POLL: 2013 Special Election: City Council District 7 (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: wage, tax, living)

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

As you would expect.

Little point in throwing good money after bad, the last Republican mayor was elected in the early 1930's.
The chances this year were nil and they of course knew it.

The last time the Republican Party actually funded a candidate for mayor was in 1969 and John Tabor lost by 30 points to Pete Flaherty.

You can't beat the City Democratic Machine, that's why I live in the 'burbs.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Copanut

You can't beat the City Democratic Machine, that's why I live in the 'burbs.

Thought Brian O'Neill had a fairly though provoking column on this.

The question is not why more Pittsburghers don't buy the suburban Republicans' three-pronged argument: "You're all idiots. I'd never live in the city. Why don't you let us run it?"

Is great Republican hope just an urban myth? - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Republican can't actually "Run" cities because then it would degrade their ability to blame cities and their inhabitants for a myriad of social ills. It's far easier to run newer, distant suburbas and point fingers. To govern complex places like cities requires an actual belief in government.

[Copanut]

I do believe that McCandless is run better than the city.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I do believe that McCandless is run better than the city.

McCandless wouldn't exist without the city and other surrounding communities that have actual places to work.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

McCandless wouldn't exist without the city and other surrounding communities that have actual places to work.

Actually, there are a pretty fair number of employers in McCandless, including UPMC Passavant, LaRoche and CCAC, numerous offices and businesses along 19 and McKnight Rd.

[steindle]

Wow, you mean it's easier to manage a town of 28,000 than a city of 300,000, including a (probably dis-)proportionately complex infrastructure, social service structure, etc.?

[zman63]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

McCandless wouldn't exist without the city and other surrounding communities that have actual places to work.

Amen. Without the 55 square mile city your little bedroom community doesnt exist.


Pittsburgh's Future: Our Region's Future Depends on Our Small City

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I do believe that McCandless is run better than the city.

It's not rocket science to manage a generally upper-middle-class to affluent community of well-educated individuals that in and of itself is less prone to commit crime or require social/municipal services.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is home to census tracts that have six-figure median household incomes as well as census tracts (in some cases walking distance away) that are ravaged by immense poverty. Many more dynamics are in play.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by zman63

Amen. Without the 55 square mile city your little bedroom community doesnt exist.

In actuality, there are a growing number of businesses that are located in the outskirts, where rent is cheaper, the zoning officials more flexible, and where they can provide the valuable benefit of free parking to their employees and customers.

Of course, there are still a lot of businesses downtown and a lot that really need to be downtown like law firms who need to be near the courts and the local hoosegow where they can speak to the clients who don't have access to telephones.

But modern telecommunications really makes it so that a lot of businesses can locate anywhere.

[Copanut]

Who you calling well-educated?