Weekend At Biden's

In fairness to the Bidens and the DNC, it has only been a few days since Joe's blank stares. The next day they paraded him out with a short jog for a telepromter speech, which he read with some vigor. The Yellow Dog Democrats ate up those Biden treats. 

But who is to blame for masking his condition for so long? Is it Jill Biden or the Democratic Party? Then again, who is the Party? After all, Lara Trump is now the RNC. If the CNN debate hadn't occurred, would his mental acuity even be an issue?

Those who visit the White House on a regular basis, like Chuck Schumer and members of the cabinet, must have been aware of the President's decline. Biden's family is supposedly mad at his advisors, presumedly for allowing the debate.

The debate turned out to be a revelation, which apparently nobody associated with Biden thought the public needed to know. 

If Biden steps away from the campaign, Gavin Newsom appears to be the most viable candidate to take his place, assuming that they can gracefully push Kamala aside. At best, the attempt to foist a declining president on the public is a blemish on the Democratic party.

You must be at least thirty-five years of age to run for President, perhaps there should also be an exit age.

Denial, A River In Egypt

As an independent, I wasn't happy about the upcoming presidential election before this past Thursday's debate, but things have only gotten worse. Trump demonstrated that he hasn't at all matured in his world view, and Biden is obviously too impacted by health issues.

While the above is a summary of Friday's post, today I'm concerned about the reaction of my Democratic acquaintances...Too many are in denial. They refer to Thursday as a bad night. One even credited him for showing up for work sick. Others cite the next day's teleprompter speech as an indication that he's still fit. How partisanship, from both sides, can so warp thinking is incomprehensible to me.

Perhaps Biden will voluntarily drop out and the D party can still be competitive in November.  If he doesn't, they're probably forfeiting the next eight years.

If Biden is replaced, I'm personally hoping for someone right enough of center, that I might vote for.

Taking The Car Keys Away From Grandpa

There's not much to be encouraged about this coming November.  The candidates on the stage made independent Kennedy look better by default in his commercial. 

Beyond his usual talking points, Trump had no reply to any of the questions asked. Biden could address the questions, but only for about thirty seconds, before his mind wandered, and he wondered where he was. 

I think voters will have to vote for party platforms this election, as opposed to a person.

Trump couldn't even answer if he will accept the election results.

It's hard to imagine that Biden will know who he is in a few years.

Trust Non-Profits, Don't Verify

If my blog title seems a little cynical, at least it's not costing you anything. That's more than Hasshan Batts and Karla Walker can say, they're raking it in and asking for more.  Karla doesn't even want you to ask any questions

If you're going to fund us, trust us. Trust that we know what we’re doing. Don't make us jump through hoops for your money.

Hasshan's Promise Neighborhoods now has a $3million dollar budget. Despite Allentown being on track for record number of shootings, including children, he claims that without his services we would have even more (75% more) victims. Walker's program is in Boston.

I think that without their services we would have the same number of shootings, but with more budget available for police. Fortunately for Hasshan and Karla we have no shortage of virtue signalers, unfortunately, those signalers include elected officials. Batts' organization and budget is now the largest gun violence prevention program in the state. 

My sense is that the public is growing weary of their claims. 

photocredit:Jason Addy/LehighValleyNews.com

Tuerk Cries Politics

Mayor Tuerk claims that in addition to the Discrimination Investigation not properly applying for the funding required, it is politically motivated. In a previous post I stated that personally I felt that discrimination was a questionable rap against the Tuerk administration, but his denying funding on a technicality was a flawed decision. Now complaining about political motivation is even weaker on his behalf. 

The junkets to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico were nothing but politics. Lavishing grants on some of the non-profits is nothing but politics. Rising the flag of twenty countries is politics. We have a very diversfied city, too much so to spend resources learning about their culture back in the old country, or establishing sister cities there. Obviously we need to concentrate on making Allentown a safer, more desirable place for those already living here. 

Councilman Zucal maintains that because council is investigating the administration, the normal appropriation method can be bypassed. Council will vote this evening on hiring an attorney to represent them in this matter.

My photo above from last September shows Karen Ocasio walking back to her seat pass Tuerk, after telling city council that as an employee she was discriminated against... Two months later she was fired.

I'm Still Pitching For The WPA

In 2012, over a decade ago, I took our current park director, Karen El-Chaar, on a tour of the Allentown WPA structures. At that time, she was director of Friends of the Allentown Parks.  El-Chaar, a native daughter of the area, seemed to share my interest in seeing these irreplaceable icons preserved. She subsequently secured a grant from the Trexler Trust to repair the stairs by Fountain Park. 

In following years she organized volunteers to clear the overgrown spring pond by Robin Hood. In conjunction with the Friends group, I conducted a couple of tours of the WPA structures in Lehigh Parkway.

When El-Chaar was appointed Park Director by Ray O'Connell, I thought that finally, after so many years, I would have an ally about the WPA in the administration.

As it turns out El-Chaar does care about the WPA, but she hasn't made it a line item priority in the budget. The lower entrance wall of Lehigh Parkway is being repointed, but that is a continuation of the upper wall's replacement, after it collapsed from years of neglect, before El-Chaar's time.

I'm still lobbying to have the landings repaired on the Parkway Double Stairwell. Three years ago, she told me that the Trexler Trust wanted an expert opinion on how the flagstone should be relaid.  She is still waiting for the Trexler Trust to consult an expert, and only then might they issue a grant for that project. I would have preferred that it was already done, within the regular park budget.  Recreation items, such as the skate park, are directly in the city park budget. 

Above is a 1948 photograph of the bridge that went to the WPA man-made island in Lehigh Parkway.  In the 1980's the bridge was removed, and the island allowed to grow wild. When I gave El-Chaar that tour so many years ago, she commented that it would be nice to replace the bridge and restore the island. I replied that I would be satisfied if the remaining WPA structures are maintained....I'm still hoping and waiting for that to happen.

Since I started advocating for the WPA, El-Chaar has been more receptive than the previous directors. However, like the island, once a park feature is gone, we will never get it back. My mission remains to make sure the WPA structures get the timely attention our park history deserves.

photo courtesy of the Price family

above reprinted from September of 2022

ADDENDUM JUNE 25, 2024: The landings on the double stairwell have indeed began to concave from water damage. No expert consultant needed, but a competent concrete person to level the landings, and relay the flagstone. During the Depression hundreds of WPA projects were built throughout the country with the unemployed....They need maintenance, not consultants! The new city administration and another new park director have not responded to any of my entreaties.  I continue to be assertive about obtaining a seat on the new Parknership.  Both the WPA structures and myself are too old for diplomacy.