Philadelphia 2035 (Clark, Penn: results, sound, bought)

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by jjv007

Temple students are incredibly socially liberal, why would they vote guys like Clarke out? The irony is that I think people like Clarke and Sanchez are antithetical to progressive values but anyway.

If they knew what Clarke actually stands for, along with how he truly holds this city back, they may change their minds. Mass property takings via the PHA, extravagant parking minimums (along with "driving to the corner store"), bike lane refusals, and downzoning (a hypocritical move from someone who claims to support affordable housing) are antithetical to the progressive values that liberals have. The problem is that many Temple students who live in the neighborhood don't care enough about Philly politics to vote him out. Hell, some don't even want to live in the city upon graduation.

In a city where less than 30,000 votes can win a major election for a Councilperson, educating and enticing even a few students to come to the voting booths could mean a world of difference between a Philadelphia that has progressive politicians vs regressive ones.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

If they knew what Clarke actually stands for, along with how he truly holds this city back, they may change their minds. Mass property takings via the PHA, extravagant parking minimums (along with "driving to the corner store"), bike lane refusals, and downzoning (a hypocritical move from someone who claims to support affordable housing) are antithetical to the progressive values that liberals have. The problem is that many Temple students who live in the neighborhood don't care enough about Philly politics to vote him out. Hell, some don't even want to live in the city upon graduation.

In a city where less than 30,000 votes can win a major election for a Councilperson, educating and enticing even a few students to come to the voting booths could mean a world of difference between a Philadelphia that has progressive politicians vs regressive ones.

If only they could be convinced. For one, college students are not just gonna get out and vote in city council elections. They don't care enough. But even then, all students who would care are convinced that any form of development is a form of gentrification by corporate vultures or something of the like. They think progress tears apart a sense of community and is thus inherently harmful. You can't change paradigms that are so brazenly entrenched.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Clarke working hard to keep his district as ghetto as possible

Why give a pass to so many delinquent taxpayers? | Editorial



This is the stuff that makes my blood boil.

And before him, ex-mayor John Street did it. It was his district before Clarke.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

They should be in jail. I pray for Philadelphia when I read s*** like this.

Forgiving delinquent tax payers, forgiving delinquent parking tickets, more parking, mandatory affordable housing, eminent domain to prevent developers from building.... Sounds like a world class city to me, really saddening.

Prayer never works. What might work is getting your millennial buddies to vote en masse or run for office. Actually do the work to change the system. But you won't of course.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by jjv007

If only they could be convinced. For one, college students are not just gonna get out and vote in city council elections. They don't care enough. But even then, all students who would care are convinced that any form of development is a form of gentrification by corporate vultures or something of the like. They think progress tears apart a sense of community and is thus inherently harmful. You can't change paradigms that are so brazenly entrenched.

It is depressing. Do you really think college students are engaged enough to hold such informed views on gentrification. I assume that 90% of them are more interested in the next keg party.

I suspect there might be a fairly sizeable majority of students who even don’t even know that Clarke their council rep. In this void, it seems a good, charismatic, progressive candidate could build a strategy around energizing these otherwise disinterested Temple students.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

How come Clarke, Blackwell, and Sanchez are always three names that stick out on anything piece of legislation that will be objectively bad? I would be so happy to see all three of them given the boot! They are holding this city back for their own personal gain.

As someone who lives in the 5th District, I believe that it would be easy to boot Clarke out of office. The 5th includes Brewerytown, Francisville, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Fairmount, Spring Garden, Logan Square, and parts of Center City and South Kensington. Additionally, there are tens of thousands of Temple students who could easily register to vote and help with the effort to get him out if they were engaged enough.

You're naive if you think it would be easy.

No one ever runs against them in primaries and you didn't mention that. If no one challenges them how easy is it to vote them out? Besides they have decades of experience in how to "stay put". Until millennials decide to try to take the reigns of power nothing will change.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

It is depressing. Do you really think college students are engaged enough to hold such informed views on gentrification. I assume that 90% of them are more interested in the next keg party.

I suspect there might be a fairly sizeable majority of students who even don’t even know that Clarke their council rep. In this void, it seems a good, charismatic, progressive candidate could build a strategy around energizing these otherwise disinterested Temple students.

Yes, indeed, a good charismatic, progressive candidate who would challenge Clarke. Anybody who wants to apply? Nobody it
seems.

I wouldn't even focus on Temple students since many of them will be transients. The people to focus on are the more permanent residents of the neighborhoods in the 5th district.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Prayer never works. What might work is getting your millennial buddies to vote en masse or run for office. Actually do the work to change the system. But you won't of course.

I would lay off haranguing some of the younger folks who post in this forum. I see each of them as knowledgeable our city and interested in its future. That’s more than I was when I was their age.

Political leaders will emerge from this generation. There is a wider pool out of candidates out there than the small community of regulars that contribute to this forum.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

I would lay off haranguing some of the younger folks who post in this forum. I see each of them as invested in the state of our city its furture. That’s more than I was when I was their age.

Political leaders will emerge from this generation. There is a wider pool out of candidates out there than the small community of regulars that contribute to this forum.

Is it so wrong to hope that this transition will happen before I'm dead? Maybe that's too much to ask for. For me "pushing" is form tough love.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Yes, indeed, a good charismatic, progressive candidate who would challenge Clarke. Anybody who wants to apply? Nobody it
seems.

I wouldn't even focus on Temple students since many of them will be transients. The people to focus on are the more permanent residents of the neighborhoods in the 5th district.

I agree that it needs to be district-wide. But I see the untapped potential in engaging the Temple student population in support of an insurgent opponent to the status quo.