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| Mike Fleck |
Now I never confirmed any of this with the Fleckster, primarily because I never expected him to return a call. My relationship with Allentown's so-called elite is somewhat shaky.
But on Friday morning, Fleck called me!
He told me my story is wrong. This led me back to my original sources, and I'm inclined to agree.
As I told the Fleckster during another phone call on Sunday night, I do like to beat him up. But I like to beat him up with the truth. Some of my story from Friday is inaccurate, and this is a clarification.
What I Got Wrong:
1) Fleck's Involvement. - Fleck tells me he's had no contacts with anyone concerning Allentown's water and sewer lease. He claims that early in the process, he was contacted by an interested party to work as a consultant, but after discussing it with the Mayor, he decided to stay out of it. He adds this party never submitted a proposal.
2). Marcel Groen and National Development Council. - On Friday, I claimed that Groen represents National Development Council. But that's inaccurate. My sources contacted me later that day to tell me they had that wrong.
What I Got Right:
1) Marcel Groen does represent one of the bidders. I have heard two possibilities, but will wait until I am certain.
2) Fleck and Groen are friendly. According to Fleck,they still discuss politics and other matters, but have had no discussions concerning the water and sewer deal. Fleck denies knowing who Groen represents.
3) Groen's client, whoever it is, has the edge. According to what I hear, it's already a done deal. Those supposed public hearings are window dressing, as most so-called public hearings are with Pawlowski.
4) Fleck was involved in an insurance program for water and sewer ratepayers, but it was killed when the city decided to lease the facilities. It might be resurrected at some later date, but that will depend on whether the successful bidder already offers those kinds of warranties.
44 comments:
The NDC connection is directly thru the Mayor.
He is buddies with some NDC staff.
If the NDC has any experience doing water projects it's not on their web site.
How would the NDC possibly fund this deal? Good question
Is the NDC a real suitor or a non-profit feel good to make the options look thoughtful before the real deal goes down?
Fleck is pals with Sal Panto, so what does that prove.
Your honesty is appreciated. Now, if your band of anonymous trolls and democrat haters had half the class, this page would be full of apologies today. Not gonna hold my breath.
In other news, at best, this proposal has two supporters: guridy and mota. The mayor has 4 other members ready to vote no bc no one of the others trust him.
This water deal is a bad deal for Allentown and every single resident and business person should oppose it.
When the smartest guys in the room (investment bankers) want to control your water assets, what does that tell you? Hang on to them for dear life.
And, by the way, we do need water for life. Not hockey arenas. Not bonds or taxes. Water.
When the foreign firm who ends up the winner (did you ever wonder why it's never an American company, in spite of names like Aqua America and United Water?) we are all the losers.
Did you ever wonder why US companies are buying foreign water assets but not US water assets? What's going on? It turns out that NAFTA and GATTS legislation protects international trade, which means less protection for Allentown water users after a transaction of this type takes place.
Bernie, this is a really big deal and deserves your sustained attention.
7:57, Hope that's true, but it would be a first.
Anon 7:57
Your reading of Allentown City Council is over optimistic.
Eichenwald and O'Connell will continue to show courage and integrity. And will vote against selling the city's water assets. Davis is largely unknown and untested. Opponents of the water sell out scam should invest maximum time and effort in lobbying Davis. They aren't.
Mota is unqualified for her position on council. The administration is tutoring her, attempting to raise her to a minimum level of competence. They won't succeed. City Hall is counting on Mota to provide a reliable rubber stamp for the Mayor. In the meantime she is tied to Guridy at the hip.
Guridy is an affable guy, a mediocre performer, and a steadily rising personality in party politics. His vote for "THE BIG PENSION RIP-OFF" should have ended his political career. He wants to be Mayor. He is between a rock--the Mayor, the Money Boys, the Big Party Players--and a hard place--some pissed off voters. Guridy will cave and sell out the WATER SYSTEM to the money and power interests. He is incapable of doing otherwise. He will take Mota with him.
Schweyer, is smart and savvy. One path leads to Harrisburg, the comfortable choice for his young family. The heroic path makes him Mayor of Allentown at a moment when he can have a significant impact on the city's future. Schweyer does not want the pension can kicked down the road to him. He is leaning YES to support the water system sell out. He can still do the right thing and stop the sale of our children's water.
If the vote were held tomorrow, Allentown's water would be privatized. The water sell out can be stopped if the opposition works hard and smart.
Anon 7:57
Your reading of Allentown City Council is over optimistic.
Eichenwald and O'Connell will continue to show courage and integrity. And will vote against selling the city's water assets. Davis is largely unknown and untested. Opponents of the water sell out scam should invest maximum time and effort in lobbying Davis. They aren't.
Mota is unqualified for her position on council. The administration is tutoring her, attempting to raise her to a minimum level of competence. They won't succeed. City Hall is counting on Mota to provide a reliable rubber stamp for the Mayor. In the meantime she is tied to Guridy at the hip.
Guridy is an affable guy, a mediocre performer, and a steadily rising personality in party politics. His vote for "THE BIG PENSION RIP-OFF" should have ended his political career. He wants to be Mayor. He is between a rock--the Mayor, the Money Boys, the Big Party Players--and a hard place--some pissed off voters. Guridy will cave and sell out the WATER SYSTEM to the money and power interests. He is incapable of doing otherwise. He will take Mota with him.
Schweyer, is smart and savvy. One path leads to Harrisburg, the comfortable choice for his young family. The heroic path makes him Mayor of Allentown at a moment when he can have a significant impact on the city's future. Schweyer does not want the pension can kicked down the road to him. He is leaning YES to support the water system sell out. He can still do the right thing and stop the sale of our children's water.
If the vote were held tomorrow, Allentown's water would be privatized. The water sell out can be stopped if the opposition works hard and smart.
i appreciate the analysis, but do not find Guridy all that affable. I consider him rather thin-skinned and a bit of a bigot. Also, I would not count on Schweyer to do the right thing. After all, he works for the state house.
Those opposed to the Great Allentown Water Sell Out, the Trash-For-Cash Scam etc., and those who would like to see an open transparent political process, and effective engaged City Council have an excellent opportunity.
With 3 council seats open and about to be filled there is a golden opportunity to place 3 fearless, intelligent and honest citizens on City Council.
Can the people of Allentown identify and support 3 bright and capable representatives?
Is the Mayor running again?At several meetings in the past week I have heard someone say he isn't running for another term as Mayor.
You messed up, you fixed it. 'Nuff said.
2:18, somehow, I cannot believe that Mayor Panto & Flockin' Fleck are "friends". They might work together on issues that they agree on anyway. Most, if not all, City Council votes are unanimous anyways, and Sal & Mike don't seem to have much in common outside of Easton's Council Chambers.
Other than the fact that Fleck has worked every Panto election. No one with a brain is fooled.
Is this about Fleck and Panto or the future of Allentown's Water System for three or four generations?
This is a red herring, thrown in by McMud McClure's people, who couldn't care less about Allentown or anything else.
Michael Donovan is working on vetting and grooming a team of Council appointees.
He's got at least one excellent canadate now.
He's going to have to break the hearts of some well intentioned but clueless wannabes and resist the temptation to go with a less qualified minority rep.
Agreed this can be a great opportunity if good qualified citizens step up.
Michael Donovan is working on vetting and grooming a team of Council appointees.
He's got at least one excellent canadate now.
He's going to have to break the hearts of some well intentioned but clueless wannabes and resist the temptation to go with a less qualified minority rep.
Agreed this can be a great opportunity if good qualified citizens step up.
Not sure what is meant by the 2:25 response? Is it refering to filling the open council slot or to filling the task force or both?
Any selection to council at this point must be "qualified" to deal with complex issues and a budget. No more filling in the quota slots unless the person is able to grasp the issues without being told what to do.
Bernie,
Foolish to underestimate the Mayor. He's perfected pay to play. He's working harder than the opposition, twisting arms and promising roses. He's leaning on everyone he can think of from his religious friends to some unlikely constitutions like the arts community. Alan Jennings isn't the only person who knows better who has sold out. He wants this deal.
more than a few old friends have discussed the water and sewer system sale with alan jennings. jennings has reconsidered given the overwhelming opposition from his pals and will be making a public statement in the next couple of weeks suggesting the city explore options other than the 50 lease. count on this. you heard it here first.
Holy canoli!
I didn't hear 10:17 Schweyer WOULD do the right thing and vote NO to the sale of Allentown's water. Only that Schweyer COULD do the right thing and vote NO TO SELLING ALLENTOWN'S WATER SUPPLY. Big diff.
That Cynthia Mota is the Chairperson for Allentown City Council's Parks Committee,whose responsibility includes most of the cities waterways,is an insult to anyone with an interest in,or affection for,Allentown's parks and streams.
At worst Mota is a naive opportunist. Given her discomfort as she struggles through Council meetings it's difficult not to feel some compassion for her.
Shame on the Allentown City Council members who put her and Allentown's citizens in this untenable situation.
Why is RenewLV so silent on this? Regionalize or privatize? Sale or lease?
RENEW LEHIGH VALLEY ?????
Damn good question. Bernie? Anybody.
They certainly held themselves out as experts in Water and Stormwater etc.
Please report in members or RENEW LV's prestigious water committee.
You all talked the talk,where are you now?
So maybe four years ago I'm havin coffee talkin local politics with a buddy at the Ham Fam. My buddy says yeah those Renew Lehigh Valley people are the usual hacks and they are full of shit. I sez I don't know they got some smart people involved so for me the jury is still out.
Well the jury is in. Renew Lehigh Valley was a bunch of hacks and they are full of shit.
Check out the Renew LV website (www.renewlv.org; under "Our Work"). Regionalization of water assets is one of their top priorities.
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they're behind all this. After all, "Never let a good crisis go to waste" is the Progressive way.
Renew's board fired Pam Colton, has a college kid running things, and is in disarray.
They're not capable of much of anything.
The Banker
Fired? That does not sound good.
Renew LV's study was funded in part by the Lehigh County Authority. Check out their web site.you couldn't make this shit up!
Fleck has NEVER worked a Panto campaign....
Okay, RenewLV started as a response to the Brookings Report "Back to Prosperity." There was a statewide organization, RenewPA, then. That organization has been folded into 10,000 Friends of PA, a good organization with some good research on its website.
They were both supposed to be finding a way to fight sprawl and bring prosperity back to our cities. However, in the spirit of coalition-forming, RenewLV brought the suburbanites and the LV power-elite into the room.
Since Steven Bliss left, they haven't done much. Will a real smart growth group please step forward?
Bernie, please resist the temptation to focus on the local personalities in this fight. This is much bigger than Allentown politicos or regional "hacks" as you call them. It's global and it's very bad. In the end, investment bankers and their friends want to control something that we all need for life: water.
Here's a link to some good research as to what is really going on:
http://www.alternet.org/story/105083/why_big_banks_may_be_trying_to_buy_up_your_public_water_system?page=0%2C4
You see danger around every corner, but you have missed this one. Please dig deeper than you have. Our water security, our finances and maybe our lives are at risk.
I will do so and thank you.
Steven Bliss so loved the Lehigh Valley, so believed in it, that he moved away.
Anon 9:00: Who funded Renew?
Renews Water Subcommittee merits attention from this blog.
Might you know who was on this subcommittee 9:00?
Bernie can you do some research for your loyal readership. For Allentown and LMT people these are matters of great import. If a group of Lehigh Valley elites studied sale of Allentown's water system,what were their recommendations?
Thank you.
Steven Bliss so loved the Lehigh Valley, so believed in it, that he moved away.
Anon 9:00: Who funded Renew?
Renews Water Subcommittee merits attention from this blog.
Might you know who was on this subcommittee 9:00?
Bernie can you do some research for your loyal readership. For Allentown and LMT people these are matters of great import. If a group of Lehigh Valley elites studied sale of Allentown's water system,what were their recommendations?
Thank you.
Ordinarily 941am I'd send you to the RenewLV website. But it's so woefully out of date that a trip there is worthless except for historical context (pre Pam Colton - what a waste of a hire that was).
The report that's being discussed here was done back in 2005. I don't know who was on the committee, and don't know if they're even still involved with Renew.
Steve Bliss is a great guy and did a fantastic job. His moving was a great loss here.
Oh, and Deana Zosky got Renew to include an Education mandate in their platform.
That's a great fit (sarcasm) and another example of how dysfunctional Renew is. No one is running the shop there and forceful personalities can pretty much get anything through, even if it adds nothing to the organization and makes it even more difficult to meet it's core mandate.
Example? Renew has a core mandate to support the Bi-County health department, yet were next to invisible on it. But they added Education to their list.
Leaderless. Rudderless. Pointless Existence.
Given that RenewLV is the Lehigh Valley partnership's offfspring, it can go to Hell as far as i am concerned. It masqueraded as a grass roots effort, but was the product of an unelected aristocracy.
All that money. All that time. All those sharp people.
A few years later and their position paper is useless as the third largest city in the state prepares to sell off its water supply to the highest bidder?
How can this be?
All that money. All that time. All those sharp people.
A few years later and their position paper is useless as the third largest city in the state prepares to sell off its water supply to the highest bidder?
How can this be?
All that money. All that time. All those sharp people.
A few years later and their position paper is useless as the third largest city in the state prepares to sell off its water supply to the highest bidder?
How can this be?
Council must just say "no" to this water deal.
Allentown needs it's council to demonstrate some backbone, ignore whatever promises the consultants whisper in the ears of our elected officials and to research this type of deal carefully before making a decision.
Contingencies must be worked out if the company fails to perform as promised -- and the default setting should be that the assets and control revert back to the people of Allentown.
If you want a really interesting read, do a google search on some of the potential suitors with the word "lawsuit." You will see what their track record has been and you will not want any part of these promises.
Since Bernie posted this, not many people came to this post to apologize to fleck about jumping the gun and convictin him for a false accusation. Instead, we get the red herring "blame renewlv", which by the sound of it is either woefully inept or is now responsible for selling out the Lehigh valley water supply. Do you people stop to listen to yourselves or are you so comfortable behind the secret vale that reason no longer applies. For the record, the proposed idea is a bad one. Allentown's water system is proof that govt does succeed. No reason for the private interests to get rich bc of it.
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