The Alchemy of the NIZ

All over the state, politicians clamoring like baby birds for worms, want to have a NIZ in their district. Although not one new person has yet to step foot in downtown Allentown, by their criterion, the zone is a raging success; "We looked at Allentown and said 'Wow!'" Although chemists never succeeded in making gold from lead, new construction is the coin of the realm in politics. Never mind if the project turns into a white elephant. Never mind if the new tenant in Allentown turns Boyertown into a ghost-town. The key words are ground breaking and ribbon cutting. Reilly's two new projects, storefronts on Hamilton Street, and apartments on Linden Street, have received NIZ Authority Approval; What a surprise! Order more ceremonial shovels and oversize scissors. As more NIZ districts are approved, state taxes will have to rise to cover these developer incentives. Once upon a time a new business needed a building. Now we build new buildings that need to borrow a business.

Kline's Island, an Environmental Frankenstein

Today, Kline's Island is synonymous with the sewer plant. It wasn't always that way. Originally, like Adam's Island, it was owned by a family, and had houses. It was the location of the first bridges across the Lehigh, being the narrowest point. Allentown doesn't have a good history with the environment. Besides allowing the Wildland's Conservancy to actually defile our park system with their inappropriate, token science fair projects, we're not much for islands. The sewer plant on Kline's will soon be transferred to the Lehigh County Authority. Far worse for the previous island, we are allowing a company to build a trash to energy plant, which will mix imported garbage and sewage into pellets to burn. This project isn't energy driven, but rather motivated by tax credits and finance. Allentown is the only community which was receptive to such such an environmental frankenstein. The top photo shows Kline's Island in 1939, when it was still an island. Allentown decided that Kline's would be a good spot to use as a fill dump, and filled in the entire western channel of the former island. Please join me in my efforts to save the small historic Robin Hood dam on the Little Lehigh. Believe me, Allentown City Hall doesn't know best.

Allentown, Free Market Reject

With all the press conferences and announcements, sometimes it hard to remember that the Free Market passed on Allentown. Not one project, nor one dollar, is coming from private hands. Credit Pat Browne and J.B. Reilly for the mother of all incentives. Credit Mayor Pawlowski for labeling the public money grab as a Transformation, and The Morning Call for their eagerness to disseminate such propaganda. A decade ago, the real marketplace rejected Heydt's attempt at a $14 million dollar arena. Now, working 7 days a week under lights, using public money, we are building a monument to hope, at 20 times the price.

Watchmen For Jerusalem

Isaiah 62:6-7
Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, 7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.

Christian Zionism is appreciated by Israel

Today, Christians by the thousands, by the tens of thousands, by the hundreds of thousands, by the millions, by the tens of millions – today they have heard this call, and they stand with Israel. I salute you, the people of Israel salute you, the Jewish people salute you.                                                                                                 Benjamin Netanyahu

From a Christian Zionist radio station operated in Israel by Stan Goodenough, to the mega ministries of John Hagee  and Joel Olsteen, Christian appreciation of the Jewish State continues to grow.       Christians United for Israel

On May 28, 1948 the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem fell to the Arab Legion; They immediately destroyed the Hurva Synagogue (in anticipation of the arrival of King Abdullah) and began burning and looting Jewish shops. No Jew would again pray at the Western Wall until 1967. Photo from 1948 Life Magazine shows residents of the Jewish Quarter on the shortest exile in modern Jewish history; 500 yards, through the Zion Gate to the New City.

reprinted from September 2010

NIZ Hubris

The Morning Call revealed yesterday that the Arena Authority has been meeting behind closed doors, in violation of the Sunshine Act. The stunning article, by Emily Opilo and Matt Assad, explains how meetings were not advertised, and that a reporter was asked to leave at a recent meeting. In a further demonstration of their arrogance, two attorneys connected with the board, claim ignorance of the violation. The one attorney on the board, Sy Taub, maintained that bond payment arrangements between the Authority and chief beneficiary, J.B. Reilly, should be determined in private executive session. Before the Authority was formed, the Administration made a case that a degree of secrecy was necessary when acquiring properties for the arena, to protect the public cost from real estate speculation. Since the public portion of acquisition has been completed, I see no justification for keeping arrangements between Reilly and the Authority private.

UPDATE: Although the private Executive Session can be technically used under the Sunshine Act for an agency to discuss lease and purchase of real estate,  Sy Taub extending that exception to a private developer is a legal stretch,  showing the contempt this Administration and Agency has for the general public.

Does the Authority exist to service Reilly, or the public good? In the first year of using state taxes, half of the revenue went for Reilly's debt service. Who determined that ratio between Reilly's interests, and that of the citizens? In the two hybrid buildings on the Arena Complex, partially owned by Reilly, who determines what percentage of the building belongs to whom. How could Taub and Jerome Frank justify no public knowledge, much less scrutiny? The Arena Authority has no oversight by the State of Pennsylvania. Last year Sy Taub said that it would be up to the Authority to monitor itself. So far, they have failed miserably with that promise.

High End Malarky

Today, there was another press conference, and The Morning Call once again regurgitated malarky. Pawlowski and Reilly say that high-end apartments are coming to 7th and Linden. To help induce the disposal income  crowd, they're  going to extend the Art Walk, that should do it. Although Reilly had announced this project previously, there's a change. He's now partnering with Pennrose Properties, which specializes in harvesting tax credits for income restricted projects. I'm not one to mince words. Mixed income neighborhoods exist in large cities, where space is at a premium, not in Allentown, not at 7th and Linden Streets. What does another barbershop photo have to do with this story?  In center city Allentown, in 2013, if you look at someone for more than two seconds, they want to know what you're looking at. Imagine walking into a barbershop, in today's Allentown, and photographing strangers, good luck with that. Why would our young office worker want to spend $1000 and up a month, to live at 7th and Linden Streets?  Is he hoping to get shot at the all night convenience store?  Reilly knows better, even if The Morning Call doesn't, that's why he's bringing in Pennrose.

photocredit:molovinsky