Philadelphia Housing Authority

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence."

-Napoleon Bonaparte

I'm no buff when it comes to 19th Century French Dictators, but I doubt Napoleon ever envisioned a civic system as incompetent as the one appointed by the elected government of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia. After seeing and reading countless interviews with Carl Greene and the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, it becomes painfully apparent that state and city politicians, appointed officials, and city employees aren't even intelligent enough to be corrupt.

I'm not even going to begin to dissect the problems with the PHA, a welfare organization meant to help struggling people back on their feet so that they can become tax paying members of society, that instead serve as long term crutches for the city's lower class.

Solutions to the problems with supplemental programs begin with organizations employing and appointing competent people. Not people like Greene, who is overpaid at more than $300,000 a year plus bonuses exceeding $50,000 (that's more than the Mayor and the Governor, and almost as much as the President of the United States), who cannot manage his mortgage and taxes and thus facing foreclosure on a $600,000 Naval Square townhouse.

Oh, yeah, and he also put up a friend in a PHA home for $650 a month. Meanwhile his organization manages a waiting list of more than 30,000 residents seeking one of those homes. The salary of the friend renting the city owned home on his behalf: over $100,000 a year.

In case you're unfamiliar with the story:

Almost a million dollars have been paid on behalf of Carl Greene - head of the Philadelphia Housing Authority - to settle various sexual harassment claims. While a settlement isn't necessarily an admission of guilt, it does say something that PHA insurers have repeatedly avoided the court room.

It also needs to be mentioned that the premiums for these insurance claims are ultimately paid for with tax money, from checks that Greene wrote himself directly out of the PHA budget, one for $250,000.

At this point We The People are essentially paying Greene to molest his employees.

The Board doesn't even seem clear on the rules themselves. As they face a HUD audit, they are scrambling to find excuses for why four lawsuits were settled without their knowledge. It's interesting how John Street said that outside investigators wouldn't know where to find anything. He seemed a little scared that HUD's going to be snooping around. You can bet the board spent the bulk of last week deleting emails.

According to Street, "We get sued all the time for stuff." I'm pretty sure he actually said "stuff". So much "stuff" in fact that settlements for less than $100,000 don't have to go before the board. And apparently lawsuits against individuals within the PHA are not technically treated any differently than lawsuits against the PHA itself, making it merely a technical faux pas that Greene signed his own settlement checks. According to Street, "It would have been nice" if Greene had mentioned to the board that he was being sued for sexual harassment...four times since 2004.

These are the train wrecks that appoint people like Carl Greene.

FYI, John Street appointed himself to the board when he was the mayor of Philadelphia.

So here we are. Insurers have paid over $900,000 in settlements on behalf of Greene, over $600,000 have been paid for premiums by the tax payers on Greene's behalf - yet he is still employed, still collecting his salary, and currently on an indefinite, paid vacation at a retreat that deals with stress - paid for by? You got it, us.

What is the point of an insurance company settling a case on behalf of Greene if his employer or the insurance company don't make an example of him? The logic of this makes my head hurt. He has cost us more than $600,000 in premiums? What's there to debate? Philadelphia city politicos' ability to continuously out dumb themselves is mind boggling.

I understand that he needs to be fired "with cause" or he will collect a two year severance, however $600,000 is a pretty big cause.

Firing him doesn't even change the fact that this has flown right over the head of the board and the insurance companies for the last six years.

I want to hear some apologies from these appointed and hired officials who have access to the PHA budget. No more passing the buck. There is no end to the illogical bull shit that these people get away with - including the entire Board at the PHA - yet somehow, none of them seem to ever go away.

Latter Days

The RDA is pushing back against the proposed Mormon temple on Vine Street. Not because of any prejudice against the Latter Day Saints, but because of a bureaucratic loophole that allows the RDA to pass undeveloped surface lots from potential developer to potential developer, collecting a handsome sum with each transaction. Yet another clue into the blighting surface parking lots that littler Center City and Vine Street in particular. Once a lot becomes a lot, it's doomed to stay one as long as the RDA has its say-so.

Theoretically there is a time limit in which owners must develop these lots, but the RDA routinely denies these requests for one reason or another, ultimately cracking down on these time limits when they need to dip into the kitty, or as in the case of the Mormon temple, when a developer steps forward with cash and neighborhood support in hand. In the latter case, the RDA must hurry to find an excuse, any excuse, to make sure they get their hands on that land again, otherwise there are a few less cookie crumbs to pick up. It's deviously hypocritical because the point of this RDA program is to make sure things actually get built on these parking lots.

And then of course you have your chronic protesters who preach tolerance from a soap box plastered with anti-religious bumper stickers. Say what you want about the Mormon church, but it will bring tourists and even potentially a few residents. Although the church itself might not pay taxes, the residents and tourists it attracts do. I personally don't care for the the narrow-minded teachings of the Mormon church, and that's why I'm not one. However I don't find them any less prejudice than what can be taught by Catholicism or Judaism. Much of any religion is based on intolerant xenophobia based on poorly written fairy tales, but in protesting a religion out of town how is one not worse? Particularly in the city that drafted the idea of religious tolerance. And in that uniquely American creation, is it not fitting to have a home for a uniquely American religion?

Besides, I'm certainly don't want to discriminate against someone who wants to replace an eyesore of a parking lot with a beautiful building that attracts business and people. And to those who want to see a "science center" or a "high-rise condo" on this lot, are you kidding me? Really? There's a reason this lot has sat vacant for so long - the RDA - so unless you want to wait another few decades to see if maybe someone wants to build something, our best shot is to go with the Mormons, and hope it slaps the RDA in the face, and City Council and the Mayors Office will crack down on them the next time they try to pull off this shady move.

Royal Insurance Company Building

The Royal Insurance Company Building was built in 1882 and located at 212 S 3rd Street.

Is it 1930?

In 2010, especially at a time when the city is considering a tax on soda, a fee on trash pick up, and a 10% increase on real estate tax just to milk us for a few pennies to keep this city from sinking into the Delaware, one would think that the city and state would be watching our money like Ebenezer Scrooge. Instead, somehow lawyer Jeffrey B. Rotwitt has managed to work both sides of the system, naming himself the development czar of the new, $200M Family Court Building at 15th and Arch. Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille agreed to Rotwitt's fees, allowing Rotwitt to write himself a check from the city for $55,000 a month as a retainer and ultimately $3.9M, without a contract to build anything.

The reaction from Rendell, "we're looking into this," while Mayor Nutter and City Council merely remarked that this was a "gray area". Great job guys, way to keep those palms greased. Maybe you can make up for it by taxing the people who elected you every time they shit.

"Urban Aggy"?

http://citypaper.net/articles/2010/04/29/urban-gardening-agriculture-in-philadelphia

This is one of the many, no-brainer ideas to come out of Philly that looks great on paper and begins to deteriorate as soon as it leaves the drawing board. It's one thing to seed-bomb vacant lots but acquiring vacant land from the city for some kind of agricultural land trust currently requires and act of god. For the same reason the city doesn't pass off tax delinquent properties to first time home buyers and middle class residents to fix up these rotting neighborhoods, vacant land owned by the city is controlled by an antiquated ward system that makes our corrupt City Council members mayors of their ward, allowed to hoard vacant properties for powerful constituents. What's even more frustrating is these council members often praise plans like this, knowing full well that by the time planners start implementing these projects, a NIMBY will inevitably step forward and bully it right out of existence. It's a great idea but any realistic movement on it is going to require these bearded hipsters to look at the larger picture, or become a part of the broken Philadelphia machine and start shopping for some wealthy eccentrics to bribe City Council for control of the land.

GeoSimPHILLY

Attention agoraphobics (or anyone outside the city that doesn't want to deal with the Jerseyvania Triangle or the Philadelphia Parking Authority), now you can visit Philadelphia from the comfort of your own Cheeto covered desk chair. GeoSim Systems Ltd. has released a complete, virtual model of Center City Philadelphia detailed right down to the tile outside the Full Moon Saloon. So if you're bored with your real life, or even your Second Life, check out GeoSimPHILLY.

Market East on GeoSim Systems Ltd. GeoSimPHILLY

All joking aside, this is quite an astonishing feat and could prove a unique tool to city planners, real estate agents, and tourism.

A Friend to Animals?

Car hits horse carriages, injures 3

I'm a friend to animals. I support the SPCA and Philly Paws. But some "animal rights" freaks are salivating over tragedy and it disgusts me. This driver could have just as easily plowed into three pedestrians - and it wouldn't be the first time - and these people are more concerned with the three uninjured horses than the three people taken to the hospital. There is absolutely nothing wrong, outdated, or inhumane about nostalgic horse drawn carriage rides through Philadelphia's historic districts.

Say what you will about the dangers of operating a horse on the streets of Philadelphia in 2010, but as far as I know the speed limits of surface streets haven't changed since the 50s, a time in which it wasn't uncommon to see horses being used for more than just tourism. In fact, as this city becomes more popular we will gain residents and tourists which translates into pedestrians and cyclists which could have just as easily been hit by this idiot. The problem is not horse drawn carriages, it is the speeding and aggressive driving - often aimed at pedestrians and cyclists (and anything deemed too slow for New Jersey) - that is consistently overlooked.

The "Peace Advocacy Network" and Leila Fusfeld are using this as a means to an end to complete an agenda against an industry they know nothing about. Mayor Nutter and Councilman DiCiccio, please don't sheepishly pander to these alleged friends to animals. Take a trip up to the Loft District and witness first hand how these horses are lovingly cared for. Go to a farm and get to know a horse, understanding first hand that Leila Fusfeld and her minions are grossly inaccurate in assuming that horse drawn carriages can in any way be considered abuse. These animals were bred for labor. "Horse power" is used to measure engine strength for a reason. And don't forget that the end of these horses' careers is quite simply a death sentence. An unemployed horse equals dog food. Leila Fusfeld wouldn't want you to know that.

*From Councilman Frank DiCicco: "There was an unfortunate accident. There are accidents that happen every day in the city of Philadelphia. There are pedestrians who are hit by cars and either injured or killed. I don't see anyone out there saying eliminate motor vehicles from the streets of our city also."