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