Back in May, QCD reported Joyce Marin's confirmation as Allentown's new Director of Community & Economic Development, a job with an annual $87,000 paycheck. At that time, curmudgeon Michael Molivinsky complained "she is a 'trainee' at best, why not pay her as such? Her claims to fame, career wise, is bringing bike racks to Emmaus as their Main Street Manager, and scheduling a small part time 'farmers market' for this summer on Hamilton Street."Now that Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski has been forced to file an accurate campaign finance report (he did it late Wednesday), we know why this "trainee" is paid so well. On January 18, 2008, she contributed $150 to Pawlowski's campaign, and followed that up with a much larger, $1,000, donation on August 15, 2008.
Follow the money.
93 comments:
Wonder if the Morning Call will find this newsworthy?
Bernie, any idea whether other senior Pawlowski staff members make contributions like this?
The Banker
Banker, I will have ALL contributions online by early next week. Many hands make light work. I will check department heads, but the Marin contribution jumped out at me.
Cheap, F'n shot at a damn good person and lady. Shame on you, Bernie O'Hare. Why don't you list each and every person that you have ever donated to? Wait, that's right, they pay you. Why don't you list all the campaigns that you have given "In Kind" to with your hatchet jobs on their opponents.
If you go through every finance report of every elected official in every state in the union, you will find contributions from political appointees to their boss. It's in their best interst to get him elected again. If he loses it costs MArin and others a lot more than 1000 bucks.
Lets face it Bernie propositioned her ans she said no, as did every other woman on the planet. Bernie trashes every woman he can. Patty Grube probably resigned from Council to avoid him.
Anon 3:51pm, you're probably right - but it still stinks. When do we hold our elected officials and their appointees to higher standards than that?
The Banker
The reason campaign finance laws exist is precisely so that people can make these observations. The law requires transparency. I find it highly interesting that Marin contributed $1,150 to Pawlowski's campaign in the year she was appointed to a cabinet level position. I'm sure she would deny there is any sort of quid pro quo and would argue she is merely exercising her First Amendment rights.
So am I.
As far as my own practices are concerned, I have not made a financial or in kind contribution to anyone since '06. Nor has anyone paid me.
But I am flattered you would think this small blog could be so effective in influencing public opinion. Thanks.
I'd rather see him shake down the people working for him than every business in the city.
Anon 3:51 is wrong. In some instances, the practice is illegal. In others, the elected official refuses to play the game.
Stoffa is one example. None of his cabinet officials contribute to him. Government office should not be for sale to the highest bidder.
Anon 3:51c apparently condones the "government for sale" mantra. I do not.
Bernie, agreed - and Anon 3:56, it appears he's doing both, and they're both wrong.
The Banker
Wow! We've got someone defending a mayor who shakes down his staff.
not defnding, just saying better them than us.
Bernie -
I thought there was an ordinance in Allentown which bars employees from participating in campaigns or making contributions.
I think it was passed long ago to prevent exactly this sort of thing from occurring.
Next you will be accusing Bernie of letting Ron Angle buy him meals. HAH!
Like that would ever happen. I'm sure McClure or Dertinger would glady buy O'Hare a meal, as long as it included a side order of food poisoning.
Though I'm sure Dent's people never gave Bernie a bite at all, right bernie? They would never help feed a starving Blogger.
Anon 3:16 - Morning Call doesn't find Bernie's dumps interesting anymore. So Sad
Anon 4:26, So far as I know, no such pordinance exists. You may be referring to the macing law, which prevents a mayor from requiring workers to contribute.
Anon 5:30, As long as you find my dumps interesting, that's all that matters. I'll be making a deposit later and will think of you.
Anon 5:29, Instead of responding on the merits, you engage in baseless ad hominems, a typical Pawlowski tactic designed to deflect and misdirect away from the real issue. It does not work here.
Quite frankly, $1,150 is not a "high bid" for an $87,000/year job. I find it difficult to believe that had much to do w/the job. If others wanted to "bid" for the job, as you put it, I'm sure we'd see a higher contribution. Transparency is one thing, but let's make some realistic conclusions instead of taking a cheap shot.
Anon 6:35,
Finally! An argument on the merits. Was that hard?
If I could prove conclusively that Marin bought her job, she and Pawlowski would be in jail right now. That's why it is called legal bribery. No one who works for or does business with a government should be permitted to contribute to candidates for office there. These payments create a cluture of corruption under which not much time passes before we have illegal instead of legal brobery.
Agreed. And what is the message sent to the other employees in city hall who may or may not be supporters of the mayor.
While it may not be a lot of "cake" for JM, it is not that easy for everyone.
Some call it corruption, others may call it extortion. Only who is the extortionist - EP or JM or both?
Is Mike Fleck on any of the reports?
He and Mayor Ed are real tight.
Is this illegal?
Did they meet in a dark alley where she asked, "Pssst, Ed. If I give you a grand will you give me that plum job you've got over there?"
C'mon. A personal contribution of a grand?
Illegal? No. This is completely legal, but now we know why Pawlowski wqas dragging his feet about filing this report. Unfortunately, this is only one of several jaw dropping contributions that would make me hesitate before voting for this guy. I will be liosting them all early next week and you can judge for yourself.
Marquis de Lafayette,
I did not see Fleck's name as a contributor.
Anon 8:17,
Nobody has said they met in a dark alley. What I have said is that Marin is paid $87k and she gave Pawlowski $1,150. Marin and/or Pawlowski can justify this however they please. Over the years, I've heard it all. There is little doubt in my mind that Marin views that payment as job retention insurance.
Soooo all the assistant Da's that contribute to Morganelli are buying their jobs and paying to keep them. All the lawyers who dutifully belly-up for Judge elections want to ENSURE A GREAT PERSON WINS or just want to get their name noticed.
I actually tend to agree with you O'Hare but you are very selective in your detective work. Every major Pol in the area gets money from people who work for them or did work for them. You assume it is a 'deal'.
Now we can continue the game. A janitor for the County gave Stoffa a large contribution in 05, I won't mention his name but many wondered how he could give so much. Word was he was the bag man for the angry Public works guys. Word was after the election Stoffa tried to strong arm the then Director of Public Works to give him a promotion. Who knows, but at least when things are in the open we can all draw are own conclusions. In Stofffas silly attempt to be 'clean' to you and the Press, he took the janitor money and you never did ask him point blank if he offered a prominent non-profit Human Services Executive a job when asking for a contribution, I'm sure he will say it was just a joke.
At least the law makes things public and people can judge for themselves. Of course you are selelctive in what and who you point out.
I think Ms. Marin is an airhead and agree she was a poor choice. I am just amazed at your 'reporting'.
And there is no doubt in my mind that you Bernie O'hare, have an agenda to use any bystander you can to destroy Ed Pawlowski.
It's a cheap shot, and you have no qualms about who you piss on. Don't expect Paul Marin to be so polite next time.
"It's a cheap shot, and you have no qualms about who you piss on."
None at all. I have constantly condemned pay to play politics. If it pisses someone off, too bad. If that means Paul Marin won't like me, I won't lose any sleep.
Anon 9:02,
I don't know where you've been but I've written several posts condemning John Morganelli's campaign finances, particularly the Atiyeh connection. I like John, but I have been pretty uniform about this.
I will back off when someone seeks state office bc you need gobs of money so $1k here and there means nothing. But in an A-town mayoral race, $1k is a lot of money.
As far as maintenance worker Bob Ford's contribution to Stoffa is concerned, it was meaningless. Ford had a non-exempt job and there was no way Stoffa could help or hurt him. And that was Ford's money. He lived a very frugal lifestyle and would tell you himself if he were still alive. Unfortunately, you have to make a point, and fail, over his dead body. If you look at his estate. It is pretty big bc he did not spend money. Bob Ford happened to believe in Stoffa. Stoffa accepted Ford's contribution bc he could not help or hurt him.
Stoffa is the antithesis of pay to play. You know that. His cabinet level officials did not help him get elected. They do not make yearly contributions as Reibman's cabinet did. Assistant PDs are left alone, too. Over the period that King Edwin collected $100k last year, county exec Stoffa collected nothing.
He detests the pernicious influence of money in politics. It's one reason why I am such a strong supporter. He stands for good government while you besmirch the memory of a good man.
The thought that Ms. Marin would need to pay for her job is laughable. I don't see anything remotely eyebrow raising about a 1K contribution from a well-off couple. People who work for the mayor are going to contribute to his campaign - if they didn't you'd point that out as evidence that he's awful. If they do you claim some sort of overt or social extortion, which is ridiculous. People contribute because they believe in his vision or because the thought of Tony Phillips running the show is frightening. The Morning Call would not find it newsworthy because it is not news, and the suggestion otherwise borderlines on slander.
I also wonder if it 'jumped out at you' because she is a woman. You have a baaaaaaaaaad track record with women who make more money than you do! But hey, that's just an observation.
Ms. Marin is no airhead, are you kidding me!? She is incredibly smart, thoughtful and motivated. She is great for this city.
Let me get this straight. Legal bribery is fine if the person doing it is loaded? I see.
Legal bribery is fine if done by a woman? I see. i guess police better release that female bank robber right now.
The suggestion that this post has anything to do with the fact that Marin is female is simply ridiculous.
Instead of defending this bribery, you should be calling for legislative reform. But you choose to attack the person who tells you what is actually going on.
Since when are campaign contributions bribery!? I'm confused. Are you suggesting there should be a law preventing government employees from making campaign contributions?
Campaign contribitions that come from potential government contractors or employees have long been called "legal bribery." When large donations result in employment or a government contract, it presents an appearance problem, at the very least.
State rep. Doug Reichley has told The Pittsburgh Tribune he will push for legislation that prohibits anyone from receiving a government contract within one year of contributing to the campaign of an officeholder at the state, county or municipal level. I would argue this bill should be expanded to include employment as well and will make that known to Mr. Reichley.
I understand the argument that banning these contributions will not work, but at the least, we need betteer disclosure and tougher sanctions for people like Pawlowski, who routinely thumb their noses at filing requirements.
Legal Bribery-
So if I don't work for Ed and support him, I'm contributing. But if I work for him and have a vested interest in seeing him continue to win, then its bribery?
That's the best you can do with all of that info you have in front of you? So, are the employees of companies who are forced to take a week off unpaid to help keep their companies in business engaging in bribery? It's the same thing. Of course they are going to contribute.
You really need to look up the definition of pay to play my good friend, 'cause this ain't it. If he demands money for contracts or approvals, fire away, but taking a donation from an employee who is out of work if he loses? That's not the definition.
And to correct you before? There is nowhere that donations from an employee are illegal. Even in states that recognize and understand pay to play like the neighbor to the east, employee donations are accepted. Go after the contractors, lawyers etc. who make a living on the public dole.
The Janitor
Why can’t the Democrat posters on this blog just admit that what Ed Pawlowski is doing to Allentown is wrong? Why instead attack and impugn the messengers of the truth? You do your own cause no service with these base tactics.
If Ed Pawlowski was a good mayor we would pay him no heed. The deterioration of our own quality of life and the anxiety many residents feel about the future here in the city is very real.
Scott Armstrong
"And to correct you before? There is nowhere that donations from an employee are illegal. Even in states that recognize and understand pay to play like the neighbor to the east, employee donations are accepted."
You are incorrect. Pay to play applies to any pol who awards a big campaign donor with favors, whether it is a government contract or a job. In fact, there is an outright BAN on all political activity by judicial employees in Pa. bc it presents an appearance of impropriety.
I am uncertain whether the 8 states that have adopted P2P laws include a ban on campaign contributions by municipal workers. But I do know that Philadelphia's Committee of Seventy includes this as part of its roadmap to reform, along with a proposal that all ties by city employees to nonprofits must be disclosed.
So now the arbitrary yardstick is if they run for the state or above they can get big contributions from their staff and you are ok because it is more expensive. Of course a St. Sen and St. Rep covers an area of less size than a Mayor or County Executive.
But ANY other Office holder better not accept a certain amount over a figure YOU arbitrarily decide or it is a bribe and you are free to call people crooks.
But if I am a Mayor and say one day I may run for Lt. Gov, it is OK to take big contributions from anyone cause I need a lot of $$$.
You realize you are insane don't you?
I mean even your Stoffa example is whack. Stoffa only won because Reibman screwed up bigtime and also took Stoffa for granted. Nyce ran a horrible campaign with a divided Republican Party, half of which helped Stoffa. Republicans got jobs after he won but that money funneled through a former Republican Chair, now that was smart, I have to admit. Of course than there was the threat Stoffas gang made at Nyce if he went after Stoffa's record.
But even a goof like Stoffa is no big deal. Your arbitrary attacks on specific targets without the benefit of law is sad.
I am a realist. I speak out against the influence-peddling that goes on in local politics. I speak out less on state races bc (1) gobs of money are required and it takes much larger sums to mean something; ans (2) one person can have more influence on local politics than on state or national politics.
As far as Stoffa is concerned, the only person who has ever suggested any form of influence-peddling is you, and you're anonymonus. Every claim made about Stoffa, from his "development" to his campaign finances, has always turned out to be false. Now you're claiming that the R chair is the bagman for people like Conklin, wo was in Florida when John was elected... Do you realizze you're insane?
The focus of this post is Pawlowski, Marin and the $1150 she contributed to him. Stick to the topic.
Anon 9:02
You said
"Word was after the election Stoffa tried to strong arm the then Director of Public Works to give him a promotion."
The word is shit. If you have facts to back up your accusation you could have Stoffa driven out of office - something which I know you would like to do.
So I'm calling your bluff. Produce FACTS or STFU.
And while you're at it.... if you can come up with even a shred of a need to know where Bob Ford gets his money, why don't you just grow a pair and ask him? Act like a man instead of a slug.
Demothug,
Bod Ford, I'm sorry to tell you, is dead. This anonymous asshole accuses a dead county worker of being a bag man, knowing he can't defend himself. He has all the charm of a rattlesnake. County workers will love to read how one of their own is disparaged now that he is gone.
oh, cut her some slack. so what if she did buy a job. it's not like she does anything really important or vital.
besides, employment agencies charge at least 4X her political contribution.
I've always said that it is so unfair that Allentown is run by a politician while the suburban Townships are run by qualified, competent professionals. Joyce is a perfect example. She has no business whatsoever running the Community Development of Pennsylvania's 3rd largest city. How many over paid political hacks do City tax payers have to provide jobs to?
Bernie: The more Pawlowski attack dogs they put on your site, the more relevent your material must be. Thanks for your snooping and keep up the great work.
"I've always said that it is so unfair that Allentown is run by a politician while the suburban Townships are run by qualified, competent professionals."
Anon 7:00
Haven't you been reading the papers? Lower Macungie was robbed of millions. Upper Macungie, Whitehall, and Lynn Township have had supervisors smacked by the Ethics Commission which is not noted for aggressive investigation.
Wake up and realized the truth.
Around City Hall we call her the Wicked Witch of the West.
She's not really a "resident" of the City either. She rents one of the Farr Lofts.
Her husband is completely off-track too. He's the worst proponent for regional rail there could be. They think it's all about getting to New York. It's not - it's about them coming to the Valley. Why would people do that? To go to a casino maybe - but there isn't anything in Allentown to attract them.
Clueless idiots are destroying the City,
Hey BM, I KNOW Joyce Marin personally and I KNOW she has the best interests at heart when it comes to the revitalization of A-town. I, believe, at this moment, she is laying the groundwork down for the future success of the city.
Now, with that said, I can understand what you are getting at with "legal bribery". Whether it is 150.00 or 1000.00, if it SEEMS inappropriate, maybe it needs to be avoided. You are stating that she may have used her donation to obtain influence to get her position? It's not impossible, but highly improbable, in MY humble opinion. Was this one of the items the Mayor didn't want us to see in the filed paperwork ? Perhaps. Does it make a difference ? In your opinion, yes, and you DO make a good point. I am just hoping that if ANYTHING comes from this, it will be that Joyce Marin and her staff read this blog and get "mad as hell" and aggressively hit the streets and make a huge difference in its' economic development (The best REVENGE is SUCCESS, BM) and future leaders and contributors will be wary about their actions so that this type of post won't appear about them.
Alfonso Todd
Bernie,
What has she done? What new businesses are downtown? $87,000!!! That's outrageous with so many very talented Lehigh Valley wide corporate executives out of work, one of them would gladly do this job for less ! Shame on her.
To 8:54 AM Sat. post.
What has Mrs. Marin actually done to enhance downtown businesses? You make a valid point. Let's be fair to her so please list a few so we can understand why you support her. We are not against her but would like to hear what's she's done. What about that FARR Loft. Is that true? Does she not even live in city limits? Maybe she doesn't have to live in the city to keep her job. Donno know.
Burne - this post is over the top. First of all, the headline is libelous. Second of all, you offer no proof that her "job purchase" or her salary have any relationship to her campaign contribution. I know as a suspended lawyer you know the standard for libeling a public official is very low. You can say almost anything, but you can't make stuff up.
I didn't make anything up. If she didn't want people to think she bought her job, she shouldn't have made that contribution. I thought she was a good gov't advocate. That contribution is NOT good governemnt. But if she feels libelled, she can sue. That's the American way.
You seem to think your threat is supposed to scare me. Contrary to what you seem to think, blogs don't exist to kiss officialdom's ass. They are there to question them.
Robert,
I think it's safe to say our P2P political system is ruining both city AND suburb.
Let me get this straight, Blogs exist to destroy people you don't like? Finally, something truthful from the President and founder of PA's Disbarred Lawyers' Association!
An Informed Public:
Why doesn't Mrs. Marin post a weekly online column on the city's Web site to inform Allentown taxpaying residents what she has done that week to help revitalize the city and earn her salary? Such action surely would earn her kudos.
Ah yes, her heart is in the right place and she really wants to help Allentown.
That is a slap in the face to the hundreds of volunteers in this City who have selflessly fought to make this City better. These long time residents and volunteers who do not get $87K per year and the opportunity to hang out with the pay to play crowd, are the one's hearts are in it and who want to help Allentown.
I'd like to see one of Ms. Marin's supporters present her academic and professional qualifications for Community Development Director in the state's 3rd largest municipality.
All mid and upper level Managers of several local companies are forced to give to company PACs which donate to officials such as Dent who then deliver the pork.
Isn't that bribery? Worse yet, it is mandatory.
Anon 6:26 am
"oh, cut her some slack. so what if she did buy a job. it's not like she does anything really important or vital."
That is the point. So why are we paying her $87,000 a year?
Just like the Managing Director job which costs taxpayers a lot of money.....
Interesting strategy O'Hare. Not particularly bright but certainly hard hitting.
Attacking Pawlowski directly hasn't seemed to work so now you are going to intimidate his campaign donors. It is logical that you choose someone you perceive as weak, incidentally one of the few women who have donated to Pawloski's campaign to this degree.
What you fail to recognize is the more you bring up Pawlowski the more prominent you are making him in the minds of the public. 85% of Allentown still doesn't know who the heck Tony Phillips is.
Your approach certainly serves the interest of Pawlowski. Then again, there really is not much to say about Phillips.
This has to be another political hack with a high paid City job, doing what they do best defending the Mayor. Yo political hack, go review your bosses campaign donor lists from the last election and you'll see that Pawlowski takes plenty of money from non-Allentown and non-Lehigh Valley women. Women should be pissed at people like you, who constantly think in terms of gender stereotypes. Seems to me she is not being attacked, just having her actions exposed.
Just keep attacking the messanger, it makes the story even more intruiging. Nice job!
"Interesting strategy O'Hare. Not particularly bright but certainly hard hitting.
Attacking Pawlowski directly hasn't seemed to work so now you are going to intimidate his campaign donors. It is logical that you choose someone you perceive as weak, incidentally one of the few women who have donated to Pawloski's campaign to this degree.
What you fail to recognize is the more you bring up Pawlowski the more prominent you are making him in the minds of the public. 85% of Allentown still doesn't know who the heck Tony Phillips is.
Your approach certainly serves the interest of Pawlowski. Then again, there really is not much to say about Phillips.
3:48 PM
"High paid", I'm flattered. Actually, I'm not paid at all.
Is it really that suspicious that someone who was previously a Pawlowski supporter would increase her contribution after becoming more involved in Allentown's day to day goings on?
She worked for the AEDC from May 2007 through April 2008, in that time it seems natural to me that she would have become more invested in city politics and as a Pawlowski supporter would have donated to his campaign. It seems like a particularly nefarious stretch to say that this donation was a job purchase.
Also, to the person who asked for her qualifications this is what I know of her resume:
Ms. Marin has an MBA from Pitt.
She had a career in New York as a commercial lender, specializing in financing mixed use commercial development.
She moved to Emmaus and became involved with the (successful) borough revitalization (today Emmaus is considered one of the best places to live in the country and has a thriving main street business district). She worked as the Main Street Manager and served on Borough Council. Additionally she ran a small business out of her historic home on Chestnut Street.
In 2001 she was awarded a fellowship from the Knight Foundation in community building, and in recent years has been active in a number of Pennsylvania organizations working towards urban revitalization such as ANUPA and the PA Downtown Center.
She is well qualified for the position she holds in Allentown and doesn't deserve to be slagged this way. Although it may be hard to believe, even Mayor P, with all his faults, has many supporters in Allentown. People who live and work in the city want to see him re-elected because they think there is enough good to balance out the bad. You don't have to agree with that, and there are many points for criticism, but not every donation is pay-to-play, in many cases people are simply donating to the campaign of a politician they support.
Look at it from another angle: If I had an autistic child, and I donated my money to support a school for autistic children, and then the following year the school opened and put out a mailer asking for contributions for the continuing operations of the school, and I donated money again, but this time more because now my child is attending school there and I am even more invested in the welfare of this school - would I be guilty of "pay to play" politics? No, I'd be supporting the cause. Just because my child is getting the benefit of a good education doesn't nullify my support for the school - it enhances it.
Anon 6:16,
Great argument! You managed to pull it off without an ad hominem, too.
It has one flaw which is, in my view, fatal. You claim that marin was previously a Pawlowski supporter and was merely increasing her support. But Marin's name appears nowhere among the contributors who gave to Pawlowski in 2006 and 2007. You can view them here, arranged in alphabetical order.
Marin never gave a dime to Pawlowski until the year she was hired.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I've just visited Villa's blog and sae a comment, posted by him, claiming that I submitted a comment to him, "bragging about the ludicrous hatchet job being done on Joyce Marin and taunting readers of [Villa's] blog that [I] 'can't be stopped.'"
That claim is false.
He also asserts that I have posted 95% of the commments here myself.
That claim is false.
His grant-seeking Stepford wife, Arcangela Villa, aka Mrs. Dottie, claims I do "these hatchet jobs to 'put the fear' in people, that is, 'see what I can do to anyone I choose to smear, so you better behave.'"
The quoted statement being attributed to me was never made by me.
I have always spoken against P2P when it appears locally. I do so because I believe very strongly that these practices are destroying our democracy and enabling powerful people and special intersts to buy politicians.
Did any of the Stoffa or Cunningham appointees contribute to their bosses races?
Hat Demothug, you are one bad mofo, jackarse. Stay classy!
Thug Demo.
Downtown business is booming. New barbershops open all the time. This lady needs a raise.
anon 6:16, i have refrained from commenting on this posting till now. i do not agree with bernie that 1k necessarily constitutes p2p, and i do not agree with you. life in emmaus gets more like allentown every day. its downtown is not thriving, and it's best days are long gone. as an allentownian (as in spirit if not current address) i hope your expectations for mrs. marin are fulfilled. pawlowski strokes special interest groups and his most vocal supporters seem to be those directly benefiting. i would call their belief that allentown is improving, more a hope and prayer, than an observation.
bernie, in regard to the villa's, please consider this first "comment" wink, wink, from their current posting;
"Mrs. Dottie, that's a wonderful photograph of you with our Mayor Pawlowski (who is the best thing to happen to Allentown in many decades) and I can't get to Deli Plaza enough either! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, any time you go there it's great and I've been there all times! Thanks for this upbeat article! Allentown is a gem!"
and this from a blog which describes itself as outspoken?
Not to add any gasoline to the smoldering fire, but I am a little perturbed. Someone has again taken advantage of most of us. I don't quite understand it, but fine. But from this point forward, at least act like adults. Please do not try to pawn yourself off as anyone else. I don't appreciate anyone else sending emails out in my name. Please stop this cruel impersonation of me and the others that post here or anywhere else. I can understand posting anonymously, but to try to pose as someone else is not proper; it is criminal behavior. Please try and be civil. Sorry for the diatribe.
Peace be with you, ~~Alex Joseph
Bernie,
Sorry for going off-topic and venting on your blog. I had to say it. Now I will go back to my cell and read. ~~Alex J.
Exorcist/Father Alex,
That's OK by me.
I should make clear that Father Alex' request is directed at the Villas.
Father Alex, a Maronite seminarian, is one of the many people that Bill and Arcangela Villa regularly impersonate on their blog and even at The Morning Call Reader Forum. It's another manifestation of their mental illness.
Sorry I suppose I should have clarified before that I was basing my "previous supporter" comment on your post alone, I didn't go to look up his campaign contributions. You noted on your post that she made a modest contribution early in the year, (a few months after taking her job at AEDC), and then followed it up with a larger contribution after accepting the position at the DCED. I view that as a natural progression of someone who is becoming acquainted with the mayor, and who believes in his plan for moving forward. Again, you may disagree with his ideas for Allentown - god knows you aren't the only one who does - but I think other people are entitled to support the mayor, and to do so without being accused of self-promotion, especially since many of these people are absolutely as committed to the well-being and future of Allentown as Scott Armstrong or Michael Molovinsky, or any other outspoken critic are.
Having moved back and forth between Emmaus AND Allentown over the last 20 years, I respectfully disagree with Michael Molovinsky's assessment of the borough revitalization and quality of life. It has gone up considerably in the last 10 years, in part due to the efforts of Ms. Marin. I can't comment on whether or not Emmaus was a better place to live 40 years ago than it is today, but it certainly has improved since I first moved to the borough.
As for Allentown, I thought it was a huge loss to the city that Betsy Levin resigned due to the Mayor's inability to be a respectful boss, but am inclined to give Ms. Marin a chance before writing her off, given what is, in my experience, a positive history.
Old Father Alex should spen less time on the internet and more time studying religion.
This blog ain't religion, unless you are demonic.
Anon. 11:18,
You make the argument justifying this kind of contribution about as well as I've seen it made. Your recitation of a smaller, then larger, contribution is accurate.
I appreciate your point of view. May the better argument prevail.
For a mere $1000, you can secure an $87,000 a year job in Allentown.
Thanks for the laugh!
Is this Woodward or Bernstein?
When I post the $100k in contributions that Pawlowski rec'd last year, and you see the number of contractors, lawyers and city workers ponying up, you'll stop smirking.
When you come down to it, $1k is a lot of money, especially in local politics.
Churches aren't for saints, they are a hospital for sinners. Where's your halo? I know I don't have one.
Tag! Your it!
Sorry about that one, Bernie.
anon 11:18, i'm associated with several large stakeholders in emmaus. commercially the borough never recovered from the lost of the gould locations. certainly wentz hardware is top notch and it's been a good pizza town for the last 20 years. restaurant wise it's past its heyday, but still a destination. the decline has been most notable in the residential sector. it seems to me that mrs. marin has been thus far preoccupied on small projects, more event in nature than developmental. perhaps you would serve her better by citing some specifics besides giving her the benefit of the doubt
Bernie, I am taking the liberty to publish this comment here. I sent this comment to the people over at L.V.S. I don't want it to get jumbled up. This will be the last off topic post for me. Here it is:
"What have I done to you, that you make sport of me? Have I wrong you? Please tell me, so I may correct it.
But I don't know why you must make sport of me. It gets you nowhere. Am I you lastest target? Please, this is not productive, nor is it healthly.
Peace be with you spirit, ~~Alex Joseph"
Father Alex,
As near as I can tell, the Villas torment and impersonate you because you are my friend. For that, I am sorry. They probably also do it bc you want to be a priest. If Villa is annoyed at Martin and Kranzley, he must really hate God.
Mostly, I think they do it to annoy you. They want everyone to be as miserable as them.
ot to dwell on the villa's, but this morning they are again mocking father alex as the type of fictional commentators they invent. they justify their anti-social behavior as victims of the troll blog, ignoring the fact that the troll blog was started because of their actions. the villa's claim they're very concerned with the morning call forum. this past tuesday bernie posted on the morning call blogger tuesday selections, and on that posting, at comment 13, i documented that villa himself posts anonymously on the morning call forum. i bring up their dishonest behavior because too many local officials condone their hatred, including joyce marin. putting their slams against me and bernie aside, they continuously assault the integrity of the district attorney among others. Pawlowski, marin, and even brace and lewnes who are paid indirectly with tax payer money, owe their fellow officials more respect. at some point the villa slander and libel must be condemned.
once again i have apparently overestimated the morality of our local community. in the last comment on villa's previous post he again refers to a letter from hell, a slander beyond the pale. yet, despite such horrendous accusations by him, he now announces an interview with mayor pawlowski. villa will be questioning the mayor about hate on the morning call forum, what irony.
I think the problem is that this alleged Priest joins in onthis attack blog and is involved in hurting a man and woman who lost their child. Where is the compassion. How can one be a Priest and do that.
Anon 9:10
If you would like me to answer any questions, I would be more than happy to. But I need for you to sign your post (with a real name.) I don't answer anything that is unsigned. Please sign your name to it, so I may be more helpful in presenting an answer.
Or better yet, please post your email address and we can communicate outside of this realm. There is no sense of taking up these peoples' time and venue, with my perceived problem(s.) Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to communicate via email.
Peace be with you, ~~Alex Joseph
This is not the first contribution that succeeded in 'getting' the Marins something. A thousand dollar contribution to Don Cunningham's campaign got Paul Marin his LANTA Board membership. Marin is the only Board member who 'paid' for the privilege.
The Marin's close relationship with Steve Schmitt and the small group of bleeding hearts that surrounds him is legend.
The transplanted couple from New York have wormed their way into positions of quasi-power and The Call eats up every press release they are hand fed. They are tireless in working to get their photo and name in the local press. Not to mention the You Tube channel featuring television appearances. One has to conclude that they could not get the glory they wanted in the Big City, so they came here to be Big Fish in our little pond.
Their supporters are passionate as evidenced by the violent defense of Ms. Joyce.
It is about time someone revealed these two for the power and attention grabbers they are. They are SO much smarter than the local yokels.
I wouldn't mind that train that Paul wants for his wife if it would provide the two of them with a one-way ticket back to the big apple.
Mr. O'Hare willnot comment on Cunnungham supporters.
Wht would Marin pay to be a member of a board that has no salary? What's in it for him? His wife made a $1,000 contribution to Cunningham on 8/29/05. When was he appointed to LANTA's board? Do you know?
Bernie, in your title you said that Marin purchased the job. You may think you are free from libel in this case, but you may want to consider a good lawyer, changing your headline, or be prepared for a trip through the local courts that will keep you occupied for a few months.
This is a tight rope you are walking. You better have the truth on your side, meaning that for $1150, Marin received the job for her contribution. She would have the burden of proving otherwise in the court room, but if you don't have the truth on your side, you have really harmed your credibility as a responsible news source. That would be a shame for the messenger of good government to lose that credibility. It's a cause that can't afford to be tainted by a lack of trustworthy individuals b/c it just opens up the door to the partisan hacks of the world to discredit your message. And don't think it's happening. I'm hearing from non-partisans in the city that you are a liar and crook. You maybe able to escape the legal end of things in the end, but if you don't have the truth on your side(that Joyce paid money to purchase a job in the city of Allentown), then you are no different than the people who sold us a war over WMD's. Is that where you want to go?
I really do fear your hatred for King Ed is tainting your ability to provide reliable reporting. Take it from a friend who cares about you, your mission and the cause of good gov't... and who has some HUGE misgivings about the mayor.
oh, by the way, I do think it is inappropriate for people in positions of appointed power like Marin to be making contributions to her boss. You are right on that account. I'm not sure you have the truth about the job purchase though.
If I could prove that this was an outright job purchase, it would be Marin and Pawlowski who would need good lawyers.
Let's look at what we do know. (1) Someone who has never contributed to Pawlowski gets the #2 job in the city, one that pays $87k. (2) That very year, she gives him $1,150. (3) She has no previous experience in that kind of job. (4) Pawlowski takes lots of money in nonelection years from people who get city favors, whether they are jobs or contracts.
Under these circumstances, and given the rampant P2P practices in A-town, that headline is appropriate.
I suspect some of your concern is motivated by your admiration of the Marins. Many who view themselves as nonpartisan probably share in that admiration. That's fine, and even I share some of that admiration. I've allowed Paul Marin to post a blog here advocating passenger rail. I have no animosity for him. But the truth is the truth. I don't like Marins' immersion into the world of P2P politics. If that offends some people, or if some people are upset by the way I put it, that's too bad. But I am not writing to please certain people.
Marin maintains a "good news" blog that spins A-town in a positivce light. But her post concerning the Landlord hall of Shame was factually inaccurate. When I submitted a comment to her blog, correcting it, she rejected the comment. She is interested in painting a picture, but not so interested in the truth.
I am interested in the truth. My message is trustworthy and credible, but sometimes people don't like reading bad things about people they like.
The headline, when taken in context with the accompanying article, is entirely appropriate. I am very comfortable with what I wrote and how I wrote it. It will stay as posted.
Where was your concern when Charlie Dent was regularly being accused by Sam Bennett of being in the pocket of Big Oil, where the connection is far less tenuous? Here I can prove much, much more.
Please.
If they sue, they open the door to all kinds of questions from me. I'll learn a lot more than I know now and in the end, they will lose.
One final point. I have no hatred for King Ed. He's a bad mayor who has hurt A-town while his critics are routinely slammed. But I have nothing against him on a personal level.
Bernie, you are blind to what you are saying. "Joyce Marin's $1,150 Job Purchase". That is a declaration of fact. YOu claim it as truth. It isn't the truth. It is your spin and you basically use the text below it to justify your spin. I'm not arguing the pro/con of your spin. i'm saying that you do yourself, the good gov't movement and Allentown a HUGE disservice when you present your spin as truth. Your spin is good. It portrays a political reality that should be explored further. Instead, you set back the good gov't efforts b/c you lose credibility.
I'm neutral on the Marins' activism. I don't know Paul (barely know Joyce) and find the pie in the sky, "it was done in Emmaus" to be void of market realities and an understanding of the challenges facing Allentown. The people that are calling you a liar and a crook don't know the Marin's and can't stand the mayor.
Hold fast to your values, but understand that your presentation of money for job purchase is under-cutting your credibility. Funny thing about politics: if you don't have credibility, your message receives no attention.
Your best message was that Joyce gave money and it may not have been appropriate for her to do so. Okay, but now let's advocate for reform rather than claiming that somebody paid for her job.
I agree completely about the importance of credibility and this article has it. That's why it drew the response it did, including all those slings and arrows.
Nobody who looks at the headline and the accompanying article would conclude I've claimed that she absolutely bought that job. What they conclude is that I claim it certainly is a distinct possibiity.
I appreciate your criticism and the spirit in which it is given. I will still stick to everything as reported.
Joyce Marin is a neophyte. She lacks formal training and years of relevant practical experience to be leading the Planning, Building, Zoning and Economic Development efforts of the third/fourth largest City in Pennsylvania. She is a laughing stock in the Planning field. She has not paid her dues and worked up to this position. Clearly, she was appointed because of her somewhat remote qualifications and her pay to play donations. Bernie, the service you did outing this was outstanding!! PS: Joyce's husband is the pipedream rail fellow trying to shame valley residents in funding a train for the convenience of NYC commuters.
"She is a laughing stock in the Planning field."
Is this the same planning field that gives us euclidean zoning and suburban sprawl? If so, I say, laugh away chuckles.
How many others contributed $1,150 or more? Did those folks get jobs? Unless the answers are 'None' or 'Yes', respectively, it's specious to assert a quid pro quo in this instance. Contributions to politicians do not disqualify appointees unless they also lack the skill set for the appointment. And even a basic Google search reveals Ms. Marin has done far more in terms of civi redevelopment than bring a few bike racks to Emmaus; there's no need to belittle what she's done. You need to make a better case.
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