[UC] Mayor Nutter makes national news
This USA Today article notes our Mayor's court case. It's so unfair. Why don't they talk about his brilliant work in privatization of government or his obedience to Praxis and the Trustees of the U? I think taxpayers should pay Sarah Palin to consult in his private government staff. Altman and Greenberger could sell the liberty bell to a scrap metal dealer for her pay! http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-02-01-libraries_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Penn’s landing, literally
However, it is the Mayor that got to pick and choose PennPraxis in the first place, for any of its 'engagements' with the public. No Mayor, no PennPraxis. Since PennPraxis is the Mayor's client, it is safe to say there was backtalk between client and service provider as to the 'framing' of issues. Since the old Penns Landing Corp. was not a favorite of either Mayor Street or Mayor Nutter, and since it had been criticized for a long time, it would hardly be surprising if that particular item had been placed on PennPraxis' menu of choices by its customer. As we have seen, no elected official pays attention to anything a planner recommends, unless it already agrees with that elected official's existing range of choices. -- Tony West Creation of the board is the first of a series of changes advocated by PennPraxis as we have seen, penn praxis determines the agenda and frames the issues for any of its 'engagments' with the public. within a given penn praxis framework, mayors and public may get to pick and choose, but they do not decide the range (the menu) of choices. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Penn’s landing, literally
Good question. Surely it's better to see the end of any bubble, no matter how painfully, so that economic numbers can more closely report real value instead of fake value. Lower real-estate prices and lower stock prices are not a crisis. The collapse of the credit market and global trade, coupled with the loss of jobs and investments, spendable and bankable income for ordinary folks, as well as the collapse of funding for basic governmental services at the local level -- all these together form a true crisis. When you lose your employment or your trash collection, you don't enter a less pressured environment, but a more pressured one. -- Tony West let's begin by asking whether the collapse of the real estate market is a crisis or a 'less pressured environment'. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] DP reporting, national problem
Ray and list, What’s disturbing to me is a general pattern that is emerging, as exemplified in the DP series on the hotel. I’ve been reading serious reports about civics education not being part of school curriculum, law students without an understanding of basic ethics; and as DP readers know, a loss of basic principles in journalism. Young folks today are immersed in a web of marketing. Newspapers have traditional ads, news stories as ads, editorials as ads, and now opinion columns as ads. The Praxis methods and ethics are systematically being taught to the young at an alarming rate. “Everyone is doing it” seems to be the ethical justification for people being heavily trained, but without a grasp on principles developed over the history of mankind. Most things in the DP, and the PW piece written by Penn Real Estate, Andrew Zitcer, stick out as examples. I know Andrew and I met this former DP editor. These are not bad people at all. Of course they understand the methods and tactics that they are using, but I increasingly believe that they see nothing wrong with cloaking press releases and marketing as ethical journalism. Because of the hotel, our neighbors have studied the DP failures, but it is a much larger problem in the values systematically being passed to a generation. While some neighbors think it is a big crisis if other neighbors discover the time, date, and location of an FOCP/SHCA meeting; I think the pathetic demise of integrity at the DP is the sign of a genuine crisis across country. Concerned, Glenn You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Penn’s landing, literally
Anthony West wrote: However, it is the Mayor that got to pick and choose PennPraxis in the first place, for any of its 'engagements' with the public. No Mayor, no PennPraxis. you're leaving out how it was penn praxis that first framed and crafted the 'civic vision', which was then used by penn praxis and the mayor to disapprove the existing plans for the waterfront. no penn praxis, no choices for mayor. the casino developers knew this and called it a 'rigged game'. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Penn’s landing, literally
Your notion that all Mayors have been empty-headed automata who showed up for work without a single thought or opinion or plan, waiting passively for Macchiavellian functionaries at PennPraxis to whisper policy into their ear, is rather flattering to those functionaries .. but an utterly unrealistic depiction of Ed Rendell, John Street and Michael Nutter. It's safe to assume, when these gentlemen hired an outside contractor to help develop a plan for them, this plan was driven in directions these gentlemen already wanted it to go. Rendell had a productive peace with Fumo; he had, then, no beef with Penns Landing Corp. Street and Fumo were less cozy, though, and it was Street who hired PennPraxis to gin up some 'civic vision' for the waterfront. I just hired a roofer to fix my roof. Only a fool would say the roofer was 'framing and crafting' my 'vision' to get my roof fixed. If roofer A wouldn't do the job, then I would just hire roofer B, wouldn't I? In the end, the Mayors got what they wanted: a new corporation that gave them more power, and more power over more things. One day, George Perrier over at Le Bec Fin got a box of kabocha squash, cheap. Plus he had a bag of scallops that would go bad soon. So he chucked the squash into his Cuisinart and puréed them; experimented with seasonings and garnishes a little; and served up his new Kabocha Scallop Bisque. Everybody wanted to try it. So when Ray got paid, he took Al and Tony to Le Bec Fin, his treat, and they all ordered the soup. Tony takes a sip and says, Yum! How does Perrier think up these things? Al sips, grimaces and says, Yuck! What did Perrier think he was doing? Ray sniffs the soup, glances suspiciously around and says, Hm. What was that Cuisinart really up to? -- Tony West Anthony West wrote: However, it is the Mayor that got to pick and choose PennPraxis in the first place, for any of its 'engagements' with the public. No Mayor, no PennPraxis. you're leaving out how it was penn praxis that first framed and crafted the 'civic vision', which was then used by penn praxis and the mayor to disapprove the existing plans for the waterfront. no penn praxis, no choices for mayor. the casino developers knew this and called it a 'rigged game'. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Penn’s landing, literally
Anthony West wrote: Your notion that [snipped] your fantasy ramblings miss the simple fact that penn praxis opposes developers at the waterfront while not opposing developers at 40th and pine, even though neighbors in both cases are opposed to the developers. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] UCD community board reps,phillycom
Here are the new community representatives for the UCD Board. Are any of them your neighbors? I don't think any of them live on my block. I was hoping I'd be named this year after UCD fumbled my Youcie invitation for a drink. That drink is the type of project that made me support the BID tax for this government. I wonder how they choose the board? http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20090202_On_the_Boards.html You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Penn’s landing, literally
Ray, It is you who are fantasizing. PennPraxis does not oppose developers at the waterfront, and it does not not oppose developers on 40th St. Its products tend to be airier -- overarching principles, rather like the ones you are so fond of writing. Blessing or opposing particular projects is not its business at all. Name one meeting or plan delivered by PennPraxis at which the Campus Inn even came up. Cite one overarching principle enunciated by PennPraxis with regard to 40th St. that, in your opinion, means there should be no highrise hotel at Pine St. Casinos did come up at meetings run by PennPraxis and the plan it churned out did oppose two such very specific developments -- not developers in general. Neighbors in both waterfront neighborhoods -- Pennsport and Fishtown -- have been hospitable to other largescale projects in their vicinity. Blessing or opposing particular projects can only be the deed of governmental bodies. You are squirming like a worm on a hook, trying to deny the existence of the obvious. -- Tony West your fantasy ramblings miss the simple fact that penn praxis opposes developers at the waterfront while not opposing developers at 40th and pine, even though neighbors in both cases are opposed to the developers. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] UCD community board reps,phillycom
I particularly enjoyed the listing for Michael E. West, who is chief executive officer for... and then proceeds in 10 inches of pure Chinese. My brother's name is Michael D. West. He'll get a kick out of this one. Thanks, Glenn. -- Tony West Glenn moyer wrote: Here are the new community representatives for the UCD Board. Are any of them your neighbors? I don't think any of them live on my block. I wonder how they choose the board? http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20090202_On_the_Boards.html You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] re: recommendations for painting, plaster repair?
I am seeking recommendations for someone who can handle a small but potentially tricky painting job. My once pretty foyer of my 1889 house is looking decrepit and needs painting and plaster repair. Unfortunately, my house has done quite a bit of settling in the last 15 years, creating some large cracks in the walls. To get the walls looking nice, I think there will have to be repairs done to the plaster that may take some expertise. Has anyone on the list had good (or bad) experiences with painters who are willing to do this kind of job? I would appreciate suggestions. You can send these off list. Thanks! Ann
