Ed and Matt, Two Charter Abusers

Back in 1996, Allentown had a charter commission to recommend new guidelines. The issue then was deciding if we wanted a Managing Director or a Mayor. The blue ribbon panel decided on a strong mayor format.

City Hall continued as such, until Ed Pawlowski hired a managing director to help him. Matt Tuerk has followed suit, and also hired a managing director.

Ed and Matt had similar motivations. Ed wanted to be free to run for higher office. Matt wants to be free to go on junkets. One common denominator is this long term blogger. In Ed's case, I just started the blog in 2007.....I'm still here, now on Matt's case.

shown above blogger phoning out from his underground bunker during Pawlowski indictment

Another Junket For Mayor Tuerk

Recently, I took Mayor Tuerk to task for his junket to Madrid, Spain. Since then, he went on one to Los Angelos, and now is in Tangier, Morocco*. Although he posted on Facebook about the Front Street fire, and mentioned how exhausted the firefighters were, residents just assumed that he was on the scene...They assumed wrong. 

With the mayor being limited to two terms, he has started his lame duckness almost immediately after being elected. I don't know how to say that he's screwing the voters in Spanish, but they appreciate that he can.

I don't know what, if any recourse the voters and city council have against this early pattern of abuse, but I hope that they assert themselves.

*UCLG World Congress and World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders: Held in Tangier from June 23–26. This event is gathering local and regional government leaders to discuss sustainable development, education, and international urban management.

Did The Trump Visit Help Mackenzie

My guess is not only didn't the visit help him, it actually hurt him. Trump is so polarizing, what good could it possibly have done Mackenzie? Mackenzie had no primary, only the upcoming general against a strong Democrat. Bob Brooks beat Ryan Crosswell, who was immensely qualified, well financed and campaigned hard.

I surmise that Mackenzie didn't have that much choice about the visit to Mack. Trump, as usual, was motivated by his own ego, he couldn't even remember Mackenzie's name.

Mackenzie has been a grinning sycophant since day one, so now he will pay the price come November. While the Republicans will squeeze out some encouragement by the turnout at Mack, they better not overvalue it. Maybe they will get lucky, and Trump won't return before midterms.

Cage Fight At Destination Playground

On Saturday night at Cedar Beach, by the Destination Playground, hundreds of young denizens cheered on no less than three separate concurring fist fights. If the event was sponsored by the Recreation Department, I do not know.

I do know that the Park Department must coordinate for more security. Although they do a pretty good job of cleaning up after the denizens, it is not so across Ott Street, by the Rose Gardens.

Back in 2005, the Trexler Trust commissioned a study which concluded that the Cedar Beach area was being overused. Since that time, it is actually being used much more, and supported by the Parknership, a  new project by the Trust. It is high-test political correctness, with myself and other traditional park advocates excluded. They put pretty pictures on their website, but I don't think you'll see the litter and the fights.

Carry In/Carry Out Doesn't Work For Allentown

The current national park philosophy, adopted by Allentown, is Carry In/Carry Out.  In our environmentally woke time, the belief is that people will take their trash with them, after they guzzled their sports drink.  Allentown accordingly removed most of the trash containers from the parks, instead installing larger capacity containers, which only have to be emptied once a week.  While previously one man and a pickup truck removed the bags, now a dump truck, two men and crane are used to extract the 8ft. long bags from a pit below the containers. 

It all sounds wonderful, until you drive through downtown Allentown any Monday morning...It looks like there was a parade every weekend.  The litter in Allentown is astounding...Many throw their trash down even if there is a container within several feet.  Parents throw down their trash in front of their children.

Rather than less trash containers in our parks, we should have installed more.  There is nothing Allentown  can learn from national park bureaucrats.  Our traditional park system was second to none.

above reprinted from August of 2021

ADDENDUM JUNE 7, 2022: Early on Monday mornings, a park employee fills large containers gathering all the trash tossed down on both sides of Cedar Park over the weekend.  Although the department did add some containers back since the above post was written last year, littering is a reality in the new Allentown. As the department adds new events and recreational features to our parks, this problem will only increase.

ADDENDUM JULY 26, 2023: Mayor Tuerk, in keeping with both your inclusionary and bi-lingual policies, please don't be bashful about Do Not Litter signs in both English and Spanish, No Bote Basura.

ADDENDUM JULY 23, 2024:Mandy Tolino, the park director, is beginning to see the light, or should I say the litter. She announced that the parks will have more trash containers and that seasonal No Litter signs would be installed in both English and Spanish. Add even a few more containers for good measure, and leave those signs up all year. 

ADDENDUM JUNE 23, 2026:The Rose Garden side of Cedar Park never gets short changed on its share of litter. While there is no guareentee that the denizens would use the additional constainers, no harm in trying.

Republican Treats For Incumbent Midterms

If you don't have a treat to feed a dog in the park, most dog owners will give you one to feed their dog. Likewise, with Trump coming to Mack Trucks, they're allowing Ryan Mackenzie to announce the continuation of the Mack Defense Contract. Although Mackenzie will blab about what he does for the local economy, in truth, Mack Defense has already produced hundreds of these trucks, long before Mackenzie.

I imagine that Trump on his campaign to retain the Republican incumbents will be handing out such treats all over the country. The Trump administration has been promoting defense spending, so Mack Defense would be in good shape, even if Susan Wild was still in Congress.

Will the treat help Mackenzie come November against Bob Brooks? I think that there will be blue wave, and this area is too purple to save Mackenzie.

ADDENDUM: The above post was written before Trump melted down and threatened the Iranian delegates. How Congress and Mackenzie will react to the obvious mental crisis in the White House will govern the midterms.

Twerking OurTaxes And Good Sense

 

On July 25th Archer Music Hall will be hosting a Latino dance party. Recently they had local boxing matches. The Archer is a NIZ project by J.B. Reilly, near 10th and Hamilton. To further identify the intersection as the new arts district, the Allentown Art Museum will move to that corner.

Although that move enhances Reilly and has the blessings of the city, this dour blogger continues to speak out. Last time I checked, the Arts Park was supposed to enhance the art district on 5th Street, which consisted of the park, Baum Art School and the Museum.

The Museum board puppies are going along with Reilly's scheme, and not a yelp out of the Baum board puppies. When the dust settles, we will no longer have a cultural district in either place.