, said, nothing, did nothing but vote yes to everything. It turned out everything was bad. This made him the perfect empty suit for promotion within the ranks of the controlling party. His type is exactly what they are looking for, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil of the corruption and failure of your own party and faithfully parrot attack lines against those seeking reform and the truth. Contrast this to Jarret Coleman, he defeated a powerful establishment leader in his own party primary with the help of angry Republican voters seeking change within their party. Now he is speaking out in Harrisburg for reform and taking on the establishment of his party. This contrast should open a few people eyes but I'm fairly certain those who choose not to see will prefer to stay blind to the truth. The truth that is plain to see.

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  6. Scott@9:05, this won't be music to your ears, but that's not my mission. Your party finally put up some new blood, and did good. The rest of the local Republican stable has run for every office, keeps losing, but is running again?

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  7. Mike, recruiting quality Republican candidates to run for office is like asking people to run a gauntlet with zero chance of winning. Trust me, every cycle efforts are made, often we find candidates only to see them back out at the last minute. They don't want to expose themselves, their families, their reputations, and businesses or careers to the sliming and mud slide ging that happens to every R that runs for office in the city. Doubt me, see what they Did to Dean Browning last year in his race against Miller. It was beyond ugly, it was downright lies and slander. It's tough to find candidates like Dean who have the backbone to take this on. But never forget, all these people have families, this is very hard on them. Speaking personally I know my wife suffered deeply from the lies broadcast about me. Just keep all this in mind when you wonder why their are no R's on the ballot for city offices, it's mission accomplished for the Democrats and their wingman in the media.

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  8. Miller's response is non-sensical. Whether the NIZ has been a success, a failure, or something in between is irrelevant. No matter what it is, the people - and our elected officials - deserve to know what it cost. Then we can have an actual discussion and analyze whether it's been a success.

    That Miller is fine with the taxpayers - and himself - remaining in the dark on this issue is sad but not surprising. When running, Miller's only qualification from his ASD experience seemed to be a willingness to blindly vote the party line regardless of results. He has obviously brought that approach with him to Harrisburg, to the detriment of the people he claims to serve.

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  9. "At any rate, I believe that we are better served with our elected officials not being on the same page all the time."

    I'm not quite sure how to interpret this sentence.

    If the purpose is to highlight that we need elected officials - like Coleman - who are willing to be disruptors even to members of their own party, I 100% agree.

    If the comment means that it's good that Coleman and Miller are on different sides of this issue, I couldn't disagree more.

    Any politician willing to keep information withheld from the public, to keep the public in the dark and protect wealthy individuals (who are often also donors) has outlived their usefulness.

    We already have enough party hacks in Harrisburg. Unfortunately, we seem to have elected another one in Miller.

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  10. PA Lottery was suppose to help the aged stay in there homes and not one dollar has been accounted for that sales pitch to date. Yea very little goes to help older Pennsylvanians stay in there homes, most goes to the no nothing administrators. Pat Browne was there for that passing the PA legislations so the fact remains were is all that money going too?
    Theft by deception has always been in PA's legislations far too long.

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