Trump and Marie Antoinette

On Saturday night, Trump stated that the earthquake in Venezuela was terrible, but because of his takeover of that country, people were dancing in the streets. I have been watching reports from that devastated country, and needless to say, no one is dancing.

How out of touch must someone be to refer to dancing when there is so much destruction and death? Trump is right up there with Marie Antoinette. How sycophantic can Republicans be to not call Trump out about such statements?

Although the Republicans are emboldened by the Trump pick successes in the primaries, they may well end up with a less competitive candidate come the general in November.

Growing Up Allentown

I'm a baby boomer. I was born at the end of 1946. As soon as my mother climbed out of the hospital bed, another woman climbed in. I grew up in the neighborhood now called Little Lehigh Manor, wedged between Lehigh Street and the top of the ravine above Lehigh Parkway. That's me on our lawn at the intersection of Catalina and Liberator Avenues, named after airplanes made by Vultee Corporation for the War. We had our own elementary school, our own grocery store, and the park to play in. 

On Saturdays, older kids would take us along on the trolley, and later the bus, over the 8th Street Bridge to Hamilton Street. There were far too many stores to see everything. After a matinee of cartoons or Flash Gordon, and a banana split at one of the five and dimes, we would take the bus back over the bridge to the shelter of our neighborhood.

reprinted from June of 2008

ADDENDUM JUNE 30, 2026:This post along with thirty five other baby boomer memories of Allentown comprise my book available at Amazon.

Ed and Matt, Two Charter Abusers

Back in 1996, Allentown had a charter commission to recommend new guidelines. The issue then was deciding if we wanted a Managing Director or a Mayor. The blue ribbon panel decided on a strong mayor format.

City Hall continued as such, until Ed Pawlowski hired a managing director to help him. Matt Tuerk has followed suit, and also hired a managing director.

Ed and Matt had similar motivations. Ed wanted to be free to run for higher office. Matt wants to be free to go on junkets. One common denominator is this long term blogger. In Ed's case, I just started the blog in 2007.....I'm still here, now on Matt's case.

shown above blogger phoning out from his underground bunker during Pawlowski indictment

Another Junket For Mayor Tuerk

Recently, I took Mayor Tuerk to task for his junket to Madrid, Spain. Since then, he went on one to Los Angelos, and now is in Tangier, Morocco*. Although he posted on Facebook about the Front Street fire, and mentioned how exhausted the firefighters were, residents just assumed that he was on the scene...They assumed wrong. 

With the mayor being limited to two terms, he has started his lame duckness almost immediately after being elected. I don't know how to say that he's screwing the voters in Spanish, but they appreciate that he can.

I don't know what, if any recourse the voters and city council have against this early pattern of abuse, but I hope that they assert themselves.

*UCLG World Congress and World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders: Held in Tangier from June 23–26. This event is gathering local and regional government leaders to discuss sustainable development, education, and international urban management.

Did The Trump Visit Help Mackenzie

My guess is not only didn't the visit help him, it actually hurt him. Trump is so polarizing, what good could it possibly have done Mackenzie? Mackenzie had no primary, only the upcoming general against a strong Democrat. Bob Brooks beat Ryan Crosswell, who was immensely qualified, well financed and campaigned hard.

I surmise that Mackenzie didn't have that much choice about the visit to Mack. Trump, as usual, was motivated by his own ego, he couldn't even remember Mackenzie's name.

Mackenzie has been a grinning sycophant since day one, so now he will pay the price come November. While the Republicans will squeeze out some encouragement by the turnout at Mack, they better not overvalue it. Maybe they will get lucky, and Trump won't return before midterms.

Cage Fight At Destination Playground

On Saturday night at Cedar Beach, by the Destination Playground, hundreds of young denizens cheered on no less than three separate concurring fist fights. If the event was sponsored by the Recreation Department, I do not know.

I do know that the Park Department must coordinate for more security. Although they do a pretty good job of cleaning up after the denizens, it is not so across Ott Street, by the Rose Gardens.

Back in 2005, the Trexler Trust commissioned a study which concluded that the Cedar Beach area was being overused. Since that time, it is actually being used much more, and supported by the Parknership, a  new project by the Trust. It is high-test political correctness, with myself and other traditional park advocates excluded. They put pretty pictures on their website, but I don't think you'll see the litter and the fights.

Carry In/Carry Out Doesn't Work For Allentown

The current national park philosophy, adopted by Allentown, is Carry In/Carry Out.  In our environmentally woke time, the belief is that people will take their trash with them, after they guzzled their sports drink.  Allentown accordingly removed most of the trash containers from the parks, instead installing larger capacity containers, which only have to be emptied once a week.  While previously one man and a pickup truck removed the bags, now a dump truck, two men and crane are used to extract the 8ft. long bags from a pit below the containers. 

It all sounds wonderful, until you drive through downtown Allentown any Monday morning...It looks like there was a parade every weekend.  The litter in Allentown is astounding...Many throw their trash down even if there is a container within several feet.  Parents throw down their trash in front of their children.

Rather than less trash containers in our parks, we should have installed more.  There is nothing Allentown  can learn from national park bureaucrats.  Our traditional park system was second to none.

above reprinted from August of 2021

ADDENDUM JUNE 7, 2022: Early on Monday mornings, a park employee fills large containers gathering all the trash tossed down on both sides of Cedar Park over the weekend.  Although the department did add some containers back since the above post was written last year, littering is a reality in the new Allentown. As the department adds new events and recreational features to our parks, this problem will only increase.

ADDENDUM JULY 26, 2023: Mayor Tuerk, in keeping with both your inclusionary and bi-lingual policies, please don't be bashful about Do Not Litter signs in both English and Spanish, No Bote Basura.

ADDENDUM JULY 23, 2024:Mandy Tolino, the park director, is beginning to see the light, or should I say the litter. She announced that the parks will have more trash containers and that seasonal No Litter signs would be installed in both English and Spanish. Add even a few more containers for good measure, and leave those signs up all year. 

ADDENDUM JUNE 23, 2026:The Rose Garden side of Cedar Park never gets short changed on its share of litter. While there is no guareentee that the denizens would use the additional constainers, no harm in trying.