Pawlowski's Immigrants

Yesterday, Pawlowski announced The Mayor's Office of Immigration Services in the city's Alliance Hall.  I have reported previously that Pawlowski is courting the small migrant groups in Allentown, and has provided them with  space in the city owned building. Among those groups were new Liberian and Kenyan organizations.

The immigration help center may jeopardize Allentown's federal block grant funds. Pawlowski claims that those funds are marginal anyway. In years past he had a designated employee who processed an elaborate application process from various agencies, which was an annual tradition since his first term in 2006.  Those funds might be marginal to the city, but they are primary to various agencies which depend on them to operate.

He now states that "We can't have a large portion of our citizenship living in fear," I don't know how many people, if any, Pawlowski's action will actually save from deportation. With our Democratic City Council he will probably get away with this election stunt.  I do know that there are other fears in Allentown, such as fear of crime.  There's even the fear of bad local government.

Pawlowski's Patronage Positions

During the mayoral campaign of 2005 I was aghast at Pawlowski's blatant acts of pandering. He would point out to the audience and say "There's a man who will work at city hall if I'm elected"., "That woman will be at city hall if you elect me"; even the person who carried his briefcase during the campaign now works at city hall. Although I will not reveal the names or positions of these individuals, let me assure you their jobs are by no means necessary, and we would all be better off with a few more police officers. This brings me to an article in today's Morning Call, that Louie Belletieri is resigning his unnecessary job, because he couldn't handle the frustration with City Hall's slow pace and bureaucracy. Fortunately for Pawlowski, the reporter doesn't realize that as Director of Community Development under Afflerbach, Pawlowski implemented and spend $3 million dollars remodeling city Hall to make it efficient and business friendly. Although this past October, Pawlowski hired a second coordinator to help people through the city permit process, and Louie said "it's not like the real world," the mayor hopes to refill the "position" as soon as possible. It's not the real world.

REPRINTED FROM DECEMBER 18, 2007 

UPDATE: Pawlowski would go on to his second, third and now attempted fourth term, and really show Allentown what patronage can be. Now wounded by the federal investigation, he's hoping that his handout of jobs and promises to the little people will be enough to cobble together a victory this coming May.

The People's Candidate

In the late 1970's, neighbors would gather in the market on 9th Street to complain and receive consolation from the woman behind the cash register. Emma was a neighborhood institution. A native Allentonian, she had gone through school with mayor for life Joe Dadonna, and knew everybody at City Hall. More important, she wasn't shy about speaking out. What concerned the long time neighbors back then was a plan to create a Historical District, by a few newcomers.

What concerned Emma wasn't so much the concept, but the proposed size of the district, sixteen square blocks. The planners unfortunately all wanted their homes included, and they lived in an area spread out from Hall Street to 12th, Linden to Liberty.* Shoving property restrictions down the throats of thousands of people who lived in the neighborhood for generations didn't seem right to Emma. As the battle to establish the district became more pitched, Emma began referring to it as the Hysterical District.
Emma eventually lost the battle, but won the hearts of thousands of Allentonians. Emma Tropiano would be elected to City Council beginning in 1986, and would serve four terms. In 1993 she lost the Democratic Primary for Mayor by ONE (1) vote.

Her common sense votes and positions became easy fodder for ridicule. Bashed for opposing fluoridation, our clean water advocates now question the wisdom of that additive. Although every founding member of the Historical District moved away over the years, Emma continued to live on 9th Street, one block up from the store. In the mid 1990's, disgusted by the deterioration of the streetscape, she proposed banning household furniture from front porches. Her proposal was labeled as racist against those who could not afford proper lawn furniture. Today, SWEEP officers issue tickets for sofas on the porch.

Being blunt in the era of political correctness cost Emma. Although a tireless advocate for thousands of Allentown residents of all color, many people who never knew her, now read that she was a bigot. They don't know who called on her for help. They don't know who knocked on her door everyday for assistance. They don't know who approached her at diners and luncheonettes all over Allentown for decades. We who knew her remember, and we remember the truth about a caring woman.

* Because the designated Historical District was too large, it has failed, to this day, to create the atmosphere envisioned by the long gone founders. Perhaps had they listened to, instead of ridiculing, the plain spoken shopkeeper, they would have created a smaller critical mass of like thinking homeowners, who then could have expanded the area.

reprinted yearly since 2010

Made In The Lehigh Valley

The other day I was self checking out of the grocery store, and across the aisle was Bethlehem Steel T-Shirts.  They were made to look retro, with pre-faded logo and copy, which said MADE IN USA.  Although, I knew the phrase referred to the steel,  I couldn't resist looking at the shirt's label.  Needless to say, it was made in China. Ironically, Bethlehem Steel was a self sufficient company, which even  produced ships with its own steel.

When I was a boy I worked in my father's meat market located at the foot of Union Street, where the Hamilton Street Bridge crossed over the Lehigh River.  Saturday was busy, with many customers who worked at the Steel, Lehigh Structural, Black and Decker, Western Electric, Mack and dozens of sewing factories.  A couple of guys who worked during the week at Arbogast & Bastian helped my dad out on Saturdays.  Both Swift and Wilson meat packers had wholesale branches near by.  They would be supplied by rail sidings,  which  criss-crossed that area of the city.  At that time everything was made in America, except for cheap novelty junk.  Now, in addition to losing our manufacturing,  we're even losing our retail,  as everything comes directly from online ordering and warehouses.    I suppose that soon the cashiers at the supermarket will be a relic of the past.

Trump Inspired Anti-Semitism Debunked

In recent weeks the liberals were convinced that the bomb threats against Jewish institutions was the result of Trump exciting the neo Nazi types during the campaign.  Those liberals of course included most Jews.  I always felt, and blogged, that the connection to those incitements was fabricated by the media and his distractors.  I also defended Steve Bannon.  Well, lo and behold, the phoned threats originated from a emotionally disturbed Jewish boy in Israel.

The media of course has nothing to say about their erred speculation.  They are now concentrating exclusively on Trump's defeat with repealing Obama Care.  However, if you don't mind, I want to stay on this error for a few more sentences.  We are constantly reminded that Trump lost the popular vote. Never the less, slightly less than half the votes were cast for Trump.  Was not the media's presumption about the source of the phone threats somewhat insulting to this large portion of the population?

Now,  I'm just a small town pizza blogger,  but I know when there is a disconnect between elitism and populism.  Those smirks on the condescending liberal pundits faces returned, less than a week after the election. Must be grand to be so self-righteous.

St. Matthew's Monastery

St. Matthew's Monastery in Kurdish Iraq, one of the oldest Christian Institutions in the world, was built by Christians fleeing persecution in 363 AD. Today, 16 centuries later, Christians are once again seeking shelter there. In the last decade it has been estimated that half the Christians have left Iraq. Since the Baghdad Church bombing in October, some Christians are afraid to be seen wearing a cross; Others have fled with little more than the clothes on their back. Pray for them.

St. Matthew's is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church

reprinted from December 2010. Things have only gotten worse for the Christians in Iraq, many more have fled.

reprinted from May 2013.   The situation in Iraq has become even more perilous. Those Christians unable to leave Iraq have mostly taken shelter in north section of the country, under control of the Kurds. 

UPDATE: I started posting about the plight of Christians in Iraq and the greater Middle East in 2010. The next reprint was in May of 2013, and conditions had only gotten worse.  Now, in 2014,  they are outright victims of genocide.  The Monastery is still be used for protection.