About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Sixteen Questions For Allentown's NIZ Whiz

David Woglom, who administers the Tax Collection Committees in both Lehigh and Northampton County, has asked Allentown Finance Director Garret Strathearn to answer sixteen very specific questions in advance of the next combined meeting. [W]e need to know what the financial effect will be on our budgets, particularly during these challenging times," Woglom tells Strathearn.

The combined committees will meet again on March 15, 8:30 AM, at Hanover Township Community Center on Jacksonville Road.

You can view Woglom's letter here.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

WHERE WERE THESE PEOPLE WHEN THIS PASSED 2 YEARS AGO...

GET OFF THIS BANDWAGON AND LET THE THING BE BUILT

YOUR CRYING ABOUT POSSIBLE JOBS AND POSSIBLE EIT

STOP WASTING OUR TIME

Anonymous said...

Retired ASD teacher here.

Thanks for sharing, Bernie. Probably more than a few Ralph Kramden impersonators out there now.

" Huhm-In-Ahh, Huhm-In-Ahh, Huhm-In-Ahh."

Anonymous said...

"STOP WASTING OUR TIME"

Blogosphere Rule #1: All caps denotes asshole.

Anonymous said...

"STOP WASTING OUR TIME"

We will; just as soon as you pay for it with your own money and not ours. And why would anyone take the advice of an individual who's not smart enough to get the hell out of Allentown? The smart money left years ago. Only dummies left now.

Anonymous said...

3:31

You probably don't even live in A-town... so stop your bellyaching, and YOUR tax money isn't paying for shit in allentown

SO STOP YOUR PISSING AND MOANING

michael molovinsky said...

i see no purpose in the various tax administrators questioning the city or browne about what they can expect to be returned. with the debt service over $230 million and climbing, they must know, realistically, that nothing will be returned. they must be only going through the motions for political cover back in their municipalities.

Bill said...

I agree with Mr. Molovinsky, what goes in will not come out.

The way that this was all handled was really unfortunate. When the argument is made for projects and cooperation for our regional interest, I agree with those views. However this project in this manner was not the way to build regional interests.

Please show me the studies that find a significant ROI on Arena projects. I want Allentown to do well, I live and work here. I think it was the wrong project that was implemented the wrong way. We created holes in all the other regions budgets, it will be a really, really long time before they can let that go. Allentown will be viewed like the Grinch that stole Christmas for a long time to come.

Anonymous said...

If you want an indicator of the roi on the arena just look over the swamp at the Iron Pigs stadium and the capacity crowds that go there, the most in the ENTIRE league...

You people want to piss and moan, just to piss and moan, get a life and let the city build the stinking arena and they will come and spend tons of money and invest and the city WILL prosper

If you where around 200 years ago you probably would have said that blood transfusions were the work of the devil and organ transplants was the devils work

people like you make the rick santorums of the world look sane.

ironpigpen said...

Using your very own logic, Anon 5:34 ...

... why is Allentown not ALREADY properous BECAUSE of the International League-leading crowds at Coca-Cola Park?

Anonymous said...

Based on the real easate reassessments Allentown has paid over $10 million too much of the county tax bill over the last 10+ years. Will these folks upset about the EIT switch consider a refund to Allentown?

ironpigpen said...

"prosperous"

does not invalidate the question ...

... why is Chairman Pawlowski's City Without Limits not ALREADY prosperous BECAUSE of Coca-Cola Park?

Anybody got a valid answer?

Anonymous said...

"organ transplants was the devils work"

you mean...they're not?

Anonymous said...

"STOP WASTING OUR TIME"

Stop ordering us around.

ironpigpen said...

Way to stay focused an on-topic with repsect to the NIZ, Anon 5:41! ...

... Can you tell us some more about Sanity, then ...

OR, perhaps, answer the question about why Allentown is not ALREADY prosperous BECAUSE of the International League-leading crowds at Coca-Cola Park.

Anonymous said...

"why is Chairman Pawlowski's City Without Limits not ALREADY prosperous BECAUSE of Coca-Cola Park?"

a valid answer would be that the Park has improved Allentown's lot. The east side of Allentown, Union boulevard in particular, has seen new development and appears to be on the upswing. I understand the agere building is under agreement, with substantial tenant interest as well.

Could that park save Allentown? No, one project can't undo years of neglect. but it's a piece of the puzzle.

Anonymous said...

"Way to stay focused an on-topic with repsect to the NIZ, Anon 5:41! ...

... Can you tell us some more about Sanity, then ..."

anon 5:41 here. I'm just fuckin' around. as a side note, you appear to have anger issues.

ironpigpen said...

Anon 5:50,

How can you be so 100% certain that I, as you say, am not just f---ing around, too?

Or, perhaps I am sick and tired of the outrageous spending by out-of-control Big Government, particularly on $ 50.0 million dollar Taxpayer Parks and $ 160.0 million dollar Palaces of Sport at a time when The Morning Call has front page headlines decrying the fact that the Commonwealth of PA is in the hole $ 500.0 million dollars.

... that is, of course, when I am not busy being ordered about by some courageous Anonymous Shill.

What do you say to that, then, Anon 5:50?

I am all ears just for you.

Bill said...

A crowd of people is not the same as a study on the ROI of a project.

Arenas are largely feel good projects with minimal economic impact. At least that is what I have read.

Maybe you can stop calling us names long enough to show some evidence, a link or to at least?

ironpigpen said...

Here is another question just for you, Anon 5:50.

What do YOU think the chances are that I will be wanting to actually spend any of my money at the Pawlowski's Palace of Sport ...

... once I am completely through thoroughly having the snot beat out of me by all of the Chariman's Cheerleaders day in and day out?

Hell, the 2013-14 season is still a long, long way off.

I used to LOVE ice hockey ... now, the professional game is a season and a half from being right in front of my face --- and I sincerely could not be any more turned off!

Oh well ... I guess that is the way the puck bounces sometimes. And, I have taken plenty of high sticks in the past ... I should be nothing less than confident I can survive a few more.

Shaibu!

Anonymous said...

"I am all ears just for you"

I'm back to saying that you sound cranky. Perhaps a juice box?

Anonymous said...

"What do YOU think the chances are that I will be wanting to actually spend any of my money at the Pawlowski's Palace of Sport "

It may be hard for you to believe, but I suspect your personal investment in the project probably was NOT a major factor in the Mayor's calculus.

michael molovinsky said...

there actually has not been years of neglect, but rather one large expenditure after another. dadonna built the canopy. heydt took the canopy down, and reconfigured the parking endlessly. now pawlowski took down the stores and is building the arena. meanwhile, the rest of allentown has been ignored. they pine for a new american parkway bridge, but let the 15th street rust away. pawlowski can't wait to deal out queen city airport, even before the arena is built. when the 15th street bridge work starts, one third of the city will be essentially isolated.

Anonymous said...

The arena will be a box that people will drive to. They will see or attend something inside the box. They may buy or eat something in the box. When the reason they are there is finished they will return to their cars and leave. What will happen in the box will stay in the box.

Scott Armstrong

Anonymous said...

Scott is being too optimistic. The Pigs draw crowds because it's practically in Bethlehem, just a short jog from 22, and doesn't require risking life and limb to go to dangerous downtown Allentown. The Pawlowskidome may not draw as many as you think. Whites need to feel safe. This is Pawlowski is getting rid of minorities. He won't succeed and his box will be a bust, let alone a draw to other parts of his Dodge City with chalk outlines.

Anonymous said...

...this is why Pawlowski is getting rid of minorities...

Anonymous said...

awful lot of not-so -veiled racism here

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yep. Its aimed at Allentown's poor and is being done in the name of economic development.

Anonymous said...

Actually it is some of your commentators