“She will help us build a more inclusive workplace, inviting lots of different folks into the life of public service," Tuerk said in the release.Although this hire may well be in response to the discrimination probe instigated by city council, I'm against both the hire and investigation. In my retro mind, unless the position existed in the Daddona administration, Allentown doesn't need it. I make a case for less is more in the mayor's office not because I'm stuck in 1970, but because Allentown's priority should be more boots on the ground, not think tanks on the 5th floor of city hall.
Our littered streets are falling apart. Our police department is understaffed. Our park department is understaffed.
If we were a larger city, perhaps we could afford to indulge in the social engineering positions popular in today's culture. However, things being as they are, we need to concentrate on basics. Fulfilling those basics will serve our residents far better than city hall being more inviting.
As you can tell from the illustration chosen for this post, I'm not much for political correctness. If you can't get frankness from a local blog, where are you going to find it?
above photo from Drew Carey Show
It’s ironic that you wrote this post today, as just yesterday I was on the city website and happened to click on the tab for the staff in the Mayor’s office.
ReplyDeleteNot only was I shocked at how many people were listed and the job titles shown for positions that are likely political, it was noteworthy that ALL were women.
I guess the new DEI coordinator won’t have to go far to find her first department needing improvement.
RGR
P.S. - The city’s revamped website actually makes it more difficult to find information. Maybe that’s the reason it was changed.
i’m curious if you would take as much umbrage if all the faces were male? please tell me what you were trying to find on the website- i’m always looking to improve our usability!
DeleteIs the Turek regime an taxpayer-funded employment mecca for all those needing a job?
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to government effeciency and doing more with less?
THANK YOU for this post. While Allentown residents pay the highest EIT and property tax in the region, we have to read in the paper daily that the City is hiring an Equity and Inclusivity Coordinator, a Sustainability Coordinator, a Manager of Civic Innovation etc etc. These new employees are brought in from Massachusettes, California, New Jersey etc. etc. Meanwhile, the core services many residents really depend upon are getting worse and worse. I supported Mayor Tuerk in the Democratic primary out of concern over the pool of candidates, but I'm now convinced that Ray O'Connell or Ce Ce Gerlach would have been better choices. A friend of mine recently noted that City Hall is getting full of Snow Flakes, I have to agree, in fact I call City Hall, the Snow Globe.
ReplyDeleteRay O’Connell was a “nice guy” who royally screwed Allentown by putting his own political ambitions and family patronage in front of the needs of the city. Were it not for O’Connell’s sore loser run for mayor, FedEd never would have gained a fourth term and Nat Hyman would have been mayor.
DeleteAs Mayor, Hyman would have cleaned up (and cleaned out) City Hall in short order. It was the greatest missed opportunity for Allentown in decades, though probably a blessing for Hyman (who doesn’t need the job).
As far as Gerlach, she does not have the intellectual capacity to be a Council Member, much less Mayor. I realize that’s blunt, but it’s true. If you think Tuerk’s policies are bad, Gerlach’s would have been worse.
i have photos of my slavic relatives in Allentown in the early 1900s. while it is true that i was most recently working for the city of boston, i chose to come to allentown because i am excited both by its past and its future.
DeleteHiring based on diversity rather than competence will destroy not only Americas cities but much of its industry. Many have related to me that executive positions are now occupied by people who do not have the slightest clue as to what their company does or how to improve or sustain its viability. Experienced and competent people soon leave for an environment that is more rewarding and satisfying. Many of these companies will not longer be able to compete in a world where competency is still the major qualification.
ReplyDeleteJust look at the competency of the present Washington administration, it is a perfect example. It is made of people who have been hired because of ideology or diversity, not competence.
I'm reading MoA first thing in the morning before even Lehigh Valley News, Lehigh Valley Live and WFMZ on-line editions (what was the name of that daily newspaper out here??)! I can't believe I'm about to say this....but here goes: After nearly 4 years of watching Tuerk turn the Allentown Mayors Office into a woke urban laboratory for radical/far left activists.......bring back Fed Ed!
ReplyDeletewoke urban laboratory! i love that!
DeleteAnon 5:34 said:
ReplyDelete“What happened to government efficiency and doing more with less?”
Great question, and an idea that would check the boxes of both common sense and good governance.
While I wish our city leaders would already be doing such things, they too often seem blind to the obvious. In fact, some in City Hall might consider such ideas to be an Innovation.
If only we had an Administrator for that.
It used to be that a public official tried to be responsible with the taxpayer's money, as that was one of the things they ran on come re-election time.
DeleteToday those in public office are spendthrifts with tax money, and are more likely to campaign on "Look at what we did for you". Then hit the public up for a tax hike after the election.
Remember the words of President Reagan: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. "
do you believe that inefficiency naturally finds itself and roots itself out? what do you think is more important, efficiency or effectiveness?
DeleteAs much as I’d love to place the blame solely on Tuerk for these hires, where is City Council?
ReplyDeleteThey control the funding for these positions, right? If not budgeted and approved by council, where is Tuerk getting the money to pay for them?
Tuerk shouldn’t be able to add these positions unilaterally.
RGR
Mike, on top of the all woke administrative bloat is the fact that the mayor's office from the top on down is populated by out of towners. They are doing to the city what the imported parks directors have done to the parks. They will apply cookie cutter modern urban solutions/woke to every city office, burea,commission,and legislation. A perfect example of this is Matt's proposed new zoning code. Everyone who lives in the city needs to bone up on that, and quickly. The language is purposely incomprehensible, for this reason alone, council should table it and demand and a rewrite into the vernacular before even considering it. Long story short, Matt campaigned as regular guy, a problem solver, never did he mention a plan to massively and radically shift both personnel and policy to the radical left.
ReplyDeleteI find Matt Tuerk and his Administration very disappointing. Complaints and quality of life issues are rarely addressed or followed up on, emails typically go unanswered without the courtesy of a simple reply that your complaint was received and will be followed up on.
ReplyDeleteThe 311 app is a joke and never works.
The City is at a critical tipping point with too many non owner occupied homes.
We desperately need a Mayor with a better business sense and vision to stabilize and increase home ownership.
The City once had a program offering $5,000 per unit to de-convert multi unit buildings. I think the City should reinstate this program and increase it to $10,000 per unit de-conversion back into single family homes.
This Mayor is too busy worrying about photo shoot opportunities and getting re-elected, then running this City properly.
I also find it sickening the Mayor proposed increasing a bunch of salaries before he even presents the budget for next year!
Per unit prices are now in the 100k range, so 10k will induce nobody. I agree that the program should have been increased years ago, but that approach has come and gone. However, these current prices for converted rows will result in many defaults, and the new issue/challenge will be how Allentown deals with many boarded up buildings.
Deletedeconverting multi units is a really interesting idea, when was that happening?
DeleteLBC - a single home now converted into a two dwelling unit does NOT pay twice the school/property tax as was paid when it was a single dwelling unit. Why not?
DeleteThere’s one significant problem that could be remedied.
During the 1990's
DeleteI encourage our citizens to watch or attend our City Council Meetings. I truly appreciate Anonymous 09:19 and 10:30. The Finance Director has admitted we have a $6,000,000.00 deficit. Yet, she was advocating for almost $190,000.00 for raises for just a 5 month period. Pure greed! In the public sector she would have been fired long ago. Not in Allentown. Some Council members actually would have voted for this had I not tabled it. We are looking at a possible 6.2% or 1.1 Mil tax increase just to break even. I appreciate Mike's blog but I wholeheartedly disagree with him on whether or not we needed the investigation. When someone welcomes an investigation and then does everything in his power to block it need I say anything more. He has also taken away the ability to comment on the city website because people criticized him. Welcome to politics. So much for transparency! I also agree with the comment above. COUNCIL has the ability to stop the nonsense. Again, please watch or attend the meetings then tell me what you think. Have a safe day!
ReplyDeleteDid not Allentown just have a tax increase? Should there not be an audit made by a reputable accounting firm of Allentown's expenses to see where the money is going, then looking at the necessities of all of the spending before hitting up the taxpayer for more money under the threat of a gun ?
DeleteIf you raise taxes, you are going to depopulate the city even more of actual people who pay taxes. You have lots of people living in the city already who are on the dole now collecting government payments.
Wonderful suggestion, Mr. Zucal, to watch council meeting and witness your disrespect in action. Your jab at the finance director is an indicator of that. Your negativity and grandstanding does nothing for residents behalf.
Deleteanon@2:57: Zucal made his point under his name, which is more than you can say.
DeleteEver since the Manager of Central Information posted here a few months back, I've known that the Mayor's office reads this blog. It's great to see them responding above.
Delete95% of your posters do so anonymously. Zucal only did it as a freebie campaign plug.
Deleteanon@3:51: you're correct about the percentages. Zucal over the years has posted information unrelated to any political ambition. Needless to say he wouldn't be on city council if he was afraid to speak up under his name.
DeleteThe Information manager is now posting after hours to give the impression that the Mayors bloated staff do not read this blog during the work day. I'm glad the Mayor's office reads this blog.
DeleteThe City did not raise taxes this past year. Although I am not a fan of many of the things going on in this administration, council is just as at fault for the deficit as the mayor's. City Council voted against a tax increase last year that was proposed by the mayor. This would have increased taxes gradually to cut into the deficit instead of a huge tax increase possibly this year. There is plenty of blame to go around, but council and the mayor should at least try to work on solutions to problems together rather than pointing fingers.
ReplyDeleteI rejected several anonymous comments criticizing another anonymous commenter for criticizing someone anonymously. My comment policy....ANONYMOUS COMMENTS SELECTIVELY PUBLISHED. SIGNED COMMENTS GIVEN MORE LEEWAY.
ReplyDeleteDeficit, you say???? When you're in a hole, STOP DIGGING!!!! Here, instead of stopping, we replace the shovel with a backhoe and dig DEEPER... bunch of fools!!! Must be using the "new math"....
ReplyDeleteMM - I agree with your comment about the cost of deconversions. It’s very high right now. However, I think the city should be taking a multi-pronged approach to the problem:
ReplyDelete1). Recognize that the city has too many smaller rental units, particularly those that have been converted from single-family homes. This is contributing to or causing multiple problems in the city, including noise, parking, poverty, overburdening the school district, etc.
2). Fight attempts at new conversions. The city solicitor should be at any zoning meeting that someone is proposing a conversion. I don’t really care what reason or hardship the applicant is trying to claim, any conversion allowed outlasts the current owner and will only compound the problems facing the city.
3). Have the solicitor’s office go after any illegal conversion they can find and force them to be re-converted to its original single-family use.
4). Get the zoning and recycling (SWEEP) departments off their asses and out responding to complaints. Cite violators until they comply with the law.
5). Get the Redevelopment Authority and other such agencies active at Sheriff/Upset sales to purchase problem properties and convert them back to single family homes (if multi-units).
6). On any property that the city deconverts (or even partially funds through non-profits for “affordable” housing), require a deed restriction requiring the property to remain a single-family home in perpetuity.
7). On a similar note, stop the bleeding in problem neighborhoods by incentivizing single-family homeowners to put deed restrictions on their homes to prevent them from being used for anything other than single-family homes in the future. While it might be difficult to incentivize landlords to deconvert, I’m willing to bet that people living in their own homes would be open to putting such a restriction on their homes for a much more reasonable price.
8). Pump the brakes on the new zoning code. A majority of residents don’t know it’s even in the works, much less how it will affect them.
9). Enforce existing (zoning, SWEEP, noise) laws!
10). Similar to point #5, have the Redevelopment Authority or other such agencies identify overly-dense neighborhoods downtown and purchase existing interior-block homes (also known as alley homes). Then demolish them. Make them pocket parks or pocket parking lots to improve the quality of life in those neighborhoods. The proposal in the new Zoning Code that would allow NEW alley homes is insanity!
11). Offer grants to PRIVATE individuals willing to deconvert properties and restore them. Do include the deed restriction idea above but do not put any kind of income limit on grant applicants. The city has a shortage of higher-income people, and they should be encouraged if they want to live here.
I could go on, but you get the point. It all starts with a recognition inside city hall that more rental units are killing the city, not helping it.
RGR
There has not been a converted row house or converted single for many, many years. However, thousands of units have come on line through the NIZ and converted former factories....these add to the density and availability of the existing row house apartments. While factory conversions were originally a variance, they now are a right. The notion of affordable housing now complicates the mix. IMO if Allentown wasn't so affordable twenty five years ago, we would be better off today. We're headed toward a 2008 type burst, and will have our hands full with boarded up properties.
DeleteI with most of what you say but disagree as far as new conversions.
DeleteI still live in Allentown and we still have plenty of illegal conversions in our neighborhood. Some are quite brazen about it and will put multiple mailboxes on the front of their homes, others hide it a little better but you suddenly notice a lot more cars parking in the neighborhood, and people waiting with suitcases for the landlords to arrive and let them in.
Trying to get the Code/Zoning offices to come out and address the problem is an exercise in futility. They seem to have little interest in enforcing the law, and the person calling is treated as if they’re the problem.
As someone who managed converted rows from 4th to 12th Sts for 35 years in Allentown, I'm quite familiar with the topic. An apartment has its own kitchen and bathroom. Although there may be illegal rooming houses, nobody is adding kitchens and baths unseen. There are about seven thousand legal apartments in the row houses. Almost all were created between 1946 and 1960, very few since. Up to about 1995 they were mostly occupied by singles and childless couples. What has changed radically since then is the occupancy,..now it's families and multiple children.
DeleteRGR: Regarding your Item 1, Tuerk's new Zoning Ordinance will allow an accessory apartment by right within single family dwellings, so get ready.
DeleteI’d argue that the city has no idea what’s being added. I’ve seen entire additions being put on the rear of homes, no permits posted, and the projects completed by the time code/zoning comes out (if they come out at all).
DeleteAssuming you are correct that the conversions to actual apartments aren’t happening and what we’re seeing is a proliferation of illegal rooming houses, that’s even worse.
As you’ve noted in the past, the city has a poverty problem. People living in illegally rented rooms aren’t the wealthy. There’s also numerous safety issues (both for those living in the rooms and neighbors) from having that many people in a home. The effect on the school district is likewise devastating.
If illegal rooming houses are the problem, in my mind that needs an even stronger response from the city. Once again, I’m not even sure if the mayor and his flunkies even recognize the problem, much less have expertise (or will) to solve it.
anon@7:28: since you post anonymously anyway, please provide an address where an addition was added to a home with no permit.
DeleteAnon 2:01 - The idea that a gradual tax increase each year (instead of a larger one later on) will result in less taxes paid is incorrect. It only cooks the lobster in the pot more slowly, and the taxpayers are the lobsters! ALL tax hikes should be avoided.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the city already is seeing record property (and other) tax revenue as more NIZ properties are put in service. The city should budget to be able to live within the increase in the tax BASE, not by increasing the tax RATE. If City Hall is not capable of both fostering growth in the tax base and living within that growth, they are failing the taxpayers.
I too would love to see the Mayor working with Councilman Zucal and other members of council to avoid a tax hike. However, I don’t believe that the Mayor even sees a tax hike as a problem. Until the Mayor wakes up and is willing to work with Council to avoid a tax hike, I’d say that more finger-pointing is needed (and from more than just one member of council).
I continue to waffle back and forth whether the mayor is simply 1) intentionally ignorant of the problems facing the city, 2) incapable of recognizing the painfully obvious, or 3) just trying to act like everything is ok to save his political future.
I do realize that none of those possibilities bode well for Allentown.
RGR
He's "Woke" He's on a mission,he needs money to do it. He's creating a social paradise and the model of a perfect urban center! Yes...really...that is what he believes. As soon as everyone understands this the better.
DeleteIf the new DEI Department is to live up to it's mission, I assume it will be staffed by the real minority: a straight, white, Christian male.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of tax hikes... the city tax pales in comparison to the school tax, which is completely ludicrous!!! If ASD was turning out a brilliant alumni, it might be somewhat palatable, however these graduates can barely do basic math, and speak and write barely understandable gibberish. This must stop!!! I feel for this generation. Good luck making a living, kids...
ReplyDeleteCity council should be outraged at the mayor and cabinet members lashing out for them Not voting on salary increases. How can Mayor advocate for increases knowing there is deficit in budget. Some of the folks wanting increases have hardly spent time employed by city, plus they are doing the jobs they were hired for. I sure hope council stands up when I counts. Ed Zuckel was right and people should stand behind him.
ReplyDelete