Wage Tax, Real Estate Tax, Taxes in General (coupon, unemployment)

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

We don't come to Center City to gawk at the buildings. We pay for the goods and services we consume, of which the taxes paid go to the city coffers. And don't get me started on the cost of parking in Center city.

It's you guys who should thank us, for we can take our $$$$ elsewhere.

I agree, but where will you take your $$$$ to? The mall? It's ignorant to think that suburbanites don't contribute to the city, but let's also not ignore the fact that the city itself is the center of our region and has substantial culture and amenities that people can't get elsewhere unless they go to a city further away.

At the end of the day, I hate this suburbs vs. city stuff. Our region is pretty remarkable from a holistic perspective. Many of our suburbs have character, culture and transit available.

[PHLondoner]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

The commuters are pretty much aware of that as the commuters are paying the city wage tax. Commuters help to pay for police & fire protection.

Commuters are a small, minute fraction of the region's overall population, FWIW. The number is something like 75% of the region's office space lies outside of the city. But yes, if you pay the Wage Tax as a commuter that's a different story.

Also, the vast majority of sales taxes go to Harrisburg - not City Hall.

I'm speaking more to the general suburban philly.com troll attitude that the city is a tax wasted, cess-pool, full of degenerates... but those same folks are happy to take advantage of all the benefits the city has to offer whenever it suits them.

Whether we like it or not, Philly has one of the most antagonistic relationships with its suburbs (the Negadelphian lives in places like Delco or Lower Bucks, not Fitler Square, trust me), than any other big city I can think of. In the 10 years I've been here since London, it's certainly improved but has a ways to go.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by PHLondoner

Commuters are a small, minute fraction of the region's overall population, FWIW. The number is something like 75% of the region's office space lies outside of the city. But yes, if you pay the Wage Tax as a commuter that's a different story.

Also, the vast majority of sales taxes go to Harrisburg - not City Hall.

I'm speaking more to the general suburban philly.com troll attitude that the city is a tax wasted, cess-pool, full of degenerates... but those same folks are happy to take advantage of all the benefits the city has to offer whenever it suits them.

Whether we like it or not, Philly has one of the most antagonistic relationships with its suburbs (the Negadelphian lives in places like Delco or Lower Bucks, not Fitler Square, trust me), than any other big city I can think of. In the 10 years I've been here since London, it's certainly improved but has a ways to go.

10 years means that you don't know that commuters used to pay the full amount of the wage tax until some commuters took the city to court demanding the right to vote in city elections. That's why the tax was stepped down for the commuters.

There are people in the suburbs who never go into the city to take advantage of anything. I would know this because I have known some, & just about all of the commuters who l worked with talked about them too. That would be commuters from all 3 states. There are people in the city who don't venture out to the 'burbs, too.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by PHLondoner

Commuters are a small, minute fraction of the region's overall population, FWIW. The number is something like 75% of the region's office space lies outside of the city. But yes, if you pay the Wage Tax as a commuter that's a different story.

Also, the vast majority of sales taxes go to Harrisburg - not City Hall.

I'm speaking more to the general suburban philly.com troll attitude that the city is a tax wasted, cess-pool, full of degenerates... but those same folks are happy to take advantage of all the benefits the city has to offer whenever it suits them.

Whether we like it or not, Philly has one of the most antagonistic relationships with its suburbs (the Negadelphian lives in places like Delco or Lower Bucks, not Fitler Square, trust me), than any other big city I can think of. In the 10 years I've been here since London, it's certainly improved but has a ways to go.

If you were to poll those people I bet a lot of them are still stuck in a very 70s or 80s idea of what the city is and what it's about....especially what it's about nowadays. Ironically if you were to ask them what they thought of the late Frank Rizzo they would probably praise him when the city was suffering it's biggest decline during his tenure.

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by PHLondoner

Commuters are a small, minute fraction of the region's overall population, FWIW. The number is something like 75% of the region's office space lies outside of the city. But yes, if you pay the Wage Tax as a commuter that's a different story.

Also, the vast majority of sales taxes go to Harrisburg - not City Hall.

I'm speaking more to the general suburban philly.com troll attitude that the city is a tax wasted, cess-pool, full of degenerates... but those same folks are happy to take advantage of all the benefits the city has to offer whenever it suits them.

Whether we like it or not, Philly has one of the most antagonistic relationships with its suburbs (the Negadelphian lives in places like Delco or Lower Bucks, not Fitler Square, trust me), than any other big city I can think of. In the 10 years I've been here since London, it's certainly improved but has a ways to go.

It's more like 65% of office space is outside of the city. Although the percentage of jobs outside the city is closer to your figure.

But it’s too early to say that the City of Brotherly Love has bested its suburban brethren. Many of the region's other counties still offer genuine competition and most of the region’s corporate headquarters are still based in the sprawl. Philadelphia offers just 45 million square feet of office space, compared to to 54 million square feet in the city’s Pennsylvania suburbs alone. Northern Delaware and South Jersey each have between 14 and 13 million square feet apiece.

PlanPhilly | How excited should Philly be about its growing office market?

The city is outpacing the suburbs at this point. Especially with the SYs project and other growth in University City, I think it's not unrealistic to hit 40% in the city in the not-so-distant future.

Regardless, that's impressive centralization for an American city. Not necessarily minute IMO. When all is said/done, the region needs to work together.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

They didn’t calculate them right. Incompetent morons are abound in every facet of the machine known as city hall.

This guy goes into some depth about problems with the new assessment: OPA Messed Up the Land Assessments Again - Philadelphia 3.0

Everything comes down from the top. Clarke and Kenney probably grew up littering, so is it that surprising they don’t seem to notice the glaring problems? Clarke didn’t even go to college.

The fact they can’t seem to figure out how to finish the new Tax IT system is testament to their stupidity.

To follow up my initial comment because I feel like it’s too negative, I may not like a lot of the members of city council but I still love living in Philadelphia and know it is worth it to me.

Worth is an objective thing. Do I pay an insane amount of taxes? Yes but I choose to. My girl and I are both professionals who make more than enough to live comfortably in a nice neighborhood. Not everyone is as fortunate. Which is why I get so fired about stupid issues that could be fixed with better community leadership like trash collection etc.

[Hannah5555]

Particularly like the street cleaning sign. I have never lived in a city where street cleaning and alternate side of the street parking weren't routine.

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...7f&oe=5B90A127


http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion..._04_28_18.html

[1ondoner]

The main problem is not that the streets are not cleaned but is the residents littering their streets. They dump trash outside their homes. I don't think any amount of street cleaning can fix this. Residents need to change first before accusing the city for not cleaning their streets. How had is it take out the trash in a responsible manner?

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

Particularly like the street cleaning sign. I have never lived in a city where street cleaning and alternate side of the street parking weren't routine.

[Hannah5555]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

The main problem is not that the streets are not cleaned but is the residents littering their streets. They dump trash outside their homes. I don't think any amount of street cleaning can fix this. Residents need to change first before accusing the city for not cleaning their streets. How had is it take out the trash in a responsible manner?

I agree. And residents should be capable of putting the trash IN the dumpster instead of next to it. That said, it doesn't help that the city can't lead by example by having routine street cleaning included in the budget (and yes, I know there's no money etc etc but still.).

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

The main problem is not that the streets are not cleaned but is the residents littering their streets. They dump trash outside their homes. I don't think any amount of street cleaning can fix this. Residents need to change first before accusing the city for not cleaning their streets. How had is it take out the trash in a responsible manner?

No worries. Gentrification is solving this. The individuals that feel “normal” trash removal is dumping it down the sewer or simply throwing it out a car window are quickly being displaced. I’m not sure what this means for our planet, as, from my experiences, I don’t see this group changing behaviors (too many children by the wrong “parents,” but that’s a discussion for another thread). However, for the core of our City, it’s certainly good news in regards to trash issues.