Making Allentown Great Again

Last week a distractor on social media accused me of making something up, because I didn't mention someone by name in a post. Another comment portrayed this blog as incendiary.  Perhaps I should outline this blog's raison d'être. I do not publish a newspaper,  for local news I refer you to the Morning Call and WFMZ Channel 69.  I do bill this blog as informed commentary. Although my critics may take exception with that description,  I have been involved with local issues for decades.

Although many people access the net on a mobile device,  the design aspects of this blog are for the web.  On that version a search engine is provided on the right sidebar.  Because the blog is eleven years old,  readers can find a post on almost any local topic of interest.

I am neither diplomatic or politically correct.  Some of my posts may occasionally annoy some people. While that outcome is not my normal intention,  I must confess to having posed for the above picture with that result in mind.

The Kavanaugh/Ford Hearing

Christine Ford certainly delivered yesterday in emotionality. However, as Brett Kavanaugh sharply noted, there is nothing to corroborate  her recollection. Those who supported or opposed the nomination still hold the same opinion.... That is the usual outcome of any 36 year old allegation. 

While using the word performance seems insensitive, what we had yesterday was pure theater, packaged as testimony and fact finding.

Shown above, Tom Hanks preparing for his role as Mr. Rogers.

Hatred Of Trump Bankrupts News

The hatred of Trump has changed the nature of journalism in the United States.  While several years ago certain select media were known for their bias,  now it's become difficult to find an impartial source.  Both CNN and The Washington Post have foregone any pretense of objectivity.  My use of the word bankrupt in the headline refers only to journalistic integrity,  the slanted news may well be very profitable.

While CNN and The Washington Post presented Trump as a laughing stock at the UN,  The Wall Street Journal presented his speech without such editorial comment.  Although he may be both inarticulate and undiplomatic,  he is correct that we have been bankrolling those who oppose our own interests.

Last night 2,499 liberals and one conservative attended the Joan Baez concert in Philadelphia.  After the show, Ms. Baez took a knee and told the audience that they must resist.  Although her sincerity is beyond doubt, I wondered what improving matrix she actually opposes....

A Difficult Promise To Keep

The liberals in Allentown are excited about a new organization in town,  The Promise Neighborhood.  My readers may recall that I broke the news that councilwoman Cynthia Mota works for them,  after she nominated their director for interim mayor, without disclosing her employment.

Normally, I prefer not to express my cynicism about such things, but the Promise Neighborhood is gearing up with a state grant that I involuntarily contributed to.  The new program aims to reduce gun violence by counseling victims not to retaliate.  The strategy hails from Chicago,  and we all know how successful that community has been in reducing shootings.

The plan will be formally introduced to the public on October 19th, and seek feedback from the community.  Hope they appreciate my early commentary.  Although I'm skeptical about their methodology,  certainly the goal is most worthwhile.  I personally would prefer my taxes to be spent on the public school system,  rather than grants to multiple agencies and their separate staffs.

Allentown's Big One

Allentown is like Fred Sanford, waiting for the big one.  Redd Foxx played Fred, a junkman, who whenever stressed, was expecting the big heart attack, which would join him with his deceased wife.

The Morning Call has been speculating that perhaps ADP is the new Reilly tenant that will finally revitalize downtown....that ADP might be the big one.  Reilly doesn't have to count his baby chicks,  the Morning Call does that for him.

There will be more people walking around during lunch hour,  but besides that, don't expect much.  There is no vibe in center city to motivate anybody to stay there beyond their work hours.  Each new building by Reilly has less architectural merit than the preceding blue glass box.

The only excitement will be in the Morning Call articles, describing the big one.

Shootings In Allentown

Over the weekend there was another shooting in Allentown. Funny thing about these shootings, in most of the cases, nobody knows nothing. Nobody hears, sees or says anything to help the police solve these crimes. However, let someone get pushed down by a police officer, then we have videos and testimony against police brutality.

The recent shooting was on 4th Street, but don't expect to see any advocacy groups protesting the violence, or the public's lack of cooperation.


molovinsky on allentown is published weekdays Monday thru Friday.  You will find a perspective and candor here not found anywhere else in the valley. Comments are accepted using your name or by establishing a pseudonym. Pseudonym identities remain unknown to both myself and other readers. Your readership is appreciated.

The Morning Calling

It's getting more and more difficult to justify a Morning Call subscription.  How many times can they write with a straight face that Reilly's new tower tenant is a gain for the valley, when they know full well that the tenant is just being poached from elsewhere else in the valley. .

“When you can retain a Fortune 500 company and facilitate the expansion of a business like this, it’s a huge benefit to the Valley and to Allentown.” 

Reilly's gain is always not just another local developer's loss, but a loss to the taxpayer's as well.  Those state taxes being given to Reilly's debt service are being made up by us.

I don't follow or read the sports section,  I hope that coverage is better.  Meanwhile, Bill White keeps using the opinion platform to write endlessly about the dunking clown, someone should tell him that the fair has left town.

I suppose we should be grateful that we still even have a paper.  Reilly now owns the Morning Call building,  and the operating media company, Tronc,  is entertaining several offers for a new publisher.  When it comes to the majority minority population, everyone walks on eggshells.  The paper wrote today that the man shot outside Dorney Park was supposedly harassing motorists.  Police were called to the scene for that very reason by several people.  A woman previously verified that the man hung on her moving car and smashed out the side window.

Racial Profiling In Allentown

Christopher Fitzgerald, who was acquitted of brandishing a gun at detectives in 2014,  is now suing the county for false arrest.  In an earlier suit which was dismissed,  he also accused the detectives of racial profiling.  Readers may remember that the victim/defendant is the son of the former police chief in Allentown.  The chief was hired after a nationwide search.  The chief's son was then hired by Lehigh County Prison as a guard.  He slammed on his brakes on 7th Street with a car behind him,  and then displayed a gun when the car behind him came alongside.  The car happen to be occupied by detectives, and Fritzgerald was arrested by Whitehall Police in the parking lot of the Lehigh Valley Mall.

In a well covered trial, young Fitzgerald was acquitted of charges stemming from the incident.  He was defended by high power Philadelphia lawyer Jack McMahon,  who would later defend Pawlowski, who had hired Fitzgerald's dad as police chief.

The Fitzgerald had no problem with racial profiling when the father was hired as police chief.  They had no problem with profiling when junior was given a job at the prison. That only happened when the Hispanic detective in the car behind him got annoyed at him waving a Glock handgun.