Dog and Pony Need Veterinarian

If there is any lesson from the last six months, it must be that there are between very few and no financial experts. The brokers who work at the major investment houses are salesman, and our taxes are now being used to bail out the advise they passed on from their esteemed analysts. Those fortunate enough to have had savings, have seen their nest-eggs reduced by 20 to 40%. When Allentown Mayor Pawlowski announced his blue ribbon panel of experts, and our City Council applauded, I snickered. My fellow blogger, Lehigh Valley Clancularius Introspectives*, who also has a post on this topic, links to the city web site, listing the experts. In all due respect to these experts, most are not; many are old dogs who will have a hard time even staying on the pony. We knew Pawlowski was no Bloomberg, but how could anybody not foresee the coming shortfall this past November and December? Likewise, how can he now not take immediate action and count on this panel for solutions? How can a City Council buy a ticket to this third rate show?

* http://lehighvalleyclanculariusintrospective.blogspot.com/

It's Howdy Doody Time

Most of you who follow the local blogosphere know there are tensions fueled by over-inflated ego's. There's even a special word, snark, referring to those written jabs and slights. Chris Casey tried to organize a blogger breakfast, but when everybody was done stating who they wouldn't attend with, Casey couldn't even invite himself. Last week, in a comment section, I revealed that I was miffed at Pam Varkony. Although she never finds my blog comment worthy, it appeared to me that sometimes the topics appeared later on her blog, with never a notation. On March 7th, I published a posting called Odds and Ends, a few thoughts on different subjects. On March 9th, Lehigh Valley Clancularius did the same thing; I was complimented he called the post "Odds and Ends". Pam followed suit on March 11th, renaming this concept The Peanut Gallery, she went too far! As it turns out many of us over 60 grew up thinking Howdy Doody was our brother, and Buffalo Bob was our uncle. Varkony used a picture of Mr. Peanut, how insulting! The Peanut Gallery was a special place where kids got to sit on the show and watch Buffalo Bob and Howdy in person. Those of us at home, sitting at our TV tables, were part of the larger Peanut Gallery. Mothers could get their children to eat anything put on those small tables; we were mesmerized by Uncle Bob.

I've decided to sue Varkony, the problem is which lawyer to hire. I would hire Bernie O'Hare, but Villa keeps repeating that he was disbarred; Besides, Bernie is going to be to tied up with his charges against Villa. There's another lawyer who blogs, but Villa claims he's just a lawyer for now, and I don't know when the case will come up. I thought about Orloski, but he just lost a case against the city. I need a good lawyer, because Pam's much younger than me, and will claim she never heard of Howdy Doody.

Morning Call Spanks Pawlowski

When you grow up in a twin or rowhouse, you can tell whose been good or bad. One neighbor would spank his kids every night when he got home from work, saving his wife from the daily chore of discipline. He wouldn't spank too hard, just enough to cover any possible infractions they may have committed. Several weeks ago Jarrett Renshaw outlined Pawlowski's aggressive campaign funding solicitations. This week, both an editorial and another article, give Pawlowski another little spanking. The editors recommend a state law addressing "Pay to Play" conflicts. In Renshaw's new article he tells us City Council will form yet another Ad-hoc committee, this one to study campaign limits. Who will scrutinize the contributions they receive? D'Amore and Donovan want to fashion the new committee after the one which evaluated the Pre-Sale Home Inspection Law, aka After the Horse left the Barn. D'Amore's election was financed largely by the unions, and he returned the favor last week requiring all clothes dryer vents be union installed.* Donovan noted, that despite a $2000 contribution by the contractor, he voted against the Parking Authority selling the Verizon lot** to townhouse producer Nic Zawarski. Donovan forgets to mention I was sitting behind him with a stick in his back, and that he knew the one no vote wouldn't affect the sale. He did not advocate that his fellow directors vote no. I appreciate that D'Amore and Donovan again wax philosophical about due diligence and policy, but would appreciate them doing it occasionally before the fact.

ADDENDUM: Although I reprimand the Mayor for his solicitation of contributions, I do not believe he partakes in pay to play. Likewise, I do not believe D'Amore or Donovan base their votes upon contributions. D'Amore, Donovan and Hoffman (controller) are to be credited for recognizing a policy shift, in regard to contributions, is in order.

*law pertains to HVAC ductwork
** lot used by second shift women workers at Verizon, 7th and Linden Sts. who need safe parking

Blogger's Bitch Slap Bennett

This posting might go down in local blogosphere history as a lesson on how to offend almost everyone at once. For those concerned with sexism or any ism, let me confess to sensationalizing the title. Now another confession, I have a soft spot for the underdog, not that Sam Bennett is one, outside of the blogosphere. But here, where blogspot.com lets us present ego and opinion as knowledge, Sam took a beating. Bernie O'Hare, acknowledged Pope of the local bloggers, dissected Bennett for not knowing the UnderSecretary of State in Pakistan. Pam Varkony, important in multiple spheres of influence, can barely hide her distain for Sam. Chris Casey, recently reasserting himself in the blogosphere, vacillated between praising and ridiculing her; and of course the vast army of anonymous belittlers had a picnic at Bennet's expense. Recently, at breakfast, a longtime Bennett supporter made some compelling observations. Bennett was hired for her new job in Washington,President of the Women's Campaign Forum, because of her accomplishments. She managed to beat Charlie Dent in Allentown almost two to one. ( yes, I know about the registration advantage, but Dent is a household name). This supporter also made another very interesting claim; that Bennett was instrumental in getting the vote out in 2005 for Pawlowski. He wondered aloud how much Pawlowski would be hurt with her away, in Washington on the new job, come November. Why Sam gets slapped around here so much in blogtown, I'm not sure. I hear there are some people who just happen to rub everyone the wrong way, but I wouldn't know much about that.

A Personal Memoir

I'm not sure memoir is a good title, rather than facts and records, I have hazy recollections. Assuming my memory will not improve at this stage of the game, let me put to print that which I can still recall. In about 1958 my father built Flaggs Drive-In. McDonalds had opened on Lehigh Street, and pretty much proved that people were willing to sit in their cars and eat fast food at bargain prices. For my father, who was in the meat business, this seemed a natural. As a rehearsal he rented space at the Allentown Fair for a food stand, and learned you cannot sell hotdogs near Yocco's. He purchased some land across from a corn field on Hamilton Blvd. and built the fast food stand. In addition to hamburgers, he decided to sell fried chicken. The chicken was cooked in a high pressure fryer called a broaster, which looked somewhat like the Russian satellite Sputnik. The stand did alright, but the business was not to my father's liking, seems he didn't have the personality to smile at the customers. He sold the business several years later to a family which enlarged and enclosed the walk up window. Subsequent owners further enlarged the location several times. The corn field later turned into a Water Park, and you know Flaggs as Ice Cream World.

I'm grateful to a kind reader who sent me this picture of Flaggs

Contentious Times

As I photographed the demonstration this morning at St. Lukes, Allentown, I noticed a protesting union member photographing me. On Feb. 24, The Morning Call printed my blog about the Card Check Proposal, including my photograph of the union thugs from "On The Waterfront." That publication resulted in a robust back and forth between pro and con union people on the Topix forum. Since then, the paper has published two letters, both from Union Organizers, taking issue with my position on the blog. The most recent letter stated my inclusion of the photograph, implying intimidation, was an insult to the Unions.
Back to this morning, I crossed the street to confront my photographer. I asked how they could stage something so demonstrative and be concerned that someone was photographing it? The protester, from the Carpenters Union, was very polite and not at all menacing. He declined to discuss my question or their protest, but did give me a printout. His Union is upset that St. Lukes has engaged a construction manager, whose subcontractors use non-union workers, for a new outpatient center in Montgomery County.
Yesterday, The Morning Call published a surprising editorial opposed to the Card Check System. The editors have issues with both the lack of secret ballot and the timing in our current economy. I should also note that on Saturday, in an article about changing their Editor- in- Chief, they hinted at producing a more controversial publication.
Personally, although opposed to the Card Check Law, I am not anti-union. I used the photograph from the movie because one of the people shown was a relative. I believe that hundreds of comments on Mcall, indicate that the Card Check is very contentious,and should receive much more public discourse prior to any vote.

Odds and Ends

Another week, more annoyances!

Lincoln Leadership Academy is the fifth Charter School approved by the Allentown School District, after first reluctantly accepting the concept with the Roberto Clemente School in 2001. This new school appears to be simply an extension of the education program at Life Church. Years ago students interested in leadership simply ran for a class office. Considering 80% of financing for the Charter Schools come from the School District, perhaps more public input is in order.

City Council passed a "Tin Knocker Law" concerning licensing duct work installers. More troubling than even expanding the bureaucracy at City Hall, was Council members deliberating with Union representatives from Philadelphia during a recess. I would remind Council members, especially Michael D'Amore, that he was elected to represent the taxpayers, not the unions. Those troubled by this current Council's inclinations, can take no consolation that as of this date, the Republican Party has no candidates running for City Council.

So far Allentownians have learned that a portion of "our" stimulus money will be used for low-income housing initiatives; This is the last thing Allentown needs. We have an enormous low income housing area, it's called center city. My expanded thoughts on this issue can be found at the bottom of this page, at a click spot called Molovinsky For Mayor. ( a figure of speech and platform for change, not a campaign )

The Corner Market

Although I doubt that there will ever be a show at the Historical Society, or brochures at the Visitors Bureau, perhaps nothing encapsulates the history of Allentown more than the corner grocery stores. Allentown proper, is mostly comprised of rowhouses built between 1870 and 1920, long before the era of automobiles and suburban supermarkets. Most of the corner markets were built as stores, and over the years many were converted into apartments. Up until the late 1940's, there may have been well over a hundred operating in Allentown. Some specialized in ethnic food. The bodega at 9th and Liberty was formally an Italian market. Live and fresh killed chickens were sold at 8th and Linden, currently H & R Block Tax Service. A kosher meat market is now a hair salon on 19th Street. The original era for these markets died with the advent of the supermarket. In the early 50's some corner stores attempted to "brand" themselves as a "chain", as shown in the Economy Store sign above. That market is at 4th and Turner, and has been continually operating since the turn of the last century. Ironically, as the social-economic level of center city has decreased, the corner stores have seen a revival. Most of these new merchants, many Hispanic and some Asian, know little of the former history of their stores, but like their predecessors, work long, hard hours.

ADDENDUM: The first supermarket's in Allentown were the A&P. In addition to occupying a former corner store near 2nd and Hamilton, they operated the super store on 19th St, home later to the Shanty Restaurant. The Shanty now is becoming TC Salon, subject of recent post on this blog, and a feature story in today's Morning Call by Jarrett Renshaw.

ADDENDUM 2: Although there was an attempt to brand the corner stores to appear as a chain, the Economy Stores sign shown, apparently came from an early A&P format in 1912 when they leased small stores. If this particular store was such an A&P, or just dressed later with a reused sign, I have yet to determine.