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Date:                   Jan. 27, 2007

Location:             St. Adalbart's Catholic Church 

Moderators:       Jean di Sabatino and Jose and Morales

Inquirer observer: Tom Ferrick Jr., Inquirer columnist

 

Participants in each group were first asked to describe one hope or one fear as the city enters its election year.  Then each group did an exercise that asked participants to imagine they were giving a good friend’s family advice on whether to move to Philadelphia.

  • What would be the pros and cons of that move?
  • What forces and factors underlie those pros and cons?
  • What steps could the city and region take to strengthen those pros or weaken those cons?

For a full description of the exercise, see http://go.philly.com/friendsdilemma

Moderators' Report:

By Jean di Sabatino and Jose Morales

 

What were the group's most striking hopes/fears?

 

HOPES:

  • The election will not be divisive, breaking down along color lines.
  • There will be unbiased newspaper coverage with a multisided perspective.
  • Winner won’t owe the election results to one group.
  • This won’t be politics as usual.
  • The end result will produce a safer city.
  • Schools will be better place for children. More choice will be offered.
  • There will ultimately be more green space.
  • There will be larger voter turn-out.
  • The city will get better in all ways.
  • The grassroots, common citizens will be heard.

FEARS:

  • Drug problem won’t be solved.
  • Egos and personal aspirations will get in the way – personal service as opposed to civic service.
  • Politics as usual; political machinery will remain.
  • Crime problem won’t be solved.

What "pros" emerged as most important?

1. 10-year tax abatement program 

2. Historic and cultural offerings and benefits 

 

What "cons" emerged as most important?

1. Crime

2. Public education  

 

Let's look at the pros and cons in detail:

 

1. Pro: 10-year tax abatement

Why is this pro important?

  • Brings in business.
  • Increases population.
  • Spreads revitalization throughout the city.
  • There is concern that long-term residents do not benefit. Concern with that property will be assessed upward. 

What forces or factors underlie it?

     Neighborhood Transformation Initiative

 

What action steps could strengthen it? What actors should do them?

  • Since the initial inception, there hasn’t been enough information about the program.
  • Need to promote and advertise: how the program works, history of the program, and benefits to the citizens and city.
  • Particularly promote benefits of renovating existing properties.
  • Conduct open houses in homes that have been renovated. Admission fees could be used to support neighborhood civic projects.
  • Encourage real estate agencies to advertise the program.
  • Write and disseminate stories about benefits to various constituents, including long-term residents and business.
  • Particularly target elderly and retired.
  • Provide updates in business section of the paper. 

2. Pro: History and cultural offerings of city and strong neighborhoods 

Why is this pro important?

  • Brings prestige to the city.
  • Point of pride for residents.
  • Keeps city a destination point for residents in the surrounding region and tourists.
  • Brings in city revenue.

What forces or factors underlie it?

  • Maintenance of the historical facades, architecture, aesthetics

  • Vibrant restaurant scene

  • Public transit infrastructure, which enhances walkability of city.

  • Suburbanites are retiring in the city.

  • Various ethnic neighborhoods

  • Natural beauty – local and citywide parks. Campbell Square is an example.

What action steps could strengthen it? What actors should do them?

  • Do a better job with trash pick-up.
  • Citizens should take responsibility for the things they can control, lead by example e.g., the woman featured in The Inquirer that picks up neighborhood trash for an hour a day.
  • Neighborhoods should sponsor community projects e.g., Fishtown Church project, teens helping senior citizens.
  • Offer more for teens to do – safe place for teens to hang out.
  • Form partnerships with colleges, universities for student community service that focus on neighborhood preservation, clean-up and activities.
  • Use WIFI to promote smaller venues – provide Web sites for each neighborhood – bulletin board for citizens.

Now the cons ...

 

1. Con: Public education

Why is this con important?

     Future welfare of the city. 

 

What forces or factors underlie it?

  • Lack of discipline: Staff not empowered, and there is a lack of follow-through; Discipline issues take attention away from academics.

  • Inconsistency or inequity – some classrooms/schools are good.

  • Bureaucracy – hard for some families to get attention of administration – difficult to get results from complaints.

  • Respect is missing – student to student, adult to adult, student to adult, school to family.

  • Teacher preparedness, insufficient continuing education.

  • Teachers not supported – prevalence on burn-out.

  • Demonizing teachers – blaming them for all problems of system.

  • "Throw the most admired profession into a grinder." "Those with the greatest intention burn-out the quickest."

  • Inadequate resources, books, supplies

  • Lack of accountability – student, teacher, administrative levels.

  • Expectations for children are too low.

What action steps could weaken it? What actors should do them?

  • More people observing classrooms – parents, community members, other teachers.
  • Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth.
  • Who makes curriculum? Curriculum should reflect interest of greater variety of stakeholders.
  • Build greater capacity for institutionalizing the most successful programs e.g. Writer’s Project. Adopt programs such as that portrayed in Freedom Writers film.
  • Develop strategies for increasing individual attention for all students e.g. smaller class sizes.
  • Restructure funding to provide more funding for schools with the most needy population.
  • Improve school environment and provide incentives to attract highest qualified staff: Increase safety and safety curriculum; financial incentives for keeping credentials current; and loan forgiveness for willingness to work with most difficult populations.
  • Increase desperate programs for disruptive students.
  • Provide families with information on navigating the system, information about special services.

2. Con: Crime and safety 

Why is this con important?

     Vital to the improvement of city and neighborhood.

 

What forces or factors underlie it?

  • There is increased ethnic targeting and bullying.

  • Current crime prevention focuses primarily on murder.

  • Center City gets most of prevention and police presence.

  • Inequity in distribution of resources throughout the city

  • Police responsiveness has deteriorated.

What action steps could weaken it? What actors should do them?

  • Go after citation offenses e.g. NYC Broken Windows initiative.
  • Consider curfew for younger teens.
  • Increase police presence and prevention in "border" neighborhoods – not just in Center City.
  • Stabilize "at-risk" neighborhoods: improve responsiveness; revamp 911 system; and deploy police for quality of life infringements.
  • Emphasize the positive – print and electronic media lead with good news.
  • Revitalize present block captain system – empower local level. Provide incentives to attract younger block captains and community involvement: free tickets to venues – "seat in mayor’s box at sports events"; stipends; and provide workshops re. how to organize civic engagement.