Taxpayers can't afford to celebrate downtown

September 1, 2006 (Letter to the Morning Call)

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski's quality-of-life program, the Q-squad, as reported on Aug. 12, targets the wrong residents. Although he can certainly generate some revenue ticketing properties with litter, in essence it's a nuisance tax against the already-battered in-town homeowner.

Property owners do not trash their own property. Until Pawlowski acknowledges that this city continues to attract undesirable people, there are not enough good-hearted volunteers to pick up after those with no manners.

Let the Q-squad ticket and harass those who litter, and not become a goon squad against the worthwhile, challenged taxpayers.

August 25, 2006 (Letter to the Allentown Times)

Mayor Pawlowski is correct about the new position of crime analyst sending a message, he is wrong about who is hearing the message and what it says. The criminals do not know about the position, but do appreciate seeing less officers on the street. The beleaguered officers hardly need an analyst to tell them where the trouble spots are located. The intercity citizens see the perpetual litter as they bend over to dodge the bullets. The real message is that Pawlowski is a chronic bureaucrat who cannot help thinking that somehow more information, spending and positions are the answers to our problems. Although a grant will pay for two-thirds of this unnecessary position, the pattern of one new manager after another spells continuing disaster for Allentown. Pawlowski is fond of stating Allentown is the third largest city in Pennsylvania and uses this trivial as justification for expanding the bureaucracy. In reality our problems are not as complex as he indicates, what we need are more indians doing work and less chiefs doing planning.

June 1, 2006 (From the Morning Call)

Those of us who feel Allentown's fiscal problems are based more on undisciplined spending, as opposed to a revenue shortfall, must also be suspicious of recent legal interpretations. I believe Section 1009 of the city charter prohibits a defeated ballot question from reappearing in less than two years.

The case law justifying the premature reassertion of the Emergency and Municipal Services tax was never made public. The administration, emboldened by the ballot victory in a small turnout, is now contemplating whether it can get away with collecting the additional tax for 2006, even though the year is half over.

The taxpayer in Allentown has become the victim of a municipal mugging; he is being held down to the ground by the mayor, while city council rifles through his pockets.

April 2, 2006 (From the Morning Call)

The plan to build low-income housing on the narrow 400 block of North St. is another case of Allentown's good intentions having bad consequences.  Any urban planner would realize the last thing that overly dense downtown neighborhood needs is more houses, but low-income housing agencies are sacred cows never to be denied. Allentown, unfortunately, has multiple such agencies whose bureaucrats must compete for fresh projects.  

It's difficult to understand how a city supposedly lacking affordable housing attracts so many low income people. While even in this current frenzy market existing houses on North St. sell for only $40,000.00, these new houses would cost over $209,000.00 each to build.  The do-gooder bureaucrats would sell the houses for about one-third their actual cost to instill roots and pride in the newly induced homeowners, who must agree to stay put for ten years.  

Although this plan has the endorsement of Mayor Pawlowski, who himself was just such a bureaucrat, it starts his administration off on the wrong foot.  Clearly the crowded neighborhood, crowded school system and overburdened social services would be better off with a new pocket park in that location instead of more houses.

The city council vote against the police contract represented a loss for everybody. Concerned citizens and council members, were forced to reject the police contract, to protect the city's economic viability. Now, between the threats of layoff's and arbitration, I hope the administration and police union, compromise to find a formula that rewards the officers for their fine service, yet considers the realities of the taxpaying public.

After being obstructionists for months, Afflerbach, Heydt, Howells and Mann said they will do what's right for Allentown, instead of just themselves, and support an affiliated ball team.  The public did not learn till 10 days later, that the Ambassadors actually filed bankruptcy, owing the city over 75 thousand dollars.  Allentown deserves a much higher standard of frankness and integrity from those in the public arena.

Conditions will be created that encourage true development, expanding the tax base. There will be no more  publicly subsidized, privately owned projects, insulting the taxpayers intelligence and pocketbook.

Funding will be designated to implement priorities established by neighborhood and crime group community leaders who are  most in touch with quality of  life issues.

Business leader input will solicit young contemporary successes, rather than relying on blue ribbon dinosaurs of yesterday.

Discuss the unspoken. There exists a division and clash between the Hispanic and Anglo populations. Although existing organizations serve the Hispanic Community well, Allentown has yet to develop a true appreciation of cultural diversity. This awkward silence benefits no one.