Allentown Water Rates May Soon Skyrocket

The Morning Call
Struggling Lehigh County Authority eyes raising Allentown rates as a large bond payment looms"A big payment is due, future upgrades to Allentown’s sewer and water system will require more than $1 billion and the bank is nearly empty....

To raise more money, LCA board members will consider switching Allentown residents from a quarterly to a monthly billing cycle. The lease agreement between the city and LCA indicates the utility can charge a higher fixed rate on monthly bills.

Allentown residents would pay about $13 more per month.."

Well it's been about five years and we all knew the fiddler's due would one day arrive. Locally social media is all abuzz. What I found most interesting is the amount of ignorance. Well over half believe Allentown sold it's water department. Nearly half the other folks are confusing the Lehigh County Government with the Lehigh County Authority as if they were one and the same.

My position is this
Allentown made some really terrible deals on it's pension plans. If that weren't bad enough city leaders allowed the plans to become greatly under funded. Instead of biting the bullet having to increase city taxes in 2013 politicians decided to lease our water out. Thus kicking the ball into the Lehigh County Authority's court.

To Make A Long Story Short
If you're 50 deck chairs short, no matter how you arrange them you're still going to be 50 chairs short. In this case-- millions of dollars. The city got up front cash but everyone should have known money doesn't appear out of no where. Someone is going pay the piper eventually. In this case that day has arrived for water users. This is now making the LCA out to be the bad guy instead of Allentown's politicians At least that's how it's playing out on social media.

The Way I See It
This was a pretty slick move politically however did Allentown residents no favors. Either we paid through property taxes (and rents) back then or now like we are forced to do through water. All things being equal whether Allentown or the Authority had to borrow it will end up costing pretty much the same. Although I'm not thrilled about my water going up 35% this was inevitable.

There is another option the LCA could take. One I'm adamantly opposed to. They could increase their Allentown division's rates to the authority's other division of clients in the suburbs. However I feel it would unscrupulous to force the brewery, water bottlers and other users in the suburbs to pay for Allentown's pension screw ups.

As much as I dislike using water funds in a round about way to pay for past pension shortfalls this lies in the fault of Allentown by cutting this deal in the first place some five years ago. A pickle we wouldn't be in if it were not for Allentown's neglect in creating this situation long before 2013. This all started a much longer time ago by the previous mayor before Pawlowski was elected.

As far as I'm concerned this is entirely on us period. Not the LCA nor expecting others to make right. I hold them in no way responsible for the woes we visited upon ourselves.

Here's a link to a brief look back.
     An article published in the 'Express-Times on October 24, 2013.

It isn't like Allentown water users should be surprised. Unanticipated expensive project costs were discussed by the LCA on March 14, 2016. It was made quite clear Allentown's water is a separate division. One which it's customers are responsible to pay for .




Click here for the 04/23/2018 LCA meeting
where all this was discussed

Are Diamond & Silk Phonies?

For several weeks the good folks at Faux Fox News have been promoting these two to the extreme. Well today these two fine young women had the opportunity to speak before the "House Judiciary Committee". Just when you think things can't get more idiotic in Washington --they do.









The whole thing going on in Washington these days is like living in a insane asylum. Except for the few sane people left down there we're in for some serious hurt.

Look this isn't some stupid game people should be playing to selfishly enrich themselves. There are serious consequences. It's a damn shame we have a country where phonies can earn vast amounts of money.

The rewards should go to those doing an honest and fair day's work. If we don't fix this inequality somehow we as a nation are doomed.

Why I Supported Bernie Sanders And Still Do

Sen. Sanders Meets with Pastor in Sanctuary from ICE



Sen. Bernie Sanders Meets with Unionized JetBlue Flight Staff



Sen. Bernie Sanders' Senior Town Meetings Spring 2018

Some will argue the guy is too far left bordering on socialism to have been president. My reply would be-- no more extreme then what we're seeing coming out of Washington these days on the other end of the spectrum. No worries. Whoever is president congress and the courts stand in the way preventing moving of the needle too far away from center. Hence I would prefer someone's influence like Bernie's. This rather then someone like Trump with his threats, name calling, trashing of our agencies/members of congress and his negativity. All of this is useless noise.

So too Bernie bears none of the legally questionable background activities like those both of Hillary and Donald. I think it's safe to say if Bernie had been elected we wouldn't be bogged down distracted by these endlessly divisive investigations of both Hillary and Donald. Bernie isn't whining every day about how he's being treated. Instead he busies himself focusing on other peoples problems.

I see it this way. American voters were left down by the major parties offering two very flawed candidates. The midterms and local elections will offer people a chance to make things right. Even if we all don't agree on everything Bernie promotes we should support candidates for those on which we do. Things like social security, reasonable and just immigration policies, education, the environment, work and banking protections and many more.

Bernie Sanders has a way of cutting through all the hyperbole speaking plainly to the issues affecting everyday people. He promotes our common interest over that which separate us. Thus why I continue to support his efforts.

Published on Apr 21, 2018

Oops!

Next Time Take The Bus..

N. Korea Déjà vu All Over Again?

Wow oh freaking wow! I just came across this gem from 2005. If you didn't pay attention to the date you'd think this was written a few days ago.

The New York Times
North Korea Says It Will Abandon Nuclear Efforts"BEIJING, Monday, Sept. 19, 2005- North Korea agreed Monday to end its nuclear weapons program in return for security, economic and energy benefits, potentially easing tensions with the United States after a two-year standoff over the North's efforts to build atomic bombs....

The Bush administration also overhauled the substance and the style of its approach to North Korea. Officials stopped using the accusatory language President Bush once used when he called North Korea a member of the "axis of evil" and called the nation's leader, Kim Jong Il, a tyrant."

Yeah it didn't look like North Korea could seal the deal with either #42, #43 nor #44. Maybe they think they'll have better luck taking a crack at it again with #45.

Our State Department looks nothing like it did under #42, #43 or #44. Under each administration the State Department was fully staffed with experienced people thoroughly versed in history knowing our previous international relations, backdoor agreements and the players involved. Career experts advising presidents who would listen to and take advice after carefully studying all the facets involved. Under #45-- not so much.

Here's a short sampling of someone with such expertise

Published on Apr 21, 2018

If Donald's history of not taking advice is any indication-- Kim Jong-un probably thinks he has a better shot at pulling something off then he or his old man did before. We shall see.

The First Earth Day

Source
CBS Sunday Morning

N. Korea Suspending Nukes. Is This Why?

On April 21, 2018 TPM reported, North Korea Says It Will Suspend Nuclear Missile Tests.

However back on October 13, 2017 CNBC warned the Latest North Korea earthquake was a sign of instability at nuclear test site after it's nuclear test blast on September 03, 2017

Then on October 31, 2017 Bloomberg was reporting 200 Died in North Korea Nuclear Test Site Accident.

After that report on November 01, 2017 a headline in Newsweek read, North Korean Soldiers Are Being Treated For Radiation Exposure After Nuclear Test.

Now of course we have no way of knowing if these reports are accurate. There's a lot of disinformation out there when it comes to North Korea. However if true it seems to me Kim Jong Un would have a huge incentive to bag future nuclear research. Especially when you think it's possible he could have lost most of his researchers, equipment and the millions of dollars it would take to replace them (if it's even possible). Course we don't know what he may still have laying around. This is still something we should be concerned with.

Trump, South Korea, China and Russia are all trying to take credit for Kim coming around. Maybe... just maybe these could be the real reasons. We may never know for certain since everyone seems to want to exploit this for their own political purposes (including Kim Jong Un).

Visitors From Space- Where Are They?

The "Fermi Paradox attempts to offer a few reasons why we're not seeing evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Source:
Wikipedia- THE FERMI PARADOX

Kind of amazing when you think about it. There are billions upon billions of suns. Many which may possibly have habitable planets. I'm not going to discuss in detail each of the twenty one possible reasons. You can check them out for yourself at the above link. I tend to lean towards explanations 5-8, 5-19 or 5-20. If you are still interested check out this video. See what you think.



I'll wrap this up with one final thought.
If we're I am living in a simulation it could mean none of you exist.
If so....

I Turned Comments Off

Here's Why
Recently I changed my settings for comments to be approved before allowing them to being posted. I did so after being bombarded with over 320 in the last 20 days. At this point I'm tired of going through them and have become suspicious as to what is going on. When I check my statcounter it doesn't show a single one being made.


What it does show is someone 100's of times coming through "DuckDuckGo" a unique search engine based in Paoli, Pennsylvania at the times these appear. A search engine that guaranties a user's privacy. 'Statcounter' also indicates everyone of these, which appear generated by robotic software, are coming from Mexico.

Which Leads Me To Ask Myself, Why?
Why would someone hide behind DuckDuckGo? Could it be they are exploiting DuckDuckGo's anonymity features in trying to find some sort of backdoor into my blog by continuously probing and testing the HTML settings on my webpage hour after hour from inside Mexico?

Maybe it's nothing more then some a-hole who has nothing better to do. Either way I will join the every increasing number of both pubic and private sites that no longer feel allowing comments are worth the effort. Just look at the insanity Twitter and Facebook has become for their operators who receive million$ to put up with this BS. I do this for a hoot. I don't receive one thin dime for this. Simply put I don't need the aggravation.

There's a reason I didn't join Twitter or Facebook and why I only appear on this blog. I wanted this to be a place where I and others could express ourselves w/o being exploited or have our privacy infringed on by those questionable mega information gathering sites. Now with these 100's of suspicious comments coming in I fear that could change for both of us since I have no idea what this clown is up to. Hence COMMENTS will no longer be accepted for the time being.

Polka Time With Jan Lewan "The Polka King"

Here's a few clips from yesteryear of JAN LEWAN- 'THE POLKA KING" (from Hazelton, Pa.)




Kennywood Park Pittsburgh Pa. July 7 1990



Here he is performing in 2016 at 75 years of age



We owe a debt of gratitude to Jan for putting polka music and Pennsylvania on the map. Jan Lewan truly is the king of polka music and shall always remain so forever.

Bunch Of Quick Comments

You know what they say about those who fail to learn from history. They are doomed to repeat it. OMG have we learned nothing from the false notion Iraq had WMD's and chemical weapons?

There's no excuse not having a team of scientist from several nations go into this area and make sure there were chemical weapons used in the first place. If so were they dropped from the sky (only al-Assad or Russia could do) OR were they unwittingly set off by conventional bombing of a stash on the ground held by rebel forces?

Seems really stupid to me that either Russia or Syria would want to provoke United States into staying after Trump signaled he wanted to get out. The question is who would gain the most in tricking the United States into staying. Something doesn't smell right. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Shame the TV show "Lethal Weapon" is such a low rated show. Maybe most don't realize it's comedic in nature due to it's poorly chosen title. Good news. It's likely to be renewed anyway.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Maven Net
A Congressman's Profanity Laced Tirade in a Safeway Grocery Store
By Erick Erickson"One of the President's congressional defenders has privately decided he hates Trump and wants to unload.... "If we're going to lose because of him, we might as well impeach the motherf**ker," said the congressman as we roamed the aisles of a Safeway grocery store together.

The way moderate Republicans are deserting congress I doubt he's the only one. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Senate is grilling Mark Zuckerberg before Congress. I have two thoughts. (1) Republicans are implying Facebook is trying to silence conservatives. YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING! Everyday I see plenty of crap posted against so-called libitards. Facebook is an equal opportunity offender. A couple of these clown senators (watching FOX News) cited "Diamond And Silk" complaining how Facebook algorithms worked against them. Well here's a flash. "Diamond And Silk" have THEIR OWN WEBSITE. It's not up to Facebook, Twitter and whatever other sites they use to promote them just because "FOX and Friends" wants to. Boohoo.

(2) The privacy issue. Are you kidding me? People themselves who use Facebook share on posts their medical issues, family photos, locations, political stance and just about anything and everything under the sun. Congress seems to think they need to jam regulations into place. Nobody's forcing people to use these social media sites. Here's a simple solution if people don't want their crap to get out DON'T USE THE DAMN THINGS! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is old news, but it may be new to some. Writers who were paid to write the speech for Melania Trump at the Republican National Convention were accused of stealing Michelle Obama's from the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Here's a sweet mix mirroring the two.

This was not meant to shame Melania.
Instead the shame should go to those responsible.

A Good Woman (Humor)

Trump's Ride- "The Beast"

Speaking Of Rides...

Immigration-- Trump vs. Reagan vs. Bush

Should Trump Appointees Be Banned From Gov't Service After He Leaves?

GOV. TRACK INSIDER-- "A bill which recently passed the House would institute limits on them serving in government for decades past Trump... The Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act institutes a two-year prohibition on any political appointee getting hired for a career government position. After those years are up, any such potential hire would have to get written approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)."

What?

You mean Donald wasn't the originator of the phrase!

Question is, why have Republicans only come up with this bill now?

Could it be they're not too fond of Donald's picks hanging around one day longer then they have to?









H.R. 1132:
Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act

Got any hats for sale to go along with that?

Looking Out My Back Door

We were quite upset today when a hawk attacked a dove nesting under our back porch roof. Doves are not very good nesters. They don't need this added threat. Last year her two eggs fell out and broke. The year before two of the chicks fell out and a stray cat got a hold of them overnight killing them both.

Thankfully there was a happy ending. We were amazed when she reappeared back in her nest two hours later. Apparently she was able to get away. Unlike a few years ago when a hawk swooped down and killed one of the birds eating at our feeder in the flash of an eye.

Over the years we've had all kinds of animals including a few you wouldn't expect to see in town. These are a few of them (I also included some guy trying to get into our garage at 4:49 AM).

I haven't included the rabbits, raccoons, cats, skunks and dogs.

Obama On Common Sense Gun Laws

There's tons of distractions Trump creates diminishing the focus from those who would like to see gun reforms. The NRA are one among many who'd have others believe Obama and his liberal minions were trying to take away people's gun rights. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Barack Obama- Elkhart, Indiana on June 1, 2016

I'd bet if Trump said this it would be A-OK with his supporters. Heaven help if any Democrat should dare speak such evil. Gun reform is not about guns at all. It's about the religious like beliefs political groupies obsessively cling to.

See here's the thing. Shooters don't hold to either party. We've seen them shoot conservatives. We've seen them shoot liberals. We seen them shoot kids, church goers, shopkeepers and cops of all ages. It should be obvious the problem lies in doing something to help diminish the possibility of some idiot getting a weapon who doesn't give a fig who the hell he/she kills. Our current policy seems to say "what the hell, they're going to get a gun anyway". What a hellva policy!

Many argue cars, knives and nearly everything else can be used to kill. Yes but all those weren't designed for that purpose. Guns are designed to do one thing and one thing only---shoot things (including people). Unlike those items gun manufactures can't even be held legally accountable if a gun is unsafely made and blows up in someone's face. << Strike that. Yes they can. Thanks to someone pointing this mistake out to me.

Then there's the other argument that laws and regulations don't stop people selling or consuming drugs. True, but unlike guns there's no amendment that allows hard drugs to be sold freely or traded among people. Could you only imagine how much worse if the 2nd amendment stated the right of people to own drugs shall not be infringed on. Crazy right?

We don't allow cars to drive on sidewalks and require they stay on the right side of the highway for safety reasons. Same goes with someone jumping into an airplane and flying it without training. Indeed some people do these things anyway, but there's no reason not to try and prevent these kind of safety issues from inflicting harm. What in the world are people thinking when it comes to guns being treated far differently then any other threat to public safety?

Our writers of the constitution could never have imagined over 200 years ago a rifle without flint having to pour powder into to it for a single shot. I'm positive they never could have imagined a 20+ round clip rifle capable of rapid fire being used for anything other then fighting off Indians, wild animals to feed one's family and maybe a wooden ship landing from Spain or England. Are we going to still refuse regulating all future weapon based on the 2nd amendment 200 years from now? . How will we treat home 3d printed laser and sonic weapons as they come along?

The founders intended these single shooters to be used for a "well regulated militia". We now have a "well regulated militia". It's called the defense department. If bows/arrows and sticks were all they had available at the time they would have addressed that in the 2nd amendment. Nay instead all they knew of were "firearms". They did the very best job they could in their time. We owe it to them to do the same. It's imperative that we adapt so not every knucklehead can get their hands on a weapon.

Times have changed drastically. So must we. It's essential we set our political beliefs aside to come up with a common sense solution that will make us all safe for the common good of each and other. Either that or continue to ignore the obvious.

What's Your Dream?

On April 4th, 1968 at 7:05 p.m. central time,
Dr. King's life was cut short by an assassin's bullet

#DreamStillLives

Couple Thoughts On Politics

Whether it's here locally or nationally
here's how the game is played....
As you can see nothing has changed since Carlin's time. In fact it's become worse. It should be evident to anyone with half a brain Trump mastered exploiting this divisiveness gaming his way into office. Nearly every word coming out of his mouth screams "divisiveness" and people continue to eat it up like crazy this very day.

Every minute on social media people are engaging in this very same divisiveness against anyone and anything. If any one is to blame for this mess everyone need look no further then in the mirror at themselves. Voters like to believe "the government" does not clearly represent us. I'd argue what you're looking at is a composite of all of those who engage in this very kind of thing each and every day. Unfortunately all too many Americans are argumentative and dishonest. Why wouldn't government at all levels reflect that?

Even Liberals Should Agree With Trump On This

Daily Mail
Army of more than 1,000 Central Americans fleeing violence and unrest march unchallenged through Mexico towards the US border

"1,200 migrants from Central America headed on foot to the US on Sunday. 80 per cent of the migrants hail from Honduras, where there has been political unrest and gang activity"

Mexico needs to stop these refuges from entering their southern border in the first place. Failing to do so and by allowing them safe passage to challenge our borders should bear repercussions. This is not acceptable. While I favor DACA this is not OK. I've often said allowing too many on a boat will sink it. They must be stopped even if it requires troops to do so.

There are already a bunch of unsavory traffickers we know who profit by bringing pregnant women from Russia and elsewhere to give birth here. Thus allowing their children to become U.S. citizens. We don't need this BS. I'm all for compassion but this is far from acceptable. Compassion is not to be made a fool of by those who wish to exploit our good intentions. By no means should we mete out our compassion based upon threats when we choose not to do so in certain instances.

Their intention is to use social media to gain three or four thousand more as they continue to march towards us. Even if there were five thousand I'm confident we don't need a wall. I bet between rubber bullets, sonic repellers, tear gas, smoke bombs, water cannons flash bangs and batons our law enforcement would be able to handle them.

Sad thing is this will reinforce Trump's ill will towards those wishing to come here and those already here who will suffer because of it. However be that as it may we simply can't allow those unwilling to fight for themselves in their own country to come here and force their way into ours. Americans have fought hard and long for what we have. This they must do the same for theirs. There's only so much empathy I have for their suffering. I don't want the United States to become the military policemen of the world. Neither should these people. Nor do I want to become the world's dumping ground for everyone in the world who has a problem with their government.

I like to think of myself as open minded. But liberalism is not a fool to be taken advantage of. These people marching towards our border seem to believe everyone who is progressive is not in support of a strong military to sustain our way of life. In that they are very much mistaken. Trump needs to stop this invasion at our border by whatever means it takes.

Facebook Not The Only Boogieman

It's getting tougher and tougher for U.S. citizens to discern factual information from that of propagandists.

Deadspin: The Concourse
How America's Largest Local TV Owner Turned Its News Anchors Into Soldiers In Trump's War On The Media"CNN’s Brian Stelter broke the news that Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner or operator of nearly 200 television stations in the U.S., would be forcing its news anchors to record a promo about “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country.” The script, which parrots Donald Trump’s oft-declarations of developments negative to his presidency as “fake news,” brought upheaval to newsrooms already dismayed with Sinclair’s consistent interference to bring right-wing propaganda to local television broadcasts."




Reuters
Murdoch's Fox looking to buy 10 Sinclair TV stations: sources"Sinclair is selling the channels to win regulatory approval for its deal to buy Tribune Media Co..."

Bigger Isn't Better
This is what happens when super sized corporations are allowed to own almost all the information we receive. Family owned newspapers, radio and TV stations have all but disappeared because of government deregulation. So have many of the retailers and farms. Can anyone honestly say this is a good thing?

April Fools Day (A Look Back)