Tom Hahn Challenges Allentown City Council's Ethics

Jeanette Eichenwald and Vic Mazziotti

Democrat Jeanette Eichenwald and Republican Vic Mazziotti came together last week to urge the adoption of pay-to-play rules in Allentown and Lehigh County. I was encouraged to see that Vic's colleague, Mike Schware, as well as and Lower Macungie Commissioner Ron Beitler, were also present. But despite an invitation from Eichenwald, no other Allentown City Council member came. This was an insult, not just to Eichenwald, but to the people of Allentown. City Council is required to represent their interests, not those of Mayor Ed "Fed Ed" Pawlowski, political and business consultant Miked Fleck or entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh.  Instead of serving the people, these elected officials rubber stamped a deal to pay Abe Atiyeh almost three times what its own appraiser recommended to buy property it never needed.

It was a pay-off, to put it bluntly. City Council never bothered to ask for the appraisals or even seek the identity of the seller. Clearly, they deprived the citizens they represent of their right to honest services. The only person who had the integrity to say No was Eichenwald

Tom Hahn is an Allentown City Council critic who castigated them two weeks ago. They said nothing. Maybe he should sing to them, like Tom Ochse. What hes done instead is send them a "communication" to be noted during the meeting, challenging their ethics.

The time is now at the next meeting to start the change. All members of council must face the public on Moral ground with an ethical challenge to protect the public from future actions that have jobs, deals, charter rule changes, and no oversight on issues. As was admitted by Julio in his last press release, "I did not research the issue" is what was reported. The public did and the information was not used or believed? Again the misleading information that was giving to council was flawed coming from the administration consultants and never compared to the public's information. Never a debate in a public meeting, only the 3 minute rule. Sit down, your time is up. The questions became a moot item. We know how proud the council is of this fact, because the no answer was the only answer.

The first issue is the vote to correct the pay to play issue . If you and the other members are not ready to change, and restore the charter rules back to their original intent, then Ccouncil is the reason we have this issue in the first place .

The letter to council will not change one thing I was told, but I had to try to find Moral ground and end this issue on a positive note. That honesty and good government still resides in Allentown by the way council will change the rules, charter and preserve the city from complete ruin . Protect all the citizens - rich, poor, any color, religion, and even the ones who disagree with Council - without reprisal from the Mayor or Council's vote. We all know that pay to play is not dead yet, but could be if the vote is right.

History will be the judge. Which Council was the worst to bring shame to Allentown and cost the tax payers the highest amount of money in fees and water rates. The list is growing.

The responsibility is on Council's shoulders to correct the situation ASAP to give hope to all residents of our city that a new beginning has started.