Instead, Zucal is pitching public safety, which certainly needs a major upgrade. Tuerk's recent press conference on improved crime stats convinced nobody. The suburban preception of center city has not improved during his term.
Tuerk is a populist, raising every and any flag, and sponsoring one festival after another. But there are thousands of city residents who remember calmer times, and yearn for the tranquility of yesteryear. Zucal is offering them that chance.
Mike, how many times do I have to plead with you: Allentown is a lost cause - forget about it and move out to New Tripoli! Take a lesson from Oliver Wendell Douglas and breath in this fresh country air.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Anon@2:11 There comes a time when it just isn't worth the effort to live in a city that is no longer worth the effort. Besides, few of the people that live in Allentown today were actually born there. Even Turek was born somewhere else. There are much nicer and safter places to live.
ReplyDeleteanons2:11&5:43: Your point of view is presented, but will not appear again. This is an Allentown blog, dedicated to improving the city.
ReplyDeleteThere is a serious misunderstanding of the term “populist” at play here. Turek is a lot of things but he is most certainly not a populist in the political context.
ReplyDeleteanon@6:27: Your point is well taken, but Tuerk certainly wants to be "popular" with what he identifies as the new majority.
DeleteWaaay off base here. Tuerk is every inch the pandering political elitist in substance and in style. Z is a quintessential populist.
ReplyDeleteanon@6:49: Let's put aside the political science debate if I misused a term. Will Allentown benefit if Zucal wins and puts a new emphasis on public safety with greater police enforcement?
DeleteZucal is Allentown’s last best hope.
ReplyDeletePack your bags.
People in Allentown at least a have choice, with Zucal, if they make the wrong choice they will suffer the consequences. It is sad when people no longer have a memory of what a city can be. Mike at least attempts to give them that memory.
ReplyDeleteMayor Matt is a pandering political pimp. It worked for Pawlowski all those years. To be fair, Tuerk is not the thuggish criminal sociopath Pawlowski is. Pawlowski will be released someday, he will never be reformed.
ReplyDeleteJust as bad political leadership has damaged Allentown over the past 23 years, so too can good political leadership repair that damage. The Mayor sets the standards as the chief elected official. That office is the one that will lead to continued failure or a successful future. The voters have the power to choose what they want. On election day they will speak for themselves, that is, do they want more of the same standards or do they want the improvement of better standards.
ReplyDeleteI fear Zucal will have a big financial mess to clean up if he wins. Tuerks spending is out of control. Expect huge tax increases the next few years
ReplyDeleteRespecting your desire to not have so many comments I will again only write what I would have written if I was going post here. I will be voting for Ed Zucal. Ed's "back to basics" campaign is exactly what Allentown needs. Although he doesn't realize it, Matt is on a mission to destroy Allentown. Ed good, Matt bad. Very simple. Go Ed!
ReplyDeleteIf Zucal is fighting for me he is doing so very quietly. I hardly noticed the guy is running a campaign.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Just about as much energy as he would bring to the office. He intends to hold court at city hall but no mention about getting out in the community. His agenda has appeal to a naive audience but lacks anything of substance. And his multiple knee jerk behavior as a council member illustrates the risk he would create with his ill thought out action.
DeleteThe City doesn’t need a wandering minstrel act, it needs a competent manager.
Deleteanon@4:39&9:56: I grant you that Tuerk is very much out in the community, mostly saying hello to everybody in Spanish. Zucal on the other hand will tell people to turn down the volume on the music and mufflers. Stop at red lights, not double park, not litter and other basic things that will restore quality of life in Allentown.
ReplyDelete