Sorry to not be able to continue our previous conversation Glenn, busy with life and work and all that.
So, taking your view that Clark Park will soon have no trespassing signs and a big red and blue P emblazoned on the new open area in Park A... It seems you are trying to address a symptom, not the cause. Much as Ms. Saffron points out, the problem really lies within the lack of money for city parks. She points out that Chicago spends 30 times Philadelphia's, and a brief search shows NYC spends some 20 times what Philly does on parks. So, considering that our political leaders consider spending money on DROP is more important that our parks, wouldn't it make sense to work towards changing that? But wait, you say, we can vote them out of office! Yet every at-large incumbent won in the primary. So, it seems that the voters don't share your (or my) views. Maybe we should just move out of the neighborhood and city to someplace where the people do care. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Glenn Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 8:01 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [UC] Inga Saffron on the privatization Actually, public funds cover only a small part of the cost of city parks nowadays. While Fairmount Park managed to secure some government money before the recession hit, and then topped off with federal stimulus dollars, few of the new parks would be seeing the light of day without heavy underwriting from philanthropic foundations, nonprofits, and private institutions. For better or worse, outside interests have become the lead player in planning and maintaining an entire generation of what we still like to call public parks. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20110527_Changing_Skyline__A_bumper_crop_of_new_parks_sprouting_in_Philadelphia.html I think those people who understand disaster capitalism and privatization, do not look upon this privatization as fondly as Ms. Saffron. How long will the Penn Park remain open to the public? Will it remain "public" after Fairmount park is sold? I hope people see that "parks" will now be commercial spaces and rental venues. And when the public resources are used up by these "partnerships," who will take care of the parks in the cities neighborhoods where upscale coffee shops will not thrive?
