You have to give Mike Schlossberg credit, he's not afraid to confront mental illness, in himself or his constituents. Recently, to atone for any and all misguided votes over the years, he suggested voters dunk him. For three consecutive days, Mike allowed voter after voter, regardless of political affiliation, to throw balls at the target. He was dunked no less than three hundred times.
Asked if this will be a yearly ritual, he's hesitant to commit. He doesn't doubt that his future votes will deserve public punishment, but confused by the enthusiasm of the participants.
Some ball throwers in the long line exhibited anger far beyond any decision made in Harrisburg. His aides had to monitor against people wanting a second and third time in line, despite the long wait. His intent was to reduce mental illness, not contribute to it.
Maybe just one dunking by baptism and repentance would have been better.
ReplyDeleteIf this tragic figure can vote twice I don’t see why someone can’t throw twice.
ReplyDeleteIn one of his earlier terms, Schlossberg was caught casting a vote for an absent representative. To boot, that representative stated that Schlossberg did not have his permission, and did not vote as he would have.
DeleteI’ve always appreciated it on those rare occasions when a local official came right out and told their constituents, us, that they were struggling with a mental disorder and elected office was about the only job that they were qualified for.
ReplyDeleteSuch candor should be applauded in politicians on the local level or the national stage.
Mike S. has been fun to watch since the moment of his career track immediately after graduating from our finest city college, relocating from Jersey and straight onto the public stage.
As for this stunt, the local Representative isn’t afraid to take his personal lemons and turn them into lemonade for the world to see.
Fun to watch? Only if you don't live in tne city or send your children to the ASD. He was a rubber stamp for Ed Pawlowski and now serves the same function in Harrisburg for his party. He is the perfect example of a useless, unimaginative,uncaring politician. If you doubt any of this look how he had stood by and watched the ASD crumble. The fact that he relocated out of the district to spare his children from an ASD education says it all. Has he ever demanded better from the appallingly poor leadership of the district? Did he ever raise the questions we all were asking about Pawlowski ?These are rhetorical questions. Let's not sugar coat politicians who just skate along while Rome burns. Harrisburg is full of such politicians, but he's our rep and real harm has been done, and is being done. He's never lifted a finger to stop it.
DeleteScott@11:44: Schlossberg moved to the Parkland section of his district, which includes parts of South Whitehall and Allentown. Who have the Republicans ran against him in the last two elections?... I don't even recall their names.
DeleteMike, your question raises an interesting point, that being once a Democratic gets elected in Allentown they are completely unaccountable to the voters who have over the years put party over competence. Although no Republican has been willing to be a sacrificial lamb to challenge any of our Democrat staye reps, Dean Browning did challenge Nick Miller for a state senate seat that was largely Allentown. As a reward he was slandered as a racist repeatedly in mailers sent to thousands of voters. This is standard Democratic operating proceedure against any Republican who runs in Allentown.I experienced myself on the school board. No Democrat in the city will condemn this use of vile slander. This is Allentown's Democratic Party. And you are asking me who we put up against Mike? No one with a job, a business, or a family would subject their reputation or family to this. I have explained this to you already several times, we have had this discussion on your blog several times.
DeleteIf it wasn’t ice water the act has room for improvement. The voting public deserves commitment in leadership.
ReplyDeleteSchlosss, as he is affectionately known, is a Jewish guy from N. Jersey who married a Roman Catholic Irish-American gal from the Lehigh Valley and has grown up before our eyes to become a successful elected official representing a largely Latino constituency.
ReplyDeleteSchloss is triumph of multiculturalism.
anon@9:09 is one of my two poet commenters, and the more articulate and satire prone. What he has in common with other anonymous commenters is that he's eager to reveal personal information about whomever the post is about, but very little to nothing about himself. I allowed his comment because comment #1 about Baptism, resulted in several comments that Schlossberg is Jewish. BTW, I'm sure that Nemeth meant no religious disrespect. Why am I blabbing on? Although my posts may offend subjects mentioned, I'm allowing less and less anonymous insulting comments. There are many who feel that comments are the lifeblood of a blog...they may be right but I don't care. Refunds available upon request.
ReplyDeleteI wrote the comment @9:09. My life in the civic and political sphere is a matter of public record.
Deletemj adams
mj adams@9:48: may I suggest you and others sign at the beginning of your comments...that way you won't forget and have to send a post script. I do however want to repeat that I will not print all comments, even if signed. I believe that officials, both appointed and elected, and especially their families, are entitled to some privacy.
Deletemj adams
DeleteIf a politician wants total privacy for their immediate family they should keep their family photos out of campaign literature and spouses should refrain from participating in films that prominently portray them as being married to the political figure in the title.
Nothing I said about State Rep. Michael Schlossberg was untrue or insulting.
He has repeatedly used photographs of his family in campaign advertisements.
If a Mayor promotes themself as a man-of-the-people left leaning populist in a blue collar city with the largest public school district in the region and excellent Parochial School options and said mayor sends their children to an expensive, exclusive, private school in another town it isn’t an invasion of privacy to point that out.
Ed Pawlowski, to his credit, sent his children to schools in Allentown.
That “the personal IS political” has been a major component of the progressive liberal canon since the 1960’s.
ReplyDeletePolitics are tribal and to some significant degree predicated on class, race, gender and ethnicity and is tracked as such.
When political figures use their families regularly in PR pieces those families are brought into the public sphere to some small extent.
Do families deserve a reasonable right to privacy? I would argue that they do but that courtesy is not total.
When Allentown has a Major who presents as a pop
If one’s religion or ethnicity was irrelevant in Pennsylvania politics the current Governor would be the leading Democratic Party presidential candidate and Nate would probably be Mayor.
ReplyDeleteEthnicity is arguably the most significant factor in contemporary Allentown politics.
Anyone who was in that crowded hotel ballroom the night of Ed Pawlowski’s initial installation ceremony will remember that Pawlowski’s started his reign as Mayor stating that Jesus Christ would not be a piece of his administration it would be at THE very core of his administration. The event ended with a popular Black pastor doubling down on this point.
That the minister was both Black and very obviously Evangelical was not coincidental.
Pawlowski clings to his religious beliefs to this day and fails to acknowledge any contradiction whatsoever in his rise and fall.
Really? You write this fairy tale which such commitment you sign anonymous. I knew Ed Pawlowski well. Very well, dinners together, worked on community projects. It takes time to figure out con men, and when one does it comes as a surprise. If Ed truly was a Christian he would have confessed his sins. He hasn't, end of story.
DeleteWhen a given politician or community leader has glaring contradictions between their personal life and their political or professional positions it’s a matter of public interest, no less so when they lead with their religiosity.
ReplyDeleteSerial liars, opportunists and hypocrites deserve scrutiny across the board no matter how successful they promote their carefully crafted image or how many devoted supporters they accumulate.
Don’t shoot the piano player, or the messenger
Scott@4:57:Your excuse is getting outdated. Schlossberg's district is mostly now in South Whitehall, and the Republicans failed to field a candidate in 2024 against him. BTW, Republicans have sweep the races in South Whitehall the last few cycles for Township Commissioners.
ReplyDelete