Do You Think Phila City Councils and Mayors Have Managed and Budgeted Money Well? (Philadelphia: real estate, apartment)

[selhars]

Overall, from what you know of other cities....or how you feel as a resident or suburbanite here...

Do You Think City Council and the Mayor Have Managed and Budgeted Money Well?

You can give a quick overall grade (and explain why please) -- but I'm more interested in a nuanced, well thought out conversation...

-- How the city taxes, how it uses taxes
-- Are taxes too high?
-- How would you increase the city population and tax base?
-- How the city uses tax abatements and forgiveness
-- WHAT it chooses to spend money on
-- Salaries it pays, benefits it provides
-- Services it offers and how they're paid for
-- Are taxes too high?
-- How would you increase the city population and tax base?

-- We have a city wage tax, most other cities don't
-- We have trash pick up once a week, some other cities have it twice
-- Could we provide fewer services, if so which would you let go
(I Think I saw a city job opening for a Director of African-American Male Outreach Services. Really THAT is a city job I'm paying for? And it paid well, too.)


What do you think of how Philly officials and lawmakers spend our money?

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by selhars

Overall, from what you know of other cities....or how you feel as a resident or suburbanite here...

Do You Think City Council and the Mayor Have Managed and Budgeted Money Well?

You can give a quick overall grade (and explain why please) -- but I'm more interested in a nuanced, well thought out conversation...

-- How the city taxes, how it uses taxes
-- Are taxes too high?
-- How would you increase the city population and tax base?
-- How the city uses tax abatements and forgiveness
-- WHAT it chooses to spend money on
-- Salaries it pays, benefits it provides
-- Services it offers and how they're paid for
-- Are taxes too high?
-- How would you increase the city population and tax base?

-- We have a city wage tax, most other cities don't
-- We have trash pick up once a week, some other cities have it twice
-- Could we provide fewer services, if so which would you let go
(I Think I saw a city job opening for a Director of African-American Male Outreach Services. Really THAT is a city job I'm paying for? And it paid well, too.)


What do you think of how Philly officials and lawmakers spend our money?

I'm a lot more interested in what will happen to the 10 year property tax abatement stuff going forward.

[selhars]

I thought more people would comment on how their tax money is being spent, and whether they think it's being spent well.

And I thought people would have opinions -- and maybe even some inside scoop -- on whether the city is being well run...with politicians actually CARING about how they spend out tax dollars, cutting waste and getting rid of dead weight (if there is any.)

Oh, well.

The wage tax was just lowered, that's good.
Lord knows there's street construction everywhere, and buildings are going up and being renovated -- that's good.
(Except if you're trying to actually drive in this city.)

The school district finances seem to be in a mess.
I'm not crazy about some of the position titles the my money is paying for.

I can only HOPE TPTB aren't corrupt or spending our money like it's water or worse yet wasting it on stuff the city doesn't need to be doing in the first place.

[Pilot1]

No they haven't. Philly is a fiscal nightmare, wrought with corruption and public sector union problems/pensions. Philadelphia is ranked 136th out of 150, and thus is near the bottom of worst financially run cities according to this study. 1 being the best, 150 being the worst.

Overall rank 136

Quality of Services rank 139

Total Budget per Capita rank 120

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-run-c...#main-findings

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by selhars

I thought more people would comment on how their tax money is being spent, and whether they think it's being spent well.

And I thought people would have opinions -- and maybe even some inside scoop -- on whether the city is being well run...with politicians actually CARING about how they spend out tax dollars, cutting waste and getting rid of dead weight (if there is any.)

Oh, well.

The wage tax was just lowered, that's good.
Lord knows there's street construction everywhere, and buildings are going up and being renovated -- that's good.
(Except if you're trying to actually drive in this city.)

The school district finances seem to be in a mess.
I'm not crazy about some of the position titles the my money is paying for.

I can only HOPE TPTB aren't corrupt or spending our money like it's water or worse yet wasting it on stuff the city doesn't need to be doing in the first place.

It's the weekend. You might get more responses come Monday.

I'm retired so the wage tax is a non issue for me now. But I did pay it for years( either as a commuter or resident) because most of my career was a job in the city. I thought it was too high but I never whined about paying it because of how important
I think the PPD and PFD are.

Patronage jobs will always happen. Example. Frank Rizzo loved patronage jobs. Corruption will always happen on some level, imo. It's naive to think any of that will end. We have one party rule as you know so that affects a number of those jobs that you are talking about. Weirdly the Manager Director job used to be quite high profile. Nowadays it isn't. I don't even know who it is. Is that a sign of someone doing a great job under the radar or someone so insignificant that the position doesn't matter so much?

We will have new city controller in January so that will be a new barometer about how well the city is managing its money.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

No they haven't. Philly is a fiscal nightmare, wrought with corruption and public sector union problems/pensions. Philadelphia is ranked 136th out of 150, and thus is near the bottom of worst financially run cities according to this study. 1 being the best, 150 being the worst.



https://wallethub.com/edu/best-run-c...#main-findings

You do know right that when Republicans ran the city, which they did for decades, it was even more corrupt? Practically Boss Tweed level corruption.

Considering how Seth Williams willingly destroyed his life and career just to be "bought" is an indication of what can exist here. And, I'm not suggesting, in any way, that I find it acceptable!

[selhars]

Thanks, Pilot.
136, out of 150...that's so disappointing.

Weirdly the Manager Director job used to be quite high profile. Nowadays it isn't. I don't even know who it is. Is that a sign of someone doing a great job under the radar or someone so insignificant that the position doesn't matter so much?

You know, come to think of it. You're so right about that.

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by kyb01

You do know right that when Republicans ran the city, which they did for decades, it was even more corrupt? Practically Boss Tweed level corruption.

Considering how Seth Williams willingly destroyed his life and career just to be "bought" is an indication of what can exist here. And, I'm not suggesting, in any way, that I find it acceptable!

Yes, but Richardson Dilworth, and the subsequent Democrats ruined the city in many ways. Kenney is just the latest in the corrupt, union controlled cesspool.

[eliza61nyc]

lol,
I love how folks argue how horrible one party is over another party.

Seriously??? that's like arguing which murderer is worst than another murderer. "oh well Son of sam was way worst the Charles Manson"

How about this, they both are a bunch of lying, thieving, corrupt despots??

Some thoughts

I took advantage of the Property abatement program so I guess it would be hypocritical of me to say it should go.

The school district is horrible but I don't think that can be laid at the feet of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania took over the school district some years back so basically the state legislature that has no idea what the students in PHiladelphia need make the decisions.

I'm more concerned with this huge wealth gap that is growing in Philadelphia, yes we have major construction going on and a few big industries moving into the area but most of the construction that I see has gone to unaffordable by most real estate.
The old Divine Lorraine hotel being converted into million dollar condo's. new apartment buildings on broad that start at $1500 month for studios. Gentrification of old neighborhoods with million dollar homes. lol has anyone been to Fishtown or Northern liberties lately??? 950K for townhomes.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Yes, but Richardson Dilworth, and the subsequent Democrats ruined the city in many ways. Kenney is just the latest in the corrupt, union controlled cesspool.

There's very little chance of that changing as long as we have closed primaries in PA and Democrats are the majority of registered voters in Philadelphia. I read a couple of days ago that there are now more independents/third party registered voters than Republicans in Philly. But since many of them lean liberal and, again, our closed primaries keeps them from voting in them, little will change.

You probably know that Sam Katz came close to winning for mayor as a Rep. But he's a liberal so that probably wouldn't have worked for you either.