Tuerk boasted at the confirmation hearing that the Managing Director was vacant for four years and he wanted to get it right. Still hasn't got it right. He even said for the past four years he considered many candidates and listened to many opinions but through it all Frank Kane was always in the back of his head. Yea okay. If we had a competent mayor that would actually mean something.
Instead we have a flunky social media influencer for a mayor who is more absent than present. He only shows up when there is a chance for a short video to post of himself on the platforms.
Then his savior, Matt Tuerk felt sorry for him not having a job and offered him his choice of positions in the city. Always know that Matt Tuerk will find new ways to waste taxpayer dollars and take in a poor performer into his administration.
4 months in and where are any results?
Homeless Legislation? Let’s face it- NOTHING will ever be done to address the homeless crisis. If it is resolved, what will Lehigh Valley politicians run on and promise to solve? It is a can that will be kicked down the street forever and into the river with the other trash.
Spending? More employee promotions, larger contracts, and wasteful spending is a basic tenet of this administration. Just wait until the budget presentation. Or wait until my budget post. I'll spill the tea on whats to come.
If there is no tax increase this next year, be sure Patel is cooking the books and misrepresenting the fiscal health of the city with a lot of help. Stormwater tax, new APD station, temp police rental, Fire Station, promotions, DROP, buyback, out of control overtime, new positions, to name a few.
Data Centers? Oh boy they are coming to Allentown. The confusion that surrounded the Curative Amendment was created and exploited by the administrations legal department. Isn’t it funny that Reading, Hazle Township, Lancaster Township, Doylestown Township and Smithfield Township have all exercises a 180-day pause on data center development through a curative amendment, but Allentown played a deceptive shell game that confused everyone involved—-paving the way for data centers.
Frank was hired to “ensure that City departments operate efficiently and that the policies of the Mayor and legislation adopted by City Council are implemented effectively.”
What are the policies of the mayor? Are the departments working together or against each other? I hear city hall is extremely siloed and mistrust and discord are running rampant. From what I hear Frank has mostly been a charlatan most of his career. Not surprising, he has learned in record time how to put in a minimum effort and keep cashing checks while hobnobbing with the local elites. He and Matt are in a neck and neck competition to see who comes to the office later and who can stay out of city hall more. Although you can always find Frank at one of the Hamilton eateries during business hours for breakfast and lunch with mystery guests that aren’t city employees. I mean, yuck! At least he spends his money in Allentown. Matt spends your money in other states and global destinations.
How does this mediocrity continue to flourish in Allentown? A lot of blame is correctly placed on the administration and the city directors, however the Council is also to blame. We have had very weak leadership on council for years. Individuals who have not listened to the people of Allentown.
How many times has Councilwoman Mota sat at council and said she heard the cries of the community but then voted opposite?
Remember the days of Hendricks shutting down public comments? How about the piss poor current President, Santo Napoli? He may be the worst of all. He is a servant to Matt Tuerk and will ensure Tuerk’s wasteful and misaligned agenda are pushed forward.
Is Allentown destined go be a community where government mediocrity thrives, accountability is weak, and both the Tuerk administration and Council contribute to ongoing dysfunction? Sadly I feel this our new normal for at least the next 3 years and 5 months.
38 comments:
Abe keep nibbling on Matteo's chorizo you rodent,big Ed has narrowed his potential suspect list down to 5 city employees he's known to get medieval on dat azz
Aren’t most Democrat run cities dysfunctional? The news I see and hear about those places does give that impression. Let’s also not forget all the Democrat operational failures and outlandish decisions that are mostly hidden from view by once-trusted general news outlets, including the present model Allentown Morning Call.
You put a guy in a position that is unqualified and you expect results? Actually, Matt has put alot of unqualified people in positions and expects results. But will boast how great they are without showing why
The Managing Director is an unnecessary position that was created by Ed Pawlowski so he had time to shake down city vendors and run for Governor and Senator.
It is unnecessary because a competent mayor who is interested in doing the job he is being paid for does not need a managing director.
The position should have been eliminated long ago by city council but, as is noted in the story, council has its own problems with competence.
Please! The last thing we should want is our city government "addressing the homeless problem ". We know how every other problem they addressed turns out. It become even worse! Again, no city, even a well run city, and we certainly aren't that, could address the homeless problem without creating even bigger problems. There is already a multitude of cities that have provided frightening examples of good intentions gone horribly wrong. Urban areas such as our could best address the situation by demanding state and national rememdies such as mental health institutions (remember those?) and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. It's not complicated! Why the silence on this from our urban leaders.
You said “competent mayor”. There’s your answer. Unfortunately for Allentown,Tuerk hired a flunky like himself.
He walks around city hall every morning with his coffee saying good morning. And it seems like that is the extent of his job.The mayor did that for a few days when he first became mayor and then we never saw him again. We know he really doesn’t care about the city employees. Some of us think that tuerk hired an MD to do all the leadership stuff that is beneath him. I will say I’d rather see Frank than anyone else from the mayors office. Can’t stand anyone on the fifth floor
IF true, then it proves Tuerk is predatory, retaliatory and fundamentally evil just like people have been saying. What is he going to do? Fire them?
I have little regard for Tuerk, but I've known Kane for years. I always found him helpful and conscientious.
This mayor is terrible at picking people to lead. Let’s look at PW !!! Incompetence in leadership at helm and all the way down latter. Some people you never see ! Where is deputy director, MIA maybe , ever see him attend meetings at council ??How about leadership in departments., building maintenance just hired someone from outside no experience, solid waste appointment to employee with 5 yrs on job ??WHAT sounds like alot of experience there. Now streets , training a young lady with absolutely NO KNOWLEDGE, of street operations. Guess we’re looking forward to exciting winter..
Protected speech. Funny, most of the comments are clearly from city hall workers. Dont be an elected official if you can't handle critism and the truth. Comes with all the raises you guys give each other each year.
The city has to really up its hiring criteria. What happened to checking references? If it’s true that he was demoted and put in a basement due to his poor work ethic, then wouldn’t Siegel tell Tuerk? I can’t imagine he would want to hire him after knowing that.
Thank you Mrs Kane.
I have a huge ball sack
I hear he’s fallen asleep during several meetings. Even old man Ray was more awake than sleepy Frank. Where do we find these people who work at city hall?
It’s everywhere in the city
The CED Director is so fake and she is at her core and evil person and has everyone fooled. The HR Director has.a team of unqualified people, including himself. The Parks Director is on another planet most of the time and the Finance Director is a liar who blames everyone else for the problems of the city when she is the problem.
It doesn’t surprise me that the Streets is training someone without knowledge to be in a position of authority—isn’t that what the city does? Rewards stupidity.
PW lost a lot of credibility when Craig Messinger retired and put Mark Shahda in his place because it was easier and faster to promote a manager than it was to find a capable replacement for Craig.
Siegel is a guano loco fool. That he didn't include Frank in his cabinet is a bonus for Frank. That he stuck Frank down in the basement is another indication of what a dope Siegel is. I like Frank's sense of humor and enjoy when he pops in here to comment. I gave up longing for competency in city leadership long ago. It just doesn't exist. I'm good with someone who is at least friendly and humorous.
..."APD are unable to enforce the city laws. Not because they don’t want to, the mayor will not allow them"
Yes, WTH is going on with the streets??? We just had another idiot cruise thru a stop sign and cause a major wreck. We need to ticket these crazy drivers... and don't P&M that the city gets very little after it's all said and done... who cares, the actor gets to pay the full fine.
I doubt that very few wouldn’t agree that Frank has a great sense of humor and is a likable guy. He certainly is but that doesn’t mean he is the right person to be MD. It seems he uses his likability as a front to being lazy. I applaud Josh for seeing through the disguise.
The Mayor’s new gold tooth really makes him look like a thug! He’s an embarrassment to this City. Pathetic!
He looks even more like a flaming fag with some sparkle.
You wouldn't dare throw hands with Hermano Tuérk, he would light you up like a Christmas tree with crispy 1-2's I've seen him at the gym sparring with teenagers dusting tools off
Personally I've got to tuck mine in my left sock!)$?
Love your big bawls Redd, will you be at the RumPus room tomorrow night? Green door was amazing last night your solo on the rusty trombone brought down the house
I don't know about you, but this guy sounds like a real cum butt
Justan, nibble on deez nutz ;)
Hermano Tuerk is so ripped, he can take on Dwayne Elizondo Camacho with one hand, while using the other for other stuff. Hermano Tuerk has what plants crave. That’s what makes him a great mayor. 5000 years of Indo-European and Hamo-Semitic civilization has given us this.
Incompetence while claiming ignorance to facts of the criminal elements that are there agents is a punishable crime just like theft of services. These idiots put the the public they serve in danger of risk of life while designing catastrophes on the fifth floor and in world travels.
Has anyone had experience with the company Synaptic based out of the Allentown bunch works? It's CEO coddled Cousin Jeffrey just went to jail for DUI resulting in injury I'm on the fence about using them but could be swayed by a good reference
I would go with them.
Since you mention "safer streets" in this edition, I have to say how devastating it was that an innocent 44 year old women (possibly someone's sibling, spouse, parent and/or child) was killed in Allentown by a 24 year old with felony convictions speeding through a stop sign. The Mayor gives lip service to wanting safer streets, while instructing the Police not to cite motorists for speeding and running stop signs/red lights because the results of such enforcement wouldn't suit his political agenda. At this point, I'm afraid to cross the street with my dog at intersections with stop signs because of the blatant speeding and stop sign running in my neighborhood. It's essentially traffic anarchy out there, its getting worse and its becoming extremely dangerous. BTW - Very happy to see the PSP troopers on the job in the City - if only we could get the National Guard our there!
July 23 6:30pm
Are you speaking from your eXperience about the grantee grantor greased up soft ball bat from gappingZ long past!)$? All right ur gay now just shut up and go away back under the rock wence u slithered!)$?
Abe…. I am flattered. Somebody mentioned to me that you did a whole New Yorker insert Sunday paper lifestyle piece on me. I am
Sorry I missed it until now.
I would have been happy to give you an interview had you asked.
I will just point out that I have been here three months, not four. And filling column inches with the coffee habits of middle management is something you do when things are running well and you have no real crises to report.
In my short few weeks here, what feels to you like “no output from the administration” is really the absence of drama and the focus on the residents of this city. The silence that you mention is the drama draining out from 435 Hamilton St.
When government works as it is supposed to, the trains run on time. People get what they need and their government works for them. It feels unnatural to you because Allentown hasn’t operated this way in a decade or two.
Here is an example of what’s different. The city posted and evacuated an encampment under the 15th street bridge. You didn’t even hear about it. We posted the encampment prior and then evacuated the site two days ago. Why? Because we communicated clearly with all stakeholders in advance and worked to connect people to services. Everyone won, the residents, the employees at the nearby recycling center and the community.
Get used to having no controversy to report. Take up a hobby. Maybe become a foodie. I’ll show you all the spots on Hamilton Street.
Or I can sit with you and go through the full and complete mayor’s travel expense report that we released to city council, the media and the public last month. The one that itemizes every nickel Allentown’s taxpayers have spent on any travel associated with the mayor since he was sworn in. You bring the crayons, I’ll bring the facts and numbers.
Here is the thing. Your TDS (Tuerk Derangement Syndrome) doesn’t have to extend to me. I never knew you when you worked here. I am just a guy who is trying to do a good job of delivering good government at the best price to the taxpayers. I invite you at anytime to join the community and to become part of the solution.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
How fun to see MAGA Matt has you adopting MAGA words. Love how you repurposed TDS to fit your narrative. Did you learn that while watching Newsmax and chomping like a horse on gum?
My 2 cents worth:
1. "Focusing on the residents of the city" Pure BS I'd be willing to bet that Allentown employees care less about the residents than the employees at any other unit of local government in the region. If they care so much, how did we end up with brand new zoning code that didn't recognize Data Centers???
2. "When government works as its supposed to" How would someone who has zero experience in local government know when government works as its supposed to?? There are many local governments in the Lehigh Valley that do work as they are supposed to.
3. Telling a resident "to take up a hobby or become a foodie" is a disrespectful tact for any public servant, not to mention the top administrative employee below the Mayor. This attitude sets a poor example for all city employees.
4. " a good job of delivering good government at the best price to the taxpayers" That is the most absolutely ridiculous statement to come of of City Hall in decades.
It’s obvious that Verizon Frank’s attempt at humor is just another deflection from his lackluster performance as Managing Director. Loyalty to the mayor matters more than delivering results. Frank didn’t arrive as a standout leader...in fact he was mediocre at best... and under the influence of losers like Michaela Boyer and Matt Tuerk, he’s adapted quickly: low expectations, lower output, and an even lower bar for professionalism.
Allentown deserves better all around.
Lol. I bet you are a cream of the crop professional. Good for Frank for making an effort to deflect the negativity and hypercriticism with humor.
Actually, I am a cream of the crop professional. Thanks for noticing, Frank. You're still a lackluster individual who just so happened to be taken in as a stray by Tuerk. If we know anything about your boss, he promotes failures.
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