We've all heard the old saying, "you can't fight City Hall." But why should you have to "fight" City Hall in the first place.
I've already said that I'm not a big fan of treating taxpayers like customers. Doing that can sometimes lead to those arch-conservative calls to shrink government down to the very bare essential services and keep taxes low enough just to pay for those services. That philosophy assumes that people should only expect to get out of government what they can pay for. There's no sense of the "common good" or "commonwealth." Before I go too long on what many will undoubtedly say is "my liberal soapbox" I'll propose that we think of city government as more of co-op. We're each giving a little something extra and in return we receive services but at the same time provide for those who can't, for whatever reason, provide for themselves.
That said, the city does have a certain responsibility to us collectively and as individuals in return for the taxes we pay. If polled, most people in Philadelphia would probably feel that their not getting the level of services that they should for the amount of taxes they pay. There's a sense that they have to claw tooth and nail for even the most basic services - filling a pothole, picking up trash, getting a permit, etc. In some cases, folks don't even know whom to call and end up getting the run around until they're finally put on hold and disconnected. At that point, they either give up the "fight" or bravely press on. Too often, folks choose not to fight and either don't move into the city or don't too business here.
And that brings us to today's episode of Issues Forums. By now you should know how you can watch it but I'll review: check it out on TV12, Comcast Digital 242, Video OnDemand (choose Get Local ->WHYY -> The Next Mayor), on our website, as a podcast (click that link if you have iTunes) or right here:
I'd really love to use this thread as a chance for people to make their own suggestions on how the government can become more easily accessible for people. This video deals a lot with how businesses and developers have difficulty dealing with city government. I'd like to hear from our readers about their own "fights" with City Hall. So please share your story and suggestions in the comments section.
Enjoy!
Comments (2)
I think a lot of the headaches that developers endured with permits were caused by the outdated zoning code and the Zoning Board Authority. That's not to knock those individuals - it's just that the code was so frequently inapplicable, that variances were handed like candy. The new code will be written in a clear manner by qualified authors. It should provide clear guidance, significantly diminish how capricious the prior process had been, and enable more accurate predictions. An increase in real estate development should subsequently follow.
I'd like to see the city take a more active role in proactively eliminating vacant residences. Areas that have increased in land value (like Fairmount or Northern Liberties) are still stricken with boarded up residences. The neighborhoods end up looking like a hockey player's mouth. I presume that the owners are sitting on them, waiting for a bigger sales offer. These absentee landlords can usually retain their property rights and stave off any claims of abandonment simply by paying their taxes.
But the government has other potential tools. Using eminent domain to extract these eyesores may be a bit too heavy handed for this state, but it's definitely Constitutional. There are milder options, too. The city has a lengthy set of maintenance standards that landowners must meet or risk being fined. Residents can get very bitter when they receive them. But more aggressively issuing them on absentees will make their prospecting more expensive and discourage inaction.
The City should also re-assess properties more frequently to more accurately tax residents and increase the city's funds.
Dissolving the school board seems like a sound chunk of bureaucracy to knock out. I wish that the education departments at local universities (Temple, UPenn) would try to use student labor to augment the teachers or tutor in the local schools. There may be a way to increase the education staff without hampering the budget or raising union concerns or job security. It would also show local kids the potential benefit of a real education. Philadelphia needs to find a way to keep young affluent families in the system. The local universities could help and benefit from an improved environment.
Posted by jung | August 10, 2007 11:29 AM
No need to fight city hall. If you need something done, just slip Milton Street a few hundred thousand bucks and magically....problem solved!
Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2007 10:30 PM