tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480995.post109681655842839804..comments2023-07-16T09:43:40.228-04:00Comments on The Conversation: Are you reading, Mayor MurphyJonathan Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18433924194960127561noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480995.post-1096931776815645222004-10-04T19:16:00.000-04:002004-10-04T19:16:00.000-04:00As a city resident--one who was not a resident dur...As a city resident--one who was not a resident during the last mayoral election--I agree that suburbanites should not have to pay for the city's folly. This was not inevitable.Jonathan Pottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18433924194960127561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480995.post-1096925701624206222004-10-04T17:35:00.000-04:002004-10-04T17:35:00.000-04:00As you know, J, the last Democratic mayoral primar...As you know, J, the last Democratic mayoral primary was a referendum on this very issue: Do you swing for the home run (stadia, South Side shopping malls but no parking, $55 million subsidies for small residential and no-tax-gain rental property on Washington's Landing, mixed-use but fewer housing slots for impoverished Hill District residents at the Hope VI projects)? Or try to hit singles, concentrating on all neighborhoods and increasing the quality of life for everyone?<br /><br />The issue has been one of choices. Do you tear down drug dens and clean up the abandoned properties that breeds rats and crime? Or do you invest your staff energy wooing Lazarus?<br /><br />Do you use ED to seize businesses owned by middle-class investors in poor neighborhoods (Manchester, North Side, Hill District, Homewood, South Side) or do you repair sidewalks and fill in pot holes?<br /><br />City voters chose Murphy. They chose large bond issues for big ticket items, domain seizures of private property and shrinking tax revenues caused by abandoned buildings. They chose generous doles for the Steelers and the Pirates and crumbling infrastructure for residents.<br /><br />They chose, not Murphy, or Sala, or DPW or URA. The voters of Pittsburgh chose.<br /><br />Now let them get their bellies stuffed full of it. You wanted, voters, eat it all. <br /><br />But don't ask me to pay for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480995.post-1096840438273957272004-10-03T17:53:00.000-04:002004-10-03T17:53:00.000-04:00I stand corrected.I stand corrected.Jonathan Pottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18433924194960127561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7480995.post-1096839520550013432004-10-03T17:38:00.000-04:002004-10-03T17:38:00.000-04:00Heresy from RAND! You can't get giant contributio...Heresy from RAND! You can't get giant contributions from developers if you concentrate on small projects in 91 neighborhoods! And how are you going to shake down DC and Harrisburg for Community Development Block Grants if you do the small stuff? Get real, dude!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com