KTA Is Worse Than TDS

Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.”

It's hard to know where to begin analyzing that statement, I suspect psychology students will be studying it for years to come. To a layman, it shows a complete lack of empathy, and being totally self-absorbed with himself. While I'm not surprised by his callousness, I'm interested to see the reaction of his supporters. Trump went on to say...

“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness,”

As my disillusionment with Trump began appearing on my blogs, my partisan Republican readers have been using the TDS slur against me. I'm sorry to tell them that their blind support of Trump may well be the real pathology...KTA, Kissing Trump's A--

Hispanics Speak Out In Miami

Post graduates students of this blog know that in addition to my Allentown base, I rent a small, low rent office inland from Cape Canaveral. While my desk shakes when the Brightline Death Train roars by, I can see the endless rockets take off from the Cape.

For Florida news, I have secured the services of a retiree on the west coast, and a college student in Miami. The Miami intern reports about the message sent Trump and the Republicans with the recent mayoral election there.

A Democrat won for the first time in thirty years, and with a large majority. While the Hispanic community is mostly Republican, and advocates for legal immigration, it is alarmed by the gestapo actions of ICE. The other issue propelling the Democrat's win was affordability. Trump can tell those geniuses with the red hats at his rallies that affordability is a Democratic myth, but that won't help any Republican get re-elected. Keep in mind that Miami was Trump country, where he plans on building his presidential library.

Blogger near Cape Canaveral

A Place For The Unaffiliated

There are a number of groups, Principles First among others, that don't relate to the current administration and certainly not the MAGA element. Some are quite organized, with seminars and conventions. Then there are the non-joining discontents like myself. This is a place for us non-joiners. No membership, no donations, no meetings. 

This is not a new blog, nor am I a new blogger. Previously the blog was titled Rainy Morning Chronicle, but I have always been Michael Molovinsky:) I also publish Molovinsky On Allentown, since 2007. This blog will retain the posts published under the old heading. 

I am an independent conservative, registered to vote in Pennsylvania. Like many other northerners long in the tooth, I spend some time in Florida, on the Space Coast, which was Trump country. Like the beach after a bad storm, I'm starting to see erosion with his support.

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Florida Edition, Brevard Secrets

Subscribers of this blog know that I have a satellite office in-land from Cape Canaveral. While my little desk rattles from the Brightline Death Train whizzing by, I can see the endless launches from the Cape.

The days of NASA putting up a rocket a year are long gone. Space X, which I call Space Junk, goes up over twice a week. Each rocket has a dozen or so satellites. Cape Canaveral is across from the mainland. It is separated by the Indian River, a half-mile wide lagoon stretching down the coast about 150miles. 

Only in the last few years has the county government started giving lip service to the health of the lagoon, contaminated by continuous development on both the mainland and the barrier island. The lip service has yet to overhaul inadequate sewer systems, and other realities. No one even mentions pollution from the space industry, which is now the growth engine of the area's economy. 

There's an old blogger in a small office by the railroad tracks...

screengrab:Florida Today

Jarrett Coleman, Pa. Watchdog

When it comes to the taxpayer's money in Pennsylvania, only one elected official out of one of the largest statehouses in the country seems to care. Jarrett Coleman started the initiative to have a real audit of Allentown's NIZ, and the roadblocks put in his way have been endless.

He likewise is now looking into a $mil spend on security in Josh Shapiro's private residence. That expense apparently was buried with the repairs to the governor's mansion in Harrisburg, which was victimized by an arsonist attack last year.

As a political independent and blogger concerning myself with government shenanigans, I don't have a rapport with many politicians... Coleman is an exception.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Saturday Night Live In The Poconos

If I was the casting director for Saturday Night Live, I could not have come up with a better group behind Trump for his Affordability speech. I'm even including the likes of John Candy, John Belushi and Bill Murray. Add those flash cards and it was a classic skit. I only saw a short portion of it...the scene put me to sleep like laughing gas.

While this blog has been critical of Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, Trump's praise for Dave McCormick was the kiss of death for my vote. Fortunately for Dave, he's only in his first year of six.

Although I have most of the speech to hear before I put this review to print, I doubt that he said anything substantive about affordability. With that audience, I doubt that anything substantive was needed. Apparently, the real purpose of the rally was to energize his base for the midterms. While those students of government were willing to brave the Pocono cold for their leader, I'm not sure that they will bother to turn out next November....Especially if the economy continues its downward spiral.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Trump Trying To Fix What He Broke

Trump closed the border on day one, but from day two forward his administration has been a disaster.  An increasingly disturbed narcissist, surrounded by sycophants, responding to one problem after another that they have created. Now we'll subsidize the farmers, after devastating them with arbitrary tariffs with China.

He tries to tell the little people that affordability is a Democratic myth. While the low information MAGA and hardcore Republican acolytes cling to his dissolving allusions, the country is waking up, very quickly.

Here locally in the valley, Ryan Mackenzie is talking out of three sides of his mouth. Now that Trump did a 180 on health care, you would think that Ryan stood with the Democrats to keep the Affordable Care Act subsidies. Unless he really stands up, he'll be eaten alive during the midterms.

Every world leader understands that Trump is a deteriorating ego maniac, who must be flattered like a delusional old actress in a Hollywood rest home. They bring him crowns and ribbons, that he embarrassingly puts on, like they're really deserved.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Water Runoff In Allentown Parks

I have been wrestling with the Allentown Park System for over twenty years about the weed walls, aka Riparian Buffers.The bout started in Keck Park, early in the Pawlowski Regime, when he allowed the Wildlands Conservancy to install their first buffer. 

The back stories are that Pawlowski's first of several park directors all had the same background in recreation from Penn State, and asked the Wildlands for advise about park issues. The Wildlands back story is that they get to keep 15% of all government grants that they apply for, as an administrative fee. Riparian Buffers are supposed to filter the lawn fertilizer in water runoff from entering the streams. The ignored reality in the Allentown Parks is that the storm system is piped directly into the streams, under any  buffer planted. Across Cedar Creek behind the Rose Garden, a large concrete structure discharges the entire runoff from the Hamilton Park neighborhood, directly into the creek. Likewise, several pipes empty the West End directly into the creek. So, for twenty years, we park devotees have been enduring weed walls all summer, blocking view and access to the creeks. Worse, this summer the city allowed the Wildlands to plant over a hundred tree saplings out from the creek, to expand the width of the masquerade. This area will soon also not be mowed, because mowing between closely planted trees is very labor intensive.

The current park director is asking the city for additional funds to study water runoff. The free answer is in the above paragraph. I would be happy to recommend needed repairs to various WPA structures within our parks, providing some value for that money.

Shown above is the weed wall in Cedar Park during the summer. 

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Real Estate Only For Trumps

 Trump tells us that bad news is fake news. With the economy not going his way, his explanations get more far fetched. I was particularly disillusioned to hear his 50 year mortgage plan.

I was never interested even in 30 year mortgages...that is a lot of interest to pay. With the average age of first time buyers approaching 40, with a 50 year mortgage, buyers won't obtain any equity until they're 70 years old.

While my former readers, who claim every post that it is their last visit to this blog, know that Trump knows real estate. For him to give such bad advice, speaks more to his obsession for administration approval, than his honesty. He knows that 50 year mortgages are candy for the bank, and sawdust for the public.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Hegseth Will Resign

Pete will be gone soon... Attacking two survivors clinging to a damaged boat is hard to defend. He will resign, rather than face impeachment. I believe that with the approaching midterms, enough Republicans would vote against him in an attempt to keep their seats.

Trump put together a grossly unqualified cabinet, valuing ring kissing over experience and/or expertise. While this has demeaned our military, there have been worse consequences for the American public. Our health policy is being steered by supposition, rather than medical science.

As I ponder these federal issues, my reading base pouts. They accuse me of TDS, then censorship, when I limit them to one bite of the criticism apple. At the end of the day, I don't want to feel compromised, like the brass testifying yesterday.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Josh Siegel And Donald Trump

 Josh Siegel has set up a very ambitious transition team for his coronation as County Executive. He has checked all the progressive boxes, such as affordable housing, which isn't usually in the county's purview. BUT, in fairness to Mr. Siegel, he the youngest person ever elected to the position in Pennsylvania. His appointees are a who's who of local Progressive politics. 

 The committee which warrants this blog post is Local Resilience and Response to Trump Administration:

Chair: Jon Iron, Lehigh County Commissioner

 Jasmine Rivera, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Immigrant Coalition 

 Mary Erdman, Immediate Past President, Lehigh County League of Women Voters 

 Adam Hosey, Policy and Political Director, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates 

 Nicole Folino, Community Services Manager, Second Harvest Food Bank

While federal constraints, such as grants, have always concerned local government, I have no recollection of the county ever having a special committee to monitor and respond to a specified presidential administration.

Some readers of this blog, disturbed by my expansion out of Allentown, have accused me of TDS. I suppose my case at worse, is very, very mild compared to everyone mentioned above. BTW, I have not been invited to join any of the committees.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Trump And Fake News

Up to very recently, I was fairly well accepted as a geniune independent conservative. When I ran as a independent in the 2005 mayoral race, I was shunned by the Morning Call for my appreciation of an older Allentown. They never even printed my picture, and excluded me from their debate. Move ahead nine years, and I ran again as an independent, for state representative. 

This blog was instrumental in pointing out shenanigans in the Pawlowski administration. This blog has been instrumental in pointing out the inequities of the NIZ. Local Republicans had been complimenting my efforts for two decades.

However, now that I began to ponder what I consider Trump's flawed administration, I am coco puffs, I am a victim of fake news. Actually, that term and concept is another Trump flaw. There has always been a wide menu of news, from the conservative Manchester Union, to the liberal NY Times. But Trump declared that anything critical of him is fake, and his minions now repeat it like a mantra. If you don't drink the cool-aid, you must have TDS. They justify it when he calls reporters fat or ugly, if he doesn't like their question. 

On day one he closed the border, and that was good. However, the problem has been since day two.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Pity The Cyclists In Allentown

Making Allentown bicycle friendly is what lawyers call an attractive nuisance. Pity the poor suburbanite with his helmet and spandex who peddles to 4th and Turner. He might as well have Mug Me embossed on his jersey.  I know the mayor is a cyclist, and takes some riders with him on group excursions; but alone, they are just bait for trouble. 

Readers know that I have been working lately from my Washington office. There's a new blog in town which makes my Tuerk-centric posts about the mayor seem like Hallmark cards. He has actually taken to say hello when he jogs past me in a park. This new blogger has almost made me appear gentlemanly. 

So Matt, as one gentleman to another, Allentown realistically is no place to encourage cyclists. The other day I saw a car going in reverse for a block near 15th St.. The police need to write 5000 more traffic tickets before we start inviting cyclists downtown.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

shown above Mr. T, known for his catch phrase,"Pity the fool"

The Onerous Job Of Defending Trump

Some of the hardest working people in the country today are those defending Donald Trump's inconsistent, perhaps irrational, proclamations. One moment he is condoning double tap attacks on civilian boats; the next, pardoning a former Honduran Drug President.

From Karoline Leavitt in the press room, to partisans commenting on this blog, it's not easy to triple talk. For Karoline, it is her career; for the partisans, it's the Alamo. They know if they slightly concede that Trump is irrational, as everyone else in the world knows, the Republicans will be reduced to proverbial dog catchers in the upcoming elections.

I'm afraid for them, that reduction of power is coming, and the only thing left to save is their credibility. I'm expecting the disconnect with Trump to come very soon, in time for the midterms. I'm hoping that the elected Republicans who represent me here in Kentuckylvania have that much sense.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Trump Shoots Then Aims

Donald Trump wants a trophy for fixing the things that he broke. He's now looking at extending the Affordable Care Act, after our country suffered its longest shutdown in history. We're bonusing Air Traffic Controllers, after Musk decimated the system with DOGE. We're relaxing tariffs on foodstuffs from South America, after their flow was hampered by his wily nilly tariffs.

He tore down the East Wing, and now even his architect is becoming less than proud of the plans. Here on this blog, the partisans continue to defend the policies more, and the man less. They read the polls, and see the writing on the wall.

In this last local election, they got Charlie Dent to endorse Roger MacLean on their last mailing. It wasn't that many years ago that they were calling Dent a RINO, for not thinking that Trump could walk on water. Don't expect Ryan Mackenzie to seek Trump's endorsement by the 2026 midterms.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Mackenzie Getting Nervous

Subscribers to this blog remember that I took Mayor Matt Tuerk to task for his trip to the Dominican Republic. Although there are many Dominicans in Allentown, the pandering quotient was blatant. However, now local US Congressman Mackenzie has made the same trip, and to me it's apparent that he's hoping for some Latino votes come November. 

Sorry Ryan, but your Commander and Chief has cooked that goose, but good. Your explanation for the trip, about trade and security, are a giggle. Don't expect a big Dominican turnout come midterms.

I can appreciate that you're beginning to find this blog annoying. If you're really intent on Latino votes, you would have to speak out against Trump's ICE Capades, which would injure you with the MAGA base. Good luck with your juggling.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

ADDENDUM: This blog is published every weekday, holidays included.

Ruminations From An Old Blog(ger)

I don't purport to be nice, that's a trait that never reached me. While this blog is in its eighteenth year, only recently have I broken out of Allentown, toward Washington... Trump does move people. I voted for him in 2016, but couldn't do so again in 2020 (or 2024), when I voted for an independent. After Jan. 6, I find his current complaint against Mark Kelly very ironic. 

As an independent conservative, local Republicans comprised a large part of my readership. Their partisanship is causing them to proclaim intense disappointment in me. Life has disappointments. I was caught of guard by Majorie Green's announced resignation. I recently posted that she is joining a small but growing group pushing back against the King. There are trip words in this political world, and King is one of them. I will receive comments that now I should go stand with the other blue haired boomers protesting at the local congressman's office.

I don't stand with protesters, but I will be speaking out here on the blog. Speaking out was what this blog was about since day one. If it's a mayor in Allentown, a governor in Harrisburg, or a president in Washington, I'll speak my mind. If I lose or gain a few readers, it won't affect my lunch.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

ADDENDUM: Another change coming to this blog is advertisements. This is an experiment of sorts...there will be different ad densities (number of ads) and different ad placements. It will be third party provided, without control on my part concerning placement or products advertised.

Trump vs Kelly

Mark Kelly and others reminded Trump last week that the military is not obliged to follow illegal orders in violation of the Constitution. Trump initial response was that Kelly and company could be executed for treason. Trump apparently was convinced to tamper down that threat, but he can't completely restrain himself. This weekend he reduced his death threat to jail.

The real threat to America is Trump's inability to measure his words in a presidential fashion. Despite previously being president, he thinks he can say and tweet whatever pops into his head, with no deliberation.

Attacking Kelly was like his profoundly ignorant remark about John McCain in 2015. Although Kelly did not spend six years in a North Vietnam prison camp like McCain, he did fly 39 combat missions over Iraq before becoming an astronaut. Yes, Trump is Commander and Chief, but that title comes with a responsibility which is lost on him.

Trump sycophant Defense Secretary Hegseth has the Pentagon reviewing if court martial charges should be brought against Kelly. I don't know if Mark Kelly has any presidential ambitions for 2028, but if he does, Hegseth just gave Kelly a gift.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

MAGA Not Invited

When the Trump family sat down with the royal family of Saudi Arabia last week, the MAGA red hats were not invited. While the disciples ate hamburger at home, Trump's guests dined on rack of lamb. While the MAGA crowd grumbled about the upcoming half time show, the Trump juniors were accepting investments in their Saudi projects. Before dinner, Trump had F35's fly over the White House, to remind the royals what was at stake.

However, even before the dinner, I believe MAGA was already losing their appetite. Maybe they are not quite ready to admit it, but despite any high school football concussions, they know a slight when they see one. VP Vance told them, “As much progress as we’ve made, it’s going to take a little bit of time for every American to feel that economic boom, which we really do believe is coming. We believe that we’re on the front end of it,”  Vance may have to eat those words if he runs in 2028.

Trump's threats of sponsoring a primary opponent against any defectors this spring is ringing hollow, except perhaps to Marjorie Green. However, the coming battles in the general election are feared, and rightfully so. The incumbents, especially freshman, are running out of time to exert their independence from their Trump Trance.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Homeless Camp Fire On Kline's Island

I know a little about Kline's Island, enough to know that the LCA and the city had to know about the camp being there. I had no issue with the city removing the camps from Jordan Meadows. That area was a new addition to our park system, and was causing a hardship to adjoining properties.

I was somewhat surprised when the city administration removed the camp just south of Union Street. That camp adjoined no residential real estate. I was told on good source, that eviction resulted from a complaint from Promise Neighborhoods.

Homeless camps are nothing new to any city. While traditionally, most of the occupants had social issues, in these times, high rents are another cause. No city administration is going to solve the problem and eliminate camps. Hopefully, the unfortunate occupants will find another location which doesn't result in municipal interference.

photocredit/The Morning Call: Shown above former city councilwoman Emma Tropiano, camping near Kline's Island in her 1989 campaign for mayor.

I'm not here to be polite or popular