Although Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski insists his campaign finance reports are "totally transparent," the truth is they mislead and fail in their primary mission of enabling the public to follow the money. His most recent report, filed December 3, lists an $8,000 payment for canvassers on election day, without even bothering to identify them. Unfortunately, he has also hidden the money he spent to help elect City Council members Julio Guridy, Mike Schlossberg, Mike D'Amore and Ray O'Connell.Throughout the last campaign, Pawlowski sent numerous email blasts, advocating the election of these candidates. In addition, he sent mailers on their behalf. But that expense appears nowhere in his post election report. Considering that he does report $6.36 for raingear, that's a tad strange, don't you think.
Mike Schlossberg, one of the beneficiaries of Pawlowski's largesse, lists a Pawlowski mailer as an in-kind contribution, valued at $5,250.00. He tells me Pawlowski paid for a mailer on behalf of all Democratic city council candidates.
Are City Council candidates Julio Guridy, Mike D'Amore and Ray O'Connell at fault for failing to follow Schlossberg's lead? I doubt they can be penalized for failing to list this in-kind contribution when Pawlowski's own report indicates he has no intention of telling the public how much he spent to buy city council.
Pawlowski's report, however, is deceptive. He has bought Allentown City Council, and the public has a right to know the going rate.
22 comments:
The Mayor won by a convincing majority and you still try to defame him. You are indeed a little and petty man. Your personal faults and failings are epic and known to all. Your actions betray the acts of a sick little man trying to prove his greatness by trying to attack a successful person.
Your hero John Stoffa has never reported the numerous in-kind contributions he has received and you have never condemned that action, in fact you defend it.
Seek help.
Excuse me for suggesting that Pawlowski is bound by campaign disclosure laws, even when he wins.
Let's talk about Stoffa. Angle independently purchased ads for Stoffa and listed that expense as an independent expenditure. If Atiyeh spend money for his signs, he would have to report that as well. If you feel Atiyeh has broken the law, ask Morganelli to investigate. Stoffa has no obligation to report an in-kind contribution he did not seek or know about.
Allentown city council candidates, like Stoffs, have no obligation to report contributions they know nothing about or that they have not authorized. But Pawlowski does have an obligation. He is required to identify the candidates on whose behalf he spent money. That's the whole point of campaign finance reports.
This is shocking news. Just kidding.
Scott Armstrong
Good one Scott!
Anon 1:36am, campaign finance laws were written for a reason. Filing correct reports at the Mayoral level is not rocket science. We also desperately need council members who will challenge the administration - as far as I'm concerned the only one doing anything like that is Mike Donovan.
The Banker
Banker,
One may always hope for an independent council that acts on integrity and the city’s best interests but I wouldn’t count on it. Just look at who is on it and how they got there. It will truly be a minor miracle if any semblance of good government comes from this newly seated council.
Scott Armstrong
What was the percentage of voter turnout in Allentown again?
15% or something like that.
75% of 15%.
What a sweeping mandate of the people.
Next pro-Pawlowski talking point, please.
Bernie, I believe Pawloski will be mayor as long as he wants to be.I appreciate the time you take to post all the information you can on him to keep the tax-payers informed
Pawlowski may be mayor for life. It's a one-party toewn that rewards its friends and punishes its enemies. But he still must disclose how he spends his money, especially when it is used to buy city council seats.
Scott, unfortunately I agree with you.
Bernie, there's no way Pawlowski serves for life - he'll be out of here before the city totally craters. He's a smart politician, he's not going to go down with the ship.
The Banker
Special Ed at it again!
Isn't it about time for God to smite Allentown off the face of the Earth and start over....maybe a Great Flood? The Pawlowskis can fill the ark with two of every animal in Allentown and turn to salt if they look back.
"Isn't it about time for God to smite Allentown off the face of the Earth and start over....maybe a Great Flood? The Pawlowskis can fill the ark with two of every animal in Allentown and turn to salt if they look back."
Wow, that's a great sentiment. Looks like the morning call allowed some of their commentors to roam away from their comment sections.
Different note: good to know that at least one candidate knows the rules for campaign finance reporting. it's not as if the whole town is incapable of ethical behavior. Seeing as the guy hasn't even been in office, how about waiting to see what kind of councilman he is before casting judgement. it took donovan 2 years to get his feel for the budget process before he could reasonably attack the process as ineffective and point to specifics. Now he has an entire platform to change city gov't. Once Schlossberg gets his feet wet, he might turn out to be the mayor's second biggest thorn and my guess is that he is smart enough to be effective (not to mention long enough to have to endure the consequences of ineffective actions).
Why God allows such suffering is one of the great mysteries of faith. Why God would allow one who uses his affiliation with faith for self promotion to succeed and ruin a city is also curious. Clearly it is often the case that evil does prevail, the bad guys do win, while the good are vanquished. Clearly the lord works in mysterious ways. Some things we will never understand.
Scott Armstrong
"Why God would allow one who uses his affiliation with faith for self promotion to succeed and ruin a city is also curious."
B/c the last time I checked, God had bigger concerns than what we do in elections. That you think God will help the GOP win an election b/c Ed is so terrible is a fantastic indication of your win/loss record. God doesn't care about elections.
" God doesn't care about elections."
Listen, asshole, do I have to send a thunderbolt up your ass? You don't have a frickin' clue what I care about. After all, I'm God, damn it. I'm infinite. You're more like a buger.
But to be honest, I'm working on my golf game right now. No time for politics. I've got a match against Tiger next week and it just so happens he's run into a few problems on the homefront.
Heh, heh.
Scott, maybe you and Banker can coral Ohare and have a three way love fest. Ohare is always up for that.
The Realist
to Anonymous 1:36
Pawlowski won by a majority of the very small minority that voted. He was elected by less than 5% of the city.
Perhaps you should consider coming out from behind your anonymous shield and make your points. That way you can get credit ( or detriment) as Bernie has accepted for his words.
"Scott, maybe you and Banker can coral Ohare and have a three way love fest. Ohare is always up for that."
Wow, a homophobic slam from a Pawlwoski supporter. What a shocker. You embarrass and demean decent people who support Pawlowski with that kind of rhetoric.
Anon 3:47 PM
So you speak for God now?
Scott Armstrong
No Scott, we acknowledge that God only speaks to Republicans. At least that is what the Republicans tell me.
Scott, I believe God spoke at 6:04 PM and indicated God's true concerns... our relationships with other people, not our flawed humanistic systems of gov't.
God's providence is far greater than elections and politics. I would think a conservative would understand that. Don't believe me, go read the books of the Prophets, the Gospels and the letters from the apostles. Each time those true people of faith point out how our claims of being righteous in God's eyes are veiled attempts to grab power for political purposes. The Kingdom of God isn't about power. It's about an enduring reign of human compassion founded in the teachings of the prophets, christ and the apostles.
Do I claim to know God's will in an election? No! But I also don't attempt to strike down my political opponents by pointing out where their flaws are not inline with the Kingdom of God. I strive first to remove the log from my own eye so that I can truly see clearly.
The Banker said:
"We also desperately need council members who will challenge the administration - as far as I'm concerned the only one doing anything like that is Mike Donovan."
Banker -
Donovan may give the appearance of challenging the Administration, but when it counts he falls right in line with Pawlowski.
Remember, Donovan's campaign was also heavily funded by Pawlowski two years ago.
I think Donovan wants to be perceived as open-minded and willing to listen. But the truth is much different (look at how he originally wanted to silence those opposing Pawloski's park expansion). Donovan is council's new Marty Velazquez.
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