In yesterday's UC Review, Executive Director of Public Affairs, Tony Sorrentino, says:
"First and foremost, our goal at 40th and Pine was to preserve the wonderful mansion and restore pride in the community." Bullshit! In July, the University of Pennsylvania secretly tried to get the building de-listed from the historical register. The building had been functioning prior to the U. acquisition and mothballed in 2003. Without notice to the community, the building was presented to the PHC as dilapidated to clear the way for demolition. ".members of the Spruce Hill Community Association protested plans presented by Lussenhop." Like the community as a whole, the SHCA MEMBERS were betrayed by their association leaders. The leadership of SHCA had never announced the secret de-listing attempt nor the reported presentation at the member's general election meeting. Leaders of SHCA and UCHS witnessed the Penn Real Estate team lie to the Philadelphia Historical Commission about community support form neighbors and about occurrences of "open and public forums." Clearly, these lies had been approved through secret dealings intended to keep the community in the dark. The so-called, "leaders of the community," then responded to responsible neighbors, whom alerted the community about this attempt, with the usual ad hominem process. Neighbors were not to speak of this project, and as Ms. Stewart's UC Review letter to the editor pointed out, it was not the business of general members of UCHS to speak on this matter. Whenever this coalition of neighborhood hypocrites and corporate monsters restores our pride, it is none of the community's business! EVERY TIME Penn Real Estate cuts backroom deals with this small cadre of superior citizens, often referred to as the anointed, we see an identical process of misinformation, lies, and secrecy. As the residents of Woodland Terrace found out, this hypocritical coalition ALWAYS tries to jam its projects through while excluding notice or participation from the community. Neither Penn Real Estate officials nor the leaders of their UC district's "civic associations" can be trusted! This intimidation and collusion results from embedding Penn Real Estate officials in these dysfunctional homeowners clubs! The hypocrites are anointed to rule as long as they rubber stamp the corporate agenda. On each Penn project, it is regular citizens and residents who must sacrifice and make incredible efforts to mobilize and fight at the last moment. Then, the real leader's are called a myriad of names and blamed for incivility and disruption. As a community, we need to reject each project from Penn Real Estate until those arrogant plutocrats observe a process towards this community that is acceptable in a democratic system. Instead of disclosure and discussion, it is deliberate divisiveness which is Penn's "community engagement." Penn officials like Amy Gutmann need to restore pride in the name, University of Pennsylvania, and cut out the constant stream of self-congratulatory bullshit. Three cheers for the courageous neighbors from Woodland Terrace! Good work, Glenn
