Well, this was interesting to read. Tony, I have to reply to this:
Supposedly the poor suffer agonies because of a change in local housing prices if, over a 15-year period, they wind up shifting from 36th & Chestnut to 36th & Haverford, less than a mile away. As I see it, this is no big deal. The Black Bottom may or may not have been justly handled, but it was a far cry from Darfur. and Most of the truly poor don't want to kill any goose that might lay a golden egg to get them out of poverty. They like the idea of economic development, because they really and truly want to get developed. They just don't want to get left out. Actually, it can be a VERY big deal to have to move because you simply can't afford to live in the neighborhood you grew up in/bought a home in/rent in/go to school in - whatever the reason. Moving itself is not a cheap proposition, finding a place you can afford, especially if you're on the lower economic scale can be a nightmare. No, there is no comparing Black Bottom to Darfur. That's beyond apples and oranges. But one of our neighbors was directly affected by BB and is still paying for her home - after the one she'd been living in and raising her children in and was pretty much paid for was taken out from under her. As to not wanting to be left out. Of course no one wants to be left out. But that's exactly what happens most of the time when the developers/gentrification comes in. Suddenly everything's "luxury" and even the places that aren't labeled as such are out of reach for the very people who need them. The school situation is the same. Not every family can go to the Sadie school. They don't live in the "right" part of UC, nor could many of them afford to. I can't say I have a concrete answer to the problem of urban education. I do think the city and state should be more involved with funding all schools and get funding out of the hands of private, special interest groups. I don't know that we need more special "catchment" type schools. Real funding, real help might just help in making sure that children have up to date books and supplies without teachers having to pay for said supplies out of their own pocket, that their schools are safe places and that our teachers are paid a decent salary and are treated with the respect they deserve. Parents need to be more involved with their children, teaching them at home how to behave, helping with homework, making sure their kids even go to school, as well as how they're doing in school and what they're doing in school. Wendy On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 3:16 PM, Glenn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The flower child writes: > "My '60s ideology is about > retaining sensitivity to the voices of change. In other words: the music > didn't die, so listen to it now! Think like a festival coordinator." > > > I called Lewis and asked him to book Tony at the 2008 love-in, the party > for the park. Remember his classic and listen to the music! > > > Come gather round anointed > Wherever you roam > And admit that the billions > Around you have grown > And accept it that soon > You'll be sucked to the bone > If your district to you > Is worth saving > Then you better kiss ass > And you'll stink like a turd > For the times they are a changin > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony West" < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "UnivCity listserv" <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 1:54 AM > Subject: [UC] Re: GREAT ARTICLE > > > I'm sorry, Glenn, but you did miss my point. > > > > I owe nothing to Penn. You owe your millions to Penn. > > > > You do have a '60s ideology and so do I. But your '60s ideology is > > buried in the past and wastes everybody's reading time. Your > > "gentrification" analysis is 30 years out of date and doesn't help any of us > > understand the challenges of 2008. My '60s ideology is about retaining > > sensitivity to the voices of change. In other words: the music didn't die, > > so listen to it now! Think like a festival coordinator. > > > > The real question before University City is what kind of economic change > > is likeliest to improve urban education. You have shown the major difference > > between Philadelphia education and suburban education is economic: more > > suburban taxpayers are prosperous, so they can afford to spend more, so they > > buy better schools for their kids and everyone else's. > > > > You've published the best argument for gentrification I've read in 30 > > years. Inner-city school systems, you say, are suffering because they lack > > higher-income taxpayers. It's a top priority, then, for Philadelphians who > > care about the education of their poor pupils to tempt more prosperous > > residents to Philadelphia. There aren't enough of them now to help the poor > > kids, so we need to entice more of them to move into town and help this > > terribly important project. How should we go about this? > > > > Some UC-list people have written it would be very bad for any prosperous > > people to move into West Philadelphia ever, because their mere presence > > constitutes a permanent, terrible wound to poor people. Supposedly the poor > > suffer agonies because of a change in local housing prices if, over a > > 15-year period, they wind up shifting from 36th & Chestnut to 36th & > > Haverford, less than a mile away. > > > > As I see it, this is no big deal. The Black Bottom may or may not have > > been justly handled, but it was a far cry from Darfur. > > > > New York City does have major gentrification issues right now which I > > take seriously. Philadelphia's worst gentrification woes are to New York's, > > as a pimple is to skin cancer. We can't take any of these UC-list > > gentrification ruminations seriously until the ruminators get a perspective > > on urban life ... which is always about change. Then the community at large, > > including all of us, can have a real, useful discussion about class and > > education and neighborhood and how it all works out Until then..... > > > > I don't think prosperity has been as big a threat to the local poor as > > you say it is. Those I talk to do complain about it at times; but their > > larger gripe is with poverty itself, rather than with non-poverty. Most of > > the truly poor don't want to kill any goose that might lay a golden egg to > > get them out of poverty. They like the idea of economic development, because > > they really and truly want to get developed. They just don't want to get > > left out. > > > > -- Tony West > > > > > > Glenn wrote: > > > > > For the rest ... I read tedious, pompous opinions by childless > > > > experts, wannabee-teacher experts and Penn-is-bad experts. The usual > > > > suspects. > > > > > > > > > > West, am I getting your point correctly? "Shut up, shut up, shut up! > > > I'm ready to defend my master's backroom dealings with my usual tactics!" > > > > > > > > > Melani and I posted the link to the research driven opinion of the > > > president of the teacher's union. Is he a wannabee wanker with a > > > sixities > > > ideology like me? > > > > > > Also, do Ms Nachmias and Ms Goldman know that you are using their > > > names to support your listserv bullying? > > > > > > West, the tactics you used as leader of the Fiends of Clark Park gang > > > don't work as well on a public list. People can read your efforts to > > > silence, mislead, and bully. They can read the opinioins and questions > > > posted by your targets. > > > > > > As ruler of FOCP and servant of UCD, you had a free pass to silence > > > and bully anyone you wished. It must burn you up to know that people > > > increasingly realize the truth! > > > > > > After years of attacking my character, you failed to shut me up. Now, > > > when people say, "I didn't believe Glenn's stories about the FOCP because > > > I > > > heard all about his bad character. But now it seems that the wanker tells > > > the truth and the leaders at FOCP and SHCA really do conduct themselves > > > shamefully." > > > > > > This must make you furious! I won't condone your conduct, but West, > > > you have my pity. > > > > > > The wanker > > > > > > > > > ---- > > 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. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.0/1383 - > > Release Date: 4/17/2008 9:00 AM > > > > > > > ---- > 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>. >
