Yesterday, I told you that Lázaro Fuentes, who chairs the Lehigh Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has expressed his concern to Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski over the discriminatory impact of LANTA's bus stop relocation. "Your help in this matter would be appreciated."Here's Mayor Pawlowski's helpful reply, in its entirety. "I don’t have any control over buses or routes. You need to talk to LANTA and the two counties who appoint people to the LANTA board."
Amazingly, Allentown's mayor is now claiming he has no control over what LANTA buses do in his own city. That is simply unbelievable. Pawlowski clearly ducked Mr. Fuentes' request for help, and actually tried to divert some of the blame to Northampton and Lehigh Counties.
Lázaro has just expressed his appreciation to Mayor Ed. "Thanks Ed. I was simply looking for your support on this given that it affects the residents and businesses in your city. But I am sure that you have other, more important, things to busy yourself with. Thanks anyway."
Nearly a quarter of Allentown's population is Hispanic or Latino. Allentown's minority businesses are obviously incensed by the discriminatory bus stop relocation. Others, justified or not, are angry at the decision to fine a police officer $25 for an accident that tragically killed a five year old minority child.
The way Pawlowski has shrugged his shoulders at this problem demonstrates, quite clearly, that he has little regard for Allentown's already large, and growing, minority population.
This attitude is shared with Allentown city council candidate Pete Schweyer, another phony progressive who actually encourages this discriminatory gentrification. I'll tell you about him tomorrow.
28 comments:
You're finally catching on. Pawlowski is a big ZERO who needs to go. LANTA did not remove those bus stops without getting his ok.
Bernie,
While I am NOT a fan of Ed Pawloski, as I've seen him in action outside Crum Stadium and found him to be a idiot without a clue, I must say, I don't think the changed location of Allentown's LANTA transfer station has anything to do with race or poverty.
To remove stops from the central business district's main thoroughfare is a bad decision on LANTA's part and Ed should acknowledge that. Afterall, why would any mayor want less access to his downtown?
To me, this is a bad 'business' decision, not something having anything to do with the ethnic make-up of the Hamilton Street community.
I'm thinking the demograpic of the Hamilton Street community is exactly the same demographic as the Sixth & Linden community. So, where one part of the same demographic loses access, another part of that demographic gains access.
Does this new set-up mean there are no bus runs down Hamilton Street? I really don't know, I'm not a bus rider.
My point is, I think it's a stretch to say this change creates a disadvantage to any minority group. Both neighborhoods are exactly the same.
What would Sam Bennett say about this?
(sorry)
As a consumer of LANTA service, while its relocation has lengethened my walking commute, it is a significant improvement though the block from 7-11 to 9th and linden along linden is scary. I sympathize with the merchants and given the buses still go down 6th Hamilton to 4th, it is odd that 10th thru 7th along hamilton has been eliminated. However, it was not Pawloski etc...I looked at office space in the Butz building and the leasing agent proudly stated in septemeber 2006---all the riff raff will be off hamilton. Indeed, it is part of the deal to capitualate to the big biz folks being lobbied to move into the downtown. No taxes for years. Christmas lights in front of their building, exclusively.
It is part of the pitch, for better and often worse, to re-invent center city Allentown. I suggest angry activists picket the Butz building as it is prime mover of eliminated routes.
However, no one can contest the new transit center is 15 years over due, regardless of where in the downtown it is located.
The "riff-raff" will be off Hamilton? Did a leasing agent really say that? That would mean it was a long term plan, not an unintended consequence.
So my next question is: What constitutes Riff Raff, minority owned and operated stores? See I always thought that any new money flowing into the area would be attracted to these stores, but not the Pawn shops check cashing I mentioned in my own posts. I always hoped that more independent small businesses would be attracted to the area. That was my vision, not another Starbucks. I do like Dunkin' Donuts coffee though, so I am still an elitist, huh?
dear anon 2:06, your quite an unusual guy, although you might afford office space at the new butz building, you ride the bus! years ago i saw a bus stop changed with one phone call from a v.i.p. in spite of safety concerns. not only are the buses now where pawlowski wants them, that's the good news; the bad news is that taxes and dollars spent from the few new gentry, will never even match the flow from those who have been displaced.
Addicted you are not an elitist. There is a healthy mix on hamilton and I would love a starbucks--what drugs do they put in their blend?
Yes I was told the riff raff and buses would be off hamilton street shortly. There is a perception that such "people" like me may urinate on the Butz Imperial Bldg. Or do they just not want old people, working people, latinos, blacks and students?
Moving traffic off Hamilton has indeed been a long term strategy done in concert with Lanta's Armand Greco.
Mr. Molovinsky: I wanted the no city and state income tax break which would esentially fund 3000 square feet at 17.50 per foot. Helluva a deal? Why should Butz exclusively benefit? Besides, they put up christmas lights in front of his building while 8th throug 5th went dark....its good to inherit money i can only imagine....
Anon 2:06,
Thanks for your well-informed remarks. I am learning much the same thing as I dig deeper into this. Althogh Pawlowski was certainly in on this, the wheels for this were set in motion a long time ago. And how interesting that the Butz leasing agent was able to tell you that the "riff raff" will be gone.
I do agree that the new intermodal is a good idea.
any Mayor has the political power to "ask" anybody to consider anything reasonable, especially when a Mayor has a sincere request for support from a constituent. I just don't understand the Mayor's response here! All Mayor Ed had to do was "try" to help by asking both County Executive's and LANTA to help with a professional answer, if changes could not be reversed, is my opinion. larry@kisslinger.com
King Armand Greco of Lanta has ruled "no changes"--indeed his word is final. The Mayor can't compete unless he runs a full fledged campaign at the Board members. And the only independent member is Steve Schmidt (and the only consumer of LANTA). He is quoted in the Morning Call as thinking the changes leaving out 10th thru 7th are fine.
The real question--if u want to alleviate traffic on Hamilton street--Lanta's reasoning--why leave it on 7th and Ham/6th and Ham/5th and Ham/4th and Ham with buses going to 10th on Ham????
Because the juice--Butz, PPL, The 6 million dollar publicly funded brew pub (a project Big Ed concocted in the Awfulbach Mayoral lab) --is on 10th through 7th!
mr. anon 2:43, we who inherit are not so good at math. could you elaborate how saving 4.5% of your income puts you in 3000 ft. of butz building, even if you walk and save the lanta fare.
Butz building for 3000 square feet is about 54000 a year. Partnership/LLC taxes saved (state and city) would bring it down to a net cost of 14000 or really only 1200 a month for class AAA space with a groovy view and christmas lights. Count the car savings by using LANTA, I'm even!
Linda Kauffman cast wide nets in 2003 and 2004 to help fund her legacy, two new parking decks. among idea's proposed, partnering with the city for the deck at 4th and hamilton, including storefronts for rent. Inducing Lanta to partnership at 6th and linden, harvesting the state grant for transportation centers. i had heard or read of no lanta plans prior to kauffman. the above information can be confirmed through the mc archive and city council minutes.
This blog has turned into the usual local paper style complain forum.
Nothing productive.
anon, at 5% to reduce the rent to 14,000, the basis has to be 800,000. treat yourself and drive.
in regard to the kauffman dates, i'm being conservative. i don't recall lanta being involved before 2005. just as the parking meters have been removed in front of the brewpub, and free parking is offered in the hess's deck, nothing involving the parking authority and lanta was not condoned, if not designed, by pawlowski. all street signs, curb cuts, bus stops, etc. are at the pleasure of the city.
Anon 3:40,
You're certainly welcome to your opinion. Actually, I learn from the comments, including the comments that were posted to this story.
Yeah, you won't learn anything on the newspaper forums, except how to be racist and prejudice.
Isn't Easton doing something similar? The bus stop was moved from Northampton St. for Eastonian and then Pomeroy condos, then to 3rd St., next it goes to Wolf intermodal?
Easton is planning something similar. But so far as I know, there are no plans to move bus stops away from local busiensses.
How would you move the bus stops away from the local business scene in Easton? Everything for the most part is grouped fairly close together, isn't it? Isn't Allentown more spread out?
AJ, I'm not so worried about Easton. They have a core group of activists who scrutinize everything. In fact, that intermodal may never come to pass. it has bneen challenged. Though it may be the largest city, I've noticved that A-town received the least public scrutiny. And public officials in A-town really don't like having their authority questioned, asd I learned earlier this evening.
LANTA can't win with you guys.
They put the stops back. Extra stops, extra gas, extra bus drivers.
Have to raise the cost of riding the bus.
Oh no, can't do that! That would be oppressing the poor minority.
And it's not like mass transit of people is self sustaining. You can't make a profit, and sometimes barely break even.
And ironically if it was Butz or PPL talking about lost business, there would be the sense of sticking it to "the" man, big business.
Anon 12:17,
If they return a stop they will not be increasing costs over what they were doing before, so your argument is nonsensical.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of people in A-twon who do take the bus. That's where the stops should be plentiful, nt eliminated.
And amazingly, the whole point of removing these stops was to make the area look prettier for Butz & PPL.
What LANTA & the city have done is wrong. The working poor have the same rights to complain to theirt government as you.
We're not an aristocracy . . . yet.
I agree with 1217. The new intermodal center replaced the old stops. By putting them back in, now you've got redundant services. You are paying twice what you could pay for once.
To oppose gentrification is to oppose free market economics. The whole "oh, the City hates minorities" sounds very socialist.
Gentrification has nothing to do w/ free market economies. It is like playing SimCity, with different businesses placed here and there, usually with massive infusions of public cash. Frankly, it is the very opposite of a free market economy.
The new intermodal did not replace all the stops on hamilton just the stops along hamilton between 10th and 7th.
Free markets do not exist. It is a collaborative effort to revitalize areas which require public investments---same as it ever was... nothing bad about it.
The new intermodal is excellent, but u try walking down 7th street when it is dark this winter...bet u dont!!!! Some of us have to.
There never was a stop between 8th & 9th, at least not for 10-15 years.
There was a transfer stop on south and north 8th until the recent realignment and of course the LCCC is on hamilton between 8th and 7th
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