City Will Slash 3,000 Jobs If Budget Woes Continue
PhillyClout has taken to calling it "Plan C for Calamity," the third version of the city budget for the fiscal year that started on July 1 that will be implemented if the state General Assembly doesn't approve a 1-cent increase in the city's sales tax and changes to how the pension fund is replenished.
City Will Slash 3,000 Jobs If Budget Woes Continue
Chris Brennan
PhillyClout has taken to calling it "Plan C for Calamity," the third version of the city budget for the fiscal year that started on July 1 that will be implemented if the state General Assembly doesn't approve a 1-cent increase in the city's sales tax and changes to how the pension fund is replenished.
Here are the gory details:
- The Police Department will eliminate 972 jobs, including 739 officers, 43 civilians and 190 jobs left empty.
- The Fire Department will deactivate six engine companies, three ladder companies and five advanced life support medic units. It will also eliminate 36 officer jobs, 120 firefighter jobs and 40 paramedic jobs. Five fire houses would be closed.
- The Health Department will close two Health Centers, eliminate the Medical Evaluation Unit and cut 112 jobs.
- The Streets Department will reduce trash pick-up to every other week and cut 400 jobs.
- The Department Parks & Recreation will close all recreation centers and cease all programs while cutting 450 recreation jobs and 142 park jobs
- The Free Library of Philadelphia will close all branches and eliminate 490 jobs.
- The Commerce Department and City Planning Commission will lay off a combined 59 jobs and cease operations.
- In all, about 3,000 jobs will be eliminated, including posts in the Mayor's Office, the Managing Director's Office, the Department of Licenses & Inspections, the finance Department, the Division of Technology, the Human Resources Department, the Records Department and the Department of Revenue.
Comments (123)
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Will anyone really notice if the city eliminates jobs, cuts services, and shutters various propgrams? It's tough to get a pulse on the city as it is.
Why does the city always target police and fire? I'll tell to create a stir and upset people. I am sure that the city could save all the police and fire and cut more fat out of the budget. Maybe city council could cut back on it's staff and excess. Mayor Nutter has proven himself to be nothing more than the same ole poor politics mayor. He hasn't done 1 thing for the city, sad as he had so much promise.— thebaron- Comment removed.
- Let people bring their trash and dump it in front of Fumo's house, and see if Citizen's Alliance picks it up.— Philly_Guy
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- Trash pick up 2x a month!! I bet the fat rats voted for that one...— lonster99
- This will end up costing lives: 739 police officers, six engine companies, three ladder companies and five advanced life support medic units, and close five fire houses. Disgraceful. Start cutting bureaucrats.— CrazyIvan
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- scare tactics only go so far.
- Shabba you're an idiot, 3:30 in the afternoon and you seem to have time to pontificate your ignorance. How about getting a job. You are typical of the many malcontents who like to blame everything on things of which you know nothing. Union employees wither they be trash men or police and firemen, they earn their money. Let’s recap your suggestions tax breaks for business, great idea? This is exactly why we are in the predicament we are in…dope. All we have to do is not spend more than we take in, let’s stop all the wasteful spending on charter schools and neigborhood programs like CLIP. I’m all for cutting hand outs let’s start with the biggest welfare give away…..education, but I’ll bet you’re a product of our fine “pulic skools”. I hope you can appreciate sarcasm….?— Papist
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- Cut all libraries? Trash pickup once every two weeks? Cutting police and fire fighters? Someone needs to remind nutter that he was elected mayor of Philadelphia, not Fantasyland. C'mon Mikey get a clue! People will start dumping trash on the city hall steps.— madnvocal
- Wow, I made such a great choice in buying a home in the city. WTF, this mayor is worse than Street.— bpsmit28
- maybe nutter and the unions can sit at a picnic table and have a beer— figureitout
- Why cut essential services? Cut out the assistants, deputies, and other deadwood and redundants in the ranks.— JStocker
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- This is nothing less than a racist tax on the black population!— TheReverend
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- These proposed cuts seem a little too drastic for the situation. Not too long ago, the paper reported some ridiculous spending project was being planned for some "historic trail" in West Philly, I believe... So, if they can even dream up something like that, then I am SURE there is money to keep libraries open, and have a few policemen around to protect us. When all the rec centers and programs close, we will need even MORE protection in this "city of brotherly love". Cutting jobs in the department of revenue? If there won't be anybody enforcing collecting, does that me we don't have to pay?— dee99999
- Cleanuphilly you are nothing but doom and gloom. 3,000 job cut won't happen. Contracting out services is not cheaper. And it opens up the doors to political corruption. Kickbacks galore. And unless you live in Chestnut Hill or Upper Mount Airy you will sit in trash up to your cynical eyeballs. That’s who pays the lions share of Philly taxes. In your dreams.— MsLou
- You can't put the blame entirely on him. This was dumped on him from previous administrations and an economy that is in the tank. He has made mistakes but to think he single handedly place us in the situation is silly. He has been saying that he was going to have to do drastic cuts if his tax increase was not approved and not we are seeing it. It's time to rethink how a government is supposed to operate. I do agree with CleanupPhilly, a good place to start would be to collect overdue property tax. We will probably never collect even half of what’s owed but it would be a nice start.— mat719
- What makes Nutter think he can actually get this done? Just look at the uproar when he tried to close a few libraries, this is far more severe and much less likely regardless of the vote over the sales tax. I also have to say that the sales tax increase still sounds like the stupidest plan to try to pull Philly out of its budget crisis - who wants to shop in the city when everything is going to cost more?— catnameddomino
- Council won't care. Goode gets to keep his $90K girlfriend.— Smokey
- @papist Do not knock charter schools. Education is vital and if you can not see that, there's a problem my friend.— Steediddydid
- Dear Papist first learn how to spell (your not a Jesuit I bet). The unions have been ripping the city and everyone else off for years; high wages and poor service. They should be tossed out like the feudal system— mjkfisher
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- @ljabarr -- "In all, about 3,000 jobs will be eliminated, including posts in the Mayor's Office"— CrayzeeGuy
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- What a scam! These Democrats have killed this once great city.....killed it!— Kaiser Sosa
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- Is it a one cent tax increase or a one percent tax increase? If it's one cent, I'll send then city the penney and you can all thank me.— JerryCurlan
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- With half a trillion per year going to the military, the United States can easily help all of its cities financially, if we are willing to do constructive things instead of bombing poor nations. Create more orphans in Afghanistan or keep jobs in Philly to put out fires and keep the streets safe -- that's the basic choice.— tacklinjoe
- I know, let's raise taxes 30%. I mean, if raising taxes is the answer, let's go whole hog! Why not 100%? Why not 200%?— Kaiser Sosa
- you can't cut PHA because its federally funded— tb33cb
- Is it 1% or 1 cent? If its 1%, you the consumer will definately see this if you purchase a tv, car or some other item that is a couple hundred bucks and you look at the amount of tax on your bill. This additional hike will hurt small businesses Philly.— monkeyboy
- tacklinjoe -you can't possibly be as stupid as your post suggests. Then again........— Kaiser Sosa
Since I can remember Philly mayors have been making dire threats about reducing the police and fire every time there has been a need to address an austere budget. I assume that Nutter only dusted off the plan the Street presented which was an updating of one Rendell prepared. The draconian cuts have never happened. Once again neither Nutter nor council is doing the real work of developing a real response to this real predicament. Where is the plan for the $425,000,000 tax owed? where is the plan for recovering bail jumper money? Where is the plan to reduce city council fleets or staff? Where are the cuts to the other city departments? How about MOCS (mayor's office of community services)? How about the ethics board? So far we've every body is behaving ethically (perhaps not morally but ethically). How about the MDO? Here's an office that needs to start all over again. There have been more people hired for the managing directors office this go round than any other MDO. What have they done? They certainly haven't developed any plans for improving the city's management of revenue. Be cautious about the clamoring for contracting out. NY did and within 3 years found that private providers cost more than the civil service employee. Other states have donethe sam ething and all have found that within 3 years the costs are right back to where they would be with government workers but now the governments have to reconstruct and replace the infrastructure. Tighten controls, get a days work for a days pay. I do not share Cleanup's view that this mayor has talented staff. Thus far they have proven otherwise. Whee are the plans for getting what's due. Hire some people who can do this work the current cadre or mayor certainly can't. Bunch of dilettantes. city run efficiently. Enough of these dilattantes.— nebulus- Comment removed.
- There are rumors that the city will be out of money by September.How can they afford to hold another victory celebration?— bigeastbeast
- The tax increase is 14% for the math-challenged Daily News headline writer. When was the last time YOU got a 14% raise?— feudi
- To get back to one of the cruses of the problem: the losers in Harrisburg & by that I mean Fast Eddie Rendell and the fat cats in our bloated (like a corpse) legislature. What have they been doing since July 1? Nothing ... except protecting criminal scum like DeWeese. This is a sick joke.— Paul B
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- Shouldn't this rally have been a march on Harrisburg?— UnionMilkmen
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- Why are we still worried about Latrice Bryant? I don't like the situation between her and goode anymore than the next person but let's be real, we have serious problems and her 90k a year wont help much if she was fired— mat719
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- Come one, this the usual scare tactics that local governments always use to get their way: drastically cut police/fire and close down the rec halls.— flavious27
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- They should be making cuts but to non essential services. Nutter already cut FIVE ENGINES and TWO LADDER'S since the first of the year! Now he wants SIX MORE ENGINES AND THREE MORE LADDERS PLUS FIVE MEDIC UNITS. THIS IS INSANE! No major urban fire department can absorb those kind of cuts and remain fundamentally sound. 11 engines, six ladders and five medic units *POOF* and we are supposed to be able to get to your home or loved one in the same amount of time? Good luck with that. Why do we have a public housing department and where are their cuts? Non essential cuts first!— Captainden
- where are the cuts to the row offices and the sales of the rda and city owned properties? where is the immediate rebidding of services the city contracts for? where is the tax amnesty program the city controller has called for? this mayor is no different than all the others, he just wants to keep himself and his friends fat and happy at the expense of the ordinary citizens of this city. i hope the state rejects his sales tax and pension proposal. maybe then this mayor will actually have to stand before the ordinary citizens of this city and explain why he cant make the hard decisions and instead needs to take the easy way out using the scare tactics so common to the political dunces that run this city. bring on the trash, police and fire cuts and lets all make a pact that the trash and dead bodies end up at the mayor's doorstep. so much for progressive leadership - nutter you are a bigger disgrace than street. at least street didn't hide his agenda.— 10andfitz
- The sales tax increase driving away business is claptrap. People enter the city to shop for things they cannot get in the counties. Otherwise they buy at home. People who live next to City Line Ave dive to the counties to buy things already. With gas regularly hitting $3 a gallon, and bridge tolls to Jersey at $4, it costs city residents more money to travel to avoid the tax than to pay it. By definition, this tax only applies to items that are not strict necessities of life, it doesn't impact your rent, mortgage, food or clothes and hence is not nearly as regressive as it looks. The only thing driving down sales in the city is people losing their jobs. Lay off 3000 people and pay them unemployment to not work, or pay them to show up and keep the city safe and clean, maintain infrastructure, help people find jobs... It's a no brainer.— sdls1603
- How about people stop voting for the same politicians and party over and over? Try voting Republican or Independent for a change. Things can't get much worse in this city...I hope.— WWTDD
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- Here's how we fix this thing. How about big-box casinos in every neighborhood...electronic poker machines in every bar, supermarket, the Rodin Museum, Art Museum, and ER waiting room? This will create jobs and tax revenue needed to turn the corner. This way, not one gambling dollar will make it to NJ or NV. With this newly generated money - seniors will never pay property taxes again, the wage tax will be reduced, schools will be fully funded, and life will be totally awesome!! However, I would like to be one of the casino owners (make the campaign check out to Edward Rendell?). Who's with me?!— rbpeeple
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- This is just Nutter's lousy way of firing up the masses to support his crappy tax hike. Get rid of police, fire and libraries? Yeah right. We ALL know the best way to raise money is to get rid of patronage fluff, but no journalist has the basketballs to take Nutter on. The only politics they "report" about is what politician is getting his lollipop licked. Because that's so important.— MrsDamian
- He's just asking for a state takeover.— absherlock
- If the casinos ever get built, we should tax them more. Who would be against that proposal?— NotADoneDeal
- CleanupPhilly: Most of OHCD's budget (and all of PHA's) comes from HUD, not from the city's general operating budget. Cuts at those two agencies don't save the city any money.— Valley Twin
- I understand these are dire financial times, I also understand that Mayor Nutter cannot save the day if he has no tools or abilities to do so. HOWEVER... cutting that level of police in a city that already suffers greatly from crime... cutting health when we could be months away from a serious swine flu outbreak (again), and cutting planning staff who implement long term goals, development plans and write grants to get the city money??? You are effectively shutting the entire city down!!! Philadelphia has made GREAT strides in the last 10 years, people are moving back INTO the city. Neighborhoods are being revitalized! Look at the developments occurring in Center City, University City, Northern Liberties. If this budget goes into effect, all of this will have been in vain. Any comeback our city has been making will be snuffed out like a campfire that was just starting to heat up. All it will lead to is more crime, more vacancies and more people leaving and less new people coming in. There HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE!— ArcaneAlchemy
- I understand these are dire financial times, I also understand that Mayor Nutter cannot save the day if he has no tools or abilities to do so. HOWEVER... cutting that level of police in a city that already suffers greatly from crime... cutting health when we could be months away from a serious swine flu outbreak (again), and cutting planning staff who implement long term goals, development plans and write grants to get the city money??? You are effectively shutting the entire city down!!! Philadelphia has made GREAT strides in the last 10 years, people are moving back INTO the city. Neighborhoods are being revitalized! Look at the developments occurring in Center City, University City, Northern Liberties. If this budget goes into effect, all of this will have been in vain. Any comeback our city has been making will be snuffed out like a campfire that was just starting to heat up. All it will lead to is more crime, more vacancies and more people leaving and less new people coming in. There HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE!— ArcaneAlchemy
- I love it...this is the definition of insanity...voting Democratic year after year and expecting somethign different. I was excited about Nutter because I saw him as a "new" Democrat i.e. willing to try and figure out what WORKS and not what is politically expedient, like every other politician in town... from His endorsement of Hillary to this Plan C nonsense, he has revealed himself as another in a long(never-ending) line of D's with no guts to take on the real problems plaguing this city: crime (revolving door justice), poor schools (unions), a hostile business climate (high taxes and terrible service from automatons working in city hall, and unions), no vision in city leadership... what a shame as he had so much promise...— jw_birdie
- Why not cut a lot of the city vehicles that some city workers like to take home and drive around the city when not on city time ???? Why not start making cops pay for parking when they park their personal vehicles ???? Why not make city council take a 30 % pay cut and give up some of their city vehicles ????? Why not go after the dead beat city workers that are behind on their Property taxes ????? Why not go after the Eagles who owe the city money ????? WHY NOT MAKE THE MAYOR TAKE A PAY CUT ??????? I just don't get it. Weather its a democrat and Republican the little guy always gets screwed. So what are they going to do when the city streets are full of trash and the criminals run the streets ? Like i said to a friend of mine its time to buy a gun. Because if this happens and you call 911 no one will help you. THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!
- It's my understanding that Mayor Nutter said "we cannot run a city on hope." Funny, that seems to be EXACTLY what Obama said was a good idea on the federal level. IF you have to cut fire and police, there better be 100% cuts to welfare at that point.— davesju93
- It's good to see sanitation give up some jobs. These are the most overpaid workers on the city payroll and should be minimum wage considering the lack of skills required. Still, its hard to believe that there can't be more cuts from the thousands of bureaucrats that infest city hall in pointless positions.— polonius47
The stink of that city can be smelled here....Over 1000 miles away. Get out now if you have a brain and just a little balz. I mean wayyy out....not to the suburbs which are already startin to stink bad. If you don't, the declining chances for your children are YOUR OWN FAULT.- It's a 100% increase!!!!! Not a 1 cent increase. Good grief - 1% to 2% is DOUBLE or a 100% increase. Where did these morons go to school? Wait....let me guess...— Kaiser Sosa
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- The Mayor wants to cut 3000 jobs and the city is in such dire financial straits...then the Mayor should personally go to the Parking Authority and take control of that mockery of an organization and make real changes!!! He should start by laying off all of the night crew at the parking Authority, trimming the salaries of all of the executives and reduce the spending waste of that agency. Lay off Paring Attendants before you lay off those whose jobs are to protect the citizens of this city!!!— Moody523
- not including the police and firefighters, make the cuts anyway! Tear it down and build it back up, if needed— philafan
- six-cent sales tax out side the city,a metal drum to burn my trash in."THAT WORKS FOR ME".— october9
- six-cent sales tax out side the city,a metal drum to burn my trash in."THAT WORKS FOR ME".— october9
- where are the housing department cuts? Why is it not the same percentage cut for each city entity? That would allow those departments to anticiapte such cuts over time and plan accordingly?— history
- I'm so tired of politicians acting like their constituents are stupid. All the areas being cut are areas that directly effect residents. How about you guys cut some of your tax funded comps or staffing, or the million bureaucrats hiding in the dark corners in city hall.— benny215
- monkeyboy : 1% of $1.00 is .01, basic math. As for cutting 3,000 jobs, its so much easier for Nutter to do that then make actual reform and cut waste and collect all the money the city is owed. Nothing will change except that we'll end up with higher taxes and less govt services.— Taxpaying Voter
- I do think that Nutter is using a 'Bush Jr." tactic and scaring us a little bit into voting for the tax increase. People will continue to shop in Philly, so the sales tax increase most likely will not affect revenue.— PhillyIam
- If an extra penny on every dollar will save all of these services and 3,000 jobs, I'm for it. Come on people do we not buy gas when it goes up and up? It's a sign of the times. In these times, everyone suffers, including the taxpayer. Even if there were all of these bail and tax collections, it would be like a band aid fix. Things go up, services cost more to operate. Let's make sure once the tax goes up, if we do not see an increase in our city services, it is remembered next election.— tierneymustgo
- Collect all the money in back taxes that is owed the City Of Philadelphia. Why should the honest people continue to pay when you let the DEADBEATS LAUGH AT US.— xmar
- Mayor Nutter didn't make this mess, but unfortunately he has to clean it up. You either raise taxes, lower spending, or a combination of both. It's that simple. So now, when he proposes both, people start complaining he's making bad choices. Actually, he's making the best choices in a bad situation. I'm sure he doesn't want to lay off police, fire, & trash people, but unfortunately that's the corner he is in. Let's cut the guy some slack. He's a bright, educated, and caring mayor who making tough choices in tough times. That's what good leadership is suppose to do.— 3rick
- How about closing all the pools and get rid of the mayor. Also get rid of all city cars that are used for personal use. Scare tactics -this will never happen.— judygallagher1
COLLECT the unpaid taxes that are owned to the city first. Make EVERY EFFORT to collect these unpaid taxes and Gas and Water Bills before to cut the very little services that we have already! STOP and look Mayor Nutter there are places that you can cut that would not effect the services to the tax payers>— Foxchase- Comment removed.
- Is it any wonder why all the white people have left the city behind?
- WOW.....THATS ALL I CAN SAY....OUR FINE CITY IS COMPLETELY INSOLVENT,BUSTED AND SHAMEFUL..........BEGGING FORMONEY FROM THE STATE ON A LOUDSPEAKERIN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON........WOW....— ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS
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- The main reason the City has no money is because of all of the tax writeoff given to businesses in the Keystone Oportunity Zones, the Real Estate Tax Ababement given to new construction, which once they expire, the owners will probably move out of the City. Also, don't blame the City Employees that are Civil Service,the contracts signed paid less than private industry but the Pension and Health were the drawing cards. Also, look to all of the EXEMPT CITY EMPLOYEES that are political cronies, the Managing Director's Office which is twice the size of former offices. The mayors staff is much larger than prior mayor's as well, and after 5 years Exempt Employees can get a pension where a Civil Service Employee is not vested for at least 10 years. There are many bad City Employees, but all are not!!— Louise02
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- Taxpaying Voter - 1% city sales tax increased to 2% = a 100% increase - basic math!— Kaiser Sosa
- Is the Democratic party going to let this idiot Nutter have any semblance of a future. Biden was just in time to allocate stimulus funds for additional police officers. How more insulting could Nutter be than to cry wolf and threaten to eliminate police staff. Start with eliminating the MDO staff and all her pathetic reportable, take the division of technology and slash it in half since there is no adoption of real technology in the city, public property, and on and on before. No cuts should be made to police and fire to every other agency has eliminated staff by at least 30%.— moretoit
- All of the city employees eligible for the DROP should file for it right now. That would fix Nutter.— Trident252
- and yet L&I is running rampant and shutting down businesses left and right. And before anyone even says anything, maybe you should investigate what the offenses are that these business are being shut down for...— bingo
- It's fun to watch, but me and most of my friends rent now, so we can be gone by next March. We'll take with us our wage tax, the BPT on our rent, and our routine shopping sales tax. The city needs to file for bankruptcy so the state can come in and axe staff and departments without worrying about getting re-elected while maintaining the fire and police force. Basically a much larger version of Camden's state take-over. We need you Harrisburg! We need your center-democrats and moderate republicans!— mktstrfinancial
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- City Council must feel great right now...it's their budget :)— Philly Phorever
- Nutter became Mayor in 2008 and promptly inherited a $2+ Billion deficit. Rendell and Street had 16 years to bring Union contacts into the 21st century and adjust the size of government to match revenue. Rendell and Street had no guts to make tough decisions and here we are. Nutter can't print $787 Billion to "fix" the problem -- he has to deal with it head-on as he is doing just that. I'm thankful to have a Mayor with the balls to make unpopular decisions because they must be made.— Carpe Diem
- @moveoutoftheway - Did you read his comments? Cleanupphilly mentioned contracting out jobs. I’ve worked all my life and know that would result in city workers being laid off. Contractors bring in low paying jobs without benefits. Would still charge the city a fortune. But, the unions will never that happen. But, it’s a very mean spirited suggestion.— MsLou
- a lot of threats to the police and fire departments. look out for crime and more police officers killed won't vote for nutter. close the welfare dept. all the free stuff/. how about city workers that are paid way to much and why not publish those that owe water bills, taxes and other we citizens have a right to know who these city workers are. inside job ... what a joke. rec centers please spare me that threat. lay off police and fireman and you will lose your job mr. nutter can't call you mayor your not for the people— SPIRITED
- Cutting 3,000 employees is a good first step.— ritaf
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- All DROP-eligible employees filing would indeed save the city a ton of money. Remember that once an employee files, the city stops making contributions to the pension plan for that individual. With the city's pension contributions being in excess of 50% of salary for the older plans, it would cut personnel costs by a HUGE amount.— Valley Twin
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- I hope Harrisburg calls Nutter's bluff.— jkt
- All I can do is SMH. No rec centers, libraries, less cops and medic units. This will force kids to hang on corners knowing they can get away with illegal activity and the innocent that is without library or rec center to got to to get killed in cross fire and no peramedics to rush them to the hospital. He promised to reduce violence, this will increase it. This will create a ripple effect; higher crime rate, death rate related to crime, school dropout rate, unemployment rate, and more kids will become delinquent and go into the system one way or another. These are all of the things he was supposed to change not help create. He must not be looking foward to a secon term.— kb
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- Cleanup Philly, you are a fool. The PHA is a federally funded organization and a complete seperate entity from the city— tb33cb
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