Who Owns Allentown's Litter

When I grew up in Allentown and graduated from Allen in the mid 1960's, the sidewalks were clean. Now, I don't mean just free from litter, but they were actually clean. Women would come out of their houses with buckets of water, and wash off their stoops and sidewalks. All that has changed. to say the least.  Today the sidewalks are covered with litter every morning. The following is a facebook dialogue between Jude-Laure Denis and myself.

Michael Molovinsky pawlowski didn't receive the support of any organized black or hispanic group. instead, he cobbled together the few necessary votes to win by handing out trinkets, and promising more if re-elected, all on the city dime. although calling people "littering transients from newark" might sound harsh, if you think the quality of life in center city hasn't radically declined, you're a much more tolerant person than me...(this comment was addressing Robert Trotner)

Jude-Laure Denis Let me just set you straight Michael Molovinsky you did not "offend" me. I personally don't care what you say. I don't know you and in fact I long ago stopped caring about what other people think. What I care about is facts. And blaming non-dominant culture folks for the election of Ed Pawlowski is a serious pile of caca.

Michael Molovinsky Jude-Laure Denis, i'm not BLAMING anyone. truth be told, i accurately predicted both the amount of votes that pawlowski would receive, and where they would come from. those predictions are on my blog for the last several months. today the Morning Call verified the facts.

Jude-Laure Denis For the record blaming, Michael Molovinsky, is exactly what you did. we all make mistakes and you made one. Not the end of the world. Own it and move on. As to the number of votes, anyone who understands how you get to a win number knew it would be this low. You predicted it. So did I and a lot of folks who know a heck of a lot more than both of us. End result is the same.


My issue isn't with Ms. Denis.  As she said,  we never met,  nor do we know each other.  She found some of my statements culturally insensitive,  fair enough.   I'll be glad to own anything I say, but I would like to know when the non-dominant culture is going to own the littering, not to mention the stabbings and shootings.

I Offended Someone About Pawlowski Voters

Yesterday, Jude-Laure Denis commented on my blog post, Blaming this on people who "moved here from Newark.. who litter," is a pile of racist dogwhistle politics. Supervoters who are primarily white voted for the son of a bitch and most of them didn't even bother to come out.  If Ms. Denis meant for her identity to be revealed is questionable, but either way, I disagree. As I noted often during this campaign, Pawlowski worked the unaffiliated blacks and Hispanics. I say unaffiliated, because he did not receive the support of the organized more sophisticated groups, such as the local NAACP.  The detailed ward election results will show that Pawlowski did best in center city and Hispanic areas, where the minority demographics predominate. Pawlowski's Facebook page is a journal of him working the intercity barber shops and beauty parlors.

I believe that the white super voters divided their votes between O'Connell, Thiel and Bennett. The point of my post yesterday was that the election was determined by the most transient among us. The good news is that it only occurred because the field was divided by so many candidates.

If Ms. Denis is offended that I called Pawlowski voters litterers from Newark, I can do worse.  Seven people have pleaded guilty to committing criminal acts on Pawlowski's behalf. Littering might be one of the better traits of those who voted for him yesterday.

Allentown Loses Election

In my mind Allentown is officially lost. Pawlowski succeeded in having the minority majority knowingly elect a future indictee in a low turnout election.  Understand that this constituency lived in Newark until two years ago, and still contributes to the litter on the streets.  While Hamilton Street has new buildings, it's actually more depressing than ever.

Bernie O'Hare recently wrote; Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky, whose blog is called Molovinsky on Allentown, spent the crucial week before that City's most important election in its history, talking abut(sp) anything but Allentown. Bernie writes poison like that, thinking that he is cleverly marginalizing me.  But, if this was the most important election in Allentown's history, apparently the voters didn't know. You cannot blame the Morning Call,  they pushed the election every day for months. Despite their effort, turnout was less than 15%.

We in local politics, either as a candidate, supporter or pundit, overestimate the public's interest.

On a positive note,  congratulations to Brad Osborne, on his way to become  Lehigh County Executive.  

CHART FROM LEHIGH VALLEY LIVE

Bennett's $10,000 Stoplight

I was very surprised when Allentown installed a stoplight on Lehigh Street for the Bennett Toyota dealerships.  Years ago I lived on a very dangerous intersection which has numerous accidents, including fatalities.  I was told how complicated it was to convince Harrisburg of a stoplight's necessity.

Bennett was one of the largest contributors to Mayor For Life Pawlowski's current campaign. He kicked in about 10% of Pawlowski's war chest, which at about $100k, led the candidate pack.  On Sunday night Pawlowski had a pricy campaign commerical on CNN's popular Anthony Bourdain show, Parts Unknown.

Today Allentown enters parts unknown.  It is not my habit to announce the next day's blog topic. However, tomorrow I will discuss today's winner and loser.  Hopefully, the loser will not be Allentown.

The Docility Of The Allentown Liberal

I continue to be amazed by the multiple personality of the local Democrats.  While anguished over Trump in Washington,  they seem to tolerate a Boss Tweed in Allentown.  As I've posted before, I think that Pawlowski has the edge in Tuesday's election,  having assembled a coalition of minority shareholders.  While he doesn't have the support of their organized groups, he has tirelessly campaigned in the barber shops of center city, and other such enclaves.  As mayor he has flattered that demographic by attending their birthday parties.  He has given out City trinkets, and promised more, if re-elected.

Just as the large field of candidates helped Trump win the Republican Primary, the large field of Democrats will help Pawlowski on Tuesday.  With seven candidates dividing up less than seven thousand primary votes,  his strategy will probably prevail.

If he does win,  Allentown may well have it's first Republican mayor in almost two decades come November.  Chances are that Pawlowski will be indicted before the general election.  Although, still eligible for office until and unless convicted,  such negative publicity could propel the Republican candidate to victory.

ADDENDUM: In his post today, Bernie O'Hare tries to make a case that I have been absent from this election,  and as an opposer of the little people, that he so nobly champions.  Bernie thinks of himself as a masterful lawyer, and his readers as a pliable jury.  In today's post,  he cloaks himself repeatedly with the word integrity.  In truth he is a manipulator, who endlessly tries to promote people he likes, and injure those that he doesn't.  His methodology is becoming transparent to more and more people.

Looking For Mr. Rogers In Allentown Election

The other day a blogger had a post about a fellow who was allegedly bullied by the current mayor. The blogger said in both the post and a comment that he doubted if the incident warranted criminal charges. In a subsequent youtube interview part1, the victim emotionally reiterated his distress over the confrontation with Pawlowski. He also claimed that despite being a candidate himself for city council, he was not indulging in a political stunt. That claim would of course have much more validity if he was making the accusations this coming Wednesday, instead of this past Thursday and Friday. The incident with Pawlowski happened on May 5th. If the gentleman waited a week for his non-publicity stunt, perhaps he should have waited another week.

If the gentleman was being sincere about not having a political agenda with his news conference, I can't say the same about the blogger and other candidates who jumped onto the bandwagon.

ADDENDUM: While the blogger admitted that the incident didn't rise to the criminal level,  did it even rise to the level of news?  Apparently not to any of the other local media, except for that blogger and facebook.  Is Pawlowski a bully?  Yes he is,  but there appears to be little to this incident but the timing.  As for the others who jumped on the bandwagon,  let me clarify that I find them very viable candidates,  but who apparently succumbed to the heat of the election regarding  this incident, in this last weekend before the vote.
part 2 of youtube

Sanitizing New Orleans History

I was aghast when I heard that New Orleans was going to remove its Civil War statues.  Now, while I understood South Carolina removing the Confederate flag from its capital building, removing the statues seems revisionist to me.

I asked a local college history professor I know for his opinion on the topic.  He became more animated than I had ever seen him,  and emphatically claimed that erecting the statues in the first place was the revisionism.  He feels that because he was a slave owner, there should have never been a statue of Jefferson Davis in the first place.

The key word about the college history professor isn't history, but college.  My observation is that college professors spend too much time with eighteen year olds,  and Peter Pan liberalism distorts any objectivity that they may have processed.  The statue of Davis in New Orleans was erected in 1911.  Regardless of the rationale at that time,  it is now part of that city's history.

I borrowed the word sanitizing from Condoleezza Rice.  She used it in explaining what a current mistake New Orleans is making in regard to its history.

Another Week, Another Defender Of Israel

I was back to the Fearless Fire Hall for another excellent event sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Tea Party.   Last week they hosted Pamela Geller,  who they billed as a freedom of speech advocate.  This week they featured  David Rubin,  who they presented to discuss the new American relationship with Israel under Trump.   Although both descriptions are valid,  my interest lies in their mutual love for Israel, and the defense of the Jewish people.

Fifteen years ago West Bank settler David Rubin's car was raked by gunfire from Palestinian terrorists. While he suffered a severe leg wound,  his three year old son was shot in the head.  Both recovered, and Rubin has dedicated his life to children's rehabilitation from terrorist attacks through the Shiloh Israel Children's Projects.

Rubin has no delusions about the intentions of the Palestinians.

While David’s focus is on developing projects for children, he doesn’t hesitate to speak the truth from a position of faith in a way that most politicians seem to be either unwilling or afraid to do. He proposes bold, realistic solutions to counter the forces of evil in the Middle East and in the world.  

Likewise, he believes that the West Bank belongs divinely to Israel.  He is hopeful that Trump will announce that the United States is moving the embassy to Jerusalem when he visits Israel later this month.