When Kahane Came To Allentown

He told the Jews gathered in Allentown that their leaders were spineless, that's how the controversial rabbi spoke. When Meir Kahane came to town in the summer of 1990, none of the Jewish institutions would give him space to speak. Before immigrating to Israel, he had formed the Jewish Defense League in NYC in 1968. He lectured that turning the other cheek was a Christian concept, and that the minimum take away from the Holocaust was that American Jews should own a gun, and know how to use it. His views in Israel about nationalism on the West Bank were much more controversial, and he was jailed there for incitement.
His speech in Allentown was one of his last. He was assassinated later that year during a speech in NYC. 

above reprinted from 2014, 2018

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 12,2019: Although it was 50 years ago that Kahane formed the Jewish Defense League in the NYC area, a resurgence of that group would still be needed today.

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FBI Agent On Pawlowski

Yesterday I attended the taping of Iannelli's Business Matters Show. He was interviewing former FBI agent Scott Curtis, who had investigated Ed Pawlowski.  Last time I saw Iannelli, I was a guest on a panel about the NIZ, arguing with Mike Fleck.  Speaking of Mike Fleck, Curtis had some interesting comments about him.  He revealed that Fleck was the backbone of the information and case against Pawlowski, and because of that, he felt that Fleck received too long of a sentence. After the interview, he was asked twice if he felt that Fleck was the real mastermind of the shakedowns. Curtis repeatedly made clear that Pawlowski was in charge, and it was him that called the shots. The most revealing aspect of the case that Curtis disclosed was the sluggishness of the prosecution.  He had to do a lot of the transcriptions and other work himself,  normally done by the prosecutor's office.

For me the saddest question was by someone who identified himself as a member of the city's ethics commission. He wanted to know what could be done to make sure that such corruption never occurs again. Clearly this gentleman doesn't read this blog. I can't imagine the cheery thoughts one must have in their brain to think that city hall is now completely corruption free*.

*By "corruption" I'm not referring to the exchange of money or bribes, but rather a compromise of good ideals.  It can be harassment by an inspector, as I have documented recently,  or misplaced priorities, as in the park department's neglect of the WPA.

photocredit:molovinsky

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Fast Tracking Jaindl Sponsored Interchange

Although Jaindl and two other real estate interests* have only been sponsoring a study for an additional interchange on Rt 78 at Adams Road since 2016, Penn Dot has announced that funds will be shifted to that use,  instead of widening Rt. 22, which has been on the public's wish list for decades.

Jaindl's group has moved their agenda along at warp speed with the help of local state senator Pat Browne, who apparently started lobbying the Penndot secretary from day one.  Although local planners and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission have been advocating for Rt. 22 improvements for well over a decade,  there hasn't been a peep out their director, Becky Bradley, about the Jaindl group's windfall and the public's loss.  Her comments have been limited to praising Browne about the Rt. 78 improvements.

It's wonderful for our local movers and shakers to prosper beyond their dreams here in the valley of apathy. There is no local paper which scrutinizes such dealings, only a couple of blogs.

*National Freight Inc. and Liberty Property Trust

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The Wage Of Fame

As a young man in the mid 1930's, Abe Simon worked summers as a life guard at Coney Island. Girls would pretend to be drowning to meet the 6'5" hunk. The former high school star athlete was recruited to boxing by Jock Whitney, future Ambassador to Britain. Although amassing a winning record, absorbing punches from the likes of Buddy Bear, Jersey Joe Walcott and Joe Louis took their toll on Simon.

Simon's brother congratulates him after going 13 rounds with Louis in Detroit in March of 1941, earning a second shot at the Heavyweight Title.

ADDENDUM: Abe Simon, a heavyweight who fought in the early 1940's, was a cousin of my mother. In December of 2012, I chronicled the Joe Louis boxing era in a series of posts on this blog. I try and reprint a few each December.

Distortion In South Whitehall

“Our vote was transparent and in full compliance with applicable laws, and anyone who suggests otherwise is distorting the truth,” Morgan said in her introductory statement to the packed house. Morgan knows about deception, she has been fooling voters for years.

South Whitehall is the only municipality I know of where voters must wait until the end of a meeting to speak. Commission President Morgan has been playing that trick card for years.

She knows full well that the commissioners were not bound to name a replacement for Mark Pinsley from the same party. Pinsley clearly used his commission seat only as a stepping stone, first running for state senator, and then county controller.

 She has also been cooperating with the Wildlands Conservancy to fulfill their desire to demolish Wehr's Dam, again ignoring the will of the residents.

Starting in the new year South Whitehall will have a new board, save for one holdover. Unfortunately,  the holdover is Morgan. Hopefully the new commissioners will have much more respect for voters than Morgan ever demonstrated.

Pennsylvania Short Changes Lehigh Valley

The state and its local messenger, Pat Browne, have been good to J.B. Reilly's NIZ, but for the rest of us, not so much. Browne and the state announced that interstate 78 will be upgraded, but the Rt. 22 widening is now effectively cancelled. Every day from 4:00PM until after 6:30, Rt. 22 turns into a parking lot. Also put on hold are improvements to the Tilghman Street Rt. 309 entrances. Unless you're an owl, it is impossible to safely enter the highway.

In a recent post I took the state to task for the numerous commissions that siphon funds away from actual improvements to our roads. Last year I took the turnpike to task for removing the toll both from the Pocono exit, charging the entire turnpike full length toll from unsuspecting traveling victims.

While we have one of the largest full time state houses in the country, every few years the elected fakers promise reforms, and then laugh about it behind our backs. I remember when the lottery would reduce your property taxes. I remember when gambling would abate your school property taxes.

I don't know who your state representative is, but if you think that you're being well represented, you're not very well informed.

Wildlands Conservancy's Thrill Of Hypocrisy

Yesterday, was the last day of the Conservancy's Annual Lehigh River Sojourn. The event was well covered by The Morning Call, with both a reporter and photographer on board one of the rafts. The three day event started with a talk by Chris Kocher, President of the Wildlands. The group gets grants during the winter to demolish dams, and grants during the summer to conduct this educational sojourn on the Lehigh river. Last year, Wildlands spend over $250,000 in grant money on just a study, promoting the removal of Wehr's Dam. Their website stated that the Lehigh Sojourn would take place rain or shine, but doesn't explain why. What Chris Kocher and The Morning Call fail to reveal is that their raft adventure is scheduled to coincide with the water release from the Francis E. Walter Dam in White Haven. It is only because of this dam that the Lehigh has a steady flow of water, and that these hypocrites can get their whitewater thrill.

photo of Wildlands Conservancy hypocrites enjoying dam release by Harry Fisher of The Morning Call

reprinted from June 30, 2015

ADDENDUM: This past Sunday, June 5, 2016,  Chris Kocher had an editorial in The Morning Call praising the accomplishments of his organization.  Although he mentions their upcoming river trip this summer, he doesn't use the word dam.  Additionally, although he mentions stream miles open for fish passage,  he still doesn't use the word "dam."  He doesn't mention demolishing a 10 inch high WPA dam, and dumping the rubble around the beautiful stone bridge piers.  He doesn't mention contributing to the largest fish kill in Lehigh Valley history, by demolishing the Fish Hatchery Dam, which regulated the water flow into the fish ponds during storm flooding.  He doesn't mention spending  $259,000 on  a taxpayer funded engineering study, to greatly inflate the cost of repairing Wehr's Dam.  He doesn't mention reneging on his own pledge to back away from trying to demolish Wehr's Dam.   The Wildlands Conservancy remains a sacred cow, allowing people to feel politically correct about the environment,  even if the Conservancy tells a few fibs along the way to pay their own salary.

above reprinted from June of 2016

UPDATE DECEMBER 4, 2019. In an article in yesterday's paper, Chris Kocher brays about getting a grant from Harrisburg to preserve some acreage on South Mountain.  He is using the same Harrisburg connections to undermine the voter's wishes to preserve Wehr's Dam.  While the Morning Call continues to carry water for Kocker and Wildlands, it refuses letters to inform the public about the true Wehr's Dam situation.

Planning Public Delusion In Lehigh Valley

The Morning Call recently shared an opinion piece by the director of the regional planning commission. Understand that we who write blogs such as this, don't suffer bureaucrat speak very well. This particular editorial contained every gimmick in their book.  Needless to say, she conducted the routine survey getting input from all sectors of the community.

The piece's premise was balancing the urban growth with our picture perfect surrounding countryside.  Such successful bureaucrats never let the back room nitty gritty dealing get in the way of their narrative.  While the paper shows a picture of the new construction in downtown Allentown,  the article overlooks the fact that all the buildings are owned by one man, and that we're paying for them.  When she writes about the countryside,  she likewise omits the reality that almost all the farmland is owned or leased by one man, who grows feed corn. In the myth, they're all little private farms, growing the food on our table. When she writes about the need for trails and light rail,  she ignores the reality that the new trails are being made from the former rail right of ways.

Her real job isn't to convey the hard truth to the public, that's my job.  Her job is to delude the public that their future well being is being planned for by concerned leadership, rather than by some nitty gritty backroom opportunists.