WALKING THE BEAT: Messed-Up Thinking Abounds In AVI
A REASON WHY A.V.I. IS FLAWED is the GMA area on which your market value is based. They are all sizes and shapes – kind of like an old southern Congressional District. The city assessment chief McKeithan says they will be refined in future years … NOT acceptable. Block-by-Block sales are the only way to go. WAIT ANOTHER YEAR; over 10 years went by trying to implement it!… Then you read of PAID CONSULTANTS who tell us how A.V.I. is right on the mark. BLARNEY. Then I read where two CITY COUNCIL BILLS would temper our tax burden. No, they would not. The Kenyatta JOHNSON bill deferring taxes for those increased 2.5 times over their previous bill in NOT LOW ENOUGH to help the many who have been doubled.
How does Councilman GREEN’s bill to tax nonprofits temper the load on the senior citizen or struggling family?… The GOOD NEWS is that Councilman Jim KENNEY’S NAME is reported NOT to be on the bill to withdraw the HOMESTEAD relief!! BRAVO to Kenney.
On FACEBOOK, An East Falls resident wrote that they might as well move to the suburbs, pay the same taxes, and get BETTER SCHOOLS! Good logic. SARCASTIC folks say there is a plus to potential depopulation caused by A.V.I.: Rina Cutler would withdraw or stop creating new bike lanes, fewer new parks (and less new parks news releases which do not take the place of job creation – yet parks are a place to contemplate unemployment), and less outdoor eateries…. A real effect of AVI is to see sales rise since owners want to move out. They will have to accept a lower price (because of taxes) which will drive down City Market Values, producing less revenue.
Another EFFECT could be the election of more REPUBLICAN Members of City Council. It used to be the independent BRT got the blame for tax increases. Making the BRT an OPA put it under command of the Mayor…. Taxes are now sought to equal spending objectives. That is why you hear talk of the tax rate needs to be 1.25 or 1.3 to equal last year’s revenue. The HECK with that notion; just SPEND LESS than last year, keep the HOMESTEAD, lower the TAX RATE, and bring in A.V.I. over FOUR YEARS!
COUNCIL and the MAYOR are now OPEN to any BLAME. And it looks like the Mayor and his Ward (52nd) get reductions. Certain neighborhoods will have to bear the HEAVY BURDEN of increases for others. And business will see the load shift from them to the rowhouse. COUNCIL ought to read the words of William Jennings Bryan: “You SHALL NOT press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of GOLD.”
The life of Major Octavius CATTO was celebrated last weekend in a wreath-laying at Starr Playground, near his home, and where he was shot while quelling race riots in the 1800s. Later at the Union League, a medal bearing his name was presented to two National Guard Soldiers. Councilman Jim KENNEY was a driving force for this now-annual event…. 1ST WARD Committeeman Rich CONROY celebrated 40 years as a Committeeman. Reelected 17 times! Tom Paine said, “He who bears it now deserves love and thanks.”
And Consultant Maurice FLOYD (East Falls) is now married 21 years!… Consultant Eleanor DEZZI (Roxborough) just returned from a tour of Israel hosted by Ted KIRSCH, State president of the P.F.T.
For four and a half hours, people poured into Good Shepherd Church in Eastwick for the Knute BONNER viewing. So very many, he could have been a Councilman…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to John McNESBY, FOP President, and Councilman DAVID OH. Great guys.
VETS: The Veteran’s Multi-Service Center at 4th & Race Streets is interested in your résumé. Contact Bill DIAMOND there…. HOW ABOUT the State Labor Dept. sending a letter to unemployed on availability of food stamps? They say the average benefit is $250. I thought it was more like $68??
Did you see the editorial written after high-court Justice Orie Melvin was convicted? It notes the SAME OLD malarkey that we need to change how these top judges are picked. This means you can’t vote for a judge. It’s the same every year: “Up in the garret away from the din, someone is playing that old violin (screech-schrrch)….” Not just the top courts, but the lowest, TRAFFIC COURT, is under attack via the PILEGGI legislation. The legislation leaves state District judges in place. WHY? The judges who pleaded GUILTY are from suburban counties! Is there a PLAN that sees Common Pleas and Municipal Court COLLAPSE once the outer two levels are MERITIZED? I read where state House Speaker Sam Smith was in the luxury location of Pebble Beach – so I can’t ask him. And the poor 120 EMPLOYEES of Traffic Court who quietly labor each day, but who have lived under a reign of terror during probes – can you PROTECT them? Our Philly House and Senate delegation has been noticeably silent, but needs to STAND UP on this issue!…The news is that SIXTY petitions for Traffic Court JUDGE have been given out to possible candidates is a sign that all the probes and negative news did NOT CHANGE the public appreciation of the court. The courageous 60 KNOW the press will look into their closet for any bad news or back tickets, yet they are READY to bear it. Lawmakers and press take note.
Also, 60 petitions for Municipal and Common Pleas Judge are out there. Take note, MERIT MORALISTS: THEY TRIED TO GET A.V.I. going over 10 years ago. The computer program did not work, but cost us millions.
