The Minimum Wage and The Speech Givers

Although I consider myself a conservative, especially in fiscal matters, today I joined Lehigh Valley's State Representatives and candidates in endorsing the bill to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. The event was organized by Alan Jennings of Community Action, and held at the Second Harvest Food Bank. My position is simply that the fruits of person's labor should earn them more than one Happy Meal. Although the sparse audience was essentially the food Bank workers, one by one, the representatives gave essentially the same speech, some even quoting Roosevelt and Martin Luther King. To whom were they speaking? Although they were clearly preaching to the choir, they all rambled on. It's my pledge to work more and speak less than they do.

Park Creeks Before The Hijack

The blogger LVCI makes an eloquent case for Allentown's traditional park system,  before being hijacked by the Wildlands Conservancy.

Park Creeks Which Would You Rather?

South Whitehall's Sweet Spot

For decades before it was called Covered Bridge Park, people would visit Wehr's Dam. The combination of water going over the dam and under the bridge is a visual duet. In his column yesterday, Bill White wouldn't even allow his dog to swim in the mill pond, but would allow park decisions to be dictated by the Wildlands Conservancy. If White had taken his dog to the parks in Allentown this summer, he also couldn't swim, because of the high weed barrier along the creek's edge. Anybody who would want to exchange a beautiful vista for a wall of weeds doesn't understand why parks were created. Taking over is what the Wildlands has done with the Allentown Park System. One out of town park director after another, has been hired to serve the Conservancy's agenda. But I digress, we're here to defend Wehr's Dam from the Wildlands Conservancy's demolition. As a defender of the dam, I resent that we citizens must defend our parks. In a better government, the Commissioners would be the defenders, instead of bending to outside agendas. Bill White underestimates the number of dam supporters at 2,000. There are currently 3,000, 90% of which signed the petition while at the dam. Although the Commissioners insist on adhering to the Wildlands time table for it's decision, they should understand that by spring they will have offended 6,000 people. We will not go away. Although the Commissioners may be willing to hand over our park's history and beauty, we will make no concessions in defending the park.
photograph by K Mary Hess

The Morning Arena

The Allentown based newspaper, The Morning Arena, formally The Morning Call, is having a special feature this Sunday on guess what, Behind The Scenes at the arena. Besides for the Governor's race, bands that have cancelled at the arena are getting much more attention than candidates that are still running for the State House. As the area's only independent candidate, who received no coverage during the primary election cycle, I feel somewhat short-changed in terms of the equal time and space doctrine.

I do have a plan to get coverage,  I will submit the above paragraph to Bill White's bad writing contest.  

Looking For Visibility

If you're willing to host a yard sign, and live on Routes 309, 873, 329, 145, 248, 946 or anywhere else with high visibility in the 183rd State House District, please contact me by comment. Leave your name and phone number, but such contact information will not be printed. Thank you.

A Campaign For Change

In six weeks from now you will hopefully be going to the polls to elect those whom you have decided can best represent you. Although I'm in need of neither a job or career, I decided this past April to offer my advocacy to the voters. Redistricting has put my neighborhood in the 183rd District, which is an enormous geographical area, stretching from Slatington east to north of Bath. The current incumbent there, running for her 21st year in office, concentrates her efforts in getting reelected every two years. She sends birthday cards by the thousands, and gives out certificates by the hundreds. She has brought back very little in state benefits to her constituents, who have now been short-changed for two decades. While the party machines campaign to perpetuate the status quo, I'm an Independent for change. I benefit from no party fundraisers. My fundraiser is that paypal button on the sidebar of this blog. Although most of you do not live in the 183rd, I ask you to consider a donation to my campaign. You are living in a state where out of 253 representatives and senators, not one is an independent or from a third party. It's time for the voters of the Lehigh Valley to say that they had enough with politics as usual.  I need some financial help to get my message out to the voters. I'm not looking for a few large donations from party fatcats, I want modest contributions from the people, who want change in Harrisburg. Thank you.

The Wehr's Dam Conspiracy

Recent articles concerning Wehr's Dam have been headlined Dam's Days May Be Numbered, Trying To Save The Dam, etc. This past week the dam was inspected by gentlemen who only identified themselves as being from Harrisburg. I can only assume it's the DEP, accommodating the Wildlands Conservancy, with whose cooperation and grants 9 dams have already been demolished in the Valley. My problem is that the dam was inspected a couple of years ago, and rated low hazard, which is the best rating this dam hating state gives. Such dams are scheduled to be inspected every five years, so some influence was used to have this recent inspection. In June, when South Whitehall Commissioner President Christina Morgan asked the Wildlands how to handle potential objectors to demolishing the dam, the Wildlands recommended an informational meeting to educate the public about the damn dams. This meeting will soon be announced by South Whitehall. Although the dam was low hazard two years ago, I fully expect a new, much more dire report. Anybody who has visited the dam realizes that the concrete wall, complete with buttresses, would stand unattended for another 100 years. I'm fed up with the concept that thousands of local residents must defend our dam. It's time for Morgan to tell the Wildlands to move on. It's time for Morgan to include the dam in the recently enacted Historical Overlay District. Covered Bridge Park was not meant to be a workshop for the Wildlands Conservancy. Christina Morgan was not elected to do their bidding. Enough is enough.

It's Getting Dam Interesting

I learned early this morning, ironically from an anonymous comment, that there is most likely an impropriety occurring in South Whitehall, in regard to the Wehr's Dam. The very engineer that sits on South Whitehall's dais with the Commissioners, has the Wildlands Conservancy as a client.

Here is a tidbit about the south whitehall dam situation. The engineer for the township lists the wildlands conservancy as a client.... http://www.pidcockcompany.com/clients                                              

On Wednesday evening, when I stated that the engineer was stonewalling the opponents, I had no idea about the conflict of interest.  In light of this revelation, it appears that the public's interest in preserving the dam might have to seek intervention through the court.

ADDENDUM: In the course of the last several Township Commissioner meetings, there has been some hesitation about engineering studies on the dam which would advise the commissioners. Although some Commissioners had previously directed the Administration to prepare an independent report on the dam's condition,  that directive was not implemented. Never once did the township's engineer, Ralph Russek, or Commission President Christina Morgan,  disclose that Russek's primary employer, Pidcock Engineering,  also represents the Wildlands.  Although this explains the hedging on the independent report, it shows a lack of candour toward the public effort to retain the dam.  Furthermore, out of the blue, Morgan now favors bringing the issue forward.  Morgan is said to support the Wildlands, which last October demolished the dams in Lehigh Parkway,  immediately after obtaining Allentown City Council permission.

UPDATE: I have deleted the portion of the anonymous comment alleging to arrangements between Wildlands and Jaindl Land Company.  A spokesperson for Jaindl categorically denies that any such arrangements ever existed.