Philadelphia is closing libraries. A bunch of them.
As quoted by this guy, the whole situation is “like, stupid.”
According to city bigwigs, the best way for the city to get the $8 million in budget cuts it needs, is by closing 11 library branches and making cuts at the central administration.
In typical Philadelphia fashion the Philadelphia Eagles owe the city exactly: $8 million.
Perhaps the Eagles could actually win a game or two if they, perhaps, entered a library and read a book on football. Perhaps.
Background
According to the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia:
The Philadelphia Eagles have owed the city more than $8 million since 2001 as part of the deal to create luxury boxes at Veterans Stadium. Fans who lived through leaner years when the birds were pushovers instead of NFC Champions may remember that the Eagles, under a previous owner (Leonard Tose), actually threatened to move the team to Phoenix. Citizens who lived through leaner years when the city was facing bankruptcy instead of expanding surpluses may remember that the city, under a previous mayor (Wilson Goode), actually agreed to build new luxury boxes at city-owned Veterans Stadium to keep the team in town.
The deal called for the team to receive all the revenues from renting those city-funded luxury boxes until 2001, when the team would finally share some of the revenue with the city. Of course, 2001 has come and gone and the Eagles have never paid the city a dime of this obligation (conservatively estimated as at least $8 million). This is after the city agreed to help fund a new stadium for the Eagles that has dramatically increased team revenues. In fact, as part of the deal to build the new stadium for the Eagles, the city agreed to make an annual payment to the team of nearly $7 million for operating and maintaining the facility even though the city does not receive any stadium-generated revenues. The city has dutifully made its payment each year while the team continues to balk at making good on its obligation.
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Comments ( 2 )
Phillybits added these pithy words on Dec 09 08 at 7:30 amThanks for picking up on this and posting the video for others to see.
brendancalling added these pithy words on Dec 09 08 at 8:13 amthanks for posting this.
One of the reasons Philadelphia is, as you say, “a dump” is because for years the city has been dumped on, neglected, and treated like an unwanted step-child by the state, and many have internalized that into self-loathing.The only way this city will change is through education and opportunity, and it’s disgraceful that the mayor has decided he’s going to make sure people have neither.
From what i understand, the mayor has already decided he’s cutting the libraries and he doesn’t care about alternatives. he wants ‘em cut and he wants ‘em cut now, just like his smoking ban.
