Regionalism and Consolididation is needed (Allentown, Bethlehem: cost, bill, suburbs)

[loose cannon]

A lot of these townships and boroughs need to be eliminated. The insular local yocal mindset is not working anymore. For the betterment of the overall community places like Greenawalds, Treichlers, Salisbury Township, ect all need to become Allentown. The same thing with Bethlehem Township, Stockertown ect. They all need to be part of Bethlehem or Easton.

[JohnZ963]

I agree that there should be some consolidation throughout PA. I think there is even an area in Delaware county that has like 12 different boroughs within a 5 mile radius. Locally, I don't think anyone wants to merge with Allentown. You would think that Freemansburg should merge with Bethlehem, or Hanover-Lehigh county and Hanover-Northampton county, etc. should merge, but the baby boomers who run these municipalities are too full of themselves and "the way it's always been" to give in to regionalism.

I can only imagine the huge sum of taxpayer money that could be saved by combining municipalities, especially the smaller ones.

[toobusytoday]

Not going to happen, but it sounds good on paper.

[KevinE]

lol ... stick the white suburbs with the bill for Allentown's problems

[karen_s]

I don't agree with merging the actual communities unless it is voluntary and voted upon by residents, but merging municipal services would be a HUGE asset in this area. Things like police, fire, EMS are great areas to start.

Each little town ends up paying out huge dollars for things like police cars and fire trucks, when less apparatus and personnel could cover a larger area at lesser cost if properly managed.