Teachers Should Share Sacrifice, says Armstrong

For some time now, many Allentown teachers have appeared before this board to express their concern for Art, Music and Physical education in the ASD and their commitment to its importance as a core subject for learning and intellectual growth. Being on education’s front line they are the experts on what motivates learning. Likewise, they see first hand the detrimental effects of cuts in Arts, Music and Physical education. However, they also have the power to rescue these at the elementary level for the children of the Allentown School District by simply agreeing to extend the pay freeze. In the face of dire economic circumstances/times, the taxpayers will be doing their part to balance this budget. They will be directed by this board to makea sacrifice, their tax bill will go up, and more money will be taken out of their pockets. If ASD teachers would make a similar sacrifice, Arts, Music and Physical education could be continued in the district’s elementary schools. If the teachers wanted to save more positions then they could consider a small salary decrease. The amount of salary reduction necessary to save positions could be quickly calculated by the district. The teachers are not powerless in this budgetary crisis. They could choose to do the right thing for the district’s students and their fellow teachers facing furlough. They can provide an example of selflessness and demonstrate their commitment to public education.

Scott Armstrong

UPDATE:  The Teachers Response
Here is the unions response to Mr. Armstrong's ideas
This email is for all members.

Dear Mr. Armstrong and Board members,

Thank you for your belated request to negotiate with the AEA. I will gladly forward your email below to our members today.

Is Dr. Mayo aware that you have made this request? If this is a formal request to negotiate with AEA, it is the first such request made of the Association, to date. Ordinarily, we receive requests to negotiate from the Superintendent.

Our teachers demonstrate their "selfless commitment to public education" every day. I don't know if you realize how dedicated they are to their work, their students and the Allentown School District.

I would like to remind you - and I have said it many times recently - our members chose to enter into a three-year contract with the district just last year. They agreed to a complete freeze this year and two more years of concessions, for the duration of the contract. Had the board or the district needed more from us, in anticipation of future financial difficulties, those needs should have been addressed before January, 2012. To vilify this Association after the fact is disingenuous.

Sincerely,
Debra Tretter

Water Workings 2013

According to a Morning Call report by Samantha Marcus, Allentown will permit the Lehigh County Authority, aka LCA, to bid on the water lease, even though the County Commissioners declined to extend their charter from 36 to 50 years. The explanation used by the Commissioners was that their rejection would spare county residents from indirectly paying for Allentown's pension problems. There also was the allegation that LCA, although a public authority, was unaccountable and aloof to public dialogue. Ironically, any bid now submitted by LCA would be amortized over a shorter term, actually increasing the debt service. This blogger had inquired behind the scenes, concerning the Commissioners rationale in rejecting the LCA charter extension. The commissioners felt that the LCA was prepared to overbid, much more than a private company would offer. With LCA out of the way, perhaps the private company bids would not even rise to a level acceptable by Allentown City Council. It's apparent that the rules of this game are very flexible. Pawlowski is hellbent on leasing the system, and would likely accept the highest offer, regardless of previously stated bottom lines. Also, over a third of county residents are Allentonians, and the remainder currently get their water from Allentown, through the LCA. I believe that creating a new Allentown Water Authority, then issuing revenue anticipation bonds, would have been the best option to meet pension obligations. However, that option was never on the table. Unless City Council exerts itself with alternatives, under the game imposed by Pawlowski, the LCA is our best choice.

Candidate Bluffed Out

UPDATED:Preliminary reports indicates that at least one new candidate for Allentown City Council, opposed to the water lease, was bluffed into dropping out by an attorney, supposedly Brennan.  Who was employing the attorney is unclear. The candidate, Kim Velez, then realized that her decision was premature, but failed in her attempt to be reinstated.  There will now be eight candidates for City Council, five incumbents, and three challengers, two of whom are opposed to the water lease. UPDATE: Ms. Velez will retain counsel, and attempt to be reinstated.

Bernie O'Hare report on the Velez saga

The Poresky Editorial

Dan Poresky has an excellent op-ed piece in today's Morning Call. He explains how the water lease is shortsighted, especially with the concurrent redevelopment of Hamilton Street. He implies that those councilpersons who vote for the lease will tarnish their legacy. I agree with Poresky's article, except the last sentence; To drive home his legacy point, he states that it will take more courage to vote with the mayor, than against him. I am afraid that Dan overestimates the sophistication of the Allentown ballot box. While Dan at this point in the game must play the cards he has left, I do not. Voters will quickly come to resent the privatization. High gasoline prices alone will eventually drive up the consumer price index, resulting in annual double digit water price increases. Pawlowski will be blamed for the water fiasco of 2012, like Afflerbach is blamed for the police pension of 2005. Historically, that blame never expands beyond the mayor at the time. Understand that a person who voted for the pension is still on council.

Chris Casey post on the Allentown City Council Race

Shame On Trexler Trust

The City of Allentown is embarking upon a $3.8 million dollar capital plan to change the nature of our parks, funded in large part by the Trexler Trust. Although a number of fads will be accommodated, not one dollar is earmarked to preserve the existing WPA treasures, shame on the Trexler Trust. General Trexler envisioned the parks as a reserve for the passive enjoyment of nature. Among the new Disney-World type plans are a wedding pavilion in the Rose Garden, and the largest playground in eastern Pennsylvania to be built in Cedar Park, shame on Trexler Trust. The trail through Cedar Creek Park will have lights installed, and the picnic area's will be expanded, shame on Trexler Trust. Anybody driving past Cedar Beach on a Monday morning sees the trash generated currently by only a few picnic tables. How many more park workers will be required to deal with the consequences of these new plans? The playground is being billed as a "Destination Playground", who will pay to keep that clean? Shame on the Trexler Trust. Allentown should build and monitor numerous playgrounds throughout center city, within walking distance for children and parents. Here's an idea; lets keep the parks as is, lets maintain what we have, and stop using the Trexler Trust as a political arm of the Administration.


photo info: the dedication stone is on the Union Street wall. The steps shown go through a tunnel in the wall and climb up to Spring Garden Street. They are in total disrepair.

UPDATE: This post first appeared in September of 2008. For several years I spearheaded a movement to foster appreciation of our historical park system. Our group succeeded in tempering some of the plans. The wedding pavilion near the Rose Garden was never built, and the historic adjacent house was not converted into a catering facility for weddings. The Destination Playground was built, and has turned out to be very popular for families with young children. The plan for a commercial style water park at Cedar Beach was shelved, and the former ambitious park director moved on to another position elsewhere. In the next couple of weeks,  I will reprint a number of posts outlining my efforts in regard to our iconic WPA structures. For the historical record, I will leave the original posts as written. Please pardon the bluntness. When the Trexler Trust first began in 1935, a significant amount of their assets were utilized to augment the work being done by the WPA. I believe that they are once again realizing the significance of these treasures.

A Walk In The Park

In Conjunction with Friends Of The Allentown Parks, I will be conducting a tour of Lehigh Parkway's WPA structures on Saturday, April 6th, at 10:00A.M. The walking survey will last approximately one hour, beginning and ending at the Robin Hood parking lot. I'm expecting local historian Frank Whelan to join me, so between us, any questions concerning the  history of the structures should be able to be answered. With this blogger's past, concerning park policy, this walk represents a leap of faith.  I hope soon to be able to announce that preservation of these irreplaceable icons has moved higher up on Allentown's priority list.

The Transformation of 7th Street

Peter Lewnes is managing to transform 7th Street for about $1 million, while Mayor Pawlowski will spend about $220 million for his transformation. At the end of the projects, 7th Street will be much more successful, in both the number of people attracted, and the total dollars those people spend. To be blunt, which is too easy for me, I think 7th Street would have as many new stores and shoppers without Lewnes' efforts. I think that the Hispanic business district was a natural progression of Allentown's demographic changes. However, considering it's the nature of government to meddle, Lewnes has given us an unusually tremendous return on our investment. He has attractively restored dozens of buildings, created appealing signs, and succeeded in significantly upgrading Allentown's gateway. Yesterday, I visited an independent pharmacy on the 500 Block, located in the former Coleman Electric building. Although not yet enhanced by Lewnes' artistic palette, the pharmacist had four assistants and a delivery driver. Another success on 7th Street.

Today's Morning Call has a 5,000 word feature on 7th Street.  Above is my article, from June 2012, in 162 words that will actually be read.

UPDATE:  Upon reevaluation, the feature story by Emily Opilo  provides background material that I mistakenly take for granted.  I have probably been on 7th Street at least once a week for my entire adult life.  Years ago, mostly every day.

Previous Posts on Subject:  The Main Street Program, October 2009
Allentown's Business Barrio, January 2010