Yet another example of Nutter's clean government making small but profound changes to this city

[billy ross]

Letters: City was right to cut off Germantown group funds | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/29/2009

Letters: City was right to cut off Germantown group funds

Re: "City ends longtime agency's contracts," Thursday:
For those of us who have worked to improve Germantown over the past 20 years, Germantown Settlement's nonperformance is not new.

Germantown Settlement and its subsidiaries own many long-vacant properties that serve as a deterrent to economic development. Even if the agency wanted to sell them, it can't because the enormous liens on the properties are higher than the property values. The existence of Germantown Settlement has taken away funding from other groups that would be better able to serve this historically underserved community.

For years, generous city contracts and payments have kept this organization alive. Good for the Nutter administration for putting a stop to sweetheart deals that support a group that should be out of business.

Even after Germantown Settlement submits its missing audits from the past three years, the city should not restore its funding. Organizations that cannot properly account for their funding should never be funded.

Ken Weinstein

I'll add - Kenny Weinstein gave up on Germantown and instead focused on Mt. Airy, and he has done very well with Mt. Airy. The sclerosis in this city is heartbreaking sometimes, and these corrupt non-profits which perpetuate it need to be driven out of business. Germantown Settlement is no friend to Germantown, and Germantown should celebrate its impending demise. Why has it taken so long for someone like Nutter to out operations like Safe and Sound, Germantown Settlement, et al? Clean, responsible government is his administration's mantra, and there will be other sacred cows to fall.

[NJbound]

good going Nutter..

[Mr Morley]

Bitch about him all you like, he's gotten a lot of established crooks out of office and made a lot of small but important changes to the city government.

He's turned out to be a much better mayor than I expected when I voted for him -not that votes mattered much last time around.

[DocAwesome]

I only wish he was mayor when we actually had money to do something.

[eldondre]

He's done a number of good things but unless you're easily impressed, it hasn't been profound and hasn't yet been in a lasting manner. While certainly the best of the bunch, his handling of he budget was mediocre a d the meat is still to come.

[Mr Morley]

He's done a number of good things but unless you're easily impressed, it hasn't been profound and hasn't yet been in a lasting manner. While certainly the best of the bunch, his handling of he budget was mediocre a d the meat is still to come.

What would you have him do? And specifically, what should he have done about the budget?

It's the classic Philly attitude: it's easy enough to complain about what someone ISN'T doing, but no one ever seems to have any suggestions about what they SHOULD be doing.

[DocAwesome]

I thought the whole rally for the budget thing was weak; an attempt to show he was doing something.

I think he did it when he realized all the real work he was working his ass off for counts for ish in the news and people were looking for blame, and he knew he was one small push from being the scapegoat.

[DocAwesome]

I think the main fault for the current mayor would be the fact that he ISN'T an insufferable ******* who has the mentality to boss people around.
I am personally very impressed at the small changed he HAS forced the Philly machine to make (albeit with the assistance of a crap economy), but he's not powerful enough, and he knows he is not powerful enough, to go against council et al. on most issues.
He started this way if you recall - he made a personal proclamation about banning certain gun purchases (he was told to f off), he told certain established committees to disband (he was told to f off). After these, I think he kind of realized that the mud that is our governance structure can't be changed in sweeping gestures, and he is working on a lot of the smaller issues to aggregate hopefully into something big.

It sucks really when we have such large issues to deal with, and he can't just say "Hey! Pension Reform!", but I think he faces reality pretty well, even if at times it can be disappointing.

[eldondre]

What would you have him do? And specifically, what should he have done about the budget?

It's the classic Philly attitude: it's easy enough to complain about what someone ISN'T doing, but no one ever seems to have any suggestions about what they SHOULD be doing.

thats the classic I ternet argument, sati g someone is complaining and isn't doing so their opinion is invalid. He wasted precious political capital on trying to shove through librarie instead of the brt, wasted taxpayer money on asinine gun laws instead of addressing the real problem which is the Philly court system. He sacrificed tax cuts way too easily. He's do e a lot of small things which would have been great eight years ago but they are all easily reversible. I reserve the use of words like profound or abomination, billy Ross uses them cheaply. I never thought nutter was going to bra great leader ( none were running) but a capable administrator. I aaplaud him for hiring ramsey but I can't grade him until I see the union contracts and zoning reform

[Mr Morley]

thats the classic I ternet argument, sati g someone is complaining and isn't doing so their opinion is invalid. He wasted precious political capital on trying to shove through librarie instead of the brt

I'm just going to stop you there. You honestly think, that after all that's happened with regards to the RE tax system in the city in the last 18 years, that Nutter could simply wave his magic wand and fix the BRT? Really?

Trying to make ANY change to the real estate tax system is the political equivalent of putting your foot on the third rail; there's no way you come out of it alive.

[billy ross]

I'm just going to stop you there. You honestly think, that after all that's happened with regards to the RE tax system in the city in the last 18 years, that Nutter could simply wave his magic wand and fix the BRT? Really?

Trying to make ANY change to the real estate tax system is the political equivalent of putting your foot on the third rail; there's no way you come out of it alive.

There is a tremendous amount of momentum working towards fixing the BRT. We'll see how it plays out, but I think the Fumo trial exposed the BRT for the corrupt dinosaur it is. Citizens know it, and they want it fixed. Not even the most retrograde on Council will be able to be out in front on stopping this. It'll be very interesting to watch.

[billy ross]

thats the classic I ternet argument, sati g someone is complaining and isn't doing so their opinion is invalid. He wasted precious political capital on trying to shove through librarie instead of the brt, wasted taxpayer money on asinine gun laws instead of addressing the real problem which is the Philly court system. He sacrificed tax cuts way too easily. He's do e a lot of small things which would have been great eight years ago but they are all easily reversible. I reserve the use of words like profound or abomination, billy Ross uses them cheaply. I never thought nutter was going to bra great leader ( none were running) but a capable administrator. I aaplaud him for hiring ramsey but I can't grade him until I see the union contracts and zoning reform

Before Ronald Reagan became president public housing agencies were paid based upon how many units they had on the books. At some point the Republicans forced through changes where public housing agencies were paid based upon OCCUPIED units; the money followed the tenants, and not the units. This forced a PROFOUND change upon public housing in the USA. Vacant units went from an asset to a liability. In a hurry they started to come down. The logjam broke, and the door was opened to redevelopment of the prairies which started after the convenience stores around the projects. Small, seemingly unimportant changes can have a profound effect. This is what Nutter is doing, but you are looking for fireworks.

[Not New]

and if the city had the funds it would be business as usual.

[eldondre]

I'm just going to stop you there. You honestly think, that after all that's happened with regards to the RE tax system in the city in the last 18 years, that Nutter could simply wave his magic wand and fix the BRT? Really?

Trying to make ANY change to the real estate tax system is the political equivalent of putting your foot on the third rail; there's no way you come out of it alive.

who said anything about a magic wand? I mentioned political capital. that's what I elected him for, not to waste it on stupid things like gun laws and $11m libraries that he needed council approval for.

[quote-billy ross]Before Ronald Reagan became president public housing agencies were paid based upon how many units they had on the books. At some point the Republicans forced through changes where public housing agencies were paid based upon OCCUPIED units; the money followed the tenants, and not the units. This forced a PROFOUND change upon public housing in the USA. Vacant units went from an asset to a liability. In a hurry they started to come down. The logjam broke, and the door was opened to redevelopment of the prairies which started after the convenience stores around the projects. Small, seemingly unimportant changes can have a profound effect. This is what Nutter is doing, but you are looking for fireworks.[/quote]
while I certainly thank for that bit of knowledge you've imparted, I assure you you are incorrect. I am not looking for fireworks. I would equate the changes you mentioned and the shift to section 8 more akin to zoning code reform than anything else. it's a bureaucratic change that could allow for lasting and wide ranging impact. better yet, it costs no revenue. I notice the small things nutter is doing, I just don't seem them as profound. To be honest, PHA still has a lot of vacant units and only this year received approval to unload them.

[billy ross]

who said anything about a magic wand? I mentioned political capital.

[quote-billy ross]Before Ronald Reagan became president public housing agencies were paid based upon how many units they had on the books. At some point the Republicans forced through changes where public housing agencies were paid based upon OCCUPIED units; the money followed the tenants, and not the units. This forced a PROFOUND change upon public housing in the USA. Vacant units went from an asset to a liability. In a hurry they started to come down. The logjam broke, and the door was opened to redevelopment of the prairies which started after the convenience stores around the projects. Small, seemingly unimportant changes can have a profound effect. This is what Nutter is doing, but you are looking for fireworks.

while I certainly thank for that bit of knowledge you've imparted, I assure you you are incorrect. I am not looking for fireworks. I would equate the changes you mentioned and the shift to section 8 more akin to zoning code reform than anything else. it's a bureaucratic change that could allow for lasting and wide ranging impact. better yet, it costs no revenue. I notice the small things nutter is doing, I just don't seem them as profound. To be honest, PHA still has a lot of vacant units and only this year received approval to unload them.[/QUOTE]

I still think that zoning change has already happened west of Temple, and that your favorite councilman Darrel Clarke did it. In most of Philly you can't build a doghouse without a zoning variance, but in one very specific neighborhood developers are building like there is no such thing as a "Great Recession" - Florida in the height of the boom didn't look like Templetown looks today. Extrapolate that over many other parts of the city and zoning reform can be amazingly powerful, for good or for ill. It's coming. Whether the market will bear what the new zoning allows is another question (not every underdeveloped neighborhood has an enormous and enormously growing University next door). However, breaking the logjam tying developer's hands will cause some developers to build in the city instead of the suburbs. We'll eventually get back to the point where the amount of approved lots is less than the demand for approved lots. Then if the city has an abundance of approved lots there will be alot of building in the city, even in marginal areas, even in spite of things like the NPT and the wage tax. This of course will help Nutter's plan to lower those onerous taxes and make them more competitive, which will spiral into greater demand to live in Philly, and so on.

[eldondre]

I still think that zoning change has already happened west of Temple, and that your favorite councilman Darrel Clarke did it.

I haven't seen any proof of that and I have seen proof of the restictive overlay he passed on west girard, no doubt for al alston.

- Florida in the height of the boom didn't look like Templetown looks today.

that's going a bit overboard. the apartment building was shot down for fresh grocer and let's face it, if it was passed, it's not some shocking change, it's just that for once the power thatbe (temple) might have been a force for positive change.

Extrapolate that over many other parts of the city and zoning reform can be amazingly powerful, for good or for ill. It's coming. Whether the market will bear what the new zoning allows is another question (not every underdeveloped neighborhood has an enormous and enormously growing University next door).

no, but many have small businesses that have to argue with a bunch of hysterical neighborhood groups about the smallest things, or neighbors about their roofdeck.

However, breaking the logjam tying developer's hands will cause some developers to build in the city instead of the suburbs. We'll eventually get back to the point where the amount of approved lots is less than the demand for approved lots. Then if the city has an abundance of approved lots there will be alot of building in the city, even in marginal areas, even in spite of things like the NPT and the wage tax. This of course will help Nutter's plan to lower those onerous taxes and make them more competitive, which will spiral into greater demand to live in Philly, and so on.

now that's what I'm talking about and what I'm waiting for. I hope to make the meeting next week. and of course, I'm disappointed so far in the transit side of things.

[Mr Morley]

who said anything about a magic wand? I mentioned political capital.

Again: what reserve of political capital do you think he has that would let him overhaul the BRT?

Street tried to allow them to put the new appraisals into effect and it cost him months and probably would have cost him the election if he hadn't put yet another moratorium on the whole project.

[eldondre]

Again: what reserve of political capital do you think he has that would let him overhaul the BRT?

the capital he wasted on said stuff.

Street tried to allow them to put the new appraisals into effect and it cost him months and probably would have cost him the election if he hadn't put yet another moratorium on the whole project.

I'm less interested in the new valuations than the BRT itself, the folks on the PSD's payroll. Street was an unmitigated disaster. you're trying to tell me the people were against reforming the BRT in the spring? c'mon, council is puttin git off hoping it'll blow over. perhaps Nutter is too.
Street had no white vote, he was a blatant racists. his policies were reckless and largely corrupt. even crime had already begun climbing, and he was an embarrassment of a public speaker (like bush).

[Mr Morley]

the capital he wasted on said stuff.

You're still not getting my point: no politician has ENOUGH political capital to overhaul the BRT.

I'm less interested in the new valuations than the BRT itself, the folks on the PSD's payroll. Street was an unmitigated disaster. you're trying to tell me the people were against reforming the BRT in the spring? c'mon, council is puttin git off hoping it'll blow over. perhaps Nutter is too.

It's a can of worms. Reform the BRT, and the new people will want to... do things ,which means new valuations and a new tax structure, which means everyone in the city whose taxes go up by a dollar will be screaming at their councilperson and the mayor about how unfair it is.

It's Philadelphia's answer to the Gordian Knot, and ain't nobody got a sword sharp enough to cut it.

Street had no white vote,

You really think that not a single white person in the city voted for him yet he still won twice?

And really, with Street, the more apt comparison is Nixon. I thought so long before he actually ran for the mayor's office, and I stand by it now.

[raider.adam]

What would you have him do? And specifically, what should he have done about the budget?

It's the classic Philly attitude: it's easy enough to complain about what someone ISN'T doing, but no one ever seems to have any suggestions about what they SHOULD be doing.

That's ridiculous. Just about this whole forum is filled with suggestions.

Nutter started taking the shine off his candidacy right after election when he came out stumping for Brady.