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Neighbors, Only two members of the FOCP came to their "musical chair" meeting last night. Several citizens did arrive at the fake location, Rosenberger Hall. I made continuous walking trips between the two locations from 5:30-6 PM and posted the changed location when Frank Chance arrived at the gravel pit and their meeting was caught. Of the new and still undefined range of new permit costs, the Friends groups in the city will now be given the arbitrary power to assign massive "rental charges" to any park activities they wish by simply denying a "waiver." Mr Chance attempted to mislead the assembled crowd by asserting that the city "issues" permits. This is often referred to as a lie of ommission, but I corrected it. Two groups previously targeted by the FOCP leadership will illustrate the new privatized power the city has transferred to FOCP/UCD; the Woodland Ave Reunion and the Clark Park Music and Arts Community. The new rental fee for a 1 day festival permit in clark Park will now be at least $3000. (The total budget of our neighborhood festivals was never more than $2000 when I was chief organizer). If FOCP gives a waiver to the SHCA May Fair, their rental fee is $0 In the past, FOCP attempts to use outrageous and false complaints to strip these two groups have been well documented. Example: In 1999, FOCP grossly inflated the attendance of the Woodland Ave Reunion as 5000 attendees. They demanded that their own unapproved and absurd standards for porto-potties be used and claimed that the Woodland Reunion failed to have 50 portopotties in Clark Park. They demanded that Woodland reunion be stripped of future permits. They took this demand to the city without approval or knowledge of their members, nor of the Woodland Ave. Reunion organizers. While civic associations held accountable by their members do not always have tiny groups of leaders dedicated to their personal abuse of power, many Friends groups do become insular clubs who attract "leaders" for this very reason. The FOCP has proven that it refuses accountability to this neighborhood, park stakeholders, and even its own members. (Most members over the past years are forced to join so that their children are allowed to play soccer. Almost noone goes to their dog and pony shows unless neighbors mass in anger to fight the shenanigans of FOCP leaders, i.e. new members for the dog park vote.) Neighbors, I twice publicly confronted the Parks commissioner, DiBerardinis, about transferring power to unaccountable Friends groups, whom he refers to as "the community." Twice he publicly agreed to meet with me about the Friends of clark Park. Those were lies. The Parks staff stays behind locked doors and they won't answer their phones or respond to citizens anymore. Privatizing the ability to charge rental fees in our parks to unaccountable special interests, FOCP/UCD, who will get waivers from these, deliberately provides for the violation of the equal protection of laws. Can folks understand why the FOCP doesn't see a problem with their new extraordinary powers? Do you see how the lawsuits will eventually strip FOCP itself from its immunities and waivers, and then how every conceivable park activity in all city parks will require corporate sponsorship? As FOCP leaders betray all of of us because its leaders seek power, its cravings for power ultimately delivers the parks of Philadelphia to the corporations and the special service districts who do their dirty work. Does anyone but the FOCP leaders think their "waivers" will last????? A group of citizens is forming to challenge this outrageous planned violation of our 1st and 14th amendments. I will make future announcements so that others may join us. Specifics from last night: Mr. Chance indicated his own desire to forcefully remove volleyball players from the spot they have occupied for 30 years. We learned nothing new last night that i haven't already reported to our public listserv. The new President of FOCP, Erin Engelstadt, was not aware of much of the shameful past actions of FOCP leadership. I would urge members of the FOCP to contact her and voice your objections to the closed nature of FOCP and to the eleven year lobbying effort of FOCP/UCD/CCD to privatize the city parks and use permits as financial barriers to destroy our free and open culture and rights on parkland. The assembled citizens were universally against privatization and these permit requirements, and I believe this is indicative of the views of the vast majority in this community, when they discover what is happening! Sincerely, Glenn, a citizen journalist ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see |
