"We have hundreds of municipalities and three states [Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware] - governors of states, township executive directors, county managers - and we have horrible purchasing options in this area. We need to get a conference immediately, somewhere in this area, called by the governors of the states, the county executives, and the mayor of Philadelphia. And this is urgent. We need to form an ... area purchasing agency.
"We've got millions, maybe billions, of dollars of waste in government all through the area, through purchasing procedures that are antiquated and old. ...
"Let's say you're purchasing paper. ... Let's say you're purchasing tires for vehicles. Let's say you're purchasing books for schools. You use the purchasing power of a large organization to save a lot of money.
"And I think if Governor Corbett and Governor Christie and Governor Markell don't take a look at this - at least take a look - they're making a huge mistake."
One reader’s idea:
“I’m a Philadelphia artist who has lived in Center City for over 35 years. I walk for miles every day and I have watched as this area, and other parts of Center City, have become bogged down with horrid parking dilemmas.
"The city should engage a parking engineer to simply walk up and down city streets to determine where more parking spaces can be placed. It is obvious to me that signs are often placed arbitrarily, perhaps because a pole or fixture is already in place.
"And as long as we’re talking about parking angst, would it be possible to educate folks so that they don’t park their car in the middle of a long space where two cars could park?"
The Inquirer and Philly.com have launched a 45-week project to inspire Philadelphians to suggest great ideas for the city and region.
In our "One Great Idea" project, we're asking well-known and less-known people of our region to tell us their single great idea to change Philadelphia. These video interviews will run on Philly.com each Tuesday and on The Inquirer's Wednesday commentary pages.
Post comments, vote on this idea, or share your own great idea at www.philly.com/OneGreatIdea, or write to inquirer.letters@phillynews.com.
