A Different Kind Of Candidate

Fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare recently did a post on my candidacy.  He attended the debate in 2014 when I took on long term incumbent Julie Harhart and the Democratic candidate.  Even the Morning Call at the time had to concede that Molovinsky had little trouble standing out in a three-way candidate debate....

On O'Hare's post an anonymous commenter, while acknowledging my expertise on South Whitehall issues,  questions my sincerity in running for State Representative, as a recently announced write-in. 

Over the decades I have become very familiar with the interplay between local municipalities and those the voters sent to Harrisburg to represent them.  The system is designed to get all incumbents re-elected, that is their primary objective. They can present themselves as white knights, with more money for their local school system, or a grant for a new playground.  More often than not our representatives are either fresh out of college,  or hand picked by a long term incumbent,  who is finally retiring. 

As an independent, my votes in Harrisburg would be based on the best outcome for taxpayers,  not a party platform.  Although I would not serve more than two terms,  in that period I will change the expectations for local representation. 

I do promise to be unpopular with my fellow elected officials. I think that there are far too many of them, getting too many benefits.  Such public service should be a dedicated mission, not just a career path.

A Problem In South Whitehall Township

South Whitehall Township stayed silent while the Wildlands Conservancy maligned the condition of Wehr's Dam with the state DEP.  That inappropriate  communication between the Wildlands and the state was intended to made the dam repair exceed the amount authorized by the voter's referendum.  The former, and some current commissioners, were  aligned with this conspiracy against the voter's wishes.

While the commissioners recently reassigned those funds previously set aside for dam repairs, the township has moved forward seeking a $half million dollars in grants for another park project. There has been three major park projects in Covered Bridge Park, costing $millions of dollars, while Wehr's Dam languishes away, despite the referendum to preserve it in 2016.  In addition to the grants to South Whitehall for projects other than Wehr's Dam,  the Wildlands recently received $half a million dollars for additional land on their South Mountain Preserve. Of course those grants are actually our tax dollars, which are being redirected away from projects voted on by the citizens, to finance pet projects by the Conservancy and their minions in South Whitehall.

Those of us who worked so hard to save the dam five years ago, are frustrated by the arrogance of several of the current commissioners, and the complicity of the Morning Call. 

As separate news items they sound nice: a new park in South Whitehall, and additional land added to a preserve on South Mountain. However, when you connect the dots, the problem becomes apparent. There is a nexus of connections between the Wildlands and several departments in Harrisburg, to redirect our taxes to their agenda.

My current write-in campaign as an independent for State House District 183 partially stems from this betrayal of the public trust.  When government isn't even responsive to such a placid citizenry as in South Whitehall, it's time to write-in somebody else for Harrisburg.

photocredit: Tami Quigley

In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle, A Lion Sleeps Tonight

This coming November 3th, Allentown will have the opportunity to restore the Lion to the sleepy City Council. Without Hershman, the new Council will provide no checks and balances, what-so-ever, to the Administration's version of government. Lou Hershman is a one man thorn bush. Rest assure that if any counter balance can be cajoled out of this essentially one party town, Lou is the man to do it. Regardless of one's political persuasion, there can be no down side to electing Lou. Which executive in our little world doesn't need at least some scrutiny, at least to answer an occasional question.

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from October of 2009

In memory of Lou Hershman

Upside Down Allentown

For someone like myself, with institutional knowledge of Allentown, yesterday was another rough day reading the Morning Call.  A featured story was Allentown losing its managing director. A former mayoral candidate is quoted saying that he'll look into the legality of the city operating with the position empty.  Actually, the city charter never authorized the position in the first place.  When the current charter was created, it was decided that Allentown would stay with a strong mayor, rather than have the city run with a managing director.  One of the first things Pawlowski did after taking over in 2006, was to hire a managing director anyway. So, for the last 15 years we have been paying for an unauthorized position.  Of course that's the least of it, considering that Pawlowski's managing director was part and parcel of his administration's corruption. 

Another featured story yesterday was the Wildlands Conservancy adding to their South Mountain Reserve.  The article mentioned that they secured a $half million dollar grant  from the state for the purchase.  What the Morning Call won't reveal is that this back channel with Harrisburg is being used to set aside the referendum about Wehr's Dam.  Although the citizens voted to keep their cherished dam,  the Wildlands is actively working behind the scenes to have the state condemn it.  While I handed the Morning Call the story on a silver platter, they refuse to print it.

Of course if I walked on water, they would say that I couldn't swim. Actually, they wouldn't say anything at all about me. Although there have been numerous mentions of current write-in candidacies, nothing has been mentioned about my write-in for the 183rd state house district.

Trolley Demise In Allentown

A local young urbanist speculated that automobiles put the end to trolleys in the Lehigh Valley. He was half right, actually it was the Mad Men from General Motors. In the early 1950's, Americans were still a one car family, even in the prosperous Lehigh Valley. The mass transit system was still full of the other family members, still using the system for work, shopping and school. Between the late 1940's and 1953, Hamilton Street had both trolleys and buses. In the late 40's, General Motors wined and dined transit officials all over the country, exhorting the benefits of their buses. Shown above is a Lehigh Valley Transit work car, towing a trolley to Bethlehem Steel to be scrapped. The photograph was taken in 1952 on St. John Street, heading toward the Fountain Hill route. In June of 1953, the last trolley would run on Hamilton Street.

 reprinted from September of 2011

Lehigh Valley vs National Politics

In addition to publishing this blog for over 13 years, two years ago I started a social media group named Allentown Chronicles. The group is designated for local history and occasional local politics. When I announced my write-in campaign for state rep, a couple members complained about the political nature of the post.

Being on social media, I took the opportunity to visit their pages. In both cases the pages were full of memes about national politics. It appears that although they’re very interested in the presidential election, they have no political interest in their own backyard. Their attitude seems very widespread in the Lehigh Valley. 

The state house is full of representatives who went there straight out of college and have been there ever since. While their party affiliation seems important in this region of straight party lever pullers, nothing else, certainly including their lack of accomplishment, seems to matter. 

As an independent, I offer them no blind party loyalty. As an involved activist, I offer them informed advocacy, but no campaign gimmicks. 

This blog will serve as campaign headquarters for Write-In Molovinsky. I’m not on the ballot, and my name must be written in by those wanting better government in their own backyard. 

The photo was taken at Wehr's Dam. I have been fighting to save local historic structures for many years.