A week ago, I was walking down 16th Street in downtown Denver. I was trying to stave off the minor panic attack I inevitably get at some point during travel outside of Philadelphia. I love going new places, don’t me wrong, but I always freak for a minute when I am somewhere really far away. There's something about ready access to cheesesteaks and people who know how to speak properly (what is this mysterious wah-tear that i am constantly being offered by servers?) that comforts me. Take it away and I feel like like a turtle that's swallowed a six-pack ring.

Anyway, there I am thousands of miles from home in a city located in a time zone that I’d bet ¾ of Philadelphians couldn’t even name. I am returning to my hotel from a pre-meeting trip to Denver’s Union Station (I like to check out trains in other cities) and I am blown away by the amount of new construction, apartments and lofts I see. I had a friend who lived in Denver once, and I’d always pictured it as one of those sprawling Western cities whose downtowns only contained hotels and office buildings. But no: all around me are thousands of units of housing.

This year, I have had a chance to travel a bit and I can confirm that urban living is popular everywhere. San Diego, LA, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Cincinnati, even Albany, NY; they all feature downtowns that are developing. Rapidly. I’d go so far as to say that American society is beginning to indicate a preference for urban living over suburban—a pretty big change for a country that practically invented suburbia.

After all, not as many middle-class people my age are getting married (or partnered for you PC straights) and bearing children in the same numbers as their parents. That means a whole lot of young people can forget the need for a good school district and a yard for the kids in favor of drinks at Tria. Not to mention the crowds of empty-nest baby boomers, who are living healthier and happier than their parents. They seem to figure, “why not live in the city now?” There is a lot more going on in Center City, after all, than in Newtown Square.

Yes, all of these suburbanites moving into the city sucks some. But, on the whole, it’s a great trend. A huge part of our current energy crisis isn’t just about the price of a barrel of oil, but it’s also about the fact that our country fundamentally realigned itself along car-reliant lines in the last century. Most Americans who live outside of cities have to own cars to do anything from work to school to shopping for food. And the fact that cities offer a contrast to that lifestyle, not to mention real opportunities for folks to get stuff done on foot or on SEPTA make them highly appealing.

So what does this all have to do with Philly?

Maybe other people have already caught onto this (especially those who travel more than I), but if there really is a cultural shift toward urban living, Philadelphia should ease up on all the incentives.

The Avenue of Arts was great and all, and maybe the ten-year tax abatement really did spur activity in Center City, but come on. If people are moving to downtown Denver of all places, it is obviously time for Philadelphia to end the ten-year tax abatement, or at least amend it.

There are two alternatives I would propose:

1. Offer a ten-year tax abatement to developers who pledge to renovate and rent properties at affordable rates. We have an affordable housing crisis in the city, and I‘d argue that what we need most is more affordable rental units.
2. Do something creative—maybe keep the property tax abatement, but charge those who get it a close-to-comparable fee for something like public transportation capital development (to build new light-rail or subway lines—think how great that would be for Fairmount and Strawberry Mansion or even NE Philly), or something to fund the School District.

In Mayor Nutter’s first year as Mayor, he managed to get a budget passed without causing too much pain. But that was really just the calm before the storm. Revenue projections are not great, there’s a recession brewing, and next year and the year after, we’re going to need more money in city coffers (and AFSCME DC 47 still doesn’t have a contract signed).

We need money not just to meet basic needs, but we also need to have some capital on hand to be able to invest in the city’s future. If we want to keep new people coming here, and if we want to have the resources on hand (like a fully-funded CCP) to raise the wages of those who already do, we need money.

And when it’s clear that people want to live here, in Center City at least, easing up on the tax-abatement seems like an easy way to start.

(If the solutions I offer chafe some, no sweat, but remember, in a city where 2/3 of our citizens live in functional poverty, we gotta do something to fund basic city services and figure out a long-term plan to lift people into higher-wage jobs. So, if you don't like my solutions, offer some that address these core issues.)

I am back, safely, in West Philly for a minute, where no matter what you snobby Center City-ites or 2nd ward dwellers may think, life on Election Day is much saner than in that crazy 1st state senate district where I spent my morning. Off to Tony's district next, to help out there, but before I go I wanted to remind everyone to get out and vote today.

See Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club's endorsements and answers to candidate questionnaires here, and Philly for Change's here. Find your polling place here, if you are a first-time voter in your division, bring ID or a utility bill with you. Polls are open till 8 PM. Report any election improprieties by calling 866-OUR-VOTE.

If you live in the First Congressional district, even if you support Clinton, please vote for my Liberty City Co-Chair Rue Landau who is running as a delegate for Obama. Your vote for delegate is basically a vote to decide which of the number of delegates that will be pledged to a candidate based on the Obama/Clinton vote, actually get to go to the convention. So vote Rue. (Hopefully this pic of Rue and her O-baby, Eli, will help you make this choice).

Speaking of the presidential, if you are still on the fence, I guarantee this video will swing you to Obama:

Ok, the race for Vince Fumo's seat is such a car wreck on the highway: you just can't help but stare. It's important, but there is so much else going on like the city budget, gun law drama with the DA, state rep challengers like Brown and Davis, and incumbent fighters like Tony Payton...oh, and isn't there a presidential debate or something tonight?

That said, let's talk for one sec about Dougherty's new poll. I asked campaign manager Brian Hickey if cross-tabs were released to media, and he said no. So that means we've only got this email to go on:

So I am no pollster, but I know a bit about voter targeting and I passed statistics on the 2nd try. So here goes some questions:

1. How many voters were sampled?
2. Was the sample comprised of frequent voters + a demographically accurate sampling of the unlikley voters who are coming out for Presidential election?
3. What is the margin of error?

Without answers to those questions, based on this data, it's hard not to think that Dicker and Farnese are pretty much in a tie, and that undecideds will distribute pretty evenly. And, if the poll is only of frequent voters, it makes sense that Dougherty is so far ahead, since those are folks who have gotten the most mail, calls, and the most likely to listen to ward leader/committee person advice.

That's not to deny the fact that Dougherty clearly has a huge advantage, not just in poll numbers, but cash on hand, and endorsements too. But without crosstabs for the poll released today, it's hard to get a more accurate picture of the race--especially since a voter universe this big and unpredictable hasn't been seen in Philly in over 30 years.

Why, you ask? Because the Mayor, Seth and Anne are all going to be lead speakers at Neighborhood Networks' "Getting Out the Progressive Vote" Conference at that place and on that date. Attending is easy. NN will provide a low cost continental breakfast and box lunch. All you have to do is go to NN's website at phillynn.org., register right there online, and then come to Drexel on the 29th.

This Conference is important not only for the perspective we'll get from Philly's present and future leaders. That will be great to have. But this will not be just a listening Conference; we've got serious business to do in turning this country around, and we're going to get right to that work on March 29.

Democrats are engaged in a pitched battle in PA right now to determine who our Presidential nominee will be. But the main thing we all have to worry about is keeping George John McBush's finger away from the trigger, his veto pen in his pocket, and his nominees off the Supreme Court. And, of course, the only way to do that is to beat him in November. Our special assignment, if we choose to accept it, is to beat him in Pennsylvania. If we don't succeed in that mission, he will be President, no matter what happens in the April 22 primary here, or in Ohio or Florida or Michigan at any time. It's as simple as that.

Make sure you read Jen and Charlie's posts here and here which detail State Rep Angel Cruz's proposed legislation to ban needle exchange programs from operating within 500 feet of a residence or school.

Then read the reply from a staffer for Rep Cruz below.

My favorite part is the implication that Jen is writing anonymously. As many of you know, Jen Murphy is the current chair of Philly for Change, and she worked very hard, and very publicly, to help elect Maria Quinones-Sanchez in the 7th City Council district.

Enjoy! --Ray

Dear Jennifer,

I read your reply you sent me at Representative Cruz’s office, you mentioned the Philadelphia Zoo as the closest location to your home, the admission would cost $18.00 per person, (by the way the admission to the Zoo in January and February is based on the daily temperature) luckily for us I found the Philadelphia Art Museum, right down the street form your house, and admission is whatever you want to pay on Sundays. If by chance the Representatives bill does not pass, are you willing to let Prevention Point use your address? Or maybe the six other people, who had comments, would be willing to allow the use of their addresses, at least the ones who live in Philadelphia.

Jennifer, you said banning the needle exchange program is reactionary and short sighted; the Representative is not banning the program. He is trying to stop the distribution of needles in residential areas in his district. I live within the area that the needles are given out, I’ve walked the streets at the sight of the mobile vans, there are thousands of needles on the ground, in the grass, on the steps of homes, by the railroad under pass there are so many empty needle package bags they were unable to be counted.

I am a critic.

I don't mean that just in terms of the blog. I mean, if you saw me rejecting a tuna fish sandwich in 1989 because the tuna was too cold, you would understand that it is just me. I also have that Philly born cynicism that most natives seem to share. And last but not least, I like to annoy people because... it is a lot of fun. That trifecta leads to horns on pictures of John Perzel, the Worst Person Ever. (Google Worst Person Ever, by the way. Or John Perzel.)

That said, I freely acknowledge that while criticism of the status quo is enjoyable and necessary, finding concrete solutions are harder. I have tried to talk about solutions some- especially in the election and governance field. But, when the chips are down, I am going back to the horn heads.

Ray is generally more of a solutions/organizer type, and has really pushed to look for some concrete ways Philly should move forward to raise wages for the average citizen. In that vein, he wrote a great piece a couple days ago, asking for your input on Philly's economic future. It isn't an easy topic to dissect, but he wants a framework that we should use going forward to get the City going. There are a lot of smart people out there who could get this going, and the time to do it is now.

Head over there, and give your thoughts. I am turning off comments here- just get the conversation going in the original post.