Should we vote each week on trash collection, too?
On 14 Jul 2007, at 5:39 PM, Glenn wrote:
Wow Elliot,
You seem to have decided our system of government and citizen
involvement is a waste. I hope you're joking around or are in a
temporary bad mood. I hope my comments can be helpful. I am glad
one of the local streets actually needed this use of resources.
You're mocking the attempt to look for reasonable solutions to
simple problems. You are also mocking the importance of our right
and duty to hold government accountable by questioning. Is a
reasonable approach to issues such a terrible burden as your
hypothetical account suggests?
If I understand the point you are attempting to make, we should all
give up too.
It would be simple to design a reasonable notification, for
example, if we had democratic processes so that government takes
reasonable steps to minimize harm to the people. What about posting
the street work 10 days in advance when not an emergency? Is all
the towing really a more efficient approach for whatever entity is
doing this to justify the harm to our neighbors that the recent
approach causes? Wouldn't the people rather see the workers
earning honest pay posting signs so the residents could have a
chance to warn strangers and very few people would be towed and
have horrible experiences?
By the way everyone, didn't the city, back when it was in control
here, post street work in advance? Or am I just remembering the
pre-occupation days as the good old days when times were good?
Folks will think I'm making it up because of my views about local
problems, but the first time I saw this large scale towing without
notification was before a Judy Rodin speech in Clark Park. I was
sitting on my porch and got my little car away in time. After the
towing, the SUV's showed up and I later learned it was Judy giving
some speech at the Dicken's statue. It was a long time ago.
Also, most streets don't need this work. Is why, such a burdensome
question?
I'm a bit frightened to ask, but what is your alternative to this
inefficient democracy you dislike so much?
As I told Matt, there is no need to respond if you don't want. I
offer my comments with the best intentions.
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
From: Elliot M. Stern
To: Glenn
Cc: KAREN ALLEN ; [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: [UC] Move your cars! Fight the conspiracy!
The city periodically repaves its streets. The 4700 block of Cedar
Ave., which was repaved this time, desperately needed the work. The
last time it was done, the material began to crumble at the 48th
Street end within weeks after the completion of the work.
Some of you listees, I suppose, would prefer to bring the matter to
a vote. It's a democracy, after all, and the residents of the block
should consent to any proposal to repave the street. If the
residents consent to having the street repaved, the owners of cars
parked on the street should receive engraved invitations to move
their cars on a particular date, at a particular time, and not to
park on the street until some other specified time, when the work
will have been completed. The workers should go on the morning of
the scheduled work from door to door, politely requesting that the
owners of the cars move them. Owners of cars who fail to respond
positively should be provided detailed accounts of the location to
which their car has been towed, and free pickup service so they do
not have to strain themselves by walking a few blocks.
We can also vote on replacing street lamp light bulbs when they
fail, if you wish. That's democracy, isn't it?
Elliot
On 14 Jul 2007, at 9:07 AM, Glenn wrote:
Hey Karen,
Do you remember this woman's name and what entity she belonged too?
This resurfacing seems to have upset a lot of people. It seems to
be done for no reason. Of course, the problems with giving notice
and towing the cars are obviously frustrating.
The Vet school building popping up after we were sold in advance
that the traffic patterns were the reason for the improvment, I
believe, is very similar to this new problem. The suggested
outcome turns out to not be an improvement and the surprise we
receive seems to have been conceived long before we were fooled.
It is the same unethical pattern that I have come to expect.
Again, it's not just the physical problem that the area is much
more dangerous for everyone, but the dishonest process by which
Penn accomplished this taking of the street while treating us
poorly. I know I have an easy going attitude and if they had been
honest, I probably would have not objected. I might have tried to
offer suggestions so that the traffic decisions wouldn't have been
the worst possible choices. But now, I feel compelled to stress
that this is another example of dangers that we must not leave
unchallenged. The precedent is the frightening danger not the new
building.
It also shows how deeply Penn's influence stretches into state and
local government planning even in this area of streets and
highways. Sending this woman to the civic associations with a
misleading presentation is exactly the Penn process. I think if
we find this woman; she may know something about this decision to
do all these district streets instead of using the resources in
Philadelphia.
I think the people posting about the waste that this street work
exemplifies are correct.
Glenn
----- Original Message ----- From: "KAREN ALLEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 2:27 PM
Subject: Re: [UC] Move your cars! Fight the conspiracy!
Yes, I remember that...a woman from Penn came to a Cedar Park
Neighbors board meeting sometime in 2002 or 2003 and said the
streets were being changed to create better traffic patterns.
She didn't say anything about Penn acquiring the land for the Vet
School.
From: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [UC] Move your cars! Fight the conspiracy!
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:12:21 -0400
Rememember, the transfer of the eastern end of Baltimore Ave to
Penn School of Vetrinary >Medicine. Sure, we were told it was
all done to make the traffic patterns better at the VA
>hospital. A lot of people on the list claimed that that was a
lie and the whole project was to turn >over Baltimore Ave for
the Penn expansion.
Your buddy,
Glenn
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Elliot M. Stern
552 South 48th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143-2029
United States of America
telephone: 215-747-6204
mobile: 267-240-8418
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Elliot M. Stern
552 South 48th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143-2029
United States of America
telephone: 215-747-6204
mobile: 267-240-8418
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