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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Where Are LV Legislators On the NIZ?

Democrats don't want to piss off construction unions. Republicans don't want to piss off majority Whip Pat Browne or the handful of rich guys who will get richer from Allentown's NIZ. As a result, on both sides of the aisle, state reps have been ducking questions about this topic. Even candidates like Leslie Altieri seem to be talking out of both sides of her mouth.

I think it's time they take a stand. I've sent these questions, both to LV lawmakers and their opponents in the upcoming election.
1) Do you support the NIZ?

2) Are you willing to repeal the Allentown tax grab under which the EIT of surrounding municipalities can be used to finance a hockey arena, and other improvements over a 30-year period?

3) Are you willing to impose a restriction that would prevent the poaching of other LV businesses within a 25-mile radius of the NIZ?

4) Are you willing to insist on a requirement that all new businesses moving into the NIZ agree to pay a living wage to its workforce?
So far, I have two answers. On Friday, I'll begin posting their answers or refusal to respond.

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17 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 6:03 AM

    3 need not result from ameneded legislation. The NIZ board could require this before they approve financing for a project. course, enforcement gets dicey down the line.

    4 sound great, but we require it of no other recipients of government ecdev funding.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 6:32 AM

    Good Questions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 6:46 AM

    Liberalism at its best. Redistribution of wealth to support a place that is failing for its own faults. Allentown's failure is not the result of the growing suburbs but failed economic and social policies for the past 5 decades. Shame on any conservative that has supported this tax grab law.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 6:51 AM

    Has candidate Altieri clarified her position? Hell, has she decided what it is?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mark BakerApril 19, 2012 at 7:00 AM

    watch the BS flow if they have the guts to answer the questions.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 7:14 AM

    Did local legislators actually know what was in this bill or was the NIZ hidden.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 7:19 AM

    The OFFICE-DISTRICT 131
    SIMMONS...Dan, Quick come here!
    DAN......Now, what did you do?
    SIMMONS...I received a list of questions from Bernie Ohare.
    DAN..Well answer them.
    SIMMONS..I'll tell Bernie that my dog ate the Questions.Then I'll tell a "Good old Days" story.
    DAN..Tell the Truth, this time!
    SIMMONS..Dan, You're to much!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 8:44 AM

    @7:19 (Kevin Deely),

    Why do you go anonymous?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bernie O'HareApril 19, 2012 at 8:50 AM

    "Has candidate Altieri clarified her position? Hell, has she decided what it is?"

    It is my exchange with Altieri that prompted this email. Boscola has stated her position, as has Browne. But I need to hear from the state reps and the people running against them. Although I never would vote for someone or against someone based on one issue, I would like to know what their views are.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bernie O'HareApril 19, 2012 at 8:54 AM

    "Did local legislators actually know what was in this bill or was the NIZ hidden."

    It was buried in a huge budget bll in 209. Now, even if you knew about it, a vote against that budget would have been a vote to extend the longest budget stalemate in state history. So they were in an unenviable position, even if they knew the details.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 9:05 AM

    "Bernie O'Hare said

    ... a vote against that budget would have been a vote to extend the longest budget stalemate in state history."

    I remember our many, robust jousts about that stalemate.

    Civility, compromise, needed services vs. principle. Principle was sacrificed to the gods of politics.

    And, here we are :(

    -Clem

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    1) No 2) Yes 3) Yes 4) Yes

    Please note --- even within Allentown there is poaching of businesses for NIZ

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 1:03 PM

    Attention BROOKS BROTHERS:

    I hear that sharing the wealth is a fabulous idea.

    Therefore, I have a proposal :

    You guys start picking up my open hockey fees and finance one new hockey stick for me per month with YOUR MONEY (that you get from Big Government) ...

    ... and I will start buying lots of tickets to watch the Phantoms play ice hockey at the magnificent Palace of Sport with MY MONEY (that I do NOT get from Big Government).

    Do we have a deal --- or what?

    HTTP://WWW.GOIRONPIGS.COM

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousApril 19, 2012 at 2:45 PM

    "Why have the arena property supporters refused to talk about other 'success stories' across the country? Because, I suspect that they didn't bother to look for any other success stories before promoting the NIZ structure, and because those other success stories simply don't exist."

    DF. STEPHEN F. THODE
    Director, Lehigh University's Goodman Center for Real Estate Studies ... quoted in THE MORNING CALL (Feb 16, 2012)

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousApril 22, 2012 at 2:41 AM

    Where's "Benedict Arnold" Simmons?

    He Betrayed, the Voters.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Bernie O'HareApril 22, 2012 at 6:55 AM

    I still have no answers from his opponent, Kevin Deely.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousApril 23, 2012 at 5:35 PM

    Do we have any answeres from "man Child" ?

    ReplyDelete

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