Hozza Rules Out State Rep Race

Whitehall Mayor Ed Hozza would be a shoe-in as successor to retiring State Rep. Julie Harhart. If he were to seek the Democratic nod, he'd get it and would have to be considered the favorite over the three Republicans seeking the job. He's been courted by a lot of people to enter the race.  Last year, he fend off a Fed Ed-inspired attempt to extend his domain into Whitehall. Hozza was able to survive an onslaught from Fed Ed, Miked Fleck, and the money they got from Abe Atiyeh, J.B. Reilly and Sean Boyle. But he told me yesterday he likes being Whitehall's Mayor.

But in a statement provided to me yesterday, Hozza declared that he will honor the commitment he made to voters when he sought a third term as Mayor.

After spending quality time and consulting with my wife Denise, our three children Elyse,Ted, Michael, our future son in law Thomas,my parent's, our very large extended family and friends over the Holiday's I made the decision not to run for the Pennsylvania State House 183rd District seat. I am honored and humbled by the number of Democrats, Republicans and Independents who have reached out to me asking me to run for the seat being vacated by Representative Julie Harhart.

In 2015 I made a commitment to the people of Whitehall in seeking a third term that will begin on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 8:00 P.M. It would be unfair to the people of Whitehall in 2016 to divide my time between seeking the 183rd and the day to day operations of the Township.

In a few weeks, a strong Democratic candidate from the 183rd District will announce. I will endorse, and strongly support that candidate for the 183rd district.

That strong Democrat would have to be Phillips Armstrong, a Whitehall commissioner. and retired teacher and basketball coach.

There's also a Republican three-way. Lehigh Township Supervisor Cindy Miller, former Lehigh County Commissioner Marc Grammes and Allentown-are blogger Michael Molovinsky are currently seeking the Republican nod.

Pawlowski's Whitehall Takeover

Ed Hozza, Jr.

Yesterday, Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky slammed Mayor Edwin Pawlowski over his attempts to subvert democracy in Allentown, with campaigns funded by Harrisburg PACs whose reports are usually unavailable until after the election, when it no longer matters.Actually, the attempt has already succeeded. Allentown is no longer a democracy, but an urban growth regime in which politicians and select businessmen co-opt each other while The Morning Call waves pom poms and tells us all is well. King Edwin hopes to extend his empire to Whitehall, but someone is standing in his way. Whitehall Mayor Ed Hozza, Jr.

Hozza, a fellow Democrat, has been a good Mayor who actually has reduced Whitehall's debt from an all-time high of approximately $8 million when he first assumed office. In five years, the Township will be debt free. His tight grip on manpower has also resulted in $2 million in savings every year.

But Hozza sinned. Whitehall Township and Hozza opposed Allentown's NIZ, especially when it was drawn up so that J.B. Reilly could legally steal the EIT of Whitehall residents who work there. He can only steal their businesses.  Whitehall also had a problem with Allentown's water and sewer lease, wondering why their ratepayers should have to help Allentown dig itself out of its own pension hole. But what really pissed King Edwin off is that Whitehall dared oppose Pawlowski plans for a digital billboard at Jordan Park, which straddles Whitehall.

So just as he unleashed J.B. Reilly and others on Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan's quest to become NorCo Executive and basically ruined good government here for the next three years, he's trying to destroy Whitehall. He's backing Jerry Palagonia, a former cop known mostly for multiple suspensions as well a criminal prosecution for obstruction, against Hozza.

When The Morning Call asked Pawlowski whether he was planning a takeover in Whitehall, he denied it. "I think it's absolutely ridiculous," he told a reporter, "We're focused on the city of Allentown. The last thing we need to do is think about Whitehall."

The pre-primary reports are in, and pretty much prove that Pawloski is full of shit.

Be vewy, vewy quiet.

I'm Hozza huntin.'

He's also using the newspapers and unsuspecting veterans to smear Hozza.

Palagonia's pre-primary shows that he's raised $20.460 in his bid to become Whitehall's next Mayor. This includes the following contributions:

• $4,000 from Pawlwoski's warchest.
• $1,500 from Pawlowski controlled unions.
• $500 from Pawlowski puppet Joe Davis.
• $6,000 from billboard magnate Abe Atiyeh.
• $2,000 from electrician Manhill Makhoul.
• $1,000 from municipal consultant Jim Hickey.
• $1,000 from contractor Sean Boyle.
• $1000 from J.B. Reilly's ""Citizens for Urban Renewal."

It's no secret that Whitehall is going to have to replace its antiquated police department soon. Some of the buzzards in the urban growth regime circling above want a piece of that pie. For Atiyeh, it's payback over the billboard. For Pawlowski, it's about control. He thinks he can command who leads Whitehall, and that the voters there are stupid enough to do as he says.

In stark contrast to Palagonia, Hozza's pre-primary indicates that most of the $16,485 he raised comes from small, $100 contributions, from people who actually live in Whitehall. The larger contributions come from himself, family and a friend.

Pawlowski's campaign manager, Mike Fleck, has a political consulting business called H Street Strategies. H Street has been paid $18,100 by Palagonia's campaign. H Street also hired former Morning Call reporter Daryl Nerl.

Soon after Nerl was hired, uncomplimentary stories about Hozza began appearing in The Morning Call. Nerl has been spinning them. I know this because he tried to spin me over asbestos-gate, a goofy story about Hozza sanding a floor inside some bomb shelter and accidentally setting off an alarm. I was offered copies of a police report, which should have been confidential, as well as a statement from none other than Palagonia.

Admittedly, as a bottom-feeding blogger, I have low standards. But I stop short of shilling for the urban growth regime.

I prefer democracy, as shitty as it is, over some oligarchy including King Edwin and rich bastards whose primary interest is their own wallet.

Hozza Seeking Third Term as Whitehall's Mayor

FROM ED HOZZA CAMPAIGN: Last night, Whitehall Township Mayor Edward Hozza, Jr. announced his intention to run for re-election to the seat he has held since 2008.

“It has been my pleasure to serve the citizens of Whitehall over the last eight years,” said Mayor Hozza. “I look forward to building on my progress in bringing Whitehall into the 21st Century while also remembering our Township’s history.”

Hozza continues to work as Whitehall’s “full-time mayor” and hopes to work to improve the lives of its citizens every day in the future. He has successfully balanced seven budgets over his two terms as mayor When Mayor Hozza took office, the township was at its debt level in 33 years and the township has seen its debt level decrease to its lowest amount since 2003. At the same rate, Whitehall Township will have its planned lowest debt payment in 2017 due to Mayor Hozza’s focus on paying down the township’s debt. By implementing a non-essential personnel hiring freeze, bidding contracts into categories, and switching healthcare providers, Mayor Hozza has saved the residents of Whitehall Township over $5 million during one of the country’s worst economic periods. Whitehall has also stabilized its pension obligations at a level that reduces future liabilities and burdens on taxpayers, stabilizing the budget.

Mayor Hozza also continues to work towards a safer Whitehall for both its residents and visitors. He has begun to plan for future succession plans for the police department by approving the promotions of several officers and has approved technology upgrades to improve information sharing and make the department more efficient. He also reviewed the existing ten-year fire apparatus replacement schedule and expanded it to include every new apparatus for the next 23 years.

“Public safety has been and will continue to be one of my chief concerns over the next four years,” said Mayor Hozza. “I have already begun to study the feasibility of a new police station to replace our current aging one and have studied the possible legal ramifications of the prospect of mandating body cameras on our police officers.”

With Whitehall’s reliance on a strong commercial tax-base, Mayor Hozza has reenergized economic development in Whitehall over the last eight years and will do so moving forward. He resurrected the Whitehall Township Industrial and Commercial Development authority to advocate for redevelopment in the township. His main focus has been the redevelopment of the former Lehigh Valley Dairy and Mayor Hozza continues to call for a tax incentive for developers to reuse the property. He plans on continuing to pursue a CRIZ designation for Whitehall along with a TIF and LERTA for the dairy property with other government entities in the township.

Mayor Hozza also sees Whitehall’s economy moving away from a sole reliance on retail to one focusing on other sectors like the healthcare industry. “With the aging population of both Whitehall and the country as a whole, the need for medical staffing over the next 30 years will skyrocket,” said Mayor Hozza. “I look forward to an announcement on the plans of Lehigh Valley Health Network on their intentions for their 143-acre property they own along MacArthur Road.”

Mayor Hozza demonstrated his dedication to open space preservation in Whitehall Township by working with federal, state, and county agencies to purchase the Prydun Farm, the first case of new open space in Whitehall Township since the implementation of its new strategic plan. Mayor Hozza also worked with the Ironton Rail Trail to complete the paving of the trail by the end of this year and helped to implement the construction of the D&L Trail through Whitehall.

Mayor Hozza is a member the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which granted Whitehall Township its Transportation Public Safety Award last year for the State Route 145 Safety Improvement Project. Hozza is also a member of the Pennsylvania State Mayors’ Association, the Pennsylvania League of Municipalities, and he and his wife, Denise, are active members of the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce and are active members of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church

Blogger's Note: What is less than apparent in this news release is Hozza's great sense of humor. I sat next to him during meetings in which he had me rolling on the floor. He needs to be able to laugh because Whitehall is the fourth largest municipality in the Lehigh Valley. (The largest are Allentown, Bethlehem, Lower Macungie, Whitehall and Easton.)

Commissioner Jerry Palagonia, a former Township police officer, is also running.