It may be Matt Tuerk's first foray into politics, but apparently there's experience in the backroom dugout. Take for instance the double talk on the discrimination issue. Scott Curtis, former head of Allentown's FBI during the Pawlowski Show, couldn't comply with the city's RFP, because he is an investigator, and the forms were for law firms.
Move ahead to the noose incident last Friday, and we learn that the Philadelphia law firm Duane Morris will be hired, but they are not required to comply with the RFP requirement that Curtis wasn't qualified to submit. If you find that confusing, the current Allentown FBI will be investigating the noose incident.
Shown above is 8th and Hamilton in 1953. Allentown is like a box of assorted chocolates from Loft Candy. You never know which ordinance applies.
Of course Curtis must go. The man is way too professional, thorough and experienced in the workings of corruption in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteNobody wants that.
Allentown’s notorious “Ship of Fools” continues circling the drain. Sadly, all anyone is capable of doing is watching and blaming others for the predicament they find themselves in. Down they all shall go.
ReplyDeleteYoung Matt has got a Congressional run to plan. He doesn’t need all these petty distractions.
ReplyDeleteForward!
I have received and rejected several anonymous comments from the same person concerning Curtis's appropriateness for the investigation. For your comments to appear, you would have to provide verifiable identification.
ReplyDeleteThere are two definitions of corrupt. One involves dishonesty and illegal activities of an individual or organization. The second, is something that has been broken, by some influence (think software). The City of Allentown is most definitely corrupt in the latter definition, and some parts may be also corrupt in the former. The mayor is a caricature, and out of his league, the City council, an embarrasment and the power that gets its way in the city seems only interested in the area it owns.
ReplyDeleteAllentown city government is just horrid from what it was in the past.
ReplyDeleteIt is like everything else about Allentown. It's all gone to hell. The shopping, the schools, the city looks run down, crime is through the roof, the poverty.. and even the government is unprofessional.
Mayor Gross and the others of the 1960s who governed the city are all turning over in their graves in discust of what the "All-America City" has turned into over the years.....
The disfunction in Allentown's government is a direct result of Pawlowski poisoning the culture at City Hall. To establish his regime, he used negative selection, favoritism, cronyism, slander, politics, fraud and self-service to replace performance, professionalism, dedication, honesty, altruism and public service. Now, since the depawlowskification of City Hall didn't go deeply enough, racism and infighting has developed as the remaining pawlowskites put there under his model have only each other to feed on. The FBI was right to say even after Pawlowski was convicted and removed, that corrupting forces remained in Allentown's government and so his dreadful legacy continues its dominion to this day and beyond.
ReplyDeleteThe first professionals Pawlowski fired were Eric W. and Betsy L., without a doubt two of the absolutely most talented and committed people in city government.
Deleteanon@9:32: I share your belief that Allentown of yesteryear was much more aligned with our vision of the American dream. However, for today's elementary school children, this is their Allentown and their future memories. It would be good if we can remember not to rain on their parade...
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should now shift the conversation to the situation at the ASD?
DeleteBy comparison it might give everyone commenting here a relative boost.
anon@9:46: I know that code remained weaponized after Pawlowski's departure, because I defended a homeowner victim. That institutional knowledge Curtis obtained in the Pawlowski investigation, is all the more reason that his firm should be retained for the current investigation.
ReplyDeleteMayor Pawlowski established and maintained his political tenure on astutely cultivating the politics of race and ethnicity. The witless divisiveness and incessant infighting that is taking place is blowback from Pawlowski’s strategy. The current mayor, City Hall, and the rest of the citizens of Allentown, will be awash in this sorry ebb and flow far into the future.
ReplyDeleteYou have a Mayor and a Police Chief denying that allegations in the whistleblower lawsuit had no merit and an independent investigation was done. Then two cops get arrested and maybe more to come. Nope! No need for an experienced investigator here. Let's hire another investigator/attorney. Who's paying for this? SMH...
ReplyDeleteAllentown Council, it seems, has 2-3 members overly consumed with their feeling of being racially oppressed. If they don’t get their way on any issue they fail to see any reason beyond the color of their skin. For some reason, they ignore they were elected by a majority of citizens voting and occupy a seat most others do not. That’s prejudice??
ReplyDeleteSounds like a double standard to do investigations in the city unless you're an attorney. Now that's shocking! We all know the city follows the rules. Yes, there really is a Santa Clause to.
ReplyDeleteI am so confused about the selection of Attorneys to head the investigation? It appears that the Council and Administration already decided together on an investigation without a competitive bid process.
ReplyDeleteA quick research of city code and the charter references legal services may be excluded from a formal bidding process if required by the Home Rule Charter. I was unable to find where the City adopted an exception in the code or charter.
If it truly is non-existent, the absence of an exception tends to make me believe the city is required to follow the formal bidding process outlined in 62 Pa.C.S.
Ҥ 518. Competitive selection procedures for certain services.
(a) Conditions for use.--The services of accountants, clergy, physicians, lawyers, dentists and other professional services which are not performed by other Commonwealth employees shall be procured in accordance with this section except as authorized under section 514 (relating to small procurements), 515 (relating to sole source procurement) or 516 (relating to emergency procurement).”
Section 515 does provide an exception for legal services provided to the PA State AG and Office of General Counsel.
Are the mayor and the city finance and legal departments violating the exact procedures they claim were violated previously when Scott Curtis was selected?
It should be noted that Section 815 of the city code requires following PA State bidding processes and procedures.