Contacted in Los Angeles at another conference, Mayor Matt Tuerk said that We Have To Do Better in response to the recent shooting. Actually, he has to do better. Needless to say, enough with the conferences already. I was just complaining about him going to one in Madrid, Spain. Give us a break!
As for the police chief, if he's standing down on quality of life issues under the mayor's direction, maybe he's OK. If he's standing down on his own, time for a new chief. On my weekly cruise down Tilghman to Front, I noticed the usual disregard for traffic rules. A large group of motorcycles and motorized bikes pulled out of an alley onto Tilghman.
I understand that the city has a Latino majority, and Tuerk has played that card well. But unless he hopes to be mayor forever, he has to also play the other cards. He should remind himself that even Victor Martinez couldn't get his preferred candidate elected in the 22nd District.
There is more violence than is being reported. Recently there was a drive-by shooting in deep Hamilton Park. It's past time to think that Promise Neighborhoods, or any other profitable non-profit, can control the deteriorating situation. It is time for a beefed up police department. Who should lead it, and the city itself for that matter, are the questions?
I guess “WE have to do better” is as close as we’ll get to Tuerk accepting responsibility for what’s going on.
ReplyDeleteAnd it’s not the guns that are the problem. It’s an acceptance of law breaking at every level, from littering, to double parking, to loud music, to illegal vehicles taking over our streets.
The mayor apparently sees those as minor crimes, but the lack of enforcement sends the message that lawbreaking is accepted in the city, which then draws more criminals and crime.
That message is being received. It’s making law-abiding residents less-likely to call in criminal behavior, and allowing criminals to escalate their crimes.
That will only lead to more incidents like what happened this weekend.
Can you give more info on the Hamilton Park drive-by shooting? This is the first I’m hearing of it.
ReplyDeleteWas it at a single-family home that the mayor allowed to be rented for rooms by an ever-changing clientele?
If so, who could have foreseen that causing a crime problem? Well, anyone with an ounce of common sense, which naturally leaves out any of our elected officials.
Well I am guessing that Mayor Matt is going to come home from the City of Angels with some fine new tactics and strategies to employ right here in the Queen City once he is rested up and the jet lag subsides. L.A. is the right place to go for learning about effective, sustainable, modern governance.
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing what you do best, covering local issues that other outlets won’t.
L.A. is a shining example of a well run American city.
DeleteMayor Mota will know how to manage our city like a Cracker Jack professional chef executive.
ReplyDeleteanon@7:46: several shots were fired in the night at a home near 25th & Fairview about two weeks ago. I do not know who occupies the house. It is my understanding that there was a very brief news announcement, which quickly disappeared. I only told about it from a neighbor of that area last week, and then again on Facebook yesterday from another nearby resident.
ReplyDeleteWe have to do better.
ReplyDeleteSo does the Morning Call!
DeleteMayor Matt blames the gun. The Mayor is nothing if not predictable.
ReplyDeleteBetween the McDonald’s shooting the other week and the more recent one where the 17-year-old died, it would appear that the only thing that kept the death count from being higher was poor marksmanship.
ReplyDeleteIs that what Tuerk meant when he said “We need to do better”?
I have to say that I am incredibly disappointed in our new District Attorney, Gavin Holihan.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that the lax policing in Allentown would have been tolerated under the previous DA, Jim Martin, who likely would have called Tuerk out for the soft-on-crime twerp that he is.
I’d like to hear some leadership from the DA’s office on what’s going on in Allentown. If Holihan doesn’t have it in him, maybe it’s time to start thinking about a replacement.
Allentown’s decline into lawlessness can’t be ignored, and the city’s failures on dealing with its criminals will certainly spill out into the suburbs.
anon@1:38: I know the local Republicans are disappointed in Holihan, because he endorsed Josh Siegel, but I suggest that they be careful for what they wish for. What they consider a Rino might be better than a Democrat. Holihan was Martin's right hand man for years, and I believe he is as conservative as they're going to get going forward.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right about Holihan being the best we can get right now, but his political party really doesn’t matter to me.
DeleteIf he’s ineffective, I’m not voting for him. If we then end up getting a Soros-type DA (as in other Democrat controlled areas), I’ll criticize them as well.
Sooner or later, people are going to realize that being strong on crime and penalizing (not coddling) criminals is the way to safer streets for everyone. That might not happen if we keep Holihan in office out of fear that another could be even WORSE.
A bad DA is a bad DA, and maybe things need to get worse before they get better.
I often wonder if former DA Martin regrets his endorsement of Holihan. To me, Holihan is crapping all over Martin’s decades of service, and that’s before considering Holihan’s endorsement of Siegel. I had forgotten about that, but thanks for reminding me.
Mayor Matt is Allentown’s first Black mayor, unless I’m confused.
ReplyDeleteanon@1:38&3:38: I find your comments political, regardless of your disclaimers. Besides the "endorsement" of Siegel, there is no indication that Holihan is prosecuting with any less vigor than did Martin.
ReplyDeleteI blame the proliferation of drive by shootings on the easy access to automobiles.
ReplyDeleteanon@4:45: I blame the proliferation of semi-witty comments to cell phones, and being still too early for drink and drugs.
ReplyDelete“It’s 5:00 somewhere.”
DeleteMike they been up all night drinking and drugging as many come from areas that never sleep.
Delete