[UC] Fwd: Awareness of Community Listserve(s)
(Sorry for the cross post but this list is given equal billing in my encounters with the community) PJC -- Forwarded message -- From: Joe Clarke philly.jo...@gmail.com Date: Sun, Jun 27, 2010 at 3:29 PM Subject: Awareness of Community Listserve(s) To: ucneighb...@googlegroups.com Dear Friends, I was surprised by the number of people that I mention the Listserve(s) to, (UClist and UCneighbors), and get a blank response. This weekend I spoke with the homeowner whose house has become the proverbial lampost for this drunk and fallen tree. Another was the new pastor at 46th and Chester (not sure of the name of that church) where they were having a sidewalk sale. Another person was a neighbor on Larchwood who had several pythons for sale. (I thought that the barking cheese founder of this listserve would be keenly interested in this fellow for his new book People and their Pythons a pictorial history: A study of the intersection of American family values and snake handling, having and holding of all sorts...it's a long title, but it's a long subject.) I let the fellow know that the list is not for posting sale items, per se, but if he first released them into the community and then reported to the list that they were lost or stolen, the notice would be the equivalent of front page news, and would be plastered repeatedly in the in boxes of every community listserve within barking distance. And at no extra charge someone would come to his house to obtain photos of the errant reptiles to be posted, along with the pet's name, on every telephone pole, bulletin board - in restaurants, cafe's and coops - in the Universe-city community. (One exception is Roger who won't post it at Gold Standard since he is still toying with the idea of including reptile as a strictly non-vegan addition to the menu. In typical witty fashion, Roger retorted, You can't have your snake and eat it too. (It's like the Gong Show there every night, I swear it!). So these people are not only unaware of the utilitarian cornucopia of these lists, they don't get to appreciate the literately ornate caseings into which this information is shoved. So please get the word out, before another non-traditional pet owner misses the opportunity to set off a dragnet for their slithering forlorn companion. Joe C. -- The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.Oscar Wilde -- The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.Oscar Wilde
[UC] Philadelphia Magazine Article on Community Associations
The July issue of Philadelphia Magazine has a piece titled Turf Wars: Neighbors Gone Wild. It's about the behavior of neighborhood groups towards entrepreneurs and developers in the city. It takes a decidedly pro-business slant -- not a surprise, given the source -- and is focused on groups in Center City and adjacent areas (Fishtown, Queen Village, etc.). There's no mention of any West Philly groups such as SHCA. Despite the article's bias, it makes some good points and is worth reading. You can find it online at: http://www.phillymag.com/articles/turf_wars_neighbors_gone_wild062110/ 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] Fwd: Awareness of Community Listserve(s)
In a message dated 6/27/2010 15:36:15 Eastern Daylight Time, philly.jo...@gmail.com writes: I was surprised by the number of people that I mention the Listserve(s) to, (UClist and UCneighbors), and get a blank response. _ Yeah, the list has pretty much fell into disuse. Bender does a show and there is no review. Not even a he sucks, or he was his usual brilliant self nothing further to report here, move on, The Storm From Hell passes through the Hood and the resident devil err Republican's Wolf Manner is unscathed while carnage can be surveilled everywhere from his front porch. Email about UC is so passe? Recently, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said, Email is probably going away, Perhaps, she was suggesting people are more comfortable seeing info directed at them in their Facebook News Feed, rather than in their email inboxes. Of course Frank's storm post referred us to Facebook for storm footage. Personally, I blame it all on Glenn and the Barking Cheese Boyz. Glenn can't find anything not to fight over, no matter how sublime. Hey Glenn, in a meeting with the City Controller last week, he told me 80% of the issued trash citations are dismissed by the Board of Adjudication when there is a hearing. Apparently, you're the only person who can't get a break; says a lot for the practice of diplomacy, the use of facts, and leaving your hubris at home. As for the Boyz, when you start every meetup at a bar instead of the gym, you lose your warrior spirit. There is still a place in civil society for hanging someone like Glenn upside down from Little Nell's little finger while the Ambassadors are preoccupied scoping the babes at the Green Line or eating across the street. Gentrification has certainly helped us reap the whirlwind . (http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-coo-email-is-probably-going-away-2010-6#) Ciao, Craig
Re: [UC] Fwd: Awareness of Community Listserve(s)
You make some good points, Craig. Perhaps I¹ll start a UC Listserv Facebook page. I want to see what you look like. :) On 6/27/10 4:29 PM, craigso...@aol.com craigso...@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 6/27/2010 15:36:15 Eastern Daylight Time, philly.jo...@gmail.com writes: I was surprised by the number of people that I mention the Listserve(s) to, (UClist and UCneighbors), and get a blank response. _ Yeah, the list has pretty much fell into disuse. Bender does a show and there is no review. Not even a he sucks, or he was his usual brilliant self nothing further to report here, move on, The Storm From Hell passes through the Hood and the resident devil err Republican's Wolf Manner is unscathed while carnage can be surveilled everywhere from his front porch. Email about UC is so passe? Recently, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said, Email is probably going away, Perhaps, she was suggesting people are more comfortable seeing info directed at them in their Facebook News Feed, rather than in their email inboxes. Of course Frank's storm post referred us to Facebook for storm footage. Personally, I blame it all on Glenn and the Barking Cheese Boyz. Glenn can't find anything not to fight over, no matter how sublime. Hey Glenn, in a meeting with the City Controller last week, he told me 80% of the issued trash citations are dismissed by the Board of Adjudication when there is a hearing. Apparently, you're the only person who can't get a break; says a lot for the practice of diplomacy, the use of facts, and leaving your hubris at home. As for the Boyz, when you start every meetup at a bar instead of the gym, you lose your warrior spirit. There is still a place in civil society for hanging someone like Glenn upside down from Little Nell's little finger while the Ambassadors are preoccupied scoping the babes at the Green Line or eating across the street. Gentrification has certainly helped us reap the whirlwind . http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-coo-email-is-probably-going-away-2010 -6# Ciao, Craig
Re: [UC] Fwd: Awareness of Community Listserve(s)
Thanks for reminding me to upload that storm video to YouTube! I have been away from my computer for a few days. Here's the link if anyone's still interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQZcbesIajY Frank On Jun 27, 2010, at 04:29 PM, craigso...@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 6/27/2010 15:36:15 Eastern Daylight Time, philly.jo...@gmail.com writes: I was surprised by the number of people that I mention the Listserve(s) to, (UClist and UCneighbors), and get a blank response. _ Yeah, the list has pretty much fell into disuse. Bender does a show and there is no review. Not even a he sucks, or he was his usual brilliant self nothing further to report here, move on, The Storm From Hell passes through the Hood and the resident devil err Republican's Wolf Manner is unscathed while carnage can be surveilled everywhere from his front porch. Email about UC is so passe? Recently, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said, Email is probably going away, Perhaps, she was suggesting people are more comfortable seeing info directed at them in their Facebook News Feed, rather than in their email inboxes. Of course Frank's storm post referred us to Facebook for storm footage. Personally, I blame it all on Glenn and the Barking Cheese Boyz. Glenn can't find anything not to fight over, no matter how sublime. Hey Glenn, in a meeting with the City Controller last week, he told me 80% of the issued trash citations are dismissed by the Board of Adjudication when there is a hearing. Apparently, you're the only person who can't get a break; says a lot for the practice of diplomacy, the use of facts, and leaving your hubris at home. As for the Boyz, when you start every meetup at a bar instead of the gym, you lose your warrior spirit. There is still a place in civil society for hanging someone like Glenn upside down from Little Nell's little finger while the Ambassadors are preoccupied scoping the babes at the Green Line or eating across the street. Gentrification has certainly helped us reap the whirlwind . Ciao, Craig
Re: [UC] Fwd: Awareness of Community Listserve(s)
On 6/27/2010 4:29 PM, craigso...@aol.com wrote: Hey Glenn, in a meeting with the City Controller last week, he told me 80% of the issued trash citations are dismissed by the Board of Adjudication when there is a hearing. Apparently, you're the only person who can't get a break; says a lot for the practice of diplomacy, the use of facts, and leaving your hubris at home. Bless you Craig. Based on your analysis, you've proven that I'm perfect. I win 100% of my bogus trash cases. Craig, I'm applying for a UCD grant to buy a church from one of our real estate ladies. Now that I'm a spiritual guru in the district, I'll pray for you to join my flock? Your new shepherd, Glenn
Re: [UC] Philadelphia Magazine Article on Community Associations
In another dispute, Primavera brokered the following deal: The developer paid the dues for each new condo resident to enjoy---get this---a /year-long membership in the neighborhood association!/ Dave, I'm not so sure that this district wasn't included in this story-haha. Forcing outsiders to join their civic association is a huge part of the power play here. This type of tribute is meant to have a psychological effect; proving the power relationship. (Why do I know that name, Carl Primavera??) The planned result is that developers won't need to get the community groups' approval. (This sentence is the reason for this story!) Who loses at the end of this process? I always knew that groups like FOCP and SHCA would inevitably lose their own power while they betrayed all of us. It looks like the abuses of these associations have made us all voiceless now! Now the quid pro quo dealings will be done in back rooms without the involvement of these groups nor those who were shut out by them. (e.g. The Clark Park Partnership is closed to members of the public.) Would excluding community groups from zoning matters have been possible if these groups had acted according to democratic principles??? This description of civic associations is embarrassing and essentially true in our neighborhood! But transparency, inclusive processes, and a focus on honest information could not have supported the elimination of community voices, which is the point in this PR message. (This story would be strongly contradicted if civic associations were respected and trusted in our neighborhoods!) Now, the experts will make decisions in backrooms because the civic associations are portrayed as the source of pay to play. The people, caught up in these groups, were too consumed with their cravings for power to see this. But the rest of us should have seen that this was the true corporate goal when these dysfunctional groups were first anointed! (All the spin about partnerships with community leaders just set up the idiots as pawns). They dangled the pay to play carrot to replace appropriate processes, and the civic leaders went for the bait. Unfortunately this is true: These sorts of quid-pro-quo deals are something too many neighborhoods expect. Sometimes, says former city managing director Phil Goldsmith, you've got community groups asking for money or something in return for approving a project that should already be permitted under the zoning code. People won't like me for saying this, but it's pay-to-play politics---on a civic level. Perhaps even worse, the controversy isn't always about what the neighborhood will get in return for supporting a project. Sometimes it's simply about control, about neighborhoods telling business owners what they can and can't do with the property they bought... That's a lot of power to be invested in anyone, transforming the leaders of neighborhood groups into quasi-public officials. And the question going forward is, how can we rein in the power of leaders we never elected in the first place? Thanks for posting this, Glenn On 6/27/2010 3:44 PM, Dave Axler wrote: The July issue of Philadelphia Magazine has a piece titled Turf Wars: Neighbors Gone Wild. It's about the behavior of neighborhood groups towards entrepreneurs and developers in the city. It takes a decidedly pro-business slant -- not a surprise, given the source -- and is focused on groups in Center City and adjacent areas (Fishtown, Queen Village, etc.). There's no mention of any West Philly groups such as SHCA. Despite the article's bias, it makes some good points and is worth reading. You can find it online at: http://www.phillymag.com/articles/turf_wars_neighbors_gone_wild062110/ 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. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.830 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2966 - Release Date: 06/27/10 02:35:00
[UC] craig exposes policy failure
Hey Glenn, in a meeting with the City Controller last week, he told me 80% of the issued trash citations are dismissed by the Board of Adjudication when there is a hearing. Dear neighbors, Craig has exposed another important indicator of the failed enforcement policy of the Streets Department/UCD. The Sweeps program and part of the department of Administrative Adjudication needs to be eliminated with the savings transferred to libraries and recreation centers! If 80% of tickets are known to be flawed for a variety of reasons, these bogus trash tickets can not be supported as a revenue enhancement or for the purported reason for existence, cleaner and safer neighborhoods. The harm and cost are far too great with little to no benefit from the program! It is unfair to the elderly, overworked low wage workers, poorly educated, and others who can not defend themselves at a hearing when they receive flawed tickets from a flawed program. (It is reasonable to predict that at least 4 of 5 of their tickets are flawed too.) The ill feelings, which continue for uneasy months, arise from citizens who win at hearings and from the cheated citizens who must pay these fines. Threatening liens against people's homes by calling them dirty violators is a serious wrong for a city government to arbitrarily inflict on its citizens! The fines hurt people who can't afford it, and the psychological damage and insecurity is worse! (An elderly recently widowed resident of 40 years described the pain and fear from the harassment over many months prior to appearing before a municipal court judge. I previously reported this incident on the public listserv.) Whether the department is primarily an extortion operation or Philadelphia's Keystone cops; the harassment can not be defended. Thanks for this important data Craig, Glenn PS: Have you forwarded this leak to any of the newspapers?
