NIZ And The Allentown Budget

Budgets for Allentown show a structural deficit of 4 to 5 $million annually in the current five year projection.  This is in spite of almost a $Billion dollars of publicly funded, privately owned new buildings.  I believe that it is fair to say that financial data for the NIZ, at the clearest, is obscure.  Although, over $33 million a year in state taxes is going for J.B. Reilly's debt service,  there may be substantially more going his way.  Another $30 million goes for the arena,  and where Reilly's portion begins and ends is unknown.  For instance, although the first floor of the arena facing Hamilton Street is considered public arena,  the second floor and up belongs to Reilly.  How the prorations were assigned, nobody knows. Furthermore,  nobody scrutinizes the tax money distribution back to Reilly and the arena board.

What we do know is that despite all this construction and expected increase in property taxes,  Allentown is in the red.   If all this new construction hasn't produced a windfall,  and the homeowners endure tax increases,  what is the public benefit of the NIZ?

Lehigh Valley Election Expectation

Recently, I referred to the Morning Call/Muhlenberg Poll as a broken clock.  I have been making the same accusation since 2005,  when Muhlenberg had the mayoral election wrong by 26 points.  Although they have been wrong ever since,  and were wrong again last night about Susan Wild and John Morganelli, this morning the paper still quotes their pollster as if he is a genuine authority. It's amazing to me that The Morning Call keeps going to the same sources.....I suppose that they value loyalty over accuracy.

Talking about loyalty, yesterday I referred to the machinations of Bernie O'Hare,  in his campaigning for John Morganelli.  Although he started out polite enough toward Susan Wild,  he became a virtual hit man as the campaign progressed.  He excused his metamorphosis on Wild breaking a promise to Morganelli.  He seems to value loyalty over decency.

For the fall campaign expect the Morning Call/Muhlenberg Poll to continue being a broken clock.  Expect Bernie O'Hare to continue bashing Susan Wild, but now acclaim himself as a non-partisan.  Expect molovinsky on allentown, when necessary, to point out local nonsense.

Pawlowski's Political Legacy In Allentown

Recently Robert Trotner, a local political activist, asked me...Do you think Pawlowski and his sympathizers still wield much in the way of direct power in Allentown? If so, how much?...

A considerable amount of power still resides with his former associates, because during  his tenure over three plus terms, (since 2006) he made so many appointments and filled so many positions. However, I never favored the clean broom approach, because the city would lose so much institutional knowledge. I think that over the last two years most employees have put as much distance as possible between themselves and the former mayor.  Furthermore, I question how many of these employees are his sympathizers. For the most part they are people who appreciate having a job, and hope to contribute some value from doing it well. Once he is sentenced this chapter in Allentown will really be over.

Today is primary election day.  Readers may notice that I have not beat the drum for or against any  candidate in the primary.  I urge readers who feel properly informed to vote.  Being properly informed , now a days, is a research challenge in itself.  It certainly doesn't come from campaign mailers or even in the local blogosphere,  such as with Bernie O'Hare's machinations.

above 1962 postcard showing the new Allentown City Hall

Examining The Morning Call

The Morning Call has announced that in July they will conduct a journalism course. My question is who is going to evaluate the Morning Call? Their recent article about the new United States Attorney for Eastern Pennsylvania once again associates Pawlowski with Allentown's $Billion dollar buildout. The paper can't seem to understand that he was only an accidental tourist on that train, not the conductor.

In fairness to the paper they have some excellent reporters who do good work.  This isn't New York City in 1950, with five newspapers competing for readers.  This is small-town USA, with one paper trying to survive. The paper is further restricted by outside corporate ownership,  dictating staff size and budget.

Fortunately, they have an examiner apprising them of their shortcomings... you're reading him now.

Political Blogging In Allentown

Blogging in Allentown isn't as easy as it may seem. It requires rising early and usually having the post ready by 5:00AM. In the case of this blog, it is fueled by caffeine. molovinsky on allentown is a non-monetized political blog, also featuring local history and advocacy for the iconic park system. Although the suburban turnout was large because of the presidential primary, the election reveals that locals are not so interested in state politics.  Someone with no experience or knowledge of state government can win a state rep nomination by sending out four mailers. The candidate doesn't even have to know about the issues mentioned on his own mailers. While one candidate for United States Senator can literally walk across the state to meet and listen to the voters, someone else can win by simply having ads on television a few days before the election.  In the city itself, Pawlowski could still influence an election.  I suppose I should be grateful that at least I don't have to print this on paper, and deliver it to houses in the morning.

above reprinted from April of 2016

UPDATE MAY 11, 2018: I'm certainly getting a lot of mileage out of Frankenstein's monster. First I use him to personify the Parking Authority, now myself. One of the regrets of being a registered independent is that I did not receive campaign mailers for the primary next week. I did see a few of them, and know that they would have brought welcome entertainment to my kitchen table.

The Allentown Parking Authority

The Allentown Parking Authority Officer shown here is by far the most productive person they have, he may well be the most productive city worker period. I estimate he easily writes over a $half million dollars a year by himself. He spends the day hopping from one fertile hot zone to another. You can see him everyday, several times working Chew Street, between 16th and West. That block, because of the hospital, has time restricted parking. He's like a fisherman, a very good one, who knows the good spots. For those less familiar with this blog, please use the search engine on the upper right; type in parking authority. Along with taking them to task numerous times, I documented fictitious data they provided to City Council to justify doubling the meter rate and fine structure. I also 

"They're acting like a vampire sucking the blood out of downtown," Molovinsky said of the authority.

conducted a news conference, covered by Channel 69, on unnecessary parking meters as far out as 10th and Chew. Those meters were finally removed, only this year. Some comments on the previous post suggest that there is justification for the Authority and their policies. As a student of this bureaucracy for years, I can tell you that it has actually had a negative affect on center city commerce. It's simply a back door tax, mostly on those who can least afford it. The cars shown are being ticketed for not moving for street sweeping, despite the snow.*

*photographs from 2007, Parking Authority supposedly no longer gives "sweep tickets" during snow storms.

This is a reprint from September of 2010 and March of 2014.   I was told by the former Authority director that although the regulations haven't changed, they now use discretion concerning enforcement during snow hardships.

Allentown's Frankenstein, The Parking Authority

The monster, aka Allentown Parking Authority would be hard pressed to pass a polygraph test. In 2005, the former and current director of the Authority, testified in front of City Council that the majority of the merchants wanted the meter rate increased. They lied*. The Authority has always functioned for the betterment of the BIG BOYS on the backs of the smallest among us. In 1991 the Authority purchased the 13 parking lots owned by the declining Park N Shop for well over market price. Profiting from the buyout was Morning Call owner Donald Miller, Department store heir John Leh the 35th, Harvey Farr, and a few other good old boys. Keep in mind Hess's and Leh's department stores had their own parking decks, and the meters penalized the small merchants. Today the monster feeds on Allentown's poorest residents. Meters still extend out to 10th and Chew, 5 blocks well beyond the closest store. Over 100,000 tickets a year are issued to Allentown's poorest, mostly the intercity tenants. Now, 15 years after serving the needs of the BIG BOYS, the Authority again schemes for the connected. Now they give away the lots so that developers can have free to cheap KOZ opportunities. The new housing at 8th and Walnut was at the expense of the existing homeowners who used those lots as off street parking. The protest which came from a neighborhood group out of St. Pauls Church was labeled as naysayers to moving Allentown forward. Years ago the Authority paid millions for the lots, paid for them by aggressively ticketing the poor, and now are giving them back to the rich. The current plan is to "sell" a lot at 7th and Linden, used by the Verizon employees, so a developer can make a few bucks on unneeded townhouses.
Easton is beginning to realize their Parking Authority needs scrutiny. If they thought about it more, they may wonder why a town that size even needs an Authority at all. Please join me this wednesday Feb. 27, 4:00 pm at the Monsters house, 10th and Hamilton Sts., to support the Verizon workers attempt to retain their safe and convenient parking.

* I conducted a survey at that time, 40 out of the 47 merchants were opposed to the meter increase.

reprinted from February of 2008

The Morning Call/Muhlenberg Poll

The Morning Call/Muhlenberg Poll is like a broken clock, but it might be right in the race for the new 7th Congressional District.  The poll has Morganelli besting Wild and Edwards,  with a  good chance of winning in November. In the Republican Primary, it has Nothstein prevailing over Browning.

With Morganelli being more of centrist, and Dent demonstrating over the years that this political  philosophy resonates in the valley,  he may well win the Democratic primary.  Furthermore, to Morganelli's advantage,  I see the dedicated  progressive vote being split between Wild and Edwards.

While the new district gives the Democrats a slight advantage for November,  enormous sums of money will come into play for that election. Large sums have already come into play for the primary.

The Morning Call's Bill White, while wearing a virtual pink hat against Trump, has remained neutral in the primary.  Here in the local blogosphere I remain neutral, while Bernie O'Hare campaigns for Morganelli by bashing Wild.

The fall campaign will be hyper-charged by the special election to represent us for two months.  I expect the primary winners to also be the appointed candidates for that election.

The above photo of the Edwards/Sanders rally at Symphony Hall was taken by Kim Schaffer