Emma Tropiano, The People's Candidate

In the late 1970's, neighbors would gather in the market on 9th Street to complain and receive consolation from the woman behind the cash register. Emma was a neighborhood institution. A native Allentonian, she had gone through school with mayor for life Joe Dadonna, and knew everybody at City Hall. More important, she wasn't shy about speaking out. What concerned the long time neighbors back then was a plan to create a Historical District, by a few newcomers.

What concerned Emma wasn't so much the concept, but the proposed size of the district, sixteen square blocks. The planners unfortunately all wanted their homes included, and they lived in an area spread out from Hall Street to 12th, Linden to Liberty.* Shoving property restrictions down the throats of thousands of people who lived in the neighborhood for generations didn't seem right to Emma. As the battle to establish the district became more pitched, Emma began referring to it as the Hysterical District.
Emma eventually lost the battle, but won the hearts of thousands of Allentonians. Emma Tropiano would be elected to City Council beginning in 1986, and would serve four terms. In 1993 she lost the Democratic Primary for Mayor by ONE (1) vote.

Her common sense votes and positions became easy fodder for ridicule. Bashed for opposing fluoridation, our clean water advocates now question the wisdom of that additive. Although every founding member of the Historical District moved away over the years, Emma continued to live on 9th Street, one block up from the store. In the mid 1990's, disgusted by the deterioration of the streetscape, she proposed banning household furniture from front porches. Her proposal was labeled as racist against those who could not afford proper lawn furniture. Today, SWEEP officers issue tickets for sofas on the porch.

Being blunt in the era of political correctness cost Emma. Although a tireless advocate for thousands of Allentown residents of all color, many people who never knew her, now read that she was a bigot. They don't know who called on her for help. They don't know who knocked on her door everyday for assistance. They don't know who approached her at diners and luncheonettes all over Allentown for decades. We who knew her remember, and we remember the truth about a caring woman.

* Because the designated Historical District was too large, it has failed, to this day, to create the atmosphere envisioned by the long gone founders. Perhaps had they listened to, instead of ridiculing, the plain spoken shopkeeper, they would have created a smaller critical mass of like thinking homeowners, who then could have expanded the area.

reprinted from 2010

Political Correctness and Allentown

Pawlowski helps feed some of the many poor who have moved here under his watch

The Library Of Congress is changing the term illegal alien to unauthorized immigrant,  to be less offensive.  On that note,  those easily offended should not continue reading beyond this point.

In 2005, at a NAACP sponsored event, I introduced the concept that Allentown was becoming a poverty magnet. An officer of that organization, who was also an employee of CACLV, asked me to prove that I wasn't a racist, since so many of the poor people moving to Allentown were of color. In 2005, even mention of a poverty magnet was unacceptable. The Morning Call reporter, assigned to cover the 2005 mayoral election, while generally marginalizing my candidacy as an independent, jumped on the chance to publicize the controversy.  Now, in 2016, the consequences of the poverty magnet is part of city planning. Alan Jennings himself has adopted the phrase in the last few years.  Allentown's trying to induce mixed income housing into center city. Yesterday, the Morning Call had an article about the mass migration to Allentown from Puerto Rico in the last decade. Unfortunately, a disproportionate part of that population limits itself to low income, by making Social Security Disability a career choice. However, that's a taboo subtopic, that is still years away, if ever,  from public discussion.

Despite Elton John coming to perform at a new arena,  Allentown has become a much poorer place in the last ten years.  The streets are strewn with litter, and the middle class avoids the school system.  Social programs that make Allentown an attractive landing spot for transients should be reevaluated for their long term consequences on the city.

I don't believe that Allentown is currently being well served by political correctness.  At any rate, it is not on the menu at this blog.

Omega Pills and Blogging

I keep seeing Larry King doing informercials and commercials for a supplement pill. He mentions more energy to play with his kids. Now, I get that he dyes his hair, but really, how young are his kids? I'm not much for that kind of research, and by the way, please don't submit comments which ask questions. Do your own research. While I digress to the subject of comments, the less incoming comments here was not unexpected, with the new registration requirement. While registration provides more credibility for your point of view, readers can still utilize a pseudonym.  As reader George Ruth noted on an earlier post comment,  ... it is helpful to readers to 'digest' a comment based on that commentators 'history'. It is much more enlightening. I know that registration requires more commitment, but this blog and your input is meant to contribute to the community.

Anyway, a short peek at King's bio reveals that he's 82, and has been married eight times. I suggest that you both register to comment, and buy omega pills.

A Critical Mass in Allentown

A group of cyclists meet in West Park and ride around Allentown. While they label their activity Critical Mass to bring attention to bicycles and bike safety in Allentown, they are also a critical mass in other ways. Allentown is trying desperately to integrate a diverse community. While the haves may live in the Strata Flats, most of the have nots live north of Linden Street. Meeting after meeting, and organization after organization, has yet to bring any real community benefit to the have nots, from over a  $billion dollars of development in the NIZ.  Although these cyclists cost the taxpayers nothing, their rides unite the different neighborhoods and demographics.  In real diversity, they had more success than the paid professionals have managed to achieve. Mostly millennials, many live in center city, and see Allentown as their Little Apple. I have met a couple of them, and if Allentown is to achieve any of the slogans paid for by City Hall, it will be by the efforts of such groups.

Tax Dollars At Waste in Lehigh Valley

As some of you know, I'm an opponent of rail to trail.  I suppose I'm not very progressive, I'm even against farmland preservation.  I oppose the rail trails because of the enormous squandering of that irreplaceable infrastructure. Farmland preservation is outright silly. We don't have a fraction of the farmers necessary to farm the existing farms.  How many people now- a- days would want to work twelve hours a day, seven days a week?  They're even giving grants to induce people into becoming farmers, how quaint.  In the real world, the U.S. Department of Agriculture paid land owners NOT to plant,  because of the massive excessive acreage in our area.  But, enough introduction, this post is about The Lehigh Valley Transportation Study, deciding to put their emphasis on hiking and biking.  Last evening I put up The Bicycles of Allentown Video for a short run. I will be removing it later today.  George Ruth sent the following comment;  When will we at least be honest and call it what it is: recreation! Does the Transportation Study really believe we are talking about "transportation"? These youngns' really do think we are just dying to be a European city.  The nonsense is the child of  the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which spends about $1million dollars a year thinking about our regional transportation needs.  The grants are used to pay the salaries of the planning puppies, to do studies and recommendations, which result in nothing.  How many decades did it take Harrisburg to begin widening Route 22 ?

Recently, Molovinsky University gave a brief presentation on Allentown's former branch lines,  gone now forever.  Ironically,  after the track was torn out, and new data indicated that rail service fosters industrial growth,  AEDC started seeking a multi-million dollar  grant to restore track back to its 10th street complex.  Perhaps Scott Unger and these other planners should have spent more time at this blog.

Bonus Video in post below: The Bicycles of Allentown will show today only.

The Bicycles Of Allentown

The limited showing of The Bicycles of Allentown has ended. It will return for another limited engagement this summer.

Pawlowski As The Messiah

Readers of this blog know that I have been finding Mayor Ed in denial of the allegations that have permeated his administration. Two subordinates have pleaded guilty to illegal acts, supposedly at his direction. I have also noted here that Pawlowski now seems much more interested in indentifying himself with the little people, as in the marginalized and downtrodden.  Activist  Robert Trotner felt that in his Easter Sunday facebook post,  Ed was perhaps comparing himself with Jesus.

A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice  for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world.  It was a perfect act.  Mahatma Gandhi 

While such an interpretation is beyond my meager psychology and theology background, I find it plausible. Anyway,  realizing that he's not resigning,  I would prefer Ed just to concentrate on the nuts and bolts of running the city, rather than the redemption of mankind.  However, I am sensitive enough to realize that at best,  this must be a stressful time for him.

Cedarbrook, A Decision Never Reached

It took Lehigh County several years to award outsourced management to Good Shepherd, which was a no brainer decision in the first place. This evening,  the commissioners are having yet again another public meeting on Cedarbrook, this time to supposedly decide how many beds the facility should have. If they ever come to agreement on that issue, next comes if the building(s) should be remodeled or replaced. If any of this sounds familiar, it's only because they have been debating these issues for nearly a decade. Cedarbrook, although the recipient of election promises, never gets the green light for change.

Let me give the readers a two for one special with this post. One of the long time airport authority members is retiring, claiming he no longer has enough time to devote to the position. I recently inquired of another member, supposedly one very involved, as to why the airport was spending money to build a separate building for the car rental operations. I'm always amazed why the airport keeps expanding their facilities, when the passenger volume keeps decreasing. The current baggage area, like the airport itself, is never crowded, and the car rentals being there is convenient. This board member, while even being one of the officers, knew nothing about the justification for the proposal, although he had approved it.

Despite mountains of campaign mailers every spring and fall,  Lehigh Valley residents are not well  served by our elected officials, who in turn appoint their kindred spirits to the boards and authorities.

ADDENDUM: Last night, after two years deliberation,  the commissioner's committee on Cedarbrook decided that the nursing home should stay about the same size.  They literally patted themselves on the back for this statement, which is as close to a decision as they ever get on Cedarbrook.

photocredit: K Mary Hess