The Blog, Why?

Over the weekend I told someone that I have been producing a blog on local politics and history every weekday for ten years.  She simply, sincerely asked why in the world would I want to do that?  Understand that this blog is not monetized in any way. None of the posts are used by another publication, which then subsequently pays me. I'm not motivated by comments and feedback.  I actually eliminated the anonymous said option,  reducing the amount of comments received.  Of course none of this answers the why question.

Before the blog I felt compelled to speak out against those actions and inactions which I thought reduced the unique quality of life called Allentown.  I expressed myself at city council and through letters to the editor. I suppose it's the same compulsion which made me run for office twice as an independent.  Both council and the editors are grateful for this blog,  it helps keep me away from them.

I didn't tell the woman who asked the why question that I usually post the blog before 4:30AM. She already thought that I was nuts.

Like the donut maker, I get up early

The Paper's Morning Yarn

The Morning Call headlines that the new Strata Loft apartments are all spoken for before the building is even finished.  I have claimed that this is erroneous at the most innocent, and an outright informercial at the more dubious.  I think that after three years of their articles we can dismiss the innocent error option. I have discovered that many of the apartments are both vacant and rented at the same time.  Apparently, City Center LLC has included some apartments with commercial office leases.  A number of the apartments are assigned to the hockey team.

Needless to say if all the apartments were really rented to people living in them,  restaurants wouldn't be closing, and the Moravian Bookstore could have sold a few books.

We find  Rite-Aid coming back, and less pricey eateries going into the closing upscale locations.  Between market forces and the pressure for inclusionary housing*, we know who will be living in the new apartments soon enough.    Today, someone mentioned to me how she and her husband dine in Bethlehem and Easton, but not Allentown.  They feel Allentown has no charm or ambience.  They certainly would have no desire to walk around in Allentown after their meal.  There was organic growth in Bethlehem and Easton which grew to meet a demand.  In Allentown, a developer keeps building to take advantage of an unprecedented tax incentive.   The Morning Call can act like a public relations firm instead of a newspaper,  but they can't put patrons at restaurant tables or in the upscale stores.

* I suppose you could EXCLUDE people by announcing that the units are full before they're completed, and have a waiting list.  Would the paper cooperate with such a scheme? ADDENDUM: I do not see any need for inclusionary housing in Allentown. There is no shortage of apartments available in downtown, nor has gentrification created a market shortage. The idea that a certain percentage of new luxury units should be set aside for people of less income is social engineering beyond the notion of this blog.

When Guns Belong To The Left

When the horrendous knifing occurred against the defenders of the Muslim girl,  the violence was attributed to Trump supporters.  Nobody will be blaming yesterday's shooting on Bernie Sanders, nor should they.  However,  on facebook I see the outrage about the Alexandria shooting still heaped upon Trump.  He apparently made everyone in the country hateful,  as if there was no violence before him. 

Let us hope that this unfortunate incident creates some reflection about the hostility expressed toward Trump, and the propensity for violence from such vitriol.

photo: 1908 Colt, 25 caliber

Lehigh Valley Of Denial

I apparently have been cursed with giving a damn about Allentown.  As I have posted before,  I'm amazed about how consumed people are about Trump and Washington, and how indifferent they are about their own back yard. Even those supposedly involved in local issues seem eager to find some kool-aid.  People find reality too disturbing.  I suppose that's why a newspaper columnist can regularly write about grammar, with nobody wanting to hear about the local shenanigans,  like electing a mayor facing federal indictment.   I suppose it's like the funny pages,  people want distractions.

Even here in the political blogosphere people want a version of the truth, as opposed to the actual truth.  A popular blogger always has an agenda about who he is promoting or attacking. He can sprinkle in a few descriptions like honesty and integrity and keep selling it, not unlike new and improved shampoo at the supermarket.

I also have an agenda, but it's not to promote some politician or judge, who I hope comes to like me  and invites me to dinner.  I fight for our parks and our history.  Along the way if I offend some officials in the process,  so be it;  I don't mind eating by myself.

photocredit: K Mary Hess

Bernie Schools Dershowitz

Yesterday, Bernie O'Hare took former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz to law school.  Bernie proclaimed that Dershowitz is wrong and absurd about Comey and Trump, and that nobody is above the law.  Bernie even provides a link to a court case to supposedly prove his point.  How does Bernie do it, prove that perhaps the most esteemed authority on Constitutional Law in the country is wrong?  Easy,  just a little word play here and there, ala O'Hare. Dershowitz never said that Trump was above the law.  He simply said that as President he hires and can direct the FBI director to open and close files, and that as President he can pardon people. Therefore, in a specific situation such as the Flynn matter, Trump's constitutional authority options preclude an obstruction charge.

The point here isn't really O'Hare vs. Dershowitz,  that's only a  contest in Bernie's head.  It is the arrogance of O'Hare, and his tendency to bully. If it is attacking Gracedale while supporting John Stoffa, or doing a 180, and defending Gracedale while attacking John Brown,  he can out-twist Chubby Checker.  Furthermore, he keeps twisting, if he is proclaiming an ernest city council candidate a criminal, or trying to marginalize another blog, such as this one, calling it Molovinsky On Anything But Allentown.  Of course, that doesn't apply to Bernie, if he wants to write about Trump. Bernie complains that Trump puts loyalty above honesty.  How this feud with Bernie started was that he felt that I was being disloyal because I questioned a disclaimer he made about Morganelli. His highness actually used the word loyalty.  The only reason it is a feud is that with this blog I have the ability to defend myself, most of his victims do not have that option.  Of course, by defending myself he claims that I'm attacking him and his honor,  which he thinks is much more important than mine, or yours.

photo of Bernie O'Hare checking every signature trying to stop the Save Gracedale ballot initiative in 2011

The Comey Commotion

I don't normally follow such things, certainly not blow by blow.  My interest comes from the left's hope and prayer that these revelations undo Trump.  My initial impression is that Trump is as unfamiliar with government protocol as any outsider could be.  He apparently has no interest in behaving more like an insider.  This demeanor infuriates his opponents,  delights his base, and frustrates those bi-partisans like myself,  who are inclined to defend, but not support.

Comey appears to be a genuine star,  who could certainly have a political future, if he so chooses.  In the portion of his testimony that I saw, he embodied sincerity.

Trump and his lawyer claimed the testimony as a vindication for Trump.  It should be noted that no less of a legal authority than Alan Dershowitz has stated that Trump was well within his constitutional power even if he had directly ordered Comey to back off an investigation.  However,  I suspect the scrutiny over who said what, and its legality, will take years.

photocredit: Doug Mills/New York Times

Pension Reform In Pennsylvania

It's not often that I have anything especially good to say about our boys in Harrisburg.  Today is the exception.  I congratulate the state house for finally passing a pension reform bill.  Needless to say it will disappoint those who sought greater reform, however, for Harrisburg it is as much as I hoped for.  Understand that even under a Republican Governor, with Republicans in charge of both houses,  it failed to pass.

Although 50% of the pensions for teachers and state workers will remain guaranteed,  the other half will be governed by the market,  as it is for most people in the private sector, those who still even have a pension.  No previous or existing employee's pension will be affected by the reform,  which will only effect new employees, starting in 2019.

Tax relief advocates now hope to shift school taxes from real estate to income.  I don't think we will see that anytime soon, if at all.

Bernie The Blog Lawyer

The local blogosphere has its own self-proclaimed legal authority, Bernie O'Hare.  Between Bernie's background and his temperament,  he's a whole courtroom; prosecutor, judge and jury.  Anyway, what brings us to this post is Bernie's statement last week that I implied that a commentator using a pseudonym might be Bernie, while knowing that wasn't the case.  Bernie is simply wrong.  By design,  people comment either anonymously or with a pseudonym to keep their identity hidden.  In some cases I might happen to know who the person is,  but in this case, I do not.  Bernie states that I knew he doesn't use a sock puppet because he told me so several times.   Actually, what that reveals is that I harbored this suspicion, and questioned him about it.  Although, I was polite enough to not further question his denials, it doesn't mean that I accepted them as gospel.

Bernie is offended because he considers such speculation an affront on his honor,  which he is seeking to repair because of some issue in his distant past.  Regardless of Bernie's personal history, or whether my speculation is correct or not,  he should not disparage my reputation because he's defensive about his own.

ADDENDUM: I would have preferred to place this post as a comment on O'Hare's post about me.  However, he made it clear that a comment from me would be deleted.

UPDATE:  Bernie posted Friday June 9th, describing this post as an attack on him.  In reality, this post is a response against his accusation that I made a speculation that I knew to be untrue.  I suppose he believes that he is so persuasive that his readers will accept such distortions.