Stoking The Fire

What occurred in Virginia over the weekend is certainly a tragedy. I don't watch cable news as most people do, my television viewing is very restricted. From the headlines; Three Killed By Supremacist March. Only later did I learn that one pedestrian was killed by the car ramming, and two policemen died when their helicopter crashed.

The march started as a protest to removing the statue of Robert E. Lee. It was originally conceived by the University Of Virginia itself, as a Day Of Reflective Conversation. The white national group's participation was defended by the American Civil Liberties Union.  No less of an informed American than Condoleezza Rice has spoken out previously against revising Confederate history. History is something you add to, not take away from.  The march also did attract neo-nazi's and the KKK. These subgroups are opportunists.

The person who weaponized the car is supposedly a Trump supporter. Juxtaposition Trump's weak comments with that person's background, and you have a media storm which will last indefinitely.  The media pundits are holding Trump responsible for the death.  Nobody of course would attribute any blame to Cornel West, the Princeton/Harvard professor who encouraged the counter demonstration.

ADDENDUM:  On August 16 I received the following note by email from a local reader/college professor.  Although, I don't find his sources any more substantial than mine,  I present his objection to above post.

The march/protest to removing statue was, of course, *not* originally conceived by the University—a day of reflective conversation was. Unite the Right organized the actual protest, which — obviously no one disputes this, including the groups themselves—is a coalition of neo-nazi, white supramicists, and the KKK. It is flat-out inaccurate to say “The march also did attract new-nazi’s and the KKK.” It was organized by them. A correction is called for, in my opinion. The stakes are obviously high on this.

Simmons Is Better Than This

I support the 2nd Amendment and own a gun. That said, I do not belong to the NRA;  I cannot  respect a group which tells its members for whom to vote.

I was disappointed to see Justin Simmons pander to gun owners with a concealed carry seminar.  Here again,  I'm not against the right to carry, just against politicians who play on it, one way or another,  These seminars are straight from Julie Harhart's old playbook, who was a Representative for eleven terms.  I could accept Simmons reneging on his term limit pledge, but he should be above  parlor tricks like this seminar.

Allentown's Planning Puppies

Longtime readers of this blog know that I have written about these puppies before, when they approved the arena itself.  At that time, I said that one of them tried to bark, but hadn't really learned yet,  but that they were so cute.   They're still obedient, and this week passed J.B. Reilly's plans for the Croc Rock site.  One planner praised the proposed design,  inadvertently acknowledging  that their previous approvals were devoid of architectural merit. Could you imagine them not approving a  Reilly proposal?

By coincidence, many years ago I  happen to be sitting with Joe Clark when the then mayor phoned him about his plans for that nightclub. Lets just say that he didn't get the cooperation that Reilly is getting, nor did he get to pay for it with our state tax money.

Also on the puppy's menu was Nat Hyman's proposal to turn the massive Phoenix Mill building into apartments.  I have an issue with these conversion projects.  On one hand,  additional apartments contribute to the poverty magnate, by making housing relatively overly abundant  and cheap in center city. However, I do believe in the right of property owners to utilize their investment, and alternative  commercial uses for such buildings no longer exist.  Some people on Facebook wonder if such a project is a conflict of interest for a mayoral candidate.  I think not, and Hyman will seek all necessary approvals before serving, if elected.

Pawlowski Park Crimes

Yesterday on Facebook, Mayor For Life Pawlowski was bragging about a grant to plan for a new park in Allentown. This park would be around the old incinerator plant off of Basin Street. As a long time advocate for the park system, especially maintaining the WPA structures, nothing represents Pawlowski's disconnect from Allentown values more than this proposal. There is so much wrong with it, it's hard to know where to begin.

Pawlowski spent $1.5 Million Dollars buying part of this parcel and another unnecessary one from a local developer in a questionable deal. The WPA double stairway in Lehigh Parkway is crumbling. One of the landings is starting to cave in from neglect, threatening the steps below. Although the city had to replace and repair part of the wall to reopen the park entrance, the remainder of the wall has received no attention, what so ever. Likewise, other WPA locations, such as Union Terrace, are in dire need of restoration.

It would be nothing less than a disgrace to open another park until the existing park structures are repaired. Likewise, the grant that Pawlowski is bragging about should have been directed to WPA structures,  instead of trying to justify one of his back room deals.

Airport Director Flies Coop

The director of LVIA is leaving,  and their board of directors issued the standard exit praise about the wonderful job he did.  In my opinion,  neither he or they do a good job.

As often the case,  people appointed to these boards are the same good old boys appointed to multiple boards.  Often they are appointed not because they care and study a situation, but because their cooperation can be counted upon.

The previous ill-advised acquisition of expansion land cost the authority over $26 million in punitive damages.  Factor in that the airport passenger volume has generally deceased,  the wisdom of those previous decisions is apparent.

When the board decided to do away with the previous management company,  they hired the guy who was representing the previous company, expecting better results?  In recent years they have modernized a perfectly modern facility for no useful purpose.  Their current useless project is to do away with the convenience of having the car rentals by the luggage claim area, and building a separate building as a transportation hub.  Again, expanding for expansion sake with no useful purpose.

In the meantime,  they continue to overcharge for parking, and fail to induce more flights to more destinations.

In the past when I questioned a board member about some of these decisions,  he knew little to nothing about them.  Of course that didn't deter him from voting yes.

What Now For Allentown

With Ray O'Connell entering the mayoral race as a write-in,  the dynamics of the contest change. Some students of the local political scene think that the anti-Pawlowski vote will be divided up between O'Connell and Hyman,  giving Pawlowski a plurality election eve.

Certainly,  O'Connell's entrance can only take votes away from Hyman.  While some Republicans complain that he is only one of them by opportunity, that accusation may actually be a plus in Democratic Allentown.  So far,  I haven't seen Hyman defend his recent Republican registration.

Although Allentown would certainly be better off with either O'Connell or Hyman, I'm refraining from any predictions, with one exception.  Regardless of who wins,  Allentown has been lessened because Pawlowski won the primary.  The fact that about 28% of the votes cast in the Democratic Primary were for someone with compromised integrity, doesn't bode well for Allentown's future.  These supporters will continue their own agenda, regardless of who wins in November.  Future politicians will have to pander to this element, who are more concerned with entitlements than ethics.

Being An Independent Blogger

The Morning Call yesterday reported that two independents have qualified for the mayoral ballot. In addition to reporting their names and backgrounds, they included a photograph of both. In 2005, although I was the first independent to run in two decades, they never once published my photograph throughout the entire campaign. They also excluded me from their sponsored debate with Muhlenberg College, televised by WFMZ.  Every day for two weeks they ran a quarter page photograph of both Pawlowski and Heydt in the paper, promoting the debate. I mention this inequity as a prelude to my thoughts about blogging.

 My exchange with a reporter abruptly ended when I mentioned a former reporter who covered the 2005 campaign, and his bias for Pawlowski. The former reporter was not only Pawlowski's first supporter, but ended up being the last person hired by Mike Fleck, before he flew the coop. The current reporter has remained friends with this guy, and apparently demonstrated his loyalty by ending our dialogue. A feud with a  local  blogger also involved loyalty. He claimed that I was being disloyal, when I scoffed at a disclaimer he made.

 Loyalty to me is something you give to your significant other and your country. It's not something which should extend to journalism, especially in the political arena. That's how you end up with a mayor running for his fourth term under indictment.

Pawlowski's Poverty Shuttle

I told readers that Pawlowski won the primary by campaigning in the minority owned beauty and barber shops. These people were flattered by receiving attention from a mayor. He subsequently attended every event and birthday party to which they invited him. On primary evening he had cobbled together over 1,700 votes, a plurality to win in the crowded primary field. Not being content with my analysis, I called it the Marion Barry vote, because these constituents are not turned off by Pawlowski's trouble with the law. He continues now to court this demographic.  A bus outfitted with a Re-Elect Pawlowski  sign fueled speculation that he was providing a free shuttle service around town.  Perhaps at night the shuttle could take shooting and stabbing victims to the emergency ward.

He certainly knows how to work these people for his gain.  A free shuttle service would be appropriate, since under his tenure most of the low-income moved to Allentown.  I saw another photo of him carrying a cooler, and handing out bottles of water in a park.  I suppose that's because he leased the city's water department.  He might also consider handing out models of city hall,  since he allegedly sold that as well.

Those looking for nice sentiments should buy a Hallmark card,  you won't find them here.