MLamond
Fri, 05 Apr 2002 08:09:47 -0800
Yesterday, 43rd St. neighbor Eli Massar emailed an invitation to all of you to join him on Monday morning at a "Cut the Wage Tax" rally preceding City Council's hearings on that topic later in the morning. I'll be there with him, and I want to urge you to come, too. This will be a very, very important day in Philadelphia's history. Mayor Street's announcement that he will stop cutting wage tax has sparked a huge groundswell of dismay and has led to an unprecedented coalition working together for positive change for Philadelphia. WE NEED HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE TO GET OUR POINT ACROSS MONDAY MORNING: Philadelphia CANNOT continue to DO NOTHING if it is to survive! We are losing jobs, we are losing population, we are losing our place as a great American city. We MUST convince our politicians that "business as usual" is killing the city that we love! Tax cuts are desperately needed to attract residents and businesses - Jonathon Saidel, the City Controller, has been spreading this message for well over a year now; it can be done, and we can't afford NOT to do it! The head of PICA, the state oversight board making sure that Philadelphia is fiscally responsible, agrees with Saidel: it can be done! Councilmen Nutter and DiCicco have introduced Bill 92, which would continue with the small cuts in city wage tax begun during Mayor Rendell's term. We citizens need to make sure that City Council knows we want them to pass Bill 92!!! Rally participants are meeting at Broad and Walnut Sts., before 8:30 a.m., to march down Broad St. between 8:30 a.m. & 9:30 a.m., to City Council so that they can send a message that they care deeply about this issue. This is a wide coalition of business groups and community groups - a heartwarming coming-together of so many diverse groups who care about our city - from the 60th St. Business Assn. and local clergy, to PECO Energy and the Philadelphia Bar Assn.! There will be Realtors, dentists, the NAACP, members of the Building Owners and Managers Assn., associates of Mark Segal of the Phila. Gay News, the Young Involved Philadelphians (with moving trucks!), and many others. Sam Katz will be there, and Jerry Mondeshire. All of this is being led by the usually-sedate Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Its director, Charlie Pizzi, assures us that he has made the proper arrangements and it is being done legally. If you want your city wage tax to continue to be reduced, if you want our city to survive, and if you want to make sure that City Council knows how you feel, take a little time off work, or get up early, or give up the time you usually spend reading the morning paper - whatever you usually do from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., this is more important! Many of you came to the UCCC's Town Meeting where Jonathon Saidel discussed his tax suggestions, and those present overwhelmingly supported his ideas! Now is the time to do something about it! The UCCC met last night and urges all in University City to be informed on tax issues, although it recognizes that individual member groups have not taken a stand on the tax cuts. Can you join Eli and me on Monday? Should we hop on the trolley and go as a group to the rally? Please email Eli or me and let us know if you are coming, and if you would like to go as a group. We'll count up the numbers and get back to you. I'm hoping that we have too many people to fit on a trolley! Melani Lamond "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world - indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead, who once lived on St. Mark's Square ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UCwestBC." To unsubscribe, see <http://list.purple.com>