What Does Scranton Need to Undergo a Renaissance? (Wilkes-Barre: home, high school)

[ScranBarre]

While I may disagree with your basic outlook that all hope for Scranton's future vitality must be abandoned due to its sheer incapability of securing a new source of wealth, I would just like to commend you for taking the time to compose such a thoughtful, insightful, and educated reply to this long-forgotten yet still pertinent thread.

There must be some reason to see a silver lining this city or else I wouldn't be willing to risk it all in life to move to Scranton in order to restore a modest older home and raise my adopted children. I choose to cling to the "little things" that make Scranton superior to many of its sterile suburbs that most people, especially in the Electric City itself, apparently would like to disavow---block parties, charity benefits, parades, neighborhood watches, sidewalks, curbs, street lights, tree lawns, curbside recycling, bulk garbage pick-up, police patrols, etc. may seem "standard," but they don't exist in most of Scranton's suburbs, including my own, which is why I'm taking the plunge from cul-de-sac living to residing in the Lower Hill adjacent to a slowly-rebounding downtown as soon as my finances permit.

Far too many people in NEPA see "what is" instead of what can be. Some say I wear rose-colored glasses that are a tad too thick, but in my opinion as more and more "refugees" continue to flood in from NYC/NJ/Philly in search of inexpensive housing, lower crime, better schools, etc. I'm certain there will be a certain portion of them like Chefkey, Karnak, loveinbloom, ScrantonVideoProductions, etc. that opt to settle in our urban core, breathing fresh life into it, as opposed to deforesting the Back Mountain, Abingtons, North Pocono, Mountain Top, or even Greater Pittston now with all of these $300,000+ townhome communities springing up left and right like weeds on our hillsides.

Your comments about having an outdated infrastructure and an untalented workforce are indeed valid. It's embarrasing to bring potential new employers for a tour here while hitting potholes, dodging errant vehicles that don't know where to drive because the lines have severely faded on the streets, and hearing "college is for dem der fancy rich kids" comments from the general NEPA public, and I'm sure local officials know that. I think our area's savior will be to "leech" off of the success of the Lehigh Valley, Poconos, and North Jersey by encouraging more transplants to move here and bring their educations and entrepreneurial talents with them.

If I'm willing to stay here after graduate school to raise my family in an "up-and-comer" like Scranton, then why won't others?

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

If I'm willing to stay here after graduate school to raise my family in an "up-and-comer" like Scranton, then why won't others?

Because you are seeing what you want it to be and the rest of the people see it for what it is.

[The Commish]

Originally Posted by Spruce Streeter

Moreover, the commercial well being of Scranton is under assault by a university whose agenda does not include the rebirth of prosperity in Scranton.

I'd like to hear more about that.

While I agree with your overall prognosis of the city, in my mind, the University is one of the city's high points. It's been increasingly progressive in recent years in its new construction, and has almost single-handedly cleaned up Mulberry Street. Do you think the University should do more so that its vision comports more with the city's?

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by The Commish

I'd like to hear more about that.

While I agree with your overall prognosis of the city, in my mind, the University is one of the city's high points. It's been increasingly progressive in recent years in its new construction, and has almost single-handedly cleaned up Mulberry Street. Do you think the University should do more so that its vision comports more with the city's?

The University may be one of the city's high points and yes they are constructing new buildings on Mulberry, but I don't really believe they care about the city. They are buying up land only to serve themselves and make themselves more prosperous. They bought up a bunch of land that could of been used to build new houses, which in turn would of brought more tax revenue into the city. So in my opinion, it seems they are only looking to make themselves bigger and it doesn't matter to them if the rest of the city prospers.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by The Commish

I'd like to hear more about that.

While I agree with your overall prognosis of the city, in my mind, the University is one of the city's high points. It's been increasingly progressive in recent years in its new construction, and has almost single-handedly cleaned up Mulberry Street. Do you think the University should do more so that its vision comports more with the city's?

Yes they should....They only give the city around $140,000 a year in lieu of taxes because they are TAX FREE and they are the single largest private property owner in the city. They continue to build up the area of Mulberry so that they can be a self serving campus. Soon they will have a grocery store on campus and they even have mentioned building a pub/bar on campus so that they can keep the students on campus. I feel that the U really is not a plus for the city as much as it is drain on our resources. They will not give the city anything unless they are forced.

[to570717]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Yes they should....They only give the city around $140,000 a year in lieu of taxes because they are TAX FREE and they are the single largest private property owner in the city. They continue to build up the area of Mulberry so that they can be a self serving campus. Soon they will have a grocery store on campus and they even have mentioned building a pub/bar on campus so that they can keep the students on campus. I feel that the U really is not a plus for the city as much as it is drain on our resources. They will not give the city anything unless they are forced.

Thats a narrow view you have there. They only give the city140k in lieu of taxes? They don't offer an exceptional education, state of the art library, student organizations who help feed the hungry, cloth the poor, raise money for local charities. They don't offer local hospitals student nurses, they dont provde at least 400 jobs for the area, free tuition to the families of those employees? Also, they do, despite anything you say, offer a spur to the local economy during session. There will be over 6K students attending the U this coming year. the largest class ever just graduated, Rev Pilarz is a fantastic person, and an outstanding President.

The UofS along with Marywood, PS worthington and LC are vital to the area.

The last thing you want is Scranton to loose its higer Ed institutions. Then Scrantoin really will be doomed. You do not have a clue what the U gives back to the city. WHile I was a student there i sat on the governors board as well as the library's board. The school was giving back to the community in coutless ways.

[weluvpa]

Countless ways???? Pilarz great??? Your a biased crony and you know it. The city is hundreds of millions in debt and all they can give the city is $140,000? Those other things that you stated are great but when the bills come in how do they really help? They suck on our resources and we get nothing in return.

Students spend there money where? Your going to tell me that students from NJ and NY are going to be shopping in the steantown mall or downtown? Your clueless, they are going to drive home and hit the outlets on the way to Bridgewater or Shorthills and Rockaway malls in NJ. Hell I live here and don't even shop in the mall downtown and since the viemont mall is in DC, Scranton doesn't see a dime spent there. So where are they keeping our cities economy going??? Pizza delivery, Oscars, Cockeyes, kegs?

Father "I never saw a piece of land I didn't want to steal" Pilarz is just that. The U is grabbing land in the city at a alarming rate and what do we see from it? The land is off the tax rolls and they give us nothing, that is a losing deal.
Pilarz is a fantastic person yah right how fantastic do you think he is going to be when they have to return the SS Complex that they basically stole from the taxpayers of the city with Doherty's help.

Your a tool and you know it, don't get into political conversations here ok because your a biased crony offspring who ran from the area first chance he had. If the Da U is so great and the city is soo great then why are you in Florida?

Out of those 6,000 kids how many do you think that the U will help to place in jobs here or more to the point how many of them are actually going to stay, really? Not many if any is my guess.

IF DA U REALLY WANTED TO HELP TO THE CITY(not just with those little feel good programs they run to look good) THEY COULD DO SOO MUCH MORE, THEY DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH THE CITY ON ANYTHING UNLESS THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM IT, I.E. LAND.

Da U has not embraced the community instead they just deal with it because they have to. There is a big difference.

[FightinPhils]

I agree Dan. There's not much more I can add, you pretty much summed up my opinion of Da U and Pizarz.

Not to mention that Da U is a waste of money, in my opinion.....you can go to a state university and get just as good of an education for 4 years for barely more than what it costs to go to Da U for one year. I have to laugh when I see people I work with, in the same job and pay that I have, who went to Da U, or King's , Marywood, Wilkes, etc....and are still stuck with a ton of debt for years from student loans from their overpriced degrees.....and it didn't get them any better of a job than I have.

Also not to mention that the Jesuits are pseudo-Catholics who should be kicked out of the Church in my opinion....but I'm not going into a religious debate here.

[NYRangers 2008]

to570717, you should really move back up here from Florida before you comment on Scranton's current affairs. We live here and know that the U is a self-serving private juggernaut in the city that doesn't contribute much to the residents of the city. Sure, they give outsiders from other areas an education, but what are they doing for the residents. And those outsiders are not likely to make Scranton their home after their college days are over. Like Dan said, all they can contribute is $140,000 to our debt ridden city, while they're buying up land that could be on the tax rolls. I fail to see how really vital they are to the area.

[to570717]

NYRANGERs, you don't know me. I dont have to move anywhere. I went to the U as did my father and many of my uncles. Before that school, run by Catholics came to Scranton, long before you, they helped out the Catholic families in the area by getting them an education.

My great Grandfather was a miner. He couldnt send his sons to school so they went to the Army. My grandfather fought in WW1 and thankfully, because of the U's generous help, took my father and uncles in as students. My aunts went to Marywood. They got an education, USED it and became successful through hard work and perservearance.

Dan has no right to call me or any one in my family a crony because A no one is and B he does not know me or them. I have strong ties to the area and I will talk or defend it WHENEVER I want. I will be in Scranton Next week and I am more than willing to meet you. Perhaps then you would not be soo quick to jump on Dans bandwagon and assume I am some jerk.