Allentown Backwards With Mayor Tuerk

Victor Martinez has a Spanish radio station, that's his business model. Matt Tuerk has bi-lingual city reports, that's his business model. However, as the mayor it isn't really a courtesy, it's more of a real world disservice. Those who cannot understand English don't have much chance of a good future in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Besides for announcing where to take English as a second language class, there is no productive reason for his bi-lingual posts. If Matt could only speak Spanish he wouldn't be mayor.

But worse than the language babel, is the traffic babel. I cannot shake the feeling that the lax enforcement of traffic laws is another cultural accommodation. We certainly know that there is no enforcement of noise and litter ordinances.

Unfortunately for everyone living in the city, the slippery slope of lax enforcement is coming home to roost. Apparently, Tuerk hasn't really learned much on all his out of town and out of country conferences. Maybe if one of those guns being pointed more and more at people was pointed at him, he would realize that either he must untie police chief Roca's hands, and/or replace him.

Circling The Wagons About Trump

A CNN poll has Trump rating highest within party of any modern president. Considering that it's a CNN poll, nobody can accuse it of bias toward Trump. Forgive me, but I have an explanation.

I watched Trump give a speech at some rally in Georgia the other night. It occurred to me that only low information people and diehard partisans could appreciate his 6th grade banter. My explanation is that he's so lost on every topic, that diehards just must make believe that all is well.

Let's move ahead to the midterms and project the results. Dyed-in-the-wool sycophants will lose, unless they're in a very red district. The Democrats will score unusually high with the independents, whose numbers keep increasing.

A Challenge To Netanyahu

There is political buzz in Israel about Gadi Eisenkot, a former general and chief of military staff. Although Eisenkot favors a two state solution, he would retain established settlements in the West Bank. He also favors less dependence on United States.

His parents were immigrants from Morocco, so he has a foothold with the Sephardic block. In 2025 he formed the new Yashar Party, however in Israel parties are numerous.

While currently polling one point ahead, that may not be enough against such a political survivor as Netanyahu. A developing issue is that he would likely need the support of an Israeli Arab party, alienating other segments of the Israeli public. Israel has coalition governments, much more complicated than our two flavor system.

The General's Wallet

This year the Trexler Trust is dispensing over $6mil to an assortment of the usual institutions and organizations. Every year I study the list, and it is truly uninspired. Each year the same trustees enable the same engines of the status quo which have made Allentown less livable every year.

With one exception, I won't list either the givers or the takers, but believe me that there are no surprises. The Trust is backing the Art Museum move with $250K a year for five years. As I written before, the move will boost Reilly's 10th St. holdings at the expense of the 5th Street art district.

As specified by Trexler's will, one third of the yearly payout goes to the Allentown Park Department. Seasoned readers of this blog know that I have issues with the park's priorities... But, however misspent the money is by the park department, it is value compared to the other $4mil.

As I have chosen not to name the grantors and the grantees, comments will be likewise monitored.

Did I Save Marco Rubio?

By chance, no bravery involved, I may have saved a couple of kids from drowning when I was growing up. One kid fell through an ice covered, water filled foundation when I was about nine. I held onto his arm until my cousin ran home to get her father to pull him up. Years later in the mid 1960's, I carried a young Cuban boy from the water off South Beach.

At that time that portion of Miami Beach was not the destination it is now. In the mid 1960's, the old hotels weren't fashionable, they were just old. Pensioned retirees rented the rooms by the month. The Cubans were just starting to flee Castro's takeover of that country. I knew of no such things back then, I was just visiting with a family friend who lived in a modern high-rise facing the bay.

Somehow, later that year, I received a letter from the boy's older sister thanking me for saving her brother. Years ago on this blog, I told the story of finding a diary in an old chest in Virginia. Years later, that blog post found its way to someone who recognized who I was writing about. I know that it wasn't Marco Rubio I pulled from the ocean. The boy now would be about 70 years old.

Left Speechless By Trump's Speech

Trump's speech on July 16th was classic, even for him. In 28 minutes or so, he undid whatever rapport we have with China, denigrated the American free press, and that was his more presidential mutterings.. 

Although he knows that chances of passage for his voter ID bill are slim, his intent was to excuse the pending midterm losses, and the subsequent reflection on his administration. His "never better" economy soliloquy, or as I call it nutter butter, only lasts until the next visit to the gas pump.

It truly was a speech to a shrinking choir. Locally, the incumbent Republican congressman was given a gift via an unqualified opponent, but who apparently is ahead anyway in the polls. While Trump's coattails were strong in 2024, its stitching has become quickly frayed as he brays on about voter fraud in 2020. Those incumbents who were holding on to those tails will find themselves torn loose.

Molovinsky On Istanbul

Since I revealed yesterday in a comment that I studied in Jerusalem, I will fess up to recently taking a self refresher on archaeology in Istanbul. If you have an interest in the post biblical era, Türkiye is about as close as you might want to be now, but even there Trump switched planes to fly out of that country.

Erdogan and Türkiye continue to profit from being the safest place near the Middle East. Even though he occasionally rattles the saber against Israel, Trump hinted about selling him F-35's. Erdogan takes defense seriously, he even gave the NATO delegates Turkish made revolvers as departing gifts.

Trump seems to be still searching for an exit strategy from Iran. He doesn't seem to have any working knowledge of diplomacy, nor are any of his sycophants so equipped. MAGA is still defending him, but they're leaving the red hats at home.