Third Street in Bethlehem
Posted by: Noel Jones
It's been a while since I have drawn attention to another blog in our area, Lehigh Valley Ramblings, which is linked on the right side of this home page. I read it weekly, to try to stay in touch with politics outside the neighborhood, and especially outside of Easton, to know where we stand when it comes to County and State politics. Bernie O'Hare has been running his blog for years, and while our blog is "hyper-local" and focuses primarily on the West Ward, Bernie's covers politics in all of Northampton and Lehigh Counties.
I read a post on Bernie's blog yesterday that disturbed me greatly. Apparently, our County tax money has been dolled out to Bethlehem, Easton and other spots in the County each year, with a much larger percentage going to Bethlehem each year than to Easton. Why is it that
Bethlehem gets the most, when it needs help the least? Read Bernie's post here:
Lehigh Valley Ramblings Blog Post by Bernie O'Hare on Bethlehem's Take of County Taxes
This really burns me as Bethlehem is also the city throwing a fit and fighting the building of a rehab center in an industrial park on the outskirts of town, while we continue to take in their criminals in the jail smack dab in the middle of Easton's most densely populated neighborhood. What is wrong with this picture?
Why is this happening? Is Easton applying for our tax money and getting turned down, or is the City not being savvy enough about applying for it?
Post your ideas/thoughts/concerns here!
Posts
15 comments:
First of all Allentown isn't even in Northampton County it's in Lehigh County and you can't blame Bethlehem city for Bethlehem Township's fight against the work release center. know your local geo-political boundaries first.
Lastly, Easton just got part of the casino money. To the tune of $450,000. That's because we have a mayor that understands that his time needs to be spent gaining new revenue streams for the city so he spends a lot of time in the region and on regional issues. I think Bethlehem, as the largest city in the county should get more. However, what doesn't make me happy is the county's continued destruction of our neighborhood and taking more and more property off of our tax roles. That my friends goes back two mayors when the city gave the county all of the urban renwewal land in that area. History also kept the city from annexing larger areas when it was allowed. That is another story.
I have been properly spanked by Anon 8:34 and have edited the post now. All the more reason I defer to Lehigh Valley Ramblings for info on the Valley, as it has been all I can do in the last three years of living here to try to get my head around City Council and goings on in the West Ward. So I learn more everyday, and will eventually get my head around the big picture of the LV. However, unless Bernie and I can arrange a mind-meld he will always have a depth and breadth of political focus on his blog that far exceeds mine, as we are a local blog focused primarily on issues that effect the West Ward.
Now, I have a question--or a request for clarification--how is it that Northampton County (NorCo) continues its "destruction of our neighborhood and taking more and more property off our tax roles"? It would be helpful for residents to understand this.
And if Anon 8:34 would clarify what he/she means when he/she says "That my friends goes back two mayors when the city gave the county all of the urban renewal land in that area" that would be helpful too. I understood Urban Renewal to have taken place in the 70s and 80s--two mayors ago would have been in the 90s, if not in the new century. Do you mean land that was acquired by the City via Urban Renewal?
This is a forum for discussion, debate and the sharing of information, not snappy critiques that provide little information.
As for the casino, you can't tell me that Bethlehem isn't making money off that, so I don't see how receiving casino money in Easton should somehow pre-empt Easton from getting its share of County money, especially when Bethlehem is so monied, and Easton needs help. It's our tax money too.
And as for creative revenue streams--I'm all for it! Haven't seen much happening in that regard, so I'm glad to see we got in on the casino money at least. Easton needs a serious marketing campaign that promotes tourism around 1. our two rivers, and 2. our history, as well as a serious marketing campaign within a 100 mile radius to draw new home-buyers to our city by marketing our proximity to major cities and our inexpensive housing stock. If Crayola can do it, we can do it, and yet, all we seem to have is a barely-there marketing campaign to show people around downtown when they arrive. We need a marketing campaign that will BRING THEM IN, not just greet them when they happen upon us on their own.
Hopefully the high school sports hall of fame idea will fly and not flop--but for it to succeed, Easton will need a comprehensive marketing plan (marketed OUTSIDE OF EASTON), that includes Crayola, the hall of fame, the school of rock n roll, our two rivers, and our important place in American history. The idea that no administration has made this happen yet drives me to distraction.
First I did not meqn to "Chastise" anyone. It just cracks me up when people speak from a position of accuracy and have no desire to learn about their community.
Yes, urban renewal destroyed a beautiful neighborhood in the area that use to be called Gallow Hills. But the land remained vacant for more than 20 years when the Goldsmith administration sold the former City Hall for $3.5 million. That would have been great but along with thatprce went our state of the art police headquarters (now being used by the county), a brick townhouse across the street and the 3 large parcels of land that are now being used primarily for surface parking and the Domestic Relations building. This was almost as big of a mistake as it was in 1861 when the courthouse was moved from the downtown.
Also your commment "Easton will need a comprehensive marketing plan (marketed OUTSIDE OF EASTON), that includes Crayola, the hall of fame, the school of rock n roll, our two rivers, and our important place in American history. The idea that no administration has made this happen yet drives me to distraction" is again off-based. Both papers have reported that the mayor and a businessman from Forks Township are raising $10,000 for such a plan and the first session was last week.
Again, not to spank or chastise anyone, just stop thinking that no one else has some good ideas. This town is getting much better. I don't give my name for one very good reason --- I am positive about my neighborhood, I like where I live here in the WW, crime is going down and neighbors are getting involved. I like to accentuate the positive to attract better neighbors. If all we do is talk about the negatives who will want to move into our WW.
I don't think you sell Easton as a tourist destination. I am not sure that we really understand that business and if we can really attract as a community. Case in point-failure of two downtown visitor sites-Bachman House Tavern and Weller Center museum. Even the Canal museum gets no visitors. People only go to Crayola.
Better yet. Why not sell Easton as a place to live and a place to have a business. Of course, you need safe and clean which is what is happening. If people want to live here and/or want to do business here, those tourists will not be far behind.
ok, so let's analyze this. Anon 8:34/2:12 says:
"First I did not meqn to "Chastise" anyone. It just cracks me up when people speak from a position of accuracy and have no desire to learn about their community."
so you did not mean to chastise, but rather to insult directly on a personal level? i meant what i said by saying "spanked properly"--if i get something wrong i rely on our readers to correct me. you, however, could not even accept that acknowledgement, and had come back with a personal attack, which is not conducive to earnest dialogue. do you really fancy that a resident who spends three years talking to as many residents as possible, organizes resident meetings and starts a blog so that the neighborhood will have a central place for dialogue, "has no desire to learn about their community?" interesting spin there.
and then...
"Again, not to spank or chastise anyone, just stop thinking that no one else has some good ideas." Why on earth would i start a neighborhood blog and invite other neighbors to be administrators if i didn't think anyone else had good ideas?"
You go on to say...
"I don't give my name for one very good reason --- I am positive about my neighborhood"
Positivity has nothing to do with not giving one's name. Quite the opposite, actually. When people are being positive, they tend to feel more comfortable posting their names. People tend to post Anonymously more often when they're being critical of someone, which is what you've done here, despite your claims that you "like to accentuate the positive."
Let's see...
You are so positive, that you have written twice to insult a resident who works daily to maintain a blog as a forum for community building, as well as condemning a past mayor, while twice complimenting the current one. Could Anon be from City Hall?
You are very defensive on behalf of our current mayor here...
"Also your comment 'Easton will need a comprehensive marketing plan (marketed OUTSIDE OF EASTON)'... Both papers have reported that the mayor and a businessman from Forks Township are raising $10,000 for such a plan and the first session was last week."
This only proves that in all these years it hasn't happened. It's just starting now, which is great, as long as the campaign employs talent with successful experience on the national scene, not just locally.
I'm all for it.
Thanks for the info on the history of Urban Renewal and property transfers between City and County. This was the helpful information in your post, the kind of information sharing that this blog is about.
Anon 9:49,
I agree that we need to sell Easton as a place to live and a place to have a business, but we also need to sell Easton as a tourist destination. I came to Easton when I was ten years old as a tourist to visit Crayola. I returned for college. And if I get a job in the area, I will look in Easton for a home.
Regarding the Canal Museum, Weller, and the Bachman House, this city has a variety of groups and organizations, and we need to start working together. Heritage Day is a great example of this community coming together, but I never knew Heritage Day existed until I came to Lafayette College. After I heard about the event, I brought eight neighbors from Huntingdon Valley to enjoy Heritage Day and Easton.
Easton has some great resources, but we need to invest in marketing them all and not only a few. We need to market the four neighborhoods and not just the Downtown. We need to market all child-friendly venues and not just Crayola. I want a family to visit Easton and spend a day here, not just an hour. I want a college student to leave College Hill and try a restaurant outside of College Hill. And I want neighbors to leave their neighborhood and enjoy an evening in another neighborhood. Easton's four neighborhoods bring something different, and we need to market this city as one city with a lot of potential.
Amen, Alan. An important key is settling on one cohesive marketing campaign for the whole city, not allowing various uncoordinated marketing attempts to clutter what could be one message, with one symbol, one invitation to visit it all. You are absolutely right that we should be focused on enticing families to stay for an entire day, if not an entire weekend! But we cannot just hang back and hope to piggy-back on Crayola's marketing efforts--that clearly hasn't worked. I'm sure they would be great partners if Easton decides to develop a cohesive national marketing strategy for the City--if we bring in more people that's good for them too. A bona fide PR/Advertising firm with success NATIONAL results will be able to develop a successful strategy for us that will bring all attractions--the rivers, our American history attractions, the Crayola headquarters, and the new high school hall of fame all under one clean clear streamlined marketing campaign. Another important part is the active pursuit of passenger rail in Easton--I would like to know where the City stands on that issue, since NJ is actively pursuing it.
Let's be fair to all past and present mayors. Everyone worked to expand tourism. All did studies, all developed plans and all had some successes. There is presently a study or plan and I hope it leads to something positive.
Anon 12;26, i appreciate your diplomacy, but knowing that past mayors have done studies without acting on them in a way that has brought tangible results to Easton, and that those studies are now being duplicated, does not make me feel better about it. hopefully this one will turn into a cohesive marketing campaign with a national-level agency at the helm so that we can do this right. i'm very glad to see that the issue is being discussed and i hope we see follow-through--it is critical to Easton's revitalization.
I guess this discussion is one of semantics, particularly the phrase, marketing.
Each mayor had a different challenge. Right now, the challenge is how does the city market itself so that any proposed facility such as the Hall of Fame does not fail as other visitor attractions have. That was not a factor that faced the two previous administrations.
Goldsmith put together the attraction, Two Rivers Landing which involved creative finance-loans and grants. That facility attracts several hundred thousand people a year. (that in itself is a significant accomplishment and did not deserve the put down of the prior poster) When studies demonstrated that the canal museum lacked drawing power, Goldsmith used every political IOU to get federal grants in excess of one million to put in state of the art exhibitry. He was also responsible for the Weller Center which failed as an attraction. There are other results. Part of his funding went to the Bachman house and that too failed.
Mitman ruled during a period of enhanced regionalization. Easton is a player in the Lehigh Valley Convention and Tourism Bureau. Go to their website. They market Easton in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Pa. They have all of our tourist stops and our hotel and dining facilities. They work with bus operators and other tour providers. This effort is part of a regional effort pushed by LVEDC and its website details the interactions between the two agencies. Much of this marketing is supported by a hotel tax. That tax is generated in Allentown and bethlehem and supports Easton visitors.
Now, we are at 2010. Should we be part of a regional marketing effort? That question needs to be answered. Does Easton have good attractions? Ask the bus operators, they bring the little ole ladies and men. Easton lacks hotel space which is a killer in any tourist market. It also has tried to play off Binney. That does not work. As a chamber volunteer I met with many tour operators. I could write a book about what works and does not. The study should be interesting. But, it does not guarantee anything. One of Easton's weaknesses is the fact that it lacks the economic wealth of Allentown and Bethlehem. It makes it very difficult for Easton to accomplish anything on its own. We have to follow someone else's lead. Mitman was correct to pursue the regional effort.
Now, you see two prior mayors have their accomplishments or failings dependent on your point of view. It is now this mayor's turn.
Sorry it is Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau at www.lehighvalleypa.org
Anon 2:27/2:34--thanks for that information. I guess what I'm saying is that no marketing plan that isn't regional (as in encompassing all neighboring states at a minimum) is a serious marketing strategy. Clearly whatever has been tried in the past doesn't work.
New home-owners priced out of New York and New Jersey add to our tax base, and therefore to the wealth that Easton is missing. So until Easton starts seriously marketing to attract home-buyers from those areas, and businesses from all over the nation, we're not trying seriously enough. If Crayola can attract 250,000 visitors a year as a single attraction, our city can do it.
And I disagree with the idea that attractions must be built--we have two rivers, and all the fishing, boating, kayaking, innertubing, picnicking, hiking, camping supplies business that that could draw if we pitched it seriously and cohesively. Also, our history is already here, the Bachmann and other historic buildings are already here. I've heard people say before that we can't attract history tourism because we don't have a battlefield--how is a big open field considered so much more attractive than a center square where the Declaration was read aloud, and a pub where our founding fathers mulled over the rough draft of the Declaration and made treaties with native tribes? One word. Effective national marketing.
Those two things do not require any construction, and Crayola is already here. The newer attractions are, of course, part of it all too--I'm not saying they're not--but we don't necessarily need to build more attractions to start a serious marketing campaign.
And as to Easton's lack of wealth not supporting the idea of Easton as a tourist destination--back to my original post--why should Bethlehem be getting the lion's share of our County dollars, when they're downtown is looking great and Easton's economy needs it more? Why can't we put some of that money into a serious multi-state regional marketing campaign to revive our economy?
Let's be honest about Crayola's involvement in downtown. First of all the plan began in 1991 prior to Goldsmith but he was intrumental in carrying out the plan. But the plan was started with the founding of the Easrton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), predecessor to today's Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP). The truth be known, neither Panto (1991) nor Goldsmith (1992 to opening) had anything to do with it. Crayola had in-house tours that were driving up their insurance costs and hurting productivity. But, it was their corporate philosophy that brought them to the table to place the center downtown and we should be eternally grateful.
As for today's challenge it is frankly financial stability in the toughest economic conditions since the great depression. I give the current mayor credit for recognizing that and concetrating on reducing the size of government to fir the amount of revenue that can be expected.
Yes, tourism is certainly important but without the Clean and Safe we constantly hear about no visitors will come to Easton. So let's keep the focis on Clean and Safe and develop tourism as a by-product of that because you are right --- just our rivers, hills, archtectrue and history are a destinationin themselves.
Anon 9:09
I am unsure of why you say what you have. Binney came to downtown Easton because the Mayor at that time, Goldsmith, was able to put together a six million dollar package of grants and loans to build a center for visitors. His accomplishment had nothing to do with any other mayor or elected official or with any earlier date. I believe that any such belief that something else triggered this accomplishment is revising history.
Life is catching opportunities. In this case Goldsmith was presented an opportunity and caught it. All credit goes to him. It does not go to anyone else.
Binney would have never come to downtown if the Hall family was not impressed with Goldsmith's ability to pull off this undertaking. If you were present at the planning meetings in Kansas City you would understand these statements. EEDC was never a selling point or a reason for the Hallmark family to invest in this project. They trusted Goldsmith's financial abilities and put their faith in him. If you were not part of the planning discussions you should not mislead people by revising history. We who volunteered with the chamber of commerce knew what was happening.
As far as finances are concerned, our taxes are very high and I am very anxious to see them reduced. Any efforts to reduce the costs of government will be greatly appreciated.
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