In his "State of the County" address last week, Lehigh County Exec Don Cunningham stressed the importance of public safety. "Public safety is the prerequisite to all other activities. You cannot have a healthy community, create jobs or improve the quality of life unless people are safe and justice prevails." No matter how many tax incentives you give to lure a restaurant to Allentown, it's wasted money if people are still getting shot a block away.When Sal Panto ran for Mayor four years ago, he kept it simple - Clean & Safe. After his election, he followed through by increasing the size of the police force from 52 to 63, starting a city-wide street cleaning program and adding code enforcement officers. Easton's crime rate dropped nearly 8 per cent last year, while Bethlehem saw crime go up 6 per cent.
Last Thursday, Panto kicked off his re-election campaign at the Grand Eastonian. He's seeking a second term because "there is still so much to do." I thought he might run unopposed, but Easton fire fighter Mike Krill, a Republican, is circulating petitions.
Below is Sal's Kick-Off Speech.
Sal Panto's Kick-Off Speech
8 comments:
Just let Krill be Krill the guy will shot himself in the foot. A real goofball.
Easton is neither cleaner nor safer than it was four years ago. The gang problem is exponentially worse.
I am not really sure of the reality the Mayor is citing.
It was really Krill and his buddy, Hand, who pushed the "clean and safe" agenda for two years before the last election. .
I didn't think civil service workers could run for office while keeping their jobs. I could be wrong.
Re: Allentown, I think that's dead on about policing, but it's important to move on both fronts. The goal is to get more upper middle class people spending money and time, and eventually living, in center city Allentown. To do that you need to reduce fear of crime, but you also have to have activities for people to do. It's a chicken and egg problem. You need to get more cops to make people feel more confident about the business environment, but you need more business activity to get the money to pay for the cops. It doesn't help that the Pat Toomey charter restricts how much money they can raise. Easton was able to raise earned income taxes to pay for this stuff, but Allentown can't.
Panto is doing a great jobin a city that most people wrote off years ago. I live in the West Ward and I know it is cleaner and safer than four years ago so I don't know what the comments are about other than they may be posted by people that don't live in the city. I have friends that work in the courthouse but don't live in the city and they agree. They have noticed a considerable improvement coming and going to work.
As for firefighter Krill this guy needs to grow up. Isn't this the same guy who was on the county 911 task force and asked to leave becasue he was disruptive and felt he was the only one with the answers. Check the records. This guy has a lot of baggage and a lot of hot air. He talks and talks but nothing is achieved. Like him or not Panto is getting the job done and working with alot of people to get it done in Easton.
From what I hear from my firefighter friends in Easton, Krill is a whiner and as the first poster said -- a goofball. As for who talked about Cleand and Safe.....what did Hand and Krill do to push their agenda.....nothing! Panto is doing it not just talking about it.
This race won't even be close but with Krill in the race it will be amusing. Panto by a landslide. If not we are toast in Easton.
I just came back from the Chambers sold out breakfast where Panto delivered his State of the City. His presentation was unbelievable. I never heard him speak before but I was so impressed. We are lucky to have him running again. He is good for Easton. His vision for Easton is right on and he gave credit to everyone for Easton's success. I know Krill having served on the 911 task force. He is not for real, he throws a temper tantrum when he doesn't get his way and then he walked out. A real bozo.
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