Allentown Loses Election

In my mind Allentown is officially lost. Pawlowski succeeded in having the minority majority knowingly elect a future indictee in a low turnout election.  Understand that this constituency lived in Newark until two years ago, and still contributes to the litter on the streets.  While Hamilton Street has new buildings, it's actually more depressing than ever.

Bernie O'Hare recently wrote; Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky, whose blog is called Molovinsky on Allentown, spent the crucial week before that City's most important election in its history, talking abut(sp) anything but Allentown. Bernie writes poison like that, thinking that he is cleverly marginalizing me.  But, if this was the most important election in Allentown's history, apparently the voters didn't know. You cannot blame the Morning Call,  they pushed the election every day for months. Despite their effort, turnout was less than 15%.

We in local politics, either as a candidate, supporter or pundit, overestimate the public's interest.

On a positive note,  congratulations to Brad Osborne, on his way to become  Lehigh County Executive.  

CHART FROM LEHIGH VALLEY LIVE

Bennett's $10,000 Stoplight

I was very surprised when Allentown installed a stoplight on Lehigh Street for the Bennett Toyota dealerships.  Years ago I lived on a very dangerous intersection which has numerous accidents, including fatalities.  I was told how complicated it was to convince Harrisburg of a stoplight's necessity.

Bennett was one of the largest contributors to Mayor For Life Pawlowski's current campaign. He kicked in about 10% of Pawlowski's war chest, which at about $100k, led the candidate pack.  On Sunday night Pawlowski had a pricy campaign commerical on CNN's popular Anthony Bourdain show, Parts Unknown.

Today Allentown enters parts unknown.  It is not my habit to announce the next day's blog topic. However, tomorrow I will discuss today's winner and loser.  Hopefully, the loser will not be Allentown.

The Docility Of The Allentown Liberal

I continue to be amazed by the multiple personality of the local Democrats.  While anguished over Trump in Washington,  they seem to tolerate a Boss Tweed in Allentown.  As I've posted before, I think that Pawlowski has the edge in Tuesday's election,  having assembled a coalition of minority shareholders.  While he doesn't have the support of their organized groups, he has tirelessly campaigned in the barber shops of center city, and other such enclaves.  As mayor he has flattered that demographic by attending their birthday parties.  He has given out City trinkets, and promised more, if re-elected.

Just as the large field of candidates helped Trump win the Republican Primary, the large field of Democrats will help Pawlowski on Tuesday.  With seven candidates dividing up less than seven thousand primary votes,  his strategy will probably prevail.

If he does win,  Allentown may well have it's first Republican mayor in almost two decades come November.  Chances are that Pawlowski will be indicted before the general election.  Although, still eligible for office until and unless convicted,  such negative publicity could propel the Republican candidate to victory.

ADDENDUM: In his post today, Bernie O'Hare tries to make a case that I have been absent from this election,  and as an opposer of the little people, that he so nobly champions.  Bernie thinks of himself as a masterful lawyer, and his readers as a pliable jury.  In today's post,  he cloaks himself repeatedly with the word integrity.  In truth he is a manipulator, who endlessly tries to promote people he likes, and injure those that he doesn't.  His methodology is becoming transparent to more and more people.

Looking For Mr. Rogers In Allentown Election

The other day a blogger had a post about a fellow who was allegedly bullied by the current mayor. The blogger said in both the post and a comment that he doubted if the incident warranted criminal charges. In a subsequent youtube interview part1, the victim emotionally reiterated his distress over the confrontation with Pawlowski. He also claimed that despite being a candidate himself for city council, he was not indulging in a political stunt. That claim would of course have much more validity if he was making the accusations this coming Wednesday, instead of this past Thursday and Friday. The incident with Pawlowski happened on May 5th. If the gentleman waited a week for his non-publicity stunt, perhaps he should have waited another week.

If the gentleman was being sincere about not having a political agenda with his news conference, I can't say the same about the blogger and other candidates who jumped onto the bandwagon.

ADDENDUM: While the blogger admitted that the incident didn't rise to the criminal level,  did it even rise to the level of news?  Apparently not to any of the other local media, except for that blogger and facebook.  Is Pawlowski a bully?  Yes he is,  but there appears to be little to this incident but the timing.  As for the others who jumped on the bandwagon,  let me clarify that I find them very viable candidates,  but who apparently succumbed to the heat of the election regarding  this incident, in this last weekend before the vote.
part 2 of youtube

Sanitizing New Orleans History

I was aghast when I heard that New Orleans was going to remove its Civil War statues.  Now, while I understood South Carolina removing the Confederate flag from its capital building, removing the statues seems revisionist to me.

I asked a local college history professor I know for his opinion on the topic.  He became more animated than I had ever seen him,  and emphatically claimed that erecting the statues in the first place was the revisionism.  He feels that because he was a slave owner, there should have never been a statue of Jefferson Davis in the first place.

The key word about the college history professor isn't history, but college.  My observation is that college professors spend too much time with eighteen year olds,  and Peter Pan liberalism distorts any objectivity that they may have processed.  The statue of Davis in New Orleans was erected in 1911.  Regardless of the rationale at that time,  it is now part of that city's history.

I borrowed the word sanitizing from Condoleezza Rice.  She used it in explaining what a current mistake New Orleans is making in regard to its history.

Another Week, Another Defender Of Israel

I was back to the Fearless Fire Hall for another excellent event sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Tea Party.   Last week they hosted Pamela Geller,  who they billed as a freedom of speech advocate.  This week they featured  David Rubin,  who they presented to discuss the new American relationship with Israel under Trump.   Although both descriptions are valid,  my interest lies in their mutual love for Israel, and the defense of the Jewish people.

Fifteen years ago West Bank settler David Rubin's car was raked by gunfire from Palestinian terrorists. While he suffered a severe leg wound,  his three year old son was shot in the head.  Both recovered, and Rubin has dedicated his life to children's rehabilitation from terrorist attacks through the Shiloh Israel Children's Projects.

Rubin has no delusions about the intentions of the Palestinians.

While David’s focus is on developing projects for children, he doesn’t hesitate to speak the truth from a position of faith in a way that most politicians seem to be either unwilling or afraid to do. He proposes bold, realistic solutions to counter the forces of evil in the Middle East and in the world.  

Likewise, he believes that the West Bank belongs divinely to Israel.  He is hopeful that Trump will announce that the United States is moving the embassy to Jerusalem when he visits Israel later this month.

Anything Anti-Trump Is Tolerated

I have a liberal acquaintance who has no toleration for any humor that is at the expense of homosexuals. He is even offended when you're not up to date on current designations of the various gay groups and new subgroups.  However, he wasn't offended by Stephen Colbert's homophobic remark about Trump and Putin.  Of course, worst than these late night jokes, is that the Democrats are reduced to these previous second string comedians being their de-facto party leaders.  In some cases they actually believed their act and ran for office, enter Al Franken.  I see commercials for Samantha Bee, whoever the hell she is.  In every one she is bashing Trump.  What would all these comedians do had Hillary won?

Meanwhile, in the real world, Trump has been assembling a first rate team, like Rex Tillerson and Jim Mattis.  The actions taken, such as the strike on the airbase in Syria,  have been measured.  Yesterday's decision to arm the Kurds again shows realistic analysis and resolve.  However,  regardless of accomplishment or facts,  the liberals will wait up for the late night bashing.