Raging Against Change In Allentown

I know about raging against change in Allentown. When Billy Joel wrote the song, those days were much more old Allentown than today. Maybe a lot of factories were shut down, but the town was otherwise the same. In 1985, an upper middle class family from suburban New Jersey became my neighbors in Hamilton Park, so that their daughter could attend the acclaimed William Allen High. 

The Allentown School system is now more of a default for current residents, who cannot afford an alternative. Affordable housing is now the buzzword for politicians seeking the low income vote, which is a majority in Allentown proper. All the new buildings on Hamilton Street have no connection to the reality one block beyond.

A commenter on Friday's post about the commotion in a city park ended the comment asking "Why not post this comment?".  Apparently, I had passed on several of his comments recently. I pass on quite a few raging against the change in Allentown.  Allentown of 2026 is not the same city as 1975, but fifty years and two generations have passed, While I have increased the font size for myself and my older readers, I prefer not to dwell exclusively in the past.

Rumble In The Park

From what I can piece together from my low cost inland Space Coast office, there was a Fight Club event in Clyde E. Bosket, aka Valania Park. For a couple hundred or more youth to meet up at a designated place and time, it wasn't spontaneous, but promoted and circulated on social media.

The Allentown Police Department states that it was be investigated, and the responsible culprits held accountable. One must wonder if they will have more success with this mission than they're having with the dirt bike issue.

As a long time park advocate, I previously posted that I would be visiting city council with some recommendations. I have since changed my mind. In the past year I have made my suggestions known to several people who have influence with the system. It is their decision if they care to take advantage of my familiarity with the parks.

Trump's MAGA Mantle

The right leaning media wonders who will inherit Trump's blessing for 2028, Vance or Rubio? I believe that before then, it will be a cursing, not a blessing. Having a Trump sign on your pickup was one thing, costing $70 to fill the gas tank is another.

Trump has been promoting both of them, in a wholesale competitive fashion. Although I no longer practice neurology, it seems as if Trump has less and less filters, as they say. 

White House commentary about the war with Iran has been regrettable. Videos equating blowing up buildings with people inside as home runs are disgusting world opinion of United States. While Hegseth can only go back to Fox News after the term, if Vance or Rubio continue in public service, they will have to separate themselves from the current embarrassment of the Trump administration.

Trump Says The Buck Doesn't Stop Here

Toward the end of WW2, Harry Truman was famous for saying that the "the buck stops here"...Meaning that he takes ultimate responsibility for what was happening in his administration. In the Trump world, he only does the best the world has ever seen. The attack in Venezuela was the best the world ever saw, until last week, when the attack on Iran was the best the world has ever seen. This guy makes history every ten minutes.

My ultra conservative readers accuse me of succumbing to TDS. I'm afraid for them, that most of the world has also contracted the condition. I suspect come November, we'll find that the disease has also spread to the USA.

Truman was fighting a war forced upon us. Trump is fighting wars that he started. Truman was surrounded by the best people he could assemble. Trump only wants ring and rump kissers. When the weather breaks, the streets will be clogged with protesters. The Republican sycophants will claim that the protesters are being paid to be there. Outside my low rent office inland from the Space Coast, which was pure Trump country, the protests have begun.

Trump's Board Of Peace

Trump's Board of Peace is off to a rocky start. The Arab countries on the receiving end of Iranian missiles and drones think that Trump brought this on them to serve Netanyahu....and they are less than happy about it. With the exception of the Netanyahu faction, no country is happy.

Trump's ignorance of foreign policy, and his lack of adult advisors, is coming home to roost, big time. The Republicans will either attempt to reign him in, or go down with him. Staying silent, as they are now, will not sell within a couple more weeks.

Local midterm Republicans who were kissing the ring recently, like Ryan Mackenzie, have no time left to recover. However,  Senator McCormick, with his longer term, still has time to save himself. As Trump alienates the rest of the world and our former allies, like the UK, Republican leadership is needed in Congress, because it surely doesn't exist in the White House.

The Pawlowski Release

Yesterday's municipal players are cheering Ed Pawlowski's early release. Early might be a contested term, because his supporters think that he has already been incarcerated too long. Most ardent among his supporters has been Alan Jennings, who lobbied ceaselessly since Pawlowski was taken away.

Ed remains popular, because he empowered many people for his last election, while already indicted. These people were appointed to various committees for which their objective qualifications were questionable. Nevertheless, they became loyalists, even attending his trial daily.

Only prison loosened his grip on the city, and Matt Tuerk has since garnered the populist crown. Tuerk has likewise empowered people, but in a more qualified less Chicago fashion. A few things remain the same...a now older blogger continues to annoy the establishment with his institutional memory of an Allentown more and more forgotten.

Trump And The Kurds, Again

The Kurds are a resilient, stateless ethnic minority. While their ancestral Kurdistan lies in parts of what is now Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, all those countries have resisted the Kurds' desire for autonomous regions. While defending themselves over the decades, they have also defended Christians and other minorities. 

Over the years, both Israel and United States have supported them, and benefited from their combat. In 2019, by withdrawing our forces in the way, Trump allowed Turkey to pursue the Kurds in Syria. It was then that I realized how ill equipped Trump was in foreign policy, and he had better advisors in his first term.   

Although Trump threw them under the bus, we now are again encouraging their combat inside Iran, against the Revolutionary Guard. The Kurds will not let a previous betrayal get in the way of their decision, they're used to changing winds. If they see an opportunity for an autonomous zone in Iran, and fair odds on the battlefield, they will fight. The big obstacle then may well be Turkey, which suppresses them on all sides of their border.

Molovinsky Reconsidered For Outer Space

Researchers of this blog know that two years ago I was rejected for a Seniors In Space program for psychological reasons. They thought since I can't get along with people here on earth, I would be particularly annoying in the Space Station. 

However, by chance, my criticisms of Trump got on local Jared Issacman's radar, and in appreciation of his recent appointment to NASA, he decided to have me reevaluated. I returned to Allentown for a few days to arrange placement of some earthly processions, and am now back on the Cape, in isolation. I'm not even on the second team, but rather the third. For me to actually be shot up, quite a few of my fellow seniors will have to drop out, for one reason or another.

In the meantime, I'm allowed to continue blogging between training sessions. However, supposedly for national security reasons, my posts will be reviewed before publication. I submitted a post about the UK Starmer saying Trump is no Winston Churchill... I title it Understatement. Another submitted post criticizes Trump for the new retaliatory tariff against Spain. If my tone toward Trump becomes more accepting, you'll now know why.

Move Over Henry Kissinger

Rubio told the media yesterday morning that Israel was going to attack Iran, and we had to join in to minimize the damage that would come to American bases in retaliation from Iran. Trump had told us on Saturday we were attacking Iran to stop their path to nuclear weapons and other aggressions on their part. By yesterday afternoon, Trump was contradicting Rubio, claiming Iran was ready to attack.

Most analysts give credence to General Caine's briefing, which indicated that it was a planned, coordinated joint effort with Israel. They conclude that Rubio's Israel version is to help Republicans in the midterms with voters upset with the new war.

In a more studied administration, the President and Secretary of State would have the same story. Trump described his negotiators as people doing this their whole lives. I know that Witkoff and Kushner have a background in real estate, it was news to me that they also were experienced diplomats. Move over Henry Kissinger.

Trumper Dilemma

As I often have written, there are two Trump factions...There are the MAGAs, and there are the Republican partisans. Like all couples, occasionally there is tension. The MAGA faction is upset because of the Epstein files. Who could believe that Trump ever chased women or soon to be women? The MAGA is upset because Trump seems to have forgotten about endless wars and regime changes. Who could believe that Trump ever knew or cared what he was talking about?

The partisans are upset because they can't afford to lose any MAGA votes come next November. They are upset because it's tiring to defend someone who changes their mind twice a week.

According to Trump, everything that he does is the best the world has ever seen. If he has a speech writer, that writer must be one of the worst any politician ever had. But then again, Trump was never a politician, but a cult leader, who is getting short in charisma.

Trump's Attack On Iran

Ryan Crosswell, Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District, has among others questioned Trump's attack on Iran. He finds the objective murky, and the Congressional approval missing in action. 

Trump's contention that the Iranian public should now rise up ignores the reality that they have no weapons. Furthermore, there is also some public mourning in Iran for the death of their leaders. What percentage of the population favored regime change is unclear.

Besides the Netanyahu faction in Israel, Arab leaders had discouraged Trump's course of action. While the attack didn't surprise anyone considering the armada the United States assembled, world leaders will have less faith when we hold talks. In the short run, Israel will benefit most from the joint attack on Iran. How long that benefit lasts, along with its human cost, remains to be seen.

The Emporium Of High Culture

An iconic painting by Jessica Lenard, offered to a good home with a large wall. The painting is 5X6 ft.   $1000 with buyer arranging transport from Allentown

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Trump's State Of Delusion

I don't know if a president was ever more divisive and insulting than Trump on Tuesday night. If I was a Democrat or Supreme Court Justice, I would have stood up and walked out.

He repeated his tired lines, such as if he was President the Ukraine/Russian war would have never started. He omitted his pledge to end that conflict on day one. He threw a treat to both his puppies, Vance and Rubio.

His economic good news isn't being felt at the kitchen table. Republicans will lose bigly in the midterms.

A Latino District

Because of Allentown's rapid demographic shift, the Pennsylvania legislature decided in 2014 to create a separate district for essentially downtown Allentown. Although the first new representative Peter Schweyer wasn't hispanic, he had eaten once at a Taco Bell. In 2023 his south side residence was redistricted into the 134th, and Josh Siegel was elected for the 22nd. Although Siegel also wasn't hispanic, he did drink a Corona beer at a Democratic picnic.

This past November Siegel was elected County Executive, and on Tuesday a special election resulted in the first Latino elected for the district, Ana Tiburcio. In May, Ana will face Ce-Ce Gerlach in the Democratic primary for a full term starting in January of 2027. Bob Smith Jr. will again be the Republican candidate.

Ce-Ce Gerlach is not Latina, but partly minority and fully a campaign workhorse. While Tiburcio will have some status as a short term incumbent, she will have to knock on a lot of doors to compete with Ce-Ce.

shown above Ce-Ce Gerlach at a street fair that she organized in 2013 to raise money for school uniforms.

A Synagogue Story

When I saw the photos of the collapsed synagogue in Mahanoy City, I thought about Agudas Achim on 2nd, St. in Allentown. Actually, there is an identical synagogue as Mahanoy City in Lehighton, built at the same time in 1923 by the same builder. Mahanoy City never had more than fifty Jewish families, and now only one elderly Jew remains.

Beyond the collapse, there is a side story playing out about the former synagogue's stained glass windows. After the synagogue closed in around 2005, they ended up in a synagogue on Long Island several years later. The cemetery for the old coal town congregation is essentially abandoned and out of maintenance funds. Descendants, who no longer live there are trying to get remunerated for the windows. Before the collapse, the Long Island representative stated that they had saved the windows from neglect. That statement turned out truer than known at the time.

What brings this story to this Allentown blog are two tie-ins. Cable TV was started in Mahanoy City by John Walson, who then moved to Allentown and created Service Electric. On a personal note, years ago I questioned an uncle why they were selling the former Agudas Achim on 2nd. St. He explained that the remaining few elderly members had found an appropriate buyer, who would repurpose and maintain the building in compliance with guidelines for former synagogues.

Principles First Comes Up Short

The Principles First recent convention was far from standing room only. Supposedly even the reduced amount of chairs put out weren't filled. This group was started by Republicans who did not support Trump, or Never Trumpers, if you will. Does this mean that these people have seen the light and are again in the Trump fold? Not at all.

I think that Republicans opposed to Trump have only increased, but Trump and his minions are exhausting. Take the tariff ruling. Does Trump consider his illegal tariffs illegal, no way....He just will impose them under a different code, until that then is successfully challenged.

What his minions don't get is that he doesn't care about long term damage inflicted upon Republicans. Short of being impeached, he could care less about what happens to Republicans, including those sycophants in his administration.

Trump's Constitutional Ignorance

When a giant portrait of a sitting president is unfurled over the Justice Department, our democracy has a problem. When a sitting president says "I'm ashamed of certain members of the (Supreme) court. Absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what's right for our country," our democracy has a problem. When a sitting president claims that the Supreme Court is “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution." we have a problem.

As Trump berated the Supreme Court, it became indisputably clear that he is unfit for the Presidency. He doesn't know and understand the difference between the branches of our government. The sycophants that surround him, many of whom are lawyers, have compromised themselves for their careers.

The only tool we have to defend our system of government is the ballot box. None of the Republicans running, even for special elections, have repudiated Trump.

FCC Courting Women

The FCC is investigating whether The View violated the equal time doctrine with a segment featuring JamesTalarico, an anti-administration senate candidate from Texas. Their premise is that liberal politicians and liberal media are using entertainment shows to bypass long established equal time rules by conventional news sources. The Talarico controversy also recently surfaced on the Stephen Colbert show.

I question whether conventional news sources still exist. All the stations now-a-days seem to have a slant, one way or another. What is new is weaponizing these agencies, such as the FCC.

Not to reveal my sexism, but isn't there an old expression about a woman's scorn? Attacking The View before the midterms must have James Carville snickering. Talk about snickering, The Morning Call just gave Ryan Mackenzie promotion to announce that he doesn't know about any ICE detention centers planned for Lehigh Valley. Considering they're planning one next door in Berks County, why would they build one here? They're not McDonalds, not yet anyway.

Divide And Conquer For Allentown's 22nd District

During last week's debate for the Special Election to fill Josh Siegel's vacated Pa. House Seat, Ana Tiburcio on several occasions answered that she was not familiar with a particular issue. Meanwhile, on the dais, Bob Smith was animated and appeared more informed. Now keep in mind that Tiburcio just learned that she was a candidate after Julian Guridy disqualified himself. Smith, meanwhile, had run in the past.

Immediately, in response to Tiburcio's performance, several people have called for writing in Ce-Ce Gerlach, who is a candidate for the full term primary in May. It occurs to me that the intention of promoting a write-in vote is to divide the Democratic vote for Smith's benefit. 

There are people, such as streetwise activist Eddie Aviles, who feel that if Tiburcio wins, she may well go on to win the full term in November of 2026, and that she is the least qualified of all three previously mentioned.

photocredit:VictorMartinez/101.7FM

Radio Returns To Center City

In 1952, WSAN opened its office and studio at 39 N. 10th Street. A pioneer in local radio, the station started in 1923. Although long filled in, next to the door there was a microphone carved into the granite.  In 1982, the station sponsored a contest with three men living on a Rt.22 billboard. The stunt lasted 261 days and attracted national attention.

In the 1990's, former WAEB DJ Guy Ackley produced his iconic radio ads from a sound both inside his advertising agency at 7th & Linden. Bobby Gunther Walsh has hosted a morning show on WAEB with a conservative theme for decades. While Republicans flock there for exposure, for Walsh it's just a gig.

Victor Martinez is building a new studio for his La Mega 101.7FM (WTKZ) on the upper floor of a building in the 600 block of Hamilton. Unlike the Dopey Duncan era of Pennsylvania Dutch, the Martinez show is completely in Spanish. While mostly music, Martinez does produce a news segment.

This blogger is looking for some early morning microphone time, for a balanced discussion of issues local and beyond.

shown above 1982 billboard stunt