What Now For Allentown

With Ray O'Connell entering the mayoral race as a write-in,  the dynamics of the contest change. Some students of the local political scene think that the anti-Pawlowski vote will be divided up between O'Connell and Hyman,  giving Pawlowski a plurality election eve.

Certainly,  O'Connell's entrance can only take votes away from Hyman.  While some Republicans complain that he is only one of them by opportunity, that accusation may actually be a plus in Democratic Allentown.  So far,  I haven't seen Hyman defend his recent Republican registration.

Although Allentown would certainly be better off with either O'Connell or Hyman, I'm refraining from any predictions, with one exception.  Regardless of who wins,  Allentown has been lessened because Pawlowski won the primary.  The fact that about 28% of the votes cast in the Democratic Primary were for someone with compromised integrity, doesn't bode well for Allentown's future.  These supporters will continue their own agenda, regardless of who wins in November.  Future politicians will have to pander to this element, who are more concerned with entitlements than ethics.

Being An Independent Blogger

The Morning Call yesterday reported that two independents have qualified for the mayoral ballot. In addition to reporting their names and backgrounds, they included a photograph of both. In 2005, although I was the first independent to run in two decades, they never once published my photograph throughout the entire campaign. They also excluded me from their sponsored debate with Muhlenberg College, televised by WFMZ.  Every day for two weeks they ran a quarter page photograph of both Pawlowski and Heydt in the paper, promoting the debate. I mention this inequity as a prelude to my thoughts about blogging.

 My exchange with a reporter abruptly ended when I mentioned a former reporter who covered the 2005 campaign, and his bias for Pawlowski. The former reporter was not only Pawlowski's first supporter, but ended up being the last person hired by Mike Fleck, before he flew the coop. The current reporter has remained friends with this guy, and apparently demonstrated his loyalty by ending our dialogue. A feud with a  local  blogger also involved loyalty. He claimed that I was being disloyal, when I scoffed at a disclaimer he made.

 Loyalty to me is something you give to your significant other and your country. It's not something which should extend to journalism, especially in the political arena. That's how you end up with a mayor running for his fourth term under indictment.

Pawlowski's Poverty Shuttle

I told readers that Pawlowski won the primary by campaigning in the minority owned beauty and barber shops. These people were flattered by receiving attention from a mayor. He subsequently attended every event and birthday party to which they invited him. On primary evening he had cobbled together over 1,700 votes, a plurality to win in the crowded primary field. Not being content with my analysis, I called it the Marion Barry vote, because these constituents are not turned off by Pawlowski's trouble with the law. He continues now to court this demographic.  A bus outfitted with a Re-Elect Pawlowski  sign fueled speculation that he was providing a free shuttle service around town.  Perhaps at night the shuttle could take shooting and stabbing victims to the emergency ward.

He certainly knows how to work these people for his gain.  A free shuttle service would be appropriate, since under his tenure most of the low-income moved to Allentown.  I saw another photo of him carrying a cooler, and handing out bottles of water in a park.  I suppose that's because he leased the city's water department.  He might also consider handing out models of city hall,  since he allegedly sold that as well.

Those looking for nice sentiments should buy a Hallmark card,  you won't find them here.

Morning Call's Farewell Missing Firewall

In Bernie O'Hare's obsession to criticize me on Monday, and ingratiate himself with Bill White, he dismissed an important story. When I had referred to Rolf Oeler's comment as interesting, Bernie commented on his blog; His explanation (Molovinsky) is nonsense, too. People going out for dinner on Friday nights or having a drink is indicative of nothing. 

Oeler reported that J.B. Reilly, Pat Browne and Bill White were at the bar.  Bill White, in a subsequent public facebook post, commented that the occasion with Morning Call personnel, was a farewell for Matt Assad, which we know from Oeler included Pat Browne, and J. B. Reilly.

I have been asking here on this blog for several years whether Matt Assad was reporting on the NIZ, or acting as a press agent for Reilly's City Center Real Estate Company? The newspaper articles, one after another, read more like press releases than news articles. Readers looking for critical analysis of the NIZ were left mostly with only this blog. The Morning Call would be hard pressed to prove that the proper firewall exists, especially now since J.B. Reilly literally purchased the Morning Call Newspaper building, and is their landlord.

The Dour Molovinsky

Bernie O'Hare wrote an attack piece against me yesterday, in which he claims that I allowed Rolf Oeler to threaten Bill White, because White called me dour. White did describe me as dour, thank you, several years ago. However, after seeing a psychiatrist numerous times, I came to grips with the description. It appears however, that Bernie O'Hare hasn't come to grips with his resentment towards me. He got angry when I called his disclaimer about contributing $25 dollars to Morganelli an understatement. Anyone who has read O'Hare's adulation of Morganelli understands that $25 pales in comparison to all the free public relations given to him over the years.

The comment by Oeler did have some hostility, but it was interesting and informative. It was about a politician and developer sitting in a place they created with our tax money, with the newspaper men who promote it for them.  It was in no way an actual threat against Mr. White.  I believe that the only real aggression was O'Hare's post about it.

Call me dour,  but don't tell me who can comment on my blog.

Allentown's New Political Era

In his column on Sunday, Bill White uses a Winnie The Pooh analogy,  that he hopes that Pawlowski supporters start wising up, and realize that he is not the leader that he purports to be.

Ed's supporters know exactly what he is.  They're not voting for integrity,  instead they're betting on someone who might share the honey with them.  They're not voting for a better Allentown,  they're voting for bigger piece of the pie for themselves.

The new constituency which Pswlowski cobbled together for his primary victory will continue on past November's election,  regardless of who wins.  Rather than looking forward to a more ethical Allentown,  I think that we have seen the beginning of a Tammany Hall.  Even if we luck out with someone other than Pawlowski for the next mayor,  he created a blueprint for a new era of self-interest politics.

I can appreciate that some of my readers may find this post less than optimistic in outlook.  Thst's good,  because we are going to need all the idealists available to counter the coming opportunists.

Allentown's Predicament

Pawlowski says that he isn't resigning because he did nothing wrong. I certainly believe the first part of his statement, that he won't resign.  Although, his support is limited almost exclusively to minority owned beauty and barber shops, that was enough to get him on November's ballot. The established business community and local government officials have made it clear to him that he is a liability, and that he should put the city ahead of his need for a paycheck. Perhaps these two segments should put their efforts together, and see if Pawlowski could be induced to resign with a payout. He is essentially totally ineffective now as a mayor, making the entire city hall payroll non-productive.

photocredit:The Morning Call