Chief Roca is always asking the public for help, does anybody ever come forth? Shouldn't Promise Neighborhoods know something about such things, with all the grants going their way?
Subscribers to this blog on the web version can find Radio Molovinsky on the sidebar. Last year I created a few short podcasts, and learned that air time is not easy to fill by yourself. Recently, I decided to try the medium again, and thought that it would be interesting to discuss Allentown with someone with a different perspective. I've known Alfonso Todd for over twenty years. While I'm an old, third generation white man in Allentown, he's a younger, 1st generation black man in town. Alfonso is an event promoter and occasional DJ. We live in different worlds, but in the same town. I hope to provide a link to the first podcast by Friday afternoon.
Wait, you mean shooters aren’t being deterred by the city’s “shot spotter” technology, and the knowledge that they will be quickly apprehended because of it? But that’s what my State Representative is always telling me!
ReplyDeleteHe’d never lie, and I’m sure there’s no connection between the people who supply such technology and his campaign donations.
Alfonzo had a huge amount of support when he ran for City Council. Unfortunately for Mr. Todd those many enthusiastic supporters were not eligible to vote, not registered voter, or simply didn’t show up to vote on Election Day.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of important issues at play there all worthy of consideration in an intelligent postmortem of his race and how those factors influence Allentown politics moving into the future.
anon@5:47: Over the years some very capable people ran and lost for city council...Eric Weiss comes to mind. Alfonso was witness to many Pawlowski shenanigans...that's something we have in common.
DeleteThere was no suggested Mr. Todd lacked any of capabilities required for Council, and Eric Weiss was a stellar candidate and exemplary public servant.
DeleteAlphonse Todd had a large and enthusiastic following and wide name recognition and yet his campaign fell short. The issues here are voter turnout, GOTV,
and voter registration. The visibility of the campaign was excellent, the energy was high, and yet the campaign fell short.
The current mayor had no such enthusiasm and lacked any organic public profile. The question, which is relevant to this day, is a practical one about winning elections in the City of Allentown. It is a review of strategies and tactics, not individual capabilities.
I was very surprised when Alphonso didn’t win his race for Allentown City Council and equally surprised when he didn’t continue in city politics.
DeleteRocca asking for help and than turning around and telling the shooter who the informant is and were they can be found.
ReplyDeleteanon@7:39: I believe that if the police ever do get a tip, that they certainly would keep it confidential. However, considering how few people are even willing to sign their name to a blog comment, imagine how few would provide tips to the police.
DeleteAnyone who lived through the Pawlowski years, or raised the pique of Emma, understands how swift and pronounced official retribution can be.
DeleteAllentown is a nasty, mean spirited, place.
“Snitches get stitches” is the ethos of the street in what was once the All American City. Allentown is in free fall. No, I won’t be using my name on this comment. Discretion is the better part of valor.
We still have the secret ballot, yet anything resembling a healthy political and civic culture in Allentown is as dead as the proverbial door knob.
DeleteLook at the numbers of voters. Consider the quality of Council members, ASD Board members. Reflect on a mediocre Chief of Police and an absolutely incompetent Mayor, and weep for the future.
Churches are closing. The JCC is for sale. The YMCA has long ago lost its core function. Youth Leagues are a shadow of their former glory. Opening day of trout season is a nonevent.
Everyone who has the opportunity to leave has left, is planning to leave, or should be made an exit strategy. Let the new population of Allentown residents run the town into the ground.
I can almost, almost, feel sorry for the clowns on City Council and the School Board. They are pathetic. I suspect that the Mayor is so deluded and surrounded by sycophants that only in his most quiet moments can he admit to himself how silly and inadequate his act actually is.
ReplyDeleteI’ll be interested to see if your podcast is going to candidly discuss the desperate reality of the situation.
Invite Alan Jennings as a guest.He was the Voice of the Little People for over a generation. Publicly is Jennings most favorite activity.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I have received irate comments that I censor, and do not print everything sent....that is truer than they know.
ReplyDeleteI do not value comments per se as a measure of the blog's success.
I do not print comments I consider repetitive, from the same person or even different people.
I do not print comments that I feel are trolling.
This blog is intentionally not monetized, it doesn't matter to me if there are 2,500 or 25,000 readers.
I'm interested in different points of view, but I'm not running an adult day care.
Geez, Mike, tell us how you really feel!!! LMAO!!! "adult day care"... sounds like you just described all of Allentown! I describe it as "babyland"... bunch of cry babies when they don't get their way... There isn't a pair of "big boy pants" worn in any of the government in Allentown. It would be an improvement if city hall, complete with the clowns, went into a sinkhole. Sad and sorry to state such.
DeleteI remember Alfonso Todd, and I even switched from R to D so I could vote for him in the primary. It was a shame to not have him get elected.
ReplyDeleteI recently made a trip to visit a friend who graduated with me from William Allen years ago, went to college in Philly, and has since moved away and hasn’t been an Allentown resident for many years. He asked me, has he always does, why do I still hold a grudge against Pawlowski? He’s been gone for over 7 years and with him gone things should’ve gotten better. He always mentions when he does come back to visit family in the Allentown area, he thinks we are doing so well with the hockey arena and all the shiny new buildings in Center City Allentown, paid for by state taxpayers.
I’ve learned that you can’t convince people of facts that they don’t want to hear, and my friend is a great example of it. Now, if he would’ve stayed in Allentown after college, and bought a house here (like I did), maybe he would think differently?
The absolutely killer-diller podcast would be an extended phone interview with Federal BOP inmate, Ed Pawlowski.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he cheated the taxpayers for years, he still has loyal sycophants in positions of power in Allentown.
DeleteRoca always says no threat. How would he know? He was a patrolman for only 3 months. He doesnt come out on shootings either. And how many times are him and Tuerk going to say crime is down? Its a joke.
ReplyDeleteMaybe seeing a black man's perspective on things will make people understand how bad it really is in Allentown. And that the politicians, mayor and Chief are full of sh$t when they talk about how safe and great things are.