Megaphone Man III
This is another in a series of posts of letters and emails from folks who disagree with my point of view. I'm sorry I haven't posted more of them.
I got a lot of interesting emails and voice mails on some columns I did recently about legislation to limit handgun sales in Pennsylvania to one a month. Most of them called me a silly, liberal twit. Others were not as complimentary.
But, I was having technical difficulties with Blogger.com and I was, de facto, unable to post for nearly two weeks. So I missed the opportunity.
Not to worry. When I write about the gun issue again, I am sure to get more missile-like missives and I'll post some of them.
These emails came after I did a piece this week about Raj Bhakta, the Republican candidate for congress in the 13th district, which straddles Northeast Philly and eastern Montgomery County.
I took issue with what I said was Raj's thinly-veiled racialist message in re the Northeast.
These readers took issue with me. One of them denied there was any racial basis to Raj's message. Another lamented how the Northeast has been harmed by neglect from City Hall.
posted by Tom Ferrick Jr. at 9:19 AM
24 Comments:
I'm always amused by the continuing milking of the "brothers and sisters" remark. Do any of these folks know that Street is first generation bi-racial?
But Bhatka's mailing, actually a doorknob flyer, is nothing new. The exact same words are used every time a Republican candidate runs in the NE. IIRC, Melissa Brown's campaign used them in both 2002 and 2004 and earned herself a coveted "Sleazy" award for her efforts.
Hannigan's email was very responsible and contained tempered arguments. The NE has about one-third of the city's population...is it true Street closed the NE city hall? If so, how could he justify that?
Tom, you have to agree that all city admins including Street's have ignored the neighborhoods. Philly could have 4-5 vibrant and strong "boroughs" similar to NYC if we could elect the right leaders. It's a matter of marketing the neighborhoods correctly and providing an equal level of services ie the Center City District. If you can't see that you ain't looking.
I agree that Hannigan made some very good points, although not necessarily with the best wording. If you want to see the effects of an overconcentration of section 8 housing, look no farther than John Street's hometown.
Both mini-city halls were targeted for closure because, get this, Street wants to prod residents into using the internet and on-line services for simple transactions. The service center in the NE was closed for a few weeks before another spot in the same area was found for less rent. So there is still a mini-city hall here. Moving people to online services is more efficient and ultimately saves money, something NE Philadelphian should appreciate since many constantly complain about taxes.
As a denizen of the NE, Street has not "ignored" this area. Abandoned cars are ticketed and towed, CLIP operates well, cops are on the street, we are a test area for expanded recycling, even our dead street trees get replaced. The fact is the NE doesn't need as much attention as other parts of the city.
Frankly as far as marketing, except for along the Delaware river,
the NE has nothing special to offer.
It's an old, overdeveloped inner ring suburb with nothing truly unique to recommend it.
'only neighborhood worth a damn'
Wow, and I'm sure he believed that when he wrote it.
aj - why does the northeast need its own 'city hall' if it is part of the city? Philadelphia was not five separate counties, it was a ton of cities and townships...and they were all eliminiated in the mid 1800s for ONE city. ONE, not two. The Northeast is not special. It is part of Philadelphia.
I happen to agree with you, Chip 'fp',
but, OTOH, the NE does have its fair share of senior citizens and others who don't drive or who don't have/use computers and for whom it would be a pretty good trek up and back to City Hall. So I can understand why there might be a need for a satellite office. But for those people who just like the convenience, there's no reason not to use the mail, telephone,
or online services.
What no one has ever satisfactorily explained is how this 'Apprentice' reject got to be the GOP candidate in the first place
Oh, misidentifying a person as an "indicted City Hall ringleader" is just a typo? Silly me. I was thinking it is a defamatory statement, one which is close to satisfying all elements of a successful libel suit.
To illustrate the extent of the "'oops' moment": There is no record, dating back to 1998, of any contributions by Ron White to Allyson Schwartz. The Bhakta campaign presumably found a record of a contribution by John White (who, incidentally, endorsed Sam Katz for mayor in the 1999 general campaign) to Allyson Schwartz. Despite the record containing enough identifying information (Lafayette Hill address, CEO of The Consortium) for a reasonable person to question whether s/he had identified the right person, it looks like the Bhakta campaign recklessly went ahead and published the defamatory statement.
But no, "a crook is a crook whether John or Ron." I guess they all look the same.
"According to the Northeast Times, he attributed the rising crime rate "to new residents who, in his view, don't value safety, cleanliness and civic-mindedness."
I think it's a little racist to assume that this is referring to people of color. We do have new residents who don't value safety, cleanliness, and civic-mindedness. They're from Kensington and they're white.
However, let us keep in mind that in 1976 (or thereabouts) Philadelphia Magazine named Mitchell Playground (in the Far NE) the best drugstore in the city. Look it up. And it still is as far as I can tell. We apparently have more civic minded drug dealers here that don't take to shooting each other as readily as they do in other areas, so I guess it doesn't attract as much attention.
We cannot delude ourselves. The kids I grew up with here who started doing drugs in the 70's never gave them up. They stayed in the neighborhood, bought homes, had kids, and are still doing drugs. And selling drugs. And their kids are doing drugs. And the decline you see in this area has much more to do with the destablization of family life and values than it does with who is moving in.
It is only a matter of time before this area follows the same path as drug ridden North Philly and it won't be because of skin color. It'll be because peoples brains and attitudes have been eaten away by the crap they're smoking/inhaling/injecting and all that's been left behind is pathetic apathy.
Chris FP:
said " why does the NE need its own city hall?" My response is the NE has as many or more residents than most Pennsylvania counties so it makes sense from a customer service standpoint to offer convenient ways to fight a ticket, etc. without treking downtown.
As to my "five boroughs" statement, a true visionary could see how the city could be re-created into five distinct and different regions. Just look at a map and see if you can envision it too. I would cut City Council down to 10 seats (two per region) by holding a gladiator among the current officeholders (that would be fun to watch) and the mayor would become a ceremonial position only that was rotated around annually to the five regions.
As to nothing special in NE, I sorta agree except for the park system and the parts along the river up thru and into Bucks county.
That is exactly why drugs should be legal, controlled, regulated and taxed, but that's for another discussion.
I think part of the issue in the NE is that the expansion of Center City north and up along the river is causing gentrification of neighborhoods like Kensington, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, etc. These formerly "affordable" areas are now out of reach and residents are moving into the next closest still affordable neighborhoods - places like Port Richmond, Oxford Circle, Lawncrest, Mayfair etc.
The other issue is absentee landlord ownership. Section 8, while a favorite whipping boy, is a federal
program and with federal dollars comes federal oversight. The Section 8 landlords have to meet standards that other landlords don't. That is where the property deterioriation comes from. These landlords have NO incentive to keep up their property
as long as they have people willing to rent at the going rate. With people moving from the gentrifying areas, there's never really a shortage of willing renters and there aren't enough city inspectors
for effective enforcement of housing code violations.
How did Raj get the nomination?
Like with most things, follow the money. At the same time, understand that the Republicans knew that, with three R incumbents facing significant challenges in the Philly burbs, this was going to be a race it would most likely end up punting in terms of getting a victory.
The Montco Republicans determined the nomination thorugh its endorsement. The NE Philly R's would have backed whoever Montco endorsed. There was no candidate in the race with the ability to win the nomination without the party endorsement.
The R's could have backed Al Taubenberger if it really wanted to appeal to its NE Philly base. But Taubenberger had displayed astonishingly low fundraising prowess.
The R's also could have recruited someone like Ellen Bard if it wanted to ensure a respectable vote total in a suicide mission.
Raj presented showbiz appeal and free media potential, along with a natural connection to an Indian-American population which has carved a niche into NE Philly. But most importantly, he had a unique fundraising pipeline. Not only was he crushing Taubenberger in receipts, he was getting a lot of money from people who likely wouldn't have otherwise made political contributions. If you look at his FEC reports, you'll see tens of thousands of dollars from folks in the hospitality industry - many of them with the "Bhakta" surname.
I wonder if the Republican Party leadership saw his candidacy, and the money that came along with it, as useful in terms of helping the campaigns of PA candidates with more of a chance of winning. During the primary season Raj for Congress was paying a nice chunk of change to upper-level staffers who ultimately wound up bailing out, like the campaign manager who left for the Swann campaign. Think of it this way: Why have Swann deplete relatively scarce resources for campaign staff that won't be needed until the general campaign, when you have a guy that will be able to pay them in the short term?
But don't fret that Raj is being used. He gets to run around with a video camera and present what purports to be a major U.S. House campaign through an "MTV Real World" lens. He'll be the Gervase of the political scene, which I guess is worth something to him. Maybe we'll see him running around the Roosevelt Mall in his tightie-whities.
However, a year from now, voters from Montgomery County might be wondering: If the Republicans treated a race for one of the most prestigious political seats in the county as little more than a reality show joke, do they have the necessary gravitas to continue control of the county commission?
Who are you trying to kid? Burholme Park is not even on the radar of 99% of NE Philadelphians. The park, which isn't all that well-maintained in the first place, isn't going away and new, good paying jobs are going to be added to the local economy when FCCC expands.
"But nobody in the 13th U.S. Congressional District likes her. Nobody."
NE Suburbanite, you stated that nobody in the 13th District likes her. I beg to differ, I do. I think she has experience and intelligence, and I'm pleased to have her represent me.
I recently sent an e-mail saying that I supported network neutrality and hoped she would vote for the appropriate amendment. I didn't get a response and she didn't. Oh well. A week later, I got a two page letter explaining her position on the issue, which was very thoughtful and well reasoned. I am going to write again to further explain my feelings, but if she never changes her opinion, I know why she voted as she has. It was a much better response than I have ever received from Spector or Santorum.
I don't think this position should be a training spot for Raj "who is so freshly new to politics." I think it requires some experience. Maybe he should run for county commissioner. (Grin)
Phillydem how can you be a true Democrat defending big business and siding against conservation of parkland? True Democrats should be for better funding toward parks not for giving up on it. Fox Chase can expand anywhere, they just want the cheap parkland.
Of course I know that John Street if first generation bi-racial. How often do you ever hear him say that? It doesn't change the fact that he has a lingering hatred of white people. Not an opinion just a fact. And phillydem still doesn't address the fact that African Americans are the only ones able to use the race card, just as Street did when they bugged his office.
First, I'm a pragmatist on open space. AFAIK, FCCC has done it's best to listen to and accommodate the concerns of the residents around Burlhome Park. FCCC did not insist on their way or the highway. City residents are always complaining about "taxes", yet usually resist any change to the status quo that might bring in more or expanded business leading to more tax business, property and wage taxes coming into the city. FCCC seems to have mitigated the major concerns.
Further, the Park Commission is stretched thin trying to maintain all the parks and recreation areas under its control. The FCCC deal actually provides extra money to FPC for upkeep of the park system. So, on balance the loss of a couple of acres of Burlhome Park isn't the end of the world and the trade-off is, on balance, a plus.
I'll also point out the loss of open space up here in the NE that's ongoing from the 10-yr tax abatement on new housing construction. Just around the corner from me, big spacious lots holding a single home have been sold, the large old shade trees cut down, the house demolished and 2, 3, 4, 5, etc cheaply built
new homes that will be eyesores in 10 years thrown up on the property.
Losing 2 or 3 net acres of Burlhome Park pales in comparison to that.
As for Street, stop that nonsense that "he bugged himself". The fact is the local US Atty is a former campaign manager for Rick Santorum.
That should tell you where his political interests are, all in the name of "fighting corruption" of course.
Last, it's ironic that so many white folks despise Street because he's when you look past race, he's a conservative guy who's views are very much in tune with the ones held by folks living in Port Richmond, Mayfair, Tacony and the other river wards. They can't get past their own prejudice to see that.
Are you sure you've closed off all corners of the grand conspiracy? That FCCC didn't have reservations building from scratch at a new location, one where decrepit, asbestos-filled buildings are still in the process of being abated and demolished?
And it wasn't exactly benevolent of George Kenney to propose a site, out of all possible locations in the city, that is within his legislative district.
Wait . . . . Northeast Philadelphia Airport is now a "major airport"? Ha!
(Oh, and the rest of that is ridiculous, too. Since when was highway access important for a hospital, anyway?)
FCCC move to Byberry? Are you kidding?
You do know the Somerton Civic Assn has been battling over Byberry development FOR YEARS, don't you? Mary Jane Harzell and SCA would have freaked out over the prospect of FCCC moving onto that property and fought it every step of the way. It was an uphill struggle just to get a 55+ age restricted community approved for the site because of SCA concerns about noise, traffic and open space. FCCC to Byberry would have been a non-starter as soon as the words finished coming out of the mouth of whoever proposed it.
sneaking suspicion ne suburbanite works for raj's campaign? either way, the idea that no one in the 13th likes Congresswoman Schwartz seems more than a little off. if you look at the latest fec reports raj has spent well (think tens of thousands) more than he fundraised in the last quarter, leaving himself with 28,000 dollars on hand. analyze it further by seeing who within the area has given to Raj, and who within the area has given to Allyson... do you see where I am going with this? I can't help but think that after seeing his unintentionally hilarious "Biden Challenge" clip, and having seen him in person posing for his personal documentary, that even Raj must not be taking himself seriously. Surely no one else is.
sneaking suspicion ne suburbanite works for raj's campaign? either way, the idea that no one in the 13th likes Congresswoman Schwartz seems more than a little off. if you look at the latest fec reports raj has spent well (think tens of thousands) more than he fundraised in the last quarter, leaving himself with 28,000 dollars on hand. analyze it further by seeing who within the area has given to Raj, and who within the area has given to Allyson... do you see where I am going with this? I can't help but think that after seeing his unintentionally hilarious "Biden Challenge" clip, and having seen him in person posing for his personal documentary, that even Raj must not be taking himself seriously. Surely no one else is.
And making matters all the worse, she acted like she "couldn't be bothered" when asked to explain how the Fox Chase Cancer Center could expand at that location without causing such widespread harm.
Maybe that's because no one gave specifics on what was meant by "widespread harm". Fire? Flood? Locusts? Dogs constipated by having less room to poop?
I'll also point out the loss of open space up here in the NE that's ongoing from the 10-yr tax abatement on new housing construction.
As phillydem points out, this is the much, much bigger problem.
Burholme Park is not being demolished nor is it going away entirely. In relation to the total size of the park, it's not even losing that much ground.
Were the space being used to put up a Wal-Mart or a strip mall, I'd be first in line to protest the development.
However, since that's not the case, then I believe my protest time will be better spent objecting to the rampant development of new housing that are completely destroying the open spaces of NE Philly without any of the same benefits seen with expanding FCCC.
As for madmen, those would be the people blocking every possible development of the Byberry site. Apparently, they are happier to have it as a rundown playground for ghost-hunting goth kids, keggers, and druggies.
Yo Tom, I'll bet you never thought writing about the NE could be so entertaining and interesting!
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