The Huckabee Factor

When Trump appointed an evangelical as ambassador to Israel, I was surprised. Because that evangelical is Mike Huckabee, Trump is getting a surprise. On the right of Israel to pursue its Biblical lands, evangelicals are right up there with ultra religious setters.

Huckabee was a minister long before becoming a conservative politician, and will be more inclined to align with Netanyahu as the rift with Trump deepens. Knowing Trump's tolerance for dissent, Huckabee might want to start packing.

As I pen this Wednesday afternoon, Friday's proposed signing with Iran on Friday is a long way off in the world of Donald Trump. However, if it is signed, and Israel cooperates, the West Bank and Gaza will receive more attention.

ADDENDUM: Trump apparently signed the agreement yesterday at the G7 meeting. Quite a bit of controversy is brewing about how much money we're giving Iran, and exactly what the conflict accomplished.

JDS In South Whitehall

Not too many people living in South Whitehall contracted JDS*, but I did in 2014. I was at a township commissioner meeting when a commissioner told David Jaindl that he knows that what is good for Jaindl is good for the township. 

Now understand that the building we were in was on former Jaindl land, as was everything else between Cedar Crest Blvd. and Rt. 309. The current crop of commissioners came into power opposing the current development at Cedar Crest and Walbert, but that was not a Jaindl project. 

The company birthday card above stresses community, but is community really above business for the company? Do the current commissioners genuflect to Jaindl as did their predecessors? Needless to say, I'm exercising my knack of offending everybody with this post.**

*Jaindl Derangement Syndrome,

** I spend much more time thinking about Trump than I ever did Jaindl, but seeing the birthday card took me back to 2014.                                                                                                                                                                               P.S.  I support the current commissioners, and think that they're doing an excellent job.

Bill White's Review Of The Morning Call

In Bill White's recent column, he reminds us of how important local news is for democracy. I don't take issue with that premise, just with his memory about the Morning Call's objectivity. As someone closely involved with many issues for three decades, I can tell you which side the paper took on any given topic. I can tell you which reporters slanted which stories.

Remnants of that era still exist, Bill White among them. He and fellow Morning Call alumni always circle the wagon defending each other. I guess the notion that they didn't work for a Pulitzer caliber newspaper is more than they can accept. Ironically, one of their best reporter/columnists has been since shamed by scandal.

For outside columns, they have been using the same stable for decades. Don Cunningham, Tony Iannelli, and Alan Jennings still regularly appear. Like fine wines, apparently they improve with age.

The Re-Imaging Of Ed Pawlowski

Local media Morning Call and WFMZ have been running pieces on the upcoming reentry of former Mayor Ed Pawlowski. The current article by WFMZ states that Ed maintains his innocence, but apologies for his foolishness. Actually, Ed did fess up a couple years ago, but blamed his campaign staff.

While the media institutional memory is light, I was there since before day one. I actually ran against Pawlowski in his first election as a long shot independent. The Morning Call never even ran my picture and excluded me from their debate, but this reality report is about Pawlowski, and more so, Alan Jennings. 

Jennings has been Pawlowski's champion since the day they took him away. Considering that every city contract was awarded on the basis of contributions to Pawlowski, instead of value to the city, I question Jennings' compass. Jennings even suggests city hall might want to take advantage of his experience when released. When you run a sacred cow like Community Action as Jennings did, such organizations receive little to no scrutiny. They are a vessel for people and corporations to feel good about themselves, and perhaps get a tax deduction in the bargain. Over the years this blog has questioned several of their programs. In my opinion, they bought people fish markets, rather than giving them fishing poles, There always have been sacred cows, and there has always been cynics...Blogging was made for us cynics.

To Whom Is Tuerk Speaking Spanish

This week I took Matt to task twice, allow me to end the week with a trilogy. I question what is really behind his bi-lingual jogging posts? Are there that many Latinos in Allentown who do not understand English, or is the explanation for those bi-lingual posts political pandering?

I'm sure that there are those in the Latino community who will broadcast that Tuerk's Spanish videos show respect. Tuerk self describes as Allentown's first Latino mayor.

Tuerk being bi-lingual could benefit the city, but he would have to deliver much tougher messages than we have heard so far. Being in year five at city hall, he could take the opportunity to put some shine on a rust belt city. Pawlowski tried to ride the NIZ development to Harrisburg or Washington, but got detoured. While I see no such detour for Tuerk, I do see a missed opportunity.

Uncle Matt Wants The Teenagers To Call Him

I hope that Matt's plea for teenagers to contact him isn't the whole game plan against violence in Allentown. If so, we better button down the hatches very tightly. I watched kids in Reading doing burnouts around the Pagoda on WFMZ.  I remember when it was Reading's pride and joy. WFMZ covers commotion in both Allentown and Reading. The news stories have a short shelf life. Likewise, the Morning Call vacillates with their stories, either not at all, or for months on end. Either one, either way, there is much more commotion than we hear about.

Over the weekend there was a rescue at Canal Park. Some female was pulled from the middle of the Lehigh River. If she was homegrown or from New Jersey, I don't know...the story only appeared very briefly.

Of course the big problem with Matt's call-in plan is who will be calling? The junior achievers will be calling in with good suggestions, but they're not the shooters. The shooters wouldn't be caught dead calling in, or they might end up that way.

Mayor Says We Have To Do Better

Contacted in Los Angeles at another conference, Mayor Matt Tuerk said that We Have To Do Better in response to the recent shooting. Actually, he has to do better. Needless to say, enough with the conferences already. I was just complaining about him going to one in Madrid, Spain. Give us a break!

As for the police chief, if he's standing down on quality of life issues under the mayor's direction, maybe he's OK. If he's standing down on his own, time for a new chief. On my weekly cruise down Tilghman to Front, I noticed the usual disregard for traffic rules. A large group of motorcycles and motorized bikes pulled out of an alley onto Tilghman. 

I understand that the city has a Latino majority, and Tuerk has played that card well. But unless he hopes to be mayor forever, he has to also play the other cards. He should remind himself that even Victor Martinez couldn't get his preferred candidate elected in the 22nd District. 

There is more violence than is being reported. Recently there was a drive-by shooting in deep Hamilton Park. It's past time to think that Promise Neighborhoods, or any other profitable non-profit, can control the deteriorating situation. It is time for a beefed up police department. Who should lead it, and the city itself for that matter, are the questions?