Last week started with me expressing my frustration as an independent in Trump's World, and ended reporting on a confrontation about our non-profit sector in Allentown.
While I applaud the border enforcement, the Musk DOGE is a disaster. Chainsaws and sledgehammers are not precision tools. The Measles outbreak is an unfortunate coincidental statement on the theatrical nature of the cabinet appointments. So far, two cabinet heads have supposedly balked at Musk's involvement. If this was Trump's first term, I'd hope that he would be growing into the office, but we know from experience that there will be no learning curve. It was from that first term and January 6, that I could no longer vote for him.
I don't think that the midterms will bode well for the Republicans. I believe that MAGA had an underestimated cult aspect, and with Trump not on the ballot in 2026, many of the red hats will stay home.
Here in A-Town, I expect that the tension between Promise Neighborhood and some who feel that the promise has not been kept, will continue. On a side note, I asked a member of the minority community how they feel about Ed Zucal's campaign. The response surprised me! There apparently is some concern that if both Zucal(for Allentown mayor) and Roger MacLean(for county executive) both win, we'll have a police like state?(They're both former APD) I don't see that as a realistic concern, but then again, I'm coming from a different perspective.
A few points:
ReplyDeleteDespite constant coverage by the mainstream media trying to undermine it, Musk's DOGE actually has majority support, at least according to a poll by that liberal bastion CNN.
The measles outbreak is a result of people (including a baby too young to vaccinate) coming into the country carrying the disease. It has nothing to do with any cabinet appointment (at least not in reality, only in the minds of anti-Trumpers).
The stories of cabinet members balking at Musk's involvement is an obvious attempt by those who favor the status quo to try to undermine Musk's efforts.
It's actually Trump's opposition that has the cult-like aspects, as they are mostly detached from reality and will believe (and repeat) any anti-Trump story they hear. There is little or nothing good that he can do in their irrational world (and if they are forced to admit he's done something good, he's not doing it in the correct manner). They (like all good cults) all seem to be on the same talking points.
Not too many presidents fare well in the mid-terms. It's the nature of American politics. Allow me to make the bold prediction that the mid-terms will be decided (either way) on NOTHING that we're talking about now.
I hardly find it surprising that rumors of a "police state" are being spread to undermine the campaigns of Zucal and Maclean. Their opponents are anti-police, white liberals who really don't care about the well-being of the city's neighborhoods and will gladly pander to the anti-police crowd in order to win an election. ALL people (and particularly their children) - regardless of their skin color - deserve to live in safe neighborhoods. They won't get that under Tuerk and Siegel.
EVERY city and county resident should instead worry about the harmful policies that will be put in place should Zucal and Maclean NOT win. Many in Allentown and Lehigh County are here because they moved away from places that were under the same type of policies that Tuerk and Siegel want for us. We know where those policies will get us, and we can't afford to double down on stupid.
Those of us who are actually from Allentown and liked how our city was before it was invaded by the army of poverty and those who do not speak English as their native language who come from islands of sunshine, and also poverty.
DeleteAfter leaving Allentown for a lifetime of service to contribute to our society, today, when it is time to relax and enjoy life, the city I knew and where nine generations of my family were born is unrecognizeable, and undesireable to return to for more than a brief period of time.
With no real changes on the horizon except more of the same.
9:51, Where ever you went, I hope you are made to feel as unwelcome as your statement.
DeleteIf you've heard Ed Zucal attempt to articulate why he's running for mayor (the key word here being attempt) I don't think Matt Tuerk has anything to worry about. I'm not sure Mr. Zucal could actually spell articulate.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, those being the only two choices is a loss for the City of Allentown. The incumbent has been running around his entire first term pretending his job isn't dealing with real people who have real challenges. He forgot the job of a mayor is to be primarily focused on your citizenry and how they are doing. Well, Mr. Mayor, I rarely see you address concerns on the small things that impact everyday lives -- the trash that never gets picked up, the potholes that are rarely (and poorly) filled, a police department that is, to be exceedingly polite, in need of complete overhaul. You spend most of your time being ignorantly insensitive to legitimate concerns about the city’s direction, but you're always up for blatant self promotion, cozying up to JB Reilly and siphoning money from the city's coffers to take another vacation (or as you like to call it, a "learning opportunity") on the taxpayers' dime.
The sad part is understanding Zucal and Tuerk are not the best Allentown has to offer, but for now, they're the only thing it has to offer.
Roger McClain is not the only choice for County Executive, I am supporting Mike Welsh, a lifelong Republican and Allentown resident.
DeleteAllentown is microcosm of the democrat party. Only defective and irrelevant candidates need to apply. Without some leadership like Bill Clinton's democrat leadership conference, they will continue to talk about the 2020 election and Jan.6.
ReplyDeleteThey cannot win by trashing Trump, only by having a vison that gives Americans a positive choice. As yet, it looks like they do not have that capability.
Kamala Harris or Donald Trump? Now, let me see . . . .
ReplyDeleteTotally off topic, but I noticed that the plastic covering over the WPA wall at the UT amphitheater was taken down.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t seen the work up close, but I heard someone refer to it last week as stone “facing”. My understanding (or my hope) was that they were actually removing the actual stones and resetting them in new mortar. I don’t think that stone facing has the same life span.
Any idea about what was actually done there?
RGR
When they replaced the Union Street Bridge, the retaining wall along the park was done with cement, then faced with the original stones. The same process was used in Lehigh Parkway, after the entrance wall collapsed, down to the double stairway. The remaining walls, in both Union Terrace and Lehigh Parkway, are the original stone, which has been repointed.
DeleteOh the Redhats do have a cult aspect indeed. Everything the Emporor Donald Trump says and does is sacred and cannot be questioned. If you question any aspect of Trump's actions, at a minumum you are to be flogged, and at worst, you are considered a traitor. This is what cults do when you run afowl of them.
ReplyDeleteMAGA supporters and radical Democrats act the same way. It is just the opposite end of the spectrum. The far right versus the far left. And they both have the similar glassy-eye look in their supporters; unquestioned loyalty to their leader; use the same sayings; groupthink.
I disagree strongly with Trump throwing Ukraine and Ukrainians under the bus and Trump's seemingly aligning ourselves with Russia and Vladimir Putin. A man who invades soverign nations without provocation, and leads an army of murderers and rapists. Trump basically switched sides and allied the US with Russia for aluminum and oil deal.
Money Money Money.
That may be how real estate deals work in New York City, but it does not work in directing our foreign policy.
Good lord! Who's angry here? Answer, the pro war neocons and the radicalized Democratic Party. I read them daily, The Bulworks Bill Crystal and The Nation' Jett Jeer routinely rage dripping hatred of Trump and his supporters.Their publications and others like them fuminate hate and contempt daily against Trump and Republicans. Hated and contempt has become the touchstone of the neo cons and the left. This hatred and arrogant contempt is frankly un-American. Yes, one can find examples of hatred on the right but it has not been universalized and institutionalized as it is with the left and neo cons. It is not unusual for Democrats to stop socializing with their Republican family and friends. It has happened to me and just about every Republican I know. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. Never have I heard of Republicans breaking off friendships and family ties for partisan reasons, infact unlike Dems, Republicans go to great lengths not to discuss politics with those who may disagree. Democracy and our repubican form of government only florish when debated is met with counter debate and opposing opinions are challenged respectfuly and disagreement respected. Trump is not why half of America hates, this hate preceded Trump by decades. There is truly nothing Trump could do to make those who Hate him no longer hate him. Nor could George Bush when he was president, nor will any future Republican who becomes president. This ensconced hatred is a far bigger threat to America than any single president ever could be. Perhaps therefore those who see their hatred as a virtue should consider where such hatred leads.
DeleteI grew up in a United States that promoted freedom and democracy.. We did it because it was what we believed in. We did it because we wanted to help people live in freedom. We did it because we opposed dictatorships; totalitanarism, and most important we did it because we thought it was the right thing to do.
DeleteDonald Trump sees everything as a balance sheet. What do I get out of this? What does the United States get out of this?
What if Harry Truman asked that question to the UK in 1945 after World War II ended? "You got yourself in that war with Germany and you should have just surrendered after losing at Dunkirk, then we had to bail you out of the hole you got youself into. We had to spend millions to build equipment, supply you, send millions of soldiers to Europe to win your war for you. You should have made a deal since you were losing. Now what will you give us to pay us back now that we won the war for you ?"
That is Trumpspeak.
That is not the United States I defended for decades during the Cold War and not the values I have. Nor is it the values of most Americans. That is Donald Trump and his money talking, and his little attack poodle J D Vance. What is in it for us? Insulting and fighting with our friends and allies. What kind of policy is that for the United States?
Sorry, I'm not a New Yorker. Maybe that's why I never liked New Yorkers and maybe that's why I don't like the way New Yorkers have turned my hometown into something I don't recognize any longer.
And I'm a Conservative. Not a MAGA ideologe that mindlessly supports Donald Trump. I'm an American, and do not like what Donald Trump is turning the United States into. Aligning the United States with Russia and Vladimir Putin is revolting. Aligning the United States with a KGB agent and an army of thugs, murderers and rapists for economic cooperation - MONEY - is a step too far.
Bringing an end to a war that has cost one million people there lives, and without mediation, in time lead to many more live and Ukrainian territory lost. Ending this war is not aligning America with Putin or Russia, it is aligning with peace and the greater good.
DeleteWe all want peace. We all want the war to end. We all want the killing to stop.
DeleteWhat Trump is doing is coercing Ukraine to capitulate. Stopping weapons shipments used to defend themselves and the civilians in Ukraine's cities. Stopping shared intelligence so Ukraine can destroy the Russian missiles and drones that are used against homes, schools, hospitals and other civil targets to terrorize and kill innocent civilians. Undermining the elected government in Ukraine by talking in secret with Ukranian political opposition leaders and exploring ways to replace their elected president.
Is Donald Trump exercising similar coercian tactics against Vladimir Putin. No. He is not.
This is not "Trump's plan" for peace. It is Vladimir Putin's plan to force Ukraine to capitulate.
Now that I have stopped working, I have been doing some travelling. I have seen many signs that Americans support Ukraine. Various flags usually, or yellow and blue symbols. I never see any Russian flags. Trump might as well be wearing one on his lapel.
Please, take time to learn the facts. Not what you want to believe. The more I learn about Donald Trump, the more discusted I am that I voted for this man. Not just once, but three times.
What good is achieved by continuing the war in Ukraine when we know Ukraine cannot win the war? Blithe statements such as Russia must be stopped, American must stand with Ukaine... are not strategies are they? Words cannot defeat an enemy on the battlefield. Those demanding we continue to fund and encourage Ukraine not to negotiate, already have the blood of a million lost souls and vast destruction on their hands. They continue to offer no endgame that would result in a Ukrainian victory. Until they can provide one, Americans increasingly want no part of this.
DeleteThe Russian army uses mules and donkeys to supply its front like troops with ammunition. Most Russian trucks and armor have been destroyed. They have what are called "Crutch Brigades". Men over 40 on crutches that limp accross fields attacking and are mowed down by Ukraians and their drones. New Russian recruits are basically told how to load a rifle with bullets before being sent into combat and being killed at the rate of nearly 2,000 per day.
DeleteThe blunt fact is that Trump hates Ukraine and admires Russia. Trump's inner circle agrees with him, some of it is ideological, some of it is personal, and some basically know that either they go along with him or they are fired. Those closest to Trump all want to abandon Ukraine. Some in the GOP are trying to stop him, but they are not determined enough to speak out publicly. The result is that the outlook for Ukraine is difficult, but not hopeless.
On social media, there is just this seething hostility towards Ukraine. Now where does this seething about Ukraine come from? Some of it comes from the leader principle. That's a big part of MAGA. What Trump likes they like; what Trump doesn't like, they don't like. If Trump changed his mind about Ukraine tomorrow, the vast majority of MAGA would also change their mind about Ukraine tomorrow. They don't care about it; its not important to them, it is just how Trump feels about it.
Now if Ukraine surrenders, which is what Trump wants it to do. To "end the bloodshed" what is going to happen? Well, expect the Russian army to do what it has always done to those who surrender to it. Pillage, murder and rape the women. The men who are not outright shot, will likely be press-ganged into working somewhere in Siberia, or sent to Poland where they can die fighting the Poles.
Do you want to rely on the mercy of the Russians?
Roger McClain, is he running for county executive? I thought it was just Seigel? He was on city council and was one of the rubber stamps right? As far as Zucal goes, anyone who isn't woke works for me.
ReplyDeleteAt a local level, on his social media page,Whatss t has just pitched a crisis hotline with a Walk with me designation. I wonder what qualifications are needed, as well as what the liability is. Seems like the attention you threw his way has emboldened him...
ReplyDeleteApparently, it hasn't emboldened you, mr. anonymous :)
DeleteAs for your questions, you'll have to direct them to him.
MaClean is a highly unlikely choice for County Executive. Josh Siegel will most likely win.
ReplyDeleteMr. Zucal must win the Mayor seat. Allentown cannot afford a second Tuerk administration. Sadly, we don’t see much activity from the Zucal campaign. Meanwhile, Tuerk is using a Saquon Barkley even as a free campaign moment for his reelection.
Anon 10:31. Mr. Zucal has not offered forth his plan of action because he does not have the skills to generate a plan, nor the energy to enact one. He is courting voters on a basis of returning Allentown backwards. If you have followed his performance on city council, all he ever does is find a one line item on the agenda, challenge it, and then find out his conclusion was wrong. Cast your eye on the council candidates and worry how Zucal has aligned himself with Ce-Ce and her nominees of Natalie and Palmer.
DeleteDid it occur to you that it was tuerk's administration that caused the Barkley event to happen?
When I hear Zucal say return to an Allentown of yesteryear I hear him saying “let’s erase the destructive last four years of the Tuerk administration”.
DeleteThe administration didn't bring Saquon here, they (mostly Tuerk) took a moment in history and turned it into 3min of fame. Tic-toc, times up!
Yes Anon: 10:31 you are 100% in saying that the Mayor USED Saquon Barkley. He has that advantage as the Mayor. People saw right through that. I wasn't at the event but was told when the Mayor was introduced maybe 100 people clapped out of 6000. Regarding Mr. Zucal's campaign believe me he is out there meeting with the right people. The Voters!!! You are also right when you state that this city will be doomed under a second Tuerk regime. People might want to ask themselves would they rather have a quiet politician who has their back or a photo opportunist
ReplyDeleteAnon 1131. Your post is nonsense. Did you have a clap meter like they have on game shows? Tuerk has been the first of Mayors that shows up. He ran on that platform that he would show up. He has been at school events, church events, neighborhood gatherings, city sponsered events, any and all economic development, you name it. Frim what I have seen posted on twitter, he is involved in national events that promote Allentown. That stale comment about photo ops is getting Allentown, not him, positive attention. I might not agree with every one of his actions but he is raising up Allentown. Zucal does not have what it takes to keep the momentum going.
DeleteMomentum? Really?
Delete