Fools For Pawlowski

In yesterday's post I wrote about tiptoeing through the Pawlowski minefield. We will see a parade of character witnesses testify that their contributions were made because of Pawlowski's leadership and accomplishments, not to gain the work which they received.  What else can they say and not incriminate themselves? Pawlowski's attorney, Jack McMahon, organized the parade,  composed of some of Allentown's most prestigious attorneys.  The downside for them is that everybody knows that Pawlowski was at best just a self-serving opportunist. Those who testify they felt that Pawlowski moved Allentown forward know full well that he was only the ribbon cutter for the NIZ, not the engine behind it. Those who say that they thought he was governor or senator material only erode their credibility even farther.  It is their hope that the trial end soon, and that their testimony be forgotten; For the most part it will be.

photocredit: The Morning Call

Tiptoeing Through Pawlowski's Minefield

If the witnesses who haven't pleaded guilty seem to hem and haw about what expectations they had for their contributions or services to Pawlowski,  understand that they do not want to openly admit that they participated in a pay to play scheme.  Although they may be offered immunity from prosecution,  they still have their careers to consider.  Some may be attorneys, and others may even have their own political plans.  Their objective is to get into and out of the federal courthouse with as little damage to their own reputation as possible.  If their evasive answers result in Pawlowski being acquitted, in their mind that's better than sacrificing their own future.

A problem for Allentown going forward is the people who supported him this last November.  Although most of them are not policy makers,  some have their own ambitions for elected office.  Imagine the ethics they would bring to the table?

photocredit: The Morning Call

Pawlowski's Theft Of Service

If Ed Pawlowski ends up convicted of pay to play in his federal  case remains to be seen.  Since the investigation of his corruption by the FBI began in 2013 or so,  the law has changed.  In a case called McDonnell vs. United States,  the Supreme Court ruled that a specific favor for a specified contribution must be linked and documented.  So,  although I cannot predict the trial's outcome,  I do know that he stole honest services from the taxpayers of Allentown.

From court testimony we learn that most contracts given out in Allentown were decided not by what was best value for the city,  but by which vendor would contribute to Pawlowski's campaigns.  Unfortunately,  the consequences are even worse;  Because Pawlowski was mayor for three full terms,  this corruption impacted almost every department's integrity.

Hopefully, when Pawlowski is finally gone,  Allentown can begin to clean this culture of corruption from city hall.

photo from Morning Call video

Survivors Of The Pawlowski Era

While Celeste Dee's current website heralds her experience as a campaign strategist, there is no mention that she got the experience working for Mike Fleck's H Street Strategies.  H Street promoted Pawlowski and his stable of yes men and women. In light of the Pawlowski trial, and Fleck's guilty plea,  her omission is understandable.  She testified that she was well aware that city vendors were being burped for campaign contributions.

Candida Affa went with Celeste and her spinoff agency; She was perhaps the last member of City Council to cut ties with Pawlowski.  Celeste will be able to survive and prosper in Allentown's Democratic world;  She is treasurer of the local party.

The Pawlowski era and lack of ethics so permeated local politics that there are no players that were not tainted by it.

photo of Celeste Dee in front of Federal Courthouse by WFMZ Channel 69 News

Pawlowski's Defense In Action

Although Molovinsky On Allentown's mission is to provide informed commentary rather than being another reportage site,  I felt it might be useful to witness Pawlowski's famed defense attorney in action.  I observed his cross examination of Matt McTish.  While the prosecutor seemed meek and barely audible,  McMahon was strong and commanding.  He produced an email that McTish sent his lobbyist,  Jennifer Mann, complaining that his contributions to Pawlowski were not being productive.  To use McMahon's words,  there was no bang for McTish's buck, nor quid pro quo established.   He made McTish confirm that contributions to various politicians were a common business expense for his engineering firm.  Furthermore, he revealed that McTish additionally paid Mann $60,000 a year to assist him in securing business, with both government and private sectors.

McMahon had succeeded in taking a prosecution witness and scoring  points for the defense.   When Pawlowski left the courtroom for a recess,  he was clearly pleased with his attorney's performance.

Let me clarify that this snippet involves only one cross examination,  in what will prove to be a long complex trial.

court rendering from earlier in the trial by The Morning Call

Lanta's Snow Hysteria

Yesterday's snow wasn't expected to slow down the earth's rotation.  Never the less,  Lanta put in effect their Snow Emergency Routes.  Standing outside in the cold for a bus isn't the picnic Lanta thinks.  On their website they state that you can access information free of charge on your iPhone.   Nice of them to make the information free,  and of of course we must assume that everybody has an iPhone,  even those low income bus riders.

What would motivate them to implement snow detour routes for less than 2" of snow? Perhaps they have a special position for such decisions,  and he/she feels less useless by declaring the emergency routing.

At the end of the day, or I should say the beginning, it's quite a kick in the teeth to wait for a bus not coming. 

Pushing Pawlowski Back

I grew on Liberator Avenue. Liberator and Catalina Avenues, and Coronado Street, were named for Vultee-Consolidated WW2 planes, and are next to the airport built as part of the war effort. Vultee Street was built to connect the hangers with the Mack 5C plant, which was given over to Vultee-Consolidated for plane part manufacturing during the war. Vultee Street was the runway, and Lehigh Street would be closed off if a plane was landing. Today, this small airport now known as Queen City, has been under relentless threat by Mayor Ed Pawlowski, now a member of the Lehigh Valley Airport Authority. This past Tuesday, fellow board members started pushing back against Pawlowski.

"You're not the mayor of the Lehigh Valley International Airport." board member Frank Kovacs to Pawlowski

The board voted to build a new taxiway, indicating there's not much consensus to sell the airport, which has been Pawlowski's objective. Pawlowski wants to add to Allentown's real estate glut, for a short sighted tax gain. Matt Assad, from The Morning Call, wrote an excellent article explaining the arguments to both sell and keep Queen City. He also provides quotes of the tense discussion between board members and Pawlowski. This blogger is not surprised by Pawlowski's position, but questions Don Cunningham's judgement in appointing him to the Authority.

 reprinted from April of 2012

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 7, 2018: My pushback against Pawlowski started in 2006. In 2007 when I started this blog, he and his enablers were still being defended as good for Allentown, even by fellow bloggers. This blog is fact based. I have no politicians whom I support. I am loyal only to issues, not elected officials.