UPDATED: ICEOUT Receives FOUR Unconfirmed ICE Observations in Easton Area

ICEOUT is a nationwide map through which people can report ICE observations in their community. It is maintained by People Over Papers, a 501c3 nonprofit. 

The map includes an unconfirmed report that ICE was observed at the Easton Recreation Office, 123 S 3rd St, Easton, PA at 1:47 pm. The report indicates that 15 agents in 5 or more cars were there. Another unconfirmed report, including a photo, indicates that ICE was seen outside the vacant LA Fitness Center in Wilson Borough on January 31 at 1:30 PM. Two vehicles and about 5 agents are spotted. A third unconfirmed report indicates four vehicles were spotted the same day at 10 am at 2403 Butler Street in Wilson Borough. 

UPDATED 2:20 PM: A fourth unconfirmed observation of ICE as made at Easton's Centre Square (which is a circle) today at 10 am. Five cars observed. 

NYTimes: Where LV Jobs Have Grown and Declined Since Pandemic

Based on information obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New York Times has been able to tell us where jobs have grown and where they've declined since the pandemic in 2019. Over the past four years, 19 million jobs have been added, mostly in the sun belt states. Pennsylvania and other "blue wall" states, however, still are paying catch up. In 51 of Pa.'s 67 counties, the state has lost jobs between 2019 and 2023. 

Lehigh and Northampton Counties are among those who've added jobs. 

Between 2019 and 2023, Lehigh County gained 3,771 jobs, a modest increase of 1.9%. 

The biggest gains are in health, education and transportation, 

Between 2019 and 2023, NorCo added 2,548 jobs, an increase of 2.1% Unlike Lehigh, NorCo has seen a spike in both construction and manufacturing jobs. Like Lehigh, it has lost a lot of finance jobs. 

LV Congressional Race Update

Three Republicans - Kevin Dellicker, Ryan MacKenzie and Maria Montero - seek the Republican nomination. Incumbent Susan Wild, seeking the Democratic nod, is running unopposed. 

Kevin Dellicker - He's outraised his Republican opponents, but that's only about 10% of the money in Wild's coffers, He also has support from four local police FOPs (Bethlehem, Allentown, local state troopers, township and borough police and Lehigh and NorCo deputy sheriffs).

Ryan MacKenzie. - He has attracted support from heavyweights like State Senator Mario Scavello and Americans for Prosperity, a group "dedicated to economic freedom and individual liberties."

Maria Montero. - She's both Irish and a Latina who complains that too many families struggle to put food on the table, something I rarely hear from Republicans. As the sole woman in the race, I think she has an edge against her male opponents as she can argue she would do better against Wild than either of them. She has an endorsement from Easton's FOP. 

Susan Wild - She's survived one re-election contest and is sitting on a mountain of money. She should be re-elected but recently disparaged Carbon County ("they drank the Trump Kool Aid") Not the smartest thing to do when you need their votes. 

Lehigh and NorCo Team Up For Air Quality Study

PM monitor

Over a year ago, a divided Northampton County Council voted to spend $52,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to study air quality at numerous different points in the county. I was under the impression that this study was well under way, but it's apparently only getting started now. Lehigh County is participating as well. Next Wednesday, Executives Phil Armstrong, Lamont McClure, Dr. Breena Holland (LU) and Andrea Wittchen (iSpring) will hold an outdoor news conference to announce the launch of Lehigh Valley Breathes. 

Lehigh County has a detailed explanation of the project: 

"As warehouse development has expanded in the Valley, it has contributed to an increase in mobile sources of air pollution, particularly from freight-truck traffic. Currently, air quality information in the Valley comes from two monitoring sites located in Freemansburg and East Allentown that are used by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make sure that the region complies with the federal Clean Air Act. While these sophisticated monitors are capable of measuring a variety of air pollutants that are used to determine the Air Quality Index (AQI), they do not tell us how air pollution is distributed throughout Lehigh Valley.

"The Lehigh Valley Breathes project will distribute and install 40 PurpleAir monitors throughout the valley to measure particulate pollution, which is commonly referred to as “PM2.5” and poses a serious health risk for humans and the environment. These small and inexpensive air monitors can be easily positioned in different locations, providing a highly-localized understanding of air quality that the state’s two centralized air monitors cannot."

"By increasing the locations where PM 2.5 pollution is measured, the data will provide a more accurate understanding of how PM 2.5 is impacting the health of citizens in different parts of the Valley. And because the data provided by the PurpleAir monitors are available 24/7 on an easily accessible and dedicated website, Lehigh Valley residents can check on the air quality in their own neighborhoods."

Over the past year, I've spent several hours looking for this dedicated website, to no avail. The project is only getting under way now because the monitors needed to be calibrated. 

The data collected over the next year could be used by municipalities to amend zoning and planning ordinances to make air quality part of a required traffic impact study for proposed warehouses, leading to a possible reduction in size of of truck fleets.

Support for this project was by no means unanimous in Northampton County.  Council members John Brown, Tom Giovanni and John Goffredo all voted No. 

Goffredo's rationale? "I understand the big, hot topic is warehousing and truck traffic," said Goffredo. "If you're not somebody who relies on that - if you're not a truck driver or operator and you don't work in those warehouses - these might seem like inconveniences to a lot of people.

"A lot of people depend on these jobs. As somebody who does depend on these jobs and has a lot of people work for me who do depend on those jobs, it's getting to a point where we're starting to feel like second class citizens just for driving a diesel truck."

I'll have more about this air quality study after the news conference. 

Updated: LV GDP Hits $40.1 Billion?

From LVEDC: The Lehigh Valley’s gross domestic product has reached a record-high $40.1 billion, with much of the economic growth driven by the region’s thriving manufacturing sector, according to newly-released federal data.

The $40.1 billion regional GDP for 2017 is about a 5 percent increase over the previous year, and growth in manufacturing was responsible for about 36 percent of that year-over-year growth, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

“The Lehigh Valley is unique among major metropolitan areas in the United States in that manufacturing is driving such a large percentage of its growth,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). “Manufacturing is clearly alive and well in the Lehigh Valley, and our regional GDP is the largest it’s ever been, far surpassing even the days of Bethlehem Steel.”

Manufacturing the fastest-growing sector

Manufacturing makes up $7.4 billion – or 18.4 percent – of the Lehigh Valley’s overall $40.1 billion GDP. That’s a much higher percentage than its share of the national economy. Manufacturing is 11.6 percent of the U.S. economy, according to the BEA.

Manufacturing was also the fastest-growing economic sector for 2017 in terms of economic output. Its $7.4 billion GDP was an increase of $700 million (10.4 percent) compared to 2016. No other sector had a larger year-over-year percentage increase.

That means manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley grew at a faster pace than transportation and warehousing, which saw the second-largest year-over-year jump. That sector, with a $2.1 billion GDP, grew at a rate of 8.8 percent compared to 2016.

“Contrary to the misnomer that big box warehousing and fulfillment centers are driving growth in the Lehigh Valley economy, manufacturing far surpasses it in economic output and growth,” Cunningham said. “That’s a testament to both the strength of manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley, and the balanced and diversified makeup of the overall economy.”

Manufacturing remains the Lehigh Valley’s second-largest sector. The largest is finance, insurance and real estate, which makes up $7.6 billion of the regional economy. Manufacturing fell only $200 million behind it in 2017, compared to a gap of $900 million the previous year.

Lehigh Valley ranks 64th in the U.S.

Gross domestic product is a measurement of a region’s economic output. The Lehigh Valley’s $40.1 billion figure accounts for private sector industry and does not include government spending. If that were included, the figure would rise to $43.8 billion.

The Lehigh Valley economy now ranks 64th out of the 382 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, which is one spot higher than last year. The BEA released the new data on Sept. 18, and 2017 is the most recent year for which measurable GDP data is available.

“The Lehigh Valley is the nation’s 69th largest major metropolitan area by population but the country’s 64th largest economy, so we continue to swing well above our weight class in economic output," Cunningham said.

The Lehigh Valley private sector GDP remains larger than that of Vermont ($27.4 billion) and Wyoming ($34 billion), as well as 112 other countries in the world. If the Lehigh Valley were a country, it would be the 88th largest economy in the world in terms of economic output.

Economic growth across many sectors

Nearly each of the economic sectors of the Lehigh Valley economy saw year-over-year GDP growth in 2017, with the exception of the information sector, which saw a slight drop from $2 billion to $1.9 billion. The sector-by-sector breakdown can be found below:

· Finance, Insurance and Real Estate ($7.6 billion, +4.26% year-over-year)

· Manufacturing ($7.4 billion, +10.4%)

· Education, Health Care and Social Assistance ($5.5 billion, +4.63%)

· Professional Services ($5.2 billion, +2.52%)

· Retail ($2.4 billion, +1.4%)

· Transportation and Warehousing ($2.1 billion, 8.8%)

· Information ($1.9 billion, -3.73%)

· Arts, Entertainment, Accommodation ($1.7 billion, +1.7 percent)

These GDP figures derive from the BEA and were analyzed and presented by George Lewis, LVEDC Director of Research and Analysis. GDP rankings of other countries come from the World Bank. The BEA adjusts its figures to account for new information and projections, so numbers that have been reported for previous years may have been changed or adjusted over time.

About LVEDC

The mission of LVEDC is to market the economic assets of the Lehigh Valley and to serve as a regional shared services and resource center to help businesses to come, grow, and start here. Our vision is of a Lehigh Valley with a diverse economic base in our cities and countries that enable businesses to come here, start here, and flourish here in order to create jobs and opportunities for all of our residents. Our priorities are marketing economic assets, coordinating a prepared workforce, focusing on city and urban development, serving as a shared services center, providing access to capital, and building our resources and engaging stakeholders.

Blogger's Analysis: I'm a little confused. According to this news release, the Lehigh Valley's GDP has jumped five percent over the previous year, and is now $40.1 billion. But when I add the sector-by-sector breakdown, I come up with only $33.8 billion GDP. So either someone's math is wrong, or one or more sectors are missing.

Also, despite the manufacturing boast, it only makes up 22% of the economy.

Retail has only risen 1.4%. That's hardly a sign that consumers have money in their pockets, or that Trump's temporary tax cuts has spurred spending.

The increase in transportation and warehousing is a bad sign for our failing infrastructure. The Lehigh Valley knows truck traffic is going to double, yet still has failed to take a regional approach to combat this problem.

Arts and entertainment is only up 1.7? Is this supposed to be a good thing, or a warning sign?

The drop in information is something you see every time you open up a newspaper. The problem is not fake news. the problem is no news at all, a very troubling sign in a democracy.

Updated 1:30 pm: LVEDC Responds!

We listed the eight largest sectors in our story, but there are a few other sectors that make up a smaller portion of the GDP (utilities, construction, wholesale trade) that we did not include.  However, if you’d like to see the specific breakdown, you can visit the BEA.govwebsite, go to the interactive data section, then search for GDP by metro, then pull up the 2017 numbers.

 

You can see in the screenshot below where the $40.1 billion (for private industry) comes from:

 

 

(You may also see some sectors are listed as “(D),” meaning “Did not report.” That means the BEA did not report specific amounts from them, either because of business confidentiality reasons, or because they deemed them too small to specifically report, or for some other reason. We have no control over that, obviously, but GDP from those sectors are still rolled into the $40.1 billion number.)

 

Manufacturing’s $7.4 billion GDP makes up 18% of the overall $40.1 billion GDP, which may not sound like much on the surface, but is actually quite high compared to most regions. For comparison purposes, manufacturing only makes up 11.6% of the overall U.S. economy.

 

Additionally, one of the unique factors of the Lehigh Valley economy is how unusually balanced and multifaceted it is. Many regions have one sector that makes up the vast majority of its economy, and then the other sectors are significantly smaller. By comparison, the Lehigh Valley’s top two sectors (finance and manufacturing) are very close to each other ($7.6B and $7.4B), as are its next two (education and professional services, at $5.5 billion and $5.2 billion, respectively). We view this as a strength for our economy, all our eggs are not in one basket; we are not overly dependent on one industry, and so if there is a decline in one sector, it will be partially offset by strength in the others.

Nothstein Campaign HQs Vandalized

Tonight, the Lehigh Valley's GOP Congressional candidate, Marty Nothstein, will open his campaign headquarters at 4260 Nazareth Pike in Bethlehem Township. He will do so even though the building was vandalized over the weekend, when someone through a piece of concrete through a first floor window.

“Our political opponents, including far-left groups from outside the district, have declared the Lehigh Valley a battleground, so it’s little wonder that extreme rhetoric has now translated into physical violence," said Nothstein. “We will not allow them to prevent our grand opening Monday. We need to stand up to political bullies.”

No charges have been filed against anyone.

No charges have been filed against anyone. In addition to Nothstein's campaign offices, the property also includes a tattoo parlor. It is only in recent days that a large Nothstein sign has appeared in front of the building, facing Nazareth Pike.

Entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh, who owns the building, said that there is security footage.

There is little doubt in my mind that this vandalism was aimed at Nothstein. During the primary, Democrat John Morganelli was shouted down and prevented from even answering a question at a debate in Allentown, and was booed at a debate in Bethlehem.

Lehigh Valley For All (Who Agree With Them) is planning a so-called "Harmony" Fest on August 9 in Coplay, but have declared, "Absolutely no Trump supporters allowed!"

Nothstein, who chairs the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, won a gold medal in cycling during the summer Olympics in 2000. Susan Wild, an Allentown attorney and that City's former Solicitor, is the Democratic nominee. Tim Silfies, WFMZ-TV69's former business reporter, has filed as a Libertarian.

What Do People Like Most About the Lehigh Valley?

Yesterday, I reported to you on a Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) survey conducted in March and April, with over 1,000 responses, telling us what we like least about the Lehigh Valley. What do you like most? Here's what the survey says:

1) Parks, Trails and Recreational Activities (61%).- Whether it's outdoor basketball at Cedar Beach, or a bike trail that extends from Allentown to Easton and points south, it's hard for any community to compete with Lehigh Valley parks

2) Natural Lands and Farmlands (59%).- The Lehigh Valley lost 80 percent of its farms between 1930, when there were 5,032 farms, and 2007, when only 1,002 farms remained. The acres of land devoted to farmland has dropped 53 percent, from 323,000 acres in 1930 to 153,000 in 2007. Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserving farmland, but the best way to preserve farmland is by preserving the farmer. The number of farmers under the age of 35 dropped by 37 percent between 1997 and 2007. Only 17 percent of farmers actually own the land they farm because land values are prohibitive.

3) Proximity to NYC and Philly (55%) - Unfortunately, this is what also makes the Lehigh Valley a warehouse magnet.

Other LV positives are 4) mix of urban, suburban and rural (47%); 5) near family and friends (46%); 6) cost of living (46%); 7) cultural and entertainment activities (40%); 8) historic sites and architecture (38%); and 9) proximity to work (37%).

What People Like Least about the Lehigh Valley

What do you like least about the Lehigh Valley? The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) conducted a survey in March and April, receiving over 1,000 responses. Here's what we like least:

1) Truck Traffic takes the lead at 66%. - That's why it makes no sense that planners are "scrambling" to find more parking for trucks. They do not work for the transportation industry. They work for the people, and should be less, not more, hospitable. That's why all P3 bridges, even along a state-designated scenic byway in Lower Mount Bethel, had to be two lanes. That's why roads keep getting wider and wider. Local governments could take much more forceful action, at least along their own roads.

2) Traffic congestion is second at 65%. - At rush hour, it now takes me about an hour on average to get from Easton to Allentown. Widening these highways is just leading to more congestion, so I'd call this planning a complete failure. One of the answers, believe it or not, is to lower the speed limits along portions of 78 and 22, as is done along the M25 motorway in London. At lower speeds, cars can travel closer together and this increases capacity. There are numerous other options, like car-pooling, but people are not ready for it.

3) Warehouses are third at 56%. - I don't really care whether it is called a fulfillment center, it's still a warehouse. They are fine in south Bethlehem, where they are located very close to 78. They are fine at Chrin, where they are close to 33.They are a disaster in Allen and East Allen Tp. The answer is very aggressive use of something known as an impact fee. In approving a warehouse plan, an impact fee is assessed and paid, but there is no monitoring down the road to ensure that the impact has not exceeded the plan. That needs to happen Zoning in all municipalities needs to change so that these are only allowed close to an interstate.

Other complaints are 4) loss of farmland and natural lands (53%); 5) lack of alternative transportation (48%); 6) population growth (37%); and 7) loss of historic architecture (28%).

Census Estimate Shows Population Explosion in 6 Lehigh Valley Communities

The latest U.S. Census estimate reveals that Lehigh Valley's population is exploding, and in the strangest places. The Patriot News has a listing of the top 41 communities statewide that are surging.

East Bangor comes in at #4 with an estimated population of 1,630. While that's still a small population, it's an increase of 39% since 2010. Other communities in the top 40 are as follows

• Upper Macungie, 21% population increase since 2010, population estimated at 24,356, ranked #11.
• Allen Tp, 16% population increase since 2010, population estimated at 4,938, ranked #21 (tie).
• Upper Sacuon Tp, 14% population increase since 2010, population estimated at 16,818, ranked #28 (tie).
• Alburtis, 11% population increase since 2010, population estimated at 2,622, ranked #41 (tie)
• Lower Nazareth Tp, 11% population increase since 2010, population estimated at 6,276 ranked #41 (tie).

Lehigh County's population is now estimated at 366,494, a 4.8% increase from the 2010 census. Northampton County is smaller, with an estimated population of 303,405 that has only increased 1.9% since 2010.

How about the urban core? Allentown's population of 121,283 is a 2.7% increase from 2010. Bethlehem, at 75,707, has seen a growth of just one percent over 2010. Easton, at 27,109, is 1.3% larger than in 2010. Whitehall Township, at 27,564, has seen a growth of 3% since 2010.

LVEDC Claims LV GDP Was $39 Nillion in 2016

Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation is claiming in a statement that the Lehigh Valley’s gross domestic product (GDP) for private sector industry has grown to a record-high $39.1 billion for 2016, a more than 4 percent increase over the previous year.

“It’s truly remarkable to consider that the economic output of our two counties has increased to the point that it’s larger than two states,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). “We saw growth across each of our economic subsectors, and manufacturing continues to grow in the Lehigh Valley, making up an even larger percentage of the regional economy than last year.”

The findings released Sept. 20 by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) show that the Lehigh Valley economy now ranks 65th out of the 382 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, compared to ranking 73rd last year.

The Lehigh Valley GDP is now larger than of Wyoming ($38.5 billion) and Vermont ($31.5 billion), as well as 108 other countries in the world. If the Lehigh Valley were a country, it would be the 87th largest in the world in terms of economic output.

A breakdown of the total GDP by subsector, as well as the rate of year-over-year growth, can be found below:

· Finance, insurance, and real estate: $8 billion (+5.9 percent)

· Manufacturing: $6.9 billion (+2.6 percent)

· Education and health care: $5.3 billion (+4.6 percent)

· Professional and business services: $5.3 billion (+4.2 percent)

· Retail trade: $2.3 billion (+3.2 percent)

· Information: $1.9 billion (+1.6 percent)

· Transportation and warehousing: $1.9 billion (+9.5 percent)

· Arts, accommodation, and food services: $1.6 billion (+5.4 percent)

Manufacturing year-over-year growth was led by a 4.5 percent increase in non-durable goods manufacturing. This includes food and beverage and chemical products, which reflects two of the target sectors of the Lehigh Valley (food & beverage processing and life science research & manufacturing) as identified by LVEDC.

Transportation and warehousing is the fastest-growing sector of the regional economy, according to the BEA, with 9.5 percent growth year-over-year.

Goods-producing industries in the Lehigh Valley economy increased by 3.4 percent, according to the BEA, while service-producing industries increased by 4.4 percent.

These GDP figures derive from the BEA and were analyzed and presented by George Lewis, LVEDC Director of Research and Analysis. GDP rankings of other countries come from the World Bank. The BEA adjusts its figures to account for new information and projections, so numbers that have been reported for previous years may have been changed or adjusted over time.

2016 is the most recent year for which measurable GDP data is available. The $39.1 billion GDP figure does not account for government spending.

(Blogger's Note: This post is based on information supplied by LVEDC and cites its sources).

LVEDC to Host Forum For LehCo & NorCo Exec Candidates

From Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.: All four candidates for County Executive in both Lehigh and Northampton counties will be participating in an upcoming forum hosted by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).

The candidate forum will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Coca-Cola Park (club level), and will be moderated by Chris Borick, Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

This is the only candidate forum currently scheduled that will include all four candidates: John Brown (R) and Lamont McClure (D) in Northampton County, and Phillips Armstrong (D) and Brad Osborne (R) in Lehigh County.

“As LVEDC’s two largest investors, Lehigh and Northampton counties are critical partners in our regional partnership for advancing economic development in the Lehigh Valley,” said Don Cunningham, LVEDC President & CEO. “We’re happy to provide these candidates with a platform to express their visions and ideas about regionalism, job creation, and economic growth.”

The forum will not be a traditional debate, but rather a sharing of thoughts and ideas as they relate to jobs and economic development in the region. The questions will come from stakeholders in economic growth and job creation in the Lehigh Valley.

Registration is required and space is limited. Visit this site to register. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, and all inquiries can be directed to Michael Keller, LVEDC Director of Marketing, at mkeller@lehighvalley.org or 610-266-2217.

Alston Construction Opens LV Location

Alston Construction, a national general contractor with 13 offices around the country, has opened a Lehigh Valley office announces the opening of its new office in Allentown, PA. The new Allentown office is located at 968 Postal Road Suite 200 Allentown, PA 18109.

“The appetite for industrial and commercial buildings continues to grow in the Allentown and Lehigh Valley area,” said Paul D. Little, Alston Construction CEO. “As the largest industrial contractors in the country, being in Allentown was the logical place to help expand our business.”

Tasked with leading the Allentown office of Alston will be construction veteran Robert Murray. Bob has more than 30 years of construction experience. Bob has significant experience in the Leigh Valley, New York and New Jersey markets, constructing some of the largest warehouse projects throughout these areas.

For more than 30 years, Alston has offered its clients a broad platform of general contracting, construction management and design-build services. Alston Construction has a diverse experience profile, including industrial, commercial, office, healthcare, education, retail and government projects. Ex in Allen, the possible establishment of an inland port in South Bethlehem, and NIZ construction in Allentown.

This move coincides with the construction going on at Fed Ex in Allen, the possible establishment of an inland port in South Bethlehem, and NIZ construction in Allentown.

Alston Construction has completed projects ranging from $250,000 to more than $100 million. It is headquartered in Atlanta, GA and has office locations in Sacramento, Seattle, Newport Beach, Reno, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago, Park City, Allentown and Edison, NJ. Alston provides its clients with the most qualified staff resources, utilizing state-of-the-art construction delivery processes and systems. To learn more visit www.alstonco.com.

How Much Did State Spend on LV Schools?

Though I avoid covering school districts if I can, I'll be the first to agree it's where most public money is spent. In the state Budget that has finally been adopted for 2015/2016, all Lehigh Valley Schools saw increases, which you can see on the Department of Education website.

The funding below is just for basic, and not special, education. As you can see,all Lehigh Valley school districts received small increases, excepting Bethlehem. The increase in funding for Bethlehem was 6.9%, and really stands out in comparison to other school districts. The smallest increase - 1.6% - went to Northwestern Lehigh.

State subsidies to school districts have dropped from over 50% in the 1970's to just 35%.

Northampton

Bangor - from $9,457,706 to $9,723,681. 2.0% increase
Bethlehem - from $29,326,976 to $31,357,385. 6.9% increase
Easton - from $20,016,858 to $20,662,708. 3.2% increase
Nazareth - from $8,687,012 to $8,865,486. 2.1% increase
Northampton - from $13,394,465 to $13,864,989. 3.5% increase
Pen Argyl - from $4,749,299 to $4,896,869. 3.1% increase
Saucon Valley - from $2,949,230 to $3,022,603. 2.5% increase
Wilson - from $5,393,334 to $5,580,981. 3.5% increase

Lehigh

Allentown - from $100,898,826 to $103,531,954. 2.6% increase
Catasauqua - from $4,068,869 to $4,162,157. 2.3% increase
East Penn - from $11,209,456 to $11,552,729. 3.1% increase
Northern Lehigh - from $6,948,973 to $7,147,259. 2.9% increase
Northwestern Lehigh - from $5,597,871 to $5,685,419. 1.6% increase
Parkland - from $7,066,468 to $7,260,292. 2.7% increase
Salisbury - from $2,260,802 to $2,325,184. 2.8% increase
Southern Lehigh - from $4,368,501 to $4,461,447. 2.1% increase
Whitehall- from $7,405,210 to $7,563,722. 2.1% increase

LV Mayors' Forum on Sustainability

Fed Ed

The Urban Land Institute was supposed to have a forum yesterday that included the Lehigh Valley's top four Mayors. The topic was "Next Generation Cities and Suburbs," to be discussed over lunch in Iacocca Hall at Lehigh University's Mountaintop Campus. The place was packed with engineers and economic development types in very nice suits. And there was me in jeans and a raggedy shirt. But I did have my new Barmah hat made out of kangaroo leather, so I was the coolest dude in the room. I was looking forward to hearing Mayors Ed Hozza and Bob Donchez discuss the future of their cities. But I was disappointed. Neither of them showed up. The official line was that Mayor Bob had a mega toothache, and was being treated by Dr. Giggles, while Mayor Hozza was assisting a family member who had just undergone major surgery. But I soon discovered the real reason for their absence.

Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski.

He was the lead-off hitter, and the organizers made the mistake of letting him use a power point. A presentation that was supposed to last between five and seven minutes stretched to about a half hour. This was following an introduction that he obviously wrote himself and that took nearly a half hour to read.

Along the way, the woman reading off Fed Ed's curriculum vitae also discussed his wife, mentioning that she had once been a "Communist organizer" in Chicago. Funny how the federal investigation or vote of no-confidence was never mentioned.

The ladies just gawked when they saw this. I
think this is more effective than pretending I'm gay!

Allentown Sustainability

Fed Ed said he had a five-year sustainability plan, arrived at through discussions with 50 community and city leaders, addressing the environment, infrastructure, sustainable land use and a sustainable future.

With respect to the environment, he noted that there's been a 40% reduction in residential and commercial waste, made possible in part by a recycling participate rate of over 90%. He noted that over 800 litter baskets have been installed in the City, along with 110 "big belly" trash compactors. He indicated that WPA stone structures are being retored and that he is introducing native species to the parks. But he added that Allentown produces 120 tons of garbage per day, and he still would like to get a trash-to-energy plant going because the landfills will soon be unable to hild all the garbage coming in from New York alone, with amounts to 26,000 tons per day.

Noting that there are several gold and silver LEED-certified buildings in the City, Fed Ed stated that Allentown lends itself to sustainable land use because of its dense street grid, concentration of jobs and proximity to housing. He discussed the adaptive re-use of older buildings and spoke of the Riverfront to be so picuresque that it makes you feel as though you are "in the middle of the poconos."

In the future, he'd like to see rooftop gardens at City hall and at other places.

Panto Stresses Housing For Working Poor

According to Easton Mayor Sal Panto, the biggest challenge facing all communities, both city and suburb, are pensions. Without reform, the game is over. Panto stated that Easton is situated at the meeting place of three revers - Lehigh, Delaware and Bushkill Creek, and the City has had three 100-year floods over the past four years. But the biggest flooding problem is not from the Delaware, said Panto, but flash floods from the Bushkill Creek.

Panto's goal as Mayor has been to buy up older homes, rehab them and sell them to the working poor. He would like everyone in Easton to have a home.

He also reported that the new City Hall has operating costs that are 40% less than the one he left.

Over $480 million has been invested in Easton over the last eight years.

Bethlehem Fire Chief Stresses Emergency Preparedness

Fire Chief Robert Novatnack, who is also the City's EMS coordinator, was Bob Donchez' pinch hitter.He discussed the importance of having plans in place for inevitable emergencies. Noting the City's history with some recent weather events, Chief Novatnack made clear that "[i]f you don't get people back on their feet, you hear about it."

Like Panto, Chief Novatnack discussed flash flooding as a major problem, and produced pictures of the damages caused when the Monocacy Creek spilled over during Musikfest a few short years ago.

"A lot of people don't recover from that,": he said of submerged Musikfest stands calling the flooding damage "a disaster for small business."

He'd like to see children educated sooner, rather than later, a point on which both Fed Ed and Panto agreed.

It cost me $10 to attend this lunch. I got in at a student rate, claiming I had an INCOMPLETE in some previous course work done at Lehigh. Since only half of the Matyors showed, and a third has been asked to resign, the Urban Land Institute owes me $7.50.

Blizzard 2016: Post Your Commuting Reports Here

How was your drive in to work? Once you got there, were you able to park? I am especially interested in those who are travelling to or from our Lehigh Valley cities. I made a few calls and decided to stay away from the courthouse in Easton today. There's no place to park, so having free meters is really kind of useless.

Updated 5:15 pm: Nazareth Digs Out Around My Estate.


After learning that I decided to remain in Nazareth today, borough officials devoted all their resources to dig out my estate, which is located atop the Army Navy Store. They didn't just dig it out, but removed all the snow as well, thanks to an industrial size snow blower and dump truck combination.

I was going to commend them, but slipped on a piece of ice that one of my servants missed. Of course, I had him shot.

How the Urban Growth Regime Has Failed the Lehigh Valley

In discussions on this blog yesterday, understandable attempts were made to place all the blame for the Allentown pay-to-play scandal on Democrats. It is, after all, a one-party town lacking some of the checks and balances that would otherwise exist. But this argument assumes that Democrats actually govern in Allentown. They don't, and haven't for some time.

I've written before that democracy is oh so passé in Allentown. It's been replaced by what some of us call an urban growth regime in which crony capitalists (mostly Republican) call the shots through their pay-to-play puppets in local government (mostly Democrat). Fed Ed might run for Governor or the U.S. Senate, but NIZ Kings J.B. Reilly and Joe Topper are the de facto government. Efforts to extend that reach Valley wide, through an unelected group of aristocrats calling themselves The Lehigh Valley Partnership, have been less successful.

You won't find a website for this gang, once known as the Big Eight. They took it down as soon as people like me became suspicious They prefer the shadows. Before Reilly, they undoubtedly were the most powerful special interest group in the Lehigh Valley.

Formed as a nonprofit in 1985, The Lehigh Valley Partnership has had a hand in nearly all of local government's major spending plans and decision for the past three decades.

According to its last IRS report, filed in 2010, its members included L Charles Marcon, L Anderson Daub, jan Heller, Bert Daday, Robert Black, Joseph Brake, Greg Butz, Michael Caruso, Robert DeSalvio, Jeffrey Feather, Steve Follett and Dr. Alice Gast. Not listed in this report are the publishers of both dailies, which have traditionally been considered ex officio members. Its purpose is "to provide resources to the community, in partnership with the public sector, for initiatives which improve the quality of life and economic prospects of the Lehigh Valley area." Sounds pretty good, eh?

This "public-private partnership," of course, is complete nonsense. A public official's fidelity belongs to the public, not to enriching Abe Atiyeh by purchasing land from him at nearly three times its value. And someone like J.B Reilly has absolutely no duty to make life better for anyone in Allentown other than himself. The whole notion of government and business working together for the greater good is a myth.

But most of the resources provided to the community come from their "partners" in the public sector. The more these resources are spent, the richer this group gets. That seems to be their real goal.

Though the Lehigh Valley Partnership hosted a County Executive debate in 2013, there is no online record of its tax returns since 2010. It's possible that JB Reilly has assumed complete control, or that the group has set up another nonprofit.

Behind closed doors, the Lehigh Valley Partnership has been a driving force behind the following:

(1) Revitalizing Allentown. - Long before Fed Ed arrived on the scene, the Lehigh Valley Partnership decided that the key to a healthy Lehigh Valley is a healthy Allentown. It funded a Brookings Institution "Back to Prosperity" Study to tell it exactly what it wanted to hear, which was then accepted as Gospel by the media and mouthpieces like Alan Jennings, who has always sung well for his CACLV Supper. This would become the philosophical basis for the NIZ, gentrification and other city tax incentives.

(1) The $29 million in economic development incentives, i.e. corporate welfare, in Northampton County's controversial $111 million 2001 megabond.

(2) The 2000 Hotel Tax, including a formula that requires that a good chunk of the dough help fund The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

(3) The Open Space Referenda in Northampton and Lehigh County, feel good legislation that would create small islands of green amidst seas of sprawl, without any meaningful attempt at land use regulation.

(4) Widening Route 22. Former Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Exec Director Mike Kaiser was an ex officio member of the LVP, and they wanted that highway widened ... now.

(6) Attempts to Control MSM. Publishers at both local papers were members of the LVP board.

Traditionally, the Lehigh Valley Partnership has been the puppeteer pulling the strings at CACLV (Alan Jennings), LVEDC (Don Cunningham), NMIH (Donches), RenewLV (Joyce Marin), Greater LV Chamber of Commerce (Tony Iannelli) and LVPC (Bradley). Much of its work and ideas have been good. But these people are unelected and their allegiance is to themselves or their stockholders.

This urban growth regime, accompanied by the death of democracy in Allentown, created the perfect atmosphere for people like Fed Ed and Miked Fleck to hold their hand out and demand a taste. It created a perfect climate for the NIZ.

It is ludicrous to believe anyone in government came up with the idea. It was born in the mind of JB Reilly (possibly with the aid of Joe Topper, Lee Butz and Mark Jaindl). JB co-opted Pat Browne, Fed Ed and state government to get the NIZ legislation passed. He was thinking long-term. Government was focused on the short-term (the next election, union construction jobs, favorable publicity) to the detriment of the long-term consequences of the NIZ. Aided and abetted by the Morning Call and shills like Alan Jennings, JB maneuvered government into an "us versus them" campaign, characterizing the "suburbs" and the developers there as the rapists of Allentown. The NIZ was simply payback for the raping and plundering done by those evil suburban developers. This was ridiculously easy for JB to do. Even more ridiculous since most of his previous development activity was not in Allentown, but in those evil suburbs.

So, the "co-opting" has been virtually a one-way street. JB, Topper, the Butzes, and Mark Jaindl will reap hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars - all done quite legally - while Democratic politicians and a few hapless developers will go to jail. Most of Allentown will continue to suffer in poverty. In the meantime, those rapists - not just in the suburbs, but also in Bethlehem and Easton - will suffer substantial losses of business (and those cities and municipalities lose tax revenues as a result).

So what is The Urban Growth Regime's next trick? The CRIZ. But that was, unlike the NIZ, a government-inspired idea and hence doomed to failure.

The federal investigation into Allentown pay-to-play certainly dealing with a symptom. But the disease is the death of democracy, made possible by people who buy politicians and elections without really breaking any laws at all. That's what needs to change. And that, my friends, is a bi-partisan failure.

Reorganization Day

Today, most municipal bodies throughout the Commonwealth have their annual reorganization meeting. It's an annual rite, usually accompanied by numerous Sunshine Act violations, in which legislative leaders are chosen for the upcoming year or, in some cases, two years. This might sound boring to you, but I love watching these because they are usually a sign of things to come. Unfortunately, I am only able to cover Northampton County and Bethlehem Township because almost all these meetings happen at 4 or 7 pm.

No matter how much these Council members, Commissioners and Supervisors claim not to care, you'd be shocked at the amount of behind-the-scene intrigue that accompanies these meetings. It's not the small amount of extra money paid to a Council President or Supervisors' Chair. It's the power and visibility.

Though the President or Chair of a municipal body is technically only a first among equals, he or she does set the agenda. These leaders also often attend ribbon cuttings and are often sought out as spokespersons for hot button issues.

I have no idea what is going to happen in Lehigh County or Allentown, but given the increasing likelihood that Fed Ed will resign sometime this year, the Presidency of Allentown City Council becomes more than a status symbol. Under Allentown's Home Rule Charter, he becomes Acting Mayor until an Interim Mayor is appointed, either by Council or the courts.

I can only imagine the amount of back-room dealing that is going on among their City Council members, unless they are afraid their phones are being tapped.

The current Council President is Ray O'Connell, and he's already told me that I don't have to call him "Your Honor" if her gets the job. A slight bow is enough.

In Bethlehem, tradition is that a Council President serves for no more than two consecutive two-year terms. Willie Reynolds was voted in as President of City Council in 2014, and my guess is he has the votes to be elected again by the new Council.

As President, Willie gets to set the agenda,as he did with martin Tower. He will also be able to note his elevated status when he runs for Mayor next year.

What will happen now that Marty Zawarski, the former President of its Board of Commissioners, is gone in Bethlehem Township? Michael Hudak, who knows he is too unpopular to be elected himself, has reportedly asked Pat Breslin to assume the presidency. But that's not going to happen. There is no way that Democrats Kim Jenkins and Malissa Davis and Republican Tom Nolan are going to appoint this tea party member as president when he misses so many meetings. No one is even sure he actually lives in the Township. My guess is that Tom Nolan will be voted in, which will drive Hudak nuts. Hudak arranged for a palace coup of Nolan when he was serving as President just two years ago, and will try to get rid of him again.

In Northampton County, the return of John Cusick means more palace treachery. This New Jersey school teacher will likely try to seize the Presidency by dumping President Peg Ferraro. He's done it before. Never mind that, as a teacher, he has no time for bi-weekly meetings with the Executive or to attend the many functions that request the President's attendance. Cusick is being supported in this quest by Exec wannabe Hayden Phillips. Newcomer Matt Dietz will go for this, too. He was just glued at the hip to Phillips. To get Seth Vaughn behind Cusick, he's been offered the Vice Presidency despite having an appalling 64% attendance record in 2015.

Cusick, who has the personality of  wet sock, is a poor choice for President. In addition to being unavailable for most events, he simply can't be trusted. His VP is just like him.

Phil Lauer is apparently safe as Council Solicitor, at least for now. His detractors have been unable to recruit a sufficiently stupid replacement. I will say this. A Council Solicitor works for the Council, not individual members. The days of individual Council members seeking goofy opinions needs to end. No Council Solicitor should be tasked with bullshit research unless it is sought by a majority.

In Nazareth, Borough Council at tonight's meeting is expected will create a new Commissioner position for a top-heavy police department that already has a Chief who reports to the Mayor. The department consists of just four full-time and six part-time officers. Though it is generally thought that Randy Miller will be installed, the job might instead go to Jim DePalma, who is currently the Deputy Chief at Colonial Regional. Chief Thomas Trachta will be assigned to work middle shifts in what is essentially a demotion.

DePalma comes cheaper than Miller.If Nazareth is nothing else, it is penny wise and pound foolish.

Nazareth was criticized in a state study for its top heavy department, and Borough Council's solution is to make things even worse.

But Nazareth does have a cool Christmas tree.

Things will get even wackier in West Easton, where outgoing Council President Kelly Gross spent most of last week hunched over a shredder. She fired the Clerk, and one of her last acts in office was to send residents a three-page self-aggrandizing letter, at borough expense. She slams the new Council for making lots of promises, complains of being harassed and warns she'll be watching them. She also had the computers removed, though new ones are apparently on the way

Until they come, Council will be flying blind.

It is believed Dan DePaul will be the new Council President. Believe it or not, he's worse than Kelly Gross. They will have to retain a new Solicitor because Christy Schlottman represents one Council member who is suing another Council member, and has a conflict.

An ambulance should be on standby at every meeting for the inevitable heart attacks and nervous breakdowns

North Catasauqua should be the wildest ride. Though the reorganization itself should result in little loss of human life, at least 18 people have accepted a "Justice for Sugar" Facebook invitation to attend the meeting. They'll be there to complain about Officer Leighton Pursell, who shot and killed an unarmed cat named "Sugar" after she ran away from home and was lounging near a poll five homes away.

She hissed at him, so he plugged her..

Up until now, Officer Pursell's main claim to fame was eating 21 packs of mustard during lunch in his high school days. I think this has that beat.

In fairness, we don't know all the facts. Sugar might have been hiding a little cat gun or worse, might have been part Siamese.

Christmas Trees From LV Municipalities

Above is a slideshow of the municipal Christmas trees in 18 different Lehigh Valley communities. Where did I miss? Which ones are your favorites? My two favorites are Nazareth and Tatamy. To see where each tree is from, click on the green rectangle in the lower left corner.

Updated 8:55 am: "The 'green rectangle' you refer to is actually white, until it is clicked. Then it turns green. Took me a little time looking for a green rectangle before finally figuring out you were referring to the white comment box."

Nazareth, Palmer and Wilson Borough Christmas Trees

Today, I visited Wilson Borough and Palmer Township to photograph their Christmas trees. I also photographed the massive Christmas tree standing inside the Nazareth circle, with the Moravian Church as a backdrop.

Wilson Borough actually has another Christmas tree inside its meeting room. This seemed like the nicer of the two.

Palmer Township's Christmas tree is next to a window with an amazing view.

Nazareth's massive Christmas tree, located inside the circle with the Moravian Church in the background, appears to be the prettiest of all the municipal trees seen so far.

Does your town have a nice Christmas tree? Tell me about it. Better yet, snap a picture and send it to me at BOHare5948@aol.com. I am preparing a slide show of them all and so far have seven different communities.

Northampton County and Williams Township Christmas Trees

The following are the latest Christmas trees in my holy quest to get pictures of the Christmas tree for each municipal government in the Lehigh Valley. If you can send me (BOHare5948@aol.com)  a photograph of your borough or Township Christmas tree, I will run it here.When it gets closer to Christmas, I'll ask you to decide who has the best one. The latest are from Williams Township and Northampton County:

Williams Township's Christmas tree sits just outside the meeting room.

Northampton County's Christmas tree sits on top of the County seal, just inside the rotunda.