S. Sharrieff Ali wrote:
I hear Al did a fine job on NPR today.I'm listening to the program right now-- and Al did a very, very good job. Well worth listening to.
Okay, I finally finished the whole program. Overall, a decent discussion, but a few things ought to be said.
One: Someone from West Philadelphia called in, and asked Al if his criticisms of the HD were an endorsement of corruption. Al was right to dismiss this as a "have you stopped beating your wife" question, of course. But the question was sadly typical of many HD advocates in our area, and I'm glad that one of them embarassed themselves publicly.
Two: I was a little concerned that the viewpoint of the homeowner was not discussed. There was considerable discussion from store owners with bad PHC experiences, the impact of HD on urban renewal, and the like... but the rights and concerns of homeowners (who don't get the tax breaks and other goodies that businesses get) weren't discussed. About the only mention was John Gallery's bland dismissal of property rights, because the Supreme Court had decided the matter. (As we at the SHNA have maintained, if the courts say we don't have rights under HD, then why agree to go under HD in the first place? It's like enlisting in the military and giving up your rights as a citizen.)
Three: I am still amazed that HD advocates such as John Gallery insist on portraying the PHC as some kind of unique and incorruptible entity, immune to the back-scratching and mutual hand-washings of everyday politics. It's magical thinking, basically. Politicians who are elected by citizens are corrupt, selfish, power-hungry money-grubbers... but the people these politicians _appoint_ to city commissions somehow _aren't_. Go figure.
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