Gentrification sign

[five apples]

Come on, seriously? You can argue that people in this country of all races have to take charge of their own affairs, without claiming special "victim" status. But to say there's no more racism in the workplace because discrimination laws took care of it? You are profoundly naïve if you believe that.

jazzsinger59's gripe might be legit or it might be BS, we don't know—but (according to him) he's been working at the same place for a quarter-century. (He's not the smoothest bull****ter, as has been demonstrated elsewhere, but that's another matter.) It's not like he's just playing the race card because he got fired for incompetence or something.

Do individuals that work in large corporation enter the job with bias, yeah, but I don't think there is an institutional bias at this point. I just think he plays the race card a lot. From his comments in the West Philly section I would say that he is in fact the racist. This poor me, the world is out to get me attitude from all races just annoys the freak out of me, especially since the people doing the complaining are almost always in fact the bigot.

[ArcticSplash]

Grr... was just shopping online for a workhorse color laser printer. My HP is about to give up the ship after 6 years; it's printing streaks on every page now.


This Xerox model does exactly what I want but it costs over a grand with the wireless card and the extra paper tray and for full duplex b/c I like to print everything double-sided. Then I saw online reviews that say the Mac drivers for it suck. And I need drivers for Mac, Linux and Windows because I use all 3 OSes, plus I even have to print from iOS sometimes...

http://www.amazon.com/Xero-Xerox-Wor...pr_product_top


I wound up going for this Brother printer... Wifi is already built into the unit and I got the extra full-ream paper tray for less than $740, plus it has a faster print rate than the Xerox model and it uses less power when it's asleep so I can leave the thing turned on. Drivers work well for all major OSes plus you can "Scan to USB", which is really really nice and easier than dealing with proprietary scanning drivers for multifunction printers.

Brother International - Multifunction Centers - MFC-9970CDW


So I guess when my printer needs service I'll have to go to some no-name shop to get it fixed rather than confronting anti-black racism in the face at Xerox.

[Tooth]

Am I wrong to think that the sign is racially motivated? Would this guy really be mad if housing was built for and purchased by middle-class black families?

Check out his For Rent signs in the former Subway shop. At the bottom of the sign, he says something like "strongly prefer long term residents" and "strongly prefer people who employ long term residents".

How does a potential tenant prove he or she is a long term resident AND will actually hire long term residents once they've signed a lease? I don't think it's a stretch to assume this is "Al code" for black people. The sad thing is that most, if not all, of his previous commercial tenants were black, and they obviously failed, since they're no longer there. The description of his facility sounds nice - probably because he had to bring it up to Subway's standards - so he should spend some time and money finding a restauranteur who can properly use the facility, has long term/staying potential, provides affordable, yet healthy food, and will make a positive contribution to Girard Avenue and Brewerytown.

Holding onto an empty storefront and hoping someone from "the hood" will step up, sign a lease and sell more cheesesteaks, hamburgers, skrimps, etc. is actually detrimental to the very people he wants to help.

[6enny]

The USPS sign is down now too. Just the frame. Did somebody swipe that one too or was it taken down a while ago and I haven't been paying attention?

[seand]

Check out his For Rent signs in the former Subway shop. At the bottom of the sign, he says something like "strongly prefer long term residents" and "strongly prefer people who employ long term residents".

How does a potential tenant prove he or she is a long term resident AND will actually hire long term residents once they've signed a lease? I don't think it's a stretch to assume this is "Al code" for black people. The sad thing is that most, if not all, of his previous commercial tenants were black, and they obviously failed, since they're no longer there. The description of his facility sounds nice - probably because he had to bring it up to Subway's standards - so he should spend some time and money finding a restauranteur who can properly use the facility, has long term/staying potential, provides affordable, yet healthy food, and will make a positive contribution to Girard Avenue and Brewerytown.

Holding onto an empty storefront and hoping someone from "the hood" will step up, sign a lease and sell more cheesesteaks, hamburgers, skrimps, etc. is actually detrimental to the very people he wants to help.

When Baltimore Ave. was going into conniptions about a Subway opening up (must stop chains "by any means necessary"), I often thought of Al and how it would be funny if he was the operator and how the politics would have been different.

[Tooth]

When Baltimore Ave. was going into conniptions about a Subway opening up (must stop chains "by any means necessary"), I often thought of Al and how it would be funny if he was the operator and how the politics would have been different.

Having Al bring in Subway was definitely very out of character for him...I can only assume it was an attempt to bring healthier food to the neighborhood AND, more importantly, to cash in on some corporate chain bucks. If he could lock in a chain like Subway, he could continue to rant and rave, like a lunatic, and not have his income impacted by his politics. I do have to applaud him for bringing in Subway, and it was disappointing that it didn't last, however, I did try a sandwich or two, and they were not as good as the same sandwich at other locations.

As I said previously, with the money he's spent renovating the space, he would be best served trying to find a good, mid-priced operator with the bucks to stick out the slow times OR be adventurous and try something like vegan, all organic or high end ethnic.

By the way, the other day I saw Al, at the Target on City Avenue, stepping out of a very late model Volvo sedan. And, I've also seen him tooling around in a new Ford Explorer, so he certainly doesn't deny himself the good life, despite his extreme concern for low income people in Brewerytown.

[JH1234]

Where was his Subway franchise on Girard (or was it somewhere else)? And when?

[Tooth]

Where was his Subway franchise on Girard (or was it somewhere else)? And when?

It was in the restaurant space a door or two east of Mugshots. It has several For Rent signs in it and several BINGO signs in the window. I don't recall the exact year the Subway closed, but it was there about 5 years ago.

[Moonraker]

I vaguely recall someone posting that Gentrification is a code word for bigotry.

You gotta be taught to Hate is a song from South Pacific, and I feel the statement reflects the author.

I've been brought to think of it as a boot-strapping up a notch, of properties or neighborhoods, usually to Middle-class. I've seen Gentrification used when the lower class residents of the once Judeo-Christian Society Hill were squeezed out by higher Real Estate Taxes. In the 70-80's, the papers used the word referring to the upgrading of properties by non-residents, newcomers in Fairmount, Queens Village etc.

[Big Irish]

In the 70-80's, the papers used the word referring to the upgrading of properties by non-residents, newcomers in Fairmount, Queens Village etc.

Fairmount was 90-some % white before it was "gentrified". It's the same percentage now. Like you said, it can be used without a bigoted or racial context. Unfortunately here in Philly race clouds just about every civic debate (PB, Templetown, AVI, etc.)

[DCnPhilly]

Wow, this thread is all over the place, I love it. How can anyone seriously make a blanket statement that "corporations" are racist? I've worked in IT for years and in every corporation from AOL to tiny ones the office has been a freaking Benneton ad. I'm sure some "corporations" are racist, but its such a broad definition you can't assume every working class office environment cares what shade of beige you are. Most employers just want a good resume and people who show up on time. Corporations at every level are in the business of making money. It's not cost effective to be involved in the politics of race or gender. If you're in a corporation that's hung up on what you look like, being pushed out is probably in your best interest.

[Tooth]

The sign is down... I was sitting at Mug Shots on Girard this morning around 8am and watched a guy ride up on a bike and pull it down.. barely slowed down.. : )

Well, it looks like Al is gunning for this guy. He's posted a big "WANTED THIEF" sign in his empty restaurant storefront, along with security cam photos of the alleged perp, and offered a reward. On his poster, he claims this person has violated the civil rights of the "the community", that the poster was put up by "the community", that the neighborhood is "under attack", and that the "free speech rights of African-Americans" are being violated because of this theft of the sign.

By the way, he also believes this online forum is disparaging, or contemptuous, of local African-Americans.

NO, Al, no one on this board is contemptuous of the black community; we're contemptuous of YOU! You warped, blowhard! You failed, pathetic, excuse for a neighbor! You do NOTHING but try to fan non-existent flames of racism; renting out your "contract post office" to some lame, past-its-time 1960s organization; claiming you speak on behalf of the local black community - when you speak for absolutely NONE of them. Don't you get it, Al? No one - black, white, hispanic, asian, arab, indian, eurasian, martian - gives a DAMN about you and your stupid "causes". This neighborhood - all colors/races of people - are moving on without you. New people will continue to move it, developers will continue to build market rate houses and condos, some are also building/developing moderate income housing, new businesses will continue to move in. And there is NOTHING a loser like you can do about it.

Furthermore, if you truly cared about the low income blacks and hispanics in this community, you would do MUCH more than hang up signs, and invite 60 and 70 year old "revolutionaries" into your properties. Why don't you put your bank account where your mouth is and do the following:

1) Institute a VIGOROUS anti-drug and alcohol program in this neighborhood that targets the users and dealers.
2) Bring in REAL businesses that have staying power, and offer them financial incentives to train and hire the under and unemployed in this community.
3) Go to the OPA page of phila.gov, check out random Brewerytown addresses, see who's behind on their property taxes, then encourage them to pay them so the school district can stay solvent, keep good teachers, and graduate intelligent, college-prepared 18 year olds, and keep the taxes of those of us who pay on time/in full from being further raised.
4) Encourage everyone throughout Brewerytown to clean up their block, sidewalk, front yard/back yard, abandoned yard, etc.
5) Talk to all the single women/girls - with babies - and encourage them to stop having more babies, and instead invest in themselves and go back to school or get training to get a job and become financially independent.
6) Talk to all the young men hanging around 29th Street, Girard Ave, Stiles Street, Myrlewood, Hollywood, etc. and tell them to stop selling drugs, and instead help them get trained to be hired by someone OR use their entrepreneurial skills - from the streets - to open up a legit business.
7) Talk to the owners of the local delis that sell beer and drug paraphenalia (yeah, right, that's a rose in that little glass pipe CRACKHEADS!) to all the old head winos that tramp up and down Girard Avenue all day long, then piss - in public - on walls, around corners, on other people's property, etc.

I could go on, Al, but I think you get the picture - LOSER!

[ArcticSplash]

I guess nobody told Al that this board is owned by a Philly-based black CEO who bootstrapped his own company?

You have to remember, Al is dumber than a box of hair sometimes. Or rather put: Al assumes the people who listen to him are dumber than a box of hair.

[thoth]

I guess nobody told Al that this board is owned by a Philly-based black CEO who bootstrapped his own company?

You have to remember, Al is dumber than a box of hair sometimes. Or rather put: Al assumes the people who listen to him are dumber than a box of hair.

That's racist!

[Gladys]

Come on - somebody please post a pic!!!!

[MariusPontmercy]

That's racist!

He didn't say what color hair, so its ok.

[ArcticSplash]

Come on - somebody please post a pic!!!!

I have to run some errands in CC this morning. I'll take Girard & the Park on the way back and snap some fotos. Debating on wearing a hoodie since Al is liable to screencap me from his security cam DVR and LOLCAT the photos.

[Tooth]

Come on - somebody please post a pic!!!!

I have a picture on my computer, but it looks like this forum wants a link to a URL for images. Is there some other way to upload an image?

[daninpa]

Tinypic.com ... upload and it gives you a link.

TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

[Tooth]

[IMG][/IMG]

Come on - somebody please post a pic!!!!