Morning Call Endorsement

Choose 3 Democrats for Allentown council
October 28, 2007

Three seats are open on Allentown City Council and five people have offered their candidacies to fill the four-year terms. The Democrats have nominated three strong candidates, and the Republicans ... have not. It is unusual and a bit uncomfortable for The Morning Call to recommend electing only one party's slate. But with some reluctance, that is what we do here, and we urge the election of Jeanette Eichenwald, William Michael Donovan and Peter G. Schweyer to City Council.There are no reservations about the qualifications of the three Democrats, newcomers to this office. They bring diverse backgrounds and have prepared themselves well to sit on City Council.

However, at the same time, the Republican organization in this city has let voters down. The Republicans were unable to field a full slate for the three vacancies. Yes, the only Republican now on City Council, David K. Bausch, 75, is seeking another term, and we have supported him in the past. His name is a respected one in this town and he ''walks the walk'' of city leadership, having been a lifelong resident of the downtown. Republican Robert E. Smith Jr., 45, also is on the ballot. He also is seeking re-election to the Allentown School Board.However, the Democratic candidates have better ideas and are persuasive in making cases for what they would do to see Allentown to brighter days.

Jeanette Eichenwald, 63, just retired from six years on the Allentown School Board, where she learned a lot about how governments work together -- including sharing tax bases and resources, an insight that will serve City Council well. Mrs. Eichenwald and her husband successfully developed, ran and sold a computer business. She has been a teacher in the Salisbury School District and principal of the religious school at Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown. She also served as executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. In explaining her desire to go from the school board to City Council, Mrs. Eichenwald says the problems of city schools overlap those of the municipality. Thinking of neighborhood and economic development and the need for public safety, she is right.

She also would bring to City Council a strength of character and a moral presence. As the elected body that represents all Allentonians, that is important. She has won numerous awards for leadership, including the Raoul Wallenberg Award, the Athena Award from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Central Catholic High School Medal of Freedom. Furthermore, annually at Muhlenberg College, students who have done exemplary work toward religious understanding are given -- the Jeanette Eichenwald Interfaith Award.

William Michael Donovan, 54, teaches business and economics at Cedar Crest College. While many in government keep up by reading scholarly articles on public policy and finance, Professor Donovan has written many of those articles.

He is a relative newcomer to Allentown, but in three years here he has been involved in his West Park neighborhood and in city government. He served on Mayor Ed Pawlowski's transition team and on the police pension board. He and the Democratic mayor have supported each other, but we are persuaded that he would strike the right balance between supporting mayoral initiatives and fulfilling council's role as a sounding board for the public and a check on the executive.

Peter G. Schweyer, 29, is an Allentown native whose ''day job'' is chief of staff in the district office of state Rep. Jennifer Mann, the Democrat who represents the 132nd District. He also has worked for Rep. Steve Samuelson from Bethlehem and Sen. Lisa Boscola of Northampton County. He has not held elected office, but he served on Mayor Pawlowski's transition team in 2006.

Mr. Schweyer says the priority issues are public safety, public-private encouragement of home ownership and other basic public services. In addition, the key strength he would bring to council is a keen understanding of the respective roles of City Council and the executive and the need for municipal governments to think regionally and in concert with state government.

Candidates not recommended are invited to respond. Send a letter to Glenn Kranzley, editor of the opinion pages, 101 N. Sixth St., Allentown, Pa. 18105; to kranzley@mcall.com; or by fax to 610-770-3720