The Morning Call's Jarrett Renshaw has posted King Ed's response to Allentown City Council VP Michael Donovan's blistering attack.Hizzoner attempts to defend the indefensible - he'd rather let a campaign contributor send him to an Iron Pigs game than do his job and be present at a City Council meeting. Sure, he was booed at the Iron Pigs, but Queen City legislators might have questions about that City's disastrous finances.
During his re-election campaign, King Edwin repeatedly stated that he attends as many city council meetings as he can. That was untrue. He obviously considers his campaign coffers more important than Allentown's fund balance.
The real Pawlowski appears in this Geza Frey youtube video, where he is confronted, face to face, over his absence from council meetings, among other things.
By the way, he throws like a girl.
Hey.
ReplyDeleteMost girls can probably throw much better than Pawlowski.
Bernie: Here's the deal; King Edwin has changed the role of the Mayor in Allentown from an executive supervisor to a ceremonial figurehead. King Edwin has hired a supervisory executive to perform all those functions that used to be done by the Mayor. King Edwin's job is only public relations and building his political power. It''s that simple. It sucks that he jacked up his salary 50% to do less, but that's part of genious of what he has pulled off here in Allentown. This guy is brilliant. He'll soon ride off into the sunset to a 6 figure state job courtesy of Dan Ontoronto and he'll look even smarter
ReplyDeletebernie. with that windup, was it a wild pitch.
ReplyDeletePerhaps he will go down as the worst mayor in the City of Allentown.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it even pathetic is that he doesn't seem to care if that's the case. He's already playing for a bigger job.
Allentown and Reading have a lot of similarities. This extends to the similarity in administrations. Reading has a mayor who doesn't show up to any meetings and has an even more inept administration than Allentown when it comes to the basics of running a government.
Both cities are in a world of trouble. Reading might be worse, but Allentown isn't far behind.
I hear Courtney Robinson is being groomed by King Edwin for bigger things.
ReplyDeleteWho's Dan Ontoronto? Some Canadian?
ReplyDeletethe only way Pawlowski is doin' something in an onorato admin is if he wins. Given Corbett's inexplicable tweeter bullying and his decision to pursue the lawsuit against the feds, I put the odds at 50/50. 3 months ago I put it at 25/75, but Corbett might manage to punt this one away.
ReplyDeleteIf Pawlowski does move on, maybe he'll take a few of his unnecessary political staffers with him to Harrisburg. It would be sweet.
Anon 1:00PM even King Edwin couldn't match the incompetence of his mentor, Uncle Roy.
ReplyDeleteIn the photo he looks like a girl trying to toss an egg. What an arm!
That You Tube video proves why he is a disaster as mayor and also, why he hardly ever shows up at council meetings anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlso, and I know I'm a little late on this, what kind of a man throws like that?
VOR
Not a resident of Allentown, but the Mayor seemed to own Donovan AND the guy in the video.
ReplyDeletePerhaps he will go down as the worst mayor in the City of Allentown.
ReplyDeleteIs it true he got 74% of the vote? If so, your statement is ludicrous.
That You Tube video proves why he is a disaster as mayor and also, why he hardly ever shows up at council meetings anymore.
ReplyDeleteHow so? The resident had no point and just rambled about lights and mailings.
"Not a resident of Allentown, but the Mayor seemed to own Donovan AND the guy in the video."
ReplyDeleteI am a resident and a Democrat for that matter. Here is my problem: Pawlowski only seems to care about owning those who disagree with him. In what way is that good for Allentown?
If the mayor wants to "own" anybody, he should focus on competent governing like Callahan and the rest will follow. "owning" you opponent is the stuff of political hacks.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThat You Tube video proves why he is a disaster as mayor and also, why he hardly ever shows up at council meetings anymore.
How so? The resident had no point and just rambled about lights and mailings.
3:47 PM
Because he doesn't like to be grilled...not by a gadfly, not by the council members, not by anyone. He's above all of that.
VOR
I hear the complaints about the mayor and can't help but think it's a very vocal, very tiny minority.
ReplyDeleteGiven his performance in the last election, he's one of the most - if not THE most - popular mayor in Allentown history.
I wouldn't travel to Allentown after dark, either. It's bad and getting worse. But the facts are the facts about Pawlowski's popularity. The only thing in doubt in his re-election was whether or not he'd get 80% of the vote.
Bernie, Bernie, Bernie,
ReplyDeleteHizHonnor was out getting more customers for Restaurant Row!
Ya can't blame the guy if buddies come before taxpayers. Was he actually booed?
This guy is brilliant. He'll soon ride off into the sunset to a 6 figure state job courtesy of Dan Ontoronto and he'll look even smarter
ReplyDelete12:44 PM
And Allentown voters will look ever dumber.
4:40pm- "Given his performance in the last election, he's one of the most - if not THE most - popular mayor in Allentown history."
ReplyDeleteYou must jest and know very little about Allentown previous, very distinguished, honorable, Mayor's. I'm a lifelong Bethlehem resident and even I know better. I worked with & tried to help Pawlowski in his past life! Since then, I had an issue with Allentown staff and then Mayor never even returned my requested phone call. Public servant who won't return a phone call? I think not! Maybe not the worst Allentown Mayor ever but not out of the running for the title is my opinion. Crime and finances out of control there and Mayor avoids Council meetings when he sees fit is disgraceful!
Ed, I'm still waiting for a call for months now! Do you even call any of your contituents when asked?
"Was he actually booed?"
ReplyDeleteYes, he was.
"Given his performance in the last election, he's one of the most - if not THE most - popular mayor in Allentown history."
ReplyDeleteReally? Then perhaps you can explain why he feels such an urgent need to shake people down for campaign contributions. Explain why so many Democrats hate him. Tell me why he had to hire an army of derelicts and send them knocking on doors on election day. While you're at it, perhaps you can explain how he surpasses some of the revered mayors of Allentown's past, including Daddona, Mal Gross, Frank Fischl.
He's not as bad as Afflerbach, but he's bad.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteEd is far worse than Roy and thanks to a second term he has more time to let existing problems fester and digs the city deeper and deeper into a fiscal hole it may never be able to extricate itself from. Furthermore his replacement of qualified and experienced city managers and staff with political hacks, opportunists and yes men is a dynamic that cannot be undone. This has had severe repercussions on the moral of city workers and the functioning of vital city bureaus.
Scott Armstrong
Why no local coverage with the homeless people feeling the wrath of the King? Channel 69 carried the story of A-towns eviction of the homeless from a plot of ground out in the middle of nowhere! Leave these people alone instead of forcing them into sub standard housing in the city.
ReplyDeleteAnon 4:40 said:
ReplyDelete"Given his performance in the last election, he's one of the most - if not THE most - popular mayor in Allentown history...But the facts are the facts about Pawlowski's popularity. The only thing in doubt in his re-election was whether or not he'd get 80% of the vote.
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I suspect you are a Pawlowski supporter, but I'll respond anyway.
The election was between two weak candidates - Pawlowski and an even weaker Tony Phillips.
Yes, Pawlowski got a large percentage of the vote, but only a small percentage turned out to vote in the Mayor's race.
Pawlowski and his supporters like to tout the 80% figure (it was actually 74%) as some sort of mandate, but the reality is that he received only 7,908 votes in a city of about 105,000 residents.
Again, don't be fooled by the percentage. If only ten people voted, and Pawlowski receives 9 of the votes, that's 90%. Sure the percentage is high, but hardly a mandate - or a reason to declare him one of the most popular mayors in Allentown's history.
I wouldn't travel to Allentown after dark, either. It's bad and getting worse. But the facts are the facts about Pawlowski's popularity. The only thing in doubt in his re-election was whether or not he'd get 80% of the vote.
ReplyDeleteChannel 69 reported on an FBI study that said Allentown's violent crime is dropping precipitously. Shrug.
While you're at it, perhaps you can explain how he surpasses some of the revered mayors of Allentown's past, including Daddona, Mal Gross, Frank Fischl.
ReplyDeleteNone of that has to do with the fact that he got 74% of the vote. Popularity does not equal effectiveness, necessarily.
9:21 - So if you don't vote, it's a vote AGAINST Pawlowski? Got it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete"So if you don't vote, it's a vote AGAINST Pawlowski? Got it."
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No, but it sure isn't a vote FOR Pawlowski.
And to try and claim a mandate off an anemic turnout is delusional. But then again, we are talking about Ed Pawlowski.
I have never seen so many sad attempts to spin an election where one candidate gets 74% of the vote. Holy cow... that is a butt kicking. Love him or hate him, he wins elections. Until he loses an election, you have to deal with him.
ReplyDeleteOnly losers try to spin a 74% election.
Agree. I never said he was the best mayor, just the most popular.
ReplyDeleteI'm no fan of Pawlowski, but as Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it."
74% is 74%. It's huge. Is his competition weak because he's so popular? Or is he popular because his competition is so weak? Either way, he's managed to be very popular.
He's arguably the most popular mayor in the city's history.
Anon said
ReplyDelete"74% is 74%. It's huge. He's arguably the most popular mayor in the city's history."
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You're confusing popularity with election wins.
And you're trying to inflate his "popularity" by using a percentage, which is misleading. Eight out of ten is 80%, but if only ten out of 100,000 vote it's not much of a mandate.
I think you know the percentage is misleading, but since it supports your theory you continue to use it.
Pawlowski was elected in 2005 with 10,145 votes out of 17,292 votes cast for Mayor. Pawlowski only received 7,908 votes in 2009 (out of 10,745 cast). Obviously he lost quite a few votes in 2009.
Many voters in the last (2009) election held their noses and voted for one of the two poor choices they were given. As the vote totals indicate, many more didn't vote at all.
P.S. - Since you love percentages, let's say that Pawlowski's "popularity" has dropped by 22% since 2005 (and is still going down).
Uh, please refer to the scoreboard. And yes, I'm clear on political popularity vs. whatever measure you're attempting to spin. Last time I checked, this was a political blog. It's interesting to see a 74% vote getter marginalized as unpopular. I could understand 51% or 52%. I never said he was good mayor. I said he was very popular. Perhaps you should direct your ire at 3/4 of the electorate. I'm just stating facts.
ReplyDeleteI've never seem someone gyrate as mush as 4:16. Hehehee.
ReplyDeleteSo your contention is that someone who received 22% fewer votes is popular and loved by the people?
ReplyDeleteFine.
Could we at least agree then that his "popularity" is on the decline?