The good folks at Pierre Tierre made another video about Damon Roberts this week. Check it out:
If you missed Damon's first video, you can find it here.
For more information on Damon please visit damonkroberts.com, and if you live in the 2nd District, please push button #90 on May 15th, because as Damon so often says: "It's time for a change in South and Southwest Philadelphia!
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First, the video is well
First, the video is well done.
That said, I can't help but throw out the same question to you as I did to Candidate Anastasio.
Let's take Packer Park. Packer Park looks like it does, generally speaking, because the residents there take ENORMOUS pride (like, disgustingly stratospheric) in where they live and what it looks like. I've had the opportunity to be awed by these residents on three separate occasions, concerning three separate issues. I understand that there has also been fairly significant private investment in Packer Park - led by a Packer Park-based realtor.
Now let's head on over to 29th and Tasker...
As it relates specifically to the loose trash and broken glass in the playground, I am wondering if you could speak to the notion of community responsibility, but more specifically, if you could tell me why you think, other than the implied failure on the part of Councilwoman Verna, that the park looks like it does. More directly, what role should residents play as it relates to an issue like community beautification?
If you see a role for residents, why does your video not challenge or shine the spotlight back on these individuals and instead focus exclusively on the role of a city councilperson?
(Note, in the interest of slowing the flow of hate mail, I am not making excuses for existing members of city council. I dislike them all fairly equally. That said, I'd like to investigate why those running as reformers seemingly have such low expectations when it comes to local residents. Were I running, which is to say losing, I might take my camera door-to-door and say "tell me why the park at 29th and Tasker look like it does?" This is the video I'd like to see.)
No question that residents
No question that residents should have a role. But it is also easier for middle class families to organize and get resources to fix up Packer Park in S Philly (or Fernhill Park in Germantown, for that matter), than it is for residents in impoverished areas, who are struggling every day to get by.
I can agree with Dan here.
I can agree with Dan here.
I want to take a second and remark on what Packer Park looks like on a Saturday morning. Homeowners come out and clean their sidewalks with soap and water. They sweep and make sure all looks good. That is what homeowners should do. It is remarkable.
Yeah,
but do they use biodegradable soap?
I don't ask.
They should be, but who knows.
"it is also easier for
= the soft bigotry of low expectations. It's really not.
So the point of the question was to get a tangible description of the role of residents. No one (Vern Anastasio, Dan) has yet to directly do this.
It's also not necessarily easier to get resources. In fact, it's pretty easy to get resources (rakes, trash bags, etc.) for free from the city. You don't even need the council office.