Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski's disdain for the working poor first became evident to me in the Autumn of 2007, when LANTA routing chains began to kill minority-owned businesses along Hamilton Street. He refused to lift a finger, hoping to sweep the poor off the main drag, far from the beautiful people and "pay to play" crowd at taxpayer-subsidized Butz Corporate Center, PPL Building and Plaza, Johnny Mañana's (that's with a ñ, damn it!) and Allentown Brew Works.While letting Allentown's working poor drown in a sea of violent crime, King Edwin also unleashed the hounds of code enforcement against a 75 year-old lady who dared conduct a few yard sales for pin money without giving the city a cut of the action.
Now, the King of Renaissance Square is targeting the peasantry of downtown Allentown with a systematic inspection, something he'd be terrified to try on yeomen anywhere else. This story is about one of these less affluent people, the kind you might see sitting on a LANTA bus, the kind who buys things at those yard sales and in the minority-owned stores along Hamilton Street.
Her name is Joanne. She's had a rough life. But she's no stranger to hard work, and has spent most of her life working menial jobs to support her children. Three years ago, she was finally able to purchase her first home, a rowhome along the 300 block of Tilghman Street. It's hardly in a swank neighborhood, but she loves it. She's installed carpets and has laid down ceramic tile in the bathrooms, kitchen and basement. She made a point of telling me, several times, that she has a finished basement. She's installed carbon monoxide detectors and has even done some painting.
She's a little worried about her boiler, which is around 50 years old, but is still very proud of her home. So is blogger and real estate maven Michael Molovinsky, who did a drive by before we met her. He calls it "the gem of the block," the only one decorated for the holidays.
It's a true property of merit, deserving of one of those golden rakes more typically awarded to the politically connected. Instead of giving her an award, however, Allentown has decided to inspect Joanne's home. It's one of twenty-three downtown residential properties recently selected for a "systematic inspection." Last time Allentown did that was around 1998, and every home inspected got a new sidewalk for the inconvenience. It's never even tried a systematic inspection anywhere other than downtown, knowing that people of means might resent a home invasion. Joanne has received a notice telling her she must admit a housing inspector who will "look at the conditions of floors, walls, ceilings, and heating, roofing, electrical and plumbing facilities."
Inspection is scheduled on a weekday at 9:00 AM. It makes no difference that she's scheduled to work. She only gets one day off a week, but must accommodate housing inspectors and lose a day's pay, not the other way around. A city official told her they would just get a search warrant if she refused to admit them. When she asked when the city planned to inspect homes at the west end, she was told that's no concern of hers.
After all, she's just a peasant.
"What about my privacy?" she asked me. "I might as well just say my home is open to the public. If there's a law, it's supposed to apply to everybody. Why not the West End? What makes them better than we are? Are there different laws for the poor people and the rich?"
In Mayor Pawlowski's Allentown, the answer to that question is pretty obvious. It's just as apparent that the city intends to find problems. In Joanne's notice, she's told a "financial specialist" will accompany the inspector "to inform you of the loans and grants we have available to help rehabilitate properties in your area." She's also told that a letter from the "Financial staff" will follow the inspection report. "This letter will give you a time and date for them to tell you what financing is available through our Financial Program." Clearly, the city expects most homes to fail inspection.
And get this indignity. Joanne is instructed (in English and Spanish) to have the following items ready:
1. COPY OF THE MOST RECENT INCOME STATEMENT FOR EVERYONE IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO HAS INCOME. (SSI, PENSION, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, PAY STUBS)
2. COPY OF THE LAST MONTH'S MORTGAGE STATEMENT.
3. COPY OF YOUR LAST MONTH'S BANK STATEMENT.
4. COPY OF YOUR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE.
5. COPY OF YOUR SECOND MORTGAGE OR HOME EQUITY LOAN STATEMENT
6. STUDENT LOAN STATEMENT
Why doesn't King Ed just tell her to produce all her underwear, too? In a telephone call with Sir Leonard the Lightner, one of the King's Men, Joanne is told that if she finances improvements with the city, everything will be fine. But if she goes on her own, she'll have to submit monthly inspection reports and undergo another inspection within a year. It's unclear whether she'd have to use city-selected contractors.
Aside from the invasion of privacy and this obvious targeting of poor people, blogger Michael Molovinsky discovered that the inspection is actually unnecessary. This home was previously owned by the Housing Ass'n and Development Corporation (HADC), which buys and rehabs deteriorated housing in distressed Allentown neighborhoods. It is even funded in part by Allentown. So if they are any deficiencies at Joanne's home, they are the result of the work done by a company funded and sanctioned by Allentown itself. In fact, there are probably records revealing exactly what was done to rehab this property. But the King's men will inspect Joanne's home anyway.
After all, she's just a peasant.
The funny thing about peasants is that their votes are worth just as much as aristocrats like Lee Butz. And some of them, like Joanne, vote. She'll be supporting a mayor who thinks the laws should apply to everyone. That's not King Ed.
46 comments:
You've been sitting on this story for days, so I suppose you haven't had time to get the City's side of the story?
I would leave a comment disagreeing with some of your claims, but you would delete it, so I won't bother going into details. I disagree with you, and your slant. I've watched a lot of comments disappear from here lately, that you judged as "attacks." Some were, but most weren't. They disagreed with you, and you removed them. So much for your "Let's talk" claim. Like most of your now irrelevant posts, it is B.S. That's a shame. I thought you fair. I was wrong.
I'm sure this lady is very grateful that you are helping her cause, and calling her a peasant.
anon 7:38, the city's side of the story is that their goal is totally rehabilitated neighborhoods. bernie's POV is that program is not equally applied to all sections of the city. i would like to add to bernie's post that although the heating system is old, it is safe. the old boilers, while not efficient, were made out of very thick steel and cast iron. joanne's system is under contract with UGI and is cleaned and inspected annually.
Won't any lawyer help her for free?
I can't believe a city has the right to ask her about her personal finances while doing a home inspection. Why in the world does Allentown need to know about her income, school loans etc.! This is disgusting. But folks remember, Allentown's City Council must have approved this ordinance. Elections are coming. Good Reporting.
Onerous inspections are SOP for big government types - many of whom are typically supported by this blog.
In a world where the feds can listen to any conversation they deem sneeky, and where unions are about to outlaw the right to private ballots, is any of this surprising?
When government is permitted to do what some see as "good," they very quickly abuse their power and veer into lots of doing "bad."
Don't tread on me.
"The funny thing about peasants is that their votes are worth just as much as aristocrats like Lee Butz."
Bernie -
The funny thing is, in Allentown Joanne's vote should be worth more to Lee Butz. At least Joanne is a city resident. But if only Allentown residents were more important to the Mayor than campaign contributors.
I share the hope of a previous poster that an attorney would pick up the case pro bono.
Whether systematic or evenly applied, I think the city's inspection of homes tramples on the Constitutional rights of city residents.
Zoning and code enforcement should be complaint driven, and should deal with correcting problem properties. Anything else is ripe for abuse.
By the way, I hope Joanne talks to all her friends, neighbors, members of her church, etc. and convinces them to vote for anyone but the Mayor in the coming election. If anyplace in America needs change, Allentown is it.
How can this be legal!
I feel alot better knowing her home was rehabbed by HADC - their rehab jobs are first rate.
what does city council say about this financial records/invasion of privacy aspect of this ordinance.
have you been able to contact julio guridy? love to hear his excuse for approving this ordinance. does city
hall get to photocopy our financial records? do records
become public information, available for public review?
TODAY'S MORNING CALL, ALLENTOWN EDITION:
DIRECT QUOTE:
"Guridy said his pursuit of the president post is more philosophical than political.
''I always believe that everybody elected to council has the leadership skills, and I think I have shown my leadership skills throughout my career,'' Guridy said. ''It should rotate and not be one person all the time. It's not a position to gain power, it's a way to serve the public.''
jarrett.renshaw@mcall.com
to clear a couple of matters:
my guess is that she was told to have financial documents ready to verify that she would be able to use the city's housing rehab programs. Those programs typically provide soft-second mortgages that are forgive after 5 or 10 years to address code related problems. If she doesn't produce the documents, then she can't receive the program consideration.
A follow up question: does the woman own the home herself or is she part of an ownership structure (LLP, LLC) where she rents from the ownership structure?
That said, where in Allentown's ordinances do home owner occupied buildings receive any kind of inspection except as part of the sale of the home? I know rentals are inspected for licensing (a good thing). But is the city really empowered to do owner occupied inspections?
After studying the pre-sales inspection process, I can comfortably say that while there are areas to be addressed, that inspection process should prove to be beneficial. it's also applied across the board to ANYBODY selling a home. The rental inspections, b/c its part of a licensing process, while often riddling with complaints, is also a good policy (again, implementation could be better). But when did Allentown opt to go down the road of inspecting owner occupied homes?
"You've been sitting on this story for days, so I suppose you haven't had time to get the City's side of the story?"
Pawlowski has previouslyt made clear that he will not respond to any requuests I mnake for information. The city stopped doing that during the LANTA crisis, and Pawlowski told MC columnist Bill White that I'm just from the boonies of Northampon County.
"I would leave a comment disagreeing with some of your claims, but you would delete it, so I won't bother going into details."
Read my comments policy. If you want to engage in anonymous personal attacks, I am deleting it.
"I'm sure this lady is very grateful that you are helping her cause, and calling her a peasant."
In King Edwin's world, that's what Joanne is and my pointing it out is what bothers you.
Now I am so pissed, I'm spitting mad! Here we go again with the West End BS!!!!!
My wife and I live on a total budget of $27,000 a year. I triple paid my mortgage so it would paid off by the time I retired. Therefore put little into 401k figuring why use that to pay 30 years of interests payments while being taxed from the 401k monies at payout. I worked my ass off for 33 years in a factory at all kinds of forced hours. The wife in retail. Most of our money was not used for bing, but rather with the hopes of having our home paid off. Our combined income was no more then $48k in our best earnings year. We raised 3 kids, which all paid for their own educations.
Now for the neighbors. Next door student housing rental. 40 persons beer parties nearly every week! On the other side, she is a cleaning lady, her husband works in a factory. They raised 4 kids. Guy across the street 3 kids and picks up landscaping work. 3 other retired teachers. RICH MY ASS! There is not one person in this entire block that has anywhere near $75k in the entire hood! We are DEEP WEST END near Muhlenberg student rental housings. FUN FUN FUN.. We are just like the rest of you. Other then a few homes around the Rose Garden... get over your prejudice against us like we are "WEALTHY"!!!
I guarantee you I pay triple taxes more then we lived in the 600 block of North Popular Street, which went to hell in a hand basket. I worked my ass off to leave that decimated block to locate here while living minimally to avoid the infestation that decayed that block.. no bells whistles. No bling. And when our sidewalks were forcibly repaired... WE PAID FOR THEM out of pocket.
Do any of you people get it. Very few with any kind of money would CHOOSE to live in this rat hole Allentown. Most of us are stuck just like the rest of you folks. I grew up 61 years ago in the woods of S. Mountain in a city that has become a stranger to me that exist no longer. Dad was a janitor, mom was stay at home. We had to move to 1038 Maple Street when he could no longer afford the house he build on SW 27th street in the late 1940's.
If I were to get hammered like this lady apparently could be.. I and many of my neighbors too would be out on the streets just like the rest of you.. damn it!!!!
Secondly it's none of the city's F&@!*& business what I have in the bank, etc. Yeah they can shove an inspection down my throat but they certainly not entitled to inspect my finances which would reveal medical records. Where's the HIPAA laws on that!
"Amerika"
Maybe I will try to write more when I settle down.. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
"love to hear his excuse for approving this ordinance. does city"
Actualkly, the ordinance providing for systematic insapection is ancient. But it is so unpopular it has not been used for many years and has never been used anywhere except downtown. In other words, it has not been very systematic. It is targeted at the poor.
"If I were to get hammered like this lady apparently could be.. I and many of my neighbors too would be out on the streets just like the rest of you.. damn it!!!!"
That's the whole point, Glenn. The city knows that and that's why they're not knocking on your door . . . yet. Instead they pound on Joanne's, and in her eyes, you are treated differently. It makes them resentful of west end people who've done nothing and would undoubtedly agree with Joanne.
BTW: Porn magnate Larry Flynt and "Girls Gone Wild" king Joe Francis, are headed to Washington for $5 billion bailout money!
1/3 of my money was in my 401k that has lost 50% of it's value that I needed to live on. Yeah West End... "Easy Street". So much for honest hard work. Who helps the 'peasants' ?
What a country!
(click on my name for that story)
Anon 10:11,
1. To answer your question, this woman is the fee simple owner of the property in question and has owned it for three years.
2. She was told to have all those documents ready bc she might qualify for a grant or loan. That's nice but here's my problem with producing financial information and meeting a "financial assistant" at the time the home is inspected. isn't that putting the cart in front of the horse? Doesn't that more or less presume there will be deficiencies?
3. This is not a pre-sale inspection but a "systematic" (targeted) inspection of a home that is already owned. It is authorized by city code ordinances, which have apparently been dusted off to give city workers somethjing to do. Since no systematic inspection has ever gone outside the downtown, it has not been evenly applied and is discriminatory. It also is an invasion of privacy, although I don't know whether it rises to a consititional level.
"1/3 of my money was in my 401k that has lost 50%"
You won't be getting a bailout but your taxes will go up to help everyone else. "The government cannot give to anyone anything that it does not first take from someone else."
Bernie;
"west end people who've done nothing"
I'm not sure what you mean by that. If you meant have not been involved civic responsibilities wrong. Bill Heydt, Tom Burke, the zoning overlay (to prevent further decay) to name a couple. There are numerous examples, but not with public flash and flare. I don't want to mention other names [privacy]. They can speak for themselves. I mentioned Tom & Bill because they was a public figures from this area. (Bill formerly lived at Ott & Chew).
Nor the years I spent in the early 70's in radio doing this very thing with Public Affair interviews with Mayor Joe D., B. Durant [formely NAACP], and countless others that were aired one hour each weekend. The radio station I worked for raised over 700 toys to be given away FREE at Christmas at the former Central JR. H.S. in the early 70's to inner city children. I was heavy on the fluoridation issues and the Hamilton Mall, etc. etc.
But I chose to leave my 60 hour a week radio career to actually try and support my family that radio salaries simply do not. When I left it in the early 70's I was salaried at $115 a week.
If that's the point you were making that we are uninvolved elitists, it's an incorrect one!
Why doesn't this lady demand city show her one other completed home-ownership inspection report or for some unknown reason is she being singled-out.
Sadly, Allentown has been the laughing stock for some investors
who knew city until now had NO buyer/seller inspection program while Easton's has been in place for decades!
Good Points from Contributor who wrote:
"That said, where in Allentown's ordinances do home owner occupied buildings receive any kind of inspection except as part of the sale of the home? I know rentals are inspected for licensing (a good thing). But is the city really empowered to do owner occupied inspections?" end quote:
Glenn,
I'm not sure what the hell I meant bc I can't find my comment. Sorry.
I agree with everything you say. The whole point here is NOT that West End residents are elitists. The whole point is that downtowners are being trargeted unfairly and this leads to the kind of resentments you read from Joanne. If this were tried in the West End, there would be a resvolution, and the city knows that. It is picking on an area where people are more likely to present no objections.
Anon 10:58, The city is empowered to do code inspections based on complaints or as part of a systematic process. It need not wait for a sale. Unfortunately, systematic means targeted in A-town.
Ok, so you & I agree that the city needs to prioritize?
The greatest attention should be shouldered on the decimated properties.
(1) For years I have issues with 'rentals'. These should be at the top of the list when deterioration is apparent and/or there are complaints.
(2) Secondly the homeowners who have left their properties lapse. There's plenty to work with from that list before they randomly select homeowners' who appear to be in good shape. On the surface this appears to be very unfair to this woman and certainly speaks poorly for anyone who has positive income and have interest in locating to Allentown.
(3) The rentals that appear to be above board should come lastly in priority for random inspection. Homeowner's properties that have been left deteriorate should be of higher priority since we do have some fine rental properties that the landlords do take care of. I know of several landlords who got burnt and sold them off. My brother for one, lost $10,000's on material and 100's hours of labor on his investment on Jackson Street because of tenant rights [collecting rent, etc.], and zoning hassles and violations on his investment property by the previous owner he was not aware of despite paying attorney research and title fees.
Remember Mayor Pawlowski's Landlord Hall of Shame Ninth Street rentals cited a few months back in the paper? Does anyone know if those property owners ever corrected building violations?
Don't know but I seriously doubt the "Hall of Shame" was anything more than a publicity stunt.
I thought Pawlowski wore those old guy sandals, not jackboots.
bernie, thank you for answering my question about the ownership structure (I was 10:11... forgot to sign in).
I would agree with the concern about the inspections being equally applied. I wonder if there are any plans to inspect else where? Was anybody at city hall asked?
I also agree with you on the need to bring the financial paper work to the inspection. It even sounds like the inspection will be geared toward the funding program rather than toward quality of life issues (and by the sounds of it, this woman has done some good work on the building itself).
It would be nice to hear how/why/when all of this was started from the city's end of things. I know to trust gov't as far as it can be thrown, but there has to be some reason to spend this kind of time/energy on inspections.
Beyond what seems like intimidation towards this homeowner, according to Bernie,
to comply with city demands, she must take a day off work and lose a day's wage only proves that all municipalities must increase staff work hours to include some Saturdays, similar to banks and so many other businesses. It is unfair for this homeowner to lose salary, almost a punishment of home ownership.
My guess is that this area is being targeted since it is identified low/mod income area in which the City can help homeowners make repairs with federal grants. I'm sure that the whole dispute was caused by a well intentioned administrator trying to help people, who possibly sent a poorly thought out letter. I'm sure that the property owner in question stands to gain and that in the end she will be grateful to the City.
Why all the guesses and supposes? Why haven't you asked the City for an explanation? Instead we have MM saying he can speak for the city & BOH saying since the Mayor won't talk with him there's no one else to ask. Again, you have had this story for says, why don't you cut out the guesses, allegations, supposing and accusations and simply get an answer? Or at least try. Geez, what would folks say if the MC only ran half a story?
Anonymous 3:04 -
Since you opened the door, they would probably say "So, what's new?"
anon 3:04, the quote " goal is totally rehabilitated neighborhoods." is directly from the letter sent by city to the resident. I don't speak for the city, but i can assure you the city is aware of this posting and my previous posting on the same inspection. this program is considered a component of the "weed and seed" initiative, but the weed and seed area is now very large, and the systematic inspections are in reality spotmatic. there are 23 other properties included in this particular mission by the city. anon 3:04, here's an idea; why don't you call the city and inquire about the inspections? if i didn't know what was going on i wouldn't have posted about it, furthermore don't assume i didn't call the city.
MM, quoting a general statement from a vague letter referring to "goals" does not explain this particular inspection or homeowner's situation. However, it apparently serves to entitle you to make broad-based condemnations. Telling me to call the city may deflect criticism but is not answering the question: Why hasn't MM or BOH bothered to at least attempt to get a response or explanation from the city concerning this woman's situation? I have answer: don't let the facts get in your way.
MM says, "Don't assume I didn't call the city." And if you did in fact call the city, what did they say?
anon 4:55, they said it's a systematic inspection looking at all non-rental property in that concise area. they claim it's a on-going process. i don't understand what you do not understand, between my blog and bernie's, almost everything is covered. we have attempted to provide some privacy for the woman. i have attempted to make some polite inquires which will hopefully not have negative consequences on the woman when the actual inspection takes place. to me the main issue is this; years ago they had systematic inspections in center city, starting on 4th, going to 7th, and gave the homeowner new sidewalks for their trouble(and expense). now allentown has rental inspections covering a large percentage of center city properties. they have point of sale inspections, and they also have neighbor or inspector complaint inspections. why start up the systematic ones again?
Call city hall, ask questions, expect answers...this isn't how Allentown functions anymore.
Scott Armstrong
"Why all the guesses and supposes? Why haven't you asked the City for an explanation?"
There's very little guessing in this post. I ahve presented what is happening in detail. I'd like to know whether the financial assistants are city workers and whether homeowners will be "encouraged" to use Pawlowski campaign contributors - I mean city contractors - to remedy deficiencies.
But I have no intention of calling King Edwin or any of his men. He has made clear that he won't respond to my questions, and Bill White mentioned that in a column. And I think that talking to city workers will just get them in trouble with their boss.
What I have done is to supply all the documentation to a member of city council. And MM, who knows some people, was able to speak tpo them OTR. We know pretty much exactly what is happening, and it's happening nowhere else in the LV.
This is such nonsense the type you get from slum lord MM and O'Hater.
The woman used a Public Finacing loan to get repairs done and they must check things out to protect taxpayers. This woman sounds like a real winner, she probably doesn't even know what is going on, just how to complain after getting public dollars. Of course wild man O'Hare immediately does what he rips others for because he hates Pawloeski. Only O'Hater could make King Pow an object of pity.
Get a life a real job and a real office O'Hare. The County isn't your office or shower room.
Now we have an Anonymous person who claims to know the "real" story and who slams the owner, MM and me. This is a typical trollish reaction from a Pawlowski sycophant who doesn't like seeing the truth told.
Here it is. This woman is one of 23 homeowner occupied properties selected in an area for systematic inspection. I have the letter from Sir Leonard the Lightner. Is he lying, too?
Now we know that any peasant weho dares ask a question will be trampled on by one of these trolls who most likely are just political hacks out to cause trouble.
hey anon 6:29, how much bootlicking did you have to do to get a letter of credence to speak on behalf of his royal highnass? why dont YOU get a real job and ditch the jester costume, and btw, his royal highnass has just passed a new city ordinance. from now on, all of his lackeys are banned from bathing in the royal moat...perhaps you can beg bernie for access to the county shower.
I have deleted the same vulgar comment, posted about 6 times, by Henry Schaadt. If you persist in this vulgar display, I'll report your offensive behavior to the police and Tinkerbell's husband. Neither will be pleased. Stop the disgusting commentary.
The city has held neighborhood meetings and all homeowners were invited to attend to hear the program.The financial papers were only needed if requesting a loan/grant. The inspections are being done to all owner occupied non rental homes in the weed and seed area.Therfore it is going after the lower income class in town.
There was a rumor years ago about Allentown mandating certain upgrades to homes. When the low income people couldn't afford it, the city would do the work, and put a lean on the property. Any truth to this?
Tom
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