Whitney: Allentown Mayoral Candidate Ce-Ce Gerlach Exposes Minor to Alleged Sexual Abuse

Introduction: Allentown-based blogger James Whitney has another great investigative report.  

Recently, an Allentown community activist and concerned citizen made an accusation that has now been partially confirmed by CeCe Gerlach. The concerned citizen alleged that CeCe met with a 16 year old boy, who had runaway from home, to do intake paperwork for her employer - Valley Youth House. But rather than take the child to Valley Youth House’s emergency shelter, or the Allentown Rescue Mission, or The Salvation Army, Ce-Ce decided to drop the boy off at tent city, an Allentown homeless encampment. Subsequently, over the course of two nights, the child was allegedly abused. The only reason the abuse stopped seems to be because an unhoused hero, and O.A.T.H.(Operation Address The Homeless) reached out to the community activist and sought real help for the child. That person then reached out to the Child’s mother, who had reported the child missing.

I reached out to Ce-Ce Gerlach and asked her to confirm or deny the allegation, prior to writing this article. She told me “Because it happened through my work, because of HIPAA stuff, I can’t say anything about it. But I didn’t know how old he was, so if people want to beat me up over that, they can.” I asked her to clarify that she dropped the child off, but is claiming she didn’t know his age- she said “yes”.

The most glaring problem with CeCe’s claim that she didn’t know the child was under 18 is that she met the boy through her work at Valley YOUTH House. And even if she didn’t know the child’s age when she was introduced to him, wouldn’t Valley Youth House’s intake paper work include determining the age of those seeking help?

Ce-Ce also violated her duties a mandated reporter. A mandated reporter means that by law, you have to report to Lehigh County when you come into contact with a child may be a victim of child abuse or at risk of becoming the victim of child abuse, which includes, among other things, being physically neglected. The PA Department of Human Services states that “The penalties for a mandated reporter who willfully fails to report child abuse range from a misdemeanor of second degree to a felony of the second degree.” And according the Child Protective Services Law of Pennsylvania, child abuse means intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act. Based solely on Ce-Ce Gerlach’s admission, this definition seems to fit as a description of her actions.

The allegations have been forwarded to state investigators who will be handling the case moving forward. The original whistle blower has been advised not to comment on this matter any further. When contacted for this story they were only willing to say that Ce-Ce Gerlach was indeed aware of the child’s age.

My own observations: Ce-Ce Gerlach, whose real name is actually Cecelia E. Gerlach, is currently in her first term as a member of Allentown City Council. She, along with Matt Tuerk and Julio Guridy, have challenged incumbent Mayor Ray O'Connell for the Democratic nomination. Tim Ramos is running unopposed for the Republican nod. 

Under Pennsylvania law, a person supervising the welfare of a child has a duty of care, protection and support. As an intake worker for Valley Youth House, Gerlach had such a duty. It appears she may have violated that duty by knowingly endangering the welfare of that child. Dropping a 16 year-old boy off at a homeless encampment invited precisely what happened to him. If true, this conduct is criminal. If she failed to pass along his reports of neglect, that's also criminal.  

I am unable to find any evidence that she is licensed in any capacity by the Pa. Board of Social Workers, not even as a provisional worker. 

Perhaps, especially in the wake of our experience with Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski, she thinks criminal behavior is a prerequisite for Mayor in Allentown. She's the last thing Allentown needs.

Ce-Ce Gerlach is part of a mob that put 2 and 2 together and came up with 5 when Allentown police last summer were forced to deal with a drug addict who was staggering and puking in the street outside of Sacred Heart (St .Luke's Hospital) on 17th Street. He had just ingested seven bags of heroin and cocaine. His lengthy criminal record included possession and use of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substances, public drunkenness, retail theft and criminal trespass. Police officers had to put a spit mask on him before hospital personnel could treat him, but an out-of-context video made it appear that officers had pinned his neck with a knee. Later video showed nothing like that happened, but Gerlach was part of an angry mob that reacted that night and for weeks thereafter with chants of "Fuck the Police" and "Defund the Police."

Her disdain for the importance of public safety is also evident in her vote, without explanation, to reject 11 new police officers. She also voted against receiving a $110,000 grant for Allentown police with no strings attached. As Allentown business owner Nat Hyman put it, she was "making political statements with the tax payers’ money and, in the process, showing a wanton disregard for the best interests of our City, the safety of our citizens and common sense governance."

This disdain extends to Allentown's regular people as well. Why else would she dump a 16 year-old boy at a tent city? Or film and publish the aftermath of a tragic suicide before the victim's own family were even notified? 

Defund the police? Gerlach has just demonstrated why they are so necessary. Had this boy been taken to them, they would have ensured that there would be no abuse. It is time for Allentown's voters to defund Ce-Ce Gerlach.

Lehigh County DA Investigating Ce-Ce Gerlach Allegations

Ce-Ce Gerlach

Last week, this blog published an investigative report concerning Ce-Ce Gerlach, aka Cecelia E. Gerlach. She is a member of Allentown City Council and a Mayoral candidate. She is also employed by Valley Youth House.  Gerlach met up with a 16 yo boy who had run away from home. Instead of taking this child to Valley Youth's own shelter or even the police department, Gerlach dumped him off at a tent city. The boy was allegedly abused for two nights straight until he was rescued by a community activist. When confronted, Gerlach admitted she dropped this boy off at a homeless enclave, although she denied she knew the boy was a minor. "[S]o if people want to beat me up over that, they can,” she told blogger James Whitney. She refused to say more, and Valley Youth House actually hung up on Whitney when he called them for their side of the story. Perhaps the Lehigh County District Attorney's office will have more success. Prosecutors are looking into this matter. I know this because a county detective contacted me about it on Friday. 

Gerlach is running for public office under a cloud of suspicion, very much like former Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski. That cloud keeps getting darker, thanks to Allentown bullhorn blower Justan Parker Fields. He attempted to blow his bullhorn for her last week, but it blew up in his face. 

Gerlach Defender Justan (not Justin) Parker Fields 

Justan Parker Fields

Remember Justan Parker Fields? Last summer, he was the bullhorn-toting demagogue who jumped to the wrong conclusion when Allentown police were forced to deal with a puking and staggering drug addict and drunk outside Sacred Heart St. Luke's in July. A video shot by a passerby was blown out of proportion by Parker and other loudmouths. Parker Fields organized a mob that began banging on the doors and windows of Allentown City Council, interrupting their meetings.  They were local insurrectionists. He is at the front of the "Defund the Police" movement, and has participated in, if not led, chants of "Fuck the Police" and "Get Down or Lay Down."

Justan Parker Fields is also a criminal Defendant. In March 2020, he was driving with his son in the car with him as a passenger. Parker was stopped by police and gave a false name in a lame effort to fool them about his license being suspended. He failed, and was cited for both driving under suspension and false reports. 

Of course, Parker has an explanation  "Yes, I drove with a suspended license to pick up my son for our first weekend visit, post covid, in months. Yes, I provided another name to the officer who pulled me over (you guessed it, because I was afraid) I wouldn't expect you to understand or relate to that last part."

I understand completely. Parker was never scared. He lied about his identity to avoid being charged with driving under suspension. Now he is lying to all of us about being scared. He wants to lie his way into public office. He's been placed on ARD and now is running for City Council. He's been endorsed by all the woke groups because he tosses out words like "colorism" and "BIPOC."

No newspaper or radio station has dared mention the criminal case against him for lying to police. If they told you the truth, they might be called racists, too.  

Parker's Gerlach Defense Backfires

Victor Martinez

Last week, he invited Victor Martinez, a recently appointed Valley Youth House board member, for a Facebook Live interview. Victor is also the President and CEO of the popular LaMega radio station. 

Fields took umbrage at the Gerlach blog article, not for inaccuracy, but because "it targeted the only BIPOC female candidate running for mayor of Allentown." He went on to accuse me of running a "racist blog." I guess he expected Martinez to back him up. 

The opposite happened. 

They did agree on one thing - I really am a racist. Thanks a lot, Victor, lol.  But "the story is still the story," said Martinez.  

"Everything changed for me when the people from the blog reached out to Ce-Ce and asked her if she dropped off the child - a minor - on tent city and she said, 'Yes.' That's when everything changed and that's why this becomes important because now we have an admission of something she did."

Martinez stated that, in addition to being a "talking head on the radio," he is also an experienced journalist who understands what makes a story a story. What makes this a story is Gerlach's own admission. 

"I don't care if you're 16 or 30, where is it OK to drop any human being that needs help at tent city? We all know what's going on out there. The drugs, the alcohol, the people with mental issues. ... I've been to tent city."

Martinez adds that Gerlach did this as a paid worker of Valley Youth House. "She's still employed by Youth House."

Parker then went on to suggest Allentown is a City of second, third and fourth chances and people should be entitled to "redemption."  Martinez agreed but added there must also be consequences, and there have been none for Gerlach. 

Parker asked why Valley Youth House is not being held accountable.  Martinez said he has reached out, and by email. "As a board member, I expect them to investigate and I expect them to put out a statement and do their due diligence because this damage affects the image of Youth House."

He said if you take politics out of the equation, any employee who did what Ce-Ce did "needed to be fired on the spot, right away." He wonders how Gerlach has retained her job. "Everybody knew about this, and nobody did a damn thing."

Parker then tried playing the race card and the fact that Gerlach is a female. "This has nothing to do with her being a woman. This has nothing to do with her being bi-racial. This has to do with a minor that was left for two days ..."

Parker then claimed that Gerlach, the only "bi-POC" woman in the race, is "being silenced."

"How is she being silenced?" asked Martinez, and then Parker began interrupting him repeatedly, trying to silence him. Once allowed to speak, Martinez pointed out that Gerlach "lit up the fire" herself when she admitted what she had done. 

Parker pointed out this incident occurred last summer but only broke two weeks before the election, suggesting a political motive. This  story was broken as soon as the facts were known. Had I known about it sooner, I can assure you it would have broken sooner. Parker knew about it last summer, and said nothing about it. He covered for Ce-Ce at the expense of an abused child. 

Nice guy. 

But very woke. 

He fails to explain his own silence.

Parker ultimately switched the subject. 

What bullhorn-blowers like Parker needs to do is care a little less about using woke expressions or the Ce-Ce Gerlach campaign. He needs to care a little more about children (many of them are "BIPOC") being cast aside by an uncaring system. 

Not all that long ago, a little girl named Grace Packer was raped, murdered and dismembered by the very people charged with protecting her. I covered that story, and still have nightmares about it. 

This should never happen again. This has EVERYTHING to do with child abuse and NOTHING to do with a frickin' election.

Updated 5/10/21, 12:01 am: Justan Parker Fields Claims Bringing Up His Past is Racist - On his Facebook page Justan Parker Fields has responded to this post. "I am an open book and ... bringing up anything in my past is just a means to discredit me and criminalize my skin color," he states. I agree that his recent use of a false name certainly does discredit him. I disagree that there's been any attempt to criminalize his skin color. His dishonesty has nothing to do with the color of his skin and everything to do with basic character. Being black entitles neither Ce-Ce Gerlach nor Justan with immunity from criticism. You can't claim out of one side of your mouth that you're an open book while simultaneously maintaining that all criticism is racist. 

I'll respond to Justan Parker Fields more specific complaints below. 

Hyman and O'Connell to Discuss Mayoral Race

Nat Hyman

Allentown Mayor Ray O'Connell and businessman Nat Hyman both confirm that they plan to meet and discuss next year's Mayoral race. They have both fallen victim to what happens when a large number of candidates enter the fray.  As things stand right now, Ce-Ce Gerlach will be Allentown's next Mayor. 

Hyman has sent me an email outlining his concerns, which he has given me permission to share.

I recently had an extensive poll conducted to gauge the likely results of the upcoming Allentown Democratic Mayoral primary. I found the results very disturbing.

It is abundantly clear that only one of three people will win this upcoming primary and, as a result, likely be Allentown’s next Mayor..... Ce Ce Gerlach, Ray O’Connell or me. All of those who have declared their candidacy or have been rumored to be considering running were included in the poll and polled at less than 5% and have no real possibility of winning.

The disturbing aspect is that there is a scenario under which Ray O’Connell and I could split the same voter base, allowing  Ce Ce to win. I believe that would be catastrophic for Allentown! Far more important to me than my being Mayor is ensuring that Ce Ce Gerlach is NOT the Mayor.

As a result, Mr. O’Connell and I have agreed to meet next week to try to come to an agreement as to only one of us running and which one of us that will be, while vocally supporting the other’s candidacy.

To be clear, my only interest has been, and is, to see Allentown prosper and blossom like every one of our neighboring cities and towns, ensure that every citizen is safe, every child has a quality education and a bright future and to take good care of the neediest among us. Accordingly, I am more than willing to stand aside and support Ray for Mayor if we both determine that is the best course. I still believe it is possible to return Allentown to those qualities and values which made it an All American City, the wholesome city I remember from my youth. But we need the right leadership to do that.....and Ce Ce definitely is NOT it!

I believe there is no elected position which affects people’s day to day lives more than Mayor. While Ms. Gerlach did her fair share of damage as a member of the School Board and City Council (in less than one year!), she would destroy this city as Mayor. Being Mayor may not be exactly like running a large multi-faceted business with many constituencies, but it is very similar. It requires a deep knowledge of finance, business management skills, prioritizing the needs of the citizens (not your needs, wants or agenda) and experience in making tough decisions. None of the 3 declared candidates have any of these.

Ray O'Connell

I have spent several hours with Ms. Gerlach and it is all too apparent that she has neither the intellectual capacity, nor the experience, education or ability to run a $110,000,000 city with 800 employees. More importantly, I do not believe she has the moral or ethical fiber to be Mayor of this City. Remember, this is the same woman who said “f*** the police” and then LIED about it. She rejected $110,000 in free money from the federal government for our police, purely to make a political statement. She filmed a poor soul committing suicide, posted it on Facebook for her own political aspirations before his family even knew about it and then LIED about it. She apologized to some rioters, not having the life experience to understand that, in so doing, she exposed our City to litigation which could very well cost our taxpayers money. She was only a few months into her term on City Council before deciding to run for Mayor, betraying the trust of those who voted for her. She presided over a School Board that repeatedly ran the school district into financial devastation, and she will do the same thing to this City. And, unbeknownst to most, she is presently looking for a job (in addition to Mayor) on linkedin.com and LYING on her resume! On it, she implies that she has a BA degree in business administration from Muhlenberg College. That is a LIE! She only took a few courses there in 2017. I urge you to go on that page, although, given her past history, she probably removed it or revised it upon reading this article (I took a screen shot of it for posterity).  If she were to do that in any company, she would be fired immediately. She should be fired from City Council for it.

Regrettably, The Morning Call has long ago relinquished its role as the fourth estate. Accordingly, it will be up to the candidate running against her to inform the public about the true Ce Ce Gerlach and that will take money, a lot of it. That will involve television ads, radio blitzes, mailers and robo calls.

Ce-Ce Gerlach

Ms. Gerlach has iterated only one political position, which is to help the homeless and improve affordable housing in Allentown. Both laudable objectives but that is 1% of the job of being Mayor. She is silent when it comes to addressing our finances and the overwhelming $45m deficit headed straight for us, reducing crime, cleaning our streets, eliminating blight, lowering the tax burden on our poor and elderly, improving education, restoring our parks.....on and on.  She is silent because she has absolutely no knowledge of, or plan for, any of those issues.

Can you imagine Ce Ce Gerlach sitting down with Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan and discussing the securitization of our debt, bond offerings, interest rate swaps, CDO’s, collars or our Moody’s ratings ?! It would be a joke if not so critically important.

Some people who run for Mayor of our City seem to have a fundamental disrespect for Allentown. This is the third largest city in Pennsylvania. Many who run for Mayor of our City, including Ms. Gerlach, would never dream of running for Mayor of Philadelphia or Pittsburgh because they know it would be absurd. If they submitted their resume for the CEO position of a $110,000,000 company with 800 employees, they would be laughed out of the room. Ex: A 26 year old boy named Josh Siegel is already running for a SECOND time with absolutely no experience or background necessary to do the job. Matt Tuerk, whose only experience has been working for The Allentown Economic Development Council, and we see how well he did at that, also has absolutely no business, management or leadership experience. Yet, they think so little of Allentown that they run for Mayor knowing full well that they are wholly unqualified in aforementioned areas, yet hoping the citizens are foolish enough to vote them in.

I know that some people will say that you can’t trust polls and point to Trump. First, I think Trump is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to polls. Second, I used one of the most highly respected firms which ensured that the people polled reflected precisely the demographics and percentages of Allentown democratic primary voters in age, area of the city, religion, education, etc. Finally, ask yourself one question.... what if the poll is correct and Ce Ce Gerlach is Allentown’s next Mayor?

Lehigh County DA Charges Gerlach

The Morning Call and other local news outlets have finally opened their increasingly small mouths to report about Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach and her decision to drop a minor off at a tent city. They had no choice. She was charged yesterday with both child endangerment (a first degree misdemeanor) and failure to report suspected child abuse (a second degree misdemeanor).

A first degree misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a $10,000 fine. A second degree misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison as well as a $5,000 fine.  

At the time of the offense, Gerlach was a caseworker at Valley Youth House. As originally reported by James Whitney at this blog, Gerlach met with a 16 yo runaway who needed a place to stay. Rather than take him to any of a number of shelters, including one operated by her own employer, she dumped him off at a tent city. There he was subjected to two nights of sexual abuse, thanks to Gerlach, 

Whitney contacted Gerlach, who admitted to him that she did drop this teen off at a tent city. She denied she knew he was underage, "so if people want to beat me up for that, they can."

Looks like they have. In addition to these criminal charges, Gerlach finished last in a four-way Mayoral contest on May 18. 

The charges were filed by Lehigh County Detective Gregg M Dietz, who conducted a quite thorough investigation detailed in The Morning Call account.  Significantly, Gerlach's claim she was unaware ofthe boy's age is bellied by her own paperwork. 

Gerlach was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Rashid Santiago. He set bail at $2,500 unsecured. A preliminary hearing, in which the Commonwealth must present prima facia evidence that Gerlach committed a crime, is currently scheduled for August 6 before Magisterial District Judge Karen Devine.  

Gerlach is represented by prominent Allentown criminal defense attorney Ed Angelo. Through him she has denied wrongdoing and refuses "to allow these allegations to distract me from my service to the people of Allentown." 

Service like that Allentown does not need. 

Gerlach sounds eerily similar to another so-called public servant who had to be dragged out of office, kicking and screaming. Former Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski is currently serving a 15-year sentence for his service. 

Though this blog and fellow blogger Michael Molovinsky had Fed Ed's number in 2007,  The Morning Call refused to take a serious look at his hijinks until the Feds were literally at his door. 

This pattern continued with Gerlach. The paper and other local news sources refused to write a word even though she herself admitted she dropped this boy off at a tent city. That refusal continued when I told you that the Lehigh County District Attorney was investigating. It was a story you needed to hear. 

I suspect this refusal was politically motivated. I saw no hesitation when the paper targeted Congressional candidate Marty Nothstein with a decades old rumor. 

Let's not forget we are dealing with child abuse, a topic far more important than politics. The local media let you down when it refused to cover this story. This reluctance to cast a critical eye toward child caregivers is how little girls like Grace Packer end up dead. Valley Youth House kept Gerlach on their staff until May 10, after the Lehigh County DA began sniffing around.

That's another story.  

Previous stories:

Whitney: Allentown Mayoral Candidate Ce-Ce Gerlach Exposes Minor to Alleged Sexual Abuse

Lehigh County DA Investigating Ce-Ce Gerlach Allegations

Politics, Money and Power: All in the Family for the Harringtons

Gerlach's Whistleblower Speaks Out

The Morning Call has attempted to explain why it refused to cover Ce-Ce Gerlach's alleged child endangerment (she dropped a minor off at a tent city) and failed to report suspected child abuse.  One of its many poor excuses is that it was unable to verify the facts with anyone, including community activist Jeani Haskins Garcia. If the paper tried to speak to her at all, it was a feeble attempt. Alfonso Todd, aka The Savage Entrepreneur, had no difficulty persuading her to appear on his podcast.  

Garcia, whose son was a shooting victim of gang violence in 2012, is considered a community activist. But she considers herself a mother first and spoke at length about her son and the grief she felt when he was taken away from her. She formed Mother2Mother, a nonprofit to assist parents who lose their children to violence, drug overdoses or suicide. 

She cares deeply about children and spoke about Grace Packer, a product of our dysfunctional state system. That child was preyed upon and murdered by the people who were supposed to be caring for her. 

It is thanks to her Facebook post in April that fellow blogger James Whitney began to look into this story. 

Here's part of what she told Alfonso Todd about the Ce-Ce Gerlach case:

"[Gerlach] was an intake worker, an outreach worker, a street worker. She got a phone call at 7 o'clock at night from a runaway, and he asked for help.After doing his intake, Ce-Ce thought it was in his best interests to take him to an unsheltered encampment in Allentown, which we used to call tent city. ... She failed to do her job and let his child down, and in the process of him being in this encampment, he was subjected to sexual abuse. Nothing physical happened, but he was solicited for sex - a sexual act. 

"It was brought to my attention by some of the unsheltered people I helped in the past ... . Ultimately, we ended up getting the young boy - the child - the help that he needed. Now that's escalated into [Ce-Ce] being charged with child endangerment and failure to report this incident because she's a mandated reporter. 

"There's been a lot of stuff going on and I'm getting a lot of heat it for certain things. I'm standing here unapologetic. This will pass for Ce-Ce. This will pass for me. But this will not pass for the young man who was subjected to that.  ... If your kid runs away from home - some run away for good reasons, some run away from home just because they don't want to follow rules - and then you get a kid who reaches out to some organization and asks for help from Ce-Ce, and you get an intake worker who takes you to a tent city, an unsheltered encampment at night, in the dark, with adults who have mental health issues, drug addiction issues, alcohol, there's so much that goes down in those communities that I would never take a child. ... There are just some things our kids should not see. ... 

Todd asked Garcia what needs to change:

I think that people who say they have organizations representing the youth be held accountable to do so. I think the reporting needs to be more in-depth. ...  If you say you're doing something for the kids and you're getting these grants and you're getting money and you're out here publicizing that you work for the youth and you're here to protect the youth, then DO YOUR JOB! DO YOUR JOB! Integrity shows when nobody's looking, when the camera's not there, when the politics aren't involved ..."

"I'm not going to sit back and not sound the alarm." 

She's sounding the alarm for the kids of Allentown. She notes children attending schools in Allentown get about $5,000-6,000 per student, while neighboring school districts are raking in $16,000 per student. She noted that the William Allen graduation at J Brirney Crum had to be postponed three times because of the weather and was finally held in blistering heat. Meanwhile, neighboring school districts held their graduations at PPL Center. 

She indicated people like Gerlach need to start taking accountability. "She's literally in the media saying, 'I did nothing wrong.' ... She's not saying she didn't do it. She definitely admitted she took him there. What she's saying is she did nothing wrong. And that scares me.  And that's why I can't have empathy at this point. 

"We all make mistakes. I've made plenty of mistakes. Accountability starts when you say, ' I messed up. I messed up."

"When it comes to a kid and the safety of a child, that's where I draw the line. I'm sorry. Call me what you want."

"It took eight months for something to happen. It took my Facebook post to bring it to light again and I'm getting all the blame for it. 

"I did my job. I reported her to Childline and I felt like the community needed to know." 

Family Learns of Suicide From Ce-Ce Gerlach Video

Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach, who would like to be Mayor C-Ce Gerlach, walks the streets of Allentown more often than a hooker. I guess they both aim to please. Nearly every hour, she's shooting a video about this or that injustice. But she's in hot water over one of her latest video productions. It was the sad aftermath of a suicide by a man who jumped from atop the PPL parking garage. She rushed over and began using this incident to support one of her numerous rants about a lack of city services. In her rush to draw attention to herself, she never stopped to think that the family of this jumper would learn about his death by seeing her video. She's been getting slammed, and rightly so, by her own Black Lives Matter base.

Local activist Rodney Be dropped his "Fuck the Police" bullhorn long enough to trash her. "Yall will do anything for clout #FcknSleazeBalls Someone just lost there [sic] life & yall tryna build a following #FcknSleazeBalls."

Gerlach eventually deleted her video and explained:

I'll take this head on and respond since this isnin reference to my live video from tonight. I apologize. I am sorry. A man from the ATC texted me about someone we knew who had jumped from the parking garage. I arrived about 2 hours later. My intentions were not to exploit but to bring awareness of the lack of services in the city. Having people watch a live video on fb isn't clout to me. The purpose of going live was to talk about the systemic problems and the value of each human life. In retrospect I see how the timing of me doing so was not good. I didn't know that me going live would be breaking news for anyone and for that I am deeply sorry. I intentionally did not mention the name or identifying factors out of respect but clearly this wasn't enough. I'm not sure what else to say other than I am sorry.

Some people accepted what she said, but not the family of the suicide victim.

my family wasnt notified and you went live how dare you.  A 17 yr old child had to see it on live.  And has to go claim his father's body and you decided for your satisfaction to go live.  I lost all respect and will never forgive you.  But your days are numbered in office I promise you that..

Justan Parker, King of LV Black Lives Matter, dropped his bullhorn to say. "Super sad and disgusting." He later added, "Election season coming up and we're starting to see true colors."

I hope they're black.

Another big mouth, Hasshan Batts lackey Positive Kyle Lassiter, said, "I can't not [sic] believe what I saw today ppl Using a bad situation to gain exposure."

Maybe she should call herself Me-Me instead of Ce-Ce.

Ce-Ce Gerlach Wants $100,000 for Legal Defense

Allentown City Council member Cecelia E (Ce-Ce) Gerlach is off in Florida, visiting family. But before leaving, she was sure to set up a GoFundMe page called "Help Ce Ce pay legal fees."  She's seeking $100,000. 

Prominent criminal defense attorney Ettore "Ed" Angelo was quick to condemn Gerlach's prosecution for child endangerment and failure to report suspected child abuse as politically motivated. But interestingly, his name has yet to appear as her attorney on the docket sheet. This means he's waiting for that all-important witness, Mr. Green. I doubt very much that he charges $100,000 to represent someone at a preliminary hearing on misdemeanor charges. That hearing is currently scheduled for August 6  

Methinks Gerlach is hoping to milk this for her own pocket. So far, she's raised $300. 

According to Gerlach, she's never, ever, ever, ever, ever, not ever committed a single crime in her entire life. Never mind that she admitted to this one. Never mind that her own paperwork shows she knew she was dropping a minor off at a tent city.

Gerlach complains that the prosecution "has been a very challenging time for me, but I remain committed to fighting for the people of Allentown." I would prefer that she be committed to fighting for the safety of a minor entrusted to her care, but that's me.  

UPDATED: Following the Money: First Responders Sink $22,350 in Allentown City Council Races

Seven candidates, all Democrats, seek three seats on Allentown City Council on May 16. Two of them, Ce-Ce Gerlach and Candida Affa, are incumbents. One Council member seeking election, Santo Napoli, was appointed earlier this year. The other candidates are Luis Acevedo, a manager at RJ Walker Plumbing; Promise Neighborhood's Rodney Bushe; Tino Babayan, who has been interested in Allentown City government for many years; and Sarina Torres, a 2019 graduate of William Allen High School. 

Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach has marched against the police. She has voted against every grant provided to them. She has even voted No to police hires. She wants social workers, not first responders, sent to many 9-1-1 calls. If a citizens' initiative is placed on the ballot, voters will have a chance to answer that question themselves.  Two candidates - Rodney Bushe and Sarina Torres - are tied to Gerlach. 

Police and firefighters have noticed. They've spent $22,350 to bolster the campaigns of Candida Affa, Santo Napoli and Tino Babayan. 

Luis Acevedo raised $21,060, which he spent on campaign material. His biggest contribution was a $5,000 in-kind contributions for radio commercials. He lists VP Broadcasting as the contributor, although corporate contributions are illegal. I believe he meant to identify Victor Martinez, who owns VP Broadcasting and is a fierce advocate of attracting more Latino candidates in a mostly Latino community. 

Candida Affa raised $20,500. Her big contributors are Allentown's FOP ($9,500) Allentown firefighters ($1,000), California resident Cedar Crest College Hall of Famer Claudia Merkle ($2,500), pub owner Don Ringer ($750), Maingate owner Dominic Germano ($1,000), salon owner Jason Roth ($500), successful businessman but absolutely shitty Hearts player Nat Hyman ($500) and Allentown Parking Authority Exec Director John Morgan ($500). 

Her biggest expense was $3,332 to Attorney Craig Neely to defend her against Rodney Bushe's failed attempt to toss her off the ballot. 

Tino Babayan raised $8,330, with his biggest contributions coming from Allentown's FOP ($1,000) and IBEW ($2500). Allentown firefighters also kicked in $350. 

Ce-Ce Gerlach started this race with $11,100.45, thanks in large part to a $5,000 donation from Anthony DeFiore last year. He defines himself as a "Big City, Liberal Democrat w/ a Marciano right." This year, she's raised an additional $10,718.99, which gave her $21,819.44 to spend in this race. Most of the money came from unions: District Council ($1,000); IBEW ($2,500); SEIU ($500); United Steelworkers ($2,500); and Plumbers ($1,000). 

She spent $20,666.09. This included the cost of three mailers, yard signs, $3,655 for paid canvassers and even a $100 translation fee to Enid Santiago. 

Santo Napoli, just appointed to City Council, was able to raise $22,575.00. His biggest contributors were the Greater LV Realtors ($10,000); Allentown FOP ($9,500); and Allentown firefighters ($1,000). 

He spent $4,849.43 for palm cards and two mailers. He has a $900 debt for a social media video. 

He still had $17,725.57 for the closing days of the race.  

Sarina Torres has filed no report, but is instead relying on the Pre-Primary report filed by the United Youth Party. If this is her authorized committee, she is required to sign this report. She failed to do so. 

This committee started with nearly $200, and raised $2,293.96, giving it a total of $2,492.93 to spend. Her committee's biggest contributor is identified as Cash App ($758.48). That's actually a mobile application through which users can transfer money., not a contributor. The report fails to name the people who actually donated.  It also claims to have received $384.51 from Act Blue, but again, this is just a transfer service. The report fails to identify who contributed, thus making it impossible to follow the money.  The biggest contributor, and the only person actually named, is Ian Finestein ($481.27)

Of the $2,388.43 spent, $540 is supposed to have gone to Echo Live Agency (no address). Echo Live might actually be Echo Dead. A google search tells me it's permanently closed. $132 was spent on flyers.

Rodney Bushe unsuccessfully challenged Candida Affa's nomination petition. You'd think he'd be a stickler for the rules, Maybe his is. Maybe not. There is no report listed for him on the City Council website, and Lehigh County forwarded all reports filed by the candidates. Maybe his report was filed and missed. Maybe he filed an affidavit indicating he would spend under $250. I don't know. 

I called him and asked. He said he'd get back to me this morning. I asked him to post a comment, which I'll attach to this story. As of now, I have no information regarding him.  

Noon Update:

At 9:52 this morning, Bushe filed his Pre-Primary report. It was six days late. 

He reports having raised $2,405.His biggest contributions are $1,000 that he kicked in himself and $500 from Dan Bosket. He has spent $1667 with marketing agency Faces International and owes this outfit $3,333. 

Should Ce Ce Gerlach Stop Going Door to Door?

Last week, I told you that Ce-Ce Gerlach, a putative Mayoral candidate, has already been been going door-to-door in Allentown. She's dropping off cards and mail-in ballot applications if no one is at home. One question I failed to consider is whether anyone, in the middle of a pandemic, should be doing this.

This is actually a pretty stupid thing to do. If she is infected with SARS-CoV-2, she could be a super spreader of the virus. This is why most campaigns have stopped canvassing. In electoral politics, the most effective tool is personal contact. But sadly, this is also the best way to transmit a highly infectious respiratory virus. There are way to reach voters without infecting them.

James Whitney makes precisely this point in an email to City Council:

We are in the midst of a pandemic, and an economic shut down. Our businesses are suffering, we're struggling to pay our taxes, the bills are piling up. We're all praying every day for an end to this global tragedy, and for our neighbors who are hurting. Allentown City Council continues to hold meetings behind closed doors, not allowing the public to be in the room as they legislate our futures. So it's incredibly shocking and concerning to learn that Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach is going out into the community and knocking on doors and handing out literature. This is a blatant violation of Governor Wolf's COVID-19 guidelines. If members of City Council wish to communicate with the public, there are socially distant options they can utilize to do so. In the meantime, they should stop face to face political activity and outreach until Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. To tell the public that they can't come to City Council meetings, or visit City Hall, they can’t engage in door to door sales, and shouldn't gather to worship their creator, and then go out into the community and start knocking on their doors and potentially exposing them to COVID-19 is absolutely absurd, immoral, and flies in the face of not only the Covid-19 guidelines, but also common sense.

Teleworking requirements are being enforced, even for life sustaining businesses. If there is any doubt that this door to door activity is a violation of Covid 19 I strongly suggest that you reach out to the Department of Health for clarification.

Canvassing is core political speech and is protected, but it's still irresponsible in this climate. It does appear to be inconsistent with the latest July 15 mitigation orders issued by both Governor Tom Wolf and Health Sec'y Dr. Rachel Levine. 

Speaking of irresponsible, above is a a compilation of Gerlach videos, which she took herself. It  clearly shows her shouting "Defund the Police!" and actually leading in "Racist-ass cops have got to go!" Whether she participated in "Fuck the Police!" chants is less clear. It appears to me that she was silent during one chant but participated in another at the end of the video. My uncertainty about this is the sole reason I thought only Siegel deserved censure.

You can censure them both at the ballot box.

Allentown's Majority Minority Community is Divided

According to Allentown's 2019 census figures, it's 52.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% black and 2.9% Asian. It's definitely a majority of minorities. But they are divided. This fissure existed in the municipal primary because many Latnos refused to get behind black Mayoral candidate Ce-Ce Gerlach or black City Council candidate Justin Parker Fields. Things have gone from bad to worse, with the usual tired accusation of "Racist!" being tossed around by Comrade Fields. He labelled me a racist for daring  to point out that he gave Coplay police a fake name when he was stopped for driving with a suspended license. I was a racist for reporting that Mayoral candidate Ce-Ce Gerlach dumped a 16 yo runaway at a tent city.   Now, Allentown's Robespierre is claiming that Victor Martinez, the popular President and CEO of La Mega radio, is a bigot, too. 

Prepare the guillotine!

Victor Martinez, by the way, is the reason Julio Guridy very nearly became Allentown's Mayor. His car parades for Julio and Latin City Council candidates struck me as hokey, even borderline ridiculous. But then again, so did Trump's flag rallies. 

As ridiculous as these campaign styles might appear, they are effective. Malcolm Gladwell notes in The Tipping Point that a few people can, on their own, create a social epidemic. Hush Puppies became popular when a few kids started to wear them because no one else would. They created a social epidemic, in which a few could spread the Hush Puppies virus with the same geometric progression we've seen with Covid-19.

So it is with politics. A few connectors can spread the Trump virus or the Latino candidate virus. 

Victor Martinez was that connector for Julio Guridy and other Latin candidates in Allentown. How else do you explain how a 21 yo Kutztown University student who never made an appearance got elected? She was part of a social virus being spread quite effectively by Martinez.

Julio Guridy walked away with nearly twice the number of votes that everyone had predicted. His tally was far higher than had been predicted just a few weeks earlier in a  Muhlenberg survey. 

Not everyone was happy with Martinez. Bullhorn-toting demagogues like Enid Santiago and Justan Parker Fields wanted to be the center of attention themselves. Instead, Fields and Ce-Ce Gerlach tanked.  

So now Fields is suffering from sour-grape-itis. He's calling Martinez a racist over the radio host's on-air disparagement of a group of African American women who were on a recent flight Martinez made to Puerto Rico to surprise his wife. It was clear, at least to a racist like myself, that Martinez' humor was directed solely at the African American women in his plane. I do agree he could have avoided mentioning their race. He was criticizing people because they were obnoxious, not because they were black. 

Now Fields is trying to persuade sponsors to withdraw their support, while Martinez is threatening to wage a write-in campaign for City Council. 

Is there anyone Fields has not called a racist? 

This is just like the divisions we see among those of us who happen to be white.

I guess we're all human. 

Gerlach & Siegel Vote No To 11 New Allentown Police Officers

Me-Me Gerlach

On Wednesday evening, Allentown City Council was asked to approve 11 new police officers. This would put the department at full strength, but not for long. In December, as many as 30 officers will be eligible to retire. 

Of the 11 new officers, four are woman. One is not only Latin, but fluent in Spanish. Another understands sign language. It's a diverse bunch.

Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach, of course, had a few questions. She wanted to know whether these new hires has been vetted to determine if they belong to any hate groups or are white supremacists. She was assured they were thoroughly investigated. Then she asked whether any of the new hires had backgrounds as teachers or in social services. She was told a number of them have college degrees and were in other fields before becoming police officers.

Then she voted No. Council member Josh Siegel also voted No, and without explanation, to a measure at the very core of what a city government does. Its primary function is to protect the people who live there.

Fuck the police. 

Gerlach and Siegel, both of whom want to be Allentown's nest Mayor voted No in an obvious attempt to pander to felons like Hasshan "Fuck the Police" Batts as well as misguided circus clowns like Black Lives Matter's Justan PBarker. If a few people die because a cop's not around, so be it. 

As I've mentioned some time ago, Allentown business owner Nat Hyman, who actually has lived in the Queen City his entire life, is seriously weighing a run for Mayor himself. I asked him what he thought of these No votes, which might be the first time any Lehigh Valley municipal official has said No to giving a police department the manpower it needs. Here's what Nat told me:

"It is terribly disconcerting  when an elected official puts politics or the own agenda ahead of the safety of the citizens they have been elected to represent. At a prior City Council meeting, Gerlach and Siegel likewise voted to not accept $110,000 from the federal government for our police department, which came with absolutely no strings attached.  They are making political statements with the tax payers’ money and, in the process, showing a wanton disregard for the best interests of our City, the safety of our citizens and common sense governance."

I'll end this with a little story about Ce-Ce. When the pandemic first hit, and there were shortages of just about everything, she called Nat Hyman and asked if he could get her a few bottles of hand sanitizer for the homeless.  He got her a pallet. She never said thank you, and later refused to sign a commendation praising Hyman for his Allentown sign. 

That's why I call Ce-Ce Me-Me.

Politics, Money and Power: All in the Family for the Harringtons

They are a perfect combination of politics, money and power. It's all in the family for the The Harringtons of the Lehigh Valley. They are certainly a part of the Lehigh's Valley ruling class. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. You could even say it's the American way. The goal of our founding documents was to rid ourselves of the nobility. We nevertheless still have an aristocracy who periodically impress their wills on their lessers. The Harringtons are intent on replacing our mostly moderate local leaders with woke extremists of dubious character. In the process of ruining our local government, there's money to be made. It's pretty clear that they've engaged in conflicts of interest in violation of the state Ethics Act. 

Who is Tom Harrington?

According to LinkedIn, Tom Harrington is a graduate of Miami University with a B.A. in political science and government. He also holds several certificates that people in the business world often use to pad their resumes. He holds no degrees beyond his B.A, 

After graduating, Harrington spent 34 years for the Boy Scouts, in locations as spread out as Dallas and Kansas. In late 2015, he was selected as President and CEO at Valley Youth House. 

This appointment was controversial. "You've hired a person who upheld discrimination against gay youth," noted Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News. "And now that same person [Harrington] is going to be dealing with gay youth."

In fairness, Harrington stated at the time that he and others were trying to change Boy Scout policy from within. 

Last week, I told you Harrington's 2019 compensation was a whopping $335,036. This is according to the 2019 tax return filed by this nonprofit.  This is 1.18% of Valley Youth House's total revenue of $28 million. His compensation is approved by a Board of Governors, but these boards typically act as rubber stamps for whatever the director at a nonprofit wants.  His salary is excessive. 

In addition to his role at Valley Youth House, Harrington also chairs Allentown's homeless commission. 

He was appointed in July 2020 at the request of Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach. She failed to disclose that she worked at Valley Youth House and Harrington is her boss. 

His appointment comes right around the time that Gerlach, an intake worker at Valley Youth House, dropped a 16 yo runaway boy off at a tent city. He was thereafter abused for two nights until being rescued. Gerlach has admitted dropping this child off at a homeless enclave, but denied knowing his age. "[S]o if people want to beat me up over that, they can,” she told blogger James Whitney. 

That matter is currently under investigation by the Lehigh County District Attorney.   

What is Valley Youth House? 

First established in 1973 as a single shelter, Valley Youth House "was open day and night, ensuring that vulnerable, abused and homeless young people in the community had access to shelter and counseling." Today, it calls itself "the catalyst for youth to achieve their desired future through genuine relationships that support families, ensure safe places, and build community connections."

According to its audited financials, at least two-thirds of its $28 million in revenue comes from money received from the counties as well as state and federal grants. Lehigh County paid $2.2 million to Valley Youth House in 2018 and $2.4 million in 2019. 

At a zoom meeting of the homeless commission last week, Harrington suggested that Valley Youth House could manage a new homeless shelter under consideration at an unspecified location in Allentown. He used his position as Chair to solicit business for his nonprofit. 

Who is Kathy Harrington? 

Kathy Harrington, Tom's wife, is part of the blue wave that followed Donald Trump's election in 2016. She became the First Vice Chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee. She also formed a Democratic organization called Lehigh Valley For All, Initially, it may have been an inclusive organization, at least insofar as Democrats are concerned. That's no longer the case. 

At their most recent endorsement meeting, Lehigh Valley For All Some failed to invite incumbent Mayor Ray O'Connell or incumbent City Council members Ed Zucal and Daryl Hendricks, even though they are all proud Democrats. They failed to invite incumbent Democrat Bryan Callahan of Bethlehem, even though he was the sole member of their City Council to vote No to a tax hike in the middle of a pandemic. 

Numerous other Democrats were snubbed as well.  

Lehigh Valley For All Some would then endorse Ce-Ce Gerlach for Allentown Mayor over incumbent Ray O'Connell. Members were never informed that Gerlach is employed by Harrington;s husband. Members were never told that Harrington's husband is trying to squeeze Allentown into letting his outfit manage a new homeless shelter. Members were never told that Gerlach is herself under investigation for her role in dropping a child off at a tent city, after which he was abused. 

They would also go on to endorse Justan Parker Fields and Patrick Palmer for City Council over the snubbed Daryl Hendricks and Ed Zucal, both of whom are retired police officers. Palmer, who literally lives in his mother's basement, has dishonestly portrayed himself as a member of two city boards. Fields was never asked why he and a mob spent months pounding on the doors and windows of City Council meetings, disrupting them just as certainly as the insurrectionists did at the capitol. Fields was never asked to explain his use of a false name when stopped by Coplay police with his minor child in the car. He was never asked why he thought it was OK to drive his child with a suspended license.  

What's dangerous about this endorsement is that, if Fields and Palmer are elected, City Council will have a majority of members who think public safety can be guaranteed by social workers. Ironically, these social workers refused to leave their homes during the pandemic and were perfectly content to allow police officers do their jobs.  

Who is Dave Harrington?

Dave is the son of Kathy and Tom Harrington. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of Lehigh Valley For All Some. More importantly, he is a Lehigh County Commissioner.. He was elected in 2019. 

His mom (Kathy Harrington) contributed a small amount to David Harrington's campaign..

His Dad (Tom Harrington) was the treasurer for David's campaign committee. 

As already established, Valley Youth House pays Tom Harrington over $330k a year. 

As already established, Valley Youth House gets several million dollars a year from Lehigh County/ 

As Lehigh County Commissioner, David Harrington votes on the budget for Lehigh County. He voted in favor of this year's budget on October 28. It sets aside over two million for Valley Youth House. He failed to recuse himself even though his vote financially benefits his father. 

State Ethics Act 

According to the Pennsylvania Ethics Act, a conflict or conflict of interest exists when a public official uses the authority of her office or any confidential information received through that office for the private pecuniary benefit of herself, a member of her immediate family or a business with which she or a member of her immediate family is associated. A public officer also violates the public trust when he uses his influence as a public officer to advance the cause of that non-profit.  There are several potential violations here. 

1. Tom Harrington is a public officer as a member of the homeless commission, and violated the state Ethics Act when he promoted Valley Youth House as the manager of a new shelter. 

2. Ce-Ce Gerlach possibly violated the state ethics act when she promoted her boss as a member of the homeless commission without disclosing she works for him. 

3. Dave Harrington violated the state ethics act when he voted for a budget that includes several million dollars for his father's non-profit.

DA Jim Martin Acted Fairly in Offering ARD to Ce-Ce Gerlach

Remember Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach? Last year, she was busily knocking on doors in a Quixotic Quest to become Mayor. Between Facebook live shots of a suicide aftermath and several "Fuck the police" rallies, she showed us exactly what kind of person she would be at Allentown's helm. A runaway teen came to her in her capacity as a Valley Youth House intake worker. Instead of actually assisting this child, Gerlach took it upon herself to dump him off at a tent city for the homeless. Fresh meat! This boy was sexually harassed (or worse) until his rescue.  Despite attempts by her fans to brush things under the rug and radio silence at The Morning Call, she was eventually charged with both child endangerment and failure to report. Gerlach denied any wrongdoing, claimed she was the victim of political persecution and set up a GoFundMe page seeking $100,000 for an attorney.   But when push came to shove, she waived her preliminary hearing and applied for ARD. Her so-called political persecutor agreed, dropped one of the charges and she's been approved by the court. That's pretty strange action for a politically motivated prosecution. 

The reality, of course, is that Lehigh County DA Jim Martin treated Gerlach fairly. She was prosecuted because she clearly broke the law, not for her political beliefs. Moreover, he treated her the same way that any nonpolitician would be treated. Like shit, That's how he rolls. There's still some question whether Valley Youth House also broke the law, but I'm certain that's being looked at as well. 

Some of my friends believe Gerlach should have been forced to resign as a condition of ARD. I disagree. If the people who vote her into office are stupid enough to repeat that mistake, then they will get the government they deserve.

Unapologetic, Gerlach has thrown herself into a number of state races. I hear she's pushing Tara Zrinskli, Josh Siegel and Enid Santiago. Candidates who use her should suffer the consequences.  

Gerlach's Public Safety Nightmare

At a "public safety" news conference conducted by Allentown Mayoral candidate Ce-Ce Gerlach, she asked City Council member Josh Siegel to say a few words. He claimed that the City's residents want to "take money from the Allentown Police Department and invest it in mental health, housing, homelessness and education." 

In other words, defund the police. 

He said "police don't keep us safe," adding they need no "more money or training." He urged Allentonians to vote for Gerlach, as well as Patrick Palmer and Justan Parker Fields "so we can actually pass legislation to get things done." 

In other words, defund the police

Gerlach stated that Siegel's remarks "are what a Ce-Ce Gerlach administration would look like."  

In other words, defund the police.  

Gerlach failed to address her own public safety lapse in exposing a 16 year old boy to two nights of abuse at a tent city. 

Both Gerlach & Siegel Make Mayoral Runs Official

Allentown City Council members Cecelia ("Ce Ce") Gerlach and Joshua Siegel  made it official over the weekend. On Saturday, Gerlach announced from atop a pickup truck before a small crowd of about 15 people, On Sunday, it was Siegel's turn before an equally small crowd at Bucky Boyle Park.

At Gerlach's announcement, her event started with a rendition of John Legend's "Take it Slow" instead of the national anthem or God Bless America. The scene was decorated with a few blue and white balloons, although there was no indication what they signify. 

Gerlach portrayed herself a a voice for those who are one small step away from financial disaster. She described the majority of Allentown as "beyond one paycheck away. They are one flat tire ,.. one unexpected emergency [away] from losing it all." She said she would seek out corporations who want to hire people with felony records  and who would pay a living wage to boot.

She never said how she'd manage to achieve this lofty goal. 

For his part, Siegel timed the start of what he calls his "historic and transformative campaign" to coincide with his birthday. But  he said it "isn't about me."

He had blue and white balloons at his announcement, too, for some reason. 

Maybe they're running for Mayor of Penn State. 

If you're running for Mayor, Josh, it's about you. I have no idea what he said, but he released a Youtube video that shows him strutting around the downtown in slow motion, posing with hands on hips, giving a dirty look at two patrol cars parked along a street and talking to Patrick Palmer, who incidentally was Ce Ce Gerlach's rally. 

These two candidates have the same base, which is largely made up of transients who never vote. They will almost certainly cancel each other out.

Whitney: Who Wrote Allentown's Mobile Crisis Response Ordinance?

Blogger's Note: James Whitney lives and works in Allentown, and broke the story about Allentown City Council person Ce-Ce Gerlach's decision to drop off an underage teen at a homeless tent city. Here's his latest. 

Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach helped to draft the Mobile Community Response Team ordinance, currently being considered by City Council, according to a representative from the Working Families Party (WFP) who responded to my inquiry on 5/16. The proposed ordinance, which has garnered 2,000 signatures from city residents, may be headed to the ballot this November.

Under the legislation, county 911 dispatchers would be required to send unarmed social workers (without police) to respond to various calls, including domestic disputes, suspicious individuals, and mental health crises, among others.

When asked about the authors of the legislation, Gerlach simply stated "it was written by lawyers.” According to the WFP, the lawyers Gerlach was referring to are with the Abolitionist Law Center, which is committed to advancing movements to defund and abolish the police.

The legislation does allow for police intervention when explicitly requested by the caller. This provision raises concerns about potential biases held by private citizens, as they would have the power to decide whether their calls warrant police or social worker involvement. When this concern was brought up with the WFP representative, they acknowledged it as a valid point for consideration and stated they needed to consult with Gerlach on how to proceed.

A representative for Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk’s office, as well as Allentown Police Chief Charlie Roca, told Ramblings they were unsure who wrote the ordinance. Chief Roca says he isn’t surprised that it was written by an organization committed to defunding the police and that the provision in the ordinance that prohibit retired officers from working as Mobile Crisis Response team members makes more sense, given the ordinance's authors.

According to an open letter written by the Abolitionist Law Center, and published on their website, they “seek the demise of police in their entirety.”

Ce-Ce Gerlach Running For Mayor?

At last week's Allentown City Council meeting, member Ce-Ce Gerlach invited both other members of Council and even the public to reach out to her. I did. I have yet to hear back from her or her fellow traveler Enid Santiago. They display the same transparency that Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski did. None. But then again, I'm unable to vote for her.

Over the weekend, Gerlach was making the rounds in Allentown's west end. She dropped off a nice little note with her phone, her Allentown City Council card and applications for mail-in ballots.

Gerlach is trying to drive up turnout,. which is a good thing. But she's also attempting to increase her own name recognition. Why would she be doing this? According to several sources, it's because she plans to run for Mayor.

She's got time, too. According to her Facebook page, she worked (past tense) with a mental health provider. Aside from her gig on City Council, my guess is she's unemployed.

She has no administrative experience, and I have to wonder what makes her think she has the ability to balance a $110 million budget with 800 employees.

F*&k the Police? Think Again

Over the summer, convicted felon Hasshan (call me Doctor) Batts gleefully led an Allentown mob with chants of "Fuck the Police." A short video clip appeared to show a police officer kneeling on the neck of a drunk and addict staggering and puking outside of St. Luke's Hospital. Rather than wait until the facts were known, pretend social justice warriors were all-too-willing to assume the worst. Opportunists like City Council member Joshua Siegel was happy to dox Mayor Ray O'Connell, leading to multiple harassing calls and threats to burn his home down. Justan Parker, who himself was facing charges for giving false identification to police and led mobs that pounded on the doors and windows of City Council, is now running for that positions. Siegel and Ce-Ce Gerlach, another City Council member, both voted against federal grants to the Allentown police. And now Ce-Ce Gerlach, who has alienated both police and firefighters, is running for Mayor. So what are Allentown police doing? Beating heads? Kneeling on necks? No, as the attached photo reveals, they are saving lives.  

These are the public servants Gerlach wants to defund.    

Valley Youth House Nominates Itself For New Allentown Homeless Shelter

I told you yesterday that the President and CEO of Valley Youth House, Tom Harrington, had a compensation package of $335,036 in 2019. Harrington's wife Kathy is effectively the Queen of Lehigh Valley for All Some. She's also Vice Chair of Lehigh County's Democratic Party. Their son, David, is a Lehigh County Commissioner. Mayoral candidate Ce-Ce Gerlach is an emplyee at Valley Youth House who dumped a 16 yo boy off at a tent city. She is still on the payroll and has been endorsed by Lehigh Valley for All Some. According to an independent audit of this nonprofit's finances, 76-79% of its support comes from government contracts. So it must be nice to have son David in Lehigh County government and would even be nicer to have Ce-Ce Gerlach at the helm in Allentown.

In addition to his role at Valley Youth House, Tom Harrington is Chair of Allentown's latest commission to end homelessness. During a meeting yesterday, DCED Director Leonard Lightner reported that Allentown is looking at a few unnamed properties for a new homeless shelter.

Guess who volunteered to run it? Bingo! Harrington used his position on this homeless commission to snag yet another government contract. Lightner was reportedly noncommittal. 

Things will get easier for Harrington if Gerlach is elected. Maybe she'll even drive a few 16 yo boys there. 

Student Walkout Helps Scott Armstrong's School Board Candidacy

As only he can, Allentown School Director Scott Armstrong has spoken out strongly against the student walkout planned for today. On Michael Molovinsky's blog, he called it a "lesson in anger and hate" put on by "an adult charlatan protest leader." He's one of the very few who has been willing to dip his toes into the pool, as most candidates have steered clear of the issue. I believe the backlash over this walkout might just get him re-elected.

Armstrong, a Republican in a heavily Democratic School District, is seeking one of five seats available on the Board. The other candidates include Ce-Ce Gerlach, Bob Smith, Charlie Thiel, Audrey Mathison, Elizabeth Martinez and Mark Smith. Gerlach, Thiel and Bob Smith won nominations in both primaries. Martinez and Mathison also won the Democratic primary, while Armstrong and Mark Smith won the Republican primary.

Ce Ce Gerlach, though a hard-core Democrat, has distanced herself from Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski and his wealthy friends. She has chosen instead to run a real grass roots campaign and should win easily. Bob Smith, the current school board president, is quite popular in Allentown and should eke out a victory as well.

Thiel, Mathison and Martinez are nothing more than Pawlowski puppets, but the money spigot has been turned off, thanks to the federal investigation.

Ordinarily, I'd say that Armstrong's brash style would work hard against him. But so far as I can tell, he is the only school director willing to stand up to the mob, which may very well be instigated by charter school proponents as well as by a few misguided demagogues. I think people will appreciate that, and perhaps enough to re-elect Armstrong.

By the way, this job pays nothing. I have no idea why anyone would want it.