I'm one of those bastards who generally dislikes initiative and referendum, i.e. the procedure under which we directly decide issues that we've already elected others to do. Emotion tends to trump facts. Mobocracy prevails. But this assumes that we already have an elected government. That's not the case in Allentown. Three of its seven City Council members are appointees. The other four were installed by about 12% of the City's registered voters. It's no democracy, but is instead an
urban growth regime in which Mayor Edwin Pawlowski and NIZ developer J.B. Reilly have co-opted each other. Now, one of the King's Men, Julio "I speak three languages" Guridy, is doing his best to make sure that Allentown's people stay out of the way as Hizzoner robs the City of one of its most precious assets - its water.
A group of five Allentown residents have formed a committee designed to give the voters a say in the lease of the Queen City's water and sewer. But blogger Michael Molovinsky, in a
pre-Hurricane Snooki posting, warns us that Julio wants every petition circulator to register with the City. Never mind that nothing in the
City's Home Rule Charter requires this. Pawlowski wants to reduce the number of circulators at the polls on Election Day.
Colin McEvoy has more details at
The Express Times. Guridy is terrified that "special interests" from outside of Allentown will come in and try to take over the City.
But that's already happened. A peek at your campaign finance reports, as well as Pawlowski's, makes that abundantly clear.
Don't get Snookied.
39 comments:
Great article Bernie.
Between MM, you, and the local media spread as much sunlight as you can on this topic.
Every time Julio opens up his mouth, he makes himself look like the fool and the paid hack he really is.
Julio is a symbol of success to many who may not be aware of this water issue.
Thank goodness the Morning Call is on top of this story. We can always count on them to report on the blatant political corruption in Allentown.
Satire
Scott Armstrong
Allentown's story is no different from countless other urban, liberal bastions where political terrorists fill the void left by the opposition's departure. The results are always disastrous. The country took a similar four years ago. However, polls indicate that voters expect more than the Detroitization of the entire country by an ill-equipped political asshole. Good bye Barack. We don't want to live in a typical Democrat stronghold of misery and crime and excuse making.
What does democrat have to do with this travesty?
Pud and his ilk are just plain crooks.
7:57-
Unfortunately, they are also Democrats. Like it or not they have taken over and run the Democrat party in Allentown. It is up to the Democrat voters, who hold a huge registration edge in the city, to vote them out.
And, as a previous poster mentioned, what's happened in Allentown is not unique. It has occurred in numerous urban areas across the country, with little positive outcome.
Pawlowski and his regime enjoy widespread support from their constituents. It's rather patronizing to single out one municipality as less democratic than, say, Bushkill Township in Northampton County. Has a Democrat ever held elected office in that township's 199-year history? I don't believe so. Their board has had several appointed members over the past few years. They'll have another shortly. Granted, Bushkill runs like Swiss Time. It's politics are not dissimilar, however.
I understand they need to deal with the pension issue.
What I don't understand is this rush to answer the question with this single solution of selling assets.
No other solution has gotten the analysis the sale of the water system has.
Perhaps the voters in Allentown would ultimately vote to sell the water system but they should A) have the choice to do so and B) have other options to consider.
I think you point out the issue - Allentown is the one with the problem, not Bushkill. All state taxpayers are already funding the arena location, through lost revenues to important state programs.
Most of all, Allentown seems to be the only municipality actively trying to keep the people from expressing themselves, as allowed in their governing documents.
8:34, I never stated that Allentown is less democratic than, say, Bushkill Tp. That's your spin.
I've always opposed one-party rule, whether it is Ds in the City or Rs in the Townships. It results in a tyranny of the majority.
I am unaware of the Township's history, but it has been around for more than 199 years. It was incorporated 199 years ago, but existed in some form prior to that.
Bushkill Tp and Allentown government the same?
Allentown is ruled by Pawlowski, a Chicago community organizer and the out-of-towners who contribute to him. Cliff Bonney, who was born in the Township and lived there his entire life, spent 30 years at the helm in Bushkill.
He was a farmer and one of the nicest guys I've ever met. If I had to ascribe a party to him, I'd say he was the farmer party.
Over the years, I've seen a citizens movement fight, and win, against an effort to install sewers and make the community more urban. That was spearheaded by Bill Agnew.
So although I oppose one party rule anywhere, I think your Bushkill analogy is flawed. That might be because there really are two parties. The farmers and the developers.
Agree re: Cliff Bonney. He was one of the nicest men I've ever met and a real class act to the end.
My point is that you rarely rail against one party townships and regularly do against Allentown. Your explanation of the Chicago transplant angle is more persuasive that a general lack of democracy in Allentown. By your definition, that same democracy lacks elsewhere, as well. But it doesn't deliver disastrous results, as you fairly pointed out in Bushkill.
"Guridy is terrified that "special interests" from outside of Allentown will come in and try to take over the City."
Speaking of "outside of Allentown", could you tell me which city Julio resides in? My Dominican friend at work, who is also a resident of Allentown as I am, said she was listening to him talk on a hispanic radio station and she got the distinct impression that he lived in Bethlehem. Is this true and is he allowed to be on Allentown's council if he does not reside there? I'm just currious if he does not want to live in the mess he's created.
Unless he moved in the last few years, he lives in Allentown. He did have a business in Bethlehem (and possibly still does), so maybe that's the reason for the confusion.
As a matter of fact, JB Reilly and Joe Topper are from outside the City.
11:45, As I have pointed out many times in the past, one-party rule is never a good thing. It makes no difference whether it is Township or City, Democrat or Republican. You point out that I fail to take Townships to task as much as I should, and that is a fair criticism. But it does not take away from my main point.
Over the years,, I have written about one-party rule gone awry in the Townships, particularly as it happened in Upper Macungie Tp. Two of its Supervisors eventually had to leave office. i wrote about this quite a bit, as did some of the earlier bloggers like Chris Casey.
But in the Townships, I do not think that Deocrats and Republicans are the parties. I think the parties are those who favor development and those who favor the environment.
Clem used the word " swine " and the words " polyester clad " to describe working people in a several paragraph comment approx. 11:00 AM on the Oct. 29th post.
That comment has since been expunged.
In the townships, at least up until now, they've governed themselves conservatively, whether R's or D's, and deconstructed the way Allentown, Detroit and other "progressive municipalities" have.
Will that governing principal hold or go by the wayside in the future? The influx of metropolitans, who will seek to fix things that aren't broken, bring us country bumpkins up to speed with all the latest public amenities and the bureaucracies to administer them, and raise taxes because "you guys aren't paying squat, you don't know the meaning of the words "high taxes", does not bode well for the future of our townships.
-Clem
I didn't use the word swine, but keep up the chant. The anon who responded to the comment where I said "polyester clad snackers and gossips" tried to get away with putting words in my mouth. He failed except in your dishonest eyes.
Whatever, crybaby.
-Clem
Julio grew-up in NE Bethlehem and knows it well. He also owns properity in the Five Points Area.
"principle"
-clem
"Anonymous said...
Clem used the word " swine " and the words " polyester clad " to describe working people in a several paragraph comment approx. 11:00 AM on the Oct. 29th post.
That comment has since been expunged.
1:58 PM"
You are incredibly stupid, a bald faced liar, or a hybrid.
The comments in that thread still stand, there was no cover up.
Here they are
Anonymous said...
Get those public workers swine out into the maw of the storm and rain and make them work in rain.
Make some of them risk their lives out there just to set an example. Have some of them sleep and eat at there phones and desks. Get em up in the middle of the night, hell make some of them work around the clock.
Make some of these leave their own loved ones for days while they serve the rest of use good, god fearing folks with REAL jobs.You got their number Clem.
12:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Ah,wait a secound ------- don't a lot of those public service swine already do that?
12:53 PM
These are the comments to which crybaby refers. Read for comprehension much, crybaby? The 12:50 comment, the "swine" comment, ends with, "You got their number Clem".
Sink in yet, genius? Or, are you gonna keep up the lie?
-Clem
Keep making it pathetic Clem. You know the truth and so does Burnie. Edit history. It's an old ploy.
A referendum for Gracedale bad, referendum for Allentown water good.
Referendum on Stoffa, Angle, bad. Referendum on Pawlowski, city council good.
So sayeth the great BO!
King Of The Hypocrites!!
Your 12:07 comment " And of course...." is clearly referencing an earlier comment; the comment about "swine" and polyester clad county employees snacking, gossiping and rushing out of work.... the comment Burnie removed Clem.
Very sad my man.
Very sad.
Yo Clembo and his buddies are really into the name calling thing, eh?
Why so nasty, why so defensive ?
Yea as he sells his own kind into squallor, just like his idol RAMOS did some years back¿ There is only one difference Ramos did it undercover of a realator ripoff holio will do it undercover of a political move¿
Clem, The personL attacks against you have been posted by a Pawlowski sycophant in a lousy attempt to deflect discussion away from the fact that democracy is dead in Allentown. Thie person is worried that you are making too much sense, so you are being accused of saying things you have not said. The commenter does not diminish you, but himself.
3:03, i start this blog biy noting that I am generally opposed to initiative and referendum. This is not ancient Greece. But the government in which I oppose initiative and referendum is already a functional government with officials who have actually been elected. That simply is not so in Allentown.
The fact that you don't Id yourself, while personally attacking others, makes you King of the Cowards.
I have deleted numerous anonymous personal attacks directed at one of my readers, and will continue to do so. The topic is democracy in Allentown.
.... and down with the stupid scam to sell off Allentowns water and sewer assets. Throw dem bums the hell out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Council person CMota is a real winner. A gem. A real bright and shining star.
Pension issue? Just don't pay. Let'em reposses Pudville. Mak'em do the federal guarantee thing like they did post halcyon days of Bethlehem Steel. By the way give up the goons down at city hall as chattel to the highest bidding pensioner. Pud can toss Jula Greedy over his shoulder to the enraged masses gathering at the gate as he and the missus toodle back to Chicago.
I lived in Allentown all my life. And other then my activities with my neighborhood I have no political role in the Allentown government. Despite my excellent qualifications and perhaps because of these qualifications I was not considered for 2 of the appointments which I applied.
I read here that Guridy fears that out of towners will take over the City. Julio it has already happened and you are one of them.
On another matter Julio where's the East Side fire station. Engine 13 does not belong at Hibernia.
I repeat I was born and raised in Allentown and never called my permanent home elsewhere. But Julio claims he morphed into a native Allentown. If so, I must be the cosmopolitan or the stranger on the shore to my own community
Dennis Pearson
Out a towners. Who? Camera Dan?
Dennis. If I run a campaign for you, you will win a seat on Allentwon City Council.
JR
WHERE ARE THE TOWNSHIPS ON THE SALE LEASE. THE COST TO THEIR USERS COULD EXCEED WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE LOST FROM THE WAGE TAX IF THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SUED PAWLOWSKI.
Stay tuned.
at least allentown is looking for a parks dept supervisor in the phia inquirer
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