Although I've titled this image
Mayor For A Block, I could have just as easily called it
The Future Mayor. When the Budweiser Wagon left the staging area on 10th Street, and rounded the corner down Hamilton, Julio Guridy had the seat of honor. Although I do not believe that Pawlowski will succeed in his try for the governorship, we now know that his ambitions extend beyond Allentown. When he does leave City Hall, Julio is the likely successor. Regardless, I have enjoyed using the Budweiser Wagon as a vehicle for my photography.
photocredit:michael molovinsky
Click on photograph to enlarge.
reprinted from September of 2013
ADDENDUM OCTOBER 19, 2023: In May of 2021, Julio would lose to Matt Tuerk in a very close primary election for mayor.
Afflerbach, Pawlowski, Guridy, Tuerk.
ReplyDeleteThe names have changed over the last 2+ decades but the results have been the same - a steady decline in almost all measurable areas under their control. Yes we got some shiny new buildings as a result of state welfare to the city, but has anything really improved because of the policies implemented by City Hall? City residents pay some of the highest taxes in the Valley for the worst results.
Currently we are being asked to pay even more to fund more of our politicians’ bad policy choices.
While Guridy may have lost, I wish he had left the beer behind. Residents need it now more than ever!
The problem goes back to 1969 when voters decided to change the city charter to the "Strong Mayor" system that exists today. Over the past 50 years, starting with Bartholomew, none have really been any good, Fischl being the possible exception. Mayors for life such as Daddonna and Pawlowski have been the worst, in fact.
DeleteI never really liked Mayor Heydt while he was in, mostly due to what I read in The Morning Call... I know now to only check the obits in that useless rag....
DeleteHowever, I liked what he accomplished while in office and after finding out how many duties he took over at no additional pay (when people resigned/retired) I really appreciate him today!!! The City is getting what t wants, period!!!
Only in government can tax increases be considered decreases and/or not have negative repercussions.
I would argue that Bill Heydt was an excellent Mayor. The City's finances were in outstanding shape, the morale at City Hall was high and caliber of the staff/services was really excellent. I would also argue that Roy Afflerbach was the absolutely worst thing that ever happened to the City of Allentown. In one term he ruined the City's economic health for generations. The Great Police Pension Giveaway will go down in history as Afflerbach's shameful legacy. The one thing the City did better than the suburbs was provide outstanding water and sewer services at a great price. Now, City residents are at the mercy of LCA and subjected to constant rate hikes. He moved here to run for mayor, screwed everything up and then moved away!
DeleteFunny thing how time mellows life. That Budweiser wagon and its horse was a thing to be marveled. Every since their companies became woke, their product has tanked. Now the Clydesdales and the wagon will show up at a church picnic. Amazing how Allentown has progressed or digressed in that same amount of time.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with 12:33’s assessment of Bill Heydt. He was the best Allentown Mayor I can remember.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit confused however by the comments at the end of the post. While Afflerbach did give us the police pension debacle, it was Pawlowski who leased the water system to the LCA.
So I wouldn’t say that Pawlowski moved away. He was taken to prison after being found guilty on over 35 counts of corruption. I can only hope that he never returns here when he gets out of jail.
An even more shameful aspect about the water lease is that nobody ever paid a political price for that disaster. Pawlowski was re-elected as Mayor despite the LCA deal, an FBI investigation and the subsequent indictment. Councilmen Schweyer and Schlossburg became PA Representatives, and Councilman O’Connell later became Mayor. And our water rates continue to keep rising, as they all knew would happened when the voted for it.
There really isn’t any political price to pay anymore for bad decisions in Allentown. Voters just keep electing the same familiar names and faces to office regardless of what they’ve done.
Pawlowski sold the water and sewer systems to help pay for the Great Police Pension Giveaway.
DeleteI remember back in the day… going to City Council Meetings when Afflerbach was the Mayor. What a CLOWN SHOW!!! Was there the night that it took over 2 hours for Afflerbach to finally fess-up that he gave permission prematurely to a company to sell bonds on Allentown… before City Council had an opportunity to even talk about it, and vote on giving their approval. When City Council asked the so called company representatives what would happen if they voted no. The answer was that the Bond selling company would sue the City of Allentown for breach of contract. The interesting part of this screw up was that Pawlowski was involved in the Afflerbach administration at this time. Interesting!!!!
ReplyDelete