Subdued Public Reaction to Fed Investigation in Allentown

Solicitor Susan Ellis Wild (left) explains the investigation. Jeanette Eichenwald, Allentown's Iron Lady
is the sole member of City Council who stood up to Pawlowski, 

Allentown City Council met last night for the first time since federal investigators raided City Hall in what increasingly appears to be a pay-to-play investigation. I attended, expecting to see angry citizens demanding accountability from their elected officials. But I forgot this is Allentown, where democracy is dead.

To her credit, Solicitor Susan Ellis Wild gave an extraordinarily detailed explanation of what happened and what the City is doing now. She made clear that her office represents the City, implying that elected officials with criminal problems are on their own.  She has directed all employees to send information that they think might be responsive to the FBI subpoena to an email account she had specially set up. She also hired former Ass't U.S. Att'y Robert Goldman to assist in helping to comply with federal requests

"It is our intention to fully and completely cooperate," she stated, and left only after Council excused her. Very classy.

Though two police officers were in the meeting room, they were not needed for a summer meeting audience of 28 people and eight members of the media. The people, who were given an opportunity to speak at the beginning of the meeting, acted for the most part as though nothing had happened at all.

The first one in the dock was none other than Lou Hershman, who I was sure would have several poignant remarks about the federal investigation. I have no idea what the hell he talked about at all.

And so it continued down the line for all seven members of the public who addressed Council during courtesy of the floor. They spoke for three minute segments with a computer screen showing how much time had elapsed and how much was left. At the end, a bell would ding, just like a microwave, letting the speaker know he's toast.

Robert Trottner came closest to discussing the federal investigation when he suggested the need for campaign finance reform. But he had nothing to say about Fed Ed or Miked Fleck. Ken Heffentrager talked about landlord-tenant issues; Kirk Raub droned on about railroads for the gazillionth time, and continued after the microwave oven dinged. Chris Cocca discussed our food truck culture. A woman (I won't name her) complained about being shackled and sent away by Allentown cops for mental illness, while the two cops in the meting room looked at me knowingly.

Denis Pearson, who was inducted into Bill White's inglorious Hall of Fame with me, talked about Pluto.

After courtesy of the floor, I took off to help locate my grandson's missing dog, who decided to go to a meeting of her own.

Whike dog hunting, Dennis Pearson messaged me to say that one person, Tom Hahn, had complained later in the evening about the City spending money to hire a lawyer to help deal with the federal investigation.

Fed Ed was in his mancave, and skipped the meeting.  .

It appears that democracy is still dead in Allentown.