To me, the big news is that Ce-Ce Gerlach was once again passed over, and a new Allentown School Board member, Ann Tiburcio, was chosen as the replacement candidate. Mike Schlossberg acted as the spokesman to confirm the candidate switch, and along with Matt Tuerk, provided endorsements. Tiburcio was not even an announced candidate prior to this snap appointment.
While Mike may be acting as spokesman, an important person behind the curtain is his former boss, Jennifer Mann. Jenn is still a discreet Democratic kingmaker in the valley. Apparently, Ce-Ce doesn't fit Jenn's profile for a local state representative. That slur hasn't deterred Ce-Ce from campaigning for the regular May 19th primary. Knowing Ce-Ce's work ethic, I believe that in November of 2026, she will be elected the new state representative for the 22nd District.
above a billboard from 2014, showing an independent candidate and blogger
Frankly, I would be happy to get Cecelia Gerlach elected just to get her out of Allentown politics.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing. She can test her ideas their without bankrupting the city.
DeleteNot to worry. The city budget is in the competent hands of the current mayor.
DeleteThe Pennsylvania Democratic Party is one of the most extraordinarily anti-democratic political organizations in the entire country.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a transparent farce that makes a mockery of the process and the term “process” should be used with caution.
It’s a naked scam.
Candidly, as Schlossberg would say, Tiburcio, straight outa’ Brooklyn, is a perfect young emerging political hack. Malleable, compliant, appropriate from the perspective of the ever critical Identity Politics piece.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of totally back room opaque “process” makes one want to revisit how the sam hill Susan Wild was plucked out of relative obscurity and plugged into a Congressional seat.
ReplyDeleteSadly that bit of democracy in action had a short shelf life.
anon@5:16: Wild served two terms, which might be an ideal term limit. The last election was very close.
ReplyDeleteI have received some anonymous speculative comments on why Julian Guridy dropped out...no such speculations will be printed.
Term limits of four years would be an excellent way to guarantee that Congressional staffers will run the daily apparatus of government. Isn’t the back room political party thing bad enough without destroying the marginal accountability that elections provide? Congressional elections every two years already have the practical effect of making Congressmen spend the majority of their time and effort working the phones fund raising.
DeleteThe system is broken.
We have the best government money can buy. Is it any wonder that the American public gives the House such ridiculously low approval ratings?
How about skipping the speculation on why Mr. Guridy left the race and provide some facts. The public had no information about the process that put Guridy in the catbird seat and now is getting no information on why he has abruptly withdrawn.
DeleteIn the absence of information rumor and innuendo flourish.
Wild got at least one more term than she deserved. She’s another one anointed by some kinda insider magic. Wild was perfect in her role as an empty (pants) suit.
DeleteHillary type Dems have fallen out of fashion.
Unlike Julio and Jenn she doesn’t have the jam to be of any significance influence in the secret society of Pennsylvania Democratic Party politics.
Mike ‘Two Votes’ Schlossberg isn’t the spokesperson, he’s the mouthpiece. Mike, along with his colleague Lil’ Peter, are wholly owned subsidiaries of Jenn Mann. At least Peter and Mann are local products.
ReplyDeleteThe always cringey Schlossberg is a NJ import, Mayor Peewee is from the People’s Republic of Boulder and the newly anointed aspiring political hack is from Brooklyn. At least she is an authentic representative of the New Allentown.
Give Mann bonus points for longevity as the dominant player in Dem politics in the region and Schlossberg is certainly a consummate political hack but he works hard at it.
Mayor Matt is a complete tool. Imagine relying on an endorsement from him to launch your next career.
You should join the party and find yourself a place at the table for the insider party elites. I’m sure Jennifer Mann would welcome your participation.
DeleteThe majority of our current House and Senate, BOTH PARTIES, either has embarrassing personal secrets to hide, or is a recipient of laundered money, big corporate bribes, and suspicious corporate re-election campaign donations.
ReplyDeleteI’m sure there are some upstanding citizens in that toilet called Congress, but not enough to make a real difference. All across this nation, Incumbents need to be voted out.
The political parties are working together in common cause to keep this scam on taxpayers going. Is it any wonder why so many of these creeps resist whatever the Trump Administration attempts to do on OUR behalf?
Honestly it's sad. Tiburico is related to Mota so it makes sense why she was chosen. Tuerk also posted a specific happy birthday post to Ana a while back. It's all rigged.
ReplyDeleteOf course it’s all rigged.
DeleteSure.
DeleteMayor Matt knows on which side his bread is buttered. He wants to be in good standing with Mayor Moto when the time comes.
Moto will be Allentowns second Latino mayor.
Kiss the formerly All American City goodbye.
My guess is there was a reason he dropped out. As to CeCe being a viable candidate, her baggage and her leaning as a democratic socialist scare the party hoping to catch some spill from the more moderate republicans.
ReplyDeleteI don't relish censoring comments, but I clearly stated that I will not be hosting speculative comments about why Guridy dropped out. Likewise, I will not host what submitters consider clever backdoor comments, feigning compassion for one thing or another, or about one person or another.
ReplyDeleteThe candidates for the special election to full fill the remainder of Josh Siegel's term are Ana Tiburcio vs. Bob Smith.
The announced candidate so far for the regular term, starting in January of 2027, is Ce-Ce Gerlach.
Bobs a square shooter, a great family man and a dedicated public servant. He’s totally correct about the newly appointed D candidate being a quintessential “good Democrat”. Young Mr. Guridy would have course have been equally positioned to follow all directions and be a reliable party player also.
DeleteIt’s pretty obvious that Julio has the time and energy to stay involved in the insider political game. He may not be Jenn Mann but he’s no slouch when it comes to machine politics.
Bob Smith is too decent to be elected.
DeleteOh just wait for the Hispanic communities to see this blog. I've witnessed many comments and uproar over social media on less than 24 hours. This will be interesting.
ReplyDeleteanon@7:45: Like Al Gore and unlike Donald Trump, besides for legal recourse such as recounts, I believe that we must accept the results of elections. As for who gets chosen, especially for a special election, is for party insiders. We are all entitled to join and be active in a party.
ReplyDeleteanon@8:58: I think Allentown itself is now largely a Hispanic Community. I don't understand what would please or offend anyone about this post.
Right you are MM. The Democratic Party of Pennsylvania is nothing if not open to participation.
DeleteIt has its welcome out.
Algore folded faster than a cheap tent.
ReplyDeleteThe poor guy couldn’t manage to carry his home state so it’s understandable that his will to question the hanging chads thing was limited.
(Dick Chaney was a great president.)
Algor took advantage of his newfound time to warn the world about the impending disaster of global warming and thank G_d for that.
Algor successfully reinvented himself as an award winning filmmaker with all the critical acclaim and financial success that garnered.
“Don’t stop-thinkin’ about tomorrow.”
I would think anyone associated with ASD, one of the worst performing public school systems in PA, wouldn't stand a chance in this election. Knowing the local voters in that district, who pay a very high property tax for their kids to get a shitty education, she should win in a landslide. They want more of the same in Harrisburg.
ReplyDeleteI am a 72 Allen graduate and I am embarassed what my high school has become. My mother was a 51 grad, gradmother a 1914 grad (both from Allentown HS) and they would be rolling over in their graves about how horrible our high school is today.
DeleteI understand Trexler (my JrHS) is a similar disaster... Fortunatley my elementary school (Franklin) was torn down over 50 years ago.
The ASD needs to be aboilished and the entire school district needs to be privatized,
The individuals who pay the highest property taxes don’t send their children to ASD schools.
ReplyDeleteMuch of the Allentown electorate is functional illiterate and the MCall is no longer a functioning newspaper.
People who can read at or above an eight grade level have already moved to LM Twp.