Allentown's Park Problem

Under Pawlowski, the park and recreation departments were combined,  and all three of the consecutive park directors had the same background in recreation, and were hired by the same person,  Fran Dougherty.

The WPA double stairwell in Lehigh Parkway, shown above, is in dire straights.  The landings are falling apart, allowing water to seep into foundation of the steps.  The park department always has the same answer now for years.  Yes, we're budgeting for it next year.  Yes, it's on our short list. etc. etc.  Meanwhile, last summer a large outdoor  gymnasium was installed at Jordan Park.  Although it would be the envy of any federal prison,  it is nothing they could ever afford.  However,  our recreation obsessed park director found the funds.

I have twice publicly offered city council my time to act as a liaison on park matters.  They approve the park budgets, and have the leverage to modify park priorities.  Meanwhile,  our iconic system, once nationally recognized as among the best,  declines.   Pawlowski's director endorses more parks, and more expensive catalog equipment,  while the important existing features crumble.

Pawlowski's Second String Minorities

The Morning Call announced that Ed Pawlowski has made his try for a fourth term official. As I pointed out previously on this blog, he has been courting minority church congregations since his incrimination with the FBI investigation. His friend and probable supporter Alan Jennings, thinks that because of the Trump era discontent with status quo government, that he might have a chance. Actually, by that yardstick, he's toast. He represents the worst of government as usual. What Pawlowski is going after is the Marion Barry vote. That previous mayor of Washington was re-elected, even after being convicted on drug charges. The idea is that minorities are more sympathetic to trouble with the man. Pawlowski's strategy might work. The Democratic primary will divide up a relatively small number of votes among numerous candidates.

In 2005, when Pawlowski was unencumbered by corruption allegations,  he promised the established minority community leaders more presence in city hall. He delivered on that promise. I can only imagine who and what he is promising now.

The title of this post is based on my observation that Pawlowski is not only courting minority votes, but those smaller congregations and business people, who previously did not warrant his attention.

The Hillary Women and Elephants

Now, I can accept that many women found Trump's persona unacceptable.  I can also understand that many women, and men, supported Hillary.  While protesting the inauguration might provide some cathartic relief,  and it  certainly is a boom to the busing industry,  what the exercise really accomplishes remains a mystery.

The protests remind me of the controversy over performing elephants.  I think that if those Ringling Brother elephants could talk, they would have told the women to butt out.  Their cousins in India and Asia have to carry logs all day. Worse yet, their relatives in Africa are slain by the thousands for their ivory.

During the campaign I met Hillary workers from New York, who were concerned about their granddaughter's future health choices under a Trump presidency.  I suspect that their granddaughters will have the same health options as now, but because of grandma,  they will no longer be able to enjoy the circus.*

* Ringling Brothers is ending the circus after 100 years.  The show could not survive without the elephants.

Allentown's New Park

Pawlowski has been praising Allentown's plan for a new park off of Basin Street by the old incinerator parcel.  As a student and advocate of the park system,  I can tell you that the existing park system has never been in worse shape.  As a student of local government, I can tell you that this plan shows how misguided priorities can be in this city.

Allentown's Park Director, Lindsay Taylor, is also elated. “I am very excited at the prospect of the city’s creating a plan for Allentown’s own “Central Park,” a park and trail hub that will link to downtown and provide the type of recreational facilities that will encourage people choosing to move to the downtown.” Lindsay, it would be a pretty gritty ride from the new Strata Lofts to Basin Street. Quite a tour past the prison, down to Union Street.  You know where to find me in the parks everyday. I'll be glad to take you around, and show you 100 things that should be maintained before you even think about adding a new park to the neglected existing system.

Minority New Head Of Allentown School District

The other day I received the following comment on an older post. So where is your story on the first black superintendent of the Allentown School District??? I noticed you and Bernie conveniently neglected to bring that up??? Well, first off, Bernie and I write two blogs completely independent of each other. When we cover the same story it is only by coincidence. I tend to publish only one post per day, putting me behind the news cycle. However, this topic wss indeed on my short list. The Allentown School Board members were very pleased with themselves about the three finalists being minorities. Articles mentioning Mr. Parker's selection, featured the fact he was the first minority superintendent in a system where minorities are now the majority.

I don't know what is involved in improving the district, but I'm fairly certain it is not the color of the superintendent's skin.  I do not believe that the role model concept applies here.  I do not believe that students at Raub Middle School either know or care that their superintendent is African-American.  One need only look at the large urban school districts to know that having minority school administrations isn't enough to make a difference.

Role models must be much closer to home, if not in the home itself. I wish Mr. Parker and the district well.  If there are improvements it will result from his insights,  not his complexion.

Jessica Lenard, Life Is A Rollercoaster

Jessica Lenard(1950-2016),  Outsider Artist 

Open Space Dreamers In Lehigh Valley

Despite Pennsylvania being one of the thirteen colonies,  there exists a vast wilderness in the northern central portion of the state.  Open space exists everywhere in the world, except our densest cities.  Despite this reality, the concept of open space and farm land have become mantras of the left.  Here in the Lehigh Valley, we have many more acres of farmland than farmers,  yet the conservative Lehigh County Commissioners keep adding more tax dollars to farm preservation.  I recently suggested that they should care more about our historical structures,  rather than bowing to political correctness.  But all this background is leading me up to today's topic,  Lower Macungie Commissioner Ron Beitler.  Although we never met,  Ron and I are often on the same page.  However,  Ron is an open space advocate, who I believe may now be crossing a line.

Ron would like to see his township zoners more sympathetic to open space.  I think that he is clearly confusing zoning and planning.  The township comprehensive plan dictates what uses are allowed, and where they are allowed.  It is zoning responsibility to implement that plan.  It is the zoning board responsibility to fairly allow justified  exemptions to that plan.  The zoners should not be swayed by a predetermined philosophy of land use.  Although the township is rolling out a new comprehensive plan later in the year,  Beitler just engineered the replacement of a zoner that he felt wasn't in sync with his philosophy of open space.  Although he acted within the guidelines of appointments and approvals,  it was deck stacking,  which I find objectionable.

ADDENDUM: Deck stacking can have major consequences, one need look no farther than Allentown.  Mayor for Life Ed Pawlowski in eleven years stacked city council and all the Authorities.  Before Candida Affa became his yes lady on council,  she was his yes lady on the Parking Authority.  Try going downtown to Hamilton Street, and putting in eight quarters for a cup of coffee.  Destination cities do not even charge $2 an hour to park.  What kind of destination does Allentown think it is?  Mayor for Life is supposedly soliciting contributions for his 4th term.  He has yet to call me.

photo credit: The Morning Call

A Farewell To Hope With No Change

In my lifetime I listened to a lot of presidents speak.  The first one I remember is Dwight Eisenhower.  Although he wasn't much of a speaker,  certainly John Kennedy could turn a word. However,  I have never heard anyone better than Barack Obama.  Obama is so eloquent he need not restrain himself with the truth or facts.

The Democratic choir in Chicago Tuesday night heard Obama concede that  although the factory jobs are gone, we still need more unionization.  In the same paragraph, he also advocated for a larger safety net.  Old mantras die hard.

One of the most glaring reality checks about the speech is that Chicago is the murder capital of the world, with over 750 fatal shootings in 2016.  Hope alone can't get you safely down the street.

As Obama's golden words soared away from practicality, he cited his effort to close Guantanamo Bay, and avail our terrorist enemies the benefit of our justice system in New York City.

The disconnect between empty words, no matter how well spoken, and current events, is why Trump is being sworn in next week.