In a wholesale vote pandering extravaganza, Allentown held a Latino Festival two days before the primary election. Tuerk stood on the stage speaking Spanish and waving Caribbean flags at Fiesta On Hamilton.
What this event costs the taxpayers, we'll probably never know. How many police officers were there on overtime, and how many street department workers to set up and clean up? Yesterday, Promise Neighborhoods held an open house. Again, just a coincidence, I assure you.
The picture above I grabbed off of the mayor's Facebook page, although this blog probably wasn't the intended audience.
"Allentown is special. This is a city for everyone"
ReplyDeleteYes, well, then hold a flag of the United States of American and wave it.
I noticed that in the photo taken at 9th and Hamilton. There is a lack of American flags both in the audience, and the Mayor is waving a Puerto Rican flag. Now while the Mayor is of Cuban decent, he is mayor of all the residents of the city and not just those who are Hispanic.
DeleteActually it is a cuban flag.
DeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteGit the Heck Out!!! That’s the most people I’ve seen Downtown in a long time!
At first glance I thought it was aTrump Rally… given the fact that there was a fence keeping the crowd away from the speaker on the stage.
Remember… today is Election Day.
Sooo, get out there and vote early…and vote often!
The Allentown residents over the age of 45 remember is NOT coming back. It’s gone. Accept, adjust . . . . or leave.
ReplyDeleteI suspect many have. A few years ago my wife passed and I could have moved back to Allentown, where she is buried. I return for visits a few times a year to visit her grave and take a few photos about places I write about in Allentown.
DeleteI have no intention of moving back into the city however.
Today is the day that all of the attacks on the mayor will end. Today he will overwhelmingly prevail in the primary and the neigh sayers will be silenced, finally.
ReplyDeleteI expect he does prevail, but that does not equate with him being a successful mayor, just a successful politician. In fact, it is easy to discern that as a mayor the City continues to flounder, has a pretty awful quality of life and the prospects are not sunny. When promoting the award of grants to the city for being a failure is a sign of your success, you ain't winning.
Delete7:04, "neigh sayers" is merely your way of impugning those who dare to tell the truth about Allentown? isn't this just more of the same insult rather than argument defense that has been the norm in Allentown since Afflerbach? Either you believe insults lead to improvement and better government, or you just can't defend Matt through legitimate argument. Come back when you get one. Insults are what they are and nothing more.
DeleteThere he is, Allentown’s “first Latin Mayor”, in his Hispanic hometown (well, not exactly), speaking Spanish to his people. Matt’s approach is the wholesale rendition of Pawlowski’s retail pandering - one little birthday party or storefront congregation at a time - now on the street festival level.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, he’s visited a lot of school, groups, gatherings, organizations, Caribbean countries and so on.
He’s one, woke, hipster hombre.
One of his grandmothers was Cuban, don’t forget, I mean in case you have short term memory difficulties.
Yes he is, and no, regardless of the skinny jeans, sneakers and the bike, he’s not a charming fictional TV personality, who shall not be mentioned, he just plays one on the streets and in the neighbors
of the All American City.
It’s all unbelievably inclusive.
It’s a brand new Allentown.
The future is now.
The unfolding is just beginning.
Upscale apartments are available.
Crime is down.
The streets are safe.
The dining is fabulous.
The schools are great.
The parks are lush.
Welcome!
@8:21
ReplyDeleteHow’s the parking situation? I hear that the Allentown Parking Authority is the very best of its kind in the region. Are the Parking Authority’s policies and personnel bilingual?
I have family coming to the Valley for a reunion this summer and everyone is excited about visiting Allentown again.
anon@8:55: The Parking Authority is very efficient. Last week I got a $25 dollar ticket on 5th St., within 3 min. of the meter expiring.
DeleteThe street cleaning dept. not so efficient. Today N. 6th St. the litter looks like there was a parade over the weekend.
Enjoy your visit.
Let’s look at the bright side. Not many of those racist, fascist, unwoke, MAGA types will be snatching up those upscale luxury apartments from the coming wave of young urban professionals.
ReplyDeleteNow is the time to double down on clemency for Ed Pawlowski.
He wasn’t perfect but he charted the course that this young mayor is sailing to the benefit of our fair city and the entire region.
The negative nannies and naysayers can’t bring themselves to admit the facts. We’re witnessing the best Allentown ever.
ReplyDeleteThere’s never been a better time to be an Allentonian.
What an ego, the photo says it.
ReplyDeleteWell of course Matt has an ego. sir, he’s a Rock Star to his people and that takes a healthy ego. Matt is also an excellent administrator and manager. The young man does it all.
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ReplyDeleteI predict the mayor will be incredibly vulnerable in November if Zucal hits the 100-vote write-in threshold tonight. That's because Ed Zucal is driving home a message voters understand and will embrace: quality of life issues matter to Allentonians and they aren't being addressed. It takes just a cursory look at the fancy new police dashboard -- at least what it will show you -- to see noise, dirt bikes and animal complaints are and will remain major quality of life issues.
ReplyDeleteMr. Zucal has figured out these issues impact residents' well-being, property values, and overall satisfaction with their community. Mr. Tuerk, on the other hand, brushes off any resident concerns in these areas by stating these three things: 1. Noise is part of our "beautiful and vibrant culture" and we should learn to live with it. 2. He's completely solved the dirt bike issue and there are no dirt bikes on our streets anymore. If you see one, it must be a figment of your imagination and totally street-legal 3. Call the "office of animal control" which is actually Sweep, which will refer you (if they even answer the phone) straight to the humane society.
Mr. Zucal knows that you address quality of life issues with community policing - actual police on the ground in neighborhoods. Not driving by with their windows rolled up. Not gathering in groups at the nearest 7 Eleven or Wawa. Actually walking the beat, meeting the community members where they are and establishing rapport with those residents.
When Mr. Zucal gets these issues to be a driving force in his messaging this summer, he will be a serious contender for Allentown having its first 'Republican' mayor in ages.
For Zucal to beat Tuerk, he’ll need to get his 1,100 Democratic supporters (less than 20% of voters Tuesday) to all turn out in November, plus Republicans and independents to turn out for him at a much greater rate than they have in decades for registered Republicans and independents. Good luck with that.
DeleteSay what you want about Tuerk — he knows how to reach the residents of Allentown (not South Whitehall, or Lower Mac, or Hanover) who actually vote in municipal primaries.
anon@6:10: This past weekend Allentown finally conducted some traffic stops, and actually found some guns. Funny how Tuerk and Roca rolled out enforcement one week before the election :) Too little too late for me.
ReplyDeleteMr. Molovinsky, please keep an eye on the dashboard and I will do the same. There is already a suspicious pattern of incidents "reclassified" after they've been published.
DeleteOne question I would like answered... where in the Sam Hill do these people that think Allentown is so great and on the right track, LIVE??? Sure isn't Allentown... must be Fantasy Island!!!
ReplyDelete