Since June 1, Allentown DCED Director Sara Hailstone has peppered Bethlehem and Hanover Townships with a total of 28 Right-to-Know requests. Those two municipalities are the spearhead of a municipal challenge to the legality of Allentown's 130-acre Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ). Under a state law passed in 2009 after a record-breaking budget stalemate, the NIZ was created. It authorizes Allentown to pay for a hockey arena and other improvements with the EIT revenue of anyone working inside the zone, even if he lives in another municipality. But this legislation has been attacked in Commonwealth Court as an unconstitutional "special" law that could only ever apply to Allentown.
Hailstone has asked for meeting minutes from both municipalities, even though those are already available online. She requests minutes of executive session, too, even though those are never kept. She wants copies of all email exchanges with developer Nic Zawarski, even though he's been retired for 15 years and his sons now operate the business. She asks the townships to tell her how much they've paid to Bethlehem law firm Broughal and DeVito, which represents both Townships. Finally, she wants all emails concerning an alphabet soup of agencies, from ANIZDA to ACIDA to AEDC.
Hailstone's multiple requests have been referred to Broughal and DeVito for legal review.
How do I know about these Right-to-Know requests? I filed a few myself.
Updated 11:45 AM: In an earlier version of this story, I write that developer Nic Zawarski is deceased. He is very much alive, and I apologize to Mr. Zawarski and his physicians.
24 comments:
Allentown is just what you have been doing for years. spamming RTK's is a horrid thing to do, it costs money and abuses the system but you are one of the kings of the practice.
Please don't say "yours are different". They are not!
I see. I do file RTK requests, am largely successful, have won every OOR appeal I've filed, and make an effort to be reasonable. I know of some people who use it to harass. I believe in transparent government, not harassment, and use the RTK law for that purpose, as well as to expose some pretty disgusting people who should never serve in any office.
Now I see it. This woman looks just like Tony Soprano's sister Janice from the TV show.
Ya know what I mean?
Faggedd abod it!
Didn't know any of this. Very sad.
yawn
This is no way to treat your potential arena customers. By the time Allentown gets any arena, they'll have completely alienated their customer base. The place, if ever built, won't draw flies.
The evil king Pud's evil puppet.
I too would like to know how much money grab the lawyers have made / billed so far?
Bernie why have you deleted comments on this post. I also would like to read the e-mails from not only Finnigan, but other elected Twp officials.
Why is comment like that deleted? Honestly you want a free flowing dialogue why take such a low road. In the past the comments kept me coming back. It's your blog do what you want, but the commenter did not say or do anything negative.
He may have mentioned a blog you don't like, but you gotta admit the sincerest form of flattery is someone copying your work.
The comment was deleted bc it refers to a blog I consider a hate blog. Also, comments that complain about deleted comments will be deleted.
I hope that the Townships give Allentown the same run around that it gives to the public when they file a RTK request.
Good for her. What does the erudite Mitt Romney say? "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."
That's fine. I understand why you deleted the comment, but Finnigan really only has a problem with Allentown. Since he is a big hockey fan and I beleive even coaches.
Just saying. This is more of a city vs. twp problem than the arena. They could be arguing about water lines or an industrial park. Hanvoer and Bethlehem Twp have a complex when it comes to the cities around them!
yeah That must be why Hailstone filed 28 RTK requests, because Finnigan has a complex. Get real.
It's pretty ridiculous that BT exists at all. It should just be part of Bethlehem. The parochialism is ludicrous and this is the type of crap it leads to.
I don't understand your point. Are you saying the city should not do their due diligence when defending themselves in court? Or are you saying there is a more personable way of doing things? Like BT and HT have displayed?
12:21, Sure you understand my point. You accuse the townships of having a "complex" while ignoring an A-town City government that has operated in the shadows, has threatened its way and whose DCED Director has filed multiple RTK requests purely for harassment. For you, it is a city v. suburb issue. You will vilify the 'burbs while turning a blind eye to a disgraceful and secretive attempt to steal.
"purely harassment", that term has been used about you by more than a few government officials.
What is good for the goose and all that. You really hate when folks use the weapons you and your crewmates so quickly use.
Grow up and make something of yourself O'Hare
Just think. I could be a anonymous troll just like you. People like you, who attempt to turn everything into an attack on mt, just demonstrate that I must be doing something right.
The city has every right to do what they are doing.
That will be answered in the courts ... or the legislature.
chubby cheeks won't even be able to get a job in a massage parlor after this joke of a niz is shot down. mark my words palolousy will try to blame all of this on her.
they deserve each other
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