Joyce Marin to Lead RenewLV

Over the years, I've been critical of RenewLV, primarily because it is a Lehigh Valley Partnership spinoff that has masqueraded as a "grass roots" organization. But I admired former Exec Director Steve Bliss. From passenger rail to bi-county health, he was a tireless advocate who made his group "grass roots" in spite of itself. I particularly enjoyed the brown bag lunches, which could cover topics extending from bicycling to our struggling cities. Bliss was happy for the discussion, even with those who held different views. Unfortunately, once Steve left, RenewLV fell upon hard times. That's about to change.

Macungie resident Joyce Marin has been named RenewLV's Executive Director. There is no doubt in my mind that, with her at the helm, regionalism will get the hearing it deserves.

Unfortunately, I never got to know Marin until after I had beaten her up in several blog entries. I got to know her during her stint with the Allentown School District, where she worked on a number of after-school programs for the kids. She became consumed with them and their well-being, and remain involved in all kinds of programs for disadvantaged children after the money ran out. She still cared, just as much as the volunteers who run Allentown's Wall2Wall program, or Craig Golden, a Bethlehem basketball coach who came out of retirement because he the young men on his team wrote him and asked him to stay.

None of this has anything to do with her being Executive Director at RenewLV. But it has everything to do with why I must recognize that I had her wrong.

Marin is actually a co-founder of RenewLV, which is described as "smart-growth organization dedicated to revitalizing our urban cores and regional, cooperative approaches to government in the Lehigh Valley."

Her experience as a Main Street Manager, Emmaus Council member and as Allentown DCED Director has given her plenty of exposure to both revitalization and regionalism opportunities.

"Having an experienced, strategic and knowledgeable professional like Joyce will enable RenewLV to continue its important efforts to be the voice for regionalism in the Lehigh Valley," says Deana Zosky, co-chair of the RenewLV board of directors. "Joyce also brings a tremendous amount of passion for smart growth, which will help us engage our stakeholders and the general public and raise the level of discussion Valley-wide."

Marin's academic credentials include an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and inclusion in the Knight Fellowship in Community Building at the University of Miami's School of Architecture, the recognized center for New Urban thought and practice.

"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to direct my experience and education toward engaging the region's leadership and the public more deeply in the discussion of a sustainable Lehigh Valley, regional cooperation and the efficient use of our resources through utilization of smart growth principals and policies," said Marin.

In her new role, she's already begun revitalization within RenewLV itself. She's helping organize the Lehigh Valley's first smart growth conference, the Lehigh Valley Summit for Smart Growth, to be held on October 24th at the Holiday Inn at Center City in Allentown. "The summit is a great opportunity for both the region's leaders as well as regular citizens to get informed and engaged on what we can each do to have a better Lehigh Valley as we grow," said Marin.

I wish her luck.

Joyce Marin Resigning as Allentown's DCED Director?

According to a reliable Allentown source, Joyce Marin is resigning as Allentown's Director of Community & Economic Development. When she was hired earlier this year, the job carried an annual $87,000 paycheck. Her appointment followed two contributions to Mayor Ed Pawlowski's campaign, totalling $1,150.

I have no additional details. The city web page still lists her as Director.

Update: It's official! According to a news release on the city web page, Marin's resignation is effective December 18th. She and her husband are moving to Madrid, where she will begin her training as a matador.

Allentown Gets a Little Tacky

The deepest, darkest day in my lifetime is 9/11/. Nearly three thousand people died, almost all of them civilians, and many more were injured. We lost our sense of security that day, despite two vast oceans that separate us from our enemies. The nation's two largest skyscrapers collapsed before our eyes. It's had a lasting impact. It's why we take our shoes off at airports.

On the fifth anniversary of that somber occasion, the Guv' and politicos like former exec Glenn Reibman celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony for Bethlehem's Riverport project. That baby was seeded with county and state money, and everyone was slapping each other on the back. Mayor John Callahan joined in the fun, too.

Now it's Allentown's turn to be tacky. According to a breathless report from DCED Director Joyce Marin at puff blog Allentown Good News, Allentown will mark the death of three thousand people just nine years ago with a bicycle race. She's instructing everyone to take time off and even goes so far as to tell them to eat at a King Edwin-favored restaurant. She does mention NYC, but only to note how the people there support the marathon runners.

Allentown's Landlord Hall of Shame Ignores Constitution

Edwin I, King of Renaissance Square, aka Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, is angry. Some greedy Allentown landlords allow their properties to fall into disrepair. A few ignore zoning laws, maintenance codes and even refuse to pay their taxes and water bills on time. So by Royal Decree, a "Landlord Hall of Shame" has been established to humiliate these hooligans. A huge placard, complete with slumlord's home address and phone number, is placed at each property. Allentown's Web page, which seems to be good for nothing else, proudly lists each offender. City officials will even buy advertisements in the home newspapers of these dirty dawgs.

You get to have some fun, too. You can make your own nominations.

Whoopee! Isn't that Democratic?

Or is it a lynch mob mentality?

No Notice or Opportunity to Be Heard

King Edwin has worked up a lather over slumlords who won't follow the law, but has no trouble trampling all over the Constitution. Specifically, he's ignoring the due process clause, which is interpreted to mean notice and an opportunity to be heard.

Does a landlord get any kind of notice before he's listed in the city's Hall of Shame? Nah. In fact, the city's first victim, and he is a victim, was taken by surprise. He was ambushed without no hearing.

Allentown's web page does list criteria considered before this modern equivalent of tarring and feathering someone. You can see them here. But they are nebulous, to say the least. Vague tenant and neighbor complaints are actually encouraged, which could lead to all sorts of phony baloney from a disgruntled former tenant or a jealous neighbor. "Police issues," "fire issues" and "health issues" but once again, there are no specifics. In fact, the city also uses "etc." to cover them. How the hell can a landlord be on notice of a health issue qualified like that? If someone catches a cold at a rented property, the landlord can be publicly excoriated. The city also looks at delinquent fees, but provides no guidance there, either. One year? Or is one month enough?

Joyce Marin, Allentown's Director of Community and Economic Development, in a puff blog designed to promote this domestic form of waterboarding as "good news" for Allentown, doesn't really answer how someone qualifies for this dishonor. It must be a secret.

Potential For Abuse

Aside from a total failure to provide basic due process, King Edwin's Hall of Shame can be perverted to punish political enemies. Don't think the King would do that? Think again.

Last year, King Edwin told a Morning Call reporter that a certain civic activist, who was giving HRH a rough time, was nothing more than a slumlord. Now this landlord has never even been cited for a code violation. But he is a political enemy. Imagine how easy it would be to trump up a few testimonials by some disgruntled former tenants or a "neighbor." Next thing you know, this person can find himself a member of the Hall of Shame.

I expressed these concerns to Ms. Marin. She refuses to publish any criticism of this modern form of torture, but allows comments suggesting that slumlords are mostly McCain supporters. She did email me that, after checking with her staff, she learned that HRH has no involvement in the selection of these properties.

Bullshit.

The city's own web page makes clear the mayor is directly involved. All the King's men "choose a city landlord for recommendation to the mayor for selection as an esteemed member of the 'Landlord Hall of Shame.'" The mayor decides.

Reputation an Inherent Pennsylvania Right

In addition to the due process clause, King Ed's "Hall of Shame" violates the "inherent and indefeasible" right of every person to protect his reputation. That right is enumerated in the first sentence of Pennsylvania's Constitution.

The federal and state constitution must be followed, even in the Kingdom of Renaissance Square. King Ed is right to be upset over greedy landlords who thumb their noses at laws designed to protect all of us, but that gives him no excuse to ignore basic constitutional safeguards. They apply to all of us. Even slumlords.