Rumble In The Suburban Jungle

My presentation to the South Whitehall Commissioners Wednesday Evening:

I'm here tonight to protest for the residents of South Whitehall Township. You're determined to allow the Wildlands Conservancy to destroy the heart and soul of our most important park. You're determined to allow them to degrade the beauty and history of the park for their own agenda.

The state determined in their last regularly scheduled inspection that the dam was "overall in good condition."  According to the Wildlands engineer, less than two years later, the dam needed to be virtually rebuilt, but they kindly offered to save you the money, and demolish the dam at their expense.

When I was here with the many other defenders of Wehr's Dam, i realized that your vote then to save the dam  was insincere. If you were sincere, you would have included the dam into the Historic Overlay Zone. You would have hired a contractor to make the few repairs actually required by the state. You would not have hired another engineer, to justify your upcoming referendum.

Your legacy is your commitment and respect for the residents of South Whitehall, not some organization like the Wildlands, with paid directors and staff. You know that over the decades thousands and thousands of people have visited the dam, and that the dam made the park a destination.

The referendum is disingenuous. You know that the dam could be repaired for a fraction of the cost contrived by your estimate. You also know that the voters are not inclined to vote themselves a tax hike. You're fullfilling the agenda of the Wildlands Conservancy, forsaking your own constituents, and one of the most beautiful spots in the township. It's really a disgrace.

According to The Morning Call, the commissioners were offended by my comments. I had expressed the same sentiments previously on this blog, and even in a letter to the editor.  I thought the adult thing to do was say it to their face. In a perfect world the voters would choose to keep the dam.  Would the commissioners then repair it for the real cost of  $25,000, or would they spend the $600,000, to spite the voters?  I knew that the commissioners were offended. They're not used to being called out when they play games. It's a shame that the residents of South Whitehall and beyond are going to lose a destination, so that the Wildlands can make 15% administrative fees, demolishing another beautiful place.

Report by WFMZ

photo by K Mary Hess

Trump's Lemonade Stand

Readers of this blog, who view it on a computer screen, know that I don't have an agenda with the national main stream candidates.  On the sidebar, I display the Libertarian banner.  Before I get into today's post, allow me to explain that I design this blog to be seen on a full screen.  Although, I appreciate the readership of those using mobile devices,  the attitude of this blog will not be fully understood.

Prior to this week,  most of the liberal pundits were claiming that Trump's meager organization was  going to catch up with him at the convention.  Too many party name-brands were going to be absent to make a positive image. Lo and behold,  once again Trump appears to have exceeded expectations.  His family did a great job representing him,  even with accusations of plagiarism.

Some Republicans have doubled down on Trump losing.  While most of those stayed away from the convention,  Ted Cruz decided to make his point while attending.  As somebody who has been registered as an independent most of this decade,  I can appreciate his tenacity;  however, Trump does seem very adept at making lemonade from the ingredients at hand.

Browne and Reilly Cheat Allentown Taxpayers

Yesterday, Matt Assad of the Morning Call revealed that local state senator Pat Browne essentially amended the state NIZ rules, in favor of his friend J.B. Reilly's current court case.  It always seemed as if the NIZ was designed as a personal business plan for Reilly.  However, Browne's latest revision makes no pretense of the relationship.   Pat Browne has now taken Reilly's tax appeal defense, and codified it into law. The new NIZ rules restrict assessment of properties to an income basis only,  ignoring construction cost. There is something extra judicial about this end run that should be challenged by the county.

The taxpayers of Allentown are in real ways subsidizing the Reilly Real Estate Empire. We are providing extra police downtown. We are paying $2 an hour to park. The old lady used to ask, Where's the beef?  We ask, Where's the taxes?


I have been on Morning Call reporter Matt Assad's case,  accusing him of writing articles promoting Reilly's real estate interests.  I must acknowledge that it is his article that has made this latest Browne/Reilly shenanigan public.

When Lehigh County Valued History

Back in the early 1970's, a former teacher in Allentown's West Park neighborhood borrowed my photograph of a grain mill, and championed its preservation to the Lehigh County Commissioners. Her efforts resulted in Haines Mill being preserved. It was a time when the county commissioners understood the concept of history and uniqueness. The county now preserves farmland, with the pollyanna notion that farmers will spout there, wear straw hats, and sell organic vegetables on the weekends. Although 22,000 acres have already been preserved, the county just authorized additional $millions to that end. A comment in the Morning Call said that it will insure that we have food in the future. Amazing how little people know about how food gets to the supermarket in 2016. While there is nothing unique about this farmland, and nothing really guaranteed about the preservation, it seems like progress to the environmentalists. Meanwhile, the commissioners and Historical Society turn a deaf ear to Wehr's Dam and other irreplaceable structures, being needlessly destroyed.

That former teacher just passed away at 98 years of age. I still take photographs and champion for places that will never be again, but the current board of commissioners does not have the sense of history and esthetics of their predecessors.

Allentown's Wild and Crazy NIZ

As if the most lucrative state subsidy program in history wasn't enough, Pat Browne threw a few more goodies in the bag for J.B. Reilly, in this most recent state budget. The hotel tax, instead of going to the Visitors Bureau and usual beneficiaries, will be retained by the NIZ, for the hotels within the zone. Browne's explanation was that such a thriving district needs more quality hotel rooms. I think what he means is that Reilly's Renaissance Hotel is so dead in the water, it needs its taxes back. The only public figure to question this nonsense was Tom Muller. Michael Schlossburg voted for it three times, his own and two ghost votes.  However, in his defense,  he like the rest of our midgets in Harrisburg, really didn't know what they were voting for, they seldom do.  The fact that Browne could stuff this into the budget, illustrates what we suffer as state government.

Elsewhere in this weekend's Morning Call, Manuel Gamiz wrote in regard to a new police officer,  (his)old neighborhood began to transform into the thriving downtown shopping, dining and entertainment district that it is today. Manuel must have interned under Matt NIZ Assad.  However,  Assad and Scott Kraus did do an excellent job on this hotel tax article.

Fighting Terrorism

In United States, one well read speech at a national convention can put you in the White House four years later. In Israel, the price of admission is much higher. Sabena Flight 571 was hijacked on May 8, 1972. When an elite team of Israeli commandoes burst into the plane, they were led by Ehud Barak. Barak would later become Prime Minister, and currently serves as Defense Minister. One of the commandoes was shot by friendly fire in the close quarter gunbattle. That former commando is in Washington today, to speak with the former speech reader. Although Binyamin Netanyaho would recover from his bullet wound, four years later, his brother was killed leading the raid to free the hostages at Entebbe.

We did not look for wars. They were forced upon us. But when we were attacked, we did not have the right to lose a single time. And when we won we returned to seeking peace. Today, I suggest to those who seek war not to make the same mistake again. Do not disrespect our ability ... we are prepared to physically defend our land and morally defend our heritage. Shimon Peres, May 9, 2011

photo of Israeli Commando Binyamin Netanyaho

reprinted from 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015

UPDATE: On July 4th, Israel noted the 40th anniversary of the Raid on Entebbe.  Although the enemies of Israel (and the Jews) continue to blame that tiny state for all the troubles in the Middle East, history and current events indicate otherwise.

ADDENDUM: The above post is reprinted from January of 2015. An article in today's local paper refers to the dangers of trucks in terrorist attacks. Israel knows who its enemies are. France is learning the hard way. Here in the United States, political correctness makes us soft targets.

Allentown Planning Puppies Make LIttle Barks

The Allentown Planning Puppies are adorable. Although, they approved Reilly's Tower of Condo Speculation,  they are concerned about Hamilton Street losing its historical character.  I have no idea what these puppies are talking about;  there hasn't been any historical consideration on Hamilton Street since the Pawlowski era began, and certainly there is no character.

Allentown's Preservation League also chimed in.  They don't mind historical buildings  being demolished for new development, but they don't think that buildings should be demolished for speculation, like the former Elks Club on South 8th Street.  Of course,  those enablers didn't protest at the time. Understand that the arena complex demolished 37 buildings, of which 34 were historic, and several were unique, one of a kind in Allentown.  Reilly just demolished another square block for his now, put on hold,  twin mega towers.

When the Hamilton Street treasure shown above, in the 700 block,  was demolished for the arena,  save for this blogger, there was no concern for its loss.  There wasn't a sound from any of the puppies mentioned here.

The current office condo project must still go in front of Allentown's zoning board, and Historical Architectural Review Board.  Oh, the suspense,  will the Reilly project get the final go ahead from the city?

Lehigh County Authority and A Few Drops In The Bucket

Since the LCA leased Allentown's water and sewage system, almost all of us are now their customer.  Long time readers of this blog know that I have often reported on the sewerage overflows in Lehigh Parkway.   The sewage main runs along the creek on its way to Klines Island, the sewage treatment plant. The LCA is under a long standing mandate from both the state and federal government to correct this problem.  Lehigh County Authority has long maintained that a large part of the problem is infiltration from the storm water systems.   System members, such as South Whitehall Township, have cracked down on illegal connections to the sewer system from roofs and basements.  Allow me to translate the previous statement.  Instead of enlarging the system's pipes to rectify the  problem,  South Whitehall has endangered every household in the township.  The majority of the houses have floor drains to protect the home against burst pipes and other leaks.  The township made every home owner close off this safeguard.  If a pipe or hot water heater leaks, welcome to a flooded basement, mildew and mold. Their thinking is a few drops here and there will add up,  and buy the township some time,  even at the peril of its homeowners.