Louis Hershman Should Replace Mary Ellen Koval

Before being sworn into office, Allentown Controller Mary Ellen Koval submitted her resignation. It was submitted exactly one week ago. She's scheduled to admit her own responsibility in Fed ED's chicanery later this week. Though I'm much more interested in the investigation than in who replaces Koval, that question is one that Allentown's new City Council is going to have to face.

According to the City's Home Rule Charter, "If the office of the City Controller becomes vacant for any reason, Council shall appoint an interim City Controller, of the same political party, who shall serve until the next Municipal Election." Unlike other offices, Council is under no obligation to act within 30 days. There also is no provision for seeking judicial relief if Council fails to act. So despite the use of the mandatory word "shall," the provision is actually precatory. Council may appoint a Controller, if it so chooses. But there is no remedy should it fail to act.

Must the office be filled by a Democrat?  I say No. Though Mary Ellen Koval is certainly a Democrat, she resigned from an office she never held. She never took the oath and assumed office  So I would argue there has been a vacancy since January 1, 2016, and since no one has held the office, it could be given to a person from any political party.

Should Steve Ramos get the job because he came in second? I've seen defeated candidates appointed to Council vacancies on the strength of the argument that they cared enough to run for the job. But I've seen more bounced on the argument that a majority of the voters has already rejected them.

The best candidate for this job is the person who held it for 24 years. He's someone who would have blown the whistle from the inside because he's certainly been raising red flags as a private citizen.

This person is Louis Hershman, whom you can see at just about every Council meeting.

He's not a former secretary to the mayor, but is an actual accountant whose practice includes thousands of local residents.

Though Hershman is nominally a Republican, I'd argue he should change parties if that makes him more acceptable to Council. That's his call, but I honestly think these offices should all be nonpartisan.

Accused Sexual Predator Was Behind Anti-Hershman Robo Call

Election Eve, 2009.

Thousands of anonymous robo-calls warned Allentown voters against voting for Lou Hershman, who promised to bring independence and over thirty years of experience to City Council. Voters were told everything is Lou's fault, from pension woes to the Billy Joel song.

This ploy worked, too. This Queen City watchdog went down in flames.

Who was behind this anonymous smear? One of the persons was Rob Hopkins, who at that time was a major operative for Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski.

The other person, James Spang,  was a person who served for two decades as the sergeant-at-arms and head of security for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. He is still a member of the state committee.

Now he can add accused sexual predator to his list of titles. According to The Morning Call, Spang is accused of sexually assaulting a male bar patron at the Sands Casino, grabbing his crotch four or five times and offering him oral sex.

Spang's gaydar must have malfunctioned.

Hopkins, incidentally, is an openly gay board member at the GLVPride. He's a gentle soul, and is one of the last persons I would suspect of any kind of harassment.  But he and Spang teamed up to go after Lou, like a gay hit squad.

Apparently, Lou was targeted because he is not gay enough. That's unfortunate because his stance against equal benefits for transgenders is just one issue, which is outweighed by decades of fiscal responsibility as Controller and member of City Council.

The Allentown Watchdog at Notre Dame Grade School

Warning! This is a Bragging Grandparent post. Please read with extreme caution, or not at all.

Yesterday, when Judge Baratta's Gracedale opinion came down, I was at Notre Dame grade school in Bethlehem. Every year, all the grandparents are invited for lunch, and I really enjoy the visit. I think the kids look forward to it, too.

This year, it was especially enjoyable because Dat and I were seated with none other than the Allentown Watchdog, Lou Hershman, and his two grandsons. For an hour, I ignored all the calls about Baratta's ruling and instead discussed the Superbowl with my grandson Dat, and Lou Hershman grandsons Grant and Cole. We also briefly discussed whether the Green Hornet and Kato could take the Batman and Robin in an even fight. We ate ham, mashed potatoes and corn, and Lou told us we had to leave something on our plate for etiquette.

I left one kernel of corn.

Below, from left to right, you can see Grant Hershman, Dat Lambert, Cole Hershman and Anderson Bento. I told them to look really tough, and this is what I got.

A-town Ciy Council Prez Mike D'Amore a Big Mac Daddy

Before last night's Allentown City Council meeting, I always thought there was some tension between Council prez Mike D'Amore and Watchdog Lou Hershman. But when he approached the podium during courtesy of the floor last night, the first thing Lou did was congratulate Mike on being the proud father of twins.

Lou: "I hope they're going to register Republican."

D'Amore: "One of them is named Lou and that's as close as you're gonna' get."

The other one is named Tony.

The Allentown Watchdog Reports

He may have lost his bid for Allentown City Council, but Lou Hershman's interest in Queen City government is as keen as ever. After last night's meeting, he called to tell me what happened.

First, Allentown Attorney and former Lehigh County Comm'r Joseph Maher told City Council that its recently enacted cell phone ban is illegal. He'll represent anyone who is cited free of charge, and will sue the City for damages while he was at it.

He may very well be right, but I should note that Maher was rated "unqualified" by the Lehigh County Bar Association when he ran for judge. He was fired by the Karoly Law Offices in 2007 for failing to file a pleading, and his suit for unemployment compensation was chucked. He also lost out on a civil rights claim after his 2005 arrest for some kind of encounter with his wife. On the bright side, Morning Call sourpuss Paul Carpenter seems to like him.

Second, City Council may be convening a "Special Meeting" to discuss the legality of its decision to raise the annual City Rental Unit Registration/License Fee, from $11 to $75.

I'm sure Allentown City Solicitors will tell their bosses whatever they want to hear.

Update: LVPoliblog attended last night's City Council meeting. In addition, City Council VP Michael Donovan has a report about changes he is proposing to the parking ordinance, as well as an effort he is organizing, to persuade the state to do something about loud mufflers and what he calls "boom boom" cars. God, I didn't think my car was that loud. By the way, Michael, congrats on being granted tenure.

Allentown Watchdog: City General Fund $3.25 Million in Red

Allentown Watchdog Lou Hershman is beaten, but unbowed. He continues to take an interest in city government, attending meetings and always asking for information.

He's discovered that Allentown's General Fund Balance, as of the end of 2009, was a negative $3,251,487. The City has dipped into its Earned Income Tax Escrow Fund to keep afloat until real estate tax revenues start trickling in, which should be sometime next month.

Lou Hershman, Point Guard

I was at a Lehigh-Dartmouth basketball game with the Allentown Watchdog, Lou Hershman, last night. Our grandsons play for Notre Dame's two 4th grade teams, and they scrimmaged each other at half-time. Parents and kids both had a blast, and even the smallish holiday crowd got into it.

But the real treat came during second half. Lehigh was struggling, and Lou was getting worked up about all the illegal aliens playing for both teams.

"I'll bet they're drinking fluoridated water, too," he grumbled.

He walked out in a huff and I thought he went home, but next thing I know, he was out on the court, playing point guard. He scored 32 points, one for each year of city service, before fouling out.

Remember the Robocall

Remember the Lusitania!

Remember the Alamo!

These are, of course, are time-honored battle cries. I've got a new one.

Remember the robocalls!

Just a few months ago, on primary weekend, Allentown phones were ringing with anonymous sleaze robocalls, directed at City Council candidate Lou Hershman. He was blamed him for everything, from the city's fiscal woes to swine flu. After the election, we learned that three other City Council wannabes - Michael D'Amore, Michael Schlossberg and Ray O'Connell - paid for this hit. In the background, pulling the strings, even going so far as to pick up some of the money used to finance this smear, was none other than Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski.

Of course, no one will admit that publicly. Kinda' makes you wonder how these three blind mice - D'Amore, Schlossberg & O'Connell - can claim independence or provide any meaningful oversight. Too timid to confront King Edwin over that vicious piece, do you really expect them to confront him over budget deficits or public safety? Of the three, only Ray O'Connell apologized. He told me, "If I could see Lou in public, I would reach my hand out and say, 'Lou, I'm sorry about what I did and it will never happen again."

Although willing to smear Hershman behind a veil of anonymity, King Edwin has run from Hershman's request to debate him. Hershman, the Allentown watchdog, has these questions. "I have to ask these gentlemen, what are you afraid of? Why does a 73-year old senior citizen named Lou Hershman scare you?"

They fear an independent voice.

Morning Call's Renshaw: Only Hershman Has a Clue

Morning Call reporter Jarrett Renshaw could really use a little help. He's been awful busy. Renshaw first exposed Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski's "pay to play" campaign finances, chronicling a culture of corruption in which contributors are rewarded with cushy jobs and city contracts. He followed that up with the revelation that, by the end of this year, Allentown's deficit may exceed $10 million. This, of course, is completely contrary to Mayor Pawlowski's insistence that he had restored the Queen City's fiscal stability. Most recently, Renshaw has cast a spot light on sick time abuse in the fire department, which has cost $1.54 million in overtime costs since January 2007.

Now Renshaw is a journalist, not a member of Allentown city council. What have they been doing? How has that seven-member city council reacted to these reports of abuse? Investigations? Audits?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Last week's regular meeting, scheduled to consider twelve different ordinances, had to be canceled because of lack of interest. Council was unable to establish a quorum. No effort has been made to reschedule that meeting this week despite a Home Rule Charter provision clearly mandating that it shall meet twice every month.

I've emailed Council Prez Michael D'Amore to ask when this meeting will be rescheduled. No reply.

The City is in obvious crisis, but the body created to provide oversight can't be bothered to meet, let alone provide direction. Is it any wonder City Council candidate Lou Hershman calls this litter a collection of Pawlowski lap dogs?

In Sunday's Morning Call, Jarrett Renshaw makes very clear that of all six candidates, only Hershman has responded to the report of a Peanutville blue ribbon panel, calling for dramatic changes.

"Republican candidate Lou Hershman, 73, has laid out a plan that seems closest to the committee's spirit of reform.

Allentown should consider dissolving the parking authority, Hershman said, and use any surplus revenue from violations to help pay the city's operating expenses."

Hershman also wants to audit landlords so all tenants pay earned income and business privilege taxes.

He has specific ideas. He is also the only candidate running who will decline to accept a salary.

Perhaps you'd prefer pious platitudes. Julio "I speak two languages" Guridy proposes looking at "all expenses, line-by-line." Silly me, but aren't they supposed to be doing that already? What the hell has Guridy been doing the last eight years? Energetic Mike Schlossberg proposes buying supplies like paper clips in bulk. Last time I checked, the city already makes most of its purchases through the state at a discounted rate.

D'Amore and Guridy take the cake for most ridiculous idea. The want to restructure the debt that they've already just restructured. In other words, they want to shackle the city with thirty years of debt to pay for their mismanagement.

During this campaign, Hershman has already been disparaged with anonymous sleaze robcalls engineered by Pawlowski. Candidates Sclossberg, D'Amore and O'Connell - the three blind mice - paid for that smear job. But they've all been too timid to lay the blame at the mayor's door mat publicly, where it properly belongs. Is this independence? Of the three, only Ray O'Connell has been decent enough to acknowledge an error and apologize like a man.

After sliming Lou, Council Prez D'Amore and VP Michael Donovan tried muzzling him, preventing him from speaking out at city council meetings during public comment segments, a clear violation of both Allentown's Home Rule Charter as well as the The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. Michael "I'm still learning" Donovan was unwilling to listen to someone who has long served Allentown, as both Council member (8 years) and Controller (24 years). D'Amore and Donovan, in trying to silence Hershman, undermined public confidence in the democratic process and sent a chilling message to anyone interested in getting involved.

It's an insiders' club.

Lou stood up to the insiders, and thanks to the eloquence of Council members like Jeannette Eichenwald, Council eventually backed down.

Amazingly, Hershman is still fighting for the city he loves, even if it is an uphill battle against money and partisan politics. A good man, he sticks to issues, and never slams people personally, not even in retaliation. If you are an Allentown voter, don't you think you deserve at least one more watchdog on city council?

Jeanette Eichenwald is beginning to ask hard questions, but she needs help. So does Jarrett Renshaw.

So does Allentown.

Phillips, Hershman & O'Connell Shine at NAACP Debate

Last night, the Allentown branch of the NAACP hosted a candidates' night for district justice, county commissioner, city council and mayoral candidates. I was told the event was somewhere around 4th & Union, so off I went, figuring I'd have no problem. I easily found Union and a gigantic, crowded parking lot. I parked my brother's truck and walked inside a crowded building with my flipcam in hand, rarin' to go.

Once inside, things got weird. Now I don't attend too many NAACP meetings, so I'm no expert on the subject, but I was always thought they attract a large number of black people. Well, instead of seeing Esther Lee or Al Sharpton, I saw a gaggle of little white girls in leotards, prancing all over the place, leaping in the air and doing flips and cartwheels. Their adoring parents noticed me and smiled. Then they saw my flipcam and started giving me the Evil Eye. I was inside the Parkettes gymnastics building. I bolted out of there before being forced to register under Megan's Law and walked across yet another street to find some Praise Be Jebus Zion Church, and that's where everyone was holed up.

Man, I had a feast. There were all kinds of cheeses, pepperoni, ham and cheese sandwiches, you name it. Everyone - at least sixty people - was scarfing it up. I stepped into the parking lot and cornered Mike D'Amore, when some cop pulled up and said he was looking for some fat guy who had just terrorized some poor little girls and their parents. That's when I figured it was time to go back inside, pointing at D'Amore on my way.

Last night's event included mini-judge candidates Walt Felton and Ron Manescu, Lehigh County Commissioner David Jones, five of the six city council hopefuls and Mayoral opponents Tony Phillips and Edwin Pawlowski. NAACP President Dan Bosket insisted he had called the Republican committee about this event three times, but never contacted the candidates themselves. Dr. Bob Romancheck, the Allentown Republican City Chair, said nobody had notified him and he had just found out about the event that day. For whatever reason, Bob Smith, who is running against Jones for Lehigh County Commissioner, knew nothing about the debate. He was called from the church, quickly threw on a suit and hightailed it down, but arrived too late to be heard.

In the debate at the LV Senior Center last week, Pawlowski dominated. But last night, Tony Phillips finally came out of his shell before a friendly crowd and hit hard, challenging every assertion made by Hizzoner. He pointed out that the Pawlowski regime has brought Allentown five businesses, but there are 42 empty storefronts along Hamilton Street. He noted 60 murders since Pawlowski was coronated, and 25 of these remain unsolved. "Nobody cares," Phillips said, "because the victims look mostly like you and me. If this had happened in the west end, we'd have martial law."

He scoffed at Pawlowski's Weed n' Seed program. "He's real good at the weeds, but that's the easy part. What about the seed? Where are the jobs? Do you have one? Do you? Where is the economic development in the first and sixth ward? There's no jobs in this community for you. You are being left behind while he stands around and polishes his spin."

Phillips' message resonated with this evangelistic crowd, which erupted in applause several times, accompanied by a few "Amens." Lady MacBeth, Pawlowski's wife, scowled as Phillips hammered away.

Their biggest difference relates to public safety. Hizzoner recited statistics showing crime is down in this ward and that, but Phillips had a more visceral approach, obviously developed during his 22 years as a cop. When the Mayor bragged about hiring 75 new cops, Phillips retorted that Pawlowski was merely replacing the cops that had retuired thanks to his incompetence. He pointed to the high incidence of rape and robbery, as well as murder, and asked whether people really feel safe.

Phillips also hit hard on Pawlowski's incestuous relationship with campaign donors.. He claimed Pawlowski just got a $14 million grant to spruce up his own neighborhood, and will be using one of his campaign contributors to deconvert homes at $100 thousand a pop. "You don't see that between 3rd and 4th, do you?"He also pointed out that Pawlowski secured $2.5 million for a "billionaire, not a millionaire," to clean up a city brownfield. This beneficiary of government largesse is yet another Pawlowski contributor.

Phillips even tagged Pawlowski on the credit he takes for the LV IronPigs, which the Mayor tried to do again last night. "It's in Allentown, but belongs to Lehigh County. Lehigh County built that, not him."

As Phillips swung away, two young Pawlowski goons came into the back of the room and began making some types of gestures, trying to confuse the challenger. Tony stopped in the middle of a sentence, looked right at them both and asked, "Do you have a problem?" They stopped, but hustled to the front of the room right before Pawloski's final remarks, stinking of booze and tobacco. These stormtroopers tried to lead a thunderous cavalcade of applause, but it was too late. Pawlowski was totally demolished.

This largely minority crowd also loved Lou Hershman and Ray O'Connell. Hershman, as usual, pulled no punches. "City council has become a lapdog to the Mayor. When it's time to make hard choices, they're not there. They get their marching orders from the Mayor and just march along. Put a watchdog on City Council, not a lap dog." O'Connell, who has a terrific sense of humor that immediately puts everyone at ease, said he's an "independent thinker." "I'm not going to belly up and roll over for someone."

In the Allentown races, the clear win goes to Tony Phillips, Lou Hershman and Ray O'Connell.

David Jones gave perhaps one of the best speeches I've ever heard from a county candidate, which I was able to capture on video and will share with you below. I also have Ron Manescu and Walter Felton on my flipcam, and will be bringing you verbatim transcripts of their remarks.

I'd love to give you video of the mayoral and city council candidates, too, but was shut down, thanks largely to city council candidate Julio Guridy. He does not want you to see how poorly heresponds to questions. Oh yeah, I've been ordered not to write about him, too. I'll tell you about that in the post below.

Allentown City Council VP Michael Donovan: "Some of You Disgust Me"

Earlier this week, Allentown City Council candidate Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman, a 32-year veteran of city government, urged council to get involved in the overtime debacle reported by Jarrett Renshaw recently in The Morning Call. He added, "We definitely should not wait until budget time, as Council VP Michael Donovan mentions on his blog." Objectively, I would view this as nothing more than a mild and respectful disagreement.

Donovan, however, has taken great offense. In a jeremiad entitled Comments on another blog, he excoriates Lou. Lou sticks to his guns, claiming "[w]e sign on to be watchdogs, not lapdogs."

Donovan has continued blowing oil, to the point where he has now told his readers, "I have tried to be pleasant. Raise issues. Bring out some ideas. But some of you disgust me. Makes me wonder why I even try to represent you. Why should I care?"

That's harsh, dude. Donovan continues to insist that city council has no power to deal with the abuses that come routinely from the Pawlowski administration. "The only real power that exists for council is at budget time. Read the charter."

I've done that. Here's one provision that can be invoked today against any administration that botches public safety, hides a deficit, misleads the public about improvements at Cedar Creek Park or hands out overtime checks like candy.

"Council shall have the power, by ordinance, to make or cause to be made, investigations, audits or studies of the City and the conduct of any City department, office or agency, and, for this purpose may retain professional and technical assistance, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony, require the production of evidence, and provide funds for such investigation, audit, or study."

This is precisely what candidate Lou Hershman was talking about, and something he invoked years ago to provide some badly needed oversight.

What if there's a tussle with Pawlowski apparatchiks over the extent of city council's power? Here's a nice ace in the hole.

"All powers of the City not otherwise provided for in this Charter shall be exercised in a manner to be determined by Council. Council shall provide for the exercise and performance of any such other powers and duties in a manner consistent with the terms of this Charter."

Allentown city council has failed in its responsibility to require accountability from the Pawlowski administration. While there is certainly no doubt that the home rule charter favors a strong executive, it is nonsensical to suggest that council's only real power is at budget time. If that's true, then all those other meetings are a waste of everyone's time.

Hershman to Donovan: Allentown Needs Watchdogs, Not Lapdogs

Allentown city council candidate Lou Hershman is unwilling to sit on his hands and do nothing in response to The Morning Call's disturbing report about firefighters' sick-time abuse, which has inflated overtime and pensions. He refuses to shrug his shoulders and say, "We have no power," as most city council members do when confronted with the Pawlowski regime's abuse of the week.

Yesterday, Hershman noted the need to start an investigation now. "We definitely should not wait until budget time, as Council VP Michael Donovan mentions on his blog." Since Lou does have 32 years of experience providing oversight to the Queen City, I would listen to him. But not Donovan.

In a blog post entitled Comments on another blog, Donovan takes these jabs: "[H]e does not understand how the policy system actually works." ... " City Council and the Controller have no control over those contracts. They are negotiated and managed by the administration. We are not at all a part of that process." ... "Mr. Hershman asks many questions and claims that he has all the answers. Wrong. For all the times he has spoken, I have rarely, if ever, found that his issues have substance. He has this grand idea that if he yells enough, something will happen. No, we are constrained immensely by the Charter." ... "My observation of prior councils where Mr. Hershman sat was that committee effort was a rubber-stamp, quick and dirty affair."

Looks like Lou can forget about getting a Christmas card from Donovan this year. Donovan apparently believes city council should only provide oversight at budget time. Here's how Lou reacts. "I don't have all the answers, but know enough to look for them. That's why we're there. There's no point even being there if they're unwilling to provide oversight. When a newspaper reveals overtime abuse like what we see from the firefighters, I have to question where they've been. We sign on to be watchdogs, not lapdogs. The Morning Call is not a member of city council, but seems to know more about what is going on than our elected officials. Don't the people deserve better representation than that? "

Hershman also points to the city's home rule charter provision that expressly gives council the power to conduct investigations and even subpoena witnesses. "Why is that there if we only provide oversight during budgets?"

Hershman finally questions just how effective council members can be when an administration finances their campaigns. "I think Donovan took $100 from the mayor. It should not be a nickel, no matter who is in office."

On his own blog, Donovan admits he's still learning. That's why Hershman's experience should be viewed as an asset instead of as a hindrance.

Hershman: Overtime Abuse Nothing New in Allentown

Outspoken Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman is one of few people unsurprised by The Morning Call's recent shocking revelation that firefighters' sick-time abuse has depleted Allentown's budgeted overtime while increasing the pensions of 11 recent retirees. He's seen it before.

As a member of Allentown City Council during the Afflerbach reign, Lou spearheaded an investigation into astronomical police pensions, learning they were caused by excessive overtime. Nobody in the Finance Department could even confirm that the hours claimed were actually worked. There was no independent audit. What did exist were various double entries of four and five hours by the same officer for a single day. Forty-three police pensions were under close scrutiny until now Mayor Edwin Pawlowski begged Council to drop its review. "We'll never know how much that cost the city," notes Hershman.

Allentown City Council member Michael Donovan has already stated "we have little power over this issue until we address the 2010 budget in November." Wrong answer, says Hershman. "If there are no checks and balances by the Controller or Mayor Pawlowski, this could easily happen in other departments. This is why City Council needs to get involved now, to find out what this administration is doing to control overtime. We definitely should not wait until budget time, as Council VP Michael Donovan mentions on his blog."

Sometimes, the voice of experience should be heeded. Hershman pointed to a 2006 email from a city administrator conceding that a council review of overtime "could be useful in determining the need for external auditors."

Hershman: More Cops Without More Taxes

Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman had a news conference outside city hall on Friday morning. I was unable to attend, but he has supplied me with his statement explaining how the Queen City can add more police officers without raising taxes. Here it is.

Thank you everyone for coming out today. I'd like to discuss the issue of adding more police to the Allentown force. Al! the candidates in the race for city council declare they will put more police on the streets of our city, but they can't say how it will be funded. They can't say because they probably have no idea aside from raising your real estate taxes. Part of the problems in our city stem from the election of officials who do not know how to read or stay within a budget. Understanding finance is a very important, yet often ignored, qualification for holding public office. I am the candidate who understands economics and can tell you how I will add more officers to the force without raising your property taxes.

1. I will introduce legislation to bring all money collected from parking tickets issued by police and fire to the general fund after the operating funds have been deducted. Currently these dollars remain in the parking authority department.

2. I will Introduce legislation to collect 50% of ail money obtained from the sale of unclaimed vehicles by the [towing company] after the cost of towing, storage and transferring titles of these vehicles have been deducted. Currently the towing company keeps all the proceeds. I believe the city should have some of these funds.

3. I will move to transfer the solid waste fund back to the general fund, as it was prior to 1992. The cash balance of this fund will be included in the general fund, which could be several million dollars. This would not only help pay for additional police, but could also reduce the deficit.

4. As the solid waste fund would be joined to the general fund all fines collected from street sweeping violations by the parking authority, minus operating cost, will go to the general fund. Operating cost would be the salaries of enforcement officers and the cost involved in collecting fines.

5. Introduce legislation to hire a firm to study the benefits of having the Allentown police department assume responsibility for enforcing all parking violations. This has been done in the past, and currently the police department enforces parking violations on weekends and holidays. Parking enforcement officers, once transferred to the police department, could also enforce double parking, handicapped parking and littering codes along with any other duty assigned by the police chief. Additionally, during patrols, officers could spot any unlicensed business operations and make sure they are updated to the Allentown tax rolls.

6. The mayor's blue ribbon panel recommended a study to see if the parking authority was necessary. I will introduce legislation to do this study.

All candidates promise more police for the city of Allentown. The citizens want this, but it needs to be funded. I am the only candidate who has presented a plan to pay for these added officers.

Police protection is very important to all of us, and we can do it in a way that is fiscally responsible. These are not easy financial times, and any candidate asking for your votes has the responsibility of backing up his promises, especially when it concerns taxpayer dollars. I've just done that, and ask for your vote on election day.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Lou Hershman

D.O.B.: 1936
EDUCATION: Lehigh Community College, Accounting
OCCUPATION: Business Owner, Hershmans & Associates, Prepare Income Taxes
QUALIFICATIONS: Businessman, Councilman, City Controller, Special Investigator, PA. Dept of Revenue, S-2 US Army.
Web Page: None
Party: Republican.

LV Ramblings Posts:

Was Hershman Political Ad Censored in Allentown?

Allentown City Council Muzzles Citizen Participation

Allentown's Incumbent Protection Rule

Tony Phillips & Marc Grammes: Let Lou Speak!

Allentown: We're Broke, So Let's Borrow Money!

Allentown City Council Votes To Let Lou Speak, 6 to 1

Allentown City Council Contender Lou Hershman: Ban Convicted Drug Dealers From City

Lou Hershman Being Victimized By Anonymous Robocalls

Rob Hopkins, James Spang Behind Anonymous Hershman Slur

Lou Hershman Still in Allentown City Council Race as Republican Write-In

Allentown's Three Blind Mice

Lou Hershman Now Batting Righty

Hershman Demands Debate With Hopkins & Pawlowski

Lou Hershman Will Refuse Allentown City Council Salary

Other Sources

Queen City Daily: Meet Lou Hershman

Lou Hershman Will Refuse Allentown City Council Salary

Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman will accept no salary if elected to Allentown City Council. Here's a statement he released today.

"In light of the city's current budget deficit and bleak financial picture, I pledge to the taxpayers of Allentown that if I am elected as your city councilman, I will take no salary for the duration of my term in office.

"Tough times take leadership and sacrifice, even by elected officials. Elected officials cannot ask city employees to make sacrifices and taxpayers to pay more taxes, if they themselves will not make sacrifices."

Hershman Demands Debate With Hopkins & Pawlowski

Yesterday, I gave you three explanations about who was really behind the anonymous, last-minute smear campaign against Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman.

In their "official" explanation, contenders Mike D'Amore, Mike Schlossberg and Ray O'Connell admit funding these unidentified anti-Hershman robo-calls. But they had no idea former Pawlowski campaign manager Rob Hopkins would be so sneaky. Privately, the whole fiasco is blamed on Pawlowski, who may have even picked up the checks for Hopkins. Pawlowski was supposed to help fund the robo-calls, too, but backed out at the last minute so he could deny everything. In his story, Rob Hopkins falls on the sword. In a lengthy statement, he claims no one knew his specific intentions.

Hershman has his own impassioned statement, which appears in Jarrett Renshaw's Queen City Daily. "I have to ask these gentlemen, what are you afraid of? Why does a 73-year old senior citizen named Lou Hershman scare you?"

Ray O'Connell, to his credit, feels pretty bad about the whole thing. He told me, "If I could see Lou in public, I would reach my hand out and say, 'Lou, I'm sorry about what I did and it will never happen again." That was a noble gesture from O'Connell, and Hershman just as quickly accepted the apology. "I know Ray and when I read his name, I couldn't believe it. He's not like that at all. I accept his apology."

One person who has offered no apology is Rob Hopkins, the Pawlowski sycophant who actually prepared the anonymous attack. He piously claims no one has dared disagree with his assertion that Hershman allowed young police officers to retire early, costing the city a gazillion dollars.

Well, I disagree. Of all people, Hopkins should know the truth. Hershman had actually sued to stop these police pensions. But in 2005, a desperate Pawlowski begged Hershman to drop it. At the time, Hopkins was Pawlowski's campaign manager, and they were trying to wrangle an FOP endorsement. In a meeting arranged by Julio Guridy, Pawlowski promised Hershman that only between 9 and 12 officers would retire, and this would actually save Peanutville $240 thousand. Hershman took Pawlowski at his word, only to learn later that he had been misled. Fifty-three cops would retire.

Quelle surprise.

As you all know, even the filthiest criminal is entitled to face his accusers. But not Lou Hershman. Hopkins and Pawlowski made sure of that. That's pretty amazing from someone who relies on the Constitution to justify anonymous sleaze.

Yesterday afternoon, Hershman exercised some constitutional rights of his own. He is demanding an opportunity to face his accusers. "I want to debate Hopkins and Pawlowski to refresh their memories."

When I reached Hopkins yesterday, he seemed stunned. "Well, I'll have to ... I'll have to ... um ... think about it." He said he'd be happy to meet Hershman face to face, but I told him public accusations warrant a public setting for response. Hopkins is very quick to make anonymous accusations, but seems much slower in defending them.

I'll be happy to arrange a venue.

Allentown's Three Blind Mice

The weekend before May's primary election, long-time Pawlowski operative Rob Hopkins launched an uncharacteristic anonymous robo-call campaign directed at then Democrat Lou Hershman. Lou's Democratic bid for Allentown City Council went down in flames, but he did manage to get on the Republican ballot as a write-in candidate. Who is really behind these robo-calls?

The Official Version

Mike D'Amore, Mike Schlossberg and Ray O'Connell are three Democrat candidates for Allentown city council. The Morning Call has just linked them to the anonymous anti-Hershman robo-call campaign. Although the newspaper did talk to O'Connell and D'Amore while those calls were going out, neither admitted any involvement.

Now, in a joint statement, these three blind mice have circled the wagons and publicly plead ignorance. They they had absolutely no idea that evil Democratic operative Rob Hopkins would use their campaign funds to go after Lou.

They're shocked! Really!

I'm shocked, too. Do they think we're really that stupid?

The Private Version

Privately, there's another story. Insiders tell me the three blind mice are furious at the big rat behind this operation - Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. He orchestrated the entire operation, but they're taking the fall. They've leaked news of their resentment, and it's found its way to me. They also forced Pawlowski henchman Rob Hopkins to resign from one of his many positions in the local Democratic party.

These independent voices are too "loyal" or, more likely, afraid to blow the whistle on Pawlowski over an anonymous smear campaign. Can they really be trusted to be watch dogs when Pawlowski cooks the books and presents false revenue projections?

I'm disappointed.

The Hopkins Version (It's a long one)

The final version comes from Rob Hopkins himself, who was willing to speak to me on the record. He falls on the sword, taking complete responsibility. His message also reveals his personal disdain for Hershman. He spends a lot of time explaining things, never a good sign in politics.

"As we approached the primary election earlier this spring several members of the Executive Board of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee discussed at a meeting the fact that Lou Hershman was running for Allentown City Council again in the Democratic Primary. We were joined at that meeting by several other candidates for council and Mayor Pawlowski. Several people had expressed, among other concerns, the fact that Mr. Hershman had endorsed Republican candidates in the past, including the current Republican candidate for Allentown Mayor. Some of the guests at the meeting asked if there was anything the County Committee could do to inform Democratic voters of these facts. There was a spirited debate on the matter, but ultimately it came down to the fact that Lehigh County Democratic Committee does not make primary endorsements and there was little we could do to help.

"Having always been frustrated with the County Committee 'hands-off' approach to primaries (even against 'bad' Democrats), I set out to help in a different way.

"Shortly after the aforementioned meetings, I began to discuss quite openly the idea of creating an independent political action committee (PAC). Ultimately, I created the PAC as Voters for a Better Lehigh Valley, with the intention of helping to elect better candidates to office and to help defeat the bad candidates. Many people in Democratic circles were well aware of this move, and many were also aware that Mr. Hershman was a likely target.

"In early May I resigned as Communications Chair for the Lehigh County Democratic Committee, based largely on other time commitments, but also to separate my PAC activities from the party. Nobody requested this separation, but I personally feel it is appropriate. I will retain a seat on the Executive Board and will continue other Democratic activities, but will no longer be involved actively with county party affairs.

"Anyone who knows me knows me also knows that I take politics very seriously, which is the reason that I am no longer doing any paid political consulting. My passion is more about specific issues and having a better representation in our government.

"Regardless of my past affiliation with Mayor Pawlowski’s original campaign for office (I was his campaign manager for the 2005 primary), I am not involved in his reelection campaign. The allegation that Pawlowski was 'pulling the strings' or that he was the 'ring leader' doesn’t hold water in light of my personal involvement in this PAC and my passion in regards to the dangers in reelecting Mr. Hershman.

"While I have no need to defend the calls that were made on behalf of Voters for a Better Lehigh Valley, I would like to convey my thoughts on the matter for the enlightenment of those interested.

"First of all, I know that voice communication is exempt from any disclosure requirements. This fact has been confirmed by many experts in the legal profession. Voice communication is explicitly protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This right to “freedom of speech” has been upheld many times by the U.S. Supreme Court, and is precisely what separates our country from the less free countries of the world.

"Second, I do agree with many others that our commonwealth has a poor requirement for financial disclosure related to campaign expenses. I have long advocated for campaign finance reform on the state and federal level, and I will continue to advocate for such reform. Our state’s requirements for timely disclosure are greatly lacking, but in a competitive political world it is unrealistic to expect any candidate or committee to go beyond the legal requirements set forth by our governing bodies. The committee I represent has complied completely with the relevant Pennsylvania campaign finance laws; to go beyond those requirements would place the committee at competitive disadvantage compared to other political efforts.

"Third, nobody has challenged the accuracy of the statements made in the telephone calls made by the committee I represent. When I spoke to a Morning Call reporter the day after the calls were delivered to acknowledge that Voters for a Better Lehigh Valley was responsible for the calls, the reporter affirmed that in all of the communication he had made related to the story (including an interview with Mr. Hershman), nobody had voiced any disagreement with the statements made in the calls. I wholeheartedly stand behind the statements made by a voter in the call. A transcript of the 30-second calls made on behalf of Voters for a Better Lehigh Valley is provided below for your reference.

'Hello. As a voter, I feel there is one candidate who we cannot allow back on City Council. Lou Hershman has done many things to hurt our city. Lou Hershman’s votes are exactly why Allentown is in financial trouble. Lou Hershman voted to give away your money and allow young police officers to retire early. I urge you to keep Lou Hershman out of City Council so he doesn’t hurt Allentown anymore. We can vote to make Allentown a better place to live, by voting against Lou Hershman on Tuesday.'

"Fourth, the political action committee I represent operated independent from any other campaign or political committee. I approached several people in regards to the future of Allentown and my concerns related to Mr. Hershman. I expressed my intent to raise funds sufficient to send a direct-mail piece to Allentown voters addressing the divisive and detrimental activities that Mr. Hershman has been party to while serving on City Council in the past. I received some contributions for the political action committee from a few interested parties, but the fund did not raise sufficient funds to produce and mail the document I had envisioned. With days left until the primary election, I made the unilateral decision to spend PAC funds on telephone calls to Allentown voters. While I would have preferred to send a direct mail piece, I felt that the telephone call might suffice to remind voters of Mr. Hershman’s record. I was unwilling and unable to consult with the PAC’s donors about the vehicle or message of this campaign, since they were candidates in this election. Voters for a Better Lehigh Valley operated as an autonomous campaign, without consultation with any candidate or candidates committee; consultation about the campaign’s message or mode of the campaign with the candidates involved would have been inconsistent with my responsibility to keep this PAC independent.

"Finally, while Mr. Hershman may like to practice revisionist history, I stand firmly by the accuracy of this campaign and the right to of this committee to voice our concerns in any method we so chose. Mr. Hershman, as a city council member and council representative on the city pension board was complacent in failing to recognize the problems of the pension contacts. He continues to promote ideas that I feel are harmful to the city.

"While I enthusiastically recognize some of the positive contributions Mr. Hershman has made to the city, I would be remiss to not weigh these contributions against the harm he has done. Mr. Hershman has been involved in politics for over thirty years and is no stranger to the rough and tumble world it is; over the years he has thrown many political punches at his opponents. Not only in his municipal races in Allentown, but also during his 1986 campaign for the State House, Mr. Hershman has exercised his right to free speech with great vigor. I stand behind his right to express his opinions, even if I do disagree with them.

"I have and will continue to oppose Mr. Hershman’s political agenda. From his promoting of discriminatory legislation to his efforts to stall progress, Mr. Hershman stands contrary to what I feel is right for the Allentown and Lehigh Valley. Mr. Hershman has demonstrated to me his disregard for the public by circulating petitions in 2002 related to a proposed city referendum. Enough signatures were later deemed to be fraudulently obtained that the referendum failed to reach voters. Overall, during the course of his political career, Mr. Hershman has on many occasions voiced potentially deceptive messages to voters and left me wondering about his motives."

No matter which of these versions is accurate, it is clear these three blind mice contributed to a PAC designed for the sole purpose of trashing Lou Hershman. By his own admission, Hopkins was very clear about his intentions. It is equally clear that Mayor Pawlowski knew exactly what was happening, but was smart enough to be able to maintain deniability.

Lou Hershman Now Batting Righty

Last Fall, many Republicans switched parties to vote for Obama. Even U.S. Senator Arlen Specter and Easton City Controller Tony Bassil are now both Democrats. But here in the Lehigh Valley, some prominent leaders have become Republicans.

Claiming that "[t]he Democratic party in Allentown is so far to the left that I feel like a Republican," Allentown City Council member Tony Phillips switched teams last summer. Then it was Judge Leonard Zito, who became a switch hitter to guarantee his confirmation by the state senate.

The latest defector is Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman. Victim of an uncharacteristic anonymous, last-minute, smear campaign by Pawlowski supporters Rob Hopkins and Jimmy Spang, Hershman has little reason to remain blue.

Rejected by Democrats, Hershman achieved a write-in victory from Republicans. Now that Lou has changed his voter registration, there are seven Republicans in Allentown.

Lou Hershman Still in Allentown City Council Race as Republican Write-In

On Election eve, former Allentown city council member Lou Hershman was the victim of an anonymous last-minute smear campaign, which took the form of robo calls. Pawlowski toadies Rob Hopkins and Jimmy Spang admit they were behind this mean-spirited maneuver. Hopkins denies the Mayor directly funded the effort, but refuses to say who did.

In the meantime, Hershman lost the Democratic primary badly. So that's the end of Lou, right? Wrong.

Hershman will appear on the ballot this Fall as a Republican write-in candidate. He needed 100 signatures and got 178.