"It's a transportation issue." That appears to be the party line. That was the stock answer I got to nearly every question I asked yesterday.
I had called Mike Moore, Allentown's communications director, about LANTA's elimination of three bus stops along Hamilton Street. Downtown merchants, many of whom are minority-owned businesses, have suffered. Allentown's gentrification plan seems like little more than a civilized ethnic cleansing. A petition signed by 1,800 bus passengers and merchants asks LANTA and Allentown to restore the eliminated stops. House of Chen manager Jenny Lim explains. "[A] lot of merchants are hurting, sales have been dropped and especially some of the people have been laid off from a couple of the stores already."
So I have some questions for Allentown.
1) Are Allentown officials aware that this bus stop change has had a dramatic effect on small, locally owned, businesses? - "It's a transportation issue. Nothing was done to affect the businesses. We're trying to improve transportation."
2) Are you telling me that Allentown and LANTA would plan the elimination of three bus stops and a new transportation center without considering the impact it would have on local businesses? - "It's a transportation issue. Nothing was done to affect the businesses. We're trying to improve transportation."
3) Are you doing anything right now to help the businesses that have been hurt by this move? - "It's a transportation issue. Nothing was done to affect the businesses. We're trying to improve transportation."
And so on.
At one point, Moore told me bus passengers won't have to stand in the cold anymore to wait for their bus.
Whoopee!
Now they can walk six blocks.
Finally, Moore just admitted he doesn't know what the hell the city is doing, if anything, to help the people it screwed. After all, it's just a transportation issue.
14 comments:
It's nice to know they're on top of things...
Lanta is a joke of a mass transit provider.
Although monroe and carbon county are far worst,
Carbon county runs on about 2k a year in state funds.
And monroe county lacks weekend service and anything after 5pm.
honestly bernie I agree with you on this point, but I think calling it a civilized ethnic cleansing is way over the top.
Also, although I think that LANTA missed the mark with this move, please don't dismiss the fact that there ARE transportation issues that LANTA and the city are trying to solve, and the stops along Hamilton Street were far from a utopia of bus service.
I think calling it a civilized ethnic cleansing is way over the top.
Maybe.
I heard someone else refer to gentrification in this manner, and I like it. The word "gentrification" is too wimpy - it fails to convey that people are being uprooted and driven away. Those people are almost always minorities. The phrase "ethnic cleansing" is very powerful. It obviously hit you. In many ways, gentrification can be compared to it. Think about it. Maybe it's over the top. Maybe it's not.
And if this is how the Pawlowski administration responds to a problem, I'm glad I'm in NC. It's becoming apparent that he doesn't care about these people, and I'm ready to write him off.
A Democratic mayor who ignores the working poor, should be ashamed.
Mike Moore? We need the real Michael Moore here! 1,800 is a lot of signatures. I hope the mayor says something soon.
"the Working Poor", that is something you would think might be used to describe a third world country, not the center of a small American city. But civilized Ethnic cleansing? There is no such thing! The government that treats the people as a disposable, replaceable asset should be replaced. Bush towards our troops, Pawlowski towards merchants. Oh no, there I go getting serious again!
Bernie, you cuddly old coot! That ethnic cleansing article you posted is about an area near where I rented a home! Are you checking up on me?! So now you are getting in the faces (Or up the asses) of the Lehigh County Elite? Did you get tired of being an Anglephile? LOL! I can't believe you! You must have a Death Wish! Love Ya!
Wow that Dottie is a fox!
You're right.
But we're better off if we don't discuss how female participants look. Many women stay away from the blogosphere be they are objectified or attacked. Then we all suffer because we lose valuabe insight from people like LVHW, LOLV, Aphrodite & Dottie.
I realize you were just trying to be nice to Dottie and might even be female yourself. I'm probably over-reacting.
That's okay Bernie, I am flattered.
Whew!
Sorry for the over-reaction.
BO, Pawlowski and his committee of 1000 even surpased Stoffa and his committee of 100. The problem with these coalition committee candidates is the problem with vanilla pudding. It's not offensive but really?? Paw hooked up with big time money Repub's and some big dollar Dem.'s a couple of the same Repub.'s even hooked with Stoffa. In Paw's case he owes the Corp types big time. Even the MC is hooked in, and before you defend them, donot underestimate the Malcom G. connection. I am aware of how one non-believer was handeled and it was not pretty.
This ceowd is about gentrification and oodles of $$$ to the 'right' businesses on Hamilton Street.
The ethnic breakdown of crime in Allentown is what's missing in the research.
If the majority of crime is in black or Hispanic neighborhoods, it goes without saying that is where you target.
I have no problems with gentrification. It's the government response to the disinterest Hispanics and blacks have for their communities. I don't see a problem in eliminating conversions and apartments.
Minorities only seem to be bothered when some grave injustice has been done to them. Police their own ranks? You can't ask them to do that.
If minorities have a big problem with how government works, they can organize and vote, and get into office. Then again, that's apparently too much work as well because it hasn't happened.
Anon 8:32, Spoken like a true bigot.
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