Nov 7, 2024

Allentown's Barrio

We were told that the Puerto Rican community was the local key to the election this week, Matthew Tuerk was even featured in New Yorker Magazine.

However, to inject some reality into the Latino influence, the state house district that was created to represent Allentown's Latino population is held by a whitebread kid born and raised in New Jersey, whose Hispanic culture is limited to have eaten at Taco Bell once. Although Tuerk translates everything into Spanish, and the president of City Council facebooks exclusively in Spanish, they failed to educate their Hispanic constituents on the deceptiveness of the transfer tax referendum. These affordable housing advocates just made housing more expensive.

While the Latino political strength is overestimated, there is no disputing Allentown as a Democratic stronghold. All the city Democratic state representatives ran unopposed on Tuesday.

19 comments:

  1. Things will level out culturally and politically when that tidal wave of young, sophisticated, urban seeking professionals arrives to snap up those hip apartments and condos in the NIZ.

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    1. NOT!!! Wake me when that happens!!!

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  2. anon@5:20: Although I will never be confused with a friend of the NIZ, let me say that the introduction of condos is a positive change. I note that both buildings, the former PPL Plaza and the former PPL Tower, are not Reilly projects. Condos present an opportunity for invested residents, which can only improve the overall livability. I will throw Reilly a cookie... If Archer has a steady schedule of performances, that also is a cultural plus.

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    1. Reilly needs to hire Joe Clark to run the new music facility.

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    2. It's my understanding that they have a top promotion company in place. But, Croc Rock lined them up to get in, without costing the taxpayers one cent.

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  3. Backlash, yeah, right... Trump is up to what, 301 electoral votes (Including Pennsylvania's). He packed the PPL Arena.

    Harris had a handful of people at Muhlenberg college.

    Spare me this nonsense, please .....

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  4. Allentown Latinos made the French news! They were interviewed in shops on 7th street and expressed their discontent with the current administration. The fact the minorities could think for themselves about how to vote is a clearly a shocking development to the white elites who dominate the Democratic Party and left wing European parties. Significant numbers ofminority voters moved into the R column in Allentown and nationally. It shouldn't surprise anyone that what they want is a solid economy, good schools, safe neighborhoods, and real opportunity. Gee? isn't that what we all want? The Democrats message to minority voters has been to tell them that they will protect them from evil Republicans. Presently minorities are realizing the "protection" is really just racket.

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    1. Yes, 7th street.... with deep unhappiness and thriving, with very little help, (I'm told) from the elites that "think" they run everything and have all the "answers". Bully for you, 7th street business people!!! But wait... what happens as the NIZ expands their way, which it will....

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    2. Actually, almost all the buildings have been remodeled through a grant program administered by Pete Lewnes through Community Action Of Lehigh Valley. The buildings look very nice, but if the expensive historic renovations are appreciated by the merchants and their clientele is questionable.

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    3. Thank you for the correction... I was told that 7th did it mostly on it's own without government help. My understanding was Peter Lewnes wasn't happy he was bypassed. I stand corrected!!!

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    4. anon@12:04: On the contrary, they were completely regulated against neon signage and historical guidelines.....I suspect on their own you would see bright orange painted brick.

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    5. pete lewnes here...still plugging away here for where I live and have invested the past 20 years of my life...7th street. The grant funding was tied to the secretary of the interior standards and yes...historic in nature. We originally thought that we'd follow along with an old san juan approach and paint the buildings bright vibrant colors...we also thought we'd rename the corridor something to reflect the latin community in the beginning days - 18 years ago. We also polled repeatedly the community here who repeatedly said in broken english...RED BRICK...somehow the community at large wanted historic...they also wanted to be unique but not unwelcoming to all. This turned into the true american melting pot...the flavor of each facade and business is unique and my selection process was the same...designs were presented and not approved until we heard you've given me something I never thought I could have...pride in ownership while ensuring code compliance and quality in construction. In the end...living in an area where freeze and thaw is the climate I'm happy that the 7th Street community rejected painting brick which would have been a maintenance nightmare by this point and have something that they need to maintain but minimally. I'm also very proud of the American dream that's happened on this street and it's my life's great work supporting and advocating for this community...helping renters buy their buildings ensured that everyone got their piece of the pie.

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  5. Everyone who told you a comedian's joke was going to tip the presidential election was very deceitful. And oh, by the way, the voters in Puerto Rico just elected a Republican governor. They're tired of the same old same old it seems.

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    1. Wow. I read a ton of news from many sources daily, yet this is the first I've seen this news about PR's Gov. Thanks.

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    2. Josh@10:25:Although she is a Republican, the primary party identity there is pro-statehood vs. pro status-quo. She is pro-statehood, her Republican label is secondary.

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  6. By the way, no matter what Matt believes or how he self identifies, he is a member of the White Elite Class.

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    1. Perception is reality, are you denying that Hermano Tuérk did not in fact have a Cuban Abuela? His mastery of both the language and several classic dance styles; salsa meringue, rumba are further documentation of his ancestral identity.

      This is a cruel and demeaning comment meant to tar and Feather compañero Tuérk with the colonial oppressor class diminishing his dyed in the wool Latin X bona fides.

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  7. I'd argue that is was passive racism that led Tuerk to deliberately word that referendum question the way he did. He assumed from the beginning that the less educated and less civically aware "majority - minority" (as he calls them) population in central Allentown could easily be duped into voting YES to the referendum. He figured that the more educated and civically aware residents in Wards 17 & 18 might figure it out (over 60% of voters in these wards voted No - despite the deceptive wording) but he knew the number of low IQ voters would get him the desired tax increase.

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    1. Why are deceptive, confusing, deliberately written to confuse, referendums permitted??? What happened to "truth in advertising"??? Everything in this city is a moving target that changes withe wind. One must really chew hard because it's real tough $hit!!! Sick of it all!!!

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