Philadelphia 2035 (Chester, Ambler, Montgomery: avoiding, cost, suburbs)

[thedirtypirate]

I spend a fair amount of time hammering the GOP, but I did vote for one republican: Drew Murray. Jim Harrity is full of crap about living in Kensington. I hope he proves me wrong, but his qualifications boil down to being Shariff Street's friend.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

I spend a fair amount of time hammering the GOP, but I did vote for one republican: Drew Murray. Jim Harrity is full of crap about living in Kensington. I hope he proves me wrong, but his qualifications boil down to being Shariff Street's friend.

I actually voted Libertarian for the two at-large Council seats.

I told Daniel Pearson of The Inquirer last night at the P&P of a proposal I had that would change the way we elect our City Council (neither of us are fans of Council President Darrell Clarke).

I may turn this into an essay someday, but I would like to elect our 17-member City Council the way my hometown elects its 12-member one (since the city has a council-manager government, the mayor serves as the 13th vote on the council).

The 12 members are elected from six districts, two from each district. One district Council member is elected by voters living in the district. The other is elected by voters citywide.

This would be adapted to Philadelphia by making the Council President a citywide elected office and electing the other 16 Council members from eight districts, two per district, chosen as in KC.

I think this would both do away with "councilmanic prerogative" and make the Council President more responsive to citywide concerns. The one hitch is that since we have a strong-mayor government, doing this sets the Council President up as a potential rival to rather than partner with the Mayor.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I actually voted Libertarian for the two at-large Council seats.

I told Daniel Pearson of The Inquirer last night at the P&P of a proposal I had that would change the way we elect our City Council (neither of us are fans of Council President Darrell Clarke).

I may turn this into an essay someday, but I would like to elect our 17-member City Council the way my hometown elects its 12-member one (since the city has a council-manager government, the mayor serves as the 13th vote on the council).

The 12 members are elected from six districts, two from each district. One district Council member is elected by voters living in the district. The other is elected by voters citywide.

This would be adapted to Philadelphia by making the Council President a citywide elected office and electing the other 16 Council members from eight districts, two per district, chosen as in KC.

I think this would both do away with "councilmanic prerogative" and make the Council President more responsive to citywide concerns. The one hitch is that since we have a strong-mayor government, doing this sets the Council President up as a potential rival to rather than partner with the Mayor.

I think those are fantastic ideas. However, would the people who hold the power be willing to give in to changes to the power structure? I am skeptical.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

...would the people who hold the power be willing to give in to changes to the power structure? ....

Never in a million years.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I actually voted Libertarian for the two at-large Council seats.

I told Daniel Pearson of The Inquirer last night at the P&P of a proposal I had that would change the way we elect our City Council (neither of us are fans of Council President Darrell Clarke).

I may turn this into an essay someday, but I would like to elect our 17-member City Council the way my hometown elects its 12-member one (since the city has a council-manager government, the mayor serves as the 13th vote on the council).

The 12 members are elected from six districts, two from each district. One district Council member is elected by voters living in the district. The other is elected by voters citywide.

This would be adapted to Philadelphia by making the Council President a citywide elected office and electing the other 16 Council members from eight districts, two per district, chosen as in KC.

I think this would both do away with "councilmanic prerogative" and make the Council President more responsive to citywide concerns. The one hitch is that since we have a strong-mayor government, doing this sets the Council President up as a potential rival to rather than partner with the Mayor.

I don't like it but I would be in favor of decreasing the number of at-large seats - not sure why we need that many. Considering you haven't lived in KC in xx years, you do obsess about that place quite a bit.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by PHL10

I don't like it but I would be in favor of decreasing the number of at-large seats - not sure why we need that many. Considering you haven't lived in KC in xx years, you do obsess about that place quite a bit.

There's nothing wrong with looking elsewhere for ideas.


Many people in Philly don't feel that council works in their interesting.


I would actually suggest the reverse. No district seats at all. Stop the self-serving nature of the job at it's root. Make everyone of them focus on issues in Kensington. Everyone of them focus on fixing the streets dept and the various other criminal inept organizations.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by PHL10

I don't like it but I would be in favor of decreasing the number of at-large seats - not sure why we need that many. Considering you haven't lived in KC in xx years, you do obsess about that place quite a bit.

xx = 46

I tell people that "Kansas Citians take the place with them, no matter where they may live now, even if they will never live there again."

I was walking down Walnut Street one day about 10 years ago wearing a T-shirt I still have bearing the legend "I (heart) KC."

I passed by two women sitting at a table when one of them called out as I passed, "You're from Kansas City?"

I turned around to find an older woman and a younger one. The younger one had a Worlds of Fun T-shirt on. (Worlds of Fun is KC's theme park, its answer to Six Flags Great Adventure and suchlike.)

I replied in the affirmative, whereupon the younger woman and I immediately went into an Old Home Week conversation.

I then asked her, "Do you live in Kansas City?"

She replied that she didn't.

I then said, "Welcome to Philadelphia! Do you live here?"

Another no.

"So where do you live?"

"Vermont."

This tale help you understand this phenomenon any better?

Edited to add a coda: And in all my years on the East Coast, I have yet to meet a Kansas City expat who doesn't react with ecstasy when I inform them I'm one, too.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

There's nothing wrong with looking elsewhere for ideas.


Many people in Philly don't feel that council works in their interesting.


I would actually suggest the reverse. No district seats at all. Stop the self-serving nature of the job at it's root. Make everyone of them focus on issues in Kensington. Everyone of them focus on fixing the streets dept and the various other criminal inept organizations.

I'm not sure I'd favor abolishing district seats completely, having lived in a sizable city that had a completely at-large City Council (Boston) that ignored some neighborhoods completely; I worked on a successful 1981 campaign to replace that council with a district-based one (which would benefit the completely ignored neighborhood I lived in at the time, as it was to have nine seats, and the city's geography was such that the part of the city that included it was guaranteed its own Council seat).

But in this case, I can understand fully why you would recommend that option.

[mitchmiller9]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Agreed. Parkway's turn from parking lot operator to commercial real estate owner is really awesome. It's time for it to happen in Center City west

The question is whether the developer will acquire the old Catholic school that occupies one corner of what would be a rectangular lot where the parking lot is located. The school is vacant.

I own a condo at RiverWest, on the 3rd floor facing 21st street, which sits in front of that parking lot. I'm thinking the new building will act as a bit of a sound barrier for the sirens going down Market St. The units in the back of my building will lose their view though.

I'm expecting the lot at 21st and Chestnut St, where the art shop is with surface parking on both sides, will likely be sold and redeveloped soon as well.

[cpomp]

3 big development updates... I can share article snippets if people need.

1. Hilco to start building ‘Bellwether District’ on old PES refinery grounds in early 2023
https://www.inquirer.com/business/hi...-20221116.html


2. Much-awaited Calder Gardens breaks ground on the Parkway
https://www.inquirer.com/arts/alexan...-20221116.html

3. Permits were issued yesterday for the planned tower at Broad & Lombard, project refresher... https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...j1wusNdFxkEs38