Chacka Fattah indicted

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

It's a vicious circle. The city wage tax has kept the city afloat for decades. It also chases out & keeps out companies.

The wage tax is a problem but the business taxes are a bigger problem.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Hmmm, I think you mean our previous mayor, John Street. Afaik, Milton was never on Council. He was in PA legislature years ago.

No, I mean Milton. He used to show up at city council meetings & get in fist fights with Franny Rafferty.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

No, I mean Milton. He used to show up at city council meetings & get in fist fights with Franny Rafferty.

When? The physical altercations were between John Street and Rafferty. Definitely a low point on Council!
Second best low point was Anna Verna, as president, trying to "control" Joanie Blackwell.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by kyb01

"We...." Really... You don't live in Philadelphia so you can't vote here. You can't change anything on Council. And why the support for Johnson who's done too much to stop gentrification in Point Breeze because he wants to stop Ori F?

Alan Domb, may change some of the mentality on Council. Apparently you don't seem to know that he won in the primary for a Councilman-at-Large seat.

You are already know that trying to budge Congressional Republicans wrt infrastructure projects is a waste of time.

I may not live in Philadelphia now, but I have lived there and will live there once I finish college. Plus, I feel more connected to Philadelphia than I do to Delco or any Philly area suburb.

I agree that Johnson has been anti-gentrification. I wasn't even thinking about that last night. I just like how he pressured CSX into finally making repairs on the 25th Street Viaduct. That was a huge service to his district and to the city.

It may be tough to get transportation past Congressional Republicans (as shown by their attempts to slash Amtrak funding after the accident in Port Richmond), but I'm remaining optimistic. With the inward migration of people, including older people, into urban areas, it's only a matter of time before people start demanding more transportation infrastructure, especially in a city that was planned before the car was even an idea.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

It may be tough to get transportation past Congressional Republicans (as shown by their attempts to slash Amtrak funding after the accident in Port Richmond), but I'm remaining optimistic. With the inward migration of people, including older people, into urban areas, it's only a matter of time before people start demanding more transportation infrastructure, especially in a city that was planned before the car was even an idea.

It's great to be young and optimistic. Wonder how you'll feel about it in a decade or so.

[MB1562]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

I may not live in Philadelphia now, but I have lived there and will live there once I finish college. Plus, I feel more connected to Philadelphia than I do to Delco or any Philly area suburb.

I agree that Johnson has been anti-gentrification. I wasn't even thinking about that last night. I just like how he pressured CSX into finally making repairs on the 25th Street Viaduct. That was a huge service to his district and to the city.

It may be tough to get transportation past Congressional Republicans (as shown by their attempts to slash Amtrak funding after the accident in Port Richmond), but I'm remaining optimistic. With the inward migration of people, including older people, into urban areas, it's only a matter of time before people start demanding more transportation infrastructure, especially in a city that was planned before the car was even an idea.

I don't get it. If I remember right, you said you were a Republican in previous posts. Yet you seem to be a huge advocate of urban areas, and especially transportation. How can you support a party this is staunchly against your preferred choice of living? Not that Philly has fared well under one-party rule the past half century either, but certainly you realize Republicans in Washington are any urban dweller's worst enemy.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by MB1562

I don't get it. If I remember right, you said you were a Republican in previous posts. Yet you seem to be a huge advocate of urban areas, and especially transportation. How can you support a party this is staunchly against your preferred choice of living? Not that Philly has fared well under one-party rule the past half century either, but certainly you realize Republicans in Washington are any urban dweller's worst enemy.

I don't even know anymore. Starting from my freshman year of high school, when I was 14, I knew that I wanted to register as Republican at 18. Back then, I cared a lot more about the social issues. I was pro-life, anti-gay marriage, for example. Upon maturing, I realized that I could care less about social issues. I have too many LGBT friends to be anti-gay marriage anymore. I'm still pro-life (there are certain exemptions), however. Now at 19, I care MUCH more about economic issues. I believe that social issues distract us from the real problems that this nation faces. Plus, I have always cared about Philadelphia, but I my ambitions were to live in the suburbs back when I was 14. I thought that suburban life was the greatest form of life (outside of the city, but close enough to be in it often). Plus, I wanted to have a large house in my 20s. What the hell was I thinking?! I would much rather have an apartment in an exciting urban area than be a young suburban dweller. Plus, I don't need all the space that a suburban house offers. Living in a college dorm has showed me this. It has also showed me that having people live all around you is exciting.

I'm starting to question my party loyalty myself. While I do agree with certain items from the GOP platform, the litany of things I disagree with the GOP about seems to grow each year. My two biggest quarrels with them are infrastructure spending and their attitudes towards urban areas. The best way to grow the national economy is through investing in our urban areas. The United States wouldn't be able to survive without our top 5 cities, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia. No city in this list is below a Beta + world city (though Houston and Philly should be Alpha -, in my opinion). These five cities alone would hurt national GDP if they disappeared. When it comes to infrastructure, I'm tired of funds going towards suburban and rural highways, but almost nothing going towards rail, streets, sidewalks, etc. I would happy support an urban transportation funding bill (including repairing, burying, and/or tearing down existing urban highways) similar to the Interstate Highway Act of 1956 by Eisenhower.

I'm thinking about becoming an independent. I leaned Libertarian once, but some platforms I can't get behind (ex. no taxation. We need some taxes to keep this nation running).

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

I don't even know anymore. Starting from my freshman year of high school, when I was 14, I knew that I wanted to register as Republican at 18. Back then, I cared a lot more about the social issues. I was pro-life, anti-gay marriage, for example. Upon maturing, I realized that I could care less about social issues. I have too many LGBT friends to be anti-gay marriage anymore. I'm still pro-life (there are certain exemptions), however. Now at 19, I care MUCH more about economic issues. I believe that social issues distract us from the real problems that this nation faces. Plus, I have always cared about Philadelphia, but I my ambitions were to live in the suburbs back when I was 14. I thought that suburban life was the greatest form of life (outside of the city, but close enough to be in it often). Plus, I wanted to have a large house in my 20s. What the hell was I thinking?! I would much rather have an apartment in an exciting urban area than be a young suburban dweller. Plus, I don't need all the space that a suburban house offers. Living in a college dorm has showed me this. It has also showed me that having people live all around you is exciting.

I'm starting to question my party loyalty myself. While I do agree with certain items from the GOP platform, the litany of things I disagree with the GOP about seems to grow each year. My two biggest quarrels with them are infrastructure spending and their attitudes towards urban areas. The best way to grow the national economy is through investing in our urban areas. The United States wouldn't be able to survive without our top 5 cities, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia. No city in this list is below a Beta + world city (though Houston and Philly should be Alpha -, in my opinion). These five cities alone would hurt national GDP if they disappeared. When it comes to infrastructure, I'm tired of funds going towards suburban and rural highways, but almost nothing going towards rail, streets, sidewalks, etc. I would happy support an urban transportation funding bill (including repairing, burying, and/or tearing down existing urban highways) similar to the Interstate Highway Act of 1956 by Eisenhower.

I'm thinking about becoming an independent. I leaned Libertarian once, but some platforms I can't get behind (ex. no taxation. We need some taxes to keep this nation running).

If you remain in PA you can't vote in primaries by being an independent. You know this I'm sure. Are you aware that once upon a time the Rep Party was pro-choice? But I don't want to get into that endless debate. If you were a female you might feel differently, though. In any case there are pro-life Dems. Senator Bob Casey for example.

[jazzy jeff]

Originally Posted by kyb01

If you remain in PA you can't vote in primaries by being an independent. You know this I'm sure. Are you aware that once upon a time the Rep Party was pro-choice? But I don't want to get into that endless debate. If you were a female you might feel differently, though. In any case there are pro-life Dems. Senator Bob Casey for example.

I am an Independent, but always change my registration to Democrat before the Mayoral primaries so I can vote. If there happens to be a particular Presidential candidate that I want to support in the primaries I will do the same thing. Once I cast the vote I switch back to Independent again. Not really a big deal, I just have a problem with party politics.