The Audacity of Hope

Posting on national news is an address this blog seldom visits.  As regular readers know, I keep baker hours.  So, in the early morning I watch  YouTubes of the previous evening's convention speeches.  Obama maintained his status as great speech giver Wednesday, while Bill Clinton has lost some his oratory prowess earlier in the week.  I enjoyed the audience shots during Obama's speech, talk about preaching to the choir.

The only thing wrong with the Audacity of Hope is that it has no substance as a national policy.  Now, while it's positive as a personal philosophy of life in dealing with our daily personal challenges, it provides no strategy for our country's economy or defense.  While Obama  claimed that we are experiencing higher employment and other upward statistics,  I don't think that it translates to many lives.  He even said that people are coming to American to open factories.  We are hard pressed to keep our remaining factories open.  People are working longer for less.  He can certainly lead the choir in singing Kumbaya,  but will the country again rally around hope and promise?

ADDENDUM: HILLARY AND THE GLASS CEILING

 Hillary delivered the best speech of her life, but no less would have sufficed.  She is caught in the contradiction of praising the recovery under Obama, but simultaneously addressing the underemployment reality of America.  In talking about her plans for the first 100 days, she promised to put a chicken in every pot.

While accusing Trump of dividing us, she would pay for those chickens by squeezing Wall Street and the rich.  The fact that she felt it necessary to mention Trump so many times, indicates how close she believes this election will be.

She was most successful when addressing the subject of weapons.  She built a  case that she might have a better demeanor to be Commander In Chief than Trump.  Her approach to gun control was pragmatic; Honor the second amendment,  but refine the background checks.

Both she and Trump are actually running on the same issues,  national security and jobs.

The Artless Walk

When J.B. Reilly built his Strata Flats 1,  he named the walkway along side it,  the ArtsWalk.  You may recall that they arrested the hapless street singer serenading the diners at Shula's,  which folded anyway.  We now learn that despite objections from the art institutions,  the Allentown Parking Authority is going to give the surface lot to J.B. Reilly.  Without the convenience of this lot for pick up and drop off, the Community Music School will leave Symphony Hall.  Why doesn't Reilly just build his new apartment house somewhere else?  He owns the square block between 7th and 8th, Hamilton and Walnut Streets.  Parking Authority board member and city council member Daryl Hendricks thinks that this problem represents success. The Morning Call keeps referring to a booming downtown, with new stores. The town is neither booming, or are the couple new stores doing any business.  What's in play here is simple greed.  Greed by Reilly, and greed by the Parking Authority, a partner in the deal.

Here would be an opportunity for still Mayor Pawlowski to make a contribution to the city, that he refuses to leave.  He should speak out against this plan, and advocate for that surface lot to remain.

Allentown's Sad State of Affairs

If you told someone several years ago that $1Billion would be spent trying to revive a couple blocks on Hamilton Street,  they would be shocked upon visiting.  Take your best shot, even during the noon lunch break,  and it's just dead in the water. I suppose that on the weekend a few restaurants have some traffic, but there's absolutely no vibe.  I think back when Pawlowski hired the slogan company. City Without Limits.  I guess City With No Vibe wouldn't be positive enough, but that's what it is.

Except for the bank accounts of a few men, it certainly was a poor return on our state tax dollars.  However, you must understand that except for a few bloggers, and their readers,  nobody much cares.  Because of this apathy we have a state house that only changes from retirement, not elections.  Because of this apathy we have a one party city government. Because of this apathy, those of you who do care must read your news from the likes of me, rather than a real newspaper.

photograph of 7th and Hamilton, back in the day

The NIZ's Magic Hat

It's difficult for the straight laced, and the main stream media to acknowledge the sleigh of hand occurring in the NIZ.  Officially,  the residential units were not supposed to reap the developer the state tax flow, as in commercial and retail.  Reilly is now interested in building a third Strata Flats on the Parking Authority lot at 6th and Linden. The Parking Authority apparently will continue its practice of neglecting the public good, by allowing chosen developers to build on it's surface lots.  In this case, the lot served the art and music community.  While the first floor of the new building will contain retail,  how much of the project can utilize the NIZ financing is the question of this blog post.  Supposedly, corporations have rented apartments in Strata 1.  That is the explanation for the dark units in a building supposedly full.  One must wonder if the tenant is a corporation,  are state taxes from that tenant  to be used for Reilly's debt service?  We do know that the entire NIZ is neither monitored or scrutinized. * Between the ANIZDA in Allentown, and Pat Browne in Harrisburg,  there's nobody watching the henhouse.

Between the lines,  apparently the  commercial demand has waned; Its been a long time since Reilly managed to poach a commercial  tenant from somewhere else.  I suspect now that somehow the taxes from the residential tenants are being harvested. 

* Reilly told the Allentown Parking Authority that $1million in NIZ tax funds would be used annually for the project.  Apparently, Reilly now makes these decisions directly, instead of just telling the ANIZDA puppets what to say.

Allentown Parks Can Kill Your Dog

Poison Hemlock has invaded the riparian buffers along the creeks in Allentown Parks.  These buffers are to accommodate the Wildlands Conservancy,  which essentially dictates all park policy, except recreation, in both Allentown and South Whitehall.  I suppose now the Wildlands can add pet killer to their dam buster credentials.

Allentown has been trying to control the problem by high rough cutting in spots where they see the hemlock.  The real solution is to go back to the way the parks were designed, without riparian buffers.

Frankly, I haven't had much success in curtailing the Wildlands Conservancy's influence in these park decisions. So far,  we lost two small historic dams, and the iconic Wehr's Dam is soon to go. We lost the view and access to the creeks in the park system, around which the parks were designed, by Harry Trexler's landscape architect. I have succeeded in creating a public record of these losses, and I will continue to speak out against how our parks are being compromised.

South Whitehall's Offended Commissioner

After my presentation last week, one commissioner stated that he was offended by my statement that they were accommodating the Wildlands Conservancy.  He claimed that he didn't even know a member of the Conservancy.  I should have introduced him to his park director, who sits in front of him at every meeting, and gives a report.

The Wildlands Conservancy provided the main input in formulating South Whitehall's Master Park Plan in 2012.  Even then,  the finished plan recommended that Wehr's Dam be removed, not because it needed repairs, but because dams have become currently unfashionable with environmentalists.

The dam  was the most substantial  local dam of its era.  At that time of Harry Trexler and his cement company, monumental things were built from concrete, including Allentown's 8th Street Bridge.  When you visit the dam, the portion you see protruding out of the water is the narrowest part of the structure.  The dam is massive wedge over 6 feet wide at the bottom.  Then that massive wedge sits on a thick concrete platform,  14 feet wide. At the last state inspection, the report concluded that the dam was  overall in good condition.  They did find one minor short crack that they wanted patched.

Because the Wildlands Conservancy wanted to demolish the dam,  they paid for a study that recommended that the dam be totally rebuilt,  at a cost of $1.5 million dollars.  The minor crack could have been patched by township workers as in past inspections,  or even by a masonary contractor, at a very modest cost. The dam is considered by the state as low hazard.  That means that because of its location in a park,  it poses no risk to private property or people.  It's a  historic, scenic delight;  It doesn't matter how much water goes over or through the dam. However, the objective of their study was to make the cost so high, that demolition seemed the only feasible alternative.

In 2015,  the commissioners bowed to public pressure at that time, and voted not to allow the Wildlands to demolish the dam; I knew then that it was only a reprieve.  Rather than just patch the dam,  they waited for the public to simmer down, and then commissioned another study. The objective of that study was to make the price high enough to justify a referendum.  They now claim that a third of the dam must be rebuilt,  at  a cost of $600,000.  They know that a referendum will result in demolition,  but absolve them  politically of the decision.

In a responsible township, the park director would be defending the dam, which has been a destination for generations.  However,  the park director's father is a paid official of the Wildlands Conservancy.  That's why when the commissioner said that he was offended by my accusation,  I told him that I could care less.

Photo of Wehr's Dam, taken from under Wehr's Covered Bridge, by K Mary Hess

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.