On July 31, in a story entitled "Fed Ed and Miked Fleck Funneled $1 Million to Honest Abe Atiyeh", I broke the story that entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh, Fed Ed and Miked Fleck cooked up a scheme that would enable him to buy the billboard company he always wanted. Fed Ed simply had his bobbleheads on City Council pay Atiyeh $1.4 million for land it does not need. They ignored their own appraiser in doing so. He had warned them the land was only worth $580,000. This story was picked up by WFMZ-TV69 pretty quickly, adding a few details that I missed. But The Morning Call downplayed the Atiyeh story until August 15, even though it was brought up during a City Council. I think I know why.
Toward the end of its account, The Morning Call parenthetically notes, "(Under an agreement with Digiview this spring, The Morning Call became the exclusive sales agent for Atiyeh's billboard network.)"
It did not want to bite the hand that feeds it.
Atiyeh is no longer discussing the matter, which seems like a smart thing for him. It is thanks to him that we know he used Miked Fleck as a consultant.
41 comments:
The MORNING CALL ciontinues to built on it's new tradition of abdicating any responsibility to provide anything resembling news coverage.
When the current players are trundled off to the minimum security lockup the story of failed news
organizations will continue.
You sir, are the news.
Thank you.
The Morning Call has provided some excellent coverage on the Fed Ed investigation and other stories. While I appreciate the kind words, there is no way that one person can come close to duplicating what they do. But stories like this one are important and needed to be told sooner. I don't think any newspaper should be involved in a business arrangement with one of the most colorful figures in the LV.
Hey, Bernie.
I don't really see what Abe did wrong here. I don't know anyone that would not take substantially more $$ for a property they are selling, residential or commercial. Ed and Mike and council are totally at fault for wasting tax payer dollars. However, in this case I don't see what Abe did wrong. BTW.. Great reporting through this entire ordeal.
This story seems fit for an HBO mini-series (Allentown=Vinci)
land deals, shake downs, everyone on the give and take (pay to play).
when all is said and done the story is always the same - the rich, with their Ivy League Lawyers, get richer, and the taxpayers pay more taxes until there are no more tax payers (read Allentown=Detroit in 10 years when the waters rates go thru the roof).
So we have a beautiful NIZ, the rest of the city is a combat zone,,,job well done to our public officials...
Wonder if Vince Vaughn will play Abe Atiyeh...
Seems odd that the Morning Call would not reference what office the meeting was held. That seems important.
Always thought AA lived elsewhere.
From the Call: "I had no idea who owned the land," Eichenwald said. "Sometimes you have to know enough to question, and in this case I wasn't told enough to question the arrangement."
I realize Eichenwald was the sole dissenting vote, but...wouldn't it be normal for any overseeing body to ask who owned the land prior to the city's purchase? Who oversees a purchase arrangement without knowing both sides of the deal???
"...[C]ouncil members were not told the land belonged to Atiyeh and were not shown the appraisals." Hmmm....OK, help me understand. What exactly does Council think they're overseeing if they don't know who the seller is and they don't look at ACTUAL appraisals.
To tell you the truth, this is the most stunning part of the story. What it tells me, without a doubt, is that Council literally asks for NO evidence of anything before voting. Why do we even have a city council in the first place? The entire lot of them should be completely embarrassed by this stunning admission of ignorance of even basic financial transactions. Yes, Guridy, it is "quite a chunk" of money. It's such a big chunk that the WPA structures could have been completely repaired, with enough money left over to fix our ailing pools.
Also, who is Clinton Street Media Allentown? Why are the incorporated in Doylestown? I show two separate incorporation dates, one in 2011 and one in 2012. I can find no homepage for this company. The only thing I find is a cryptic listing on PennsylvaniaCorps.
Something is fishy here. I mean, obviously, but I wonder WHO is behind the incorporation of Clinton St. Media and what their relationship is to Atiyeh and Pawlowski.
Bobble-head elected officials are increasingly the norm in Allentown. Not only in city council but on the school board as well. Seems they have their own motivation for running for office and then essentially doing nothing of any substance to protect the interests of the tax payer and residents of the city. Not too difficult a job, just sit there and say "Yes" to either the mayor or superintendent. Then they seem to end up accusing each other of exactly what they themselves are doing.
Sure like to know if any of the Primary candidates that used digital billboard advertising recorded paid or in kind services. Was the City deprived of any revenue?
How much revenue have these eyesores generated for the city?
I'm just hopeful this whole drama will soon produce some definitive results.
Fred Windish
Bernie:
Why are you not discussing Allentown's water deal? The RFP process was halted 3 times to revise the language of the documents in the bid package. After each revision, the scales were tilted more and more in favor of the LCA. Its CEO has suddenly retired after having an iron grip on the organization. How does a local nonprofit beat out the largest and most sophisticated water companies in the country? It's just not possible. Look at the cast of characters associated with the LCA. The consultants they retained, as well as their vendors, are all your favorite subjects to write about. This was a $235 million deal, Bernie.
The question about who's really behind Clinton Street Media is interesting.
Numerous LLCs out of the same suite in the same building. One year it's Media 002, next it's Media 010, another is 337. Then it changes to Premier Media, despite all of the LLCs being incorporated the same year. All of it operates out of Doylestown.
another clever comment by billy v. at 9:41, you go boy, go billy boy.
The Great Water Sell Out will indeed prove to be the most crushing deal of all.
Yes, I wish someone would look into Clinton Street Media Allentown. I tried to search for it and found almost nothing. I didn't find anyone's name attached to the company, which is strange. The phone number that was listed for the company takes you back to an office in Lemoyne, west of Harrisburg. There were no other businesses listed at that same Doylestown office. A newspaper article said the city issued an RFP for the billboards. Did they really? How many firms responded? Were they given a week to respond to a proposal tailored to one company? How much money is the city actually making from these billboards?
Clinton Street Media is/was Attorney Nicholas Pullen and Larry Romanowski who owns Horizon Engineering. Pullen and Romanowski started out in cell towers.
The partnership is the Clinton Street Group and a whole host of various LLCs.
Both men donated to Pawlowski's campaigns of course, as that should come as no surprise today.
Alan Jennings pioneered the newvo-electronic billboard switch and bait on the Hill to Hill Bridge in Bethlehem.a way slick maneuver.
Of course he coordinated the mega media play for Fed Ed on the Allentown Water &!Sewer boondoggle.
This of course is a matter of historical record and indisputable, if not politically correct to mention.
Ah,/ another?) inconvenient reality!&@!
Sure seems like a pay to play, I mean pay to shut the fuck up media and don't mention it (wink wink)!
Morning Call (lack of) coverage is shameful.
VOR
"Alan Jennings pioneered the newvo-electronic billboard switch and bait on the Hill to Hill Bridge in Bethlehem.a way slick maneuver.
Of course he coordinated the mega media play for Fed Ed on the Allentown Water &!Sewer boondoggle.
This of course is a matter of historical record and indisputable, if not politically correct to mention."
Do you have any evidence at all? Links? Names? Dates?
"Clinton Street Media is/was Attorney Nicholas Pullen and Larry Romanowski who owns Horizon Engineering. Pullen and Romanowski started out in cell towers."
I wrote about this. i think only Pullen gave $, but may be wrong.
"Why are you not discussing Allentown's water deal? "
I do what i can. I have never felt knowledgeable enough about it, and people like Rich Fegley and MM seemed to understand it better.
Some history on the billboard deal:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2012/08/allentown_approves_constructio.html
http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2013/07/pawlowski-really-is-king.html
Romanowski matched Pullen's contributions 1:1.
Mionkey Momma, i did answer your questions in previous stories. I will look for links after my appointment,
Panto is doing the same shit in Easton over at the silk mill
Meanwhile, i cant even setup a hotdog cart outside the ppl miz. Who do i have to pay or is the hd businiz just for the ppl center? So much for helping the little guy with a little businiz. The people who run the city are a bunch of self-serving aholes. GFYS!! Go take your play and stick it in your a.
You can have a hotdog cart, you just have to negotiate the appropriate deal.
Just maybe in the archives of the old new allentown tax collection services provider, portknoff or smearknoff or whatever there diservices were to property owners¿!($ Than there will allways be the cockblock attorney client privilige¿!($
Just a qwick thought, if vote cast while heavily sedated not even on American soil, does the FED trump attorney client privilige too¿!($
As Allentowns circus continues, like sands through hour glass so are the days of our
lives while acting for LVHN formally known as the great allentown circus freeks and geeks of the back midway of years past, currently trying to epicentralized the reel downtown¿!($
redd
patent pending
Your education places you in a more suitable position to research the matter. The bidding process was halted and the RFP documents were altered several times to benefit a local non-profit corporation capable of financing the transaction with triple tax exempt municipal bonds. You could speak with the city's finance director but he also retired this spring.
There are candidates who are running for reelection, "from city elections", that used in kind Atiyeh services. Seek and ye shall find.
On 7th street
"Why are you not discussing Allentown's water deal?"
Good question @8:35 Maybe you should file RTK requests with the LCA and get the ball rolling. Bernie only has so much time and the MCall is in the tank for the NIZ. The suburban water/sewer customers in Lehigh County ultimately provided the million dollars that went to Abe for the land deal.
"Look at the cast of characters associated with the LCA. The consultants they retained, as well as their vendors, are all your favorite subjects to write about."
You are spot on. Much of this deal was done behind closed doors. Who were the attorneys, engineers, and financial advisers? What did they charge in fees? Were they campaign contributors?
"You could speak with the city's finance director but he also retired this spring."
Better yet, you could speak to Lehigh County Administrator/Executive/LCA Board member Tom Muller whose fingerprints are all over this deal.
Don't forget about the CEO of the LCA, Aurel Arndt, conveniently retiring 19 days after the FBI raid of Allentown City Hall was reported by the Morning Call. Nothing to see here!
Tentacles spreading to Kempton. Wondering why....http://readingeagle.com/news/article/new-owner-says-albany-township-elementary-school-building-likey-to-remain-school. -nlv
As a stand alone faxt, Abe would have done nothing wrong, but in light of recent events it would not appear that this transaction happened in a vacuum. Follow the money. My money would bet that Abe was funneling money back to Fleck/Fed Ed from these "windfalls".
Regarding the answer to anonymous 8:03am i found one at least check the in-kind reports for one of sheriff's candiate's one from mrs atiyeh on the preprimary and one from abe himself on the post primary reports
Atiyeh donated in kind to a candidate for the Allentown School Board election. I wonder if if itbwas before or after the Building Twenty One vote.
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