Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Thanks Dave, I didn’t see it on my screen. It is indeed “vewy intewesting.” What has been copied from other sources is a jumble of bullets and snips that confuse rather than shine a light on Praxis methods or ideology. This is even more problematic than bad web construction. Very important: Only “Key Factors for Engaging People in Public Life” from a Kettering Foundation group, 1993, adds anything comprehensible on its own. And what it adds completely undercuts the Penn “workshop” design and methods! Go down the column “what we see in society” juxtaposed against “what citizens do” Look at these examples of the real problems in civic engagement: “Appeals that treat people as if they were passive consumers of information, isolated in their homes,” Experts seen as the credible sources for information and for engaging citizens,” “Expert-driven facts and figures used to establish and speak with authority,” “Concerns depicted through fragmented facts, data, anecdotes,” “Public debate cast in extremes, conflict and polarized,” “Appeals made to people's self interest.” “Public concerns riddled with inaction, stagnation, lack of hope.” What real civic engagement experts, Kettering, point out; is that these Penn techniques are the very problem and not the solution! Consider all the confusion built into this web site, after carefully considering and comparing that list. The ostensibly complex jumble of concepts are deliberately confusing because Praxis depends on it. There is no mistake. Yesterday, I watched the city officials rehearse with Camille Barnett. Praxis participants will be educated that all is hopeless unless Philadelphians helplessly accept the only alternatives which are being designed by the experts. Thanks again, that was very important to catch, Glenn -Original Message- From: Dave Axler daveax...@aol.com Sent: Jan 28, 2009 11:02 PM To: UnivCity Listserv univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure As Elmer Fudd used to say, Vewwy intewesting. If you go to this page, you will find all the links that Glenn cites below: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/node/416 If you then simply scroll down the page, instead of using the links, you will then find the actual sections of text to which the links are supposed to connect. Yes, they're all on that very same web page. In fact, the first section -- Metaphors of Community -- is partially visible as soon as you view the page, if you're using a large enough monitor. Those links are clearly intended to simply scroll the page in an automated fashion, as are the Back To Top links below each section. Unfortunately, whoever designed the page didn't do enough testing. (There are several other web-design errors there as well, but that's not relevant to this discussion.) But if your goal is to see and discuss what PPCE describes as its Core Concepts, don't get distracted by the bad links.. Just use your scroll bar instead and read 'em for yourself. On Jan 28, 2009, at 9:36 PM, Glenn moyer wrote: “A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings.” Tony, these people on the un-moderated list sure know how to fling it. You were so ivy league to point to these deep core concepts published transparently by the Penn intellectuals on their web site. How could anyone doubt this brilliant civic engagement literature: Metaphors of community http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofcommunity#metaphorsofcommunity Metaphors of engagement http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofengagement#metaphorsofengagement Key concepts for engaging people http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#keyfactors#keyfactors Naming and framing problems http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#namingandframingproblems #namingandframingproblems Civic deliberation and civic capacity http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#civicdeliberation#civicdeliberation -Original Message- From: Anthony West anthony_w...@earthlink.net Sent: Jan 28, 2009 8:48 PM To: UnivCity Listserv univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure It's reasonable to be skeptical about a Penn-based attempt to facilitate a meeting over a conflict between some of its neighbors and itself. That's not the situation before us in this case. The City budget gap affects all Philadelphians, not just the 3% who live in University City. The budget is to Campus Inn as a watermelon is to a walnut. A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings. The work a Penn team did on the waterfront a year or two ago drew high marks from all the communities involved, and they had plenty of hot issues.
RE: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
One way to look at Penn Praxis involvement is this: Conflict of interest: Penn would not be an impartial facilitator because it has myriad relationships with the City government, including but not by any means limited to the ongoing drama of the Campus Inn, playing out in front of the Historical and City Planning Commissions and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. It's like having Dick Cheney convene a panel to write energy policy, and having the panel be comprised of Gulf, Texaco and Exxon Mobil. The process would be more transparent if an educational institution from outside Philadelphia provided the facilitation. Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:33:36 -0500 From: glen...@earthlink.net To: daveax...@aol.com; univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure Thanks Dave, I didn’t see it on my screen. It is indeed “vewy intewesting.” What has been copied from other sources is a jumble of bullets and snips that confuse rather than shine a light on Praxis methods or ideology. This is even more problematic than bad web construction.Very important: Only “Key Factors for Engaging People in Public Life” from a Kettering Foundation group, 1993, adds anything comprehensible on its own. And what it adds completely undercuts the Penn “workshop” design and methods! Go down the column “what we see in society” juxtaposed against “what citizens do” Look at these examples of the real problems in civic engagement: “Appeals that treat people as if they were passive consumers of information, isolated in their homes,” Experts seen as the credible sources for information and for engaging citizens,” “Expert-driven facts and figures used to establish and speak with authority,” “Concerns depicted through fragmented facts, data, anecdotes,” “Public debate cast in extremes, conflict and polarized,” “Appeals made to people's self interest.” “Public concerns riddled with inaction, stagnation, lack of hope.” What real civic engagement experts, Kettering, point out; is that these Penn techniques are the very problem and not the solution! Consider all the confusion built into this web site, after carefully considering and comparing that list. The ostensibly complex jumble of concepts are deliberately confusing because Praxis depends on it. There is no mistake. Yesterday, I watched the city officials rehearse with Camille Barnett. Praxis participants will be educated that all is hopeless unless Philadelphians helplessly accept the only alternatives which are being designed by the experts. Thanks again, that was very important to catch, Glenn-Original Message- From: Dave Axler daveax...@aol.com Sent: Jan 28, 2009 11:02 PM To: UnivCity Listserv univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure As Elmer Fudd used to say, Vewwy intewesting. If you go to this page, you will find all the links that Glenn cites below: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/node/416 If you then simply scroll down the page, instead of using the links, you will then find the actual sections of text to which the links are supposed to connect. Yes, they're all on that very same web page. In fact, the first section -- Metaphors of Community -- is partially visible as soon as you view the page, if you're using a large enough monitor. Those links are clearly intended to simply scroll the page in an automated fashion, as are the Back To Top links below each section. Unfortunately, whoever designed the page didn't do enough testing. (There are several other web-design errors there as well, but that's not relevant to this discussion.) But if your goal is to see and discuss what PPCE describes as its Core Concepts, don't get distracted by the bad links.. Just use your scroll bar instead and read 'em for yourself. On Jan 28, 2009, at 9:36 PM, Glenn moyer wrote: “A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings.”Tony, these people on the un-moderated list sure know how to fling it. You were so ivy league to point to these deep core concepts published transparently by the Penn intellectuals on their web site. How could anyone doubt this brilliant civic engagement literature:Metaphors of community http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofcommunity#metaphorsofcommunity Metaphors of engagement http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofengagement#metaphorsofengagementKey concepts for engaging people http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#keyfactors#keyfactors Naming and framing problems http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#namingandframingproblems #namingandframingproblems Civic deliberation and civic capacity http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/
Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
A nice phrase! By the same metaphor, though, Nutter -- and every other mayor -- uses proprietary software to fix public buildings, cut down public trees and computerize public offices. They are called private-sector contractors and they are utterly normal, completely familiar to our Founding Fathers, and absolutely inevitable. That's why the City Procurement Dept. exists. Governments have a right and a need to procure goods and services from private contractors, and private contractors have a right to provide goods and services to governments. That includes colleges and universities, of which Penn is one. So you haven't located any problem -- not, at least, with this metaphor. It in no way singles out Penn's meeting-facilitation sideline from any other service by any other provider, which you were hoping to do. -- Tony West the problem here, in short, is that nutter's trying to use proprietary software to run an open source operating system. (aye. 18th century principles in 21st century language. the founding fathers were indeed wise beyond their years.) .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
That's partly why I suggested Loyola Univ. as one alternative to Penn. Philadelphia is eagerly looking to superheroes from Chicago to fish our budgetary fat out of the fire now, right? So if Obama, why not Loyola as well? Meantime, Penn could peddle its expertise to Chicago governments ... there is a logic to your idea, Karen. However, there is a longstanding and widespread tradition of partnership between educational institutions and their host communities as well. One wonders if it will soon be replaced by a new assumption by local governments, that local universities should be prohibited from playing any role in local public life. -- Tony West KAREN ALLEN wrote: One way to look at Penn Praxis involvement is this: Conflict of interest: Penn would not be an impartial facilitator because it has myriad relationships with the City government, including but not by any means limited to the ongoing drama of the Campus Inn, playing out in front of the Historical and City Planning Commissions and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. It's like having Dick Cheney convene a panel to write energy policy, and having the panel be comprised of Gulf, Texaco and Exxon Mobil. The process would be more transparent if an educational institution from outside Philadelphia provided the facilitation. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote: A nice phrase! By the same metaphor, though, Nutter -- and every other mayor -- uses proprietary software to fix public buildings, cut down public trees and computerize public offices. They are called private-sector contractors and they are utterly normal, completely familiar to our Founding Fathers, and absolutely inevitable. That's why the City Procurement Dept. exists. budgets (city treasuries) are what enable mayors to cut down trees, fix public buildings, computerize public offices. decision-making about those budgets isn't proprietary. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote:
Will its public meetings accomplish anything in the end? That seems like
a more reasonable suspicion. Wharton has been flinging buckets of
high-financial brains into Wall Street for a generation, and look where
that's gotten us. On the other hand, nobody else knows what to do
either. So excluding Penn from any role in its city's fate seems odd, to
say the least.
d'oh! turns out nutter's a wharton grad ('79)
http://www.nutter2007.com/index.php?/about/
..
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
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Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Baloney. Mayors all across the country use proprietary contractors such as computer-network installers and planning facilitators and space providers, to help their decision-making. That doesn't mean they are paying them to do their decision-making (although that might also happen, and might not be good). At the end of the day, it'll still be Mayor Nutter and City Council that actually make these decisions. They may decide to balance the budget by not punishing the largest surviving private employer in town any more than they have to, at least not this year. Such a decision may distress some readers, but I am not convinced it is really so bad for The People. I think The People, at least the ones I know, face much bigger challenges than the University of Pennsylvania these days. -- Tony West budgets (city treasuries) are what enable mayors to cut down trees, fix public buildings, computerize public offices. decision-making about those budgets isn't proprietary. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote: Baloney. Mayors all across the country use proprietary contractors such as computer-network installers and planning facilitators and space providers, to help their decision-making. That doesn't mean they are paying them to do their decision-making (although that might also happen, and might not be good). At the end of the day, it'll still be Mayor Nutter and City Council that actually make these decisions. They may decide to balance the budget by not punishing the largest surviving private employer in town any more than they have to, at least not this year. Such a decision may distress some readers, but I am not convinced it is really so bad for The People. I think The People, at least the ones I know, face much bigger challenges than the University of Pennsylvania these days. nutter made a budget decision about the city's libraries. problem was, city council and The Voting Public didn't agree with it. THEN nutter reached for a proprietary solution: penn workshops. it helps to keep in mind what these much bigger challenges that we The People, at least the ones you know, are actually facing these days. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Ray, In reaction to that other response your post received, I too am concerned with Penn's involvement with the City's budget crisis, and with what they expect to get out of the city in return for their involvement. Penn is not just some benign entity who is unselfishly lending its expertise to the greater good. Of course that's what they and their apologists want everyone to think: Trust us! This is all for your own good. Ask the folks down on Woodland Terrace whether they trust Penn. Ask those who attended the Philadelphia City Planning and Historical Commission hearings and witnessed those charades. Ask those attendees who witnessed Chris O'Donnell out a new-to-the-neighborhood real estate agent who testified in support of Campus Inn, but who somehow failed to mention that coincidentally he (the agent) got a big condo deal from Penn (not that one had anything to do with the other!!!). Ask the folks from Spruce Hill Civic Association who quit that organization in disgust after the Campus Inn debacle exposed how and for whom that organization actually functions. Trust Penn and in 20 years, 48th and Spruce will look like 38th and Spruce does today. Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:43:35 -0500 From: laserb...@speedymail.org To: univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure Anthony West wrote: Attentive indeed. So let us begin by noting that Penn Praxis has *not* been inserted into Nutter's budget process. The agent in this situation is the University of Pennsylvania Project for Civic Engagement. That there are relationships between the two entities is significant. That there are distinctions between the two entities, however, is also significant. Getting names right is not the end of learning, but it is definitely near the beginning. So why don't we go through that gate first? yes, you wrote: Penn's Harris Sokoloff is the quarterback for UPPCE. He is part of the team that is otherwise mobilized as PennPraxis. and what is significant here is that PENN has been inserted into nutter's budget process. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
It's reasonable to be skeptical about a Penn-based attempt to facilitate a meeting over a conflict between some of its neighbors and itself. That's not the situation before us in this case. The City budget gap affects all Philadelphians, not just the 3% who live in University City. The budget is to Campus Inn as a watermelon is to a walnut. A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings. The work a Penn team did on the waterfront a year or two ago drew high marks from all the communities involved, and they had plenty of hot issues. Penn doesn't have to ignore its own good while acting for the good of others. All of us do the same thing; it's called making a living. For anyone who is concerned about Penn's involvement with the ... budget crisis, and what they expect to get ... in return, the obvious first step is to ask the Project for Civic Engagement, whose director is Dr. Harris Sokoloff. Its website is www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/. While Penn could be giving it away, most academic projects are done for contracts -- and lots of government contracts -- in which money changes hands. That's what they get in return. Also they get a good reputation, which helps them somewhere down the line, they hope. Plus, it's possible some people at Penn, like some people on this list, see their city in a real bind and wish to pitch in something useful toward that problem. Will its public meetings accomplish anything in the end? That seems like a more reasonable suspicion. Wharton has been flinging buckets of high-financial brains into Wall Street for a generation, and look where that's gotten us. On the other hand, nobody else knows what to do either. So excluding Penn from any role in its city's fate seems odd, to say the least. -- Tony West KAREN ALLEN wrote: Ray, In reaction to that other response your post received, I too am concerned with Penn's involvement with the City's budget crisis, and with what they expect to get out of the city in return for their involvement. Penn is not just some benign entity who is unselfishly lending its expertise to the greater good. Of course that's what they and their apologists want everyone to think: Trust us! This is all for your own good. Ask the folks down on Woodland Terrace whether they trust Penn. Ask those who attended the Philadelphia City Planning and Historical Commission hearings and witnessed those charades. Ask those attendees who witnessed Chris O'Donnell out a new-to-the-neighborhood real estate agent who testified in support of Campus Inn, but who somehow failed to mention that coincidentally he (the agent) got a big condo deal from Penn (not that one had anything to do with the other!!!). Ask the folks from Spruce Hill Civic Association who quit that organization in disgust after the Campus Inn debacle exposed how and for whom that organization actually functions. Trust Penn and in 20 years, 48th and Spruce will look like 38th and Spruce does today. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
“A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings.” Tony, these people on the un-moderated list sure know how to fling it. You were so ivy league to point to these deep core concepts published transparently by the Penn intellectuals on their web site. How could anyone doubt this brilliant civic engagement literature: Metaphors of community http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofcommunity#metaphorsofcommunity Metaphors of engagement http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofengagement#metaphorsofengagement Key concepts for engaging people http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#keyfactors#keyfactors Naming and framing problems http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#namingandframingproblems#namingandframingproblems Civic deliberation and civic capacity http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#civicdeliberation#civicdeliberation -Original Message- From: Anthony West anthony_w...@earthlink.net Sent: Jan 28, 2009 8:48 PM To: UnivCity Listserv univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure It's reasonable to be skeptical about a Penn-based attempt to facilitate a meeting over a conflict between some of its neighbors and itself. That's not the situation before us in this case. The City budget gap affects all Philadelphians, not just the 3% who live in University City. The budget is to Campus Inn as a watermelon is to a walnut. A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings. The work a Penn team did on the waterfront a year or two ago drew high marks from all the communities involved, and they had plenty of hot issues. Penn doesn't have to ignore its own good while acting for the good of others. All of us do the same thing; it's called making a living. For anyone who is concerned about Penn's involvement with the ... budget crisis, and what they expect to get ... in return, the obvious first step is to ask the Project for Civic Engagement, whose director is Dr. Harris Sokoloff. Its website is www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/. While Penn could be giving it away, most academic projects are done for contracts -- and lots of government contracts -- in which money changes hands. That's what they get in return. Also they get a good reputation, which helps them somewhere down the line, they hope. Plus, it's possible some people at Penn, like some people on this list, see their city in a real bind and wish to pitch in something useful toward that problem. Will its public meetings accomplish anything in the end? That seems like a more reasonable suspicion. Wharton has been flinging buckets of high-financial brains into Wall Street for a generation, and look where that's gotten us. On the other hand, nobody else knows what to do either. So excluding Penn from any role in its city's fate seems odd, to say the least. -- Tony West KAREN ALLEN wrote: Ray, In reaction to that other response your post received, I too am concerned with Penn's involvement with the City's budget crisis, and with what they expect to get out of the city in return for their involvement. Penn is not just some benign entity who is unselfishly lending its expertise to the greater good. Of course that's what they and their apologists want everyone to think: Trust us! This is all for your own good. Ask the folks down on Woodland Terrace whether they trust Penn. Ask those who attended the Philadelphia City Planning and Historical Commission hearings and witnessed those charades. Ask those attendees who witnessed Chris O'Donnell out a new-to-the-neighborhood real estate agent who testified in support of Campus Inn, but who somehow failed to mention that coincidentally he (the agent) got a big condo deal from Penn (not that one had anything to do with the other!!!). Ask the folks from Spruce Hill Civic Association who quit that organization in disgust after the Campus Inn debacle exposed how and for whom that organization actually functions. Trust Penn and in 20 years, 48th and Spruce will look like 38th and Spruce does today. 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. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Pretty funny, Glenn! Now can you direct us to your company website, please? How well-kept is it? How self-revealing is it? What I do when I want to learn something, and I don't get it over the web, is I then call the person on the telephone and ask them questions, if I care enough. -- Tony West “A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings.” Tony, these people on the un-moderated list sure know how to fling it. You were so ivy league to point to these deep core concepts published transparently by the Penn intellectuals on their web site. How could anyone doubt this brilliant civic engagement literature: Metaphors of community http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofcommunity#metaphorsofcommunity Metaphors of engagement http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofengagement#metaphorsofengagement Key concepts for engaging people http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#keyfactors#keyfactors Naming and framing problems http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#namingandframingproblems#namingandframingproblems Civic deliberation and civic capacity http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#civicdeliberation#civicdeliberation 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
What I do when I want to learn something, and I don't get it over the web, is I then call the person on the telephone and ask them questions, if I care enough. Neighbors, I worked with some people from GSE when I was doing adult literacy work. I thought highly of them. I couldn't understand how GSE professionals could be involved with this national policy model (from the DP). Wouldn't they be ashamed of promoting a PR, spin, bullshit, whatever, web site when they are at the center of a serious issue in a city of 1.5 million? I decided to figure out what degree programs were involved and look at the curriculum, publications, etc. Low and behold, the Project for civic engagement jumps out of nowhere! There is no program that it appears to fit into at GSE. The GSE, like I always assumed, has serious programs in many areas around the field of education. Didn't it seem very odd that a serious university program would have its core concepts missing from such a serious project? If the Praxis outfit deviated seriously from a serious program, people could read the core concepts and compare them to the Praxis performance. But hey, no program, no literature, no core concepts; no way to evaluate it, and tell the difference between a serious academic discipline and a workshop in pool hustling! When you read that stuff on the project site that awes Tony, the UCD guy; it's clear that these Praxis clowns aren't as sharp as they are sneaky. This is deep, but not funny as Mr. West believes. Glenn -Original Message- From: Anthony West anthony_w...@earthlink.net Sent: Jan 28, 2009 9:44 PM To: UnivCity Listserv univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure Pretty funny, Glenn! Now can you direct us to your company website, please? How well-kept is it? How self-revealing is it? What I do when I want to learn something, and I don't get it over the web, is I then call the person on the telephone and ask them questions, if I care enough. -- Tony West “A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings.” Tony, these people on the un-moderated list sure know how to fling it. You were so ivy league to point to these deep core concepts published transparently by the Penn intellectuals on their web site. How could anyone doubt this brilliant civic engagement literature: Metaphors of community http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofcommunity#metaphorsofcommunity Metaphors of engagement http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofengagement#metaphorsofengagement Key concepts for engaging people http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#keyfactors#keyfactors Naming and framing problems http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#namingandframingproblems#namingandframingproblems Civic deliberation and civic capacity http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#civicdeliberation#civicdeliberation 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. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
What? What are you talking about, Glenn? I can't make sense of any of this. We're simply asking where the website for Glenn Moyer Real Estate, Inc., is, so we may compare its skill to that of the Project for Civic Engagement's website. How can we best learn more about your business activities on line? -- Tony West Neighbors, I worked with some people from GSE when I was doing adult literacy work. I thought highly of them. I couldn't understand how GSE professionals could be involved with this national policy model (from the DP). Wouldn't they be ashamed of promoting a PR, spin, bullshit, whatever, web site when they are at the center of a serious issue in a city of 1.5 million? I decided to figure out what degree programs were involved and look at the curriculum, publications, etc. Low and behold, the Project for civic engagement jumps out of nowhere! There is no program that it appears to fit into at GSE. The GSE, like I always assumed, has serious programs in many areas around the field of education. Didn't it seem very odd that a serious university program would have its core concepts missing from such a serious project? If the Praxis outfit deviated seriously from a serious program, people could read the core concepts and compare them to the Praxis performance. But hey, no program, no literature, no core concepts; no way to evaluate it, and tell the difference between a serious academic discipline and a workshop in pool hustling! When you read that stuff on the project site that awes Tony, the UCD guy; it's clear that these Praxis clowns aren't as sharp as they are sneaky. This is deep, but not funny as Mr. West believes. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
As Elmer Fudd used to say, Vewwy intewesting. If you go to this page, you will find all the links that Glenn cites below: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/node/416 If you then simply scroll down the page, instead of using the links, you will then find the actual sections of text to which the links are supposed to connect. Yes, they're all on that very same web page. In fact, the first section -- Metaphors of Community -- is partially visible as soon as you view the page, if you're using a large enough monitor. Those links are clearly intended to simply scroll the page in an automated fashion, as are the Back To Top links below each section. Unfortunately, whoever designed the page didn't do enough testing. (There are several other web-design errors there as well, but that's not relevant to this discussion.) But if your goal is to see and discuss what PPCE describes as its Core Concepts, don't get distracted by the bad links.. Just use your scroll bar instead and read 'em for yourself. On Jan 28, 2009, at 9:36 PM, Glenn moyer wrote: “A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings.” Tony, these people on the un-moderated list sure know how to fling it. You were so ivy league to point to these deep core concepts published transparently by the Penn intellectuals on their web site. How could anyone doubt this brilliant civic engagement literature: Metaphors of community http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofcommunity#metaphorsofcommunity Metaphors of engagement http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#metaphorsofengagement#metaphorsofengagement Key concepts for engaging people http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#keyfactors#keyfactors Naming and framing problems http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/coreconcepts.php#namingandframingproblems #namingandframingproblems Civic deliberation and civic capacity http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/ coreconcepts.php#civicdeliberation#civicdeliberation -Original Message- From: Anthony West anthony_w...@earthlink.net Sent: Jan 28, 2009 8:48 PM To: UnivCity Listserv univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure It's reasonable to be skeptical about a Penn-based attempt to facilitate a meeting over a conflict between some of its neighbors and itself. That's not the situation before us in this case. The City budget gap affects all Philadelphians, not just the 3% who live in University City. The budget is to Campus Inn as a watermelon is to a walnut. A Penn entity makes just as much sense to the average Joe as anybody else's entity, to organize large-scale, productive meetings. The work a Penn team did on the waterfront a year or two ago drew high marks from all the communities involved, and they had plenty of hot issues. Penn doesn't have to ignore its own good while acting for the good of others. All of us do the same thing; it's called making a living. For anyone who is concerned about Penn's involvement with the ... budget crisis, and what they expect to get ... in return, the obvious first step is to ask the Project for Civic Engagement, whose director is Dr. Harris Sokoloff. Its website is www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce/. While Penn could be giving it away, most academic projects are done for contracts -- and lots of government contracts -- in which money changes hands. That's what they get in return. Also they get a good reputation, which helps them somewhere down the line, they hope. Plus, it's possible some people at Penn, like some people on this list, see their city in a real bind and wish to pitch in something useful toward that problem. Will its public meetings accomplish anything in the end? That seems like a more reasonable suspicion. Wharton has been flinging buckets of high-financial brains into Wall Street for a generation, and look where that's gotten us. On the other hand, nobody else knows what to do either. So excluding Penn from any role in its city's fate seems odd, to say the least. -- Tony West KAREN ALLEN wrote: Ray, In reaction to that other response your post received, I too am concerned with Penn's involvement with the City's budget crisis, and with what they expect to get out of the city in return for their involvement. Penn is not just some benign entity who is unselfishly lending its expertise to the greater good. Of course that's what they and their apologists want everyone to think: Trust us! This is all for your own good. Ask the folks down on Woodland Terrace whether they trust Penn. Ask those who attended the Philadelphia City Planning and Historical Commission hearings and witnessed those charades. Ask those attendees who witnessed Chris O'Donnell out a new-to-the-neighborhood real estate agent who testified in support of Campus Inn, but who somehow failed to mention that
Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote: What does it prove, that Nutter hired a Penn arm rather than a Temple arm or a Loyola arm to grease a political adjustment? That Penn is the largest private-sector employer in the city? That it is growing and flourishing, and appears to be on top of its industry's game? That it's a logical source for a strapped municipality to seek assistance from? That maybe a superior knowledge industry might generate knowledge that is applicable to the City's budget meltdown? Precisely what is wrong about Penn's contributing to solving the budget woes of its home city? Should it refuse to do so, in your opinion? the problem here, in short, is that nutter's trying to use proprietary software to run an open source operating system. (aye. 18th century principles in 21st century language. the founding fathers were indeed wise beyond their years.) .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote: As for the Founding Fathers, they did care deeply about accountability, transparency, debate and public participation, although it would never have occurred to any of them to use any of those precise words as they made their cases -- our language has changed that much in the past 230 years. well, you've gone from calling it lofty rhetoric to language that's different now, but it's hard to see how the f'ing fathers could have been more clear or relevant about the principles of our citizenship. We the people is about as basic as you can get to caring deeply about and establishing an enduring process for accountability, transparency, debate and public participation. yes, language is important -- it's how we recognize that I did it my way or I'm the decider or I won is no excuse for handling a crisis, whether we're talking about a city budget, an overseas war, or a nation's economic plan. it's how we recognize the difference between truths and sound-bites, values and press releases, principles and internet memes. and now that penn praxis has been inserted into nutter's budget process as a non-elected, non-accountable and self-serving entity posing as an impartial facilitator, we need to remain as responsible as ever to principles, as attentive as ever to language. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Attentive indeed. So let us begin by noting that Penn Praxis has *not* been inserted into Nutter's budget process. The agent in this situation is the University of Pennsylvania Project for Civic Engagement. That there are relationships between the two entities is significant. That there are distinctions between the two entities, however, is also significant. Getting names right is not the end of learning, but it is definitely near the beginning. So why don't we go through that gate first? -- Tony West yes, language is important -- it's how we recognize that I did it my way or I'm the decider or I won is no excuse for handling a crisis, whether we're talking about a city budget, an overseas war, or a nation's economic plan. it's how we recognize the difference between truths and sound-bites, values and press releases, principles and internet memes. and now that penn praxis has been inserted into nutter's budget process as a non-elected, non-accountable and self-serving entity posing as an impartial facilitator, we need to remain as responsible as ever to principles, as attentive as ever to language. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote: Attentive indeed. So let us begin by noting that Penn Praxis has *not* been inserted into Nutter's budget process. The agent in this situation is the University of Pennsylvania Project for Civic Engagement. That there are relationships between the two entities is significant. That there are distinctions between the two entities, however, is also significant. Getting names right is not the end of learning, but it is definitely near the beginning. So why don't we go through that gate first? yes, you wrote: Penn's Harris Sokoloff is the quarterback for UPPCE. He is part of the team that is otherwise mobilized as PennPraxis. and what is significant here is that PENN has been inserted into nutter's budget process. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
What is significant to Penn-obsessed, Penn-dependent readers is that the word Penn appears in a string related to Philadelphia's public life. For the rest of us neighbors, whose daily life is largely separate from Penn, we are terribly curious about what Penn is up to, because we are not fools, but we don't have your Oedipal fixation on your employer. What does it prove, that Nutter hired a Penn arm rather than a Temple arm or a Loyola arm to grease a political adjustment? That Penn is the largest private-sector employer in the city? That it is growing and flourishing, and appears to be on top of its industry's game? That it's a logical source for a strapped municipality to seek assistance from? That maybe a superior knowledge industry might generate knowledge that is applicable to the City's budget meltdown? Precisely what is wrong about Penn's contributing to solving the budget woes of its home city? Should it refuse to do so, in your opinion? -- Tony West yes, you wrote: Penn's Harris Sokoloff is the quarterback for UPPCE. He is part of the team that is otherwise mobilized as PennPraxis. and what is significant here is that PENN has been inserted into nutter's budget process. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Nutter has been hammered, and fairly so, for a Sinatra-esque management style: I did it my way. In City Council he worked deftly with anybody in sight to get things done; but the only teams he ever *joined* were teams he headed. That obviously worked well enough to get things done in Council, well enough to get elected Mayor, and well enough to reassure the public as long as some pockets still felt flush. But it may not be good enough to manage a major-league management crisis. And this is one. The soaring murder rate of the last years of Mayor John Street's administration was another such management crisis. At the time, it looked like the worst problem that could face a city's government. And it was pretty bad. But this is worse: Nutter's budget crisis is more dangerous to live with and harder to solve. I'm still skeptical that the public is unsatisfied with Nutter's first-round choices chiefly because of his process and principles. To a fault, even, did he lay out both of the above at every press conference and public meeting. Whenever people cried for more details in any area, within a week or two they got them. I honestly didn't hear that many complainers complaining about then Nutter's principles and process; what fired up the bleachers was his results. They didn't like certain cuts, they wanted to beat them, and they need some legal vehicle to do so. You go, citizens! But by the same token, you go, Mayor! He has a job to do. It must simultaneously encompass not violating the law when closing libraries, and not violating the law when bouncing checks. I don't know anyone who has a clear answer, but it's Nutter's clear duty to lead ... in the sense of put a card into play. He did that much. As for the Founding Fathers, they did care deeply about accountability, transparency, debate and public participation, although it would never have occurred to any of them to use any of those precise words as they made their cases -- our language has changed that much in the past 230 years. -- Tony West well, the principles I was referring to ... are HOW our empowered, elected leaders go about making decisions -- the process, the 'rule of law and the rights of man' -- in the face of a crisis. which is pretty basic stuff, not lofty at all. joe had asked: 'are we not in a crisis?' and the answer is yes. but that should not become the expedient basis for what glenn has called 'shock doctrine' -- emergency powers which justify decision-making behind closed doors and which pre-empt public debate. instead -- and esp. in the face of a crisis -- we have a profound duty to preserve the legacy of our founding fathers' principles, so that no matter what's done, there should be accountability, transparency, rigorous debate, and inclusive public participation we hear now that nutter has announced that there will be an unprecedented level of public engagement in the budget process as we go forward. as glenn reported: Budget workshops will be one piece of this public engagement which will ensure that citizens are involved early on in the budget process, like never before. The aim is to examine different budget options, discuss choices that need to be made, and gather input from people across the city on their concerns and priorities. it would appear from this that nutter now believes that 'lofty ideals and principles' DO matter, that they CAN (and SHOULD) generate policy initiatives, that they ARE practical and serve a purpose. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Anthony West wrote: I'm totally supportive of your rhetoric ... but baffled by your proposed legislative and administrative solutions, Ray. What are they, in this particular case? How do you think the articulation of principles, the rule of law, the rights of man, the facing down of fascism and communism, and the keeping of the legacy urge us to scrap certain of the Mayor's efforts to balance the budget, and adopt certain other budget-balancing measures in their place? If lofty rhetoric and principles cannot generate policy initiatives, they don't serve any purpose. Please (everybody else as well) come up with some alternative policy initiatives now. Now's when the city needs them! well, the principles I was referring to (and that I thought glenn had been referring to, and that I thought obama's words were referring to) are HOW our empowered, elected leaders go about making decisions -- the process, the 'rule of law and the rights of man' -- in the face of a crisis. which is pretty basic stuff, not lofty at all. joe had asked: 'are we not in a crisis?' and the answer is yes. but that should not become the expedient basis for what glenn has called 'shock doctrine' -- emergency powers which justify decision-making behind closed doors and which pre-empt public debate. instead -- and esp. in the face of a crisis -- we have a profound duty to preserve the legacy of our founding fathers' principles, so that no matter what's done, there should be accountability, transparency, rigorous debate, and inclusive public participation. this is not mere rhetoric. it's not a sound-bite. we have all seen the real costs of what happened 8 yrs ago when the bush administration responded to the 9/11 crisis. and we have seen the time and energy philadelphians had to spend AFTER nutter made his recent budget decisions about the libraries. we hear now that nutter has announced that there will be an unprecedented level of public engagement in the budget process as we go forward. as glenn reported: Budget workshops will be one piece of this public engagement which will ensure that citizens are involved early on in the budget process, like never before. The aim is to examine different budget options, discuss choices that need to be made, and gather input from people across the city on their concerns and priorities. it would appear from this that nutter now believes that 'lofty ideals and principles' DO matter, that they CAN (and SHOULD) generate policy initiatives, that they ARE practical and serve a purpose. it's that same old idea of ben franklin's at work: those who would give up liberty to purchase some safety, deserve neither (or, as obama put it: we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals). and these ideals apply to local, national, and international levels. obama was speaking to the world when he was inaugurated, and he made it a point to say that that world included even the tiny village in kenya where his father was born: What is required for us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Joe Clarke wrote: Are we not in a crisis? Cutting the libraries without consulting the community (or the City Council) may have been hasty but where is the money going to come from to cover the deficit? Is there any area of the budget -- fire stations -- that somebody, including the city employees, doesn't find unacceptable, draconian, etc...? I don't think the libraries were selected by the administration for any sinister reason. That's your take on it. I think the libraries are an important part of a free society and are an asset to communities that rely on them for information and activities. But it's not like the fascists who go after the intellectuals first in order to crush their dissent. You putting Nutter on that level makes me think that his decisions and administration are just fodder for your conspiracy theories. Is Obama next? I think glenn's been trying to articulate principles here, and using examples that maybe get us confounded because they're on different scales (size-wise, time-wise). me, I tend to habitually think about these things (principles) as applicable on the entire local-global continuum... so, for example, when I hear local questions about how a city's budget CRISIS relates to the actions of an elected mayor and the expectations of his municipal voters, I can hear possible answers in what our national leader just said the other day in his address to the world: As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. .. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
I'm totally supportive of your rhetoric ... but baffled by your proposed legislative and administrative solutions, Ray. What are they, in this particular case? How do you think the articulation of principles, the rule of law, the rights of man, the facing down of fascism and communism, and the keeping of the legacy urge us to scrap certain of the Mayor's efforts to balance the budget, and adopt certain other budget-balancing measures in their place? If lofty rhetoric and principles cannot generate policy initiatives, they don't serve any purpose. Please (everybody else as well) come up with some alternative policy initiatives now. Now's when the city needs them! -- Tony West Joe Clarke wrote: Are we not in a crisis? Cutting the libraries without consulting the community (or the City Council) may have been hasty but where is the money going to come from to cover the deficit? Is there any area of the budget -- fire stations -- that somebody, including the city employees, doesn't find unacceptable, draconian, etc...? I don't think the libraries were selected by the administration for any sinister reason. That's your take on it. I think the libraries are an important part of a free society and are an asset to communities that rely on them for information and activities. But it's not like the fascists who go after the intellectuals first in order to crush their dissent. You putting Nutter on that level makes me think that his decisions and administration are just fodder for your conspiracy theories. Is Obama next? I think glenn's been trying to articulate principles here, and using examples that maybe get us confounded because they're on different scales (size-wise, time-wise). me, I tend to habitually think about these things (principles) as applicable on the entire local-global continuum... so, for example, when I hear local questions about how a city's budget CRISIS relates to the actions of an elected mayor and the expectations of his municipal voters, I can hear possible answers in what our national leader just said the other day in his address to the world: As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. 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] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Glenn moyer wrote: If every leader/servant with whom you have a problem is lumped in with Hitler, then the Hitler comparision is rendered ineffective, a droning cliche. I fear it won't be long before Obama joins Nutter and any other elected official in your Gallery of Tyranny. That would be true. But I am not comparing all leaders to Hitler and Pol pot. I don’t think you understood my point or you wouldn’t have said all this. I was referring to a disturbing set of tactics. Unfortunately, history ends up repeating itself. Even when a lesson could have been derived from the past, so that the same, sometimes serious problems, might have been avoided. My point was to indicate that similar disturbing patterns were present at a number of different times and places in the past, which are operating now. But it wasn’t generally understood, at those times that the patterns were repeating history! That is why big mouths like mine are sometimes important, even if people misunderstand my motives like you have done. Painting Nutter with the same brush as Pinochet is a bad tactic, even if you didn't intend to draw a personal comparison. These monsters and tyrants are in everyone's gallery of tyranny and worse; so if I mention an official's name along with theirs it is guilt and defamation by association. This has been known by advertisers and propagandists alike and still perpetuates the illusion that certain products -- toothpaste, beer, deodorant, chocolate, cars -- will make you attractive to handsome or beautiful mates. What does a Gecko have to do with car insurance? or a caveman? or a stack of bills with funny eyes? This meta connection made by association planted in the minds of consumers is effective because of the absurd, entertaining effect it has...which means by association the Geiko must be a cool company, so I'll buy a policy there. The mayor has appealed to fear to distract from the issues and justify his initial library closures. He has been secretive and has been misleading with his public representations. His justification is that we are in a state of emergency. His defiance of both of the other branches of government, legislative and judicial, as well as the goals against a free library are threats against a democracy. That’s the short list. Are we not in a crisis? Cutting the libraries without consulting the community (or the City Council) may have been hasty but where is the money going to come from to cover the deficit? Is there any area of the budget -- fire stations -- that somebody, including the city employees, doesn't find unacceptable, draconian, etc...? I don't think the libraries were selected by the administration for any sinister reason. That's your take on it. I think the libraries are an important part of a free society and are an asset to communities that rely on them for information and activities. But it's not like the fascists who go after the intellectuals first in order to crush their dissent. You putting Nutter on that level makes me think that his decisions and administration are just fodder for your conspiracy theories. Is Obama next? Another thing that might happen as the result of knee-jerk and loud orchestrated reactions to his cuts is that the cuts may trickle down to the constituency with the least voice or power to organize. You've got it! The poor. So is your protests really a bourgeois tactic to get the cuts to tumble down to those who can least afford them, and thereby be no skin off of your nose? The argument can be made. Where does sacrifice begin? Each administration that I mentioned used similar tactics. And all have used a crisis, real or perceived, which seems at the core of a shared Friedmanesque ideology, which also embraces privatization of all things public. I think it’s a twentieth century ideology, which if allowed to continue to flourish, inevitably leads to power concentrations and grabs that are bad for everyone. I agree about the aim of some --Friedman and his adherents in the conservative movement-- who wish to put more and more into the unregulated hands of private entrepreneurs, like Blackwater and Haliburton--even to the point of sabotaging the effectiveness of our existing public institutions, e.g. FEMA, FDA, NIH, SEC, etc. However I don't think that Nutter's actions put him in the same league. I think it’s vital for people to reconsider the leadership of those who use the set of tactics, which I am associating with a shock doctrine. Instead of granting special emergency powers as the mayor desires, I think the people should be more resolute with a demand for transparency. Let Nutter lay out the budget and defend his case that libraries should be permanently closed while his schemes, which transfer taxpayer money to the wealthy, should plow right ahead. Unfortunately, this is not the path the mayor has taken. The PR campaign
