Political Blogging In Allentown

Blogging in Allentown isn't as easy as it may seem. It requires rising early and usually having the post ready by 5:00AM. In the case of this blog, it is fueled by caffeine. molovinsky on allentown is a non-monetized political blog, also featuring local history and advocacy for the iconic park system. Although, the suburban turnout was large because of the presidential primary, the election reveals that locals are not so interested in state politics.  Someone with no experience or knowledge of state government can win a state rep nomination, by sending out four mailers. The candidate doesn't even have to know about the issues mentioned on his own mailers. While one candidate for United States Senator can literally walk across the state to meet and listen to the voters, someone else can win by simply having ads on television,  a few days before the election.  In the city itself, Pawlowski could still influence an election.  I suppose I should be grateful that at least I don't have to print this on paper, and deliver it to houses in the morning.

Julie Harhart's Revenge

When Julie Harhart decided to act out on her resentment toward Cindy Miller running for the 183rd, the only place to put her support and money was on Zach Mako. Marc Grammes had been put off the ballot for not properly filing a document, and I had decided not to circulate a petition as a Republican.*    What Mako lacked in knowledge of issues pertinent to the job, he made up for in campaign money from Harhart. I have never seen a primary candidate spend so much. He sent out four full size mailers, and seven robo calls, including one at 4:30 pm on election day. When you overlay Harhart's promotion with the candidate's unpreparedness, she should be ashamed of herself.  Let us hope that in the coming months Mako can learn about the issues referred to on his mailers. Although, not very accomplished for 22 years in Harrisburg, Harhart should have ended her career on a higher note.
*Allowing me the option to still run as an independent

                                    Another Post On Bad Government Below

Masonic Temple Plight, West Park Pain

Shocker! Last night the dupes on the Allentown Zoning Hearing Board allowed the Masonic Temple an “exception” to become a "halfway home". Officially it will only be for outpatientservices for pre adjudicated youth, but the designation is a giant red flag to the twenty one local residents who showed up to express their concern and asked for a continuance so they could have more details and perhaps even seek council. These legitimate concerns were brushed aside by Unger, MacCarthy, and Salinger. They even denied standing for a West Park objector because he lives too far away for the property in question. A plea from the president of West Part Civic Association to allow him to testify as part of the objector effort was denied, so was the appeal for a continuance.The good people of the WPCA were told they could appeal the apparently pre-ordained decision to the county. So this is how Allentown'sbetters/Pawlowski hacks, treat its good citizens and this exemplary community group. I tried to warn them before hand; they were believers, afterwards they said I was correct. It is no victory for me to have won that bet, now they too will think the worst of their local government, and they will do so based on experience. Just another day in the Queen City that is rotten to the core. 
                                                                                     Scott Armstrong 

Editorial by Molovinsky: Scott, this zoning board, as previous boards, is composed of people with a deep involvement in Allentown politics, as always has been the case. Nobody has ever accused an Allentown Zoning Board of being honest brokers. However, allow me to remind you that for a while in the past, the  zoning board did the bidding of the West Park Association. For years, one small business after another was denied a non-conforming use, back in the day when your group had influence. Putting aside that history lesson, lets not discount the influence of the Masons. Although such organizations are now dinosaurs, many of those dinosaurs still have connections. The group owns three large significant parcels, and is hard pressed for income to maintain the buildings, since the NIZ stole their primary tenant.

South Whitehall Conspiring To Steal Our History

You can enlarge the last Pa. State report above by clicking on the image. As you can see, there wasn't anything about the dam that was very problematic for the state. They concluded that it was "overall in good condition." What happen since, besides politics and greed? The Wildlands Conservancy approached South Whitehall with a plan to demolish the dam, with their usual patter about stream health and happy fish. The commissioners, with no sense of history or esthetics, were ready to give their OK, and then entered Molovinsky. Because of my initial defense of the dam and the writeup in the paper, the Wehr descendants become aware of the threat, and joined the battle. The Wildlands then commissioned a study which approached the dam as if it was Hoover Dam, endangering a community below. In reality, all through the years, the township workers themselves filled in cracks as noted by the state in prior inspections. The Wildlands quarter million $dollar study suggested  that they demolish the dam, at no cost to the township, or the township would have to spend $1.5 million to completely rebuild the dam.  After the commissioners yielded to public pressure and voted to not allow the dam's destruction, they supposedly were going to get bids from an actual contractor to do necessary repairs.

Now, two years later, and continuing pressure from the Wildlands and their minions within the township, they instead commissioned another study with a pre-set agenda;  Make the price high enough so that we can justify calling for a referendum.  So now, we hear the new engineer saying things like "To do it correctly", we must replace the middle third.  Actually not,  as they well know, it doesn't matter how much or how little water goes over or through the dam.  It's a thing of history and beauty, not a working mill dam.  No where else can the public see water going over a dam and then under a covered bridge, at one place.  For this reason and the beauty, the public has been coming to Wehr's Dam for over a hundred years. I may not succeed in saving the dam, but there will be at least one place where the truth will be told.

The Deception About Wehr's Dam

Back in March of 2014, when the South Whitehall Commissioners voted to keep Wehr's Dam, I knew that it wasn't the end of the issue. I told the Wehr family descendants then, that the only real way to keep the dam was having it placed on the township's new historical list. Although, the Wildlands Conservancy President Chris Kocher had said that if the commissioners voted to keep the dam, that his organization would stand down,  I knew that they really wouldn't.  The damage had already been done. It's a complicated story, mired in influence, if not outright corruption.

The township now claims that it will cost $600,000 to repair the dam, and will put it to the voters in a referendum, come November.  The South Whitehall Park and Recreation Director is the son of a Wildlands official, and wants the dam demolished.  The township and commissioners know that for $50,000 they could repair the dam, and meet the current state requirements. They and the Conservancy also know that when voters are given a choice between lower or higher taxes, they always vote their wallet. This disingenuous choice is contrived, just like picking a card from a magician. In 2012, before the Wildlands set their sites on demolishing the dam, the state inspection stated that the dam was essentially in good shape. Understand that the dam, although 18 inches wide at the top, is shaped like a wedge, with the bottom 6 feet wide. If that wasn't enough structural integrity, that massive wedge sits on an enormous concrete platform. It was the most substantial concrete dam of its era, and untouched, will stand there another 200 years.

The Wildlands Conservancy is tied to a grant faucet in the bed of corruption that we call Harrisburg and state government. They used a $259,000 grant on an engineering study, which had the objective of finding the dam deficient. The current study by the Commissioners parrots those findings. Going back to the 2012 state inspection, prior to the politics and influence getting involved, the state classifies it as a low hazard dam. That means that being located at the beginning of a very long public park, the dam poses no danger to people or property, regardless of its condition. Without the politics, the dam would need $50,000 dollars of patching to meet current state standards. However, with the Wildlands engineering firm tied to previous dealing with the DEP and other state agencies,  the new engineers know where their future bread is buttered.

The group hoping to save the dam will have their work cut out for them. They were gullible and allowed the South Whitehall Commissioners to stack the deck against them and the township's history. Once again,  elected officials are willing to allow the Wildlands Conservancy  to steal local history.  The Wildlands Conservancy is allowed to use 15 percent of state dam demolition grants toward their salaries.  Unfortunately, there hasn't been a contested election in South Whitehall for many years. What was once a bucolic place to live, has succumbed to the prevalent culture of influence and deception.

The Corruption of The Lehigh Valley

When I debated Mike Fleck on Business Matters, he called me a naysayer and spoke much louder than me, but perhaps with less integrity. 


The Lehigh Valley is becoming corrupt. It's not always the outright crime as now being investigated in Allentown by the FBI, sometimes it's simply misdirecting the voters, as is occurring in South Whitehall Township, in regard to Wehr's Dam. Either way, the citizens are being short changed.  Sometimes, that deception enriches the officials,  other times the public is simply cheated out of their history.  In some ways the voters are responsible for their own victimization.  If they insist on always voting one party, as in Allentown,  eventually there is no longer any checks and balance.  If not enough people are motivated to serve, as in South Whitehall, eventually the uncontested elections result in arrogance.  While the story of Mike Fleck and Allentown will dominate the main stream and alternative media this weekend,  my next post will outline the upcoming crime against the people in South Whitehall.

Sign Of The Times In Allentown

Yesterday, Mayor In Limbo put a picture of the new Jordan Park sign on his facebook page. I have an issue with these signs, allow me to explain. When I unsuccessfully tried to save the quaint little WPA Robin Hood Dam, the park director at the time offered to erect a sign explaining where the dam had been. I suggested instead that we keep the picturesque dam, with no signage. Signage is the rage with the recreationally trained, and all the park directors since Mr. In Limbo's first election, have that same background. By the park office in Cedar Park, I have been advocating for the patching of the old parking lot retaining wall, along the path. Rather than patch the wall, they have installed decorative wooden railing, poured a concrete planter area, and painted parking space lines. While the new CVS type parking lot really added nothing necessary, the retaining wall continues to deteriorate. While the parks get new signs, the Cedar Beach pool project remains dead, without water.  What should be done in the park system is quite simple;  Maintain those wonderful things that still remain, because we have already lost so many treasures. Once there was a beautiful tropical greenhouse in Trexler Park, torn down to plant native bushes along the Little Cedar Creek. Three years ago those bushes were cut down, so now neither feature remains, but we have some nice signs.  I'm still hoping that City Council will appoint me as a citizen liaison on park issues, but I suppose I won't be getting Julio's vote.

                         BONUS PARK PHOTOGRAPH BELOW

Bogert's Bridge, Lehigh Parkway

The Photography of K Mary Hess