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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

You Close the Deficit: Adam Lang

It's Our Money is asking various experts and advocates to share some suggestions for how the city should deal with the $31 million deficit it has projected for this fiscal year (and remember, because it's the middle of a fiscal year, the city can't raise taxes). This recommendation comes from Adam Lang, a Republican activist who fights for open and ethical government in Philadelphia.

It will be interesting to see how Mayor Nutter handles the newest $31 million deficit in the city budget. If the City can easily cover the deficit, it will make many wonder why taxes were raised to the levels they were and loans taken out to cover costs (how much of this deficit is from the cost of the short term vendor loan?)

Since taxes can’t be raised, and any fat should have been cut and efficiencies implemented before tax increases and pension fund deferrals were made, City Hall is left with one major option: Sell off assets.

How many pieces of unused real estate could be sold off to cover the deficit? How many parking garages and lots? PGW assets? Sure, some people will say it isn’t smart to divest of such assets when the market is down, but it isn’t like City Hall had any interest in doing it when the market was up.

This could be a great opportunity for the City to return property back to the private market and avoid service cuts at the same time.

Previous deficit closers: Ken Weinstein.
Posted by Doron Taussig @ 2:57 PM  Permalink | 6 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:59 PM, 12/02/2009
    Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!!!! Adam Lang for Mayor!
    — Landfill
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:02 PM, 12/02/2009
    Clean out the payroll. You know most city jobs are patronage. We could drop 40% and lose a beat assuming the ones left worked their 37.5. It will also start to lesson the pension burden.
    — Earl J
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:28 PM, 12/02/2009
    hi Adam!!
    — evenyc
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:14 PM, 12/04/2009
    Actually, our taxes were raised pretty much because of the city pension fund.
    — Adam Lang
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:22 PM, 12/04/2009
    Langx- Please explain why you think "4 Trillion" federal dollars should be sent to City and States in the first place. Also, do you think there are areas where the City is wasting money and could have cut out or dealt with in such logical ways as Adam explained?
    — conservativeraver


6 comments
About It's Our Money
Every year, city government spends slightly more than $4 billion. Where does all that money come from? More importantly, where does it go? Are we getting the most bang for our tax buck? “It's Our Money” is a joint project between Philadelphia Daily News and WHYY, funded by the William Penn Foundation, designed to answer these questions.




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It's Our Money contributors

Tips? Comments? Questions?
Contact:

Doron Taussig:
215-854-5307
doron.taussig@gmail.com
@dorontaussig

Holly Otterbein:
215-854-5809
hm.otterbein@gmail.com
@hollyotterbein

Juliana Reyes:
215-854-5855
juliana.f.reyes@gmail.com
@juliana_f_reyes

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