Growth Industry In Allentown

Yesterday I went to the Social Security Office, across from the prison, to discuss my retirement options. I was given number 199. In addition to retirement, Social Security also dispenses money for disability. I would say from the gray hair, there were about three of us contemplating retirement, all the others were for disability. A few middle age men were carrying their fake canes. The canes aren't fake, it's the disabilities. I saw one such gentleman walk in from the parking lot, clearly the cane bore no weight, and was merely a prop. Most of the people waiting were quite young, in their twenties. Disability has now been expanded to include mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, additive personality and anger management. I will say many of them did look angry to me. It was hard finding a parking space. Business also looked good at the prison. If Johnny Manana's had gotten these crowds....

reprinted from Nov. 18, 2008

Mackenzie's Two Way Bet

Every time I hear Ryan Mackenzie say One Big Beautiful Bill, I cringe. Before its passage, he was astute enough to say that his support would be conditional on maintaining certain benefits and safety nets. Since his yes vote, he has decided to bet it all on Trump. He has been touring local businesses, owning his vote on it.

By now most of my highly informed readers know that Allentown is to receive $20 mil, intended to increase employment. The $20mil coming Allentown's way is preordained to be wasted. Mayor Tuerk says...This funding is advancing a comprehensive strategy. Tuerk plans to distribute it to forty different non-profits, with the pretense of creating 650 real jobs in the manufacturing sector. Tuerk is entrusting his former employer, Allentown Economic Development Corp., to lead the effort. A sub-organization has been created called  Allentown Works Cohort. Neighborhood captains are being hired. The usual excuses will be offered for the unemployed... they will need computers to learn of the available jobs. They will need cars to get to a job. They will need childcare while they work. The reality of an unmotivated class, satisfied with harvesting various government programs instead of working, is never considered.

In five years if they audit how many new employees were created, and what it cost the taxpayer per job, it will be no surprise if the effort wasn't cost effective, to say the very least and be polite. When questioned if the grant could get eliminated by the Trump administration, we're assured that Congressman Ryan Mackenzie will make sure that doesn't happen. SO, it appears that the congressman is all for the Big Beautiful Bill eliminating waste, except locally, where people vote for him! 

This blog post may well offend everybody... Democrats, Republicans and fellow independent conservatives, but I'm an equal opportunity offender when it comes to stating the obvious.

ADDENDUM 6:00AM: After touting the Big Beautiful Bill for the last two weeks, Mackenzie spent yesterday running around telling local non-profits not to worry about losing funding. Maybe Ryan should have thought about these cuts before he voted yes with the other yes men. He's standing up in Allentown (since yesterday), will he stand up in Washington?

photocredit:GGolter/TheMorningCall

Discrimination Allentown Style

It seems odd to me that someone can fabricate a crime, and then get ARD for only admitting to it after DNA tests ruled out any other suspects. I'm not questioning the legal precedent for it, and I confess that I'm not motivated to research the topic, but it seems the local legal system is buying into the wokeness of the incident... That would be that although she faked the discrimination, certainly enough other people have been discriminated against that the staged act is understandable.

 

The Allentown Police caught heck for describing it as a small noose, and the FBI took over the investigation. We also ended up with a pricy Philadelphia law firm investigating the discrimination. I do not believe that the fabricator deserves incarceration, but isn't ARD for things smaller than attracting national news?

Likewise, she is allowed to remain on the school board, because after all she is not running for re-election. I would think that she should have the intuition to resign from the board, sorta of a right vs wrong example for the students... of course I live in another world from another time.

photocredit:April Gamiz/MorningCall

As Tuerk Spins

No sooner than I announced last week that this blog was becoming a semiweekly, I had to bring out a special edition to break the story that Tuerk was pulling the plug on the Jordan Creek encampment. The city was facing a strong lawsuit from developer Nat Hyman, who ironically donated some of the land for the Jordan Meadows park walk. I also broke the story that Hyman won't stand down, unless additional conditions are met. Tuerk's turnaround on the encampment created some flak from his most progressive supporters, and the camper's claim that he broke a promise. While the non-profits are gnashing their teeth about the displacement, not a tear was shed or word said when the previous homeless encampment was unceremoniously removed from the Basin Street area, opposite the Parkettes. That eviction was to accommodate a commercial developer, and the city built him a bridge to boot. While we're dressing up all the remaining private buildings near Reilly's NIZ holdings, we dumped the homeless at Hyman's doorstep.

Also on Tuerk's list of problems is another black eye for the police department. Another officer is accused of misconduct, for pistol whipping a denizen after a police chase. Chief Roca being Hispanic fills Tuerk's diversity agenda, but his leadership abilities are coming more and more into question.

Shown above is not Musikfest, nor even an event hip enough for Mayor Matt, but rather the Allentown Band playing in West Park. The Allentown Band started in 1828, and is the oldest band in the United States. Molovinsky On Allentown started in 2007, and is the oldest continuous blog in Allentown. Although I just announced last week that I was reverting to a semiweekly schedule, my only sponsor, Hess's Department Store, demands that I remain in publication every weekday.

photocredit:Jeff Wetherhold

Frustration Over The Trexler Trust

Besides the Trust, those who identify with the local establishment will take offense at this post, but I wasn't on their Christmas list since never.  Although they may take offense, they hear me, and let me remind them of a time not that long ago.  

Every Saturday morning Pawlowski would meet with his Kitchen Cabinet in the back room of the Hamilton Family Diner. The Cabinet had no less than two sitting Trust members and a local judge. The Cabinet met for about a decade, until the FBI indictment, then it disbanded faster than Pawlowski could ask what happen?

So what's the message of my post? The Trust remains political, endorsing the interests of an administration, rather than that of the park system. Even the new Parknership, mostly financed by the Trust, is directing their resources to the park system's existing agenda. That agenda is replacement oriented, as opposed to maintenance conscious. Over the years we have lost numerous park features we could never afford to replace. They range from a magnificent greenhouse in Trexler Park, to a small, simple wooden bridge to a now neglected island in Lehigh Parkway.

Shown above is the retaining wall by the parking lot at the park office. It's small potatoes, but about a decade ago I mentioned to the park department that the wall needed some patching. I have mentioned it at least every couple years since. Perhaps their plan, if they have one, is to wait until it crumbles, then replace it. They're not much for a stitch in time saves nine.

Some of the older readers may know who was in the kitchen cabinet mentioned above. Please refrain from mentioning any names in any comments, that's not my point, nor will I print them.

SPECIAL EDITION Homeless Moving To Allentown Rose Gardens SPECIAL EDITION

Nat Hyman filed a legal action against the city in regard to the homeless encampment by one of his buildings. I do not find his action inappropriate.  The city then asked Hyman if he would take in some of the homeless....That request I do find inappropriate. They would not have asked Reilly to put up the homeless in a Strata building.

Years ago, Pawlowski took a local developer off the hook,  purchasing two parcels we did not need for parks. One on Basin St., and the other the old fertilizer plant on Martin Luther King. We didn't need them then and we don't need them now. 

Although I'm a self-proclaimed park expert, I must admit I have not been to the Jordan Meadows parkway along the Jordan Creek. I will refrain from opining if the park was advisable, but since we created it, we must maintain it. Comments on yesterday's post on the homeless maintain that the city has adopted a too woke attitude tolerating homelessness.  Rather than rehash that discussion, let's say that all sections of the city deserve the same treatment. Would that encampment be tolerated in the Rose Garden?

above reprinted from April 8, 2025

AUGUST 6, 2025: SPECIAL EDITION  **AN OUTSIDER RUMOR CLAIMS THAT THE CITY WILL MOVE THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT BY AUGUST 25TH, TO AN AS OF YET UNDETERMINED LOCATION.**(IT WON'T BE THE ROSE GARDENS :) )

UPDATE 2:15PM: Homeless camp posted that they must vacate by August 25th because they're in a flood plain.

UPDATE 2:25PM:  Hyman has informed MOLOVINSKY ON ALLENTOWN that he will NOT withdraw the lawsuit unless          

1. They will not allow the homeless to return                                             

2.  They will clean up all the mess left behind                                                

3.  They create a landscape equal to other parks                                          

4. There will be ongoing policing of that area