Epic fail. State moves another step closer to irrelevance. Goodbye Governor Corbett. (Philadelphia: property tax, law)

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Exactly. Why the hell should I be paying for someone's bus ride in Philly? I don't see them paying for my car and keeping it on the road.

The Philadelphia area keeps this state afloat. Not only do we produce a lot of GDP (nearly 70% of the state GDP as a matter of fact) and keep this state relevant, but we also pump a lot of OUR tax dollars and revenue generated in our area to the rest of the state to help you guys out so you can repave roads and keep your infrastructure maintained. You should be thanking us. It's about time this state realizes the importance of the Philadelphia area because without this area this state would be nothing.

SEPTA is an important cog in not only the Philadelphia machine, but the Pennsylvania machine. Not only does it employee thousands of people, but it gets people to and from work so they can continue to produce for this state. Without more funding for SEPTA, housing values would go down, people would lose their jobs, and the GDP of the state would likely decrease as well and that extra funding going towards SEPTA but just go to the Philadelphia area anyways to improve roads.

I think the better question is, why should Philadelphia and Pittsburgh continue to bail out the rest of the state?

I say the PA government should initiate a regional planning system similar to that in Minnesota where each region keeps their own tax dollars and own revenue. Therefore the Philadelphia area and the Pittsburgh area and the Lehigh Valley would continue to flourish while the rest of the state sunk into irrelevance because you would no longer have us to keep your small unsustainable town afloat.

Not only is there more people who ride SEPTA everyday than entire counties in the state, but those people who ride SEPTA produce more GDP and more revenue for the state than most continues. You should be thanking SEPTA and it's riders.

[pman]

I don't believe your 70% figure is correct. I think the 70% figure includes Allegheny county (who incidentally suffers from the same problem, eve lil ol erie sends in more than it gets). I'd be careful how you throw around the rest of the state since there are likely other parts of the state that are in the same boat as well, south central pa comes to mind.
as for irrelevance, some parts of the state would probably like it that way (though they'd get insulted if you phrased it that way) and that might be the best solution since that's the goal. in the old days if you wanted great infrastructure you lived in a city, otherwise you lived outside of one and paid less and got less

[Bludy-L]

Lol......who erected the soapbox?

Only trouble with those arguments is that in reality, the money won't end up in the rural Counties at all.

-- Posted with TapaTalk

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

The Philadelphia area keeps this state afloat. Not only do we produce a lot of GDP (nearly 70% of the state GDP as a matter of fact) and keep this state relevant, but we also pump a lot of OUR tax dollars and revenue generated in our area to the rest of the state to help you guys out so you can repave roads and keep your infrastructure maintained. You should be thanking us. It's about time this state realizes the importance of the Philadelphia area because without this area this state would be nothing.

This attitude and misinformation is what divides the state (urban vs. rural, east vs. west, etc.).

[Bludy-L]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

This attitude and misinformation is what divides the state (urban vs. rural, east vs. west, etc.).

^^^^ +1 ^^^^

-- Posted with TapaTalk

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by pman

I don't believe your 70% figure is correct. I think the 70% figure includes Allegheny county (who incidentally suffers from the same problem, eve lil ol erie sends in more than it gets).

Originally Posted by trackstar13

This attitude and misinformation is what divides the state (urban vs. rural, east vs. west, etc.).

I actually think it is above 50% that the Philadelphia region produces for the state. Add in Pittsburgh region and it's 70%

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

I actually think it is above 50% that the Philadelphia region produces for the state. Add in Pittsburgh region and it's 70%

This is still just a part of your statement and having lived in Philly, Pittsburgh and now Erie I can say this is not the first time I have seen this type of attitude from someone who lives in the Philly area. I have also met people in PA who have disdain for Philly, but usually it is because they just don't like big cities in general. Other than the sports rivalries between Pittsburgh and Philly I just don't understand the strong negative feelings people have about other areas of the state that are not their own. I truly enjoy every area of this state and if you want people from outside Philly to care about the region, you should start by demonstrating some respect for the rest of the state. Some of the rural areas and smaller cities in PA are currently down on their luck and areas like Oil City and Johnstown contributed a significant amount to this state for many years.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

This is still just a part of your statement and having lived in Philly, Pittsburgh and now Erie I can say this is not the first time I have seen this type of attitude from someone who lives in the Philly area. I have also met people in PA who have disdain for Philly, but usually it is because they just don't like big cities in general. Other than the sports rivalries between Pittsburgh and Philly I just don't understand the strong negative feelings people have about other areas of the state that are not their own. I truly enjoy every area of this state and if you want people from outside Philly to care about the region, you should start by demonstrating some respect for the rest of the state. Some of the rural areas and smaller cities in PA are currently down on their luck and areas like Oil City and Johnstown contributed a significant amount to this state for many years.

I have actually never met anyone who hates other parts of the state (except, like you say, the sports rivalries). I truly believe that rural politicians are bashing Philadelphia to advance tea party causes, and that has started lots of this mud-slinging.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I have actually never met anyone who hates other parts of the state (except, like you say, the sports rivalries). I truly believe that rural politicians are bashing Philadelphia to advance tea party causes, and that has started lots of this mud-slinging.

I have met a good number of people who don't like Pittsburgh, Philly, or rural PA. Maybe I blend in more so I talk to people of varying political backgrounds on a more frequent basis? I am a left leaning Independent and I enjoy hunting, fishing, sports, Independent films, and arts/culture so I talk to people of many different backgrounds. I would say I am more liberal when it comes to social issues, but I support gun rights and I recognize that private enterprise is vital to America's success, despite of the issues we have with corporations and their power and influence. The energy sector is tough for me because it hits so close to home, but I do recognize the importance of natural gas, oil, coal and other depleting resources as a bridge to future sustainable energy sources. I am not sure it is just a tea party thing, because there are many people in rural PA who work very hard and don't appreciate comments like "PA would be nothing without Philly."

[pman]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

...don't appreciate comments like "PA would be nothing without Philly."

it's not a good way to win friends and influence people. I have a good bit of experience in the Philly area and most people in Philly are just like anywhere else, they don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about other places. as for hating Philadelphia, it's real. why don't you read the comments on some of the penn live section when the transportation bill passed. nothing but blaming and trashing Philadelphia not just for the state's problems but most of the state's ills. people claiming the city got "most of the state's tax revenue" and other saying the state would be so much better if it were given to NJ (despite the fact it's the original part of the state!). anyway, it IS real. to what extent it's across the state Philadelphians wouldn't know...what they hear are people like Metcalfe calling septa users welfare recipients. one might, rightly or wrongly, assume that others think that way, particularly given the very real anti-Philadelphia attitudes others have. oddly, the city needs the state not to bail it out but to reform itself and the state needs a more successful Philadelphia if it is to do well. I also think that people travel within the state less since the downfall of passenger rail service but I could be wrong. there are a lot of great parts of the state but everywhere I've been people think they're getting screwed but the other guy is getting a good deal.