karen Heller: Noted Hypocrite
Oh dear. Karen heller just tipped her hand.
You may remember Ms. Heller from her recent remarks on saving libraries, pools, and fire engines, which I addressed back in January At the time she told us to “face the facts”:
Yet he’s been met with vehement opposition and constant pushback. While virtually every private industry is dealing with the new economy, reducing staff and eliminating costs, citizens – many who want lower taxes yet expect superior services – believe their local government should be immune.
Yes, cut, people say. But don’t cut the libraries/Mummers/fire department/insert favorite program here. They’re practicing budget NIMBY….
Local government creates a sense of entitlement because people deal with it every day. You can’t air your grievances on the floor of Congress or in the chambers of Harrisburg, but folks can join the circus any Thursday Council cares to convene. And they can yell at the mayor in town meetings….
The citizens of Philadelphia want their everything.
Unfortunately, the mayor said, “you don’t get everything until you go to heaven.”
So when it comes to essential services like pools, fire engines, and libraries, public services that people need and depend on, “The citizens of Philadelphia want their everything. Unfortunately, the mayor said, “you don’t get everything until you go to heaven.” Heller tells us we have to “face facts”, which is better than joining “the circus any Thursday Council cares to convene” or yelling “at the mayor in town meetings”.
But wait! Here’s Karen Heller TODAY, criticizing the decline in philanthropy in Philadelphia:
“Less.
In a country where General Motors declares bankruptcy, Americans are learning to deal with less of everything.
Our region has less, too, including a dwindling pool of generous benefactors and civic leaders…
In a region of this size, Lenfest is board chair of two leading arts organizations, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Curtis Institute of Music, as well as the head of the American Revolution Center.
Lenfest’s omnipresence speaks not only to his tremendous generosity, but also to a paucity of peers in a region that’s home to tremendous wealth. The lack of leadership, and deep-pocketed, committed donors, is of growing concern to cultural leaders. There’s an obvious need to cultivate a new generation, the next Lenfest, the new Lee Annenberg, as the economy continues to lash endowments and resources…
In trying times, when the state is fighting over the budget and cuts are a constant byproduct of the economy, when there’s more need than funding, and when the very institutions that make a place great require additional revenue to maintain the region’s greatness, it’s clear what’s needed.
More.”
But when it’s orchestras, art museums, and horticultural societies, essentially amenities that the hoi poloi of Philadelphia enjoy (as well as the less-than-wealthy), its “In trying times, when the state is fighting over the budget and cuts are a constant byproduct of the economy, when there’s more need than funding, and when the very institutions that make a place great require additional revenue to maintain the region’s greatness, it’s clear what’s needed. More.”
What happened to “facing facts”? You don’t get everything until you go to heaven, Karen.
Perhaps now that YOUR pet interests are facing reduced or nonexistent funding, you can see where we’re coming from in the city’s low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Why, maybe you’ll even write an article about the Coalition for Essential Services, which is rallying at the Chew Pool, Monday June 8 (Time TBA).
I’m not holding my breath though Karen, not holding my breath.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
We’re joining the ranks. Our city pool didn’t open this year. I’ll bet the library is next.