A New Mayor For Allentown

One week from today Allentown elects a new mayor, hopefully.   I believe next Tuesday will be a long night for the top three contenders.  On Facebook this morning I saw a Hispanic congregation rooting and praying for Ed Pawlowski.  He spoke there on Sunday,  and apparently they believe in him more than the FBI, which has 54 counts of pay to play against him.

It still appears to me that The Morning Call is doing all they can for Ray O'Connell. They position his ad at the top of their webpage, and feature one letter of praise after another for him.  I remember in 05  when they buried my ad on the inside bottom of a middle page.

Nat Hyman has been endorsed by Charlie Dent.  Dent is popular across party lines, and hopefully his endorsement will be sufficiently conveyed to the voters.

While a Pawlowski win might still give O'Connell a delayed victory in 2018,  after Pawlowski is found guilty, the city would remain in paralysis for another 6 months.  It would be much better for  Allentown to awaken from its coma next week, and elect Nat Hyman.

Influence and Politics In Allentown

I found the Pawlowski campaign financial report very discerning.  Although he faces 54 counts of pay to play,  he led the pack in campaign contributions.  It demonstrates how much self-interest drives so many people, and how little integrity plays into their thinking.  Leading the pack for Pawlowski were the labor unions.  Although the Hispanic Community are Pawlowski's biggest fans,  their shallow pockets couldn't pony up much money.  However,  the Syrians filled that void.  Like the labor unions, the Syrians vote and contribute as a block, betting on keeping their influence.

It's informative to understand the bet on Pawlowski.  Although he might win in November, his time in City Hall is limited. At some point the trial will end,  and he will be packing his bags for prison.  Apparently, those who contribute to him are counting on his appointed replacement to honor historical backroom understandings.  It is for that reason that I support Nat Hyman.  Allentown really needs a fresh start. 

Excuse Me

Yesterday was a sad day in the local political peanut gallery.  A political strategist for an independent mayoral candidate released links pertaining to two old court cases involving Nat Hyman.  What drives candidates and their surrogates to such desperation? As Douglas Slifkin noted on Facebook, the night after the election the independent candidate will be home watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.  Most of us are way too small in business to be involved in any litigation with international corporations.   I made the mistake of referring to this strategist as a campaign manager,  and he adamantly corrected me.  All I can say is  EXCUSE ME.

According to the FBI,  Allentown City Hall has been for sale for years. Of the three top candidates,  only Hyman can come in with a clean broom.  Pawlowski, win or lose,  will be spending January and February across the street on trial in federal court.  As a council member, the write-in candidate voted yes for Pawlowski's schemes dozens of times.  I'm concerned about Allentown's future, not some old dug up court case.  If Allentonians wants the sun to shine on a better city, they best work to get Hyman elected.

Allentown's Mayoral Debate

As it turns out, Tuesday's mayoral debate organized by Robert Trotner was the only one which will occur this election cycle. Trotner's square off only attracted the two independent candidates,  John Ingram and Solomon Tembo.  The Morning Call reported that Tony Iannelli  announced that the debate between Pawlowski and Hyman scheduled for Business Matters has been cancelled.  Although,  the article contains an old comment from this past summer by Hyman stating who he would agree to debate, he had no part in yesterday's cancellation.

Both Schlossberg and Schweyer have endorsed Ray O'Connell.  While I understand their desire to disassociate with Pawlowski,  for party politicians to endorse a write-in is unconventional.   Is it that they think that O'Connell is such an opportunity for Allentown, or is it their partisanship?  Perhaps sans the partisanship,  they would have endorsed Hyman.

ADDENDUM:  I have a hunch that Iannelli cancelled the debate because he couldn't justify wedging O'Connell onto the podium, and that The Morning Call didn't want the optic of only Pawlowski and Hyman without O'Connell.  Anybody who doubts the channel between Iannelli and The Morning Call hasn't seen the full page ads of him praising the paper as his source for local news.


UPDATE; While Ray O'Connell's ad dominates the top lead space on the paper's website, not one more word has appeared either on The Morning Call or WFMZ about the cancelled debate.  Only the local politicos ponder that here and on Facebook.

photo by Ed White

Gays For Pawlowski

Ed Pawlowski wants the voters to continue the success under his leadership,  to finish what they have started together.  This message has resonated well with the minority communities.  In these last weeks before the election, Ed is throwing everything against the wall that he can find.  He has announced body cameras for the police department.  With the exception of a former police chief's son,  there haven't been allegations of discrimination against local police departments.  The body cameras won't help with Allentown's biggest crime problem,  thugs shooting thugs.

Ed and the gay community have always gotten along well.  Allentown's gay activists have come to maturity during Pawlowski's endless terms.  We now have an LGBT community center behind Hamilton Street.  Yesterday Ed announced on Facebook that Allentown received some designation as gay friendly.  We all know that there is no shortage of organizations which award endless commendations for endless reasons.   While Ed's posting of this designation was clearly placed to attract the gay votes,  I'm wondering how many he will actually receive.  The gay community is highly informed.  I don't know if they're inclined to vote for a soon to be convicted felon.  However, for the most part they are Yellow-Dog Democrats,  and may well figure that when Pawlowski reports to prison,  fellow Democrat Ray O'Connell will take over.  I'm hoping that they will decide to make their vote more meaningful for Allentown, and vote for Hyman.

Art Museum Pie In The Sky

The head of Allentown's Art Museum,  who has been here four whole years now, wants to double the size and scope of the Museum.  When I read that every R.B. Reilly Strata tenant would get a free membership, I had to smile.  This town is certainly putting high hopes on these new tenants. Apparently, they're considered more cultured than the previous tenants, who were displaced by the construction.

I can appreciate an ambitious bureaucrat (not really), but this guy is really taking J.B.'s City Center Real Estate brochures to heart.  I haven't seen them taken so literally since the Morning Call promotions. This museum director should consider that these tenants didn't support a book store or a steak house. If he had arrived in Allentown before the Arena, he would know that Hamilton Street hasn't been upgraded in either merchants or clientele; There is actually less of both now.

He wants to build a performance center as part of the enlarged museum.  It would be better if Symphony Hall. one block over, got more use.   He also wants to build artist residences.  Will there be a wing for bloggers? Will it be outfitted for the needs of elderly bloggers?  I think that I could use a grab bar in the shower.

photo credit:The Morning Call

A Challenge For Nat Hyman

On Facebook I see people who are equating candidate Nat Hyman's success in the business world with Donald Trump,  which isn't helping his campaign.   In reality, Hyman's success would work well for Allentown in City Hall, but he must first get elected on November 7th.  Another issue stemming from Hyman's success is if he has a conflict of interest because of his apartment business? This question headlined The Morning Call on Sunday.   In my informed opinion, rather than a conflict, Hyman has a unique understanding of the Allentown's housing situation,  which is one of Allentown's biggest issues.

A number of years ago Allentown codified the conversion of commercial buildings into apartments by changing the zoning law.  While previously such conversions were a matter of special variance only, they now became allowable.  The thinking was that after decades of sitting idle, with no prospect of reuse as factories, it was time to make these buildings again productive.

I must question the motive of the Morning Call's article.  Was it intended to convey that Allentown doesn't need another possible conflict after Pawlowski's abuse of his power,  as Daryl Hendricks spells out, in case anybody missed the implication.   That would leave only Ray O'Connell as the viable alternative.  Of course the article conveniently omits any history as O'Connell as a Pawlowski enabler for the first three terms.  For someone who lost the primary, the paper is certainly treating O'Connell very well.   Hyman is not running for Mayor because he is seeking or needs special treatment from the city.  He truly wants to restore honor back to city hall.  Hopefully the voters will avail themselves of the offer of his time and energy.

Hyman owned Livingston Apartments