At WHYY TV-12's 50th Anniversary event on Saturday, I set up a little Next Mayor information table to remind people that there is, in fact, an election in November and regardless of the likely outcome, it's still an important event.
Why? Elections, unlike any other event, give us a chance to interact with candidates and talk to them, and each other, about all of the many issues that confront us each and every day. They give us a chance to discuss the role that government plays, or should play, in confronting those issues. Elections give us a chance to express what we want from our government officials and help set an agenda for the short term - until the next election - and the long term.
So to everyone that came up to me, read some of my literature, asked about the project, learned about our The Next Mayor Candidate Forum on October 25th, and the said, "Well, we know who it's going to be." I simply replied, "that doesn't mean we shouldn't use every opportunity to get him to talk about the issues."
And then I gave them one, actually several, of these:
(Photo via Flickr from user Triborough)
Here's the deal, folks. I have about 4000 of those buttons and I'd really like to get them all to a good home. If you want one, email me and give me some way to contact you.
While you're at it, get some information about our mayoral forum webcast on 10/25. You're going to have to take a couple minutes to do a quick, simple, and free registration but I guarantee you an experience with a candidate forum unlike any you've ever had. You can also find out how to get your own face on the broadcast through the magic of YouTube.
Comments (1)
I applaud you for wanting to get candidates, even if already a given winner, to discuss issues.
So why is the paper studiously avoiding them? Both the DN and Ink seem to avoid as much rich discussion of the issues as possible facing the next mayor.
Those issues will have permanent consequences for voters who long consider themselves birthright Philadelphians -- those who belong here, but can't afford to be here.
The city lost a huge amount of welfare money because it missed its federally mandated welfare to work goals.
Property owners have long gotten a pass on property tax payment. Under Rendell, they tried only to sell tax liens of properties where there was no registered voter.
Now the city (under Street) has authorized that private lien collection agency to collect any property tax lien four years or older.
That will place huge amounts of property in tax paying hands, and bring jobs into the city. But if anyone is living in a house they inherited or such that the owners neglected property taxes on, they will have to do a reverse mortgage or sell.
Plus, there is updated property taxes to real market values.
Huge implications for everyone, and city council completely avoided their responsibility to cope.
It hold the potential to change the composition of City Council.
I guess I wish that the obvious revenue obstacles were more interesting to the press, since this is the solution to crime, trash, and rotten schools.
I hardly read any commentary or recommendations by the press as to what to do with the $700 million in overdue property taxes owed to the city?
What will the city be owed once Linebarger has worked? How long will it take? What are the projections?
For a press that claims to care deeply about the issues, the one issue, city finance, that holds the solution to the problems the press writes about everyday is notably absent.
What are Nutter's options? He has to do what Rendell did, all over again.
But this time, Street made it much harder.
Posted by Anonymous | October 2, 2007 6:44 PM