Re: [UC] Businesses in UC are struggling

[Glenn moyer]

In a relevant letter to the editor of the UC Review, the continuation of government grants to some local businesses during the financial crisis was recently discussed.  While essential government services to all Philadelphians are being slashed and most Philadelphians are terrified by threats of massive increases in regressive taxes or new fees, like this one; a privleged few still receive government grants to help them through rough economic times.  (Those who followed the Campus Inn saga know that those poor developers were also expecting major public  loans from the state despite the economic collapse). As crisis capitalism continues to exploit  and increase fear  among the vast majority of  people locally and nationally,  the use of the "carrot and stick"  method of oppression  looms large.    Bogus trash tickets, massive property tax increases  and a barrage of new or increased fees are deliberatly being used to terrorize the middle class as well as the hopeless masses.  Meanwhile, the singular hope for future security is being simultaneously symbolized in the PR through the welfare showered on the connected and obedient few. Yes for the few, who support destructrion of democratic processes, the rule/agenda of our corporate masters, and back room deal making; the government agents of the power brokers will shower all sorts of relief, the carrot.  And the rest of us have our sense of security stripped, as we get the stick swung at us over and over again.  I seem to recall that in addition to UCD sucking 60% of the grant money for administrative costs for its upscale Baltimore light project, they had some separate vaguely defined money that looked like " walking around money" for good businesses.  If good businesses support the trash fee and bogus trash tickets, how much can they receive as rewards?  (Remember, how some award winning real estate agents could arrange for special pick-ups of their leaves, after thumbing her nose at the public process?) Have the tax abatements, welfare for wealthy developers, ended?  Has Penn been required to pay for services after taking the Penn Tower off of the tax roles?  (I believe it's a quarter of a million Penn saves on the Penn tower alone.) No, but the pools in some districts remain closed and the hard working barbers are threatened  with  this fee, bogus trash tickets, and outrageous L& I demands, at the same time that they're paying increased parking ticket fines! Here is another good example of the boldness in government sponsored special privleges for those with the power, at the same time as most are being whacked harder: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20090708_Monica_Yant_Kinney__To_serve__protect_______and_park_illegally.html Banned from the censored Penn list, Glenn -----Original Message----- From: krf...@aol.com Sent: Jul 7, 2009 6:25 PM To: UnivCity@list.purple.com Subject: [UC] Businesses in UC are struggling One of the things many of us like about University City is the wide variety of small businesses in the area. Retailers, service providers, professional offices, etc. Nobody patronizes all of them -- but almost everybody is a customer/client of some of them.   It's no secret that neighborhood businesses are struggling right now. The people close to closing up, or who've actually done so, don't make the news. They just fade away. You do hear about local branches of the big chains or franchises, though. And you should be able to guess that when Starbucks, Ann Taylor, and people like that are in trouble, the independent entrepreneurs are in worse trouble.   So, when the city says it wants to encourage small businesses out of one side of its mouth, and levies new charges on them out of the other, you wonder if they really understand the plight of the entrepreneurs or the people who rely on them for day-to-day needs or wants.   The latest such fee is a $500 charge the city wants to put on all small buildings with commercial occupancies for trash pickup. People who generate large volumes of waste -- restaurants and the like -- already have to have private trash pickup. This will hit people like barbers, accountants, dentists, realtors, property managers, consultants, plumbers, electricians, small retailers, and so forth. The people who want to assess these fees say things like "It's only $500 per year, under $10 per week. It won't hurt anybody." Sorry to break the news, but it will hurt. Do you think someone who rents a storefront wants his or her rent raised by $40 per month to cover this fee when the property owner passes it along? That's a 5% or 10% increase for many people.   What's worse, it's a one-size-fits-all approach proposed by the Streets Dept which obviously pulled the number out of a hat and didn't give it a second thought. A barber who generates -- what -- two Acme-sized bags of hair clippings a week is going to pay the same as a variety store owner who generates two or three barrel-sized bags a week? It makes no sense.   Councilwoman Blackwell has expressed interest in this issue. She's heard that the Streets Dept is getting a lot of protest calls. But her office isn't getting many. So, now's the time to speak up.   Whether you have a business in the area, or want to be able to continue patronizing those that are here, call or email her.   Oh yes, if you own rental property or live in rental property, take a clue from what UCD tried to do with the NID. If the city gets away with a fee for trash in buildings with commercial space, rental housing is next. And if they get away with $500 per year for a business, how much less do you think it will be per apartment?   The phone numbers are 215-686-3418 and 215-686-3419.   To email, either use jannie.l.blackw...@phila.gov or go to http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/blackwell/feedback.html and fill out the form.   Yes, I have an ulterior motive in this. But I think I share the motive with a lot of people in this neighborhood.   Al Krigman Looking for love this summer? Find it now on AOL Personals. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see .