Allentown's Crossing Guard Controversy

This morning we learn from facebook that Pawlowski tried to bully the Allentown School District into paying for the crossing guards. This story, like an onion, has many layers. First, let's look at Bob Smith's statement on his election facebook page. 

I have been a school board director for 12 years. President of the board the last 4 years. And I have always worked hard for the tax payers of Allentown. Today I had a meeting with the mayor, city solicitor, assistant chief, city council president ,superintendent of Asd and school solicitor. The mayor wanted the school district to take over crossing guards and pay half the costs. They showed a statute that says school district must pay half if no other agreement could be reached. I heard too much talk about the school district taking over and said the school district will not take this over as this is public safety. This should be handled by the city not the school district. We would contribute toward costs but we do not know what we are getting from the state and I would need to talk to the whole board as well. Not to mention we already voted on our current budget. Mayor wanted us to open our budget. Then it happened, everything about pay to play came to my mind but in this case pay or lose your SRO officers in our school buildings. The mayor said if we did not pay he would pull all Sro officers from our school buildings. I blew my top and said do not threaten me or the school district. This was blackmail, a threat, strong arming and bullying. I will not be blackmailed, strong armed or bullied into making any deal that hurts our taxpayers, students or our staff. We offered 100,000. To start work on a plan to help hire crossing guards. We would need to wait and see what our state funding is and time to talk to the whole board on this.The mayor rejected this good faith offer, I'm very disappointed in him today. Now I see what contractors must have gone through. The mayor also threatened to sue us. We will continue to work with the city and help where we can but if the mayor wants to fight and blackmail us on the safety of our students and staff that is a fight I will gladly take defending with all my being to protect our students, teachers and all our taxpayers. I think we need to ask where all that money for water went that the city budget is so tight. I do not work for the mayor and he threatened the wrong person today. I will continue to defend the taxpayers and will not be bullied, blackmailed or threatened by him or anybody else. I post this so the public knows the truth. The school district will work together with the city despite what happened today but will not take over the crossing guards and will pay something we can afford not what the mayor demands.

I have no issue with Bob's reaction to the bully tactic by Pawlowski, but must note that other school board members were asked not to go public with this development. Another layer on this story is Pawlowski's attempt last spring to load the school board with his chosen picks, through the Citizens For A Better Allentown PAC. After the FBI raid, those endorsed tried to separate themselves from the taint, but that dye still sticks. Another layer is that the Allentown budget supposedly has a $9 million dollar fund gap, which precipitated Pawlowski's strong arming of the school board. So much for the water and sewage lease being a silver bullet.

This story is also being covered by Bernie O'Hare at Ramblings.

Another Department of Parks and Recreation Failure

Ever since Pawlowski's first term, when the Park and the Recreation Departments were merged, our parks have been administered by those with a background in recreation, who have little regard for the parks in themselves. The consequence of this emphasis has been a disaster on the iconic park system. They are just seen as a venue to hold one event after another. Up to this year, not one dollar had been spend on the WPA structures, which anchor every park. Even the traditional recreational assets have been neglected, such as the swimming pools. In 2004, the Trexler Trust commissioned a masterplan for the park system. One of the main conclusions of that expensive report (over $100,000.00) was that Cedar Park was being overused. Unfortunately, we're on our third park director since Mr. Ed's arrival, and that report has been ignored.

This week and weekend the west side of Cedar Park is fenced off to accommodate the Allentown ArtsFest, the alternative kind. Among the alternatives are graffiti, which was left behind on park facilities after last year's event. The park really doesn't need another event. It should have been scheduled for Hamilton Street, which is a ghost town on weekends anyway. It's placement in the park is a failure of both the park department and planning at city hall. Hopefully, when Pawlowski is finally carted away, a new mayor with local roots, will insist on a park department policy more considerate of the traditional park system.

ADDENDUM: Friday Sept.11th. Although I felt that this event should not have been scheduled in the park, the organizers are now dealing with some misfortune. Yesterday's rain flooded the section of the park where they are set up. That may well be another consequence a new park director from out of town, and her staff not familiar with the park system. The area selected for the ArtsFest is the low ground, which always floods in heavy rain.

poster by Steven Leibensperger

Sitting Down With Alan Jennings

I sat down with Alan Jennings yesterday, to discuss some of the criticism coming his way from comments on this blog. He wanted to elaborate on his proposed Inclusionary Housing Policy for the Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Generally, it's the hubris of people of influence to think that if you don't agree with their proposal, you must not fully understand it.  As if on cue,  Jennings started out by handing me a printout of his proposal; Introduction-The Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority is dedicated to vibrant, diverse communities where parents can spend time with their children...blah, blah,blah.   In the proposal's details, in addition to making a percentage of the units affordable (5 to 10%), the developer can opt-out, by creating the affordable units elsewhere in the city. These would have to be either through  the Allentown Housing Authority, or any non-profit organization selected by ANIZDA, which is the NIZ board. An obvious question would be if this non-profit would happen to also be Alan's organization? I upped the ante on Alan, and suggested my own molovinsky opt-out recommendation for future apartments in Allentown. As one of my readers recently noted, and I had stated in previous posts,  Allentown apparently already has too much affordable housing.  I believe that Allentown could really improve itself by insisting that builders can only develop new units, by eliminating an equal number of distressed existing units. In a city where many row houses sell for only $20 thousand and less, that would not be an unrealistic burden. After all, if the new units are going to be truly upscale, what's 20K more? Anyway, enough Molovinsky, back to Jennings.

Even though I put aside his printout without looking at it,  Jennings was very open to my questions.   He thinks that people who criticize him for being so corporate, don't understand his strategy for successfully helping people.  He believes that he must interact with the movers and shakers, if he and his organization are going to have the ways and means  to benefit the community.  He defended his falling out with CUNA as having offered that organization his inside status, to achieve the same goals for Allentown's less fortunate. He had requested to be on the NIZ board, through his friendship and rapport with Ed Pawlowski. He claims that his real concern is not the NIZ district itself, but how it affects the greater surrounding neighborhood. He sees himself not as another human services guy, but as an economic developer, for the underclass. He believe that the best way to improve poor intercity neighborhoods is to help the most ambitious of those residents achieve ownership, so that they stay there, and help improve the area, instead of just moving up and out. He seems introspective and somewhat realistic about the NIZ and Allentown. Realism is a relative term, needless to say, he doesn't have my view on things. On the other hand, he is willing to submit himself to a critical blogger like myself,  he called me,  albeit with an agenda.  He offered that I should call him if I have further concerns about anything,  I won't.  He will have to read about them here, just like everybody else.

Small Town Pizza Blogger

The comment was sent yesterday to an older blog post from July; Pennsylvania, A State Of Corruption. The comment, sent through a second person, details alleged corruption by a local police officer, with a background story spanning two decades. After reading the allegation, I forwarded it to Bernie at Ramblings. He claims to be a genuine reporter, award winning, no less. Me, I'm just a small town pizza blogger. Now, I don't mind trying to save a dam or wall, and calling a few officials irresponsible in the process. Hell, I'll even suggest that the mayor and the police chief should leave Dodge. But, when it comes to a specific incident of corruption against an individual, I'll leave that to others, who purport to tackle such issues. In addition to the other blogger, I forwarded the comment to several reporters with local news outlets. If you also have such an allegation, please send it somewhere else, I'm just a small town pizza blogger.

small town pizza blogger trying to save WPA wall in 2013

Pawlowski and the Little People

Lately, I noticed on facebook, that Ed Pawlowski has started attending littler events, such as a small hispanic church picnic. Understand that if Mayor Ed had his choice, he still would be a candidate for the United States Senate, and not the object of an FBI investigation. He still might had,  under the prior scenario, attended a mega congregation picnic, but previously he didn't have interest in the small fry stuff. Why now is Ed showing up at the munchkin events? Does he want to say he got religion as part of his future defense? Naw, he always had big church religion. Beyond the obvious, that his personal cache has depreciated, he might be trying to cultivate a Marion Barry constituency. When the Washington mayor got popped for cocaine, his followers still elected him. I think that the taint from the Raid On City Hall has made bigger office, or big appointments, on the state or federal level, a goal no longer attainable. Perhaps Ed sees being Mayor For Life now as his best shot, supported by the little people, more tolerant of legal scrapes.

A Blogging Dilemma

Sometimes Bernie and I wonder who is the bigger bastard, him or me? I suppose it depends on the story. Neither of us pulls punches, but we operate differently. Bernie has some pets, me, I don't like anybody. On the other hand, I don't go to court or send anybody to prison. Another difference is how we handle comments. On Ramblings, comments appear instantly, often encouraging chatting between his readers. Here, because I must first approve the comment, they often sit overnight, from early evening to early morning. This morning, there was over a dozen comments waiting, which bashed Alan Jennings, none of which will appear. Now, I don't mind anybody being blunt and insulting, but doing it anonymously, that's just too easy. Another issue with anonymous comments are their accuracy. On another subject, I opened a comment this morning about the Trexler Trust. It began explaining that the General didn't particularly like the WPA structures. Trexler was killed in an automobile accident in 1933, the WPA construction began in 1935. If you're going to send a vicious comment, light on fact, send it to Bernie.

Molovinsky receiving license to blog, currently valid in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, District Of Columbia, and Florida

Getting Real About The NIZ and Affordable Housing

Alan Jennings has proposed that 20% of units in new luxury NIZ housing be put aside for low income. Sy Taub believes that now is not the right time. Both Alan and Sy can relax, the low income aspect is already built in. When Reilly built the new Renaissance Hotel, he condemned the Holiday Inn, at 9th and Hamilton, to become a flop house. Furthermore, despite the Morning Call's hype, the Strata Flats will be moderate housing soon enough. Lets be real, both the downtown and the building itself, lack the ambience to succeed with upscale urban dwellers.

Also, while I'm taking the Morning Call to task, here's another problem with today's article. The Morning Call keeps using Alan Jennings and Ce-Ce Gerlach has their go to people for these articles. There are plenty of other critics available in regard to the NIZ. Ce-Ce is a candidate for election in two months. It is a distinct disadvantage to the other candidates that Ms. Gerhart is mentioned, over and over again.

photograph of Millennial Prison Courtyard by The Morning Call

Truth, Justice and the American Way Can Offend In Allentown

I got into an argument with one of my readers yesterday, on the Deleted By Pawlowski post. Seems that he's a cyclist who insists that Lehigh Parkway hasn't lost users, despite it's primary entrance off South Jefferson Street being closed. In the heat of the debate, I mentioned spandex and helmets; He was offended. Over the years I cultivated many new readers. Back, before he probably knew of this site, I opposed the Trail Network Plan, which was to link the parks together with a bike path. My objection was based on priorities. I felt that the park department should first be taking care of it's existing infrastructure, such as the WPA structures, and the Fountain Park Pool. It was at that time I started writing that the park director had to do more than think about the spandex crowd. Well, three parks directors later, the WPA entrance wall at Lehigh Parkway has collapsed, and I offend my reader by referring to spandex and helmets. Also since then, a second new park director told city council that the Basin Street parcel purchased from Atiyeh, was needed to link the parks together, parks that he hadn't even seen yet. Recently, the third new park director, told the press that she knows nothing about that plan. So, my offended reader, now you know the history of my spandex slur. While $1.5 million dollars was spend, justified by something nobody remembers, not one dollar has been spent on the WPA, or the pools. Anyway, back to my disgruntled reader. I also explained that I produce this blog to fill an ever increasing void in local truth, available to people interested in things beyond the available A-Treat flavors. In the course of this endeavor, I will unfortunately offend some people.

Informercial At The Morning Call

The advertisement for the Strata Flats apartments was on Sunday's front page, New Luxury Strata Flats Filling Up Fast.  That's now you merchandize apartments in a new complex,  get yours quick, before it's too late.  There was just one problem, it wasn't an advertisement, it was article, presented as news.  Being familiar with the rental dynamics of Allentown, I did my own research. After waiting 30 minutes outside the entrance to the Strata above Shula's, and being careful not to hum Barbara Ann, finally a person came  out.  He was a genuine Millennial.  New to area, he moved in three weeks ago. Although happy with the apartment, he has hardly seen nobody else in the building, although the leasing agent told me that it was filling up fast.   He was surprised that they pro-rated August's rent, and charged him no security deposit or last month's rent.  Furthermore,  although new construction, they allowed his dog.  Nothing about his experience indicates that the apartments are renting very well, much less almost rented up. The article even said that demand is so high, that J.B. Reilly might have to fast track his other planned apartment buildings.  Observing the outside balcony's facing 7th Street, charming view indeed, it appears that several of the porches have been staged.  Staging is when the owner puts  in furniture to make it look attractive, or in this case, occupied. I fully understand Reilly hyping the apartments as renting like hot-cakes, but for the Morning Call to participate in the ruse, is sad indeed. But,  I suppose that's why people are clicking here for the some honestly, a commodity in short supply in Allentown.

ADDENDUM: The same reporter who wrote the Strata story, Scott Kraus, today has a story on the business page; Two Center City Earns Energy Star Rating. In this latest puff piece, he quotes Reilly's manager, "...City Center's tenants can enjoy lower monthly energy costs." Kraus should decide if he wants to be a reporter or a rental agent, right now he appears to be a shill.

Deleted By Pawlowski

On Sunday morning, Ed Pawlowski put a sketch of the proposed renovated Cedar Beach Pool on his facebook page. It's actually very nice, I have no issue with the plan. I do, however, have a issue with the misinformation dispensed by him and his administration, about the parks and other aspects of the city. You can no longer see the scene pictured above. The beautiful little Robin Hood Dam in Lehigh Parkway was demolished by the Wildlands Conservancy, and the vantage point from which this photograph was taken, has been closed since the WPA wall collapsed. Neither of these losses was necessary. I unsuccessfully tried to save the WPA dam, and likewise, unsuccessfully, lobbied for repairs to the wall. Some of my efforts concerning our iconic park system are chronicled on a separate facebook page, WPA-Lehigh Valley Save Our Structures.  Pawlowski deleted a comment and link to that page, that I put on his posting.  However, the proof is in the barriers, which block off Lehigh Parkway to thousands of citizens. The city gladly accepted misinformation from the Wildlands, and also dispensed misinformation and excuses concerning the wall. Pawlowski now states that Cedar Beach pool is closed because of a sink hole under the pool. When it was closed earlier this summer, the city then claimed a leak in the filter system. Now, rather than repair it as previously stated, we learn that a whole new plan for the pool was actually in the works.

Although the FBI is annoyed at Pawlowski's style of hiding things from the public,  that  generally doesn't bother me too much. The voters have the corruption, and corresponding rubber stamps that they endorsed, election after election. However, when it comes to the iconic park system, I become agitated. This unique park system was a legacy meant to be passed on to future generations. To me, it's importance is way beyond Pawlowski's pay-grade.

photocredit: molovinsky

Bill White's Confusion

I had to shake my head reading Bill White's column yesterday. While I often criticize Bill for wasting his bully pulpit on grammar and his reoccurring themes, it's actually better than the revisionism he bestowed upon the Morning Call yesterday.  He wrote, "The Morning Call has focused attention over the years on practices that hinted at pay to play, but those revelations never generated enough heat to trigger legislation or internal reforms." That's news to me Bill, although I realize that the paper has now ended it's eight year  honeymoon with Pawlowski, that only occurred after the recent FBI raid.  By my scorecard, you would have to cite examples of these revelations about pay to play you claim the paper made. Up to recent events, the paper took everything from the Pawlowski Administration at face value.  In reality, the paper, and pardon me for saying, you in particular, were cheerleaders, especially for the NIZ.  You even called me misguided for suggesting that the NIZ was a plan based on layers of inequity; Inequitable to most of the existing businesses in the valley, and segregating against the residents of center city. Although you now write that "Time is running out for politics as usual,"  most of the few local political mavericks have ended up in your Hall Of Shame.  If your memory lapses continue,  you might want to see your physician.

A-Treat Rules In A-Town

Early last night, outside of Allentown City Hall, I watched activist Robert Trotner plea for Bill 39, the legislation against Pay To Play. Now, if he had been praising one of the reintroduced A-Treat flavors, the public would be interested, but political ethics, not so much. The local media did give coverage to Mr. Trotner and his band of eternal optimists, but compared to A-Treat, it's nothing that the public cares to digest. Here in Allentown, there are priorities and values, and things worth waiting for, like the soda flavors of their youth. Now, eventually the ethics ordinance will pass, and the current administration will be replaced by a cast of new characters. But, what the public really cares about are the important things, like watching the monster trucks in the new arena, while drinking a giant-sized A-Treat.

Allentown Burns While Pawlowski Fiddles

Is it just me, or is Allentown in a reactive haze? I keep hearing about the cloud over Allentown, since the FBI scrutinized Pawlowski and city hall. The police chief wants to be anywhere, except here. Pawlowski and his company, Allentown city council, say that they can't blame Chief Fritzgerald from striving for upward mobility, but after only two years? We quietly just gave the fire department a new five year contract that has them dancing in their underwear. While they settle for 2% increase in year two, it's 3% yearly thereafter. Since the scant arena schedule has been criticized, the promoter has announced a new monster truck show, and that he will hire additional part-time peanut vendors.

Things are also rough in the blogging business. Yesterday morning, I met Bernie O'Hare and Lou Hershman for what wasn't Breakfast at Tiffany's. After O'Hare called the waitress a bitch, she refused to serve us. After recently noting that Bernie was on the up cycle of his weight swings, a reader accused me of using 20 year old pictures of myself. I'm pictured above two weeks ago in the deep south, with a 1975 Mack fire pumper, which was made in Allentown.

Allentown City Council

Wednesday night, before a council committee meeting, there is a protest planned against council's slowness to adopt an ordinance against Pay To Play. The protesters shouldn't be too rough on the council, they did take some action, they postponed the committee meeting. It was the Parks and Recreation committee. As a parks activist, I say no loss, they never made a good decision anyway. But, this post is about something else, a police chief who can't wait to get out of Dodge. I thought that Chief Fritzgerald outlived his usefulness when he implied that his son's arrest may have been racial profiling. Ironically, the same high octane Philadelphia lawyer who defended junior Fritzgerald, has now been retained by our mayor. When news broke that senior Fritzgerald was a finalist for a chief job in Kansas, council president Ray O'Connell said that it would be our loss. Ray must be searching for a father figure, because that's a loss we should encourage. We can be sure that the Wichita job isn't the only application that Fritzgerald has submitted. He already has one foot and his brain out the door. The police department's first reaction to the Slam At Shula's was that the singer was being hostile. Understand, that for a quality response like that, we had hired national consultants and spent a year looking before we hired senior. Please spare us such shams in the future, I'd rather that when papa leaves, they just hire junior for chief.

ADDENDUM: The cancelled Parks and Recreation meeting was scheduled for this evening, not Wednesday. Wednesday's Finance Committee meeting has not been cancelled.

The Morning Call Express

While The Morning Call has thrown Pawlowski under the bus, it continues to puff for the NIZ. A recent article on how the zone is benefiting the surrounding neighborhood was just more smoke coming out of that puff engine. Needless to say, they quote Alan Jennings, their go to person for most articles. Alan's organization has the franchise on community benefit, and of course, therefore, thinks that some good has rained on the local peons. The bureaucracy even produced a webpage, Upside Allentown, complete with pictures of smiling intercity children. In truth, the quality of their life has diminished. They now pay double to park, because of the Arena Excuse. Their former shopping center on Hamilton Street was demolished for that monstrosity, and if real success ever come to the district, they will be gentrified away. Meanwhile, former Mayor For Life is getting run over every time he tries to stand up. How flat can they get Pawlowski? While I no longer contribute letters to the paper,  I do see my ideas from this blog metamorpihize into long articles in the paper. For instance, they now acknowledge that the arena sits there empty, night after night. However, they will never admit that it was just a public pretense for the Reilly City Center Real Estate Empire.

One Subject, Two Bloggers

Apparently, both Bernie O'Hare and I are posting on the same subject tomorrow.  Bernie's version will historically be viewable by midnight this evening,  while I put up my posts, while pre-heating the ovens in the family bakery,  around 4:00 AM.   Expect Bernie's piece to be longer, and mine,  of course, more insightful.

Drama At Civic Little Theatre

Architecturally, the 19th Street Theater has no rival. The tile elephant trunks coming down the edges of the facade have delighted viewers since 1928. Up to last year, there was one other Venetian type building in Allentown, in the 700 block of Hamilton, but it was  knocked down to accommodate the arena monstrosity. The 19th Street theater has survived because of it's current affiliation with the Civic Theatre, a non-profit cultural group. Shown above is the Franklin, in the 400 block of Tilghman Street, which survived until 2008. That theater,  built a century ago in 1913,  was also called the Jennette for about forty years.

reprinted from July 2013, then titled, Allentown's Last Movie Theaters

ADDENDUM: When I was a little boy, the Civic Theatre was already putting on productions for both adults and children. As an adult, Barry and Sharon Glassman have been synonymous with the theater's continued vitality. Unfortunately, I have recently received a report that the theater is currently suffering from Founder's Syndrome.

Founder's syndrome is a difficulty faced by many organizations where one or more founders maintain disproportionate power and influence following the effective initial establishment of the project, leading to a wide range of problems for both the organization and those involved in it.

According to this source, half of the staff, and a third of the board, have parted way in protest of the current leadership. I have not investigated this allegation. My gut feeling is that the Glassman's have been the energy and glue which has kept the theater continuously open for the last several decades. I will accept, by moderation, limited comments to this post which may shed light on the current situation.

UPDATE: After several complaints about the current leadership, and requests to provide space for this topic,  not one of the callers has submitted a comment.  Apparently, they wanted me to air their grievances, but they don't want to comment themselves, even anonymously. With that sort of timidity, I don't know how they think that they could run the theater any better.

Mazziotti Traveling Ethics Show

Last night, the Vic Mazziotti Traveling Ethics Show arrived "fashionably late" to the Allentown City Council, according to Bernie O'Hare. We learn that Pay To Play must be legislated away. I'm not impressed with such proposals, naive me thinks I should be able to take such basic concepts of honesty for granted. Last week, in the comment section of O'Hare's post on Mazziotti's showboat ordinance, I took Vic to task. I think that ethics should be on display in every public decision, and that Vic has been lacking in that department, when it comes to Cedarbrook, the county nursing home. Last year, Mazziotti and his fellow reform slate Republicans rejected the proposal to remodel a wing of Cedarbrook into a rehab center, which is the profitable avenue employed by the industry. Instead, after stalling for a year, they now want to re-employ a former consulting firm to repeat a previous study. Last week, when I suggested that the Reformers were stalling until it's time for the bulldozer, Vic sent a message that I should call him. Apparently, he wanted to send me to the Reeducation Indoctrination Camp, operated by the Reform Team. However, yesterday, even the Morning Call noted the stalling on Cedarbrook. "That quest for knowledge has dragged on for months, and commissioners still find themselves in a fact-finding mode."

Vic was late to council last night because the Commissioners were also conducting their own meeting, on Cedarbrook, to decide what kind of questions they should again ask their rehired consultant. Vic states that "We're making a 25-year decision here." It's unclear if he means that the decision will affect the county for 25 years, or if it will take him 25 years to make the decision. At any rate, it's clear that he doesn't want to make any decision before the election in November. I'm actually being kind. The refurbishment could have been completed already, and Cedarbrook on it's way to being viable. Play to Pay regulations don't impress me,  especially when an elected official still play games with a public trust like Cedarbrook.

The Livingston Club, Allentown's Benevolent Oligarchy

Back in the day, when the town had three department stores, the major decisions affecting Allentown's future were made at the Livingston Club. Harvey Farr would meet Donald Miller and John Leh at the Club for lunch, and discuss acquiring more lots for Park & Shop. The bank officers of First National and Merchants Bank would discuss loans with the highly successful merchants, many of whom had stores in all three major Lehigh Valley cities. As the heydays winded down, likewise the exit plans were made there. The City of Allentown acquired the Park & Shop lots, becoming the Allentown Parking Authority. Leh's became the Lehigh County Government Center.

The new oligarchy consists of much fewer men, they could all met at a small table in Shula's, and be entertained by watching street people  arrested. The former 1st National Bank location is now a new Reilly building. The former Livingston Club building is now a parking lot, and future site to another Reilly building. Shula's is also a Reilly building....

The Failure Of Fritzgerald, Allentown's Police Chief

I considered Allentown Police Chief Joel Fritzgerald a failure after he implied that his son's arrest may have been racial profiling. One of the reasons Fritzgerald was hired was to quell such accusations, not make them. I was critical of his hiring, Allentown hasn't had much success with national searches. We even hired out of town professionals to conduct the search, spare us such pageantry. Today, we learn that the police department is defending the treatment of the Shula Singer, because he was hostile. I would imagine that most people arrested are hostile. With lawsuits piling up against Allentown's Police Department, should Fritzgerald be in a double down mode? Don't expect Pawlowski to be tuned into this situation, he has his own legal problems.

Morning Call's Watchdog Has Doggie Dementia

The Morning Call has been running a series of articles it entitles Watchdog Report. The latest, on Sunday, rehashes the Atiyeh parcels, purchased by Allentown last year, supposedly for the park system. Associate blogger Bernie O'Hare, reminds us that he connected the dots between the purchase and Atiyeh's billboard company, last week. The Morning Call article also omits the fact that the purchase was first reported here, on molovinsky on allentown, last year. Although Bernie now notices that the paper is a sales agent for Atiyeh's billboard company, they had revealed that fact before. I also learned, or remembered, something new from the paper's story. Former park director, John Mikowychok, testified to city council that the Basin street parcel would allow the city to connect the envisioned trail network. An alternative title for this post was going to be Pawlowski's Toolbox, where I discuss the various department directors, and the distortions that they have uttered for their boss. After Mikowychok was here for only a matter of weeks, before he unpacked his suitcase or even seen the entire park system, he testified on the Wildlands Conservancy's behalf, to demolish the two small dams in Lehigh Parkway. He also apparently testified on Atiyeh's behalf, to purchase those parcels. I had, in the previous years, closely monitored the trail network plan, pushed by then park director Greg Weitzel. Although I attended the meetings on that subject, there was never any mention of a Basin street hookup. Now, I can't blame the paper too much for their memory lapses. They change out reporters like underwear, some have moved on even before they learned to hate me. Bernie O'Hare, his memory is probably affected by his radical weight gain/loss cycles. Don't worry about me offending anybody, they'll forget that they even read this.
ADDENDUM:  O'Hare's article last week did credit this blog with first reporting the land purchases last year.  I have modified the copy above to properly reflect that attribution.

Interviewing Mike Fleck In The Deep South

I found Mike Fleck at a bar on my the second night in Savannah. Bernie O'Hare was initially to conduct the search, but he's currently on the gain side of his current fat/skinny cycle.

Molovinsky:  What are your thoughts on Jolly Joe Timmer passing away?

Fleck:  You mean you came all this way to ask me that? How about Pawlowski and the wire tap?

Molovinsky:  No, I never thought that much about any of the people you represented, nothing would surprise me. Please answer my question about Timmer. 

Fleck:  The man knew polka. 

Besides for a pit stop in Charleston to see a 1975 Mack pumper made in Allentown, it was straight there and back. Can't wait for O'Hare to top out and start the diet, these trips are not my thing.

Sad Sack Voters

As an independent candidate last fall, I was often told by voters that they didn't want to waste their vote on somebody who they thought couldn't win; As if it were a game, and they were betting on it.  In reality, they were truly wasting their vote, on someone they knew would under-represent them. Although we talk about the poor choice of candidates, it's really poor choices by the voters who create the political field. On the national stage, we now have two independent types attracting the early attention. But, in both cases, there is a gimmick. Trump, nominally a Republican, is a well know showman. Sanders, really a left wing Democrat, posed for decades as an independent. He was only elected as an independent because of Vermont's unique character. In the political reality of America, you must be a celebrity to succeed as an independent. The last independent in the Pennsylvania State House was in the 1930's. Locally, party affiliation always seems to be the dogma that wins elections.

With the Mike Fleck controversy,  we here in the blogosphere receive many comments about making better choices in the voting booth. Although, there would be no down side to a change like that, I would be surprised to see the sentiment effect election results. Instead, the normal candidates will just incorporation the word change into their election speeches.

Pushing Anti-Pay To Play

Fellow blogger, Bernie O'Hare, has been pushing Vic Mazziotti's Anti Pay To Play ordinance proposal. Vic tells Bernie, "I'm going to push it," he insisted. "I'm going to push it real hard." Supposedly, in addition to pushing it with the County Commissioners, he's going to push it with Allentown City Council. Bernie would even like to see it pushed in Northampton County. I think it's amusing, especially for a city and county which just erected a $Billion dollars of real estate, with no scrutiny what-so-ever. They would reply that you got to start somewhere, sometime. Vic even wants to push it to the NIZ board. The NIZ board takes their orders only from G-D and Pat Browne. They even declined to stoop so low as to a community benefit agreement. As long as the voters keep electing used car salesman, there will always be add on charges. I think that the citizens got to start pushing back, in the voting booth.

Lesson At Dieruff

A Dieruff High School social studies teacher would not have to take his class very far for a lesson in Allentown's history. Although never elected, East Side activist Dennis Pearson has been complaining for thirty years that the East Side always get short changed in Public Works. Such was the case in the mid 1930's, during the WPA work in Allentown. Roosevelt's New Deal program built the elaborate walls in the south side's Lehigh Parkway. Central Allentown received the magnificent Lawrence Street stairwell. The culturally elite of west Allentown received the Union Terrace Amphitheater, envisioned for Shakespeare. Pearson's east side got a few scattered steps to nowhere. The steps remained, and thirty years later Allentown built Dieruff High School. With expansions and renovations, some of the steps now adjoin the school. Flash ahead to the summers of 2009 and 2010.




I lobbied Allentown City Council members to appropriate some of the $millions of dollars in Cedar Park plans to begin preserving the irreplaceable WPA structures, starting to crumble throughout our park system. East Side elected councilman, Michael D'Amore, assured me that he only signed off on the Administrations plan, with the stipulation that the steps in Irving Park-Dieruff area would be restored at the same time. The work in Cedar Park was completed last year, including $millions of dollars with of recreation equipment from catalogs. The deterioration of the steps around Dieruff continues. Now there's a lesson in government!
photos courtesy of Mark Thomas

reprinted from September of 2011

ADDENDUM: Flash ahead again four more years, and the steps at Irving Park are now finally being repaired, using a $20,000 grant from the Trexler Trust. Although the grant was secured through Friends Of The Parks, it's actually also the fruit of my labor. That organization's director learned of the plight of the WPA structures through meetings I conducted at the Allentown Library in 2011. I then took her on a WPA tour of the parks, and we have been collaborating on the WPA ever since.

At the city meeting last week, I asked the councilmen to compare $20,000  from an outside source, to repair something as tangible as the stone structures, to the $1.4 million of city money, to buy land that we didn't need, nor are using.  I explained that the consequence of the WPA neglect was that our largest park, Lehigh Parkway, is now virtually inaccessible.  Considering that I had approached both previous park directors about the WPA, with no success, I asked council to appoint me special WPA envoy, and to instruct the new director to consider my suggestions in both her plans and budget.

Council didn't respond to my request. I think that maybe they were preoccupied with the mob behind me, the ones with the pitchforks and torches.  As things simmer down from news of  the FBI investigation, and council has to deal with the business at hand,  perhaps they will reconsider my offer.

On Second Thought, Pawlowski Should Stay

Recently, I posted that Pawlowski's resignation was overdue.  I'm having serious second thoughts about that natural reaction to the alleged improprieties. Thinking back on the last council meeting, I realize that for the first time in a decade,  there is the possibility of a dynamic tension on the dais. With the strong mayor wounded, council might actually become the check and balance that they're supposed to be. The old mix seemed to be particularly toxic for Allentown;  A popular mayor endorsing council candidates for several elections. Only a month ago, King Pawlowski was now going to formally expand his picks to the school board and county commission. I suppose that in a more informed democracy we could have both, a good mayor and a working council, but let's be realistic. Here in political zombie land, both isn't coming our way. I'm thinking that maybe the best we can have is a nervous mayor and a nervous city council, they might actually do their job under those conditions.

photograph courtesy of Bottom Feed Photo Service

The Republican Hairstylist

I thought that Marco Rubio did very well last night, but he looks so young.  He should dye his hair gray like I do, to look older (I do it to look more distinguished). Trump, of course. could also use some hair advise. I thought it was unfair of Fox News to not let Huckabee hold his guitar. Maybe some of them should have been able to hold a rifle.  Bush, they should have butched up with some dried blood, a scar and maybe a bandage over his knuckles. Christie should have worn a white Colonel Sanders Suit, and went with a Boss Hogg approach.  Carson needs some anger in his voice, or maybe a prescription induced twitch.  The others blended into the stage curtain.

ADDENDUM: A couple of weeks ago,  I thought that Hillary was a shoo-in.   The Democrats, because of so many Republican candidates, were talking about the clown car.   I have since changed my mind.  Even MSNBC could talk about nothing this morning but the Republican debate.  The large field will dominate the news for many months to come,  and that is the name of the game.

Allentown City Council Minutes, August 5, 2015

When the most civil comments to the dais came from yours truly, you know that it was a raucous meeting. Back in the day of most of my battles with council, Dave Howells was president. Last night Ray O'Connell asked Rich Fegley to sit down about eight times, which is exactly seven more times than he would have gotten from Howells. Back in those days, it would have been a paddy wagon night. Council even got reprimanded by one of it's own, Jeanette Eicenwald. The main accusation last night was that council was a rubber stamp, which is something that nobody can deny. Over the recent years, I had explained to council, on several issues, that they are occasionally expected to vote no; That they were supposed to use their power of appropriation as a negotiating tool. Pawlowski's reputation for reprisal must not be exaggerated, he had transformed council into a simple approval stamp. You will be able to find and read comments by most of the speakers on other media sites. To me, the most entertaining barbs came from Chris Cocca, who wondered how the candidates endorsed by Citizens for A Better Allentown would now shed that association. I recently did a post about the scarlet P/F (Pawlowski and Fleck). Perhaps, those most guilty of Pawlowski's influence have graduated on to Harrisburg, Schlossberg and Schweyer. It's beyond time for Pawlowski to resign.

Pawlowski's State Of Denial

From Pawlowski's Facebook submissions, you would never know that there is a giant shadow of suspicion cast upon the 5th floor of city hall. This morning the mayor linked to another report showing that crime is down in Allentown. Apparently, they are not including white collar crime in those figures. Personally, I find those reports meaningless, considering all the shootings and stabbings that do occur. At any rate, I invite Mayor Pawlowski to attend City Council this evening, and get some feedback from his constituents.

Tea Leaves, Deed Transfers and The Atiyeh Park Deal

Some people read tea-leafs, I read deed transfers. It would be more accurate to say that I study deed transfer. There has only been two weeks in the last 35 years that I failed to scrutinize the list, and those omissions were failed attempts at relaxation. Recently, I mentioned Kenneth Heffentrager and his Tenant Association of Allentown. Kenneth has become a fixture at City Council meetings, complaining about housing and landlords. Kenneth is going to become a very busy boy. For the last several years the deed transfers have been dominated by landlords buying owner occupied houses. Many of these landlords are new to the business, attracted by $25,000, and even cheaper houses in center city. Landlording is tough for experienced operators, and the learning curve is steep. It will take years for the city to identify all the new landlords, and many will walk away when confronted with the realities of their new venture. Although Allentown has a strategy for Hamilton Street, it needs one for the remainder of center city.

ADDENDUM: The above portion was posted in February of 2014, and titled Allentown's Housing Future. In June of 2014, I published about the parcels purchased from Atiyeh, information I also gleaned from the deed transfers. Blogger Bernie O'Hare believes that these purchases by Pawlowski were intended to help Atiyeh finance a billboard company, I disagree. There is also a claim that the Basin Street purchase was to protect the water supply, I disagree. That parcel, off 2nd and Union, is near the sewer plant, the water supply inlets are near 15th St.  A former park director, Greg Weitzel, was indeed obsessed with connecting the parks with bike paths. At the time I opposed those plans, because of the shortcomings in maintaining existing park features. I believe that the Martin Luther King parcel was purchased with expanded park land in mind. I speculate that the Basin Street parcel was included because Atiyeh out-negotiated the city,  and  Pawlowski's indifference to using public resources to further his own agendas.  I do agree that both parcels were totally unnecessary, and a misappropriation of public funds.

The Allentown Apartment Myth, A Molovinsky Thesis

Over and over, people contribute Allentown's problems to center city houses being converted to apartments, as if this occurred recently. Many will be surprised to know that almost all the converted apartments existed for over 60 years. When the GI's returned from WW2, the trend was for small single family houses with small lawns, i.e. Levittowns. The mass conversion of the row houses took place in the late 40's and early 50's, and more less stopped by the early 60's. These "new" apartments were mostly occupied by either singles or childless couples. The tenants were buyers at Hess's and engineers at PPL. Because of them, Hamilton Street remained viable for twenty years beyond the main street in Bethlehem, Easton and Reading. Allentown was voted during this era the All American City. During those 50 years, 1940 to 1990, nobody complained about the apartments or the tenants. Ironically, more apartment inventory has been added recently, by creating "loft" apartments in former commercial buildings. The Urbanists think they can revitalize Hamilton Street with upper story housing. While the proponents mistakenly think that they will attract a middle class demographic, they are in fact just adding to the total inventory and thus the problem. Beside the urbanists, advocates for low income housing still demand more units. In reality, it's apparent we have an abundance of low income housing. Recently, there has been a trend to built new, center city single housing; attempting to attract a middle class with disposable income to bolster Hamilton Street. Neighborhood parking lots have been sacrificed for this concept.* In fact, we are just building tomorrow's rental houses. Allentown, unlike larger cities, is a horizontal community. There is no reason, geographic or otherwise, which compels the middle class to move to center city.

Allentown would currently be better served with a moratorium on new housing of all sorts in center city. Considering that over 7000 units exist, owned by 5000 different owners, deconversion hopes are unrealistic. Strict enforcement of current zoning standards, concerning square footage, parking, etc. would suffice in reasonably curtailing additional living units. By limiting supply, demand can improve the quality of life for everybody.

The above post is reprinted from November of 2009. I present it today as a counter point of view to associate Bernie O'Hare's post about what went wrong in Allentown. O'Hare assigns too much emphasis on scattered site Section 8.  I managed numerous buildings in center city Allentown.

 *This post was written in 2009, and the new housing refers to the then new townhouses at 8th and Walnut, and others planned for more Parking Authority lots. Those "new" townhouses have since been sold at auction for 50 cents on the dollar, and are in fact now rentals.

photograph of 10th and Chew Streets, 1948

Smelling The Roses In Allentown

Last summer, I posted about the city purchasing two parcels supposedly for the park system, using funds from the water and sewage lease deal. The transactions interested me, because the last thing the park department needed was more area to not take care of. Although the main stream media never picked up on my revelation, a pit bull from Nazareth now has that bone. Although this blog chronicles the short comings of the park department, especially in regard to the WPA, there is one section, of one park, which receives no criticism.

Paul Pozzi started working for the department in 1979. In 1985, he joined the small crew at the Rose and Old Fashion Gardens. For the last decade, the gardens have been solely under his magnificent care. We who take solace in that magic place owe him a debt of gratitude.

photo by molovinsky, flowers by Paul Pozzi

Morning Call Exclusive; Molovinsky Running For Mayor

SPECIAL FROM THE MORNING CALL: While the Sunday edition of the Morning Call will discuss the boring white bread on the horizon, such as Bennett, Guridy and Thiel, Wednesday's edition will feature Molovinsky's incredible plans. Moving back into Allentown, it is rumored that he has leased the former penthouse at the Americus Hotel. Below are excerpts from Wednesdays paper, where Molovinsky is interviewed by special assignment and former Call reporter, Naryl Derl.

Naryl Derl: Let me apologize for the shabby treatment I gave you back in 2005. 

Michael Molovinsky: Let's both move on, and save Allentown from the current scandal. 

Naryl Darl: Are you moving into the Americus?

Michael Molovinsky: Nothing has been signed yet, Reilly wants me in the new Strata lofts above Shula's. I told him I would only consider it if I pay full freight, but he can't understand that. I have declined a $20,000 campaign contribution from him, he can't understand that either.

Naryl Darl: What do you think differentiates you from the other candidates?

Michael Molovinsky: I'm honest.

Complete interview will appear in Wednesday's edition of The Morning Call.

Park Follies and Misappropriations

Over the years this blog and myself have established credibility and expertise on Allentown's traditional park system and the WPA. I must report what I consider to be a major shenanigan by the mayor. $1.3 million dollars was taken to purchase two heavy industrial areas, to supposedly add to the park system. This $million plus dollars was taken from the water/sewage lease, which is being used as the mayor's discretionary fund, instead of the dedicated pension relief,  promised at the time. $950,000.00 was used to buy the parcel at Union and Basin Streets, near the city sewage plant. This is one of the oldest industrial areas in the city, and certainly not needed for more park land. Allentown has not been able to maintain the existing park land, or the features within it. The Fountain Park Pool has been abandoned, and the WPA structures are crumbling. The other just purchased parcel is the old fertilizer plant location,  along Martin Luther King Dr., west of the crumbling Schreibers Bridge. We have an administration with no memory or knowledge of Allentown's past. Anybody who knew what went on at the fertilizer/rendering plant, would not want their grandchildren playing there. The city's rationale for these purchases is to expand the biking paths and connect the parks. That's the folly, and now the misappropriations. Allentown has supposedly allocated money to engineer the repair of the leaning WPA wall in Lehigh Parkway. I know why the wall leans. Years ago, the stone shoulder between the park entrance and wall was blacktoped. As cars and city trucks drive around the curve, pressure is exerted against the wall. That strip of asphalt needs to be removed, and the stone buffer restored. The problem with the engineering study is that it's the third time it has been appropriated. In the last two budgets money was actually budgeted to repair the wall, now the process begins again. What happen to the previous appropriations? Must molovinsky on allentown now also establish expertise in forensic accounting?

reprinted from June 26, 2014

UPDATE: This morning, I interrupt my planned schedule to republish the above piece from June 26, 2014, which is linked to in a post by Bernie O'Hare. The shoulder, which I refer to along the now collapsed wall in Lehigh Parkway, also served as a drainage swale. Over the past several years I had met with two park directors and the city engineer, to no avail, trying to save the wall. Recently, I have reported a problem to the current park director about the Union Terrace WPA structure, that needs immediate attention. At this point in time, I'll leave any analysis of purchase and gain of those parcels to Mr. O'Hare. However, I will say that rather than the parcels connecting the parks, in reality, they are connecting the neglect.

Spanking The Allentown Arena Promoter

Recently, I have been taking the Allentown Arena to task for having such a sparse schedule.  I stand corrected, nothing is better than the announced indoor midget car racing, coming in January.  The concept itself is so meager that the Morning Call entertainment editor spent half the column reciting the rich racing history in the Lehigh Valley, but it wasn't midget cars, indoors.  Perhaps, if they added a reality show twist; Maybe the cars could be driven by nude midget women, is that politically incorrect?  Anyway, whoever comes to that, I bet they won't be staying at the Renaissance Hotel, or eating at the attached Dime restaurant.

Waging War Against Allentown Park Weeds

Today, molovinsky leaves downtown Hamilton Street, and travels twenty blocks west to Cedar Park.  As an advocate for the traditional park system, I have been waging a war against the riparian buffers, which make our  magnificent parks an unsightly mess.  In Allentown, because the storm runoff systems are piped directly into the park streams, these token buffers are just a useless, unsightly insult.  This hot summer, this insult is added to injury, because Cedar Beach Pool is closed. Along the entire length of Cedar Park, there is not one area cleared of high weeds.  You would think that out of a mile of creek side,  we could mow the grass for at least fifty feet,  so that some children might enjoy the stream, as generations have in the past.

A Field Trip To Allentown's 7th & Hamilton

On Saturday evening, during prime dinner time, I surveyed the four trendy rent subsidized restaurants at center square. While the outside area at Hamilton Kitchen was fairly full with drinkers and snackers, the inside tables were virtually empty. Shula's was near empty. The Dime was about one third full, and Roar was also virtually empty. The Renaissance Hotel showed no signs of life in the lobby, suggesting few to no guests. An interesting comment was recently submitted to an older post.

The LVH building(at the arena) is a joke. As an employee, I wasn't allowed to park in that lovely enclosed parking lot underneath the actual building while going through EPIC training-- I had to park BLOCKS away-- It seems that all of the peons of LVH have to park quite a distance away as well from what I could see. While attempting to try to park in that "special" lot under the building, I had some nasty parking lot gestapo make me turn around since I didn't have the correct magical permit affixed to my rear view mirror. Undoubtably that lot is somehow restricted to "special people" . Honestly, they would have to hire a fleet of security officers to escort each and every one of us. I just walked quickly with my keys sticking out between my knuckles. When I work at the Bethlehem site, I wind up parking at the dead mall next door and spend fifteen minutes just walking to the desk where I work, so it made no difference to me. Taking a peak at the restaurants near the entrance, I find it hard to imagine most employees having lunches long enough to dine there, let alone being able to afford to eat there. Granted, I could afford a soft pretzel... As far as the gyn is concerned, I would rather pull out my hair one by one than deal with the traffic to go there in the morning before or after work. I highly doubt any potential patient would want to deal with driving there for a doctor's appointment, unless they live a very short distance away and are very familiar with the area. After driving through the decrepit outlying area filled with blighted/condemned houses and finally parking, the first thought that came to mind as I saw the newly developed area was, "I smell a rat".

It's apparent to me that virtually free rent may not be enough to keep these restaurants afloat. Reilly might have to consider actually paying them to stay open.

Sam Bennett Killed At Donecker Mansion

Sam Bennett had pledged to chain herself to the fence at the Donecker Mansion, to save it from the plan by St.Lukes Hospital to demolish the structure. Heavy demolition equipment made short order of the building today. Although I haven't heard any news reports about Bennett's fate, I can only assume that Sam was killed early this morning, protecting the mansion. Update and funeral details will follow.

The Ethics Behind Allentown's Revitalization

This weekend The Morning Call had a fine exposé by Scott Kraus on a victory party for the mayor's last election to that office, in January of 2014.  J.B. Reilly contributed fifteen of the twenty thousand dollars raised for the event. Apparently, not all the bills were paid, and not all the money was accounted for.

"If those funds were not used properly, I am upset." J.B.

I doubt that J.B. is upset enough to have lost any sleep this weekend. He was not accused of any wrongdoing. In our era of politics, spending $20 thousand on a party for Eddy doesn't seem improper.  In our era of political correctness, any left over money was supposed to go to the poor people, under Alan Jennings' umbrella organization;  Cake Crumbs For The Poor.  Why wouldn't someone contribute $15k  for Mayor Ed, after all, we're having a $Billion Dollar Revitalization, which J.B.will own.

What really was the big deal about Mayor For Life's third election victory? Mayor for life, a molovinsky on allentown coined phrase, is now being replaced by Pawlowski-Gate,  copyright pending. In the real world, which isn't funded by diverted taxdollars going to private owners, $20,000 would pay for a lot of baby formula and diapers. In the last few years, Allentown, in it's jubilation about the renaissance, has had too much money and not enough values or ethics.

Pawlowski's Happy Face

The happy face picture is from Thursday night. Although Ed insists that he isn't going anyplace, he better start gathering cardboard boxes for his move. This blog stated that the NIZ Barons will force Pawlowski out once he became a distraction to the building boom, which is based on enthusiasm, not a need for office space. That point actually came a few days later, when Channel 10 ambushed Pawlowski at the Butz ribbon cutting, asking him when he was going to resign. Last night, City Council met to discuss the protocol for succession. It was clearly meant as a message for Ed Pawlowski, because the procedure is spelled out in the charter. I can't say that they're throwing him under the bus on Hamilton Street, because there are no more buses on Hamilton Street.

Pawlowski's Political Hardball

Before I was a blogger, I was a political activist in Allentown, since the early 1990's. In these twenty five years I've taken numerous lumps. Pawlowski was probably the most aggressive against opposition, having publicly defamed me no less than twice. One of his former press lackeys, formerly from The Morning Call, even tried to marginalize me, just yesterday. Let me return the favor. As I stated previously, I believe that the Neuweiler Brewery might be part of the federal inquiry. Mike Fleck represented the company given the option to try and harvest $30million in NIZ funds. This past winter, that outfit, based in NYC, finally raised the deposit to buy the property from Allentown, from an undisclosed source. Examining Pawlowski's current contributions, we find $30,000 in total contributions from an extended family group involved in venture capital in NYC. Could this be the smoking gun? Thirty grand isn't a bad investment to get $30 million. I have yet to find a link between the venture capital fund and the brewery option, but research is not my strong suit. I can tell you that all six members of the contributing family seem to have no connection to Pennsylvania, much less Allentown or the Pawlowski senate race.

Schlossberg/Schweyer, Two Peas In A Pod

Peter Schlossberg and Michael Schweyer co-wrote an editorial in the Morning Call. I know I have their first names mixed up, but that's because they're two peas in the same pod. Both boys worked for Jenn Mann, and were Pawlowski bobbleheads on city council. Although now state representatives, they're still Pawlowski bobbleheads. Both boys were part of the Pawlowski PAC, Citizens For A Better Allentown, who told us who to vote for in local elections. Now that Pawlowski is halfway between accused and indicted, the boys are trying to distance themselves from the scandal, but they will always be bobbleheads. In the editorial they champion a Democratic Party state budget proposal, which would supposedly increase funds to Allentown School District, a noble idea indeed. The boys neglect to mention that they have opposed the Republican pension reform bill, which addressed the most pressing fiscal issue of the decade. Since pension reform would protect all former and current employees, and only affect future hires, the only reason to vote against it is to placate the unions. If Peter and Michael want to contribute to the state in some way, perhaps they could share an office and staff. I'm sure that they will never vote differently than each other, or the Democratic party line, anyway.

Allentown's A-Treat Of News

The headlines in Allentown change quickly. What's top of the heap at noon, may be back page by the morning. Because of this, molovinsky on allentown is negotiating with J.B. Reilly, for a center city satellite office. Yesterday's Morning Call Watch-Dog report has attracted the attention of state auditor general Eugene DePasquale. But as everything else in this valley of mirrors, it's not for the reason presented. Education insiders explain the backside political reason. Governor Wolf has issues with charter schools, and the funds that they siphon off from the brick and mortar public schools. Although the Allentown lease was innocent enough, it's another excuse to review guidelines for charter school applications.

As a citizen and taxpayer of Pennsylvania, I would prefer if Mr. DePasquale would spend his time in Allentown examining the NIZ. With a $Billion Dollars of development, and $40 million or so of our tax dollars going to pay the debt service for private owners, that might be something for an auditor General to examine.

Meanwhile, back here in the valley of few questions, the natives are happy that Jaindl is rescuing their favorite tooth rotter. After all, at the end of the day, why worry about taxes and corruption, when you can sip some flavored corn syrup.

The New Watchdog

ASD Made Secret Charter School Deal is the headline across the Morning Call. Above it, the paper's new Watchdog Report logo. This is at least the second time recently that the Call has referred to it's articles as Watchdog Reports. Quite a bark from a paper that clearly was a lapdog for the last three years. As I stated yesterday, the paper had to man-up, because the news was passing them by. But, in their haste, are they now making headlines out of nothing?

As some readers know, I keep the family's traditional butcher/baker hours. Also, as some readers know, I have back channels, especially with the school board. From the mail awaiting me early this morning, I can tell you that the school board is not happy with today's headline.

Last year, Abe Atiyeh pushed hard for an elementary art charter school in the former fitness center on Union Street, to fill one of his many buildings. I wrote, at that time, that he even used a public relation's firm to solicit parents, and voice support with the district. Although, the district rejected the application twice, such rejections are usually overturned on appeal to Harrisburg. Meanwhile, the district was formulating their own alternative high school, to both keep charter funds internal, and also be more relevant in today's school environment. The district was interested in the former bank call center, coincidentally owned by Atiyeh, which would give high school students intern access to the new offices on Hamilton Street.

In January, the district ended up approving the art charter school, before a Harrisburg appeal would have overturned their rejection anyway, and also leased the former call center.   At the time, Atiyeh also included a letter, pledging to not submit future charter school applications. To the district, that letter was not the essence of the lease deal, but the lap puppy, turned watchdog, sees it differently. Puppies are supposed to be paper trained, but here in Allentown, the puppy, in it's haste to train the paper, is making unnecessary noise.

Pennsylvania, A State Of Corruption

In one week, the city hall of two large cities are raided by the FBI, and a third former mayor for life, Reed of Harrisburg, is indicted. Pennsylvania is rotten to the core, and has been for many decades. Last week, I was astonished to see that the Pocono Mountain Exit of the turnpike was EZ Pass only. This is one of Pennsylvania's few destinations,  and where many seniors, who are technology averting, come to vocation. A couple days later, I read that Pennsylvania was taking in big bucks from the fines; They charge the drivers as if they entered the turnpike at the furthest entrance, on the Ohio state border. I could complain to one of the people on the turnpike commission, but we all know that they do nothing. I could complain to one our state representatives, but we all know that they're only concerned with telling us who to vote for, locally on city council, school board and the county commission. Of course, these state reps are experts on democracy, often having no opponents, term after term. It is amusing watching them trying to distance themselves from our local mayor. The PAC, Citizens For A Better Allentown, which both Schweyer and Schlossberg supported along with Pawlowski, has closed shop. Now, those candidates who had relished Pawlowski's support, must now defend their lack of judgement. It's interesting now that The Morning Call finally woke up from their long kitten nap. It's not that they turned into journalists, but they're trying to avoid looking like fools. Since the Philadelphia media picked up on the lack of local ethics, the Morning Call has been forced to reevaluate their former cheerleading. I don't believe that molovinsky on allentown will ever be accused of fluff and puff.