Molovinsky World Report

Saudi Arabia pushed back against Trump's Project Freedom, closing its airspace until Trump postponed the plan. We have also strained relations with former European allies going back to WW2.  Who could have imagined with such experienced diplomats as Trump, Witkoff and Kushner, that anything could have gone wrong?

With Israel still attacking in Lebanon and allowing the settlers to run amok in the West Bank, aspirations of the Abraham accords are no longer. Just as Trump disrupted NATO, Trump and Netanyahu have hurt Israel's long term future status with Washington, after this administration passes.

Although Republican diehards were encouraged by the primary in Indiana, the general in November will be telling. The coming Blue Wave may well make Trump's juvenile decisions harder to implement.

ADDENDUM: Later Thursday the Saudis regranted airspace, and Trump resumed Project (Operation) Freedom.

Molovinsky On Allentown will be opening its international bureau in Canakkale. Türkiye continues to position itself as the safe place for investment in the Middle East.

The Martinez Factor

Yesterday I introduced you to Victor Martinez, Spanish radio entrepreneur.  With Hispanics being a majority in Allentown, he is an influential man. As a supporter of Ryan Crosswell for the 7th District, I questioned Martinez about his support for Carol Obando. He insisted that it wasn't because Obando was Latina, but because the other candidates ignored the demographic, even though they are a substantial portion of the population.

With Martinez's support of Ana Tiburcio, I again reached out for comment. Victor this time complained that Ce-Ce Gerlach is too much of a Socialist for mainstream Democrats like himself. He insists that Tiburcio being Latina is a bonus for him, but not the reason for his support.

The meme shown above is from Martinez's Facebook page. Although he maintains that ethnicity is not the basis of his support, if I ever run for office again, I will change my name to Miguel.

Spanish Radio In The Lehigh Valley

Victor Martinez has an amplified voice in the Valley, it actually comes over the radio! Martinez is owner and host of MEGA 101.7FM Spanish Radio. I tuned in to Victor recently over his support for Carol Obando for the 7th Congressional District.

Martinez is now behind Ana Tiburcio for the 22nd state district. While being Latino scores some points with him, he finds Ce-Ce too far to the left.

Ce-Ce is a tough candidate, who knocks on many more doors than any of her competitors. However, Tiburcio having Martinez's voice behind her is BIG. I believe it will be a contest.

ADDENDUM: News broke Tuesday afternoon that the Voter Registration office sent out incorrect mail ballots for the primary. With tightly contested races in the 7th and 22nd, we now have another wrinkle!

Allentown's Orange Car

While the Orange Car, on Union St. near the Lehigh River, went out of business over twenty years ago, the building sat there vacant, fading away.  Although recently demolished, there's a story behind the slow demise.

When the Lehigh Valley Railroad went bankrupt in 1976, its rolling stock and track went to Conrail. However its other assets, such as real estate, were tied up in bankruptcy.  The Orange Car building was owned by LVRR.  Many years ago there was a small six track rail yard between the Orange Car and the meat packing business to its east.  Carloads of fresh citrus fruit would arrive weekly from Florida. After the rail service ended, the lessee continued operating the fruit stand for another twenty years. 

I labeled this post Allentown's Orange Car, because there was an identical looking sister store in Reading.  That location also had a major event in 1976,  a flood from which it never recovered. 

photocredit:molovinsky

above reprinted from April of 2021

No Apple For The Teachers Union

Like Queen For A Day, Ana Tiburcio has been a state representative for ten minutes. When Josh Siegel moved from rep to county executive, Ms. Tiburcio ended up representing District 22, only after Julian Guridy had to drop out because he really didn't live in the district. Sound confusing, it is, but then our teachers union state mothership sends a card implying that she is tried and true?

I don't blame Tiburcio, but the union. They are so potty trained to support party endorsed candidates, that they will put their name to a misrepresentation. In the real nitty gritty, Tiburcio is running against Ce-Ce Gerlach in the primary. While Tiburcio is currently on the school board, Ce-Ce served previously. 

If I was a teacher at Allen, I would likely be in trouble speaking out against the union's deception. Come to think of it, when I was at Allen one hundred years ago, I was always in trouble. No wonder I ended up being a local blogger.

Turkiye Thanks Trump

Istanbul is teeming.  Construction and people are everywhere, working, shopping and enjoying a surge at the expense of Dubai and other Gulf States, impacted by the United States & Israeli war with Iran. All day and night long the Bosphorus is plied by freighters and tankers, unaffected by blockades and threats.

Turkiye is looking to position itself as the safe place for investment in the Moslem world, relatively free of the threats impacting the eastern Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, as Trump uses blockades and sanctions in the Middle East, his extended family is using their influence and connection to profit from real estate development there. Conflict of interest is a term unknown to the Trump family.