Pamela

The Mystery Poll

I previously posted about an extensive phone poll I had received that focused on the race for the Lehigh Valley’s 15th Congressional District between Charlie Dent and John Callahan. I summarized, incorrectly as it turns out, that the poll was most likely conducted by the Dent campaign or the RCCC.

I’ve received both official confirmation from the Dent campaign’s manager, Shawn Millan, and unofficial confirmation from a source close to the campaign, that it was NOT a Dent poll nor was it paid for by the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. Millan believes it was a Democratic poll, although that is an opinion only. The unofficial source, a professional political operative, agreed with Millan, sighting  the extensive questions about union membership.

My theory was that the union questions were the R’s looking for any weakness in union support that they could leverage. The operative thinks it’s the exact opposite: The Dems are worried that the unions are so mad over the healthcare bill that they’ll run to the Republican side of the ballot. The poll is meant to reassure the “D” hierarchy that that’s not true, or motivate them to start shoring up that part of the base.

Blogger’s Note: I would have posted this information two days ago, but someone tried to hack in to the blog rendering it unusable for 48 hours.

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A Different Kind Of Conversation…

Blogging is a very unique, personal, form of communication. We bloggers get to sit in front of our computer screens at all hours of the night and day, in all forms of dress or undress, and pontificate about anything that interests us, in the hope that someone will read our pearls of wisdom, and even better, post a comment.  

WGPA studio Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14, I get to up the ante by being part of WGPA’s morning program, “Daybreak” from approx. 8:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The show is streamed  live online at http://www.wgpasunny1100.com and the call-in number is 610-866-8074. 

We won’t be discussing politics, at least not local politics. We will be discussing the status of women in the developing world and the economic impact women are beginning to have on the global economy…from America to Afghanistan.

I hope you’ll be listening, and most of all, I hope you’ll call in to say hello, share your thoughts, and join the conversation, because after 9:00 a.m., this radio Cinderella turns back in to a blogger pumpkin, stuck behind her computer screen once again.

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Press 1 If You’re Ready For Politics 2010

telephone ringing There are certain markers in politics. Across the country, fall elections begin in earnest after Labor Day; in Pennsylvania, where our spring Primaries usually don’t happen till May, this year it’s May 18, everyone gets serious right after Easter. So it wasn’t surprising to pick up my phone and hear an automated message telling me they weren’t selling anything, that my political opinions were very important, and I should press 1 if I was willing to take a survey.

The questions focused mostly on the 15th Congressional race between Charlie Dent and John Callahan. On a sliding scale, how favorable was my opinion of each candidate. Was I definitely going to vote for one over the other or was I only “likely” to vote for one of them. And did I feel aligned with how Dent voted on the issues.

There were some “coattail” questions, too, from the Statehouse to the White House. Was I likely to vote for Corbett or Onorato for Governor, and what kind of job did I think President Obama was doing, including rating my opinion about healthcare. I answered very calmly and professionally, relieved that they didn’t get my husband on the phone instead of me.

When it came time for the stats, I was surprised at two things, how much emphasis there was on race: I must have been asked three different ways if I was Caucasian or Hispanic. And another three questions about labor unions, from was I a member, was a spouse or next of kin a member, down to “Is anyone living in your household a member?”.

There was no mention of Dent’s Tea Party Primary opponent, so it appears he’s been dismissed as not even a factor. And from the emphasis on unions, it looks like siphoning off their members, who have made no secret of their anger over the healtchare bill, away from the Democrats, may be a new strategy for this mid-term election. 

The poll was so well done that I can’t be exactly sure who paid for it. If I had to bet, I’d say the Dent campaign or the National Republican Congressional Committee. I called Dent’s headquarters for comment, but my call was never returned. I guess they don’t know about political markers…Easter is over, Press 1 to talk to your constituents.

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The Internship Dilemma: No more free lunch

flipping burgersWith summer approaching and unemployment stuck at 9.7%, students looking for a summer job are going to have a tough time, even if they’re willing to flip burgers. Those looking to boost their skill set and resume through a professional internship are really up against the odds.

Summer internships used to be a boon to employers who were looking for “cheap labor” to do filing and answer the phones. As the economy tightened, cheap often became “free”, or internships were eliminated all together.

Looking to build any edge they could in the job market once they graduated, students who could afford to, took the free internships, and moved home with mom and dad, or held another job. According to a recent article in the New York Times, “Employers posted 643 unpaid internships on Stanford University’s job board this academic year, more than triple the 174 posted two years ago.” 

Not so fast: The Federal Labor Department is starting to investigate free internships as possible minimum wage violations. Whether this is a little too much of “Big Brother” is a post for another time,

If you are a college student, or know of one who is looking to gain some valuable international experience this summer, there are some bright spots. One of them, or rather five of them, are  being offered by the “The Business Council for Peace”. Bpeace, headquartered in New York, is an international non-profit coalition of business professionals who believe the path to peace is lined with jobs.

Students accepted as 2010 Bpeace Fellows will work virtually on projects that help developing countries create more employment and lift people out of poverty and violence…and they will be paid. The deadline  to apply is April 19, and the information is available on here on the PR Newswire site.

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My Reliable Sources: City Appears To Be On Verge of Act 47

A breaking news alert from The Morning Call has just confirmed what this blog reported over 24 hours ago, that the city of Allentown is headed for an Act 47 filing. (Not that Perspectives was given any credit in the paper for breaking this story, but the readers know where they heard it first.)

In typical City Hall fashion, the Pawlowski administration is still denying it, but both Jarrett Renshaw’s and my sources say it is going to happen.

And since I’m on a roll here, I will take this opportunity to reprint something I wrote over five years ago…

Emergency Medicine: Although not perfect, Act 47 could relieve Allentown’s symptoms of financial distress

Maybe I should add the title “psychic” to the other jobs I do.

The arrogance and hubris of this administration for waiting to do what should have been done years ago is a legacy for which it will always be remembered. So all the deception and obfuscation was for nothing but to drive the city further in to debt. Congratulations on putting ego ahead of the needs of Allentown.

Blogger’s Note, 4/6, 2:10 p.m.: City Hall is denying there will be an Act 47 filing. At this point I’m sticking by my sources. I suspect one or both of two things are going on: What the city is really about to apply for is Act 205, the Municipal Plan Funding and Recovery Act and in the game of “whisper down the lane” that information was transformed into Act 47. And/or the unions got wind of a possible bankruptcy filing and decided to strike the first blow. But the bottom line is, something is going on. The city is drowning and it’s looking for a lifeline. Stay tuned…

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The Handling of Other People’s Money

In all the years I’ve been writing and blogging, I’ve run very few ‘blind items’. I don’t do it because there’s so much good stuff to write about that I can openly source that I don’t have to resort to “unnamed officials” who spoke on the condition of anonymity.  But this is not one of those times.

According to some closely placed sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, down at Allentown City Hall, the phrase, “Act 47” is reverberating through the hallways. You may remember that just two weeks ago, The Morning Call reported and this blog commented on the fact that the $10 million borrowed bailout isn’t working quite the way we were all led to believe it would. With a lot of bills coming due in the next year or two, the option of entering the state’s municipal fiscal distress program may be looking like it might be the only way out.

And then there’s the story about a regional organization that decided to create a non-profit foundation so they could give money away to projects they wanted to support. Just one little problem: The foundation has been giving away more money than they’ve been taking in. Where did they get the money from? They’ve been borrowing it from the organization with which they’re affiliated. The foundation is now in debt to the “mother ship” for well in to six figures. So much so that at least one donor who became aware of the situation has decided to not honor this year’s pledge. 

Looks like there’s going to be a lot of talk soon about how people handle other people’s money. Where is Donald Trump when you need him? 

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Weekend Wanderings – April 3, 2010

Since this is a weekend for resurrections, I thought I would keep the theme by bringing back to life “Weekend Wanderings”…thoughts, observations, adventures, that have little or nothing to do with news and politics, and that instead focus on the people and places that occupy my rare moments of down time.

Today’s “Wandering” involved fellow bloggers Kathy Frederick who writes the very funny and sardonic “The Junk Drawer”, and Bernie O’Hare who writes one of the best political blogs in the state, “Lehigh Valley Ramblings”. Both Kathy and Bernie have tremendous followings and are very widely read. Blogger Lunch

Blogging is a strange avocation, although for some there’s no “a”…it’s a vocation for which they get paid, but those who make money at blogging are few and far between. Most of us do it because we love to write and enjoy sharing information or stirring the pot, or both. Bernie and I were both impressed when Kathy mentioned that she is now listed on Kindle’s blog list and people are paying to subscribe.

The three of us had so much fun sitting at Pistachio enjoying a gorgeous spring day that we’ve agreed to do it again next month. Bernie wants us to try Thai food at one of his favorite places in Bethlehem. Kathy was less than enthusiastic about that suggestion, but we convinced her to try it if for no other reason than the great material the experience may give her for a blog post. I’m hearing music from “The King and I”.

Wishing everyone all the blessings of Easter and Passover.

Weekend Wanderings – April 3, 2010 Read More »

What A Surprise: The Box Isn’t So Locked

Lockbox When I returned to blogging a few weeks ago, I promised myself that I was going to avoid local Allentown politics as much as possible. A lot of Perspectives readers are not Allentonians.  And the truth is, I’m frustrated beyond words with Allentown’s slide in to the abyss and the inability of anyone in a position to do so to show an ounce of courage or leadership.

But promises are made to be broken, and even though fellow blogger extraordinaire Bernie O’Hare beat me to it, I feel compelled to comment on Jarrett Renshaw’s well-written story in Sunday’s paper, titled “Allentown Loan Deal Isn’t Paying Off”. Really. What a surprise.

Anyone who’s ever been married knows that one of the ways you keep a relationship healthy is by resisting the urge to say “I told you so” when your partner turns out to be wrong and you turn out to be right. But there are no such rules in journalism or politics, so excuse me while I mention that there were people out here in the wilderness, myself included, who were trying to sound this alarm, years ago, and no one, including The Morning Call, would listen.

Now that the light is finally shining on the inside of the open lockbox, and it looks like the reserve may have dipped below it’s legally locked level, and even though the convoluted deal hasn’t earned a fraction of the interest projected to help pay down the debt, don’t get your hopes up that anything will change.

City Council will continue to verbalize a few mild protests, the mayor will go on blaming his predecessor and the worst recession since the Great Depression, and there will be no consequences for this deception except for the increase in taxes of the dwindling number of Allentown citizens who still actually pay taxes.

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A Step Back From The Cliff

A lot of Americans are upset about the passage of the Healthcare Reform Bill. Depending on what poll you read, somewhere between 30 and 50% of the country’s citizens don’t approve of these changes.

Rumors about what is and is not in the Bill are flying around like flies at a picnic, and rumors weren’t the only things flying today. Bricks were thrown through the office windows of some members of congress who voted for the Bill, and one Congressman’s brother, whose house was mistaken for the residence of the Congressman, had his gas line cut. 

This is not how Americans settle our differences: It is how third world countries and dictators settle theirs. We need to take a step back and take a deep breath. There’s an election coming up in 8 months, and it’s at the ballot box that Americans should express their frustration and disapproval.

This behavior is beneath us and weakens our moral authority. .

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The Mighty Oak Has Fallen….Acorn Closes It’s Doors

Lots going on in Varkonyland right now so will be brief, but I just had to post about the demise of Acorn.

Every once in a while, the bad guys get caught in their own web. And although I do not approve of the entrapment that was used to bring Acorn down, I’m glad they are finished…well, kind of finished.

As reported by the AP, two of their largest affiliates, New York and California, have changed their names and are still operating. But by and large, local chapters and field offices have closed for good. We will shed no tears at their passing. Hopefully, legitimate community organizations will take their place.

And while we’re on the subject, lest we have short memories, it would be good to be reminded who ran the Acorn field operation here in the Lehigh Valley in its heyday: That would be Siobhan Bennett. 

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