Jennifer Mann Confirms She's For Sale

I've been highly critical of former State Rep. Jenn Mann ever since she used her position as a State Rep. in struggling Allentown to secure a a $10,000 state DCED grant for The Parkland Trojan Ice Hockey Club, a program for students who need little state assistance. In the meantime, I saw her do next to nothing for disadvantaged kids in downtown Allentown. It's always been her, as evidenced be her tendency to run dual campaigns for her own office as well as State Auditor in 2004 and State Treasurer in 2008. In the state house, any lobbyist could tell you, off the record, that she always had her hand out. If you needed to talk to her, you could get her tickets to the latest baseball, basketball or football game, like the Superbowl. She had an affair with one lobbyist, and thought there was nothing improper with moonlighting as a consultant with a company doing all kinds of business with the state. No conflict there, she insisted.

So while many oohed and ahhed over Mann, I had and continue to have little respect for her. It was certainly no surprise to see her ignore the working poor in her district to pander to J.B. Reilly and Allentown's NIZ. I was glad to see her quit her job in the state house to work as a lobbyist because all along, she has been working for special interests.

And now we have the revelation that she has been bought by Big Tobacco, reported by Colin McEvoy.

Do you really think the working poor ever had a chance with a fox like her in the henhouse?

Her successor in the state house, Mike Schlossberg, is one of her proteges. From Jersey to Muhlenberg to the Chamber to the State House, he's had no challenges, except maybe a chemistry course. Easy life. Nothing like the people he is supposed to represent.

Michael and Mann are both supposedly members of the party that cares about people.

But don't think I'm pushing a Republican agenda. After the Ross Township massacre, I sent emails to LV State House members, asking them what they would do about a state laws that arguably prevents municipalities from regulating firearms on their own property. Marcia Hahn and Joe Emrick never even acknowledged the email, apparently scared to death that just discussing gun control might upset wingnuts within their own party.

Some leadership. "There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader."

NIZ à Trois: Heather Browne, J.B. Reilly & Joe Topper

We all know that Senator Pat Browne drafted the NIZ legislation that was deceptively inserted the last minute in Governor Ed Rendell's 2009 Fiscal Code Update. In fact, State Rep. Julie Harhart, one of the few who actually knew what was going on, claims that's why she voted against it. House Democrats, anxious to see a budget adopted after a lengthy stalemate, either looked the other way or missed it completely.

Now Senator Browne, along with State Rep. Jennifer Mann and Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski, is one of the Unholy Trinity recommending nine NIZ Board nominees to the Queen City Council on Wednesday night. Amazingly, Mann has recommended herself, too.

Now, I could forgive Browne for sincerely believing, as some do, that the best way to revitalize our urban cores is by corporate welfare, whether it's an outright grant, a KOZ or a NIZ. Never mind that it's always failed. But what's more problematic is that it appears that Senator Browne might be a little more interest in revitalizing his own financial core than that of any city.

A few short months after this NIZ became law, Senator Browne's wife suddenly became a registered lobbyist. I complained about it, and so did Rick Orloski, who was running against Browne at the time.

Now this is completely legal. Senator Jeanette Reibman's husband, Nathan, was a lawyer and lobbyist. So was State Rep Karen Ritter's husband. But the practice of a husband and wife, teaming up as legislator and lobbyist, stinks to high heaven. As Orloski noted at the time,

"Pat and Heather Browne have injected something new into Lehigh Valley politics, namely, the husband and wife team working in the Capitol with Pat Browne receiving public monies and Heather Browne receiving private monies to advance private agendas. Senators are supposed to serve the public good, not private agendas. Maybe the ideal solution is for Pat Browne to relinquish his public position and join his wife's lobbyist firm."

Voters, if they even knew what the hell was going on, thought otherwise and returned Browne to office.

According to Heather Browne's registration statement, last updated through 12/31/10, she's with Pugliese Associates, where her "expertise" in "government relations" and "business development" is lauded.

Guess who Pugliese welcomed as new clients in November?

J.B. Reilly's East Penn Realty and Joe Topper's Lehigh Gas. Reilly just happens to be the main private resource behind the NIZ, and Topper's Lehigh Gas is one of its first tenants.

All very cozy, isn't it?

Now this fails every ethical test - the Red Faced Test, the Laugh Test and my "It's Not Only Unethical - even for lobbyists where the bar is very low - But Also Probably Illegal" Test.

Now she could deny, I suppose, that Reilly and Topper are her clients. But since she runs the Allentown office for Pugliese and they are Allentown clients, that's gonna' be a hard sell.

Incidentally, Pugliese is located at 702 Hamilton Street. Why does that matter? It's where State Senator Pat Browne and Joe Topper are both located, with J. B. Reilly as their landlord. Now all we need is NIZ Board nominee Nelson Diaz as property manager of the building. That would be so cool.

Updated 11:50 PM: In fairness to State Senator Browne, I have asked for his response to this blog. I felt the story needed to be told now.