On January 6, seven busloads of phony patriots traveled from the Lehigh Valley to the nation's capitol to disrupt the Congress of the United States as they counted the electoral votes to declare Joe Biden the President of the United States. Spurred on by Donald Trump, a violent mob stormed Congress. Among those who accompanied this mob was NorCo's GOP Exec candidate Steve Lynch. "It's goin' down!" he shouted, festooned in a bulletproof vest. These thugs did patriotic things like erecting a gallows to hang the Vice President, looted offices and smeared shit along the walls. Most of us would agree this was an attempted coup or insurrection. I'm sure that a progressive organization like LV4All would agree with this assessment. Yet this organization endorsed a slate of candidates who were part of an ugly mob doing very much the same thing in Allentown last summer.
Based on a misinterpretation of a brief video clip of an Allentown police officer who was actually trying to help a staggering and puking drug addict, an angry mob erupted. For months, Allentown City Council had to conduct meetings while these goons banged on the doors and windows. Convicted felons like Hasshan Batts led them in chants of "Fuck the Police." Ce-Ce Gerlach, now a candidate for Mayor, marched with a mobs shouting this and other epithets. Justan Parker Fields, who has finally started using his real name, stirred the flames with his bullhorn. As tensions grew, Batts began to suggest the mob would start breaking the law and wanted lawyers and bail funds set up. Ashley Swift was one of the ringleaders attempting to disrupt Allentown City Council.
Amazingly, L4All has endorsed these demagogues in Allentown. Ce-Ce Gerlach, Justan Parker Fields and Patrick Palmer are very much part of Allentown's problem, not a solution.
2 sides of the same coin
ReplyDeleteReporting in from Allentown, working very hard to inform voters about Me Me's radical agenda, lack of work experience and her anti-police attitudes. Normal, everyday working class citizens who live in Allentown need a strong police force more than any other city service. I'm trying to get the word out that candidates such as Matt Tuerk and Ray O'Connell have the type of experience and temperament to be able to effectively manage a dynamic city of upwards 120,000 residents. If Me Me wins, Allentown loses.
ReplyDeleteKudos BO. Thanks for shining a light on poor behavior by these sunshine patriots and progressives. Neither of which live up to their self proclaimed titles. If we as a society reward behavior, expect more of it.
ReplyDeleteWhere are people like Ed White, Glenn Hunsicker, Ken Heffenfarter and others who come to city council meetings and complain all the time? I don’t see them running? Anybody but Me Me Gerlach!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the LV4All group is endorsing extremists.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope that supposedly moderate Dems like McClure and Armstrong disavow this group and LV4All's endorsement of their campaigns.
Both McClure and Armstrong are unopposed in their primaries, so there is little for them to lose by coming out against those who support mob rule.
It would be nice to see moderate democrat leaders finally stand up to the Progressive bullies in the party.
Hello Mr. O’Hare. Wasn’t Lehigh County Commissioner Amy Zanelli the middle of 7th and Hamilton Sts. last summer marching with the mobs and in the mix of Defund the Police? I also believe there was a petition for her removal because she was being an activist not a respected public official. Isn’t Zanelli being backed by LV4ALL, and she wants to become a Magisterial District Judge? We as voters better wake up and smell the coffee!!!
ReplyDeletei am withholding judgment until i hear their positions on solar panels and plastic drinking straws....
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ReplyDeleteDon’t forget Tom Hahn
If Ce Ce wins the slogan will go from LV4All to Allentown for NONE/ ZERO !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI judge people on their level of hypocrisy which is so rampant among most politicians and many governmental people. They want every one else to follow the rules; but not them, their, family, their friends, or those that line their pockets. And it has rolled down to the common people. There are so many who no they should or no don't but yet when you want that same person they do it or think it is great that their closest people do it. Now the politicians and other government officials are whining and crying like spoiled pieces of crap that they are because they are not in the special world of good for them only. And they are complaining about he cancel culture and its impacts because it impacting their cash steal.
ReplyDeleteAs an example think of Sarbanes Oxley rules which public business must follow but not political organizations. Or think of the the insider trading that they can do because they wrote a special law exempting themselves from it where as everyone else is supposed to follow it. Think about security clearances which people must secure to fill many rolls but most politicians could not even pass a less then secret.
We as citizens need to change the conversation and require those in power to follow the same rules as the rest of us and I know some may say this is harsh but those that step into those rolls should be punished 10 times worse then the common public for breaking the same law.
Heck Allentown , Easton and some local municipalities have had to deal with this and those who think they have been entitled to more then reality. They got a slap on the wrist in comparison to what they actually should have.
CeCe and that other new commer should have been ousted for putting mayor Ray's home address and phone number out there! Could have resulted in some sort of horrific tragedy seeing Ray's wife was not well.
ReplyDeleteThis is the day in U.S. history that Lee surrendered to the Grant . At Appomattox 1865 .there were a lot of dynamic issues that happened this day here. Both were U.S. West Point Army grads at West Point. Grant was sporting a soiled uniform ,un kept ,and Grant shows up articulated as a king . So ... After this no confederate could vote until After General Lee was dead. So this the carpet baggers that moved south. Today in American History.
ReplyDeleteEaston management is questionable at this point ,people that work there that actually come to work are parting ways. My kid that saved a woman in a fire just resigned, the guy that works the streets the most , is going to private contractor. I predict that a large purge of Fire Fighter- EMTs will occur shortly. Then the city will have OT issues and morale issues. It’s coming.
ReplyDeleteHave we all forgotten the recent history of Allentown city government? A once well managed All American City which had suffered from incompetent management beginning in the 80's and was further decimated by the criminal corruption of the Pawlowski regime beginning 2006. Now we have the leftovers of that regime still in power as attested to by former FBI agent Scott Curtis contesting for positions against the likes of Gerlach, Fields, Palmer with Batts as a cheerleader? Doesn't matter who wins. Just say goodbye Allentown forever!
ReplyDeleteLynch has my vote.
ReplyDeleteLook at the finance reports for city and county when they come out. All the Bethlehem names except Grubb are owned by the big developers. Reynolds, Callahan, etc. It is sad but the usual suspects giving money to the usual suspects.
ReplyDeleteBethlehem has been sold to the highest bidders and it is not the residents. Soon it will be a new Allentown.
ugly in many ways
ReplyDeleteWe should change the rules going forward. NO organization who contributes over $1000 to a campaign should be able to be awarded and governmental business. Any politician receiving over $1000 should not be allowed to vote on anything which impacts a company they received the money from. All public officials financial records should be reviewable along with their families and business they are associated with. If anything is found they received money or other things directly or indirectly from a company which they appeared to have voted to support in preferential manner it should be considered bribery and those that accepted it should go to jail for an hour per dollar accepted (No early parole) and those that paid it should lose 500 times the value that they paid. And the reach should go several levels from the individual that paid the bribery. All money going into a candidate or political person should be 100% accountable for 5 years prior to them taking the position and for 10 years afterwards. And improprieties should cause them to immediately go to jail no plea bargain no early parole. And all the money property or whatever else to match the value should be taken from them and their family and be utilized to pay down the area debt. Anything over a lunch that a politician takes should be considered bribery and have harsh repercussions on both sides.
ReplyDeleteSo in other words only the independently wealthy should run for office.
ReplyDeleteSave the �� turtle's!
ReplyDeleteBernie - Do you, or others "in the know" - have opinions on the best Dem to vote for in this election in order for CeCe not to win? I liked when Nat and Ray met to determine which of them would run so as not to split votes, resulting in CeCe being elected. But now that there are 4 Dem candidates, I fear this will happen and give CeCe the majority. Is there a strategy that would help a voter like me to cast my vote in a way that will defeat CeCe? I am quite concerned about this primary.
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ReplyDeleteWe could do it another way also. We could do it like it is done in some countries. Each candidate is given XXXX amount of money to run and each candidate is given XXXX amount of campaign time on tv, radio, etc. NO PAC"S no political organizations, no other BS like we do here in the US.
Anyone who breaks the plane that is set is immediately disqualified even if it is their own money.
The first thing we need to do is make all politicians pas a security clearance and all their appointees. 80% plus of them on the federal level would not be able to hold a position.
ReplyDeleteTrump would not have been able to because he had bankruptcies. If you do not pay you taxes you can't. Biden son wouldn't because If you do drugs you can't pass a full clearance. If you have substantial debt you can't pass a full clearance. If you don't declare you foreign connections you can't get a clearance. If you have been indicted on a felony and not even convicted you have a hard time getting a clearance. IF you are a drunk you have a hard time getting a clearance and the list goes on........
"Bernie - Do you, or others "in the know" - have opinions on the best Dem to vote for in this election in order for CeCe not to win? I liked when Nat and Ray met to determine which of them would run so as not to split votes, resulting in CeCe being elected. But now that there are 4 Dem candidates, I fear this will happen and give CeCe the majority. Is there a strategy that would help a voter like me to cast my vote in a way that will defeat CeCe? I am quite concerned about this primary."
ReplyDelete4/11/21 Anonymous: We are in the same boat, I want to help defeat Me Me, by supporting others. I had expected the Hyman/O'Connell alliance to result in a strong candidacy and while its early that does not seem to be happening. Nonetheless, I believe the incumbent, O'Connell, has the best shot of the others to beat Me Me. If turnout is low City wide, O'Connell has a solid shot of winning again. I'm hoping both Tuerk and O'Connell can appeal strongly to super voting Dems with negative ads on Me Me. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best!
I pretty much still feel that way. Me-Me Gerlach is a divisive candidate with no skill as a manager. I wish some others had bowed out and let Ray run like Nat did. As things stand, she wins. You can thank the selfishness of some egos who put themselves over what is best for the city.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching YouTube last night, CeCe's commercial for Mayor came on. It looked professional. It however lacked any of her credentials or proposals.
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