Group Number 13
Moderators: Rebecca Subar and Carole Cohn
Total points: 23

Group Description:
There were 18 people in our group, although the group decreased to 16 toward the end of the session. The group consisted of a majority of African-Americans, several whites and one Asian-American. Men and women were equally represented. Although there were a few young people, most people ranged from middle-aged to seniors. Group members were from several neighborhoods, many from West Philly and others from South Philly, Center City and Mt. Airy.

We had a bit of a rough time in the beginning because our group members were waiting in the hall until it emptied of other folks and then had to get chairs from the auditorium. Because of our hallway location, we started about 15 minutes late and it was difficult to catch up. Members were incredibly patient as they stood around the hall, waiting to begin.

The group was energized from the start of the session until the end. Although no one dominated, several people were quite passionate and expressive more than once. Although not every person made statements to the whole group, everyone did actively participate in the small group discussion. People listened respectively to others even when there was disagreement and in at least one instance, votes were changed after reasons were given for differing opinions.

The group made it through LHF (low hanging fruit) and NWNH (no ways, no hows) and was in the midst of discussing SP (shared pained) options when people started pouring out of the auditorium into the hall where we were located which effectively ended our group, after we did a brief closure.

No dissenting worksheets were filed.

Low-Hanging Fruit
Total points: 15
• 16. Vehicle Fleet 6 points 18/18
o People can use alternatives such as public transportation or their own cars
• 20. Eagles 4 points 18/18
o Eagles are “worth a fortune and we’re not!”
• 3. DROP Program 4 points 15/18
o Pro cut: “High-ups” leaving their jobs and coming back to work - this is “abuse”!
o Pro cut: There was a lot of agreement that elected officials should NOT be able to use DROP program and anger about City Council members who did
o Pro cut: Keeps the city from hiring new people
o Con cut: Keeps experienced skilled people that the city needs on the job longer
o Con cut: Go back to origins of the program - it was supposed to be for lower level workers. Good program for city employees
• 1. Administrative 0 points 13/18
o Pro cut: Not much clear direction for administrative people - haven’t gotten results
o Pro cut: Mayor hired many new people - expanded administration. Why? - What are they doing? All those new hires aren’t needed
o Con cut: Can’t make across the board cuts. For example, some administrative people are responsible for generating revenue - OK to cut, but not 20%
o Pro cut: Consolidate departments
o Criteria for making cuts
 Cut Mayor Nutter’s staff
 Cut pork and waste
 Don’t cut Ethics
• 9. Law 1 point 15/18
o Pro cut: Eliminate outside counsel without firing city lawyers
o Pro cut: City doesn’t go after liens on taxes
o Criteria:
 Cut budget 15% (not 30%)
 Cut outside lawyers first
• Licenses and Inspection 0 points 2/18
o Pro cut: When staff is reduced, work is reduced, per union rules. Result is workers don’t put in a full day’s work. They go out to do their inspections and don’t come back to the office
o Pro cut: ” No code enforcement in my neighborhood”

No Ways, No How
Total points: 0
• 6. Free Library 0 points 14/17
o Pro NWNH: ” Libraries are the most important things we have for kids in Philly after the schools, safe haven, computers
o Idea: Libraries should be redistributed - “I have 5 libraries in my neighborhood, each with in 6 blocks of my house” - other neighborhoods have none
• 4. Fairmont Park 0 points 14/17
o Pro NWNH: Need to clean it up. Given the economy, people need a place to go to have a better time. It’s already way down in staff and funding
• 7. Housing 0 points 17/17
o Pro NWNH: There are people already on the streets and there will be more
• 13. Public Health: 0 points 17/17
o Pro NWNH: The most vulnerable are already down - we need to help them
o Pro NWNH: Those in nursing homes don’t have other places to go
• 14. Recreation 0 points 15/17
o Children need a safe place to go
o Closing rec centers would increase crime
• 11. Police 0 points (did not make NWNH but was discussed on this list AND in SP) 12/17
o Recognition of all the police who have been killed
o For current climate in city, lots of our own people have been killed
o Need more sensitivity and more done to protect people
 In my neighborhood, I often see 2 squad cars next to each other and the cops are talking to each other - that’s a waste , when the drug trade goes unaddressed - lots of wasted time
 Waste to do parking tickets where there’s drug trade
o Need more understanding of where the problems are
o Pro NWNH: Majority of police are sensitive and on the street

Shared Pain
Total points: 8
• 11. Police 0 points 1/17
o The group suggested that we bring this service area into the SP bucket after The discussion above and its failure to get 75% in NWNH, but it did not succeed in this bucket either
• 21. Parking 2 points 9/16
o Pro cut: This will push some to take public transportation; others who can afford it will drive anyway
o Con Cut: It will make it too expensive for people to come into the city
• 24. Sales Tax 6 points 11/16
o Pro cut: We have to pay for services
o Con cut: “I won’t shop in the city!”
• 5. Fire 0/16 0 points
o There was no time for discussion - the moderator wanted to bring it up as the group had not suggested it for any category
• 15c. Sanitation Service Fee 3/16 0 points
o No discussion - just a quick vote at the very end of the session in initiated by the moderator - the group did not suggest this for any category
o
Gut Wrenchers
Total points: 0
• Didn’t get to it

Fresh Ideas
• Cut City Council staff
• Collect 50% of back taxes and that will equal 100 points
• Seize assets - “try really hard!” 100% of this group supported this idea
• Bail - get out of the business of bail collection
• Redistribute libraries - have fewer in South Philly and more in West Philly
• State should pay Philly at least some of the money from parking meters, understanding that law / policy needs to change and that won’t be immediate
• People from outside of Philly come in (someone said “immigrants”), establish a business and don’t pay BPT for 5 years. Then put the business in the name of a relative to avoid BPT for another 5 years and keep switching. Not fair - this should be stopped

Process Suggestions
• Video tape all groups for the city
• Concerns that our statements might be misrepresented or reframed in ways we didn’t intend, as they’re carried forward in the process - this is based on past experience with PPCE
• Percentages on the worksheets are arbitrary

Closure Comments (moderators asked group members to share 3-4 words each wants city to hear)
• Trash collection fee
• Remember folks who can’t help themselves
• Cut pork
• Save houses for homeless
• Opportunity to keep people out of trouble
• No cuts for health services
• Give recycling money back to community
• Let employees find the waste
• Save libraries
• Hire city residents for construction work
• Assistance for seniors
• Balance cuts with need for efficiencies
• Consider the children
• All pay fair share
• No layoffs but furlough OK