(April 25, 2007) HOUSING
TOO AFFORDABLE
According to The Morning Call, Federal grants for affordable housing are
a windfall with no downside; nothing could be further from the truth. In
the first place they promote the area's biggest myth, that there is a shortage
of low-income housing. The constant migration of poor people to the Valley
should convince any objective person that in reality we must have a surplus of
cheap housing. What we do have, is highly successful professional
advocates for the poor, funded by such grants, who have created a poverty
magnet. At some point we must ask ourselves, is it possible to
attract more low-income people than we have the capacity to support? Can
our economic demographics become so bottom heavy that we decrease the quality of
life for the overall community? If we ever truly wish to
restore Allentown, the Lehigh Valley must learn to say no thank you
to those funds that perpetuate our demise.
(From the Morning Call, March 16, 2007)
The Sunday edition of the Morning Call is always packed with advertisements by our three local hospitals, competing to treat us for diseases and conditions we all hope never to have. While our local officials jockey toward a bi-county health bureau, maybe our three profitable nontaxable hospitals could step up to the plate and cooperate in providing such a service to the community. This would be a way for these institutions to justify their huge cashflows, while not paying real estate taxes as they constantly expand.
(From the Morning Call, February 10, 2007)
I'm afraid, after reading your editorial praising the expansion of the Allentown Parking Authority and how it will enhance public safety, our citizens are going to get another dose of disappointment. Although the Authority patrolled center city for years, safety and quality of life are not terms associated with that area. What the taxpayers in the suburban area's will get is tickets, and more tickets. Cars parked in the West End's seldom used, virtual private alleys will be tagged for illegal parking. In its core center city area, the Authority dispenses over 100,000 tickets per year. As thousands of people find the red ticket envelopes on their windshield, they will realize they are just the victim of another expanding bureaucracy.
(From the Morning Call, January 6, 2007)
(From the Allentown Times, October 15, 2006)
The English-only initiative article (English becomes a cause, Sept. 15 edition) featuring Councilman Julio Guridy and the companion article concerning former Councilwoman Emma Tropiano (Tropiano spurred debate, Sept. 15 edition) contained enormous irony.
Recently I watched Guridy speak in front of the City Council Committee on illegal aliens, holding a model of the Statue of Liberty. I saw that in reality he was much more derisive than Tropiano. Guridy should know that the Statue and Ellis Island welcomed legal immigrants. The councilman should know that the statue doesn't say "give me your sneaky."Yet he waved that miniature statue, accusing the proponents of legislation of being ignorant racists.
Last month, the mayor of Hazleton wondered why a representative of Allentown City Council was in his city, criticizing their decisions.
Guridy can be a champion of the Hispanic perspective without repeatedly referring to his other constituents as ignorant and/or racists. I would hope his political future is not based on these polarizing tactics.
When Tropiano passed away, Guridy said "God teaches us to forgive." I hope someone teaches the councilman that he was elected to represent all the citizens and taxpayers of Allentown.
(From the Morning Call, February 24, 2006)
Intolerant attitude toward dissent in city
Putting aside the merits of Allentown hiring a managing director, I find the attitude toward dissent by both Mayor Ed Pawlowski and The Morning Call quite disturbing.
(From the Morning Call, December 29, 2005)
Developing Queen City won't solve city's woes
When I was born, my parents lived on 17th Street near Queen City Airport. The streets in our neighborhood — Liberator, Coronado and Catalina — were named for some of the World War II planes built at Queen City.
Allentown was prosperous, and that success was based on local productive people, not advice from out-of-town consultants such as the Brookings Institution. Lehigh Valley International Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration repeatedly have said they believe Queen City best suits their needs as a secondary airport. Do people really think tax base-wise another shopping mall on the Queen City site is the long-term solution to Allentown's problems?
Demographically, Allentown is perceived as a bastion of low-income people and a city with a high crime rate. If these sociological problems were addressed, the business community would eagerly shoe-horn improvements into existing areas to take advantage of disposable income. Allentown must stop acting like an unemployed person looking for a pawn shop instead of a job.
(December 2, 2005) I was not impressed by mayor elect Ed Pawlowski's assembly of transition advisors, considering that at the same time our school system was voting a tax increase of over 3 mills. The middle class taxpaying homeowner views his taxes in total; if the increase goes to school, county or city, it is of little consolation to his wallet. If Allentown is to survive as more than a welfare bastion, our elected and appointed officials must coordinate strategy of all the taxing authorities in regard to affordability; For example, the city advocating new housing on former downtown parking lots can only adversely affect our school taxes. I caution Mr. Ed, in the name of humility, to repress his perception that he has the voters' mandate. The election results seem to indicate many Democrats pulled the straight party lever. Whom they were voting for, or for that matter against, remains unclear.
(June 10, 2005) Allentown touted the Weed and Seed Program as the cure for our inter city problems. As it turns out the seed part, grants from our taxes, will be administrated by Casa Guadalupe. Money for housing, cell phones and cars will be distributed to people with a history of drug abuse, which is practically everybody. This outrage is just more fuel for the poverty magnet. After all the meetings and publicity, Weed and Seed will just produce more crab grass.
(May 6, 2005) The primary tax exempt institutions in Allentown are the churches and hospitals. While I understand the status for houses of worship, the nonprofit designation for hospitals seems to have become increasingly vague. Large expensive newspaper ads, especially on Sundays, compete for treating conditions we all hope never to have. As the hospitals expand, the tax base shrinks further. Expansion requires the cities' cooperation through zoning. The hospitals likewise should be made to "cooperate" with our tax dilemma through user and impact fees.
(June 10, 2005) Allentown touted the Weed and Seed Program as the cure for our inter city problems. As it turns out the seed part, grants from our taxes, will be administrated by Casa Guadalupe. Money for housing, cell phones and cars will be distributed to people with a history of drug abuse, which is practically everybody. This outrage is just more fuel for the poverty magnet. After all the meetings and publicity, Weed and Seed will just produce more crab grass.
(May 6, 2005) The primary tax exempt institutions in Allentown are the churches and hospitals. While I understand the status for houses of worship, the nonprofit designation for hospitals seems to have become increasingly vague. Large expensive newspaper ads, especially on Sundays, compete for treating conditions we all hope never to have. As the hospitals expand, the tax base shrinks further. Expansion requires the cities' cooperation through zoning. The hospitals likewise should be made to "cooperate" with our tax dilemma through user and impact fees.
(Feb. 1, 2005) In regard to rushing through a Manager-Council referendum, Allentown's "steering committee" and the Morning Call should take a deep breath and slow down before the taxpayers once more get shot in the foot by a "magic bullet." No manager or wizard can undo the dilemna created by our structural deficit; he could however, especially with a staff, add to the burden of bureaucratic cost. The proponents of the concept emphasize that the manager can be fired by council for underperformance. Allentown has a tradition of long sitting council members. Any professional manager need only ingratiate himself with four people for continuous employment. As we know, at least a mayor faces the public wrath every four years. The manager idea may well have merit, but the brakes need to be applied to this panic promotion.
(Jan. 13, 2005) Although I'm a frequent critic of Afflerbach, at the special meeting, I tried to inject some truth and reality, something Allentown refuses to hear. I suggested the unprecedented meeting had a politically motivated undertone, much like sharks smelling blood. If Afflerbach were to resign, Council President Howells would be acting mayor, unless and until Council chose a democrat from among themselves to finish the term. Councilman Martin Velazquez acted indignant at my comment. He claimed he never even thought about succession until the other day. This is the former democratic deputy mayor who also had his son there to testify about Afflerbach's negative effect on youth programs. I realize telling it like it is has no political mileage, but it's a lesson I refuse to learn.
(Dec. 30, 2004) Recently, there has been a chorus of voices urging the Allentown School Board to appoint a Hispanic to fill a vacated seat. Their basis for this recommendation is to better represent the 52 percent Hispanic students in the system, and pay homage to diversity. This campaign is another example of potentially compromising quality for political correctness. No one is advocating a non-Hispanic person must be chosen to better represent the homeowning tax payers who the school board is also supposed to represent. Obviously the best qualified person should be chosen, regardless of ethnicity. The Latino activists should instead concentrate on fielding Hispanic candidates for the next scheduled school board election.
(Nov 12, 2004) Allentown voters were wise to reject the transfer tax increase. Short sighted dependence on such a fluctuating source can only insure future property tax increases. With the city otherwise spending resources to promote home ownership, it would have been counter productive. We can no longer afford giving the middle class more reasons to flee. Mayor Afflerbach must look beyond the unfilled vacancies at city hall and propose a tax freeze. While the population has increased only a few percentage in the last 20 years, the missions of city hall have gone far beyond the necessary. Allentown must decide if it will redirect its focus to remain a competitive municipality, or continue to cannibalize its taxpayers.
Although the tax freeze enacted by Allentown City Council on October 6th is perceived as a symbolic message to Mayor Afflerbach to show fiscal restraint, it is in reality exactly what Allentown needs. In spite of substantial increases in the public safety contracts, taxes need not rise because city hall otherwise greatly exceeds its proper municipal mission. Over the last decade, the city has been acting as both a real estate developer, and a social service director. New buildings on Hamilton St., mostly empty, have been at the expense of the fleeing middle class. The time is short for a new approach; provide less social type programs which attract those that need them, and reward the remaining homeowners with an attractive tax rate.
The city involvement in the purchase of the Musselman property represents yet another broken campaign promise by Afflerbach. Another building is taken off the tax rolls, justified by another empty slogan, the arts walk. While the Musselman family receives top market price, the tax base shrinks once more. While a long term gallery owner is forced to relocate her shop from Symphony Hall because of lack of business, the city hopes to attract another gallery tenant for their new building. No one can accuse our city administration of letting market place reality stand in the way of their progress.
The new buzz phrase at city hall is "loft apartments". Envisioned for Hamilton St., these units would be for young, childless professionals who appreciate an urban environment. Their presence would create a demand for more restaurants and coffee shops, etc. Two large commercial buildings are supposedly on line for such conversion. Although the target demographic would indeed be desirable, once the apartments have been approved, there's no guarantee as to who the occupants would be. Any children what so ever would be a burden upon the school system.
Do enough of these young yuppies exist to justify allowing more rental units in Allentown? Could not this target demographic be accommodated through the gentrification of existing units? I would cautiously allow the current proposals, but take a wait and see attitude before any more approvals.
Although city hall spent many years and dollars on the "7th St. Gateway," there were no results until a Latino business district developed beyond the target zone, without city help. Community Development says now it will regroup and redirect to assist the new district. I would rather have them realize market forces succeeded where they failed, downsize the program, and reduce the programs' property tax burden on the homeowners.