Open Letter to Jeff Lurie
Jeff Lurie, CEO
Philadelphia Eagles
NovaCare Complex
One NovaCare Way
Philadelphia, PA 19145
November 20, 2008
Dear Mr. Lurie:
On November 19, 2008 the Philadelphia Daily News reported :
AMOUNT OF money the city will save by shutting 11 libraries: $8 million.
Amount of money the Eagles have owed the city for years: $8 million.
It’s a tie!
Actually, it’s more than a tie. It’s an outrage. Back in 1985, when the Eagles were struggling financially – yes, back in the olden days, it was possible for an NFL team to be struggling – the city helped out by building sky boxes for the team at the old Vet stadium, and agreed to let the team keep all the revenue for 15 years. After that, the team would pay the city a share of the money.
That money, $8 million, should have come in 2001. It’s seven years later, and the city has yet to see a dime. The city sued the team in 2004 for more than $10 million, including back payments and interest.
As you are no doubt aware, Philadelphia is facing a massive budget shortfall, forcing the Mayor to close 11 libraries and 62 out of 73 pools. The cost of running the libraries is $8,000,000.00 dollars; the cost to run the pools is $3,100,000.00 dollars.
A visit to the Eagles Community Relations website shows that you claim a deep interest in children’s education, literacy, and physical fitness. You sponsor “What Moves U”, a fitness program for youth, as well as educational programs . You even have a bookmobile: “Using the star power of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Eagles Book Mobile program get children excited about reading, and provides them with access to books.”
Mr. Lurie, may I propose another way to “get children excited about reading”? Pay back the $8 million dollars your team owes our city, preventing the closing of libraries that primarily serve low-income neighborhoods. I live in one of those neighborhoods: Kingsessing. We are losing two pools, a spray ground, and a library. At the same field where my neighbor coaches youth football, we saw three young men murdered in 2007. The African American families that constitute the majority of my neighborhood are less likely than white families to have Internet access at home: our library provides a portal to education and information. Without it, families will suffer, black children will have fewer resources for education, and more kids will inevitably turn to a life of crime.
Children look to the Eagles as role models: what kind of example does it set when you borrow money and don’t repay it? What kind of example does it set when children must pay for the financial mismanagement of multinational corporations and banks? What kind of example does it set when those with the ability to give simply refuse to?
Mr. Lurie, your team has benefited greatly from Philadelphia and its fans. I have cc-ed this letter to Mayor Michael Nutter. You can create an enormously positive impact for our kids and families, and to help save our city. I urge you to pay back the $8,000,000.00, and allow Philadelphians of all ages a chance to improve their lives and communities through the resources found at the Philadelphia Free Library branches throughout the city. Please call me at [redacted] if you have any further questions about this proposal.
Sincerely,
Brendan Skwire
Cc: the Honorable Michael A. Nutter, Mayor
November 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
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[...] A blast from the recent past: AMOUNT OF money the city will save by shutting 11 libraries: $8 million. [...]