Pay to Play Pawlowski Goes Golfing

For reasons that elude me, the Allentown Brew Works (ABW) web page contains a brief history of Allentown, telling us the city "was founded in 1762 by William Allen; a wealthy shipping merchant who purchased land from the sons of William Penn." But that's only half the story. What ABW's history fails to reveal is that Allen, a supposed New World aristocrat, became a "wealthy shipping merchant" by financing a form of piracy known as privateering. He used political office here to make himself even more wealthy and even supplied the "muscle" for settlers dealing with both Indians and Connecticut invaders. A Tory, he fled to England with his tail between his legs when the Revolutionary War broke out.

Speaking of incomplete stories about wealthy merchants, there are plenty of unanswered questions concerning Allentown's recent decision to replace the Sand Trap Grille with ABW at its muni golf course. They both had submitted identical bids. Now, believe it or not, the ABW gets top billing on the city-funded Allentown golf web page, above the Superintendent. It is becoming increasingly questionable whether Pay to Play Pawlowski is simply rewarding one of his supporters.

The Fegley family, which owns ABW, received somewhere around $3.4 million in federal loans when they purchased their popular restaurant from the Allentown Redevelopment Authority for $1.00. Another $500,000 came in the form of an outright grant from Rendell. Located in a KOZ, they are exempt from what would otherwise be an $82 thousand annual real estate tax. They are also exempt from sales tax and pay no state income tax. Allentown kicked in even more money, perhaps $90,000, for facade improvements. According to the Tony Phillips campaign, the Fegley's ABW has received more than $7 million dollars of taxpayer money.

The Fegleys are major Pawlowski supporters, having contributed $750 to his campaign in 2006 & 2007. Last year, Pawlowski gave Mike Fegley, a Democratic state committee member, $100 to help pay for transportation to the Democratic convention. He has also paid Fegley's wife $2,730 for campaign work. Another $1,150 went directly into ABW coffers.

Blogger Michael Molovinsky is the person who first questioned the preference of ABW over Sand Trap Grille owner Robert Stanley, claiming that Stanley had been out-maneuvered by King Edwin Pawlowski. But what really disturbs me is Jarrett Renshaw's riveting blog at QCD, which actually contains video excerpts of Stanley's presentation of a petition to city council, signed by 150 golfers, protesting the decision to dump him after ten years. I have transcribed a portion for those of you who prefer the written word.

Business owner Robert Stanley: "The bid was due November 24, 4 o'clock. I submit my bid ... I was told three or four days later that I had the bid. In the meantime, people were coming in and saying I was leaving and they wanted to buy my equipment and I said NO, I'm back in. ... Why was I told three weeks before that I had the bid? ... Then I get to go and meet down at city hall. I go in there and I think it's about signing the contract. Well, here they're giving me an interview, asking me questions. Greg Wetzell is the only guy that asked me any questions and one other person asked a question. Everybody else just sat there, didn't say a word, I answered my questions and off I went.

"December 23rd I get a phone call, 'Can I come over to the sand Trap?' Because it was closed because of the weather, I go over there and meet with Greg. He tells me The Brewworks got the bid. I said, 'You gotta' be kidding?' That's when I told him, 'I was told three weeks before I had this bid.' Then I was told I had to be out by the end of the year. ... I lost approximately - I'm not even sure - $20,000 in the sales of equipment because I had to get that stuff out of there.

* * *

"As far as going over to Starters, if you went over there and talked to the Bethlehem golfers, during the league and during the golfing season, they're not coming in there. You're getting the outside people. What do you want? Do you want to run a restaurant, do you want to take care of the citizens of the town?

* * *

"This was all said and done a long time ago. I was told ... as a matter of fact I was told four years ago that Mayor Pawlowski, when he was with Mayor Afflerbach, wanted me out of that place. He wanted to make something flamboyant there. Well, this is what he got. Everybody knows that him and Mr. Fegley - they're buddy, buddy."

Administration: "The Mayor was not involved in this process in any way, shape or form. ... The mayor had no influence and I would not have listened to him anyway."

Council member Peter Schweyer, a Pawlowski cheerleader, provided this justification: "This is an opportunity for the City of Allentown to not be just satisfied with what we have, but to expand our product and actually grow. I've had conversations with no less than four potential tournaments who refuse to move their golf tournaments to Allentown because we don't have the facilities for the quality of the product."

But council member Jeanette Eichenwald, whose once told me her father ran a small business, was more honest. "I think there was an injustice done here."

Jeanette is right.